SIR – I smiled at a recent article describing how the sound of metal on glass makes people wince.
During the Second World War, our school bus ran from Cross Hills via Cononley to the girls’ high school and the boys’ Ermysted’s Grammar in Skipton.
Once Brighton evacuees joined us, a second bus was added to accommodate the extra passengers.
In wartime it was nearly impossible to get ‘ordinary’ combs, so lots of people resorted to using metal ‘dog’ combs. As soon as the boys boarded at Cononley, the squeaking began and it was ear-splitting.
The boys would also catch bees in their hankies, only to release them on the bus.
Our short-tempered conductor would get the driver to stop and tell us that until the insects had been chased out we would not be carrying on.
We were naughty kids, but even at our worst never resorted to vandalism. What a difference from the lack of discipline in a small minority today!
Catherine R Thomas, Grovelands, Bradford
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