1935 School photo
We have kindly been sent a copy of the 1935 School photo.
It shows the newly completed science buildings in the background proving that they had been completed by 1935.
Obviously it is too big to be able to see the detail on anything other than a monstrous monitor. So we have added a version in PDF format to which we have begun to add the names of all those we can remember. If you can remember more of those who were present or correct any errors in our failing memories, please contact the Editor.
View or download the PDF of the 1935 School photo.
Andrew Marsh [Heath 1966–1973] writes:
The 1935 school photograph is a photograph that I have looked at many times in my life as my father, Bruce Marsh 1918–1998, is the boy 16th from the right, seated, 3rd row from the front, wearing a sports jacket and dark tie. He always was well built. Someone once said you could have got a yard stick between his shoulders!
He was educated at Queens Road Junior School and then went on to Heath [1929–1935], where he distinguished himself at Rugby Union (playing for the first XV while still a junior) and excelled on the sports field. He held several jumping and throwing records and I have all his silver cups.
The year this photograph was taken he broke the English Schoolboys National Shot Putt record and represented English schools at the White City in London. (In fact, his 12lb shot putt record of 44 feet 10½ inches at Heath has never been beaten. Sadly, when the weight converted to 10kg, the record was not pro-rata converted; so it stands in perpetuity.) In fact, in 1966 the first words Walter Swale said to me were: ‘Can you putt the shot like your father?’ To which I replied: ‘I’ve never even seen a shot sir.’
Whilst at Heath he was also the Halifax and District Breaststroke Champion from 1933–1935, only relinquishing his title so that he could concentrate on athletics and rugger. He was victor ludorum at Heath in 1935 and again at the Halifax Technical College in 1936. He went on to have a distinguished record in the Royal Navy during the war and went into teaching, spending the majority of his career at Warley Road Junior School.
Four along from my father is his best pal, Harold Eyre, who was burnt to death landing his plane during the war. His wife was so upset she committed suicide. Harold’s adoptive father, Sir Dryden Brook, later MP for Halifax, knowing they were good pals, gave her wrist watch to my late mother which I still have.
There are several other pupils I can identify and of course some of the masters were still at the school when I was there from 1966 to 1973 and my brother Jonathan [Heath 1970–1976] a few years later.
It’s nice to see the old school photographs added to the site, thank you.
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