End of Term, sticking and licking, sliding downstairs

[englishangel]

Remember 'sticking and licking'? I always thought it should be 'licking and sticking'.

The last couple of days of term (especially in the summer) we would repair all the books we had battered through the year. Rub out all pencil notes in the margins.

At the end of the summer when some of the mattresses were condemned we used to drage them to the top floor and then slide down the stairs on them, top to bottom.

Then the spoilsports put rubber treads on the stairs to the first floor so we could only do it 2nd to 1st.

I have polished wooden stairs in my house and surprisingly my children have never tried this.

[Euterpe13]

Heavens, Mary , that brings back memories ! I was in charge of Chapel Music for the L & U VI, so my " stick & lick" was all the chapel books, plus the Choir music - a nightmare...

I remember clearly sliding down the stairs on the matresses - the front pulled up like a toboggan, feet stuck out sideways ! But I also remember having to spend several days at the Infirmary with a bruised cocyx after sliding down said stairs after slipping at the top and landing at Fanny's feet ( late again for breakfast, Barbara ?) - so that MAY perchance explain the rubber steps !

Have survived Christmas/New Year/skiiing and family visit - now all I have to deal with is the Boss from Hell ...
bises
B

[englishangel]

I knew I could rely on you remembering that. Funnily enough it is Julie doing it I remember most.

Happy New year

[Katharine]

I don't think 6s EVER condemned mattresses!!! We were sure our iron bedsteads had been brought back from the Crimean War, can't imagine where that originated.

I well remember sticking and licking, I worked in the Physics Lab for several years. It meant stock taking all the equipment, but Mrs Johnson did bring in biccies for us!!

[midget]

You haven't lived until you have done s & l in the biology lab. The joys of siphoning out siks with bits of decaying dogfish skin! After one year of that in LVI I claimed the Chemistry lab as mine. I can't remember the name of the dear lady who taught us after Miss Bruce finally retired in 1951, except that her first name was Lavinia

[Euterpe13]

Midget , I had Mr. Walker constantly " dropping in to see if he could help" .... think I win !

[Vonny]

Remember 'sticking and licking'? I always thought it should be 'licking and sticking'.

The last couple of days of term (especially in the summer) we would repair all the books we had battered through the year. Rub out all pencil notes in the margins.

I remember Sticking & Licking although I don't actually recall repairing any books! I think we just used to clear our desks out - don't remember doing much else.

[englishangel]

You haven't lived until you have done s & l in the biology lab. The joys of siphoning out siks with bits of decaying dogfish skin! After one year of that in LVI I claimed the Chemistry lab as mine. I can't remember the name of the dear lady who taught us after Miss Bruce finally retired in 1951, except that her first name was Lavinia

I did A Level Biology AND Chemistry, rat entrails in one lot of sink traps and lord knows what chemicals in the other.

[fivethreeone]

I remember Sticking & Licking although I don't actually recall repairing any books! I think we just used to clear our desks out - don't remember doing much else.

No that's all we did too - I'd always wondered why it was called sticking and licking!

[WildOne]

When I saw the phrase 'Sticking and Licking', a huge chunk of dormant memory jumped up from over 35 years ago! It was a real "Oh Wow!!!" moment as I hadnt heard the phrase from then till now!

We did indeed have to repair all those text books with brown sticky tape that had to be licked before it was stuck... I can actually taste it again as I write (yuk!). And the pure tedium of rubbing out all those pencil marks, etc....

Its interesting that the name stuck long after the brown tape became obsolete and S&L became merely a desk clear-out. Now I know things definitely improved after I left.

[Katharine]

Some of our textbooks eg Kennedy's Latin Primer were venerable, and they lasted many years. We used to enjoy seeing who had the earliest name in the front. Sticking & Licking must have saved the school many pounds over the years - but then do all textbooks have such a long shelflife as Kennedy?

[Richard Ruck]

Kennedy's Latin Primer - that must be the one textbook which stayed with me throughout my entire school carreer.

[Katharine]

Kennedy's Latin Primer - that must be the one textbook which stayed with me throughout my entire school carreer.

Just goes to prove my point about its shelflife, you were at the RR&A Foundation more than 10 years after me! We certainly had some pre-war ones (I think second war but ...)

[Jude]

When I saw the phrase 'Sticking and Licking', a huge chunk of dormant memory jumped up from over 35 years ago! It was a real "Oh Wow!!!" moment as I hadnt heard the phrase from then till now!

We did indeed have to repair all those text books with brown sticky tape that had to be licked before it was stuck... I can actually taste it again as I write (yuk!). And the pure tedium of rubbing out all those pencil marks, etc....

Its interesting that the name stuck long after the brown tape became obsolete and S&L became merely a desk clear-out. Now I know things definitely improved after I left.

Eeek !! LOL I remeber S&L - I have used the phrase at end of terms here with my two offspring - the looks they gave were pretty withering - I guess although Sarah does remember that she has to rub out all pencil marks - we were lucky if Chris every managed to return his books let alone clean them! Kids today eh! ha!