John Pridmore 1945 - 1951
My Headmaster was Mr. Osland, and my teachers were Miss Read, Miss Ashton, Miss Firman, Mrs Nicholson and Mr Brittain.
I was born in the first house after the school in Portland Road at number 21, our back garden backed onto what was then the school allotments, beyond which was the Hogsmill River and on the opposite bank the remains of “Offers dairy farm” [Offer &Son]. The site was later absorbed into the art school.
There were two air raid shelters in the allotments which provided a regular place to play in the school holidays! School lunches were cooked elsewhere and transported to the school and my mother was a dinner lady at the school for several years.
I remember that the milk bottles were always left by the coke fires. Okay if you liked warm milk!
Generally my memories of my time spent at St. Johns' are all good. I do hope that any body that attended the school at the same time as I did are still around and hope you have a wonderful time celebrating 150 years of the school.