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<p>Anne Boak and Ann Richards at Fairbourne beach on a weekend outing.
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Outing to Fairbourne

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<p>Group standing in front of Tremhyfred, the staff house - Ann Taylor, Ann Richards and Nesta Wynne Jones. Ann Richards Is holding Jack - a jackdaw who she raised from a real baby when he was found having fallen out of the nest. Eventually he flew free.
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Rescuing a jackdaw

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1960s jackdaw nature Tremhyfred

<p>The annual guide camp was led by Miss Salway, the guide captain, assisted by Miss Beryl Rees, the school secretary. In Upper IIIrds (age 11) I was delighted to be able to join this trip, to be held in the summer holidays in Belfast.
As I was holidaying in Pembroke my parents put me on the train at Carmarthen to face a long journey up to Liverpool where we all met up with Miss Salway.
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<p>We caught the night ferry to Belfast snatching some sleep on deck on wooden deckchairs, and even though quite tired, we were full of excitement when the ferry came in to port.
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<p>I can remember going through Belfast on the coach noticing the cobbled streets and a policeman on points duty waving to us. We were thrilled to hear that our camp was based in a village called Holywood, which sounded very glamorous. The campsite was beautifully situated, the tents were large bell tents which presented no problems to us, being used to sleeping in dormitories. Cooking was hard work but it was great fun singing round the campfire in the evenings.
This is a collage of images of a guide camp in Belfast in the 1950s taken from an album which is held by Dolgellau.com.

Guide Camp in Belfast 1950s

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guides Belfast guide camp school trips Miss Salway 1950s

<p>Starting with the headmistress Miss Florence Anstey, the Census goes on to list seven Assistant Mistresses and one Housemistress who were all resident on the 2 April 1911. The Census lists 12 boarders on this page.
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<p>Of particular interest is Dorothy May Davies, aged 16, born in Liverpool. This is the legendary 'Do' who went on to teach at the school from 1919 to 1961.On other pages the Census records pupils born in Bombay, Madras and Shanghai.While most pupils were born in Wales many, like the mistresses here, were English. The final page (of four), includes the names of the domestic staff resident at the school and is also published on our site - see link.
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<p>Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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First page of DWS Census Return 1911

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1911 Census Miss Anstey 'Do' Davies housemistress teacher

<p>The school opened on 8th February 1878 with Miss Emily Armstrong as the first headmistress. There were 19 boarders in the first term. Eluned Morgan (writer) and Margaret Owen (later to become Margaret LLoyd George) were pupils while Miss Armstrong was in charge.
This photograph shows staff and pupils.
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A school group photograph taken between 1878 and 1886

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Emily Armstrong headmistress group photograph 1880s

<p>This photograph was shared with Hilary's family after a family member requested information about her via this website. The family knew very little about Hilary Stelfox, other than that she had died in Dolgellau aged 17 and they thought she had been a pupil at Dr Williams' School. After a spot of 'Old Girl' networking and checking school records, Alex Wotherspoon, an old friend of Hilary's remembered she had this photograph. It shows Hilary smiling while leaning on her friend Moira. The other friends in the foreground are Jackie and Sue. Today Jackie lives in Australia, Moira in Canada and Sue in the USA.
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<p>To read the family story about their aunt, Hilary Joan Stelfox, click on Associated Upload
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Hilary Stelfox with her friends by the tennis courts 1953-4

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1950s epidemic sport friends

Hilary Joan Stelfox 1950s

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Hilary Joan Stelfont epidemic sport

<p>The car stopped briefly at the school gate. Nans Williams held out the visitors book for the Prince to sign. Pupils lined the main road and the Headmistress (Miss Anstey), the Governors and staff were presented to him.
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The Prince of Wales visits the school in 1923

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Prince of Wales Miss Anstey Royal visit 1923

<p>One of the ways Ms. Nightingale spoiled me (Gladys) was by allowing me to have a dog. The dog gave me company when she had no place to go during breaks. My parents gave authority for me to spend holiday with any girl's family where I would be welcomed. The school always knew where I would be. Of course, I had to go somewhere given my parents were in the Yucatan in Mexico. Miss Nightingale was basically my guardian in that she assured my parents that I would be taken care of, having given them her personal assurance. She was one of the most wonderful ladies I had ever known. My dog lived a wonderful life in the kitchen eating extremely well! Miss Nightingale would often have me and my dog to her cabin on holidays. The cabin was located by Snowdon just before going up the mountain.
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Gladys Dutton and her much loved dog

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1930's Gladys Dutton Dog

<p>This photograph shows groups of girls sitting and standing in the grounds adjacent to a part of the building then used as a hall. In later years this was to become a gymnasium. The new school hall and library extension would not be added until 1939. For now a tennis net is set up on the patch of grass that would one day be occupied by Miss Nightingale's splendid oak panelled hall and library.
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Girls pose outside the school,1903 prospectus photograph

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Prospectus 1903 tennis hall gymnasium

<p>This picture of the 'new dormitory' shows iron bedsteads draped in light counterpanes. They clearly did not have to make their beds with 'hospital corners' as we had to in later years! The girls also had a degree of privacy not afforded to later students. Each bed had its own curtain rail. The floorboards are covered (just along the walkways) with carpet. Wash bowls can be seen on each chest of drawers. There are photographs on the mantelpiece. It isn't obvious how the dormitory was lit at night. Perhaps the girls had nightlights. The room at the end of the dormitory may have been occupied by a senior girl or a teacher.
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'New Dormitory', 1903 prospectus photograph

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dormitory prospectus 1903 lights out

<p>The centrefold of the 1903 prospectus shows 15 girls dotted around a field playing hockey. The girls are all wearing hats,long sleeved blouses and long skirts.
Cattle can be seen in the picture too. Presumably the livestock were separated by a fence from the players.
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The hockey field with players, 1903 prospectus photograph

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hockey 1903 prospectus games

Dr Williams’ School
Dolgellau
1878 - 1975

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Outing to Fairbourne

Rescuing a jackdaw

Guide Camp in Belfast 1950s

First page of DWS Census Return 1911

A school group photograph taken between 1878 and 1886

Hilary Stelfox with her friends by the tennis courts 1953-4

Hilary Joan Stelfox 1950s

The Prince of Wales visits the school in 1923

Gladys Dutton and her much loved dog

Girls pose outside the school,1903 prospectus photograph

'New Dormitory', 1903 prospectus photograph

The hockey field with players, 1903 prospectus photograph