Peartree School

school photo 1958

By Tony Austin

Peartree school was the first school in the newtown and was opened in 1956. My two brothers (Roy and John) and myself were one of the first in the school. Each year we would have this panoramic photo taken in the school playground. The camera was motorised and would rotate 180 degrees taking about 30 seconds to complete. Sometimes (but not in this one) a boy (or girl) on the end would run round the back as the photo was taken and would appear on both ends.

You can download the full size picture from this google link [This link no longer active due to cessation of Google+. Ed.]

When loaded, click on the picture, then select options at the bottom of the page to Download full size.

Let me know if you have any problems.

[You can also see a poorer quality copy of this picture with some names added by Fred and Chris Gormer at Fred Gormer’s post on ourstevenage here (click). Ed.]

This page was added on 09/02/2012.

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  • I still have a copy of this picture, bit old but still in its cardboard tube. I remember The Headmaster Mr Hanstock and Miss Hendy also Mr Speight who I met a long time after leaving school when I played Crib against him in the local crib league. I’m in the picture 2nd row from the top, I’m the first person on the left. I also remember the time-capsule.

    By Valerie Stapleton nee Blackaller (11/08/2022)
  • Christine Banham…I remember all that as well. Teachers were scary in those days but you always remembered your lessons.
    After Peartree I attended Heathcote and ended up with Mr Jones as form teacher and English tutor. Thanks to him I achieved GCE in English.

    By Carole Taylor nee Quick (16/04/2021)
  • I remember Mr Bolton. He would stand at classroom door in the morning and bombard you with a times table question. If you got it wrong you got a cane on the hand. He was an amazing teacher and I still know my times table up to 13.
    I did my 11 plus in 1961 and went to the new Girls Grammar School

    By Pauline Nickless (10/12/2020)
  • Was not all roses at this school. I was caned on the hand for something I did not do. Suffering injustice at a young age by an adult makes you different.

    By David Goodes (27/12/2019)
  • Christine we must have been in the same class, Mr Bolton terrified me too, but later on I wished I had him as a permanent teacher because he certainly made us listen.  I had completely forgotten about the calligraphy and Mrs ___________ and she smacked me on the legs for cheating in dictation and I had claw marks, I never cheated again !

    By Janice myron (Lay) (12/10/2016)
  • I’m on the right side of the photo, second row from top and 10th from right.

    By Robert Smith (20/07/2015)
  • I found myself in the photo. Second row from the bottom and third from the left – complete with hair ribbons.

    By Betty Sinclair (06/04/2014)
  • Hi, I am Bryan’s sister. We must have been in the same year. I loved Mr. Bolton but thought Mrs. Smeton was a scary lady.

    By Christine Warner (13/05/2012)
  • Hi Tony – I think I may have lived next door to you, in Stevenage new town in 1956 – I found my sister and me on the Peartree school photo…

    By BRYAN ALBRIGHT (06/05/2012)
  •  Gosh, I was also one of the first to attend Peartree, after going to Heathcote for a while before this school opened……I so remember having this photo taken, I remember it came rolled-up in a toilet-roll type cardboard tube. I have not been able to open this photo but I bet I am in it, I would of been 8 years old. I also remember when they built the swimming pool, all the Dads helped…. I remember Mr Bolton (sorry but that guy scared me….) I remember taking the Eleven Plus and failing miserably because I did not even know what “surname” meant……and also when they built the changing pavilion and we all signed our names in our best calligraphy (taught by Mrs. Smetan, who had the longest finger nails and would poke you with one if you were not getting the letters correctly). All the names were written for a time-capsule that was placed in the wall of the building, probably still there…… thanks for the memories, Christine

    By Christine Burwell (Banham) (02/03/2012)