The Maltonian Website - for Malton School
The Maltonian Web Gallery - Sports Days
Sports Days were major events in the school year. We have some photos from some years that give an insight into what occured on these days, and a Sports Day programme from 1960 which lists the events. Sadly no pictures exist from the 1980s and 1990s, when photographs seemed to be out of favour at school. I think I may have taken some in the late 1990s, but they would be on film (rather than digital) and I have yet to find any of the prints.
1930s Sports Days
All but one photo of 1930s sports days comes from Mrs Williams album, which she donated in 2001. Many pictures don't have a date on them, so they could be 1940s rather than 1930s.
1940s Sports Days
Quite a few photos from the 1940s, thanks to Mrs Williams, Diana Kirkwood, Norman Race, Janet Robson, and Shirley Wheatley. Some interesting events, with the Chariot Race, a log race, a fathers' race, and a pick-a-back race, whatever that might be.
1950s Sports Days
Sports Days continued to be a major event in the calendar during the 1950s, attracting large crowds, and local celebrities. Katherine Worsley presented the prizes in 1958, shown below, three years before her marriage to the Duke of Kent in 1961. There were still some novelty races - witness the 3-legged race photo in 1952 - but by the 1960 Sports Day the events were mainly athletics. The Chariot Race persevered, as did throwing the cricket ball and rounders ball.
1960s and 1970s Sports Days
Sports days continued through the 1960s and 1970s at the Grammar School and presumably at the County Modern, though no photographic evidence has appeared. A few slides from Philip Taylor's collection are all we have, plus a press photo from 1965, and one from 1975 loaned by Lorraine Knaggs.
2000s Sports Days
With digital photography available, I often took over 100 photos on sports days, though sometimes I didn't get out until late in the day if I was struggling to finish the next year's school timetable (which hapened regularly at the end of the school term). Click on the links below to see whole galleries of photos from most of the 2000s sports days.
