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Re: Saluting
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 10:06 am
by loringa
sejintenej wrote:I certainly would have had a problem in referring to a female as "Sir" and would probably have failed utterly; madam or ma'am would have been it. Indeed I woult have (and do still) consider it an improper instruction; imagine a host / horde / whatever plural of OBs greeting some unfortunate woman in the street referring to her as sir out of habit!
I was never taught by Ma Massen but ISTR some female did say that to avoid complications she would accept "Sir" but I can't remember her being taken up on it. Matron was always "ma'am" and the maids "miss"
I remember one boy addressing Mrs Peto as 'Miss' and being told politely but firmly that it was Mrs Peto or Ma'am. Even as a 12-year old I would have found it very strange to have been asked to address any female as Sir though I've frequently heard female officers addressed erroneously as Sir invariably followed by an embarrassed apology and a correction. In my times Matrons were always Matron and masters' wives were addressed by their titles, Mrs Dawe, Mrs Waller or whoever.
Re: Saluting
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:58 pm
by DavidRawlins
In 1946 all female teachers were addressed as Sir. I never thought much about it.
Re: Saluting
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 2:06 pm
by J.R.
DavidRawlins wrote:In 1946 all female teachers were addressed as Sir. I never thought much about it.
I'm tempted to ask the obvious question David, but p'raps not !
Re: Saluting
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 3:45 pm
by Kit Bartlett
When I joined the Prep in 1941 the maids were always addressed by their Christian names, Prep A 's was called Marjorie and Prep "B" 's Blanche. There was one in I think Peele called Aggie. Part of their duties I remember was to inspect Housie Coats for cleanliness When did the Maids disappear I wonder? Did they live in or were they local to the area ? The House Matrons were always addressed as such by all and sundry including the Masters.
Re: Saluting
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:44 pm
by LongGone
As far as I remember the maids in the 50s were from Spain?/Italy?/Portugal? and the primary requirement seemed to be that they spoke no English.
Re: Saluting
Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 7:46 am
by sejintenej
LongGone wrote:As far as I remember the maids in the 50s were from Spain?/Italy?/Portugal? and the primary requirement seemed to be that they spoke no English.
In my time they had rooms in the back of the kitchens. The ones I knew were Italian but had some English.
Re: Saluting
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 1:54 pm
by J.R.
sejintenej wrote:LongGone wrote:As far as I remember the maids in the 50s were from Spain?/Italy?/Portugal? and the primary requirement seemed to be that they spoke no English.
In my time they had rooms in the back of the kitchens. The ones I knew were Italian but had some English.
Quite so, David.
....and if memory serves there was only ONE really attractive one....
....but that's another story !
Re: Saluting
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 2:52 pm
by sejintenej
J.R. wrote:sejintenej wrote:LongGone wrote:As far as I remember the maids in the 50s were from Spain?/Italy?/Portugal? and the primary requirement seemed to be that they spoke no English.
In my time they had rooms in the back of the kitchens. The ones I knew were Italian but had some English.
Quite so, David.
....and if memory serves there was only ONE really attractive one....
....but that's another story !
my lips are sealed (makes sign of zipping them up)
Re: Saluting
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 3:04 pm
by J.R.
I seem to remember a button Grecian involved and a/the certain maid leaving CH rather hastily !
Re: Saluting
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 11:29 am
by postwarblue
Are you sure JR that that wasn't in Col B ca.1950, a few years before your time? It seems to relate to something I was told at an OB Day several years back. I was in UF when the chap left but have no recollection of knowing about it at the time.
One of my contemporaries did I believe date one of the maids who served on the dais but I don't think he ever got found out.
Re: Saluting
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 11:41 am
by michael scuffil
My friend and near contemporary Wyn Parry and a young science master at the time, the late John Osbourne, together dated a couple of Norwegian kitchen maids (both au pairs who'd come specifically to improve their English, and both named Karen), and both married their respective Karen. Wyn is still married to his, and John Osbourne remained married to his until he died.
Bryan McGee in his book reports a fairly steamy affair (this was about 17 years earlier) with a nurse who seduced him while he was in the sicker.
Re: Saluting
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 4:33 pm
by J.R.
postwarblue wrote:Are you sure JR that that wasn't in Col B ca.1950, a few years before your time? It seems to relate to something I was told at an OB Day several years back. I was in UF when the chap left but have no recollection of knowing about it at the time.
One of my contemporaries did I believe date one of the maids who served on the dais but I don't think he ever got found out.
It was probably around my second year in Coleridge B, so the person in question would not have mixed in my social clique.
The Grecian in question wasn't from my house. Memory fades after so many years but I think it was alleged he came from down in the Peele area.
She disappeared overnight, and for some strange reason he didn't. Bearing in mind C.M.E.S. was Head at the time, maybe he was a classics Grecian ??
Re: Saluting
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 7:46 pm
by jhopgood
There were two Spanish maids in Barnes in 1965- 66, Maria and I believe, Anita.
A certain clarinet playing tennis player from Lamb used to court them on Big Side during the summer. They would meet behind the Band room and wander across to the large tree in the middle of Big Side,making no attempt to keep their tryst secret.
Re: Saluting
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:27 am
by time please
Hi Sejintenej!
With a name like that I presume you may at some time lived in Sweden?
Re: Saluting
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 6:33 pm
by sejintenej
time please wrote:Hi Sejintenej!
With a name like that I presume you may at some time lived in Sweden?
Nej, i Norge
But at least you recognised the language or tune.
Having a fairly common set of names I had a problem trying to create a unique email address. After days of frustration I went back to the first 45 (music record) I ever bought which, at the time, was top of the hit parade.