While searching online for events happening around about I noticed that Wetherden History Group were having an open afternoon with displays about the history of the primary school. That's where I went between 1960 and 1966 and because Col went to secondary school in the area he was at school later with people from my primary school and he had cousins at the school in the 1970's so he came to have a look too.
The school was only a tiny school. 50 pupils there when I attended and just 6 in my year group. Later in the 1980s it got down to just 24. Then the school closed and became a nursery school and playgroup but now it's closed completely.
Sadly there is just one photo from the time I was there,of a new head teacher when she started, no class photos, no school records - Nothing. Although Col found his cousins on later photos.
The year after I left the school celebrated it's centenary and a few photos of the celebrations appeared in the local paper.
There were just two people looking round that I knew. One, also a Sue, was a few years older but still lives in the village and was able to tell me about some of the people I knew. Sadly she'd just last week been to a funeral of one of the boys in this photo and told me of one other who had died last year. The other person looking round was friend W from the Suffolk Smallholders Society who is much younger than me and was one of the last children at the school when it closed.
I don't have many memories of my primary school years but they are all happy ones.Must have learned something because I passed the 11plus and went off to Grammar school in September '66. Quite a change from a small school of 50 to a big school of 500. No introductory days back then just thrown straight in on the first day of term and the only people I knew were one boy the same age as me who also passed and a couple of older boy neighbours.
Back Shortly
Sue
That's the trouble with time...it marches on regardless of what happens to individuals. x
ReplyDeleteI went back to my school in Liverpool a few years back. Although it had changed names it was still the same sturdy Victorian built school I remembered.
ReplyDeleteI loved my prep at my convent school, far better than the high school part where we were no longer treated as individuals and we were just left to adjust without any help, streamed, split up and all the children who arrived from the city primaries. No helpers allocated. My first days at the high school are still etched on my mind as an overwhelming feeling of whatever has happened, nobody told me it was going to be like this.
ReplyDeleteThe only school I remember fondly was the 'junior' one I went to in Cosham (too many years ago to admit to). Dad was in the air force so we moved a fair bit and I've never been back to any of the schools I went to. Boarding school in Germany and an all girls school in Retford Notts were quite a challenge but we got there in the end.
ReplyDeleteI have a little bit of envy for those who had a more settled life but then I wouldn't have done and seen as much if imine had been that way
I suppose schools closing is a sign of young families leaving the countryside. My old primary is still going strong but only because children from other villages are transported in. I'm surprised the education authority hasn't figured out sending them all in to town would be more cost effective. Could it be they sense the value of a rural education. I hope so.
ReplyDeleteThe school closed back in the 80's and the children are bussed to the next village which is busier. They built houses all over the school field!
DeleteMy school memories are all happy Sue - maybe we forget the bad times.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you could start a history blog for your area. I did one and it's been archived by the library of Wales!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Wisconsin, in a small village. In our grade school, we had about 300 children spread through grades K-6. When I went to middle school there were about 500 students. Right after 8th grade, my family moved to CA and I entered high school. There were over 1200 students enrolled, and I was overwhelmed at first. But I have wonderful memories of the first school I went to, an old brick building built in the late 1800's. They closed it after my 1st grade and we went into a brand spanking new school. So many changes now.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! My primary school is still there. My middle sister actually lives very close to it so I get to see it when I go back. It always amazes me how small it actually is. At the time I went there it seemed huge! There was a large hill around back that we weren't allowed up only around May Day celebrations. Sadly when I saw it as an adult it wasn't as big as I remembered!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention - I had a lovely time looking round. My daughter was pleased she came with me as she had cake!!!
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