Timberscombe Schoolchildren's 1953 Visit to Blenheim Gardens
Title
Timberscombe Schoolchildren's 1953 Visit to Blenheim Gardens
Subject
Description
Two original photographs of Timberscombe schoolchildren, taken at the Blenheim Gardens in Minehead, a 6 acre park in the town's centre that opened in the 1920's (1). Standing behind the children, on the lower photograph, is their Head Teacher, Mrs. Kathleen A. Willis and to the right is Assistant Teacher, Miss Peggy Forster. The reason for these children to be photographed on an outing to Minehead with both of their teachers is not known --there is no record of it in the school's LOG BOOK--but it must have been some sort of an occasion as the photographs are stamped on the reverse with "R. KINGSLEY TAYLER PHOTOGRAPHY THE AVENUE MINEHEAD". At this time, Mr. Tayler, operating out of his studio on No. 11 The Avenue, was perhaps the area's leading portrait photographer (2).
Also written (in the handwriting of Mrs. Willis) on the reverse of both photographs was "Blenheim Gardens" followed by a date that seems to be 1952 , with a "3" written over the "2"--although there are other copies where it looks like a "2" is written over a "3". 1953 is more likely as Miss Forster did not start teaching at Timberscombe until the 5th of January 1953 (3). The photograph also would have been taken before the 24th of July in that year. The boy, second from the left on the front row, was Derek Poole, who transferred on that date to Minehead Grammar School (4).
Derek Roy Poole was born 24 September 1942 in Timberscombe, the son of Frederick William and Edith (nee Seward) Poole (5). As he is here, Derek is usually recognised in photographs by his impressively curly and abundant hair. After transferring to Minehead Grammar School and while apparently acting up, a teacher grabbed Derek by his hair and used it to erase the blackboard (6). On Boxing Day 1964, Derek married Gwyneth (Gwynie) Palfrey at St. Petrock's Church in Timberscombe (7), where he was in the choir as a boy and actively rang bells (the handheld sort and those in the tower) all his life. Derek died in 2011, when living at Cowbridge Cottage in Cowbridge (8). Derek Poole was also a lifelong collector of Timberscombe memorabilia that has been graciously shared with the St. Petrock's History Group by Gwynie and their daughter, Angie (nee Poole) Gummer.
At the time of this writing, only two of the other children in the photographs have been securely identified. The second standing boy on the left end of the second row wearing striped suspenders, is William (Billie) John Millard. Born in Bath, on the 9th of January 1944, Billie came to Timberscombe when his father, Leslie J. Millard became the village Police Constable. The Millard family lived at the Police Station at No. 2 Bemberry Bank, just west of the school (9). Billie's mother, Cecily T. (nee Schroeder) Millard had worked briefly filling in at Timberscombe School during November and December 1952 , when the regular Supplys and Infant Teacher was transferred to another school. In the Log Book, Mrs Willis wrote that Mrs. Millard "was doing much good and interesting Christmas work" and appears to regret that she would not continue in that position (10). On the 22nd of June 1955, Billie won first place in the Juniors Long Jump while participating in the West Somerset School's Athletic Association Sports competition and exactly a month later, on 22 July, transferred to Sexeys, a boarding school in Bruton, Somerset (11). In July 1970, William Millard married Diana Olive Box at Wiltshire (12).
Michael Cyril Hooper, fourth from the left, was born in Bridgwater on the 13th of September 1943 to Doris Bircham of Timberscombe (13). In October 1946, Michael's mother married Frederick William Hooper, a Private Chauffeur, who adopted Michael and gave him his surname (14). They lived for a time at Heber Vale on the northern edge of the village and by the 20th of September 1948, the day Michael was admitted to Timberscombe School, the family had moved to No. 1 Forge Cottage (15). On the 23rd of March 1956, Michael was accepted to the Bridgwater Technical School (16) and at SP-175, he can be seen in the earlier 1960's as a young member of the Timberscombe Cricket Club. He married Janet A. Burge in Exmoor in 1965 (17). They later divorced (18). Michael Hooper died in December 2005 at Hammersmith, Fulham in London (19).
