Back to work properly today with two workshops at the Wilderspin School. The two large groups from a Scunthorpe school were still at the beginning of their Victorian history project, but very eager and and willing. I think the second group was slightly disconcerted by the enthusiasm with which their teacher threw herself into the role of the bossy Mrs. Jarvis, the vicar's wife, who is visiting the school along with her ladies committee of Victorian busybodies (our 'cover story' for there being so many adults in the schoolroom), but they had a great time.
We had the 'maypole' swing unlocked for the first time when I have been in the school and the children absolutely loved it when we moved out to the playground to inspect it and the Victorian privvies.
I haven't got a picture of the children playing on the swing in Barton, but the first picture shows children dancing round the pole, and the second vintage picture shows a similar swing in use.
At the beginning of each workshop we are supposed to give a little reminder about fire exits and fire alarms. This morning's group asked me whether they had such things in Victorian schools. Now, to be honest, it isn't something which has ever come up before and in the normal run it wouldn't be a question most of us would be able to answer with any certainty. However, I was sure because my grandmother many years ago told me this story of her own schooldays - not strictly Victorian, but before the Great War.
One day when she was in the sixthform Nan simply didn't feel like doing her Greek prep.
"You'll never get away with it!" exclaimed her friends aghast, "Miss --- [the headmistress] will be furious!"
"I will, and she won't," my grandmother replied.
The day of the lesson came round and each girl in turn stood up to parse her lines of Greek verse. At last the headmistress turned to my grandmother, "Phyllis Jones parse lines . . ." but she never reached the end of the sentence because my grandmother stood up and blew her fire whistle.
You see, that term she was the school's Fire Captain and she had during the course of the term to call one surprise fire drill. By the time bells and whistles had been sounded throughout the buildings, and all the girls had assembled in front of the school, been counted and returned to their classrooms, the Greek lesson was over and my grandmother had another week to prepare.
