Stalbridge C of E (Junior) School 1956-1962 as remembered by Jennifer Hunnisett (Morton).
Stalbridge (Junior) School
In 1956 I moved just 4 ½ miles to Stalbridge from Fifehead Magdalen where I had commenced my education at Stour Provost County Primary School. These are my recollections of Stalbridge Junior School as it was always referred to. The accuracy of this account is completely dependent on my memory. I am sure that many of you will be able to correct any errors or omissions and be able to add your own memories.
Parish Room Entrance
There were just four classrooms. Two of these, Classrooms 1 and 4 were in the main school building, which was surrounded by railings set into a stone wall and had an iron arched gateway for its entrance, just as it is now at the school in 2020. Between these rooms were two huge folding doors that could be opened up to make a larger space for whole school activities. Classroom 2 was in the Parish Room (now part of the Old Vicarage) adjacent to the market cross and Classroom 3 was upstairs in an extremely big room in the Red Lion inn. I can only assume the reason for the two off-site classrooms was due to the baby bulge directly after the World War II.
Jennifer Morton
I hung my black oversized,’ you will grow into it’, gaberdine mac on a peg in the porch and joined the infant class with Mrs. Custard as my teacher, a kind and well- liked, gentle but firm teacher who remained teaching at the school for many years later. Mrs. Richardson was the teacher of class 2, somewhat stricter with painted nails and very white but attractive longish curly hair. Mr. Morgan, tall with curly hair and spectacles, was the teacher of class 3. Heading up the school was Mr. Lewis the headmaster who taught the top class. I quickly learnt not to get on the wrong side of him. The cane and slipper in his office were not ornaments.
I hung my black oversized,’ you will grow into it’, gaberdine mac on a peg in the porch and joined the infant class with Mrs. Custard as my teacher, a kind and well- liked, gentle but firm teacher who remained teaching at the school for many years later. Mrs. Richardson was the teacher of class 2, somewhat stricter with painted nails and very white but attractive longish curly hair. Mr. Morgan, tall with curly hair and spectacles, was the teacher of class 3. Heading up the school was Mr. Lewis the headmaster who taught the top class. I quickly learnt not to get on the wrong side of him. The cane and slipper in his office were not ornaments.
The toilets were situated at the rear of the main building. For the infants some lower level WCs with noisy cisterns that towered them and a chain to pull for the flush, with higher ones for the older children. This was a big improvement on the thunder boxes housed in an open topped shed at my previous school.
The school canteen was across the road and up the alleyway alongside Lovelace’s garage. It smelt very strongly of boiled cabbage which I associated with caterpillars and although subsequently I became a great lover of school dinners, I was very grateful to my mum who at that time allowed me to go home for lunch.
In the infant class Mrs. Custard patiently taught us to read and write. We read Janet and John and used wax crayons on thick paper or small slates with chalk for writing. We also had the dubious opportunity to take part in ‘Music and Movement’ broadcast to schools by the BBC. When we could dance lightly around the room, pretending to be a cloud, floating high and floating low, to the music being relayed through a large wooden speaker on the floor.
An early learning challenge was to learn to write your own name in full. I clearly remember thinking it would have been a lot easier for me to do this if my parents had called me ‘Ian Ross’ or ‘John Dike’ that had far less letters in than ‘Jennifer Morton’.
Mrs. Custard taught us sewing, in particular how to make a stuffed duck, which proved to be my downfall. We were meticulously taken through each stage of its construction, cutting out, tacking together, running stitches, turning inside out and stuffing and finally sewing up the remaining hole.
