The Good Old Days....

A Memory of Farnham Common.

I started at the school in 1970, I still think it was the best school ever, we had a swimming pool which I thought was so cool, it was never heated though! But I got my width, length and 7 lengths certificate in assembly.
First day at school in a red cardigan and red beret. My how times have changed.
The head master at the time was Mr Little, he was a lovely head, I also remember Mrs Benjamin - needlework!!!! yuck. Mrs Hunter, now she was a cool teacher, Miss Painter - she taught French and we went to Paris on a school trip with her. I can remember getting silver and gold stars for my work and if you got 3 gold stars you went and saw Mr Little and you showed him your work and were praised.
We had a site agent there who we all called Uncle Herbie...I can't remember why, but he was a nice person.
School dinners..omg! We sat on tables of (I think) 8 and at the end of each table we had servers who went up and got our lunch for us, in those days you were allowed seconds as well! Then every week it changed and everyone moved up a seat to be a server. Spam fritters!, chocolate sponge and pink custard!, apple and cornflake tart!, very green or very white cabbage and gravy!, always fish on Friday and water on tables which looked as though they were in copper jugs! We always had knives and folks and spoons on tables and ate off proper plates, not these plastic tray things! I can also remember being selected to go and do the teachers' washing up after break or lunch time and eating the biscuits that were left over - no child is allowed anywhere near our staff room these days.
I also remember some of the classes had verandahs outside which we were allowed to sit on at break times, we also had a shed on the corner of the field and could get equipment out of it to use at lunchtimes.
There used to be a cinema in the school hall on a Saturday morning which I remember going to very early on, and the end of term discos, dancing to that wonderful 1970's music.
When I was in my first couple of years I can remember having a small bottle of milk every morning with a straw in the top, that was fine during the winter but in the summer time the milk was always warm and tasted terrible.
I remember the old steel bars we were allowed to climb on, we were all given a week in turn when we could use them.
The school itself over the years I was there always felt safe, and moving on to another school at 11 years of age was very scary.
I look back over my time there now that my children have grown and gone through school and myself and my husband also work in schools and feel that I was very lucky to have been part of Farnham Common County Primary School. I feel it gave me a good start through my life and taught me a lot about respect, understanding and occasionally I learnt something in the lessons that I had!
I have never been back but hope the school continues to thrive through the years.

Sue Bojczuk, nee Hailes