Tag Archives: Miss Chambers

Brian Pomroy: Yarmouth School, 1940s

School was good. Yarmouth School was a beautiful school, well built, one door at the back and one at the front, steps up the front with 2 classrooms.
Mrs Barton was in the front one. Mrs Barton, she always used to have me sat at the front of the class.  There was her desk and there was me, and I always remember, she used to have this ruler. If I used to turn round to say,
“Alright mate?”
Bang!  She was a lovely teacher though, used to bring in an apple for me.
There was another teacher, lived up round the corner, Miss Chambers, had the baby class, ‘Polly Chambers’ we used to call her.

The sea used to come over the wall sometimes and anybody trying to skive off school got wet.

They were some good days in Yarmouth.   I loved it there.
Brian Pomroy  b 1937

Nick Chandler: Yarmouth School 1940s

I remember Miss Chambers who lived down by the Mill. If you swore she used to wash your mouth with soap and water.  She used to grab hold of you with a cup of soap and water, and put it in your mouth. She kept her handkerchief tucked in her knickers, the old long bloomers.   She was a good old gal though.  She made sure that what she taught, you knew; taught you to read.
Then there was Mrs Barton, she could be a bit severe at times. I remember once Mick and Barry got the cane , which they didn’t  like. Come lunchtime, in the classroom was this fish tank that had tadpoles and stuff in it. What did they do? They both peed in it and killed all the tadpoles, we saw them do it. Nick Chandler b 1937

Miss Chambers retires from Yarmouth School  after 26 years service

Miss Chambers retires from Yarmouth School after 26 years service

Sue Russell: School days

I went to Yarmouth Primary School which was just over the road from our house and have many happy memories of being there. We had two teachers; one Miss Ella Chambers, and Mrs Vera Barton who was also the headteacher and lived at the back of the school. The school was much smaller in those days with two classrooms, now it’s double the size.

The toilets were across the playground and had a large gap under the door. We thought they were very creepy. We also used to have milk every day which I didn’t like much.
Log re milk

I do remember that when you had been very naughty you were sent to Mrs Barton for the cane, which I didn’t have very often but Serena, or ‘Squeak’ as she was called, did! We didn’t mind as we deserved it. Squeak was my best friend and we did everything together.
Sue Russell

Nick Chandler: School discipline

I remember Miss Chambers who lived down by the Mill. If you swore she used to wash your mouth with soap and water. She used to grab hold of you with a cup of soap and water, and put it in your mouth. She kept her handkerchief tucked in her knickers, the old long bloomers. She was a good old gal though. She made sure that what she taught, you knew; taught you to read.

Then there was Mrs Barton, she could be a bit severe at times. I remember once Mick and Barry got the cane, which they didn’t like. Come lunchtime, in the classroom was this fish tank that had tadpoles and stuff in it. What did they do? They both peed in it and killed all the tadpoles – we saw them do it.
Nick Chandler b 1937

Annette Haynes: School days

Miss Chambers, the infant teacher said to Tamar one day , ‘Come here!’

She didn’t come out so Miss Chambers went to get her from the back of the classroom. I always remember Tamar got out of her seat and ran and the teacher was chasing her round the classroom. I remember Tamar running round the playground, and running around the school.
Annette Haynes nee Holloway

Effie Pitman: School days and school trips 1930s

I loved school; I was so happy there. The teachers were very strict but I think it was better then.

Mr. Stanway used to shove you in the back. I liked Miss Chambers ‘though.

We went on a trip to London, when I was in the senior standard, to visit museums and so on. Oh it did make our feet ache! Miss White, our teacher was with us. I remember she massaged our feet at the end of the day, she was so kind.

Yarmouth School trip of 1933 with Miss White

Yarmouth School trip of 1933 with Miss White

School trip 1933 Effie middle row left, Eileen, back row left,
Phil Kelsey front row second left, Miss White centre left with Head teacher Mr. Stanway

When I left, they gave me a special award, for 7 and a half years continuous attendance, I hadn’t had a single day off in that time. Imagine!

