Mount Pleasant Junior School - Bryn Celyn Road - West Pontnewydd 

.. click here to view an aerial view from Google Maps ..

Lance Ford comments: My Gran was the Head Cook there for some years before her retirement in the late 1950's. It was always a great pleasure for me to call in on her there, when on my way home from Caerleon College, because she always gave me a slice of whatever meat she was cooking on a round of fresh bread which had been dipped in the meat juices - absolutely great! I think of her and those days each time I check on the barometer which was presented to her by the staff of the school for her services in 1953.

Lawrence Skuse responds:  `Mrs Garrett, West Pontnewydd Junior School` - She decided that the class should learn some sewing, but as this was the 1950s, it wasn't the "done thing" to force boys to sew.  She got around this by offering a choice - boys could either sew or do extra arithmetic; I think it was unanimous for sewing! 

Webmaster: Yes Lawrence, I also chose the lesser of two `evils`.... but this time it was 1965.

Angela Sampson responds: Just having a browse at memory lane and I was amazed, I actually drew breath .... I did the exact same piece of embroidery, I can't quite remember if it was at the old Church School or Mount Pleasant Junior school .. thank you so much for putting this on the site ... Our memories are indeed a wonderful gift!

.. Class of 1954-55 ..

                     Back Row, Left to Right: Maurice Hunter, Lesley Sparks, ?, Russell Sullivan

                    4^th Row, Left to Right: Richard Thomas, John Harris, ?, Peter Lott

                    3^rd Row, Left to Right: David Brown, Hilary Price, ?, David Loder

                   2^nd Row, Left to Right: Judith Milburn, ?, Carol Brown, Diane Fields, ?, Austin Cooke

               Front Row, Left to Right: Sandra Rogers, ?, Paul Rowlands, Walford Morton, Stewart Morris, ?

.. Photograph kindly contributed by Mrs. Dianne Heming (nee Fields) ..

.. Class of 1956 ..

Back Row, Left to Right: Alan Knight, Peter Lott, ?, Viv Thomas, Barry Poole, David Sims, Robert Rosser, Gareth Morton, ?, Graham Gough

Middle Row, Left to Right: David Herbert, Terry Loder, Sandra Shaw, ?, ?, Hilary Price, Lynn Padfield, Gillian Hawkins, Ruth Mann,?, Harold Oakley, Leighton Ball,

Front Row, Left to Right: Carol Brown, Diane Fields, Eileen Litten, Pat Chatwin, Carol Jones, Elaine Richards, Denise Wilson, Ann Holloway, Sandra Price, Sheila Price, ?

.. Photograph kindly contributed by Mrs. Dianne Heming (nee Fields) ..

.. Mr. Collins and his Class of 1955 ..

.. Margaret Berry (nee Aston) has fond memories of her time in Mount Pleasant Junior School and can recall all of her classmates ..

Jacqueline Rosser, Peter Richardson, Margaret Lang, Lynne Garner, Wendy Jenkins, Michael Dando, Terry Barnes, Christine Jinks, Glanmor Jones, John Smith, Ruth Bowen, John Bryant, Leighton Harris, Roberta Harris, Cynthia Brannigan, Brent Rowlands, Carol Innes, David Millership, Garfield Hemmings, Jason Davies, David Pitman, Esther Williams, Glyn Davies, Patrick Alexander, Barbara Miller, Michael Gough, Ann Slee, Alan Beese, Jack Russell, Julia Redd.

.. Teaching Staff circa 1960`s ..

Back row (l to r):- Mr. Lionel Forest-Jones, Mr. Trevor Blackmore, Mrs Joyce Thomas, Mrs. Anne Morgan, Mr. Martin Cook,  ? , Mrs. Anne Jenkins, Mrs. Edna Garrett, Mrs. Betty Graffe.

Front row (l to r) :- Mr. Derek. Randall's chair, Mr. Lyndon Collier, Mr. Danny Collins, Mr. Howel Edwards (Headmaster), Miss Winnie Beese, Mrs. Myfanwy Rees, Mr. Graham Weaver.

Photograph kindly contributed by Mr. D. Randall ( Teacher ) who should of been sitting in the empty chair but couldn't because he was behind the camera at the time ..

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.. Past pupils respond ..

June & Dawn (Peterson): This photograph shows the teachers at Mount Pleasant School. We remember Mr Collier, Mr Blackmore, Mrs Graffe, Miss Morgan, Mrs Garrett, Mr Collins, Mr Weaver, Mr Cook, Miss Myfanwy Rees (Always wore strong perfume and bright red lipsticks, very smart and chic, she had an Austin 1100).  The majority of the teachers lived in Pontnewydd and in particular Chapel Street. We wondered if Mr Randall was missing from the photo?  Should he be on the empty chair?

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Steve Morgan: This is a photo of the staff of Pontnewydd Junior School sometime in the late fifties or early sixties. I went there from 1959-1963. The photo is taken in what we knew as the Senior Yard and you can see the houses of Bryn Celyn Place in the background.

Great times as I remember. You never appreciate school until you leave it and have to work for a living!

