St Joseph’ Junior School Pontefract

A Memory of Pontefract.

Born in December 1957 my maiden name was Kemp I must have started in Mrs Padgets class St Joseph's circa 1962. i remember the alphabet in pictures around the wall A is for apple B is for ball, C is for cat & D is for dog etc…I can still work my way through the images for every letter. There was also a Wendy house corner that I loved playing in. We lived on Crag Mount Halfpenny Lane and walked to school by going up Queen Street and along Love Lane. There was a general store at the top of Queen Street run by a small lady I think was named Mrs Bailey. There was also a shop that sold cream cakes but for some reason I think it was a butchers rather than a baker shop but I may be wrong. There was a shop over the road from Queen Street on Love Lane that I think was called Ellams. I remember the telephone box on Love Lane and the cobbles on the road. The May procession was a highlight of the catholic community and I loved to dress up in white and carry a bunch of flowers - one year I was chosen to be one of the May Queens attendants and had to have a special dress made. I have a sister named Judith who is 8 & 1/2 years older than me and passed her 11 plus and went to Mount St Mary’s in Leeds. I also have a brother 2 years older than me (Billy) and one a year younger(John) . When children made their first holy communion it was tradition to have a photo taken under the willow tree in the church grounds. In those days there was a paddling pool in the valley gardens that used to be filled with water in the summer and parents took children to play in the water. My parents moved to Castleford when I was 7 but I always remembered friends from St Joseph’s and rekindled friendships once at St Wilfrids. Josephine Foster, Jane Hudson, Margaret Holden, Kevin Higgins to name but a few. I became a good friend with Annemarie Booth and often went to the Youth Club with her when we were about 13. Annemarie sadly died far too young but I will never forget my friendship with her. Its strange that I only lived in Pontefract for the first 7 years of my life but it has such a strong pull for me.

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