Reminiscences of Huish School by William Serjeant

With some foresight, my father enrolled me in Huish Junior School, prior to the 1944 Education Act. Thus, a place was practically guaranteed for me in the Upper School. I was among the first bunch to take the 11-plus for entirely free schooling, which was my privilege until December 1950.

At that time, "Ginger" Rutt, who was the Deputy Head, convinced me I was totally unsuitable for a career in the Civil Service and for that reason, continuing to the sixth form would not be beneficial. He suggested I should develop my artistic skills; likewise Desa, the art teacher, tried to persuade me to accept an apprenticeship as a cartographic draughtsman for the Admiralty. Instead, I took the advice of my father to gain qualifications at the Somerset College of Art, which would allow me to train as an art teacher.

My time at Huish Junior School was shared: firstly, in a classroom in the upper chambers of an old chapel, which was situated across the road from the Silver Street entrance, and secondly, in a classroom accessed from a narrow lane by the east wall of the main playground.

The most formative teacher at that time was Miss Hobbs. She taught copperplate handwriting to her class of thirty-five pupils. We used pens with brass nibs, which were dipped into inkwells. Our solid oak desks accommodated two pupils who shared a long seat that was held in place by cast iron frames.

In addition to handwriting, Miss Hobbs taught a variety of subjects, including elementary mathematics and poetry, both of which I found difficult, since I could not, at that time, master the process of rote learning.

I remember striking up a friendship with a boy named Dunlop, whose father owned the prestigious garage, which sold Rolls Royce cars. There was another friend, with the name of Purchase, who owned the most attractive fountain pen, which I coveted and shamefully stole! It's strange how one remembers such things, sometimes with a real tinge of guilt. I also recollect occasions of apparent injustices, such as when Mrs Rutt confiscated my mouth organ, because I was playing it while walking along the corridor. In view of my remonstrations, she guaranteed I could have it back at the end of term, but when I tried to reclaim it, I was told it could not be found.

At the end of every term there was a Dutch auction of unclaimed lost property. Therefore, I hoped that my mouth organ may have inadvertently been placed among the articles for sale, but that was not the case.

During those war years of 1944/45, all pupils were required to carry gas masks, in addition to their satchels. There was a very real fear that mustard gas would be used on civilians. Teachers often did night shifts as voluntary Fire Wardens, but they were expected to teach the following day, despite their tiredness.

There were food shortages, but more often than not there was sufficient to eat. School dinners were famous because of their dessert, commonly referred to as "frogs' spawn". This was actually sago. Baked beans, mashed potato and fried powdered egg constituted my favourite menu. To supplement our diet each day, we received a free miniature bottle of milk. On cold winter mornings we delighted to warm them on the anthracite stoves used to heat large metal radiators in the wooden huts, which served as our classrooms.

Pupils did not move around the school a great deal, except to attend specialist instruction in the physics or chemistry laboratory, the gymnasium or the art room. Most teaching took place in one's own classroom for subjects such as English language, English literature, French, Latin, history, geography and mathematics. A select few were able to study woodwork in a well-equipped workshop. In the lower school, most pupils came under the direction of "Froggy" Trevett, who did all he could to encourage their appreciation of fine music by listening to his accomplished playing of the piano and by enthusing them to sing in harmony, which seldom happened.

There was a very active Drama Club that performed several Shakespearean plays. I designed and painted scenery and was responsible for the sound effects. In addition to these things I acted as a prompter to help those who couldn't remember their words. Not being an extrovert, standing on a stage before an audience was a fate worse than death for me. Therefore I never offered to play an actor's part.

All pupils were expected to join the Scouts, the Army Cadets or the Air Cadets. I reluctantly elected for the Army Cadets, but hated every Thursday, when I was required to wear my Dad's Army outfit. I disliked the rough utility shirt, which felt like sandpaper and made me sweat profusely - particularly as we were marched around the playground while shouldering 303 rifles. In the event of a invasion, we were instructed how to use a thin wire stretched across a road, with the intention of removing the head of an unsuspecting German motorcyclist, and how to immobilise a motor vehicle by stuffing a potato up the exhaust!

Mr Polley, was the 'officer' who ran our platoon, but my relationship with him was none too happy. This was because of the punishment meted out by him with the gym slipper for any misdemeanour. It seemed grossly unfair, in view of the fact that Cadets were done voluntarily in our own time. That mode of punishment was common, since any teacher or prefect could use it with impunity.

