I enjoyed the story (which took me back to my days at Cromer when I too went to the Paston).

Some corrections for you though:

1) The Mundesley Branch locos at that time were invariably ex-Great Eastern 2-4-2 tanks (not 0-6-0Ts) of types F4 (67162) or F6 (67224,5,6 or 8), the numbers in brackets should enable you to dig out some photos if you want to.

2) The Sheringham > Cromer Beach > Mundesley > North Walsham train had to reverse at Cromer, this entailed a delay whilst the engine ran round the train (when much compartment swopping took place)!

3) Finally, it may be worth mentioning in your next part that this lovely little line was closed in April 1953 (I was on the last train) & although the Sheringham & Runton pupils were virtually unaffected, we from Cromer then had to flog up the Norwich Road hill for about a mile to the well named Cromer High station to catch the school train (but this later reverted to the Beach station when the ‘High’ was closed).

And yes you are absolutely right about the black dust from the seats!

This was the Paston School.
This is the Paston School.
And we will see
That this shall be
For ever, the Paston School.

Verse II

“Where will you build your Paston School?”
The Reverend Michael spake,
“Norfolk of pleasant towns is full,
Which town will you take?
Wymondham or Hunstanton, Lynn or Diss,
Walsingham, Fakenham, that or this?
Tell me, for goodness sake!”
“None of these,” said the Knight, said he,
“Whatever the names one calls ’em,
For the pleasantest town in the whole County
Is that pleasant old town, North Walsham.”

Here was the Paston School.
Here is the Paston School.
And we will see
That here shall be
For ever, the Paston School.

Verse IV

’Twere long to tell of all who came,
Of Tenison, Wharton, Hoste;
Their names are on the roll of fame,
And never shall be lost.
But stand and shout as the last we bring,
Horatio Nelson: of him we sing,
For he was our proudest boast.
His eye was clear, his head was cool,
His glory is our star;
For what he learnt at the Paston School,
He taught at Trafalgar.

Such was the Paston School.
Such is the Paston School.
And we will see
That such shall be
For ever, the Paston School.

Verse VI

Ah, never heed the dreary crew
Who groan and growl and sigh,
And mutter, “There is nought to do:
Tomorrow we must die!”
But work like Trojans – not for pelf;
And play like Trojans – not for self;
And keep your spirits high!
Lend helping hands to those who bend
Beneath misfortune’s rod;
Honour the King, and love your friend,
And give your heart to God!

This is the Golden Rule
We learn at the Paston School.
And whether we be
On land or sea,
Here’s luck to the Paston School

Regarding having to ‘flog it up to Cromer High station’ this was because we were initially told that North Walsham services would only run in future from ‘The High’ but this was changed later.

As I recall before ‘The High’ was closed, various trains split or combined there (where restaurant cars for ‘The Norfolkman’ etc were added or removed as they were serviced there) & this also applied to some Sheringham/Weybourne portions/trains which had to back down into the station from Cromer Junction, however I can’t remember whether this applied to you or whether you had a separate direct train at that time; (I am now doubting my own memory about this – but please read the next para).

Of course after ‘The High’ was closed, nearly all trains ran via ‘The Beach’ (but after the Runton West to Newstead Lane section of the Cromer Triangle was lifted, everything had to go via the more convenient ‘Cromer Beach’).

Incidentally, were you on the homeward bound train that evening when Cromer High’s Naworth Castle’s rear driving wheels came off the track just before Gunton Level Crossing? (we finished the journey by bus)!

Re my memory: what I am certain of was that B17 4-6-0s such as Naworth Castle never ran to Cromer Beach until after ‘The High’ was closed (so surely that confirms that the school train went to ‘The High’ (at least for a short time). A good clue would be if you can remember whether you had to be in the rear carriages on the homeward journey.

Ooh nasty! Nothing like that ever happened to us on the Mundesley route thank heavens.

The only ‘funny’ I remember was that occasionally an airman from RAF Trimingham Radar would get in to an empty compartment at North Walsham with his girlfriend.

A pupil would then follow them in and would sometimes get half a crown to clear off to another compartment!

Your stories about Maggie brought back some unhappy memories! I too hated boxing and the sadistic swine paired me with our best boxer and I refused to box, Maggie always gave me a hard time after that.

A few recollections for you:

My parents initially decided that being a boarder would help my education (and their spare time at the Golf Links)! so my well being was looked after by ‘Critt’ the Matron and Mrs Marshall!

The conditions were spartan (we had to sleep with the windows open even in winter, when we had to crack the ice on our wash bowls before washing in the dormitory in the morning)!

The food (which we ate in The Nelson Room) was often awful (rabbit pie with a lot of buckshot still in it) and some of the Masters felt sorry for us.

We had to do our homework in one of the classrooms supervised by one of the Masters and I remember ‘Tom’ Pearce the Chemistry Master bringing sandwiches in for us. He said: “Here you are, don’t tell Mrs Marshall; here are some pieces of Tom Pearce’s pig!”

Parents were only allowed to visit their offspring for one Sunday afternoon every six weeks, but when they arrived on one occasion they were told to wait because the boarders were still doing compulsory sports.

My father and others played hell with Mr Marshall, but still had to wait for one and a half hours.

The outcome was that Colonel Brawn, Mr Lingwood and my father complained to Norfolk’s Director of Education, Dr Lincoln Ralphs and I instantly became ‘a Day Boy’!

‘Mousy’ Edwards was one Master with a temper; his nickname was due to his standard method of stopping talking in class – his face would go very red, his hands would clench and un-clench, then he would say: “I want you all to be as quiet as a mouse so that I can hear a pin drop”.

He would then take a pin from his lapel and drop it on the dais; once a wag at the back of the class then dropped a steel ruler onto the floor, so he didn’t do that again!

That wonderful character C M Skerret-Rogers had a smallholding (near Trimingham I think) and had been known to carry a sheep in his old Ford car (which he drove into the school)! on market day. He then sold the sheep at the market!

He was often in trouble with the Head due to his tatty gown etc and I remember him taking class with binder twine round one of his shoes because the sole was falling off.

Skerret was a good Geography and English teacher but at one time was instructed to take us for Religious Instruction; we quickly realised that his heart wasn’t in this and took advantage.

On one occasion he was teaching us about David & Goliath but the subject soon deviated to catapults, guns and guided missiles and on another, his explanation of ‘The circumcision of the Jews’ was brilliant!

He was a strict disciplinarian on occasions though – he made me write out Psalm 119 (172 verses) twice for getting caught firing those rock-hard peas from my spoon in the dining hall!

Did you come across the ex-Yorkshireman Percy Braicegirdle (from Sheringham, who taught us maths)? He had a dislike of anybody who caught the school train and used to single us out.

‘Percy’ would breeze into the classroom with the standard phrase: “Rough books rapidly one to ten; Chapman and Earl front two desks”!

I was at The Paston School (Hoste House in my case) from 1949 to Easter 1953!