A Photo and Letter from Canada

 

Today I received an unexpected but lovely letter from Mr Trevor W. Colley, of Sooke, Canada. Mr Colley informed me that he was a student at our school when it was called Fairchildes Secondary School, which was quite a few years ago! Together with his wife he immigrated to Canada in 1974 and now lives on Vancouver Island.

 

In 1963 he worked at Heath Press in Thornton Heath. While working there he came across the photograph below of the teaching staff of the school in 1963. He recalls the names of many of the staff but not all. He says the ones he remembers are: Mr. Hedges (the Headmaster), Deputy Head Morgan, Derek Breed, Jones, Trinder, Channing, Walton, Troll, Barker, Beecham, Rutter, Best and Green.

 

It is a wonderful photograph and clear evidence that links the smart and proud staff that once served our community to ours that do so today. If any members of the local community know the names of the staff in the picture or indeed, know them in person, I’d be delighted to hear from you. I’m guessing that some of the younger looking staff in the picture would now be in their mid to late seventies. I wonder what they would make of our school today…

 

Thank you to Mr Colley for taking the time to send us the picture. It was such a lovely thing for him to have done.

 

Martin Giles

Headteacher