School Days - memories & outings

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Hi all The first of September today, always reminds me of summer holidays from the past. So much so that I re-enact them. A mix of emotions for some, where the prospect of a new school or new school term looms. Enid Blyton capitalised that emotion in one of her "Secret Seven" novels, where the start of the book coincides with the return to school for the characters. The days of home-made lemonade fade away for the children. I am today accompanying my long time friend (his request I may add) as he journeys by train to Cromer. I am only going so far, but I shall pretend that I am going all of the way. I am riding on a rambler ticket, so who knows where I may finish up. It was the train journey that was always my most enjoyable part of any holiday away. I went with mum & dad twice to Bournemouth, but I am not sure if it is a seaside town, as I spent the entire time away at either of the town's railway stations, trainspotting. It's a nice day for it too. Pam called down an hour ago & asked if I wanted egg & bacon for breaky. Gosh, she knows how to spoil, hey.

Have a nice day Philip. We have not taken advantage of a rambler ticket this year but have had much pleasure from them over the past few years. Last year we managed to get to Skegness and Cleethorpes, both places I have never been to but pleasantly surprised. I used to have the pleasure of going not far from Bournmouth for holidays as my grandparents lived in Highcliffe not far from Hinton Admiral station. Did you ever have the pleasure of visiting there? Must say that although the signpost to where they lived said Hinton Admiral I never knew there was a station there until later in life. We went in the car. Later I used to travel down on the bus, probably from when I was about 12 but it was done then! My step grandad used to meet me off the bus. One day he was nowhere to be seen but I only had to ask a lady who was also waiting for the bus "have you seen a man with a great big moustache" and she told me he was in the paper shop. Hope you enjoy the sunshine.

Hi Annewiggy, Yes. I was involved with a work contract in Hants & Dorset years ago & during an interlude, I was able to visit the town & the surrounding area.

Ahh, summer holidays, seemed to last forever, the sun always shone and we were out all hours, only returning home for food and sleep, we walked everywhere, from Stoke, we went to Brandon Woods a lot, Coombe Abbey and woods, and played a lot in Gosford Park, the paddling pool on the Binley Road and park behind were really popular too, there was a summer club where we could have stilts, hoops, bean bags and all sorts of balls under supervision, also sand castle competitions in the play pit, unfortunately as the sand pit was open, it was more of an animal loo than play area. There were day trips by coach to places like Wicksteed Park, Dudley Zoo, and London. A week's holiday in Blackpool resulting in my father getting badly sunburned, and my sister being sick in my mother's shoes after eating ice cream before rides in the Pleasure Beach. Our days were full of simple fun, and dreaded the school uniform shopping trip which meant holidays were almost over.

Hi Covgirl Whilst I did not dread going back to school, maybe I was too simple in nature, I do feel how you felt though, when you saw the back-to-school signs in the shop windows. Your delight of your runaround holiday freedom, of going where you pleased, comes through so well. My out & about trips now are so much like that. I tended to project forward in my mind on anything, so that since school was inevitable, I just faced up to it. Now I know most will think this so sad, but I actually had an office-like set-up at home in our small spare bedroom. A desk with drawers, a car-glass writing surface that came from one of my mums shops. It had four holes, one in each corner with a rubber grommet fitted, so I could have notes underneath the glass which could be seen & read. A proper little toff, hey. I had an interest in astronomy at that time, so I had another table which had a varnished sky-map on it, where I placed old painted wooden alma pieces, to show the planet positions. A real sad case hey! PS Seeing where you live, I hope you had a peaceful night with all of the noisy weather going on around. We in Coventry have escaped it virtually all this last week.

Hi there, we had the most spectacular lightning storm and the loudest thunder I've heard in years, the whole house shook and the dogs hid under the kitchen table. I almost joined them at one point when the electric went off, rural living has its problems, but candles never go out of fashion, My sister and I had a desk too, I think it was Chad Valley, and the seat was attached to the desk by metal runners and the lid lifted up in one piece. My sister, being nearly two years older, used to "teach" me the 3 rs using Janet and John books, writing was done on an old roof slate using chalk, great times, but I wasn't a fan of school until I went to Whitley Abbey. For some reason, the atmosphere there and the teaching style seemed to suit me better than Stoke Junior. That and the fact that cycling down the Humber Road everyday was almost like being on a day trip, especially when meeting friends along the way.

