I was born in Hunslet in 1943 and moved to Middleton when I was five years old. When I went to Junior School, the main building was overfull, so a chapel over the road was used as a classroom. A donkey lived in the chapel grounds.

Back in the main building, when I was 8 years old, myself and another girl were made coffee monitors. This involved going into the staff room where there was a small stove measuring milk into pans, putting him on the stove to heat, measuring coffee into mugs, pouring heated milk into jugs and then into the mugs and stirring them all. The coffee was for the teachers for their mid morning break.

During break time, children played outside at 2 balls up against the wall, whipping top, hopscotch, leapfrog or skipping. No phones, then, so handwriting had to be good for letter writing. Saving stamps were sold at school m- 6 pence with a picture of Princess Anne, half crown with a picture of Prince Charles. These were stuck on a card until needed, usually for the annual holiday.