Fishergate Primary School, York, unveils antique rocking horses

Fishergate Primary School, in Escrick Street, made the remarkable discovery after Josh Burnell, the school's history leader, was given a photograph by his old landlord Michael Thorpe, 88.

The picture, dated around 1939, featured four of Michael's siblings on the rocking horses at the school.

Josh ventured into the cellar and found the rocking horses were still there.

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The rocking horses now restored (Image: Emily Horner)

The school then formed a lunch club named ‘Operation Rocking Horse’ to plan fundraisers in a bid to get them restored.

And following the successful restoration work, the rocking horses were unveiled at the school on Sunday, November 27.

The pupils will have the chance to ride on the rocking horses on their birthday.

Michael Thorpe, pictured with the rocking horse he rode as a child (Image: Emily Horner)

Michael, who was a Fishergate pupil from 1939 to 1949 along with eight of his nine siblings, said: “I really enjoyed school, I’d not been back since I left. Back then I remember we had segregated playgrounds for boys and girls.”

The rocking horses are part of Josh’s 'Past and Present' history project at the school, which has seen him collect old artefacts, including class photos dating back to the 1930s, class registers, and head teacher log books, found in the cellar, for the pupils to learn about their history.

Past pupils and teachers were encouraged to tell their memories of the school on camera as part of a documentary to show the current pupils.

The first head teacher log book entry, dated August 1895 (Image: Emily Horner)

Josh said: "I've learned throughout this project that history is about bringing communities together, it's about connecting over people’s stories and not the artefacts.

“Unveiling the rocking horses to the children was the best moment of my teaching career, seeing their excited faces was like a thousand Christmases in one."

The headteacher of 1986 to 2003, Angela Johnson, attended the event and had fond memories of the rocking horses.

Fishergate primary school pupils today, with Josh Burnell, History leader, and the rocking horses before restoration (Image: Fishergate primary school)

She said: "In the mid-90s, we found them in the cellar, we didn't know where they came from, but we didn't think it was the Victorian era as the school was strict and regimented at that time.

"There was a Castlegate school in 1913 just for junior girls and infant children, until 1932 when the juniors became mixed. 

"It closed in 1954, and the Castlegate children predominantly transferred to Fishergate, and it was said the children rocked down the streets on the horses to Fishergate.

"We did up the red one and it was sat on a blue PE mat in the infant hall, and every time I walked through that hall, there was somebody on that horse until the day I left, so I'm delighted to see them now."

The headteacher log books started from when the school first opened in 1895, till around 15 years ago, and documented both World Wars.