大象传媒

In summer 1940 I was aged 12 and at the end of my first year at Grammar School. The war situation, following Dunkirk, was of course serious and invasion a strong possibility. As we were on the outskirts of the town we had not been evacuated but as the holidays were about to begin we were told that, should we be going away with our parents for a holiday, that was fine-we were encouraged to go by all means but any time we were at home then we should come to school. For the sake of our safety there was to be a 'by-term'. Lessons would be different. It was planned to make it as interesting a time as possible. And it was!
I was away with my parents for about two weeks but for the rest of the time I went to school. Weather was very good that summer and we played lots of outdoor games, sometimes inter-form matches and had lots of long relaxed break times sitting out in the sun on the playing fields every day. Lessons were all project style (long before it was regularly thought of)e.g in history we studied costume through the ages, making wooden fretwork models and painting them with poster paint-a real treat and privilege. We did plays-sometimes quite long ones- and presented them to the rest of the school. The staff were magnificent and we learned to see them in a different light-as friends. Yet they were giving up their summer holiday after what had probably been an especially tiring and anxious term. A high light was that every week they put on a 'pantomime'and were hilariously funny.
Most of us in my year loved school anyway but this made it more special.I still at age 77, feel a profound sense of gratitude to those teachers for so gladly, humorously, valiantly giving us such a good time. It was an excellent and valuable 'war effort'.

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