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Weirdest Schoolday Memories?

(136 Posts)
SpringyChicken Fri 04-Jun-21 17:11:07

I went to a convent school, Notre Dame. It was unfortunate (and teenage girls are so cruel), that the caretaker (Mr Peacock) was hunch-backed and we nicknamed him Igor/Quasimodo. He was also stone deaf.
In readiness for speech day, the whole school was rehearsing the national anthem in the school hall. The head teacher, Sister Veronica, watching us from the stage, had already lost patience because some girls were giggling and issued a stern warning to the next girl who laughed.

As we began the anthem again, the stage trapdoor opened behind the headteacher and up came Mr Peacock, his back turned to us and completely oblivious of our presence. We tried very, very hard not to laugh but it was truly impossible.

Grammaretto Fri 04-Jun-21 16:39:01

I was 6 or 7 and in a new school. The class were learning how to tell the time. I was asked to go and look at the clock in the hall.
Half and hour later I was still gazing at the clock when another teacher passed and asked me why I was standing there. "I'm looking at the clock". "Well there it is" came her reply.
I must have been rescued eventually.

ixion Fri 04-Jun-21 16:26:10

Our first week at primary school.
Denise D creating a little 'puddle' and announcing to Miss that the radiator was leaking.

We were all impressed!

fiorentina51 Fri 04-Jun-21 16:23:40

Having to sit through a public information film on the dangers of playing on bomb sites and handling unexploded ammunition when I was in the juniors at my local primary school.
This was in the 1950s in inner city Birmingham. Our local neighbourhood was dotted with unfenced bomb sites which we children loved to investigate.
It was the same film shown just before the summer holidays, usually by a stern policeman.

Tizliz Fri 04-Jun-21 16:10:53

I remember log tables and slide rules (think I still have one).

midgey Fri 04-Jun-21 15:50:05

My memory is of being asked to collect a ‘log table’ for a girl taking A level maths. I found a table and between us we carried the table over to where we were asked to. Teacher out that she would take ‘it’ upstairs to the student.....seemed a bit odd to me so we started up the stairs..(to be helpful) Teacher appeared from around the corner to see what was happening. Of course I was 100% wrong....just needed a booklet. I realise no young GN reader will have a clue what a log table was!

tanith Fri 04-Jun-21 15:44:43

When I was 7/8 for a Summer show 12 of us had to learn to dance a Minuet. It was hysterical the very reluctant boys having to bow and twirl with arms raised and girls twirling under their arms. It was very funny but no one from my family saw it very upsetting.

LullyDully Fri 04-Jun-21 15:34:22

We went on a geography field trip for GCE work. The English teacher came along to help the geography teacher. The former was a strong character, who soon took over map reading and we got totally lost. It took a while to find out way back to the coach.

So much for risk assessments.

helgawills Fri 04-Jun-21 15:28:58

Wow, Grandmabatty, that's a fantastic prize for a student.

Grandmabatty Fri 04-Jun-21 13:31:37

We watched a film about chocolate production and then had to write an essay about it. I won and duly received 30 big bars of Cadbury chocolate. I was very popular until it was eaten! I can't imagine such a prize these days.

helgawills Fri 04-Jun-21 13:13:28

In the mid 60s, when I was in my teens, everybody in school was given a nyltest shirt, supplied by a US company. Personally, I hated the thing, got eczema on my arms and tried my best to avoid man made fibres ever since.
The company also supplied enough shirts to go into our annual Christmas boxes to deprived children in a school in East Germany. We normally sent treats like nuts, dried fruit and cocoa, which were supplied, but every child packed a box and added a personal Christmas letter, handwritten.
One of the girls one of my parcels went to, is still in touch.
But not all the boxes went to the intended destination. Some children got thank yous from children in the Soviet Union.
Would love to read some of your weird memories.