Lacey Green School recalled by Kathleen Church

click Lacey Green School for more bout that

click Kathleen Church for more of her life

In Hallmark. Memories of Lacey Green school by Kath Church, nee Brown.

When she was at school, the 'babies' used to climb over the stile and play in the road.

The Redrups next door had a lovely red apple tree, and the boys used to scrump the apples.

Kathleen went to school in 1911 aged 3, and was taught by Nancy Hawes. The children had sand trays to write in. Kathleen doesn't know how Nancy Hawes got her education, but presumes that she was keen and wanted to learn

Those children who could went home for lunch. Those from further away , e.g. Redland End brought lunches with them

There was only one ordinary coal fire in each room. The ink in the inkwells used to freeze in winter.

Kathleen went from the 'babies' to the 'big room', The top class were 14 year old, and some still could not read.

The children played marbles, whips and tops, and trolling hoops. There were no pavements, when it rained, they used to play in the mud in the road, making little rivers and tributaries, and sailing little boats down them. There was no traffic. The girls had skipping ropes, and got in trouble for scuffing their shoes. They played singing games and "tippit".

There were allotments opposite Stocken Farm for the "War effort". The children used to go blackberrying and collecting acorns for the pigs.

Only a very few children went to the High School or the Grammar School in High Wycombe. Just before they were ten, they could sit an examination at the old Technical School in High Wycombe. This consisted of arithmetic, writing essays and answering written questions. Kathleen got a free place, which included books and train fare. For seven and a half years he walked to and from Saunderton Station on every school day, and then went up the hill to the High School in High Wycombe. She only stayed away once, for 2-3 weeks when she had Asian flu and was really ill.

When she became a teacher herself, she walked from here to Downey in the snow.

She remembers being at school with Gladys Luxford and George Maunders who lived at Smalldean Cottages, They used to pick wild strawberries on Strawberry Bank. They would mash these and eat them on the delicious bread made by Hezekiah Janes at the Bakehouse.