Woodlesford School

A group of pupils pictured at Woodlesford school in 1951. Back row: Geoff Page, Trevor Jackson, Alan Wadsworth, Derek Moore, Peter Milner, Unknown, David Firth, John Newton, Colin Firth, Frank Warrington. Second row: John Hartley, Shelia Abbey, Pat Taylor, Ivy Wainwright, Unknown, Eileen Westmorland, Sylvia Alderson, Wendy Wheeler, Pat Cowling, Jim Barras. Third row: Unknown, Pat Wright, Pat Longley, Pamela Wade, Hilary Dixon, Anne Flockton, Pat Flockton, Eileen Purves, Ann Shackleton, Anne Tattersfield. Front row: Unknown, Unknown, John Thorp, Colin Lee, John Burton, Unknown, Derek Bell, Unknown, Colin Smith.

Woodlesford School was opened in 1879 and many of its pupils went on to work in the local industries. If you can identify anybody in any of the photos on this page and have memories to share please email: bensoh10@woodlesfordstation.co.uk  Click here to see a photo of teachers from the 1970s.

A game of rounders in the 1950s.
The school garden in July 1956. At the back, left to right: Patricia Routledge, Margaret Horton, Beatrice Mantle, Jennifer Firth. On the right, top to bottom: Pamela Green, Christine Burford, Christine Young, Jennifer Kirk. The girl on her own at the front is Christine Pugh.
Another view of the garden and allotment. Note the grocer’s shop on Highfield Lane. The sign in the window is for “Brooke Bond Tea.” The derelict lean to building used to be a butcher’s shop.
Memorial to 28 pupils from Woodlesford who died in the First World War. It was erected by Margaret Parkin, the wife of headmaster Harry Parkin who had taught them all.
A group of pupils at Woodlesford School in about 1940. They’re pictured outside the headmaster’s house which was at the bottom of the girls’ playground. The group had been knitting socks to send to sailors and one of the school teachers later married one of the sailors. Whether the relationship was already established or followed this wartime effort isn’t known. Back row: Irene Thorp, Laura Brown, Joyce Wade, Peggy Hobkinson, Marjorie Smith, Miss Cahill (who taught Standard 7 and music), Unknown, Unknown, Audrey Kent, Dulcie Birch, Margaret Wright, Unknown, Elsie Rayner. Front row : Irene Abbey, Agnes Jenkins, Ralph Burnell, Winnie Preston, Jean Mirfin. Alice Tiffany.
School group. Date unknown.
This photo shows a group of children and teachers who went on a 4 day trip to London for the State Opening of Parliament in June 1955. On the left is the headmaster, F. W. Thew with teachers Mr. Howell and Mr. Warrington on the back row. The party are pictured on the terrace of the House Of Commons with the Labour MP, Albert Roberts, who had also been a pupil at Woodlesford. The party also went on a trip to Windsor where Barbara Jowett (nee Bacon), on the far right of the front row, remembers seeing a Coca Cola drinks machine for the first time. Also in the photo are David Firth, Wendy Wheeler, Geoffrey Page, Terry Nicholson, Eileen Purves, Pat Cowling, Ernest Alderson and Brian Hartley.
Woodlesford School Standard VI in 1919 or 1920. Back row: Cliff Henshall, John Lightowler, William Stokes, Herman Sparling, Stan Wright, Dick Killingbeck, Fred Boyes. Second row: Albert Cowling, Fred Bedford, Walt Ely, Harold Denton, Cecil Roberts, Albert Roberts, Joe Laing, Henry Wade, Henry Abbey, John Wilkinson. Third row: Mary Frith, Ivy Dickinson, Nellie Ellis, Florrie Burton, Gladys Daft, Headmaster Henry Parkin, Irene Collins, Agnes Benton, Marjorie Marriott, Lotty Pennington, Myra Smith. Front row: Lily Wiseman, Florrie Page, Fred Roberts, George Roberts, Ada Birkin, Gerty Newsome. The headmaster Henry Parkin came from Seacroft and was 63 years old in 1920. He had lived with his wife, Margaret Jane, at Rose Cottage in Oulton but when he died in December 1921 he was living on Back Claremont Street.
Woodlesford School in the early 1950s. In the background is one of the half finished new council houses on All Saints Drive and also just visible are the two chimneys at Armitage’s brickworks. Back row standing: Leslie Appleyard, Peter Davies, Maurice Dunham, Peter Hammill, Keith Render, Michael Batty, Kevin Jacques, Unknown, Clifford Priestley, Barbara Naylor, Norma Fawcett, Molly Abbey, Unknown, Peter Ward, Michael Walker, Terry Routledge. Middle row kneeling: Dorothy Wilkinson, Irene Benson, Enid McIlroy, Olive Ellis, Barbara Ward, Jean Madeley, Olga Hume, Noreen Hopkinson, Moira Taylor. Front row sitting: Anne Wright, Glenys Dixon, Shirley Pugh, Pat Taylor, Doris Birch, June Cooper. (Margaret Hollis was in the same year but missed the photo.)
Woodlesford School in 1956/7. Photo courtesy Alan Shackleton. Back row: Colin Duranam, Wilf Burton, John Wainwright, Tony Bogdan, Peter Brownlow, Chris Rayfield, Malcolm Carter. Second row: Colin Hossack, Unknown, Unknown, Hazel Thorne, Mary Payne, Judith Horner, Elaine Bettany, Alan Shackleton. Third row: Susan Rawson, Unknown, Pauline Ward, Dorothy Ward, Frank Warrington, Susan Westwood, Christine Eccles, Unknown, Beryl Blair. Front row: Edwards, Hammil, David Blair, Unknown, Abbey, Norman Carrington, John Pickles, Appleyard.
Dinner ladies at Woodlesford school in the 1970s. Jean Abbey is seated second from the right. Do you recognise anybody? Please email bensoh10@woodlesfordstation.co.uk