WE’RE having a lovely time!

That seemed to be the message from this party of pupils and teachers who were enjoying the trip of a lifetime to Switzerland.

They were all from Wheatley Secondary School.

The visit took place in May 1956, and they posed for the photographer with the spectacular mountainous Alpine scenery in the background.

The picture was sent by June Gray, whose maiden name was Tombs.

Mrs Gray, of Grafton Orchard, Chinnor, found details of the trip in a diary she wrote at the time.

She recalls: “We went by coach from Wheatley to Victoria and then by train to Folkestone and across to Calais, and then had a long night journey to Interlaken.

“We were taken on many trips, including Wengen, Murren, the Grindelwald cable railway, funicular railway, boat trips, and in all of these, we saw beautiful mountains – Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.

“It was a holiday I will never forget – it cost £20, a lot of money in 1956.”

Other pupils in the party included Margaret Wearing, Rita Johnson, Mary Hunt, Jean Bennett, Ruth Tombs, Roger Caddick, John Luckett, Noel House, Gerald Whalley, Norma Morris, Cynthia Lewis, Lynda Bird, Graham Bushrod, Gillian Cross, Margaret Busby, Linda Jones, Christine Coleman, Malcolm Sollis, W Newman, Sidney Washington, Rodney Evans, Lesley Thompson, Reggie Payne, Martin Welch, Dinah Hempstead, Peter Middleton, Suzette Smith, Adrian Jenkins and Ann Hinton.

The teachers who accompanied them were Carol Jones, Audrey Brock and Gerald Gould. As we have recalled, he was instrumental in organising the annual stage shows at the school.

Where are all the Switzerland holidaymakers now?