Stoke School, Nelson, New Zealand      Ph 03-5477582

Past Pupils of Stoke School Publish their articles from the 1900's on.

Blanche Isabel Taylor was one of a family of eight whose father, James, was an orchardist and farmer on a small property in the region of Dryden Street, Stoke.

She was born in 1874 and on 8 January 1894 was appointed probationer teacher at Stoke School. One Head Teacher was Mr John Naylor. When a pupil-teacher Miss Taylor had not only prepared daily lessons for Standards 1, 2, & 3, but in addition had to submit her own work to Mr Naylor as she was hoping to earn her Teacher Certificate. Mr Naylor was a scholarly gentleman who paid great attention to detail, and was an exacting taskmaster. Three pages of the 476 page OGILVIE'S DICTIONARY were set each night for Miss Taylor to memorise - very small print it was too. She had to be able to give spelling, meaning, derivation, part of speech etc. for each entry, verbally or in written questions the following day. Much other study was also undertaken.

One tale Miss Taylor often related concerned a pet monkey which Mr Naylor owned. Evidently it had a habit of escaping and climbing to the top of the tree which still stands by the main path. The tree was, of course, then much smaller, but it was the assigned duty of the older boys to climb up and bring it down - a task much detested because the animal scratched and bit viciously.

After leaving her position at Stoke School in 1901, Miss Taylor taught at remote schools in the Nelson Education District: Churchill, Lyell, Newton Flat and Matakitaki. She was a hard working resourceful person prepared to travel long distances to continue her teaching career. When she was appointed to teach at Karamea she travelled by horse and coach, taking along her trusty bicycle. This machine had previously served her well during school vacations when she cycled home to Stoke. While at Karamea she married Charles Scarlett Allen, a local dairy farmer, in 1914. In 1922 she was widowed but managed to keep the farm going until returning to Stoke where she died in 1960 at the age of 86.

My father, Wilfred Robert Giblin, started at Stoke School at 5 years, probably in September 1899. Two older brothers, Maurice and Ernest (Guy) were already at school and four others, Louis, Vernon, Jeffrey, and Alan followed. The seven boys lived with their parents, David and Mary (nee Taylor), who had both attended Stoke School. Their property was an orchard on the corner of Suffolk Road and the road leading to Ngawhatu Hospital, previously site of the Boys' Orphanage and later Boys' Training Farm. The Giblins walked to school, often taking a short-cut through nearby paddocks. Teachers at the time were Misses Hill, Huffam and Wilkes, while the Head Teacher was Mr Naylor followed by Mr Wilmot.

Rugby, cricket, rounders, and marbles, were popular games for the boys. As they grew older they became School Cadets, as required by the military training law. While boys were taking part in the cadets, girls practised with dumb-bells - weights for exercises to improve arm strength and stamina.

The children always looked forward to the annual school picnic, when they would travel by train to Snowden's Bush at Brightwater, or Baigent's Bush at Wakefield. In 1906, Wilfred and his brother Guy travelled to Christchurch with a school party to attend the International Exhibition. This was the first time they had been away from home and was a real adventure. They went by boat to Wellington then by another to Lyttelton; there was no road. Sleeping accommodation on the boat wasn't very comfortable - they just lay on straw on the deck and a lot of the children were seasick. They enjoyed the exhibition, although several of them finished up "broke" and the Head Teacher had to help out! Apparently Maurice was to have travelled to the exhibition, but he was sick and my father Wilfred, only six, was allowed to go in his place.

Mrs Nena Bacon (nee Frost), at age 92 still drives her 1937 Austin car. When her family moved from Takaka to an orchard near Saxtons Road she spent her last two primary years at Stoke School. They were horse and trap days, cars were extremely rare and the children walked to school on the gravel surfaced main road meeting up with their good friends, the Allports.

Nena recalls the school was like a big high shed full of dual desks. (The individual bench seat meant that both pupils had to sit or stand at the same time.) Sitting so close, cheating would have been easy but they were taught not to. To transgress meant the strap. There were about 50 in her class and head teacher was Mr S H Wilmot followed by Mr R Harrison. Second teacher was young Miss Cook who cycled from Richmond. There wasn't much playground so they played games such as hop scotch with lines scraped along the unsealed yard.

Nena's highlight was the fortnightly trip by train to the Technical School in Nelson for cooking, and for the boys, woodwork. Nena climbed up on the train when it stopped at the Freezing Works as it always had wagons to deliver or pick up there.

In 1916 and 1917, after she had been granted her primary school proficiency certificate which entitled her to two years free education at Nelson College for Girls, she travelled to that school the same way. In the following year, 1918, she attended Technical School and on II November stood with a highly excited crowd on Church Hill waiting for the Post Office clock to strike 11 am, to mark the end of the Great War, a dreadful war that was to end all wars - or so it was thought.

A 91 YEAR OLD REMEMBERS

Mrs Ruby Taylor (nee Frost) mother of Beverley and Phil, who has lived in Stoke almost all of her ninety one years, remembers that when she was at Stoke School Mr D H Wilmot was the head teacher. There were three classrooms in the school, and three teachers.

Mr Wilmot used to keep an eye on things from his room through reflections in the glass windows in the doors. Then he would come to the other rooms and ask who did this, that and the other. Of course nobody owned up but he knew the culprits and they never found out how he knew. (Sadly since she supplied this memory Mrs Taylor has died.)

Yes, I remember my first day at Stoke School. Jock took me and it was quite a long way to walk. I cried most of the day. Poor Miss Cook. I bet Jock was more than embarrassed. I liked lessons particularly English, and was top in class.

The roads in summer were dusty and we got thirsty going home in the afternoon and Mum didn't believe in taking one's time. If we arrived when she was skimming the cream off the set pans of milk, we'd love a mug or two of the cool skimmed milk. The dairy was built under a spreading tree in a shady spot. There were always jobs before we left for school and when we got home. Mum objected to school homework as well and complained to the headmaster.

There were three teachers at Stoke School. When I started Mr Wilmot was Head Master and after he left Mr Harrison (Beaky). He was a strict teacher and he taught standards 4, 5 and 6. In those days school windows were high and one would need a chair to see out of them. In the winter an open fire was kept going during school hours and Beaky's table was near it. He spent much of his time standing in front of it. Con learned the piano from him after school. The flu epidemic prevented me from sitting the Proficiency Examination in Nelson. I can remember an important Monday and Dad's day off when he came to school in the dinner hour and took us three eldest children to the Post Office to start our savings accounts with one pound ($2.00) each.

My mother, Florence, managed on a shoe string and was a good organiser. The beds were made, the dining room cleaned and the baby rocked to sleep after its bath before the children left for school at 8 o'clock. My jobs were to do the dishes and bedroom and clean the knives with the emery polisher every day. When bigger, I scrubbed the kitchen every day. Saturday morning we had extra to do and if it was done to Mum's liking we could spend part of the afternoon at the beach, but had to take a sugar bag each and bring home gravel for the paths and backyard.

Saturday was also the day our school and best shoes were given a good nugget clean and each morning before school we had to brush those shoes and boots and get a shine without nugget polish. On Monday's, wash day, Con and I did some ironing after school. A white table cloth and table manners were important and you ate what you were given. All homes those days had a few varieties of fruit trees as well as good vegetable gardens and flower gardens.

The Stoke Freezing Works was a mile or so away from us and we girls dreaded the mobs of cattle that would be driven there. Sometimes one of the drovers would ride ahead of the mob and tell us to get off the road as some of the bulls were dangerous. One or two landowners objected to school kids coming onto their property. Mind you some of those orchardists had cause to dislike kids, as they would often get over the fence and help themselves to nice juicy fruit.

Four generations of my family attended Stoke School. They were Henry Ching, born 1851, my grandfather; Wilfrid Ching born 1878, my father; Muriel Ching born 1908, me; and Dawn and Lynne Chisnall, my two daughters.

Head Teachers during my time were Mr Wilmot, Mr Harrison ("Beaky"), and Mr Trevella. I remember the day Mr Harrison strapped all but four of the pupils in his room for getting too many spelling mistakes. I happened to be one of the lucky ones at that time. I well remember the very large collection of butterflies from the Islands one teacher, Miss Shirtliff, brought to show us.

We used to enjoy the open fire in the upper room on the cold winter mornings together with the mug of cocoa we were able to have at lunch time. In those days it wasn't uncommon for someone to have their lunch missing as our bags used to hang up in an open porch. At that time there was an orphanage where Ngawhatu now is and it seems the boys from there came looking for a little extra food. It was said they were poorly fed and often hungry.

The highlight of 1921 was when the first aeroplane landed in the Nelson region very close to the Stoke School. We were made to march to the scene when all we wanted to do was run to get there as quickly as possible. However not all pupils marched to see that aeroplane as the late Eddie Stephens told of how he and some other boys jumped out of the window and took off to the scene ignoring the teacher's demands to come back. During my last year at the school, a friend, Mavis, and I cleaned the rooms each afternoon and were paid 2/- (20c) a week. We really thought that was quite good.

