Gallery - displays in order of publication - Dr Williams School Dolgellau Wales

<p>A mundane account of a school day juxtaposed with newspaper reports of Winston Churchill 'losing ground'.
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<p>'I had a parcel containing my overall today and my first letter of term which did not contain any spectacular news. Churchill has not died as yet but the headlines in the paper said 'Churchill Loses Ground'.Poor old Churchill he is 90 and has lived to a ripe old age but somehow it always shocks me to hear of the death or illness of someone famous. I don't know what we would have done without him in the last war. He is a brilliant tactician, God help him. It started to sleet today but it has not stuck because it has been raining. I revised history tonight.'
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'Churchill Loses Ground' - teenage diary January 18th 1965

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Winston Churchill

diary

history

<p>Meinir Williams won this Chair in 1945 for a poem about daffodils
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Dr Williams' Eisteddfod Chair

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Eisteddfod

poetry

1945

<p>Strictly not uniform, pupils sported these knickers in defiance of school rules & Daniel Neal regulations, Made of bri-nylon, very modish in the 60s! See the related story at the side of humiliations wearing these knickers.
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Long John Knickers

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knickers

school uniform

<p>Photo of 6 ex headmistresses taken at the 1928 Jubilee
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Back row left to right: Miss Anstey, Miss Nightingale.
Front row left to right: Miss Fewings, Miss Armstrong, Miss Thompson, Miss Thomas

Six ex headmistresses

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headmistresses

teachers

School Jubilee 1928

Eisteddfod chairs awarded as prizes, one dated 1949 and a school plaque with the original 'Honour Before Honours' motto. The school held its own Eisteddfod. The chairs were owned by Mary Catherine Williams a pupil from 1944 to 1951.

Eisteddfod chairs 1949

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Eisteddfod

<p>Three napkins complete with name tapes and original napkin ring holder. Used at all mealtimes and keeping at bay at least some of the schoolgirl 'grot' that inevitably accumulated on skirts and gymslips.
I can't recall gymslips or skirts being included in the weekly items sent to the laundry in Dolgellau.
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napkin and napkin ring 1960s

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mealtimes

name tapes

Winter 1969 - Pencoed
<br>A walk in the snow with the girls in the fields above Pen.
From left to right: Mary Davies, Julia Rickards, Janice Peters, Janet Yates, Menna Lloyd Williams (teacher), Lynne Morris, Lesley McMullen, Jane Davies.
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A Walk in the Snow 1969

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<p>Worn to church and chapel primarily, the grey hat shown was worn with a matching grey summer coat. Must have cost our parents a small fortune getting everything on the uniform list entailing, as it did, a trip to the London outfitters Daniel Neal to get kitted out - no other suppliers would do. I seem to remember representatives of Daniel Neal's may also have come to Dolgellau once a year.
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Summer uniform grey hat 1960s

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School hat

uniform

summer

Girl Guides in 1971

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Guides

Summer 1969 - Iscoed garden
<br>From left to right: Eleri Edwards (French), Julia Redd (Latin), Menna Lloyd Williams (Welsh and Scripture), Sylvia Robinson (English), Jennifer Carrington (Art).
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Five DWS teachers in Iscoed Garden 1969

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<p>The girls are wearing full length or calf length skirts and long sleeved blouses. With hats as well, this doesn't look like the most practical of sportswear and not a shin pad in sight! Perhaps the games mistress is the one wearing the coat? Can anyone see any sign of the ball or a goal keeper? The picture was taken between the main school building and Tremhyfryd.
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Hockey practice early 20th century. Find the ball!

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hockey

1900s

costume

<p>So where exactly did you throw your hat when you left DWS? We posted this question on social media'. I'm not sure how long the tradition had been in place and the closure of the railway line meant that the river (rather than Bala Lake) became the final resting place for our best hats. 'Old Girls' responded thus:
'All hats went in the river',
'My green Sunday hat was lobbed ceremoniously into the river on the way back from the last chapel of term from the bridge',
'In the river of course'
'Grey hat in Bala Lake from the steam train!',
'In the river - green hat',
'My grey hat was spun from the centre of the bridge into the river Wnion on the last day of term'
'My grey hat was thrown ceremoniously from the Lady Bridge on the last walk back from church.I wonder where all the hats ended up?'
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The fate of your school hat on leaving?

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Throwing away your hat

train

river Wnion

Bala lake

Dr Williams’ School
Dolgellau
1878 - 1975

Explore The Themes

Gallery - displays in order of publication

'Churchill Loses Ground' - teenage diary January 18th 1965

Dr Williams' Eisteddfod Chair

Long John Knickers

Six ex headmistresses

Eisteddfod chairs 1949

napkin and napkin ring 1960s

A Walk in the Snow 1969

Summer uniform grey hat 1960s

Girl Guides in 1971

Five DWS teachers in Iscoed Garden 1969

Hockey practice early 20th century. Find the ball!

The fate of your school hat on leaving?