Stoke School 125th Jubilee

Former pupils of Stoke School travelled from all parts of New Zealand to attend the 125th jubilee celebrations of the school during Labour Weekend. Many friendships made during school days, then severed in many cases when the education days were over, were reaffirmed and old times re-lived over and over again. A big crowd thronged the present school grounds for the opening function. Other celebrations included a dinner and a cabaret and a church service at St. Barnabas's Church, once the site of the old school. Scenes like that at Left were commonplace. A group of old school pals met again for the first time in many years. In this case, Geoffrey Toms gets a rousing welcome from Hamilton Hawthorn while Les Price and Fred Allport share in their glee. They were all at school around the 1918 era.

Present headmaster, Mr A. Berdinner, welcomes old pupils (in the background is Captain R. Murphy, chairman of the jubilee committee).

'I remember you now, " exclaims Mrs Margaret Black, after she had taken a decko at the name tag of Mrs Marjory Allport, both of whom started school in 1909 (Mrs Ivy Stone, a contemporary of the other two, watches the greeting).

Jubilee cake, handed round by Julie Harman, is accepted by Winifred Barton, Olive Bremner, Gwen Owen, Sheila Neale, Koa Best and Alma Bremner (all these are their maiden names).

Inspecting the jubilee cake are Shirley Grabham, Eric Corby and Celia Gallie.

The two oldest pupils present, Rhoda Malcolm (nee Paynter), 1893-1900, and Arthur Mundy, 1897-1903, cut the cake under the eye of Captain Murphy.

The registration table was kept busy

Renewing acquaintances: Eric Black (1904-10), Eric Condell (1899-1905) and Wilfrid Giblin (1899-1909).

Former teachers were there too: Betty Henderson, wife of a former headmaster (Mr C. B. Henderson), and Mesdames Joyce Cottier and Olwyn Colello, both former teachers.

A view of the crowd during the opening ceremonies.

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The Nelson Photo News

No 121 : November 14, 1970

Stoke School 125th Jubilee