Description
Children outside school. St Peter’s and St Paul’s Primary School, Pilkington Street.
St Peter and St Paul’s Church By Humphrey Spender - August 1937
- Copyright Bolton Council
- Image ref. 1993.83.12.06
- Page author:
Have you any memories, new information or corrections relating to this picture?
Like I said I was in that primary school from 1961-65. I can remember on the corner Pilkington Street / Houghton Street was a small corner shop where we children could spent their pocket money on sweets and chocolate before and after school.
i was st peter and pauls in the early sixties , i left in 1966 , i always remember no matter what day i had at school going into connies and buying sweets , some to eat on the way home , others to watch tv with later. i aslo remember the practice may sunday walks around the terraced sts around the school, i looked up towards the school the other day from where the college is on deane rd where i lived ,the dstance seemed so small,not like as a 5 yr old the walk to school seemed so long how perceptions change
I was at St Peter and Pauls from 1960 then left to go to English Martyrs. I have lovely memories of school , going across the road in Pilkington Street to the dinner hall! I loved Connies shop no matter if we were late for school or not we had to call for a penny dainty . My name then was Gail Stanton ..
I went to English Martyrs from 1961 to 1965. I remember Mr Proctor, the first head teacher there, who went into pension after my first year and was replaced by Mr Mercer.
Mercer was terrible, talk about fire and brimstone. The guy loved fuming around on stage in front of the whole school about his pet hates. Sister Emelda was a saint in comparison.
Gail – I remember you but can’t remember if we were in the same class or just the same year. You had red hair ? My name then was Josephine Harper. I also remember Connie’s shop which she ran with her sister I think
Hi Chris,
I was the same time at Peter & Pauls (’61-’65) and changed to Thornleigh College 1966. Later on 1969 I moved away from Bolton to the South of Germany (Nuremberg), the area where I live now. I also bought after school sweets at Connies with the rest of my day’s pocket money. Do you still remember the yearly Christmas play each class had to perform in the school hall?? I always was a cow or a mule.
best regards from Andrew
hi andrew its really nice to hear from you, yes i remember the xmas plays my starring role was shepherd, do you also remember the processions around the side streets in may and june , also sister imelda , sister celine and teachers mrs dilworth ,miss jameson etc, i used to dread them , at thornleigh i started at 1 beta , lookin back at ss peter and pauls generally really happy days
chris
It would be great to hear from anyone who was at St Peter and Pauls . I am still in touch with quite a few people xx
Feel free to contact me and chat about school days x
Hi,
I went to St. Peter and Pauls school too. I am 48 years old now, I have fond memories. I think I started in 1969 at the nursery then primary school.
I remember the French teacher ‘Madam’ very well and Miss Rothwell.
I have been living in Italy for 23 years but still go back to see my old school when I am home.
If anyone has any photos of that time, I would love to see them.
Thanks
Donna Brabin
I was at St P & P from 1950 – 56, when it was an all age school. My mother taught the ‘top class’ – 15 year old girls. When it became a primary school she taught Junior 3 for a few years before moving to St Osmunds. I remember the teachers mentioned but also particularly Miss McEvoy who was the teacher I remember best as a child.
Oh I remember Mrs Vanstone, Miss Smith and Miss McEvoy . I do remember you as well Sally but I think you are a tad younger. My maiden name was Orrell. I have lived in Canada for 50 years. I was a Nurse and then Nursing tutor here . Great education at St Peter and Pauls and great teachers. Good Memories.
Hello Sally I remember a Mrs Vanston at st Osmunds in late fifties. Could that be your mum?
Well boy do I remember St Peter and Pauls (1961-1966) Nuns always canning you, and a certain teacher I wont name him making you eat ya food until you where sick oh yeah happy days.
Yep, I remember St P&P only too well, especially one certain rabid teacher who felt caining at least one kid per lesson was part of her job. Or having to eat my meals up, regardless if I was throwing it up at the same time. And yet I also have quite fond memories of the place. In my last year there, 1961, I had Ms. Johnson as class teacher who, although extremly strict, was one of the best and fairest teachers I’ve ever had. I’d discovered my artistic side in those days and liked to draw sailing ships that she would then hang along the back of the class room for all to look at.
Do any of you remember the corner shop and the parades? got a brand new pair of shoes for marching 🙂
I can’t forget those parades because we had to go to school on a weekend day, I do believe on Saturday, and then march around the area behind a brass band in our best Sunday clothes with shining shoes and a smiling face. I do believe the parade ended in the P&P church for a ceremony of two hours blessing the church.
Later on I liked those parades because I played baritone in the Thornleigh brass band and after the parade we got a meal and drinks for free.
I can’t forget sister Emelda because I once to often got her cane on the back of my hands because one of the nuns new for sure that I was not in church the Sunday before!!
Conny from the corner shop always built up a little sales stand in her doorway with all kinds of sweets so she could sell to the kids without need of entering her shop on there way to and from school. She didn’t want the children to enter her shop.
