Eden Hall Infant School
Back row: George Burnham, Bill Raine, Irene Dobson, Linda McNally, Raymond Minhinnet, Ann Burn, Anthony Doyle, [u] [u] Ann Pierie, Colin Redding, Stella Jones. Third Row: [u] [u] [u] [u] [u] [u] Mrs Rowe [u] Barry Scott [u] Howard Hind [u] Second row: Hazel Warr, Gloria Miller [u] [u] [u] Jacqueline Rowe [u] [u] Guida Klavens [u] [u] Front row L-R: Alan Atherton [u] Ken Dixon, George Burrell, David Appleton, Steven Burnett, Charles Mayes, [u], Ralph Wood [u].
I can recall my mother sitting me on the wall as we watched the official opening of Eden Hall Infants School. Very soon after I started at that school under the watchful eye of Miss Moses. Her father was manager at the Horden Co-op Store. Mrs. Summerbell was the head mistress. My next teacher was Mrs. Rowe. Her granddaughter Jacqueline was in the class.
One of my classmates was George Burrell, who was the first mace carrier for Peterlee Emeralds Jazz Band, along with his then girlfriend whom he later married. They emigrated to Canada and George became a senior stylist for the famous hair salon Vidal Sasoon. He was trained in America by Paul Raymond (“Mr Teasy Weezy”) before moving up the ladder of success. Another classmate was Raymond Minhinnet, whose mother and father were killed by a gas escape in their house. Ray was only spared due to sleeping with an open window.
Bill Raine
L-R, Jimmy Rowland, Keith Frost, Philip Roach, Kevin Millar (1)
L-R, Stuart Robinson, Derek Blunt, Malcolm Todd (2)
This photograph was taken by my mother on the day of the Queen’s first visit Peterlee in 1960. I was in my final year at Edenhall Junior School. Both the Infants and Juniors were given Union Jack flags to wave as we lined up on both sides of the road along Eden Lane. I’d managed to weave my way through the crowd and ended up standing on the footpath in front of The Whitehouse. I was literally within touching distance of the Queen as she walked back to her car to leave. I remember I was waving my flag frantically when she looked directly at me and smiled. I still have the flag.
Bill Raine
School cook, Mrs Johnson with her daughter (far right)