Muriel Holt
Muriel describes a day
at Beech House School:
"You started at 9 am
with an assembly taken by the teacher,
Miss Head.
She always played a hymn on the piano,
'Praise Him, Praise Him
all ye little children'.
Then there was a nose blowing session.
Then we did little action songs
or figure marching, or singing,
or percussion band."
"We didnt have separate lessons,
because she had us in groups.
One lot might be doing
transcription lessons
or they might be filling in
blank sheets,
copying from the board,
and then the little ones
might be learning letters,
or sounds of words
or learning to tie bows,
and the babies would be playing
with plasticine.
Stories and poems we had together."
"Miss Head was very loving
but she couldn't abide people
misbehaving.
All the furniture was kept absolutely
immaculately spotless
and polished and you
never, never, never
put your pencil point into your table
or anything like that.
I think you'd have been condemned
almost to outer darkness
if you dared do anything like that"
