The Happiest Days of Your Life - Or Were They?

OOPS! "telling him"!!

I moved primary schools 6 times as dad was in the Royal Navy - had 2+ years in Malta! Generally enjoyed school and did well generally except at the 5th one where the head tested me before bringing me to the class and he told the teacher that I would give his top pupils ' a run for their money'. This teacher made a point of finding out the gaps in my itinerant education and humiliating me by highlighting them with questions I couldn't answer and decimals which I hadn't been taught. My only friend was a boy but the school was segregated at play-time so we had to stand at either side of a metal fence. Normally around the top in class in other schools, I was bottom by the time I left. Fortunately the last primary school and the teacher were excellent with only 10 pupils aged . 4-11 and I recovered from the bullying. My secondary school was all female and ~ I loved it. My dad had been medically discharged from the RN by then so no more moving. Our English teacher was my favourite, imaginative and even thaught us Scots and Scottish literature. My male friend from the horrible school took great delight in telling me, years later, that he had seen the bullying teacher - on a bus - and had delighted in telling me I had graduated from university with an Honours degree in Russian.....!

I loved school but wouldn’t say they were the happiest days of my life as I was quite shy then. I did go on to become a teacher which I also enjoyed .My favourite subjects were Latin and History (especially Ancient History). I was a bus prefect which meant I had to keep law and order on the school bus. It was not an arduous job as we were all girls and quite well behaved.
By far my happiest days were when my three children were all under five and we had the freedom to spend the day as we liked.

I liked learning and was eager to learn. I went to 8 primary schools. One I hated because they would force me to drink the free milk. I now know I have low level lactose intolerance , which means my digestion can't cope with milk, yoghurt etc but can eat cheese the harder the better.

My father was in the forces so at 11 I went to a convent grammar school with a boarding house. I hated it. I did not mind boarding, but disliked the nuns who taught and maintained us, and they had little time for me. That was until, to their amazement, I passed all my O levels and I suddenly became their golden girl.

My favourite subjects were history, English and geography.

I was appointed Head Boarder, but at the end of my year the headmistress said if she had any more Head Boarders like me she would start choosing them from the junior school. My sister said it was because I always saw myself as representing and speaking up for the boarding community, when the headmistress thought I should be representing those in charge to the boarders.

Left school and went to university, which was everything school wasn't, to read economics and had a career in industry as a business information manager

My best friend at school, another maverick like me, remains my best friend

I loved the junior school I went to, but hated grammar school, I was not sporty or particularly clever at any one thing, and was neither pretty or popular.
It was a time of torment for me, but funnily enough I trained to be a teacher.
I think I just wanted to try to make life less of a torment for kids who hated school.
The happiest days of my life occurred when I left.

Hated it. Messed around and got suspended. Couldn’t wait to leave and never have to think about chemistry, physics and hockey ever again.

But of course still Mum and Nana to my DGSs.

I loved school until I went to Grammar school when I was 11. Hated most of the next 5 years.
I have had various jobs, insurance, sales, nursing , class assistant. Generally been happy in them all. Best job was being a Mum to my 3 girls and now enjoying retirement .

I tolerated school , we had a terrific English Teacher , I was an avid reader and she guided my reading for a while , taught me proper grammar too , she was a Nun in full regalia , but could relate to us girls
Our Art teacher said I had some talent , bit off putting but it’s my favourite hobby now after reading hahaha 😝

I enjoyed secondary school, particularly English and sports. Didn’t do too well in GCEs, but stayed on in the 6th form to do a secretarial course, which stood me in good stead for future work. I’ve since worked in banks, the NHS, corporate companies and as a therapist in later years. Now, happily retired.

On the whole I liked school very much. I went to the same school, junior and senior departments, for twelve years. It was an all girls selective school.

I loved English and music, and to a lesser degree history, Latin and French. I was never a leading light in the plays, operas and concerts we did, but I was in them all, loving every minute. These joys easily outweighed the bad things about school.