Beatrice, born 1913, was sent to Stoke School for a year from their Waikato farm to live with her grandmother, meet her Giblin/Taylor relations and experience the Nelson so loved by her father who had grown up there. Only eight years old, she travelled alone by train and ferry to be met at 5.30 am by her uncle driving a new Dodge car, a rarity for 1921.

From her father she had learned about the district, its hills, and lovely valleys such as the one (Ngawhatu) which had the industrial school.

At the back of her grandmother's house on the Stoke straight she waved to the train and on the road kept watch for Newman's red service car with its spare tyres strapped to the side, racing along at more than 30 miles (50 kin) per hour. She looked forward to visits from Mr Cross, the butcher, and baker Mr Croucher, who came from Richmond with their horse-drawn carts.

Children walked to school; many home to lunch as well; but skinny little Beatrice would often be taken on the back of one of the grown-up Giblin boys' Harley Davidson motorbikes. How the older school girls sighed with envy when she arrived this way. Mr A Trevella was the kind and good head teacher and Miss G Cook, the perennial ever-green Miss Cook taught the infants.

Highlights were the end of year concert in the public hall. Beatrice recited Waiter Scott's poem, "Young Lochinvar"  and 'Spud Monday holiday' - a unique event from Nelson's history, celebrated for many years, until slump and war ended the traditional observance.

I attended Stoke School from 1921 to 1927, from Primer I to Standard VI. During all that time Mr Arthur Trevella was headmaster, and the school's motto was "Excelsior" (meaning outstanding). Miss Cook, who came from Richmond by bus, had the primers, and a sweet gentle lady she was. She dressed in a rather old fashioned style, with long skirts, and I thought she was quite an old lady. Years later I realised she was probably about 23 or so when I was in her room.

By contrast Miss Myrtle Bell, who taught Standards I, II, and III, was a modern outgoing type. Miss Bell lived in Nelson and frequently rode her horse to school, her large dog running beside. The horse was grazed in Mr Allport's paddock next to the school. One day as Miss Bell was trying to hammer a nail in the wall to hang a picture she hit her thumb and said loudly, "MAD DOG BACKWARDS!". It took my class mates and I a while to work that out and we were shocked! However I felt she was a good, fair teacher and a good disciplinarian.

While in Mr Trevella's upper room, I got the "cuts" a couple of times from him, and of course I deserved it. Once for talking in class, the other time I had not learned my history. During the last year or so at Stoke School we had a pupil teacher, Miss Rita Field, who was much loved by the children. In later years she became head of the Infants' Department.

I passed my proficiency in 1927, which was the first year proficiency was accredited. I was bitterly disappointed that I was not able to sit the exam, firstly because I had a new mauve frock and the exam was to be held in the new Auckland Point School, and I was very keen to see this modern school.

For girls, organised sport was almost non-existent but the boys played hockey in grey or fawn jerseys and socks, with green stripes, those being the school colours.

On two occasions we were taken by the train to Nelson to a combined schools' gala. On arrival we were given a paper bag with a sandwich and a bun. "Pompey Jones" was there to entertain us with his merry-go-round.

Mr Parker was the school dentist, and when he visited he used a room at the Howard's house quite near the school. Dr Keith was the school doctor, and he put three pupils on a weekly iodine tablet for goitre. The parents of these children were recommended to use iodised salt - (now required by law.) I was one of those three children and it is interesting that of the three, two of us have had goitre operations and the other had treatment for goitre.

I recall the day the first aeroplane came to Nelson 11 November 1921. Running out of fuel on its way to Brightwater, it landed in a field on the corner of Songer Street and Main Road, opposite Mr Heath's service station. There was great excitement in the village, and the school children were allowed out to go and view the plane.

In winter, an open fire heated water in a big urn and we all had cocoa at one penny per cup. Our library, situated in Mr Trevella's room, was more like a wardrobe with shelves. The books in it being old were almost never read. I do not recall one text book.

During my last year at Stoke School Mr S. Winn, Chairman of the School Committee, brought his large cabinet gramophone along. It was placed in the doorway between rooms and we enjoyed a musical programme - a very pleasant break from lessons. Two concerts were put on in Stoke hall during my time at school. We were trained by Miss Irene Trevella, elder daughter of our head teacher.

One of the unpleasant memories of school was having to go to the "dunny" It was a long drop, smelly and horrid, and flies and bees used to buzz around. But all in all they were happy days.

SCHOOL CONCERTS IN THE 1920's and 1930's

A long tradition of Stoke School, at least during the 1920's and 1930's was the popular annual concert and prize giving. Newspaper articles reported year after year that accommodation at the public hall was "severely taxed" or "packed to overflowing". Children's fancy dress balls in August were also popular especially in the 30's during the era of Head Teacher Morris and his musically very talented wife and daughter. Variously described as "a gay scene", "a brilliant scene" and "an outstanding success", they produced such enduring sights as: Tom Robinson as Mickey Mouse, Ted Gribble Robin Hood, Richard Langbein Buttons, Mostyn Ching Golliwog, Kelvin Ching Little Boy Blue, Joan Ching Christmas Cracker, Jean Barton Powder Puff, Philip Taylor and Eric Parker  Pirates, Dorothy Giblin Star Fairy, Ken Ching  Hockey Results, Vince Monopoli  Hardup, Kelvin Monopoli  Nelson Apple, and Beverley Taylor Beach Girl.

After folk dances by children, with Grand Old Duke of York a favourite, the parents danced each year to the H Williams Orchestra with H Ching as MC.

In the 1920's the grounds of the Stoke School were rectangular in shape being enclosed by a paling fence on the east side, by Allport's farmlands on the north, and at the east and southern boundaries by orchards. Extra fields were later added extending to where the boundaries are now: Ranui Road which used to be the driveway to Allport's home "The Gables" on one side and over to the present back field fences. Pupils were drawn from the Wakatu area through to Champion Road and most walked to school.

During the depression years I can't recall being aware of any real hardship - I liked bread and dripping, anyway - but I can recall there were some boys and girls who did not have shoes or boots to wear to school, even in the winter. The three-roomed school at that time had the infant room at the eastern end, lower standards in the middle and the seniors in the larger front room closest to the main road. There was a corridor with coat hooks running the length of the southern side partitioned off at the road end as a storeroom. Later this was the caretaker's room. (An early report states that this small room was once the staff-room!) The rooms were heated by open fires in the winter and monitors were responsible for bringing in the wood and the coal.

In the 1930's when the new three-roomed school was being built we were accommodated in the local hall which was divided into three by big curtains. The teachers must surely have had difficulty obtaining concentration and attention from pupils under these conditions. The opening of the new school was awaited with keen anticipation by all. The local Independent member of parliament, Mr Harry Atmore, who was also Minister of Education was to officiate. Well primed, we all excitedly assembled outside on the north side of the rooms together with residents and various dignitaries. I don't know what we really expected but recall it was an awful anti-climax, just a lot of speeches, long ones, too!

Miss Grace Cook was a kindly and much loved teacher in my day and we also had Miss Ruth Wicks and at one time Miss Short in the middle room. At that stage Mr Trevella was the Head Master but later Mr Stuart Morris was in charge. His young wife played the piano beautifully and used to come over on a Wednesday afternoon for a period of singing from the Old Dominion Songbook. "Come Oh Maidens Welcome Here" in both English and Maori was one of the favourites.

My most enduring memory of Mr Morris was of the day of the Murchison Earthquake in 1929. He immediately gave us the order to file out to drill as we were accustomed to do. The whole school lined up on the back field and watched with interest as the chimney on the nearby two-storied Watson home came tumbling down. The staff certainly kept their cool and set a great example for everyone to behave accordingly. When we reached our homes later we found that there had been some damage in most places but nothing more than fallen water tanks or a cracked window or so. It was some time later that the news of the devastation at Murchison reached us.

To commence each week we gathered on Monday for a brief ceremony of "Saluting the Flag", a prayer, and the singing of "God Save the King", as our National Anthem was then. At playtimes and at lunch times our activities were ball games of great variety, skipping for both boys and girls while chasing games and marbles were always popular. Handclapping games, handstands, leapfrog and rounders were all the rage in turn and to choose who was "He" we used jingles to eliminate all but the last one.

Following the dreaded annual visit of Mr Parker and Miss Sheather to the dental clinic the "in" game with the girls was to play dental nurses. The base of a large old gumtree by the roadside fence had many nooks and crannies in its gnarled trunk which made good cavities to fill in after much use of pretend instruments and a good deal of buzzer activity !

In the higher standards we made regular visits by bus to the Nelson Technical School (now the Polytech) where the girls were taught cooking by a Miss Shanks. "A place for everything and everything in its place" was her motto. The white caps and aprons we wore had previously been made at sewing classes at the school. The boys attended woodwork classes and a lot of the basic principles learned at that time remain instilled to this day.

