I just heard tonight, Thursday May 2, about the 75th Anniversary and checked out the Web Site.

I am very sorry to miss the events but it is impossible for me to attend.

It got me thinking about the school and here are a few quick memories of a few of my days at Blythwood from 1946 when I started Kindergarten to 1955 in Grade 8.

• The whole school with each class planting the trees on the Strathgowan Avenue side of the school. Each class planted a tree, 9 in total as I recall. I don't remember the year.
• Each year to raise money, we would collect wooden fruit baskets door to door and bringing them to school where they were stacked up in a huge pile at the northwest corner of the building. They were then sold and picked up by what seemed like huge trucks. Probably the first recycling progamme in Toronto.
• Tony the Popcorn man. Every Tuesday and Thursday he would be at the northwesat corner of the school, Strathgowan Ave and Garland, selling his popcorn.
  He would push his cart all over the city, we would often see him at different locations. Popcorn - 5 cents.
• Playing hockey on the rink set up by the Parks Dept. people, and the little trailer with wood stove that the man stayed in who flooded the rinks.
• My dog Frusty, who frequently got into the school and would come to my class room. We lived on Starthgowan Avenue just west of the school so my dog was always in the school yard playing at recess and after school.
• Hearing the sound of the strap being applied by Principal Godbold to one of my friends. Interesting, he is the only Principal who's name I remember.
  My times have changed.
• Mr. Charles Winter Grade 5, as I recall the best teacher I had at Blythwood.
  Miss McQueen, Miss Parker, Miss Morgan, Miss May, they all seemed so old.
  Probably some even in their thirties.
• The furnace room - in the basement, it ran on coal which was deliver by truck. Always a great occasion if the truck came at recess and we could watch it unload.

There are hundreds of memories, but too many to list now.

I wish everyone success with the Anniversary.

Best wishes

Russell Smith