willmore

When we lived in Winnipeg, my brother, sister and myself use to walk to school every day even during the winter months of -30C in Winnipeg, and sometimes come home for lunch. Growing up in Ontario it was the same way, either with them or usually my mates, as my brother and sister are a number of years older than me.

My little guy (5) is walked to kindergarten by either jim, myself or with a group of other families. I can remember one day, when we were running late, he told me "that's ok mom, I know the way to school.....I can get there on my own"! Never going to happen!

woodsey

Always walked to school as a kid from the age of 5, called for all my mates on the way and we'd walk together, once I started high school I got the school bus..always had a right laugh, would have been mortified if my mum had taken me.
In defense of some parents in the UK (don't know about here) school buses are a joke and a very serious risk to kids, we had an incident not long before we left the UK, where a pupil was on a very overcrowded school bus was seriously injured, the driver had left the doors open , took a corner a bit too fast and the lad fell out, I think the lad had been messing about with his mates but he ended up being run over by the rear wheels and spent 3 months in hospital..The bus my daughter used to get was always packed with twice as many kids as there should of been, imagine if it crashed.. :scared:
Only today five girls have been killed on a school bus that wasn't fitted with seatbelts http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4576671.stm
Also due to the amount of women that now go out to work, many mums don't have the time to walk their kids to and from school and have to drop them off on their way to work.
Have to say though there are far too many people that can't be arsed to get off their fat arses and walk there kids to school and due to hysteria regarding child abductions people don't let their kids walk on their own. Same could be said of my daughters primary school though, once she reached the age of 9 I thought it appropriate that she walk to school on her own, it was less than a mile away and she had no roads to cross, she was seen by a teacher walking up on her own and was told not to do it again and that she must be accompanied by an adult..

Celtic_Angel

*lol* I was just talking to my (U.S) hubby about this the other day

we were in World Market and I found bags of Bassets Licorice and a bag filled with cola bottles!!
Remember cola bottles? cor I loved those and those Ribena lollipops, am I giving away my age if i say I even remember 1/2 penny sweets!!

AdobePinon

Er......... yes.

Guelder Rose

I love those cola bottles too ... the ones coated in sugar are best cus they tingle on your tongue when you suck em!

As for showing your age ... I have a vague memory of shillings, sixpences, and a three pence bit/coin (?). I never did get to understand that money, but then again I was very young and my only concern was whether the coins in my hand were enough for the Jamboree bag or sherbit dip. I remember my Dad being so angry about decimalisation in 1971, whereas I thought it was great, for the very first time I actually understood how to count money.

Bob

In primary school I walked as it wasn't far, only a 5 min walk...but middle and upper school, cycled, both weren't that far, and if I had a flat, I'd walk, although did get dropped off a few times when it was properly pissing it down with thunder and lightening, but even then, I still usually cycled, much better to cycle than be a phleb that had the folks drop you off, plus it was quicker on the cycle track to cycle to school than have to wait in the school run traffic to/from school.
Use to cycle with a few mates, we'd meet up at the cycle track on the way and have a laugh, and also meant we could head home when we felt like it after playing footie.

gloria

We lived about 20 minutes walk away from our primary school and everyone walked there, it was a great time to catch up with mates and play on the way home. I only remember one boy who was driven, he lived a similar distance away but he was always crying for some reason so he either came with his weird mother or they sent him by taxi if she couldnt be arsed to take him. Of course that made him stand out even more.

mandpete

When I was young I could buy 2 black jacks or 2 fruit salads or 2 flying saucer for 1/2 pence the rest of the sweets were 1/2 or 1 pence each. I used to ask for a 5 pence mix though.

I have to admit when I was in 5th year at the comp I used to have a ciggie on the way to and from school. I also used to go to the chippy or pie shop for my dinner and have a ciggie at the back of the shops .

Jan Alaska

Like most other posters here I walked to school, our 'gang' would all meet up at the end of the street and we'd walk and talk our way to school. My own kids also have always walked to school, same thing .. meet with friends and all walk to school together a bit of fun on the way and the local lollipop lady would let us know if they were being unruly.

Now the kids next door to me are in Grade school so their ages are around 12? 13 ish ? we live a quarter mile from the school and they ride the bus, needless to say they are both overweight and undersocialised. My two youngest visit from the UK and have given up trying to 'play' with them because all they want to do is sit and watch tv or play with their playstation/xbox while my 2 like to get out and run around making camps out back and generally enjoying themselves. Its a very sad situation that so many youngsters will never slip from mums apron strings until they can drive themself to school.

Jan

FlyergirlUK

I always walked to school. One of my older brothers was in charge of making sure that I made it to and from primary school til he moved up to the comp and then I had to accompany my youngest brother for a while, (much to his disgust ).

Our primary school was up beside the moors, (Dartmoor) and I distinctly remember one day, after it had snowed, the whole school being warned not to go over the moors to get home due to deep snowdrifts. Did we pay any attention? Did we hell! A big group of us deliberately went that way on our way home and had a right laugh though I ended up with blue socks as a result, (they started out white) after my shoes got soaked!

I remember the penny, (and half-penny) sweets too - my fave 'sweet shop' was across the road from my primary school. It seemed that, back then, you could buy half the shop for 50p!

emmals

I remember walking to middle school on my own or with friends......I was 7.......my son starts that school in september....we only live 5 mins away but I don't think he should walk it on his own......then I think back and realise I am bieng over protective.....walking to and from school with your mates was brill.....oohhhh the things we got up to

bxpuser7543

and what about fighting to get on the bcak seat,only when you were the oldest tho,lol

bxpuser7543

i thought you use to get 4 for a penny,black jacks,fruit somethingorother

anotherlimey

that's right, when you're in year 7 you could only get a seat in the first half the bus, but when the years went on you could get a seat at the back!!

someone once told me it was best to sit at the back because the ride to school was longer!

AdobePinon

I'm sure some of you used to get a whole bucket full for a penny. I think there were a few that were a couple to the penny. Seem to remember jaw breakers costing a little more. It was enough that we'd actually pick up the pennies we'd see on the street.....