| No |
DatePosted |
FirstName |
Surname |
Message |
Contact |
| 26 | 18/11/2001 | Belinda | Ousbey / Loseby | So good to read everybodys coments about Verdala. I lived in Malta from 1956 - 1966 and was at school from 60-66. As you may have guessed my Dad is THE Mr Ousbey that you all talk about. We were in Nelson House. Yes the playground did always seem gigantic to me. Do you remember the swimming pool? I was always the last one to get changed!! My Dad still talks about when the Royal Marines did beating the retreat in the playground. Will write more in the near future. Belinda | |
| 25 | 16/11/2001 | Anthony | Inglis | I was in Malta from 1952-1956, and attended Verdala. We lived in Qui-si-Sana, Sliema and remeber many things about Malta and Have been back 4 to 5 times since. Do not remember much about Verdala, accept, the buses to school, where the school was, the parade ground, class rooms, sports area and the tuck shop, which was surrounded by Turkeys, which I assume the caretaker raised for Christmas. The only Teacher/Head I can remeber was a Miss Veasey. Could draw a rough map of the layout of the school. did know some boys, namley Joey Noble, Graham Slack, Robert Gorman. Girls - Gloria Greenwood , Anne Sladden, Burnice White, Sandra Butler. | |
| 24 | 14/11/2001 | Ian | Walsh | I was at Verdala between April 1963 and April 1965 with my two brother Kevin and Paul. We lived at St Julians/Balutta Bay. I took my family to Malta in 1989 - I was please to still recognise so many placed. | |
| 23 | 14/11/2001 | Janet | Rawson | Well, last night I went for a drink with Christianne Morris who contacted me through Friendsreunited. I was at Verdala from 64 to 67, and Christianne and I were classmates in Mr Ousbey's class and then Mr Woodham's. I had a fabulous evening catching up on historical memories and we've decided to we'd like to meet again next month. Somewhere in Convent Garden if anyone else from these years would like to join us? I remember arriving nervously in Mr Ousbey's class when he was teaching us how to make paper stained glass pictures. He was so immensely kind and patient with me that my nervousness disappeared swiftly. I also remember Mr Ousbey and the school panto's, apparently my mum has a programme from the Something of something of Bodmin Moor. I'll try to get it put onto the site. 25 years ago, my dad, Bob Rawson, a Band Master in the Royal Marines - he did two musical parades in the playground at the school, anyone remember those? - left the services and decided to become a piano tuner. He went to Newbury to study and got in contact with Mr Ousbey who was well and happy. No contact since then though. Weird feeling evoking all those childhood memories! 11+ in the hall....aagh! | |
| 22 | 11/11/2001 | David | Pickett | I was there from summer 1958 till autumn 1960. | |
| 21 | 11/11/2001 | May | Rankin | My maiden name was May Mahood,and I was at Verdala from1951 - 1952 and then on to Tal-Handaq till 1954. I was very friendly at that time with Maureen Knowlin. My husband and I were at Malta on holiday and I had a great trip "Down Memory Lane". Glad to have found yourweb site ,keep up the good work. | |
| 20 | 10/11/2001 | Craig | Tostevin | Hi,Great site, I attended Verdala between 72-75. Many happy memories like everyone else, who couldn'nt be happy 10 yrs old in Malta and finishing school at 1 pm in the summer. I have some pictures of sports days but keep making the files to big! will keep trying. | |
| 19 | 10/11/2001 | Judith | Cross | I started my school career at Verdala aged 4, in 1954, so do not remember much about it, except that I fell off some bars in the playground, and hurt my nose on the dusty, gravelly ground. My dad, Arthur Cross, was based at Dingli, and we lived in Sliema. | |
| 18 | 07/11/2001 | Penny | Failes | I attended Verdala 1958-1960 - I was Penny Tucker then! I now live in Wollongong NWS Australia - I was alerted to this new website by my teacher at Verdala Liz Mardel (then McMeeking) - it's very exciting to make contact as I have very happy memories of the school and Malta | |
| 17 | 04/11/2001 | Carl | Wood | The Staff line up which is featured (1965/66) is of particular significance to me because that was our last academic year at Verdala. I was in Miss Leslie's class whilst my Sister, Susan was in Mr Rowley's. Does anyone remember us? | |
