Memories of Juniper Green
I remember... my schooldays
I remember too our schools- we had the 'wee school' and the 'big school'. The 'wee' one was half way up Baberton Avenue and had two rooms, one for the 5-6 year olds and the other for the 6-7 year olds. Here we learned to read and write - writing with a slate pencil on a slate.
The 'big school' - opposite the tennis courts - was officially Juniper Green Higher Grade School. After the 'Qualifying Exam' (which today would be the 11+) we went into the Higher Grade, H.G.1 II and III. Here we learned everything to make us useful citizens and prepare us for work and housekeeping as well. Pupils came from Currie, Balerno and Wester Hailes - walking all the way in all weathers (latterly a few had bicycles). The girls wore gym tunics and the boys short trousers (even in H.G.III) and our school badge was navy blue and red with the JGHGS interwoven.
We always started with prayer in the morning. The Lord's Prayer and a hymn (which we had to learn by heart) as well as passages from the Bible such as The Beatitudes. Also, we had a Penny Catechism which started "Who is God?" God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable and in the Lord's Prayer we said "Our Father which art in heaven". Now we must say "who" or just "Our Father in Heaven".
Subjects were English, French and Latin, History, Geography, Geometry, Algebra and Science, Cookery, Dressmaking, and Art. We had a science laboratory (which was my favourite domain) and in the Cooking Room we learned laundry and ironing, including 'goffering' the edges of frilled pillowcases. In Cookery we made the lot - porridge, soups (good Scottish broth), scones, pancakes, sponges and doughnuts with a hole in the middle!
We learned to play tennis and of course had a hockey team. We were also shown how to dance
(waltz and foxtrot) and the boys were taught how to approach the girls politely to ask,
May I have the pleasure of this dance, please?
We had gym as well.
Wall bars that we climbed and hung from, and ropes we had to climb.
I enjoyed this, but don't know why girls had to learn to climb ropes!
Now, the 'big school' has expanded with more buildings. Currie, Balerno and Wester Hailes have their own High Schools, complete with swimming pools and many more great advantages.