I couldn’t stand games of any variety, though tennis was almost tolerable, Lacrosse was the worst, so I developed a fine line in deception to avoid it. I also loathed maths, was very bad at it and made no attempt to improve.

I had lots of friends, although a number of them are dead now. I am still in touch with one or two, although we left school over 60 years ago, and are scattered all over the country.

I detested school from my first day to my last. Leaving day was the happiest day of my life. I started work and loved it, my life had begun.

Absolutely gated it. I was bullied and was uncomfortable all the time.

My best days have been after I met dh, had children and became a stay at home mum to 5 children while helping DH 's practice when necessary and all the time since.

That must have been so difficult. I cant begin to imagine, as my school days were the rock of my life. I suppose it makes some very tough, but as a teenager, one's friendship groups count for so very much.

I hated school, I went to so many, moving about with my father being in the forces, I was shy and found it difficult to make friends.

I loved School. I didn't "pass" the 11 plus so went to what they didnt have everywhere, in the "tripartite system" the Technical High School. It wasn't too happy at home so it was great for me. I'm glad I didn't go to the grammar, tho the lack of Latin nearly got in the way of being s scholarship girl at Cambridge History then English but they let me off and I do regret not having a grammar school just as in proper English language/literature. No streaming, but some setting.

We had lots of music - free cello and tuition - dance drama, brand-new gym and big playing fields, 2 years cookery and sewing, (not fair we didnt do woodwork) maybe best of all young open minded teachers

(it was a new build school and a head teacher who had been and inspector but come back to open a school under progressive lines.

So we had no prefects or whatever but a school council with pupils and teachers.
Lots of art and craft and clubs after school, Saturday outings if you were in the hockey or netball teams.

No long career to speak of, despite that being the parental expectation, as in the 70's joined the alternative scene, communities and communes: lots of voluntary community work as well as jobs like in a factory and a van delivery girl:
on and off professional jobs, including a paid psychotherapy qualification during a longer spell in SSD as I ran MH stuff:

I remained an alternative person at heart, I did part time Fine Art degrees in my 40's.early 50's, then at last settled into being a Yoga teacher for the rest of my work life.

Looking back me and my now Ex DS's Dad (still in good contact) both feel that the greatest achievement was to bring up DS as a well balanced man and now a professor, for both our backgrounds had serious difficulties leaving us struggling at times:

and he has few shadows MH wise and married a very strong and capable woman and 4 grandchildren. I count myself as very fortunate indeed there.

Each bit of my life has had very happy and very unhappy times. When I look at my school times look what it gifted me - an abiding love of music, sewing and crafts stuff, loving exercise, friendships.

Loved my schooldays and my life generally from 5 to 16.

But then I suffered ftom what would be called social anxiety now. Don't know why. But was very very unhappy from then until my early 20s . It blighted my life and I dont know what caused it. Till 16 I was quite a confident girl.

Shame. If only I could go back.

Went to a girls grammar school. Yes I think overall I liked it - I had some very supportive teachers. English and History . Useless at all sports - on sports day my best friend and I used to escape over the bottom field wall. Never a prefect as ‘had a problem with authority’. Had a gap year after A levels doing voluntary work in an international children’s village and then went to University. I wouldn’t describe my school days as the happiest days of my life but they gave me the foundations to build a good life and career and a love of learning

Hated secondary. Primary was quite gentle & fun, but the school dinners were truly nasty.

P.S. Now divorced

Loved school except the time when I was accused of stealing a pencil😂
Maths and English were my best subjects. Hated sports.
Went on to gain a Master’s in English Language and Literature.
Lectured for a while, got married , had 3 lovely children, was a stay-at-home Mum, but helped in my husband’s practice.
Now, grandmother of 6, ranging from 6 to 24 years

I absolutely hated school, and wasn't head anything.

My happy days started when I left, when i went to work as a dental nurse.

Hated it except for sports, Geography, English lit.
When I left I started my apprenticeship in the printing trade.
Sewing books by hand then from18-21 sewing books on machines.