There were several annual events to which we eagerly looked forward. They included a sports' day, and a picnic held at Monaco (the Point, we called it) to which we either walked or biked.(In the School Committee minutes of 1888 mention was made of a picnic at "the sands" -possibly the same spot) Once or twice we went by train in open wagons covered with canvas to either Snowdens Bush at Brightwater or even as far away as Wai-iti Domain. The smoke and soot are what are remembered most! A school concert and prize giving took place at the end of the year when we all had our parts to play either individually or in groups or in classes. Pianoforte solos or duets, recitations, sketches, dances and choral items all took a lot of rehearsing. This concert took place in the Foresters' Hall which was always filled with family and friends seated on long wooden backless forms which must have been very uncomfortable for the two hours or so. Use was made of the stage for items while the smaller back room was the waiting and changing area. This hall was also used for the fancy dress ball or party when mothers put a great deal of time into preparing the costumes. Some lucky people were even able to hire an outfit for the occasion. We learned many folk dances and so on such as "The Grand Old Duke of York". A gramophone and the piano provided the music with the final activity always being the Grand Parade! In later years swimming sports were held either at Monaco, if the tide was suitable, or at the Ngawhatu swimming pool to where straggly crocodiles of children could be seen making their way.

In Standards 4, 5 and 6 we were seated in dual desks with flip up tops and seats. Many of the girls had long hair which was plaited and tied with ribbons. It was a favourite trick of the boys to dip the ends of the hair in the china ink wells inserted in the desk tops for use with nibs and penholders. Those same ink wells containing the blue/black ink also made a splendid place in which to drop some kind of seed which made a ghastly stink - much to the delight of the instigators. Another annoying habit (of the boys) was to carefully tie two plait ends around the seat back which caused some discomfort for the victim when she stood up.

An unforgettable happening of primary school days was the landing of the "Southern Cross" by Kingsford Smith at Saxton's Paddock which was the airfield at that time. He and his crew were "barnstorming" (offering joy-rides for 10/-) to raise funds in order to continue their flight around New Zealand and back across to Australia. I was fortunate enough to be given a flight by an uncle. The take off, flight and landing was all over in less than ten minutes. We flew along the hills to Poormans Valley and back, seated for the flight in seagrass chairs somehow secured to the floor of the cabin. There were no seat belts in those days but I was too frightened to stand up anyway, so did not see a great deal.

The visit of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) was a highlight during my schooldays. An enormous gathering of Nelsonians took place at the Botanics with marching, bands, other forms of entertainment and, of course, the inevitable speeches. We each had a Union Jack flag to wave vigorously and joined heartily in the three cheers called for. Whether or not a school holiday was granted following this event I can't remember but whenever a Governor General came to the district he always asked the education authorities to grant us a holiday to mark the occasion, thus ensuring a rousing welcome from all scholars.

Every year an Inspector of Schools paid an official visit to sit in and listen to the teachers conducting lessons after which he, the visitor, would give us some kind of oral test to see what knowledge we had retained. We were all quite over-awed and tongue tied so probably didn't give him a good impression of the teacher's ability. Our biggest hurdle was at the end of the sixth standard when we sat an examination called the "Proficiency" which, if passed, allowed entry to a secondary school. Those who didn't pass were given a Certificate of Competency after completing 7-8 years at primary school.

Finally, those leaving at the end of the year were guests of the headmaster and his wife for afternoon tea at the schoolhouse when it was usual for the children to present a small gift accompanied by a speech from a nervous scholar using the words, "A small token of our appreciation..." and "Good health and happiness in the future".

DENTAL NURSE FOR MANY YEARS (March 1951-March 1976)

Mrs Win Anderson commenced at the Stoke Clinic in 1951 at first assisting Nurse St John on several mornings a week by applying fluoride to children's teeth tablets at that time were not available. At that time the clinics at Richmond and Stoke were run in conjunction and every child was treated each six months. About this time the old Stoke clinic, which was situated near the swimming pool, was moved to its present site. It was enlarged to contain a waiting room, surgery and nurses' room and, to the nurses' delight, its own toilet!

Rolls continued to increase at each clinic so Mrs St John was appointed full time at Richmond while Mrs Anderson took over at Stoke, a position she held until retirement on March 31 1976. Over the years Mrs A had a new graduate from Training School each six months and was thus responsible for introducing many new nurses to the realities of school dental nursing and school life in general. During those years at Stoke it was her privilege to commence both the Nayland and Enner Glynn clinics when they began operating.

In retrospect after 70 years they were happy days - or is it perhaps that one is only inclined to remember the GOOD THINGS?

Abbott Grant began school in 1923 when the headmaster was Mr Trevella, known to the seniors as "Artie". A few years later Mr Morris was appointed headmaster to the great good fortune of both the school and Stoke in general. In Abbott's time, Miss Cook was infant mistress and Miss Wix taught the "middle" room.

Mr Morris' influence extended from the classroom to sporting activities, music, and entertainment. He kept a close watch on manners and behaviour generally, and did his best to encourage pupils' pride in both themselves and their school. Keen on hockey, but with no hockey sticks, boys had previously used any rough stick of approximate shape that they could find. Mr Morris saw to it that hockey sticks were provided, and with encouragement the boys in their new green and fawn jerseys were soon competing with success in competition.

Both Mr and Mrs Morris were musical, so singing lessons were introduced with Mrs Morris as accompanist. Abbott still has his three penny "Dominion Song Book" used in schools at that time. It contains a song (words and music) from most European countries, and four Maori songs including "Poi Waka". From time to time "penny concerts" were held in the senior room, when any pupil keen enough could perform. At one of these a friend and I caused my older brother acute embarrassment by singing a song totally unsuited to nine year olds. The tune and most of the words are with me still. A sample - "in my dreams each night it seems my sweetheart comes to call, he's so handsome, strong and tall" etc. No wonder Abbott wished the floor would open up and swallow him!

There used to be a well and pump at the side of the school facing north where children could drink, Abbott recalls a day when the handle flew up (because of built up pressure) and hit him in the mouth which bled so profusely Miss Wix sent him home. When the new school was built in the early 1930's the site of the pump and well was probably built over.

When I, Shirley Grant, began school in 1928 Miss Cook was still infant teacher. We had no exercise books. Instead, we wrote on wooden framed slates with slate pencils. When the slate was full we rubbed it over with a cloth and started again. Multiplication tables were chanted each morning while Miss Cook indicated each one with her wooden "pointer". They were learned so thoroughly up to 12x12 they were never forgotten.

In the big earthquake of 1929 we were all shepherded outside, and I remember the astonishing sight of trees bowing almost to the ground. Abbott recalls seeing the school picket fence undulating along its length in a continuous motion. I cannot recall any panic on the part of anyone, just curiosity and awe.

The main road at that time was the only one tar sealed. All side roads were shingle surfaced, so there were plenty of shallow potholes that iced over in the winter. I enjoyed the cracking sound as I broke them with finger or shoe toe on my way to school. In winter we played hopscotch or skipped with either one rope or two to various chants such as "apple, jelly, jam tart, tell me the name of your my sweetheart, A B C," etc, hoping, sometimes trying, to trip at the appropriate letter.

After a hard surfaced court was laid in Mr Morris' time, (on right of present main entrance drive) we were able to play basketball (as it was then) in winter and tennis in the summer. The court was also used for drill and practising peasant dances to gramophone records. Who can forget "Gathering Peas" or "I See You?"

We performed these along with Maori action songs at our annual and very popular fancy dress balls held in the Stoke Public Hall. From the gaily coloured and cheap (6d a yard) Japanese silks then available, our mother dreamed up and produced costumes that were fun to wear. One year fathers were invited to come in fancy dress, too, and I have a photo of my father posing with us in mid 18th century outfit complete with tricorn hat.

On Mondays, senior pupils travelled by bus to "Tech", the technical school by the Queen's Gardens in Nelson. The girls were given cooking lessons by Miss Shanks. We were required to make and wear a white cap and apron for our practical lessons which included the unenthusiastic making of porridge and stuffing tomatoes. It is surprising we were not put off cooking forever by some of the results.

The senior boys were taught the rudiments of wood work by Mr Tiller. Judging by the results of the boys' efforts at making pipe racks and teapot stands he must have been a very patient man.

The strap was very seldom used, but its presence made a boy think twice about getting into trouble, nobody wanted to "get the cuts" as it was called.

In summer, all Primary Schools in the District took part in a big sports rally held at the Richmond show grounds. We practised hard for these events of running, jumping, team ball games etc. My brother Ross recalls coming second in the high jump one year and thinks it was because he approached the jump the way it is done these days - from the side and with the body almost horizontal. He remembers Bill Wilks of Richmond being first.

Ross Grant started school in 1930, first with Miss Cook then Miss Rita Field as infant teacher. In the 'middle' room his first teacher was Miss Dudley. One of her forms of punishment was to dab mustard on a wrong doer's tongue. When she left the school she presented Ross with a framed picture of a knight kneeling in vigil, for "good behaviour". In fact, the reason he had tried hard to be "good" was because he had no wish to have his tongue daubed with mustard. After Miss Dudley, the middle room welcomed Miss Helen Short who was young and popular, firm but fair. She used to drive to school in her little Singer car and park it in the shelter shed behind the school.

Ross and friends played rounders (a simplified version of baseball), and in winter hockey and marbles, winning or at times swapping marbles such as "glassies" with others. In winter too, senior boys took turns to light the morning fire in room one of the new school which opened in 1930. This supplied the water filled radiators in each room - modern central heating.

