I started school there in 1924. I was 5 years old. Newcomers went to Miss Persil's class. I have never seen her name written out so don't know if it is spelt right maybe you know.  She taught us to write.

We had a square box about one inch deep and sand was put in it . We were given wooden meat skewers to write in the sand. Quite a good way really no waste of paper.

I also remember she taught us how to do knitting I can't remember what she taught the boys. We were there for full days but that is all I can remember what she taught us. We had to stay in her class 2 years and then we were sent to the school up Silver Street for 2 years .

At age 9 we came back to the old Church school again Our teachers then were Mr Gower  head master . Mrs Gower, his wife and Head mistress and Mr Gunning. Mornings we started with a hymn All the children from the 3 classes went into the same room then Mr Gower said a prayer and we sang a hymn and read a chapter from the bible. After that we all went to our separate rooms and had Scripture lesson.

Mrs Gower taught the girls sewing. How to make our own clothes. Embroidery. Also darning, mending, patching and how to turn the collar and cuffs on a man's shirt.

Once a week the girls walked to Kings Hill and in an upstairs room of a pub they were taught cooking, the boys went to work in their garden Mr Gower taught gardening to the boys They had a garden across from the cemetery.

We used to do Square dancing in the front school yard, had a gramophone for music. In the back yard we did our drilling and exercises.

As we got older we had to learn how to milk a cow. We had artificial udders in the institute and practice on them from there we went to Mr Perry's farm and worked on his cows. It was not the same working on live cows and we only got a few drops from the teats. from there we went to a pub up the High St - Hobbs pub and in an upstairs room we were taught how to make butter and cheese.

This is about all I can remember right now it was so long ago  but I hope it may help a bit.