Laindon Park Primary School was the first Board School built in Laindon, it opened its doors in September 1877. It was then called St Nicholas Board School. The opening followed the closure of the School at St Nicholas Church known as Puckles Charity School that had been in existence since the 1620s. It celebrated its centenary in 1977. Were any of you there and are you in the photographs?
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I’m in the middle of the front row!!
I was 9 at the time and remember it well dancing round the May pole. It was a lovely little school, such good times. I had a big shock when I went up to Billericay school 2 years later with nearly 2,000 other pupils.
I went to this school from 1964-1969, then to Laindon High Road. Glad this school hasn’t been demolished like the High Road school was. Sad really.
I went to this little school for a couple of years 68-69. I lived to the right, up what was called ‘The Rise’. So sad to see what has happened to this little corner of Laindon.
I also went to Laindon Park between 1965 and 1971 in addition to what Nick has written I also remember the Headmaster Mr Martin and my last teacher was Mrs Puddyfoot. Thoroughly enjoyed my time at this school.
PS remember you very well Nick!
I was there at the same time as Nick Kelly, in fact I believe we were in the same class. Very happy memories and would also love a wander round now.
I went to Laindon Park from 1965 to 1971. I remember trying out the new decimal money in the tuck shop. Some teacher’s names still resonate in my memory such as Mrs Lowe, Mr Hawes and Mr Goodwin. Those were the days teachers threw chalk at you if you were talking in class ! And then there were the dinner ladies such as Mrs Robinson. There were the long hot summer days, playing football in the school field lunch time. Dinner was ‘earlies’ or ‘lates’. Still don’t like semolina. We had half pint milk bottles in the mornings, which were frozen solid in the winter – yuk. There were unexploded German bombs and adders to contend with too. I wouldn’t mind having a wander around the school again for old times sake….
I am on the left in the white pinafore.
I can remember this picture being taken very clearly.
So many memories, the boys would push their little toy cars along the low wall in the playground. When the summer season came we would be guided across the road into the playing field which was surrounded by trees. The girls would either be making daisy chains or building bird nests on the ground with the cut grass and sit inside. There were two flat roof classrooms at the bottom of the field that have been removed now. I remember the sandpit and long jump board. They’ve put a new chain link fence instead of the ancient metal railings and made a parking area for the teachers’ cars.
I remember every inch of that school and recognise all those faces in the centenary photo. It felt way back in time that school, especially when I had to leave and start at the comprehensive. It was like leaving little house on the prairie and going to the big city. I’m sure I remember some kids went on an aeroplane trip from Southend airport and the plane flew over the playing field while we stood there waving. The aeroplane was red and it tilted as it flew over. Best times. Nice to see people I remember leaving comments, hope your all well and happy. All the best.
Laindon Park Primary School not Junior, I attended the school from Sept 1974 until July 1981. Took part in the school centenary – was a suffragette along with Isobel Parks. I clearly remember Mr Lilley and Mrs McGoldrick. I remember one year the whole school had a snowball fight in the playground including teachers.
Oh, and performing at the old Towngate Theatre with the choir
So beautiful reading through these comments. I live in Australia now and just talking about my wonderful memories of primary school. Wayne Willings who has commented was my best friend’s brother and I also remember working in the tuck shop Mr Lilley, Mrs Mcgoldrick, Mrs English who walked us to the field opposite and played guitar and sang … with the wind in the willows and the birds in the sky , and the bright sun to warm us wherever we lie.
That’s my sister 2nd from the left!! Jeanette Tanner (now Hersey). I remember this day.
The more I look at this post, the more the memories come back to me. Although a long time ago, a very long time, I have recalled my first day at this school! I seem to remember that I, along with several others, cried at having been left there by our mothers. I also recall playing with coloured sand. Ring any bells to other new starters of this time? Amazing, isn’t it? I remember this from so many years ago, but couldn’t tell you what I had for dinner any day last week!
If my eyes don’t deceive me, in the third photograph, is that another new building in the background, that has appeared since my time there – 1952-58? What is it?
