I've been looking at these two pics on and off all day! And the more I look the more I am convincing myself that it could be the same woman!!
The eyes and brow are a very similar shape, and her parting is in the same place! Although the fact that one is smiling and the other isn't is what is making it harder to be sure!
As for a date, I can narrow it down, as I know that both Doris and Ellen started at the Grand straight from school and were there until it's demise. Doris (in the middle) is the older of the 2 by just short of 2 years, so she would have already been there when Ellen started. School leaving age at the time was 14.
Now, I seem to remember my Dad (Doris and Ellens younger brother) saying that the picture was taken when Ellen had just started, (possibly her first day??) and looking at how relaxed Doris in the middle looks compared with the more nervous looking younger girls either side of her, I am now wondering if it was the first day for both Ellen and the unknown girl??
Doris was born in 1919 so if she was 15/16 in this photo then I am approximating that it was taken in 1934/5? Is this too late for the unknown girl to be your Grandmother? Ellen was born in December 1920, so I can't imagine it being any sooner than 1934/5 as that would have been when she left school.
Although we do not know for a fact how old this unknown girl is, I am just assuming she is a new starter, that may be entirely wrong, so she could well be older than 14. It is sooo very hard to tell ages in some of these old pictures.
Another fact I can give you is that Doris was not very tall, I think she was about 5"1', so that would make the other girl perhaps 5"3' or 4'? Does that help in any way?
We could do with that face recognition software that they use on CSI
