|
 | |  | |
Early in 1943, at the age of 10, Norman Allcorn started at Ninfield School (west of Battle).
'My family had moved to Messens Farm, Lunsford's Cross from Lower Bevendean Farm, Brighton. The first thing that I noticed was a difference of speech. The local children spoke in quite a broad Sussex way. They thought I was a bit of a 'townie' with my Brighton accent. In fact I was much more of a country boy than most of them, having always lived on a farm.
The biggest difference though was at school. I had come from a large town school with four classes for each age group. Ninfield had four ages all in one class and only two classrooms altogether. I did not adapt very well to this new regime and made little progress.
The Headmaster was called 'Boss' by the children, in a mixture of respect and affection. 'Boss' did not seem to like me very much and it was a big surprise to him when I passed my 11 plus and qualified for Bexhill Grammar School. 'Must have been what he learnt before,' he muttered.
The only time I got any praise from 'Boss' was as part of a team. He was very keen on football and the classroom walls were adorned with framed photos of past teams that had defeated Catsfield, Ashburnham and even Herstmonceux.
Herstmonceux was a much bigger village and consequently had a much bigger school. Our team had to be picked from the top class and included some boys, like myself, only ten years old. We played Herstmonceux on a dry, windy spring afternoon with a rock hard pitch and a light ball. Perhaps these conditions helped us because we won 2-1 I think.
'Boss' was so pleased that he gave us the following afternoon off. Being a Church of England school, another holiday was Ascension Day. This was the traditional day for 'Beating the Bounds' but for us it was Assembly, Church and the rest of the day off.
The only way to get to school was to walk or cycle so we, that is the children from Lunsfords Cross, usually cycled. On our way home we would detour through Lower Street, not to get sweets from the Grocery Shop as they were rationed, but to call at the Saddlers.
This was a wooden building with big windows and doubled as the cycle repair shop. Harnesses were mixed up with parts of bikes and the Saddler would be sitting by the round coal stove, stitching leather. (Incidentally a coal stove was also used for heating the classroom at school). He used to mend punctures or fit a new washer in a bicycle pump. I think we broke the monotony of the day.
Passing my 11+ caused one problem as my family moved to Priory Farm, Rushlake Green a few weeks after I changed schools. I should have gone to Lewes but this would have meant a two-hour journey each way and my parents thought this too much. So I went into lodgings at Lunsford Cross and went home at weekends. In the Winter I travelled on the bus via Hailsham but in the Summer I cycled through the lanes of Ashburnham and Bodle Street.
One journey that sticks in my memory is that of just before Christmas 1946 or 1947. We went to school on the last day of term to collect our reports and were then free to go.
On leaving at about 11 o'clock I noticed that the iron railings outside were coated with ice, it was raining and freezing at the same time. I went to my lodgings and had lunch and caught the bus to Hailsham. There I was told that the Rushlake Green service was off. I just had time to catch a bus back to Amberstone Corner and started walking. No vehicles passed me as I trudged through Cowbeech and on to Rushlake Green.
It really was like walking in a Winter Wonderland. I was all on my own in a silent crystal world. The rain turned to snow, falling steadily, but the trees and all exposed surfaces were covered in a thick layer of ice. Every branch and every twig was weighed down with sparkling coating.
The telephone lines were like wagon ropes with an inch of ice on them and many broke or pulled over their telegraph poles. Eventually I arrived home much to my parents relief!'
| |  | |  |
To add a comment you must first login or join for free, up in the top left corner.
|
|
