Readers have been sharing their memories after spotting photos from their past in Days Gone By, here David Kindred shares some of the correspondence he has received this week.

Ipswich Star: Students at Argyle Street in 1953Students at Argyle Street in 1953 (Image: Dave Kindred)

Reader Bob Kessler wrote in a recent Days Gone By of his memories of the Broomhill area of Ipswich.

And former classmate Derek Heffer, of Drayton, Norfolk wrote to say: “Bob Kessler’s recent letter brought back a wealth of memories, most of them happy ones. Bob was a primary school mate of mine and I am pleased, like me, he has made it to his young 80.

“I too spent many good days in the ‘undergrowth’.

“On the first day of my retirement, 20 years ago, I packed some sandwiches, filled a flask with coffee and, from my then home in Colchester, took myself to the Broom Hill area of Ipswich. I aimed to visit old playgrounds. Sadly, after crossing from Valley Road, I received my first sign that nothing had stood still. My favourite swimming pool was shut and needed more than some tender care. Next the ‘undergrowth’ or ‘dump’ had gone and there stood houses. Tons of filling had destroyed my reason for my trip down memory lane.”

Ipswich Star: The photograph taken at Stutton in the 1920s.The photograph taken at Stutton in the 1920s. (Image: Dave Kindred)

A 1953 picture in Days Gone By of pupils at the Ipswich School of Commerce and Social Studies in Argyle Street, Ipswich, has brought more memories from readers, including Teresa Gordon-Jones, of Harwich.

She wrote to say: “I am on the back row (eighth from the right) of the photo of the Ipswich School of Commerce and Social Studies, Argyle Street, Ipswich, in 1953. That is the correct name of the brilliant school, but Beryl Harding was deputy to the Principal Mr H. Benner, who is on the front row to her left, centre place, as was the form in those days.

“It was an amazing establishment catering for so many important issues after World War Two. All the staff had very interesting backgrounds as well as we students, including the caretaker at the end of the front row on the right. Also there must be another photo at that time as we had as many male students as female. I remember the names of many of those staff members, but only the names of a very few of the students.

“My maiden name was Teressa Fortin. I went to Sidegate Lane Primary, Copleston School for Girls and then School of Commerce and Social Studies. We were all taking O Level and A Level G.C.E and many other professional examinations. This meant that for the Sciences, we went to Tower Ramparts School and for Art, we went to the Art School, next to the Museum in High Street. All this was under Mr Benner’s leadership, long before the Civic College was built.”

Stuart McNae added: “From September 1961 Tower Ramparts Secondary Modern School for Boys and Christchurch Secondary Modern School for Girls in Bolton Lane were combined under the title of Tower Ramparts Secondary Mixed School, the resulting combination, plus large influx of new pupils for that new school year, necessitated using Argyle Street school as an annex.

“With the three sites under the watchful eye of headmaster David Webber, still based at Tower Ramparts School, the Argyle Street annex was allocated the majority of second year pupils and was under the guidance of Mrs Dorothy Young. The majority of lessons were conducted in house as far as possible with resident teachers for a variety of subjects on site.

“The annex operated like an independent body although the occasional dash to the main premises at Tower Ramparts could not be avoided. Additional classrooms to the main building were housed in two wooden huts in the playground, which backed onto Woodbridge Road. Other teachers recalled are Mr Finbow, Mrs Richold, Mrs Jones and Mr Cheeseborough.

“Towards the end of the Summer 1962 term, headmaster Mr Webber departed to prepare for his new role to oversee the opening of the new Chantry Secondary School in September and he was succeeded by Mr H.E. Cadwallader and with the opening of the Chantry School some staff and pupils transferred there, the Argyle Street annex was no longer needed, closing in July 1962. Of the three sites that in 1961/2 formed Tower Ramparts Secondary Mixed School only the Argyle Street annex building survives in near original condition, Tower Ramparts School being demolished to make way for the Tower Ramparts shopping centre (now Sailmakers) and Bolton Lane department has been converted to living accommodation.”

Roger Clark has commented on a photograph of horses and drays at the Cobbold Brewery, Ipswich, taken in 1935.

He said: “The two pairs of horse drays are, as far as I know, still in existence. The last time I saw the single dray, it had unfortunately been left outside and had rotted beyond repair. We at Weylands used one of the drays for advertising work, but converted to a pole instead of double shafts as in the photo. I think that the horses in the photo would do well in the show ring today and are a great credit to those men who used them.

We published a photograph taken during harvest time on a Suffolk farm, which we thought was taken at Wherstead. Reader Vic Scott, Stutton Local History Recorder, tells us it was taken a few miles away at Stutton.

He said: “I have an identical copy of the photo given me by the son of the farmer where the photograph was taken at Brook farmyard beside Lodge Farm, Stutton in 1926. He has named everyone on the photo.

“In the foreground with the engine, Len Rattle. The little girl is Kath Cadge. To her right is Bill Whittle, to his right is Harry Haste. To her left is Reg Graver, above him on the left is Fred Tuffnel, to the right is George Bennett. In the background behind them is to the left Dick Whinney, and right is Herbert Askew.

“The two on top of the thresher are, left Vic Harvey, and right Hector Crisp.

“Most of the people in the photo lived in Stutton, a number of whom I knew, having lived in Stutton myself since 1932. “