MEMORIES OF LESCUDJACK PART 2

Halfhidden

Untouchable
Administrator
Visiting the school a few weeks ago and walking through the classrooms brought back many memories of my school-days. The headmaster at that time was Mr. Hichens. I can recall many of the teachers: Miss Thomas, Mr. Evans, Mr. Pooley, Mr. Blewett. The caretaker was Mr. Jenkins who lived at High Street.

We did not have French or Biology in those days, television nor school radio, like the boys and girls have today. The headmaster took us for mental arithmetic. We used to line up around the classroom and if you were lucky enough to get the right answer you were allowed to leave school at twenty- to-four!

The pupils assembled in the hall every morning and we marched in to a tune from an old record. Two or three hymns were sung; there were prayers and comments by the headmaster and then we filed back to our rooms.

In the hall we had a fine museum, and a good collection of cups and shields for sport (swimming, soccer, rugby, cricket). Down the sides of the corridor were the photographs of the winning teams. The corridor was also the place for detention, if we were kept in late after school, normally for twenty minutes. All detainees had to stand in line facing Forms 4 and 5, and if you were caught standing on the heating pipe, you were kept in longer! At the end of the corridor were five or six hand basins. We were forbidden to drink the water and woe betide anyone who did!

During the war years we had one shed in the playground which was used as an air-raid shelter. Some pupils sheltered in the basement, while all the rest had to shelter down the lane past the allotments at the back of the school. We used to have competitions in school to find which class could collect the most bones, paper, etc., to help the War Effort. In one competition I won a fifteen shillings National Savings Certificate for my slogan " Every trifle loads a rifle."

These were some of the memories of my school days—the days of the early forties.

P. D. Jewell


OLD GIRLS FAR AFIELD

LIFE IN DURBAN
Durban is a busy, growing city with a large, modern city-centre full of spacious air-conditioned shops and the usual unending stream of noisy traffic. All people from different walks of life live here. Indians, African natives, of many tribes, Afrikaans speaking people, and of course, the English South Africans, and immigrants of 3d. a dozen! Most vegetables here are the same as in England, but many are different, e.g. pumpkin, mealies (corn-on-the-cob), squash, to name only a few. Paw-paws, avocado pears, all kinds of melons, pineapples—are some of the delicious fruits that grow in abundance when in season.

Natal is a hilly province, with a port full of ships queueing up to unload their cargoes, and luxurious liners with hundreds of people disembarking, eager to see a new country for most passengers are immigrants from over-populated countries.

The warm Indian Ocean, which washes Durban's sandy shores is never safe to bathe in except in very calm areas, as the breakers are huge and thunderous. Every beach popular to the public is patrolled by life-savers, and gradually, shark-nets are being put up to protect swimmers and surf-riders on all shores.

Parks and open spaces are plentiful and attractive to sightseers. Many parks have tea-rooms that one can relax in, or outdoors. Some parks have aviaries which display varieties of birds; parrots, cockatoos, pheasants, and tiny finches. Tortoises, a hundred years old and more, lazily roam about their grounds. Penguins and a turtle find a cool spot near the pond, away from the hot sun. No admission is charged, and when in season, these parks are (needless to say)—overcrowded.

Summer is the rainy season, with hot sun beating down, and heavy rain bursting from the clouds into the " storm-drains "; so called because they are especially designed for very heavy rains. Pavements here are much higher off the roads to allow for the gushing water in the gutters. Winter, on the other hand, is pleasantly warm with sea- temperatures still above 70°F. It is most unusual to have any rain in winter, but dull days do occur infrequently, though it remains warm.

Life in Durban is busy and bustling, new buildings being designed and built, roads, dams, bridges are growing, to make Durban, in the future, an even more important city in Natal—an important city in South Africa.

Rosemarie Williams (nee Forward)
 
Top Bottom