I am gradually building up a good collection of photos which I thought would be good to share on the website. The photos are split into decades and/or specific topics. Unfortunately a number of the photos aren't labelled and we have been unable to identify the dates they were taken. There are a mixture of professional and amateur photographs and although a number of the latter are not high quality, I thought it would still be nice to share them.
If anyone is able to confirm the dates or details of any of the photos published please let me know. In the meantime, until dates are identified, they will be placed in the miscellaneous category.
1930s Photos
We are very grateful to Juliet Wise for providing the photos below of when her Mum, Katharine (Kay) Marris, was at St Elphin's in the late 1930s.
Class photo showing Katharine Marris – please click on photo to enlarge
Front of St Elphin's School
The Chapel – please click on photo to enlarge
Kay Marris's dormitory
Class photo - please click on photo to enlarge
1940s Photos
Below: Photos supplied by Helen Wright-Jay who was at St Elphin's from 1948 to 1959 in Selwyn House. She had both Miss Stopford and Miss Robinson as her Head Mistress.
1950s Photos
Below: Photos supplied by Helen Wright-Jay who was at St Elphin's from 1948 to 1959 in Selwyn House. She had both Miss Stopford and Miss Robinson as Head Mistress.
Below:1949/50 - The following photographs have been sent in by Ruth Wallhead (nee Parsons) and Joan Wynne (nee Parsons) who were both at St Elphin's. Some of the photographs are the old 6cm x 6cm size – I have scanned them in as large as possible, without reducing the quality too much.
Below: 1949/50 The first four photographs were kindly supplied by Kathryn Dickens of some of the 1950s classrooms and the last three by Ruth Parsons-Wallhead. Photos: H-B News Features.
Thanks to Pat Kitching (nee Blake) who has managed to identify the girls on the 3rd photo who are wearing their everyday gym tunics. The photo was taken in approximately 1949 and is the class of Upper VA with Miss Lloyd in the library. Front Left: Lois Wheeler and Ann Carlise At The Desk: Diana Westbrook and Miss Lloyd Standing at the back: June Thorpe (reading a book) and Ann Foster (stretching up to the top shelf) Sitting below: June Thorpe, Janet Eccles and, next to her, Rosemary Sefton Table at back: At the moment Pat can only identify Mary Gallimore Centre table at the back: Pat Blake, Rachel Kingdon and Mary Lovell Table at front: Lucinda Negus, Chris Ward (?), and Jill Goodwin
1950 - Maypole Dancing! It's interesting to note how activities, subjects, outings etc all changed over the years. Below are two photographs from Sallie Hitchen-Gedye of some Maypole dancing which she thinks were taken on Speech Day c1950. Please click on images to enlarge.
Below: 1952 - 1958 – Photos supplied by Joyce Elgar-Walsh. Joyce thinks she first started at St Elphin's in 1951.
Below: 1957 - 1959 - Photos supplied by Elisabeth Ward-Larkins who was at St Elphin's from 1953 - 1960 in Wilson House. Elisabeth was also the author of the school song which she wrote in 1959 or 1960 (see Memorabilia).
Below: Photos supplied by Jenny Lloyd-Moore who was at St Elphin's from 1952 to 1960 in Wilson House. She had both Miss Stopford and Miss Robinson as Head Mistress.
Below: Photos supplied by Sandie Stringfellow from circa 1958. Please click on images to enlarge.
Circa 1958: Back row: Alison & Heather Bond, Kathleen Hoole (sp ?); Front row: Gill
Hughes, Christine Dunn
Circa 1958:Back row: Beverly Turner, Anne Glover, ?, Alison or Heather Bond, Anne Lavin; Front row: Alison or Heather Bond, Helen Freeman, Anne Coburn, Anne Niblock, Elisabth Roach, Jennifer Stapleford
1960s Photos
Below are a selection of slides taken by Miss Heather James. Miss James taught Chemistry from 1963 to 1968. I was very pleased when she attended the major reunion held at St Elphin's in October 2015. She is also a member of TOE and her memoirs as a teacher at St Elphin's can be found here.
