Compare this with the earlier photo of the building. The front hedge has been replaced by railings, and an air-vent has been added on the roof. Compare with earlier photo.
Joe Bates remembers:
"During the war they built walls outside the high end windows to protect them during air raids. Inside they built another wall so that the end of the big room was cut off to make an air raid shelter for the children. There was no light in there so they had to have candles and lamps on the occasions when they had to retreat there.
After the war they took down the wall. They first removed the door and the door frame and the wall just fell down. It had just been buildt on the wooden floor and was one layer of bricks thick. If there had been a bomb-hit on the building the wall would have fallen on the children and killed them!!!
The air vent on the roof - no longer there - was operated by a cord which hung down. Of course the false ceiling was not there and the room was a lot higher than now.
One teacher, around 1937, was Mary Mason who rode to school on a huge bike from Stonely. She had a bad temper and used to stamp her foot in fury. One day she stamped her foot and went right down through the floor!
After her there was a teacher called Joan Fairhurst who lived in Ridge Cottage.
When they left Pertenhall school some pupils went to Riseley School in an old bus driven by a man called Baize."
Mrs Garry Telling