I remember one day Miss Chambers had to go home. She wasn’t well – a dog had bitten her leg. They left me in charge of the little ones, 12 of them. We had the rocking horse, and I looked after them. That was the best day for me. I always wanted to work with children.
Effie Pitman b 1921

Mary Lord: School days

I hated school, HATED it initially. I don’t know why. I used to hide behind a big old chair at home and wouldn’t go to school with my mother. Eventually a girl called Daphne was persuaded to call for me, and everything was all right from then.

We learnt to write on a slate in a wooden frame with a slate pencil. There was no paper for painting – only newspaper, and that not very often. There probably wasn’t much paint either.

Reading round the class was so slow, I always used to read ahead and then be caught out when it was my turn and I had frantically to turn back and try to find where we were. Sums were really boring when you had to write 1 + 1 = 2 in each box, and repeat it across the page, before you moved on, but learning the times tables by heart worked. Anything up to 12x still brings an instant response!

Fraying, what was that for? We were given a square of fabric and had to sit and fray it as some sort of handcraft. Knitting came later.

Poor Dolly, who was a Downs Syndrome girl, was in our class with Miss Chambers. Every morning Miss Chambers used to ‘knock over’ her pin box so the pins went all over the floor. That kept Dolly occupied for the next hour or so. I used to think it so unfair that only Dolly got to pick up all the pins each day.

I don’t think Mrs Barton, the head, liked P.E. very much, which was a shame because I loved it. She’d find any excuse to abandon the lesson. We’d get out into the playground and she’d say, ‘ You’re making too much noise. That’s it. Back indoors!’

Oh the disappointment.

Winter heating was a big old black coke stove with rails around it, topped off with a brass bar.

When you finished your work you could go and warm yourself next to the stove – that was a big incentive to get your work done.
Mary Lord nee Hayles b 1936 who returned to teach at Yarmouth from 1974 to 1990

Eileen Smith: School days

Yarmouth School 1927

Yarmouth School 1927

My grandfather went to Yarmouth School, my mother and her two sisters, I did, and my three children.

The last year I was at Yarmouth C. of E. School, there were 126 pupils and 4 teachers; Mr. Stanway the headmaster, Miss Troman, Miss Ireland and Miss Chambers, with the Headmaster’s wife, Mrs Stanway, helping out sometimes.

We started school at 5 years, no matter what time of year, and left at 14. Some people went on to Newport if they passed the scholarship.

Miss Ella Chambers had the first class. She was lovely; everyone was fond of her. If you met her in the town years later she’d say ‘Hello Eileen, – one of my girls.’

Every day we had half an hour’s scripture, and prayers. We had to learn the hymns off by heart. Reverend Marshall came from Thorley once a year to test the senior students. He was a bit deaf and he mumbled so you couldn’t always understand his questions. When he gave the prize, I think he guessed who knew the most.

The boys had gardening and woodwork, the girls knitting and sewing and embroidery. There were cookery lessons at Ningwood Institute for the senior girls – we travelled there by bus. Someone came out from Newport to teach us. We had old oil stoves, with a hob and an oven. Every week there was a draw to see what chores you had to do. I always seemed to end up cleaning the stoves – they were filthy old things.
Eileen Smith b1921

Brian Pomroy: School days 1940s

School was good. Yarmouth School was a beautiful school, well built, one door at the back and one at the front, steps up the front with 2 classrooms.

Mrs Barton was in the front one. Mrs Barton, she always used to have me sat at the front of the class. There was her desk and there was me, and I always remember, she used to have this ruler. If I used to turn round to say,

“Alright mate?” Bang! She was a lovely teacher though, used to bring in an apple for me.
There was another teacher, lived up round the corner, Miss Chambers, had the baby class, ‘Polly Chambers’ we used to call her.

The sea used to come over the wall sometimes and anybody trying to skive off school got wet.

They were some good days in Yarmouth. I loved it there.
Brian Pomroy b 1937

Aerial photo of school and town, before harbour was dredged. Photo Rod Corbett

Aerial photo of school and town, before harbour was dredged. Photo Rod Corbett