A Pictorial History of Wimbledon County School for Girls

VHS Colour Sound 1999-2000 36:07

From:

Merton Heritage and Local Studies Centre

Locations: Merton

Summary: An historical account of Wimbledon County School for girls using archival photographs.

Full record

Title number: 3511

LSA ID: LSA/4594

Description: Pam Vincent, the archivist of the Old Girls Association of Wimbledon County School for Girls, tells the story of the school from its origins in 1905 out of the Battersea Pupil Teachers Centre at Wimbledon Technical Centre until its amalgamation with Rickards Lodge in the July of 1969. Her narration is supported with archival photographs of the school buildings, school gardens, classrooms and by group portraits of staff and of pupils posed in their uniforms, grouped as sports teams, and in the theatrical costumes of their breaking up concerts. James Russell photographers of Wimbledon took many of the images, after being commissioned to take regular images of school pupils. One odd portrait from 1939 shows pupils lined up in gas masks standing on the school steps. Photographs of the school include records of the original school building on Gladstone Road and the new school building on Merton Hall Road opened in 1924. Developments on the Merton Hall Road site are shown with several photographs of the school assembly hall, gymnasium, classrooms, the playing fields, and wartime bomb shelters.

Credits: Writer: Pam Vincent; Narrator: Pam Vincent

Keywords: Schools

Locations: United Kingdom; England; London; Merton

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From:

Merton Heritage and Local Studies Centre

Locations: Merton

Comments

Diane James nee Fry wrote on February 17, 2022:

I came upon this brilliant history of WCS purely by chance. I was at the school from 1956-62, so have…

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I came upon this brilliant history of WCS purely by chance. I was at the school from 1956-62, so have had a brilliant trip down ‘Memory Lane’.
Ann Bryan (nee Daly) 1947- wrote on July 24, 2021:

Sadly the time covered ran out just as I joined WCS 1947 - but it was really interesting to see…

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Sadly the time covered ran out just as I joined WCS 1947 - but it was really interesting to see the changes and recognise the teachers as young women. Thank you. Ann
Christine Anne Bowles wrote on June 22, 2019:

It was so wonderful to see my Mum, Doreen Packman in 3 photos taken during the war. She is central…

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It was so wonderful to see my Mum, Doreen Packman in 3 photos taken during the war. She is central in an outdoor photo of the orchestra, sitting on the grass holding a folder. I so wish she was still alive, because I know she would have been so proud to be in this presentation. She loved her school so much, and she wanted to teach...but her nerves were too frayed by the bombing. However when I was young she was teaching piano to a few children and spoke very warmly of her music teacher, Miss Ayton. I went into teaching, perhaps under my mother's influence. Thank you for the chance to see this wonderful film and provide an
opportunity to reminisce!
Jean Galsworthy wrote on December 12, 2016:

Very evocative, especially seeing the teachers through the ages, before and after my time at WCS (1949-1956)
Ann Gough (Ware) wrote on December 6, 2016:

Congratulations to Pam on a brilliant film. I was at the school from 1948 until 1956, and saw…

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Congratulations to Pam on a brilliant film. I was at the school from 1948 until 1956, and saw so many familiar faces, particularly among the teaching staff. What loyal service they gave to the school over so many years, some of which were extremely challenging.
Jennifer Paterson (Macek) '49 wrote on May 20, 2016:

It was a wonderful surprise to see my sister Margaret Paterson (Lundell) in the back row of the Upper…

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It was a wonderful surprise to see my sister Margaret Paterson (Lundell) in the back row of the Upper Fourth photo taken in 1942. Sadly, she died in October of 1995 following a Reunion at the School. I did not find any photos of myself in the video.

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A Pictorial History of Wimbledon County School for Girls

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