Prizes from St Andrew’s School – by MG

Ooh, yes, I can remember that one particular day, I didn’t want to go to school and we had an outside toilet and I sat out there.  Mum came out for me and I said I didn’t feel very well, but obviously I didn’t want to go to school and there was a teacher lived opposite, down the road, Mum went and got her and they virtually dragged me screaming and kicking to school!  I’ve got a memory of Miss Herbert, one of the teachers, and she stood at the doorway and took me into the school.  There was another teacher, Miss Ayres, she used to hit children round the backs of their legs with a ruler!

Not bragging, but I think I was one of the star pupils and my work was always very neat and tidy and in those days, they gave annual prizes, books.  I got a couple of prizes, which I’ve still got!  Mr Gomm was the Headmaster and Mr Page was Deputy Head… obviously they must have been quite happy times for me to remember the teachers’ names and everything.

Yes, yeah, I went to Ham School, which is on the Common, I think it’s now a church.  We went there and, there again, all the toilets were all outside.  I was there till eleven, because I… how can I put it… I was quite the famous person, because I passed the Eleven Plus and went to Tiffin Girls School.  It was quite something really, that was, yes!