Phyllis Harding

I arrived in Wherwell to live at Old Greenwich Cottages, which at that time were two cottages, in 1941. My memory of childhood is a very happy one, being the second eldest of seven children, I always had a real baby to nurse or take for a walk. My sisters and I shared a doll. Our holidays were walks in the woods and picnics in the harvest field. My father was a shepherd for Mrs Jenkins, which meant there was always somewhere to go for a walk and gather wild flowers on the way. This I feel laid the foundation for my interest in children and young people.
 
When I left school I worked at what was called then "Mother's help", which my headmistress termed as a dead-end job, but some 37 years later I'm still in the same job doing the same thing! Most of our village children have crossed my path, during the last 16 years having joined the Sunday School - Youth Club or in the early days of a Creche for the Mothers Union. At present I have 52 children on the roll for Sunday School, 40 being the average attendance each week.

We meet in the Village Hall at 10.30 a.m. on Sundays. There are many stories to tell of what children say, but one I always smile at is when I recall it, we were discussing the creation and I said God made everything and that every one was different and how awkward it would be if we all looked the same because when we walked out they wouldn't know which was me, and a small boy, who is married now said "Oh yes we would because we would know your dog", children always manage the last word. The Sunday School also have holiday weekends, outings to the sea, pantomime trips, but the most popular one is always the walks in the woods. I also run a games evening for members on Tuesdays evenings where snooker, table tennis and lots of other games and competitions are played. I have found it very rewarding that I now have some of the children of former pupils joining. My latest interest in the young is that I am now a school governor, which gives me a better understanding of some of the difficulties children have today in such a fast moving world, not like my childhood when the highlight was going all the way to Andover to buy an ice cream and then we walked there and back. There are three lessons I have learnt from working with them and they are never to be shocked or surprised and always to have a sense of humour.
 
My other hobbies include, flower arranging, gardening and knitting plus helping and joining in anything happening in Wherwell.

PHYLLIS HARDING