Page 48 - Through a glass brightly

I really think Mag and Val's dairy entries would provide good articles for the next newsletter - better than all the obituaries that it usually contains.
From Ruth at 17.37
Does anyone else remember lunch hours spent exploring the cellars in the main building at school? They were full of birds in glass cases. Very Victorian. I wonder what became of them.
Glad that Cary remembered those mice in the stables. That was great fun. We did explore – had the run of the place, really. Health and Safety didn’t spoil everything in our day, did it?
Fascinating to read about Miss Iliff’s skills with a lacrosse stick too. Hadn’t realised she had been so sporty in her youth. I believe her brother had been an actor. That name Iliff is Viking, apparently – as Michael Wood told us in a repeat of his programme about local history in Kibworth (part of The Great British Story series: A People’s History. It was repeated on BBC4 recently.)
Mrs Zabel was a striking and interesting figure, wasn’t she? She took a dislike to the orange colour of a casual top I wore at one of the rehearsals – possibly for ‘The Charcoal Burner’. “That’s my least favourite colour”, she said. Isn’t it strange what sticks in one’s mind? And who was that other teacher in the art department whose hair was tinted blue and who was killed one day cycling to mass. She was rather beautiful and we were all shocked at her sudden death.
So glad Val kept that excellent record of our school days. Thanks for sharing it, Val. Ever thought of turning it into a book? You could publish it online (expurgated as necessary, of course). My cousin has produced a great online tome of her Gelder family recollections. But she had a quite exciting life some of which was in America when her father was working as a foreign correspondent for the News Chronicle. My life hasn’t had quite her range or variety...
Hope you’re all enjoying the sunshine. That does make a difference, doesn’t it? I agree with Mags that Nature is making a comeback and recovering from our multiple depredations. Flying round the world and cruising the oceans will never be the same again, will they? Working from home will probably become more the norm...
We’re all getting into practice!
From Jenny at 18.53
Miss Rotherham was the other art teacher who was killed on her day off cycling to or from a church service I have been reliably informed.
Saturday, 25th April
From Pat at 10.21
I'm so enjoying all the memories, and marvelling not least at the various discrepancies, vagaries and selectiveness. It's a fascinating illustration of how memory and the subconscious operate so individually. Sometimes it's quite disappointing to have one's own recollections debunked by access to records! I do have a clear memory of being watched from afar by HM as we we played netball on the top courts, but nothing of any subsequent classroom visit. I remember when she walked with Miss Balaam down the central aisle of the Hall and we all curtsied as she passed like a Mexican wave. The James twins (definite crush-fodder there) presented her on stage with our gifts for Charles & Anne. I think there was a relief map or model of the school for Charles and 2 dolls for Anne, one in Tudor costume, one in our uniform. I seem to recall that our needlework class (with Miss Dixon) made some contribution to the latter, tho’
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