The school I attended from 1948 to 1953 was just over a mile from home.
There was no public transport, no school bus, my parents had no car and
so I walked.

Same here for my junior school, except the dates are about 10 years or
so later!


I frequently think that we're progressing backwards.


I think a lot is down to all this choice we apparently all want.
Parents now choose a school miles away, which they have to drive to,
in the rush hour, adding to congestion, global warming, pollution,
obesity (through not walking to school) etc etc. In the old days if a
school was poor, you had an incentive to try & get something done, now
you just change schools.

I remember when you dialed directory enquiries (there was only one
number) it was free, and you even got the right number! Now you have a
choice of 2,456,678 numbers, they all charge, and the chance of
getting the right umber is frankly minimal.

I even remember a time before that D'Savary maniac destroyed Land's
End by that pseudo-Roman concrete monstrosity he was allowed to
construct. In the old days there was a hotel, Bar, an ice cream kiosk,
the 1st & Last house, and a bus shelter with a corrugated iron roof.

Then there was the legendary Skewjack Surf village. www.skewjack.co.uk/
history.html

Those were the days.

Grumpy old man
Penzance