TEACHER ‘Granny’ Slaughter was determined that children at Wolvercote School should speak properly.

But she finally abandoned her efforts in despair.

One day, she announced to her pupils: “I intend to teach you the King’s English, not the appalling Wolvercote version you insist on speaking.”

Michael Stockford, in his new book on life in the village, writes: “One by one, we had to stand up and repeat chosen sentences.

“It was hilarious – the more she tried to improve our speech, the more we spoke badly.

“’Isn’t it’ became ‘en it’, ‘doesn’t it’ was ‘dun it’, ‘won’t it’ was ‘wun it’ and for ‘hello’, we always said ‘wotcha’.

“Granny told them: ‘Your misuse of the English language drives me to total despair.’ She knew when she ‘wus’ beat.”

Mr Stockford recalls how, at the start of the Second World War, pupils were issued with gas masks, given air raid shelter drill and told what to do if the air raid siren sounded.

Like many villages, Wolvercote took its fair share of evacuees from London and they had to be accommodated in the school as well as in homes.

“You can imagine the upheaval, not only to families that took them in but to the school. The first few weeks were chaotic – extra desks were brought in and teachers brought out of retirement.”

Due to lack of staff and space and the influx of evacuees, pupils spent only half a day in the classroom, but hopes of a morning or afternoon free quickly evaporated.

When they weren’t having lessons, they were put to work on the allotments as part of the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign.

Mr Stockford also tells of a visit to a dentist, who liked more than the odd tot of whisky.

He recalls: “He pulled a tooth out. It hurt like hell. Holding it in his forceps, he said: ‘Sorry, kid, I’ve got the wrong one. Let’s have another go.”

He succeeded in picking the right tooth to extract at the third attempt!

* Them and Us, Memories of Upper and Lower Wolvercote, 1900-1980 has 224 pages and 364 pictures (two of which are reproduced here) and is priced at £12.50. Buy copies from The Postbox at Lower Wolvercote or from Michael Stockford by telephoning 01865 552425 or calling at or writing to 3 Bishop Kirk Place, Woodstock Road, Oxford. All profits will go to St Peter’s Church, Wolvercote.