From
: Doreen Rawston (nee Burnett),I started at Springhill School in 1947 after two years at Hannah St.
Ican't remember who my first teacher was but I can remember standing with my friends and hoping that I wouldn't be put in the 'B' form. Even then we knew the difference between the two grades. Mrs. Rawcliffe was my second year teacher and I liked her very much. I remember the wet dinner times when we used her classroom to play ' Animal, Vegetable and Mineral' and the answer was always ' Mr. Spencer's cane!'
Miss Sutcliffe was followed by wonderful Miss Hindle who brought the French Revolution alive for us and even extended the lesson as we were so enthralled. Events I can remember are P.E. displays at Oak Hill Park for the Festival of Britain, playing rounders for the school and Mr. Spencer and his entrance into the classroom on a Friday morning quizzing us in rapid succession on our knowledge of times tables, weights and measures.
Perhaps not a pleasant memory for some was the morning of the 11+ results when Mr. Spencer called out all the successful candidates to come out to the front to face the school. I remember two being left at the back from my form of 40 class mates and everybody turned round to see who was left.
School dinners were eaten in silence and if you broke that rule you were
told to stand at the back of the hall and you missed your dinner and also your playtime. I did not like mashed potatoes or the thick gluttonous stew that accompanied them but Mrs. Cook, the dinner lady, stood over me and forced it down my throat.Apart from that I have happy memories of the school and the sound education that it gave me.
Doreen A. Rawstron (nee Burnett)