The Wee Bus To Whiterigg School And The Perils Of Long Division.

A Memory of Plains.

The bus stopped in Wallace Street and we all piled on, Ann-Marie McCormack, Keiran O'Neil, Joseph O'Neil, Nora Brennan. Nora's Aunty Kate lived right next to where the bus stopped and if it was cold or raining we sheltered in the lee of her house until the bus arrived.
Miss Quinn was the infant teacher, with Rose McGuire in Year Two then Mrs Murray. There was a Mrs Reagan somewhere along the line but I can't quite place her classroom.
I do remember just about all of my neighbours in Jarvie Avenue.
Peter Bailley, Joe, Rena, Isa Lambie. The McPheats, the Stewarts.
Someone on another post mentioned the new houses being built. Anniesland View was the first row to go up if I remember correctly. And like the previous poster, I remember visiting Morton's farm for milk one cold wet morning. Mother had given me a big white enamel jug and as I walked into the muddy farm yard there was a stall with a huge bull snorting at me.
I remember walking up Meadowhead Road. In those days, miss the school bus and you walked. No mummy or daddy to whisk you there in the car.
We were lucky with Whiterigg School as it was surrounded by fields and streams. In the summer we played there, Follow my leader, and Spy games, where we hid a 'precious jewel' and others had to work out where we had placed it. We jumped over wild orchids and collected flowers for our May Day procession.
On cold snowy days Miss Quinn would light a fire in her classroom grate and have us jump up and down to warm ourselves before settling down to lessons. We used slates to write upon and sand boxes for something or other. We had to drink our third of a pint of school milk. In summer it tasted 'off' from sitting in the sun too long, and one time, in Mrs McGuire's class, I found a daddy-long-legs in mine but said nothing and drank up.
I remember a Mr McGee taking us young ones for PE. Don't know what happened to him. He disappeared after a short while!
I was in the school choir. Let us haste to Kelvingrove bonnie lassie oh! We had school concerts. My name is McNamarra, I'm the leader of the band.
We had school trips to Blairgowrie. Oh the excitement of sand in the shoes.
Father Mackle the Parish Priest visited from time to time and listened to our Catechism.

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