| 16 | 04/11/2001 | Bob | Osborn (Ozzy) | Verdala from 1957 to 1960(ish) then Tal Handaq for a year. Form Teachers were Mr Ousby, Miss Candy and Miss Rowe as far as I recall. Do email me if any one was around at that time. | |
| 15 | 03/11/2001 | Pam | Cossins / Skeet | Well done to whoever has composed this site. I was at Verdala from '53 - '56 and lived at St Julian's. It's been a real trip down memory lane reading Friends United and these entries. My best friend at school was Barbara Thurlow who lived in the flats at Egmont Close. Does anyone remember Miss Candy? We had to take a towel to school and wash our hands in the classroom sink before we sat at our desks. On reflection probably a good idea as we spent all play time on the rope frame or building "rooms", complete with doorways in the dust with lots of little pebbles. I remember the Star of Malta capsizing at Dragonara Point very clearly and swimming out into St Julian's Bay for the crates of peaches which floated in next day! Remember standing on sea urchins?, the wonderful cheese pastries and The Lido? Roller skating at Spinola? - etc., etc. and all such fun. P.S. I was in Stevenson house and wore a green sash - we sat cross-legged on the floor during assembly (which seemed interminable!), plaiting the fringes at the end | |
| 14 | 03/11/2001 | Phillip | Rose | So much to remember about my time on the island and 57-60 at Verdala. Does anyone remember a Miss Rowe?? whose weapon of choice was some sort of rounders batlike a large wooden spoon, think I got paddled with it a couple of times. How many people remember when they ran out of space in the main school area and opened classes in the barracks opposite the main entrance. Think for a time we shared the place with a number of Royal Marines, all very exciting. A gentleman by the name of Peter Prictoe has wriiten some very interesting articles on Malta, including one on Veradala, well worth a look at. On one of the rare occassions we were able to go through to the far end of the site where there was a large open area, I remember looking down into the fortifications and seeing much activity with people appearing to move large ammounts of Naval Stores arround, and to this day I wonder what actually was stored under our school!!!!! | |
| 13 | 01/11/2001 | Valerie | Burns / Tremain | I was at Verdala from 1951-54 and lived on St. Julians Hill. I also found this site through friendsreunited. I was in Drake house and last class 1AJ. I remember the buses to school, taking our chairs out for lessons under the trees, the rope climbing frame, playing the triangle in music lessons. It's amazing how all the memories come flooding back after all these years! | |
| 12 | 27/10/2001 | Nina | Wigg / Swift | I was at Verdala in 1954-6'ish and have been going down memory lane with Alastair (of Tigne!!) on friendsreunited though he was at Verdala years after me - it seems things didn't change much but I have fabulous memories of Malta, Verdala etc and lived in St Julian's Bay, Sliema. When we first arrived in Malta we were put up by the Navy at the Plevna Hotel in Sliema (does anyone else remember that Hotel ? spelling ? I think a lot of Navy families started live there!). Tigne beach, octopus, huge waves, swimming out to rafts, snorkelling and school at Verdala with lessons on the roof, half days in the height of summer, sports days, light coloured uniforms and bright sashes! I was in the school's performance of Sleeping Beauty (a fairy or cobweb or something!!!) aged about 7 or 8!!) and remember it well, staying after school to rehearse!! I wonder if anyone else of my era will find the site! Over the years following Verdala, I bumped into various people in other Naval places i.e. Singapore, Gib etc...and nearer to home, Bath (Admiralty) - always a small world. Good days. | |
| 11 | 26/10/2001 | Carl | Wood | Comment:- Re-submitted from the Forum by the Verdala webmaster. Original message dated 23/10/2001 Great idea and I hope to see some photos of the school grounds. I attended Verdala between 1963 and 1966. My teachers were Mrs Jackson and Miss McNally in the infants and Miss Leslie in the first year Juniors. My Dad was stationed at Dingley (GCHQ) and did a tour between 1956 and 1959 aswell. I can't remember any of my classmates apart from Stepen Why (son of music teacher) I wonder if anyone knows if any records exist of the classes. other people I remember are Raymond Googe and Helen Mail, but they weren't in my class I dont think. If anyone knows me please get in touch. CARL | |
