The Way we Were

Many thanks to vivacious for the great header.

The Way we Were

By

Barbara Streisand - 1974.

As with the previous year I don’t remember any life-changing events taking place during the early part of 1974. I still had my class of Midwich Cuckoos until July and the start of the long summer break, so it continued to be a daily struggle. My relief came in the renewal of my interest in sport, both at home and school. I started helping out with the school Netball teams and found the coaching, matches and enthusiasm of the young girls very rewarding. I continued ten pin bowling and joined evening classes in Yoga and Keep Fit with my Mum. We had many a laugh along the way and in the pub afterwards. I guess the latter negated some of the good effects of the former, but we had fun.

Teaching is not a job where you close the door at the end of the day and go home to forget it. Hours spent after school in meetings, decorating display boards, attending matches and general planning meant often returning home very late and exhausted. Once home there is much preparation and marking to cover, particularly for the very conscientious as I was and still remain in all things. Consequently, my social life was fairly quiet and school holidays a time to relish.

In June Mum , Boo and I set off once more for a holiday in the Isle of Wight. We always stayed in the same place at an old stately building in the heart of the lovely village of Shanklin called Daish’s. At the time it consisted of a large amount of self-catering and rather archaic flats, but we grew to love the place with all its eccentricities and always looked forward to discovering which flat we’d been allocated. Nowadays it’s a renovated and restored classy hotel.

The Isle of Wight is best appreciated on foot and I come from a family who didn’t drive and hence loved walking. I believe over the years the three of us must have walked every route possible on the island, over steep hills, through breathtaking chines and countryside and along magnificent beaches. We often wondered if we’d wear little Boo’s legs away but she too loved the walks, although she’d occasionally feign a poorly paw if she’d had enough, particularly at the sight of gravel. Very few walks went without some hilarious incident, getting lost or causing havoc; memories that will remain with me always.

So it’s the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were.





At the top of Ventnor Downs, the highest point on the island on a very windy day.


On the back of this photo Mum had written ‘Me and a Tree.’ Great poets run in my family.

In the summer holidays Nigel and I flew to Tunisia in North Africa for a sweltering holiday in the sun. Although the beaches were beautiful and the culture interesting, I didn’t enjoy the holiday as much as our first one in Corfu. Poverty and cruelty were apparent everywhere and I’ve never enjoyed haggling or being pestered to buy things. But, we had a good time on the whole and met some pleasant people.

My return to teaching in the September saw a few changes. I moved to a different classroom which was a pleasant if rather hot annexe to the main school building. The Headmaster obviously trusted me enough to place me out of sight and hearing. The annexe contained two rooms and the other was occupied by another young female teacher I really liked so it was a welcome move. I was also given a mixed class of eight to ten-year olds; challenging curriculum-wise but lovely children who behaved as ordinary kids. Such a pleasant relief from the previous class of odd bods. This class was handed over to me from a rather disorganised and dizzy teacher who’d had a lot of complaints from parents, so deservedly or not, they heaped praise on me continuously for bringing some order to their children’s lives. I remember that year as one of my happiest in teaching.

However, things were not so happy in my love life. I’d felt for a while and I guess Nigel had too that despite strong feelings for each other, we were simply drifting and maybe our relationship was growing stale. I was aware he was seeing someone else and didn’t object too strongly, but I was very shocked when he told me she was expecting his baby. I suppose it was good of him in a way to be honest with me and he assured me he didn’t wish for us to split up. But much as he didn’t see it as a big problem, I found the situation very distressing. Flirting and dating others had been part of our relationship since the start, but fathering a child altered my feelings and perspective. The rot started to set in.

At school the only youngish, male teacher was in the process of a divorce. We shared a weekly free lesson at the same time and spent it in the staff room together. As we marked books and prepared lessons we’d share coffee and conversation. I’d always been a little wary of him as he was pretty stern around the kids and had a big, booming voice. He told me some of the details surrounding his marriage break up and his fight for custody of his young daughter and I admit I was impressed and full of admiration for what I thought were his sincere motives. I’d done a lot of growing up and teaching, but I still had an awful lot to learn myself.

Nigel and I on holiday in Tunisia. Isn’t time cruel?

Postscript I would have opted for this song for 1974 by choice but strangely enough inside the cover of the photo album containing the Isle of Wight photos Mum had written – ‘Isle of Wight Memories 1973 -1979. The Way We Were.’ Another moment of mixed joy and tears for me.