I am now 82 and did all my schooling at Yarmouth from the years 1927-1936 and I feel I received a first class education all those years ago.

In 1927 I started in the infants (at 5 years) and my teacher was Miss Ella Chambers (always felt a bit special as my birthday was the same day as hers).

We were really drilled in phonic sound and I always delighted in getting my spelling right. English was always my stronger point, but I have never forgotten my times tables and have found them a godsend right up to the present day.

I then went up to Standards 1 and 2, my teacher was Miss Ireland. (I never knew her first name). She was one of the “old school” but we really forged ahead with reading etc. I used to love Friday afternoon 3.30pm when she always read to us and particularly remember “A Basket of Flowers”, very sad. Florrie Sloper nee Knee b 1922

Basket of Flowers book cover ; class reading mentioned by Florrie Sloper nee KneeThe Basket of Flowers: A Tale for the Young by Christoph von Schmid

James, the king’s gardener, teaches his 15-year-old daughter Mary all the principles of godliness through his flowers. She is falsely accused of stealing, and the penalty is death. Mary remembers her father had taught her: that it is better to die for the truth than to live for a lie.