Miss Forster was called Peggy, with her actual name being Ethel Margaret (20). On the 7th of November 1955, she gave notice to Mrs. Willis at Timberscombe School and her final day was the 21st December, leaving to take a position in Dunster (21). After the death of his first wife, Margaret, in June 1972, in October 1972 Miss Forster married the Rev. Sidney Ernest Swann, who had been the vicar at St. Petrock's from 1951 to 1960 (22).
Kathleen Willis was Head Teacher at Timberscombe School for over 32 years, retiring 31 August 1967 (23). She died 7 July 1984 and was buried at the Minehead Cemetery (24). The two photographs seen here were found in 2000 at Timberscombe School in an envelope labelled as "handed to MW" (certainly being Mary Wright, Head Teacher at Timberscombe from 1976 to 1985) after the death of Kathleen Willis. The envelope was signed "Peggy".
Rev. Swann died in 1976 and Peggy Swann died in 2007. They are buried together with his first wife at St. Petrock's (25).
Also written (in the handwriting of Mrs. Willis) on the reverse of both photographs was "Blenheim Gardens" followed by a date that seems to be 1952 , with a "3" written over the "2"--although there are other copies where it looks like a "2" is written over a "3". 1953 is more likely as Miss Forster did not start teaching at Timberscombe until the 5th of January 1953 (3). The photograph also would have been taken before the 24th of July in that year. The boy, second from the left on the front row, was Derek Poole, who transferred on that date to Minehead Grammar School (4).
Derek Roy Poole was born 24 September 1942 in Timberscombe, the son of Frederick William and Edith (nee Seward) Poole (5). As he is here, Derek is usually recognised in photographs by his impressively curly and abundant hair. After transferring to Minehead Grammar School and while apparently acting up, a teacher grabbed Derek by his hair and used it to erase the blackboard (6). On Boxing Day 1964, Derek married Gwyneth (Gwynie) Palfrey at St. Petrock's Church in Timberscombe (7), where he was in the choir as a boy and actively rang bells (the handheld sort and those in the tower) all his life. Derek died in 2011, when living at Cowbridge Cottage in Cowbridge (8). Derek Poole was also a lifelong collector of Timberscombe memorabilia that has been graciously shared with the St. Petrock's History Group by Gwynie and their daughter, Angie (nee Poole) Gummer.
At the time of this writing, only two of the other children in the photographs have been securely identified. The second standing boy on the left end of the second row wearing striped suspenders, is William (Billie) John Millard. Born in Bath, on the 9th of January 1944, Billie came to Timberscombe when his father, Leslie J. Millard became the village Police Constable. The Millard family lived at the Police Station at No. 2 Bemberry Bank, just west of the school (9). Billie's mother, Cecily T. (nee Schroeder) Millard had worked briefly filling in at Timberscombe School during November and December 1952 , when the regular Supplys and Infant Teacher was transferred to another school. In the Log Book, Mrs Willis wrote that Mrs. Millard "was doing much good and interesting Christmas work" and appears to regret that she would not continue in that position (10). On the 22nd of June 1955, Billie won first place in the Juniors Long Jump while participating in the West Somerset School's Athletic Association Sports competition and exactly a month later, on 22 July, transferred to Sexeys, a boarding school in Bruton, Somerset (11). In July 1970, William Millard married Diana Olive Box at Wiltshire (12).
Michael Cyril Hooper, fourth from the left, was born in Bridgwater on the 13th of September 1943 to Doris Bircham of Timberscombe (13). In October 1946, Michael's mother married Frederick William Hooper, a Private Chauffeur, who adopted Michael and gave him his surname (14). They lived for a time at Heber Vale on the northern edge of the village and by the 20th of September 1948, the day Michael was admitted to Timberscombe School, the family had moved to No. 1 Forge Cottage (15). On the 23rd of March 1956, Michael was accepted to the Bridgwater Technical School (16) and at SP-175, he can be seen in the earlier 1960's as a young member of the Timberscombe Cricket Club. He married Janet A. Burge in Exmoor in 1965 (17). They later divorced (18). Michael Hooper died in December 2005 at Hammersmith, Fulham in London (19).
