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Kindly written by Sandra Martin an AGS old girl and her next door neighbour for 32 years.
Miss Greenwood died peacefully at her home in Stalybridge on the 31st. July 2017, she was 97 years of age. Her funeral took place at Tameside Crematorium, Dukinfield on the 22nd.August 2017.
Miss Greenwood was born and raised in Stalybridge. She was a high achiever, winning a place at Manchester High School at the age of 9 Years. She studied at university in London where she achieved her degree but the year was 1939 and because of the outbreak of WW2 it was some years before the presentation ceremony took place.
For many years, Miss Greenwood was a teacher of English at Ashton Grammar School latterly taking on the role of Senior Mistress. It is obvious from the many posts on the internet that she was a great influence on her pupils instilling in many of them a lifelong love of literature and of the English language. She took great pride in her work. Joyce is remembered for her kindness although she could be strict but fair when necessary. She set a high standard for herself which she hoped her pupils would aspire to. Right to the end she was content to accept changing times and fashions, the latter demonstrated during her time as Senior Mistress by her willingness to allow the girls to have short uniform skirts but not too short. I am told that she would insist that a girl would kneel on the floor and that the hem of her skirt should be no more than six inches from the floor. This compares with when, during my time at AGS under the eagle eye of Miss Berry in the Senior Mistress position, Miss Berry would insist that our skirt hem, while kneeling, should touch the floor. I and my husband had the privilege of living next door to Joyce for 32 years and to have “grown up” conversations with her was a joy. She was interested in current affairs and people in general. She remembered all her pupils, which turned out not to be just politeness on her part as she could recount events involving many of them but always in a kindly way.
If Joyce is marking this piece from on high I’m sure she won’t be too hard on me because she also easily accepted the changes in the way we write and speak, citing that the English language has always evolved and probably always will.
She will be missed.
RIP Joyce and God Bless.
There is a fairly recent photograph of Joyce from when there was a re commemoration of the Ashton GS Second World War Memorial at Portland Basin. click here