Hertford Memories - The Book

[Fjgrogan]

Angela - Hazel's book is in the post on its way to you. However, my husband returned from the post office with the news that he had sent it second class, so goodness knows when it will arrive. Enjoy!

[chaosriddenyears]

OK - I have before me the original cast list for 'Arsenic and Old Lace'. Sadly it has faded with passing of time and wasn't that well produced in the first place so I cannot read all of the surnames so you may need to extemporise, but here goes;
Abby Brewster - Robin Engelheart
Rev Dr Harper - Charlotte (Pratt?)
Teddy Brewster - Charlotte Lycett
Officer Brophy - Hilary Jones
Officer Klein - Maureen Connor
Martha Brewster - Jenny ?
Elaine Harper - Pauline (Gothard?)
Mortimer Brewster - Lynn Ford
Mr Gibbs - Caroline ?
Jonathan Brewster - Kim Langdon
Dr Einstein - M****** Day (I know who I am of course!)
Officer O'Hara - Juliet Szondi
Lieutenant Rooney - Melanie Newbury
Mr Witherspoon - Helen McNair-Smith
Produced, directed and screamed at by Esther (Polenezer), props costumes & moral support - Sally Ashenden, lights - Leda Trotman.

Ha! You have been discovered, Eighttwelve!
I can fill in a few things - Jenny Moss for one.
Elaine was Pauline Gaved.

I think the chaos was also caused because one of the aunts fell ill and Helen McNair-Smith jumped in and saved the production by learning a major role in two days - only the end of the play was not quite as it was written....

What happened to Sally Ash? I know she went into nursing because I met her a few times in London - at Bart's and then Hackney Hospital. And Esther? She had a bad accident and I visited her in the Royal Free I think. I know she recovered ok but I lost sight of her when I left London.

[fra828]

Hi eighttwelve from another 8's from round about your era! I left CH under a cloud in 1973.

[J.R.]

Hi eighttwelve from another 8's from round about your era! I left CH under a cloud in 1973.

Please do elaborate !

[englishangel]

I think she already has, elsewhere.

[J.R.]

Oh, the suspense.

On the other hand, I haven't got time to go searching.

[Eighhttwelve]

Hi fra828 - yes, you were definitely my era as you were my house mother when I arrived in 1971 with Jane, Sarah, Shirley, Kay, Debbie and Helen to join Fliss. I remember you being very kind as you settled me in - I must have looked like a rabbit in the headlights but you certainly made the whole process as stressless as it could be. I 've been scratching my head trying to remember who else was in your year but I'm really struggling even though I can remember quite a few from the years above and below. Perhaps Gaye and Rosemary were your contemporaries? It's amazing how some stuff is seared in one's brain, and other things have just vanished into the ether.

[fra828]

Hi fra828 - yes, you were definitely my era as you were my house mother when I arrived in 1971 with Jane, Sarah, Shirley, Kay, Debbie and Helen to join Fliss. I remember you being very kind as you settled me in - I must have looked like a rabbit in the headlights but you certainly made the whole process as stressless as it could be. I 've been scratching my head trying to remember who else was in your year but I'm really struggling even though I can remember quite a few from the years above and below. Perhaps Gaye and Rosemary were your contemporaries? It's amazing how some stuff is seared in one's brain, and other things have just vanished into the ether.

8:12- Hi again, good to catch up with you after all these years! Thank you for saying nice things ! I remember you seemed to settle in really well, and were far happier on your first night than I had been 4 years earlier! In my year in 8's there were Ann, Kathy, Sue and Sharon.

[fra828]

[quote="J.R."


Please do elaborate ! [/quote]

It's not that exciting I'm afraid! See 'pupil/teacher memories' thread -'they were sweet and meant well'(subthread).

[Angela Woodford]

Angela - Hazel's book is in the post on its way to you. However, my husband returned from the post office with the news that he had sent it second class, so goodness knows when it will arrive. Enjoy!

The book has arrived, Frances! Many thanks. I see why you are anxious for its welfare. I am taking very great care!

XXX

[Eighhttwelve]

Of course! As soon as I read the names I instantly remembered their surnames - memory is a very weird thing.

Hi fra828 - yes, you were definitely my era as you were my house mother when I arrived in 1971 with Jane, Sarah, Shirley, Kay, Debbie and Helen to join Fliss. I remember you being very kind as you settled me in - I must have looked like a rabbit in the headlights but you certainly made the whole process as stressless as it could be. I 've been scratching my head trying to remember who else was in your year but I'm really struggling even though I can remember quite a few from the years above and below. Perhaps Gaye and Rosemary were your contemporaries? It's amazing how some stuff is seared in one's brain, and other things have just vanished into the ether.

8:12- Hi again, good to catch up with you after all these years! Thank you for saying nice things ! I remember you seemed to settle in really well, and were far happier on your first night than I had been 4 years earlier! In my year in 8's there were Ann, Kathy, Sue and Sharon.

[fra828]

[quote="Eighhttwelve"]Of course! As soon as I read the names I instantly remembered their surnames - memory is a very weird thing.


[quote="fra828"][quote="Eighhttwelve"]Hi fra828 - yes, you were definitely my era as you were my house mother when I arrived in 1971 with Jane, Sarah, Shirley, Kay, Debbie and Helen to join Fliss.

Likewise, I can remember the surnames of those you started with, except for Debbie? and Kay?

[fra828]

[quote="Jo"]Funnily enough Nina Jones (Pam's sister) and I were having an email exchange about breakfasts a few months ago as she was compiling a nostalgic album for someone. Between us we came up with the following. It was always cereal and then something cooked - can't remember all the cereals but I think we got the cooked right:

Monday – Cornflakes?? & eggs - boiled on Monday and scrambled on Wednesday one week, then reversed the following week.
Tuesday - porridge in winter, and bacon & fried bread
Wed - eggs, see above
Thursday - Shreddies?. Sausages & fried bread
Friday – Bacon & fried bread
Saturday – Fish fingers or smoked haddock.
Sunday - Rice krispies, possibly occasionally shredded wheat. Later on we got muesli. Then either nasty green ham, or occasionally spam. And bread.

Which does leave Weetabix - we probably had that one weekday but I can't remember which. Maybe Tuesdays in summer?[/quote

I was wandering around Sainsburys this morning and came across the fishcakes in the freezer cabinet, and was transported back to CH breakfast -possibly some saturdays- or was it tea when we had not very nice fishcakes and tinned tomatoes?

[Eighhttwelve]

Likewise, I can remember the surnames of those you started with, except for Debbie? and Kay?[/quote][/quote][/quote]

They were Taylor and Larsen respectively. Kay was really bright, excellent at sports and a terrific pianist but she left at the end of the third year. She had a brother at Horsham who was older than us; he was a mace chucker (apologies, I'm not sure of the correct technical term) in the band.

I've just read Jo's message on this thread about breakfasts and immediatley thought of weetabix with butter spread on them - how we could have thought that was delectable I do not know but then we ate fried bread spread with marmalade as well so our taste buds must have been severely warped.

[Fjgrogan]

Drum major would be the term you were looking for!