A Life Well Lived

What are your memories of primary school?

When told of my change of school I was very concerned. Mum had taken Pat and me on visit to Calverly Primary School, and it looks very hard, that is, they had maps on the wall and I knew nothing of maps, what would I do? Panic panic! However, it was okay, the school was small, taking in children 5-15 (or was the leaving age still 14 then?)  Whatever, it was  what it was, a council run school for council house kids. There was a church run school in the village to which the more progressive parents sent their offsprings, however,  when it came to the 11 plus exams , there were three kids from our estate who passed for Pudsey Grammar School, none from the church school. Maybe they went into private schools? Who knows?

During my attendance at CPS I was elected Rose Queen, was chosen to represent Calverley at the festival of nine lessons at Pudsey Parish Church, attended a weekly gymnastic club where I learned to perform “waterfalls” off the box, and, was a weekly dancer at a Old Time Ballroom sessions held in my school hall. Thinking of the latter, I must have been a funny little thing, dressed in my big sisters peach coloured satin ex bridesmaids dress ( cut down by yours truly) and wearing a pair of silver shoes bought for 6d at a jumble sale! The old people ( probably in their 40’s)  were very kind to me, taught me String of Pearl’s the Valeta and many more dances. Many of the OTB dances are progressive, danced in a circle, and, after parting with your partner the men move on, so changing partners every ten or so steps meant that no one was stuck with me  for long,  hence they could afford to be generous to this precocious child! Great fun, have danced all my life and have been ever grateful to this introduction.