Ravensdale Infant and Junior School

(*NEW* Link to Class of '68 First Reunion 9th. April 2003)
(Link to Ravensdale School's own web site)
(Link to CWN's 'Find a Friend' site for Ravensdale School)
(Link to Sarah Lowery's Memories of Ravensdale)
(Link to photograph of Junior School teaching staff in 1968)

My name is Colin Parsons. I lived in Mellowdew Road, Wyken, Coventry until I was 15, and I went to Ravensdale Infant and Junior school in Wyken, Coventry for the whole of my primary schooling from 1962 until moving on to Bablake in 1968.
I retain strong feelings of affection for the school, the teachers, and my friends there, several of whom have responded to this page and improved the quality of my hazy recollections of the time.
I present here some information (under constant review for accuracy), about my classes and teachers, and, below the photograph, my classmates, in order to encourage corrections from any passing ex-Ravensdale surfer who can remember better than I can. I am grateful already to Sarah Lowery and Mr. John Crossman who have both been in touch with me and provided detailed facts and evocative memories.
(Following details last updated 26 January 2002)

        Headmistress of the Infant School when I started in September 1962 was Mrs Turnbull.

• 1962 - 63 Year 1; Teacher - Mrs. Clennett, who lived on the corner of Longfellow Road and Browning Road. Mrs Clennet passed away in 2000, aged 86.
• 1963 - 64 Year 2; Teacher - Mrs. Kent. I think this is the year in which the Class Photo (below) was taken. Was it during this year that Alison Clarke read to the class in installments from a book about the adventures of a cuckoo from a cuckoo clock?

Though all the evidence points to it, I find it hard to believe I spent only two years in the Infant School -  guess time lasts forever when you're that young.         
Headmistress of Junior School when I moved up was Miss Lucas.

• 1964 - 65 Year 3; Teacher - Miss (Margaret) ?, who married during the year and became Mrs. Burniston. I believe I have Mrs. Burniston to thank for reading 'Stig of the Dump' to the class - which we enjoyed immensely ("'Ere - Oo's chuckin' dirt?") !!
• 1965 - 66 Year 4; Teacher - Mrs. (Jill) Hay and Mrs. (Barbara) Hill. Mrs. Hill is now enjoying an extremely active retirement in Coventry.

At the end of this year, the Heads of both schools retired, and were replaced in the Infants by Mrs. Griffiths and on the Juniors by Mr. (David) French (who I bumped into in Coventry many years later, and who remembered me and my sister, Debra).

• 1966 - 67 Year 5; Teacher - Mrs. (Edith) Harris, who lived on Clifford Bridge Road. During this year we had a memorable trip (accompanied also by Mr. Crossman) to Ludlow Castle (I remember the castle ruins, and a ducking stool, or stocks), and a Worcester Pottery.
• 1967 - 68 Year 6; Teacher - Mr. (John) Crossman. Mr. Crossman left Ravensdale with us at the end of the year, to take a promotion into Holbrook Junior School, Coventry, before moving on again, to become a Deputy Head, and then Head of a primary school in Devon. He is now retired, and would love to hear from any former colleagues or pupils (eMail him at jmj@crossman49.freeserve.co.uk)

I also remember the frequent appearance of a Student Teacher called Mr. (Richard) Poole. He returned to Ravensdale later as a qualified teacher. He, too, is fondly remembered by everyone I have since spoken to - all of whom will be saddened to hear that Mr. Poole died tragically young, some years ago.

(Partial) Class Photo - Possibly Christmas 1963

Alison Clark, Rachel Hales, Christopher Jury, Martin Green, Christopher Carter, John Luckett, Alan Evans, Colin Parsons, Kevin Tyman Christine Phipkin, Valerie Wright?, Diane Partridge, Helen Bicknell, Maureen Beal, Wendy Davis Catherine Grainger, Lynne Callaghan, Susan Maxwell?, Patricia Bourke, Gaynor Hill

I am Colin Parsons (back row, second from the right, as they say).
If you are one of the others, or one of the missing ones (the class was bigger than this), or you know any of them, or whatever, please make contact by emailing me at caparsons@btinternet.com.
I'd love to confirm my memories of the names of these classmates, and even create a full directory of how we could all get in touch with each other.
Hoping nobody minds me putting some general info. about you here on this obscure page (that nobody will ever read anyway!), here's what little I have gleaned so far;

Hilary Bass
Gary Bettely
Maureen Bicknell - living and working (General Practice Manager) in Coventry
Gillian Blyth
Carol Boddington
Peter Buttriss
Steven Cornfoot
Paul Cramp - living in Ontario, Canada, since 2001 (email)
Susan Davenport
Mark Dixon - living and working in Coventry (email)
Paul Duffy
James Forster
Jane Fort
Kim Furnival - living and working (General Practice Manager) in Coventry (email)
Alison Garrett
James Geddes
Helen Ginns
Sarah Hall
Nicola Havard
Judith Haydon
Linda Haywood
Martin Hoffman - living in Coventry
Corrine Holmes
Stephen Hughes
Sarah Lowery - living and working in Coventry (email)
Hansen McClay
Kevin McDougall
Janice McLean
Lesley Meikle - living in Coventry
Julie Millerchip
Colin Osbourne
David Pendleton
Christine Pratley
David Reed
Beverley Richards
Christopher Roberts
Phillip Rushton
Gary Seager (Stephen's cousin)
Stephen Seager (Gary's cousin)
Keith Selby
Kevin Shirley
Kay Sinclair - living in Coventry
Malcolm Summers
Cheryl Tapsell
Anita Vranic
Margaret Wade - living and working in Coventry
Trevor Walters
Graham Wankling - living and working in Coventry
Robert Warnock - now living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Jimmy Waterson - sadly deceased (1977)
Joy Watson - Music Teacher/Therapist in Stratford Upon Avon
Karen Watt
William Wheatley - living and working in Coventry
Adrian Wyllie
Susan Yates - living near Daventry, working in Banbury