LIVES REMEMBERED

Florence Bishop (née Webster, 1943-1951)

Died 14th March 2022 Florence Webster was born on 26th June 1933, the only child of Olive and Walter, a railway clerk. Life at that time was particularly hard for the family: Walter went of to war, leaving Olive at home looking after Florence. Florence was a bright girl. At Bolton School she found she was a natural musician and she learned to play the piano and organ, as well as the French horn. After School she attended the Royal Manchester College of Music and gained a teaching qualification which enabled her to take her first job at Hollingworth Secondary Modern School in Cheshire. She then moved to Bolton to teach, and there she met Peter. The couple found they had a mutual love of music and their courting years were mainly spent attending various concerts. At college Florence had made friends with a visiting lecturer, John Barbirolli, the conductor of the Manchester-based Hallé Orchestra. Florence and Peter enjoyed listening to the Hallé and watching John conduct. Florence was brought up in the Congregationalist church tradition and so she and Peter married in the chapel in Bolton on 24th August 1959. They moved into their first house in Hildon Street, Bolton, which had all mod cons – including an indoor bathroom and an outside loo! Their son, Roger, was born in 1960. The family moved to Nottingham when Peter secured a job there and Florence played the organ for the West Bridgford Congregationalist Church, whilst also working as a peripatetic music teacher and giving private piano lessons too. The family moved again, this time to Staffordshire, where Florence took a job at Cannock Grammar School. She became great friends with Gillian, one of her organ pupils. When Olive became ill and needed looking after, Florence and Peter moved into a larger house in Gnosall so that three generations were able to live comfortably together. When Peter took early retirement, the couple moved to Newport where Florence continued to give private tuition for piano and organ. After Peter’s accident, the couple moved again, settling near Cromer in North Norfolk. Both were retired by this time, but Florence continued to use her skills to accompany a ladies’ choir. Florence and Peter travelled widely in Europe, exploring France, Germany and Austria. A particular highlight was visiting Vienna, walking in the Vienna Woods, sailing on the Danube and having the opportunity to listen to some beautiful music. Florence and Peter were avid walkers and had always enjoyed visiting the Lake District, so they made a final move to Lindal, where Florence busied herself with the house and garden, feeding the birds, walking the dog – and still found time to play the organ in various churches and chapels in the area. She also enjoyed reading, sewing, embroidery, knitting and cooking, and latterly became interested in the power of crystals. However, it is not her pastimes for which Florence will be remembered, but for her relationships as wife, mother, grandmother, friend, teacher, colleague and neighbour, all of which were special in their own unique way. Peter Bishop

Sheila Coates (née Hill, 1932-1942)

Sheila was born on 19th August 1924, the eldest child of Alfred and Nellie Hill and, with her much loved brother, John, grew up almost next door to Bolton School. Sheila started at Beech House where she met her lifelong friend, Sheila Bruckshaw (1932-1942), born just a day later (and who sadly died last year). Her affinity for Bolton School extended into later life through involvement with the Old Girls’ Association and as a member of the Scott Trust committee. Sheila also regularly attended Old Girls’ Dinners and enjoyed weekends away with her old School friends into later life. From School Sheila went on to study at the prestigious Edinburgh College of Domestic Science in Atholl Crescent. She took on her first DS teaching job in Staffordshire only for it to be cut short by an attack of polio; fortunately Sheila survived it with only a minor weakness in one arm. Subsequently she went on to teach at Castle Hill School in Bolton where she had to be inventive with rationed ingredients after the war. In her teens and twenties, Sheila played for the School lacrosse team and, in 1952, served as ladies captain at Lostock tennis club where she had met Neville Coates (1935-1938). They were married in 1953 at Bank Street Chapel; Sheila was a great patron of the Unitarian faith and the Chapel in particular, where she served as President of the committee for a number of years. In 1956 they moved into their forever home in Edgworth and completed the family with three children: John, Hazel and Judy. Sheila was always busy; her first priority was always the family, but she also used her secretarial skills to help out at the family dressmaking business, H Coates & Sons, and took on much voluntary work with Meals on Wheels, the Bolton’s Women’s Refuge, Bolton Newstalk, fundraising for the RNLI to name but a few. Bolton Little Theatre became a large part of Sheila’s adult life and she was very involved over many years as an actor, props lady, costume maker, committee member, president and always an audience member. In Neville’s retirement they were lucky to have their health and be able to enjoy time together. Sheila loved language and was a real stickler for correct grammar and usage – completing the Telegraph cryptic crossword was a daily activity. As regular visitors to France, she and Neville even took on A Level French in their 70s and achieved very respectable grades. Long haul trips to South Africa, Costa Rica and

Upper IV in 1938; Sheila is third from right on the second row

several cruises took them around the world, whilst always making time for regular visits to the Lake District and their children in Jersey, Cornwall and London.

