Well it is a few weeks before my eldest son Luke starts secondary school for the first time. I think I am more excited about it than he is. I feel like it is me about to venture into the big school all over again. Obviously, I cannot and would not want to, live Luke's life for him but it hasn't stopped me remembering my senior school so I thought what a good idea for a blog......memories of school.
I remember the first day of Seven Kings High School Lower Site. My Mum took me that day and I was dressed in full uniform, blazer, crisp shirt, ironed skirt and tie. I think it was the only day I wore a tie but hey the novelty was there to start with. Luke is lucky, he gets clip on ties so it is a hell of a lot easier.
I remember standing in the playground and eventually being called to get into line, the class that would soon be my form all assembled together. I had been to a fairly big Junior School so although bigger, Seven Kings was not as frightening as it could have been.
I remember my first classroom as clear as anything, it was on the ground floor and right in the corner with Miss Quinney as my form teacher. I remember looking around and not knowing that many people in my class, from what I can remember, Shireen Greenaway was the only girl I knew. We had the old fashioned desks with the ink holes in them, they lifted up so you could put your stuff in them. I'll never forget a few faces in my form, not surprising we spent the next five years together. Rodrique Campbell Evans, Dipak Patel, Nicola Matthews, Lorraine Jones - tney seemed to gel as a group along with Shireen.
I tended to keep myself to myself at first but did notice the girls over by the window. They turned out to be Ceri Harrington, Shelley Wyatt, Coral Payton and Megan Bertie. This was the little group I ended up attaching too, although for the first few days I couldn't understand why Coral was in our class as she was obviously so much older than us - wrong, she was just very tall!!!!!!
I was one of those who could get on with most people, so I flicked from the cool crowd to the intelligent crowd to the boys. I have always got on better with boys so I soon became good friends with Dainon Cracknell, Jamie Dear, Paul Marsh and Stephen Goater. It saddens me that both Paul and Stephen have passed away so young. But I have such good memories of both of them, that I will never ever forget them. Dainon turned out to be my best friend and worst nightmare rolled into one!!! But that really is a whole new blog!
The first few days were a bit nerve wracking as we had to learn where all our rooms were for each lesson and also manage to get to our lockers in between lessons to get our next set of books. I think I have always been organised and the easiest way for me, was to carry everything I needed for the day with me at all times.
I remember having RE, for those youngsters that is Religious Education, with Mr Patterson. He really liked me that first few months, I really knuckled down and I remember writing a great piece on the Church, even drawing a picture to accompany it. I got a merit for that piece of work and I was so proud of myself. He didn't like me much after that, I have this thing that people either love me or hate me, no middle ground LOL!!!!
At the lower site I also remember Miss Boulton our French teacher. I despised her and her whole attitude. I'll never forget the whole class getting kept behind once, for what I cannot remember, but not one of us would admit to being the guilty one. Eventually, she let us go one at a time, and as I left the room, the wind caught the door and it slammed. Great!!! The next day, she pulled me to her, pushed me against a wall and shouted at me. I tell you if a teacher laid a hand on one of my kids, I would certainly have something to say! I was fuming and I considered going home. Funny thing is though, I was contacted on Facebook a few years ago by someone desperately trying to find out what Boulton was like back then, seems she is still a b***h nowadays!
I also remember cookery and HE (Home Economics), I hated both and was always forgetting my ingredients or my materials. I even feigned illness once as I hadn't bothered with my ingredients, thinking spending the lesson in sick would get me off, but it didn't, the office made me go up and see the cookery teacher who could see through me like glass. Still I didn't like it, so I wasn't going to put any effort into it.
It was during one HE lesson that a group of us, in all our wisdom, decided to tell one of the other class members about their personal hygiene problem. I wouldn't name the person but it didn't go down too well and the poor person cried. We had all been so tactful aswell but it still saddens me that by trying to help them, we made them feel so bad.
I wasn't really keen on many lessons. I have always been of the mind, if I enjoy it, I'll give 100%, if I don't I'll give the least I have to. So Science was another one that I hated. I could never grasp physics or Chemistry although I found Biology quite interesting even though I wasn't very good at it. I also wasn't that interested in Geography or History or Art. Mr Williams was my teacher for science in the lower years and I know the poor man just couldn't understand why I wasn't able to grasp these scientific concepts!!!
I think I only enjoyed Drama and English in the lower site. I gave both my all and it showed in my results. I tried in Maths but I wasn't any good at that either. I did enjoy PE because you got to do so many different things but I hated the showers. Can you all remember the dreaded showers? Having to strip off in front of your fellow pupils, bits on show......I dreaded it.....and the teachers who only one name I can remember, Miss Purvis, took great delight in checking you were actually in the cubicles. I used to get to the curtain, run in and out again. So if they checked, my skin was wet! Don't know why I was so shy because nowadays, with a body a hell of a lot worse than it was then, I wouldn't give a monkeys!!!!!
The one thing I hated about PE at that school was doing Cross Country, I hated it and will always remember the run from a park, right round it and back to school. I was not a runner so it used to be the dread of the year for me. That along with athletics event. I was never going to win but I did try each year doing the 800m. I tried a lot of things, gymnastics and football, netball and basketball but I am not a natural sportswoman other than in swimming. That was something I loved and I did my grades and medals over the years. I will never forget Stephen Goater and I both taking our Bronze Medallion but failing, we both found it so hard that day and I never got the chance to retake it sadly. I did use to swim for the school but on one gala I was mortified as I had received the dreaded montly curse and was unable to swim. My Mum had to write a note to Mr Scott and the only paper we had was illuminous yellow.....I was so embarrassed.
Drama was my passion but our wonderful teacher Miss Tolson did not see me as one of her pets. So therefore, regardless of what talent I did or didn't have, it wasn't until the upper school years that I got a proper chance.
I must have loads of memories of the Lower Site but they are just a few that spring to mind. I made some great friends at the beginning of the secondary years and it is wonderful to be in touch with so many again on facebook and to see how they have grown up into lovely people. They weren't all in my form class but I do remember fondly, Joanne Husk, Emma Dawkin, Cassie Rock, Laura Stammers, Lee Wilton, Leigh Chalkley, Mark Fage and Ross Green. And how can anyone forget Andrew Brown who joined us at some point? The musical genius who actually, if my memory is correct reminds me of the late Stephen Gateley. Does anyone else remember him? Oh and if I haven't mentioned you, its not because I don't remember you, I just can't list you all!!!!
I love remembering these few memories and picturing the old building with the staircases in the corners and the boys and girls corridors. How many of us used to try and go through the one we weren't supposed to?! And the little tuck shop by the boys corridor! And lazy break times, sitting on the steps outside.
I may not of liked school much but I remember the lower site with a touch of sentimenatlity but just don't tell anyone!!!!
I'm spurred to write more about school days, school chums and school trips so watch this space for another blog. Until then, as I get ready for my baby to start, I have to say I cannot believe that all this time has passed, it seems like yesterday.............stay safe and take care.
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