Starting Out In 1947

A Memory of Coulsdon.

I passed the eleven plus when I was 10 in 1947. I had to go for an interview with Miss Simpson who put terror into my heart.

I started in Three upper x there was Three Upper Alpha and Three Upper A as well.

I remember Miss Croft, our form mistress in the second year, with plaits wrapped round her ears and of course Mrs Harris, geography teacher who told us all about her engagement ring that she chose in Amsterdam before she was married. I was also scared of her. She had very shaky hands that she would point at us when she was cross which was often, although she could be kind as well.

Mrs Bottomly was our maths teacher. She was very pretty and the only young one it seemed.

I remember grade reading at the end of every term - a terrifying experience when Miss Simpson would enter the class - there was a lookout at the door so that we would all stand when she arrived.

Detentions were always after school, I was always getting them and we had to learn whole passages from the bible.

I recall sitting under the big tree outside at the end of summer term while we were given a stirring talk by Miss Simpson about 'Doing our best'

School dinners were OK but some I hated. Then we went out to play netball or hockey in our lunch hour.