Going To Junior School In Radcliff On Trent In 1960

A Memory of Radcliffe on Trent.

My dad was in the Canadian Air Force (RCAF) stationed in Langar (born in England though) but my family lived at 16 Douglas Close just outside Radcliffe. I remember walking daily to the junior school and buying barley sugar on the way for 3p for a foot long stick that was in one of 300 candy bottles in the store. I passed the pillory like had cuffs beside the horse troughs about half way there... never saw anyone in them though. I was in J5 at school (can't remember school name) but for some reason remember the Principal: Mr. Hopewell and my teacher Mr. Dix and one fellow called Barry Baxter. I found it funny that my teacher had a French name and the principal's name didn't reflect that he had 3 canes mounted above his office door and a reputation for '6 of the best'. One day I was sent to his office for scribbling in a classmates workbook and I was so traumatized by those canes that I just went home instead and went in with my mom (I was 10 at the time). I remember the whole school used to sing hymns every morning in the assembly hall. They would ask one person to sing a solo verse... oh man I prayed they wouldn't pick me, but I really enyoyed starting the day that way. Playing 'konkers' was a great passtime using chestnuts from local trees that were on strings, then trying to break opponent's and counting the number of wins for your konker. Soccer in the schoolyard was also popular with the goal painted on a brick wall and everyone in shorts. I enjoyed the social studies course like planting a garden and feeding the rabbits. I learned 12 pence in a shilling and 12 inches in a foot. I started collecting stamps and coins. You could find big round 1p coins from 1870 in regular change and see grave stones in town from the 1700's. I remember hiking out to the 'cliffs' and seeing the city of what I thought were gypsy trailers. I played several times down by the Trent and remember getting chased by swans. I remember some terrible auto accidents on the highway outside my house and the hedgehog that used to inhabit the hedge that separated my backyard from the highway. I remember the 'YummyMan' who drove around selling ice cream and the Green Grocer whose trailer you could walk through. I have no pictures from that time but as you can see, I have tons of great memories. Cheers.