National School 1861 to St. Peter's (C of E) Primary School (2)

Re R283

Valryan85a

It was a lovely school I was lucky to go there from 1950-56 and I was so happy there.  A big thank you to whoever donated this phot as it shows clearly Grange Farm and all the out buildings my Gran had this farm Clara L Braithwaite which has now sadly been demolished and site of school car park.  None of our teachers had a car they all walked or came on the bus!  This is the best photo I have of the farm - thank you.  Valerie Ryan (nee Hoare)

18 January 2014 

Re R283

Valryan85a

On looking through the census records for Rawdon, Mr Cockcroft the Headmaster lived in one of the cottages next to the school on the left as you enter the school carpark.  The Barrett families also lived in these cottages about the same time they were a family of stonemasons and Esther Barrett was the mother of Brian Close the Yorkshire and England cricketer. 

19 February 2017

Re G057

valryan85a

I was a pupil at the school just before it burned down I remember the news and how sad we all were and going to see the remains and the awful smell like the day after bonfire night. Think Mr Metcalfe was the caretaker and Paul his son was in my class. I had to then go into the Greenhill Methodist Church Hall that was down Over Lane until the new school was built. It was big and cold but we all loved playing outside as there were huge holly bushes you could play hide and seek in but they were a bit prickly! There was a gravel path around the huge church next door and a grassy slope we used to love running up and down. I remember as you went into the side door there were some narrow stone steps leading to an upstairs room and I went there on a Sunday as my Uncle Eric Myers was a Sunday School Teacher. There was a big cold kitchen with a huge tea urn. To get in and out we had to negotiate a very steep slope into Over Lane and it was awful in the snow. There was a little "Tuck Shop" and Off Licence very near to it (I am sure the Methodists did not approve!) and at the top of Over Lane was Mr Hudson's Butchers Shop and Mrs Binns Sweet Shop and a bakers Franklands and Carlisles Greengrocers and the little shop by the bus shelter was a lovely Fish and Chip shop run by the Smiths.
In the Church Hall there was a stage and my brother was in a production there with the Harper sisters one was called Annie. Whenever I remember Greenhill I feel cold as it was a large cold and uninviting place to me as a 5/6 year old. The new school was wonderful and I really loved every day. Mr Collins was the head and Mr Maurice Woodruffe (lovely man from Pudsey)took over for a short time and then Mr Eric Siletto became Head when the school was opened. He was lovely and I used to take his daughter Kay to the bus stop every afternoon after school and see her onto the bus where her mother would be as her Mum was also a teacher (I think at Yeadon South View) and they lived in Horsforth. I traced both Kay and Mr Silletto a few years ago he was well into his 80's but still playing the piano (he was a wonderful pianist) and lived in Kent and Kay was in Guiseley The other teachers I can remember were Miss Jackson (fondly called Jacko) Miss Yeadon Miss Hepworth who got married and became Mrs Murgatroyd, Mr Wade who always made a funny face when he sang and one of the older ones when I first started was Miss Yeadon she retired not long after I started. Most female teachers in those days were spinsters. We also had classes in the old church institute sometimes and I remember having lunch there and it always smelled of school dinners. My granny used to go to Whist Drives there. We had lovely dinner ladies and one I really liked was Mrs Leach who loved in Harrogate Road and had a daughter Jan who like me went to Ilkley Grammar School. The days at St Peters or the National as we called it really were the happiest days of my life. Valerie Hoare (now Ryan)

10 September 2013

Re W149

Val Ryan (nee Hoare)

Remember this so well Paul Metcalf it was a sad day for our village and we all went to look at the smoldering remains and the smell of burning filled the village.  But a wonderful new school rose up from the ashes and we were all very lucky to have such a good education there it was a very happy school the hub of the community.  Your grandparents and parents were lovely and looked after the school for us all.  Thanks for sharing your memory of that night with us.

09 December 2018