I recently learned of some of the crazy rules in deciding to send all these kids who lived further away from North Ryde High than I did to that school which was pretty new. I started at the older Ryde High. I understand the year after the decision above was made, kids from our old Primary School were, again, being directed back to *Ryde High.
 
The school was the first of its particular design to be built, and several others followed that same design. The funny thing was the steps in that school to the second level classrooms always seemed to have scaffolding mounted under them as there was a question as to their remaining stable for any length of time. I even heard that it might have been, as I mentioned in chapter 1 about my Dad's 'spec' building of houses, in the order of 'speculation' itself seeing it was a 'first' in the design specifications.
 
Word has it that it was later plagued by the dreaded Asbestos dilemma as well. The buildings, now under another use, are still standing so I don't know what they did about the rumoured Asbestos. Even funnier is the newer school the North Ryde/Peter Board High was the first to be demolished.
 
Every morning we would assemble in the quadrangle for 'Assembly.' For the first three months of each of the four years I was there, we would hear our dear Deputy Headmaster Mr Rice - complete with a hand over eyes to shield them from the Eastern sun, make the following announcement:
"........and we appreciate your cooperation in this 'diff-i-cult' period." (Emphasis deliberate. as that was exactly how he said it each time and for all of the first three months of each of my four years there.)
 
Actually, I probably had more to do with Mr Rice over my four years there than any other teacher. In my first year, he was our English teacher. Then during PE, I was exempt due to the aforementioned deafness in my left ear. Reason being there was a concern that if I got hit on the right side of my head I may lose the hearing in that ear as well. So no contact sports for me and during PE I would go to Mr Rice's office and do errands for him instead.
 
In my early days of High School, (Second Form or Year 8 they call it now,) I learned our English teacher had some kittens she wanted to give away. Miss Smith gave me a little black kitten with very sharp claws. He got named "Sagitta" not sure of the spelling, it was the Latin for "arrow."  I was doing Latin at the time. I don't know why, as I wasn't going to be a priest; or a horticulturist; or a doctor.

 I only had "Saggy" for a short time. I remember one day the next door's kids came looking for me. They told me Saggy had 'gone down the drain!' Seems Saggy was an adventurous sort of cat, even as a small guy. I followed the kids down the front to the guttering on our road. Reaching down into the culvert I felt little Saggy and was able to lift him out. Unfortunately, sometime later, I believe Saggy might have gone adventuring down that culvert again. The problem might have been at that time, if it was raining, he could have very well been washed off his feet and sucked down the drain, literally. We were all upset again.
 
In my early teens, I went, on several occasions, down to Melbourne, Victoria, our Southern State. I was travelling down, on the overnight “Spirit of Progress” Train, to stay with my sister. I remember what a very smooth and well-sprung train it was, (thanks to the Victorian State Railways, to whom the 'S. o P.' belonged.) This was very early days of the new Standard Gauge rail between our two major cities. This had removed the cumbersome practice of changing trains at our southern border town of Albury. As a matter of fact, prior to this, there were cases of trains being lifted up off their bogeys in Stanard Gauge(New South Wales), and reset on Wide Gauge (Victoria) at the border.

On many occasions, I remember not being able to get to sleep on the train due to a continual racket caused by Commandos who were heading back to their bases in Victoria after some “R and R” in Sydney. I am guessing, now as I look back, if I was a bit bored or unable to sleep I would spend a lot of time going up and down the train, till I got too tired.
 
One night, during my stay in Melbourne at my sister’s place, it appears I had my first episode of Sleep Walking. All I remember was waking up out on the balcony of the Fourth Floor Apartment. I must have disturbed my sister from her sleep. She asked me...
"What are you doing?" I said,
"I was looking for John." My Nephew, John, about 9 at the time, was, of course, sound asleep in his bed.

In my High School years, I mostly hung around with the same group of three other fellows. Mainly because, especially from Second Form (Year 8) and onwards, we shared the Special Music Class or the majority of us did, anyway. Seeing I was and still am a bit 'different' I was the brunt of the jokes and jibes and general ridicule. So I either put up with these guys or I was alone. Sometimes I did not mind that either.
 
You see, back in those days, it was weird to be without a Dad in your family. These days the reverse is the norm and you might be considered weird if you do have a Mum and Dad in this Century. I will not, in this tome, get into the children that have 2 Mums or 2 Dads. I don't mean own parent and Step-parent either.
 
I had a great bunch of teachers in High School. There were a number of compassionate teachers as well. I had times, especially at the end of the week, when I was extra tired (from the, as yet undiagnosed Sleep Apnoea, I venture to add)...So Some of the teachers especially Mrs Irwin. the Science Mistress, from memory, would allow me to go to the Sick Bay for a lie-down.
 
There were some really dumb teachers as well, especially Mr Doyle whom we had for History in Year 8 or Second Form, I think. He would come into the room and say...
"Well, class; you know where you are up to in your books, carry on!" Then he would lean back in his chair and read the newspaper.

To this day I don't know why I passed History in the Fourth Form (Year 10 for you modern folks) School Certificate, but Doyle had absolutely no part in that pass for sure.