My First School

A Memory of Strensall.

The Anson family arrived at Strensall in 1957. My father was at the camp as a 'skill at arms' instructor until 1959 attached to the K.O.Y.L.I. I can remember the first day at school in Strensall village.I caught the bus which cost 3d and had 3d to spend at the sweet shop near the school. I bought fruit salads, black jacks and a twist of fairy drops. I came into the playground entering via the bottom gate. In the playground were a row of children with arms linked,singing, "we'll go gathering nuts in may." All the new infants were taken into the school to the cloakroom. We each had a place for our coats and there were sinks with Lifebuoy toilet soap and roller towels. Taken into our classroom was memorable too. The teacher, a Miss had puffy petticoats, a circular skirt, a white blouse and a cardigan with only the top button done up. She had glasses which were turned up at the corners. I sat near the front and to my left was one row of desks (seats attached), on the far right wall was a sandpit and a painted coloured frieze plus a play area,for plasticine etc. We each had a peg with a picture above it. Lunch time was held in a Nissan hut or similar maybe a small hall, which was temporary until 1958. Mr Thomson was the benign headmaster. He encouraged a faddy eater (me) to eat up my dinner like a big girl! I duly did. I liked this school very much, life was straightforward, you turned up, answered present to the electoral register and learnt the abc and your times tables. At Christmas we had a few of the York players doing a mini panto of mother Goose - very exciting for us, "he's behind you" was chanted out by all the very excited children. We played 'flip the kipper' and other party games. On the downside it was at this school that I had my immunisation booster; polio,typhoid and tetanus then promptly caught measles! The school dentist came round in a mobile surgery, oh dear what a trauma! The smell of the black rubber face mask to put me to sleep is with me still..horrid. And I lost some milk teeth too soon, dental health wasn't well known then and we all consumed sugary Delrosa rose hip syrup. My first and only experience of corporal punishment was here too for persistently talking in class (year 2)with two or three others. I got 3 bats on the bottom with a table tennis bat, not hard, more the embarrassment..no harm done. I was taught to read using the Janet and John book..I did my tables and we went on nature walks. Our exercise was mainly in the playground, throwing bean bags, skipping and races etc.Is there anyone who went to this school in the 1950s? I remember one lad called Billy Downes. Are there any school photos or photos of pupils?