Elizabeth Court sheltered home residents remember their schooldays

By Nicola Benge

Talking about school days

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Did you pass the eleven plus?

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Tom tells all!

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

13 times table anyone?

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

We don't need no edukashun

This was a set of reminiscence activities run in the winter of 2007/8 by tireless WRVS volunteers Rod Patterson and Lyn Strong who turned an empty sheltered housing lounge into a vibrant and fun filled place full of laughing people. The group now continues on a weekly basis every Wednesday with quizzes and activities and the number of participants grow, making this a very successful WRVS heritage plus activity.

First Day:

Derek:             
"I remember my first day at school very well, I sat at a very low table and there was a sand tray and we had cardboard cards for chalking on. I sat with a boy from my street called Ken and we were friends through school. My teacher was Miss Phillips. I remember a plant that some steps that playtime (was the teacher's pride and joy) but I picked up and threw it across the playground.
Auntie Alice (mother's sister) with buying an ice cream on the way home. I didn't like going to school I was very proud of being called a big boy now that I was going to school'

I think I was considered a little 'orror' at school. I could still name all the children in my class I had a little soft spots to Jane and I decided to sit with her but was marched back to my seat by Sir."

Pat:          (approx. 1930s)
" I went to boarding school with my sister many schools in Australia has been closed for two years because of infections I must have been about 6 1/2 or seven remember talking to the prefects ask me questions I name my hobbies and things like that I remember very clearly doing a little dance.
I remember crying lots among parents had to leave and enjoys having my parents come to visit at weekends I was there for many years"

Joyce:      (approx. 1927)
"It was my grandmother that took me to the local school I remember very well sitting on the table which broke on domain I remember very stern person telling me to get up and felt very embarrassed. I just remember there seem to be a mass of children I was excited to get among people, just like now I enjoy meeting people."

Dorothy:  (approx. 1910)
"I went to the village school in Weststone Leicestershire my mother took me to school on the first morning and we went out to play in the playground I was pleased I got to wear a pretty dress on the first day but after that I had to wear school uniform."

Margaret: (approx.1935)
"I don't remember much about my first school only that it was called Knoll Infant School in Hove and I didn't want to go"

Tom:        (1930s)
"I went to one school from start to finish, I remember running away from school across the fields and onto the bus and the busking doctor took me back to school, could you imagine that. I remember the boots we had to wear with studs on them."