St Joseph And Ethelreda

I too attended St joseph's church, the school also. we moved to Rugeley from Scotland when i was 3/4 years old. we stayed in Hednesford for a short time before moving to the pear tree estate, we lived at 64 Queensway on the corner before you went up the Coppice road. i have very happy memories of my time there.We moved back to Scotland around about 1963. i have been back a couple of times since the last time about 2012. the old St Josephs school hasn't gone but is now a social club for the parishioners. I also remember Father boucher, he was well liked by the children. I also have memories of the nuns who taught there, one i especially remember was Sister Imelda who caned be in front of the whole school because i misbehaved at the panto that was held in the town hall. there was another nun but i cannot remember her name but she was a wonderful woman, if I remember she taught at the pavilion on Sandy Lane. i also remember going every saturday to the Plaza cinema, we were treated to a film that was usually always a cowboy film, i remember there was also Muffin the Mule,(you can get arrested for that nowadays). one particular saturday myself and my brother went to see Summer Holiday with cliff Richard and we hid under the seats until the next showing, I'm sure we watched it about three times and when we got home were given a good belt from our mum. i also remember the Miners Gala, those days were the best times, we were given a big bag of sweets and a bottle of Pop, those sweets lasted ages. I also use to go to the Polish Club every sunday after mass where we were given Polish lessons, i still can't speak Polish though. i have lately been put in touch with some old school chums who were in the same class and i am remembering a lot more good times of my few years spent in Rugeley.

That was also my church and school. The latter I attended from !938 to 1945 prior to going to St Chads in Wolverhampton. The head teacher was Sister Majella and all the teachers were nuns. I think Father Walsh was the priest. Also served on the altar but usually early mass during the week, the grown-ups took over on weekends. On occasion served the nuns 6.30 mass in the convent and once, early in the piece rang the Angelus on the church bell.Well remember the Harris sisters. There were 3 of them at least and the youngest, Gladys Harris was my godmother who never forgot my birthday, She was great friends of my mother, a daughter of John Till whom the street was named after. In my young days he was the local magistrate. Our family lived on Horse Fair just a couple of doors up from the post office which was run by Frances Frith (no relation to this web site). A few of us from that side of Rrugeley used to play on the empty fields up Wharf Rd, where the travelling circus and fair used to lodge. We were the Wharf Rd gang.One of my old friends still lives in Rugeley. I am much further away but the memories are great.