Interview with Davina Gordon, 4 August 2010

Davina Gordon was born in 1933 and went to primary school during the Second World War. She remembered only large classes with very little history being taught. At Goldolphin & Latymer grammar school she was taught history chronologically, starting with Roman Britain. The teacher taught by talking. The girls sat listening to her without making notes but then used the textbook afterwards to make notes and write essays for homework. She was a very interesting teacher and Davina found it all fascinating and particularly remembered a lesson when they had to decide what they would have done to stabilise the country if they had been Elizabeth 1. After the war ended, soon after she went to the grammar school, there were trips to London museums and further afield. She did a course of general history for a year in the sixth form while doing a secretarial course at the school. There was now a new teacher who liked to bring in newspapers and talk about politics. After school she initially did secretarial work but then trained to be a gemmologist and worked in a jeweller’s shop for many years. Interviewed by Jenny Keating