Miss Von Stetten

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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midget
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

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More power to your elbow, or wherever your sense of humour resides!
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

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midget wrote:More power to your elbow, or wherever your sense of humour resides!
Best used to raise a tankard. :drinkers:
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

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jhopgood wrote:
midget wrote:More power to your elbow, or wherever your sense of humour resides!
Best used to raise a tankard. :drinkers:

You know me too well, JH, but then we ARE of the same CH generation ! :drinkers: :rock: :wine:
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

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Nutto taught me German about which I was initially enthusiatsic, sadly not for long I was never a linguist; how ever when I had an emergency op because of my appendix I received a present from her, of a small Steiff rabbit - anyone who watches the Antiques Road Show will know that was a very generaous gift which I still have.
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

Post by Angela Woodford »

I have written before about my deep sympathy for Miss von Stetten.

Think about how lonely and scorned she must have felt. The gift of a Steiff rabbit for Annabelle makes me think even more what a kind woman she must have been. So terrible that nobody appreciated her.

These days I really wish I'd learned some German. Useful! But not for those DR days in which (stupidly) 'A' forms did Latin and 'B' forms did German.
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

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Angela Woodford wrote: produce any such candidates

These days I really wish I'd learned some German. Useful! But not for those DR days in which (stupidly) 'A' forms did Latin and 'B' forms did German.
In my day I think that was because O-level Latin was mandatory for University entrance. It was apparently assumed that B forms wouldn't produce any such candidates. (Ironically I started in a B form but did Latin, & was moved up to an A form in the Upper IVth.)
I believe the Latin condition was dropped by Universities in the 1960s.
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

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anniexf wrote:I believe the Latin condition was dropped by Universities in the 1960s.
I think my year (1966 entrance) may have been the first when some Oxford entrants did not need an ancient language O level. I still needed two languages, but as I had Maths or Science A levels both my languages could be modern. One of my contemporaries had failed Maths O level, but had passed Biology, she was fine to apply for English, as she had her Latin and French O levels.
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

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I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to do both Latin and German, though I never shone in the latter (and rather wish I'd gone on to do A Level Latin instead of German with my French and History). There was a successful experiment with the year above mine, which was subsequently continued, which allowed those who weren't already doing German to give up Geography midway through the 4th year and do German O Level in 18 months. It suited me very well as I wasn't terribly interested in Geography, despite Miss Wilson's best efforts, and was keen to learn some German.
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

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Jo, do you remember incredibly clever Eileen Downing, who was in my year? Eileen, taught from the cradle by a linguist father (I think?) romped through German 'O' and 'A' levels just because she could, although she was our form Latin Star.

ISTR that Eileen was expected by DR and Queenie to read Classics at "the University" but insisted on reading Modern Languages. MaryB, if you're there, do you remember this? I'm sure I remember feeling pleased that dear Nutto was there advising and involved in the development of a brilliant pupil.
"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: Miss Von Stetten

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Yes, Eileen was in 3s. She and Mervion Hunt arrived the year after us, both from South London (Eileen lived very near King's College Hospital and may well have gone to Macaulay Cof E Primary in Clapham - along with Carolyn, or am I dreaming that?). Her father was indeed a linguist and her mother was German, so she was bilingual. I think there was a move to get her to take up Greek in the UVth and do A level in 3 years, which was the way you got to do Classics-you had to promise that you would do Oxford and Cambridge Entrance. I can't remember why she didn't, but she kept on with Latin and did indeed read French and German at Oxford - she and I finished up at the same college but saw very little of each other. I last saw her about 20 years ago when she got onto a train I was on - at Denmark Hill as it happens as I was then living about a mile away from there. She was working for the BBC monitoring centre at Caversham but had been to visit her mother. A quick google suggests she may be back in Camberwell....
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

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Angela Woodford wrote:Jo, do you remember incredibly clever Eileen Downing, who was in my year? Eileen, taught from the cradle by a linguist father (I think?) romped through German 'O' and 'A' levels just because she could, although she was our form Latin Star.
A friend of my daughter was not good enough to get an A at A level Spanish; the girl is Spanish, spent half her life there and spoke Spanish at home. She was also employed as a Spanish Teacher by the local council whilst she was still at school.
One has to wonder at the marking system.
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

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MaryB wrote:Yes, Eileen was in 3s. She and Mervion Hunt arrived the year after us, both from South London (Eileen lived very near King's College Hospital and may well have gone to Macaulay Cof E Primary in Clapham - along with Carolyn, or am I dreaming that?). Her father was indeed a linguist and her mother was German, so she was bilingual. I think there was a move to get her to take up Greek in the UVth and do A level in 3 years, which was the way you got to do Classics-you had to promise that you would do Oxford and Cambridge Entrance. I can't remember why she didn't, but she kept on with Latin and did indeed read French and German at Oxford - she and I finished up at the same college but saw very little of each other. I last saw her about 20 years ago when she got onto a train I was on - at Denmark Hill as it happens as I was then living about a mile away from there. She was working for the BBC monitoring centre at Caversham but had been to visit her mother. A quick google suggests she may be back in Camberwell....
South London connections, Mary.... Mervion was at Richard Atkins Junior Girls, along with quite a few Old Girls - Carol Rayson, Sarah Titcombe, Caroline Barrett et moi. We had the most marvellous Headmistress, who was so proud that her girls won an LCC scholarship each year. I think Merv and Caroline were the last from Richard Atkins. Miss Morley must have retired! Then I remember sitting in church aged 11, and a woman leaning back over the pew to hiss at me "I know another girl who's going to Christ's Hospital - a friend of mine knows her mother - Eileen Downing - and she has very long plaits!" I looked out for Eileen, but she must have had the very long plaits cut before coming to CH.

I respected Eileen. I particularly admired the way that she uncomplainingly tolerated the things at school that plainly held no interest for her, such as music, needlework and sport. Every so often, I'd come across a bit of German I didn't understand, and I'd seek out Eileen, who would patiently translate for me, seeming not to mind being treated as a walking phrase book.

If you're reading this, Eileen, hello and thank you! :D
"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: Miss Von Stetten

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[quote="Angela Woodford"South London connections, Mary.... Mervion was at Richard Atkins Junior Girls, along with quite a few Old Girls - Carol Rayson, Sarah Titcombe, Caroline Barrett et moi. We had the most marvellous Headmistress, who was so proud that her girls won an LCC scholarship each year. [/quote]
A bit off subject but I looked up Richard Atkins and was surprised to see that my Junior school. Wyborne, was founded about the same time (1881) and still occupies the same buildings. We also had a Headmistress (Miss Browne), who was equally proud of those she got into CH (3 my year), one the previous year and a few others, all on LCC scholarships (my siblings amongst them).
I never discovered where she found out about CH.
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

Post by Kai »

Dear forum members,

I am doing some family research regarding Miss Nutto von Stetten.

As far as I know worked Miss Nutto as a German teacher in Britain already before and during WW II. Due to her german nationalship she had the obligation to report during war time to a local police station. In den late 1940s she became british citizen.

May I ask some questions you might be able to answer.

1. Were her first names "Friedel Luise"?
2. When did she begin to teach German at CH?
3. When did she finish/ retired from work at CH?
4. Does somebody know about her whereabout?
5. Did she school trips to (southern) Germany with German classes at CH?
6. Could somebody share a picture of her to me?

Kind regards,
Kai
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Re: Miss Von Stetten

Post by Mid A 15 »

Is this reference her?

https://www.peterlang.com/view/97836530 ... .00004.xml


Scroll down to Author's Preface.
Ma A, Mid A 65 -72
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