The Allotments

A Memory of East Lulworth.

As a child I attended East Lulworth RC school. With my sister Mary  and a girl named Nancy Hargreaves, who lived at Lulworth Camp we were the only Protestants in the school, although Miss Belfield who was one of the teachers was also a Protestant.
We went to the school because my mother had heard that Miss Yarnitsky was the best teacher in Dorset. She was a most talented teacher. Among other things, she played the piano like a professional, taught us how to recover a chair, make baskets and taught us dramatics (which came in handy at the school Christmas concerts). She taught the whole school how to swim and also taught us how to garden.
Every Wednesday she marched the whole school through the village to the allotments. We all had a plot of land. The oldest student taught the youngest.
We planted potatoes, parsnips, brussel sprouts, peas and spring onions together with lettuce and radishes. The way the gardens were arranged we had something to take home every week. One Christmas I remember picking frozen brussel sprouts and digging up parsnips to take home.
Miss Yarnitsky was a most remarkable lady and it was my privilege to have had her as a teacher along with Miss Sturmey and Miss Belfield.