My fellow school pupils from when we Grants were at school will remember: the end of term reports of which I still have two, the heavy two seater desks with the holes in the two top corners for the white china ink wells, the messy job filling those ink wells, the copy books for our writing exercises - the real pleasure of beginning the first fresh page of a new pad or exercise book, the old English printing of "Always My Best" to head our home work. - "Is it?", Mr Morris wrote beside one of my careless efforts.

Senior pupils were given Scripture lessons by the local vicar. At the time Stoke had only two churches, St Barnabas and the Methodist church opposite the Turf hotel.

Visits from the district senior inspector called for best behaviour. In my time he was Mr Overton who, a very large man, was known (not too surprisingly) as 'Over-a-ton'.

Hockey was very strong in the Stoke area. I can only recall some of the names of "old timers", such as the Giblin family, Allports, Chings, Cyril Dee, Noel Heath and my uncle, Lou Menzies. They were playing senior grade men's hockey at the time I was at school.

When I began playing school hockey in 1932 it was the only winter sport the boys played - no rugby or soccer. I don't know the weight of hockey sticks these days, but when I was playing senior grade, it was about 16 ounces. At school we had very heavy sticks with large curves and weighted them further by using either massive amounts of insulation tape or a leather sheath strapped on the bottom. The shape is now very different, the curve is much smaller, When I see the artificial surface of the hockey ground today, I recall the hard, rough and on occasion, frozen grounds on which we played as school boys, Most of our matches were at the Botanical Reserve.

On the first Monday in August each year, "Spud Monday" holiday, the annual school boys hockey six-a-side tournament was held. Stoke School had a very good record at this with successful teams for many years.

On a personal note, I recollect my pride on being appointed captain of the "C" team, about 1933. Because of the hockey enthusiasm at Stoke, we had three teams entered in the tournament - the "C" team at the tail end of course. Our Head Teacher, Stuart Morris, spent the day with us at one tournament, and "shouted" us an ice cream each after we had won. He was a rugby supporter, but gave this day to us which we thought was great. Our strongest opposition came from Central School.

The names of some of the boys who played for Stoke in my era are: Peter and Norman Vercoe, Bruce and Ted Barton, Colin Best, Grant Edwards, Graeme Walker, Billy Mills, Harold Douglas, Keith and Basil Norgate, Brian O'Conner, Roly Heath, Noel and Alec Ching, Leon and Bob Scholfield, Keith Powell, Vince Monopoli, and Keith and Bob Highet.

While there were not many competitive cricket matches played, we enjoyed the game and Major H H Thomason offered to coach any of the boys interested. After school, two nights a week, he showed us how to hold a bat, how to bowl properly and the importance of fielding. Fielding was regarded by us as a bore. In later years when I played for the Stoke Cricket Club I still remembered those coaching sessions. When playing on the school ground, adjacent to the apple orchards, (now in the approximate area of the Stoke Bowling Greens) it was strange the number of times the ball seemed to be hit into the orchard and required everyone to go and look for it. The apples were juicy!

An annual event for all schools was the athletic meeting at the Richmond Show grounds. It had a strongly competitive spirit.

Annual concerts were, I think, enjoyed by all pupils at the school. They involved many hours of practice on the tennis court. My partner for folk dancing was Zoe Stone (now widow of the late Charles Ching) and during our over enthusiastic performance we collided with the gramophone. The resultant crash brought folk dancing practice to an end for the day.

A popular item at concerts was the boys, assisted by Mr Morris, singing popular songs around a "Camp Fire". Mr Morris was a member of the Nelson Male Voice Choir and had a fine baritone voice.

When I commenced at Stoke School in 1927, I think Miss Cook was the teacher, with Miss Helen Short in the middle room and Mr Morris in the room nearest the road, with Forms 1-2. I can remember my final day at Stoke School, the afternoon tea provided by Mr and Mrs Morris, and the farewell remarks and good wishes extended to us. My regard for Stuart Morris is still strong.

My sister Norah and I came to Stoke School from an up country school of only nine pupils and by comparison found Stoke over populated. Fortunately for us, our teachers were Miss Myrtle Cook and Mr Stuart Morris. I remember both with respect and affection.

We were at school the day of the 1929 Murchison earthquake and were ushered outside. The little room children hurried to the top of the playing field and Mr Morris' classes gathered away from the trees but near the road. I remember how the tops of the trees appeared to touch the ground. My mother later said, "the hills turned round".

They were depression years and almost everyone was poor. Norah and I never went to school without jam sandwiches for lunch although at times when all the home made butter had to be sold, maybe to buy bread, it was just bread and jam. Some of the children didn't have lunches at all and I remember those of us with sandwiches shared them around. Mr Morris helped from time to time and had us construct a hangi as part of Maori studies. I suspect an ulterior motive was to see that the hungry children received a good feed of potatoes.

With regard to Maori studies, we seemed to get a lot more history than my children ever received. Apart from history lessons, drawn from volumes of "Our Nation's Story", I especially remember our singing lessons. Mrs Morris played the piano. The joy was not that I could sing well (I could not), but that Mrs Morris, with a little persuasion from her husband, would sing to us. She had a glorious voice.

Stoke was a hockey school then. Regularly, we managed to hit the ball through the fence into Watson's orchard and a few apples would be retrieved with it. In later years I sometimes played hockey in army teams and was grateful for my years at Stoke School where I learned to play the game.

I was just a little girl with only a few months of schooling behind me when winter came and the open fire, set across the corner of the infant's room in the old school, was throwing out enough heat to make me drowsy and I slowly drifted into an unscheduled slumber. I believe Miss Cook turned a blind eye on her sleeping pupil in the front row of desks.

While the new school of three classrooms was being built (1930) on the site of the previous school, classes were held in the old Stoke Hall.

"Penny concerts" were held every now and then, usually for a special purpose. When the only basketball the school possessed was run over by the Carlton Dairy van delivering free milk to the school, a concert was quickly arranged to raise 7/6 (7shillings & 6 pence), the price of a new ball. Mrs Morris, the headmaster's wife, and his Aunt, Miss Smith, who lived with them in the school house, were always invited. There was always a charade or two and Miss Smith usually gave a recitation.

The school concert at the end of the year and the fancy dress ball at the end of the second term were the highlights of the school year. My school days spanned the 30's depression so a lot of the time and energy went into creating outfits for these occasions at little cost. Costumes could however be hired from Miss Doris Watson for 2/6 from her little shop "The Workbox" in Bridge Street.

Much practice went into perfecting the steps of the Maxina, Skaters Waltz, the Grand Old Duke of York and other dances. When the performance was over, supper was served with a whole bottle of fizz for each pupil - a lavish treat.

A dance for adults followed with Mr Harold Williams or Mr Clarrie Lee at the piano. Sometimes we could peep out from behind the stage curtains and gaze with wonder at the dancers and especially at the long frocks worn by the ladies.

Stoke was hockey territory and produced a good number of representative players. Rugby wasn't played at school until new families moved into the district and their children preferred that game. To accommodate them a football was added to the schools sports equipment and two days a week were allocated to rugby players.

The hockey boys who resented this intrusion on their playing field had the remaining three days of the school week for their sport. The school roll was boosted (or depleted) by children of Ngawhatu Hospital staff as they transferred to or from Stoke. Names that come to mind are Cole, Tyeman, Morrison (Gladys), Winnie (Ethel), Ellwood, Kemp, Beaumont, Shaw (Barbara), McDonald (Jean) and the Crawshaw children whose father was the resident doctor.

The annual inter-school sports introduced in about 1935 were held at the Richmond Show Grounds. We practised for weeks beforehand and on one occasion the girls' overhead basketball team won the event easily. Most other teams were only half way through the routine when we finished. The officials couldn't believe that we hadn't cheated in some way. As I remember it the ball passed backwards overhead without a hitch and I think even our team of 10 girls was surprised by the result. We were conveyed there in buses. The big pine trees alongside the entrance drive had the names of different schools on them and we left our belongings under them; we also gathered there for lunch.

The 1934 end of year concert was postponed due to a polio scare. Everyone had to keep away from crowded situations. The school didn't reopen until March and some pupils who had acting parts had gone on to college but they came back to take part when the concert was finally held.

Dorothy started school at age six years as five year olds were debarred during the depression to save money for the Government. She walked to school with older brother Ray from Suffork Road (Saxtons Road end). The roads were rough - they served few houses. First the children took cut lunches but later, they had bicycles and sometimes went home for lunch. Miss Field had the infants, Miss Davies the Standards 1, 2, 3 and the head teacher was Mr Thorby with Standards 4, 5 and 6.

Dorothy especially remembers one of the popular school concerts where the scene was a sweet shop, and children dressed up to represent sweets of the day - sang songs about them. Dorothy was a "Penny Sweet" and among others were the "Wriggly Men" - (Wrigley's Chewing Gum).

As there was no swimming pool at school classes biked up to the Ngawhatu pool or to Monaco. Sometimes in the summer Standards 5 and 6 went early for manual training in Nelson so they could also swim at the Municipal Pool beside the Maitai River.

