THERESA Prickett was surprised to read Jim Cooper’s memories of life at Shipton-under-Wychwood village school.

The previous day, she had been taken on a nostalgic tour of Oxfordshire by her grandson, Adam, as a belated Christmas present.

And the tour had included a visit to Shipton School, which she attended from 1925 to 1930.

Mr Hudson, who now lives in County Durham, described (Memory Lane, April 15) how he would walk to and from school alone from the age of five, ferry meals and milk into the school, play on stacked chairs in the playground and attend the school’s annual harvest festival.

On one occasion, he was chosen for one of the greatest honours – to ring the school bell.

During her recent tour of old haunts, Mrs Prickett, of Elsfield Road, Old Marston, and her grandson stopped outside her former school at Shipton, which has now been converted into two homes.

She tells me: “The owner of one of the houses was gardening and said: ‘Can I help you?’ I explained I went to the school and he invited us in to look around.

“He asked if I remembered the original fireplace. I didn’t, however I did recognise the frontage.”

Mrs Prickett was a pupil there while her father, Pc William (Bill) Brain was the village policeman. She remembers little of her school days, but has a collection of pictures of school and village activities, three of which are published here.