Below - present day Mission Grove Primary School & Children's Centre
Address: Buxton Road, London E17 7EJ
Phone:020 8520 3487
Katie Jennings
B.Ed Hons, MA
Headteacher

27 Feb 2020 - SchoolDays: Mission Grove School

I've just dug out some class photos from my time at Mission Grove School. I've attached the one from my final year there. The teacher is Miss Tuckwell.
Is there anyone out there who appears or knows someone on it? I can put names to some of my classmates but, after 60 years, not all. I'm at the end of the top row on the left.

Regards

Graham COMPTON Private Reply Public Reply

9 Feb 2020 - Public Reply to Graham Compton (1 Oct 2019 - Mission Grove School)

Dear Graham / Daniel

I have just seen your 2019 comments on Mission Grove School.
I must confess, I do not remember you, but you would have been one year ahead of me.
However your reflections have brought the memories flooding back.

Indeed , I recall Mr. Tollet, although headmaster, used to take the odd class for boys to show them how the internal combustion engine works. - we would all stand around his "Ford Prefect" car, with the bonnet lifted, while he explained the various parts of the engine (unless you were mechanically minded, at the age of 10-11, the excercise was lost on most of the boys).

I recall there was an old tree in the middle of the playground. It had a metal railing fence around it. I believe it was a mulberry tree. Each summer, there were ample “berries” squashed in the playground. Inevitably they were sticky, and made an awful mess when they got stuck to the sole of your shoes.

One poignant memory. In 1959 or 60 I recall Mr Potter introducing to the class a newly arrived pupil from Mauritius. That was the first time I had met anyone from that part of the world. Probably a "first" for Mission Grove.

Like you, Graham, I have not been back to visit Walthamstow for around 50 years. Maybe one last trip down memory lane before it is to late is in store.

Terry ALLEN Private Reply Public Reply

1 Oct 2019 - Public Reply to Terence Allen ( 6 Sep 2015 - Mission Grove School.)

Hi Daniel and Terry,

I have just stumbled across your messages about Mission Grove School, and memories came flooding back. I was born in 1949, so I guess I will have started there in 1954. I vividly remember my first day.
We were in the corner classroom with Miss Philpot. Some were in tears but I had started with my then best friend Gillian, who also lived in Woodville Road and that gave us security. I can remember wandering around wondering what we were supposed to do with these large wooden bricks.
Woodville Road was within sound of the school bell and I could leave home just as it started ringing, sprint up Apsley Road and in through the playground gate to arrive just in time. During the holidays, milk continued to be delivered to the school and we used to roller-skate over and drink large quantities. Free food was not to be missed. I can remember being taught by Miss Wakefield. I remember her trying to get us to sing and, particularly, I remember her tottering around the room on her walking stick, in pursuit of some of the rowdier members of the class.
I think I can remember Miss Cliss, not by name, but as the teacher who later died. I think we were put in her room briefly when a teacher was absent. My memory is that she was frightening and didn't take prisoners; although shortly afterwards I met her on a family day out to St Osyth's priory in Essex and she was as nice as pie. I guess teaching could be as stressful then as it is now.
We had one teacher who hasn't been mentioned: Miss Hopper, who got married one holiday and came back as Mrs Southgate. I think it was she who had us all playing recorders. I only survived by not actually blowing. It was under her that school work first started to make sense to me.
Somewhere during this time, there was country dancing. I remember an event (competition?) at Walthamstow Town Hall, waiting in cold, draughty corridors for the performance, with a practicing bag-piper for company.
Then we had Miss Tuckwell, whose influence was immeasurable. The first teacher who seemed to think I had something to offer. I think it was while in her class that there was a minibus trip to Whipsnade Zoo. It started well but then one of children ran down a steep slope, took a nose dive and had to be taken to hospital. We spent the rest of the day waiting outside A&E.
Another teacher yet to be mentioned is the Headmaster of the Junior School, who I think, was called Mr Tollet, short and stocky, he used to knit his own thick woolly jumpers. When I passed the 11-Plus, my mother was completely out of her depth and we went to see him. It was on his advice that I went to Leyton Grammar School, where his son was a couple of years above.
I've not been back to Walthamstow for over half a century, although I can now walk through the streets on Google Streetview. I see that Mission Grove School has expanded to obliterate Apsley Road and my old house (31, Woodville Road) now backs onto the school grounds. That would have made the last minute sprint a bit quicker. Mission Grove itself is no longer the quiet, tree-lined, cul-de-sac, but a thoroughfare.
Best wishes to any other ex pupils out there.

Graham COMPTON
(the ginger one with jug-handle ears, but not any more)
  Private Reply Public Reply

6 Sep 2015 - Schooldays: Mission Grove

Hi Daniel,

I started school at Mission Grove School in 1946 although I was nearly six was in the infants and the juniors I remember the teachers in the juniors as miss Wakefield miss Cliss miss Witherwick miss Gratten miss Digweed and Mr Potter and the headmaster was Mr Hoffman I left in 1951 and went Coppermill School. Happy days!

David GARDINER Private Reply Public Reply

21 Jan 2018 - Public Reply to David Gardiner ( 6 Sep 2015 - Mission Grove School.)

Hi Daniel / David

I started school at Mission Grove in 1955 and went through both infants and Juniors. In 1961 went in the William Morris in Gainsford Road.
The headmistress at Mission Grove Infants was the wonderful Miss Philpot. As David mentioned Ms. Wakefield and Mr Potter Ms Witherwick were still there during my time. I recall Ms. Cliss actually passed away whilst in her classroom around that time.
Add to the teachers Ms. Pat Gurr and Ms Tuckwell, - both had a strong influence on my early life.

Terence ALLEN Private Reply Public Reply