Huish school was overcrowded because of evacuees from major cities. They were looked after by people like my mother and father who took two of them into our household. Overcrowding of the school imposed serious discipline problems, which were addressed by the imposition of punishments. The more outrageous offences were dealt with by the Headmaster, who caned offenders on each hand - up to three per hand. These canings were performed before a school assembly. I actually saw "Ginger" Rutt break the cane on the right hand of "Bomber" Webber, whose crime had been nothing more than to jump off the top board of the town swimming pool! Webber became a hero in the sight of all, but after having three canings of three on each hand, he was duly expelled from the school. He was a superb athletic swimmer who almost single-handed won the inter-school gala and swam for his Quantock house.

House points were awarded for academic achievements, good attendance, Sport's Days, Swimming Galas and Cross-country runs. Pupils of the house attaining the most points were allowed to leave early on the afternoon of the last day of the summer term. This was highly prized. House meetings were held at least once a term with the House Master presiding; in my case, for Quantock, Mr Wickenden.

We loved "Wickey" because he gave so much of himself by running the Natural History Club. It took place every Friday after school. Unusual at the time, he was a keen photographer who produced some stunning pictures of wildlife. He converted them to wonderful slides, which he used to present entertaining and instructive lectures. He was a very strict history teacher, respected for a high examination pass rate with his pupils. His system was to force us to memorize postcards with the vital facts of historical details and corresponding dates. Failure to attain a 90% test mark always resulted in one having to rewrite the card several times during afternoon detention.

There were other endearing teachers such as "Froggy" Trevett, who called us all by our Christian names. He was just one of far too many French teachers, because of the lack of continuity with the syllabus, but I'm indebted to him for his compassion and humanity.

Another of those loveable personages was "Desa" the Art teacher, who often entertained us with the most enthralling stories about pirates and the sea. It was a real pleasure to draw plants, compose pictures or design Roman lettering, while he rambled on about things nautical. Occasionally, he would have one of those days when he wanted nothing but absolute silence, and if we broke it, the penalty was to write 500 lines with the words, 'Silence is golden!'

"Bobby" Pleass was an exceptionally talented teacher who enthused us in the basics of scientific knowledge. He could be rather frightening at times with his bushy eyebrows, grim expressions and his ability to throw a wooden board rubber with uncanny accuracy. If it wasn't the board rubber, a piece of chalk could quickly cause one to pay attention. Torture was inflicted on those who repeated infractions by administering the wind-up electric generator! Recipients of the discharge never misbehaved a second time. It was rumoured he once picked up one small boy who incurred his wrath and rubbed him on the wall-mounted blackboard! You can be sure that boy was punished a second time when he returned home, because of the white chalk on his school jacket.

Not all the staff were like those mentioned above. Some would be classified as sadists. A teacher of mathematics, whom I'd rather not name, gained pleasure by using a steel rule on its edge to inflict severe pain by tapping one's knuckles. Another teacher had the habit of calling pupils to the front of the class where he would inflict a loathsome form of corporal punishment. His trick was to give the impression he was about to strike the pupil's face with his right hand, but instead, he would use his left. Johnny Dick, a very crafty pupil, ducked during one such unwarranted attack. This caused the teacher to miss his target and to lose his balance. The whole class erupted in a bout of laughter. To the best of my knowledge, that vindictive teacher never repeated his cowardly act.

"Mitty", Mr Mitford, although a little heavy-handed at times, genuinely loved English literature and his enthusiasm for poetry was conveyed to me, to the extent that when I became a student at the Somerset College of Art, I formed a poetry club. He was invited as a guest of honour to share his passion with us. When he retired from teaching he was presented with a terracotta mug I made for the occasion.

"Bummer" Eele tried to teach us Latin, but in my case, it was an absolutely lost cause. He used to sit himself on the teacher's desktop - hence his nickname. While in this elevated position he smoked his pipe, but, between drawn-out puffs, he recited Latin verbs or read prose. We were expected to repeat what he said in parrot fashion. He was one of our RE tutors who made us read from the Bible, hopefully with understanding, so that we could write a précis of the pertinent scripture.

There was another RE teacher, whose name escapes my memory, but instead of underlining the authenticity of the Bible, he spent most of his time trying to disprove it! Religions other than Christianity were never mentioned.

