I was born in the village of Newnham, Kent, in November 1897. at the age of five years I went to school at Doddington which was one mile from home, and having no public transport we had to walk. When I was at school, dinners were not provided. My mother would give me a piece of cheese and 1/2d and I would call at the Baker's shop near the school and order a plaited twist of bread, freshly baked, and call for it at noon.
When on holiday from school we children played a lot in the woods, and also played hop-scotch, marbles, rounders, skipping etc. The Headmaster and his wife lived in the School House, and there were three teachers as well. Mr Potts taught the boys drawing and Mrs. Potts taught the girls needlework. Punishment was by cane or stay behind after 4 o'clock and write 100 lines.
Our school was heated by an open coal fire. We walked across the playground to the toilets which were buckets. These were emptied every day by the clearner or her husband. girls wore pinafores to school. We also wore woollen stockings and boots summer and winter and thick underwear compared with todays.
Once a year we had tea at Doddington Place which was called "the mansion" and we marched two by two carrying our mugs. A treat to look forward to. We also had a Christmas tree at the school with a gift for us all. As we became older, girls played hockey (but not with sticks they use today) ours were more like walking sticks, and boys played football and cricket. Towards the end of our summer holiday most of the children went hop-picking with their mothers. I, for one, loved to go into the Oast to see the hops being dried and pressed. They used large fires to heat up to the kilns to dry the hops.
The week before November 5th most of the local children would roam through the woods collecting dead wood etc. for the bonfire. A field at the back of the village was called "Hilly field" for obvious reasons ideal for the fire at the top. We wanted money for fireworks (children were not given pocket money in our day) so we dressed up in old long skirts and a mask on our face. Then we went Popeing as it was called and said our pieces - remember, remember the 5th of November the gun powder treason and plot etc. When this was finished we knocked at the door of the cottages and were usually given a copper (one penny or so) This same field was ideal when snow fell for toboganning - lovely !
On Sundays we had Sunday School in what is now the Village Hall. This accomodated six classes according to age (it doesnt seem possible in these days) at 10am. At 10.50 we marched to the nearby Church for morning service. At 2pm Sunday School again, and if you were lucky you joined your parents to Church at 6.30pm. When we were old enough to sing we joined the Church choir. After choir practice in the summer the Vicar would allow us to play croquet on his lawn. The Sunday school and choir outing to the seaside was something to look forward to.
The last Saturday in May was "Fair Day" . In the lower part of "Hilly field", roundabouts, swingboats and hoopla etc would have previously been set up. The local men paid into what was called a "slate club" and that day was share-out day. The local brass band played and there was a short service in the Church (dont ask me why). After the service the Bandsmen would march, playing their instruments, as far as Doddington Place with a lot of us children following. In the afternoon there would be forms in the field for the bandsmen to sit on and they played at intervals and in the evening some people would dance.
We needed money for the Fair. Some of us children walked to a farm about two miles from Newnham and some from Doddington 31/2 miles to arrive at 7am to pull weeds out of the corn. It had a yellow flower and it was called a Kelk (that was how it was pronounced). We walked up and down the rows of corn till 4pm with a break for sandwiches and a bottle of drink at noon and we received one shilling and we were pleased with our cash.