Tag Archives: Yarmouth School

Delia Whitehead: War years at Yarmouth School

There was a large brick building across the playground that was used as an air raid shelter. When the siren went off, the drill was to stand up, pick up your gas mask and then a little mat that was hung on a hook. It was sort of felt on one side and rubber stuff on the other. This was to sit on, as the seat in the brick building was very cold. We then marched to the shelter and sang silly songs, said our times-tables and listened to stories until the all-clear.

Another rather frightening thing I remember. One day, a big black van came to the school and we had to go and sit in it, about six children at a time, with our gas masks on. This was for them to test that they were working all right. They did not explain to us that it was nothing that would harm us. One young boy got so frightened that he was sick down his gas mask and had to be taken home.

One bit we did like was every so often, a lady used to arrive dressed in a green dress and a broad-rimmed green hat. I think she was from the Women’s Voluntary Service. We were given a piece of stiff paper that, with help, had to be made into a cone shape. Then the lady filled it with chocolate powder, folded the top over and we were supposed to take it home but the teacher turned a blind eye to the fact that many fingers were licked and poked down into the chocolate powder, to say nothing of the odd tongue. Not a great deal of the powder reached home, I might add!

Then there was the school war effort. One of the things done was that every so often, we were asked to bring a bag or tin dish to school, and we went to an area that is now the old train line path, to pick wild rose hips. These were to be made into rose hip syrup. But I don’t know which was worse, the insects that bit us or the boys! They would break the rose hips open to get the itching powder out and put it down the girls’ backs when the teacher was not looking. But the hips that did not drop on the ground or get put down people’s backs finally were taken back to school and weighed.

A few evacuees came to live in Yarmouth during the war years. I made friends with one little girl the day she arrived and we have been friends to this day.
Delia Whitehead nee Hunt b 1934

Carnival 2013: Saturday August 17th Parade

Yarmouth’s Townfolk, Thorley residents and visitors alike braved the wind and weather and congregated on the Green ready for the Judging and the Parade.

The afternoon weather worsened from overcast, miserable and blustery, to heavy  rain, so everyone who came deserved an award, especially those who stayed the full course.

Carnival 2013: Saturday August 17th Parade, Yarmouth School entry

Carnival 2013: Saturday August 17th Parade, Yarmouth School entry

Yarmouth School and Pre School sent messages to children, parents and supporters by jungle drums       ( and texts) calling all cavemen and dinosaurs to join their float. Result: Yarmouth School Roxs! and won the David Dockrell Cup and Best in parade. Well done!

Carnival 2013: Saturday August 17th Parade School Cavemen

Carnival 2013: Saturday August 17th Parade, School Cavemen and PTFA cavewoman Tanya Letchford.

Carnival 2013: Saturday August 17th Parade, Pre School Cavemen

Carnival 2013: Saturday August 17th Parade, Pre School Cavewomen and Denise the Sabre Toothed Tiger.

Carnival 2013: Saturday August 17th Parade, School Cavemen win David Dockrell Cup

Carnival 2013: Saturday August 17th Parade, School Cavemen and a few Cowleys win the David Dockrell Cup

We’ve won! Great team work from Yarmouth School and Pre School, children, parents and PTFA.  Kizzy Cowley and Claire Bennett, both parents of children at Yarmouth School, and members of PTFA, co ordinated the entry with Tanya Letchford and Sarah Howell of PTFA.

 

 

Viking Isaacs arrived early, but fights broke out amongst their own numbers, so happily the town was not plundered on this occasion. They didn’t seem to use their oars very enthusiastically – perhaps their energy had been taken up in Decorated Dinghies and Harbour Sports.

Carnival 2013 Vikings

Carnival 2013 Vikings

 

Carnival 2013: Parade Mallyshag

Carnival 2013: Parade Mallyshag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Carnival’s own Mallyshag  received an unexpected visit from a rather larger Millishag, looking, we’re told, for Love ( GSOH, own sets of boots, good supply of cabbages required).

leCarnival 2013: Parade MallyshCarnival 2013: Parade, Millishag

Carnival 2013: Parade Millishag led by Pete Scott

Carnival 2013: Parade Carnival 2013: Parade, Millishag

Carnival 2013: Parade Carnival 2013: Parade, Millishag

carnival 2013 : Parade Millishag action

Carnival 2013 : Parade, Millishag in action, feet belonging to Scott family, Margaret Scott, Rebecca ‘Mastermind’ Blake, Hannah Blake, Katie Franks, with Jean Tiffin and Marion Stevens.

The visiting Milli was awarded the prize for Best Group on Foot ( feet?)  and Mally and Milli were seen keeping company, so we await with interest next year’s developments.

 

 

togetherS0166025

Carnival 2013 : Parade  tennis

Carnival 2013 : Parade Peckham Wimbledon tennis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Together at last; Mallyshag and visiting Millishag set off in the rain to tour the town.

 

 

 

Two young gentleman, ‘Fred Perry’ and ‘Andy Murray’, with lady umpire, braved a three hour motor-borne tennis match. Rain did not stop play. We challenge any professionals to play with such panache under such conditions! We salute your stamina, and ball control, chaps.

Carnival 2013 : Parade, Pan and Hook

Carnival 2013 : Parade, Pan and Hook

The retiring ‘Spirit of Yarmouth  Carnival’, Carl Ingram, appeared as Captain Hook with brother Ryan as Peter Pan to celebrate Yarmouth’s literary heritage ( New book last Year, ‘History of Yarmouth’ ; new book this year, ‘Yarmouth and Thorley Voices’ available from Holdings. BUY ONE if you haven’t already!)                                            Maybe Hook’s remarkable wig kept him warm and dry – he stayed the whole course.

