Web Page No 2474

12^th May  2018

First Picture: Fun on the ice

Second Picture:  Sledging in the street

Third Picture:  Tatty copy of the Beano

Wet Playtime

Whilst tidying up my granddaughter’s toy box that she keeps in our house I was putting old books and comics back in the box when I suddenly remembered putting things away in special boxes in the classroom at junior school after we had to stay in as it was a rainy playtime and we could not go out to play.

Rain at playtime must have been a big problem for the teachers as they had to stay in with us and keep control after having made a dash off to the staff room to collect their breaktime tea or coffee. This meant that they got no rest from classroom duties.  As pupils we were totally unaware of this extra duty they had to take on and to be honest it really did not matter to us at the time. Occasionally if two of the classrooms were close together one teacher would supervise both leaving the other free to retreat to the Staff Room. A wet lunch time was different as those having school dinners were all shepherded into the dining area and then they were the responsibility of the dinner ladies until the afternoon teaching session.

Rainy or frosty playtimes was always unpopular with us as pupils, as we needed time to get some fresh air and to run around and dispel some of our energy and to just get out of the classroom.

So, what did we do on those wet days? There was always a box of very back dated comics to look at, I have no idea where they come from but they were always available, but after a month or so of the autumn or winter terms we had read them all and were bored with them. There was a box of well-played with toys which must have been around for many years as they were all badly bent or scratched or both. There were also games and jigsaws but you could never guarantee that all the parts would be there!!!

Around Christmas time the wet days were less of a problem because we could all be employed in sticking paper strips together to make paper chains or Chinese lanterns for either home or the classroom. Once these chains and lanterns were made and hung up the classroom became an Aladdin’s cave of crepe paper and tinsel.

We all had our favourite games and the one time I remember that we were allowed to take our own games into school was the last afternoon of every term and it was then that we were allowed to take a favourite game into school to play with during the afternoon.  

One of the worst parts of staying in during playtime was that the classroom would get so stuffy even though the door was opened regularly when the cry ’Can I go to the toilet Miss’ was heard.

Needless to say the classrooms were well controlled by the teachers, not necessarily silent but the noise being held down to a gentle rumble of conversation, no shouting, loud voices and definitely no arguing, actually looking back this sort of playtime was hardly any break at all and I know that we would eagerly await the Spring and Summer Terms when we knew that we would be able to play outside to our hearts content.

However, there was one bonus on very cold frosty or snowy days and that it was possible, in our lower playground, to build long ice slides. These slides were enjoyed by many children until the caretaker came along with a bucket of ashes from the boiler house and covered them over as these slides were deemed, by the powers that be, to be dangerous. Still it was always fun whilst it lasted and I remember many a fall and torn trouser leg but I cannot remember a broken leg or foot happening the whole of the time I was in Junior School. By the time we had moved up to senior school we were too old for this type of thing!!!

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Yours

Peter

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News and Views:

On this day 12th May 1960-1965.

On 12/05/1960 the number one single was Cathy's Clown - Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Wagon Train (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions

On 12/05/1961 the number one single was Blue Moon - The Marcels and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 12/05/1962 the number one single was Wonderful Land - The Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 12/05/1963 the number one single was From Me To You - The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Liberal Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 12/05/1964 the number one single was Don't Throw Your Love Away - Searchers and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 12/05/1965 the number one single was King of the Road - Roger Miller and the number one album was Beatles For Sale - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.