Leslie Burtenshaw – images

On 25th September, 1949, Leslie Burtenshaw was one of the first group of 56 students to be admitted to Bretton Hall to train to become a teacher; his main subject was Music.

Born in 1928, Leslie was too young to join the armed forces during World War ll. After the war, his National Service was deferred as he opted to work in one of the essential industries, serving his country by working as a coal miner for two years.

Leslie Burtenshaw’s collection of photographs contains images of Bretton during the early years from 1949 to 1951.

Click on images for enlargements

Donald Craig

: Reunion 2007

: View from Menagerie Wood

: 1958 Group

: Paul Cooper with twins

: Rodney Smith 1958

: Gerry Lomas in 1958

: Gerry Lomas in 1958

: Paul Cooper in 1958

: Don Craig in 2016

: Ann Collins 1958

: Wakefield Mystery Plays 1958

: Vincent Wilding 1958

: 57-59 Group at 2007 Reunion

: 57-59 Group at 2007 Reunion

: Don Craig with Martial Rose c. 2010

: David Wigley & Jacquie Feeney

: 1958 view from Cascade Bridge

: Upper lake in Winter 1958

Tony Crimlisk

After National Service in the RAF as a radar mechanic (1953-55), Tony Crimlisk trained at Bretton Hall from 1956-58, and followed this up with a year’s training at the Trinity College of Music in London.

After seeing the Bretton Hall website early in 2015, he sent a CD of images from his days at Bretton in the 1950s. An extract from his accompanying letter is displayed below.

"… Enclosed is a CD of Bretton photos from the years 1956-8. I can’t be certain about the exact year for each photo, but I got a letter telling me that I had been accepted for Bretton on Sept 18th 1956 and term started the following day – obviously it was a near thing and I was only narrowly accepted! In September 1958 I started a supplementary year at Trinity College of Music, London so all the photos are within that time frame.

"We lived of course in the house. In the second year I shared the King Henry VIII room with Michael (later Inigo) Jackson and Brian Baines (later Yorkshire TV presenter.) Best friend was Liz Horner – believe it or not (although I was 21) she was also my first ever girlfriend – I’d of course been in National Service for two years.

"In year two it was Peter White with whom I started the Camera Club and who was Best Man at my wedding to Gill Davies, who was in Peter’s year at Bretton, although I didn’t know her until we accidentally met at the 21st birthday party of another Bretton student, Sybil Chambers, in London in 1961. Small world!

"Obviously many of the photos will be unsuitable but you might as well have them all. I did wonder about the one where I am impersonating Tarzan! My wife, however, thought I should include it as it shows a different side to college! I think we were rehearsing a sketch – or maybe we were just fooling around."