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When I first started school in 1944, I was four and a half years old, reminisced Janet Cornwall. I went to the local school called the British School in College Road, Cheshunt, built in 1857.
It was a very old building with iron railings and gates at the entrance. There were two doors to the entrance, over which were engraved in stone 'Boys and Girls'.
The classroom had a large fireplace surrounded by a large fireguard; the heating was provided by a coal fire. Over the fireplace was a large Coat of Arms 'Dieu et mon droit' the royal coat of arms.
We had a large rocking horse in the corner, also a piano which played only certain notes, most of them were chalky, it had been rescued intact from the Sports Pavilion in Grundy Park, from a temporary classroom which had been destroyed due to a VI dropping nearby.
The school had three classrooms or four. Most of the other classrooms were scattered at different sites owing to the war.
My first teacher was Miss Drew, who to me was very tall. We had small blackboards to write on with chalk and shells to count with. The teacher stood in front of the class writing with chalk on the blackboard supported on an easel.
We were taught the alphabet: I can remember our letters had to be closed up or the horse would escape from the field. Our desks were in rows facing the teacher, who sat in front of the class. Most of the children were very local, for we could all walk to school. We were taught the time and learnt how to add up and subtract, read and write. Nobody talked or misbehaved, you did as you were told.
When I moved to Class II, we had to go to the Labour Hall further up the road, near the Great Cambridge Road, our playground was a grassy area across the road, in front of a large billboard. It is still there today, advertising 'Tesco's'.
In 1947, Burleigh School was built, the first prefabricated school in Hertfordshire and in the country. I moved to Class III for one year at Burleigh School. It was a beautifully designed school comprising of three classrooms with a large playing field.
1 moved to the juniors Class IV, back again to the British School. The other four classrooms had been built at Burleigh School, also an Assembly Hall and a Dining Hall. I then returned to Burleigh School to Class V, Class VI and Class VII in the juniors to complete my primary education.
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