Latest news with #WoodfordCountyHighSchool
BBC News
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Sobbing over semolina - your school dinner memories
Hoards of hungry children with rumbling tummies are a common sight in school dinner halls, and a new exhibition has opened in Suffolk telling the stories of those lunchtime tastes and aromas - good or BBC asked for your recollections from days gone by, and your warm - and not-so warm - memories came in thick and fast (much like the custard dolloped on top of sponge puddings).Here are a few tales to whet your appetite - or perhaps put you off your dinner. 'Looked horrible, tasted horrible' Peggy Murphy, 85, from Bayswater, London, still remembers "a notorious pudding" from her school days."It looked horrible, tasted horrible, it was hard and awful - my friends and I still reminisce about it," she pudding was served at Woodford County High School, Woodford Green, where Mrs Murphy went between 1950 and 1956."It was made with a thin, greyish pastry which had been spread with red jam before being loosely rolled up and presented flattened and in the shape and size of a small baby," she Mrs Murphy recalls the school also had "a civilised way of serving our food at the tables set with 10 or 12 girls, and one girl was in charge of serving the others - like a dinner party, really". 'Nostalgic feeling' Zahida Khan, on the other hand, has fond memories of her time in the school dinner hall in much so that the 52-year-old has tried some of her old favourites on her own two children, who are home-schooled."I loved my school dinners," she says."We had tapioca, semolina, treacle sponge pudding, as well as jam roly-poly, cake with icing and sprinkles, chocolate cake and pink custard, and more." She bought some tinned semolina so her children could try - and it didn't go too tapioca was different."They didn't like it at all - the kids just said 'no'."But I have great memories and I enjoyed about 90% of those dinners."When I see some of those meals and puddings these days it takes me right back - it's a lovely, nostalgic feeling." A brief history of school dinners The Provision of Meals Act was introduced in 1906 and was designed to give free school meals to all childrenMeals were usually in the form of breakfast and included porridge, bread with dripping and a glass of milkDuring the 1920s and '30s, mutton stew and treacle pudding found their way on to the school menuIn 1944 it was made compulsory for local authorities to provide school dinners as part of the war effortRationing was in place post-war and tinned meats became popular because of their longevity and the jam roly-poly was also a favouritePost-rationing, corned beef and fish and chips would become staples followed by rice pudding with a dollop of jamDuring the 1980s and '90s, private contractors battled to put food on the school dinner table at lower costs - and pizzas, fries and chicken nuggets became quite normalA 2005 campaign to improve school dinners by chef Jamie Oliver led to an overhaul of school meals, and junk food was largely banned from canteen menusIn 2015 a new regulation came into effect meaning every meal would have to include at least one portion of vegetables or salad, and a wide variety of fruit and vegetables should be BBC Bitesize 'Last in the queue' "I have pretty harrowing memories of primary school of always having the scraps," says George Williams. The 36-year-old had the bad luck to attend a primary school in Watford where school dinners were served to pupils according to the A to Z order of their surnames, always beginning with A."My brother, sister and I were always last as our surname began with W," he says."The school offered choices each day, but by the time I turned up they might have to scrape a spoon around several times to get a serving and it was always colder."The data analyst from Hemel Hempstead recalls two of his least favourites: "Mushrooms and rice pudding, both of which I remember being sloppy and stinking."I tried to gag them down and see what I could get away with hidden under my spoon." 'Sobbing over semolina' "A pudding really shouldn't reduce a child to tears," says Judith Morris, recalling her school days in 77 and living in Witney, Oxfordshire, she remembers a primary school friend sobbing at the sight of later she penned a poem called "Cold Semolina", recalling that as she tried to comfort her friend she was sent to stand in a corner."I just thought no-one should be reduced to tears by a pudding," she says."But I ate it because I was always told to eat what was in front of me, so you just got on and ate it." 'Better than mum's' Many others who got in touch remember their school meals fondly, including Ann Dudley-Wardey, now 68, who went to school in Tonbridge, Kent. "I thought the school lunches were great and, sorry mum, better than her cooking. "The range was varied and good and the desserts were fab," she Stevens, 47, from Bromley, remembers his "mid-'80s dream school dinner - frankfurters, chips and beans, followed by chocolate cake and custard. Normally on a Friday at the end of the month. Best day of school ever!"However, he also recalls the "nightmare" that was liver and bacon with cabbage, followed by pink back, Ann Sheppard, 73, from Reading, thinks she must have hit the jackpot."I think my school must have been quite posh because we had a bread bowl in the middle of the table, and in the summer a salad bowl."All the meals were cooked in the school kitchen and the roast dinners were lovely, likewise the fish and chips on a Friday."An exhibition about school dinners is on at The Food Museum in Stowmarket, Suffolk. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Woodford County cheerleader's mother experiences full circle moment after daughter wins national championship