Sheila and Neville were also lucky enough to stay in their beloved Greenthorne Cottage until Sheila became poorly, latterly made possible with the wonderful help of their live-in carer, Rosie, to whom we are so grateful. Sheila was 94 years old when she died after a few days of illness in Bolton Hospital. Her husband and children were all there to say goodbye – very sad to see her go, but feeling so lucky to have had such a wonderful wife and mother in their lives for so long. Judy Zussman (née Coates, 19711978), Hazel Fenton (née Coates, 1968-1975), John Coates (1963-1973)

Barbara Drage (née Jary, 1932-1945)

On 29th June 2022 Barbara fell ill and died from an embolism in the garden of her Shropshire bungalow. At 94, she still believed that walking aids and mobility scooters were for very old folk (others). Barbara was senior of the three Jary children to attend Bolton School, following Uncle Geoff (Boys’ Division Staff, 1936-37) and father WF (Bill) Jary, who taught in the Boys’ Division 1937-1957 and returned as an advisor for new laboratories – a 30year family connection. Starting at Beech House, Barbara loved her schooling, excelling in sport, drama and needlework, while learning to play the violin. But, teacher training beckoned … Leaving the Girls’ Division in 1945, Barbara went to the Gloucester Training College, bringing home skills ranging from exotic dishes (cooked from rationed ingredients) to dressmaking for drama productions and to newfangled toe-trimming practice. Barbara’s first teaching post was at Kettering, Northants, where she met Ronald, a factory-trained shoemaker and forces-trained chiropodist. They married at St George’s Church, Bolton, in 1952, with Nigel Atherton (Boys’ Division, 1942-1949) as best man.

Barbara and Ron set out on a career in hotel management, starting (much to the boys’ delight) in Farnborough, and then in Reading – but these were no places to start a family. They then took on the village post office and stores at Orlingbury, near Kettering, where their first two sons were born, amongst postal orders and pensions (maths was vital, as calculators were rare). The villagers enjoyed the onestop supply of produce from Ron’s excellent vegetable garden. By now, family time was seriously lacking and they moved to a family home in Ipswich, where their third and fourth sons were born. Help from special needs students enabled Barbara to return to teaching, parttime, a class of handicapped children in 1962. When Ron’s parents died, the family moved northwards to a roomy house in Shrewsbury, where an excellent range of educational facilities catered for the boys’ diverse ambitions. Barbara was able to resume her teaching career at the Monkmoor Girls’ School, even driving to a parttime supply post at Whitchurch, while a local folk group was an outlet for making music on their violins. Finally, with the family fledged, a move out of town combined country surroundings with wildlife habitats, a thriving choir, a rambling club and real ‘retirement’ in the form of holidays abroad. This ‘rambling’ covered Australia, many countries in Europe and beyond, while grandchildren occupied any spare time (and accommodation) at home. When Ron died, Barbara continued in the community with U3A, tours to famous gardens, and set up her own music group in-house, helped by upto-date recording technology. Only after the age of 90 did her life of teaching, helping, supporting and accommodating others gradually slow down and the family – when in agreement – started to make decisions instead. Barbara leaves her family of four boys and their grandchildren. Steven Jary (Boys’ Division, 1945-1955)

Patricia May Glover (née Entwistle, 1940-1947)

Mum was born in Bolton, the daughter and granddaughter of cotton weavers. Though the mill workers laughed at my grandfather, saying “Why bother educating women, they will only get married and leave, education is wasted on them”, he put Mum, and later her younger sister Hazel, through the applications for Bolton School. Both were accepted, Mum with a bursary. My grandmother took up a post running a fish and chip shop (not an easy thing in the war) in order to raise more money to assist Pat and Hazel in their education and university. Mum started off studying modern languages at Nottingham University, but when they saw how good her Latin was (thank you Bolton School), she changed to Latin, French and Ancient History. After graduating, Mum trained as a teacher, concentrating on junior and infant teaching. She then married Eddie Glover (another son of a weaver) who had just qualified as a doctor. Her first post was at a school in Norfolk where, due to teacher shortages, her class size reached 50 pupils. She worked hard for her pay!

