With children returning to school this week after six weeks of summer holidays, the Isle of Man Examiner asked the public if they had any vivid memories of their school days and what they enjoyed most about their time in education.

Megan Smart and Scott Hoy both said they’d go back to school in a heartbeat if they could.

Megan, from Peel, said: ‘I miss being social and seeing my friends every day, and easily being able to catch up at lunch time’.

When asked about her favourite school dinner, she said: ‘They used to do chips every day but they stopped that and only did them on a Friday, but I’d have chips, cheese and gravy every day’.

Scott, from Douglas, said the thing he misses most about his time as a pupil is ‘not having to pay bills!’

He added: ‘Life was really easy in school, getting to see the same friends every day, you sort of drift away from them when you leave school and you all think you’re going to be friends forever and you’re not.

‘I liked to test the patience at school, but I wasn’t too bad’.

Connan Kermeen and Blake Henwood have both finished compulsory education and are going down different paths.

Connan, from Foxdale, said: ‘I’m staying on for sixth form, the best bit about school is meeting up with my friends and doing lessons with them, and just having fun.

‘I’m going to study PE and art [in sixth form] and I’m looking forward to it’.

Blake, from Douglas, said: ‘I won’t really miss school, it was alright, and I’ll miss my friends but that’s about it really.

‘I’m going to play football away with Lincoln City FC, and I have to do a sports course alongside it. I’m excited for it’.

Denise and Mark Thorsby, from Douglas, met at a school in Nottingham, and both felt what they learnt as a student has helped them through their working lives.

Denise said: ‘Yes I do miss school, I think the biggest thing I miss is the friends.

‘Things like Latin I enjoyed, but history I didn’t.

‘I definitely don’t think I appreciated school at the time.

‘It was very strict. It’s not like nowadays where the kids can run riot.’

Mark said: ‘I miss the sport, I used to love doing the games which you don’t get to do when you work.

‘I took it [school] for granted I think, it’s only when you get a bit older do you think back, 13 weeks of school holidays a year, I wouldn’t mind that now.’

When asked about school dinners, Mark said: ‘I enjoyed them, they were good, I would go up for seconds whenever I could’.

Denise added: ‘The dinners were more set back then and you got what you were given, you didn’t really have a choice, which is not like now’.

David and Marie Thornhill, from Port Erin, said their time at school was great and they loved it.

They were both educated in Manchester and have now been married for 50 years.

David said: ‘The people, the teachers, everything was great. I definitely took it for granted.

‘I loved the school dinners, I think I was the only person in Britain who used to like the school custard.’

Marie said: ‘I loved school because I loved sports, they had all sorts to do.

‘Discipline as well – you knew how far you could go and you knew where you stood. We even had the cane, which I know isn’t allowed these days. I just loved it really.’