THEY might have taken their coats off in the classroom, one would have thought. But then I realise that these little girls are taking part in an art lesson, and the coats would have been donned to avoid any paint splashing on to their uniforms. This is Westbourne School for Girls in Glasgow's West End in April, 1953, and as you might suspect from the neat desks not having initials gouged out of them, the pristine jotters, and the fact they can keep a goldfish alive in the bowl at the back, Westbourne was a private school.

Glasgow had three girls-only private schools in the West End after the war - Westbourne, Park and Laurel Bank which were easily distinguishable by their uniforms. Westbourne girls had purple blazers, Laurel Bank green, and Park blue with green collars. The fact that I can write that from memory says something about my interests when I was at school in the West End all those years ago.

Westbourne was based in some fine old villas off Cleveden Road, but falling school rolls led to a merger with the then boys-only Glasgow Academy. The old buildings were sold off for flats.

Laurel Bank and Park tried a merger before being taken over by Hutchie on the south side.