Judith Kish

Hello Syd

I remember a terrible teacher in the Juniors called Mr Ullyat, who was a real nut-case. Today he would be done for GBH. He hit some of so hard on the inside of our arms one day, the welts were still there a day later!
He would have been prosecuted today. I can remember a lot of the girls in my classes at senior school. I was always in the B stream. Two Maureens (one with the surname Sparks), one Lila Bartrum, one Sheila Crittal, and my two best friends Brenda Taylor and Mary Griffiths.
Mary (now Jean Nesbit) and I are still friends - right through from Junior to Senior and then on to Davies Commercial College in Harrow.
We left school at 14 to go there for a year and then on to the wonderful world of work - I don't think.
Just before the summer break of 1951 we were taken to the Festival of Britain with the school. I remember Christmas services and carols at St Paul's Church in Corbyns Lane;
I loved those. And in 4b me and another girl performed a song and dance in Hansel and Gretal, and mucked it up, and the headmistress was cross because we dissolved into fits of laughter. I loved being in the choir and went on to do a lot of singing when I realised how much I hated office work.
I loved school and thought our teachers were great, except a Miss Smith, a maths teacher, who was about 6ft and thin as a beanpole and frightened the life out of anyone who was dumb at arithmetic, like me.
The funny thing was when Jean and I went to this commercial college (1951-52) there were girls there who had passed their 11 plus, but the prized job back then was to be a secretary. How times have changed.
Does anyone remember those wonderful swimming baths on the way to Harrow?
Sorry to go on but in my case my schooldays were the happiest.

Judith Kish judithkish@hotmail.com

©Judith Kish2008