I travelled to night school on the old fashioned buses, with the driver up in the cab on his own.
In my time there was no day release to continue education and my parents were unable to send me to a Commercial School, because I needed to earn money, therefore I started work straight from school.
Most children were able to go straight into jobs when leaving school, but to get ahead, it was necessary to go to “Evening Classes”.
When I left school, I started as an office junior and attended a small private school in the evening at an address in Longbenton. It was difficult to get to from New York, and I had to take two buses. I would take the 55 to the Power Station just near the junction of New York Road and Park Lane, the road to Park Estate and stand there until a number 17 came. Both were old fashioned red buses with the driver up in the cab on his own and ticket collector. The buses were not very frequent so timing was important, otherwise I had to stand in the dark on my own, although I do not think I was ever worried, not like today.
This private school introduced me to a manual typewriter and the outlines of shorthand, but did not provide me with the proper instruction I required, so my Father decided he could afford to send me to Lambert’s Commercial School for two evenings a week. It was professionally run, and I learned in a structured way shorthand and typing. I attended for about three years, which helped me in my chosen career to be a secretary.
I also took a home correspondence course, which provided the knowledge that I needed, apart from shorthand and typing.
Anyway, all of this further education helped me, and I stayed with one firm for 40 years, beginning as an office junior and working my way up to be the Works Director’s Secretary/Personal Assistant.