King John School Teachers Late 50s, early 60s

Late 1950s to early 1960s

The photos below are from the collection of Ann Morrison who attended The King John School in the late 1950s to early 1960s.

Please click on the individual photos to enlarge the image.

Names suggested on the back of the first photo include:-  Teachers: Mr Harris, Mr Bell, Mr Wanstall, Mr Bailey, Mr Lansdowne, Mr Blaker and Mr Langloise and school Secretary Mrs P Lawes.  (The photo has been reproduced below adding numbered faces.  A handful of the teachers can be positively identified but some need naming. Can you help us?)

The second photo shows Mr Bailey on the school sports field with a P.E. teacher whose name is not known. If you can provide a name for this teacher, please let us know via the comments section at the foot of this page.  In the background is the girls’ playground and bicycle sheds.  Today, the new Sixth Form College and parking facilities for the students occupy this area.

A Christmas celebration
Ann Morrison collection
2.Mr Bell - Pottery and Art 3.Mr Ashton 8.Miss Hartley - Art 14.Mr Bailey - English 24.Mr Langloise - possibly English and Geography 28.Mr Jenkins - Commerce/typewriting/shorthand 29.Mrs P Lawes - Secretary 34.Mr Lambourne - 35. Alan Cross - P.E. 41.Mr Blaker - (Blakie) Maths 42.Mrs Lightle - Housecraft 43.Mrs Marpole - Housecraft 46.Mr Evans (Fritz) - Headmaster 45.Mr Sethi - English
Mr Bailey (left) and P.E. Teacher - but who?(see comments below) 1961
Ann Morrison collection
Teachers assembled on the school playing field. c.1957
Ann Morrison collection
On a School trip - L to R : Mrs Lawes, Bill Langloise, Mrs Evans, Mr Evans c.1959
Ann Morrison collection
Mrs P Lawes, the school Secretary c.1960
Ann Morrison collection

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  • No. 40 in the Christmas picture is possibly Jean Flushoh (not sure if that is the right spelling), who was School Secretary for a good many years. I worked with her in the King John general office from 1988 (yes, she was still there then) until she retired in about 1992/93-ish. Mr Blaker was my first tutor (1965), over in one of the huts. He let us have a look inside his VW camper van once, which was always parked near to the huts. I remember Jo Hartley, who became Jo Weldon. She lived opposite me in Hart Road, Thundersley.

    By Rosemary Usselman (nee Mitchell) (30/12/2020)
  • No. 8 in the photo looks to be Miss Hartley (Art), while No. 10 could be Miss Minshaw (Housecraft). This would put the photo in the after 1961 but before 1966 (when I left).

    By Robert Scott (22/11/2020)
  • I was in the first class with mister Bailey when school first opened. Not many class rooms. Played football a lot with Mr Phipps.

    By Harry Potter (12/01/2020)
  • Thanks to Tony Wilkins for coming along to our ‘Memory Gathering’ session (27 May 2017) and confirming the name of the PE teacher in the photo with Mr. Bailey as Mr. Jennerson and also giving the name of No. 3, in the large group, as Mr. Wanstall.

    By Frank Gamble (27/05/2017)
  • I too was in Mr. Ashton’s class in 1958/9 (4HA)  A History Teacher and he was the only teacher that called me ‘Bobbie’ !  Very happy end of school with such a great teacher…. I wasn’t 15 until 15th August, so I left school when I was 14 !!…..

    By Roberta Barnes ( Bobbie Barnes-Jones) (26/04/2017)
  • Bill Langloise – 26

    Mr Lambourne – 34

    Mr Ashton – 3 (think Mr Wanstall is 4)

    Mr Jenkins – 28

    Alan Cross (boys PE) – 35

    By Pat Beveridge (29/03/2017)
  • The PE teacher standing on Mr Bailey’s left also taught French. As I recall Mr Bailey taught English, and lived in Clarence Road with his wife and son Michael. 
    I only remember this PE teacher because having finally got in a class where French was taught, in my third year at King John, this PE/French teacher told me it was a waste of time me bothering to try and learn as I had entered too late; this was not a very progressive attitude. He told me to bring books in to read, so I brought in a book about keeping and breeding rabbits, which he admonished for as this was not a ‘proper book’.
    When I joined the class I was quite eager to learn French, and wrote down all the vocabulary lists each time in class; I was quite an eager student and my view even then was that I was there to learn, rather than become a potential GCE candidate.  I doubt that particular teacher would have lasted very long in teaching today; maybe he left teaching?    

