Before there was the internet, before decimalisation and before the motorways there was Ted. Edward Barham (affectionately known as “Ted”) was born in Wymondham in 1932, and is a living window into a world long gone by.

Ted started school at Browick Primary when he was seven. He would have begun his education earlier, but he was knocked down by a motor car at the tender age of five. His first teacher was Miss Peggy Yaxley. She was often addressed by other women on the streets of Wymondham by her Christian name. Ted was in big trouble when he followed suit and he quickly learned that it had to be “Miss Yaxley” from then on.

Ted soon picked up the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, and aged ten continued his education at Norwich Road Secondary School, where he also studied art, science, and P.T. (physical training). He can remember the football games where pupils wrapped coloured scarves around their arms so that everyone knew which teams they were on.

Playtime was as important then as it is today and Ted can name all his best mates such as Bob Stubbs, Brian Page, and Arthur Philby. The big difference back then was that you often had to make your own toys, and Ted recalls tying together fir cones on a string. And if you were unlucky and playtime was cancelled by the rain, then you had to tidy up the cloakroom!

Furthermore, Ted hasn’t forgotten the teachers who instructed him in practical subjects like Mr. Baker who showed him how to repair items. However, his most important lessons were in gardening “in lots of different places”, which he applied when he left school aged 14 to become a farm worker.

Ted’s schooldays overlapped with the Second World War; he’ll tell you about that next time…