VERSAILLES, Ky. (FOX 56) — The Woodford County High School cheerleaders have plenty to cheer about, especially after bringing home a huge national win. The Woodford County Schools have national champions coming home after the Woodford County cheerleaders won the small coed division at the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando. Bill cracking down on 'sextortion' clears Kentucky Senate floor with unanimous vote Member of extremist 'sextortion' group pleads guilty to racketeering, child murder plot in Kentucky 'We deserve better': Gun safety advocates demanding changes in Kentucky gun laws Cassie Prather's daughter Hadley is a dedicated part of this cheerleading team, and Prather said she couldn't be prouder to watch her daughter and her team shine. 'There's nothing like it. Watching these kids do what they love and then be celebrated and to win at such a high level is almost surreal,' Prather said. Cheerleading is an activity that requires not just love for the craft but rigorous hours of practice and training. Prather said she's thankful for her daughter to be part of this program because of the lifelong experience she'll take from it. 'Hadley is 15 and a freshman, but she's been cheering with the high school team for 3 years,' Prather said. Woodford County cheerleader's mother experiences full circle moment after daughter wins national championship Early look: The views and venues of the 2026 Winter Olympics Italy prepares scenic, historic Olympic venues with games now one year away Even if cheerleaders like Hadley don't take the sport itself with them through life, Prather said there are so many things these young leaders will take away from these days. 'One thing I can say with Hadley, she doesn't complain about practice. She's always ready to go; she always wants to be early,' Prather said. Prather was a cheerleader herself and performed on the same stage her daughter did. Prather said this full circle moment is something she and her daughter will always cherish. Lexington ranked 10th worst large city for football fans: WalletHub Kentucky receives failing grades in tobacco control report Kentucky ranks as 2025's worst state to retire in: WalletHub 'To see your child on the same stage you were on 28 years ago shows that life comes full circle. It just brought back a flood of emotions. I feel like I could understand all the things she was feeling and all the feelings that the stage brings out of you. There's nothing like it.' Prather said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New program coming to Woodford County High School will prepare students for emergency service careers
VERSAILLES, Ky. (FOX 56) — The path to becoming a firefighter, or EMT, is about to become more accessible for high school students in Woodford County with the emergence of a new fire science program. Woodford County Public Schools (WCPS) educators have teamed up with the Versailles Fire Department (VFD) to prepare students for a career in emergency services, learning how to fight fires and save lives before beginning college. On Tuesday, fire department staff posted on Facebook that the WCHS fire science program would begin in the fall of 2025 for Woodford County High School students. 'Deeply concerning': Over 100 Kentucky children went without homes, some sent to other states for care School district leaders and Versailles fire officials said the class, which will take place at the old high school building, will combine hands-on training and classroom instruction and will even lead to state-recognized certification to be a firefighter or EMT in Kentucky. Police searching for man accused of injuring woman with shopping cart during robbery on Legend's Lane Longtime Lexington dispatcher of Enhanced 911 recognized for drive and service New program coming to Woodford County High School will prepare students for emergency service careers 'This is a career and technical education program designed for kids interested in a career in the fire service,' Versailles fire crews wrote. We want to invest in the kids in our community and give them the help they need to be prepared to enter the workforce.' More information about the fire science program will be released closer to the fall semester, and Versailles fire and emergency personnel will be visiting WCHS in February to discuss the new class. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Woodford County High School wins FOX 56's first-ever Home Team Hype Award
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Months of excitement at sports events paid off for Woodford County High School (WCHS), which now can hang a new banner in its new building. Each home game during the football season, no matter the circumstances, the Yellow Jackets proved they were going to show out for their team on the field. They brought enough noise and energy to claim the first-ever FOX 56 Home Team Hype Award. Carson Bugg, a WCHS junior, is on the football team and brings the same spirit that motivates him to win the basketball games. 'It's great to get this award,' Bugg said. 'I can feel the hype on Friday nights when we took the field, the student section going crazy, and now to be a part of it in the basketball season, it really shows how special this team is.' Read more of the latest high school sports news Senior Braxton Brock captains the ship, leading the student section. 'Ever since my freshman year, I've always wanted to be in the front of the student section and cheering on the jackets, and now that I'm a senior and I got the spirit overalls and leading the student section, I'm definitely happy,' Brock said. He said this school spirit has been around for decades. 'Ever since, like, 1964, since Woodford County had a high school, we've always just loved bringing the energy, I think, and it's just been a Woodford County tradition; we're the small town in the state of Kentucky that has a big name,' Brock said. Woodford County High School wins FOX 56's first-ever Home Team Hype Award This Paris High School senior shines on both sides of the lens Central Kentucky high school basketball highlights, scores: Jan. 24 Those in the student section said their best advice to other schools is to not be afraid of a little fun. 'My big takeaway from getting to always participate in student sections is, just do it. Like it's never going to matter how silly you look, you are gonna have fun,' said senior Payton Asher. FOX 56 will choose another hype winner at the end of the basketball season. WCHS students said they would do their best to win that one, too. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