Although academically I felt I worked reasonable hard, I considered, throughout my entire school life, that needlework lessons were an opportunity to talk. Consequently, by the time I got to the stuffing stage my progress was falling significantly behind that of my classmates. The instruction was to cut up scrap material into ½ inch squares and stuff the duck with these, through the small hole left for this purpose. I set to work cutting the squares, my pile was small and it felt like an endless task. Nevertheless, I was soon in the queue at Mrs. Custards desk ready for checking. She looked inside each duck to ensure the squares were the right size, squeezed she squeezed them for firmness and evenness, before giving her approval for the final hole to be sown up. Those in front of me were clearly getting the nod. When my turn came, she looked inside and saw ½ inch squares, then she squashed it saying ‘this feels a little hard’. Then she investigated further, removing my well-cut squares and them started to extract very large pieces of cotton material resembling may Dad’s old shirt, I had been rumbled. So, it was back to the scissors for more cutting. I never did forgive or even like, that duck.
Although academically I felt I worked reasonable hard, I considered, throughout my entire school life, that needlework lessons were an opportunity to talk. Consequently, by the time I got to the stuffing stage my progress was falling significantly behind that of my classmates. The instruction was to cut up scrap material into ½ inch squares and stuff the duck with these, through the small hole left for this purpose. I set to work cutting the squares, my pile was small and it felt like an endless task. Nevertheless, I was soon in the queue at Mrs. Custards desk ready for checking. She looked inside each duck to ensure the squares were the right size, squeezed she squeezed them for firmness and evenness, before giving her approval for the final hole to be sown up. Those in front of me were clearly getting the nod. When my turn came, she looked inside and saw ½ inch squares, then she squashed it saying ‘this feels a little hard’. Then she investigated further, removing my well-cut squares and them started to extract very large pieces of cotton material resembling may Dad’s old shirt, I had been rumbled. So, it was back to the scissors for more cutting. I never did forgive or even like, that duck.
Back row L to R Barry Ingram, Colin Chubb, Philip Wooley, Freddie Clarkson, Barry Mogg, Peter Gillingham, Derek Rawles,
Francis Jeans, Richard Hedditch, Stephen Chant, Alexander Brisborne.
Standing L to R Ian Semple, Michael Lewis, Elizabeth Semple, Marlene Batten, Shirley Caines, Carole Miles, Sally Stone, Margaret Hann, Olive Goobey, Susan Chant, Mary Wilson, Richard Rose, Peter Jackson
Seated L to R Gillian Lawrence, Angeline Dowding, Rachel Dober, Susan Davidge, Veronica Spicer, Penny Stubbs,
Patricia Cameron, Linda Howard, Christine Sneade, Carolyn Vincent, Jennifer Morton
Front Row L to R Barry Cross, Geoffrey Jeans, Ricky Clarkson, Graham Carter, Peter Watkins
Teacher: Mr John Healey
Francis Jeans, Richard Hedditch, Stephen Chant, Alexander Brisborne.
Standing L to R Ian Semple, Michael Lewis, Elizabeth Semple, Marlene Batten, Shirley Caines, Carole Miles, Sally Stone, Margaret Hann, Olive Goobey, Susan Chant, Mary Wilson, Richard Rose, Peter Jackson
Seated L to R Gillian Lawrence, Angeline Dowding, Rachel Dober, Susan Davidge, Veronica Spicer, Penny Stubbs,
Patricia Cameron, Linda Howard, Christine Sneade, Carolyn Vincent, Jennifer Morton
Front Row L to R Barry Cross, Geoffrey Jeans, Ricky Clarkson, Graham Carter, Peter Watkins
Teacher: Mr John Healey
The annual sports day took place at the playing fields in the park, where the white liner came out to mark out the lanes for the races, and someone, possible Dick Meader, used a starting gun to start the races. We had to walk hand in hand from school up Gold Street to the park, which as an infant seemed a long way. I remember one particular house with a low bay window on the north side of Gold Street, we used to stop and look at what we thought was a snake asleep in the window sill, to see if we could see it move. Eventually it was pointed out to me that it was used postage stamps treaded on string and curled to look like a snake. It certainly provided us with some entertainment.
Sports day races always included the traditional egg and spoon race usual won by Rachel Dober, three-legged, wheelbarrow races and of course sack races in the traditional West of England hessian potato sacks. Other favorites were the catch the train race involving running with suitcases dressed up in oversized adult clothing. The slow bicycle race was great fun as were the sometimes, embarrassing Mother’s race and the Father’s race.