Mrs. Myfanwy  Rees	Rosemary Richards- Mrs. Edna  Garrett - Mrs. Anne Jenkins

Photographs kindly contributed by Mr. D. Randall

Melanie Howe (Nee Roberts):  I can remember when you got to the last year the boys would deliver the milk to the class rooms and at dinner time a group would be chosen from a class, to help in the lunch times, serving the puddings, collecting the dishes, stacking chairs and tables ( what memories).

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Maggie Berry: This picture is one of teachers at Pontnewydd Infant and Junior School. I recognise some of them as I attended that school myself.  We moved into the new school on Monday June 20 th . It was sad to leave our old Church School , but it was to be demolished eventually. I do not  remember all the names of the teachers , but here we go ; Mr Collins ( my favourite teacher!!!) , Mr Collier, Mrs Garrett, Mrs Rees, Miss Morgan, Mr Blackmore   -and that's all I can remember !!  Sorry !!   Those were happy times, and I loved all of my schooldays.  Our class only spent just over a month in this lovely new school, and we left on Friday 28 th July 1955.  It was a sad day for some of us , as recorded in my daily diary !! 

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Lawrence Skuse: Mr Morton was a very strict disciplinarian, but had a reputation of being a good teacher.  He had a loathing of people staying in class instead of going outside for breaks.  One day I wanted to stay in and read a book, so I didn't go outside.  To my horror, I heard him returning early to class.  I dived under a table up against the back wall of the classroom and cowered there until the rest of the class returned, slipping in amongst them. 

 

He also had an earthenware pot filled with mercury, which was kept in his storeroom at the back of the class.  One day, it went missing, someone had stolen it.  I don't believe they ever got to the bottom of it.  Can you imagine keeping mercury so readily available in a school today?  You even have to take fluorescent tubes to an authorised tip now, because of the miniscule amount of mercury in them.

 

When I was in Miss Garrett's class, she decided we would do needlework.  Since this was the 1950s, she didn't feel she could compel boys to do needlework, so we had the choice - extra arithmetic or needlework - we all did needlework!

 

Although I enjoyed being in Miss Bees' class, especially her weekly vocabulary tests, I never forgave her for making me stay in the canteen one day until I'd eaten up all my spring cabbage (I detested cabbage in those days).  I can still picture this disgusting, dark green, slimy mess I was expected to eat.  I never ate cabbage for years after, not until after I joined the army.

 

The end of play break was signalled by the "duty teacher" blowing a whistle.  This meant we all had to form up in ranks, by class, on the small playground at the back of the school.  We would then file into school  as ordered.  One day, I was formed up, finishing an apple. The normally mild mannered Mr Collier "threw a wobbler", screaming "how dare you have the gaul to eat an apple when I've got you formed up!"  Good training for the future though, I never ate apples on parade in the army!

 

Another institution for milk break was buying Weston's (later Burton's) Jammie Dodgers, loose from a big cardboard box, two for a penny.  I can still taste the milk strained through Jammie Dodger in my mouth.  Ah, the healthy eating days! ( But virtually nobody at West Pontnewydd was overweight, most of us were skinny).

 

And can anyone remember the display case in the assembly hall?  All I can remember in it is the puffed up blowfish looking pathetic and well, like a fish out of water actually....

.. Mount Pleasant Infants school   Circa 1970/72 ..

   House Captains 1967  

Back Row L to R:

Penelope Harding (Green House), Linda Baulch (Yellow House), Susan Cooper (Red House) , Kay Taylor (Blue House), Mr. Edwards (Headmaster)

Front Row L to R:

Carlton Smith (Yellow House), Phillip Pennells (Blue House), Nigel Jones (webmaster) (Red House), Gareth Smith (Green House)

 .. If you recognize yourself or anyone else it would be great to hear from you ..

.. Class 4 circa 1954 - 55 ..

Back Row  (Left to right)  Allan Cook, Stuart Birden, David Brown,   ?   ,    ?    , Walford Morten, Philip Holcombe,  ?  , Clive Daly,  ?  ,  ?  ,  ?  .

Front Row  (Left to right)  .  ?  ,  ?  ,  ?  ,  ?  ,  ?  ,  ?  ,  ?  ,  ?  ,  ?  , Allen Bier,  ?  .

.. Photograph kindly contributed by Stewart Birden, April.2005 ..

 .. If you recognize yourself or anyone else it would be great to hear from you ..

   .. Class 4 South 1966 ..  

..  Photograph kindly contributed by Eddy Johnstone, Oct.2004 ..

 Football Team  - 3rd Year X1 1965 

Back Row  (Left to right)

Mr. Randall. (Teacher),       ....... ?, Stephen Scrace, Paul Greatrix, Roger Morgan, Nigel Saunders, Bryn Lippiatt, Lyn Bradshaw, Mr. Cook. (Games Teacher).

Middle Row

Stephen Felvus, Bernard Hughes, Robert Orme, Gregory Coles, Godfrey Evans, Eddy Johnstone, Paul Doody.

Front Row

Richard Bradshaw, Steve Jones, Royston Coslett, Phillip Everson.

.. Photograph kindly contributed by Eddy Johnstone, Oct.2004 ..

 .. If you recognize yourself or anyone else it would be great to hear from you ..

Date: 31st August 2007

Roger Morgan responds:-  I notice that one of the team players in the football side is unknown. I believe he was Philip Care who came to the school late. I am not absolutely certain and would be interested if anybody could confirm this for me.

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