Leavers' Bibles

[Angela Woodford]

Yes! I can remember posting cards into lockers. The locker doors weren't a very close fit. Otherwise the mice in them wouldn't have been able to have much fresh air in 1966....

Did confirmation candidates wear some sort of veil? I seem to remember that they went home after the service a day earlier than the rest of us - or was that just one year?

Munch

[Katharine]

Did confirmation candidates wear some sort of veil?

Yes we did wear a veil. My year 1962 was the last to wear linen veils. After us they wore a kind of net, we didn't think they looked as good! We wore the coatfrocks, again they looked far better than the grey pinafores.

I seem to remember that they went home after the service a day earlier than the rest of us - or was that just one year?

Not in my time - we had the whole day off before the service. In the evening there was the splendid music in chapel - I think parents were still there then. My mother wanted to come to chapel the following Sunday when I made my first communion - but I talked her out of it saying nobody else would have a mother there. Why was I so mean to deny her the pleasure? I must have been a horrible conformist then. I am not now!!!

[Angela Woodford]

Did confirmation candidates wear some sort of veil?

Yes we did wear a veil. My year 1962 was the last to wear linen veils. After us they wore a kind of net, we didn't think they looked as good! We wore the coatfrocks, again they looked far better than the grey pinafores.

Have seen pictures of the coatfrocks - how I agree with you - the nearest the girls ever came to an exclusive/special uniform. The grey dresses were a very dreary replacement!

Not in my time - we had the whole day off before the service. In the evening there was the splendid music in chapel - I think parents were still there then. My mother wanted to come to chapel the following Sunday when I made my first communion - but I talked her out of it saying nobody else would have a mother there. Why was I so mean to deny her the pleasure? I must have been a horrible conformist then. I am not now!!!

I can agree with how you might have felt in a way Katharine. If I had been confirmed and making my First Communion, I think it might have felt a very private individual moment and to have one's mother there - and the only mother too... hmm...

I'd forgotten about "Confirmation Music"!

Love, Munch

[cj]

I found my confirmation pictures recently. One taken with Miss Morrison looking very stern, and one with the Bishop of Somewhere who was called John Taylor. As a devoted Durannie, I had convinced myself that the bass player from that band who shared the same name was coming, only to find that he was engaged elsewhere that day. Obviously. We wore Winter Sunday uniforms, with net veils and it looks like it was very windy that day. My face is permanently covered with voile. One of my godmothers gave me the full set of Thomas Hardy novels for which I have been eternally grateful. One of the perks of being confirmed was that you got to go home a day early for the Easter holidays as the service took place the day before the end of term and (hopefully) your family would all come to be with you.

[Angela Woodford]

I found my confirmation pictures recently. One taken with Miss Morrison looking very stern, and one with the Bishop of Somewhere who was called John Taylor. As a devoted Durannie, I had convinced myself that the bass player from that band who shared the same name was coming, only to find that he was engaged elsewhere that day.

This is blissfully funny. It could have been wonderful being confirmed in faith by the bass player of Duran Duran. I'm sure he would have made a wonderful job of it. Whatever would Miss Morrison have said? What a disappointment when the fake one turned up!

Munch

[cj]

I found my confirmation pictures recently. One taken with Miss Morrison looking very stern, and one with the Bishop of Somewhere who was called John Taylor. As a devoted Durannie, I had convinced myself that the bass player from that band who shared the same name was coming, only to find that he was engaged elsewhere that day.

This is blissfully funny. It could have been wonderful being confirmed in faith by the bass player of Duran Duran. I'm sure he would have made a wonderful job of it. Whatever would Miss Morrison have said? What a disappointment when the fake one turned up!

Munch

It was a salutory lesson about one's expectations of life. I've never quite come to terms with the disappointment. I do think that some sort of warning ought to have been issued, given that the captive audience was a group of budding, pre-pubescent females. And the photos would have been a lot prettier if the other John Taylor had come!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VCD4rtcOgHE

[Euterpe13]

I also have all my confirmation cards, inserted in the appropriate place in my CH bible. Nostalgia obviously has nothing to do with faith.

I remember that my veil kept slipping during the confirmation service, and I was going cross-eyed watching the corner slip out of the corner of my eye - DR came trotting down the chapel to pin it back on again.... didn't miss a thing, did she ?

B.

[Vonny]

We wore Winter Sunday uniforms, with net veils and it looks like it was very windy that day. My face is permanently covered with voile. ................ One of the perks of being confirmed was that you got to go home a day early for the Easter holidays as the service took place the day before the end of term and (hopefully) your family would all come to be with you.

The only thing I remember about my confirmation in the early 80's (can't even remember which year it was ) was going home a day early! I've no recollection of wearing veils. I was given an egg cup as a confirmation present from Tanya Heasman who I had a crush on

[kerrensimmonds]

I don't think our Confirmation took place at the end of term (so I don't think I went home that day or the next), as I seem to recall it was on a Tuesday or Wednesday in mid-March. I remember Confirmation Music in Chapel that evening (I think I still have the programme), and I remember going to the Early Communion the following Sunday. I remember my parents and godparents being at my confirmation, and wearing a veil - and yes I seem to think I went out to lunch or something with them before the service. It's all in my Five Year diary - which I still have!
In my day it was the Bishop of St. Albans - except on my Confirmation card from DRW she wrote that it was the Bishop of Peterborough. She must have been distracted at the time of writing my card, because the Bp of Peterborough was some relation of hers.
One of my godparents gave me an antique gold cross and chain - we were allowed to wear such things on the day of our confirmation (yes, in coatfrocks) but had to take them off afterwards. My claim to fame is that I continued to wear that cross and chain for the remainder of my school days - suspended from the rings in my bra straps and thus concealed below the neckline of my blouse!

[Angela Woodford]

Very very devout of you, Kerren!

I'm amazed you got away with it! Such things were noticed so easily. Sarah T recounts that she was made to report to DR for having long fingernails. Mrs Winstone had spotted them! She says even DR was a bit nonplussed by being sent somebody with nice nails...

Miss Wilson, pacing the aisles of the Geography room instantly berated me for wearing some clear nail polish.

It was very clever of you to conceal an antique cross below your neckline.

But then I never got away with anything.

As it says in my Leavers' Bible, Deuteronomy 28:19

"Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out".

Munch

[englishangel]

Oh dear.

It must have been the late 60s then that Confirmation Day was made the day before the end of term so the confrmees(?) could go home a day early, because I remember it.

[Chris Blewett]

Come in very late on this one - did we ever find out when the bible changed?? JDS would be very disappointed in me - the Bible is out along with 5 others but no photo!! Someone mentioned demons - well I have plenty as any self-respecting Scorpio would have along with body armour thats yards thick - isnt it strange what little boys will do to one another!