Q: It’s June 11, 2003 and we’re at the Sweet Haven Church and I am Jean Uzzle, I’m gonna interview Mr. Leslie Robinson. What area of Isle of Wight did you grow up in?
A: I grew up on Tan Road.
Q: And that’s near where?
A: That’s near Benn’s Church.
Q: Okay. How many sisters or brothers did you have?
A: I had three sisters and six brothers.
Q: Now, what school did they attend?
A: Um, first three brothers, my first two brothers and myself, attended Bridger School.
Q: What grades was taught at Bridger School, can you remember?
A: One through four.
Q: How many classrooms were there?
A: It was two classrooms.
Q: Now, can you remember the teachers’ names?
A: Ms. Mattie B. Jordan and Ms. Parker.
Q: Can you remember what year that was?
A: I attended Bridger School from 1947 to 1952.
Q: Do you know any history about the school, or how it was there. Was it privately owned, or was it put there by the county? Do you remember, do you know anything about the history of the beginning of the school?
A: No, I’m not familiar with the history.
Q: Now, how did you get to school?
A: We had to walk.
Q: Approximately how far did you walk?
A: I would say a mile and a half.
Q: Okay, so that was about three miles a day?
A: Uh-huh.
Q: Did you have any jobs to do at home before you went to school and after you went to school?
A: Yes we did. In the morning, during the winter months we had to get up about four o’clock in the morning, go down and somebody was designated to make fires. We had to go cut lightwood and start the fire before everybody got up in the morning. Then we would go out and feed the livestock, such as the cattle, the hogs, and the chickens.
Q: All right, so when you got home in the afternoon what did you do?
A: Oh, in the afternoon we had chores, also. We had to go and start the planting crops, or chopping, or whatever was necessary to be done at that time.
Q: When you got to school did you have any chores to do? If you can remember.
A: Sometimes we would, certain people would be designated to go out and get the coal and stuff to keep the heat going and some would have chores of getting the water in.
Q: Can you remember how your school day began once you got to school?
A: The first thing we did was we would recite the Pledge of Allegiance and then we would sing “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.”
Q: Can you remember what subjects was taught, at school?
A: Mainly we had was English, arithmetic, reading, and health.
Q: Was there a book that you remember, or a textbook of some sort that you had while you was in school that kinda stuck in your mind, you remembered, or was it a favorite of yours…?
A: I wouldn’t say I had a favorite, but I used to like spelling.
Q: How long was your school day?
A: Started at nine and we was out at three.
Q: Okay, your school year: do you remember how long that was?
A: We started in September and we got out, I think it was, early May.
Q: Now lunchtime: where did you eat lunch and how long did you have for lunch?
A: Most times we would eat lunch in class and afterwards we would go out for recess for approximately an hour.
Q: Now did you have recess other than your lunch period?
A: Not that I can recall.
Q: Can you tell me what your schoolroom looked like? Can you remember, visualize what it looked like?
A: We had two classrooms, it was about 30 x 35 each and we had about a twelve-foot ceiling. We also had real large windows that reached almost to the ceiling on one side of the schoolroom. And then we had what was known as the cloakroom, which was a room about four to six feet wide in the classroom.
Q: Can you remember where you got your water from?
A: We had a well with a pump in it.
Q: So somebody was designated to bring that water in?
A: Someone was chosen to go out and pump the water and bring it in each day.
Q: Can you describe what your teacher’s desk looked like?
A: It was a wooden desk, about three and a half feet tall, about four foot wide with about three to four drawers on one side.
Q: Can you describe what your desk was like when you were in school?
A: My desk was a one piece, single desk with wooden seating and with metal legs.
Q: Was there somewhere you could put your books?
A: Yes, we had a little space on the bottom for the books.
Q: Can you remember whether you had a chalkboard, I think you called it blackboard, at that time?
A: We did have blackboards; we had your erasers and your chalk.
Q: Now you had to have school supplies. Can you remember whether your parents bought your school supplies or the school furnished your school supplies?
A: During that time I think my parents was responsible for that.
Q: Now what about your books: were your books bought or?
A: During that time, I don’t think we had to buy our books, I think they was issued through the state or County, I believe, and then after the school year was over we had to turn them back in.
Q: Can you remember if there were any teaching aids on the walls, such as maybe maps, or alphabets, or something that would help you?
A: I think we had a large map, I believe, and I believe at one time or another, that they had a little globe-type of map also in the shape of the world.
Q: What about your alphabets, do you recall having them?
A: They were on the top of the blackboard.
Q: Now your lighting: was the building, did you get your lights from electricity or natural light?
A: Electricity, we had electricity at that time.
Q: And you did tell me you had a cloakroom, for your coats…
A: Yes we did.
Q: Now what about the discipline when you were in there, what was discipline like?
