Lose a penny, find three…

When I was in junior school I struggled, I had a lisp and I stammered, believe it or not I was also shy (my friends today will not believe it for sure), back then the head master from All Saint’s Junior school took the reading class.

One Penny

When it was my turn, I was made to stand in front of the class and everytime I could not read a word out loud he would slap me hard on the back of the head. I remember being reduced to tears in front of everyone.

Then came the time for me to move onto secondary school, I was identified as someone who needed extra reading lessons and so I had to go to school earlier than the other kids for these lessons, I am now aged 11 and the year was 1968.

One morning I set off for my usual lesson, my mum had given me a penny for my lunch, which I had lost on my way to school. I was sitting in the classroom waiting for my teacher to turn up. As he entered the classroom he saw me and said, “What are you doing here McMullan” I replied I have come for my lesson sir. He said you can read now, so clear off, or words to that effect.

At the end of the school day I was so excited about telling my mum that I could now read, so I ran all the way home. On the way I fell over while running down a big hill. I was sprawled on the pavement and as I started to pick myself up I found threepence next to my right hand. I decided not to go home first, but to go via the sweet shop. It’s amazing what you could buy back then for three penny’s. I was so happy.

The British three pence (3d) coin, usually simply known as a threepence or threepenny bit.