    By Christopher Davis (28/03/2017)
  • No 4 is Mr Wanstall.

    By Lynn Peter Sharman (09/02/2017)
  • I agree with Ray Chidley that No. 3 is Mr Ashton, who taught the most interesting and inspirational history lessons, it’s still a favourite interest. He incorporated into his lessons wonderful diagrams and maps which really made the subject of that day’s lesson really come alive and the dynamic of the subject of interest readily understood.
    On a slightly different area of the subject of interest I gave Mr Ashton two of three aerial reconnaissance photos taken by an aunt of mine’s first husband Flight Sergeant Sidney ‘Skippy’ Lewis. He was killed in Malta as a result of a bomber making an unauthorised manoeuver across the runway as he was returning from a sortie couple. 
     

    By Christopher Davis (01/02/2017)
  • No. 3 is Mr Ashton, not Wanstall. He was my form teacher in 5ex2, 1966….Bill Langloise, covered P.E. too.

    By Ray Chidley (25/01/2017)
  • Mr Jones used to teach maths and would always say to us “This maths class is your salvation!” Being Welsh he was very much “Chapel”.

    By Richard Hayden (16/10/2016)
  • Left in 1965, still have fond memories of King John. I was in 4 JG ( extended course), but “advised to leave” ! 

    By Barry Dawson (09/06/2016)
  • Hi. Just an up date.  No 3 is Mr Ashton, I was in his class in 1958 ( 3HA ). I believe he was an ex commando in WW2, a very nice man and a good history teacher. Mr Blaker was my RI teacher, and one of his favourite sayings was, ” I can’t draw you all know that ” ! Mr Lambourne we nicknamed `Joe Crow` he was a west country man, with a strong accent. Mr Wanstall, was my maths teacher, and a very good teacher he was to. I always came top of the class in our maths exams, I think I used to do the one hour exam in 30 minutes. Even today, I can still beat the Super Market checkout tills. My last year at school I use to look after Mr Evans garden, mow the lawn, weeding etc. I did this after school for one hour, which Mr Evans paid me 1/6d ( 7p ). Mr Fawsett was our PE teacher, an ex army PT instructor and boxer, and as tough as they come, you did not mess with Mr Fawsett. Mr Jones was another of my teachers but can`t remember what he use to teach. He always mixed me up with another boy in my class, named Peter Treadant, but being a Welshman he always pronounced it as Treedent. I left in August 1959. Happy Days !! 

    By John Wernham (21/07/2015)
  • I think the PE teacher with Mr. Bailey might be Mr. Jennerson who used to ride a motorcycle to school, I think he only stayed a year?

    By Pete Smith (09/08/2014)
  • I seem to remember that Bill Langlois was killed in a tragic accident in the early 1980’s (?)

    He was a teacher at Appleton school too.

    By William West (16/07/2014)
  • Hi, a few updates for the teachers Christmas party photo. Mr Wanstall (maths) is No. 4 not 3. The pretty young girl in the bottom left, No. 8 is Miss Hartley (art). Number 19 is Mr Smith (woodwork). Number 34 is Mr Lambourne (maths), also known as Smokey Joe because of his chain smoking. Number 35 is Mr Cross, a PE teacher  and finally Mr Langloise taught PE.  Regards Ken

    By Ken Blacksley (15/07/2014)
  • Also, Number 7 is the American, Buddy Edelen the Olympic marathon runner. Ken

    By Ken Blacksley (15/07/2014)
  • Val, there is a photo of John Garton on another page on our site. Please click this link to view.

    By Eileen Gamble (Editor) (09/06/2014)
  • I left school in 1953. I have very happy memories of some of the people shown here. I remember Mr Evans, Miss Elliott, (who I am still in touch with), Mr Jones, Mr Bailey, Miss Pye, who sadly died 5 years ago in Canada, Mr Phillips, and Mr Garton who is not mentioned?

    By Val Pounds (08/06/2014)

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