my daughter started at Townley yesterday, I feel for her because all her friends have gone off to different schools - that's the problem with London (especially Greenwich), so many poor secondary schools everyone scrambles around trying to get the best for their loved ones.
No doubt she'll settle in soon but she was a bit taken aback by some of her classmate's names .. Joy, Precious, Promise, Angel, .......
[cite]Posted By: Salad[/cite]my daughter started at Townley yesterday, I feel for her because all her friends have gone off to different schools - that's the problem with London (especially Greenwich), so many poor secondary schools everyone scrambles around trying to get the best for their loved ones.
No doubt she'll settle in soon but she was a bit taken aback by some of her classmate's names .. Joy, Precious, Promise, Angel, .......
Ahh my old school. Does the head mistress still wear purple suits and resembel a ribena berry? short round thing she was!
There was a girl on my bus this morning with her mum going to Blackheath High School. her mum was telling this other woman that her daughter was so nervous she didn't eat this morning and was barely speaking, the girl was just standing there in her pristine uniform all smiles. Her mum got off a few stops before, gave her a hug, wished her good luck and still she sat there grinning.
When we got to the bus stop she had to get off at, another girl and her dad got off at the same stop and the dad obviously asked the girl if it was her first day too. the two girls smiled at each other and they walked in together! put a smile on my face it did.
I remember meeting my school friends for the first time, some I am still friends with now, in fact, i have a great pic of me and my friend Keeley in her dad's fruit and veg shop the day before we started at Townley dressed up in our grey uniforms with blazers with these big grins on our faces! those were the days.
I remember my first day at my 'big school' I was absolutely shitting a brick, the place seemed huge! I had gone to a tiny catholic junior school with about 150 people in the whole school and was faced with what Medders referes to as 'Legoland'. I didn't think I'd ever find anything and it seemed all the other kids already there seemed to know each other!
I knew no-one there at all as all my junior school pals went to either the catholic comp or Rochester maths school.
Settled in well quick though and the place seems tiny in comparison to most secondary schools when I think back and met some of my best mates there, had a right crack and can't believe being as nervous as I was.
I went with my stepson to catch the bus this morning. He's starting at Wilmington Grammar. There was this other lad there with the same uniform and class tie and you could sense that they both wanted to say something to each other but were too nervous to do so. They'll probably be the best of buddies by the end of the day.
I know! I had a job to put a couple of poles up at the place and was amazed to see how much more they've done. There wasn't much grass when I was there let alone now!!
The infamous shared 'Redgra' is still there too.
Never heard of redgra before or since attending that school!!
P.s it was the boys who liked other boys went next door ;-)
I could say something about poles, and grass but I'll keep that one ;-)
Ahhh yes, the Redgra! Forgotten all about that. Basically a hockey pitch with red gravel.... Saw it's fair share of tear ups between the two schools...
Indeed, f*cking hurt too when you went arse over apex on it. I remember the look of fear in some of the lads faces the first (and only) time they tried to get us to play hockey on it.
Chatham south lads, hockey sticks, redgra, scores to settle. It got messy!!
I had to play hockey on that thing every bleeding week... Played touch rugby on it too, when the field was out of bounds... you'd have liked touch rugby Dicko ;-)
No bus to school for Ms Lat today instead a new chapter starts when we take her to Lincoln University on Sunday to start her Nursing degree course. She is so excited and looking forward to making new friends unlike the shy 11 year old who similarly went off 7 years ago on her first day unsure of where she was going and who she too would buddy up with, going to miss having her around.
[cite]Posted By: Latimer[/cite]No bus to school for Ms Lat today instead a new chapter starts when we take her to Lincoln University on Sunday to start her Nursing degree course. She is so excited and looking forward to making new friends unlike the shy 11 year old who similarly went off 7 years ago on her first day unsure of where she was going and who she too would buddy up with, going to miss having her around.
Thats scary that K is starting Uni!! Makes me feel really old.... God knows how it makes you feel Lats ;-)
[cite]Posted By: Latimer[/cite]No bus to school for Ms Lat today instead a new chapter starts when we take her to Lincoln University on Sunday to start her Nursing degree course. She is so excited and looking forward to making new friends unlike the shy 11 year old who similarly went off 7 years ago on her first day unsure of where she was going and who she too would buddy up with, going to miss having her around.
