Dick went to 19 different elementary schools - I went to ONE!. Lloyd Street School. Apart from the private catholic 
school, there was only one other public school and that actually was around the corner from where we lived on Dyffryn Road. But my parents had moved into this house three months after I was born and my older sister and two brothers had all attended Lloyd Street. Lloyd Street school was in the 'better' end of town, and my mother was horrified at my going to the local school (since is was in the 'not so classy' end of town), so she used the fact that it was important for me to follow in my sibling's footsteps and apparently they bought the story. The standard age for going to school (what you would consider first grade in this country) was 5, but I actually started when I was four. Again this was the influence of my parents - my father this time. Having the older brothers and sister, who I think saw me as a new 'toy', I learned to read at a very early age and because of this I was allowed to go to school earlier. My father loved to show me off - as I could read the news from the newspaper before starting school. When it was an opportunity to advance my learning, my dad was always there to fight the cause. He got me into the public library system at 4 instead of the customary 6, and then when I had read every book in the children's library, got me into the adult section at the age of 7 instead of the customary 10!
school, there was only one other public school and that actually was around the corner from where we lived on Dyffryn Road. But my parents had moved into this house three months after I was born and my older sister and two brothers had all attended Lloyd Street. Lloyd Street school was in the 'better' end of town, and my mother was horrified at my going to the local school (since is was in the 'not so classy' end of town), so she used the fact that it was important for me to follow in my sibling's footsteps and apparently they bought the story. The standard age for going to school (what you would consider first grade in this country) was 5, but I actually started when I was four. Again this was the influence of my parents - my father this time. Having the older brothers and sister, who I think saw me as a new 'toy', I learned to read at a very early age and because of this I was allowed to go to school earlier. My father loved to show me off - as I could read the news from the newspaper before starting school. When it was an opportunity to advance my learning, my dad was always there to fight the cause. He got me into the public library system at 4 instead of the customary 6, and then when I had read every book in the children's library, got me into the adult section at the age of 7 instead of the customary 10! Lloyd Street school was about 3/4 mile from where we lived and I used to walk it alone every day. I find it amazing now looking back when I realize just how young I was. My father's sister Lily lived across from the school, so I went there at lunch time instead of walking home and back.
I was six years at Lloyd Street School and at the end of the sixth year, took what was known as the 'Scholarship'. Passing or failing this exam meant the difference between going to what was known as the Grammar School (higher education which would eventually lead to the sciences, higher english and math, etc), or going to the Central School (which would be the equivalent of a trade school here). There would be the profunctory English, Math, etc. but the boys would have machinery, woodworking, etc. and the girls would have Home Economics, Bookkeeping and Typing. If you failed the exam you could elect to go to the Grammar School, but you had to pay fees, so it was almost never done, except by the very wealthy.
The six years at this school all blend together in my mind and I have no idea when I learned specific things. This is so different from Louise and Dick, and we talked about that one day, realizing that they could tie a thing learned to a specific school (town) and so could pinpoint the grade. I and my one school, simply became one long experience and I can't split one year from the other.
The above pictures show my first with my Dad and sister Mair, and brothers Gordon and Gerald taken outside our house. The other one is just of the four of us and the oh-so-serious face is my first school picture.
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