The Primary School in 1977
Part 4

I continue the Primary School theme again this month, with a look into some of the events that took place in 1977. This was the year of great celebration for the late Queen’s Silver Jubilee. The pictures illustrate some of the activities on Jubilee Day itself, which started at 900am and went on until 8.00pm. The main celebrations were held in the afternoon, with a visit from an Army helicopter from Saighton Camp, where troops were being trained to combat the IRA troubles in Ireland. The children had no idea that this surprise was going to happen, and were thrilled when it touched down in the middle of the school field, and four commandos jumped out to greet them in full combat dress. A fancy dress procession then took place with children representing great figures from history. Queen Victoria, Margaret Thatcher, Charles Wesley, Sherpa Tensing, A Civil War Soldier, and a mock up of one of the new Jubilee stamps. A wonderful tea party was then held on the school field, after a school sports afternoon for all the children. Every child took part in at least five events, which were graded in abilities to enable every children a chance to succeed.

After a super tea, laid on by parents from the School Association, the 1977 Victor Ludorum Sports were held. In this event the six best performers from preliminary rounds, in the four junior age groups, ran, jumped and threw for trophies and medals. The events included; a 75m sprint, long jump, high jump, a throw and a 200m race. This very competitive annual event started at 6.00pm and was always one of the highlights of the school’s sporting year. I’ve also attached a picture of one of the High School Sports Staff with the children after they raised a good sum of money for an Olympic Games appeal. She was going to represent the UK in canoeing.

You can also see images of a raku pottery kiln being fired on the School Field, firing pots made by the children in pottery lessons. This simple brick kiln used coke to get to a temperature of about 1000C. It was a great success with pupils and the public who came to see it in action. You can also see some of the images I took during a series of visits to Chester, based at St Mary’s Centre, a re purposed church adjacent to The Castle. Here I planned a series of short tours/activites, for groups of children from some of the feeder schools to Christleton High School, to get to know a little about the history of Chester, but also to make friends with children from those schools before they attended the HS in the following term. You can see them looking at derelict Chester in the Shipgate area, finding out about travellers and travelling in the coaching era, Georgian Chester, Housing, Commerce, visiting the Grosvenor Museum, and being involved in a civil war re enactment near the Gamul Tomb at the centre. There are also some images of another occasion, when a group of Christleton children, working on a tourism project with the City Council, are being interviewed, and interviewing people for a broadcast on Radio Merseyside. Here they are meeting a Tudor Lady and the Town Crier of Chester.