History of the School - 1949-1961

An unfortunate incident involving a splinter!

Miss Rogers left in 1949 and Gwendoline Brookes took over for six months, to be followed by Elsie Harris who stayed for two years.

Miss M E Brown became head teacher. Her two months were uneventful except for an incident on her first day when a splinter from a school desk "penetrated the buttock of Pamela Hickson and that child was taken to hospital for the removal of this splinter". Pamela's parents subsequently threatened to sue the County for damages.

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Susan Burt:
Meonstoke School

The school consisted of One large room separated in the centre by a frosted glass partition. The toilets were at the top of the playground - one set for the boys and one for the girls.

I remember doing quite a few lessons outside in the summer. We watched an eclipse of the sun through dark glasses One day and this caused great excitement.

We used to go to the Meon Hut just up the High Street for our Christmas plays. I remember playing Father Christmas one year. This was always very exciting as our Mums and Dads were allowed to come and watch.

I didn't stay at school lunchtime. I lived at Laurel Cottage in Rectory Lane and my mother used to come and get me on her bike. She would put me on the saddle and ride on the pedals herself. (I don't know what the local policeman would have said about that). I used to have a milk pudding every day made with macaroni or rice, made with fresh milk from our cows - it was lovely! The school's cooked meal was provided by Droxford School which was brought up by Mr Reeve who owned the local garage at Corhampton. I remember taking my turn to use the heavy black telephone to ring Droxford and give him the lunch numbers.

I seem to have come full circle really. As Meonstoke School secretary, I still ring through the lunch numbers to Droxford School.

On the whole I think my days at Meonstoke School were fairly happy apart from a few upsets with Mrs Ware when I wasn't doing as well as she thought I ought.. Moving On to Droxford School in 1954 was a whole new experience as we had to catch the bus!

Yours sincerely.

Susan Burt (Mrs), née Merritt
(pupil 1951 to 1954)

School secretary Susan Burt (fourth from the left at the back) provided this picture taken in 1954.

BACK , left to right: Brian Gardiner, Roger Elwin, Christine Blake, Susan Burt (nee Merritt), Sheila Sylvester, (unknown), Susan Higgins.

MIDDLE: John Miles, Jean Clark - headteacher, Mrs Ware, John Webb, June Lawrence, Angela David, Peter Harvey and Carol Wakelin.

FRONT: Derrick Blake, - Lawrence, Carol Trigg, Susan Chase, Janice Boyce and Brian Harvey.

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After 18 years as assistant teacher, Mrs Vera Ware was made headteacher in 1953. The school was now regarded as overcrowded and the County advised Mrs Ware not to admit any extra children. 38 children over the age of eight were transferred to Droxford School.

A number of modernisations were introduced, including re-roofing, and refurbishment of the playground and lavatories.

Of the latter she wrote: "The boys' lavatory is in a disgusting state in spite of my repeated requests that it should be cleaned out. The caretaker takes great exception to the emptying of the urinal as there is no spare ground on which to put the peat out and it is unpleasant to do."

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John Webb
Fareham

I only attended the school far the summer term of I954. I can remember very little of the education we received, although I have the feeling that Mrs Ware was a bit ahead of her time.

Toilet facilities were very primitive (just "bucket and chuck it"), as were washing because mains water and sewage had not yet reached Meonstoke. Before school dinners, which I believed were delivered from Droxford School, we washed our hands in an enamel bowl which was located in the cloakroom at Mrs Ware's end of the school in bad weather, and in the playground in good weather.

There was an eclipse of the sun during that summer, and we all brought in smoked glass so that we could look at the sun without hurting our eyes.

Yours sincerely
J T Webb
(pupil Summer Term 1954)

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In 1961 the building was extended to include indoor toilets for the first time, cloakrooms, a kitchen, staffroom and another classroom, and an oil fired heating system was installed.

With the extra space a stage and curtains were installed in the old room, and concerts and plays were performed regularly.

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Judy Templeton
Tatworth Nr. Chard
Somerset

We had two classes and two teachers, Mrs Ware (the headmistress) and Mrs Freemantle.

I can remember it was a privilege of the top class to telephone in the dinner numbers to Droxford an a daily basis. There was an old bakelite telephone, black of course, in Mrs Ware's classroom, and we took it in turns. There were no sandwich dinners and although we lived close ta the school we did not go home for lunch. We walked in twos every day to Meonstoke Hall where we ate our school dinner.

There was a large tree and a climbing frame made out of iron pipes. The girls and boys toilets were out in the playground, made of corrugated tin. So we had to leave the classroom and cross the playground in all weathers to use the loo.

Our subjects were reading, writing, sums, mental arithmetic and nature study. Surprisingly, we were not taught our tables, but had a number square which we made ourselves to look up the answers. Things still go in and out of fashion!!

Yours sincerely
Judy Templeton (née Mason)
Pupil 1956-1958

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Mrs Kathy Ring
Meonstoke School

My earliest memories as a five year old at Meonstoke are patchy , but certain highlights have made ever lasting impressions.

I had very happy memories in the infant class, being taught by Mr Freemantle and Mrs Lindley . I remember we were rewarded for good work by being allowed to ride on "Dobbin" the dappled grey rocking horse. In the corner of the roam the coke fire warmed us and defrosted the milk on bitter cold mornings. I remember completing many jigsaw puzzles, and taking home a great. variety of junk models and paintings, always feeling very proud of my "great works of art". There was always a warm and loving atmosphere in the infant classroom

However, when I moved onto the "top class" I was not so happy for the first few weeks. I was very unsure of Mrs Ware, my new teacher, but, after a few weeks I adjusted to her routine and became a fully fledged "big one". I remember taking turns to walk with a friend to the post office in the High Sereet to purchase saving stamps far that week. How times have changed; we would not let children out of our sight now. We also made trips to Mr Norgate's the butcher at the bottom of School Lane to get scraps of meat on which to feed the tadpoles.

As older pupils we had the important. job of phoning the dinner numbers to Droxford School. At lunch times I recall walking to the "green hut" to have our dinners. These were served by two kind ladies, Mrs McKever and Mrs Smith.

Within the classroom I can remember doing lots of shopping, music making and singing, and artwork. The highlight of the term was going an Nature Walks. On returning to school we would be given a huge tin of Quality street sweets which would be shared out for many playtimes.

Looking back we seemed to spend a lot of time outside, always in the local environment. I enjoyed my days as an infant at Meonstoke, within a close happy family unit. This helped to build up my confidence ready to take those first tentative steps out into the bigger world. I believe we are still continuing that very special happy start at school for our pupils, so that they too will reflect upon happy memories of our unique small school.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs. Kathy Ring (née James)
Assistant teacher since 1973
(pupil 1954-1957)