CHSG Centenary
On the 22 September 1909, Chichester High School For Girls opened with 20 girls (ages ranging from nine to sixteen), a staff of 4 (Miss Lane, Miss Glancey, Miss Miles and Miss Richards) and 2 visiting masters (Mr Catt for drawing and Mr Crowe for singing) with whom the girls had to be chaperoned. Initially some dubbed the school "Chichester's White Elephant", but it did not take long for interest in its progress to increase.
The school has grown dramatically since that first day and many pupils have since passed through Stockbridge and Kingsham sites. For a group of year 10 pupils the past has been brought to life by the visits of 5 past pupils who have shared their memories and contributed to the school archives, which the girls helped to catalogue with the aid of West Sussex Public Record Office and the school History Department.
Our oldest visitor was Mrs Connie Gunnar nee Ward. She attended Chichester High School for Girls 1921-24 and showed that at 100 years old her memory of teachers, lessons and discipline was still fresh. Post World War One, for many girls was a time of opportunity and Connie like so many went into the work place straight after school. The uniform included green tunics with white sashes and black velour hats for the winter and white panama hats for the summer. The numbers had now reached over 200. Miss Burgess, Miss Barton and finally Miss Matson followed in quick succession as headmistress in the 1920s.
In February, 2 past pupils from the 1940s visited. Anne Marsh and Josephine Blundell were both evacuated to Chichester during the Second World War. Anne came from Streatham for a term in 1942 and Josephine came from Portsmouth after her school was bombed and attended Chichester Girls from 1944-49. They remembered the school being closed after Tangmere was bombed and air raid practice was common. Rationing meant that school blazer varied in its shade of green from sage to khaki.
Molly Bowers spoke to the girls during Challenge Week of her time as a pupil in the 1950s. She still had her letter awarding her a place at Chichester girls, school badge and many items from her time as a pupil. She provided a tremendous link with her knowledge of staff and pupils alike over many years as she returned as a teacher and spoke of the joining of Lancastrian Girls with Chichester girls in the 1970s. We in turn showed her a film of the school in 1959 celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.
Our final visitor was Hannah Pleasance nee Williams. She attended Chichester girls in 1984-89. Mrs Parkin was headmistress, GCSEs were first introduced but the school as it is today was very recognisable with the exception of the green uniform.
All the conversations have been put together by the media department and the pupils will be able to enjoy them on screens around the school. The new school website will have a section for past pupils and staff who wish to get in touch, recall their memories, share their photos or reorganise reunions. They may even wish to celebrate the school centenary in their own particular way. The hope is that they will enjoy the walk down memory lane as much as our year 10 pupils, Rosie Lowther, Sophie Fildes, Tori Trent, Fiona Callingham and Rebecca Bateman.