Lifestory Library - Joan Bryant - Schooldays at Battersea between the wars

Mention London to a Mrs Joan Bryant and it immediately evokes happy memories of the parish of St George's, Battersea. Joan (formerly Woodland and nee Holman) had a younger sister Winifred and an elder sister Eileen, and started her education at the local C of E school in 1924 when she was four and a half years old.

My sisters and I went to St.George's School, New Road, Battersea, she wrote, only a few minutes walk from our home in Thessaly Square. It was a very old building run by the Governors: Miss Thorn and her brother.

The infants' school was on the ground floor of the building, boys and girls mixed, up to the age of six to seven. The girls' school was up a winding iron staircase. The boys' school was across the playground in a separate part.

We went to different classrooms for different lessons: needlework, history, and folk dancing in the main hall. Swimming class was at Nine Elms Baths in the Battersea Park Road, all the galas were held there. Sports day was held in the grounds of the Gas Works, a very large area called the field in Horseferry Road.

There were many outings from the school: to museums, and the Old Vic for Shakespeare plays; I remember the Merchant of Venice and Midsummer's Night Dream. We had to pay something towards it, the school paid the rest.

We always had to wear uniforms: long gymslip and white blouse with a red tie and black velour hat and navy raincoat.

A yearly school holiday was arranged eventually; I went to Bournemouth on my last one. Prize giving was yearly, Miss Thorn and her brother would give the prizes. We had four (Houses) Teams:-
Westminster (Red)
Canterbury (Yellow)
York (Mauve)
Winchester (Blue)
We earned points for our teams that were totalled up and the winning team would have the cup for a year.

At Christmas we acted out a Nativity play in the church hall in Battersea Park Road. We used to sit scholarships at ages 11 -- 12. I passed and went to Clapham County School on Wandsworth Common, left there at 14. Then on to Barratt Union Trade School in Shepherd Market off Park Lane, for two terms for dressmaking. Then on to Peter Robinson's as an Improver in the small size showroom.

I enjoyed my schooldays, things seem so different now. We went to the Brownies, Guides, and club nights at the Church Hall. My family were strict churchgoers; my father and mother helped at functions and with refreshments for the dances.

Joan's parents had been involved with St George's for years, for it was in that church that they had married way back in 1915 -- on Christmas Day in fact. Sadly, it was to be Christmas Day some 21 years later that her mother Maude died, aged 46.

Family group c 1928 pictured on the roof of Coronation Buildings at the junction of Miles Street and South Lambeth Road, Vauxhall. Little Joan Holman (centre front) is flanked by her elder sister Eileen and her young cousin Ron Bass. Joan's family was visiting her Aunt Ethel and uncle Bill Bass. Joan's father Sidney is holding her baby sister Winifred, while the others are her mother Maude (back), aunt Lily and uncle Bob Osborne, and aunt Dot from Portsmouth.