In Dorothy's years the school had only about a hundred pupils so everybody knew everybody. By the fifties the change was vast. The quiet little country school was no more.

In the 30's and 40's the primary children of Stoke could muster in three classrooms and the school had the numbers to support only one winter sport hockey. Loyalty for the game was intense. Stoke's men's and women's "A" teams shared top honours in the Nelson competitions.

One of our head teachers decided that we should be educated in the national sport of rugby. He hadn't taken into account the strength of the children's loyalty. The ball was kicked against the barbed wire fence but remained inflated. We were told by the bigger boys that a parent with one of his sharper garden instruments eventually dispatched it to a more appropriate place!

When we arrived at College roles were reversed as we discovered hockey's minor placing in the scheme of things.

 MY FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL

It was a sunny November day when I celebrated the big event, my first day at school. My Mother made certain that I ate all my porridge and drank my milk, before checking my pretty cotton dress and my sandals which Dad had especially cleaned and polished. Then with a kiss from them both, and with little sister Barbara begging to come too, I was handed over to the care of big brother Philip.

The boundary of our orchard almost backed on to the Stoke School playgrounds which gave us the option of walking through our trees to school. This day with Philip looking after me we reached the playground via the orchard. There he noticed some of his boyfriends and ran off to play with them, leaving me stranded. I guess as an eight year old he felt he had done his duty.

Completely alone, I gazed into the huge expanse of playground ahead of me where hundreds of children, or so it seemed, noisily careering around in all directions. All I wanted to do was to go home to Mum. The tears came as I stood there, a dejected, forsaken little mite. Then a kind teacher came, and took me by the hand and led me into the school and to the Primers' Room, where she kept an eye on me for the rest of the day. After that school became an accepted and enjoyable part: of my life.

THE LESSON

I must have been eleven or twelve at the time, a shy child rather lacking in self-confidence, We were in the "big room" of the three roomed school, no doubt looked up to by the "middle room" and "primers", but for my part quite unaware of any such adulation.

Mr Ching was the Head Teacher and our teacher. He must have been sorely tested by the inability of some of our class to spell. I'm sure the culprits were boys! Footy, birds nesting, and tobogganing down the "Mental Hills" were far more important than spelling. It was not until I was an adult that my attention was drawn to the inappropriateness of calling the beautiful hills behind Stoke the "Mental Hills".

After struggling with spelling lessons for some time Mr Ching hit on the idea of giving the strap for each mistake made: one mistake, one belt with the leather strap. It was quite fun really watching the others being strapped but a little scary all the same. I'd never had the strap and hoped to leave the school with an unblemished record.

One morning we went through our normal routine. Mr Ching read out a dozen or so words which we wrote down in our books. Shirley and I, who shared a double desk, were finished early. Spelling was not a problem to us. Like the good little girls that we were we put our pencils down and sat up straight with our arms folded. But I was doubtful about one word. >From memory I think it was "courteous". I had spelt it "c-o-u-r-t-e-o-u-s". Was that spelling correct?

Shirley was good at spelling. She hadn't had the strap either. I casually glanced down at her book and there was, "courteous" spelt "c-o-u-r-t-i-o-u-s'' I quickly made the alteration and sat up straight again as Mr Ching called out, "STOP". Then he moved to the blackboard and wrote down the words for us. Tick, tick, tick went my pencil until it came to THAT word.

In fear and trembling I waited as the punishment was administered, starting with those who had the most mistakes first. One boy had seven wrong, two others six each. It didn't worry them. They were used to it. As they swanked back to their seats with grins on their faces the tears welled up in my eyes.

Then it was my turn, and Shirley's, just a little tap each. It didn't hurt at all. But the blow to my pride stung for weeks. And the lesson that, "cheats never prosper", remains with me to this day.

THE WAR YEARS (1939 - 1945)

Wartime for Stoke school children brought no great extra hardship to that experienced in the thirties slump and in fact poverty decreased as employment increased - there was more money in many families but less and less to buy. Sugar was among the first items to be rationed and sweets became scarce. Rationing of clothing, petrol and tyres, even bicycle tyres, made itself felt and the nation rationed itself in dairy products and meat to send more food to Britain and the war theatres.

Stoke children still received their daily half pint of milk at school however and for some time were supplied apples free when fruit could not be exported while refrigerated ships gave priority to meat cheese and butter. Despite rationing no one went really hungry in Stoke, a community of farm and orchards, and being close to Nelson City was an advantage when travel became more difficult.

With others of the province, senior children of Stoke School went for a few days to Wellington by overnight ferry 'Arahura' and 'Matangi' in early 1940 for the wonderful New Zealand Centennial Exhibition marking the Nation's first 100 years since becoming a British country. But even while they attended the exhibition the war scene began to change dramatically for the worse. 

More men left for overseas to fight the war and in many cases women alone looked after their families and ran the farms. The Nelson Education Board provided a special service, a Visiting Teacher, the first in New Zealand, to go to homes where mothers were having difficulties relating to education of their children, especially absenteeism. Her name was Mrs Wells and she regularly rode her bicycle to Stoke to visit the school and homes that needed her.

Electric power was short for most of the war, although produced in Stoke at the diesel engined station in Poorman's Valley, but almost every home had a radio and listened daily to the war news broadcast from London. By early 1942 that news was much worse as the Japanese, now in the war, swept down the Pacific toward New Zealand with accounts of dreadful atrocities on the way .

Stoke school children became aware of their parents' concern and the preparations made to resist Japanese invasion. Their homes were "blacked out" - no lights showing at night. Barbed wire entanglements covered Tahuna beach in front of gun positions in the sand hills and anti-aircraft guns were positioned about the aerodrome which became a base for noisy Hudson bombers flying ready with their guns armed and each carrying two 250 pound bombs. Soldiers and airmen were everyday sights for Stoke children and sometimes they saw and heard the exploding anti-aircraft gun shells fired at targets towed in the sky by small planes. Fortunately the Japanese were stopped before they reached this country but Stoke children had been closer to real war than most others in New Zealand.

By 1943 the situation was steadily improving although the war was to drag on for two more years. On 13 July that year, a large number of parents and past pupils together with those at school, gathered in front of the three-roomed building to receive a flag, a Union Jack, brought back from the battle of Crete fought and lost in May 1942.

Major H H Thomason who had been the school committee secretary before going to the war and who had been in the battle and returned early, presented the flag to the school as a special memento of the action in which New Zealanders had fought so well and lost so many, to be treasured and flown on special occasions.

I was amazed that when the "big" boys (Form I & 2) drank ink they didn't turn blue.

Warm school milk .. yuk!

Big kids told us of the horrendous changes that would happen to our bodies.

Temporary classroom at St. Barnabas Hall. While we were there one girl badly cut her leg. Our teacher, Mr Campbell fed her chocolate while he removed gravel from her knee with a razor blade.

Also while at the St Barnabas hall I got the strap. I borrowed a rule from the desk behind. The teacher yelled at me to put it down so I put it back on the owner's desk. He meant down on my desk. I got the strap for a misunderstanding. I haven't forgiven him yet! Hop Scotch on the concrete.

Apparently the paper boy (one of the big boys at school) had a crush on me, so he would write notes to me on our paper. I made sure that I got the paper first and my parents will never know why it looked as if it had been chewed where I had ripped the offending bits off.

Highlight of the week in Form two was going to the Technical School. (now Nelson Polytechnic) each Friday by bus for our cooking lessons.

When I began school in September 1944 I had the security of a sister in the "big room". There were three classrooms with a corridor along the back and a storeroom at the end nearer to the road.

Mr Ching, the Headmaster had standards four, five and six in the end room. Miss Field, the Infant Mistress had her infants in the room at the opposite end and those in the middle - probably standards one, two, and three.

Following the excited anticipation of school, classes were a bit of a let down. I could already read a little and found "Pat and May " reading books rather boring.

"Pat can run. Run Pat run. See Pat run"

It was nowhere nearly as exciting as Enid Blyton's "Sunny Stories" It must have been during one of these periods of disinterest that I saw through the window a boy of about my age riding a tricycle. As I watched he hopped off and disappeared, leaving his gleaming tricycle alone. This was only my second day at school and I really believed it must be school equipment - for all to enjoy. Even at five I had a love of wheeled transport and would have given a lot to own a trike, bike or pedal car. So without further ado I went outside and commenced riding this magnificent machine. Bliss was short lived however.

Mr Ching demanded to know why that child was riding his nephew's trike outside when she should have been in class. Miss Field, who obviously hadn't missed me, was covered in consternation, whacked me soundly around the legs and made me stand in the corner for ages - well it seemed so.

Poor Miss Field - such a large class of children, all at different stages of learning. I didn't hold it against her for long. Once we sorted out where I belonged in reading, I quite liked her.

With Miss Field we learned to sew. My first effort was a dark blue sack apron with a magnificent white lamb painstakingly outlined in backstitch and executed in wool. A skilful artist she quickly outlined our requests in tailor's chalk. She was a hard taskmaster and we had to thread our own needles and unpick our own mistakes, many times if need be. From sacking we progressed to kettle holders where counting 'unders and overs' was all important. She tried to teach us patience and made us strive for perfection.

