Maypole ribbons at Kingsland Road

I started school in 1955 but I don’t remember much about May 1956 except making hats out of cheese boxes & tissue paper then having our pictures taken with the May Queen. However we did country dancing in lesson time & I loved it. By the time we were in the top infants we must have been dancing at lunch times as well. I know I felt lucky to be in the country dance team & I loved to dance. I think we only danced during school time but perhaps others might remember if we danced for the public. It was the time we could wear our prettiest dresses & home made hats. We had the May pole up in the hall. There was a hole in the middle of the floor for it to lock into. You had to be careful not to tangle the ribbons. In other words you mustn’t overtake the person in front of you & weave in & out at the right time.!! I think children also had to sit at the bottom of the pole to give it extra support. It was quite a spectacle to watch. I left Kingsland Road School at Easter 1960 as my parents moved. … After leaving school I went on to be a teacher myself & introduced country dancing to many of them but unfortunately not maypole dancing although I have some instructions somewhere.