Sports day races always included the traditional egg and spoon race usual won by Rachel Dober, three-legged, wheelbarrow races and of course sack races in the traditional West of England hessian potato sacks. Other favorites were the catch the train race involving running with suitcases dressed up in oversized adult clothing. The slow bicycle race was great fun as were the sometimes, embarrassing Mother’s race and the Father’s race.
We were divided in to houses for sporting activities. These were named after saints, I guess the connection being that we were a ‘Church of England School’. St. Francis (green) they usually won everything, St. Michael (blue), they very occasionally won or came second, St. Mary who came a close third in everything and then there was the house that I was in, St. Anne who came last, not fourth! One of my most enjoyable times at junior school was participating in team games. This was done in houses and we felt very important being in the same team as the older girls but I bet they thought we were a nuisance.
Back row L to R Robert Newell, Richard Hedditch, Peter Gillingham, Frank Dike, Richard Rose, Philip Jeans, Keith Bealing, Peter Jackson, Alexander Brisborne
Standing L to R Jane Harris, Marlene, Batten, Heather Everett, Jennifer Clothier, Sally Stone, Lorna King, Margaret Hann, Olive Goobey, Janet Arnold, Mary Wilson, Elizabeth Semple
Seated L to R Elizabeth Andrews, Jennifer Morton, Rachel Dober, Linda Howard, Patricia Cameron, Elizabeth Evans, Veronica Spicer, Susan Davidge, Gillian Lawrence, Carolyn Vincent
Front Row L to R Ricky Clarkson, Michael Curtis, Barry Cross
Teacher: Mr. Lewis
Standing L to R Jane Harris, Marlene, Batten, Heather Everett, Jennifer Clothier, Sally Stone, Lorna King, Margaret Hann, Olive Goobey, Janet Arnold, Mary Wilson, Elizabeth Semple
Seated L to R Elizabeth Andrews, Jennifer Morton, Rachel Dober, Linda Howard, Patricia Cameron, Elizabeth Evans, Veronica Spicer, Susan Davidge, Gillian Lawrence, Carolyn Vincent
Front Row L to R Ricky Clarkson, Michael Curtis, Barry Cross
Teacher: Mr. Lewis
I was appointed ‘afternoon tea monitor’ which meant I trotted off to the Red Lion to tell Mr. Morgan that his tea was ready for him to come and collect, not being big enough or trusted to take it to him? The classroom in the Red Lion was enormous, almost certainly the biggest room I had ever been in. It was quite daunting as a 6 year old to have to walk the length of the room past all the older children to convey this message and make the return journey past them again, surely it would have been easier to have put my head around the door and shouted tea up!! This, in later years, puzzled me, why did he not just look at the time on the classroom clock or his watch to know it was teatime? Or maybe it was code for something else.
Another big event of the year was the school play. These took place in the old hut/picture house on the site of the current village hall. Mrs. Custard announced that it would be ‘The Three Pigs’ this year. Parts were duly allocated. However, Susan Chant cried because she was not cast as a pig, so it quickly became ‘The Four Pigs’. Robert Doney and myself were the big bad wolves, taking in turns to blow the houses down.
We walked hand in hand to the hall, in December in the cold and rain, along the High Street and past the Ring for both rehearsals and the performances. I remember the hall roof leaked and it was freezing. It was dark inside and there were traditional cinema seats, that when folded down were nearly as tall as us. Throughout all the performances you could hear the seats banging up and down and children falling off them.
We walked hand in hand to the hall, in December in the cold and rain, along the High Street and past the Ring for both rehearsals and the performances. I remember the hall roof leaked and it was freezing. It was dark inside and there were traditional cinema seats, that when folded down were nearly as tall as us. Throughout all the performances you could hear the seats banging up and down and children falling off them.
