[22 SEP 00] LOOKING FOR PATRICIA MAXWELL

I left Coventry in 1988 and now live in west Wales.

I'm looking for an old friend, Patricia Maxwell, last known address was in 1962, at Tile Hill Lane - she lived opposite a school.

Patricia attended Bishop Ullathorne Girls School. She left in 1961/62 and went to work at Owen and Owen's.

Merv Williams  < mervyn.williams@ntlworld.com >

[20 SEP 00] LOOKING FOR PATRICIA CROMSHAW

I was hoping that there would be someway I could get your assistance in helping me to locate someone.

My father died last October and with him went the largest secret ever. Apparently during the war he fathered a child named Patricia Cromshaw. My Dad was stationed in Aldershot with the Canadian Army and the woman he was with there (Ilene Cromshaw) lived somewhere in the area.

Patricia would be around 54 maybe and for some strange feeling I believe her to be in the Coventry area. I realise that this request is probably above and beyond and I know it's a shot in the dark. But is there anyway I might be able to find her?

I feel badly asking a stranger but I would give my eye teeth to know this person. It would be so wonderful to find a sister after fifty some odd years.

Yours Sincerely

Bonnie Rumballe  < bonnier@sprint.ca >

[20 SEP 00] FINHAM / TILE HILL WOOD

I went to Finham Primary School in Coventry and then on to Tile Hill Wood Secondary School (1964-70).

I left Coventry in 1973 and now live in Newcastle upon Tyne.

I would like to contact Sue Davis, Maggie, Val or any other girls from my years at school who might remember me.

Kathleen Bentley  < renwick@zoom.co.uk >

[20 SEP 00] SPON GATE REUNION

We both went to Spon Gate school, Coventry in the 1940's.

We're having a reunion at The Nugget, Coundon Green, Coventry at 7.30pm this evening.

Do come along if you went to Spon Gate.

We haven't got email but you can contact us by phone.

Beryl Pratt & Phyllis Tweed  < 024 7633 3960 >

[17 SEP 00] LOOKING FOR DAVID TIMSON

I went to Queens Road primary school in Nuneaton (1970-74) and then on to Manor Park secondary school also in Nuneaton (1978-82).

Does anyone remember me or David Timson?

Roy Grimes  < roy.grimes@ntlworld.com >

[17 SEP 00] LOOKING FOR SUSAN STRETTON

I went to Hartshill Infants School (1947-49), then on to Hartshill Juniors and then Hartshill High School.

Two old childhood friends - myself and Rachel Weber (née Duncan) - are looking for Susan Stretton of Arlon Avenue, Nuneaton. She went to Hartshill School. She then moved to Ramsgate about 1950.

I still live locally in St Patricks Road, Coventry.

Pauline Walker [née Picken]

[17 SEP 00] LYNG HALL

I went to Lyng Hall school from 1964-71. I remember Jacqueline Beddows and Tessa Parkin.

Anyone know their whereabouts now?

I would love to hear from anyone that remembers me.

Lynne Seymour [née Mitchell]  < lynne.seymour@fwag.org.uk >

[14 SEP 00] COOPER / WESTWOOD / SPENCER / ANDERTON

Hi my name is Lesley Thornton [née Cooper], I went to Moseley Avenue Junior School from 1964-1970.

In 1970 when I was 10 years old my family emigrated to New Zealand. We travelled by sea on board the Shaw Savill Line MV Akaroa, which caught fire on the way but we got here okay.

I now live in Auckland, New Zealand. I am married with two children.

I am visiting Coventry from 24 September to 15 October 2000 and am hoping to track down some relatives for my family history research.

I would like to make contact with a Paul Westwood, who used to own a newspaper shop on the Foleshill Road near Harnall Lane (60's/70's). Also a Tony Spencer who used to live in Lavender Avenue, Coundon.

So far I have traced my COOPER family back to Monks Kirby (1792), my WESTWOOD family back to Coventry (1891), my ANDERTON family back to Great Packington (1807ish) and the SPENCER family back to Coventry (1842).

I have some birth and marriage certificates to get when I come over and will then be able to progress a bit further back.

My great grandfather Paul Enoch WESTWOOD was a Master Baker (shop at 58 Castle Street, Coventry) and a Freeman of the City.

I hope to do more research into those areas. He was born in 1871. A family story is that he used to ride a penny farthing from Tipton to Coventry to visit my great grandmother Martha Ann SPENCER. He died in 1951.

I would also like to find out who my grandfather's brothers and sisters were, so any descendants of John COOPER and Harriett (née CLARKE), would you please step forward!

They married 1888 in Coventry, their first daughter Ada was born in Mancetter in 1889, their first son (my grandfather) John was born in Wolvey in 1891.

After that I am not sure of their movements except that they did move to Coventry for a while and there may be other sons called George, William and Charles. After the mother Harriett died, the father John remarried a Mrs Wells. The family lived for a while at the back of the Post Office on Engleton Road before moving away.

My grandfather left home when young and went to live with the family of a friend - Richard Bissell. (I am in contact with a member of the Bissell family already.)

Do these names sound familiar to anyone?

Thanks

Lesley Thornton  < gl.thornton@xtra.co.nz >

[14 SEP 00] MOSELEY AVENUE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Hi my name is Lesley Thornton [née Cooper], I went to Moseley Avenue Junior School from 1964-1970.

I have many memories of my schooldays including teachers Pearson, Rushworth, Barnett and Webb.

My class put on a show to say goodbye to me when I left school in April 1970.

I remember the toilets in the toilet block freezing over in winter and having to line up in two queues to use the staff room toilets.

Other memories include:

• Snowball fights in winter hiding behind giant snowballs.
• Water in the radiators freezing and being sent home because there was no heat.
• Hymns we sang at assembly.
• Being a milk monitor and putting the holes in the lids and the straws into the bottles.
• Books such as 'Stig' and 'Professor Brainstorm' read on a Friday afternoon before home time.
• Having lots of time off school with tonsilitis.
• Swimming lessons at Livingstone Road swimming baths.
• A group of actors put on a play about the Romans in Britain.
• The wendy house in the junior class.
• Looking out from the junior class onto the playing fields.
• Playing netball on the one occasion I made the team. Needless to say it didn't happen again.
• Playing rounders.
• Going to school on a Saturday to do screen printing.
• Going to Stratford-on-Avon on a school trip and seeing Anne Hathaway's cottage (could have been Mary Arden's actually).
• Being part of a concert and one of the boys played the drums, he was really good.

The names of children that I shared a class with have become a blur, earliest on was Jane Pearson (our teacher Mrs Pearson's daughter). I remember saying I thought she was good at drawing and she said "it is a gift, everyone is good at something!" I thought that was very reassuring.

In later years Bruno Dilli, Keith Finch, Tony P, Jane C, Elizabeth, Mary, Susan Parker, Geraldine, Julie Barnett, Susan Bullock (these last two girls lived across the road from me in Sussex Road).

My grandfather was one of the lollipop men on the road crossing down at the Holyhead Road / Four Pounds Avenue intersection. His name was John Cooper. We lived at 50 Sussex Road, Coundon before we left for NZ.

I remember my brother and I used to go home for lunch (dinner) and getting a lift back to school on dad's bike. I think we went to the canteen for our lunch only once or twice.

No doubt I will remember more in time but this will do for a start.

Lesley Thornton  < gl.thornton@xtra.co.nz >

[09 SEP 00] FREDDIES REUNION?

I attended Frederick Bird Primary School (1956-63) after which I went to Whitley Abbey.

Are there any reunions?

Regards

Rob Thacker  < Rob.Thacker@btinternet.com >