Norwood High School 1952

Norwood House Private School was located at Norwood House, Glover Road, between 1893 and 1916, as we can see from trade directories and newspaper advertisements. It was run by the sisters Annie Elizabeth and Ethel Maud Crossland.

By the early 1920s, the school had moved into the Church Hall at the Dore and Totley United Reformed Church on Totley Brook Road and had become known as the Norwood High School for Girls and the Norwood Preparatory School for Boys. The two sisters were remembered by Christine Wheeler in an article published by the Totley Independent in September 1990.

This photograph was sent to us by Roger Hart who tells us:

Totley County was being built when I was of school age and The Church School was nearly full, according to my parents, so hence I went to Norwood. The Head teacher was Mrs. Newman, fairly formidable lady whose son was a footman at the Queen’s coronation. She was certainly to be feared, added to which a certain aroma followed her very closely! Miss Ford was the prickly primary teacher. Mrs. Wingfield was very pleasant and had come from New Zealand. She was the one who I could talk to if I needed, but seldom did.

Photo shows, from left to right, Miss Holroyd; Mrs. Wingfield; Mrs. Holroyd in white blouse; Mrs. Newman; Miss Ford and, caretaker/cook, Mrs. Hassall. I recall a football coach called Mr. Ball who I did not like and was suspicious about his name. (we had to walk in football boots from Totley Brook Road to Green Oak rec. to play football about which I knew nothing, and learned nothing!

Names which I can remember, with some from Chris. Seaman, the photographer (second from right, top row) who has kindly scanned my photograph. He has also offered to imprint a caption of all the names which we can gather.

Roger Buffin 10R Top
Roger Butcher?
Alistair Humpries?
David Linfoot?
Anthony Grant?

Sally Sidery
Peter Grimsditch (became editor of National newspaper)
Jennifer Jones 7RMid
Lynne?
Stuart Mottershaw (Sheffield Photographic Co) became accountant and went to Jersey or Guernsey, 6L Mid
Jennifer Chalmers 3L Mid
Peter Haughton 12R Mid
Gillian? 1LMid
Roger Hart, 8L Mid
Ann Senior 11L Top
Anthea Senior?

The school uniform was brown, and we were supposed to wear brown shorts. Nobody in this City stocked brown shorts for a lad of my size, after I put weight on after having scarlet fever, so Mum bought me grey shorts. I got the telling off! I think Roger Bufton, the large lad in the photo, had his trousers made as his parents could afford it.

We had to go to Totley County School to take our 11+ exams, and then we had to transfer to Norwood to finish off the term, travelling on two buses at 11 years of age, through the centre of town. Exam results successful, I went to High Storrs but did not enjoy it at all.

Roger Hart

November 2016

The button below can be used to download and enlargement of the photograph which gives a better chance of putting names to faces.

Letter from Howard Adams

             Norwood School circa 1959

Howard Adams has been in touch with us regarding Roger Hart's memories of Norwood School in the 1950s. Howard writes: 

It was very interesting to see your 1952 photo of Norwood High School. I can confirm David Linfoot was there, he was the local doctor's son, although not sure which one he is. I must have started in 1953 and Elizabeth Linfoot, his sister, was in the same year as myself. I remember all the staff apart from Miss Holroyd. Sally Sidery rings a bell as there was someone I knew there called David Sidery who could well have been her brother.

I left in 1959 went to King Edwards and then became an architect (now retired). My parents lived on Furniss Avenue so it was an easy walk to School but interesting to be reminded how we used to have to get a bus to Pond Street and another to Pitsmoor in the last term. I think the school was actually called Oakwood and was an old, possibly Victorian, house. 

In those days football studs were nailed to the boot and the walk up to the recreation ground and the following walk home used to cause excessive wear to the studs resulting in the nails being pushed up into the boot. This was quite painful and one of the reasons I never much cared for football. 

I managed to find a couple of photographs which may be of interest. The class photo is, I think, 1959 which would be the year we all went to secondary school. Names I can remember as follows... Back row from left: Colin, ?, myself, Heather, Frankie, ?, ?, Barry Richardson. Front row: Sheila Middleton, Judy Cundall, Newman, Holroyd, Elizabeth Linfoot, Judith, ?. The other photo is myself in the painful boots, with Michael Shipley, and Frank ?.

Regards,

Howard Adams 

January 2017