1960s School Sports Days

This amazing photo of Sheepen Road was taken during the 1962 school sports day - I'm sure many visitors to this site will recognise how it used to look. I think it must have been a cold day though as everyone is well wrapped up!

My latest visit to the Gilberd School archive uncovered a book of press clippings from the late 1950s and early 60s. The following photos and clippings capture school sports days at Sheepen Road in 1961 and 1962 (it's possible that the last photo on this page is from slightly earlier, but I can't be sure).

Also tucked into the book with all the clippings was the programme for the 1962 event. I've included this at the end of the article. Obviously the quality of the images and the clippings has degraded over the intervening sixty years but they still offer a wonderful glimpse into the school's past which I think will be of interest to many. (If you click on any of the pages you can view a larger version of each image.)

The book also contains the programmes and newspaper clippings about the school's annual prize giving ceremonies at the Playhouse from the late 1950s and early 1960s. These will be the subject of a future article.

UPDATE 24th June 2022

I'm very grateful to Jerry Goodenough for giving me permission to include his recollections of Gilberd sports days from the 1960s: 

I did enjoy the sports day pictures you put up. I particularly remember the hospital (St Mary’s) whose long grey building dominated the skyline. (Now long demolished, I believe.) My first Gilberd sports day was in 1966, and I remember it but not for the sports! There was a lot of rain, and at times we all had to seek shelter. Mr Cole, the music teacher, had brought his sound system down from the music room for music, PA announcements, etc. and while we were sheltering from the rain, he broadcast Test Match Special as England played the West Indies. I think this was the first Test Match Special I had ever heard. (By the following year, 1967, I was a keen fan for the Indian and Pakistani tours!) I was always terrible at games, but now I have fond memories of Sheepen Road. That’s what nostalgia does for you!