My Life on a Plate

Simply the Best

When I was a little girl...lol...we lived with my maternal grandparents in a very humble abode. My Infant school was an old Victorian building with high ceilings and windows no small child could see out of. It had a hard tarmac yard and wasn't the prettiest of surroundings for children. But I loved it. I loved it because of the praise and encouragement I received from the teachers and the joy of seeing all those 'stars' and 'good girl,'s written in my books. I took it all for granted.

Only in later years did I see what was wrong with schools then. What was wrong was the amount of attention the brighter pupils received in comparison to others. I was taken out of class with a group of others to read to the Headteacher, because we were GOOD readers. I see now it should have been those who were struggling and needed extra help. I remember taking exams at the age of six and having to stand along the walls of the classroom according to exam position. As my friend and I jostled for first place, we spared not a thought for poor Mickey Dripping (so nicknamed due to his constant runny nose) standing opposite in bottom position.

We were taught to be competitive, we were led to believe we were special because we'd been blessed with a good brain, while poor Mickey sat with a piece of chalk and a blackboard all day and was applauded if he created anything which looked vaguely recognisible.

The reason for this was the examination called the 11+ which determined which pupils would go to Grammar School and which would not. Just as today we have SATS and league tables, in those times I believe schools were determined to try and train as many pupils as possible to pass that exam, in order to gain prestige.

I did pass that exam and aged 11 started at the local Grammar School. What a shock to my system that was. I hated it; the sour-faced unreasonable teachers in their flowing gowns and mortar boards, the boring never-ending lessons delivered with no spark of enthusiasm and the snobbish attitude of pupils who came from much more affluent areas than mine. After a couple of years I did what many sixties teenagers did. I rebelled with a capital R.

Sometimes I regret not working harder and making the most of the chances offered, but generally I'm pleased I made some wonderful friends and shared some great times instead of accumulating a mound of qualifications. I faired okay in the end and went on to a College of Education and trained for teaching myself.

I'm not a supporter of selective education, but one thing the Grammar school system taught me was a very important lesson. I discovered there were others far brighter, far more talented and far superior intellectually to me. It was a hard knock after all those years of being top dog but a very valuable thing to learn and accept.

And so it is now, I find myself amongst writers who constantly amaze and impress me with their talent and skill. I know I can write and have achieved a few rewards for it, but I can also accept with no hard feelings, there are hundreds of others who can write just as well, better or to a standard I'll never reach.

I'm pleased it doesn't matter any more. No competition here; just the joy of reading the words of others, the friendship afforded by like-minded people and the sharing of that gift we all have and should be proud of.

Oh yes, THAT is worth much more than any paper qualification in the world and I believe we have our priorities right.

A huge thank you to Lady D for the merit badge today. Those little treasures mean we are thought about and cared for. What more can we ask?