By Jacob Elomri
Old school friends are planning a reunion to celebrate 50 years since the merger of two Huddersfield schools.
Huddersfield Girls’ High School and Huddersfield New College Boys merged to become Huddersfield New College at Salendine Nook in 1974 and a group of friends hope to meet up with former pupils they haven’t seen in decades.
Gill Friedli (née Barrow), Diane Molyneux, Robert Allton and Jane Wilson (née Kenyon) are coming together to mark half a century since their two schools became one.
The celebration will be held at Huddersfield Irish Centre on October 5 from 7.30pm until midnight.
There was a reunion for the 40th anniversary and now there’s another big milestone to celebrate.
The merger was announced in 1971 and was completed in 1974 as the country moved into the secondary school model.
The headmistress of Huddersfield Girls’ High, Barbra Hamer, said in a speech: “Our name will not be preserved but I’m sure that some of our qualities will be.”
Miss Hamer’s twin brother was film director Robert Hamer, whose most notable work was the 1949 film ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ starring Alec Guinness.
Gill said she was looking forward to the reunion and hoped some ‘new’ old faces might turn up.
“I’m definitely excited,” she said. “It’s always interesting to know what paths people took in their lives and where it led them.”
From L-R: Diane Molyneux, Jane Wilson (née Kenyon), Robert Allton and Gill Friedli (née Barrow)
One of Gill’s favourite school memories sounds like a scene from the 1950s girls’ school classic St Trinian’s.
She recalled a memorable day of school photos in 1973 that turned into the hymn book riot!
Gill said: “Someone locked us in while we waited for photos to be taken. Then one person threw a hymn book at someone, and they threw it back and it ended up with them all over the place.
“A teacher had to climb through a window to unlock the door and the school went into mass detention after it happened.”
Gill remembers her schooldays fondly and said: “For me, my time at the girls’ high school and New College sixth form were some of the happiest years of my life.”
There’s food and a DJ on the night and the event is free but donations towards the cost are welcome.
Those who would like to attend can just turn up or email Gill at gillfriedli@hotmail.co.uk.
