South Weald School

A Memory of South Weald.

My memories of St Peter’s school South Weald - starting in 1956(?)
I started, in what I seem to remember as the ‘pre-fab’ classroom in the lower playground with, I believe, Mrs Fox as my first teacher. We had slates and chalks to start with before being allowed to use pencils. There were rubber mats which we took outside for PE and ‘bean bags’ for throwing and catching. There was a small wall and steps up to the main school buildings and a swing which had no ropes or seat, but we used to turn summersaults upon. This was set directly into the tarmac and disabled presumably for ‘health and safety’ though its use as a climbing frame was apparently OK. My memories of the old school building is of a lovely Victorian red brick with dark blue brick patterns in the walls. It is quite vivid in my mind but I have not seen any old photos of it on the web. I too, remember the toilets, the little cloakrooms, the milk (with holes in the lids, pecked by the birds) the stoves with railings round them, and the lunches. All of which had smells attached to them. On my first day I was introduced to another little boy, Andy Foot, who was a firm friend all through school along with Ian Bearpark, Phil Coathup, Alan Monk, Steve Appleby and others. I don’t seem to remember any girls from that period! When the new school was finished and we moved in, we still went back to the old school for art and craft lessons once a week, travelling in the traditional ‘crocodile’ and holding hands. Mr Adams (a new addition to the staff and in my experience the first male teacher) took us for this, and of course set up football for the boys. The church was quite a focal point and apart from the religious aspect, the nativity play was held there and it was also used for brass rubbing and other activities. I remember going into Weald Park for nature walks and being shown catkins, bluebells, hawthorns and much more. Colonel and Mrs Laurie were familiar characters and I often saw the Colonel riffing his horse through the village. Also Sir Hubert and Lady Ashton, who must have been governors or something, as they came to the school and we all had to congratulate Sir Hubert on being knighted. The Tower Arms pub was central and later on I spent most of my adolescence there. Pottle’s shop and of course the chestnut tree are all great memories. All in all, a very happy place with fond memories and a great start to life.

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