Hexham old girls enjoy re-union
Old girls from the former Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Hexham got together for a reunion on Saturday.
It was the twenty-sixth time the former pupils of the school, which closed in the late 1960s, have gathered in the old hall, now the site of Hexham Middle School.
Organiser of the event, Sylvia Giles, 83, of Low Fell, Gateshead, left the school in 1941 and over the last few months she searched tirelessly for former students to come to the event.
More than 50 ex-pupils congregated at the annual meeting, with some travelling from as far away as France and Canada.
Mrs Giles said: "It's nice to see everyone. We just sit around and look at old photographs and relive old memories.
"People come from all over the place. A lot of them haven't seen their old school friends for a long time because everyone has moved away."
The school's last remaining pupil from its opening day in 1909, Ethel Hill, of Prudhoe, died two years ago aged 108.
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The Annual Re-union is a great opportunity to keep in touch with old friends. Ages range from over 90 to the youngsters in their 50's! Sylvia Giles has worked very hard over the years that I have known her to make it a day not to be missed.
Apparently, the foundation stone for the school was laid in 1909 and the premises opened in 1910 with 77 boys and 57 girls. The school has been a successful Middle School since 1976 and we understand the staff and pupils would like to celebrate the centenary with many community occasions during 2010.
Our Association is hoping to contribute information and memorabilia which would be of interest to the School and it would be very much appreciated if any 'old girls - indeed old boys as well' could contact either Sylvia Giles or myself.
The last time that I am aware of the school being open to 'old' girls and boys was in the summer of 2000 during the celebrations for the centenary. It was a Friday afternoon and a Teacher Training Day, so there were no children in school. Arrangements were made that morning to have the premises open so that any interested people could have a look around. There was no official visitors book in school so a make-shift one was hastily produced. The 'invasion' commenced at 1.30pm and it was almost 5pm before the caretaker could close the school gates. The grand piano was played and the school song sung, the thronelike chair on the stage sat on and of course, visits to the two completely separate wings, the girls side and the boys side.
attended until 1966, left after o levels to go into cvil service
I found Marion's article very interesting as I attended QEGS in the mid 50's.
Unfortunately, there is no Email address in order to contact Ms Smailes.
I attended from 1943 to 1948. I still have my copy of the photo shown and was at the right hand side beyond the range of the part shown. i have many happy memories of my time at QEGS and would love to have contact with anyone who remembers me.
I have stumbled across the following words written by Marion Smailes (McIver 1950-1955)
"The grand piano was played and the school song sung"
Well, I am soon going to attend a QEGS reunion, and I have been trying to remember how Spes Durat Avorum goes, in case I am asked to play it!
It must be in the memory somewhere, from playing it, about 1951 - 1958, but I can recall it.
Can anyone help?
David Gatehouse
Hope of our Fathers
That lives on eternally
etc etc
I can hum the tune but I'm unable to write it down.
When is the QEGS reunion?
Another former QEGS pupil has been in touch with the rest of the song:
"Our song was drummed into me by Mr Blackburn who unfortunately died a couple of month after an Isle of Wight Camping Expedition (the first camping expedition when we included Haydon Bridge)
Hope of our sires oh live on eternally
Gleam yet more brightly the older you grow
Send forth your citizens and watch them eternally
Keeping the Kinship of friendship aglow
There are some things that never get out of your brain"
The Girls' Reunion in 2009 is on Saturday 26th September from 1pm to 4pm in the Old School Hall. Old girls, do come along; advance notice not essential.
I was at QEGS from 1958- 1966. I have a copy of the school song (plus music).
It has TWO verses!, as follows:
Spes Durat Avorum
Hope of our sires, O live on eternally
Gleam yet more brightly the older you grow.
Send forth your children and watch them maternally
Keeping the spirit of kinship aglow.
Long may you flourish and prosper exceedingly
Lighting the future with torch of the past;
Ever may trouble pass by you unheedingly:
Long may the hope of our ancestors last!
