The Paston School Playing Field was just off the Norwich Road,
next to North Walsham’s Main railway station. It was accessed through
a wooden gate, under a wooden arch which displayed the school crest
and name. More or less in the centre of the school field was a thatched
pavilion, used as the changing room, and next to that was the open-air
swimming pool – albeit unheated! It seems the boys were ‘permitted’
use of the swimming pool for the first time following the School Sports
Day of June 1954, but perhaps the water was a bit warmer then!

“On one occasion, I forgot to take my swimming trunks – mind you it
was early in the year – it cut no ice with ‘Maggie’ Magdaleno and I
was ordered to strip off and jump in to the freezing water! It took my
breath away and did nothing to cure my fear of water.”

We played football on the School Field, as well as hockey and cricket
in summer. It was also a large open area for us to practise our skills at
throwing the javelin or hurling the discus. Once a year, in June, the
School Sports Day would be held on the field. An area was marked out
for the various track events: the mile, 440 & 220 yards, 100 yard sprint
and there would also be hurdles and relay races as well as the javelin
and discus.

“I was never any good at distance running, as I always set off too fast
and soon ran out of puff, but when it came to sprinting I wasn’t too
bad so the 100 yards and relay were right up my street until, on one
occasion, I tripped and nearly broke my neck!”

Adjacent to one edge of the field on an embankment was the Cromer
railway line and an siding in which was stabled the four carriages of the
School Train.

“When we had games for an afternoon session if we were let off early,
forgoing the dubious luxury of hot and cold showers, those of us who
lived in Cromer or Sheringham would race up to the station and catch
an earlier train, which we called ‘The Plum’, due to its red and cream
liveried carriages.

Unfortunately, today the School Field is a shadow of its former self,
having been divided off and a swimming pool and leisure centre built
on its hallowed turf, but at least some attempt has been made to provide
a visual link with the past as the centre seems to be called The Victory!
Not so for us Old Pastonians however, as, remembering the chorus to
the School Song:

“This was the Paston School,
This is the Paston School,
And we shall see that this shall be
For ever the Paston School.”

Nothing is forever, it seems!

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