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

Inscription under the photo reads:
<br>"Dame Margaret Lloyd George opening the new school bridge across the Dolgellau to Barmouth road. It was built to enable pupils to get to Penycoed, the senior girls' boarding house, at a cost of £700. The Head Girl Gaynor Williams (Rhyl), presented Dame Margaret with a golden pair of scissors, and Ann Alun Pugh (later Lady Hibbert) with a bouquet."
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School Bridge Opening 1938

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school bridge

Margaret Lloyd George

1938

Penycoed

<p>We had to bring to school each term a writing case supplied with a Basildon Bond notepad and envelopes and a store of stamps for the term ahead. A period every week was set aside for writing letters home. This was supervised in the classroom usually by a prefect and was held in silence. These weekly epistles often consisted of requests for money, tuck or stamps, news about events such as walks or the occasional film (see letter in pic - 'Please don't eat the Daisies' with Doris Day & David Niven, celebrities in the 1950s & 60s)
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Another vital piece of information for parents was the list of school test results (see related item at the side).
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<p>We were warned against writing anything about being unhappy or homesick and to prevent anyone breaking this rule, all letters had to be deposited in a box near the headmistress’s study unopened. If anyone had dared to admit to being unhappy they were summoned to the Head’s study and given a good talking to.
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<p>Parents received all letters from school with the addition of " ………… is well and happy”, handwritten by the Head, even if that was far from the case.
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Weekly Letters Home

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Summer 1966 sharing a break with the launderess.

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tennis

netball courts

senior summer uniform dresses

laundry

<p>Nesta Roberts and friends enjoying the sun at Fairbourne - and not a boy in sight! How the boarders envied the local girls' freedom
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<p>l-r: Pat Wharton, Gwenda Edwards, Helen Parry, Jennifer Thomas
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Summer 1965 Fairbourne - outing

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beach

daygirls and freedom

<p>After leaving school in the summer of 1966, Nesta Roberts, a Dolgellau girl embarked on a nursing course in Birmingham and as many of us did, wrote to Miss Lickes informing her she had settled in well and was enjoying herself. DBL was always interested in what her 'gels' were doing once they had left school and she always replied. Possibly it was a dictated letter which Miss Rees (herself an OG) her secretary typed up.
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<p>It was kind of DBL to mention the established Midlands OG branch but Nesta did not follow up the suggestion of getting in touch with the branch secretary!
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1966 Letter from Miss Lickes in response to Nesta Roberts's

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leaving scool to pastures new

<p>The top half of the image shows DBL (Miss Lickes, headmistress 1947-67 and much revered; she certainly had a presence) wearing a purple dress, a favoured colour of hers and seated in a deckchair (3rd from right) According to Vera, it was a beautiful April afternoon.
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<p>The bottom half of the image shows OGs of the 30's. l-r; Kay, Ann, Gaynor, Pauline, Thelma, Morfydd (ref obituary Morfydd Rees) and Vera - read her story ('My Life at DWS by Vera Gibbon) spanning two years - 1933-35
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1987 OG REUNION IN BLACKBURN

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1938 group picture

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Gladys Dutton

Two girls wearing their everyday uniform.
<br>This image is from Gillian Spencer's collection. Gillian went as a boarder to DWS aged 8 in 1929.
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Two girls wearing school gymslips and black stockings 1930s

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1930s

uniform

<p>A group of guides in front of the school bridge with colours
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Girl Guides in front of the School Bridge in the 1940s

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guides

school bridge

1940s

<p>Last day at school and off to pasture new. Hats thrown out of the train into Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid)
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<p>L-R back row - Gwyneth Powell, Dilys James, Shirley Rushton, Joan Bankier
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<p>L-R front row - Gwenda Roberts, Nesta Lloyd, Jeanette James, Anne Lloyd Davies
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This image is from Anne Lloyd Davies's collection
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Packing Day - End of Summer term, 1949

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View of the school soon after opening in 1878

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1878

school opening

school view

<p>Miss Jackson guided us through our applications to universities.
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<p>Left to right - Dilys Jones, Margaret Griffiths, Joan Bankier, Pam Jenkin, Mary Hewitt, Pam Thom, Anne Lloyd Davies
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Upper V1 A with Miss Jackson by the school bridge 1949-50

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Dr Williams’ School
Dolgellau
1878 - 1975

Explore The Themes

Gallery - displays in order of publication

School Bridge Opening 1938

Weekly Letters Home

Summer 1966 sharing a break with the launderess.

Summer 1965 Fairbourne - outing

1966 Letter from Miss Lickes in response to Nesta Roberts's

1987 OG REUNION IN BLACKBURN

1938 group picture

Two girls wearing school gymslips and black stockings 1930s

Girl Guides in front of the School Bridge in the 1940s

Packing Day - End of Summer term, 1949

View of the school soon after opening in 1878

Upper V1 A with Miss Jackson by the school bridge 1949-50