Dorothy Ruth West : RIP

[Vonny]

Shoes? Basement of the Science Block?

In my day the basement was used for printing. I recall opting to do printing as an extra "lesson" with Mrs/Miss Dawson the art teacher down there.

[englishangel]

Oh yes, shoes in the basement of the science block, below the geography room.

Caroline, I think you commented in another thread that you got bad vibes from the science block.

I remember the Guide room, though I was not a Guide.

The fiction library was accessed from the playground right in the middle of the old building (is it not listed now?) I think it was only when we got new uniforms that we went to 9's. Like when the blue Sunday sacks and the cherry reds came in, so Katharine would have gone there when the coatdresses were replaced by the grey pinafores.

I think that probably we were measured up there so the correct sizes were ordered of new uniforms.

Regular uniform WAS issued in the laundry room of the individual house as there was usually a second hand selection.

BTW as this is the most active thread at present, I don't know if anyone else has noticed that Mary Mc registered on Friends Reunited just before Christmas?


I have emailed her and invited her to join our merry band, or do you think that will put her off?

[Katharine]

Oh yes, shoes in the basement of the science block, below the geography room.

NO, No, No not in my time - the shoes came from a place behind the science block, from a little man. It was behind the other lot of piano cells.

I think it was only when we got new uniforms that we went to 9's. Like when the blue Sunday sacks and the cherry reds came in, so Katharine would have gone there when the coatdresses were replaced by the grey pinafores.

I think that probably we were measured up there so the correct sizes were ordered of new uniforms.

Regular uniform WAS issued in the laundry room of the individual house as there was usually a second hand selection.

I don't remember going to 9s before grey pinafores came in, I may have done. I do remember, most embarrassingly, going to be assessed as I was too big for school bras. Those who remember Miss Richards can imagine the horror of the scene being measured and fitted by her. I need to go and lie down after the memory of that scene!!

[icomefromalanddownunder]

BTW as this is the most active thread at present, I don't know if anyone else has noticed that Mary Mc registered on Friends Reunited just before Christmas?


I have emailed her and invited her to join our merry band, or do you think that will put her off?

Oh, well done Mary! I haven't checked FR in ages, and my membership has expired so I guess I won't be permitted to email anyone via their site?

If Mary Mc doesn't join us here I could be persuaded to rejoin FR.

Fingers crossed

Love

Caroline

[icomefromalanddownunder]

I don't remember going to 9s before grey pinafores came in, I may have done. I do remember, most embarrassingly, going to be assessed as I was too big for school bras. Those who remember Miss Richards can imagine the horror of the scene being measured and fitted by her. I need to go and lie down after the memory of that scene!!

Sincere apologies Katharine, but I am laughing aloud as I type

I was condemned for having too long a wing span - does anyone have any idea why that was measured? Possibly just to humiliate those of us with simian tendencies?

Off to rub some balm into my grazed knuckles

Caroline

[Angela Woodford]

Oh Katharine

I do remember, most embarrassingly, going to be assessed as I was too big for school bras. Those who remember Miss Richards can imagine the horror of the scene being measured and fitted by her. I need to go and lie down after the memory of that scene!!

I initially shrieked with laughter on reading this!!! Then, imagining the horror of the scene, I shuddered. What a terrible thing... I'd like to try and use an Emoticon to express how you might have felt, but there cannot be an adequate one! Ooh...

Love and admiration

Munch

[englishangel]

Oh Katharine

I do remember, most embarrassingly, going to be assessed as I was too big for school bras. Those who remember Miss Richards can imagine the horror of the scene being measured and fitted by her. I need to go and lie down after the memory of that scene!!

I initially shrieked with laughter on reading this!!! Then, imagining the horror of the scene, I shuddered. What a terrible thing... I'd like to try and use an Emoticon to express how you might have felt, but there cannot be an adequate one! Ooh...

Love and admiration

Munch

How about this one?



ps, I had similar troubles but just brought my own from home after a couple of terms. Sent the school issued one to the laundry every week as a cover.

[Vonny]

So did you HAVE to wear school bras and knickers in those days?

[kerrensimmonds]

Ho Hum
In my day...
a) Shoes came from the little man in (?the Shack?) at the end of the Cloisters. A little room which smelt of leather and shoe stuff.. and to whom one had to go when one's shoes needed repair or replacement.

b) The Housemistress in 7's had a failsafe mechanism for dediding whether one needed a bra or not. One had to go to the Wardrobe Room, strip off to the waist, lean forward.. and if what one had to offer filled the Housemistress' hands (standing behind you and also leaning forward) then hey presto you were allowed one of those pink confections.

[Katharine]

So did you HAVE to wear school bras and knickers in those days?

In theory YES, obviously some like Mary didn't. I don't remember knowing about anyone in 6s who didn't wear school issue.

We were told it was something to do with the charity status, the same reason we had to take a spare set of some of the uniform home for the holiday. If the school provided everything, then CH qualified for the tax relief or whatever.

[Vonny]

So did you HAVE to wear school bras and knickers in those days?

In theory YES, obviously some like Mary didn't. I don't remember knowing about anyone in 6s who didn't wear school issue.

We were told it was something to do with the charity status, the same reason we had to take a spare set of some of the uniform home for the holiday. If the school provided everything, then CH qualified for the tax relief or whatever.

I think I must have been the only one who wore school knickers Needless to say by my second term I wasn't.

[Vonny]

b) The Housemistress in 7's had a failsafe mechanism for dediding whether one needed a bra or not. One had to go to the Wardrobe Room, strip off to the waist, lean forward.. and if what one had to offer filled the Housemistress' hands (standing behind you and also leaning forward) then hey presto you were allowed one of those pink confections.

[kerrensimmonds]

I was not in 7's. This is how it was reported to me at the time. For myelf (in 2's)things were more civilised and I seem to remember that the final decision on whether or not a bra was required was left to my mother. That is a different story! But I am glad tnat I was not in 7's at the time.

[Angela Woodford]

Thank you for the ideal emoticon, Mary! Most appropriate.

I am shrieking even more at the thought of the 7s Housemistress! Nowadays I am sure this would count as indecent assault!

The school bra was a sort of broderie anglaise cotton effort, I think by Berlei? Did you get issued with something nicer, Katharine? I'm sure that by 1970, most of us were wearing our own, hastily sharing a school bra in the case of being suddenly made to undress - yes, JR, this happened, as in "squizzing", weighing-and-measuring, or the dire day when DR made us strip off in Dining Hall after one Sunday lunch to swap our grey dresses around. (Too short!)

Look! I have stayed up past my bedtime!

Love, Munch

[icomefromalanddownunder]

Ho Hum
In my day...
b) The Housemistress in 7's had a failsafe mechanism for dediding whether one needed a bra or not. One had to go to the Wardrobe Room, strip off to the waist, lean forward.. and if what one had to offer filled the Housemistress' hands (standing behind you and also leaning forward) then hey presto you were allowed one of those pink confections.

Aaarrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Munch, Liz, Alex, Mary - can you imagine Pot doing that to us?????????????

I need so much more than a lie down after that thought.