"A child of Flora"

A review of Flora Stevenson Primary School by Anonymous written on Monday 31st of March 2008

I am a child of Edinburgh - more particularly of Stockbridge (Stockaree!)- where I was born, and for no reason I can make any sense of, other than a rare glass of whisky and a bout of nostalgia, my thoughts tonight turned to my first school, Flora Stevensons. So I just typed in the word the way my daughter's daughter's daughter showed me ("It's called the internet grampy") and lo and behold, Flora Stevenson came up.

I'm not particularly looking to make internet friends or whatever, but this is the most honest way I can say it. Now in my 50s, I still have the fondest memories of Flora's (not all rose-coloured by any means). And I still remember the names of some of the other kids in my class. (We're talking age 5 to 11 - in other words the 1950s- 60s) when, like a lot of Stockbridge slum dwellers, we were decamped out to Clermiston (long before Stockaree was redesignated as fringe of the New Town!). It's strange, I remember more about my primary classmates than my secondary ones. I can even picture them in my head right now.

There were two girls in the front row. Strange thing was they were the TALLEST and the SMALLEST girls in the class - and they were the best friends. Small one was called Christine, the tall one I can't remember - but I see them both like it was yesterday.

I remeber that the two cleverest pupils were Catherine Falconer and Glenys Gibson. Never separated by more than a few points, but catherine was always first and Glenys was always second. Surprisingly perhaps, they were also the best of friends.

Other names I remember - Reggie White. He was my best pal for a while. Apart from that, clear names without faces and faces without names.

Strange, strange, strange that I remember more about my primary than my secondary education. My first teacher (who by all accounts was loved by the pupils almost more than their own mums) was a Miss Mickie. I can't remember her face - but I reckon that if I remember her name after 50 years - it's with good reason. Thank you Miss Michie. Thank you Flora's. (I've told my kids about you both). .

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