Royston Primary School

1945/46

Royston Primary School Annex  -  Around 1945/46

Royston Primary School Annex Class  -  around 1945-46

©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Avril Finlayson Smith (née Young), Bendigo, Victoria, Australia        Photographer not named

 

Avril Finlayson Smith (née Young)

Bendigo, Victoria, Australia

Thank you to Avril Finlayson Smith, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, who wrote:

Royston Primary School Annex

"I believe this photo was taken when I was about nine.  That would have  around 1945/46.  it was taken at what was the Annex for Royston Primary for some time, up in Pilton Avenue.  I guess the school must have been quite full in these days.

Maybe someone may recognise a school friend from the past.  I think this photo would have been in the time when Mr. Cowe was the Headmaster and that Mr. Walker came later.

Below are the names that I can remember.  Some are only a first names, and I may have got some wrong, as it was a very long time ago."

Royston Primary School Annex   -  Around 1945/46  (left to right, as you look at it)

 

Back Row

Middle Row

Front Row

1.

David Hogg

Alice Burns

Tommy Day

2.

Malcolm Flemming

Margaret Dickson

William Ross

NO:  That's not me. 
I'm NO. 9 in this row.

3.

David Moir

Isobel Russel

Eddie Fotheringham

4.

John Dickson

Barbara Stewart

John Calder

5.

Matthew Jeffrey

Isobell Blake

Elsie ?

6.

Alex Charlton

Ruby Duff

Sheila Grieve

7.

James Swanney

Elsie Gray

Moira MacIntosh

8.

James Herriot

Avril Young

John White

9.

Billy Poole

Isobel Jackson

Billy Ross

10.

 

Betty Thom

Tommy Yorkston

Thank you for providing the names above.  These names were provided by:

PURPLE: Avril Finlayson Smith (née Young):  Bendigo, Victoria, Australia:  April 23, 2010.

RED: Dorothy Finlay (née Cossar), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia:  Guestbook March 4, 2012.

-  GREEN: William Ross, Oro-Medonte, Ontario, Canada, 18-22 January 2018.

 Recollections

1.

Dorothy Finlay (née Cossar)

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Thank you to Dorothy Finlay for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guest book.

Dorothy wrote:

Billy Ross

"The boy, 2nd from the right on the front row, Billy Ross, is the older brother of my best friend at school, Isobel Ross.  We we were six years old 1946.  They lived in Crewe Road Gardens.

Our teacher was Miss Lundie, and Mr Walker was the Head."

Dorothy Finlay (née Cossar), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Message posted in EdinPhoto guestbook:  March 4, 2012

 

 Recollections

2.

Susan Parker (née Fotheringham)

Rochester, Kent, England

Thank you to Susan Parker who wrote:

Eddie Fotheringham

"The world is indeed a small one.  In this Royston School Photograph, front row 3rd from left, Eddie Fotheringham, was my Dad,

Abbeyhill Primary School Class - 1946 ©

The strange coincidence is, that he passed away on 20th May 2012, and we have only just came across this page by accident.

We hoped that my dad would not be forgotten and people would have fond memories of him.  This  is a special remembrance from so far away, and from so many years ago.

Thank you for remembering my Dad. Eddie Fotheringham 8/2/36 - 20/5/12."

Susan Parker (née Fotheringham), Rochester, Kent, England
Message posted in EdinPhoto guestbook:  June 2, 2012

 

 Recollections

3.

Dot Walker

Rochester, Kent, England

Dot Walker posted a reply to in the EdinPhoto guestbook to Susan Parker, the day after Susan left her message there.

Dot wrote:

Eddie Fotheringham

"It is indeed a small world.  I'm happy for you to have come across the school pic..  I never met your Dad but I know Gordon, your uncle.

I went to school with Rose and have known her since she was 5 yrs old.  I spend hours on this site.  It is amazing;  so much to read about, and so many people reconnecting after years apart.

When I saw your name, I just had to reply.  I am sorry for your loss.  God Bless."

Dot Walker:  Message posted in EdinPhoto guestbook:  June 3, 2012

 

 Recollections

4.

Avril Finlayson Smith (née Young)

Strathdale, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia

Avril Finlayson Smith, who provided the photo at the top of this page, also posted a reply in the guestbook to Susan Parker, the day after Susan left her message there.

Here is an extract from Avril's message:

Eddie Fotheringham

"Dear Susan:  How lovely to read that you are Eddie's daughter, yet so sad to hear of his passing.  I'm  so sorry for your loss.

