Eleven to seventeen (ish)

When I was eleven……

I found that life existed outside of my village… Girls still did not come into the equation, (Well, not until I was thirteen)

I started at Britain Street School! Its name was actually Priory Secondary Modern but Britain Street sounds “’arder!” so all the students? That’s a laugh, called it that. Looking back, I think that I should have gone to the Grammar school but failed my 11 plus….WHY? Because my village school failed to inform me of my future. It probably sounds daft now but I remember taking “mocks” and then sitting the eleven plus…..BUT I WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS EXAM!!! I seem to remember that about three children made the grade and went to Grammar School, the rest of us went to secondary modern! I have many complaints about modern education but at least children are now taught at an early age that if they want a good job, they MUST get results.

Anyway, I was in the top stream for the year and remained there for the duration. In the 4th year, because I was in the top stream (4A, as opposed to 4B, AND 4C) I was asked if I would like to stay on for a 5th year so that I could take my G.C.E’s and O Levels………WOW, We were the elite! I often wonder what happened to the rest? Dustmen? Road Sweepers? Spokesman for H.B.C?.............I had two good subjects, Maths and Biology, In the 4th year, I was top of the class at Maths, but for the 5th year, I had a new teacher, Mr. Crossland! The one lesson I learnt that year is that the quality of teachers is paramount to getting results…….He waffled, I couldn’t comprehend what he was saying…….and instead of getting an O Level at the end of the year, I was given the C.S.E. Exam and got grade 3!!! (Grade 1 was equal to O level)

As for my other favourite subject, I was sent to college part-time to do an O level course on Human Physiology and Anatomy. I was doing well in that but just 6 weeks before the exam, I discovered that my school had put me in for C.S.E,s instead of O Level ………..It was completely different to what I had been taught for almost a year and I came out with a grade 3 C.S.E! I SHOULD HAVE HAD AN O LEVEL PASS!

I think that by todays standards, I could have sued the ar** of the School, College and the Government of the day for letting me down so badly………Education is taken so much more seriously these days, I certainly do not consider myself “thick” but looking back, my teachers considered getting a child out of school and into employment a success, whatever the job!

I like to rate myself as fairly intelligent, sod the exam results, They are so far back in my life now that IF I went to a new employer, he would probably not recognise 7 G.C.E. passes for what they are!! At 52, I know my capabilities, I know that Willow is more intelligent than me but I also know that I can hold my own in any conversation! I may not be clever, but I am certainly not dim!!!! I am happy with myself.

As a teenager, I went through many fads, I was a “Mod” with a terrific Lambretta complete with “tiger tail” compliments of Esso?? All my mates had scooters and we were allowed to go to and from school on them.

It was in the days of Mods and Rockers and I have a couple of stories to relate:

A mate pulled up at the school on his scooter and a group of bikers stopped just over the road from him. They called him over…..and like an idiot, he went!! One hospital visit later, he finally learnt his lesson! I can’t believe that these people were actually mates of mine, they must have been elsewhere when brains were given out.-----I can remember another “mate” that couldn’t judge how much petrol he had in his tank, he lit a lighter to see into the depths of his tank!!!!!

At 16, I changed sides, got rid of the Lambretta and got myself a 250cc BSA C15 with twin meg exhausts and drop handlebars, All of a sudden, I was ultra popular with the ladies but not so with my mates!

Fashion in the 60’s changed quickly and dramatically, I wore “winklepicker shoes” and then changed to what I think were called “chisels” where the toe end was cut off in a straight line, these were with Cuban heels to give a bit more height. My favourite gear on a Saturday night was a levi needlestripe suit coloured bottle green with a bright flurescent ORANGE needlestripe shirt ……and a huge medallion around my neck! When I tell my girls this, they cringe, I wonder why??

I saw a multitude of good bands in those days without having to pay for the tickets in advance, The Stones, early Bowie, Status Quo (who had just brought out a new single “Pictures of Matchstick Men”) and American soul artists that were my great love at the time like Percy Sledge and Marv Johnson.

The biggest problem that I had was transport. I was still living in Totternhoe and most weekends, had to walk home as the buses stopped running at around 10pm,…..so I got myself a car.........