Westfield Junior School pupils and staff mentions in the News and Sports Mail, September-October 1976

September 1976 was the beginning of my final year at Westfield Junior School.
To all intents and purposes, I was effectively in the school's mainstream, the only difference was that I lived in Southsea, rather than Paulsgrove.

I was in Peter Collett's class, except for some lessons in maths when I attended Mrs Burden's class, also received specialist teaching by Mr Clarke (art) and Idris Davis (PE) amongst others.

Fellow class members included:

Mark Aubry, Bruce Baker, William Blakely, Denise Copplestone, Clive Donald, Brian Gates, Jeanette Hawkins, Neil Larner, Mandy Pratt, Samantha Spivey, John Sweetman.

Sports teams fielded by the school:

The school fielded a football team (don't remember who participated, but I wasn't involved) and a netball team (again don't remember who participated) who competed against other junior schools in the city.

Saturday's Sports Mail was the primary source of news for junior football, but my family never bought the pink paper.
No reports of Westfield's netball team appeared during these months in either The News or Sports Mail.

Sports Mail, 4 September 1976. Westfield played in the U12s Middle Division II North, they didn't field a U11s side.

During September-October 1976, few match reports involving Westfield were printed and none mentioned any of their team.

Here's one report from the Sports Mail, 2 October 1976, between Stamshaw and Westfield (above). Westfield lost 2-0.

The Sports Mail, 30 October 1976 gave details of the Supporters' Cup 1st round replay between Milton Park and Westfield schools. Again, no mention of anyone from Westfield! Westfield lost 4-2.

Donna Hillyer was reported in the newspapers several times competing for Portsmouth Atalanta in track and field and later cross-country running during this period; to save unnecessary repetition, I've selected one example of her results.

This report in The News on Tuesday 5 October 1976 unusually mentions her full name in the opening cross-country minor girls event held at Haywards Heath, she ended in 14th place with a time of 7:22.

 

Other mentions:

 

Chipper Club's 12th birthday celebrations for September-October 1976: Clive Donald, Donna-Marie Joseph, Teresa Joseph, Helen Sampson

 

[Revised 25 November 2018 adding two more ex-pupil Chipper Club members]

A postscript after I left Westfield Junior School in July 1977

Once I started attending Priory School in September 1977, I had very little contact from, seen or heard about ex-pupils.

Kevin Miller was the only person who rang me at home once not long after I started secondary school. I didn't know anyone from my year group who attended Priory. Between 1977 and 1981 the only times I passed through Paulsgrove were occasional journeys along Southampton Road.

Tracey Goodall at Priory knew Donna Hillyer as a fellow athletics competitor.
Otherwise things were quiet until 14 March 1981 when I attended the "Child Art" exhibition at the Mountbatten Gallery, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth.
I saw works by Helen Drain (then at King Richard) and Neil Gray (then at City of Portsmouth Boys School) on display there. That sparked an interest in wondering what happened to my fellow ex-pupils ever since.

During all that time, mum taught at Mayfield School. She brought home a copy of their 1981 school year book. Richard Devine gained 4 CSEs and Helen Sampson was also mentioned, I don't think she taught either of them because her focus was on pupils with special needs.

Paul (now Ashton) Keiditsch transferred to Priory School's sixth form in 1981 from City of Portsmouth Boys School. His mum, Dora, worked in the special unit at Westfield which I attended when I first arrived when it was then known as Greenfields. My only regret was I never picked his brains on how he got on with Neil Gray!

It wasn't until the reunion which I organised in 2002 that I met significant numbers of ex-pupils. For some perverse reason I actually kept records on who I recognised or read about because it was extremely rare where I lived in Southsea to encounter them.

The only ex-pupils who I've confirmed as seen and/or recognised since July 1977 are listed below, in chronological order of last known appearance (unless indicated all locations are in Portsmouth) :
August 1977: Donna Hillyer, Lawrence Road
January or February 1978: Diane Crabbe, near South Parade Pier
21 April 1981: Carl Fisher, Commercial Road
26 August 1982: Richard Devine, Southampton Road
17 June 1989: Neil Gray, Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London
2000: Darren Scott, Almondsbury Road
21 June 2002 (reunion): Bruce Baker, Donna Bendell, Jayne Dollery, Richard Egerton, Tony Fisher, Jackie Gibbs, Victoria Gibbs, Jeanette Gray (nee Hawkins), Karen Jefferies, Mark Jones, Sharon Kirk, David Lawrence, Darin McCloud, Kevin Miller, Judy Lucas (nee Mould), Robert Moth, Phillip Pinhorne, Alf Wiltshire, Angela Wyatt, all at Westfield Junior School

Incidentally the only ex-pupils who I saw and/or recognised outside Portsmouth were Kevin Miller in London (twice between 1985-1986) and Neil Gray in London (five times between 1986-1989) and Birmingham (once in 1989).

