This week’s pictures from the past

Ford School about 1930

An old school picture carried in Pictures From The Past the other day brought a tear to the eye to Fred Stephens of Longden Coleham, Shrewsbury – because it was the first and only photo he has ever seen showing his father in his schooldays.

“It was such a shock,” said Fred’s partner Jayne Silva. “He just held the paper out to me and pointed to the picture. He was quite tearful. He thing.”

The photo was of Ford School and we gave a date of about 1930, although Jayne says Fred thinks it is a bit earlier. “We have ploughed through lots of photos of his parents, and there’s never been anything like this.

“He said he had never seen a school photo with his father on at all. He said that in those days they could not afford to have a copy anyway. In those days people did not have copies – there was one picture on the school wall.”

His late father, also called Fred Stephens, is seated with crossed legs at the front, fourth from left. The photo was loaned to us by a lady on the picture – and remembers older Fred Stephens – but prefers not to be named.

The happy outcome is she has arranged through the Shropshire Star for young Fred to have a copy of her picture.

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