Intro: I was a bit of a 'goody two shoes'. In junior school, I once had to write 200 lines "I must not talk in class" - I didn't mind the lines as I enjoyed writing. However, I hadn't been talking and I made a point of telling the teacher when, as an adult, I saw him at a bus stop in the rain and offered him a lift. I now laugh about how ridiculous that was! In senior school, I had one detention when the whole class was kept behind for something (not sure what as, once again, I wasn't part of it). It consisted of staying half an hour late in school, which was great because I managed to complete half my homework!
Part-1
In the summer of 1965, the pupils in class 4A (now Year 6) parted ways at the end of term. Although many would be attending the local comprehensive, Peter was accepted at the boys' grammar school in a nearby town and I would be starting at the girls' grammar school in another nearby town. I only mentioned Peter because, years later, I discovered that he and a friend's brother were in the same class at grammar school.
During the summer break, I was kitted out (at enormous expense) with the appropriate uniform of tweed skirt, tie, blazer, mac, white shirts, ash green cardigan and/or jumper, green beret, scarf, white science coat and PE kit: green culottes, big black gym knickers, white polo shirt, hockey boots and a hockey stick. There was also a summer dress in a specific fabric but this was deferred until summer term, a few months away.
In the first year (now referred to as Year 7), we were placed into classes by age and there were two other girls, Christine and Elizabeth, with whom I shared a birthday.
We were also assigned to 'houses' but, as nobody paid any attention to
these, it was soon phased out. I was placed in St Winifred's, which warranted a
yellow button badge and determined which musical I could see in London for a Christmas treat - it was Paint your Wagon. I think Oliver and The Sound of Music were on offer to the girls in other 'houses'.
The 'first-years' were housed in an old building with the science labs. There was a Christmas outing to the local church and we all had to wear our berets - the one and only time I ever did. It was very icy that winter and I slipped over and broke a tooth as I walked across the courtyard.
Once a week during autumn/winter, we played hockey and I was so useless that my hardly-worn, expensive hockey boots were as-new when I finally gave them away. I must also have had plimsoles to play tennis (also useless) and athletics (even worse) during the spring/summer; I wasn't too bad at gym. It's a shame there was no squash or badminton because I was OK at those when I grew up.
In the summer term, the girls wore a collared dress with optional cardigan. In June, our end-of-year exam reults determined our destinies for the following year.
During that first year, I met Mo who, apparently, I was friends with as a baby when her parents and mine were neighbours, before both familes moved out of North London and lost touch (we're still friends). Anita was another classmate who was to feature in my life after we left school... more about that if I write a post about the 1970s.
September 1966: arriving at school on the first day of term, my long hair in braids as per the rules, one of the prefects mistook me for a newcomer. Obviously, that hair was instantly set free! I soon realised that most of the rules applied to first year girls only and then, afterwards, nobody bothered!
Thankfully, I was placed in the arts stream rather than the science stream. The main difference being that we were not taught taught Physics and Chemistry but we did study English literature and all the usual lessons: English Grammar, Maths, French, History, Geography, plus Biology, Art and a choice of Needlework or Cookery. There were the compulsory PE and RE lessons too.
I was an average student, so we'll leave academia behind and concentrate on the fun side of being a young teen in the late 1960s.
Update: Just remembered how fashionable my 11-year old self was! Christmas, 1965, my parents bought me a blue anorak and blue stretch trousers with a strap that looped under the foot to stop them riding up. A year later, my Christmas present was a sleeveless, polo-necked skinny-rib top in white with a mustard colour mini-skirt in crimplene ... CRIMPLENE!!!
Part 2.
1966-1970 were the best years to be a carefree teenager! As far as homework interfering with the social side of life, it didn't. Most of the time, I did whatever homework we were assigned during the morning during lunchtime and whatever was assigned in the afternoons was started on the bus journey and completed the following morning by getting in forty minutes before school started. Those were the good old days when pupils were trusted to be in their classrooms without supervision.
My school mac was originally designed to cover the knees but we turned up the hems by about 8" to be mini-length coats. Similarly, skirts were turned over and over at the waist to become mini-skirts. Outside of school, it was mostly mini-skirts, which got higher as stockings were replaced by tights, but I also had a lime green trouser suit which I wore endlessly!