I attended this school from 5 years old until moving on up to “big” school aged 11. While there the building of the assembly/dining hall took place and I well remember one of the projects we undertook was to construct models of this new building. They were made using matchsticks, lollipop sticks, paper, card and copious amounts of glue and as I recall some pupils’ models actually resembled the real building. This new building also served as two separate classrooms with large folding doors to partition them. Despite my current age, many, many names come flooding back to mind, but putting faces to them is just too much for me. What a brilliant place to begin ones schooling, I’m grateful for that.
Hi, I spotted myself in that 1977 Laindon Park photo. Brings back memories, happy days.
I can see myself and younger brother smack in the middle of photo, Ivan with long hair and myself, Shane, stood to the left with a cap on. Don’t really recognise anyone other than Glenn Burton.
I started at this school in 1952. I remember the teachers mentioned in other comments. Mrs Hodgson was my favourite, and I later got to know both her sons when I met them at Palmers Grammar. There was no such thing as the “school run” in those days so us kids who lived the High Road side of Laindon had to trudge up and over Church Hill to get to school and home again as did our mothers. It kept us fit.
It is nice to see the celebrations that took place to celebrate the schools centenary. I had the pleasure in looking after the services in the school on behalf of Essex County Council at that time and remember the excitement of the staff and pupils in the preparations.
I have passed the school on a couple of occasions recently and realise just how our society has deteriorated. The photographs show the school surrounded by normal low railings where as to day it looks more like a detention centre. What does this say for society and what impression does it give, to the children, that this is necessary?
I was in this group celebrating 100 years of a brilliant little school. Walking to and from school was a daily adventure, running through the long grass and feeding the horses and climbing the trees. Mr Lilly was headmaster during my time there.
Myself and Alan Brooks were put in charge of tuck shop on one occasion, we ate most of the biscuits ourselves before the shutters even opened, penny a biscuit, not many pennies were made that day, terribly sorry but we were very hungry.
The boy wearing a peaked cap in the back row on the right of the first picture is my nephew Glenn Burton. He is standing just behind and a little to the right of a girl with very dark hair who is wearing a white mop cap. He was born in 1967 so would have been 10 years old in the photo.
As a matter of interest, this was one of the schools which took part in an experiment during the 70s to use the I.T.A. method to teaching reading which was thought to make learning quicker and easier. However, problems arose when the children were later required to transfer to the conventional method. They’d had to learn two different alphabets in their early years and many struggled with the transition. Therefore the system was phased out and is no longer taught.
Mr Rand, Mrs Hodgson and Mr Stone were lovely teachers. Wasn’t there a Mrs Card Infants Teacher and I seem to remember a Mr & Mrs Hughes. When I started at the school in about 1955 I was sat next to Jackie (Jacqui) Sheppard and we stayed friends through out school lives. I remember Linda Brazier, Keith English, Jill Strutt, (Averil Allen older than me), Pat Mayhew, Carol Hutchings. In my last year my Dad let me have a part and loads of people from my class came and Mrs Hodgeson and Mr Rand put in an appearance at the end – we all loved them. Memories……
I’ve only just noticed here that Laindon Park School opened in 1877. This means incredibly that the little school was already 80 years old when I was there in 1957-1958. In the first photo my first classroom is on the left of the photo, I spent the first term, Autumn 1957 in there in Mr Stone’s class. The views out over the playing field were good as this was the way home in the evening. Church Road is over on the left of the photo, this is where the bus stood if we decided to use it to go home. We also had windows looking in this direction as well. The flat roofed square building in the centre was the entrance lobby and the hip roof section was where I was in the second and third terms (Spring and Summer 1958) with Mrs Hodgson. The canteen and assembly hall are over on the right hand side, these were higher (you can see the retaining wall in the second photo) and had little steps leading up to the dining area where you could order roast beef, gravy, mashed potato from round serving spoons and semolina for afters mmm. The school plays were held in the hall and the recorder group would play at Christmas. I wonder where all my friends are from those days, certainly Valerie Boatwright was one – I know where she is, still within walking distance of the school !! I remember all of the childrens names from both classes I was in and still recall that they were all friendly and kind. Very happy days indeed !!
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