Lacey Green School Reunion 2000

The following people described their time at Lacey Green School in a questionnaire at a school reunion organised by the Local History Group in 2000.

1913-1922 Constance L Gomme  living at Loosley House Cottage. Walked to school. Head Miss Grey with Miss M Janes & Nance Hawes. Vicar Robson.  12 in class. Left aged 14. No new build. Toilets outside.  Punishment- stand on form or in the corner. No uniform. No meals. No free milk. No trips. Playtime--skipped in the road.

Additional information ---

I remember playing at the gates of Grymsdyke on the grass playing 5 stones.

Running across fields near Turnip End to a pond there.

We paddled in Nanny Coopers Pond. Someone told us there were blood suckers in the water, had to run in the fields to get our feet dry. I seem to remember there was a bit of barbed wire across this pond so we had to think.

1 hour & a half for our dinner. When Dr came about once a year I think we had to have our dinner sitting in the girls cloakroom on the stone floor not very comfortable.

Then lady came to look through our hair "lice looker" we called her. If you had lice you had a card to take home. I remember once having a card. My mother really went mad, as she took such care of my hair, what a disgrace!

The boys were horrid. used to tie us girls up in our skipping ropes. I hated the boys then.

The big boys had gardens in the Bit Field and sold their vegs for a few pence. Girls had to stay in and sew but did not get any money - we thought very unfair. By the way, I think the big boys played up a bit with poor Miss Grey (head teacher). I remember seeing them come back to school carrying garden forks spades etc.

One other thing I remember was scripture exam. Always on a cold November morning, the vicar came from Hampden, he always looked so cold and always had a 'dew-drop' on the end of his nose - made us laugh of course.

Those of us who had a bike rode to Hampden to get eating chestnuts. sometimes lucky sometimes not.

By the way, if you went to Methodist church or Baptist at Loosley Row you did not stand much chance of Bishop's Prize - a prayer book! you might get a prize if you went to church!

Happy days, but very long days when in school

For more about the life of Constance Gomme click Fred & Connie Baker. Click Gomme or Baker for more about these families

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1914-1923 Gladys Ing Smalldean Farm Saunderton. Head Miss Palmer & Miss Grey with Miss Janes & Miss Hawes. 35 in class. Left at 14. Walked to school. No new build. Toilets outside.  Punishments standing on form & cane. School meals-no. Free milk-no. Trips no. Nature walks yes. Sports-none. Played hopscotch & skipped.

Additional information.

Remember walking from Smalldean to school & one day per week walking on to Risborough for cookery lesson & in afternoon walking back from Risborough to Smalldean via Lacey Green

Click William and Gladys Luxford for more about Gladys. Click Luxford for others in this family

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1915-1924 Nell Rixon 1 Warren Row LG now Crown Field Saunderton.  Head Miss Palmer then Miss Grey with Miss Janes & Miss Nancy Hawes. 35 in class. Left at 14. Punishment standing on form for talking. No new build. Toilets outside. School meals-no. Free milk-no. Trips-no. Nature walks-yes. Sports none. Played skipping, hopscotch, dabbers, stand before your playmate.

Additional Information.  Had to walk to Risborough for cookery once a week – remember stopping at Pyrtle Spring to fill a bottle to have a drink.

click Walter & Mary Ann Rixon for more about Nell, their daughter and click Rixon for others in this family

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1918-1928 Daphne Bristow lived at Ye Olde Cottage LG, now The Post Office, Bradenham.  Head Miss Kate Grey with Miss Mabel Janes & Miss Nancy Hawes. Vicar Richard Gee.

Addition Information

Once a week the girls went to Risborough to learn cookery in the British School. The Rev. Gee had been a missionary in India and the children were allowed to try on the costumes which he had brought back.  All the children were in the same school room, but the boys sat on one side and the girls on the other. The girls were taught to sew.  I didn’t like gathering and smocking or making a man’s shirt.  The vicar came every week.  We had a half day holiday on Ash Wednesday.

click Bristow for others in this family and click Daphne Bristow for her life story