HOW I wish I could have been at the recent Llanion School reunion where those who had been in my Infants Department in 1954 are now pensioners. Mrs McBain was headmistress and I was saving to come to Canada.

A dozen schools and a long teaching career later, Llanion remains my favourite; its pupils the most memorable.

If I have one satisfying claim to fame it is that I taught three and four-yearolds to read, stubby fingers stabbing letters and watching the dawn of enlightenment on little faces as they spelled out words phonetically.

How could I forget Kevin, a soldier’s son who, eyes brimming with tears, whispered, “Miss, I done biggies in me pants”? A good preparation for future motherhood I reflected as I cleaned him up in a bucket of warm, sudsy water.

Mrs McBain agreed that I should take him home but how to cover his confusion en route? Policeman Roberts could scarcely contain his amusement as Kevin and I set out for the barracks hand in hand, the four year old wearing a nappy fashioned from the Union Jack.

I send my fondest regards to anyone who might remember Miss Yates who grew up in Pembroke and attended “The Grammar”. You can take the girl out of Pembrokeshire but you can’t take Pembrokeshire out of the girl, even at 87.

Cymru am byth!

JO MCINTOSH

Canada