Sorry to intrude but I am a Master’s student working on a thesis relating to ‘Sunday Best’ and what this means in terms of dress both past and present. As part of my research I would be very interested in speaking to anyone who remembers wearing their ‘Sunday best’ as a child particularly what they wore and how they felt. If you would be willing to speak to me please contact me by email my address is masonlisajane@gmail.com. Any assistance would be very much appreciated.
I have a school photo of my father James, his twin Tom and his classmates in the school yard at SS Peter & Pauls dated about 1911. I remember the long walk to Mass each Sunday in the late 1950’s and 60’s. Will share photo if anyone has a real interest.
Hi Paul,
Interesting. That will be one rare photo if you think of the expense of photography in those days. I for one would like to see it.
We used come down by bus from up St Helens Road/Hulton Lane to P&P for Sunday mass somewhere late 50’s early 60’s. Half the time I couldn’t be bothered going though and rather slept in. Then come Monday interrogations at school I’d have found out the priest’s name giving mass and lied my way through. Worked a treat every time.
Thankfully later at English Martyrs RC they gave up interrogating us. But for that there they had a different repression system with houses, merit badges, good and bad marks, conduct marks (god forbid!) the slipper on the bum in front of the whole school, vicious, power mad prefects and lots more terrifying things. But that’s another story.
Hi Andrew
Do you know how I upload the photo, all the photos here seem to be Bolton Council copyright jobs ? I used to live close by St William’s school, quite a hike down to 11 o’clock mass at SS P&P. Think it was Fr Delaney there aka Dean Delaney when I used to go. Too many people used to know me at St Bills, my mother used to clean at the presbytery there.
Hi Paul,
you were asking how to upload photos onto the Bolton Worktown site. I tried contacting the people running the site a week ago about this and was told that someone will get around to helping me as soon as poss. I’m still waiting and will inform you as soon as I know more.
BTW. You addressed my brother, Andrew, but I got your mail. Hope it’s no prob to you.
Unfortunately there isn’t a way for commenters to add images though we can do this on your behalf.
If anyone has anything directly related to the Worktown project then we would be very interested adding it to our blog.
Hi Michael, we lived a couple of doors from you, hope you remember us? Anne, Michael, Susan, Gina and Catherine?
Hi Mike and all the others,
those interrogations every Monday morning I can remember well, I did also the same like you asking the class mates the priest’s name giving mass but once I did a big mistake.
I got late to school and couldn’t ask the priest’s name so I thought I would be clever and said I went to a different church hoping that the nuns didn’t know all the priest’s names. The big problem was I named a church and that church happened to be a protestant church, the nuns went mad, that was a mortal sin for a catholic to visit a protestant church.
I got into arrest and got the cane onto my backside.
The nice thing was, at the end I told my mother the story and she went on the next day to P & P school and played hell with Sister Emelda because she was protestant and said she could take me any time with her to her church. I’ll never forget that.
Hi I well remember those Monday questions about mass my mother got me to be an altar boy at st Edmunds so when doing early am mass I was usually a few minutes late for school at as peter and Paul’s . But the nuns were great about that. I left there in 1966 and the same Monday interrogations carried on at Burleigh but the priests there did not know all the parish priests so it was usually asked of people what colour vestments did the priest wear Tec
Oh to be at ss peter and Paul’s at the end of the day and going to connies sweet shop on the way home
Hi Chris,
I can remember those interrogations stopped as I changed ’65 to Thornleigh boys College because the teachers there had more to do then to ask who was at church on Sunday.
I left Thornleigh 1969 when I moved to Germany. 2013 I got the idea of driving past Bolton to see what has changed, well I was amazed and really had problems identifying certain parts of Bolton. I then visited Thornleigh and was further amazed to see it hadn’t changed very much except that it is now a mixed school. I walked through the corridors with a tear in my eye and could remember playing the baritone in the brass band from Farther McGovern.
I then had the possibility of talking with the headmistress, yes no headmaster anymore! Of course non of my old teachers are present. She was very interested in my stories of the past. I then got a school photo from the time I left the school. Maybe when I am 70
I will go past again to see if the headmistress is still there.
Maybe someone else was with me in the time between 1965 till ’69?
Hi I was a couple of years behind you I left thornleigh at 16 in 1971 I have always lived in bolton so any changes for me around. Bolton have been gradual.in the nineties I returned to thornleigh many times to watch my son and daughters play football or tennis they all went to the new my st Joseph’s school . I do remember once walking down that corridor to the music room a d looking at all the photos on the wall trying to find myself. Given we were there quite close do you remember teachers there Mr rosbotham and Mr mannion .McDermott.axford .whitehead Dodson. Father Fox and Smyth and brother Thomas names just off the top of my head I was in st Albans house
Nice to remember .regards chris
Hi Chris,
1971 then Thornleigh was still a boys school? Can you remember when Thornleigh changed to a mixed school? Wasn’t father Fox a headmaster in Thornleigh, but I am not sure. Otherwise, yes I can remember most of those teachers but most of the names I have forgot now. I don’t know any more in which house I was but I think it also started with St. A…. maybe you know?
What have they built on the ground area of the demolished St Peter & Pauls church?
regards, Andrew
Thornleigh changed from grammar school to comprehensive in 1979 I think .