Out of the 100 or so ex-pupils, apart from myself, I only currently know four who gained higher diplomas/degrees:
Jayne Dollery (psychology), Tony Fisher (hotel management and catering), Neil Gray (social work) and Kevin Miller (chemistry). I suspect there were more but never asked.

Similarly, apart from myself, I'm aware of very few ex-pupils who currently live outside Hampshire:
Tracey Coppard (now Webley - lives in Bristol), Richard Devine (Bristol), Tony Fisher (London), Neil Gray (Bournemouth) and Alf Wiltshire (Brighton).

A few months ago, Tony Fisher won a season ticket from Fulham FC after topping a public poll of the club's superfans https://blog.grosvenorcasinos.com/grosvenor-name-meet-fulham-ultimate-superfan/

I've also joined the Paulsgrove, Portsmouth Nostalgia closed group on Facebook and made contact with several ex-pupils who didn't attend the reunion which I organised https://www.facebook.com/groups/260603590787929/

[Revised 8 October 2018 incorporating Neil Gray's current residential location from his Facebook profile]
[Revised 10 October 2018 after Neil Gray personally clarified his current location]
[Revised 22 November 2018 to update Tracey Coppard's current location and membership of Facebook closed group]

Westfield Junior School pupils and staff mentions in the News and Sports Mail, July-August 1977

During July-August 1977, there was little news about Westfield Junior School, its pupils and staff.
Unlike some schools elsewhere in Portsmouth, no reports of end of school year celebrations or staff changes were published in the paper.

As it covers July-August 1977, I should have published this part at the end.
The way that the British Library bound the newspapers, as each volume contains six weeks' issues, I decided to tackle the July-September 1977 volumes first:
1 July-14 August, and, 15 August-30 September 1977.
The 15 August-30 September bound volume was quickly returned to storage, because I only needed to examine the 15-31 August issues.
I can only have five bound volumes out under my name at any one time, so dealing with mid-late August issues first meant that I was in a better position when requesting further bound volumes within my personal limit.

Two newspaper reports about Donna Hillyer's athletics performances:

 

 

The News, Wednesday 20 July 1977.

Donna (D. Hillyer) won the 1500m in a personal best of 4:57.4 for her club, Portsmouth Atalanta, in the Division 1, B Section juniors competition, held at Southampton.

 

 

The News, Tuesday 9 August 1977.

Donna (D. Hillyer) won the 1500m in 5:08.4 in the A string for Portsmouth Atalanta in the Haslett Trophy competition at Crawley.

 

Other mentions:

 

Chipper Club's 12th birthday celebrations for July-August 1977:  Neil Gray, Michael Hardy, Darren Scott

 

 

 

 

I want to find that elusive Westfield Middle School photo taken after a water leak in 1976-1977 school year

I'm announcing my next The News/Sports Mail research project ...

To locate - if at all possible - a press cutting featuring a photo showing pupils at Westfield Middle School clearing up after a flood, which I secreted away at home at the time, but destroyed about two years later in a clear-out.
I remember the photo included someone who later appeared prominently in the Sports Mail on 16 June 1984 (see 29 August 2018 entry) who then wore a sleeveless jumper.

In 2001, I attempted to locate it when I consulted the papers at the former British Library newspaper reading room at Colindale, but time pressures because I was only there for the day from Yorkshire and the fact I only searched The News between 14 February-23 July 1977 might have resulted in me missing the article.
It could be that the article might have been omitted from the edition deposited at the British Library, because by then The News was an early adopter of computer typesetting and the paper ran several Portsmouth city editions every weekday, not also forgetting Gosport/Fareham, Havant and West Sussex editions.

