Trip back to the past

This afternoon Jackie and I went back to school.  We got invited to look round Chesterton Community College, as its called now, which I attend in the late 60's early 70's.  Jackie in the 50's. It was sort of a shock, mainly at how long it was since I was there!.

The main building hasn't changed that much apart from the upper open balcony corridors having windows now, gone are the days of queuing outside the classrooms in a force nine gale.  Most of the rooms in this building are still used for the same subjects as in my day, and they also have some of the same furniture.

The art and food technology (domestic science) building is still the same, this was a fairly new addition in my day, even the kitchen layouts are the same, its was so weird to see the kitchen where I created some memorable meals and fostered my love of cooking.  They have got rid of the flat where we were allowed to invite a friend to lunch, learning how to lay a table and serve a meal properly.

The gym is still there but the back playing field has been mostly sold off or used for tennis courts etc.

The biggest change is the removal of a run of prefab buildings which ran between the main building and the arts block, they were cold and drafty and we spent many a sewing lesson shivering.  The space is now used for car parking.

The main hall is relatively unchanged though seemed smaller than I remember.  The dining hall is gone along with the portacabin classrooms and now a music room graces the plot.

They have a gallery of school photographs and I found myself and friend Judy on one from 1968, I have, somewhere in the house, one from 1970.  We turned the house upside down looking for it yesterday to no avail.  I did find a copy on Friends Reunited, if you hit full screen you can bring the photo up closer. I am in the row behind the teachers, so if you run up from the word school I am next to the girl (Erica) with the bunches, I'm possibly the tallest in that part of the row!  It won't let me paste the picture to the page, sorry.

I got to do an interview with 3 of the students which as fun, funny how once prompted with a question the memories come flooding back.  I can honestly say I didn't enjoy school, I was a lazy student!  Preferring just cooking and reading, learning to type, thats it really, one teacher mentioned on a school report that I was more than happy to rest on my laurels.  I have to say I've done ok and I am happy.

The plan is for the school to have an exhibition of the school's history - its been around a while, my father and younger brother both went there.  So I will look forward to going back to see that when its ready.

Thanks very much to John McGhee for showing us round and Mrs Anderson (Humanities) for helping out with the questioning, not sure I was so keen on being filmed though!