Being a Church of England school, the school carol service was held in St. Mary’s Parish Church. I was the youngest reader selected to read a lesson from St. Luke 1 v. 25:29 the Angel Gabriel visits Mary. The reading was written out on card for me and I learnt it off by heart. It contained the big words ‘espoused’ and ‘salutation. ’I can still recite it and have read it at several carol services since.
Marion Richardson Script
I progressed from infants to Mrs. Richardson’s Class 2 in the Parish Room.
The school considered handwriting a very important subject.
Our first handwriting books had four faint guidelines across the pages, the two in the centre to gauge the size of lowercase letters and the outer lines for sizing capitals and tall letters such as ‘h’ and long letters like ‘y’. In class 2 we moved on to ‘joined up writing’. We were taught to use the ‘Marion Richardson (no relation that I am aware of) script’ style of handwriting. One of its characteristics is that there are no joining loops on either the tops or bottoms of letters such as ‘g’ and’ y’. In the event of a loop being found in your handwriting you were strongly reprimanded to a point that you never forgot, hence my reference to it here. We did this using ‘dip pens’ a thick metal nib fixed to the end of a wooden handle. The desks had inkwells which required regular filling by the ink monitors
All in all, it was a very messy exercise, lots of smudges and blue blots and blue fingers, and ink saturated pink blotting paper to mop it up! We had to wait until top class or class 4 before we could use a fountain pen, which had a stretchy rubber sack inside to hold the ink that was syphoned from the inkwell into the pen using the lever on the side, for what it’s worth this was not a lot cleaner.
The school considered handwriting a very important subject.
Our first handwriting books had four faint guidelines across the pages, the two in the centre to gauge the size of lowercase letters and the outer lines for sizing capitals and tall letters such as ‘h’ and long letters like ‘y’. In class 2 we moved on to ‘joined up writing’. We were taught to use the ‘Marion Richardson (no relation that I am aware of) script’ style of handwriting. One of its characteristics is that there are no joining loops on either the tops or bottoms of letters such as ‘g’ and’ y’. In the event of a loop being found in your handwriting you were strongly reprimanded to a point that you never forgot, hence my reference to it here. We did this using ‘dip pens’ a thick metal nib fixed to the end of a wooden handle. The desks had inkwells which required regular filling by the ink monitors
All in all, it was a very messy exercise, lots of smudges and blue blots and blue fingers, and ink saturated pink blotting paper to mop it up! We had to wait until top class or class 4 before we could use a fountain pen, which had a stretchy rubber sack inside to hold the ink that was syphoned from the inkwell into the pen using the lever on the side, for what it’s worth this was not a lot cleaner.
For this class the school play was to be ‘The Queen of Hearts she made some tarts’. I was cast as a maid. We wore our costumes were made of very flimsy, white crepe paper with red cardboard hearts sewn on.
Mrs. Richardson taught us embroidery. We made samplers showing off, cross stitch, chain stitch, herringbone stitch and Dorset featherstitch.
Mrs. Richardson taught us embroidery. We made samplers showing off, cross stitch, chain stitch, herringbone stitch and Dorset featherstitch.
Babes in the Woods
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Alice in Wonderland
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It was, I think, in 1959, that three modern classrooms were built together with a staff room, headmasters office and a brand-new kitchen linking to the main school. Other additions were a new playground with a pre-marked area for hopscotch and some climbing equipment. There was also a sand pit for long jump and high jump and a fenced netball court with goal posts.
Mrs. Richardson and Mr. Morgan left the school.
Mrs. Smith from Swanage joined to take charge of Class 2. She was very keen on nature and took us on nature walks down towards the sawmills. Later she led the 1st Stalbridge Brownie Pack taking over from Pam Treasure as Brown Owl.
Mr. John Healey took charge of Class 3. He was very keen on sport and went on to be a great asset to Stalbridge Football Club. He was also very keen with the ruler, across our front of the hand, if we did not behave. I felt it just the once, for talking, it stung.
Mrs. Richardson and Mr. Morgan left the school.
