There are some entries in Victorian school diaries or Log Books that do more than just formally record the events of the week. Some were written with real feeling by the head teachers.
A wonderfully revealing example comes from Betws Cedewain School in the winter of 1898...

15th February - "Being a dull, wet, spiritless day I have partly dropped the time-table 3 to 4 pm. and taken a few drills, songs and recitations to keep us all a bit brighter".

Sadly, we do occasionally get dull, wet days in the winter in Wales, even now !
Another entry in the same Log Book and by the same teacher two years earlier in 1896 also shows a lot of feeling...
28th February - "Attendance in the afternoon is low, owing to some singing contest somewhere".

Most teachers complained regularly about the many things going on locally which took children away from their lessons. From this entry in the book you get the idea that he was not entirely happy about yet another cause of absence !

Back to Newtown schools menu