St. Michaels C of E School - I attended this school from around 1957/8 until July 1964. I was there at the time of the 100th Anniversary in 1962.
I remember the school was very traditional and the buildings all had high windows. Somehow I still managed to gaze out of them, up at the sky, and daydream. I did fairly well in most subjects, so managed not to get into trouble too often, but I do remember some children being punished with the ruler across the hand, or even the cane. As far as I can remember, my greatest transgression was to write a declaration of love on the outside wall, and the punishment was merely to remove it using a scrubbing brush and pail of water!
I do remember being late for assembly fairly often, but luckily I was less likely to be told off for this than my two older brothers, Ralph and Stephen. We used to walk the mile or so to school from the other side of the village, going along some pleasant pathways and leafy hedgerows filled with a variety of flora and fauna. With the changing seasons there was always some new and fascinating sight that would absorb our attention, or maybe just a friendly cat wanting a fuss.
For me it was a lovely, gentle school, with nature walks on sunny days, when we would collect various nuts and seeds, leaves and bark, and other specimens to display on the nature table. At other times, we would be allocated a patch of Mr. Maskell’s garden to grow some vegetables from seed.
In each of the classrooms there was a ‘Tortoise’ stove, stoked up in the winter months with coke and coal. Damp clothes often adorned the large fire guards, and the free school milk, in one third of a pint glass bottles, would be brought close to the fire to thaw out, after the ice had made the silver foil tops rise above the cream, exposing it so that the birds could have a share if it was left out long enough. The smell of the warm milk is something I’ll never forget! I had to grab mine whilst still cold, and somehow managed to force the paper straw down far enough to sip the freezing liquid.
At lunch time we all washed with carbolic soap, then queued up for our dinner, cooked and served by Mrs. Cripps and her assistant, Mrs. Grainger. We had to eat at least a bit of everything, and the teachers would walk around amongst us to make quite sure we did! Most of the food was not bad, and we could ask for a ‘small’ cabbage or sago pudding for example.
The dinner hall was also used for school medicals which everyone dreaded. I don’t think there was any heating in there either.
At break times we would walk around, chat with other children, play skipping games or hopscotch, or maybe go on the apparatus.
Physical education was a regular feature of the school timetable and we might have ball games or athletic activities, gym, or country dancing. I loved our outings on the coach in summer to visit the Blue Pool in Camberley for an outdoor swimming lesson once a week.
In my final year at St. Michael’s, I was in Mrs. Randall’s class. She was pretty strict and it took a while for me not to be nervous of her, but eventually I became quite fond of her. I think she was an excellent teacher, able to bring out the best in her pupils. I’ll always remember her wonderfully expressive story reading. She encouraged us to close our eyes and rest our heads on our arms, so we could relax and really listen, getting transported to some other place.....
Now all these years have passed and I'm living in Portugal...but this opportunity to remember so much has been a blessing! All the Best to St. Michael's on the 150th Anniversary.
Evelyn Hulbert