| 10 | 25/10/2001 | Tony | Wright | I was at Verdala '61-'63 - along with my sister Celia .Iwas in Drake House -she was in Nelson. We lived in Msida,Dream Flats! | |
| 9 | 23/10/2001 | Rosalie | Hide/Stephens | I went to Verdala from 1957 - 1964 with a break of a year in 1961. I lived in Egmont Close in sliema for most of that time. Does anyone else remember the area. I know the name Chris Jenkins - Did you live down the hill on the way to the rocks at St Juliens? | |
| 8 | 18/10/2001 | Chris | Jenkins | Excellent idea. Like Rosalie Hide, I, too, was at verdala from 1958 - 1964 and, thus, have lots of memories and remember many names - Rosalie, Rona Smith and Alan Evens stick in my mind too! My father, Roy Jenkins taught at Verdala and many of you who were there in 58-64 will probably remember him and the pantomimes he used to direct. Both my parents are well and living in Evesham. I saw a mention of Jack Ousbey. When I last heard he was well. Any of you who have been through the 'Rosie & Jim' stage with your young (as I have) may have noticed that he was the Educational Adviser to the publishers of the comics etc. Indeed, my ma-in-law's next door neighbour (publisher of such works) knows him well. | |
| 7 | 16/10/2001 | Rosalie | Stephens | I went to Verdala School from 1958 to 1964. I went back to Malta last year on holiday and drove to the school. It looked so small - the front gates which I remember as being gigantic were in fact not at all and the driveway which I though was really wide was quite narrow. I would love to hear from anyone there at that time. Names I recall are Rona Smith, Jacqueline Duncan, Valerie Evens, Alan Evens, Chris Whittle. | |
| 6 | 16/10/2001 | Christiane | Morris | Great idea. I was at Verdala from September 1963 to July 1967 and my teachers were Mrs Lewis, Mr Ousby and Mr Woodhams for the last two years. I was in Hawkins and was the house captain and vice-captain for the last year at school. Sad eh, that I can remember all these details.
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| 5 | 15/10/2001 | Madeline | Court / Havis | Found your website through friendsreunited. It has taken me back a long way | |
| 4 | 14/10/2001 | John | Hadley | I was at verdala from 1964 to 1966 and I do appear in one of the photographs in the display area. After some 35 years it is interesting to cast one's mind back and to remember events, places and people that have remained locked away in the mind all these year. The obvious thought is where are the people now that I knew and called friends. Being in a naval family I got used to moving on every two-to-three years: this I regarded at the time time as normal though as an adult I now realise what a wonderful experience this was. Perhaps this website will assist in bringing together those I got to know along the way (and, for a short time at least, called friends) and who may also be reflecting along similar lines. Well done for putting this together. | |
| 3 | 14/10/2001 | Carl | Eves | I was only at the school from 1974 to 1976 when I moved to Luqa as we were given a Quarter on the base.I loved every minute of it. I have been waiting for a site like this for ages. I keep trying to explain to my kids about the school but cant seem to get the right words out. It would be great to see some old photos of the school.I have some old class photos which I will try to send to you if I can work out how to do it as im not to good with computers regards Carl | |
| 2 | 13/10/2001 | Trudy | Begg | It is so good to see all of this coming together...we all spent a small amount of our lives in Malta,leaving friends behind as the tour of duty ended..often I have wondered what happened to everybody. This may serve to bring a lot of us together again. | |
| 1 | 08/10/2001 | Alastair | Newman | I have a year book (brochure style)for the year 1965/66. Some good pictures of the school teams and some inspiring written verse! It will be fascinating to find out where people are now. Already located 2 people through Friends Reunited within a week. I participated in just about every sporting event. I was Vice/Captain of Nelson in 1965-66.
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