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The following is a description by Ken Allan who lived in the Bakery 1945-51.
Schooling The only school in Chelveston when we arrived was the endowed school on the corner of the junction of the Caldecott, Chelveston and Higham Ferrers roads. Miss Baker was the teacher, and she taught children between the ages of four and half, and eleven years of age. The school day started at 8.15 am. and finished at 4.15 pm. with a ten minute break at 10.30 am. to drink your milk, and an hour for dinner at 12.15 pm., there was no afternoon break.
I attended there for three months until one day I went home and told my mother I knew more than what I was being taught and I wanted to be moved. It was usual for students to sit for examinations in their final year to enable them to go to Grammar school or if unsuccessful to go to the Secondary in Raunds. At the time I was to sit for my exams I had an accident and was in a coma for ten days, when I was fit again mum applied for a supplementary exam which meant I was transferred to the junior school in Raunds for two months. The headmaster informed her the day before I was to sit the exam that I would not pass because the exam that had been set was for was a child two years my senior. Sure enough I had no idea what many of the questions were about and failed, in hindsight I think it was meant to be.
Free milk was given to all children whether you liked it or not. The milk came in a third of a pint glass bottles and was usually left on the doorstep of the school, it was the task of the older boys and girls to carry them into the classroom. These students were given the grand title of "Milk Monitors". It was not only their task to take the milk into the school but also to hand it out at the mid-morning break. During the winter, nine times out of ten it was frozen, and had to be thawed out in front of the fire. In summer it got hot standing out in the sun and started to go off, didn't matter, you still had to drink it.
A midday cooked meal was provided at a cost of threepence (1p) per day, and came from Higham Ferrers in large metal containers already cooked. One container would contain mashed potatoes, another mashed swede or turnip, another a green vegetable such as cabbage or mashed up sprouts. This was followed by Semolina, Tapioca (frogs spawn as we used to call it), Cornflower or if you were lucky - custard. Jam was provided so that you could swirl it into whatever you received to make it look a bit more appetising. Sometimes it would turn up and be nearly cold.
Law and Order Except for a little "scrumping" and harmless small scale poaching, crime was none existent. A police sergeant used to cycle from Raunds once a week to and put in an appearance. You never knew when he was coming and the first thing he did when he arrived in the village was to use the public phone box and report back to the police station that all was quiet. I remember he was a very tall, solid, well built man. The sight of him was enough to deter any wrongdoers.
Dad had quite a bit of contact with him, particularly doing the winter months. I remember on very cold days he would come into the bakehouse, take his great coat and helmet off, and thaw out in front of the oven. To help him thaw out dad would provide a brandy, he wasn't supposed to drink whilst on duty but by the time he arrived back at the police station it's effects would have worn off. He quizzed me on one occasion about something that had happened in Stanwick, although I had heard rumours and knew the person concerned I couldn't help him. |
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School, Law & Order |
