Before the days of so-called ‘designer trainers’ and replica football team sports kit, there was no actual gym kit in many schools.

In the 1950s and ’60s, children simply removed their outer clothes and did Physical Education (PE) in their vests, knickers or underpants, in bare feet or wearing what we then called ‘daps’ (rubber-soled pumps usually purchased from Woolworths).

The PE in those days was mostly a carry-over from the style of physical training many teachers had endured in the Services or later, during National Service.

But there was an exception to this: Music and Movement was a radio programme introduced as a result of the establishment of the Schools Broadcasting Service in 1947.

Music and Movement was enjoyed at schools all over the country, with music playing and children interpreting the melodies in movement.

I can remember leaping around at Lewis Lane School, stretching and waving my arms in the air to commands such as “Now children, we are going to sway like trees in the wind”, and “Children, I’d like you to be like a flower-bud pushing up through the earth before opening your petals in the sunlight”.

The programme was presented by a lady called Marjorie Ele and it went out most mornings, except Mondays, when at 11am we had Singing Together with William Appleby. I’ll write more about singing at school later.

The Music and Movement activities fostered an interest for many of us in the other musical activity which was popular at the time, Country Dancing.

I don’t recall it being compulsory, but certainly a lot of pupils took part in it and, like me, remember it with fondness.

In fact, my interest later continued when I joined a local Morris Dancing Side.

One of the highlights of the school year was the annual Country Dancing Festival held either in the Market Place or, in later years, on the sports field at the Deer Park School.