Coates Endowed Infant Scool

I started school in 1955 -Mrs Johnson was my first teacher . I remember using sand trays to draw numbers in , those hard desks with the drop down seats, the small blackboards for writing on - before graduating to those 'jotter' books , the blotting paper. chatting with that guy with a limp who was the road sweeper. Kicking balls over the wall onto the road. Seeing the blacksmith go past each lunchtime in those huge clog boots - a gentle giant. The whole school going across the road to have injections( and getting checked for lice!) -upstairs in that corner building that became the Ponteland library (later a real estate office) - next to McConville's. I remember getting the bus on Friday night to go to that library - the librarian was vigilant if you tried to take out an 'adult' book like James Bond and made you put it back.
I took the no. 5 bus home every day at lunchtime as my Mam didn't want to pay the 1/6 per week. Then wolfed it down and ran to get next bus back.
Halcyon days.
Granville