A photograph of Mr and Mrs English, Mr Carroll and Miss Armstrong at St Gerards School in Haverton Hill c1950s.
I believe Mr English took the Headmastership at St. Johns school in Billingham when Doctor Smith retired in the early 1960s and became Headmaster of St Mary’s RC Primary School in Stockton possibly during the mid-1960s, as I started school at St Mary’s in September 1967, and left in July 1974. Incidentally, I spent my final two years in Mrs English’s class. I would very much love to know what happened to Mr and Mrs English after I left St Mary’s, maybe someone who went to St Mary’s at the same time as me can shed some light.
Details courtesy of Perry Moore.
Picture Stockton Archive 
I too spent my schooling there until I went to Our Lady & St Bedes in ’72 I think. They were both brilliant teachers and I was lucky enough to do my two final years at St Mary’s in Mrs English’s class. It meant I missed Mrs Elders’ which I wasn’t too sad about. I often went back to the school to say hi and remember after joining the RAF I sat with Mr English (Anthony) in his office talking about me having joined up and being an LAC in the RAF. I recall him telling me he was an LAC too at some point but he never expanded. I remember they lived in Billingham and was told many years ago Mrs English had passed away but I never knew what became of him, he was a monster of a man but amazing. At playtime all he did was shout “Still”and everyone stopped waiting to be told to go to class.
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I went to St Mary’s in the sixties. Mr and Mrs English were absolutely fantastic and ran a firm but fair policy. Huge respect for them all my life. I can still hear Mr English’s segs clicking on the hard floors as he walked along in his brogues. This picture brought very nice memories flooding back.
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I knew Mr English when I was at St.Gerard’s School, I used to live in Cleveland Avenue, can’t seem to find any Pictures of the School, shame, David.
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Hello David
I have a photograph of St. Gerards taken from the playing field, it isn’t of a high quality but I will send it to Picture Stockton with a few words by Bill Burnett of his memories of the school.
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Wow, cheers Bruce, some names I remember are Cotterells, Foresters, Yorks. Thanks Dave.
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I went to St John’s R.C. Billingham from 1948 to 1955. There were two teachers there, called Miss Welsh. They were twins. One of them married and became Mrs English. I wonder if the Mrs English in the photo is that same teacher…
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Query? Heather, are you any relation to Billy and Laura Marsay of the farm in Wolverston.
Frank.
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I was wondering if she was related to George Marsay who was in our class at Billingham South Modern School. He was from a Farm in Wolviston and always said he was going to carry on at the farm when we had done school.
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There was a George Marsay in the family but he was a farmer in Great Ayton. I believe his son now runs the farm.
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Haven’t heard of them Frank. A lot of Marsays were, and are farmers though. I married into the Marsay Family of Great Ayton.
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Heather, as a lad we went by train from Norton Station to Goathland where Uncle Arthur and Aunt Mabel had a sheep farm, I knew there were quite a few Marsay’s, Aunt Mabel had been working in Whitby when she met my Uncle. They had three children Betty Kathleen and Billy we went often to that farm and in season picked Bilberries by the bucket full to make jam to bottle and best of all the pies, still my favourite food when you can get them.
They moved to Rosebury Farm, now Roseworth estate, to go into Dairy and Uncle delivered milk round the area with his horse and trap with Milk urns on board, you got your milk in your own containers then. They Later moved to Welly Hill Farm near Hart Village and I spent some good times there. The girls did not marry farmers but Billy Married Laura and took over a farm in Wolverston which made me wonder if you were related, obviously not but the name apart from around the Moor villages is not a common one. It certainly brought back wonderful memories. Uncle Arthur and Aunt Mabel are buried in Norton ST Mary’s Church Yard as is Betty and her Husband Burt, across the Path from my Mother and Father.
Frank.
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The two Miss Welsh teachers were not twins just sisters. They were my fathers sisters and therefore my aunties and yes one of them did marry Tony English and the other never married. They both taught at some point at St Johns Billingam, which was my first school.
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It is the same teacher. The Misses Welsh at St John’s were not twins, just sisters.
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I was in Mr Carols class late sixties Low Grange Juniors, we were very respectful of him, but he was very fair
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Thank you very much for sharing that photo Perry. It brings back memories for me! I was at St. Mary’s until 1977, at which time Mr & Mrs English were still very much in charge. I’m not sure when St. Mary’s closed, not that much after I left I think. I just assumed they both retired at that point, but that is pure conjecture on my part.
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This is not the Miss English I knew at Richard Hind 1940-45, the lady who saw something in me and made me buckle down and work. A list of reading and tests as I went got me very high marks in English prose. I thank Miss English to this day yet never heard about her or saw her again.
That could be me as I never go back or to reunions, not my style.
Frank.
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