Post Office account delivered trip to Switzerland
THE first covering of snow last Monday reminded me I was going to continue last week’s saga comparing our schooldays with the 2020 version. As you read this column today, it is half term for our very modern granddaughter. She is on the ski slopes in France this week having her third year skiing with her father.
He became an expert on skis when he lived in Canada as a lad. Now his daughter is fast catching up with his skills.
As I began my second year at the grammar school, an assembly announcement invited all those interested in a trip to Switzerland to stay behind.
Back in the 50s such adventures were rare as parents did not have any spare cash for luxury holidays in the February half term. A day trip to grandparents was about the best we got. But for me, that was not quite the truth. I stayed with those of affluence in the hope there was a free trip in it for me. Sadly it was a visit in the Easter holidays to Lucerne, and I cannot remember the cost as I knew I would not be going.
When I got home, I mentioned it but then said I knew I could not go. Nothing more was said until the weekend when my mother said I could go if that was really what I wanted.
When I was born in 1942 there was not much available in the shops and for a few years thereafter relatives had marked Christmas and birthdays with monetary gifts. My parents had put this in a Post Office savings account and now I was advised for the first time that I was technically rich. More accurately, there was enough to pay for a trip to Switzerland.
I think most of my fellow pupils would also have loved to join the trip, but only about 25 actually got to catch the overnight train from Victoria for the adventure.
Thereafter I guess some school friends thought we must be pretty rich. I never did tell anyone I was just lucky I had a lot of relatives!
As my school life progressed, I did join the visit to Rome in the fourth year and the trip to the South of France in the Lower 6th.
I had to pay for these from the money yet again collected as Christmas and birthday presents, plus not spending my paper round tips. I learnt a useful lesson. It is best not to brag about where the funds come from - just let others guess at the source.
Whilst this was the icing on the cake, I did enjoy my seven years of secondary education. Given all at the school had passed the infamous 11 plus, it is hardly surprising to say the vast majority were pretty bright at lessons. I was surprised to find that very few were much good on the sports fields, and some were abysmal. I was lucky in being pretty good at all sports and also useful in the classroom. The downside of this shortage of quality sports players was that sports took precedence on all Saturdays and permission in writing had to be obtained to take Saturday jobs! I often wonder how many feigned sporting incompetence so they could take the coveted Saturday job? I was restricted to early morning paper rounds, which are not much fun if you don’t like getting up in the morning!
School was co-ed and we were usually coerced into helping coach the girls in both hockey and tennis given we were much stronger than they were.
Years later, my cricket club would play against the England women’s team in warm-up matches. Of course, I just had to be the clever guy that asked if the girls wore the protective box? The quick reply from their wicket keeper was “no, we wear manhole covers”.