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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