Margaret Wilson, RIP

Share your memories and stories from the Hertford Christ's Hospital School, which closed in 1985, when the two schools integrated to the Horsham site....

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icomefromalanddownunder
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

Post by icomefromalanddownunder »

MaryB wrote: My elder son is at Durham, and when I drive him up or back he now braces himself every time we cross a Yorkshire river as I chant "the Swale, the Ure, the Nidd, the Wharfe, the Aire, the Calder" - but definitely not the Don.

Hmmmmmm

MaryMc doesn't remember the Don either. Perhaps it's a Mary thing, or perhaps I alone added the Don for a sort of rhythmical completion -Swale, Ure, Nidd, Wharfe, Aire, Calder .........................

for me it's like ending a scale on the seventh note. Which I remember a colleague using as a form of torture for an unpleasant neighbour - neighbour complained about colleague's clarinet practice, so colleague would repeat, but never complete, scale after scale.

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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

Post by Fjgrogan »

The version of Yorkshire rivers that I learned definitely included the Don - I wonder if the boundaries moved after my time (1956 - 62)? What I cannot now remember though are the stations on the Trans Siberian Railway, some of which made wonderful substitutes for swear words - Vladivostok, Verkhoyansk.
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Post by MaryB »

My friend whose son is currently at CH showed me his report last night. I was properly impressed by his stunning grades, but then truly moved by the discovery that his geography teacher was a Miss Wilson! I must ask him about her.......
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

Post by Angela Woodford »

It's just sprung into my mind - a Miss Wilson favourite -

"Popocatépetl! Popocatépetl! POPOCATEPETL!!!"

I don't know why, either. I can't remember studying Mexico with Miss Wilson!
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

Post by englishangel »

now that rings a bell
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

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KrrazzzzNOYAARRRSSKKKKK
Kerren Simmonds
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

Post by Eighhttwelve »

Vlaaadivostokkk! I was told off for swearing by Mrs McGregor (8's housemistress fleetingly in the 70's) when practising my Vladivostoks after a geography lesson.
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

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I remember learning the stations of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which included Valdivostok and Verkhoyansk - both brilliant substitutes for swearwords - also Omsk and Tomsk, now famous as Wombles, but cannot now remember the order of the TSR stations. I do however remember that a Mediterranean climate, normally found in the southwest of any continent, consists of 'warm wet westerly winds in winter and hot dry sunny summers', which I can attest to from my short time in Perth, Western Australia in 1966.
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

Post by kerrensimmonds »

Hello Frances
If you look at the composite obituary for Margaret Wilson, in the latest Old Blue, you will see that the Mediterranean climate (warm wet westerly winds in winter and hot dry sunny summers......) enables the growth of 'peaches and apricats'....
She must have ground out the same material, generation by generation! Bless her! It always seemed to work.
Although when I did mock O levels I (foolishly) took the advice of an older girl who said 'if in doubt, write about potatoes'. So I wrote a very scholarly exam answer about the potato industry in East Anglia (or East Angular, if you were Jade Goody). Ho Hum. That's the one place where, I subsequently understood, it's generally too wet for potatoes.
But I still passed at O level and went on to do Geography at A level.
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

Post by fra828 »

Rumour had it that no-one (taught by Miss Wilson) ever failed geography Olevel . Does anyone know if that's true ?!
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

Post by MKM »

fra828 wrote:Rumour had it that no-one (taught by Miss Wilson) ever failed geography Olevel . Does anyone know if that's true ?!
I passed (with an A) despite some very poor marks in school exams (I think I remember getting 39% once).

Miss Wilson's success was (IMHO) achieved by teaching us to a much higher standard than was necessary for O level, and terrorising us so that we spent a disproportionate amount of time on geography. Still, the results were remarkable, especially as everyone did geography O level.
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

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[quote="MKM
I passed (with an A) despite some very poor marks in school exams (I think I remember getting 39% once).

Miss Wilson's success was (IMHO) achieved by teaching us to a much higher standard than was necessary for O level, and terrorising us so that we spent a disproportionate amount of time on geography. Still, the results were remarkable, especially as everyone did geography O level.[/quote]

Never realised that about her teaching to a much higher standard than necessary for Olevel. It certainly worked though didn't it? But no wonder then, some of us found the school exams so hard-I got some poor marks too, and only really enjoyed geography in 5th form when we learnt about the British Isles. I suppose I could relate to it more; in fact I have been fascinated ever since- and love travel programmes on Britain.
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

Post by fra828 »

That's probably a lot to do with those geogo lessons of 35+ years ago! Even though I was in awe of her at the time, I must say I do owe thanks to (sadly departed) Miss Wilson.
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

Post by Angela Woodford »

This is probably just me, but I've just seen, on the box, the petite size, the bright-and-resolute face and the mannerisms of resigning MP Hazel Blears. She really does remind me of Miss Wilson.

Sorry, but... :roll:
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Re: Margaret Wilson, RIP

Post by J.R. »

Angela Woodford wrote:This is probably just me, but I've just seen, on the box, the petite size, the bright-and-resolute face and the mannerisms of resigning MP Hazel Blears. She really does remind me of Miss Wilson.

Sorry, but... :roll:
Was she a motor-biker as well, then :?:
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