by Anne MacFarlane
The earliest memories I have of my childhood in Prestonpans begin
from the age of five years old. I was the youngest of three daughters,
and I had a younger brother; it was with my brother and our various
pals that I shared many adventures. My family resided at twenty
five Rope Walk; indeed my mother always related to me the tale of
my birth in the front bedroom of the said address. I attended Prestonpans
Primary School, which consisted of various buildings which were
named the grey school, the red school, and the huts; these buildings
were set apart from the main building, gym hall and dining hall.
The headmaster was Mr Douglas Allan, who is now a local councillor,
and just the mention of Mr Allan's name was enough to set the majority
of pupils quaking in their shoes. I was lucky enough never to be
summoned to his office, but any of my schoolmates who had used to
tell the most dreadful tales of how he would make his victims stand
with both hands straight out in front of them one on top of the
other, while he would produce his Strap. Now of course this strap
was the thickest leather strap imaginable and it had six thongs
at the end to inflict more pain to the naughtiest of children. Indeed
the rumours were that Mr Allan had a drawer in his desk filled with
assorted straps of various thicknesses and he would use whichever
strap he considered to fit the punishment of the crime committed.
This of course was nonsense, or was it? I was only ever in Mr Allan's
office as the result of an errand by a teacher, and I used to dread
ever being asked to go, as to me it was a frightening place — it
had dark polished wood furniture, and I will never forget the beady
stare of the stuffed owl in a glass dome, which was perched on top
of a glass fronted bookcase. This wretched bird seemed to look and
search your very soul as you stood waiting for Mr Allan's permission
to return to your classroom.
On our way to school, we went along through the Double Dykes which
formed a lane through the Pennypit Park, which was at that time
a wilderness of brambles, weeds and long grass. We were often late
for school, being waylaid by trying to catch butterflies or snails
which could be
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