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I was enrolled at the Mount Street elementary school soon after our arrival in Brecon and started in second class. To my amazement not another child at the school could speak Welsh and I could not speak English. By good fortune my teacher was a Miss Davis who spoke Welsh and helped me get through the first difficult days. Remembering those difficult early days makes me now appreciate the difficulties that ethnic migrants experience coming to my adopted country of Australia. On several occasions I have had to perform major emergency surgery on frightened migrants possessing no English and no experience of our culture and standards, requiring them to put their trust in the hands of a stranger and have wondered to myself how I could accept such a situation if the positions were reversed.
However, like today's migrants, I soon picked up enough English to make friends and was quickly accepted as a "town boy". It became clear to me that the boys (girls did not count) were divided into two distinct camps, town and country. The town boys lived within the strict bounds of the town and walked to school while the country boys lived outside and came by bus, train or bicycle. They considered themselves superior and outnumbered us "townies".
The exception to this strict rule was Gordon Quarrel, son of the fruit and vegetable shop owner and market gardener in town. He was an opportunist who seemed to flit from one side to the other as best suited his cause at any particular moment. He had the happy knack of "keeping sweet" with both sides in a constant war, waged out of school but especially in the school yard at break and lunch times. Gordon and I became good friends as time went by and I often accompanied him after school to his father's gardens which were situated next to the cattle market and where the main parking lot for the town is today.
Miss Davis was a young but excellent teacher and last lesson every Friday afternoon she rewarded us by reading favourite stories. It was the best part of the week. I was deeply in love with Miss Davis.
My next teacher was Miss Betty Armstrong who impressed me in a number of ways. At this stage my parents were having built by Jenkins Builders their new house further along Camden Road, the first of a row of houses and we were the first to take possession. So for a little boy there was the excitement during holidays of "helping" the workmen build the remainder of the houses. The men were very patient and taught me how to hammer-in a 6 inch nail and how to plaster a wall.
One of the plasterers was Miss Armstrong's stepfather and something of a hero in my mind. I fell in love with Miss Armstrong even deeper than with Miss Davis when at Christmas time she played the Principal Boy in the local Panto. She showed the full length of her long and shapely legs in tights and I can remember my mother's genuine concern that she might catch cold. She didn't catch cold but she did catch the local Vicar and married him. I could never forgive her for that and fell quickly out of love with her but hopelessly in love with Elizabeth whose story I have already retailed.
After Miss Armstrong I found myself in Mr Adami's class. His reputation as a disciplinarian and his punishment with the stick was feared by all. His was an octagonally sided, cut down fishing rod, wielded viciously but fairly whenever necessary. However, he was a superb teacher and not to be feared unless one was naughty. The Education System at that time was based on the 11 Plus Examination which meant that each child sat an examination for entry to secondary school. Depending when your birthday fell, you were allowed two chances, at 11 and 12 years of age. Normally your first chance came in class five and again in class six. The critical cut-off date was 31st July. My birthday being on 29th July meant that by 2 days I fell into my first attempt at age ten in class four.
This meant that three of Mr Adami's class had to sit a year earlier than we were prepared for. If we did not attempt the examination, we would be left with only one chance, with no excuses for missing because of illness or any other reason. Mr Adami kept the three of us behind after school to teach us fractions, decimals and other work that we would not normally have been taught until class five. Breconshire was a small and poor County and there were only 30 places available each year in our County Secondary School. The exam was in two parts with every child attempting the Preliminary. Out of the total number from the catchment area only the top 120 were allowed to go on to sit the main scholarship exam. With great trepidation I sat the "Prelim" leaving several questions unanswered because we had not yet done that work. To my amazement I came 112th and was allowed to sit for the Scholarship. |
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