Keswick Hall College of Education

Year Group: 1947-48

RUBY HOOD REMEMBERS: 1947/48

I arrived at College in September 1947. I lived in South Hostel and shared a room with Pat Wighton and Joyce Brown. We became very good friends. Miss Garlick, who was one of our lecturers, was in our hostel and suffered from a constant shake of the head and wasn’t to be awakened suddenly; so we didn’t have a rising bell. Instead Rena Fisher, one of the second years, used to give us a call in the mornings.

With 1947 bring only two years after WW2, food rationing still existed. When we collected our rations we carried them round in small pots.

I remember my first school practice in a small school in Chapel Field, long since demolished. It was a drab building with high windows. On the day that the vicar came in to take R.E. I wasn’t allowed to stay in the room. On one occasion the class teacher suddenly decided to send me into the playground. She thought it a good idea for the children to do P.E. and I can remember her peeping through one of the windows. I found that first school practice rather difficult but I survived.

1948 was a special year in the history of Norwich Training College. The second year moved to Keswick Hall, whilst the first year had to remain in Norwich. I shared a room again with the same two friends, there being very few single rooms. On one corridor there was a row of cubicles, where we had to wash. At least there were some curtains for privacy! We had a rota for the weekly bath.

We often had to travel into Norwich and for school practice. The College had its own bus, which we called Ethel. One student was bus monitor and had to co-ordinate arrangements. ‘Cole’ was the driver. A student, who was a good singer, used to lead us in a sing-a-long as we travelled. I remember singing about what we would do “ when the student revolution comes.”

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