Heather Watkinson

Heather Watkinson (née Carlin)

Art 1949-50

Firm FriendshipsOn 25th September 1949, I was amongst the first intake into the newly- established Bretton Hall Training College. I was looking forward eagerly to seeing the Hall and meeting my fellow students and the staff.

My journey by bus from Sheffield has always remained in my memory. I became aware of the contrast between some of the mining areas and the grandeur of the Bretton estate with its imposing buildings – not least the Camellia house.

This feeling of awe was quickly dispelled by the warmth of Mr. Friend’s greeting, and he was to prove a friend indeed to all the students, who were equally welcoming. This mixed group reflected the immediate post-war intake, in that some of the students were ex-servicemen.I was committed to attend the college for only one year because of my qualifications from the Sheffield College of Art, but others, in some cases straight from school, were enrolled in two-year courses, irrespective of whether they were studying Art, Music or Drama.

Miss Robertson, senior tutor, was to prove a particular friend, not least in encouraging my interest at that time in sculpture, and I was fortunate to spend additional time at the local art college.The year passed all too quickly, but firm friendships were formed, some of which persist to this day.A notable event was our production of Hansel and Gretel, for which we made all the puppets.My experiences at Bretton Hall were to prove invaluable in my subsequent teaching career and in encouraging a broad interest in all aspects of art.

Principals

Lecturers

Foundation Tutors

Leslie Burtenshaw

Leslie Burtenshaw – images

On 25th September, 1949, Leslie Burtenshaw was one of the first group of 56 students to be admitted to Bretton Hall to train to become a teacher; his main subject was Music.

Born in 1928, Leslie was too young to join the armed forces during World War ll. After the war, his National Service was deferred as he opted to work in one of the essential industries, serving his country by working as a coal miner for two years.

Leslie Burtenshaw’s collection of photographs contains images of Bretton during the early years from 1949 to 1951.

Click on images for enlargements

Heather Carlin

In 1949 the Department of Education and Science determined that, in the first year, the governors of Bretton Hall should recruit about 60 students to study either Art or Music.

Four courses would be available: two of one year's length for older musicians or artists, and two of two years' duration, generally for school leavers.

Due to her earlier course of study and subsequent qualification from the Sheffield College of Art, Heather Carlin was accepted for a one-year course at Bretton Hall.

To read Heather's Reminiscence, click on the link below

Heather Watkinson Reminiscence

Fred Sumner

A teenager during the Second World War, Fred Sumner was conscripted for National Service in 1946, and served in the Royal Signals, stationed in Edinburgh. Subsequently, he was one of the students in the group of fifty-six who were the first batch to be admitted to Bretton Hall on 25^th September, 1949.

In 1999, some of the ‘49ers’ organised a reunion at Bretton, and invited Lady Clegg to join the group. By this time, many of the original fifty-six students had died, and only 23 alumni were able to attend.

Fred had vivid recollections of his experiences as a student, and – in anticipation of the 50th anniversary reunion – he produced a booklet, describing the early days at Bretton Hall, and issued a copy to each attendee.

Fred’s attached so-called ‘Reminiscence’ is a selection of the writings in his 1999 reunion booklet, which is a poignant and evocative reminder of the days of the first group of students and tutors at Bretton Hall from 1949 to 1951.

Fred Sumner died on June 4th, 2015 at the age of 87 years

Dorothy Morris

Dorothy Morris (nee Cropper)

1949-51 Music

” … We were a small intake in 1949 of fifty-six – a motley group, school leavers , National Service men , mature students, recent graduates, all teacher-training applicants, but we jelled as a family. …”

A Motley Group

Dorothy Cropper – 1951

When I became a student at Bretton Hall, I was an eighteen years old girl, fresh from Grammar School. The experience changed my life.

The 1949 intake comprised fifty-six students. We were a motley group: school leavers, National Service men, mature students, recent graduates, all teacher-training applicants, but we jelled as a family. We were all housed in the Mansion, which was a hive of activity, with work still in progress. Hans Feibusch, the celebrated muralist and sculptor, spent some time restoring the mural on the main staircase.

His work necessitated scaffolding, which we had to negotiate daily. Health and Safety would have a fit now. Hans Feibusch 1949 was still a time of rationing so we all brought our ration books. I remember being always hungry! It was cold, especially the Stable Block where we did our teaching practice preparation. I remember chopping off the corner of my college scarf on the guillotine one winter’s day – I was so muffled up against the cold.

I shared a purposely-furnished dormitory with five other girls. We all became lasting friends, and I am still in contact with the remaining ones. I was one of the four who studied Music; the main study of the other two was Art.

Our room, which was called Bentley Springs, had furniture designed to give each girl privacy, but with easy access to each other’s cubicle. My window looked onto the parkland behind the Mansion, and was a glorious view.
Some of the students were amazing musicians, particularly among the mature students. We thoroughly enjoyed the spontaneous concerts – you name it and they could play it !

There were visiting piano and singing tutors. We had to sign up for a practice room, hidden somewhere in the Mansion.
Mr. Roberts, one of the Music tutors, encouraged the student orchestra and with we singers and Miss Bird, we covered a wide repertoire in our two years of study, including Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music for 16 singers and orchestra, singers having to double up, and Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, which was supplemented by Art students who could sing.
A group of us went to Leeds to both see and hear Vaughan Williams’ Pilgrims Progress, the composer himself being there for a first performance, which was thrilling.

Bretton also hosted important visiting speakers: Sir Gordon Russell and Bernard Shore, to name but two.
The Dolmetsch family also came and gave a recital.

In the second year we performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream there too, well bitten by evening midges! We had a lot of fun making our headdresses and wore the blue dance tunics supplied for Movement classes with Miss Dunn.

I have lovely memories of singing Stanford’s Blue Bird with the Madrigal Group, directed by Miss Bird, around the pond in the top garden – a rehearsal for the first Open Day. One weekend, I was in the Bow Room, which then acted as a library, when we spotted Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, striding across the park towards the Mansion. The Principal – Mr. Friend – was quickly alerted to welcome him . A surprise visitor, indeed!

It was only when I started teaching that I fully appreciated Bretton’s innovative approach to Education, and I am so happy to have had that experience.
2015