Ladywell Primary School

My teacher at Ladywell was Miss Rice, and what a lovely person she was. One of my classmates at that time was David Porter who eventually came back to the school as a teacher and taught my daughter.

Thanks Peter for jogging my memory re Ladywell. I too remember Miss Rice, though I can’t recall what she actually looked like in person. Miss Forrest is also another name I recall from those days. I believe she married around 1952 and I remember her proudly announcing the event to all the class. I also recall the Coronation, when the entire school was marched down to the Coronation Arch on Hamilton Road. I remember that it was a lovely sunny day at the time. Every pupil was provided with a little Union Jack on a stick, which we were all expected to wave enthusiastically when the newly crowned Queen arrived at Motherwell on her Coronation tour.

Hello again,John,I have a class photo of my first year,with Miss Rice at one side and Miss White at the other side. Our friend,Wullie McAlonan is in it,and some others you may know,Jim Menzies,Hugh Bulloch,Ann Allan,Rose Wardrop, Andy Williams and his twin sister Betty. Hope these names can jog your memory a bit more.
Regards
Peter.

Thanks Peter for your update re Ladywell. I’m pleased you still have your class photo because such a record of the time is an irreplaceable memento. Considering it’s almost 65 years ago, I’m impressed with your memory of names and yes – you’ve jogged my memory too. Jim Menzies, Hugh Bulloch and Rose Wardrop sound very familiar, so I’m sure they must have been classmates of mine in those days. The only names that have never faded from memory for one reason or another are John Danskin, Keith Darroch and Betty Moir. Thanks again Peter.

Hello,John,
Just acquired a photo,dated around 1951 of a tree planting ceremony at the back of Ladywell Primary,with the old coal bing in the background. Your friend and mine,Miss White is in it with some rather terrified looking kids there as well. The Rev. Robinson,the school chaplain is also there and if I remember rightly,his wife was a teacher at the school at that time. Hope this jogs the grey matter a wee bit. Regards,Peter

Thanks to all for the Lady well school segment I went to the school but I think I attended Muir st primary first long time ago memory fading used to live in Vickers St ,I think I remember Hugh Bullock , I now live in Australia after living in Toronto for a few years, thanks for the memory's Gordon.

Re your comment on Muir Street School: a quick search of the Internet reveals that the school still exists and that the exterior of the building seems little changed from the 1950s. If I remember correctly, Mr Sneddon was the headmaster in those days. I also remember Miss Gibb, owing to the fact that on one occasion she washed a fellow classmate’s mouth out with soap and water for swearing in class! I remember, too, that during the demolition of a tenement adjacent to the school a rumour had gone around that a ghostly white figure had been seen at an upper window of the condemned building, which caused great excitement among all the pupils. This ghost story was subsequently reported in the Motherwell Times, but sadly was quickly exposed as a hoax!

Correction to my recent comment: as an afterthought, I think the headmaster of Muir Street Primary during the 1950s was called Mr Jardine – not Mr Sneddon. After about 60 years, though, I could also be wrong on that one too (False Memory Syndrome, perhaps!)

Mr.Jardine was deputy head at that time,with Mr.Preston being the head. Mr.Jardine looked after the school football team of which I was a player. It started me off playing football seriously,and later I played with Motherwell for a season before playing for Hamilton Accies for 4 seasons,before suffering a bad knee injury.

I didn’t go to Ladywell primary but I remember it well. I was brought up in Byss Terrace which was a u shaped building on Kirkland Street, North Orchard Street and James Street that was in the early 1940 to early 1950,s. The Coop at the top of Ladywell Road was a regular haunt in those days. A Robert Howie and Jean cannot recall her second name. The old building has gone now and has bungalows built on parts of it. We stayed next door to a Archie Ralston known to the kids as Uncle Archie he had two daughters. No central heating and double glazing in those days. We used to sit in a circle round the coal fire in the living room just to keep warm. Yes the good old days many happy memories.

Hi John, I was interested to read your memories of Fort Street. I grew up in Hadrian Terrace in the 60’s went to Ladywell School and remember Olga and The damilybvery well. I delivered the newspapers for St John’s and always remember the Rae’s getting the Political paper The Morning Star delivered. My Dad worked in Metrovics and my mum worked in Angies on the Loaning from the day it opened for many many years.
Great memories

Forgot to say my name is Ian Kinstrie

Hello John,

I came across this forum by chance as I was searching for the names of 1950-60s shops in my home town of Motherwell. Can anyone remember the name of the fruit shop across from the YMCA?

