Page 89 - Through a glass brightly

From Ann at 17.06
Daphne's email has encouraged me to weigh in among those who were thankful for the chance to swim in the boys' school pool. Before my family moved to Barnet, I was, by chance, fortunate to live just along the road from the local public outdoor pool -and my secondary school also had an outside pool. Although neither a fast nor stylish swimmer, I was very keen on swimming and had been used to swimming several times a week (sometimes twice a day) for the summer (May to September, those days when I was much hardier....).
So I was most disappointed to find the relative dearth of pools in Barnet. (To me in those days East Barnet and Finchley pools without a car seemed relatively inaccessible). I was most impressed (and somewhat envious) that several in LVH had already passed their Royal Life Saving Society Bronze Medallion swimming exam. Some of those went on to the Bronze Cross and, impressively, Silver while I was catching up with the Bronze Medallion and (I think in the LVIth) Bronze Cross.
I remember one QEGGS swimming gala at the boys' pool- but cannot recall which year. I was thrilled to be selected for the form team relay -so it might even have been the LVth when, as a newcomer, I was particularly keen to fit in. But although at home in the water, I was not fast and crawl was not my best stroke-but I cared passionately about the team's effort. So when it came to my turn in the relay, I dived in and gave it all I had got. Unfortunately, in my enthusiasm I did not swim straight. So, when. in triumph I came to rest having reached the pool wall, I found that it was a side wall rather than an end wall. So I had to go on and swim to the right place at the end, so that our next team member could take over. Of course, by that point, there was no way we could win! Very humiliating; I felt a complete fool. However, as far as I can remember. no-one was unkind to me about it (at least to my face).
From Jenny at 19.13
Janet's appreciative response to the latest emails was very poignant and made me think that we are all getting different things from these communications. At the frivolous end we are having fun reminiscing about all sorts of entertaining things that happened in our school careers - some more outrageous than others. Sparking these memories may also be encouraging our ageing brains to remember other things and make connections (synapses?) which keep our little grey cells firing. We are also sharing some of the very clever videos and 'snippets' that people have posted in their attempts to lighten the lockdown for all and that has provided laughter which is surely the best medicine for whatever ails one.
At a deeper level it has given us opportunities to lose ourselves and escape from the tedium of self-isolation (particularly for those of us who already live alone). I am reminded also that most of us have suffered some sort of loss or trauma in our lives. Of course we have all lost parents, but many of us have also lost partners, siblings, even children or suffered ill health and this bonding with people who have known us for years and shared so many of our formative years, gives us an opportunity to focus on the more positive aspects of our lives and maybe for a short time escape from the more mundane. Each time one of the new messages plops into my inbox I feel my mood lift - how about you?
Thanks, Janet, for your memories. Yes of course we all remember Miss Mayer - she was inspirational, not just an excellent teacher but 'stylish' and also very nice. In LVI (VIB4) you and I - and Daphne were lucky to have her as form mistress. She invited us to her flat in Finchley just before Christmas for a social evening and gave us the most delicious Belgian Chocolate Cake. That felt very grown up! Daphne, I remember your VI form Art - things outlined in black which I thought were very striking (what do examiners know?)
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