People of Conwy: Annette Evans
People of Conwy: Annette Evans
Annette served as the headmistress of Bodlondeb Primary School for eight years between 1988 and 1996. She remembers crossing children over the road to the school. Annette recalls her memories of the sounds, smells and sights of the old school, now the site of the new Culture Centre.
Click on the triangle below to hear recording
Click here to read a transcript of the recording.
Return to ‘People of Conwy’ introduction
Transcript:
… I did relief work in Bodlondeb School, and later followed a career as a county teacher, a headmistress in Dolgarrog School, up the valley, which has now been demolished, and then I became a headmistress in Bodlondeb school and the circle became whole in a way you see …
… the happiness and the closeness was there before I arrived there, I have to say, it was clear that the headmistress and the staff worked well together and people didn’t want to move from there. So that’s a good thing, isn’t it, if the staff want to stay in the one place you see?
… it was a family, and I don’t know, I might just be romantic in thinking that there was something in the building, for me, going through the heavy iron gates; that made me think ‘Oh yes, generations of children have walked through these gates’, and the steps then with footprints worn into the rock …
… and then into the small foyer, small office, enough (space) to do office work, I’m not an office person to be honest, I preferred being with the children …
… but there was a place there where there was a phone and where administrative stuff were being kept, going into the hall, there was children having food, we had assemblies, concerts, and on the far end of the hall the Reception (Pre-School) Room, on the other side the kitchen, it was very nice being in the Reception Room because sometimes the nice smells drifted over there …
… and the things I remember was the cook making an extra meringue for the staff, Mrs Grace …
… the cook at that time; of course these days they wouldn’t allow that, but we would look forward to that when there was an odd apple cake or meringue cake available …
… a lot of hard work took place (there), and I have to say (that) the children were more important than anything. The staff were also kind there you see, and that is important …
… there are a lot of children who come from backgrounds where things might not be so good at home, regardless of the reason, they could come to school and know that they are safe, they are happy and that they have the best care they can (get) …
… to be honest, looking back it was a happy place to be, but we were there for the children’s benefit, that was more important than anything else I would say …