Tonight, I re-discovered the articles that I arranged to be copied by library staff at Colindale in 2001 about Westfield pupils and staff. Apologies for the quality, they're reproductions of reproductions!
When I re-examine the newspapers, they'll be replaced with better quality photos.

The News, Thursday 17 March 1977

Six girls from King Richard School won the Southern Region final of the National Schools Under 13 Gymnastics Team Championships at Eastleigh, versus Westfield Middle School.

Westfield Middle School, back row, left to right: Carla Thompson, Julie Moody, Michelle Lucas, Tyree Smallwood, Sarah Smith, Julie Bowler, Wendy Elford.
They were managed by Mr I. Davis (Idris Davis).

 

Published late June 1977 (didn't write down the date) in The News, showing teacher Roy Smith (standing on right). Kevin White was one of the pupils who attended the special unit at the school and came in from Havant daily.

The headmaster at the time was Mr J. Odgers.

 

My strategy will be to search The News and Sports Mail from 1 September 1976 until 31 August 1977.
I'll note down all mentions of pupils - as far as possible - who attended Westfield Middle School who turned 12 between these dates - and staff - and all photos about individuals in my year group who attended the school, which were reported in the newspapers.
UPDATE 21 September 2018:
I've retrieved my records of ex-pupils obtained mainly from old electoral registers which I used as the basis for organising the school's 2002 reunion in order so that I can cross-check them when I come across mentions of them in The News' Chipper Club, etc.
On Monday 24th, I'll request The News/Sports Mail volumes from storage at the British Library, initially for September-October 1976 and August 1977.
UPDATE 26 September 2018:
I'm currently scanning July-August 1977 issues, then September-October 1976.
I'll post blog entries covering two months' issues at a time, plus a postscript on what happened to ex-pupils from my viewpoint.
UPDATE 29 September 2018:
Scanned September 1976 and July-August 1977 issues, photos of news articles will be taken and uploaded here on brief details of the school's football team which I hope to find out more information once more newspapers are scanned, including line-ups and results, and a participant in athletics during summer 1977. So far, most pupils' mentions relate to their 12th birthday celebrations in the paper's Chipper Club.
UPDATE 2 October 2018:
Completed covering July-August 1977 blog including all photography, finished scanning all October 1976 issues, will photograph relevant articles in the next few days or so.
UPDATE 5 October 2018:
Completed September-October 1976 blog entry. I'm scanning November 1976 issues and some names from Westfield's football team are mentioned for the first time.
UPDATE 8 October 2018:
All November and December 1976 issues now looked at in detail. Quite a few schools in Portsmouth had photos of nativity plays or other dramatic activity published in the period leading up to Christmas, but none for Westfield, I'll photograph articles in the next day or so.
UPDATE 12 October 2018:
Completed November-December 1976 blog entry. Requested two bound volumes of The News/Sports Mail covering January-March 1977 for consultation on 15th or 16th October.
UPDATE 15 October 2018:
Both bound volumes arrived, I've already scanned three weeks' issues of January 1977's newspapers, all very quiet about the school's pupils and staff so far.
UPDATE 19 October 2018:
Scanned January-February 1977 issues, will photograph articles next week.
UPDATE 24 October 2018:
January-February 1977 entry published, scanning March 1977 issues, requested mid-May, June 1977 issues - they're the remaining print-only volumes. April, mid-May 1977 issues now microfilmed and will be requested last of all.
UPDATE 31 October 2018:
All March, and mid-late May, June 1977 issues scanned and articles photographed, including the elusive Westfield Junior School flooding incident which sparked off the whole project. I'll request the April to mid-May 1977 microfilms in the next day or so.
UPDATE 22 November 2018:
All work completed and microfilms handed back for storage.

[Added photos on 18 September 2018]
[Revised 19 September 2018 announcing search strategy]
[Revised 21 September 2018 announcing intention to request back issues]
[Revised 22 September 2018 with more information on individual in missing photo and rewording of article]
[Revised 26 September 2018 progress report]

Ex-Priory and Westfield pupils competing in sports, as reported in the News and Sports Mail, May-August 1978

If I read through the sports pages of The News and Sports Mail during summer 1978, during my first year at Priory School, looking at athletics coverage, female power was all the rage.
(Fareham AC's "man mountain" followed some years later)

I knew Tracey Goodall (Priory) and Donna Hillyer (ex-Westfield Junior School, then at Springfield), via Tracey, who both competed for Portsmouth Atalanta athletics club.
They were reported almost on a weekly basis.

