11th April 1955
Norfolk pupils spend a week in Guernsey
In the fifties and sixties, when leisure travel was primarily domestic, heading overseas was still a novelty. Yet, some mainland schools organised trips to the Channel Islands for their pupils. When they did, it often got into the papers.
The Diss Express reported one such visit early in April 1955. A party of school children headed to Guernsey for Easter. Mr Pascoe, the headmaster, with Miss Jolly and Mr Golledge, all of Bressingham School, led the 26 students, on an adventure that also required a stop over in London.
St Paul’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament were both on the itinerary, along with a boat trip to Sark.
Unlucky break
Unfortunately, it didn’t go entirely according to plan. Mr Golledge fell over on the second day of the trip and broke his arm.
Aunt Jane’s Postbag, a column in the Diss Express, received postcards from three of the pupils who went on the trip. None of them were reproduced in the paper, but they were described briefly, and the notes on the back were quoted. They didn’t make any reference to Mr Gollidge’s accident (or perhaps they did and it was edited out for the sake of his dignity), but they did reveal that as well as Sark the party visited Herm and Lehon, which is perhaps a mis-spelling of Lihou.
The weather was apparently good but, in the words of Margaret Pascoe, “We did not have a very good crossing”.
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Other events that occured in April
Death of the Vicar General of the Channel Islands
- Monsignor Hickey was born on Guernsey in 1877 and died in 1952.
- Read more…
Battery Mirus was test fired for the first time
- The four guns that comprised Battery Mirus had a range of 51km.
- Read more…
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie film opened
- Although set on Guernsey, none of the scenes were filmed on the island.
- Read more…
Guernsey abolishes the death penalty for murder
- Guernsey deputies voted in favour of abolishing hanging one year before the UK.
- Read more…