Flashback: Silver lining in diamond year

Readers have been writing in with their memories, can you shed any more light ont hese photos.

Bellringers at Grundisburgh

WITH reference to the Bellringers photo, my mother-in-law, Mrs Phyliss Fosker of Great Finborough, brought it to my attention today, as the lady second from the left was my mother, Mrs Joan Muxlow.

Both my mother and father, Rev. Arthur Muxlow, were keen bell ringers, and I would suspect that this photo is not of the ‘team’ (or ‘band’ to give them their proper collective name) at Grundisburgh, but rather a gathering of The Woman’s Guild of Ringers (I believe that was their correct title) who favoured ringing at Grundisburgh as the rings were light, and therefore suited to the ladies.

If I remember correctly, there were ten bells there, seven ladies being pictured, the eighth possibly taking the photograph, they would have rung ‘the back eight’ for a quarter or full peal.

I do not know the names of any of the other ladies pictured.

Both my parents have passed away, father in 1977, mother in 2005, but mother kept bell ringing until well into her later years. She rang many peals, and quarters, and in the 70s I would have rung a few with her, either at Stowmarket, where father was vicar, or in her beloved Lincolnshire, where she was born.

Happy times.

PETER MUXLOW,

Grasby,

Barnetby,

North Lincolnshire.

Wenhaston Primary School Silver Jubilee Crowns

WITH reference to the photo below, sent to me by my sister, I am in the back row, second from the right (with the highest crown in the air).

I am working in Geneva, Switzerland and have been based out here in the lake Geneva area/French Alps for 20 years.

MATTHEW LEGUEN DE LACROIX BSc (Hons) SIOR FRICS,

Chamonix Mont-Blanc,

France.

IT was great to see the photo of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations from 1977 at Wenhaston Primary School.

I can remember the Headmistress Mrs Jackson and my class teacher Mrs Swan going to enormous trouble for the event. It was a really happy time, as reflected in the smiles.

Unfortunately I can’t remember all the faces, but from the back row I think Michael Sade is top left, then Phillipa Del Aquire (?), myself (Carol Hammond), ?, ?, Matthew Del Aquire(?), Sam Turner, Alison Blair (?), Alice Longchalk (?), Helen Washborne (?), Nicholas Earl and finally Stephen Wright.

Apologies if I am mistaken or names are misspelt. It was actually my father who spotted the photo, which hopefully means I haven’t changed too much in 35 years!

CAROL KINGSTON (nee Hammond),

E-mail.

Dunwich Heath Flower Festival

THE lady with the flowers at the official opening of the Dunwich Heath Information Centre in April 1981 is the County Chairman, Jean Williams of the Suffolk East Federation of Women’s Institutes. She was our Chairman from 1980-1983.

Mrs Joan Kelsey,

Previous Accounts Clerk at the Federation Office,

E-mail.

Whepstead County Primary School Butter making

I AM not a regular subscriber to the EADT but a relative who is sent me the enclosed photograph of children at the former Whepstead County Primary School.

You asked if anyone knew the names of the children and they are (starting from the top and going clockwise): Amanda Stiff, Fiona Robey, Rachel Durrant and Joanna Carpenter.

I was the last Chairman of Governors of the school which, at the time of closure, had approximately 30 pupils and two excellent teachers.

To my knowledge three of the girls in the photograph achieved first and upper second class honours degrees and Masters degrees with distinction and quite possibly the fourth and they were not the only ones in the school to do so.

To coin a phrase, size does not matter and those in government who tell us that class size doesn’t, in all probability send their children to private schools with class numbers not exceeding ten.

B C S CARPENTER,

Brockley,

Bury St Edmunds.

Witnesham Agri Centre

Names of three members of course shown at Witnesham Agri Centre in April 1968.

Squatting on left Stewart Barnard. fourth from right Kenneth Ogilvy. Sixth from right standing Stephen Purkiss.

Thurston Upper School Five-a-side Football February 1984

MY son Kevin Frost is the blonde one on the middle row. Luke Williamson is on his left and to his right is Andrew Bird, Mark Jennings, Jason Diaz and behind Jason, top left-hand corner, is Marcus Richardson. They played for Thurston Primary School.

MRS R FROST,

Rushbrooke Lane,

Bury St Edmunds.

Bacton Flower Show

I REFER to the photograph sent in by Mr Ken Miles of Wyverstone and published May 21.

The photo was taken at the Bacton Flower Show in approximately 1958 of pupils of Bacton School and their exhibits of vegetables from the subsoil garden. The pupils in the photograph are - from left to right - Stanley Rice, Roger Hails, Jane Haggar, Ken Miles, Graham Tapp, the boy kneeling is Micky Sheldrake.

The Bacton Flower Show was a major event during the 1950s with people travelling many miles - most of them by bicycle - to see the fruit, vegetables and flowers and to watch the sports including the mile race and tossing the sheaf.

SID ELMER,

Bacton.

Dairy Queen photograph

REGARDING the above photograph I can offer further information for your interest.

The Dairy Princess of Anglia 1964 in the centre of the photo is Christine Hewitt who then went on to become the national Dairy Queen.

As part of the set of photos taken at the time by the EADT photographer I performed the ‘crowning’ at Seckford Hall before Christine went on to be Dairy Queen for 1964. As this picture was also printed in your newspaper at the time I have attached a copy of the photograph from my album which gives details of the two runners up - Mary Jenner and Jane Calver.

As the outgoing Queen for 1963 (as Rosemary Manister) I also handed over my reign and assisted in Christine’s crowning when she was selected as the 1964 Queen at the official ceremony held the Grosvenor in London.

I was married a year later and again this seemed to be a newsworthy item featuring in the EADT on April 5 1965.

Hope these snippets fill in the details concerning the recent photo.

ROSEMARY SOUTHGATE (nee Manister).

Church Close,

Lower Somersham.