A.O.S.A. 2005 ANNUAL REPORT - NEWS OF OLD SCHOLARS

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I had a recent e-mail (Jan 05) from Lola Mills in New Zealand, the daughter of EMIL CRAKE (1906-09) which helped to clarify the history of the Crake family in the years after they left Ayton…… “When I was growing up had I only two cousins on my mother’s side. My dad told us the sad part of his early life. He was called into the Headmaster’s office twice, in 1906, to be told his father had died, then three weeks later his that mother passed away. They are buried in the Quaker part of Monkwearmouth Cemetery, and we were amazed how well the headstone has survived all these years. His brothers WILLIAM (1902-04) & JOHN (1902-05) were sent to NZ, for some, unknown reason, when they completed schooling at Ayton. The other side of the world!!! Emil was sent to join them when he finished at Great Ayton. Emil put up his age and went to the fight in the First World War, at that stage he lost contact with his sister EMILY CONSTANCE (1907- briefly), (Aunty Connie) his letters were returned, she had gone to Canada to live. An aunt out there offered her a home, after she completed her schooling ….. In 1956 a gentleman working in office with Emil, was reading a book on Tahiti, and on page 40/41 there was a reference to a ‘William Crake, a great man in photography.’ I wrote to the author and discovered there was only one Crake in Tahiti, John, one of William’s sons, William had died in 1940. The author put us in touch with John who wrote to us by return mail, with great excitement, telling us his dad used to correspond with his sister in Canada, and enclosing the address!!! John and my dad wrote; Aunty Connie had moved from that house 5 years previously, but the people who bought it forwarded the letter. Weren't we all so lucky the way things turned out? Then so much news, mail back and forth. Aunty Connie married Fredrick Wyatt, they had one son Fred. It was he who had been planning to trace more of the Crake family tree, an activity sadly, cut short by his death three years ago. It was also Fred who got in touch with Dick Dennis re the Crake family in the first place. Ed. William had two sons William and John, born in Tahiti. John, killed in a tractor accident in 1921, had two sons, Jack and Harry who were born NZ, we tracked them down checking phone books, and directories, etc. They lived Auckland in North Island. So we were a big happy family, and have always kept in touch ever since.”

Sheena Bell, the daughter of WINNIE McKENZIE (SEATON 1925-30), who died in 2001, sent news last year of her aunt ANN GLANVILLE (SEATON 1926-29), who lives in Devizes, Wilts, and who, according to Sheena ‘is still enjoying remarkably good health; she is the sole survivor of the three Seaton girls and has happy memories of her time at Ayton.’ Ann’s other sister, EDITH (1925-26) was a former Association President.

MARGARET CARNEGIE (WILKINSON 1948-55) sent me a charming letter she received in August from G. E. Headen, in Mijas Costa, Andalucia, which gave her the sad news of the death of his mother DOROTHY HEADEN (SHIELD 1925-29) a week previously, at the wonderful old age of 93. He went on to say that she had many fond recollections of her time at Ayton with her sister EDITH CLAYTON (1925-28) - she had a wonderful memory right to the end. Dorothy’s son had found Margaret’s name in 1998-99 Annual Report, when she was the Association’s Secretary, and had gone to the trouble of letting her know. We are very grateful to him.

DOROTHY RUDD (LISTER 1929-34) died in November 2003; owing to an administrative hiccup, her death was not recorded in the 2004 Annual Report, which, understandably, upset her friends and her husband Gordon. I felt that we needed to atone for this omission and asked her friend DOROTHY NEWBY (DANBY 1934-39) if she could write a tribute. Dorothy contacted their joint friend ELEANOR HONE (JACKSON 1927-35) and this is what she had to say…."What I remember most about Dorothy was her kindness, cheerfulness and good humour. Life at Ayton was very spartan in those days. I recall sitting with her on the hot water pipes, trying to keep warm in the winter-there’s been a lot about boys sitting on hot water pipes in Presidential addresses! Also, when we were in the top dormitory and there was only cold water in the wash room, we used the water from our hotwater bottles! She never grumbled.

When we met again at the Reunion in 1984,after 50 years, she hadn't changed much in appearance or character - the same happy personality." Dorothy herself was able to add the following…. “Dorothy (R) was a House Captain in 1933-34; her photo is on the website with MARGARET PROUD (FURNISS 1929-34) and KATHLEEN WILSON (FALL same dates), but I don't know which House. She became a teacher. Dorothy was also a District Secretary for the Association for 20 years.”

1930s News on the Next page

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