Througout the year many readers have written in with their memories of the primary school in Sands.

In the case of Michael Wordsworth it was a mother and son tradition. He has related their reminiscences.

Michael’s mother, Milly Gray, started at Sands County Primary School in 1915, and remained there until gaining a scholarship to the High School in July 1923.

This covered the cost of the school fee and included a grant of £1.10 shillings a year towards the cost of school text books.

Mr Field, known as the Gaffer, was the headmaster at Sands at that time. He was keen on geology, and Milly remembered school trips to dig for fossils in the chalk pits at Downley pitch.

The finds were stored in long narrow boxes made by the boys in their woodwork lessons, which Mr Field also taught. She also remembered being selected with Ken Rackstraw to play as giraffes in a Noah’s Ark play.

This was because they had to walk at the back and were both tall for their age. Milly always enjoyed the last lesson on Friday afternoons because then Mr Field read stories to them, including Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and the Brigadier Gerard tales.

Long after she had left Sands School, Mr Field remained a great source of support and encouragement to Milly as she went on to be a trainee teacher.

This was at Penn Street and later Green Street Primary schools.

She then went on to teach at Mill End School before the second world war, and at the private school Crown House after the war.

Michael at first went to Castlefield Primary School, before moving to Sands in 1949/50.

This was better placed for him to go to his grandparents in Mill End Road for lunch and to be looked after by them after school.

He remained there until passing the 11+ exam and going to the Royal Grammar School in September 1953.

At Sands he remembers that Mr Fred Berry was headmaster, and among the teaching staff were Mr Anning, Mrs Morgan, Mr Heywood, and Mrs Smith.

Those were still times of chanting multiplication tables, regular mental arithmetic tests, keeping diaries and writing essays. In the daily assembly he absorbed all kinds of hymns and prayers that still return instantly with a little prompting.

The curriculum was broad, including nature walks and plant collections, which were all diligently written-up, as well as taking part in the percussion band, the Christmas nativity play, and a trip to camp at the seaside in Sheringham, Norfolk.

There were weekly trips to the “Rec” for sports, that is to the recreation ground behind Mill End School.

There were also writing competitions and Michael remembers being presented with the book Modern British Aeroplanes by Peter Heywood, for his essay on aviation’ in July 1953.

Sands school prepared him well for the Royal Grammar School.