Miss Forster was called Peggy, with her actual name being Ethel Margaret (20). On the 7th of November 1955, she gave notice to Mrs. Willis at Timberscombe School and her final day was the 21st December, leaving to take a position in Dunster (21). After the death of his first wife, Margaret, in June 1972, in October 1972 Miss Forster married the Rev. Sidney Ernest Swann, who had been the vicar at St. Petrock's from 1951 to 1960 (22).
Kathleen Willis was Head Teacher at Timberscombe School for over 32 years, retiring 31 August 1967 (23). She died 7 July 1984 and was buried at the Minehead Cemetery (24). The two photographs seen here were found in 2000 at Timberscombe School in an envelope labelled as "handed to MW" (certainly being Mary Wright, Head Teacher at Timberscombe from 1976 to 1985) after the death of Kathleen Willis. The envelope was signed "Peggy".
Rev. Swann died in 1976 and Peggy Swann died in 2007. They are buried together with his first wife at St. Petrock's (25).
Creator
R. Kingsley Tayler
Source
Date
1953
Contributor
Format
Language
English
Identifier
Timberscombe schoolchildren with Mrs. Willis and Miss Forster in 1953 at Blenheim Gardens / Minehead
Acquisition Date
2000
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PEOPLE : Named / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Occupations / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Occupations / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2022
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
10.5 X 14 (PHOTOGRAPHS)
10.5 X 14 (PHOTOGRAPHS)
8.5 X 11.5 (TIMBERSCOMBE SCHOOL)
10.5 X 14 (PHOTOGRAPHS)
8.5 X 11.5 (TIMBERSCOMBE SCHOOL)
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk/parks-and-open-spaces and visit-somerset.co.uk (2) "Secure the Shadow, Somerset Photographers 1839-1939" by Robin Ansell, Allan Collier and Phil Nichols, The Somerset & Dorset Family History Society, 2018 (3) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, 21 April 1947-2 April 1965, page 92 (4) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, page 99 and Timberscombe School ADMISSION REGISTER, 1944-2012, No. 766 (5) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2005 and UK and Ireland, Find A Grave, 1300s-Current (6) as recalled in 2022 by Jennifer (Jenny) Hansford, currently of Dorchester but who grew up in Timberscombe as Jennifer Bond (her parents ran the village post office) and knew Derek Poole as a boy (7) as recalled by Gwynie Poole in 2021 (8) UK, Electoral Registers, 2003-2010 (9) Timberscombe School ADMISSION REGISTER, No. 781 and as recalled in 2021 by Roger Fewlass of Tiki Cottage (10) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, page 91 (11) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, pages 118-121 (12) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 (13) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007 (14) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 (15) Timberscombe School ADMISSION REGISTER, No. 778 (16) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, page 129 (17) England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 (18) as recalled in 2022 by Josephine (Jo) Atkins of Minehead, the grand niece of Nellie Brewer of Timberscombe, who married Frederick Hooper in 1960, after the death of Doris Hooper (the mother of Michael Hooper), c. January 1958 (19) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 (20) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 (21) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, pages 122 and 125 (22) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current and Timberscombe School MINUTES BOOK, 3 April 1930-4 June 1974 (23) St. Petrock's Church, Timberscombe, August 1967, PARISH NOTES by Rev. James Bury and Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, 26 April 1965-15 September 1985, page 57 (24) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current (25) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2022
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
St. Petrock's History Group TIMBERSCOMBE SCHOOL
St. Petrock's History Group TIMBERSCOMBE SCHOOL
Item Reference
SP-084
Technique
Copies
Citation
R. Kingsley Tayler, “Timberscombe Schoolchildren's 1953 Visit to Blenheim Gardens,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 3, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3521.
Comments