AOSA CENTENARY HISTORY 1841 - 1941
page sixty-one
Contents
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Appendix
Our hymn singing and reading on Sundays. Meeting often very boring but occasionally some word would open a vista of thought to me and I would be away in a wonderful world and come back, plop, when Meeting closed.
Lessons, too, were things which had to be done and made the best of. Some, such as Literature, History, and Geography I enjoyed immensely. Arithmetic, French, Grammar and Euclid-except once when I applied myself to the mastery of the 5th preposition because Mr. Thompson said he did not expect any one of us could understand it, and finished it correctly sooner than he thought possible, he never knew how puffed up I felt were things to be endured, but spelling and tots were things to be loathed.
I never could spell, and can't yet, and so well remember Mr. Linney’s exasperated tone when on looking over my monthly class letter home, he said, “Oh! Helen! When will you learn to spell ‘truly’ properly?” Nowadays I always want to, but rarely do, put an e in ‘yours truly,’ so you see education clearly has its value.
We were fortunate in having so many lectures both with lanternslides and without, and they helped our imaginations splendidly. There were as well the ‘Pops,’ and the walks, the Saturday’s sweet shopping, and the picnics to Whitby-what good meat and jam turnovers those were-the packing up and going home, and the return to school once more.
It was a beautiful day in August when I was first introduced to Ayton School. Mr. Arundel met me at the station in their puck-trap, and I remember that he was wearing a well-worn hard straw hat, and as Puck was allowed to go his own pace I was able to look about, and my first impressions of the country from that road have always remained with me.
The first evening was one of bewilderment as it has been, I know, to many a new member of the staff. We all seemed to be crowded into a very small room which was partitioned off from the girls’ schoolroom and the talking and laughing was very lively.
Many interesting and amusing times took place in that small staff room. The accommodation was primitive, each mistress had a desk which became so full that many things went under the sofa and chair cushions-Charity, we called them-such as the masters’ socks and garments which we were supposed to mend, but these fared very badly as far as I was concerned. Supper was often carried up to this room and then any little extras of our own were added. These were hurriedly hidden under the chairs when Mr. Arundel came up, as he often did at these times.
We found time for Reading Circles, Extension Lectures in Middlesbrough, and concerts, and our own entertainments were very popular. Ayton has always been able to supply musical talent. Long walks, visits to White House, and to Mrs. Watson’s house at Broughton were great events, and the staff had a special excursion when many exciting happenings took place.
The school periods began at 7 a.m. for twenty-five minutes when spelling and mental arithmetic were taken. As a young mistress I felt very subdued and overwhelmed with all the work and responsibility.
Before going to Meeting on Thursday evening the boys changed their collars and handkerchiefs. This took place in the dining room at the end of tea. These Meetings were rather sleepy occasions except when George Dixon, senior, had something on his mind. He spoke to us and gave tracts relating to swearing, betting and smoking, and at the end of term tracts were put into each child’s box. He also kept us supplied with botany specimens, and these were kept on the window ledges in the girls’ schoolroom in syrup-of-figs bottles.
Whitby excursion day, which came at the end of June, was looked forward to by the children more than by the staff, but I am sure we all enjoyed the thought of the day’s experiences when we had all the children safely back in bed. The preparations for the great day gave as much pleasure as the day in Whitby. At Battersby station we had currant buns, and then at Glaisdale we left the train and walked through the woods to Egton Bridge. Here some paddled in the brook and some visited the Roman Catholic Church. From Egton to Whitby we went by train again. The dinners and teas at the Congregational Schoolrooms were unforgettable meals. It was astonishing that the children could do justice to them after all we knew they had eaten in different shops in Whitby. The excitements of boating on the sea and river, donkey rides, paddling and bathing all added to the joys of the day. Then the last adventure, whatever it was, often made some nearly late to the station. In the early days the train left Whitby at 7.15 p.m. and so we were not back until 9 o'clock. Some had a good sleep in the train, but others kept up their fun until the very end of the day. All had to be in school the next day at the usual time.
There have been periods of great anxiety from many different causes during these years, but we had great cause for thankfulness that when illness was causing us anxiety our doctors gave their time and skill to help us at all hours of the day and night. Many a child forgot its sickness and pain when Dr. Stuart came into the bedroom. His amusing stories and droll Scotch sayings took their attention from themselves and we all enjoyed them. How popular he was at our parties. Miss Stuart, his sister, was a great favourite with us all.
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