I loved the G.T.C. and everything about it and couldn't wait to change into my uniform and march off to our next Parade after school.
Also at the age of 14yrs. I was asked by the Superintendent of our Sunday School if I would be a Sunday School teacher and take a class of 7yr. olds. I didn't want to do this, but at 14 yrs, - school leaving age - I was considered to be an adult.
Although I was still at school, in the Superintendent's opinion, he thought I was old enough to pull my weight. He said 'All the young people are in the Forces, we have no-one else to ask and we must all pull our weight, there's a war on you know.'
What could I say? So I became a Sunday School teacher at the age of 14 yrs. and I must admit 1 loved it! All the 14 yr.old girls at Church wore hats so I would set off for Sunday School in my best Sunday clothes complete with hat, bag and gloves. Quite the young lady!!

Although these photos were taken a few years later I thought I would include them to show how we dressed for Church.

The hat in the photo on the left was a straw hat with lovely yellow roses. To enter Church hatless would have been tantamount to sacrilege in those days. All in white in photo on the right.

It was a lot of work as not only had lessons to be prepared, we had to train the children for the Scripture Exam which meant setting homework, marking it, having them at our house for extra teaching and making sure they were able to recite and write down their Memory passage. Mam and Dad also had their classes at home training them for the Exam. As I was also sitting it, I had my own set pieces to study and memorise so it was a busy time. We also had Sunday School Anniversaries when each section Infants, Juniors, Intermediates and Seniors would all take part. The Anniversary often began on the Saturday with a tea and the Senior School giving their Demonstration of Poems, Singing and Sketches. I remember Dad, when training them, would go to the back of the Church and call down 'Shout up, I can't hear you' so everyone had to speak loudly and clearly. He also taught the singing and would say 'Don't slur up to the notes, hit them clearly.' He was a stickler for perfection. This stood me in good stead when in later years I became Captain of The Girls' Life Brigade and had to train the girls for our yearly Display.

A photograph of me as Captain marching with my girls on the Good Friday Parade. Anita, in front, is Escort to the Flag. Note the children on the pavement dressed in hat and gloves.

Our Church always looked beautiful for our Anniversaries as teams of women would decorate the Church with flowers and greenery. All round the pulpit, on every windowsill, and at both sides of the Choir pews flowers were strewn and their perfume filled the air. It was wonderful. On the Sunday morning the Infants and Juniors would take part and the Intermediates took part in the evening service. It was a lovely week-end, and brings back many very happy memories.

At Christmas we were able to get extra food for the Sunday School Party, so Mam and I were given a letter from the Sunday School Superintendent to take to the Food Office for extra coupons, and then we had to look for a Baker who could make 300 extra cakes. We had a very large Sunday School and as each child and teacher was allowed two cakes each it came to at least 300. On the day of the party I remember it was my Gran and I who went to collect them, and extra bread, in a large tin bath! It was so heavy carrying them the mile or more to Church and we had to put the bath down and rest many times, but it was worth the effort as we saw the delight on the childrens' faces at tea-time. The cakes were nothing 'special' but it was still a treat for all of us. I believe by this time it was forbidden to put icing on cakes as they thought it was a waste, but we still enjoyed them. I also remember joining in with the other teachers to make the sandwiches with margarine and whatever we could find to put in them. It was a happy time of 'togetherness' and we loved it.
At Easter when we had our town's annual Sunday School Good Friday Parade we were all very proud of our Banners.
All the other Sunday Schools had painted Banners but ours had been embroidered especially for us by the Art College and it was beautiful. It had a striking blue background with Jesus as the Good Shepherd carrying a lamb in His arms. Other lambs were round his feet and the green of the countryside made it an exceptionally beautiful creation. It was made well before the War and today, approx. 100 years later, it is still being carried proudly every Good Friday on the march to the market.

Our Boys Brigade Band always led the march with their various sections following. After that came the Girls' Life Brigade complete with Flag and escorts and the various sections in their uniforms. Then came our Banner and hundreds of Sunday School children with their teachers. It was an impressive sight.

This was repeated with every Sunday School, some having the Brigades others having Scouts and Guides. Each Sunday School was given a certain point to march to and then we were held there by the Marshal - often my Dad - who would tell us in which order to set off for the final march into the Market place.

During the war our Girls' Life Brigade closed down when the last Officer was called into the Forces so I then marched with my Sunday School class.
Occasionally I was asked to hold the Banner cord which was a great honour. There were two thick yellow plaited cords at the back and two cords at the front with two strong young lads carrying the poles of the Banner in their holsters. The cords were to keep the Banner steady in the high winds we often had. So we would proudly march through streets packed with onlookers to the Market Square where a service was held.

It was a large market square but it was still a crush to get us all in as Sunday Schools were very large. After the market service when the Salvation Army band always played, we would march back again to our own Churches where we would have another service. It was then that we would all pester our Sunday School Superintendent to tell us how many marks we had achieved in the Scripture Exam and had we won the coveted Shield. He would always laugh and tell us to have patience until the end of the service. We sat on tenterhooks waiting for the results to be given out at the end of the meeting.

My friend, Edna, and I always had a friendly rivalry as to who had gained the most marks. It appeared that we took it in turns to be first! One year I had 95 or 96 and she had 94 or 95 and the following year the marks would be reversed. How this happened we never knew, it just seemed to work out that way, so we were always keen to hear the results. When it came to announcing the name of the Church who had won the Shield you could hear a pin drop in the Church. Most years our Church won the Shield and what a cheer went up when this was read out. We could keep the Shield until next year when the studying began all over again.

Before the war the Sunday School children would each be given an orange but during the war this changed as no-one ever saw an orange! So we had Hot Cross Buns instead and it was back to the Food Office for extra coupons, and the Baker's, and the tin bath!!

All this time, of course, the Air Raids continued unabated. I remember one particular evening when the raid was very fierce and the noise intense.
After one huge explosion when the shelter shook Mam said 'That was close' and it certainly was. So many times we were fortunate in coming out of the shelter alive and, I must admit on a few occasions I was scared. Unless you have been through a raid it is impossible to experience the feelings that sweep over you as the noise deafens, and the ground shakes.

The best cinema in town 'The Regent' after bomb damage

Unexploded bomb on the site of bomb damaged Holy Trinity School.

Elizabeth Aynsley ©

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