Above: 1962-1963 – Photos of Beryl Williams-Campbell – please click on above image to see more photos
Above: 1963-1968 – Photos of Liz Mumford-Hall – please click on above image to see more photos
Above: On the roof (LtoR) Jo Salsbury-Halliday, Hilary Hepworth, Rowena Pickering; front window is thought to be Sarah Gow and, leaning out of the passenger window, is the late Pat Richardson. The photo is taken circa 1964 when the girls were on their way to Toothbrush! Thanks to Jo Salsbury-Halliday for providing the photo – she thinks it may have been taken with her Brownie camera but doesn't know who actually took the photo. [Please click on photo for larger version]
Above: Approx. 1967 – click on image to see more of Bev Grierson's photos
Above: Approx. 1968 – Geography Field Trip – click on image to see larger version
Above: Visit to Josiah Wedgewood & Sons Ltd in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire - 6th July, 1965. Photo kindly supplied by Miss James (Chemistry teacher 1963-1968).
Back Row: / * / Elizabeth Mullet / Phillipa Pierpont / Miss James (Chemistry Teacher) / Elizabeth Needham / ? Elisabeth Davies / Jane Blackwall
3rd Row: Anna Mullhart / Elspeth Langwell / * / * / Margaret Lancelot (with long hair) / Judith Holland / * / Vanessa St John / * /
2nd Row: ? Diane Seldon / Joan Woodiwiss / Mary Smart / * / Magda Cullen
Front Row: Mrs Kitchen (Maths teacher) / Rosalind Seville / Rosemary Barbour / Clare Cox / Duangduen Baramasambati / Catherine Spencer / Jennifer Hyde / Miss Brown (Maths teacher)
Thanks to Beryl Campbell for identifying most of the girls. If anyone else can identify anyone on this photo please let Liz Donlan know (lizbailey@stelphins.co.uk). Please click on photo for larger version.
Thanks to Nina Wagstaff-Wall for supplying the above photo which was taken late 1966 with Denstone College. Also, thanks to Hannah Robinson-Mortimer for supplying further details. The 1967 magazine (pp 19 'Music Report') states "....The Harmonie Mass in B flat by Haydn. This production was undertaken by joint choirs from St Elphin's and Denstone College, and the final performances at the respective schools – the result of keen and conscientious practice – reached an extremely high standard and afforded great enjoyment to the audience."
On the first row immediately behind the orchestra, 9th from the left (2nd of the teachers) is Miss Conway-Davies and 10th from the left is Miss Morris (Scripture teacher). Nina is on the right of the row in front of the stage, immediately in front of the left-hand edge of the curtain (sharing a manuscript). Please click on the photo for a larger version.
Approximately 1966. Thanks to Nina Wagstaff-Wall for providing this photo. Nina is second from the right - immediately behind the chairs (she is either sitting or kneeling!). On the right behind the chairs with school tie on is Lesley Nicol (Mrs Patmore in Downton Abbey!).
1970s Photos – Please click on image below to see 48 photos from the 1970s!
In addition to the above photograph albums, Liz has also found a 2-minute cine film from the early 1970s of an afternoon tea visit with her parents to Chatsworth Park and The Old Bakewell Pudding Shop, plus a couple of races on Sports Day. Thanks to Mike Donlan, the standard-8 cine film has been transferred to video and can now be seen here.
1980s Photos
Below are two photos from 1980
- kindly sent in by Karen Ashurst. The first one is of Upper VI with Mrs Onac as Form Mistress. Please click here view larger version.
Below: The second is a mixture of Lower & Upper VI (Prefects & Sub-Prefects), Head Girl, Head of Powys House. Please click here to view larger version.
1990s Photos
1990 - Richmal Crompton Day – click on image to see more photos
Above: Opening of Philippa Robinson House – 26th October, 1991. LtoR: Rev Owen; ? gentleman at back; ? ; Colonel Hobbs, Bursar; Miss P M Robinson (Head Mistress 195 -1975); Bishop ?; Duchess of Devonshire; ?. Photo supplied by Christine Tew. Please click on photo for larger version.
Above: Photo supplied by Christine Tew – please click on photo for larger version:
2010s Photos
3rd June, 2011: Visit to St Elphin's by Anne Marie Reeve and Liz Donlan
30th November, 2011: Liz Donlan, Marianne Jackson and Judy Crook had a Builders' Tour of the main school building
24th February, 2012: Liz Donlan, Gill Haywood, Kathryn Dickens and Judy Crook had a Builders' Tour of the main school building and Orchards
13th September, 2012 – Grand Opening of St Elphin's House (formerly the main school building) by Lord Edward Manners, owner of Haddon Hall