Teacher still meets her first pupils 68 years on

A retired teacher still meets up with pupils from the first class she taught almost 70 years ago.

Margaret Raymond began her career as a newly qualified 20-year-old at Chapman Street Girls' School, Hull, in 1956.

The children liked her so much, they kept in touch and now hold a reunion every year on the third Wednesday in November.

Mrs Raymond, 88, said: "It's lovely to see how they've progressed. They've all made really good use of their lives."

Pauline Iveson, who is one of the former pupils, said: "Margaret was an absolute dream. She was a lovely teacher. I got away with murder."

Classmate Barbara Norton added: “She was a dolly bird. Always well dressed."

Mrs Raymond, then known as Miss Chapman, taught history and, in those early days, she would save pages from her pupils' exercise books to remind her of which lesson plans had worked.

She recalled how the girls – then in their first year at secondary school – would use a dip pen to fill in the pages.

“They liked to be a monitor and they would fill up the ink wells," she said. "Their writing was just beautiful."

Her pupils were so fond of her that they turned up at her wedding in 1959 – their arrival captured by a photographer from the Hull Daily Mail newspaper.

The reunions began in the 1960s when one of the former pupils, Maureen Travis, sent a Christmas card to Mrs Raymond.

They decided to meet for coffee, more friends were invited and the numbers quickly grew.

The group used to meet in the evenings for a meal and a glass of wine. These days they prefer lunch and a hot drink.

For this close-knit group, conversation is never strained and alternates between children, holidays and reminiscing about their school days.

"It was very strict. We had to have our hair tied back. You couldn’t have a fringe," Mrs Travis said.

The pupils were particularly terrified of their headmistress. Mrs Iveson recalled a time when she spotted the woman near her home and began dancing behind her.

"She turned round and she said, 'Outside my door when you get to school'. So I got six of the best."

The classmates are now aged between 78 and 80. Some members of the group have moved overseas and others have died.

At 78, Denise Manley, who is the youngest member, said: "The best thing is that we’re all here. We love being together and reminiscing."

Mrs Raymond spent 38 years in the profession and she believes she taught more than 1,000 children.

So, what keeps the group meeting up after so many years?

"I value friendship," Mrs Raymond said. "It's the one thing that no one can ever take from you."

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