Getting the hang of School

Coming back to the war years. I was now at Cobden school. Mother dragged me in on my first day and I was ready to come straight back out again! I soon settled down though and was always happy if I had some plasticine to play with.  I didn’t know what school was all about and I was always ready for the break when we got the milk which arrived on a cart full of crates containing small glass bottles of about a third of a pint each.

Occasionally, there would be an air raid siren and we had to run out of the gate into a jitty and into a small shelter with wooden seats. We seemed quite happy there pulling faces at each other and messing about. Most of the time I think the teachers would turn the siren on just to get a little rest! When we went into the top class we had a teacher who was about 50 and rather well-built. She used to take us for music but she had her work cut out trying to keep us all together and in tune.  She used to start playing the piano and everyone was so out of tune that she used to put her hands on her head and plonk her elbows on the keys.

We also had two or three male teachers who had just come back from the army, they managed to keep us under control better. We seemed to get the cane quite a lot and were often sent off to the headmaster’s office. After leaving Cobden Street we went on to Limehurst School.

Limehurst - can you spot me? See answer below*

When we went to Limehurst it was very strict. We did Maths, English, Woodwork, Gardening and Drawing.  The school was split into two and some of our classrooms looked out onto the playing field.  One day I was sitting looking out of the big window watching the girls playing hockey. The teacher came up to me and spoke in my ear ‘Nice aren’t they?’  ‘Oh, yes, sir!’ I replied and then next thing I knew I was getting a good wallop around the ears from him!

Towards the end of our time at secondary school the school was getting too big so three classes went over to Lodge Farm. The teachers there were very good and never gave anyone the cane. There was also a large field for playing football etc.

Whilst I was at school I used to get up at 7:50 and send out the Newpapers which Sid used to do. After school I used to go to the Echo office taking parcels and letters for them. After that, on Thursday, I used to go to Sea Cadets which I did for about 4 years. We did lots of activities including racing rowing boats at Burton, 5 days at Bramcote shooting and we went on a short flight on a plane twice.

Various photos from my time in the Sea Cadets

Sea Cadets on Nottingham Road bridge

Before I started work I went with a group of sea cadets to a ship at Southampton where we slept on hammocks. We took part in boat races with other teams and shooting in the shooting range. We were let out at 5 o’clock and the sailors on the door said ‘don’t be later than 10 o’clock or you will be locked out!’ We set off home on the Friday and it was soon after that trip that I really started thinking that it was about time I answered to call to start work at Yeates buses. I was 14 when I started work.

*Limehurst photo - I am second row, second from the left!

© Ruth Coward 2012