The Gym Slip Era:

The Gymslip Era.

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I have just found this photograph of a group of school girls wearing a then standard school uniform of a blouse and gymslip.

The one thing was then it did not matter whether what the family status was in the village or local area, all the students wore a standard uniform dress.

Sad to say in the last few years the dress code in some schools have slipped, so the girls try do out do each other with what is modern and trendy! After all, children go to school to learn the basic building blocks to form their education, not a fashion parade.

The last of the Herries collection:

A Little Something.

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Here in this photo of a little something being handed to Louise Adams, and being accepted by her mother. What is more interesting about this photo is the look on the little boys face.

What! None for me.

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Dennis caught this shot just right, with the expression that would never be repeated. Just to think that this little boy in my estimation would be about 56 years old now.

This makes the last of the last of this collection of the 1960 Sports and Prize Giving Day at Herries School. With very grateful thanks to Dennis Adams for supplying the excellent photos to work with.



Parents watch from a grassy knoll

Parents watch at Herries.

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Yes it was 51 years ago when these photos were taken by Dennis Adams of parents watching the Sports Day events from a grassy bank in seated comfort.

Here you can see in this photo they are willing their offspring in the event taking place.

The third and final group shot taken of the parents on that grassy knoll.



The "Mothers Dash."

The "Mothers Dash."

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Not quite Sprint, a 220 or a 440 yard event! These Mum's are out to prove how well they are kept in shape chasing after their lively offspring. Of course the egg and spoon race would have been a little more sedate perhaps!

If of course a race with the same entrants were to take place today as a race classic. It would be known as: "The Galloping Grannies."

Who is streets ahead?

Tin Can Race 1960.

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Here is a photo of a young boy streets ahead of the pack in what can be described as a "Stilt Can" race. His number was 69. In my estimate he would be about 61 years old by now.

Who is the young lady?

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Yes, this young lady wearing number 24 and in second place. I wonder if she remembers this event? We do know that the young man in third place is Nick Adams. Sadly Nick has no recollection of the young girls name who beat him.

I wonder if they have can races like this on Herries Sports Days now?

Kenneth Grahame & Mr. Toad.

Colonel Francis Ricardo.

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Still keeping the Herries theme in mind I now switch back to when it was known as Mayfield and Kenneth Grahame was still living there and his connection with another notable village resident in the person of Colonel Francis Ricardo who lived at The Elms, sometime it was referred to as Lullebrook Manor, and better known today as the main building of The Odney Club.

Rolls "Silver Ghost."

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According to historical accounts that I have been reading Colonel Ricardo was the first resident in the village to own a motorcar. A yellow Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, which is the model in the photo above. He use to love driving his car around the village and toot tooting on the horn, also stopping to give various villagers a lift as well.

It was due to the fact that this was happening that it was thought by many that Grahame used Col. Ricardo as a base for his character of Toad who lived in Toad Hall. As well as the car the Colonel was quite an oarsman during his lifetime. Once again Grahame had Toad mentioned as sculling on the river.

As a little boy I can remember older people in the village talking about Colonel Ricardo with great affection. Today there is still a Ricardo living in the village in his great nephew Councilor David Ricardo.



Prize Giving at Herries - 3.

Prize Giving at Herries - 3.

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This is the last of this group of Herries students of fifty odd years ago at their annual prize giving and sports day.

The Herries Founder

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According to Dennis Adams who kindly supplied me with these photographs. The lady walking in the background behind the students is Mrs. Armstrong, the schools founder.