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Almondsbury
Almondsbury photos
Displaying the first of 15 old photos of Almondsbury. View all Almondsbury photos
Almondsbury maps
Historic maps of Almondsbury and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Almondsbury maps
Almondsbury area books
Displaying 1 of 6 books about Almondsbury and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Almondsbury
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Almondsbury.
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Bitter Sweet Memories Of St Cathrines Boarding School
I arrived in 1955, I was there for three years. I was not happy there, it was like a jail to me. I do recall the names of Clive Wood and Peter Adams - I do not recall any of the others. There was a girl with a birthmark on her face, her first name was Rita, I think. Do you remember a girl called Diana? she had Tourette's Syndrome. Remember the cellar? We would all congregate there sometimes. What was that matrons name that used to watch us boys in the bathtub? I used to think she was a voyeur. When I was there, the big thing to do was raid the pantry at midnight. Someone used to have the key. We used to take the cans of Nutmeat. It was 'ghastly' I can't remember how we ever got those cans open - we didn't have a can opener. Does anyone remember a boy named Bill Shea ? I remember Mr Thunder, I think he was a music teacher, not sure. I loved... Read more
Marcia Bowen Circa 1950-1955
Ms Grisdale, I cannot tell you how excited my Mum was when we found this site and your comment to Mr Fountain's memory posting. Marcia Bowen (mum) was so happy and nostalgic to read all the comments and postings about her old school, classmates and faculty. She would very much like to regain contact with anyone who may have been attending St Catherine's during her years there. Please respond to my email address: summers562@yahoo.com with your contact information and I'll be sure to pass it on to her. She would especially like to contact Beryl Maloney. I think I've seen her postings on here as well.
PUPIL
I was a pupil at this school from 1954 to 1961. I was in Miss Staddart's class. She used to take us to pictures on Saturdays, some of the films which I saw were 'Ben NUr', and Norman Wisdom's films. My friends I remember were Clive Wood, Peter Adams, Maurice Fountain. I can also remember trying to go swimming at nights, and also used to raid the food cellar. We used to play in the trees at the back of the school huts. All the fun I had was sliding down the hill on a tin sheet. My first girlfriend was Linda Yates who had a sister called Pat. I would also like to hear from anyone else who was at the school when I was. Tony Farrer
St Catherine's Boarding School
I have very fond memories of the school and Mr and Mrs Cooper, and I was one of the privileged children to move to Parkstone in Dorset when the Coopers moved there. I was in Miss Stoddart's class and I can still remember the smell of the herbal cigarettes she used to smoke, and on the rare occasion she would share one with the class. At the end of the summer terms I remember us polishing the classroom floor with wax polish which had a really strong smell, not at all an unpleasant aroma. After prep classes in the evening it was a mad dash to the study to see who could be the first one in so that they could pinch Mr Cooper's dog-ends out of the ash trays, so we could re-roll them to smoke at a later date. Mrs Cooper used to read her newspapers in the study( television room) and if you so much as uttered a word she used to glare at you over the... Read more
Very Fond Memories
I have some good memories of that school, Mr and Mrs Cooper and Mr Smith. The teachers that I remember are Mr Partridge ('Birdy') and Mrs V Houston who had 2 daughters Helen and Penelope who came to the school at holiday times. It was a vegetarian school in my day, and it was rare for anyone to be ill. Most of the school marched down to the church in Lower Almondsbury on a Sunday, unless you were Catholic and you got a lift from a neighbour who took us to Thornbury. It would be nice to hear form anyone from that age, I left in the Christmas holidays of 1953.
Godfrey Walley
I Was A Pupil at ...
Does anyone have any imformation as to how to make contact with Alan Melville Cooper, the principle's son? I would very much like to contact him, as we were good chums at school. Many thanks.
I Was A Pupil at St Catherines School......
I was a pupil at St Catherine's School between 1954 and 1962. The school was run by Ralph and Joyce Cooper.
Teachers I remember are Mr Thunder, art teacher, Mr Smith, and Miss Muriel Stottart, who taught class 3b, the juniors.
At the rear of the building there was a large conservatory and a path that ran down to a long hut which served as classrooms. There was also a homemade concrete swimmimig pool. Our playground was a a grass area and a wood and beyond that were two fields. At the top of one field was a very old horsechestnut tree, where we had slung a rope over a high branch to make a swing.
We were given an amazing amount of freedom.
Each Saturday we were given pocket money, which ranged from one and sixpence (7 +1/2p) to two and sixpence (12+1/2p). We were allowed to walk up to the "top" of Almondsbury hill, to the post office/sweet shop to buy sweets and pop. The Swan pub, which... Read more
Almondsbury
I know the above scene well! I attended the Knole Park house - now sadly demolished - which was then a boarding school, St. Catherine's. One weekend we went on a day trip to the shore of the Severn.......fascinating place. Would love to go sometime and spend a night at the Old Bowl Inn. I understand that St.Mary's in Lower Almondsbury is now a closed church.........I remember walking down the hill on numerous occasions and seeing the War Memorial. I was on holiday with a friend in the late sixties in Bristol and took a trip to Almondsbury and my old school, but found it deserted and empty with grass in back of the house much overgrown.......a very eerie experience. The private homes along the left-hand side of the driveway as you approached the building were still occupied, it seemed. Anyone else have any knowledge of memories of this?
I grew up in London (Ealing is my hometown) and moved to Washington,... Read more
