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Marjorie lives in Dresden in Stoke-on-Trent. She enjoys photography, holidays, reading, music and keep fit.

I told the story about Jane posting the letter to hear the weather, because it was one of the amusing events which happened to me while I was teaching. I thought that others would enjoy hearing it.

Inside Lives was interesting and informative. It was learning how to edit - it was not a frightening as I expected!

Transcript:

My first job in 1953 was as a primary school teacher at Penkhull Infant School.

One September I had a new class of 6 year olds. I was hearing a little girl read. Her name was Jane. She was having difficulty with her reading, and I was giving her extra tuition - A for apple, B for bat, C for cat...and so on.

Jane was a nervous shy child, but she was trying very hard and I was giving her lots of encouragement. After a while she started to fidget and I could tell she was losing concentration. "Do you want to go to the toilet, Jane?" I asked. "No, Miss" she said and then "whoosh!" suddenly there was a puddle on the floor.

She started to howl. All the class looked to see what had happened and then 46 children started to giggle. In best schoolmarm fashion I said "It's no laughing matter, continue with your work".

I sent for the headmistress who took Jane away from the classroom and gave her some dry knickers (we always had spares!).

I wrote a letter to Jane's mother, explaining in great detail everything that had happened.

I put it in an envelope. It said 'City of Stoke on Trent Education Committee' across the top - it was the standard envelope for sending letters to parents.

I wrote Jane's mother's name under this heading, gave the envelope to Jane, and told her to take it home and give it to her mother.

But she didn't. She put it in the post box instead!

2 days later the headmistress came into my classroom with a smile on her face and my letter in her hand. It had been sent back to the school after having been received - and read - by the Chief Education Officer!