I was nine years old when my parents asked me how I would feel if I went to boarding school. Now up until then I went to a Junior school just across the road from where we lived and my sister was in the Infants at the same school. I was a very shy quiet child and didn't particularly like going to school. I usually sat at the back of the class and in those days the classes were large and I don't remember anyone else being in the class room other than the teacher. There were no such people as teaching assistants then not even in the Infants, at least I don't think there were. I very rarely put my hand up to ask or answer questions as I didn't have any confidence and my marks were not brilliant.
Apparently my Uncle Jack (not a real uncle, just a friend of the family) thought I would do better at a smaller school and he would pay for me to go, to which my parents agreed. I thought it sounded really exciting just like some of the books I enjoyed reading. I don't think I thought much about leaving home and missing the family to begin with, it just sounded like a great adventure to me. My Mum and I had to go to London to buy the uniform, we had a list of exactly what was needed including 3 liberty bodices to keep me warm in the winter. They were like a fancy vest and a bit old fashioned even then. I didn't wear them for long!! As far as I can remember the uniform was a brown tweed skirt with a lighter brown jersey and cardigan for winter and a dress for summer but I can't remember what colour that was, probably brown as well. We also could take 3 dresses to wear after school, one of them was a red tartan, I remember.
The school was St Nicholas School for Girls in Hemel Hempstead,about an hour or so from where we lived then, in Harlow. It was a very small school and the headmistresses name was Miss Clegg. I don't remember anything much about her except she was kind and fair. I wish I could remember some names of friends I made there but I don't but I know my time there was good. I did well in the smaller classes and enjoyed all the other things we did. I remember a large garden with a huge tree and we played some great games there. In the summer we had picnics under that tree.
I was a weekly boarder there and was allowed home at weekends which meant I had to travel home on a bus on my own. I think to begin with someone would have come to fetch me but I do remember travelling on my own as well. I had four years at this small school and I am sure this helped to shape who I am today as from then on my confidence began to grow and my marks at school got better as well.
Monday, 18 August 2014
Summer 1966
It is so strange how a song can come into your head and that can trigger memories.
This morning I suddenly started humming 'Strangers in the Night' and that instantly transported me back many years to the summer of 1966. I was on a river cruise with my Uncle Jack, he had a travel agency and I was very lucky to be taken to many fascinating places with him. That summer we were travelling along the Rhine and the Moselle. I can remember seeing some fairytale castles, going to an Opera and meeting some BOYS. I was at a very impressionable age, turning 16 that year and reminded that I could soon be 'sweet 16 and never been kissed'.
The song 'Strangers in the Night' memory was during the second week while travelling down the Rhine. There was some sort of party on board the boat as far as I can remember and music was being played. There must have been a small dance floor and I was sat just wishing someone would ask me to dance. Uncle Jack never danced and anyway he was old and didn't like the 'new' music. There was a young German lad I had been eyeing up but never thought he would look at me. So I sat and watched other people dancing while I sipped my cool drink. Then 'Strangers in the Night' was being played and before I could start singing along to it a tall young man was standing next to me and asking my Uncle if he could dance with me. Well before anything else was said I was on my feet and walking to the dance floor, with my good looking young German in tow. As it was a slow dance I suppose we danced fairly close, rather forward for a first dance. Thinking back to that time I am rather surprised at myself because I was rather a shy teenager but I suppose I was just so excited that someone had asked me to dance. I am sure I had a lovely evening after that and I think I danced quite a few times. It would be great if I could remember his name and said that I kept in touch with him but I didn't. In those days it wasn't so easy, if we would have had mobile phones and Facebook back then I suppose we might have stayed in touch but it wasn't to be. I don't think we even swapped addresses because I don't remember ever hearing from him. I wonder what his name was!!
This morning I suddenly started humming 'Strangers in the Night' and that instantly transported me back many years to the summer of 1966. I was on a river cruise with my Uncle Jack, he had a travel agency and I was very lucky to be taken to many fascinating places with him. That summer we were travelling along the Rhine and the Moselle. I can remember seeing some fairytale castles, going to an Opera and meeting some BOYS. I was at a very impressionable age, turning 16 that year and reminded that I could soon be 'sweet 16 and never been kissed'.
The song 'Strangers in the Night' memory was during the second week while travelling down the Rhine. There was some sort of party on board the boat as far as I can remember and music was being played. There must have been a small dance floor and I was sat just wishing someone would ask me to dance. Uncle Jack never danced and anyway he was old and didn't like the 'new' music. There was a young German lad I had been eyeing up but never thought he would look at me. So I sat and watched other people dancing while I sipped my cool drink. Then 'Strangers in the Night' was being played and before I could start singing along to it a tall young man was standing next to me and asking my Uncle if he could dance with me. Well before anything else was said I was on my feet and walking to the dance floor, with my good looking young German in tow. As it was a slow dance I suppose we danced fairly close, rather forward for a first dance. Thinking back to that time I am rather surprised at myself because I was rather a shy teenager but I suppose I was just so excited that someone had asked me to dance. I am sure I had a lovely evening after that and I think I danced quite a few times. It would be great if I could remember his name and said that I kept in touch with him but I didn't. In those days it wasn't so easy, if we would have had mobile phones and Facebook back then I suppose we might have stayed in touch but it wasn't to be. I don't think we even swapped addresses because I don't remember ever hearing from him. I wonder what his name was!!
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