BARNSLEY Holgate Grammar School’s Annual Speech Day held on Thursday, June 19, 1947, took place at the former Theatre Royal, Wellington Street.

Speech days were special occasions for the pupils because they were presented with certificates and prizes as a reward for all the hard work they had put in over the school year. On this occasion, the prizes were distributed by The Right Honourable Earl of Halifax who also addressed the audience. The chair was taken by the school’s chairman of governors, Canon W E Wilkinson.

An interesting photograph, loaned by former pupil Barry Jackson, shows a large number of the pupils who attended the ceremony. As they weren’t receiving prizes they were sitting in the upper balcony of the theatre, otherwise known as the ‘God’s’.

This was usually filled to capacity by theatregoers at nightly and afternoon shows who could not afford to sit in the more luxurious stalls and balcony. Former pupil, Brian Glover, who went on to achieve world-wide fame for his portrayal of a sport’s master in the film “Kes”, is second from the right on the third row from the back.

Other pupils who received prizes, or were in the school choir, were in other areas of the theatre. Mr Jackson was a member of the choir which entertained the audience throughout the afternoon’s proceedings.

Higher certificate and Cooper prizes were won by: Form V1A (Modern): K Avery, D Berry, HM Billington, TN Burkinshaw, T Cartledge, A Gibson, JK Hirst, PC Jackson, PW Lupton, J Tyas, A Wilkinson, B Wood. Form V1A (Science): DM Atkin, P Bridgewater, GB Clarke, BV Clifton, M Denton, K Harrison, LG Hartley, E Illingworth, T Ingham, E Redfearn, DM Reed, R Sherratt, J Waller.

During the ceremony, senior pupils gave tributes in Latin, French and German to the eminent person presenting the prizes, in this case Lord Halifax who had been the Viceroy of India. Two other prize winners also received their awards. They were: JN Stothard (winner of the Junior Pawsey prize) and JS Burgess (winner of the Senior Pawsey prize).