Memories Of Mrs. Brown's School Name Somerhill In 21 South Rise Carshalton Beeches Surrey Which Closed In 1969 By David Shamash

A Memory of Carshalton.

MRS BROWN'S SCHOOL WAS LIKE A DAME SCHOOL: YOUNG CHILDREN USED TO GO TO DAME SCHOOLS FOR CHILD CARE AND EDUCATION BEFORE GOING TO SCHOOL BECAME COMPULSORY IN THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY. MRS. BROWN WAS LIKE A KIND VICTORIAN GOVERNESS
I was at Mrs. Brown's School in South Rise Carshalton from 1962 to 1965. I was there between the ages of five years and eight years old. That small house had 36 children using the school. I understand the fees were only about ten pounds a term which is still under two hundred pounds in today's money. Boys normally had to leave her school when they were eight years old but girls could stay until they were twelve. That school suddenly closed in 1969 because the owner Mrs.Brown had breast cancer died shortly after that. The name of the School was Somerhill. Not Summerhill as I always thought it was its name. I know what the school was called because I have now found my school reports from while I was at that school. I enjoyed reading my reports from that school as it now makes my stay more than just a memory. The house is still standing and is a private home but no school in the building. That school had a garden with an air-raid shelter which gave me nightmares about the war.

My mother and I were very grateful to Mrs.Brown for accepting me when I was five years old as I left to escape bullying at a State Primary School. Mrs. Brown and her family were very helpful and good to my mother and me for most of the three years I was at the school. When my mother could not collect me from school her adoptive son David Brown would take me to my grandparents in his sports car. On another occasion, my mother needed to put me somewhere on a Friday afternoon. The only thing Mrs. Brown was doing was a French class for older children. Instead of me going into that class Mr. Brown and David Brown played games with me in the garden. I think that was very helpful for that family to look after me free for an afternoon. I remember one occasion I complained of stomach pains and Mrs.Brown gave me a tablet to take. I do not think teachers are allowed to give children medicine now.


Mr. Brown, although he was not a trained teacher, would help me with my handwriting downstairs in the kitchen.
Mrs. Brown was impressed with how nicely he got me to write saying he was a very good teacher. Mr. Brown got good results by being firm with me during those writing lessons in the kitchen.
I remember the Browns had a lovely Golden Retriever dog running around the school.
Mrs. Brown frequently talked to my mother after school and sometimes gave me apples to eat in her garden.
The garden had a sandpit which I enjoyed playing in.


When I was very naughty Mrs. Brown would spank me with a wooden spoon.
I remember one occasion I flaunted my bad writing by saying it is the worst in the world.
Mrs.Brown reacted by saying she was going to smack me.
She got a big wooden spoon from her desk and smacked my bottom while I was seated.
She said after she spanked me that she should get her husband to do it as he can lift me up and she can only lift my big fat leg up. I do not know why Mrs.Brown needed her husband because I did not resist. If I had tried to stop Mrs. Brown from spanking me I probably would have been expelled for obstructing a teacher in the course of her duties. I dId not mind Mrs. Brown talking about my big fat leg as I considered her more than a teacher I regarded her as a strict Aunt so I felt really close to her.
I might have cried a little as the wooden spoon hurt but I knew the spanking was fair as teachers did not put up with cheek over fifty years ago. My mother examined me at home and did not find any marks where Mrs.Brown smacked me.. When my mother collected me Mrs. Brown would tell my mother if I was punished or was naughty. My mother did tell me not to be naughty at school but would also comfort me when I got into trouble at school. My mother collected me twice a day as there were no school dinners.


On another occasion, I arrived half an hour late for school, and either Mr. or Mrs. Brown asked me why I am so late.
I confessed that I was late because I was making piles of leaves when my mother dropped me off a few yards from the school instead of going straight to school. I did not get the wooden spoon for that because they considered cheeking a teacher a far more serious offence than effectively playing truant for half an hour playing with the leaves. I think nowadays a child would get into more trouble for deliberately making himself late than making a cheeky remark. Mr. Brown at breaktime sent me back upstairs to the classroom and the Browns told me off and they told my mother so I never played with leaves again on the way to school.

Mrs.Brown had an assistant teacher who taught the younger children and as far as I remember she never hit anyone and just gave me lines to write out in the break. Even she had a small cane in her school bag with a clock.
Mrs.Brown had a big cane on her desk but she decided to use a Wooden spoon as she thought a long cane could frighten the children she does not want to punish and the wooden spoon hurts less than the cane. She must have got the wooden spoons from her kitchen.

When I left Mrs. Brown's school my mother and I visited Mrs.Brown and it was nice meeting her as a friend rather than as my teacher. My last memory of Mrs. Brown was when she said on the phone to my mother that she has to get rid of the school as she is ill. Mrs. Brown died shortly after that of Breast Cancer. My mother thought that Mrs. Brown should have tried to sell the school to raise money for the Brown family rather than sending the children home closing the school down. I am still sorry that she died of Breast Cancer in her sixties or early seventies. If she were alive I think I would still be in touch with her. It is also unfortunate that schools like that do not exist as I think the laws would not allow her to be so helpful her adoptive son would not have been allowed to take me in his sports car and she probably could not have had me in the garden when I was not supposed to be at school. Many private schools have closed down so children have to go to state schools. I think on balance it is good that teachers are not allowed to hit children but it is bad that the positive aspects of Mrs.Brown's school are not there for future generations of children.

By David Shamash

If anyone else has memories of Mrs.Brown's school could they please add their comments or E Mail me at benjaminshamash@yahoo.co.uk

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