I went to Varna Street from 1962 to 1969. We started in the infants' block, the single storey building at the front, in the nursery room which was at the railway end of the hall. There was a line of coat hooks and each child had a picture next to their hook. Mine was a dust pan and I don't think I've used one to this day. We had to have a sleep in the afternoon and one of the teachers would wander round the beds making sure your eyes were closed.
From there you moved up the classrooms which were just off the hall. Mrs Beebe (who is ninety-odd years old and still going - I met her at St Clement's Church three Christmases ago) was one teacher. There was Miss Hopley (who married Mr Arnold, the Headmaster), Mrs Shelmerdine and Mrs Montague, the wife of Mr Montague who taught in the juniors.
Moving into the juniors was great - up into the massive building at the rear of the school. The seniors were still there on the top floor and they all moved to Wright Robinson in 1967, leaving the whole building to us...not that we went to the top floor, other than for the library or woodwork lessons with balsa wood.
Teachers I remember were Miss Hall, Mr Kinch, Mrs Howcroft, Mr Montague and Mr Booker. We had him in third and fourth year.
Games took place on Peter Pan Park, swimming at Whitworth Baths, now demolished. Sports Day was in Debdale Park followed by the presentation back in school where the array of prizes seemed to completely fill the stage.
We had something like 44 kids in our class which would be unheard of today.
I have lots of memories and, if this topic grows, I will be encouraged to write some more of them down.