My wife Susan Bellamy (nee Beatson) has unearthed a couple of photographs which may be of interest, and which present a bit of a puzzle. Both are of the May Queen and were probably taken around 1953. Do we still have a May Queen?

Sue believes that they were taken outside Totley Rise Methodist Church where she used to go to Sunday school, but the entrance differs from how it was in 1971 when we got married there.

The May Queen in the pictures was Anne Walker but we have no recollection of her. The two little girls holding the train on the photograph above are Susan Beatson (on the left) and Vivienne Glentworth (we do remember Vivienne) but we have no idea who the older girls are. Perhaps someone can fill the missing gaps in our knowledge?
 

I hope these are of interest.
Kind regards,
Clive and Sue Bellamy

Update

From Peter Swift

The older girl on the left is my sister Mary Swift. We both lived with our parents in Laverdene Avenue. Mary was 11 years old when this picture was taken. She attended Totley Church of England school and was in Mrs Peacock's class. Mrs Peacock lived in Main Avenue and was a member of the choir at Totley Rise Methodist Church.

My sister passed her 11 plus and went on to High Storrs Grammar School and then on to university. Mary thinks the other girl was called Caroline Haywood and lived the other side of the railway, maybe Totley Brook or King Ecgbert area. 

The dresses were pink, my mother made Mary's dress and the other girl's parents had hers made professionally; if you look at the photo Mary's dress has a plain hem and the other dress has a frill. Mary was in the 'Girls Life Brigade' and so probably the others were too. My sister was married at Totley Rise Methodist in 1967 and now lives in Preston.

Regards
Peter Swift

Further Update

From Clive and Sue Bellamy

Many thanks for putting the article on the front page.

My mother Ada Bellamy worked for Peter Swift for several years, and worked for John Bonner before that. She also worked for Eric Bryers and Sid Evans on Totley Rise. I also worked for Sid Evans delivering greengroceries for him for a few years before going to college. His other shop assistant at the time was Olive Crookes. 

My father was Harry Bellamy who was park keeper in Greenoak Park for several years until he died in 1970 at the early age of 51. I would love to have a picture of him in his uniform, but unfortunately we haven't been able to find one. 

Best wishes

Clive (and Sue) Bellamy