As a small child I was encouraged by my mother to recite poetry as my party piece whenever we had visitors.  I don't remember being shy about this.  I suppose I was a bit of a show-off.  My mother could remember lots of poems from her schooldays so I thought it quite a natural thing to do.   I can remember standing on a kitchen chair to do this when the ladies from the Girl Guides came at Christmas to bring us presents.  At school I was often chosen to say  a piece at at prayer time or at a concert.  But pride comes before a fall.  Mother and I were invited to tea with the ladies from the Guides.  After tea we were invited in to the study to meet their Father, a somewhat formidable gentleman called the Reverend Archibald Fleming.  I duly said my poem.  He then asked me what I liked best at school.  I said "Spelling  "Oh" he said.  "Spell study".  To my shame I could not.  I had never heard the word.  Nobody I knew had a study.  When it was explained to me afterwards I didn't know people had special rooms for reading and writing.  An early lesson in the difference between the classes!