During 1984, Queenie Green, then living at 72 The Dene, Warminster, penned and sent the following recollections to Danny Howell, who published them in the Wylye Valley Life magazine:
“I went to the Minster Infant and Junior School in Warminster. It still stands on the same site, except that when we were young, in the right hand corner by the gates, there was a half-circle of iron spikes and every morning before going to school it was the thing for all of us children to catch hold of the spikes, swing backwards and run up the wall with our heads just missing the pavement! It was the only school I knew that had a maypole in the playground; the times I’ve danced round that with ribbons flying one way, pinafore the other.”
“The teachers at that time included Miss Frost, the Headmistress (she was wonderful, no pets, boys and girls all treated alike and she taught me so much in every way). Miss James, Miss Bryant and Miss Weare were the other teachers.”
“When I was old enough I had to move to Sambourne Senior School (now a Junior School). We had nice teachers there, especially Mr. Luker. He had time for all his pupils and there were two lady teachers, one of whom really disliked me (I would rather not name her!). She made my life miserable when I had to go into her class, especially for needlework (she did not know my mother was a wonderful needlewoman and had taught me from a young age). She used to make me mad and no way would I go back to do her tacking and hemming, so out into the big hall (where in those days there was a singing gallery) I had to go and write hundreds of lines and not answer back. Thanks to my mother who was the best of mums, I have been able to use my needlework through all my life.”
“I was born at Gas House Farm (I think it’s pulled down now) and by the time I was five, I was living at Pound Street and that’s when my schooldays really started. I can remember that at the bottom of Pound Street (there is a big new house there now) there was a big old-fashioned shop called Molly Butt’s. Oh! what we could buy for a farthing: sweets, boot laces (liquorice), sweet clocks, black peat, whips and tops (I could go on forever). That’s the thing our children miss today – FUN!”
“There was the malthouse, just over from where we lived (it is still there) but in one corner where the cottages and the malthouse met, there was a gas streetlight and all the children in the street used to meet there and we just played games. Sergeant Marks, our policeman, used to check that we were behaving (we had his sons with us) and if he thought the boys were a bit noisy a little cuff under the ear soon stopped it. We respected him and he was always kind to us.”
“I cannot remember the names as I was quite young but I remember the cake-girl coming up the street with cakes on a tray; and the milkman coming to the doors and measuring out the milk with pint measures into your jugs (we are not all that old but times have changed quickly).”
“There are so many stories I could tell. Many people may remember the teachers I have named and also the shop – and yes, they were happy school days!”