St Botolphs School

A Memory of Northfleet.

I went to St. Botolph's School on The Hill from 1945 to 1950 with my friend Molly Freeman who lived a few doors away from me in York Road. Molly was in the year ahead of me but her brother Georgie was in my class. Recently Molly rediscovered Mr. Clark who is now 90 and lives in Nottingham and we have both been in email communication with him. He remembers a number of the children he taught, particularly the boys who were in his football team. Mr. Cook was the headmaster and he was a tyrant who bullied not only the children but the staff also. He taught us maths and I now blame my lack of aptitude for the subject on him!
When I first started at the school I was in Miss Honour's class and sat next to Georgie Freeman. Then I went into Mrs. Johnson's class where I once elected to sing `Bless This House' for the edification of all. Mrs. Johnson told me my singing was so good I should sing it again - but next door this time. I was very proud.
The next year I had Mrs. Allen who was strict and after her Miss Biggs who wasn't.Then the next year the best teacher of all, Mr. Clark, whom I loved and adored. He taught us how to make booklets out of coloured card, read stories from `The Golden Fleece' and told us about cannibalism and how human flesh, once cooked, tasted a little like roast lamb. The only bad thing about the school was the unfortunate and very ill tempered Mr. Cook. I can still recall how his face turned puce and veins on his neck stood out when he got angry, and how he stamped his right foot on desks with boys' hands beneath them.