Cleppie teachers

“Great to see the comments of my almost namesake Ken Abbot all the way from Australia,” says Donald Abbott.

“I too attended Clepington, but in the 1940s when the headmaster was the redoubtable Charles Ramsay, who also played the organ at Dundee Congregational church.

“We were lined up in twos in the playground and then marched into school climbing the stairs saying ‘one two’ as we marched and if anyone so much as spoke then they were in line for the tawse.

“The deputy headmaster was a Mr Ritchie and teachers included a Mrs Mathers , the lovely Miss Wemyss from Muirhead, Miss Robertson from Newport on Tay, Miss Penny, Miss Lowe as mentioned by Mr Abbot and the fantastic Miss Isa Fisher, who lived in Dundee’s Glens scheme and who ran the school choir with great skill and credibility.

“Mrs Mathers was my first teacher during the dark days of the Second World War and the gentle Miss Wemyss followed and then Miss Robertson.

“Just prior to attending Morgan, my teacher for six months was a Mr.Spence. Mr Abernethy was the janitor, living in the adjacent house next to the rear entrance to Maryfield Hospital.

“The sloping Boys’ playground was great for sliding down with the tackets in one’s boots. Sadly, the original Cleppy is no longer with us. I went on to the Morgan in 1950.

“Happy memories.”