I too went to Ladywell Primary from 1952 to 1957 during the reign of Miss White. I am left-handed and she used to hit my head with her ruler (sorry teacher I now know it's a rule) when she saw me writing with my left hand. I was quite scared of her and can still feel her strap on the top and on the bottom of my hand as she brought the strap back up! I lived at 101 North Orchard Street and friends with Jim Stark and Bobby Dyett who also went to Ladywell.

Peter,
I was in love with Miss Rice and I found it great when ever week I had to walk up to her desk with my savings book and 2/6s. Maybe it was because of the perfume she wore but probably because she was so nice compared with Miss White. Did you know that her full name was Violet Rice? I was in Motherwell library around 20 years ago and found myself standing next to her. I stood there wanting to say "Hello Violet" rather than "Hello Miss Rice". In the end I chickened out and said nothing which I now regret. Perhaps I was scared that she might have said that she didn't remember me!

John,
I too remember that day when the Queen passed. It was scorching hot as we sat on the kerb of Jack's Brae picking at the melted tar with our flag sticks. I cannot remember how Miss Forrest looked or her teaching manner.

Peter,
I noted your comment about your class photo. I'm new here so ask if photos can be uploaded to the forum?

John,

Of the names you mentioned I recall the names of their siblings
Denese Darroch (now deceased), Graham Menzies and Gavin Wardrop

Douglas,

Archie's daughter was called Margery. I could be wrong but I think Archie was a joiner. I spent many a day playing in Byas Terrance and running through the dusty dunny. I also remember the Guy Fawkes bonfires where we roasted potatoes.

Did any of you go to Glengonnar Camp summer school. I think it was for three weeks in 1959. My teacher there was Miss Wilma Gunn. She taught us the "dummy alphabet" as it was then called and how to make papier-mâché masks. I was pleased to meet here last week in Strathaven and invited her to join my wife and I for a coffee. Strange what things we remember, as I can recall watching a film at Glengonnar National Velvet with Mickey Rooney and Elizabeth Taylor.

parkermtrs commented: Phil Parker.
I was at Ladywell from 1958 to 1964. I think Ms White was still there when I arrived (from Bolton) and also recall a Ms Pettigrew. I was under the impression they lived together near the Duchess Park, but I may be mistaken.
I enjoyed my time there and played for the football team on a few occasions.
Names of pupils I knew; William Gilmour, Ian Blackstock, Patricia Forest, Robin Scott, Sam Graham, Alex Findlay, Myra Cullen, Anne Stewart, Alex Grenfell, Sandy Anderson, Robin Gregg, Jim Chisholm, Richard Deakin, David Barr, Billy Davidson (actor RIP), Jim Bruce, Marylin Brown, Patricia Burton, Richard Kenny, Douglas Battisson....
Still in touch with William Gilmour, who I lived near, on Scotia Street.

Phil,
I was leaving Ladywell as you were joining! I don't remember a miss Pettigrew just the nice Mr Pettiegrew. I think there was a Mr Blackwood in my final year. I don't recognise any of the pupil names you gave. We were lucky to have a mixed sex playground. My wife who was at Knowetop primary had single sex playground. I sometimes go back to Bruce Avenue to bring back school memories although its not the same looking at the new school.
Ian

Just to add to the list of former classmates, I attended Ladywell from 1956 to 1962. Scouring my memory I came up with Willie Cummings, Keith Darroch, Cliff Foggo, Ian Brown, Ann Nicol, Elizabeth Pettigrew (whose father was the aforementioned Mr Pettigrew, Elizabeth Dyett, Mary Clark, Billy Davidson (RIP), Colin Dalziel (RIP), Drew McCurdy, Elizabeth Easdale, Jimmy McPhee, Ramsay Bryson, Ian Clarkson, Alan Pollock, and others whose name have drifted off the side of my memory. Whatever happened to school photos, I don’t remember ever having a class photo taken.

“Miss Rice she’s very nice she goes to church on Sunday. She prays to God to give her strength to strap the kids on Monday”. And I have no idea why anyone would make that up (except Rice rhymes with nice) as, like the previous correspondent, she was my favourite teacher along with Mrs Morris. If I remember correctly they taught consecutive years 8 and 9.

Miss White was the headmistress and seemed, to a five year old, particularly ferocious. The other white haired teacher was Mrs Robinson, equally scary although they probably weren’t. Miss White was replaced by Mr Wm Dick his big moment was announcing to our class He had just acquired a new Vauxhall Vanguard car. He probably did something else but it was never obvious. I really, really didn’t like him (and that was after due reflection of over 50 years). But it was a great school and living in the top end of Scotia Street my mother could throw my “play piece” over the fence during break.