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
Anne started school at the age of
5 years and attended the
Her secondary school was the
At that time, St Mary’s was an
all female College. In fact, there were no mixed Colleges at all in
During the first few weeks at
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
In 1960, they bought a house in Gillpark Grove, Seaton Carew.
In 1965, Graham gained a
lectureship at the
Anne continued teaching at the
High School in
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
Simon went to Van Mildert College,
Christopher’s
wedding.
Graham, Simon, Anne, Adam,
Christopher
Adam went to the
When Simon went to
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,
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 2nd 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