 

Tracey Goodall (note her first name was spelt incorrectly) Sports Mail, 5 August 1978

  

I've yet to locate a portrait of Donna Hillyer, but don't know if she's in this line-up for the Hampshire Schools Championship photo in The News, 9 June 1978 (please contact me)

 

Although Priory School's sports day at Alexandra Park in July 1978 wasn't reported, nevertheless Priory's pupils competed in sports, despite the fact that the school, because of its inner city location, never had a full-sized football pitch or athletics track for practice.

However, there was an open space, since built on, located within the school on the corner of Fawcett Road and Rugby Road, where there was a long jump run and pit. When the road layout was re-arranged around Bradford Junction (Victoria Road North) more space was created for tennis and hockey pitches.

For football (autumn and winter) and athletics (summer), pupils were bussed to open ground adjoining Warren Avenue, Milton. I remember walking home back to Southsea most Friday afternoons straight after football still wearing my claret and blue kit!

 

 

 

The Portsmouth Second Year Schools League held at Alexandra Park, reported in Sports Mail, 17 June 1978.

A Competition, Boys: Long jump, Mills (King Richard), 4.70m = Kevin? Mills,

Javelin, M. Tyler (King Richard), 27.0m = Mark Tyler

 

B Competition, Girls: 100m, Goodall (Priory), 14.4 sec = Tracey Goodall

High jump, R. Harvey (Priory), 1.20m = Rachel Harvey

 

The same event, reported in The News, 20 June 1978.

 

A Events, Boys: 400m: Vincent (Priory), 65.1 secs = (don't know his first name)

A Events, Girls: Long jump: Goodall (Priory),  4.49m = Tracey Goodall

B Events, Girls: Long jump: Marsh (Priory), 3.90m = Margaret Marsh

 

  

Finally, anyone remember teacher Roy Smith at Westfield Junior School? I remember seeing him about, but was never taught by him! Report in The News, 30 May 1978.

[Revised 14 September 2018 to correct title and include details of Priory School's outdoor sports facilities]

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My latest The News/Sports Mail research project - was Priory School's 1978 sports day reported in the paper?

I should add ...
I'm currently delving into issues of The News and Sports Mail, 15 May-15 August 1978 (the dates cover two bound volumes) because I wanted to find out if Priory School's sports day held sometime during July at the then-named Alexandra Park, was reported in the paper at the time.
I competed in the 200m and 4 x 100m relays and there were other track and field athletics events occurring simultaneously.

Even if this wasn't reported in the paper ...
so far I've found out stuff about Priory School's (and ex-Westfield Junior School's) individuals who competed in athletics, birthday mentions in the paper's Chipper Club, photos of a skateboarder and an athlete who attended Priory School, and a photo of a Westfield School teacher ...
I've searched up to 15 July, so more might crop up!

LATEST NEWS 10 September:
Both volumes have now been scanned, Priory School's sports day wasn't reported in the papers!
The school was very publicity-shy at the time, all references to Priory pupils who I found out about were from external sources.
My family never bought the pink Sports Mail supplement, yet it contained a lot of information about the local athletics scene including portraits of up-and-coming young athletes (often four per issue, but a few issues had eight)
I'll finally check outstanding Chipper Club birthday mentions plus checking if a photo of athlete Donna Hillyer was printed in the Sports Mail in the May-June volume.

[Revised 10 September 2018]

New web analytical software reveals level of interest

For some time I was concerned about how many readers actually read my blog.
Once I posted my 29/30 August entry and amendments, I installed new software to measure how much interest was generated.

I've had this for a week now and here are some of my findings:

During that time my blog was viewed from 11 UK locations;
11 users and 1 new user accessed the blog;
The longest individual session was an average of 10 mins 30 seconds from Fordingbridge;
A person from London viewed my blog most often - 11 times;
The most common time for viewing my blog was between 4-8pm;
There were 157 page views, of which 41 were unique;
The post which was viewed the longest, per session, at an average of 2 mins 29 seconds, was the 20 July post about my list of athletics events which I attended.

Considering some of the content took hours to put together; it appears that well-researched, original work with a human element attracts interest.
However it takes time and resources and it may be some time before I can produce similar content again.

[Revised and re-worded on 7 September 2018]