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Remember going here from 1949-1951 and then to Frogwell. Moved to Box in 1952/3 before returning to Chippenham Grammar in 1955 - 1960. Have picture of myself in the school orchestra playing the triangle - never progressed from that. Remember children crying on my first day there - sitting on mats and learning by saying together - c a t is cat etc. Remember Miss Frost giving me the ruler across the back of my legs for talking in morning assembly. Seem to recollect having school trips to the panto in Bath?

First year: Mrs. Wakefield (I have an inkling that the rocking horse was her personal property but, in any event, in my first year it was in her classroom); Mrs. Wakefield taught me to read, for which I remain grateful; a very kind, welcoming teacher of those of us who had no experience of any form of nursery school or other pre-school socialisation, other than, in my case, chapel (and not, as I recall, a chapel with other children with whom I had interacted unless they were some 10 years older); Second and third years: Miss Elliot(/t ?), a kind, young and beautiful teacher who I loved (was it her aunt who worked in Finlays' tobacconists in the High Street? I think so); Fourth year: Mrs Carvey, who, on balance, I describe (admiringly and respectfully) as "business-like" as she strived to prepare us for Ivy Lane, where, in our days, the former pupils of two (arguably three) schools would coalesce, namely St Paul's (and its annex) and Lowden. As Miss Frost, Mrs Carvey had taught my brother and (I suggest, consequentially) initially she loathed me and initially she demonstrated this (it is fair to record that I was just about shocked by her initial behaviour, although throughout my life I have been quite robust in face of such adversity and I am not suggesting that her initial behaviour had any lasting effect beyond that it remains in my retentive memory). She had lived quite close to our family home (a few doors away). Only a few weeks into the school year, Mrs Carvey changed her mind about me and I say the school year was a good one for me. The only school report from Lowden School I have was written by Mrs Carvey and was fair, possibly generous, and upon arrival at Ivy Lane, I was put into the top set ("Avebury" it was labelled). There were two (female) head teachers during my four years at Lowden School. They were both fine. There was a temporary one during what I shall describe as the interregnum. In my opinion, the temporary one was not fit to be a head teacher either permanently or temporarily, and particularly not of an infants school. Incidentally, I am surprised to be writing this because it should be easy to check, but, I am far from convinced that the listing of head teachers on the community history site is accurate, at least in terms of the years as head teachers of those named during my four years. Mrs Rintoul was the head teacher who signed my school report dated July 1965. It occurs to me that I do not recall any teacher or other authority figure being in the playground during breaks at Lowden (I went home for lunch so my memory does not signify for the longest, lunch, break). Overall, I loved my time at the school. Looking back, I believe I was in a year with many bright, high-achieving, pupils but I was very happy with all of the children I knew, irrespective of relative scholastic abilities (noting that I do not believe that I would have bothered that anyone had different abilities, whether greater or lesser). In my class, we missed fully (no school at all, notwithstanding what other reports may suggest) 12 or 13 weeks of schooling in the "Big Freeze" of early 1963 (the snow started falling, and heavily, in the evening of Boxing Day 1962 when my family was held up in Lacock village while we were trying to get home). The outside toilets were far from satisfactory, but I suggest that these could have been made satisfactory if Wiltshire authorities had not had just about the lowest per pupil spending in England on education and had cared to do so. I remember very few books being available. I remember that there were old primary school books around like "Lobb", from prior to "Janet and John" (which was probably a mainstay). My school reports record that in Mrs Carvey's class in the year she taught us, there were 43 pupils (the same number 43 as in the class in my final year at Ivy Lane, too). Officially, St Peters Infant School may have been the successor to Lowden CofE Aided School. However, I suggest that, practically, it would be more a reflection of reality to think of Redlands as the successor.

I was at the school from 1960-64. This was along with a Stonham boy, presumably Alan, although I would have guessed his name was Paul if asked(!), sorry Alan, and I believe along with Pauline Webb too, although remembering names after sixty years is unreliable. I was very happy at the school (noting below the two temporary blips in this). I was in the admirable Mrs Wakefield's class initially (and learned to read). Mrs W was known to have taught some parents and grandparents of children she taught! The rocking-horse was in Mrs W's room at the time. Then I was in Miss Elliot's class for two years (an adorable young woman). Finally, I was in Mrs Carvey's class (nee Miss Frost) who was business-like as she sought to ensure we were ready for Ivy Lane. I had problems caused by Mrs Carvey's behaviour towards me personally for a few weeks at the start of the school year, for which I happily forgive her (and wholly understand why, even though it was based upon her misconception about something material) but, once she got to know me, Mrs C was lovely to me and we got along famously. I have the end of school report from 1964. The class size was 44 pupils in Mrs Carvey's class. There was streaming, at least within Mrs Carvey's class, with what amounted to about 5 lines from the front of room to the back, the fastest stream of desks on the Frogwell direction end of the class room, parallel to the Woodlands road. The comments on the site refer to a Mrs Rintoul as head., from perhaps 1961 until 1966. Arguably inconsistently, but certainly in my memory, I remember a temporary head for about one term, the only person I encountered at Lowden School for whom I am sorry to record that I retained a residual dislike. My strong impression was that the pupils at the closing school did not generally move to the new St Peter's School, as suggested, but to Redlands School. I was not at the school at its closure, so this is less reliable than most of my comments. I stayed in state education in Chippenham until I had done my O-levels. At eighteen I went to Oxford University, and I stayed on for a doctorate, then went to Yale University as a post-doc., for a couple of years before becoming a changing from science research to law. I have been a barrister working out of London chambers for over thirty-five years. Lowden School played its role in my education and developing my character. I give every credit I am able to my three teachers.