Times Past: "We marched to class to the Z Cars theme tune..." Glasgow's Holmlea Primary pupil's schoolday memories

If you would like to take part in Best Days of Our Lives, write to Ann Fotheringham, Features Desk, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB or email ann.fotheringham@heraldandtimes.co.uk with your schoolday memories, pictures and old class photos.

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MARGARET NICOL

MY SCHOOL: Growing up in Cathcart, I attended Holmlea Primary. We lived only about five minutes from the school gate but still always JUST managed to get there as the teacher was ringing the hand held bell. I remember we marched to our classes to the theme tune of Z Cars, a popular TV programme at the time, which was played on the piano by one of the older pupils - my best friend Carol’s brother Eric, in fact...

FAVOURITE TEACHER: Not sure about favourite teachers, but I do remember Miss McQueen - she was a small, stern, strict lady. She would overlook us pupils from the balcony with her arms crossed over her chest and woe betide any one out of step. Miss Boyd was a gentle, softly spoken teacher on the other hand. I remember she would let us pick out favourite colour of wool for her to teach us how to knit, usually either a scarf or a pair of socks. She let her favourite pupils pick first, so I always got the leftover dark wool rather than the brightly coloured ones. We had to use four small knitting needles for knitting the circle for the socks. (To be honest, I cannot ever remember knitting two socks as it took ages knitting one…)

FAVOURITE SUBJECT: I always enjoyed arts and crafts at school. and still do now. I also learned how to play the recorder in music room which I did enjoy, but I was not very good at. Probably carrying on too much. The school had a netball team (I played centre position). I really enjoyed sports - in fact, our team attended Scotstoun playing fields for events and we won a few medals for our school. I carried on in a netball team in secondary school too. Every year, our school held a sports day in nearby Linn Park and our parents could attend. We showed off because they were watching, so you really tried harder. You could win a pencil or a Mars Bar.

SCHOOL DINNERS, PACKED LUNCH OR HOME? My brothers and I all went to dinner school, as that was our main meal of the day. The dinner tickets were punched every day with a wee machine. We never complained about the dinners, it was just the norm, with either mince and tatties, stew or fish and then sponge and custard.

MY BEST FRIEND AT SCHOOL WAS … Carol Gordon. She would go home every lunchtime and return with a rosy red apple for me from her father’s fruit shop. Carol and I hit it off from the start maybe because we were the same height and a little mischievous too. I remember her mum died when we were still at primary school and that was a very sad time for her. Seeing her so sad made me feel sad too and I have always remembered that. I am still in touch with her, she lives outside Glasgow now, and we send each other Christmas cards with the occasional note inside.

IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT MY SCHOOLDAYS … I would take my schoolwork a little more seriously (and maybe I would have been allowed to pick the brightly coloured wool rather than just the dark stuff...)