Nostalgia: Hockey at Leyland Secondary Modern School

Leyland Wellfield Secondary Modern School hockey team in 1953
Back row: Barbara Goulding, Enid Ellison, Lucy Hilton, Wilma Ashcroft, Edna Wood, Judith Bell, teacher Mrs Marsden.
Front row: Margaret Smalley, Jennifer Williams, Jean Fisher, Olga Wood, Hilary Nixon — Leyland Wellfield Secondary Modern School hockey team in 1953 Back row: Barbara Goulding, Enid Ellison, Lucy Hilton, Wilma Ashcroft, Edna Wood, Judith Bell, teacher Mrs Marsden. Front row: Margaret Smalley, Jennifer Williams, Jean Fisher, Olga Wood, Hilary Nixon

For related stories click here https://www.lep.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgiaThe school, now called Wellfield High School, had many sports teams, including hockey.

Reader Lisa Croft shared this photograph of the school’s hockey team back in 1953.

Her aunt, Jennifer Williams, is pictured on the front, second left. As she also posted the photo on Facebook, several of the girls pictured got in touch.

Barbara Goulding with a friend, Margaret Reid

Barbara Walker (nee Goulding), who is on the back row far left, says: “I was the goalkeeper and I was terrified when the opposing team came near as I worried I would not catch the goal.

“We visited other local schools in the area to compete.

“I don’t remember playing Balshaws, but we might have done, seeing as it was very local to us.”

Barbara, a mother-of-three with six grandchildren, adds she did a course in shorthand typing whilst at school.

She recalls: “It was a good school and people left with good job prospects, rather than people opting to go to university.

“I did shorthand and typing, which led to a career in an office, while the boys got apprenticeships in various industries.

“The lower sets did things like gardening and hands-on practical work, which helped us get jobs.

“It proved a grammar school education was not the be all and end all.

“I left school at 15 and got an office job as a shorthand typist.

“My husband, Jim Walker, was a butcher so I worked with him in his shops in Leyland.”

Wilma Martland (nee Ashcroft), 79, of Leyland, back row, third from the left, was another team member.

She was thrilled to get back in touch with, Jennifer, who now lives in Los Angeles.

The mother-of-three, with eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren, says: “I absolutely loved sport and I enjoyed being part of a team.

“I also played netball. I did this more competitively all over East Lancashire.

“I enjoyed the competitive side of the sport and our teams seemed to do quite well.

“Although I enjoy playing sport for myself, when you play for a team against others, I get more of a thrill.

“I carried on with sport after school and played hockey for Leyland Paints in my teens. I play golf now.”