Hi everyone

I have never blogged before so like Fiona I also apologise if it ends up in a strange place..

We have been asked to share a bad experience of learning, and a good one. Well if I am honest my Secondary Modern Education was, if I was to say something kind. It would be in one word ''Dreadful''! The School was on its last legs with giant cracks running up its walls, and occasionally class room ceilings would fall in.

It felt like the whole School was there because they were not good enough to get into the Grammar School up the road. I was  trapped in the next to bottom set with all the rough kids, and I am being very kind in my choice of Language at this point.

The Maths lesson consisted of for Two years of the Teacher as lovely as he was coming in drawing a Triangle on the Black board .Then sitting and reading the Independent for the next hour or so whilst chaos rained down.

Geography was worse a whole afternoon where Mr Ward would just stay in the Staff room Smoking Benson & Hedges. It got so bad I just walked out one day and never went  back. I just used to go to Liverpool central Library to work on My History course work. 

Which was the only subject I go an A in.

I could go on and on, but at the same time it was different time .The mid Eighties. So many Factory's and Ship yards had closed down. 80% of the School was on Free Lunches, and its such a turbulent time in every young persons life in terms of life experiences and changing hormones.

 I enjoyed the Chicken Pie and Chips  at Lunch times though . So it wasn't all bad.

Now for a good experience

 Miss Evens my Third year Infant School Teacher. The kindest woman you could have met. An old feminist who would sit us on the Matt and tell us stores about Heroic Woman, Amy Johnson, Emilia earheart .Grace Darling, Florence Nightingale and on and on.

 The Men came off worse stories of failed Heroes like Scott of the Antarctic . She was kind and gentle. Treated all her Charges with respect and like Human beings. I will always remember that.

 She always had us doing Plays in the Hall. With Costumes and Props .We did Three.  Joseph, Hiawatha  and  Robin Hood all in the spate of a year.

I have never been Academic, but was the one in the Class that could sort of draw and paint. she activaly encouraged that side of me , and 35 years later I am still doing the things she helped me develop. Painting Stage sets and Propping them amongst the other things in my life..

 Thanks Miss
Richard