As with many teens in the '60s, music filled my head. Having been introduced to Buddy Holly's songs by my older brother when I was about five years old, Beatlemania arrived soon afterwards. In fact, I was lucky enough to be taken to a Beatles concert in 1964 - how many people can claim that?! Some of the other artistes my parents took me to see were: The Moody Blues ("Go Now" with Denny Laine), The Tornados ("Telstar"), Susan Maughan ("Bobby's Girl") - I'll add any others as I remember them.
My brother gave me my first ever record. It was a 78 RPM of Buddy Holly and The Crickets, "Think It Over" / "Fools Paradise" (he had started collecting the new 45 RPM 'singles'). In fact, he also gave me my second record - a single - "Can't Buy Me Love" / "You Can't Do That" by The Beatles, as he had bought their LP (33 RPM) and both songs were on it. For any young people who are unsure what RPM means, it signified the speed of the turntable - revolutions per minute.
Some of my other favourite bands in the 1960s were: Manfred Mann and The Animals, The Monkees, The Kinks, The Troggs, Small Faces, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch. Late 1960s: Amen Corner, The Herd, The Equals, Beach Boys; then a host of Tamla Motown artistes: Jimmy Ruffin, Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, etc. I'm sure I've missed loads. At age 13ish, a schoolfirend, Marina, and I saw The Small Faces (Stevenage Locarno) and The Monkees (Wembley Arena) and I went with another couple of schoolfriends to see The Amen Corner and The Bonzo Dog Do-Dah Band, both at Tottenham Royal, when I was around 14 or 15.
My introduction to politics was via The Marine and Broadcasting Offences Bill, which was put together by Harold Wilson's Labour Government in 1967/68. It's sole purpose (in my opinion) was to close down Radio Caroline and Radio London so that the music we listened to could be controlled by the government. I have loathed politics and politicians ever since. No wonder there are so many rebellions by teenagers.
As I have now mentioned Tottenham, another of my weekly past-times was watching football, mostly at White Hart Lane. I usually went with Gill, my best friend from school, and took my younger brother. This started in 1967 and continued for several years - my younger brother is a season ticket holder and hasn't missed many games since. Jimmy Greaves was my hero. I still follow the club but mostly from my cosy armchair.
In the summer of '68, I had a 'phone call from another schoolfriend,
Pat, who was on a Caravan holiday with her parents near the Essex coast
and was bored silly - am I free to spend the next week with her family?
Oh, yes. My dad drove me there and I had a great time - it was the only
the second holiday I had ever had (the other being Butlins in 1966 in
wet Wales). I remember that my favourite song at the time was "Bad Moon
Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival - it's still one of my
favourites.
Gill and I used to go roller skating every week at 'Ally Pally' and often went to discos at the weekends. I lived miles from anywhere and always had to find the best bus route to wherever I was going; sometimes I would arrange to stay over at one of my friends' houses instead.
When I was 15, I stayed with some 'cousins' in Essex, not far from Southend. They were actually family friends but I had always called their mum 'Aunty Vi'. They had a flat roofed house and the boys and I used to jump off the roof onto the lawn. Why? No idea! They also had a motorbike (a 350 AJS) which they were too young to drive but they walked it to some local wasteland and rode around. I tried but accelerated too hard and I fell off the back as the bike reared - no harm done but they wouldn't let me near it again. I remember that my favourite songs during that time were "Band of Gold", "The First Cut Is The Deepest" and "Don't Play That Song For Me" by Freda Payne, P.P.Arnold and Aretha Franklin, respectively.
At some point during those football years, I had all my long hair cut off to within 1" in my scalp and started wearing jeans, which is still my staple to this day. I have a photograph of me looking 'hard' with my new haircut, jeans and a blue and white scarf. Hilarious!
As 1969 handed over to the next decade, I passed most of my O-levels and spent the summer waitressing in a café, which I loved! My favourite song at that time was David Bowie's "A Space Oddity". I started a real job in September and life was still fun but that's for another post, another time. Thanks for reading.
Bernie
