As a family we all went to the Village School up on a hill overlooking Arinagour Bay. What a lovely view we all got - seeing the other islands in the distance. Lessons started at ten o'clock and finished at four o'clock. Playtime was from 11.30, dinner from one o'clock till two, when we all went home, apart from those children who lived five or six miles away. They had always a mug of cocoa and their own sandwich and were really hungry when they got home.

We had very happy times at school. Lessons began each morning with the Lord's Prayer and then a chapter from the Bible was read and each one had to read a verse. We played games at playtime such as 'King, King Come Along', 'I Spy' and 'Hide and Seek'. In summer the girls played marbles and Chucks, skipping etc and the boys played football. Each Friday afternoon from three o'clock to four we had a visit from a Sewing Mistress who taught us how to make aprons, slips and pillow-cases. The boys were helping the Head Master to tidy up around the School premises outside while we were at our sewing.

The School had only one long class-room with scrubbed wooden floors. My brother and I had the cleaning of the School. Two coal fires burning, sweeping and dusting the seats and tables etc and once a month the school floor had to be scrubbed. Mum came up on a Saturday and scrubbed the big wooden floor and we helped to carry in the water from a barrel at the back door of the school. On Monday morning the floor looked spotlessly bright and clean, and fireplaces all shining. We were only paid £1 a month for all the cleaning, sweeping, dusting, scrubbing etc.

Messrs Coates of Paisley presented the School with school bags for boys and girls. In fact I have mine yet and it's in good shape! Our primary teacher was elderly Miss Silver and on stormy days the boys often helped her up the steep hill to the school. But they were more of a hindrance than help as they tried to make the climb as slow as possible - thus killing time. She gave us lots of homework to do and our writing had to be perfect. If not, we had to do so many lines at home.

During the First World Ward my brothers Archie and Alex had to deliver Telegrams to the local Coastguards before and after school hours, going as far as Sorrisdale (eight miles) and Totamore (six miles) walking and running fast to get home again. They got only two shillings for Sorrisdale and one-and-sixpence for Totamore. Sometimes we went before school hours to Cliad Farm for a can of skim milk which only cost us one penny or twopence for a gallon can. We used to take a short cut over the hill from School and this saved quite a lot of walking along the main road.

All the boys at school were very good at swimming and used to swim at the old and middle piers in summer. Summers seemed to be much better than they are now - long warm sunny days. Most of the children discarded their boots and shoes when the month of May came along and took to their bare feet which everyone enjoyed.

I'm glad to say most of the children made their mark in the world with responsible positions such as sea captains, nurses, policemen, teachers etc. Children of Coll today have a beautiful new modern school with all mod. cons. and they all go to the one school, being driven there in cars.