East Cleveland Image Archive

A lovely photograph of pupils from the Towers school Saltburn; not quite what you would expect in a woodwork class. The style of dress gives an idea for dating the image; but in today’s world of ‘elf and safety’ clearly not appropriate!

Image from a collection received by the Archive which included promotional material for Towers School. All the Towers School images were loaned to us by a person who does not wish to be named, to whom we are grateful.

Miss Pybus, Headmistress of Saltburn’s Towers School is pictured c.1940 at Rusland Hall, this was where the Towers School was evacuated in World War II. After the War started, but before the school was evacuated, the boarders used to be taken into the vaults of the Zetland Hotel to shelter when the air-raid sirens sounded. She also remembers having ”midnight feasts”, but with food in short supply thanks to the war, they used to eat toothpaste! Jose Mawson, was a pupil at the Towers from 1937 to 1941; and was there when the school was evacuated to Rusland Hall in 1940. Her great friend was Patricia Burn; other friends were Elizabeth Leathly-Shaw, Hilary Toy, Anne Clinkard, Heather Dorman, Pamela Radge, Marie Locke, Rosetta Bolton, and Joan and Pam Howell (whose parents were in India). After an outbreak of illness thanks to the Rusland Hall drains being unable to cope with the large numbers of people when the school was evacuated, my mother and her sister Helen left the school in 1941, and my mother subsequently attended Durham Girls’ County School. Jose Mawson has memories of the Headmistress, Miss Pybus, had a little white dog called Zeppi, and that all the boarders used to be invited round to Miss Pybus’s house (next door to the Towers) on a Sunday, where they were each given a ”Dainty Dinah” toffee! 

Image and information courtesy of Amanda Stobbs.

Towers School Saltburn; ”A High Class Efficient School at Moderate Fees” – for which an advertisement appeared in the 1928 York Historic-Pictorial compiled and published by Harold and Peter Hood of Middlesbrough – the school focused on outdoor activities The crosses on the photograph may relate to certain parts of the school. The photograph appears to be early 20th century. We asked for details and Robin Hutchinson tells us: ”The Towers was a girls’ boarding school. I believe the school operated from the late nineteenth century until the mid twentieth century and the school occupied the building illustrated here and several surrounding buildings.” This is also confirmed by Jenny Taylor. Katharine Broome tells us: ”I was a day girl at The Towers for a short period from early 1940 until mid 1942. My mother’s younger sister who was only 9 years older than me, was a boarder from the mid 1930′s. In later years, we often spoke of our time there – not the happiest! The owner/headmistress at that time was a Miss Pybus who may have followed Edith Haycraft. Miss Pybus lived in the house to the left of the photo. Wartime food was rather horrid – cochineal coloured tapioca pudding & tripe seem to have featured on a regular basis.” Jean Siddle (nee Crawford) tells us: ”I was pupil at school until 1939 when it was evacuated to Rusland Hall in the Lake District. we were there when the German prisoner at Grizedale escaped and the mounted police clattered onto our courtyard. They  made a film of the escape. I left in 1940 and would like to know when the school ceased to exist.” Amanda Stobbs tells us: ”My mother, Jose Mawson, was a pupil at the Towers from 1937 to 1941, and was there when the school was evacuated to Rusland Hall in 1940. She remembers that the Headmistress Miss Pybus, had a little white dog called ’Zeppi’, and that all the boarders used to be invited round to Miss Pybus’s house (next door to the Towers) on a Sunday, where they were each given a “Dainty Dinah” toffee! After the War started but before the school was evacuated, the boarders used to be taken into the vaults of the Zetland Hotel to shelter when the air-raid sirens sounded. She also remembers having “midnight feasts”, but with food in short supply thanks to the war, they used to eat toothpaste!! Her great friend was Patricia Burn; other friends were Elizabeth Leathly-Shaw, Hilary Toy, Anne Clinkard, Heather Dorman, Pamela Radge, Marie Locke, Rosetta Bolton, and Joan and Pam Howell – whose parents were in India. After an outbreak of illness thanks to the Rusland Hall drains being unable to cope with the large numbers of people when the school was evacuated, my mother and her sister Helen left the school in 1941, and my mother subsequently attended Durham Girls’ County School.” Jon Waters tells us: ”My mother, Patricia Burn, was a pupil between 1937 and 1941. She fondly remembers Jose Mawson and her fellow pupils mentioned in the post above. She has less fond memories of Zeppi the dog, who bit her!  My mum has been looking through the posts and information with great interest.” Helga Hill adds: “In the late 19th century as my Grand mother went there, she was from Helgoland. Thank you, I have been trying to find something about this school.” Pauline Thackwray asks: “I was at The Towers from 1955 to 1959 and would be interested in making contact with students who were there over that period. I live in Australia.” Gwenneth Vardy assists with: “I was a boarder from 1953 to 1956. I of course remember Miss Pybus!! I also remember Miss Brady our house mother, and Miss Lavender the French mistress. Friends from my time there were Jennifer Kempsey, Gillian Young, twins Roberta and Patricia Darque , Rosemary Capstaff. It would indeed be lovely to hear from anyone who remembers me.” Patricia Lowry also advises: “I now live in Melbourne, Australia and was interested to see this archive as my Mum, Joan Clark, taught English Literature/ History, etc at The Towers in the 50’s. We lived in Saltburn and I heard many stories of life and education there.. Amongst many chats about the school, Mum would relate how the stoical boarders would have to walk through Rifts Wood from Rushpool Hall on cold mornings; she often mentioned the Pybus sisters – I feel many students were quite in ‘awe’ of them. Mum enjoyed teaching the senior girls, but after some years a more attractive salary necessitated her move from this private girls’ school to the rough and tumble of a government junior school. However, The Towers school featured greatly and impressively in my childhood in Saltburn and Marske, a very special place to me.” Barbara Anne Gilbert Sparks comments: “Barbara Gilbert (now Gilbert Sparks) – I was a pupil at The Towers Saltburn the year it came back to Saltburn from Rusland Hall 1945 until I think 1948. I have a twin sister Sheila Gilbert who was very ‘naughty’ and was taken away from school before she was expelled! I wonder why after the war, when it returned, no one has written in yet…what happened to them? Head Girl M. Nuttall? and Maths mistress Miss Brady. The horror of horrors! and of course, Miss Pybus. I remember hockey on the beach in that bitter cold wind.” Jennifer Reid (nee Kempsey) responds with: “About 5 years ago I visited the Towers with my family to show them where I went to school, it is divided up into several separate residences anyhow it all brought back many memories.” Suzanne Brooks asks: “My mother-Geraldine Bailey attended Towers School Saltburn In the1930’s And I was wondering if anyone has school photos of that time as I would love to have some to show her —-or from anyone who remembers her!” Pauline Coggin also states: “Hi Patricia, I was very interested in your comments about your mother teaching English at the Towers. She was one of my English teachers and I remember her well. More than likely she wouldn’t remember me. My name was Pauline Thackwray in those days – I had auburn hair and my parents had sent me to boarding school from Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) If she remembers me tell her I always enjoyed her lessons. Did she have quite a feisty sense of humour in those days?” Other comments from former pupils or their children include; Peter Owen: “My mother (Marjorie Appleton) was at The Towers in 1925 at the age of 15 – I have the whole school photo of that year.” Roger Byron-Collins: “My mother-in-law Svanhild Hojem from Arendal Norway was a pupil at the Towers School in Saltburn from 1925 to 1930.” Melissa Riche: “My mother was at The Towers in 1930. Her name was Patricia Kinmonth. Her parents lived in Khartoum, Sudan, where my grandfather was chief of police.” Vicky Head: “My mum attended ‘Towers Boarding School’ so I assume it is this one. Could anyone confirm. She was born 1945 so probably left around 1960? She died in 2015 so would love to know if I have the right place. She was a keen hockey player and these were such happy years for her. Something out of Malory Towers!” David Atkinson: “My mother Elizabeth Maxwell Atkinson (Betty Butchart), born 24/6/12, taught dancing at The Towers both at Saltburn and Rusland. Coincidentally she was a Rusland farmer’s daughter, although originally from Barrow in Furness.”