Hi I was at P&P in the early 70’s . Sister Imelda was the headmistress and I loved her….I had the job of ringing the breaktime bell. We went to a building on Shaw Street for lunch and I had the privilege of being a server. I went on to Mount St Joseph school (Dean) where Sister Barbara was the headmistress .
I was there from 66 to 72 and also went to The Mount afterwards. That dining room / prefab was terrible but handy for scraping unwanted food out of the window.
LOL! Scraping unwanted food out of the window!
That is the funniest thing I’ve seen posted here yet. And yes, the food was sometimes atrocious and only fit for being scraped off the plate out of the window.
Hi Lyn, that was a nice way of discarding not wanted food, I had class mates they stuffed their unwanted meals into their pockets to get rid of it on the way home in the evening. They sat in the classroom smelling according to the schools dinner and got followed on their way home by all the dogs in the area. How nice!
sister imelda was what!! she was a monster.
hello my name is george davies i went to ss peter and pauls from 1960 i live on pilkington st facing the convent and the hostal does anybody remember the yell shop on pilkington st rothwell st baths and i do remember sister emelda and conie and essies
Hi my name is Michael Ackers.
l attended St Peter & Paul’s from 1953 /1959 we lived on Derby St .l remember Connie’s corner shop selling from the penny tray the lucky bags filled with Coco powder and sugar balanced on sterilised milk milk crates.
To sell to kids on way to school l
l also remember May Queen walks &Trinity Sunday we had a May Queen,Earl Marshall &Train bearer l was a train bearer dressed in satin shirt blue velvet trousers.
Hi my name’s Chris Moden I was there from 1960 _66 I remember all you mentioned do you remember sisters Imelda and celine
Hi this Mick Ackers l lived on Derby St Close to John St & the zebra crossing .l attended SS,P&P in 1953 to1959 .l remember a Mr Cook and Miss Jameson the HeadTeacher Sister Imelda also another nun I can,t remember her name. One winter the boys walked to Queens Park to play football on grass less muddy puddled pitch with a leather ball I think we enjoyed it.The playground was spilt into half boys Half girls we boys played football, marbles conkers swopped bubblegum cards of foot ball teams bought from connies corner shop after school a small group still used play ground to play football Vinnie Mullighan, Francis Walsh among names I recall
Hello Michael and Andrew Kobzan…..my brother Michael Stephenson and myself Anne Stephenson believe and hope you are the family that lived a few doors away from us on St Helens Rd ….we lived at 497….
Hello Anne,
very happy to hear from you. It’s been a very, very long time. And yes, we still remember you all. It would be very sad if we didn’t.
Sorry my answer took so long, evidently newly posted comments here take a while before the addressee is actually informed of them.
I suppose by now your brother has told you that he’s finally managed to find me through one of my nephews on facebook. You can get my email address from him if you’re interested.
Hope to hear from you all again in the near future.
Hi Anne,
here’s Michael’s brother, Andrew. Yes of course I remember you and your family, I always wanted, as a kid, to marry Susan. You can also get my email address from your brother in the USA, hope to hear from you, blessings from Andrew
Hi does anybody have any photos from 1957-1963ish thanks in advance
Hi my name isTony Sutton I went to st Peter & Paul’s from 1948- 1956 still meet some old class mates I’ve got a photo of the whit walks in our silk shorts with our class but don’t know how to upload it
Hi, I left St Peter and Paul’s in 1970 to go to English Martyrs with my twin brother John. I was terrified of sister Imelda but loved Mr Clarkson! I remover being forced to eat dates in the dining hall!! Maureen Clegg ( Gradwell)
Hi there my names Vic Owen all my brothers and sisters attended stp&p Mark,Julie Karl and Paula what was mr clarksons first name is he on Facebook
Hi I am Martin Fahy, I went to SS P&P from 54 to60.
I lived in Shaw st and remember Mick Akers, Vinny Mulligan Tommy Foy
Francis Walsh, also Linda fee, Susan Tobin Angela
Holden, and more. Sister Anne was the good guy, no comment on Sister Imelda.
Many happy memories.
Hi Maureen did you have a brother called Raymond????i think he was in my year leaving p+p in 1976
Chris modem did you work in care as a supervisor in farnworth 2005???
I went to saint peter and Paul’s from infant to the 60s
I remember Connie’s shop cocoa and sugar in a big barrel mixed with tiny sweets a penny it was in a paper bag
on last walking day before I left I know a film was taken from on of the shops in town on rout I always wondered what happened to it .It was taken by the nuns in the convent that isn’t there any more .my name was Doreen Brooks
My name is albert gibbons i remember mick akers
I was in the same class as Donna Pell (Brabin) and Anne-Marie Mace (Cunliffe). Also Michelle Grimes was the big sister of another of my classmates and neighbour Declan. I do remember sister Imelda being the scariest woman i ever met.
My mother attended this school in the 30s she is 94 now
My mother Mrs Mcstay was a teacher in the infants first class in the late 50s and early 70s. I also attended along with my older brother Paddy. My sister Margaret was the other teacher in top class as well as Mr Clarkson.