At playtime we had a bottle of milk and an apple. Apples didn't have top shipping priority in war time but because of their nutritional value were given to children along with milk. The milk was in wide topped '/2 pint bottles. The centre of the cardboard insert cap had to be pushed in with a finger so that a straw could be put into the bottle. If you forgot to shake the bottle first, the top third might be pure cream and very sickly - especially in hot weather. Often the milk would squirt out all over you as you pushed in the perforated circle. I can still remember the smell of dried milk on children's clothes!

On wet days most of the children wore gumboots to school and had slippers or socks to wear in the classroom. Many had longish distances to walk or cycle and no one was ever delivered by car. My Mother had bought galoshes for me - believing them to be more lady-like, I suppose. I hated them. They were so hard to get on and off the shoes.

The shelter shed was the place where we played or lunched on wet days. It was large, three sided, flat roofed and had seats around all sides. The floor was fine gravel and we made hop-scotches grids in it with the toes of our shoes. A favourite game played here was "Pussy in the corner." Those standing on the seats changed places with others after calling them across the shed, "Here Pussy, Pussy." Those who were "in" were on the floor and had to try to take the place of one "Pussy" before the other got there.

Probably the favourite pastime of all the girls were the imaginative games - rather like plays that went on sometimes for many days following a story line. The characters and plot were set with much discussion and often argument beforehand. These epics always took place , "Down the trees" We didn't say under the trees or in the trees or at the trees -just down the trees. The trees were wonderful. The line of trees extended along the boundary from in front of the Ching's house to the main road. The best tree of all was a large old rhododendron with a low spreading branch you could sit on and even pretend it was a bed. A pair of trees making a small bower was another favourite room. Rumour had it that Katipo spiders could be found at the base of these particular trunks. I rather suspect this was perpetrated by children who fancied this area for their own use. With bunches of leaves we swept the ground clean under the trees and made little walls to delineate areas. The preparations usually took so long that the bell sounded before the game ever began.

Going to the dental clinic was always an unwelcome experience. It may have been fright but the temperature there always seemed colder than in the classroom and was in sharp contrast to the warm smell and hissing flame of the spirit burner. However I did think Nurse Salisbury's red cardigan very pretty and I liked the little dolls she made us from cotton wool swab rolls. It was a pity she didn't pedal more evenly on the foot drill but I suppose this was a skill that is harder than it looks!

At the beginning of one year when I was in the middle room all the children in New Zealand were put on correspondence lessons because of a polio epidemic. It was so good to see our friends again after such a long break.

There were many diversions from routine even in those days of drilling tables and spelling and memorising facts and poems. The school had many visitors, those who encouraged us to save for Dr Barnardo's Homes (In England) and for the Navy League. Mr Cork, agriculture adviser came to encourage us to have bur own gardens and to enter them in competition with other children from schools in the Waimea district. The traffic officer Mr Hood came in a very smart coupe and sometimes showed us films. These were shown in the blacked out corridor and we sat on drill benches to watch. On at least two occasions a magician came and performed wondrous feats before our very eyes.

I remember on a few occasions being sent by Mr Ching to fetch his glasses from the house. Mrs Ching was a very kind lady who seemed to know our names although she had no contact with classes at all. On each of the times I found her enveloped in steam over the copper in the pitch black wash-house detached from the house.

Parents' days were very exciting. Displays of work were put on walls and there were many competitions you could enter. My favourites were sand saucer and miniature garden competitions. I remember canvassing neighbours for small flowers - hunting for mirrors to make lakes and moulding ducks and swans out of bread. When these superlative creations were finished, getting them to school was the next problem. We had no car. My long suffering father walked with us to deliver the goods safely. Each class gave a drill display which might include marching, massed exercises and some team activities. Teams wore a matching coloured head band and rompers or black Italian cloth pants with a coloured stripe for girls, whilst boys wore shirts, shorts and a coloured diagonal chest band - all had bare feet.

As soon as the judges had finished we rushed in to look for the coloured prize tickets. How heart stopping it was to find a red first prize ticket on someone else's saucer or garden. How quickly you learned to adopt a nonchalant air and smother your disappointment. I seem to remember that we all received an ice cream too, in the days when ice cream was a treat.

The V.J. day celebrations fell on a cold grey day but we were too excited to care about the weather. A fancy dress parade from the school to the old Stoke hall was held. No doubt there were speeches but I only remember the parade. I stood next to my friend Dawn Roderick who was dressed as a lady from Portugal. Apparently they had some family connection there and I thought it very important and exciting to have relations in a foreign land.

In my standard three year the class went to the Sunday School hall at St Barnabas' church. With its high windows and dark varnished interior it was a pretty gloomy place. This was more than compensated for by the best teacher I ever had. Mr Alistair Campbell was a strict but fair teacher with a great understanding of children. When punishment was due he gave the miscreants

a choice -- "cash or time payment". Cash meant the strap - instant and finished with, time payment meant lines to be done during lunch and playtime. I am sure he understood that some children would be in great disgrace at home if they "got the strap".

During that year a frequent visitor to the school was "Blossom" Lake the policeman based at the Port. His visits were to investigate some potentially serious pranks involving explosives, bullets and fireworks. Some of the older boys in the class "paid cash" pretty often that year.

The girls in the class were totally absorbed in saving beads that year. Cut glass was of the highest value - pearls and tinies were all kept in little boxes and tins lined with cotton wool. Appreciation of the containers was as important as the beads. Round boxes from wax matches already rare at this stage, were highly prized. Throughout every playtime the swaps and deals went on.

The next year we returned to the Stoke school grounds, to a beautiful new room with huge folding doors opening on to a verandah and new central heating! We all wanted to be art and craft monitor and had to be so careful not to spill paint on the new floor.

That was my last year at Stoke School because Nelson Intermediate opened next year and all local primary schools were decapitated.

It turned out to be adieu rather than farewell. In 1959 I returned to Stoke School as a teacher in my teaching year. The school had grown a lot in the intervening years. Mr Bryant was Head teacher but Miss Field was still there. "Welcome back Helen" she greeted me with a warm smile. What a supportive pair they proved to be in that first year.

They instilled good teaching practices and administration routines that have never dated and helped me throughout my teaching career.

In the first term I had my 30 little P2 and P3 children in Miss Field's classroom. This really kept me on my toes as her standards of classroom tidiness were extremely high.

In term two and three I had my own "suite" of rooms. These were really the old sick bay, staff room and the foyer in between them. It was hard work supervising three separate areas but I grew to like it and the children became independent and trustworthy working on their own when I was busy in another area. Some of these pupils performed a play on radio.

Wet days were always more of a trial than normal, through lack of space. If a teacher was away sick, two classes would be put together as relieving teachers were only employed for long absences. This resulted in teachers coming to school when they were really ill, rather than burden their colleagues with two classes.

One of my duties was to coach netball. I enjoyed the contact with standard four girls and fortunately they were keen and quite able players - the senior mistress at the time was particularly interested in winning!

So ended my regular contact with Stoke School. During the late 1970's Mr Moore asked me in to relieve a few times before I retrained and took up a permanent position teaching elsewhere.

 I was five years old when my parents Newt and Ciss Frost moved to 613 Main Road Stoke. "Fircroft" as it was called then had fruit trees, tomato houses, asparagus, chicken houses and just good old open spaces. We were there only a few weeks when our Father died and Mum was left with five children and 13 acres of land. Hard times for our Mother were still happy times for us however. Stoke School played a major part in our lives. We were one of its closest neighbours.

Mr Harold Ching - what respect we held for him - he was our "God". Other teachers like Mr Trevor Boyes Miss Field, Miss Beatson, held our respect too, but unlike that for Mr Ching.

The school trees at the front were our favourite play place. We played witches and fairies there and raised little borders of leaves under the trees for our pretend houses. After school at the top of Songer Street we spent hours sledging down the hillside, mainly on sacks or sheets of cardboard. We had no expensive equipment then, but had real fun.

How I loved the flower shows! Sand saucers were the thing to make. Mum would allow us to almost strip her garden of flower heads to make the lovely displays. You filled the saucer with wet sand, then arranged your own pattern. What a thrill it was to receive a prize. Baking was also a highlight of the day, many a child taking along three pikelets, three scenes or three queen cakes. Mr Ching would stand behind the exhibits, his hands clasped behind his back while we waited with bated breath for his selection of winners.

The swimming pool to me was so long. Mr Gay, a parent and instructor, coached me with backstroke. "Just another length", he would say and I remembered thinking I could never do it, but no, he was always there to encourage.

My memories of the school are numerous but the greatest tribute I pay is to Mr Ching, the man who taught us goodness honesty, sincerity and integrity.

SOME ACHIEVERS

Stoke School has had its share of important achievers in later life; people who excelled in education work, sport, the arts, and in armed service to the country. With apologies to the great many whose achievements are not known, Ted and Dennis Gribble and Heather Wilson are noted for New Zealand hockey honours, and Natalie Wicken (nee Nicholls) and Ken Wadsworth won such status in netball and cricket respectively.

