School
Mr Hartley our Head was a grand old man. He never taught me, I was too young, but I was in class in the same room and I remember him very well.
He often, on the sharp sunny winter mornings, took all the school on a route march. Perhaps not the very young ones, but those who could walk a couple of miles. We were all made to put coats and scarfs and gloves on, and off we'd go round the village and stop here and there and all sing one of our songs for the benefit of some of his friends in the village. We thought it a good deal better than lessons.
Then he died and we were all very sad, and fearful of who would be our next master. He couldn't possibly be as good as our Mr Hartley.
Eventually he came, a man called Gascoigne, a temporary Head. He was very good to us all, and we grew to like him greatly. He made us a proposition in our class or perhaps it was for the top four classes. If we could have 100% attendance for a month he would buy a football for the boys and a netball for the girls. We duly accomplished it and that was the beginning of an organised football team for the boys. I was in one of the first teams the school had and there are photographs somewhere of the team a little later. We played in red and white striped shirts and white shorts. We never had a very good team but we were keen.
I was the captain of the team later, for two or three years and played for the County school boys twice as centre half at Workington. We played Newcastle and I believe Liverpool and lost each time, 4-1 and 2-1. I remember being chosen to play in the first trial match at Whitehaven and the Head saying "If you are chosen for the county side, you will have a new pair of football boots". There were three local games and then the long wait to see if I was considered good enough.
I was duly informed after all the school had been assembled in the large classroom. I was brought out in front of the whole class not knowing what it was all about and cheered by all concerned. I had my boots, and that of course was quite something. I don't suppose anyone else in our school team had a pair of boots bought specially for them.
I remember Betty Thompson and Annie Mary Lamb, both old girls of the school becoming pupil-teachers. I was in the top form then. We liked Betty very much but Annie Mary didn't suit us, and I'm afraid we led her a bit of a life.
Betty used to take us on observation lessons, long walks all round the village and the next day we wrote an essay on the walk.
At about that time Betty's brother Gerald was my band master (I played the cornet) and I often went to his house to practice for the school concert. John Wilson and I were to play a duet on cornets, "List to the Convent Bells". He was a good hockey player and a good sport all round.
Meeting Betty, who was really Miss Thompson, like this and being one of the older boys, we got on really well together and I think enjoyed the walks more than the others.
I remember being on the way to school one morning after a good snowfall and being some distance behind Miss Thompson. I picked up a good firm snowball and landed it on Miss Thompson's neck about twenty yards in front of me. Everything happened quickly then. She turned and flew after me, and although I was a good runner she very soon caught me and just by a deep drift. I was stuck head first in and made to feel very small although I was quite as tall as she.