TAKE a close look at this 80-year-old school photograph and see if you can find a smile.

Most people say that school days are the best of your life - but there doesn't seem much evidence of it here!

Even Olive Dunn, now a hearty 86 years old, who sent it in to Looking Back, commented: "There doesn't seem as though there was a lot to smile about in those days!"

The photograph dates back to 1927 and shows pupils from The Ranters', the old nickname for the Methodist school, which could be found in Oxford Street opposite st Matthews C of E School.

It was taken of the children who had a sister or brother also attending lessons there at the same time.

Olive is the cherubic youngster third from the right, on the back row, standing next to her late sister Mary.

The head teacher at the time was Miss Ord, who is on the right and is remembered by Olive as a very strict disciplinarian.

"One boy once said something naughty and we were all made to watch her scrubbing his mouth out with soap," recalled Olive.

The Ranter closed down in the early 30s, joining forces with Audley Range, to become Audley Council School.

But she remembers it was later used to teach school-leaving youths a trade, such as joinery, keeping them out of trouble till they found work.

"It was nicknamed the dole school, because if they refused to attend, they didn't get any money when they went to draw their unemployment benefit."

Olive knows only two people on the photograph, Joe Kenyon and Frank Ainsworth, who are standing in front of her and Mary.

Do you recognise anyone else?