Quarry Bay Leavers, Summer 1951 | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Quarry Bay Leavers, Summer 1951

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Quarry Bay Leavers, Summer 1951
Submitted by rhr193

I was at Quarry Bay from about 1946 to 1951.

I have this photo of the children who left in 1951 and went to KGV the following term.  I wonder who recognises any of these children?

Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Saturday, June 30, 1951
Gallery: 
1950s Hong Kong
Connections: 
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Comments

Submitted by agwellstead@gma... on Sat, 2016-05-07 14:48.

I can't resist the challenge. Some faces are partly obscured, but in the middle row I think you have Christopher Burt, Vera Vargassoff, (unknown), Leonie White, Paul Balaam. Don't recall the others. Christopher was a Stanley Camp baby; his mother, Olive, became headmistress at QBS 

Submitted by Nona on Mon, 2016-07-04 14:00.

I'm sure that the blond boy in the front (books in his right hand) is Vera Vargassoff's brother, Nick. He was a couple of years younger than Vera :) 

Submitted by agwellstead@gma... on Tue, 2016-07-05 09:06.

It could well be Nick, but he did not go to KGV until 1954 at the earliest.

I wondered from the start whether this really was a "school-leavers" group. Obviously prize-winners of some sort. Presumably the year is correct.

Christopher and Vera went to KGV Feb 1953. There was a changeover that year from calendar year to UK school year, when KGV adopted the London GCE. The next KGV intake (including me, QBS 1947-53) thus occurred in Sept 1953.

Nick was at least 1 year behind me at both QBS and KGV. 

Regards - Geoff Wellstead

Submitted by Nona on Tue, 2016-07-05 13:01.

Hi Geoff

I think you're right in that the group was for prize winners rather than school leavers, as those girls in the front row look pretty young to be heading off to KGV :)

The Vargassoffs were good friends of my parents - not only were they neighbours living below us in Morrison Hill Road, but also my folks came to HK via Shanghai, being White Russians too.

I went to KGV in 1958 and think Vera was almost finished at the time, and Nick was around for a few more years but I think the Vargassoffs emigrated to Australia once he finished U6.

Do you have any contact with either of them these days?  If you do, please remember me to them!

Thanks  :D

Nona

Submitted by agwellstead@gma... on Tue, 2016-07-05 14:41.

Nona -

I do not have any contact, but I noticed Nick still quite active in the KGV Alumni association when I was browsing some years ago, if you care to look that up.

- Geoff