The Archive

Archivists Note - 24/03/2011 

I am pleased to receive inquiries about past pupils and masters of Wallasey G.S. However, There is a cost involved in finding accurate information, photocopying, stationery and postage. It is reasonable to expect a donation of at least £10 to cover such expenses. Most of the biographies that I have completed to date range from between 100 and 200 hundred pages. If you require a biography of a former pupil, it is provided in a lever arch file with all the information in punched pocket holders. For this level of research, it is appropriate to offer a donation of £20.

After expenses have been paid all surplus monies go towards providing materials for the storage of the archive.

Colin Bruce (Archivist)

I have begun to sort the information and classified it into three categories. The largest section is that which refers to Wallasey G. S. The other two sections contain information about the Club and finally the Old Wallaseyans’ Football Club.

My main concern, at least initially, is to organise the School archive. There is a full record of admissions from 1876 to 1968, the last year of selective admissions. The School moved to Withens Lane in 1876, having occupied a building in St. George’s Road before this date. A full set of school magazines has been compiled with significant numbers of duplicate copies of most of them. Class lists exist from 1903 until 1940, when they were discontinued. Copies of the programmes for speech days date back to 1905 but there are gaps for some years.

The main sports, that is, Rugby, Cricket, Athletics and Rowing have their own discreet sections. The section on rowing is the least comprehensive compared with the others

 From 1940 until 1968, we possess a complete list of every rugby match played with details of players, scorers and opponents. Rugby, cricket and Athletics contain a large number of photographs. Unfortunately those taken before World War II have no names to identify individuals.

There are other sections about plays, the buildings, the masters, class photographs, (mostly taken in the early 1920’s), prefects, music and miscellaneous items.

On request, I have produced a number of personal biographies, mostly for the group organised by Don Mudd. The criterion for membership of this august body is that individuals must have attended Wallasey G. S. for at least one year in the 1940’s. At present I am compiling a school biography for a lady who wants information about her late father who was born in 1912 and joined the School at the age of eight in 1920. He left in 1929 and had the distinction of playing in goal when the School won the soccer shield for local grammar schools in 1928. The final was played at Goodison Park and I have found a photograph of some of the players leaving the pitch at the end of the game. The upper stand in Bullens Road is clearly visible in the background. When complete, it will comprise about one hundred and fifty pages.

If you have any information which may help to augment the archive please let me know. Please contact me before you send anything so that I may ascertain whether or not we have a copy already. Any item that you wish to have returned will be copied.

Colin Bruce

Email: cbrucewarren@tiscali.co.uk       

(I am on holiday quite frequently so you may have to wait for a reply.)