Westbury C.E Primary school 63-65

Robert Waugh
It was a real shame that Robert died earlier this year. I saw him a few times, he always had a chat. The last time was whilst organising a reunion which he was unable to attend due to his dementia. He was proud of his roots and education and went to great lengths to organise a successful Matravers reunion when the pupils reached 40 at Reflections. I recieved a phone call at Westbury sorting office from him but as had not attended there felt unentitled to go though I would have liked to. It is a shame that that do was pre mobile phones as I cannot find any photos. If anyone has any pictures or memories please feel free to share.

Exams Even today the word sends shivers down my spine.I was never any good at them and hated the fact that your whole years work was assessedon one or two three hour exams. I envied the pupils ,maths and art aside, who could supply four equal length competent essays/ answers. Even when I knuckled down for my important exams in my teens I always only passed with medium to low grades.Junior School was okay until the eleven plus. I had the immediate disadvantage that I lived next door and across the road from Liz and Diana who were always first and second in our class. If you add in my father showing me one of his High School reports where he was in first place in every subject I was bound only to disappoint. My reports were not kept but I think I came somewhere in the low teens out of forty, Apart from the top ten or so brains I don't think there was too much disparigity between the rest of the class. I have no idea who came last and no one was considered a dunce. My parents were already financing my older more intelligent brother's education at Lord Weymouth so were keen for me to pass eleven plus. I loved to read and my father took me one esrly evening every week to the library in the old town hall. Apart from the stairs and well stocked children's section my main memory is from the awful smells emanating from the public conveniences downstairs. I was the only boy in Mrs Baker's class to ask for extra homework at my parents behest. O ne afternoon I was taken out of class by my parents to sit a scholarship exam for Lord Weymouth. My parents swore me to secrecy so I hated telling lies when being grilled by Liz and others as to where I had been. I remember feeling absolutely awful, a nervous wreck, all thru the exam and was glad when over. If I had not passed I would have had scholarship to Lord Weymouth school I never had any say in the matter.

Xmas past
I remember about mid November your favourite annuals would appear. I used to try and sneak a peak inside if out shopping with my parents in a large Woolworths or W H Smiths. You had to wait until Xmas day to find out if you had a Rupert bear or Beano annual. I was not so keen on the Dandy. Just before Xmas there would be the bumper two week radio and T V Times. There was always at least one eagerly anticipated film. You hoped two programmes you wanted to see were not on at the same time as no VCR in those days. There were the blockbuster comedy shows Morecombe and Wise and the Two Ronnies. I suppose the nearest we have today are Ant and Dec. Nowadays with Satellite TV streaming and DVDs there is no great apprehension. as I am not big soap or Strictly fan I find it a bit sad that apart from Doc Martin the programmes I will watch are the live NFL games on Sky!!!

Sports
This is unfotunately not one of my strong points so I will be relying on others to fill the gaps.The year before we moved to Westbury I had suffered a broken arm and leg so was never going to be an athlete. I do remember playing rounders by the big tree and that the playground was marked out as a netball court for the girls. I have no recollection of team sports. John B says he remembers playing cricket as he knocked his front teeth out doing this. I know that Nogger, Charlie and Andrew along with Nigel Rob J and Martin E all played football. I guess if the school played these sports against other schools would have been on a Saturday. Most Saturdays my parents, mainly my mother, liked to go to neighbouring places usually bath, Devizes, Trowbridge and Frome shopping ( mainly Window) and I was always dragged along. On school sports days I remember taking part in race heats but not making the finals. I suppose it shows how the hormones were beginning to set in that I remember Diana F and Ruth were winners but I have absolutely no idea who their male counterparts were.I am hoping that some of you out there can fill in the gaps.