The Real James Herriot Read Online Free PDF Page B

Primary School. It was a good school and the teachers were well qualified, putting great emphasis on learning the three ‘Rs’. The headmaster was a man called Mr Malcolm – ‘Beery’ Malcolm to the children as he had a florid face that looked as though it was partial to a pint of beer. He was a Master of Arts and a fine headmaster but young Alf’s favourite teacher was Mr Paterson who taught History.
    Alf loved History and all through his adult years he enjoyed reading books on historical subjects, saying they gave him a stab of excitement to know that he was reading about events that actually happened. Mr Paterson was the man who stimulated this interest through his sparkling and enthusiastic teaching methods. When describing battles, he charged up and down the rows of children, waving a huge cane and spearing his imaginary foes: Robert the Bruce cutting the English to pieces at the Battle of Bannockburn was brought vividly to life, and the laughing children loved every minute of it. Little did the young lad realise that one day many years later he, too, would bring the past alive with his account of the veterinary profession as it used to be. He was to be every bit as graphic with the pen as had been his animated teacher with his cane, leaping around the classroom all those years ago in Yoker.
    Alf excelled at English but Arithmetic was a subject he could never fathom and he would stare vacantly at his classmate, Willie Crawford, who could come up with the answer to a problem within seconds. Fortunately, it was not a subject that was essential to his further education, and was one that would forever remain a deep, insoluble mystery.
    Yoker School gave Alf Wight an excellent start to his education and he took away many happy memories after leaving. The greatest legacy bestowed upon Alf by his first school, however, was the meeting thereof a boy who was to become his lifelong friend. Alex Taylor lived a short distance away in Kelso Street and the two boys struck up a friendship that was to last more than seventy years. Alf would have many good friendships in the course of his life, but none would stand the test of time more steadfastly than that with Alex Taylor.
    One amazing character remained forever engraved on Alf’s memories of his days at Yoker School – a redoubtable individual by the name of ‘Pimple’ Wilson. This boy made a name for himself by declaring his intention to leap out of a second-storey tenement window with the sole assistance of an old umbrella. This caused immense excitement among the children and the forthcoming event was awaited with eager anticipation. The great day came, with large crowds of children, Alf and Alex among them, gathering to watch the spectacle. They were not to be disappointed. After a period of tense expectation, the hero of the hour appeared on the window ledge, his ‘parachute’ in hand, ready for action. There were a few taut moments as the boy fidgeted around on the window ledge, then suddenly, to the sound of gasps from his young audience, he sprang out of the high window, umbrella held aloft. For about one second, all went well, but his plans were to go badly wrong. The old umbrella suddenly turned inside out and, accompanied by the screaming boy, zoomed to the ground. ‘Pimple’ was taken to hospital and was soon on the mend. It had been a short but dramatic show, and was to remain Alf’s most vivid memory of his days at Yoker School.
    It was, of course, long before the days of television, and Alf, Alex and the other children made their own amusements. Games played outside in the playground, going by such sophisticated names as ‘moshie’, ‘spin the pirie’ and ‘cuddie hunch’, required no expensive equipment. When not at school, they spent hours kicking a football about, while ‘Wee Alfie Wight’ often hurtled around the streets on his fairy cycle – the possession of which made him the envy of his classmates. They were happy and carefree days.