Writing about end of term yesterday inspired me to look for my old school photographs and this was the first one I ever had. I was in Miss Higgins class at Priory Lane Infants School and I think this would have been 1956 I'm fifth from the left on the middle row.
School was the first time I had mixed with such a wide variety of children from such diverse backgrounds. The children I knew pre-school were my parents' friends' children. (This was in the days before playgroups and nursery schools for all.) The school drew its pupils from a wide variety of economic backgrounds and, although the picture shows bright smiling faces, I can remember several children with only vague notions of hygiene!
I was very proud of the dress I was wearing on this occasion. My father had recently been on a business trip to America and while there he had bought outfits from Macy's for my sister and I. In 1956 Britain was still in the grip of post-war austerity and that dress was truly a wonder.
I love cheeky boy, front row, third from right, slouching in his seat, grinning, and refusing to follow the instruction to put his hands neatly in his lap. And the amazing tartan shorts of the boy standing on the right...And over 30 in the class
ReplyDeleteI think the boy in the tartan shorts was a girl! Ten years later when my sister started teaching she had fifty five children in her reception class! She got out of that school as soon as she could.
DeleteWhat a good photo, I wonder where they all are now. Sandals and short socks still look so neat and tidy.
ReplyDeleteMy village primary was small and there were no school photos like this, just two classrooms so several different ages in each class. My age group had just 6, four boys and two girls. Moving to Grammar school in 1966 was quite a shock.
I'll bet it was! When I moved to Grammar School the classes were smaller than at primary school, never more than thirty. I must fish out a grammar school photo.
DeleteLoved the school picture! We never did anything like that in my school, but, I have all of my daughter's class pictures. :)
ReplyDelete