Eventually Dad finished his national service and he and Mum returned to Manchester where Dad set up

a practice on a newly-built council estate and Mum was his receptionist. Later she took up teaching again and worked for a while in a Hasidic School in Cheetham Hill. She found this very rewarding and was pleased to find out that every girl’s reading age was above her actual age. The pupils also had a fine sense of humour. Mum used to wear her glasses on a chain round her neck. One day she was walking past some children who remarked “Look, there goes Mrs Glover with her shortsighted chest.” She had difficulty keeping her face straight. By this time I had also got into Bolton School and when I was about to leave the Sixth Form, Mum gave me a Bolton School library book to return, taken out in 1945. Despite my objections, Mum insisted that it was returned. On handing in the Latin textbook at the staff room, the Latin teacher looked at the book, thanked me and commented that she thought the syllabus had probably changed. I was very embarrassed. Mum became a widow in 1993, losing the love of her life. However, after a while she decided that she would travel whilst she was still able and would holiday, usually in cold places such as Alaska. Coming up to the end of the millennium, Mum became very secretive, telling us only that she was going on holiday for a while. She would not be drawn on where she was going. When she returned, we found out that she had flown to South America and taken an ice breaker south so that she could see the sunrise of the new millennium over Antarctica. What a Mum, what a role model and what a best friend. She has inspired many of the females in our family and we have many happy memories. God bless, Mum. Ruth Glover (1972-1979)

(Winifred) Joan Lacy (née Millar, 1936-1942)

My mother – always known as Joan – was born on 10th December 1924. After leaving Bolton School she studied medicine at the University of Manchester (where she met my father) and then worked at the Bolton Royal Infirmary. As was normal in those days, she ceased to practise when she started a family, but did join the women’s retainer scheme which encouraged women to go back to medicine in the 1960s. The family moved to Lincolnshire in 1959 and Joan took on the role of GP’s wife, taking phone calls and helping with dispensing, as well as looking after a family of five. She was very active in the local church, speaking at women’s meetings, serving as treasurer for the church and the local Methodist circuit, and later becoming a local preacher. She had a love of wild flowers and of Scotland which she shared with my father, as well as a fondness for murder mysteries and history. After my father’s early death in 1987, she moved to Keswick where, as well as church involvement, she ran the local group of the Macular Society and was always ready to welcome children and later grandchildren and great grandchildren, friends and neighbours. She was always pleased to receive the Old Girls’ Newsletter and, after losing her eyesight, hearing it read to her, and kept in touch with many of her contemporaries, as well as attending reunions until fairly recently. Joan moved into residential care in Lincoln last Autumn, but was unable to get out to spend her 97th birthday and Christmas Day with her family. After a stay in hospital, she moved into nursing care where she was very well looked after, maintaining her interest in events and family almost to the end.

She and her younger brother, Jim (Boys’ Division, 1938-1944), who later became a dentist, were from a fairly ordinary background and I know she was always grateful for the start the School gave her: on one of her last holidays during a break from the 2020 lockdowns we made a special trip to Bolton to see the School and it was great to hear her reminiscences of her time there. I and the rest of the family would like to thank Bolton School for helping to make Joan the informed, questioning and wonderful person she was. Dr Ian Lacy

Barbara Lees (née Parry, 1942-1950)

United with her beloved husband, Ian, Barbara passed away peacefully at her home on 8th June 2022. She is survived by her three sons, David, Michael and John, grandchildren Henry, William, George, Sophie and Adam, as well as longstanding friends from her Bolton School days, Audrey Hood (née Nuttall, 1940-1948) and Margaret Krawec, and friends Ada Temperley from Wolfenden Girls’ Secondary School and Fred Tyldsley from Deane School. Barbara was born and raised in Tonge Moor, Bolton. After leaving Bolton School she attended teacher training college, going on to teach at Wolfenden Street Girls’ Secondary School, where she became Head of English. After gaining a degree from the Open University, Barbara became Deputy Head at what was then Deane Secondary School. Margaret Krawec (née Hurst, 1942-1947)

Shirley Whitworth (née Rushton, 1944-1952)

Shirley Maureen Rushton was born in Bolton in 1935, the daughter of Frank and Elsie Rushton, and younger sister of (Frank) Michael Rushton (1943-1950). Across Bolton, and in music society specifically, her parents were held in the highest regard. Her father was Choirmaster at St George’s Church in Bolton, conducting many orchestras and choirs regionally; and her mother, an accomplished pianist in her own right, was organist at St George’s Church, and also taught the piano. Shirley inherited the musical gene and developed her musical talents during her years at Bolton School. On leaving school, her talent as a pianist led to her being awarded Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music; Associate of the Royal College of Music; and Associate of Trinity College London. In 1962, at the age of 27, Shirley’s mother died. St George’s Church also lost its church organist – a position that Shirley stepped into. Through church and through music, Shirley met Leslie in 1964. By March 1966, they were married at St George’s Church, and moved from Chorley New Road to Tudor Avenue in 1972.