WEB PAGE NO.2792 12TH JUNE 2021 JUNIOR SCHOOL 1ST PICTURE: MY CLASS AT JUNIOR SCHOOL

2ND PICTURE:. THE DREADED OUTSIDE TOILETS

3RD PICTURE :ICE IN THE PLAYGROUND

4TH PICTURE: COCONUT MATTING

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER OF YOUR JUNIOR SCHOOL DAYS? EVEN THOUGH WE ALL CAME FROM VERY DIFFERENT FAMILIES I AM WILLING TO BET THAT WE ALL REMEMBER THE SAME OR VERY SIMILAR THINGS. TO START WITH MANY OF US REMEMBER THE DIFFERENT SMELLS AS WE PROGRESSED AROUND THE SCHOOL. FIRSTLY, WINTERS AT SCHOOL IN THE 1950’S WERE VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY ARE TODAY. MY THREE OVERWELLING MEMORIES AT SCHOOL IN WINTER ALL INVOLVE THE TEMPERATURE. THE SCHOOL HAD SOLID FUEL BOILERS WHICH WERE FIRED BY COKE WHICH WHEN AT FULL POWER FILLED THE ATMOSPERE WITH A CLINGING GASEOUS VAPOUR WHICH WAS FAR FROM PLEASANT. THE SECOND THING IS THE EXTRA DAYS OFF WHEN THE OUTSIDE TOILETS FROZE. THIS WAS A GREAT DELIGHT TO US BUT NOT SO TO OUR PARENTS. FINALLY MAKING MY WAY TO THE LOWER PLAYGROUND THROUGH THE ICE AND SNOW AND CONSTRUCTING LONG ICY SLIDES UNTIL ONE OF THE TEACHERS CALLED US OFF AND STOPPED US USING THEM. AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS I SUPPOSE! ONCE OUT OF THE PLAYGROUND IT WAS INTO THE CLOAKROOM WITH ITS PERFUME OF WET CLOTHES AND WARM KIDS WITH A SUBTILE UNDERLYING ODOUR OF CLEANING FLUID AND DISCINFECTANT. THEN IT IS OFF TO THE CLASSROOM FOR OUR NEXT NASAL EXPERIENCE. THIS CONSISTED OF CHALK DUST, POLISH, GLUE OR PASTE, MILK AND CRAYONS. THE CLASSROOM PERFUMES VARIED DEPENDING WHO THE TEACHER WAS. I REMEMBER ONE TEACHER WHO WAS ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED EVERYWHERE (I DON’T KNOW HOW IT WAS ALLOWED) BY HER CORGI, SHE ALWAYS SMELT OF DOG. ANOTHER TEACHER LIBERALLY USED EAU DE COLOGNE AND ANOTHER ASHES OF ROSES, QUITE OVER POWERING. FINALLY MANY OF THE MALE TEACHERS OFTEN PROJECTED EITHER THE SMELL OF WOODBINES OR PIPE TOBACCO AND ONE EVEN SNUFF! STILL TALKING ABOUT THE WINTERS DURING THE HARSH WINTERS IT WAS A COMMON SIGHT TO SEE THE SMALL CRATES OF MILK OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOMS WITH THE SHINY BOTTLE TOPS STANDING PROUD ABOVE THE BOTTLES ON A COLUMN OF FROZEN MILK. OF COURSE, THE ONLY WAY TO DEFROST THE SCHOOL MILK WAS TO PLACE IT BY THE RADIATOR, AND THEN WE WERE ALL DRANK WATERY, LUKEWARM MILK. OUT IN THE PLAYGROUND MOSTLY THE AIR WAS FRESHER AND CRISP IN THE WINTER. BUT THEN CAME THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN WE HAD PT OR PE IN THE OPEN AIR. THIS IS WHEN WE HAD TO GRAB AN INDIVIDUAL RUBBER MAT OR A COCONUT MAT TO LAY ON TO DO OUR EXCERCISES. BOTH THESE MATS HAD A TERRIBLE SMELL WHEN YOU LAID ON THEM. BUT THE RUBBER ONES WERE MOST DEFINITELY THE WORST ! IN MOST SCHOOLS THERE WAS ALWAYS THE OVERARCHING SMELL IN THE BACKGROUND OF SCHOOL DINNERS. SOMETHING THAT I NEVER EXPERIENCED LIVING SO CLOSE TO HOME. FINALLY, I MUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE MEDICAL INPUT AT OUR PRIMARY SCHOOL. VISITS FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT BEFORE BUT IT WOULD BREAK UP THE DAILY ROUTINE. THE NIT NURSE USED TO MAKE REGULAR VISITS TO CHECK FOR HEADLICE AND ALL THE CHILDREN IN EACH CLASS WOULD LINE UP TO BE EXAMINED IN TURN, THEIR HAIR BEING COMBED CAREFULLY WITH A NIT COMB TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY INFESTATION. THERE WERE ALSO ROUTINE EYE AND HEARING TESTS, AND VISITS FROM THE SCHOOL DENTIST. THERE WAS ALSO THE POLIO VACCINE, GIVEN AT SCHOOL TO EVERY CHILD ON A SUGAR LUMP. MEASLES, GERMAN MEASLES AND MUMPS WERE NOT VACCINATED AGAINST; MOST CHILDREN CONTRACTED THESE DISEASES IN CHILDHOOD. GERMAN MEASLESCAN AFFECT UNBORN BABIES IF CONTRACTED IN PREGNANCY, AND SO IF A GIRL IN THE CLASS CAUGHT GERMAN MEASLES, IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR HER MOTHER TO THROW A TEA PARTY FOR THE REST OF THE GIRLS SO THEY COULD ALSO CATCH THE DISEASE. OF COURSE THIS WAS ALSO THE AGE OF THE 11-PLUS, A SERIES OF TESTS THAT THE CHILDREN IN THE OLDEST CLASS AT JUNIOR SCHOOL WOULD TAKE BEFORE MOVING ON TO FURTHER EDUCATION. WE WOULD PRACTICE PREVIOUS PAPERS IN SCHOOL IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR THESE TESTS, WHICH INCLUDED WRITING AN ESSAY, A MATHS PAPER AND REASONING PAPERS DESIGNED TO TEST A CHILD’S IQ WITH A PUZZLES AND PROBLEM-SOLVING QUESTIONS. ALWAYS – AND STILL SO TODAY – A CONTENTIOUS METHOD OF SCHOOL SELECTION. AHHH MORE MEMORIES STAY IN TOUCH PETER