I always felt sorry for poor old Florrie.
Old Miss Ireland, the one I said I didn’t like, used to ask on Monday morning who had been to church, put your hands up if you had been to church, because they didn’t like it if you didn’t go to church. Anyway Florrie put her hand up and Miss Ireland said,
‘You can put your hand down. You never went to church, you went to the Methodist Church.’ Florrie went to the chapel along South Street and so did Megan Cook (nee Buckett) Jean Maitland nee Levey1928
Tag Archives: Miss Ireland
Eileen Smith: Yarmouth School
Robert May’s School Certificate1884
My grandfather, Robert May, 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 four 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 five 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.’
Yarmouth School, 1929 Eileen , 2nd row from back,5th from right
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
Florrie Sloper: School days 1920s 1930s
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.
Eileen Smith: School days
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