Mrs. Smith from Swanage joined to take charge of Class 2. She was very keen on nature and took us on nature walks down towards the sawmills. Later she led the 1st Stalbridge Brownie Pack taking over from Pam Treasure as Brown Owl.
Mr. John Healey took charge of Class 3. He was very keen on sport and went on to be a great asset to Stalbridge Football Club. He was also very keen with the ruler, across our front of the hand, if we did not behave. I felt it just the once, for talking, it stung.
Dinner Ladies Peggy Adams, May Scovell, Betty Archer, Lilly Parsons and Iris Lane
The Cook in the new kitchen was Miss. Iris Lane, who rode her bicycle daily from Stourton Caundle. She was ably assisted by Mrs. Eileen Rose and Mrs. Doris Sneade, good neighbours of ours in Waterlake and Grosvenor Road, so no bad behavior, else it would get back to Mum faster than I could walk home.
For lunch we sat, in the dining area/ hall at tables in groups of eights, four each side and enjoyed delicious meals that were served from the hatch. I remember particularly good Bakewell tarts, lovely puddings with custard as well as a meat filled steak and kidney pie. Before going in to eat lunch, we had our hands checked by Mrs. Smith for cleanness. I was regularly sent back to wash mine again, as they were too grubby. Mr. Healey checked that our plates were empty before we they were cleared. It was no good spreading something you did not like around the plate hoping that you would get away with it. He would come along and describe your plate as ‘scrappy’ and expect you to clear it if you wanted a pudding.
I became the ‘dinner numbers monitor’, going around to each classroom daily after register, with a note book, taking a note of how many would be having dinner that day. Then letting Miss. Lane know the total. This was a good move as Miss. Lane seemed to like me and this proved very useful when it came to second helpings! It was not long before I was promoted to a dinner server alongside the more senior girls Joan Custard and Susan Hedditch. At that time there was a Senior School in Stalbridge, at the top of church hill, more usually known as ‘top school’ which delivered secondary education.
The top school pupils came down to the junior school for the first sitting of lunch. Dinner servers also had their lunch at the same sitting. I remember on more than one occasion using our spoons for a water flicking fight with some of the girls from the top school, what bad manners! The servers laid up the tables then served lunch to the junior school children, delivering platefuls of food from the hatch to each table and clearing afterwards, another opportunity to keep in with the head cook! At this time the cost of a school meal was one shilling per day (5p) and remained at that price for many years to come.
There was also of course, our stalwart lunchtime, playground assistant Mrs. Archer who served the school well for countless years. She had to sort more grazed knees and playground disagreements than we had hot dinners.
For lunch we sat, in the dining area/ hall at tables in groups of eights, four each side and enjoyed delicious meals that were served from the hatch. I remember particularly good Bakewell tarts, lovely puddings with custard as well as a meat filled steak and kidney pie. Before going in to eat lunch, we had our hands checked by Mrs. Smith for cleanness. I was regularly sent back to wash mine again, as they were too grubby. Mr. Healey checked that our plates were empty before we they were cleared. It was no good spreading something you did not like around the plate hoping that you would get away with it. He would come along and describe your plate as ‘scrappy’ and expect you to clear it if you wanted a pudding.
I became the ‘dinner numbers monitor’, going around to each classroom daily after register, with a note book, taking a note of how many would be having dinner that day. Then letting Miss. Lane know the total. This was a good move as Miss. Lane seemed to like me and this proved very useful when it came to second helpings! It was not long before I was promoted to a dinner server alongside the more senior girls Joan Custard and Susan Hedditch. At that time there was a Senior School in Stalbridge, at the top of church hill, more usually known as ‘top school’ which delivered secondary education.
The top school pupils came down to the junior school for the first sitting of lunch. Dinner servers also had their lunch at the same sitting. I remember on more than one occasion using our spoons for a water flicking fight with some of the girls from the top school, what bad manners! The servers laid up the tables then served lunch to the junior school children, delivering platefuls of food from the hatch to each table and clearing afterwards, another opportunity to keep in with the head cook! At this time the cost of a school meal was one shilling per day (5p) and remained at that price for many years to come.
