This is the first Log entry, showing that the school opened on 12 January 1920 at 9am with 210 pupils. The Head doesn't declare who he is, or where the school is - but of course we know that it's Mr. W. Field and it's at Scarbrook Road.

Note that there is no entry in the Log until a month later - when the first staff illness is recorded. Mr. Field was very innovative, and introduced School Dinners to the world.

This entry, on page 4 of the Log, shows that on 12 September 1920 he erected a hut in the playground and for 1/- (5p) began serving dinner of meat, two veg and a pudding.

Although cheap by modern standards, it seems a phenomenal amount of money in 1920 - and indeed it was, as the following page shows.

He managed to reduce the cost from 12d to 10d - and you clearly got a 2d discount if you paid for 5. He also had the 6d budget meal of pea soup with a "small quantity" of meat and bread (and a pudding).

How did he do this? - the minutes of the Education Committee meeting some 22 weeks later reveals more. He used the boys to cook - in exchange for free meals - and the masters to serve and supervise. He had also managed to reduce the cost to 9d - and was recycling the profits to the benefit of the school.

According to the National Statistics Office (August 2003), the price of a 4lb loaf of bread in the 1920s was 10d - 4p. This indicates the relative value of the School meal.

These minutes also show that numbers had risen to 280 - and that there were 10 vacancies.