Back row, standing (left - right): Gloria M. Wildgoose[1] | Unknown | Unknown Front row, seated (l - r): A. Maureen Hursthouse[2] | Unknown | Unknown

The family of Miss Anne Eliza Goodwin presented Bailey's school with a silver trophy in her memory in 1939; it was to be an inter house challenge cup for tennis and known as "The Miss Goodwin Memorial Trophy"^[3]. Miss Goodwin had been created a life governor when the school opened in 1924; she was also the head of Rockside Hydro and a daughter of Mr. John Goodwin of the Wolds Farm and had passed away on 6 Oct 1937, aged 79^[4].

The school concentrated on tennis in 1939, showing signs of improvement towards the end of the season; it was predicted that the juniors, who were very keen, would reap great benefit from their extra practice, hopefully developing into excellent players^[5]. These photos show some of those juniors who were showing such promise before the war.

There were inter-house matches at the end of the summer term with Danes winning the Miss Goodwin Cup, but the following year the Mercians won. The school's tennis team comprised a captain and 5 team members to form three pairs (then called couples) in 1939. Although several matches were cancelled the team played against Cavendish (Buxton), the Convent and Bakewell (all away), and Wirksworth (at home)^[3]. Home matches took place on the Hall Leys courts but they travelled by bus to away matches at Lady Manners, Strutts and the other schools.

Back row, standing (i-r): Gillian Orme | Patricia M Standen | A. Maureen Hursthouse Front row, seated (l - r): Eileen Gopsill | Gloria Wildgoose | Pearl J. Wood

By 1940 the school's tennis team consisted of a Captain, a Vice Captain and six other members. They played six matches against other schools and won three of them that year^[5]. Unfortunately, after that little information was available for a number of years although the top two photos show that team matches were still being played.

Back row, standing (i-r): Joan Briddon | Margaret Millar | Edna Shimwell Front row, seated (l - r): Joy Higton | Eileen Gopsill | Angela Maureen Hursthouse

During the summer term before she left school in 1946 Maureen Hursthouse recorded tennis practice on numerous occasions as well as a number of tournaments she had played in. There was one against Wirksworth which they lost 55-26 and end of term matches for senior and junior pupils, against parents and against the Old Baileans^[6]. Miss M. K. Parrish was the person who taught P.E. and private photographs show how well she got on with her pupils.

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