Flashback: It was a dog’s life back then

Laurie Offord, from Newmarket, wrote regarding a photos featuring the late Sergeant Brenda Mann, formerly of the East Suffolk Police, West Suffolk Constabulary then finally upon amalgamation in 1967, the Suffolk Constabulary.

“She was the first female police sergeant to be appointed in Suffolk. (How times have now changed for the better).

“Am not sure who the other person is, possibly Pc John Burroughs, a force dog handler. The girls are not known to me.”

The father of a chorister photographed in 1985 has written in with his memories after seeing his daughter in our Flashback column. Chris Movley, from Denham, wrote in to tell us several names of the St Edmundsbury Cathedral Choir 1985. “Director of music is Paul Trepte (now at Ely) shortly after taking up his appointment here.

“Front left is my daughter Victoria Foster (n�e Movley), second from the front on the right is Simon Wall - now a well known tenor soloist. I could name others but I am sure you will have more responses,” he said.

Betty Connors got in touch in response to a Flashback picture, she said: “The book the students were holding was called Ourselves in Suffolk. It was produced in 1985 by our superb and sadly now retired English teachers, Miss Arnall and Mrs Sibley, and was a follow-up, ten years later; of the book they produced to celebrate Architectural Heritage Year.

“Pupils from all the villages feeding the school wrote about people, places and events in their own village, and village editors collated the entries and compiled the book.

“My daughter, Clare, was one of these editors (in the middle at the back in the photo). Both she and her brother had articles printed in the book, as did many other students from first to fourth year. It also contained photographs and drawings.

“I still have my copy of the book and got it out again today after seeing the photograph. It reminded me of so much - places, events and particularly of so many students, now grown up with children of their own. Thank you for printing it”.

We received several responses to the Beyton School Cricket Team photograph from July 1986. Steven Offord, from Rattlesden, said: “Sitting down, second left holding the ball, myself Steven Offord and to my right is David Mitchell.

“Far right, sitting down, Adrian Hunt. Far right, standing up, Neil Norman. Third boy standing up from the left is Toby Lowe. “I am sorry I can’t remember any more names but I was born in 1972 and was only 13 at the time!

“I still have the medal I won on that day, it is at my mothers. It was the West Suffolk School Cricket Association, and I believe we played the final at Barrow.”

James Flower, from Newmarket, also got in touch. “I was very excited to see this photograph again. Although I’m still coming to terms with the realisation that it was 26 years ago, it remains one of my favourites.

“We are pictured a few days after winning the final of the West Suffolk Middle Schools competition.

“At the very back, teacher and coach, Richard Edge. Back Row L-R (standing): Simon Leggett, Zak Stiff, Toby Lowe, Bryan Everitt, Thomas Kent, Richard Hammond, David Tomkinson, Martin Rayner and Neil Norman. Front Row L-R (seated): David Mitchell (now Cobourne), Steven Offord, James Flower (the very proud captain), Lucky Jagpal and Adrian Hunt.

“Mr Reynolds also deserves a special mention for helping to organise the team. I’m not sure why he’s not pictured with us.”

He added: “My sincere apologies for any inaccuracies”.

Meanwhile, another reader wrote: “My name is Bryan Everitt, now aged 39, standing in the middle of the back row.

“I believe we were either West Suffolk or Suffolk Middle Schools cricket Champions that year.

“Also pictured are David Mitchel, James Flower, Harprit Jagpal, Adrian Hunt, Neil Norman, Martin Rayner, Ricky Hammond, Bryan Everitt, Toby Lowe, Mr Edge, Martin Stiff and Simon Legg.

“Apologies to those who I can’t remember their names.”

Jack Philpot e-mailed in having spotted the magic memories photos on July 2, he said: “I realised that I was actually in the photo of the Abbotts Hall school pupils.

“My name is Jack Philpott and in the photo I am the sixth in from the left standing next to the girl with the green jumper. I am now 17 and it was great to have a look back on that time in my life.

I would like to thank you for printing the photo and giving me the opportunity to remember these memories.”

Wendy Harris spotted herself in a Midsummer Night’s Dream production and said: “I am in this photo which must have been Midsummer Night’s Dream, hence the wall.

“I cannot name everybody, but from memory I think that the girls standing are from left to right: Diane Hayward, Ann Ling, (unknown), Janice Taylor, Jenny Clark, Wendy Spencer (me), then I don’t know the next five except that the boy playing the wall is Howard Crofton-Sleigh and the girl far right I think is Rosemary Scott. Of the four sitting, the front left is Clive Hayward and the boy behind to the right is Neil Gooch.

“I have a photo taken at the same time with other cast members. I have absolutely no memory of any actual performance or what part I played. It was a long time ago!”

The Hadleigh egg and spoon race 1964 featured in EADT, July 2 saw two responses. S.J. Grimsey, from Hadleigh, spotted several familiar face in our picture, and said: “The lady on the left is the late Mrs Daphne Leeks who passed away about five years ago; a real Hadleigh family.

“In the middle I assume is one of the American ladies who took part in the egg and spoon race and on the right is Mrs Fenton who still lives in Hadleigh. On the extreme left the lady wearing glasses and smiling is the late Mrs Tatum.

“The egg and spoon was held annually in Hadleigh High Street and was between Hadleigh Ladies and a team of ladies from USAF Base Bentwaters. Sadly the race is no more as the Bentwaters base has now closed.

“It is a pity the race has died out as it always drew a good crowd of people.”

Helen Fenton e-mailed us after spotting her mother in the image, and said: “The lady on the right of the photo is my mum Diane Fenton (dinky) who consequently won the race! The lady on the left is Daphne Leeks who was in the lead until she dropped her egg!”

Finally Anthea Atkins, from Great Barton, got in touch when she saw herself in the June 29 edition of the Anglian. “The people in the picture are me (Anthea Atkins) with head scarf and Jean Fairs.

“I rode my bike from Great Barton to Ixworth on the A143 with my four-year-old daughter sitting on the front. We would pick five days a week from the start of the strawberry season to picking plums, apples and finishing in November picking damsons after they have had a frost.”

If you can tell us anything about these images or have some archive pictures of your own e-mail flashback@eadt.co.uk.

Click on the link for myphotos24 to buy a copy of these photos.