Gilbert Johnson,13, was a pupil at Spring Hill in 1937 and remembers going on the school camp to Llanfairfechan. Frank Garnett, a teacher at the school, had started the camps in 1933 and by 1937, following favourable reports from the school inspectors, the local authority sponsored or subsidised the camps. Gilbert thinks that other schools also went. He can remember Mr. Garnett being on camp along with Mr. Leslie Dean (later Head of Hyndburn Park) and also the school caretaker, Mr. Leonard Barnes and Mr. Green who taught swimming at the St James Street baths.

The children had a workbook or ‘prospectus’ for the camp, which was to be filled in rather like a diary. It involved exercises in English, maths, geography, history, science etc, worked around their stay in Wales. They went up to Snowdon, visited granite quarries, a gas works, a model farm, as well as the usual activities of a camp by the seaside. They had a sand modelling competition and had singing concerts in the evening.

They stayed at Woden House in Llanfairfechan

Gilbert still has the diary he filled in sixty two years on.

This is a sample of the practical mathematics exercise in his diary. Gilbert’s answers are in italics. I wonder how many youngsters could get the right answer today!

" YATCHING POOL

1. Estimate the length in yards ……70…..yards
2. Estimate the breadth in yards ……30…..yards

If the average depth of the water is 1’ 6" calculate the amount of water required to fill the pool.

1 cu. ft. of water weighs 62 ½ lbs. and

1 gall. of water weighs 10lbs.

E.G. Volume of water = L x B x D cu. ft.

Weight of water = Volume x 62 ½ lbs.

Capacity of pool = Weight of water galls.

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