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Is this Remembrance Day at Sea Mills School 1932?

As we go through the project we are collecting lots of old photographs. Some come with names and dates but others don’t. We will post some of them on this site, let us know if you recognise a friend, relative or even yourself – or if you can help us date a photograph.

We would love to know more about this photograph, it’s marked Sea Mills School 1932 on the back but we have not been able to identify any of the people in it so far. If you look closely in in the bigger versions it looks like the children are wearing poppies and the teacher on the right is wearing his medals. Eagle-eyed helpers on facebook have also noticed that two of the children in the front row are wearing Brownie uniform and there is a scout at in the back row. The first Poppy Appeal was in 1921, we are also wondering what the straps are that most of the children are wearing? If these are gas masks then this would make the date later. It’s been suggested that they might be sashes to signify something. Let us know, if you think you know!

Read more about the history of the Poppy Appeal on the British Legion website.

Photograph 1. Sea Mills School 1932

view close up versions

Thanks also to Mike Butt who has helped us make this colourised version. Click on the picture of a slightly bigger version)

After appealing for information about this photo we have identified the child on the back row standing next to the teacher. He is Desmond John White, born in 1923 and he lived at 17 Trym Side. He was also in the St. Edyths choir. Thank you to his son, Philip for identifying him. Read more about his family and their contribution to WW1 & WW2

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Did you go to Sea Mills School in the 1950’s?

Do you fancy getting in touch with your old classmates?

I was contacted by two lovely gents, Ian and Richard who have been organising get togethers of their classmates who attended Sea Mills School in the 1950’s. 

Contact us if you would like to be put in touch with them.

Ian has sent us a brief history of the group. 

1958

In the long past days of friends reunited you were able to put in your name and school and connect with others you knew on this site. Several of us had passed the 11 plus and attended Ashton Park (a new school at the time so looking for pupils to fill it ) so contact and friendships had continued for an additional four years. A few of us had just made a hello contact but out of the blue came a note from Liz that an article had appeared in the local Keynsham paper that Mr Ellison was still doing well and was a volunteer with the local help to read group for partially sighted.

After a few enquiries Liz managed to obtain contact details which lead to a flurry of communication and the idea to meet up, combined with other events of the junior school redesign and refurbishment

November 2012, several of us with Mr Ellison were able to meet up at Sea Mills school. This was followed a few months later with a lunchtime reunion at the Lamplighters

The next milestone turned out to be  Mr Ellisons 90th birthday and we were all able to take the  opportunity  to celebrate at the Bushmill Near Keynsham.

We would love to collect more information about the school from all times in it’s history for these pages. We will add anything else we get that relates to the 1950’s to this page.

A lesson at the school, featuring: L-R Chris Steven, Rob Kelly, Penny Wiltshire? Ian Robbins, Liz Lewis, ?