It's horrible when you leave them there but they seem to settle in far quicker than you get used to not tripping over their shoes or clearing up their mess!
It feels very strange at home for a while once they've gone.
25 years ago I left Uni and presently I am organising a reunion for those who graduated then so there is a certain poignancy. I can well remember going off in 1979 to London with the same eager anticipation and didn't stop to think about the impact it had on my parents, now I do!
[cite]Posted By: Latimer[/cite]25 years ago I left Uni and presently I am organising a reunion for those who graduated then so there is a certain poignancy. I can well remember going off in 1979 to London with the same eager anticipation and didn't stop to think about the impact it had on my parents, now I do!
[cite]Posted By: Medders[/cite]I had to play hockey on that thing every bleeding week... Played touch rugby on it too, when the field was out of bounds... you'd have liked touch rugby Dicko ;-)
That was for girls, used to play real rugby for medway when I was at school and the idea of touch rugby made me feel sick.
BETHS yesterday for my boy. Last night he admitted he WAS absolutely shitting himself walking toward the gate and that he WAS glad the first day was over. Thought so!
"BETHS yesterday for my boy. Last night he admitted he WAS absolutely shitting himself walking toward the gate and that he WAS glad the first day was over. Thought so!"
My nephew had his first day at school last week - Not like in my day, he only had to go for half an hour a day just to gradually get them used to it - Bollox in my opinion. He's doing French immersion as well so every lesson is in French apart from English and Maths - He's only just 5 so he'll be mugging me off in French before I know it.
Comments
No doubt she'll settle in soon but she was a bit taken aback by some of her classmate's names .. Joy, Precious, Promise, Angel, .......
Only at your public school Ketman. At most inner London schools they have to sell at least five bags of gear for the big boys or get beaten up.
Sure Charlie will be OK, Ledge. Got all this to look forward to in the next couple of years. Which School? Co-ed, all boys, C of E?, etc, etc.
Ahh my old school. Does the head mistress still wear purple suits and resembel a ribena berry? short round thing she was!
There was a girl on my bus this morning with her mum going to Blackheath High School. her mum was telling this other woman that her daughter was so nervous she didn't eat this morning and was barely speaking, the girl was just standing there in her pristine uniform all smiles. Her mum got off a few stops before, gave her a hug, wished her good luck and still she sat there grinning.
When we got to the bus stop she had to get off at, another girl and her dad got off at the same stop and the dad obviously asked the girl if it was her first day too. the two girls smiled at each other and they walked in together! put a smile on my face it did.
I remember meeting my school friends for the first time, some I am still friends with now, in fact, i have a great pic of me and my friend Keeley in her dad's fruit and veg shop the day before we started at Townley dressed up in our grey uniforms with blazers with these big grins on our faces! those were the days.
I knew no-one there at all as all my junior school pals went to either the catholic comp or Rochester maths school.
Settled in well quick though and the place seems tiny in comparison to most secondary schools when I think back and met some of my best mates there, had a right crack and can't believe being as nervous as I was.
You think the size of those schools were daunting back then Dicko, you seen the amount of new buildings they've got now?
The infamous shared 'Redgra' is still there too.
Never heard of redgra before or since attending that school!!
P.s it was the boys who liked other boys went next door ;-)
Ahhh yes, the Redgra! Forgotten all about that. Basically a hockey pitch with red gravel.... Saw it's fair share of tear ups between the two schools...
Chatham south lads, hockey sticks, redgra, scores to settle. It got messy!!
Thats scary that K is starting Uni!! Makes me feel really old.... God knows how it makes you feel Lats ;-)
It's horrible when you leave them there but they seem to settle in far quicker than you get used to not tripping over their shoes or clearing up their mess!
It feels very strange at home for a while once they've gone.
Agree Len about the mess won't miss that!
Are there many still alive? ;-)
That was for girls, used to play real rugby for medway when I was at school and the idea of touch rugby made me feel sick.
Thing is, he's one of the teachers!
Fingers crossed
Email at 4pm for us.
Hope he gets the one he wants.