The opening of Fishguard Council School 1909
In 2009, Fishguard Council School celebrated it’s Centenary with a host of events- a ‘Parti yn y Parc’ to showcase the school’s talents – past and present; a march through Fishguard for all pupils and staff , and a community dinner to celebrate the events of the 100 years.
A Centenary Magazine was also compiled in which the Mayor Gwilym Price, Cllr David Williams (Chair of Governors ) and the Headmaster Mr Irwyn Wilcox contributed their thoughts.
An interesting foreword was also included from the late Mr Huw Williams-
I am very interested in the centenary celebrations of the old Council school as 100 years ago my grandfather. Walter Williams, as I believe Chairman of the Governors opened the proceedings for the formal opening of the new school.
Also, my father was one of the first pupils at the school having formerly been taught at the British School – a non-denominational school formed in the Temperance Hall (Theatr Gwaun). The determination and action to have a Council school was occasioned by the unhappiness of a large number of non-conformist parents who objected to the autocratic and biased views of the Headmaster of the Kensington Street Church School. As one letter put it ” The Reverend gentleman was running the school against the interests of the dissenters of the town”
So unhappy were those parents that they withdrew their children but there then was the problem of where to house a new school. Walter was able to offer them the Temperance Hall and it housed the British School for a number of years.
Walter’s interest in children continued into later life when he gave Lota Park to the Town as a permanent play area for children and a park for their elders on a 999 year lease at a peppercorn rent, on his 50th birthday.
The Centenary magazine and subsequent book was compiled by the late Mr Philip G Davies (himself a pupil from 1948 – 1954) in his book ‘Fishguard Council School Centenary 1909-2009’
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