There was also of course, our stalwart lunchtime, playground assistant Mrs. Archer who served the school well for countless years. She had to sort more grazed knees and playground disagreements than we had hot dinners.
Mr Healey
I moved up to class 3, where Mr. Healey introduced us to History, mainly the Romans and Gladiators and Geography when we individually wrote off to tourist information offices for free resort guides and maps etc. and regurgitated the information we had collected in a handmade booklet of our own. It is because of this I have an affinity with Lyme Regis, Kenilworth and Bangor in North Wales.
In around 1960 the new Sturminster Newton Secondary Modern School was opened and the top school closed. As a result of this the junior school inherited a vaulting box and spring board and sports mats. Using this Mr. Healey set up our first ever after school club, gymnastics on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour. He taught us how to vault over the box, first width wise and then lengthwise, we advanced to forward rolls and flips over the top and flying star jumps, when he caught us, most of the time.
There were no leotards, just normal PT (physical training) kit of an aertex shirt and thick bottle green knickers or shorts for the boys, plus plimsolls or daps as we called them. We were well disciplined with all participants lined up in height order awaiting their turn to jump over the box one at a time, tallest first and me bringing up the rear.
In around 1960 the new Sturminster Newton Secondary Modern School was opened and the top school closed. As a result of this the junior school inherited a vaulting box and spring board and sports mats. Using this Mr. Healey set up our first ever after school club, gymnastics on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour. He taught us how to vault over the box, first width wise and then lengthwise, we advanced to forward rolls and flips over the top and flying star jumps, when he caught us, most of the time.
There were no leotards, just normal PT (physical training) kit of an aertex shirt and thick bottle green knickers or shorts for the boys, plus plimsolls or daps as we called them. We were well disciplined with all participants lined up in height order awaiting their turn to jump over the box one at a time, tallest first and me bringing up the rear.
Finally, I moved up to class 4 or top class, where I was to spend 3 years. The Autumn Term was spent almost entirely on preparing and rehearsing for the School Christmas Pantomime. There were lots of songs to be learnt and even more words to remember plus a dance routine. Mrs. Lewis would come to school to play the piano. ‘Stress’ was not a word we used in those days, but on reflection this was definitely a stressful time. Rather too much shouting and too many tears.
Our parents were asked to make a wide assortment of costumes. Mrs. Florrie Hughes was in charge of make- up. She made us up, using different coloured powders, rouge, lipstick and black eyebrow pencils, adding special features like whiskers were required. By now we had a portable stage that was erected in the dining area/hall.
Productions included ‘Alice in Wonderland’, myself appearing as ‘the Queen of Hearts, and the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Babes in the Wood’ in which I was type cast as a fairy in both, they didn’t get that right! There was one afternoon and two evening productions, each lasting more than two hours. The proceeds went towards buying additional equipment for the school. One year the profits purchased a Grundig Tape Recorder for £26. We used it to produce a talking newspaper amongst other things.
Our parents were asked to make a wide assortment of costumes. Mrs. Florrie Hughes was in charge of make- up. She made us up, using different coloured powders, rouge, lipstick and black eyebrow pencils, adding special features like whiskers were required. By now we had a portable stage that was erected in the dining area/hall.
Productions included ‘Alice in Wonderland’, myself appearing as ‘the Queen of Hearts, and the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Babes in the Wood’ in which I was type cast as a fairy in both, they didn’t get that right! There was one afternoon and two evening productions, each lasting more than two hours. The proceeds went towards buying additional equipment for the school. One year the profits purchased a Grundig Tape Recorder for £26. We used it to produce a talking newspaper amongst other things.
