Former Wallacestone Primary pupil reflects on her time at the school when it opened in 1964

In 1964 Janine Alison Flamank was eight when her parents moved from the Wirral in Cheshire to Greenvale Drive in Brightons and she was enrolled at the newly-opened village school.

She was to spend three years at the school, run then by John Patterson, and has many fond memories of those she met, both staff and pupils.

Now Janine Turner, she recalled: “I think that it was an outstanding school. At Wallacestone, I was taught italic handwriting; I learnt much about Scottish history and geography; and I recall knitting classes with Mrs Patterson in the modern, airy hall.

"I had Mrs Robertshaw as my form mistress one year, Miss Smith in the following year. One other English girl, Fiona Timothy, arrived in our class. Fiona and I spent hours, days, months, writing plays and, back in the sixties, our generous and presumably curious form mistresses, allowed us to put on the shows in the classrooms. I do hope now that the audience’s reaction – a forced audience of all of the rest of the class – was as enthusiastic as that of the directors and performers, Fiona and myself.”

Janine still has a class photograph from 1964 and believes she can still name many of her former classmates.

Back row, left to right: Drew, Thomas, ?, Raymond, Alan Patterson, Andrew Thompson, ?, Robert Buchanan; second row from back: ?, Michael, Gordon, ME, Linda, Elizabeth McAlpine, Heather Duncan, Richard Hayhurst, Alex Anderson, Martin; second row from front: Kenneth, Mary Bennie, Lesley, Laura Stevens, Gail Graham, Irene, Shona Baird, Fiona Dover, Carole Christie, Linda Puddock, Linda Baird, James; front row: Drew Puddock, ?,?, ?, William Dick, Alan Patrick.

Janine added: “So many of the faces in this photograph were my friends and my neighbours. I recall many delicious teas, provided by the mums of Gail and Laura. Food was an important part of my life, thus the location of Mr Martin’s sweet shop, quite close to Braemar Gardens, was a must-visit on my return trip to Brightons this summer. Long gone were the liquorice roots and sherbet fountains and Mr Martin himself, however I found the building, locked away behind some shutters.

" My mum always cooked me a lunch over at Greenvale Drive, so I always walked home and always secretly wished that I could stay for Wallacestone dinners. Once, just once, I did and it was a delicious lunch, never to be forgotten.

"I made my career out of teaching languages and most recently, writing books to support the teaching of foreign languages. I have a very strong conviction that my love affair with languages goes back to Wallacestone indirectly. We did not have languages on the curriculum then – indeed there was no National Curriculum then, which must be why Fiona and I were allowed to “take over” lessons occasionally, when the latest play was ready. But here is the thing: at school, I recognised quickly that a Scottish accent was the route to easy integration. Probably subconsciously, I tightened my vowels, rolled my r’s. At school I was Scottish, on the way home to Greenvale Drive, I turned English.

"Once I had moved away from Brightons – my Dad left ISR in Grangemouth in 1967 – I was taught French and the Scottish vowels were invaluable, so much sharper and European than English vowels. I had learnt to turn on accents at the age of eight and thus I quickly did it at 11 all over again.

“The rest is history, as I have flown multiple international flags ever since. And it all seems to have started at Wallacestone.”

Although when she visited in July, the school was closed for the summer, it stirred so many memories of her time there. With the school preparing to celebrate its 60th anniversary, Janine wonders how many of her former classmates remained locally and if they will be returning for the celebrations.