Keith Bonnett, of Weston-on-Trent, was a pupil at Spondon House School from 1944-48. Here are his fond memories of his school days.

Spondon House School was reputed to have been a hospital during the Boer War. It had the biggest catchment area outside Derby with kids coming from Max Road, the Wilmot Arms and Cherry Tree Hill areas, Spondon, Borrowash, Ockbrook and even Dale Abbey.

It was the largest school in Trent Valley and that included Mickleover, Littleover, Hilton, Hatton etc.

In those days, we caught a Trent bus to school from the Wilmot Arms in Chaddesden Lane. I would occasionally miss it, although I lived next to the Jubilee Club, which was only a stone’s throw from the bus stop.

Then I had to walk down Chaddesden Lane to catch a Barton bus to Spondon Lane End and walk up the hill. Alternatively, if I was short of cash, I would walk through Bennett’s farm and over the fields to school. It never occurred to me not to go. We would have got a good hiding for being AWOL.

Mr Elliot was assistant head when I started school. He took us for gardening – not my favourite subject. Mr Davis, who was a later assistant head, once gave me a kick up the backside for talking while marching out of assembly.

In my first term, I was in one of two classes held in the old chapel in Chapel Street. We would march past the sports field and gardens and through a door in high wall to the chapel.

Mrs Glover was our teacher, a very pleasant woman.

In my second term, we moved to the Croft, opposite the main entrance on other side of the road. I stayed there until leaving.

My first teacher was Mrs Deckland who, when annoyed, would throw chalk and scuff all the boys’ heads.

We had coal fires in the class rooms, which took a long time to warm up. The three Bs – Bates, Bonnett and Broomhead – liked to take homework to the teacher just to get warm.

The headmaster was an imposing figure, well over six foot with big shoulders, heavy eyebrows and flared nostrils, and hands like shovels.

Nobody took liberties with Albert but, when conducting choirs, his face was transformed with enjoyment. He was also very keen on sports activities. The pupils were divided into houses – Raleigh (mine), Scott (yellow), Drake (red) and Shackleton (green).

Sports days were always competitive and we went to the Trent Valley Schools’ sports day held at Pastures Hospital several times.

I enjoyed athletics and later joined Derby and County AC but a torn cartilage playing football put paid to that.

I played for the school cricket team once. Willie Ball, my form teacher, had seen me messing about on Chaddesden Park as a demon fast bowler. But I had been watching Ernie Moss, the Chaddesden first team spinner, and had altered my style to spin bowler.

Mr Ball put me in as opening bowler against Clay Cross and they clouted me all over the ground. I was never asked to play again. I played a bit of football but it was a long way up Dale Road, Spondon, to the pitch and there were no changing facilities.

We had occasional visits to Queen Street Baths but I didn’t bother to learn to swim until, in 1947, my pal, Pete Fairley, and his dad, Don, invited me to Norfolk Broads on holiday aboard on an auxiliary yacht.

My dad wouldn’t let me go unless I could swim, so, needless to say, I learned fast.

While on the broads, we saw Richard Dimbleby doing a programme on The Broads for the BBC on board the Enchantress. We swam across and had a chat with him.

Our next teacher was Miss Doris Sharpe, a very pleasant teacher. Our final year saw several of us elected by our peers as prefects and the three Bs did line duties and occasional looking after classes if teachers were at meetings.

We visited the tuck shop near St Werburgh’s if we had any spare pennies. Conkers, mistletoe and snowball times were always enjoyable.

Sometimes, student teachers would visit us. Once, they came on to the sports field while there was snow on the ground. The whole school started throwing snowballs at them. About five students were plastered and ran off defeated.

My final teacher was Mrs Watson, who lived opposite my Auntie Betty and grandma and grandad in Ordish Avenue, Chaddesden, so any misdeeds soon got relayed to my mum and dad. But she was a very nice person and gave me a good leaving report.

I wanted to do another year, but Dad decided I should go to work and earn some money. My schooldays were very enjoyable.

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