School Journey 1960

A Memory of Lyme Regis.

Magical trip for a 14 year old working class boy attending Sinjuns Grammar School - a two week school journey to Lyme Regis. We had no car of our own, so bicycles and coach, bus and train journeys provided the backdrop to holidays. Holidays with mum and dad were always daytrips without overnights and cafes and picnics rather than restaurants and pubs. Walking was popular with many "are we there yet"s and "..just around the corner"s. Mugs of tea and ice cream cones (sometimes 99s) and the occasional banana split or knickerbocker glory. So a school journey was luxury! Away, from home, lots of stuff to do. We leave London by coach in mild embarrassment as our mothers wave us off; promises of writing home often.The coach journey provides a feast of views and easy napping. Simple songs of McDonald, green bottles and h.a.p.p.y. A world of fossils at Blackgang Chine; the ability to (then) chisel out ammonites, belemnites. An ichthyosaurus to admire. I spy books, notebooks of finds of flora and fauna, hikes up and down and through. Early morning walk to bakery seduced by the smell of freshly baked jam doughnuts. Communal, simple canteen meals with "chums" (after all it was a boys school!). The euphoria of the first Wednesday - only half way through the week - then the stomach churning second Wednesday heralding the count down to return to the smoke and the rush to write at least one postcard back home before you leave. Then the long, tired coach journey back home - the slight unfamiliarity of familiar streets not seen for 2 weeks. The warm, motherly smile; back to routine for the remainder of the school holidays. Happy Days!