Singing Together
Throughout the year we took part in the ‘Singing Together’ on Mondays and ‘Rhythm and Melody’ on Thursdays. Singing Together was a BBC Radio schools series which ran from 25 September 1939 to 29 March 2001, with repeats until 25 June 2004. Its origins were in Community Singing which was considered necessary at the outbreak of the Second World War following the mass evacuation of children. Each term the songs were published in black and white books. We innocently sang such songs as ‘Rule Britain’, ‘Old Zip Coon’ and ‘Dy’e Ken John Peel’ all of which nowadays have some political connotation. Super to hear some of these songs still sung by the Morris men in pubs, these folk songs provide us with an informative historic record, set to music. ‘Rhythm and Melody’ included more music theory and was less appealing.
Mondays, during the summer term, were eventful for a different reason – swimming! It was not always hot and sunny when we were young. Stalbridge School had a slot booked at the outdoor and unheated, Victoria Swimming Bath at Gillingham from 9.30 to 10.30am. We set off in Lewis Coaches, come wind or rain, with towel and costume tucked under our arm. To be blunt, I learnt to swim badly, by being pushed in! Afterwards we made our way home, our teeth chattering and our bodies shivering with the cold. In the bus we sang songs until we reached the railway level crossing at Stalbridge Station where we would stop and wait for ‘the Pines Express’ to pass through, hoping the wait would be prolonged thus avoiding lessons.
Academically we were all being prepared for the dreaded 11+. We had examinations and school reports each term. Mrs. Joyce Harris the school secretary, would take us individually for ‘private reading’ in the school office. This would form the basis of our exam results for reading. Each term we would have the same spelling test with 100 words to spell, 4 on each line. They included words such as ‘source’ ‘anniversary’ ‘kernel’ and the very last word in the test was ‘hydraulic’. See they have come in useful, got them correct first time. Arithmetic was subdivided into three elements:
- Mechanical Arithmetic covering addition, subtraction, multiplication and (long) division as well as fractions and decimals. Currency was Pounds (£) shillings (s) and pence (d) there being 12 pence (coppers) to a shilling and 20 shillings (bob) to a pound (quid). Similar for weights and measures 16 ounces (oz) to a pound (lb.) 14 pounds to a stone, 8 stone in one hundred weight (cwt) and 20 hundredweight in a ton. 12 inches in a foot, 3 foot in a yard and 22 yards in a chain, 10 chains in a furlong and 8 furlongs to a mile. All of this made applying the basic elements of arithmetic somewhat harder.
- Problems where we were asked if 5 bicycles cost £75 how much would 23 bicycles cost. I used to think, what’s the point, who would want to buy 23 bicycles?
- Mental arithmetic. Mr. Lewis would randomly pick pupils out individually and fire a question at them. This was a daunting experience to those newly moved up to class 4 not prepared for this. The desks were set out on three sides of the classroom with Mr. Lewis standing in the middle. I was grateful to one of the older pupils (Ian Semple) when I was asked, how many pints in a gallon, and I did not have a clue of the answer. Ian held up 8 fingers behind Mr. Lewis back. I think Mr. Lewis was quite impressed with my correct answer, he being none the wiser, but I was!
Punishment for the older children was in the form of the slipper (an old plimsoll) or the cane. It was mainly boys that were on the receiving end of this, and mainly two particular boys who will remain nameless. I don’t think either of them were particularly naughty, just mischievous and daring.
At least twice a week the Reverend Derrick Sanders would visit the school either taking the school assembly or giving us scripture lessons. I would describe him as a harum-scarum and fun, he played a big part in our growing up in Stalbridge.
Rev. D Saunders
Throughout our time at the junior school, Mrs. Custard continued to persevere with teaching us to sew. Perhaps someone could remind me what the boys did whilst the girls were busy with needlework. I made a skirt with an elasticated waist, which years later, was sewn together at the hem to make a cover for my second hand Singer sewing machine that I purchased. I made a pair of pyjamas, from pale green floral Winceyette, not easy, learning how to do French seams and button holes. I got a second prize for handicrafts, in the children’s section of the annual Stalbridge Flower and Produce Show for these (only two entrants). Finally, I made a very modern and loudly coloured striped blouse which I still wish I had now.
