Last year I joined a fabulous group of women for a global writing challenge—Gail from Is This Mutton (UK), Deb from Deb’s World (Australia), Jill from Grown Up Glamour, Mary Katherine from MK’s Adventures in Style (USA), Penny from Frugal Fashion Shopper (UK), Leslie Clingan from Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After, Marsha from Marsha In The Middle, and our two newest members, Rosie Amber from Rosie Amber, and Anne Bray of Spy Girl.
On the third Thursday of every month, we’ll respond to the prompt “Tell Us About XXX” which could cover any subject matter. It might be a blog post with opinions or memories, a poem, photos, anything at all. Last month, the challenge was Your Favourite Things, prompted by Jill. This month, Penny chose the fantastic theme of… Schooldays.
When I think back to my schooldays, it’s mostly with a sense of fondness. I was one of those kids who genuinely enjoyed learning, even if some classes felt like an eternity. I’m sure many of us have experienced that teacher who just didn’t have the knack for making things interesting, right? For me, it was history.
I actually had a teacher who was the spitting image of John Cleese—it was uncanny! But, sadly, that’s where the fun ended. He seemed to absolutely loathe his job and would drone on in the same monotone voice, making it impossible to retain anything. It’s ironic that I’ve since developed a love for history; I can’t get enough of it now! It just goes to show, the right approach makes all the difference. Wouldn’t you agree that the best way to get kids invested in a subject is by making it exciting?
Languages, on the other hand, were my thing. I was particularly good at French, Portuguese, and, of course, English. Although I did really well in French at the time, it’s been a long while since I’ve used it, and I’ve forgotten most of it! Funny how those things happen, isn’t it? My least favourite subject had to be maths. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t make sense of it. I could do my times tables, sure, but beyond that? Completely baffling! It’s honestly a miracle I passed at all.
Before all of this, though, there was a huge shift at age ten, when we moved from England to Portugal. That was a real culture shock for me. I was used to schooldays in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, where the only “foreigners” I encountered were from India and Pakistan. I had some sweet friends from that part of the world, and one even gifted me a sari—I really wish I still had it! See the class pic, above. Can you spot me? Then, suddenly, I found myself in an international school where my classmates came from all over: America, Australia, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France. It was eye-opening and wonderful. I think it really changed my outlook on the world and made me more open-minded and curious about different cultures.
I guess I was one of the ‘popular’ kids, although I never really thought about it much back then. Here’s a class photo from that era. Can you spot me in this one? I got along with everyone and even ended up being voted as Head Girl at 16. It was a proud moment for me, but unfortunately, I never got to take on the role. My dad decided to move me to a different, much smaller school at that point.
This new place was a tiny college where everyone was on a first-name basis—it was a bit of a culture shock after the International School, where some classes had over 30 students. At the college, there were times when my “class” consisted of just three of us! In one subject, I was the only student. Can you believe it? That class happened to be English Literature, my absolute favourite. My teacher was an elderly gentleman with a love for all things theatrical, and he inspired me so much during that time. I only wish I could remember his name, but his impact has certainly stayed with me.
For A levels, I took English Literature, Business Studies, and Psychology. Psychology was fascinating, but after my teacher tragically passed away, I had to drop it because they couldn’t find a replacement. It was particularly heartbreaking because she was also my dad’s girlfriend, and I had grown very close to her. She was my mentor for that brief time, and it was such a loss. Those experiences shaped my varied and sometimes tumultuous schooldays.
As for friendships, I made some lovely connections over the years, but we’ve drifted apart like so many do. We keep in touch on Facebook, but it’s not quite the same, is it? Life just seems to have a way of moving us all in different directions.
Before we left England, I had a best friend named Emma, who I’d known since we were six (us, above and below). We lived close to each other, and we were inseparable back then. Even though we haven’t seen much of each other in recent years, we’re still friends, and we’ve visited each other at our respective homes over the years (though we haven’t managed it since she moved to Majorca—but we’re hoping to change that soon!).
I should also mention that my husband, Michael, was at the International School with me. He was three years ahead, and he remembers me well. He says I was the “witchy kid,” which, considering my lifelong love for all things magical and mystical, sounds about right! But he also has this bizarre memory of me wearing lacy socks with sandals. I swear to this day that I never did, but he insists on it. Who knows? Maybe it’s just his way of saying he had his eye on me even back then. I certainly noticed him too—gawky, skinny, but definitely cute! Since writing this, I found all these photos of me as kid wearing socks with shoes and sandals LOL!!!!
Looking back, my schooldays were quite a journey. From large classes to being the sole student, from cherished friendships to bittersweet losses, it was an experience that helped shape who I am today. And though I might not see my old friends in person anymore, the memories remain, tucked away like old pages from a favourite book.
Let’s see what the others thought about schooldays…
Rosie is talking about her village primary school and a very special ‘School Girl’ rose! Rosie Amber.
As usual, Penny goes a bit off-piste with this theme. She does look at her schooldays, which were sooo long ago (her words not mine lol)! But she also looks at the British class based system of schooling; as in private v state schooling. This is because it not only impacted her life but also it has huge consequences for British society as a whole. https://frugalfashionshopper.co.uk/
Gail from Is This Mutton serves up some amusing memories from school, including the missing gerbil and her mum’s ride home in a hearse. https://www.isthismutton.com
Anne writes about her current job: teaching Photoshop and Illustrator to fashion design BFA students. https://spygirl-amb.blogspot.com
For October’s prompt, Leslie at Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After reflects on a long but beloved career as a school librarian. Find her at https://onceuponatimehappilyeverafter.com/.
Debbie shares memories of her schooldays in Australia, and sending her daughters to school in Cheddar (UK) where (by coincidence) she’s currently staying! Deb’s World
Jill’s take on this one is a smattering of memories from her long ago schooldays. Grown Up Glamour.
Marsha spent the majority of her life in school, either as a student or as a teacher, and sometimes both! She writes about her earliest teaching memories. https://marshainthemiddle.com/
Mary Katherine ponders her schooldays, and what she learned that she actually used in later life, at https://mksadventure.com/
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