Gosford High School Reunion

With a few folks confessing but not looking at three score and ten some celebrations are underway and coming up.

Anne Judd (Holcombe) was 70 in January and celebrated in part with a lunch at Darling Harbour. You can see the smiling faces in the photo.

Ros Mort had a 70th birthday lunch at “The Reel”  Wahroonga with ex staff from Brigidine College St Ives. The former Principal Sister Anita (in pale blue) is 82 years and appointed Ros to that school in 1987.  Ros’ photo on the right is of the lunch with Sister Anita and staff from Brigidine College St Ives  on November 14  2013.

I thought this might be of interest to some of our contemporaries. One is a photo of myself (Brian Raffan), my mother and brother David taken about 1953 passing the alley where the Gosford Times office was located, by a street photographer. When I was back in Gosford for the 50th ‘class of 1960′ GHS reunion and took a photograph of (believe or not) the same alley!

A couple of comments from Ian Carroll and Ros Wheeler who both clearly still have excellent memories.

The photos certainly do bring back memories. Thank you Brian.

I believe the shoe store was Young’s Shoe Shop. It subsequently re-located to premises further north on the western side of Mann Street (north of the old bus rank near Eather’s Fashions) and its former premises became F J Palmer’s Menswear, the Manager of which was Brian MacDonald’s father Athol. Apart from leading to some parking spaces, that lane also led to the printing offices of C&E Ironmonger. There was also another lane on the southern side of the shoe shop between the shoe shop and Burgin’s Fruit Shop, beyond which were Vescey’s Women’s Fashions and Vaughan’s Pharmacy. I could go on, but I won’t. It has, however been fun to think about it all again.

Kind regards,
Ian Carroll.

Thanks for forwarding Brian’s photos. Brings back memories and pleased he said where they were taken – can’t remember a shoe shop down that end of town but maybe others can. The only shoe shop I remember was Noel Harris next to Harveys, Jewellers on the southern side of Mann Street, diagonally opposite the Broadwater Hotel (previously The Royal Hotel). Some years later Mrs Wallwork opened a shop near Austin Johns, one of the town’s dentists and close my uncle’s pharmacy. Certainly remember the Gosford Times office down the lane near where the Rural Bank building was, sometimes had to collect or deliver something for my grandmother as very friendly with Mr and Mrs Staples. Perhaps others will know the shop(s).

Best wishes,
Ros Wheeler