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What is the most random school memory you have?

(122 Posts)
CrazyUSA Sun 05-Jul-26 14:35:03

Being sent out of class.

Lookout01 Mon 06-Jul-26 23:35:17

In reception class 1965 I was put in the corner, face to the wall and made to wear a dunces hat for 'messing about in the wendy house' humiliating to say the least

DrWatson Tue 07-Jul-26 05:42:42

We had a building - much newer than the school - for school dinners, about 100 yards from the main buildings.

The prevailing wind meant that we quite often could smell the dinner well before we went over there.

Every few weeks, the repulsive smell of macaroni cheese (well, the way they did it) wafted up on the breeze as we came out of the last morning lesson. And almost everyone hated the stuff, like extra lumpy wallpaper paste, with some sort of chemical cheesy pong added?

We got fed in 2 shifts, each day there was some sort of alternative offering, but only enough for about 2 tables (of 5 or 6) in the hall. And that was just the first sitting, if you were 2nd sitting that week, the only choice was to leave it, and hope to get 2 puddings?!

They did another 'special', nobody ever knew what it really was? It was some bright red meaty stuff (?), served with a bit of pastry - like a little pie lid? I heard a rumour it was 'corned beef pie', but the texture wasn't right - maybe it was mostly tomato puree? -- and I've never heard of a corned beef pie since. That was another day they had a lot left over.

I complained to my parents, but my dad had been in the Army, and some horrible places & conditions in WW2, so he had little sympathy, they'd been glad of anything!

Sadgrandma Tue 07-Jul-26 07:59:07

Coming out of the dressing room, with my best friend dressed as angels, before the school play, and meeting an exchange teacher from Canada who looked at us aghast saying “Gee, the people they pick as angels”!

Wishes Tue 07-Jul-26 08:55:10

There was a trip organised for my class at infant school to visit the local fire station.
I absolutely refused to go not telling my mum or teachers why much to their concern.

I was gutted when they returned, all the class did was to colour pictures of fire engines and talk excitedly about their trip.
I didn't go because I was really scared the work would be too hard and I wouldn't be able to do it.

TheWeirdoAgain60 Tue 07-Jul-26 09:26:13

I was at school from 5 to 16 - from 1970 to 1986 -and absolutely hated school and the so-called ''teachers'' and all the boring subjects and sexism against the female pupils.

I was always the quiet little mouse who sat in the corner at the back type, too scared to even breathe, and the pupils scared me too. I had no friends and was constantly treated like filth by most''teachers'' and pupils.

But one day, aged 15, I asked ''teacher'' to let me go to the loo as I was on a very heavy period, and really needed to go. HE, a bloke who will never have the slightest idea of women's bodily functions, said no, I'll just have to wait.

This is a really personal thing to say, but thankfully, it was only about 10 minutes before break time, but I was doubled up in agony and bursting. The second the bell went, I sneaked into the male teachers' loo and peed all over the floor, by the urinals, blood included, and left it there, complete with the stink of wee and period blood! I only had about 2 weeks to go before finally leaving, so I didn't give a hoot if I was caught!

Magenta8 Tue 07-Jul-26 09:56:12

TheWeirdoAgain60 It is not at all unusual to have had a miserable time at school, as has been shown many times in previous posts. But to still be so twisted up by hatred of your schooldays in later life is very sad.

leeds22 Tue 07-Jul-26 10:38:04

Spending lunch break sat up a tree because a 'big' girl had threatened to beat me up for telling her to stop bullying a friend. I think I was about 10.

Labradora Tue 07-Jul-26 13:45:02

leeds22

Spending lunch break sat up a tree because a 'big' girl had threatened to beat me up for telling her to stop bullying a friend. I think I was about 10.

