Winter was a time for house parties, cards for the adults, and crokinole and dancing for the younger group. On occasion, the floors in the older homes actually creaked and shook as feet kept time to the music of fiddles, guitars, a piano, or organ. Lancers was the dance of the day and to swing ’till dizzy was not uncommon. Making ice cream or having a taffy pull or a small pie social were also ways to enjoy one another’s company during this period.

When spring showed signs of arriving, the ponds opened up and fishing lines were again dropped. By the time the ice finally left the banks, we’d be looking again to our cold 24th of May dip! Life may have been harder, but excitement was never lacking.

More Recent Times

A big change in the social life of North Tryon School children happened in 1974 when the school closed and busses picked up children at their gates or at The Corner to take them to Englewood School in Crapaud. In the decade previous to this the children had enjoyed many of the same activities their parents had enjoyed as school children.

School began in September and soft ball was a popular game that

usually started at morning recess, continued at noon after returning from dinner, and concluded during afternoon recess. Those who didn’t participate in the game usually made a dash when the bell rang to get the best swing in the school yard. Leap hole, a game where a ball was throw over the school roof to be caught by someone on the other side, was popular even though the team catching on the back side only had a space of about four feet between the school and the school fence. On occasion, the children had an extended recess, but only if someone was successful in diverting the teacher’a attention while either the bell was hidden or its clapper removed.

The most frequent requests made to the teacher were either to sharpen a pencil or to be excused to go to the washroom. One teacher had a time saving system where students raised one finger for permis— sion to sharpen a pencil and two to go to the washroom. The teacher did not always give permission immediately and every class has a story about the golden stream winding its way down through the cracks in the floor.

During the winter months snow ball fights and fort making occupied the school yard time while after school activities included skating on Ives’ Pond, beside Sheldon Dixon’s house, in the pit behind Sheldon’s store, and even in George Muttart’s barnyard, wherever a patch of ice could be found that didn’t require a lot of cleaning and was fairly smooth. Great care was taken not to fall when skating at George’s because the cows usually assisted in making the ice! George’s warehouse

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