I remember this day (6th February) 60 years ago. My friends and I were standing close to the railings at the front of the school prior to going into the canteen. A man on a bike rode down the canal bridge towards us and, when he came close to us, he shouted, "The King has died."
I could tell from his demeanour that he was serious. He was a little distressed. He must have been in his 30s or 40s and may well have fought for King and country during the war. There was no doubt in my mind that the news was true, and so a little later in the canteen I told some other children. One of these told an adult, not a teacher, as far as I can remember, but probably a lunchtime supervisor.
I was taken aback by the woman's reaction. She berated me, saying, "What a dreadful thing to say."
"But it's true," I replied.
"You can't possibly know that," she insisted.
I explained the circumstances, but she would not believe me. She again scolded me, leaving me feeling very resentful.
Later that day she would have learned that what I had said was true, but I do not recall her ever apologizing to me. I was 10 years old and this incident changed my attitude to adults and it has stuck in my mind ever since.
- Posted 6 February 2012.
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