August 2020

11 Buckden Roundabout August 2020 Buckden School history In spite of the setbacks of war and disease, the overall picture of the twentieth century was one of progress. Medical inspec- tions began. From January 1935 the school participated in the ‘ Milk in Schools Scheme ’. It cost a halfpenny for a third of a pint. A former pupil remembers that the milk did not come, as intended, in a hygienic little bottle complete with straw; the children dipped their cups into a communal pail. School meals were served for the first time in 1949, but as ear- ly as 1929 a large table and twelve chairs had been provided for children who stayed to dinner. Electric light was installed in 1931 (at a cost of £18 6s. 1d.). The children ’ s horizons were widened in many ways. From the 1910s, when PT drill was strictly to keep warm and there were no organised games, it was a big step to 1930 when the boys won the County Cup Final. A lively interest was taken in the activities of the Royal Family, and not only as an excuse for holidays to celebrate numerous royal weddings. In 1906: ‘. . . marched children to High Street to see HM the King go through to Kimbolton. Very good view motor travelling slowly past. ’ In 1936: ‘ Jan 23 rd . In order that the boys might hear the procla- mation of King Edward VIII in London I fitted up my wireless in school. The broadcast came through perfectly. ’ (The school did not get its own wireless until 1948 —over 20 years after the BBC first started schools broadcasting.) In September 1948, installation of the mains water supply and one washbasin in the infants cloakroom was completed. The following year a mains water supplied washbasin was also in- stalled in the junior/senior cloakroom, and a sink, draining board and electric boiler were also installed in the cloakroom in preparation for the supply of school meals, which were served for the first time in Buckden School on Sep 26 th . In September 1949 the school was organised into 4 classes and PE and country dancing were held at the rifle range. This in- creased to 5 classes in 1951, and in 1954 school meals were also taken in the rifle range. The first Buckden School sports day took place in July 1954 in the grounds of Buckden Towers. And in May 1954 Maypole dancing was started at the school to enable participation in the Buckden May Day Festival. A personal perspective Hand - written notes from the late Mrs June Woods, who attended Buckden School in the late 1940s, have shed a per- sonal light on school life. Mrs Woods reports that she always referred to Buckden School as ‘ the schools ’ because when she was a pupil it was three separate schools each with their own walled playground. The only time they joined was for assem- (Continued from page 10) 150 years of school—or is it? Buckden School in the twentieth century (continued) bly, and this was still only the girls and the infants. The infants were aged 5 – 8 years and were taught by Miss Bradley at that time. She taught multiple generations of Buck- den families. During her tenure she got married and became Mrs Hardwick. She was promoted several times, progressing to become deputy head teacher. The girls ’ school had two teachers at that time. Miss Collyer taught ages 8 – 11 and also played the piano for assemblies and music lessons. Miss Payne was also the headmistress and taught ages 11 – 14. Mrs Woods describes Miss Payne as a dig- nified, small, lady who had her desk raised on a platform so that she could observe the whole room from the front of the class. She ruled with a rod of iron. No one dared to disobey her and absolutely nothing escaped her notice! In the girls ’ school, the mornings were devoted to reading, writing and arithmetic with a tiny amount of geography and history. Afternoons, according to the day of the week, were spent learning sewing, embroidery, knitting, darning, patch- ing, raffia work and painting. Dressmaking was for senior girls only and as there was only one sewing machine dresses took weeks to complete. The boys ’ school was for boys aged 8 – 14 years and was taught by Mr Hearn. As headmaster, Mr Hearn and his family lived in the school house on the corner of School Lane. Simi- larly to the girls, in the mornings the boys learned reading, writing and arithmetic with a little geography and history but their afternoons differed as they learned gardening, cricket and football. Boys ’ sports were played at the playing fields. Mrs Woods remembers each of the children being given a mug to dip into the communal bucket of milk and also that the children were encouraged to participate in pea picking, potato picking and gathering fruit, which was hard work but enjoyable. She says that there were very few cars at the time and bicy- cling was the most usual form of transport. Buses were few and far between and stopped at 6pm. For leisure, Mrs Woods and her friends went to a youth club in the boys school which was open three evenings a week: one for boys, one for girls and one for boys and girls together. In the next instalment of the series we will explore Buckden School in the later twentieth century, from the 1950s and 60s. - Wendy Trattner Sources www.bl.uk Buckden, A Huntingdonshire Village, Mike Storey & Robin Gib- son (Eds.), 2010 Buckden C.E. School 1871 – 1971 Centenary Year, FWR Clax- ton, 1971