1949 I started my school days at Saint Thomas RC school in Riddrie here in Glasgow.don't remember much of my school days don't think I learned much, as I left school without qualifications. At that time Glasgow was a busy city with plenty of factory's. Work was easily found. Schools like St. Thomas just provided basic education for a unskilled labour force for the many factory's that were in Glasgow at that time. My earliest recollection of the school was taking my mother's ration book across the road from the school to the church of Scotland hall where it was stamped. I also got my school dinner in this hall, all I can remember of the school meals is custard and ginger cake that even today I enjoy. And In the school hall in the morning, having cold toast and drinking hot tea from a vacuum flask made by my mother, to be eaten after communion as in those you had to fast before having communion.
After St. Thomas I went on to Saint Rock's secondary school my only recollections of this school was the school bully wanting to have a fight with me, me not wanting to fight him but he insisted I fight with him and he aimed a
kick at me and by luck I caught his foot in my hand and twisted his foot causing him to fall. I became the school hero. I also recall once a week a truck drove on to the play ground and erected portable showers, the truck had a boiler to heat the water and we could enjoy a hot shower. However, after a short time the water would stop and in winter I would be left freezing cold trying to get dried and into my clothing. My only other memory was two girls playing on swings outside the class window in full view of us boys looking out the window as they swung forwards towards us the wind lifted their skirts, we could see the girls were
not wearing knickers.