A: Well, they had a couple of different disciplines: when we was in school, just once in awhile we would have to go up in the front of the class and stand on one foot, or they would take you in the cloakroom and they had what was known as a paddle, which was about thirteen inches long, about two inches wide, and you had to hold your hand out and they would punish you in that manner.
Q: Mr. Robinson, so at that time, can you recall of any kids having to go through that punishment for misbehaving in class?
A: Oh yeah. We had quite a few, and I was a special child at that time because for some reason, I always showed up and was told I was doing wrong a lot of the times I wasn’t doing anything wrong, so I had to go to the coatroom a lot. And sometimes I would go in the coatroom and she would paddle me so much until I had to tell a lie, tell her I did do it, so she would stop.
Q: Now, when you think back, do you have any positive memories of the teachers, of the school, or the students that you went to school with? Do you feel like the teachers were more dedicated then than they are now, or is there something special a teacher might have done to help you during your school days that you remember, or some students, something that happened…?
A: Much more so, because when we went to school, if you had any problems at any time you could always go to the teacher and she would take time out especially to see that you, to see if she could help you with whatever problem you had.
Q: So that’s a positive memory that you have?
A: I think so.
Q: Okay, now were there some negative memories that you feel like maybe some teacher or some students did while you were in school, that you felt could have been different from the way it was resolved?
A: Well I wouldn’t say it would have a real negative response to someone having been that way towards me as a whole, but sometimes, like I said, sometimes I was the one I’d say probably the scapegoat, the one pointed to as a troublemaker, so I think that was a negative attitude that they had towards me for some reason.
Q: Now is there any other school experience that you had, that you’d like to tell us about? Maybe it was going to school, or walking to school, or walking home from school, or at school?
A: I can’t say, although, we did have little confrontations at different times going to and from school. Sometimes one group would get angry with the other and you’d had to lay the books down and fight a little bit before we got home or what have you. But all that, I guess, was growing up at that time.
Q: And the next day everything was well?
A: Yeah, everything was fine. We didn’t speak of it no more after that.
Q: Now is there any other childhood memories that you have that didn’t have anything to do with school that you’d like to tell us about?
A: I don’t know, I remember when we left Bridger School and started at Isle of Wight Training, I used to hate to have to listen to the principal come over the PA system every evening at about 2:30, calling the names: “Preston, Lesley, Henderson, and Sherman get your books and come to the office your father was waiting for you” to take you home--to go to work.
Q: I know you will always remember that.
A: Yeah, like clockwork. Long time wouldn’t come, it was rain. Prayed for rain once in awhile.
Q: Can you, I know you don’t live in the county anymore, but during your jobs and after attending school in Isle of Wight County, doing your job, and now you said you retired, can you recall some changes, do you see a lot of changes in the county that wasn’t there when you went to school?
A: Oh yeah, there’s quite a few changes that have been made because all the schools have been updated, maybe two or three times since I left school…and they have better schools now, much better than what we had when we was coming along.
Q: So, could you give me a brief highlight of your school from Bridger School to Isle of Wight Training to your job to retirement?
A: Oh, I’d say that I had a pretty interesting school life from my first grade through fourth and then we went to Isle of Wight Training School and stayed there for another four years, which I think was a pretty positive step in my life, and afterwards I left school and started to work. My first employment was at Gwaltney Meat Plant, I stayed there for about five years, and then at such time, I was called to go into service. Went in service, stayed for a year and a half, and during that year and a half I had a couple operations on my eyes ‘cause of retina detachment and that was the reason why I came out in the year and a half. Then from there I went back to the plant and I stayed another five years…and from that point, I left the plant, and about nine months construction, working on roads and stuff. After which, I started to work at the Shipyard over in Newport News called Horne Brothers. Stayed at Horn Brothers for about twelve years. From Horne Brothers I went to another little yard down on the end of Jefferson Avenue which was called M & W; I stayed there about two years and at which time I left and went to a subcontractor named Main Industries, which I stayed for about seven years. Left Main, went to another subcontractor which was named Jim Industries, stayed at Jim Industries about five years and then I returned to Main Industries for the remaining of the time that I worked, up until about a couple of months ago when I finally decided to retire.
Q: Well great. That’s very interesting and if there’s anything else you’d like to tell me before we end this interview, ‘cause I’ve enjoyed it.
A: I can’t say I can think of anything right now.
Q: Well what would you say to the young people of today?
A: Well I think that, so far as what school was like when I was coming along and what they have today; they have a silver platter and don’t realize it. They need to take advantage of it and use it to the fullest extent.
Q: Well Mr. Robinson, we have enjoyed your interview and I really thank you so much for this interview.
A: You’re certainly welcome.
Q: So now you’re part of history in the county, thank you very much.
A: You’re welcome.