Lancaster nostalgia: memories of St Joseph's Primary School

Taken from Ann Burgess's collection oflSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Lancaster. This picture shows children gathering for a concert at Christmas.

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Lancaster is the subject of these special pictures.

The school on Aldrens Lane holds a special place in Ann Burgess’s heart.

Ann, who lives on Fairhope Avenue, attended and worked at the school where her mother, auntie, uncle, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and grandchildren also attended.

Taken from Ann Burgess's collection of St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Lancaster. This picture shows Ann, who attended St Josep's, aged seven.

“We were all brought up catholics,” said Ann who is 74-years-old.

“I loved it, I worked there as a teaching assistant for 26 years, I started as a welfare assistant.”

Ann, who has seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, can remember processions held at the school in conjunction with the church for Holy Communions.

She said: “We used to go on nature walks in the summer, then they brought in a uniform, a brown blazer and beret and a cap for the boys.

Taken from Ann Burgess's collection of St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Lancaster. This picture shows children gathering for the May procession at the school. Ann Burgess is pictured at the very end on the right. Second from right is Yvonne Riley, Joan McCloughlian, Eileen Makison, Pat Hallam, Doreen Omerod, Alma Regan, Winnie Kelly and Margaret Prickett (who went on to become a nun).

“My mother made all our dresses for the processions, Margaret Bradley, she used to put lots of white material in the dresses because my mother was nearly blind by then and could make out that colour clearly.”

In one of the pictures, Ann has been chosen as a cushion bearer for the May procession, something she described as an “honour.”

Later on in life Ann returned to the school to work.

“I enjoyed working there so much, I have still got some of the things that the kids gave to me when I left, letters, cards,” said Ann.

Taken from Ann Burgess's collection of St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Lancaster. This picture shows Ann's sister Sylvia Rutlidge with her daughter Susan in the school yard.

“The children, even now, when they see me in the street they will come up and say hello Mrs Burgess do you remember me?”

Kathleen Palmer also sent in two pictures of her time at the school.

The 80-year-old, who lives in Lancaster, is pictured at the age of seven as the aid Queen in the first communion and procession from the school to St Joseph’s Church.

Thank you to Ann and Kathleen for sending in their memories and photographs.