The Old School

09/12/2006

I am one of the old school. That is people born in the 1920s who attended their local Council School. In my case Grey Street School, Bootle, Liverpool.

I suppose the sub title should be ‘The Soon To Be Defunct School’ as there can’t be many of us left now.

We belonged to what would now be known as the poorer class.

Yet looking back, admittedly with somewhat rose tinted glasses, we had  riches today’s children can only dream about.

Providing that is they are even aware of the conditions that existed before the war?
I very much doubt they know of the freedom we had.

No T.V. No mobiles. The only telephone in a tall red box on the main road. No computers. No texting. I could go on and on about what present day children have that we did not.

What I am sure about is what we did have. No drug or alcohol problems. The lowest teenage pregnancy rate. Freedom to  play outside, in the park, on the sea shore or about the canal. Abilty to make up games, or play those steeped in tradition.

We had family life. Mum and Dad, legions of Aunts and Uncles, Granddads and Grandmothers to visit. Sunday dinners.

Come December, the long pleasure of anticipation of Christmas,which gathered pace two weeks before the event.

Not as now, in October!

I was going to add that today’s children have the benefit of vastly improved medical care, but too many contradictions began to surface so I decided to leave well enough alone.

A saving grace for children of today is that the conditions they are growing up in will be normal to them.

So my sadness is really for my own long passed childhood.

I really do send my very best wishes to all young people of today.

I nearly added, ‘God Bless’ but would it be allowed?

 

Terry Galligan, Newbury