Schools, University and Family

Anne tending her dolls 1938

Anne had two brothers. The elder brother was Alan Baldwin and the younger brother was Denis Baldwin. Alan Baldwin became an Electrical Engineer and still lives in the UK . Denis Baldwin became a draughtsman and went to work for the Algoma Iron and Steel Company in Canada where he now lives.

Anne started school at the age of 5 years and attended the Norton Board School in Norton on Tees until she was 11 years old.

Her secondary school was the Grangefield Grammar School for Girls in Stockton on Tees from which she won a County Scholarship in 1954 to read for an Honours Degree in English at St Mary’s College, University of Durham .

At that time, St Mary’s was an all female College. In fact, there were no mixed Colleges at all in Durham .

During the first few weeks at Durham, she met Graham Greatrix who was a first year student reading Physics and Mathematics at St Chad’s College - a theological college specialising in the training of ordinands for the Church of England. As an experiment, the College had accepted four non-ordinands and Graham Greatrix was one of those four.

From that time onwards, the two were virtually inseparable. Other people, including some University staff, referred to them, even individually, as “you two”.

Visiting hours were quite rigid at both Colleges. Having a member of the opposite sex in College outside visiting hours was almost a capital offence potentially removing you from the University. Alsatian dogs patrolled St Mary’s College at night. Nevertheless . . . .

The pair graduated in 1957 and both went on for a further year to read for a post graduate diploma in education.

In Scotland with Hillman GOK 800 (1959)

Wedding day 23rd August 1958

In 1958, they got married and took up teaching posts in the Grammar Schools at West Hartlepool. They lived in a rented attic flat above a general grocer’s shop at 34 Mitchell Street.

In 1960, they bought a house in Gillpark Grove, Seaton Carew.

In 1965, Graham gained a lectureship at the Constantine Technical College in Middlesbrough. This College later became the University of Teesside.

Anne continued teaching at the High School in Hartlepool until 1968 when her son Christopher was born.

Anne decided that her primary role was to spend all of her time bringing up her family.

In 1970, her son Simon was born.

In 1977, her youngest son Adam was born.

Christopher went to the University of Hull and gained a B.Eng honours degree in mechanical engineering and design.

Simon went to Van Mildert College, University of Durham and gained a BSc honours degree in Mathematics. He then went to the University of Newcastle and gained a Ph.D.

Christopher’s wedding.

Graham, Simon, Anne, Adam, Christopher

Adam went to the University of Abertay Dundee and gained an honours degree in Computing. He went on to take a teaching fellowship at the University.

When Simon went to Durham, he became involved with the Durham Treasure Trap Society which caters for students and some ex-students keen on role play. Anne started making costumes for the Society and quickly became an active member herself. Her membership covered some 16 years. During that time she designed and made hundreds of role play costumes and banners, many of them intricately embroidered with gold and silver thread and embellished with jewelry.

Anne’s Wedding

Anne’s father, Thomas Baldwin

Anne’s mother, Bertha Baldwin

Anne’s brother, Alan Baldwin

Anne’s brother, Denis Baldwin

Best Man, James Thrower - later Professor of Theology,

Aberdeen University

Graham Greatrix, Husband

Anne Baldwin

Diane Bailey - College friend

Barbara Hardy - Lifetime friend

Bride’s maid.

An email from a former pupil at the Hartlepool High School for Girls:

Dear Graham,

You don’t know me, I was one of Anne’s pupils, and wrote to her for some time after I left school.

I have been looking for her for a few months, and suddenly found her name accidentally when looking for photos of the school.

Delight, of course, turned to great sadness when I linked to the website…

What a lovely tribute, and I don’t want to sadden you again, but I had wanted to rekindle the contact with her, as she was such an influence in my young life [Anne was about 10 years older than I was], and I had wondered how she fared.

I did tell her in my letters from my WRAC days, how much I admired her, and what a great teacher and person she was, but I thought you might like to know too, and that I never forgot her over the years, which is why I searched on the net for her, having lost her address years ago.

Dare I say she was also the perfect teacher?  Her English Lit. and Language lessons never left me, indeed they were two of the four subjects I got O levels in… even though I then left an unhappy home to take The Queen’s shilling! Her sewing lessons were joy, and a haven to the likes of me, who had difficulty keeping up with the big brains. I was good at it, and because of her teaching made a lot of my own clothes, even before I left school. I’m still one of the best seamstresses I know, even though I’m not physically capable these days. All thanks to “Mrs. Greatrix”. You must just have married, because ours was the first class to get to grips [as she was!] with her new name, in my 2^nd year there. She was also our form teacher that year.

I know I won’t have been the only one, and many girls will have felt the same, but she was certainly the only teacher who made such an impression on my life, even though I remember many of the others. I must have had quite an affection for her, to then, as I said, write to her after school, adult to adult, while she was pregnant with your first.

Anyway, enough already, as the yanks say. Hope you don’t think me arrogant to write to you. Didn’t want to just look and pass by, and hope you feel even more proud after reading my small contribution, about your lovely Anne.

Kindest Regards,

Frances Walker [nee Low]

October 2008

_____________________________________

TO THE NELSON TERRACE BUILDINGS

Shall I compare thee to this other place?

Thou art less lovely and less up-to-date,

Thy radiators now are left to cool

And all thy corridors are desolate.

Now in the chronicle of wasted time

We see descriptions of thy flights of stairs,

For pas à pas we daily climb,

With sequent toil, the zenith of our cares.

Poor school, the centre of a dusty town,

Thy bell has tolled and we remember not;

Time’s hand has reaped thy beauty and renown;

But in my verse thou shalt not be forgot.

If this be error, and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no school ever moved.

Anne Baldwin, UVI, Stephenson House, July 1954