St Gregory's Catholic Church c1955, Cheltenham
St Gregory's Catholic Church c1955, Cheltenham Ref: C75080
Memories of St Gregory's Catholic Church c1955, Cheltenham
Sunday Morning Walk to Church.
This picture evokes a strong memory of attending church with my brother when we would only have been 9 years and 8 years old. Walking together come wind, rain, or snow. One Sunday morning particularly stands out in my memory, which was when we were sent off, not adequately dressed, thick snow on the ground, both freezing cold, but looking after, and, looking out for each other.
Cheltenham & local memories
Read and share memories of Cheltenham and Gloucestershire inspired by Frith photos.
Engagement Memory
My grandparents Annie Holland and Alfred John Heeks became engaged to be married at this spot. Both from Cheltenham, they were soon after married and emmigrated to Canada and settled in Manitoba, then finally in Alberta. My grandmother had so many wonderful stories about growing up there.
Miss Crtichley. Rotunda
The Rotunda school was in Montpellier, around the corner from this photo and eventually took boys as well as girls, which accounts for me being there between (about) 1952 until 1956. Miss Critchley was a wonderful headmistress and human being. Some of my contemporaries were Hilary Brooks and her friend Valerie. Richard Ham (farmer's son from Brockworh). Michael Oliver (Oliver Antiques) Rhona Griffiths, Josephine Brooks (her Dad ran the Hare & Hounds) Hugh Neat, etc etc. There was a very high standard of education but everyone was acclaimed for his/her talensts, no matter how lowly. Miss Critchley (who I believe is buried at Brockworth Church) was a wonderful person and chose her staff well. Even after all of these years, I feel that her warmth is a guiding light in my life. A very special and spiritual person.
NEW COURT SCHOOL ON LANDSDOWN ROAD, CHELTENHAM
I have been told that New Court School does not exist anymore but there is an Insurance office there. I went to New Court School and boarded there with four other East African girls from Tanzania and Kenya. I was only 10 years old. My headmistress for Miss Peplow, my class teacher was Miss Warren-Smith and the matron was Miss Scott. I remember school friends Susan Imhoff, Gala and Susan Mitchell, Gala was a lovely ballet dancer. There were two day boys too and I think one was Paul, I don't remember the other one's name. I am writing my memoirs and feel very nostalgic for Cheltenham and the year I spent at school. I wonder if anyone still remembers New Court School. I have some pictures of sports day at school and the school itself.
Montpellier Girls School Near Rotunda
I am trying to find anyone who went to the above school run by Miss Chritchley.
Growing up in The Lower High Street
Myself, my mum and dad, and my sister lived in Rowton House for the first 14 years of my life. Rowton House was owned by my Grandfather, Arthur Griffiths who also owned and ran the Shakespeare Inn on the corner of Grove Street.
Rowton House was a home for homeless men and mum and dad worked very hard to keep it as homely as possible. Dad amd Mum also worked in the Shakespeare in the evenings and Dad had a full time job as a Painter/Decorator. The Rowton's main room with its huge range was where all the men sat and cooked their own meals. It was always a warm room with a roaring fire no matter what time of day or night. There was also a huge room next door with a piano, billiards and a TV for the residents to use, although most of them only used the kitchen area.
Most of the residents were very friendly and on... Read more
The Pool
I was 10 years old and had cycled to the pool from my home in Hesters Way. Old bike, black with a basket on the front for my jam sandwiches and pop, towel and swimsuit in. With friends we would spend all day there, not really able to swim that well but just splashing and getting dive-bombed by the older boys. It was a great time of freedom and Mum would not worry about me at all! I remember the French students too who were great fun to be with and we were sharing very carefee times.
Hesters Way & Princess Elizabeth Way
We moved to Hesters Way in 1954 as my father was transfered to work at Oakley. I was about 7 years old and we moved into no 19 Hesters Way Road. There were fields at the rear of the house and the first part of Princess Elizabeth Way up to Coronation Square had just been completed. We used to explore when they started to build the flats. It was pure heaven during the summer hols wandering the fields and lanes. We even found what looked like a Second World War fighter plane in a spinney along Fiddlers Green. My sister went to Rowanfield School. I used to have to catch a bus to St James's Station and walk a short way to the C of E school in Devonshire Street, I think. My classroom when I moved over to the other part of the school used to overlook the turntable in the shunting yard near the station and I would watch the carriages etc being moved around until i was rudely interrupted by our... Read more
War Time Memories
I lived the war years in Gloucester and at weekends when the weather was great, my friends and I would take the bus to Cheltenham and spend the day at the lido. I thought it was a wonderful place.
There were massess of American service men stationed in the area at that time awaiting the assult of the D-day landings. Well, they would love to show off on the high diving boards and we girls in turn loved to watch them. I suppose to us, they were the equivalent of todays super stars.
Can anyone tell me if the lido still exists?
Diving Boards Long Passed
I can't remember the 5 metre diving boards in this photo but I certainly can remember the 3 meter ones that replaced these, which have also now gone. I spent many an afternoon diving, jumping of these boards first starting on the 1 meter then the 2 metre and finaly getting the courage for the 3 metre, I can't imagine jumping off the 5 metre board in the photo as the water depth hasn't changed and you could certainly do some damadge to youself if you made a mistake, obviously that is why there are no longer there.
The Promenade Architecture
The unique and distinctive property of the Promenade is that its roadway is twice as wide at the top end (Queens Hotel) as it is at the bottom end (High Street), while the buildings double in height from the four stories of the Municipal Offices to the two story insurance office at the top. The reduction in height is by a careful and sophisticated series of architectural gradations involving different heights of pilasters, a varying hierarchy of cornices, introduction of attic stories, raised pavements, etc. The reason for this strange doubling in width and halving in height, was to make the original, single storey spa (which was replaced by the Queens Hotel) appear relatively imposing, yet to make the walk up to it from the High Street (then the only significant street in the town) appear shorter than it was, due to false perspective.
