MOVEMENT
In 1905 the Board of Education emphasised the value of Physical Training
as an integral part of education. It was apparent that Lydney Secondary
School with Mr. Dixon leading the way, had already realised this. Hockey
was played by the girls and mistresses dressed in elegant long skirts
and boots. From all accounts this did not dampen their enthusiasm for
wielding hockey sticks, even though some of their sticks may have been
clumsy walking sticks. It is interesting to note that a girls' hockey
team existed in 1905, about thirty years after the game was introduced
into England, and ten years after the formation of the All England
Women's Hockey Association.
This was the beginning for the many activities that were added later. Perhaps
gymnastics for girls changed most of all. Beginning in the early days, alongside
hockey, it consisted of drill - straight lines, working in unison to the teacher's
commands, with emphasis on deportment. When the gymnasium was build, apparatus
was used very formally; straight lines behind the horse or bar, everyone doing
leapfrog, long fly, or waterfall, an experience which brought about a mixture
of fear and humiliation to those not built in the right mould. Today in Modern
Educational Gymnastics, to give it its full title, a task or theme is given
for each lesson and the girls interpret this with a movement answer, according
to their own mould - a much more pleasurable and rewarding experience, I think.
Returning to hockey, which was my own particular love (with cricket a close
second), it appears from the records, which are sparse that the standard has
always been high and many of our girls have achieved County honours at school.
Matches were played against other school (for example, Pates, Denmark Road
and Ribston Hall), and women's teams in the twenties and thirties. Many
of the schools still hold a prominent place in our fixture list today, although
some have lost their identity in the changing pattern of education.
My own particular memories of hockey in the late forties are rather hazy - when
I was"a spritely little right wing", hard to imagine now! - I remember
playing for the 2nd X1, when in the 4th form, and passing across the pitch to
left wing Gill Wallington, who soon after leaving school became a Welsh International
1951-53. I remember when Aline Hatter played left back for Wales remaining in
the team until 1957. I remember 1953/54 the speed of Letheren's Coaches
- still going strong - the firm, not the coaches! trudging along across ploughed
fields to reach East Dean's pitches; freezing to death at Bell's,
Coleford; the Dursley Donkey on the day trip to Dorsey - and the tremendous matches
against Ribston Hall and Denmark Road, then very strong hockey schools.
Hockey over the last decade has had mixed fortunes, the 1966-67 season being
the most successful, when both 1st and 2nd X1s were unbeaten in school matches;
the 1st X1 nearly always managing to win their section, but not the quarter or
semi-finals at the County Schools 1st X1 Tournaments. These Tournaments have
become so popular, that we now have one in the North, and one in the South. For
this, our last season, it was the turn of the under 15 X1 to bring us success.
They won all their matches, and the County Schools under 15 X1 Tournament (South
Section), crowning the performances of previous seasons, when teams have reached
the semi-final, and final rounds.
Although hockey has played an important role throughout the school's life,
it must not be forgotten that netball, which was certainly played in the twenties,
if not before, has continued to be played with enthusiasm, though perhaps with
not as much success. Until 1965, when the hard courts were laid, the game was
played on grass courts - less painful to fall on, but not conducive to good footwork,
especially when muddy!
And so to summer activities, tennis on grass courts that had to be rolled - that
awful roller duty during the lunch-hour for those staying in school, and ball-boys,
essential for matches as there was no stop-netting! In spite of problems, the
game continued to be played, having been introduced in the twenties. Life is
much less difficult now with hard courts: all girls have the opportunity to become
average tennis players at least!
Rounders never ceases to lose its popularity and has been going strong since
the twenties. Cricket was introduced in 1948 but had a short life - the innings
being declared closed in 1953.
When the Bathurst Swimming Pool was opened in 1920 swimming was added to the
programme, with the school swimming sports becoming an annual fixture. There
were events such as the Greasy Pole Pillow fight, balloon races, and diving for
plates, together with a water-polo match (for the boys) and Life-saving displays.
Much attention was obviously paid to the latter, as many pupils were awarded
the Royal Life Saving Society's Bronze Medallions and intermediate certificates.
Long distance swimming was also encouraged in the thirties.
Swimming today has lost some of its fascination, except on hot days. The pool
has also lost its diving boards - the green algae that adorned your head after
you had submerged, and the various creatures brought in from the Park Brook -
the pool's water supply before mains water was introduced. None of these
concomitants seemed to deter us from learning to swim, and we are still alive!
Athletics, too, started its life early. Certainly in the twenties and thirties
there is evidence of the Annual Athletic Sports, with a varied programme - dribbling
and driving hockey balls, egg and spoon, potato sack and three-legged races.
The latter survived until 1953, but the others were abandoned when athletics
became pure in 1948! In the early fifties more interest seemed to be shown in
athletics, and many girls represented the Forest of Dean at the County Championships,
and also the County, at the All England Schools Championships.
Today the lower school's physical education programme follows a similar
pattern, whilst our sixth form girls are given a choice of activity, and have
diversified a little from traditional games. Maybe Creative Dance should have
occupied a more important role, but with limited facilities much that is desirable
has not been possible. I hope that the future will redress the balance, and provide
the girls with movement experience which will be relevant to out changing society.
Margaret L. Davis.
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