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Mr. Frank Tiarks, who often sent presents to the children for their Christmas parties, died in 1952. His nurse and companion Miss Noreen 0'Connor kept up the tradition and took cakes to the school for an impromptu party. She gave the children a 'picture handkerchief' each and the following year each child received a pack of crayons. The usual Christmas parties were still held.
On the day of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, all the schoolchildren went to the Loxton Hostel, (for Land Girls) to watch the ceremony on television, in black and white. While they were there each child was given a bar of chocolate. In the afternoon they took part in the village celebrations held on Stroud Field in Loxton. The Marquee was decorated by the schoolchildren with flags and patriotic decorations, which they had made themselves. The proceedings started with the National Anthem 'God Save the Queen'. The children then had their own Fancy Dress Parade and sports. After a short service conducted by Reverend Canon Christelow, the children received Souvenir Mugs presented by Mrs. S. Christelow. The free tea in the Marquee was followed by a Fancy Dress Parade for all the village residents. The Adult sports were next, after which there was dancing at Bow Farm. The evening concluded at 10.00 p.m. with a bonfire on Greens End.
The Loxton and District Coronation Committee reserved a sum of money so that the children could visit the Odeon Cinema, Weston super Mare to see the colour film of the Coronation 'A Queen is Crowned'. The children were taken in two cars during school hours. The trip was regarded as a school visit and the registers were marked.
In 1954, the children again went to the cinema to see a film of the Royal tour of Australia, which was regarded as an educational film. A collection was made to raise funds and 18 children were taken in four cars to the Odeon Cinema. Afterwards they were treated to ice cream at Forté's Ice Cream Parlour.
In November H.M. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, returned from an American Tour and the children were taken to the School House to watch her televised arrival at Waterloo station, London, where she was met by H.M. the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Because the television broadcast was from 12-15 to 12-35 p.m. the school dinner hour was changed and the dinners were not served until 12-45 p.m. When Princess Margaret made an official tour of the Caribbean in the following year, the children watched her arrival and departure at London Airport on television.
The Reverend Canon Christelow must have mellowed because, in July 1955 the school closed for a day when the children, their mothers and friends totalling 45 persons, visited Bristol Zoo. The children still had their official school lunch provided for them from the school kitchen service at Burnham, which they ate in the 'Clock Tea Rooms at the zoo. The Reverend Christelow actually collected the meals and transported them to Bristol. At 4-15 p.m. the group left for the 'Glen' to have tea and to play in the paddling pool and on the amusements. They left Bristol at 6-45 p.m. to return to Loxton.
The end of 1955 was tinged with sadness as Mr. Herman Tiarks of Webbington House died on the 20th December. He paid for the annual visits to the pantomime and for the entertainers at the Christmas parties. His dying wish was that the children should still have their party and go to the pantomime. There were 70 people present at the Christmas party at the end of December and 32 children were taken to the Knightstone Theatre to see 'Babes in the Wood' and have tea at the Melrose Cafe, Weston super Mare. There were 9 other children living in the village who attended private schools, in order that they should not feel left out they were taken on a separate outing to the pantomime and to the Melrose cafe.
![[Children leaving on the last day of the Old School in 1963]](images/schoollastday.jpg) For the next seven years the tradition of a Christmas Party and visits to the pantomime carried on. After the death of Herman Tiarks, Webbington House was renamed The Webbington and became a country club, but the owners still invited the children of the school to hold their parties there. The younger school children had their parties at the Village Hall and the older children of the village aged from 10 to 15 years held their parties from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. at The Webbington.
School plays were also performed at Church fetes. In 1958 the rehearsal of the play 'The Rainbow Fairies' was filmed in colour.
The last party to be given at the school was a 'Closing Down' party. Those present included the Rector as Manager of the School, parents and friends. A presentation was made to Mrs. Hack on their behalf. The photo alongside, shows the children leaving the Old School for the last time in July 1963.
Top to bottom: Mrs Hack, Jennifer Gillard(lhs), Colin Burrell(rhs);
Joy Godfrey(lhs), Roger Cottle(middle), Veronica Godfrey(rhs);
Peter Griffiths(lhs), Cheryl Stanton, Leslie Roper, Angela Haskins(rhs);
Christopher Johnson;
David Butcher.
A few group photographs of school pupils can be found in the picture gallery section.
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