Nanpantan School

A Memory of Nanpantan.

During the war years I lived at 280 Forest Road and each day had to catch an Allen's single decker bus for the journey up to the school, the driver of which would swerve his vehicle from side to side to amuse his infant passengers.

The school housed two classes separated by a large wooden screen. Miss Cotton was the reception class teacher and Miss Barron the head mistress. Girls and boys were separated at play times and used the appropriate doors and playgrounds. During the winters a good fire blazed in each of the two large fireplaces. School dinners arrived in insulated metal containers. On the grass verge outside was a large brick & concrete air raid shelter sufficient to house our numbers but we never had to use it. Amongst the forty or so of us were a handful of evacuees, two of whom lived in a very large house off The Holt.
Miss Barron's conducted individual passing out tests, including the times tables up to 12 X 12 besides reading and writing tests - a standard not even attempted these days. Due to this early excellent start I went from the first year to the third year at Shelthorpe primary.
My best friend at both schools and also at the College School was Maurice Aucott of 165 Nanpantan road. After two years there, in 1950, our family removed to near Oxford.

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