Dipping into memories of girls' school swimming team
Fuzzy and faded though this old newspaper cutting may be, it will be the stuff of memories for girls from a Shropshire school who will probably be turning 75 this year and are having a get-together.
Pat Hayward, secretary of Wellington High School Old Girls' Association, emailed this in, asking: "Who remembers these remarkable swimmers?
"The photo was taken in 1958 when this wonderful bunch achieved great success, representing Wellington High School and the three counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire. These ladies will probably be turning 75 this year.
"Come along to the get together of Wellington High School Old Girls' Association on May 17 at 7.30pm at Wellington Methodist Church (rear entrance) when lots of fellow pupils at the High School will be meeting for a chat and catch up."
The story which accompanied the picture all those years ago read: "A relay swimming team selected from five Wellington High School girls will represent Shropshire against Hereford on July 23 at Leominster.
"They will compete in a divisional final for the Barker Memorial Trophy, which will be competed for in London in October. The best times from all divisions will be recorded and the fastest teams will be invited to take part in the national final.
"The five girls are Margaret Bone, Lynn Harris, Hilary Lamb, Margaret Pillar and Marie Rainey, and four of them defeated a selected boys' side in an exhibition time trial at Oswestry on Saturday."
Pat, who started at the school as the young Miss Pat Lewis in 1968, said: "The association has been running since 1939. We meet twice yearly. We used to meet at New College, Wellington – the old High school – but since its closure we are meeting at Wellington Methodist Church.
"Anyone who has been a pupil or teacher at the High School is welcome, no matter what age. The school came into existence in 1908 but was housed in King Street from 1912."
