Off Topic 75th anniversary of the death of Amy Johnson

She was a pupa at the old Boulevard School, (later known as Kingston HS). Anyone know what happened to the Bronze Bust of her that used to adorn the entrance to Kingston HS ?

 

Clever that, TC.

But it'll go over the heads of many on here.

Her Gipsy Moth was called Jason by the way.


You wouldn't have known she was from 'ull to hear her speak mind!

 

Lived in the Avenues though, it was posh in those days!

 

Probably at Sewerby Hall near Bridington with all the other Amy Johnson stuff.

 

Which is the same treatment all the William Wilberforce stuff got when Hull City Council gave away all the exhibits of Wilberforce House on High Street to Liverpool and replaced them with information boards.

 

Was by her statue outside Prospect Centre today, in between Home Bargains and Brighthouse, they ought to move it to a better location.

 

For many visitors to Hull, the most visible memorial is the statue in Prospect Street. This was erected after a group of Hull people launched a public campaign to raise £3000 and a local sculptor, Harry Ibbetson, was commissioned to design a statue. The money was quickly rasied with contributions coming from local business and from individuals across the country. A site was agreed in front of the new shopping complex then under construction. The statue, carved from Portland Stone shows Amy Johnson in her flying gear, was unveiled in June 1974 with Amy's sister Mollie in attendance. Amy's trophies and souvenirs were given by her family to the Bridlington Corporation, and are now permanently on display at Sewerby Hall (the house Amy had opened in 1936).

 

Is that true? It's terrible if it is.

 

I'd have preferred statues of Gipsys.

 

And she looks like an eskimo.

 

I remember when Kingston had a team in the old BBC "Top of the Form" quiz and, at the recording, the announcer commented on "Amy Johnson's magnificent bronze bust in the school's entrance hall" - a few of us were asked to leave the hall when we started laughing.

 

Our famous Aviatrist did indeed go to the old Boulevard Secondary School ( Cnr Boulevard and Malm St). It then became Riley High School where Yardley Tiger, TigerRoo and myself went during the years 1949-1956. A year later Riley High moved to a new location.

 

The building is still there (unlike the new Riley High School) but converted I believe into flats. Wasn't there a statue still in the school when we were there? Or does my memory fail me?

 

There was something in the main entrance YT but I cannot recall what. After the Boulevard School, Amy went to Kingston High and then to Sheffield Uni where she graduated in Economics.

 

I may be wrong Mr B_M_B, but my understanding (from my late mother, who was a friend and classmate of Dorothy Johnson(Amy's niece ? *), when they both attended the Boulevard school in the '30s),was that Kingston High School on Pickering Road was still under construction as WWII broke out. When I started attending KHS in 1956, the Bronze bust of Amy Johnson was resident in the lobby of the entrance hall. I suspect that Amy never actually attended the school after it had changed it's name & location. It's quite possible however that more than one bust existed ?

* Edit: There is something inconsistent about my mother's story as Amy's siblings were all girls, hence how could her niece also be named Johnson ? I would suspect I am not recalling my mother's story correctly - more likely a cousin of some generation of the family . I'll never know.

 

When you went to Kingston High was it for girls and boys that had passed the 11 plus exam? From memory the only one in East Hull that catered for both was Malet Lambert High. Escort High catered only for girls which is where my sister went. Any more all girls? Boys only were Hull Grammar, Marist College, Hymers and Riley High.

 

It was certainly co-ed when I started, probably was since its opening in 1940 (?). It was classed as a Grammar School with 11+ entry qualification.
I recall Tom Courtenay had been head boy ( two or three years perhaps before I started), and John Alderton, the TV actor was in the 6th form when I was in the 1st form.
There was at least 1 other all-girls grammar school in Hull, but for the life of me I can't recall the name (St.Mary's perhaps ?). A lass who lived opposite us went there.
We used to play football against the boys schools you mention on a Sat morning (except for perhaps Hymers, who may have been just rugby union), and also Beverley Grammar, which at the time was all boys.