Newton Regis Schooldays In The Late Forties Early Fifties

A Memory of Newton.

I lived in Austrey Lane about a half mile from the village. I went to Newton Regis school starting in 1947 and leaving in 1953. When I started school the headmistress was Mrs Rose. I remember her vaguely as a kindly and motherly person. I don't think the school had very high standards then but they improved when Mrs Crook became head. This would be about 1950 and she was married to the vicar who took over at St Mary's church. He died I think not long afterwards. Mrs Crook was determined to drive up standards and she certainly gave us pupils plenty of pep talks. The school ( which is presently the village community centre and soon to be demolished ) was already rather old. There were two classes in one large room split by a removable partition. In addition there was a small side multipurpose room.
Later in my time school dinners were available brought in containers after being prepared elsewhere. The school playground was the area in front of the church and school. Roughly triangular it was also bounded by the village main road and a farm barn. The Smiths family rented the farm and the access to their yard ran right by the school. The two classes had separate entrances approached by narrow walkways running around the main building as both doors were at the rear.
The toilets were down steps from these doors, boys on the right and girls on the left as you faced the school. As I recall the toilets were poor with the boys urinal open air.
I don't remember many of the other teachers. Mr James was unusual because he was a man among female teachers. He took boys PE and I first learned a forward roll under his tuition. He also sparked my continuing interest in current affairs by explaining the Berlin Airlift to us. The only other I remember by name was Miss Barter who we thought rather glamorous with her crisp white blouses.
The senior class was on the right hand part of the big room as viewed from the road. There was a large fire against the back wall. This kept the teachers back warm although scarcely warming the whole room. The wall had pictures of the King and General Montgomery.
The left hand side walkway had outbuildings to the side. I don't recall their purpose but the wider waklkway by them also was also part of our play area. Just across the main road was an outcrop of rock in front of a quadrangle of cottages. Rather soft this could be carved into, even by us children. I particularly remember a scimitar carved in the rock.
My particular friend was David Simons to whom I was distantly related. Other pupil names I remember were Ann Roberts, Beryl Hughes and Marlene Mold. We also had a Jackson boy who may have been Alan or Andrew; he was very good at sports.
David Simons was very keen on the cinema. At playtimes we would sometimes re-enact film scenes under his direction.
I can't honestly say I enjoyed my time at the school. It was a poor preparation for secondary school. I found when I moved up that there were subjects I had never heard of, let alone studied.

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