h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oooh yes - I remember playing the cymbals at the Christmas concert (in Hark the Herald Angels sing) and I played a Daisy in a play we did when I was tiny. My mother spent ages on my costume, picking marguerites to put in my hair and making me a white dress with a yellow sash. I had one line: "I am a daisy, white as snow - to my queen I'm glad to go!"

I haven't "acted" since!

We played outside a lot. We climbed up as high as we could on the climbing frame - girls and boys. We made snowmen in the winter and the cook brought us out a little bottle of cochineal to paint the mouth on with. Then we went back in for lessons and changed our wellies. We had to take a wooden clothes peg with our name on to keep the boots together in rows, by class, in the entrance hall.

Teaching must have been so much easier in those days. There were far less things forbidden and I don't even remember a teacher supervising us walking with our arms stretched out along a ladder with no handrails, way above the other kids' heads.

My memory's pretty carp and most things I do remember are more snapshots than working memories.

But I do remember my last year of primary school. It was the International Year of the Child, which was 1979, and my year put on a concert. There were 4 classes in the year so we had a section of the globe each. I think it was Europe, America, Asia and Africa basically. My class got Europe - we learnt De Lorelei in German ( ich weiss nicht was soll es bedeuten ... ) and a russian dance to Kalinka, amongst other things. At the end the whole year (must have been around 80 of us) sang Children of the World Unite. It was so much fun and I can still remember that feeling of being a part of something all these years later.

The other thing I remember is always feeling scared of going back to school after the holidays. I think perhaps I was scared my friends would have made better friends over the summer or something. Weird.

Deb

Hated primary(missed infants as I was in Nigeria)in London.Liked the next primary in Portsmouth and did quite well at secondary in Gosport.However the parts that I didn't like I've forgotten.Instead I go with the nicer,more rewarding memories.

The funny thing is I met someone from school the other day who recognised me but didn't have a clue where from.I just smiled at her as I remember she was one of the 'in' clique and I was in the nerd clique and beneath consideration because I did better in exams and lessons.I never got picked for the team..which suited me fine.

Hi folks, I´m very busy but had to come and say thanks. It´s always interesting to read your memories, whatever they are. Besides, I picked up an idea from what Icy said about 3D scuptures, or hexagons.. and from Lanza about collections of curiosities. I remembered I had a Yoshimoto cube someone had given to me. It´s hand-made out of cardboard, and the kids have just got fascinated.

http://youtu.be/YQtbcgBWobA

I´ve also showed them drawings of Escher.

Really love to have more time to comment your words. You have said many things related to education that deserve further conversation.

Gracias, amigos. I you all.

back to go on preparing tomorrow´s lessons

I mean I WOULD really love to have more time...

The Yoshimoto cube is wonderful. I had one in my early teens. They were sold in the UK under the name "Shinsei Mystery", for about £5. I really wish I could find one of those things, because the NY Museum of Modern Art are selling them - same size, same materials - for about £50!

Does anyone still have a Shinsei Mystery? Does anyone even remember them? They were pretty common in the post-Rubik cube-boom of about 1983.