Fairfields Infants

A Memory of Basingstoke.

I went to Fairfields Infants in the years 1951-53, and can remember hearing of the death of King George VI in February 1952. My sister (a year older) was there too. We each received the book "Elizabeth Our Queen" soon after the Coronation in 1953. I remember the teachers well - Mrs Griffiths, Mrs Norsworthy, Mrs Croft, Mrs Webb and two terms under Miss Hole. In contrast to another posting here, I did not find Miss Hole "scary". She was quite nice. My brother went to the senior school at Fairfields and became a prefect there. This was afterwards. I remember that the senior school was mixed boys and girls when I was in the infants. After Fairfields Infants we went to the Shrubbery Junior in Cliddesden Road. I passed my 11-plus and went to Queen Mary's Grammar in Vyne Road. I sat the 11-plus exam in Fairfields Senior, and a group of us were threatened with the cane that day by Johnnie Littlefair the headmaster, who had a severe reputation of caning anybody for the slightest reason and was known not to wear socks!!!