I don't remember much about our early days in Ludham when we lived at Whitegates,but I know we walked to School to be there at nine,
and lined up to go in the boys side ,until twelve o'clock then we went home to dinner and back again at 1-30 until 3-45 when School finished for the day.
If you were not there when the bell went it was a black mark for you.
Then we moved up to High Mill Cottage and that was our home for the next 26 years until Dad retired,
So then it was to School down the Hill and across Latchmore to the opening in the street and to School for the same times as before, on the way home at night we would go by Mill Lane to the high and low field,in the spring or summer it would be bird nesting on the way home too.
Remember having a top and ,whip and doing that on the way to School some days.
The first class I was in was Mrs,Mattocks which we stayed in for the first two years,with our bottle of milk and straw every day winter or summer. In winter time it was sometimes frozen up so would be stood by the fire to thaw out before playtime,and when it was very cold we would sit round the fire for lessons to keep warm (no missing School for Ice or snow) in them days.
Then after we were seven years old we moved to Mrs,Richardson's class which was about the same only we learnt more. I was picked for the choir until one day Mrs,Richardson called me out to sing solo, then I got wrong because I couldn't sing a note in tune,I had been miming all the time before.
About this time I fractured my left arm above the elbow so had it in plaster for about six weeks but that didn't stop me from going to School, and still got up to some mischief, like chasing girls with nettles ,and having a ride on a penny farthing when the School Fete was on and football against the other villages at our age.
The next move was into the top class under Mr Kitchener the Head Master. There we done all sorts of things as the war had started by then, one of the first things was the older boys dug some trenches for us to get into if we were bombed, next around the out side of the playing field there was patches of gardens dug for all the older boys who liked gardening to grow vegetables I had one the last one nearest Catfield Road (where the swings are now) Sometimes we did think that the army boys did come over the hedge and pinch our vegetables, but I thought that was a bit much. Then trouble started,first I some how had some peanuts one morning and gave some to another boy. We ate them while lining up for School and did throw the shells over the wall onto the path and somebody complained later. I didn't own up at first so all the children got kept in at playtime, (silly me) Later I did own up and was taken in front of the class and given a hiding just before dinner time,Went home for dinner and told Mum and Dad and got wrong again, because I told a lie.
When I got back to School I was given 300 lines to finish after School,well then I done the afternoon lessons and sat down to write my three hundred lines,I had three pencils and the paper so started and was getting on well,but I got caught and clip round the ear and all the pencils but one taken away so there is a moral to this story some where, (never tell lies).
Later I was told to go and dig the Headmaster garden as I was told that I knew about gardening, and had done some before.
Next thing I remember was the day a German plane decided he would machine gun Ludham Street. We were playing in the play ground just after dinner time had started and the was a terrible rattling noise in we ran for the door and the last three of us got jammed in the doorway. I was sort of trying to get in although facing out wards and see three places on the brick wall suddenly flying into pieces and the noise was very loud indeed. This was in the early summer of 1941 on a very misty day so we never see the plane only all the noise.
The winter before was a very cold one and we had a lot of snow and the School water supply all froze up and we all sat around the great big fires to keep warm and even make cocoa from snow melted in buckets on the fire. Those were the days.
This was the year for my 11 plus exams but I am afraid I didn't pass so it was off to Stalham Secondary Modern School in the September for a whole new experience. We would go by Neave's bus most days,but if it broke down it was a lorry with a cover and seats all round the sides and up the middle,what an experience.
I think the first two or three months were settling in time with Assembly every morning at 9 o'clock then into your class and then after an hour it would be all change again, and so on during the day and home at 3-45 by bus again.
We had good sports afternoons and I thought it was a good School later in the second year the boys had all the gardens to dig and set with all sort of vegetables for the School cook house, then there was pigs to look after, chickens and two goats, also rabbits and ducks.
The 1942 winter was a bad one with plenty of snow and frost so now and then the school bus didn't run so we were left to do what we liked. I remember going down to Womack for skating and such like on the ice. We build a fire on the island and had a bit of luck as the ice melted around the island and we were lucky to get off all right.
It was about this time that the river bank give way up near the Horsefen Mill and flooded all the marshes right through to Potter Heigham so we had another good time skating after it froze, and no worry about getting drowned.
One day the Teacher in our class asked for anyone who had milked a cow so up go's my hand and I was told that from now on I was to milk the goats,this wasn't too bad after the first day when I learnt that you put your foot on the goats back hoofs so she can't kick the bucket over.
As the time got to November there was always a concert party to be got ready for the Christmas concert so we all had a go in that because there was always a party afterwards. That day we would bike to school and arrive home late that night.
As we got older we were given jobs such as rabbit keeper and pig keeper. One Friday I had the job of clearing all the small carrots and tops up for the rabbits while doing so I ate a lot of them and on the way home in the lorry this day one girl was being a little bit awkward so I threw her rubber boots out of the back of the lorry. Monday Morning I was with 21 others up in front of Mr,Smith the Headmaster and we all got three hits of the cane on one hand, (my that hurt).
Life was good really, we had a week end on a wherry About 20 of us what wherry I do not know but we caught a very big pike and it got all our lines round it before we landed it,then it was taken to the cook for Monday's school dinners, the whole 26lb of it. It was about this time we had a lot of interest in Ludham Airfield with all the Spitfires about so as soon as we were off the bus at nights we would go along Fritton Road and see what was going on or try to get on the airfield to get near the planes
One day when we came home from school in the bus and got of to see smoke and bits laying in the street, so off we go up to Throwers and find a Lightning crashed between the shop and the Butchers and an engine and one wheel lying across the other side still smoking, this was December 1943.
So ended another year at school and I start my last year at Stalham School,
This didn't amount to much as I finished in the March. Being 14 and leaving at Easter to start this came because we had a letter saying if I didn't have a job within two weeks of leaving School I would be given a job.
I went with Mother to Herbert Woods of Potter Heigham and got a job as a trainee Boatbuilder and started the Tuesday after Easter at £1/6pence per week for 48 hours.
That is about the end of my School days as I remember it.
I managed to play football for Stalham School.and was always had a place in the Christmas plays,
What I liked about it was we learnt to be reasonable people and respected our elders.