Mr Lewis (Headmaster)
The older children went on an annual school outing from Stalbridge Station, on a train especially chartered for school children, accompanied by their teachers and parents. Two of these outings went to Staines, from there a boat trip on the River Thames and then a bus to London Airport to see the planes take off and land. On the first trip, the highlight for me was my friend Rachel’s dad Mr. Dober buying me an ‘Orange Maid ice-lolly’ on the boat ride. The highlight of the second trip was much more exciting. Nanette Francis had two seemly much older visiting cousins accompany us on the trip. It was with a bit of encouragement from them that some ‘Babycham’ was purchased from the buffet car and consequently consumed. Naming no names, but someone was severely reprimanded, Mr. Lewis was not best pleased.
A third trip was to the Isle of Wight, this was the closest most of us had got to travelling abroad. We went by train to Southampton and then on the Isle of Wight ferry to Cowes. From here we went on a coach tour of the island with many stopping places including Carisbrooke Castle where the donkey operates the water wheel and Alum Bay where we purchased souvenirs with coloured sands in glass tubes. We made the final stop at a tea shop, where we took our seats for refreshment. It was not long before we got the call, ‘quickly everyone back on the bus or we will miss the ferry’, leaving lots of uneaten cream and jam filled scones and cakes. Luckily Colin’s dad, Mr. Elliot from Stalbridge Weston had the foresight to grab some, no, grab a lot of doggy bags and fill them with all the goodies still to be consumed. These made for a very enjoyable journey home.
A third trip was to the Isle of Wight, this was the closest most of us had got to travelling abroad. We went by train to Southampton and then on the Isle of Wight ferry to Cowes. From here we went on a coach tour of the island with many stopping places including Carisbrooke Castle where the donkey operates the water wheel and Alum Bay where we purchased souvenirs with coloured sands in glass tubes. We made the final stop at a tea shop, where we took our seats for refreshment. It was not long before we got the call, ‘quickly everyone back on the bus or we will miss the ferry’, leaving lots of uneaten cream and jam filled scones and cakes. Luckily Colin’s dad, Mr. Elliot from Stalbridge Weston had the foresight to grab some, no, grab a lot of doggy bags and fill them with all the goodies still to be consumed. These made for a very enjoyable journey home.
We also learnt country dancing in preparation for the annual Bovington Dance Festival. The girls wore flared skirts with our PT shirts and the boys coloured bands worn diagonally across their chest. Our dance repertoire included the ‘Haste to the Wedding’ and ‘Dashing White Sargent’. Boys were not best pleased with this dancing lark and the girls were not particularly keen to hold the hands of boys with dirty finger nails!
Carey Camp Wareham
I suppose the biggest adventure we went on was when we spent a week away from our parents at Carey Camp in Wareham Forest. It is still a Dorset Council Outdoor Education Centre. We slept in brown ridge tents with guy ropes. We slept on top of a palliasse, a large bag made of strong, stiff material such as calico linen. This was filled with straw, horsehair, wool or feathers to make a mattress. Under these we had a rubber ground sheet. We slept inside sheet sleeping bags with three army style blankets folded around us to ensure we stayed warm with three layers under us and three above. We learn to peel potatoes (spuds) turning a big handle on a very large metal spud basher. It was not very efficient leaving lots of peel on the potato. We made sandwiches using margarine as it was allegedly easier to spread than butter. We had outings to Brownsea Island and to Corfe Castle and a boat trip from Wareham Quay to Poole Harbour where we visited Poole Pottery.
Corfe Castle
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Collectively the aforementioned provided us with a sound footing for moving on to our respective secondary schools. Much of what we did and learned during our time at Stalbridge Junior School, developed our characters and established our likes and dislikes and set us up to lead the lives we have since enjoyed. Whilst at school I made lifelong friendships and I have very happy memories of my time at Stalbridge Junior School and can think of no better place to have spent my early learning years.