Oh memories of summer holidays. Yes we did have great ones, our family joined up and went to stay at a holiday camp called "Arcadia", it was on the road between Paignton and Totnes, It was a site of "chalets" - well some of them were converted railway carriages and had one large eating and social hut. It was run by friends of my uncle and aunt who had come with us (travelled separately), Bert, Ern and Marion. I think they had done all the construction work - must have been ex-joiners? We always caught a Midland Red coach at Pool Meadow, which headed off to Cheltenham, where we often changed to a Royal Blue "Express" coach for the final lap to Devon, calling at Weston-Super-Mare for a lunch break - we had time to go to the sands, but we never saw the sea, then on to Taunton, Exeter, Teignmouth, Torquay and finally Paignton. We used to take a beach hut at Goodrington Sands, spent a lot of time round Paignton Harbour, went out in a boat called "The Venture", caught loads of mackerel, a trip down the Dart one day from Totnes to Dartmouth by steamer, I think it was back across the Dart by ferry and then train back to Paignton. Always great school holidays in Devon. Enjoyed so much, when we first married we had an ambition to live in Devon, but went to live in Scotland instead, but we used to drag a caravan down most summers to Devon even then, and met up with our friends from Coventry and stayed in the South Hams area, Salcombe, Bigbury, etc. It was just as enjoyable as when we were kids, except it was a new set of kids who enjoyed it just as much as I did.

School summer hols - quite right, went on for ever, and the weather was always good. Every year for 2 weeks, we went to Weymouth, by train and had to get someone to take us to Leamington Spa as we never had a car. I have a vague memory of going by train from Cov, and having to change stations at Leamington, no doubt some of you railway buffs will let me know when this was. I think the first year we went would have been around 1956 and I even had my honeymoon there in 1972 - again we went by train - too poor to run a car, but this time, had to change at Birmingham New Street and Bristol, where again I think we changed lines. As my dad was a foreman spinner at Courtaulds we were able to avoid Cov holiday fortnight. Weymouth, what can I say - always stayed BB and EM, with the same people each year until they gave up, and then went to one of their friends, until they eventually gave up too and on to another friend and so on. Always across the harbour bridge, past the fun fair. Always sat on the beach in front of M&S, in case I wandered off. A bus trip one day to Portland Bill, a crab sandwich in the café and the purchase of a piece of pottery for my mum's collection. Another day to Lulworth Cove and evenings spent in the bar and on the dance floor of the Pavilion Theatre - my parents were avid ballroom dancers, while I got annoyed as I had to sit outside on the balcony as I was "too young" to go inside. Then chips from the paper on the walk home. Every morning before breakfast, my dad would walk to the tea rooms on the front for a cuppa and buy his copy of the Daily Mirror on the way. I was always allowed a donkey ride, but never allowed on the swinging boats on the beach as I was an only child. Punch and Judy were always a hit, as was the sand man, making his wonderful sculptures. I was so pleased to see his family are still making things to WOW the holidaymakers. I remember cars being loaded on to the ferries in nets, a long time before there were roll on and roll off boats going to the Channel Islands - my dad was very happy we didn't have a car as they swung about quite a lot! I can't leave without a mention of our one treat to the Criterion Restaurant and our daily visit to the café on the pier. It was run by an Italian family who had 2 boys, and they sold the most delicious prepacked fruitcake with cherries in it. I was always a strong swimmer and used to get quite cross with my parents as they thought that jumping off the pier and swimming with the Italian boys was too dangerous. I am glad they never knew of some of my other exploits around Radford - growing up most of my friends were boys! I hated dolls and having to play tea parties when my cousins came round!! However Weymouth has wonderful memories for me, as a child, and thankfully it is not too different now to the way I remember it - many more large shops, and traffic, but that is the nature of England.

The school holidays were carefree until the dreaded "Back to School" signs appeared in the shops, I still hate them signs 'til this day. At one time I lived opposite my school so it was the first and last thing I saw every day of the holidays which was even worse.

So did I, ever since the age of 5. I never understood the need for it. It was as if they got some sadistic pleasure out of rubbing salt into the wound. It filled me with dread, the thought of having to resume my sentence for another year. Analysing it, it was because school was compulsory, and not enough of it was fun or interesting, and I couldn't pick the interesting bits.

I also went down Keresley pit with Barkers Butts in the early 50s; for over a week after I blew up coal dust. Vowed I would never go down a mine again, but the visit made me more tolerant of striking miners.

Funny you just state that Athos, but in my Primary school days or into the 50's quite a few of the teens in the Coundon area and who attended Barkers, were destined to start their employment down the pits. I know of two families who both had sons down there. All had the tell tale blue marks on their skin. Sorry to have strayed from School Outings but as the pits were mentioned.

I wonder whether the Moli

Had two school trips from St Elisabeth's in the mid fifties, both to Wembley to see England schoolboys play. Apart from the games I remember the crowd, blocks of colour representing the different schools, quite a sight.