Callum Duff has advised ”The Towers School closed in 1960 when it was amalgamated with The Manor School on the opposite side of the valley. The Manor School operated on a site occupied by The White House and the villa ‘Cliffden’ next door. The Manor School closed in 1969 and Cliffden was demolished and replaced by the Cliffden Court housing development.”

Image from a Frith Postcard courtesy of Ken Johnson; also thanks to Robin Hutchinson, Jenny Taylor, Katharine Broome, Jean Siddle, Amanda Stobbs, Jon Waters, Helga Hill, Pauline Thackwray, Gwenneth Vardy, Patricia Lowry, Barbara Anne Gilbert Sparks, Jennifer Reid, Suzanne Brooks, Paulin Coggin, Peter Owen, Roger Byron-Collins, Mellisa Riche, Vicky Head, David Atkinson and Callum Duff for the updates. Information on the school came from ”Paul Chrystal & Simon Cross – Redcar, Marske & Saltburn Through Time”.

Class Lower 4th-2 with their class teacher Miss Knott. Back row: Enid Kitching, Janet Hugill, Maureen Shippey, Mary Davies, Enid Burrows, Maureen Clark, Enid Tranter,Margaret Massey.
Middle row: Eileen Laws, Enid Smith, Elizabeth Russell, Hazel Shaw, Eileen Bell, Hazel Wilcocks, Pat Manley, Eileen Jackson.
Front row: Janet Thwaites, Myrtle Greenwood,  June Winspear,  Marion Hick, Miss Knott, Vera Pepper, Stephanie Gibson, Ann Sharpe, Eileen Burrows.

Image and names courtesy of Eileen Found.

This was main part of the school, the overflow went to Red Lodge on the front at Saltburn overlooking the sea. Norma Mellis Cox recalls: “I attended Saltburn High School 1949- 1952. Then we went to Redcar and became Cleveland Grammar School.” Linda Mary Treadgold asked: “Was is gender segregated in 1935 do you know? Doing research for a book. Thank you.” Katherine Broome advised: “It was the Girl’s High School. My mother attended it during the First World War and I did from September 1945 until July 1949. One of its most famous old girls was Dame Kitty Anderson who became Headmistress of North London Collegiate School; she was a contemporary of my mother.”

Image courtesy of Eileen Found, thanks to Norma Mellis Cox, Linda Treadgold and Katherine Broome for the updates.