Good for you for telling her not to be a bully !
👏👏

NonnaW Tue 07-Jul-26 14:16:38

Aged 5 in our old primary school, brick wall down one side of the playground. I was barged out of his way by one of the biggest boys in the school, head first into the wall. I had a huge lump like an egg on my head.
Same school, going home on the bus (would have been about 1958 or 59). I lost my purse with my bus fare in and was petrified the conductor would pit me off the bus and I’d have to walk home alone. He must have heard my panicked comments to a friend and just didn’t ask me for my fare. So relieved 😌

Cumbrianmale56 Sat 11-Jul-26 09:49:19

A daft one, the secondary school I was in merged with two others and the headmaster, who only had a year left before retirement, became almost invisible. One day someone saw him walk past and commented, " is he, or is he not, the headmaster". I replied, " A rare sight, I believe". Luckily he didn't hear us and another teacher who overheard our joke whispered, " He ;probably doesn't even know my name".

Imarocker Sat 11-Jul-26 10:30:56

Being bored in Infant School because I read before I went to school

Cumbrianmale56 Sat 11-Jul-26 13:34:00

I can remember making a joke about the deputy headmistress's piano playing being like listening to Les Dawson and being sent to her office for disrupting her class. She gave me the plimsoll as a punishment and I can remember it stinging for ages afterwards.

Northernsoulnanna Sat 11-Jul-26 17:01:43

Me and my still best freind hated french.
Had to listen to french tapes on a big tape recorder.
We decided to go in the cupboard and remove the tapes, which went straight into my freinds dustbin when she got home.
The french teacher in our french lesson the next day stood in front of the class and said unfortunately the tapes appear to be missing , anyone know where they have gone?
Two 15 year old teenage girls sat there very innocent.

Northernsoulnanna Sat 11-Jul-26 17:07:30

Also our accounts teacher who often had forgotten to take off her crash helmet when she came into class,she came to school on her moped.
Our first lesson on a thursday was accounts with her.
We only did half the lesson,we were a class of girls.
First thing she would say was ",whose got this weeks Jackie Magazine?"
She liked to read out the problems on the Cathy & Claire page and ask us how we would deal with the problems on the page.

Aveline Sat 11-Jul-26 19:01:07

We used to write spoof letters to the Cathy and Clare page!

Lovetopaint037 Sat 11-Jul-26 23:40:08

I have always felt unwell if blood is discussed. I was about 11 when we had our first “Hygiene “ lesson which was about the circulation of the blood. I put my hand up and said I didn’t feel well. The teacher asked if it was because of the lesson. I said it was and she dismissed it with no understanding at all. She continued and I knew no more until I was woken up after fainting. The other girls told me she had grabbed me and hung me out of the window. Someone was chosen to take me out of the class and look after me. After that everyone wanted to sit next to me in a hygiene lesson.

Redhead56 Sun 12-Jul-26 00:22:02

There were dunces hats in my first school in Everton Liverpool a grim old building. The toilet block was away from the school in the middle of a yard not somewhere we wanted to go to.
One male teacher threw the hard blackboard duster at any child he wanted. Memories still remain of horrible people who should not have been in that job.

fiorentina51 Sun 12-Jul-26 07:28:26

Being whacked with a ruler by Miss Devlin and being told that, "Our Blessed Lord said that girls like you should have a millstone tied around their neck, and be cast into the sea."

I had been dared to kiss Paddy McGrath, who was standing in the corner for some misdemeanor.
Miss Devlin caught me in the act.
I became, in her eyes, a fallen woman at the age of 7.

travelsafar Sun 12-Jul-26 07:39:02

One memory i have is that aged 5 i was standing in the hall for assembly. I felt unwell and promptly vomited all over the floor. Luckily I was in the front row!!

Cumbrianmale56 Sun 12-Jul-26 09:07:13

Most of the teachers I had were decent, good people, but there were a few who were horrors who would have been locked up these days. I can recall a PE teacher I had in the first 2 years who started ranting and hitting me for coming last in a cross country. It wasn't helped I was recovering from the measles, but he didn't care and was a bully to any kid who was no good at sport. ( On one occasion, he hit a pupil with a cricket bat).
I was so glad to find out years later one of my friends saw him in the street and laid him out for hitting a woman.

ROMILO Sun 12-Jul-26 13:24:58

I was in the school play age 5. It involved ' ladies in waiting' and we had to walk across the stage in two's holding hands. The curtains closed too early and I was left on the wrong side!