In the Air force Brian O'Connor, Rod Harrison and Ned Allport were decorated - the last named giving his life - and Ken Wells won that honour later when he flew in Vietnam.

Another achiever was Norma Riddell (nee Logan) who was dux of the school in 1945 and at the time of her death in England in 1994 was described as a born teacher and a much loved, Head Teacher of Hughenden Valley First school in Buckinghamshire.

After Stoke School and Nelson College for Girls, Norma trained as a teacher in Christchurch and taught for some time in Nelson, Wellington and Auckland. She and her husband Professor of Regional Planning, Bob Riddell, (avt ex Tahunanui school pupil) also lived and worked in Fiji, Ghana and England.

Reyn Penny joined Ford New Zealand in Nov 1952 and retired in Dec 1990 as Director of Sales and Marketing and Assistant Managing Director. He was Director of the Motor Co, the Finance Co, and the Assembly Co. He was responsible for all sales of cars, trucks, parts and service, the dealer organisation and marketing - new model launches etc. Extensive worldwide travel was required in product development. Reyn played a major part in the Company's move from Lower Hutt to Manakau in 1987. He was farewelled by the dealers, with a Bob Parker - "This is your Life" function. He is now actively involved as a business consultant Stuart Penny won the Waiter Nash Scholarship to Cranwell Air Force College (RAF) in Lincolnshire in 1958 at the age of 18 years. He graduated as a fighter pilot with the RAF flying Hawker Hunter jets. Postings included Aden, Singapore and Germany and back to London. Spent many years flying Harrier "Jump Jet" fighter aircraft and he rose to the rank of Wing Commander in the famous RAF No l fighter Squadron. He retired to Florida and worked for a time for Martin Mariotts, famous US aircraft builders and weapons makers. Stuart is now a US citizen and has his own business consultancy in Buffalo, NY State.

Douglas Craig, brother of 1946 dux Dorothy Ward (nee Craig) is a professor of Biological Science in Canada. Two others from his Stoke class are Neville Parker and Roger McElroy. Neville, brother of the retired principal of Nelson Central School and Stoke old boy, Eric Parker, has an accountancy business in Nelson and Roger is manager of the Wellington district office of the Ministry of Education. Dr John Cretney is Chief Executive officer (Principal) of Nelson Polytechnic.

A STOKE FAMILY IN THE 1940's

Fairly typical of the times, the Logan family household in the 1940's included from time to time two grandmothers, uncles and aunts. The district was almost entirely rural and Stoke children had well rounded experience from their country environment including early understanding of life and death.

The Logan's 13 acre hill and flat property was a small farm and market garden, carrying as well as sheep, a cow for milk and butter - grandmothers knew how to make butter. The Logans also had a dog, cats, rabbits, poultry and birds. Favourite with Norma were ponies. Norma and her father often rode to shows as far as 80 miles away. Main income was from Mr Logan's work as a cabinet maker in his home workshop.

FIRST YEAR TEACHER - 1947

In 1947, Stoke School, still the only one in the whole district, had a staff of just five. Stoke's population was entering its period of rapid post-war growth and a new two-roomed block for infant classes (with a tiny school staff room, now a store) had just been completed south-east of the 1930 three-roomed block still standing near the main gate.

Kindly Harold Ching, who seemed very old to me, was Head Teacher and Rita Field, a little lady with big personality, Infant Mistress. Miss Beatson - we all addressed each other formally - was the other infant teacher. In the old block in addition to Mr Ching were Miss B B (Margaret) Easther, and myself, Athol Blair. Colin Baas followed me as the First Year Teacher for 1948 and I went relieving to the Cobb and then to my first permanent position, a Sole Teacher School a not unusual move in those days.

The Chings who carried the grief of two sons lost at the war occupied the school house on site near the community's new pride and joy, a learners' swimming pool. The children were also fortunate to have spacious grounds and regarding this I remember the arrival of two new pupils from Scotland. Infant sons of a Scottish doctor who had come to Ngawhatu Hospital, the boys' first question was, "Is all this ours?" Delighted by the response they ran and skipped across the field, arms thrown in the air and faces beaming.

The official winter sport for boys was hockey - played with good success which I "coached" with very little knowledge. There were some keen rugby players too who enlisted my aid to referee their games after school. It was the first year of the Stoke Rugby Club, then called the " Star " - Stoke/Tahuna. Suddenly, at the end of 1947, schools were closed early as the last big infantile paralysis (poliomyelitis) epidemic had struck and they did not reopen for children until March 1948. It was not just a long holiday however as Correspondence School assignments were posted to all pupils in New Zealand.

I had started my year at Stoke with a lovely Standard One class but within a few weeks most of these were exchanged for Standard Two children, including a number of very rumbustious boys who tested my mettle. I look back on that as a particularly useful first year experience. It has been a pleasure since to come across a number of that class and learn of their successes. Sadly, two of the most active and intelligent - and rumbustious boys were killed, (separately) living life dangerously, but for me all that class remain alive, clear in my mind as they were then, my first pupils. 

Athol K. Blair Year One Teacher 1947. Mr Blair returned to the Nelson region as District Senior Inspector of Schools, a position from which he retired.

I was born in Nelson in 1939 and when my mother died in 1946, I spent a while out at Upper Moutere, but then shifted in with the Gribbles on the Main Road, next to my grandmother, Lottie Craig, where my sister Dorothy stayed.

I recall that at the time the Head Teacher was a Mr Ching, whom from my perspective was a rather austere person, but also know that he was very compassionate when needed. Some of the time at Stoke School was spent in stand-alone classrooms that had large glass doors which were often open to the playground to the North. For some of the time I was in an overflow class in the hall at St Barnabas Church where a Mr Campbell was the teacher. The reason I recall his name is that he kept us all in order by keeping his strap, the "Rhinoceros Hide" on his desk. If we became too rumbustious he would leap up on a desk and brandish this strap and "froth at the mouth", as he termed it. I do not recall if I was ever strapped - probably, since I was not one of the best students.

In general I have good memories of my time at Stoke. When my father remarried in 1949 we shifted back into Nelson. Although we later returned to Stoke, by that time I was going to Nelson College.

 Have fun at the reunion. I am sorry I cannot be there, but making a trip from Canada is out of the question.

EXTRACTS FROM THE BIENNIAL REPORT OF STOKE SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Presented to Meeting of Householders 24 April 1963.

Briefly, a few events that have happened since 24 April, 1950 when I was elected a member of the Committee. Mr H L Ching was the Headmaster. The School had a total roll of 276 pupils with seven classrooms. When Mr Ching retired August 1952, Mr R C Bryan commenced at Stoke. In September that year there were 279 pupils.

Mr D N Strawbridge completed approximately 10 years as chairman on 27 April 1955, Mr J W Mitchell four years in 1959 and Mr S W Newport four years in 24 April 1963.

During the last 15 years I have been a committee member, secretary and chairman. I also represented Stoke on the following committees: Nelson Intermediate School Combined School Grounds Committee - Secretary Nayland School Interim Committee Since 1950 the School has grown from seven classrooms to twelve at the present time, the highest roll being 545 in 1960, prior to the opening of Nayland School. The roll today is 390. The school has been very stable over the last 20 years as shown by the fact that in the time there have been only three chairmen of committees and two Head Teachers.

The outgoing committee has worked well for the good of the school and grounds. During the last two years:

Mrs Anderson made our time in her dental clinic as enjoyable as possible by giving us stickers with glitter, Noddy and Big Ears ones as well, and drawing her wonderful elephant on our hands - only she could draw them like that. One wonders what she would have liked to have given the boy who one day bit her finger and drew blood.

We regularly pretended we were Mrs Anderson and while our teacher talked we used to pick holes in our desks with the compass or protractor, then rubbed our rubber on the desk to create the rubber shavings which we poked into the holes. Another painless filling done! The silver birch trees also received the same treatment during our play times!  

OTHER MEMORIES

Mr Scott made that beautiful fernery out the back of the primers and he never seemed to mind us running through it as we played hide and seek. He really had the patience of a saint.

Our mum taking us to school the morning after the old house on the corner of Willow Ave and Ranui Road had burnt to the ground, because we didn't want to walk past it on our own.

 Mr Cherry who was the traffic officer in our time, coming with the child sized cars which we used to drive around as we learned the importance of "Give Way" and "Stop" signs.  Our training to use the big Lollipop signs to stop the traffic at the Zebra Crossing. We were the first ones to use them.

How we'd line up outside the office at lunch time to collect our fish and chips which came from Mrs Crapper's fish shop.

The story-times in primer 4 with Miss McDonald. She had the most amazing dress ups and we would act out the story of the classes choice. Wendy Goodman and Estelle Lankshear were always chosen to play the part of Goldilocks because of the colour of their hair. No one else stood a chance!  The wonderful school Festivals at Stoke Hall conducted by Miss Don. Some songs were from "The Sound of Music", which had just hit the movies in a big way.

While there is no specific memory of our time at Stoke School the loving caring of our teachers, especially from Mrs Cross and those who taught us in the primers will never be forgotten. And dare I say, our introduction to the strap in Standard one won't be forgotten either! Yes, without a doubt the time at Stoke School were the best years in all of my schooling.

