Hi, name is Sylvie.

I was at a party last night, and I got talking to several people there that I didn't know, and one gentleman there introduced himself as the Head Master of Swan Lane First School. (see - even Head's can party!) "Oooh" I said, "I went to Swan Lane School when it was in Swan Lane" (now Social Services Offices) back in (oh my God, was is that long?) 1962/3. "Why don't you visit our website" he said. So I am.

I suppose I was 5 when I started there (so you can now work out how old I am!). I hated it at first - all a bit strange I suppose because we never had nursery schools, first day trials etc., and I cried everyday I was left, for a while, and I will never forget my first teacher - Mrs Halse (not sure if I have spelt that correctly) she was kind and patient, and because I cried and wouldn't go out to play at playtime she would take me with her to the staff room, where I would have to sit outside, and wait for her to finish her cup of tea or coffee, then we would go back to class. The children outside would come in when they saw 'the board'! The 'board' was given to a chosen child in the playground who would then parade proudly around the playground holding it high above their head so all the children could see what was written on the board - it said 'TIME TO COME IN'. When you reached the juniors, playtime was called to a halt with a whistle - one blow of the whistle to get your attention and make you standstill, the second blow to get you to your class line-up, and then when we all stood attention, feet together, in two's, we were ushered inside one class at a time.

Mrs Halse would teach us to read using Janet & John books, and I have vague memories of a farmer and his farm animals - Old Lobb or something like that, and Percy the Bad Chick. We had sand to play in, and a rather tatty tin rocking horse, a see-saw, and I can still smell the huge chunky wax crayons now. I can remember being a bit disgruntled by the fact that the other reception class (Mrs Fryer) had a lovely playhouse, with all 'mod cons'. I would have loved to play in that.

Break times meant a small bottle of milk, and if you were milk monitor you had the job of piercing the top of the milk bottle with a knitting needle (wouldn't give a child one in this day and age!) and putting in a straw and then giving them out. I liked doing that.

I never stayed for dinner (they were brought in from somewhere) as I lived in Mill Street. Our house backed on to the playground. I was never short of footballs and tennis balls as they were always being accidentally kicked or thrown over the fence, and they would fall in our yard.

Moving up from reception the only teachers I can remember were Mrs Clegg (always wore an overall) and Mrs Jennings (she played the piano and ate Trebor Mints! I think I saw Mrs Jennings in Tesco a few weeks ago. Mrs Jennings was ,I think, the last year of the Infants. Her classroom had french windows which led straight to the playground. The infants toilets were inside and outside.

The Juniors was next. I can remember the Head Master Mr Dunnett, (tall with a kindly face), but then I suppose they all looked tall when your only 8 or 9, and teachers - Mr Lamb ( a bit scary because he had a really deep voice), Mr Linley (kind and funny), Miss Hemming (who married Mr Linley), Mr Archer (who sometimes, when short of a thing or two when it came to science, would send me home saying "ask your mum if she's got a saucepan we can borrow?" ) I remember doing an experiment where we had to boil something - but we had nothing to boil it in! I had my uses!! My claim to fame is Mr McGowan Class 2B (in the classrooms across the road from the school) I think it is now home to a religious group. Father of Alistair McGowan - and Kay of course. Mr McGowan was so patient with me - I had awful trouble with long division and he went over and over it time after time, never once losing his patience. 'The Black Panther' - In Mr McGowan's class there was an old black pump, and during the course of the day if you were naughty it was put on your desk - whoever had it on their desk at the end of the day got it whacked on their backside! Can you imagine doing that in this day and age? In my opinion it never harmed anyone. If you were seriously naughty you got the ruler across your hand. I can honestly say I never got either. I haven't seen Mr McGowan for years, but I believe he is still around town.

I can remember a few names of children I was at school with like Selina Jones (infants), Susan Grosvenor (still see her around town now and again), Wendy Pugh, Kevin Osborne (he used to be popular with the 'Black Panther'), Penny Bourne, Clive Spiers, Patricia Halford.

Anyway, I failed my 11 plus exam, and moved to the High School where I did make it to the 'A' stream, so I didn't do too badly at Swan Lane afterall.

It's strange how even now I can't look at a packet of Trebor Mints without thinking of Mrs Jennings, and when I smell wax crayons the thought of Mrs Halse and that tatty tin rocking horse - These are what you call happy memories I suppose!

It has been quite nice going back in time - but I've gone on a bit, so I'll shut up now.

Happy reading and kind regards.

Sylvia Dolphin (nee Canning)