Schooldays…..

1955 – 1959 Sladen School

My first day at the ‘big’ school, when I was eleven,
With butterflies in my tummy, I felt like I was seven.
The school uniform was a dark bottle green,
Such a somber colour, it’s now rarely seen.

I walked down Radford Avenue, holding my self tall,
Till the kids from St Ambrose started to jeer and call.
They called us ‘Sladen Snobs’, I never knew why,
I just walked on past, not looking them in the eye.

Classrooms seemed big, the teachers were stern,
They said “you’re not here to play, just to learn”
I was shy I sat at a desk at the back,
I intended to work hard, not to slack.

I couldn’t read the blackboard, my eyesight was poor,
Too scared to admit it, I kept my eyes on the floor.
I thought I hid this well, by acting the fool,
My school pals thought I rather cool.

The teachers were angry, they told me to get out,
I had to stand in the corridor, learning nowt!
I was told to stand with my hands on my head,
Or I had stand with my arms crossed instead.

I still did my work well, staying in the top set,
Needless to say, I was never the teachers pet!
The art teacher Mr Thrustle saw through my little act,
“Stand up Pauline Kimberlee” he said with no tact.

“Why don’t you wear glasses that you clearly need ?”
“I’ll get my mom to buy me some Sir” I reluctantly agreed.
I was given wired rimmed glasses, that I never ever wore,
Somehow I managed without specs until I was twenty four.

I liked Mrs Lea the English teacher the best,
In her class I worked hard, trying to impress.
Headteacher was strict and he bored me to tears,
Always talking about the war, and his younger years.

I wish I could go back, listen and take it all in,
Not chuck his work away, throwing it in the bin.
I didn’t like sport, it was not my scene,
Except swimming, on that I was rather keen.

An afternoon down at Kiddy swimming baths,
You can be sure we had fun and a lot of laughs.
School days they say are the happiest time of your life,
Not for me, now I’m retired I’m having the time of my life!

Pauline Round, March 2019