I was never a naughty girl. Or so my mother said, but what did she think of my first day at school? I don't know because she never mentioned it to me. I have thought about it so many times and especially when I'm in Hanley. That's where I was born. And that's where it happened.

I was just 4 years old when my mother said "Today you are going to school". I was very pleased to hear that. I had two friends - sisters - who often said how nice school was and how good it would be when I could go with them.

I was very excited as we set off. But I soon knew that we were going the wrong way. And I said "This isn't the right way to my friends' school". She said "but it is the school you are going to". And she held my hand tightly until we arrived.

We walked through the school to the classroom. We could see the children all sitting two at a desk with the teacher in the front. She asked us in. She told me to sit at one of the desks while she took my mother to see the headmaster.

I felt very dismayed as I looked at all the children, but I had quickly made up my mind that I was not going to cry as I had no intention of staying there. I waited a few minutes and then I walked out of the room and closed the door. I went out of the school, out of the playground, over the main road and home.

It was the first time I'd ever been out alone and I had remembered the way. It seemed a long time waiting at the gate for my mother to come back. She just looked at me and didn't say a word.

I said "Mama, you took me to the wrong school". She just took my hand and off we went. This time to the right school.

And so my education began.