I can hear "Ron" Womersley now, playing the crashing intro chords on Speech Day. I'm sure it was in the old Forum Cinema so there must have been a piano in there
I attended from 1974-76 so therefore the second last intake before becoming a Comprehensive when I was then aged 13. So many happy memories of the place. I remember well that there was an enforced separation of boys and girls but that didn't stop liasons taking place between the two of course until broken up by a passing teacher. Massive football games took place in the boys yard with a tatty old tennis ball for the ball. If the ball was lofted onto the roof then it could get caught in the guttering. The enterprising scholars would then form a human pyramid so that one of the smallest lads could be lifted up to retrieve it. He was nicknamed 'quarter-pint' and had a slightly taller mate called 'half-pint' and it was usually their job to be the retriever.
Ron Womersley was my uncle - he was at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School as music master from 1955 until he died in 1965.
I would be very interested to hear any memories from people who knew him, as he died just after I was born, so I never knew him and I would love to build a picture of him!!
Thank you
I was at QEGS from 1960 to 1967 and have strong memories of Ron Womersley who was instrumental (no pun intended!) in introducing me to the world of music. He was great fun as a teacher, his music lessons taking place in a terrible old nissan hut down by the school canteen, heated by a coke fired stove which we used to stand around in winter whilst waiting for him to arrive. Compared to the facilities of school music departments today it was really primitive. He developed the school choir to a very high level - the first piece I ever sang, at the age of 11, was 'Messiah' and entry to his madrigal group was competitively sought - he took us all round the county singing concerts in various venues. He died the term before I took my 'O' levels and it was a huge shock to all of us who knew and loved him. I can honestly say that his influence led me to continue music at university and later become a music teacher. He was great bloke.
I noticed Jennifer Gratwick (nee Clark)'s comments and realised she was a classmate of mine. I hung out with her, Beatrice and Sylvia (I think).
I was also a member of Ron's wonderful madrigal group. His death was an awful shock to so many of us. My sister-in-law was a theatre nurse at the time and gave me the awful news. Ron provided me with a wonderful education in madrigal singing and our concerts in the Abbey were legendary because of the amazing accoustics. We sang on Tyne Tees Television on one occasion. I have spent my whole life since singing in musical groups of one sort or another.
I would be interested in hearing from any old girls who remember me.
My comments seem to have arrived without my name. I'm Lilian Ibbotson (nee Corbett) and have been living in New Zealand for the past 49 years.
Anonymous above is really me - I swear it!
Hi Lilian, I certainly remember you!
We travelled together on the 37 bus to Allendale via Haydon Bridge (where you got off) and Staward.
That's great that you've been singing ever since. I can remember the lovely real contralto voice you already had even in those days. I was never in Ron's Madrigal group, only the school choir, but I loved that. I've often wished those old performances could have been recorded - it was amazing the choral music QEGS was able to tackle back then. I'm another who can say that it was the memory of the school music - especially in the Abbey at Christmas - that inspired me to become an organist and be involved with choirs ever since.
Thanks for sharing those memories of Ron, he certainly had a real influence in the lives of those he knew!!!!!
In a way, he's been an influence on me too (even though I never knew him!!!) my father (sadly died last year) often spoke of him, I played violin, and am now learning to play the piano after 40 or so years!!! - about a grade 4 now..... My mother always said he could have helped me so much when i was learning music....
I wish i had known him
Carolx
I have just stumbled on this site and reading through the message I was transported back to 1958 and my time ay QEGS. I have fond memories of Ron Wommersley too. Thouvh I can lay no claim to any musical expertise I did enjoy his lessons. There was a craze for obtaining teacher's autographs in the school magazine. I recall asking Ron for his and HR agreed adding the aside, with a. broad smile "Look after that. It will be famous one day" He was a warm, friendly teacher, much respecteed
Apologies that it is no longer possible to post your memories on this page- we have had to switch off the comment functionality for archived articles. However, you might like to know the details of another Queen Elizabeth Grammar School reunion happening next month:
http://hexham.journallive.co.uk/2011/06/hexham-school-reunion.html
You can still send in your stories and questions to northumberland@ncjmedia.co.uk and we can post them on the site for you.
Simon
Community Web Producer