Thursday 26 September 2013

26th September - Catch up time again!!

Cannot believe the last time I blogged was my birthday last week in rainy Cumbria!!
We left Ullswater at 9am in dry weather with sun trying to come out...typical!!
As we drove south over the Dartford Crossing the blue skies appeared and warm sum..."hello sunshine!"
It was 3pm so we missed the rush hour traffic but going north through the tunnel was pretty busy!!
We were finally home by 4.30pm and glad to be south in warmer climes!!

Last week was Sept Nostalgia challenge from Kathi away herself in Washington USA. Hope she had a great week?
We were asked to reflect and recount our school day stories.

Sadly the older you are the more remote memories are , unless you have Alzheimer disease! I just know that my school days and college days I do not think of as the happiest days of my life, like Karen, Viv and Anne.

I remember starting in the Infants school  at 5yrs (now called Key Stage 1 or Reception class of a Primary school) We had to sleep/ rest on rush mats after lunch. Can you imagine 5yr olds doing that these days!!

My other memory is taking my 11+ at the age of 10 to pass to go to the grammar school. A very prestigious place to go to!! We had several exam papers to do and sat at desks apart which had ink wells and lids that lifted up! I failed my 11+ but because my Father was a teacher, he managed to get me into the local Grammar school where I felt I struggled in every year and didn't do well as O levels either.
I was a year above my age, we could since Oct was the cut off for Sec school and Collage/Uni and my birthday was Sept. Maybe I would have been more successful at a Secondary Modern, who knows!
I left after 1 year in the sixth form and took A level art which I passed the following summer.

My parents were determined that I would become a teacher and go to teacher training college.. I managed to get a place at 17 yrs to train to be a Domestic Science teacher, with no science except biology and the only maths was RSA arithmetic + 2 english papers, history, geography and art. how lucky was I ,since these days you need many more qualifications though I do question whether it makes you a better teacher!!

We wore very old fashioned uniforms of a square neck navy tunic and square neck long sleeved white blouse in winter with a grey beret with our outer coat/mac also navy. In summer we wore a blue gingham dress with white collars or white piping on the edges of neck and sleeve and ....a summer boater on our head. The beret and boater had to be worn leaving school until we reached our home!!

Even at collage in 1963 we had rules about our clothes, trousers were not allowed until 1965 when we had a new Principal. We had to be in hall by 10pm Sun - Thurs and Fri and Sat we were allowed out til 11pm and 2 weekends away each term! how different college and Uni life is now eh!!

Sadly I have googled for photos but I seem to have none though I do recall seeing school photos they must be in the loft not seen for a long time!!

1 comment:

  1. IO remember my school uniform as well, Lynne. Very expensive for my parents and not at all flattering. We had a beret all year, and like you, had to wear it til we got home

    ReplyDelete