A certain Principal was a determined fellow and ever vigilant in his efforts to stop people cycling through the school grounds. He had a great loud voice and many an unwary cyclist nearly fell from his bike in fright at the sound of it reverberating across the playground.

One lunch time, when he was answering the call of nature, (the men's toilet in those days used to look out towards Ranui Road) he spied through the louvres another errant cyclist on his way across the playing field. A great bellow was heard and the Principal was seen to sally forth shouting and gesticulating but hunched over in a strange manner.

In his haste to apprehend the cyclist he had caught his tie in his fly as he zipped up! He was a dedicated man, indeed.

Mr Jim Rapson Principal, 1973:

Jim was not a well man at all but he was a warm friendly person with a great sense of humour. On the desk in his office sat a photograph of his daughter, Susan who was at the time doing V.S.A. work in Fiji. In the photo she was flanked by two Fijian girls. They were very big, very dark, and had great masses of dark curly hair. Jim cherished his daughter and was very proud of that photograph.

One day Mark, a very likeable S4 boy, was sent to the office on an errand. Jim took the opportunity to show off the photo of his daughter saying, "What do you think of my daughter, Mark, isn't she lovely?" Mark hesitated and with a twinkle replied, "Mmm, which one is she .. ?" This reply was much appreciated by Jim and after that when showing off the photo to visitors he would regale them with that incident.

Mr Norm Moore Principal, 1974 - 1983.

Norm, who followed Jim Rapson, had a commanding personality and was an accomplished speaker - never stuck for a word. A very big fellow he suffered somewhat from a gammy knee as a result of playing rugby in the deep south.

One day while walking along the corridor and down the stairs outside Room 10 his knee gave way and he fell heavily against the door to that room. It burst open under the considerable impact and Norm crashed into the room. The children sat aghast at the sight and the sound. Norm reeled and almost fell but managed to remain on his feet. Then, straightening up and regaining his composure he said with as much dignity as he could muster, "Just popped in to say good morning. Now carry on with your work." He left the room and limped off to the office. The man deserves an Oscar!

Howard Morrison Show:

In 1979 the Howard Morrison show "Tu Tangata" toured New Zealand. The children of our school from the youngest to the oldest were invited to perform as a support group. We had three songs to learn off, the big one being, "We Are Sailing". The children learnt to sing that song in English and in Maori and they sang it, and they sang it, and they sang it and ....

In late November came the BIG night and the children were taken by a convoy of buses in to the Trafalgar Centre. They sat upstairs alongside the stage area and watched the place fill up. It was soon packed. The show began with all the flashing of lights and syncopated sound that one could wish for. Then it was time for the BIG number. Howard Morrison sang it and the children sang it and they really sang it! They weren't second alongside the stars, they were the stars! Certainly it was a time for all those fortunate enough to be there to remember.

Visiting Principals:

On one occasion we were visited by a group of school principals from Japan. The group toured the school, entering some of the classrooms and talking to the staff and pupils. I remember they were very polite and formal. Later in the morning much hilarity came from the adventure playground. We saw our visitors having races down the double slide. No longer were they being formal. The cameras were clicking and they were really having a high time. We laughed with them.

Three days later the shocking news of the 'plane disaster on Mt Erebus reached us and we were devastated to learn that most of our visitors had been on board. We remembered them laughing and being so incredulous about all the playing facilities available to our children.

CYCLONE ALISON - 12 MARCH 1975

The morning commenced like any other at the time of the year - mild with a light breeze. However, within an hour the wind swung around to the east with the gusts increasing in both frequency and velocity. By 8.30 am the wind noise had become frightening, and the debris was being flung into the air to crash down on the roof or walls. The staffs concern was for the children's safety. Many were on their way to school at the time, and were in danger of being stuck by flying objects. On going out to inspect the school just before 9 am. I was horrified to see the ground around the giant redwood tree rising and falling as it struggled to contain the roots. My immediate action was to rush into the school for the loud hailer (which proved ineffective, anyway) to warn parents and children to stay clear.

On my return outside I was greeted by a spectacular fireworks display. Electric wires blown off the pole on to the roof of the school house sent great arcs of electricity crackling and sparkling in all directions. This, accompanied by the shrieking of the wind which had reached a crescendo by this time, made an unbelievable scene. I was relieved no children were in the danger zone, just one solitary adult pedestrian coming from the dairy and struggling head on into the wind.

On turning from the roof scene I was aghast to find the tree on the ground having taken as well as the school fence, all power and telephone lines and lesser trees. It stretched completely across the main road! There was no sign of that pedestrian. When I finally reached the tree I feared I would be searching for a body. Imagine my relief to find a very shaken white faced lady very much alive, and not injured, shaking in the foliage at the edge of that huge tree. Suffering from shock she was quickly hustled into the school office. 

School had to close, the local radio station asking parents to call and collect their children. While this was being done another teacher, David Knight, and I drove the shaken lady to her home in Richmond. The conditions down the freezing works strait were appalling. A truck had lost a number of boxes of bananas from its deck. Most were flattened by passing cars but on our way back we gathered some. Staff had to remain at school for the day, so guess what we ate!

 ANYONE FOR A GAME OF CRICKET ?

What better way to finish the school year than this. On 16 December 1976 the staff, with three husbands pressed into service, played the school team. The teams were:

Staff: John Biorklund, Frank Robb, Alison Leggett, Alwyn Lyons, Elaine Harding, Paul Snape, Norm Moore, Karen McLennan, Gerald Newman, David Knight, Ian McLennan,

Pupils : Ian Curtis, Russell Kerslake, Glenn Clifford, Michael Stringer, Roger O'Loughlin, Greg Jellyman, Allan Curtis, Neil Strawbridge, Chris Bowater, Thomas Mataroa, Paul Yates.

The teachers won the toss and elected to bat first. Perhaps the wicket was not up to standard as the staff lost 4 quick wickets while Biorklund held his end up by making 25 runs. Clifford proved the danger man as he stumped Robb, caught and bowled Leggett and bowled Lyons. Harding was bowled by Stringer. Then Snape (36) came to the wicket and showed the way when joined by Moore (27). The rest of the innings was cleaned up quickly for a total of 99 runs with K McLennan out to the bowling of O'Loughlin for one, G Newman falling to Clifford for two, and Knight and I McLennan each managing one run.

The innings was not without incident. A male staff member was hit on the inside fleshy part of the thigh which required a packing of ice before he was able to continue. On his return, with his back to the wicket keeper, he was hit on the head as the ball, which he had played at and missed, was being returned to the bowler. Nothing was said but by the way he swung his bat and advanced towards the keeper who had thrown the ball, an "incident" looked ominous. The situation was quickly defused but the batsman seemed to have lost interest in the game, was soon dismissed, and quickly and happily departed for the safety of the sideline.

The school team also found the wicket tricky and was dismissed for 54 runs. Moore and Snape must have vied for the "man of the match" award for between them they took all but one of the wickets to fall (which Lyons bagged and became "the Lyon's share").

Kerslake, A Curtis, I Curtis, N Strawbridge all made ducks while the scorers were: Clifford 7, Stringer 5, Jellyman 9, Bowater 26, Mataroa 5, and Yates 2.

Sport was an important part of school life while I was at Stoke and I have many happy memories of athletics, swimming, and keen inter-school competition involving the various codes. By the enthusiasm of pupils it was obvious that they, too, enjoyed the participation and stimulation provided by such challenges.

Farewell Stoke School Stoke School it’s time to say goodbye.

Cause off to Broadgreen I must fly. Many a good teacher I have had.

But who could fault this year with Mr Mac. Mrs Thornton taught me ABC’s. Ms Chalmers and Rawson, the birds and the bees.

Oh can you all remember the Fair. When Mr B had to part with his hair.

Then the laugh; at Marahau Camp  Mr Mac forgot his lamp. In the dark of the night, he set off on his legs, clumsily tripping over all the tent pegs.

Two years have past since I joined the choir. And boy our singing sets the audience on fire.

Basketball and Netball are so cool. To mention a few I’ve played for the school.

My primary years have gone so fast. I hope the memories will last. Mr Mullan and team you’ve done me proud. You’ll see one day I’ll stand out in the crowd. So farewell to everyone I see. I hope you’ll all remember me.

Dec 2005 Mrs  Judith O’Callaghan nee Downie has resigned after thirty-four years of sterling service to Stoke School.  Many parents of pupils attending the school were taught by Mrs O’Callaghan.  She was a hard working team member who will be sorely missed.

Thank you Mr Mullan, for coming and for making tea, lunch and breakfast and afternoon tea. I liked it and it was yummy. Thank you for unpacking some bags for other people. It was fun with you when I went in the boat with you Mr Mullan. It was cool when we saw a stingray and we picked up crabs. Jared picked up the biggest crab and it was cool. I had lots of fun at Marahau Camping Ground. Thank you for helping me Mr Mullan, and for helping my whole class. It was the best camp of my whole life.

Past Pupils are logging on to Old Friends NZ on the Internet it is envisaged to hold a  reunion in 2020.

        .

......meeting the challenges of the new millennium......

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updated: February 06, 2010