20 Jul 2021
Written By Matthew Eastley
Love blossoms in the staff room
It was John Paul Young who sang Love Is In The Air in the summer of 1978. For most of the time at St Mary’s Grammar School, it wasn’t.
Yet a good old-fashioned love story never did a tale any harm and St Mary’s delivered one in the late sixties. This was when the brilliant, bearded History and Economics teacher, Peter Ribbins, swept a young Oxford graduate from Welling called Maureen Shoebridge who arrived at St Mary’s for her first teaching placement, off her feet.
The full tale of how Peter won Maureen’s hand in marriage must wait for the book. Suffice to say it was a masterclass in the old-fashioned art of courtship and Peter has always been thankful to the school for providing him with the opportunity to meet the true love of his life.
After a classic whirlwind romance, Peter and Maureen were married at St Lawrence’s Church, Sidcup, on 12 July 1969 when the world was waiting with excitement for the launch of Apollo 11.
The picture above of the happy couple is of historical interest because it shows four Marist priests who were at St Mary’s at the time – namely Frs Murphy, Shorttle, Trueman and Skillen.
I’ll be featuring Peter Ribbins – one of the finest teachers to have plied his trade at St Mary’s – at some point in the Where Are They Now section.
I came across this blog by chance. Attended 1962-69(very mixed memories). We often remember ‘ that special teacher’.and Mr Ribbins was mine. He taught me history & british constitution in the 6th form, and was truly inspirational. I will always be grateful.