WESTERN PARK SCHOOL DOWN MEMORY LANE
Many of our memories have been narrated by volunteers who offered to help me make this site accessible for all
Jeon Clarke - 1930 to 1932 (Listen here)
I received a call from Mrs Jean Clarke on 7th September 2005 and this is what she remembered about her time at this school. When she first attended in 1930 at the age of 9 years her mother had to provide her with a packed lunch as the school, at that time, had no kitchen and what kitchen they did have was located at the very end of the school near the gymnasium.
Jean remembered that she would get on to the tram at Humberstone Road in Leicester and travel all the way to the clock tower terminus and then get on to another tram which then transported her up to Hinckley Road where the tram would turn around outside Western Park where Western Park Open Air School was located.
She remembers it being a magical place and that it was just like being in the countryside in the wide open and she always enjoyed the nature walks that they were taken on. Jean said that every afternoon without fail every child would have to take a rest on little beds inside the classrooms in winter and outside on the playground in summertime. She joked that some children including herself would pretend to be asleep.
Jean is now 84 years old and remembers leaving the school at the age of 11 in 1932. She told me that she thought that the head teacher's name was Miss Baldock but did not remember whether there was a deputy head or not. She said that there was a school nurse always present at the school.
Before we finished our conversation she said that she felt extremely privileged to have been a pupil of such a very special school, Jean was a very nice lady to speak to and you could hear in her voice just how magical the school was to her, in her eyes.
Alan Sharpe - 1935 to 1936 (Listen here)
Alan was a pupil at the school for only one year from 1935 to 1936. He was only 11 years old at the time; he remembers that the Head Teacher's name was Miss Maltby and that there were only six classes at the very top end of the school. Alan remembers that he was placed in the top class, class six and that his teacher's name was Miss Borage.
Alan remembered that there was a gardener by the name of Mr Singleton and a school nurse but he could not remember her name. He told me that every day when attending school each pupil was given breakfast, midday meal and a tea before leaving school in the afternoon. He also remembered that they would have a rest/sleep every afternoon.
Alan could also remember that every pupil was issued with a free travel pass for the Leicester corporation bus and tram system which Leicester had at that time, (Funny thing is that Leicester City Council were at one time thinking of bringing them back).
Alan remembered that the boys wore brown smocks and the girls wore green when they came into school each morning. He also said that children had a shower once a week in the school's shower block or after playing football on the Western Park