2. From members of The Rye Women's
Institute in 1956

The Misses Greenway's School was noted for the politeness of its scholars. For instance the slate rag was kept in the comer of the room, and the pupils would line up with the gracious ritual: 'After you with the rag, please Willie,' to be fol-
lowed, on receiving it, with grateful thanks, and occasionally a sly kick. Is it to be wondered at that, after this surfeit of politeness, the boys, released form school, would go over to the Tan Houses to listen to the fishermen swear? Without cinemas, radio or television, we were forced to make our own amusements. They might seem tame to the children today, but to us they brought excitement and the pleasure of contrast. To be in the open air after the stuffy, over- crowded schoolroom was a delight, even though we still wore our black woollen stockings, button boots, numerous petticoats and starched dresses that pricked the neck. (Pinafores, oblig-
atory wear for school, were left behind: so too were thoughts of pothooks and hangers, the recitation of multiplication tables and the needlework lessons when we mended our own or our teacher's clothes."

3. Mr. Richard Baker

The first school I attended was a tiny private one, run by an elderly Mrs. Seliman in a small house (now demolished), in Cinque Ports Street. The fee charged was 6d per week (2.5 p now). I remember that our class, perhaps 10 or 12 pupils, was situated in a back room on the first floor, overlooking the Market and the Railway
Station, and on one occasion I was rewarded, presumably for some good work, by being allowed to sit idly watching the trains. Mrs. Seliman had probably been told I was madly in love with railways; indeed, for several years I had every intention of becoming a train driver until the day I read, in "The Boys' Own
Paper", that it might take 20 years to pass through the various stages of training, where- upon I dropped the idea for ever!

4. Mrs. Edith Hill (Nee Baker)

I began school at four years of age at a Dame School belonging to Mrs. Seliman. It was in Cinque Ports Street, in a row of cottages. It was knocked down by a bomb when the Cinema went. We sat on forms in what had been a bedroom and wrote
on slates. My brother went first and I wanted to go with him. Eventually my mother let me go.

5. Mr. Ken Ellis

My first school, at 4.5, was a Dame School run by Miss Seliman and her brother. It was situated in a row of cottages where the new shops are on Cinque Ports Street. (The cinema was built on the demolished cottage site first.) About twenty youngsters sat on wooden forms and wrote with slate and slate pencil.

6. Miss Molly Kimpton

I began School at Miss Seliman's School in Cinque Ports Street. We had to go past a dairy to get to it. The lane we used to go to Miss Seliman's was also used by Mr. Ashbee's cows to go to their milking sheds at the bottom of the lane. At school we went through a side gate and up into a dark hole -it seemed jet black -up a
staircase to get to the schoolroom. Miss Seliman was a little shrivelled old lady who wore a boned collar to her black blouse and a black skirt. She always smelled of paraffin! She had little glasses and I don't think she could smile. We wrote there on slates and I remember the Ellis children being there when I was. If you had to go to the toilet, you had to go down the dark staircase and across a cobbled yard.

7. Miss Elia Harvey

At the age of six, I was sent to the Sussex House School, a private school run by the Misses M.E. and C.A. Bushby, daughters of the Postmaster. For our premises we used the Congregational Sunday School Rooms on the Lower Floor (now adjacent to the Community Centre on Conduit Hill). They consisted of two rooms and an outside toilet. The Senior Class was taken by the elder Miss Bushby, while the younger sister
taught the Juniors, and a third teacher was engaged for the youngest pupils. The teachers wore blouses and skirts. Our lessons embraced the three 'R's', and draw-
ing and music were extra subjects then after school hours. We assembled at 9.30 am until 12noon, and 2 pm until 4 pm. We had no uniform but later on we adopted red tammies with a school badge. We had no playground, so limited exercises were taken with dumbbells, Swedish Drill and marching to music. Homework was set. As our numbers increased, the Misses Bushby built a house in West Street, near to Tower
House, and there we had an Upper and a Lower Room with cloakroom and W.C. indoors. We also rented a room in Church Square to take surplus pupils. Some years later we moved yet again into larger rooms in Tower Street. They were originally the
Ceramic Stores and well adapted for our needs as we grew in numbers, including a few young boys. Here we extended our subjects and included algebra. We still had no playground, but rented a tennis court on the Cricket Salts, near to the Pavilion. No school meals were provided as we were all local children and went home for a mid-day meal. Each year we produced an operetta, which was
performed on the Monastery stage, and a display of handwork and painting in our schoolroom. During the last three years of my schooldays, a visiting dancing teacher was engaged, and we were taught bailet, national dances and ballroom dancing.

8. D.G.Southerden

I went to school at Sussex House School in West Street, run by the Miss Bushby's. It was on the left hand side. at the top, just before the turning towards the Church. The ladies did not live in the house, they lived in Church Square. I was there until Miss Clara died and Miss Queenie gave up the School. My schoolmates there were Jim and
Reg Burton: their mother had a newsagents shop in the Mint. I recall dancing
the Maypole on the Salts at George V's Coronation when at this school.

9. Mr Raymond Balcomb

I began school at the age of five, in 1912. I attended the Sussex House School in West Street. My earliest memory, indeed the only one of that school, is of two boys more robust than myself, attempting to bully me into parting with my lunch and once being sent to school on a pouring wet and windy morning with an umbrella. It blew inside out and I was so relieved to get home.

10. Miss Nora Booth

I began school in a little private school in Wish Street.

11. Mrs Joan Page

I went to Miss James's School next to the Pipemaker's Arms until I was five.

QUOTES

"Girls away - because they were not allowed to knit!" [An early strike?]

"Water in tap unfit for drinking -begged from the neighbours."

"Spent all my time this week working with the dunces of different classes round the blackboard."

"Mistress to special service in church for women."

"in spite of big fires no room above 31'F at 9 am and 37' F at noon and 3.45pm." Happy Days!

Jo Kirkham