Whortleberry picking and haymaking .
Ann Knight and myself have been lucky enough to view the school log books of Tipton St John Church of England School..
Teachers would carefully note down term dates, attendances, curriculum and other interesting snippets of the past school life.
During WW1 many children would be absent from school during the summer months as they would be helping with chores such as haymaking and planting potatoes. Whortleberry and blackberry picking are also often referred to as reasons for absences. It was often noted that the infant classes were well attended whereas the older children were found to be kept home to work or to help on the farms.
During WW2 the children were often reported to be helping to raise money for the war efforts, with concerts and sales. They would grow vegetables and flowers in the school garden which were regularly collected and given to The Angela Childrens home, along with eggs brought in from home by the children. Sometimes the whole school would go out for the afternoon blackberry picking. Evacuees were welcomed into the school with 18 registered at one time, including Ronald Edwards (Buster Edwards, of 'the great train robbery'!) who was living with his sister Renne under the care of Mrs Chown, at Lower Court, Fluxton. Air raid practises took place regularly and safety checks were made to the childrens gas masks by members of the Home guards.
During the 1940s the children sent a letter to Enid Blyton, telling her about a blackbird that during the Easter holidays, had built its nest in one of the easels which stood at the back of the school. The nest was made of moss, dried grass, ivy and had a mud lining. She wrote in the 'Teachers World' thanking the children for the letter, paintings and flowers they had sent her, and said " I do think some schools are lucky, the way wild birds nest in them, don't you? "
Illness has always been rife amongst schoolchildren and Tipton was no exception with whooping cough, ringworm, influenza, chicken pox, scarlet fever, diptheria, scabies, lice and measles invariably cropping up all too often in the register, the medical officer closed the school on several occasions due to measles . In 1899 it was reported that the incessant coughing in the infant class was so bad that it was practically impossible to work, and some children were sent home. Sometimes families were asked to keep their ill children and siblings at home for periods of time. Sadly there are also a few deaths marked on the register
It was often noted that the heating was either insufficient or not working at all and sometimes there was no water due to the hard frosts. Water would then have to be collected in pails and kettles from the Institute and walked up to the top school. Flooding was obviously a problem back then too as the school would sometimes be closed for this reason.
In 1899 children walked to Newton Poppleford to witness the opening of the train station and sadly in 1967 thay were 'marched' to Tipton Station to watch the last train leave our village and a ticket was attached in the notes.
What an honour it has been to read the school notes and to remember how lucky we are to have a school with such a history.
Although the main ethos of this church school has remained consistent over the years, events have changed the day to day running at times, but the teachers and children would adapt and work with what they had and also support the community and their families. We still see this community in the school today, but prehaps less of the whortleberry picking and haymaking!
There will be more about the school and other Tipton memories in Ann Knights book 'Past and Present', which will be coming out next year.
