I attended this school from 1941 to 1945
I attended this school from 1941 to 1945. Miss Burridge was headmistress. Pupils met each morning for Assembly and prayers. Miss Alright taught us how to swim by us lying face down on our desks and she showed us the arm and leg movements when we were proficient we were given a bus ticket to go to the Paris Street pool, she also taught Art which I loved. Miss Kerslake aka (coat of many colours) because she wore very colourful clothing taught History. Two sisters Big Miss Hodge and Little Miss Hodge taught Maths, English, Sewing and Cookery. We made aprons and a small band for a cap for cookery, she taught us how to take a bed sheet, cut lengthwise and stitched the good edges together with a French seam, it was wartime and we had to “make do and mend” I remember Flapjacks and Rice Pudding carried home very carefully at the end of the day! We had a good netball team, I played Centre, and we played against St James, Bradley Rowe and Episcopal schools. There was a shield with our names on it.
We didn’t have school uniforms, coupons were required for clothing and were too valuable to use on school colours. We had Ink monitors who mixed the powder with water and refilled the inkwells on each desk, also Blackboard monitors to clean the chalk from the board ready for the next lesson, some boards were on a Roller and could be rolled up or down in order to keep the lesson for the next class. Staff from the Trustee Savings Bank came every Monday to encourage us to start saving. Two of my sisters were at school with me, my Mother gave us 6pence each and it would be entered in a small book each week. Evacuees came to the school from the London area, some stayed after WW2 ended. We had homework to do each evening. French lessons started during my last year. For the last six weeks of school, before we left for good, we had to go to a house in Paul St to learn Housewifery. A lady and her dog William lived there, we had to sweep paths, polish brass and furniture and generally know how to keep house, I would have preferred to learn Carpentry.
Prefects were new in school and we had a small room off from the Main Hall to meet and discuss matters. I am the youngest of 7 daughters and one son, with the exception of the eldest sister the girls all attended St. Thomas school. These are some of my memories, I am 90 years old and consider I had a good education at “ my school” There are still one or two of that generation still around. I hope to be there on Wednesday.
Dorothy Simmonds