I had put that picture on this site, hoping maybe some day I would hear from one of my old class mates  -  and I am now in contact with one of my oldest friends from that class, Barbara Stewart.

What a pity Eddie hadn't seen that picture, but at least you have and am so glad that it was meaningful to you especially at this time.

My recollection of your Dad was of his soft spoken voice, and he always seemed to have a smile on his face, no matter what the situation."

Avril Finlayson Smith, Strathdale, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia:
message + email address posted in EdinPhoto guestbook, June 3, 2012

 Recollections

5.

John Dickson

Royston, Edinburgh

John Dickson saw the photo at the top of this page and replied:

Royston Primary School Annex

"I got a real surprise when I saw the photo Avril posted. I was in the same class and remember Avril.  In fact, I once went to a birthday party at Avril's house."

A class at Royston Primary Schoo Annex  -  c.1945-46 ©

"Avril lived in what we called the posh houses.  We had to pass her house every day going to school.

I lived at Crewe Road Gardens, and was also a member of the Royston football team that won the Leith School Cup for the first time."

John Dickson, Royston, Edinbuirgh:  July 4, 2014

John is 4th from the left in the back row

Avril is 3rd from the right in the middle row.

(Please click on the thumbnail image above to enlarge it.)

 

 

 Recollections

6.

Avril Finlayson Smith (née Young)

Strathdale, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia

Avril Finlayson Smith replied:

John Dickson

"I was very pleasantly surprised to read the comments above  from John Dickson re the Royston Class photo that I sent in some time ago.

I've seen the name, John Dickson, many times on the EdinPhoto web site, and have often wondered if this was the John Dickson who was in my class at Royston.

Of course, I remember John very well.  I remember him being at my party all those years ago and would really love to hear from him if he was at all interested in getting in touch with me.

Perhaps he might have some information about some of our old class mates such as James Swanney and John Calder who lived near him back then, whom I have often wondered about.

Our Houses

"I did have a smile about his comment about me living in a posh house, as he and others must have thought of it.  I never felt about where I lived like that - far from it.  In fact if the truth were known the quality of these corporation houses he and others lived in were a lot better than the one I lived in

Really, they were a lot more solid than our house.  In ours, the comment we'd make was that you could almost hear people change their minds, the walls were so thin.  You could certainly hear conversations quite easily in your neighbors' houses, through the walls or down below you."

Avril Finlayson Smith, Strathdale, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia:
message + email address posted in EdinPhoto guestbook, June 3, 2012

 

 Recollections

7.

Margaret Guthrie

Queensland, Australia

Thank you to Margaret Guthrie, Queensland, Australia, who wrote:

School Class

Around 1945-46

  ©

"Amazingly, I was browsing the school photos and came across this Royston School photo sent in by Avril Finlayson Smith (nee Young) c 1945/6.

Lo and behold, the photo included my sister Ruby Duff, who sadly died some years ago, a month before her 59th birthday.  I recognised her even before I looked at the names on the list.

 I am so grateful to Avril for sending in the photo - please thank her for me."

 

School Class

Around 1945-46

   Royston Primary School Class - Around 1947-48 ©

"Here is a photo of my own class at Royston.  The photo was taken around 1947-48.  Here is a list of names for this photo."

Margaret Guthrie, Queensland, Australia:  5 July 2016 (2 emails)

 

Recollections

8.

Bill Ross

Oro-Medonte, Ontario, Canada

Thank you to Bill Ross (one of the pupils in this photo) who wrote:

Ryston Primary School Class, 1949 - Pupils aged about 11 ©

Royston Primary School Annex

"I attended Royston Primary School Annex from 1941 until 1948.   Having been a wartime kid at the school, I'm able to conjure up many good memories, and some not so good.

As my father was a PoW at the time, I was one of the 'chosen few' to receive free school meals and the stigma that was attached to that. 

 Mr Cowe was the heedie.  Thanks for the memories."

Ainsley Park School Primary School

"I've also been trying to find out more about Ainslie Park School which I attended after leaving Royston Primary.

It was called  West Pilton Secondary.  I went there at the very beginning but there was no school there.  We were bussed to an old building somewhere in Edinburgh but there were not enough teachers or classrooms there, so we  all had expeditions to many buildings in Edinburgh."

Bill Ross, Oro-Medonte, Ontario, Canada:  18-22 January 2018 (3 emails)

 

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