Takes Me Back.

We did knitting and sewing at Primary school. Much too recreational for Secondary. We also had a concentrated week of domesticity towards the end of our 5th year (17ish) when we were about to be released into the adult world. Girls cooking, lads handcraft. Thankfully, my Granny had taught me many of the basics as I recollect the domestic being somewhat advanced\ambitious. Nothing as practical as how to make a pot of tea or boil an egg which would have been much more useful

Franbern. My posh convent school was the same. Apparently we wouldnt need domestic skills because we would "marry well" ??.

We did have needlework and the teacher was vile. She really had it in for me.

She was an outrageous snob and really had it in fir me, purely because I was a scholarship girl from a working class background. In all the years I was there I never managed to finish a garment because she kept making me unpick my work and do it again. She said I was useless.

Strange that because at home I had been sewing for years, doing all the family sewing because my mum wouldn't even sew a button on. I ended up being a very competent dressmaker, designing, making my patterns. Later on I went on to study fashion and design as part of my degree. Taught myself to knit, crochet, embroider and even to dye and print fabrics and textiles.

You have to laugh at her disdain for me. I didn't let it bother me because I realised it was just sheer snobbery on her part because I wasn't from a comfortable middle class background like my fellow classmates. She would actually wrinkle her nose with distaste when she came near me.

And no I didn't smell or have fleas. We might have been poor but we were very clean, ?

My girls Grammar School in the early 1950's did not have Domestic Science on its agenda. It had been a very up-market private girls school until the 1948 Education Act, and still had some fee paying pupils there. The Headmistress always stated that her 'gals' would not need to know anything about cooking, etc as they would always have 'staff' for this!!!!

When I was doing a Teachers Training course, one of the child Development lecturers told us that no-one knew at which point babies started to learn language, so it was important to talk to babies a lot. When I had my first child I kept hearing these words in my head and so kept gabbling at my poor little son. If I could not think of anything to say, would just go through the alphabet, or numbers at him. Somehow, he did manage to survive this sort of manic behavior!!!!!

My driving instructor, a former London bus driver, repeatedly said “Beware that moment of inattention”. I think of it frequently.

Cookery at my girls’ grammar school in the 1950s was not highly regarded by the head, who believed if you could read a recipe book you could cook - though I doubt she put it into practice. We cooked in pairs and on one occasion discovered the currants after putting the pudding (spotted dick) in the steamer. Total failure and a lecture about wasting ingredients. How modern!

How lucky you've been, Annsixty!

I thank heaven for Mrs Brown my Dom Sci teacher in the 60s. I learnt how to every pastry, every sauce, casseroles, roasts, baking. I use these skilled every day and remember most of what she taught us including the highest food hygiene standards. My husband is very appreciatuve that he never has to cook.

My domestic science teacher was horrible - looking back she was a real snob. I was much younger than the other girls & from a working class family & a lot of the things we cooked I'd never heard of. I was a disaster, but the fact she made fun of me & said I was spoilt cos I obviously never helped my mum cook (I did, I could probably pluck & clean a pheasant faster than she could) did little to help my confidence. I do wish we'd had some unruly, messy boys in the class to share some of the sarcasm that came my way each lesson.

Annsixty lovely story.

When I set off or get out of the car I always hear my instructor saying, “look for your bicycle.”

My driving instructor told me "If in doubt, both feet out!"

I always remember my daughter's tutor when she was doing her teacher training. "Teaching is a profession. If you can see up it, down it or, through it, it's inappropriate" . Have to say I agree with her

Just what I said. Start moving in first gear then in two car lengths change up to second gear. ie don't stay in first gear for long.

Aveline

Change up from first gear to second gear in two car lengths.

I still don't understand it.

Juliet27, I too always avoid the policeman's toes.

Some good advice, but some not so good.

Driving down country lanes I have seldom met pedestrians.

Cows, sheep, cyclists, cats, dogs, hares are all more likely than pedestrians.

THE most likely thing to meet would be a tractor!

Oldwoman that was one of my instructors favourites. Also "slip into something more comfortable" if I was in the wrong gear.

Thank you, I had not heard that one.

BlueSky

My all girls convent school now (for quite a few years actually) has boys! In our days they were alien species. Talk about being money driven!

I wish I’d gone to a mixed school…maybe I’d have had some decent friendships with boys far earlier rather than seeing them as aliens.

‘As you turn right, imagine there’s a policeman standing in the middle of the new road…don’t drive over his toes’. That comment always stuck with me.

Change up from first gear to second gear in two car lengths.

When I am driving “only a fool breaks the two-second rule” comes into my head.

Aveline what does two for two mean?

Our Domestic Science class had a 'flat' attached where we were taught basic housework and most importantly how to do 'hospital corners' - I still remember the teacher showing us every time I use sheets on the bed

Our DS teachers throughout the whole of school were spinster sisters - the first one was really strict and shouted a lot - her sister was the exact opposite and was lovely. She even gave us some hints for the recipes on our way to our GCE exam and was really encouraging when she found out I was going to catering college. Sadly that experience was nothing like school and I hated the cookery classes enjoying the typing and clerical side much more. Little wonder I went into accounting and still hate cooking

My all girls convent school now (for quite a few years actually) has boys! In our days they were alien species. Talk about being money driven!

I drive around quite a lot of country lanes, and I always remember my driving instructor asking me "What should you expect to see down a country lane?". I said "Horses, cows, sheep etc", but the answer he wanted was "Pedestrians".
This often comes to my head as I'm zooming around corners in country lanes and makes me slow down.

Oh yes Domestic Science, how I loved it.
The Teacher was named Miss Curry which back in time wasn’t thought odd as curries were unknown.
In the last year, fifth form as it was known then most of December was spent in the DS block.
Girls who were keen were allowed off lessons to cater for all the school parties.
Theses were big events in those days, much dressing up and lots of fun and games.
I met my H at one of these as he was at a rival GS and he was excellent at all sport so one of the parties was to invite the school teams which played in the league comprising all the nearby GS’s
I was 15, he was 16 and we were together ever after.
Married at 22 and 21 for 60 years until he died two years ago.
Such wonderful memories.