Carnival 2013 : Parade Team GB

Carnival 2013 : Parade Team GB

Sporting achievements were celebrated – Team GB in its entirety, from Dame Ellen, through gymnast Tweddle to a cycling hero who was banished from riding on the float and had to pedal his way. Red, white and blue did their best to cheer up the afternoon.

 

Carnival 2013 : Parade, Harry, Pippa and the baby buoy

Carnival 2013 : Parade, Harry, Pippa and the baby buoy

There were more red, white and blue celebrations as Prince Harry and Aunty Pippa put in a surprise appearance celebrating the birth of a little buoy ( love it), courtesy of Yarmouth Sailing Club.

 

 

 

 

 

Carnival 2013: Parade, Pearl

Carnival 2013: Parade, Pearl

Not  quite carried out to sea, one little Pearl appeared in a scallop shell, thoughtfully wrapped against the rain.

 

 

 

 

Carnival 2013: Parade,horses

Carnival 2013: Parade, horses

From over the river came the White Horses – an annual tradition, with a good number of riders from Hill Farm.

 

 

 

And yes, the Fire Engine can get round the corner without damage to Harwoods, Harveys, ( Mills really)  or spectators. Great demonstration, Crew!

To all who took part, in any way, you’re all winners, just rather wet ones this year.

Carnival 2013 :Road formation dance team

Carnival 2013 : Road formation dance team

 

Carnival 2013 Pat in action

Carnival 2013 :Pat Lester in action

Carnival 2013 Band Ready

Carnival 2013: Vectis Corps of Drums ready. Peter and Serena Cottrell contributed to the costs of the bands.

Carnival 2013, wet

Carnival 2013: Yarmouth School’s winning entry, led by  Deanna Turnbull of PTFA, wet but undaunted.

Carnival 2013

Carnival 2013, Izzy Taylor and  Team GB, wet and going home.

Carnival 2013 Little Stars

Carnival 2013 Pre School Little Stars leaders, Denise and Sadie still dry and happy.

Carnival 2013 School Moses

Carnival 2013 Yarmouth School, Moses Cowley, dinosaur with club: double trouble.

 

The Carnival parade was sponsored by Yarmouth Spice, to whom many thanks, and to their patrons who were generous when the collecting buckets were rattled at them.

 

 

Jean Maitland: Yarmouth School, Florrie Knee

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

Eileen Smith: Yarmouth School

Robert May's School Certificate1884

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

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

 

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

Effie Pitman: WWII work 1939, 1940s

Of course when war broke out Mr. Gobini had to go because he was Italian.
I was with the A.R.P. in the evenings in the Town Hall, taking telephone messages with Eileen Smith. We had to phone in to Newport when there was an air raid.
It was so dark at night with no lights, I hated it.
Then in the morning the bus came for us at a quarter to 7 so we didn’t always get much sleep.
I was sent to Cowes to work in the shipyard, riveting. It was horrible!  My face used to be black when I got home. Some of the other girls weren’t very nice, their language….
Once I was put with a man who was on piece work. We had to work so fast! Another time a man came to see us to ask us to rivet a flag pole. We said ‘We cant do it!’ but we did, over 700 rivets , and you had to be so careful otherwise it bent.
My aunt had some evacuees to stay with her.  Poor little mites. They must have been so unhappy away from home. Effie Pitman b 1920

Evacuee numbers at Yarmouth School

‘Unofficial’  and ‘Official’ Evacuee numbers at Yarmouth School

Phil Kelsey: Yarmouth School

Going to school of course was only a quick nip down the road for me, from Mill Terrace.  I remember how we used to play football there.  On a Monday as soon as one or two got there, two of us would pick a team of what was there, then we’d start and as each one come into the school they went to one team, and the next one went to the other team.  It finished up with quite a number of players on each side. In the top half, the old toilet was one goal. Phil Kelsey b 1920 

Yarmouth School 2013

Yarmouth School 2013

Florrie Sloper: Swimming at school

I loved our visits to Love Shore once or twice a week.
I cant imagine how from a safety point of view that could happen today.
I learned to swim quite quickly (no armbands etc) and ended up with a silver medal in 1934 for swimming a mile, from Eastmore, Bouldnor, to the Pier at Yarmouth accompanied by a rowing boat.

Florrie Sloper nee Knee b 1922

Eileen Smith: Free Time: swimming

Yarmouth School Mile Swimming Medal

Yarmouth School Mile Swimming Medal, other side engraved with name Eileen Lansdowne 1932

All of us children learnt to swim at Love Shore or Pier Shore, down the lane opposite Basketts Lane. The boys swam off Love Shore; the girls swam nearer the pier.
We went swimming twice a week in the summer, from the end of May, supervised by Mr. Stanway and Miss White ( who was later Mrs. H Hayles). According to tides, we went swimming at 11.30 in the morning or 3.30 in the afternoon. We used to nip back home to change and run down to Love Shore with a towel round us. No one taught us proper strokes, we just learnt to swim. In September we swam for our certificates – 20 yards, 40 yards, and 100 yards. In 1933 some of us swam a mile from Eastmore to the pier for which we received a medal – I’ve still got mine.
I only swam once in the competition against other schools. I hated it. The private schools had all been taught proper strokes –  crawl – and we’d just learnt to swim along.

Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921

Swimming Medal awarded for One Mile

Swimming Medal awarded for One Mile