Of course when we got there we had to sit in total silence watching the (what seemed then) huge TV set which the teacher wheeled into the room. Then the problems usually started! We'd get there about five minutes before the programme was about to start, because it usually took that long for the teacher to switch the TV on, and then adjust the aerial so that we could actually watch the programme. I remember there was usually lots of "interference" when the screen would go all blurry and the sound would be awful!
Sometimes, I remember one particularly elderly teacher who couldn't get to grips with this "modern wireless thing", the whole rigmarole involved someone from the class having to go and find the janitor because he was the only one who could actually get the TV to work. If we were lucky, we caught the last five minutes of the programme before being marched back to class with Miss in a very bad mood and 20 hard sums to finish before playtime! Oh happy days!
The advent of video recorders helped, although sometimes it was a bit of a hit or miss, depending on whether the "janny" or whoever was in charge of this task, actually had the TV on the correct channel while recording! How the class loved those occasions!
These brochures from the 70s brought back a few memories. There was Watch, the BBC version of Schools TV and Seeing and Doing produced by ITV. The teachers' guides were good, with lots of follow-up material and books to read to class.
I'll leave you with this - "I Love Sixpence" - remember that song? Bet it will stay in your head for the rest of the day now! (I remember it as I've Got Sixpence - Dad used to sing it to us when we got our sixpence pocket money.)
Love, Liz
Many thanks to everyone who joined in with my last post "Where in the world" - it was fascinating to find out just where lots of you come from. xxxxx
7 comments:
Hello from NYC, Liz.
It was interesting to read this post and remember that I was seven years old before I ever saw television (black and white, of course) for the first time.
No organized television program watching for us in our school days. I do recall, however, that when still in what we call Elementary School, on rainy/snowy days when we could not go outdoors for our recess playing, we'd all be trooped into the auditorium to watch old black and white educational movies. Perhaps they were our generation's version of the programs you describe.
xo
Oh, I remember those TV 'outings' to the school hall well! M x
Singing Together was the junior school favourite . Then when we got up to big school at the end of summer term as a treat we had a big movie , usually something Shakespearean with Lawrence Olivier , how times have changed
I remember well, except mine was our teacher teaching us French... Mr. Nye. Lol I remember the little french cartoon guy speaking French and us repeating the words. Happy spring my dear with love Janice
Ah Liz, I loved this! I was in Primary school from 1985-1992 but I LOVED watching the Look and Read programmes like Geordie Racer, Badger Girl and Dark Towers!!!
I loved it when we got to watch telly at school. Look & Read was always my favourite, with that little half body thing Wordy. Can still remember the Magic E song, which looking at it now I've typed it , seems all kinds of wrong!
Good times :O)
The TV was always on a tall stand and you had to really crick your neck to watch from a cross legged sitting position.. but fun times when you were young.
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