School Memories

The first thing I remember about starting school the first day was playing with dolls and a cradle in a small room off the cloakroom in the infants classroom. One of my favourite dolls in the collection that Mrs Barrett had acquired over the years was a black doll. It was so different and I remember she had such a beautiful rounded face and black curly hair.

School dinners used to be excellent when they were dished out. I can remember I think that my favourite meal was a sort of beef roll followed by a chocolate biscuit sweet with chocolate sauce – yummy, anyone got the recipe?!!

Mrs Barrett on cold winter mornings used to make the infants a wonderful hot toddy made from her own blackcurrant jam, it was wonderful. I can still taste it now – even though I do make my own on occasions it’s a good source of Vit C and an excellent cold remedy.

I would love to meet up with Diana Wells again our wonderful art teacher. She used to come in on a Wednesday afternoon. That used to be my favourite lesson. I’ve always loved art and sometimes still practice, only I don’t have as much time or patience as I’d like!

The Nativity plays at Christmas were always a special time. I remember playing the part of Mary a couple of years running both in School and up at St Marys Church. The Church used to look really classic decorated with great care for the occasion.

We used to have wonderful harvest festival services in school and the produce given by each pupil was always shared out to the elderly parishioners afterwards.

I think my favourite activity was maypole dancing in Summer. We had a fete at School and we’d dance several different figures around the Pole. We also used to dance for the Church Fete which was quite often held at the Vicarage in the grounds and on occasions in the orchard of Mr & Mrs Lambourne village residents.

I used to hate it when the ‘nit nurse’ used to come on her visits. She always told me off for biting my nails, something I don’t do now thank heaven, but I remember her being quite a stickler!

During a music session some of us were singing the wrong words to Rule Britannia and for our sins were slapped with a ruler on the back of our legs, that was a punishment Mr Barlow favoured, ouch! I can still remember it as if it were yesterday boy we didn’t do that again in a hurry.

We used to do a lot of dance and mime as exercise. I loved doing Square dancing and country dancing only I’m afraid now that I’ve forgotten all of them, pity they seem to have gone out of fashion like a lot of things these days. “Time and Tide wait for no man”.

Diane Plant (nee Salmons)

10/2018