Teacher Tales - The Play Leader summer

Not too well today. woke up with really bad head ache but have taken the jollop and walked the dog so feeling better and keen to start this project

I was a real teacher with a real job for about 33 years. By real I mean I was responsible for groups of learners - trying to explain things, setting and marking homeworks, writing reports etc. trying to inspire! I m not trying to imply that I was any good - that is for others to judge.

In the summer of 1971 I worked as a play leader on the Overdale Estate in Telford - if you know the area you will know it was not going to be easy.
I had a little hut and a large supply of paper, paint and sports equipment.

On the first day the kiddies all appeared and I decided we would all Paint. There was one little lad aged about five. will call him 'A'. 'A' wore an oversized school blazer that must have been handed down by an older brother or sister. He also wore a pair of very large wellies that flapped about if he walked or ran.

Anyway they were all painting happily or so I thought. Two littlegirls came across and said "come and see what 'A' is doing". He had a paint brush, a pot of red paint and a frown of deep concentration. He had found a clear area on the hut wall and was carefully creating a little sign with the phrase 'fuk of''. This had not come up in our training sessions so I did not know whether to chastise him or correct his spelling. I explained that this was not proper painting and he should be painting something nice on paper like the others. He took offence and walked out.
He did not get far. He somehow got onto the roof of the hut and positioned himself above the door from which vantage point he spat on everyone who came in or out. Some girls complained so I retrieved him from the roof and told him that he must not spit.

He then drew himelf up to his full height, lbeit limited, Fastened his blazer and said "I shall never come here again". He then walked off in as dignified a manner as his flapping wellies would allow. . he was a classic picture of righteous indignation.


After af few days I was closing up one eveningwhen I was approached by a large aggressive young lady. If you have seen a Les dawson sketch when he dresses as a woman then you can picture this young lady. She had a short denim skirt partly covering robust legs. She had removed removed the sleeves of her leather jacket to rxpose tattood arms. She said " I hear that you have been saying that you fancy me." I explained that this could not be true as I had never met her before - she agreed that this was true - furthermore I did not know her name so could not say things about her. She said "well you better not". I assured her that I would not and asked her who had told her such tales. She turned to her slightly smaller friend, gave her an almighty thump on the arm and said "It was you what told me". Her friend denied this but blamed a third party. I was required to promisethat I would not talk about them after they had gone. I did so and they headed away with the samller one in orbit about the offended one.