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The day War was declared we were all taken into the front room to listen to the wireless; to hear we were at War. To us it sounded like a bit of excitement. (My mother was very sad as she had a lost a brother in the 1914 War). Right away our schools were taken over as barracks for the soldiers, the 'Sherwood Foresters'. We loved them. They marched up and down Queen Street with us marching happily alongside them. We used to lie beside them in Cummings Park (now the Millburn Scheme), while they were taught to shoot. We were only asked to keep clear, when they had fixed bayonets. I still marvel at the patience these men and officers had with us. They were so kind sharing sweets, pencils and paper. These items were a real luxury to us.

We went back to the Old Slates for morning or afternoon schooling only. This went on for three years. I started at 9yrs of age in Rutherford Church Halls then went on to Trinity and finished up at Parish. We sat our Qualy there. Blythswood School had been a primary before the War and then became a secondary. I think we came on leaps and bounds when we were schooled for the whole day. I finished up in B Class doing shorthand, typing book keeping and French. A Class, the clever ones got Latin and French. A was top. The scales went all the way down to F. I don't remember if anyone I knew was there!

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