Mr Wedlake was a respected and very professional mathematics teacher. He took a keen interest in helping pupils to work to the best of their abilities. Without a doubt, he had great patience and understanding with my initial difficulties. By encouragement and a structured syllabus, he enthused me to the point where I really enjoyed the subject, so that I made significant progress.

When Lt-Col. E. H. Peel-Corbin became Headmaster, I inadvertently ran into him while passing through the narrow entrance to the main playground. That resulted in being caned three times on the posterior! The lieutenant colonel's speciality was French, but somehow, I could seldom grasp what he endeavoured to teach. Later, while receiving the Art prize at the end of my fifth year, he was most complimentary and commended me for further training at the Art School.

The caretaker and his wife lived on the school site. They earned a few extra pounds by baking and selling 'penny buns', which were sold to pupils from the window of their house during morning breaks. These breaks commenced when a bell-ringer walked from one end of the school to the other. There was no more welcome sound, because it meant we could escape the classroom to join the queue to obtain those most delicious, soft-baked and very hot buns. Their shiny, dark brown crusts contrasted with the sprinkled white sugar, which coated them.

During my school days, parents were never encouraged to enter the premises and once inside those brick walls, which surrounded the main buildings, it was like being in a fortress. Teachers had absolute domain within that territory. My father only visited the senior school when I was transferred from the junior school, and again, when he came with my mother on prize-giving day at the end of my education there. How different it is now, when parents virtually have the power to appoint or dismiss teachers if they so wish, and to dictate, to a certain extent, the syllabus that is taught.

The Huish brick-built classrooms were quite spacious, having their windows high above eye level, supposedly to prevent pupils from being distracted from their studies. That was not the case for the 'temporary' hutted accommodation in the north playground, where the windows were at eye-level and I was sometimes distracted by the movement of pupils on their way to the outside toilets.

Suspended above the brick walls, which enclosed every playground, there were high wire fences. They were meant to prevent balls or missiles from being thrown or kicked into neighbouring gardens, adjoining streets or alleyways. If a ball were to be lost by going over the top, it was seldom returned.

Our favourite playground games were football and cricket, particularly miniature cricket. The latter was a real game, using a small bouncy ball and a tiny whittled bat. We had teams who competed for the honour of being the champion top eleven. There were also those mad chase and catch games, when the person caught had to hold the hand of the catcher, until eventually a large chain of people ran after and surrounded the final, but triumphant winner. Piggyback jousting was another challenge, but it was not for the faint-hearted. A more sedate activity was flicking cigarette cards against a wall, until all participants had dispensed about five cards. The winner was the one to make his card land nearest to the wall, so that he could claim all the others. Marbles was yet another playground favourite.

You will find this hard to believe, but all pupils up to, and inclusive of year three, were made to wear short trousers. We were forced to wear caps, jackets and ties, both while going to school and when returning home. Doffing a cap to a teacher or his wife was obligatory. Failure to do so was a punishable offence resulting in detention or the slipper. Teachers were always addressed as "Sir" and they called pupils by their surnames.

The school rules were displayed in the main corridor next to the staff room. All pupils were expected to know them inside out. Running in the corridors and the pathways between playgrounds was not allowed. A shortcut entrance to the main corridor was banned - except for staff and prefects. Standing outside the staff room to await punishment was an awesome ordeal, because one would be subjected to the quizzical or knowing glances of those entering and leaving.

Looking back on my time at Huish, I distinctly remember the first three years were rather intimidating. Today, such a regime would be considered brutal - because of its severe punishments. However, during years four and five, teachers and prefects seemed more restrained. Those final years turned out to be mostly enjoyable, and I was reluctant to leave school.

With hindsight, it is my contention that young people need discipline, but it should be tempered with understanding and justice. Not only do they require skills for gainful employment, but they also need some form of moral and spiritual input to bring about balanced personalities. Huish managed to do most of these things, and I am grateful that it prepared me for life, particularly by imparting the basic skills of learning, which have subsequently enabled me to adapt to a variety of situations and occupations.

Now, I'm in my 68th year and I'm happily retired. To occupy my time I have some absorbing hobbies: boat building, sailing and computing.

I'll end these reminiscences by wishing all old Huishers, young or old, many fruitful years to come.

P.S. I can be contacted at w.serjeant@btinternet.com
and my main web sites are:
http://www.btinternet.com/~w.serjeant
http://homepages.tesco.net/~Boatboy

http://users.breathemail.net/wserjeant/huish.htm