Extracts from School Magazines: 70 Years Ago
​​
Foreword to the 1954-55 issue of the School Magazine
​
My dear girls, past and present,
The new school remains one of our most absorbing interests. The plans, which are in being, give us some idea of our new home. The buildings will be of modern type, with an excellent hall, gymnasium and library. The setting is lovely and I hope you will walk along the new road into the playing fields and see it. We all find it difficult to exercise the virtue of patience but I can assure you that a great deal of detailed work is already being done. Meanwhile the school must go on working hard to as to keep up the level of attainment which is expected of it.
We have had to say goodbye with regret to a number of members of staff. Miss Blunt, to our
sorrow, had finally to give up her work and we offer her our sincere wishes for a good recovery. Miss Nordquist left us in the summer after four years, to start her well-earned retirement. Mrs Stacey also left us as she has moved out of the district. To all these three we owe a great debt for the unselfish and excellent work for us.
And I would like to add our gratitude to Miss R L Phillips for all the work she had done for the
Old Girls’ Section of the magazine. Miss Burchby has undertaken the work now, and we give
her our warm welcome. For reasons of finance the Old Girls Association is, in future, having
only two yearly meetings in December and July. We are very sorry to have to make this change,
but I know that old girls will realise what welcome guests they are, both on these two occasions
and whenever they can visit us.
Yours sincerely,
Katherine Vashon-Baker
​
​
Cautionary Tale Anne Clibbon (MV 19, PLantagenet)
​
This is the tale of Susie Hooks
Who would insist on eating books!
In dinner she was never seen
To eat good cabbage, raw and green,
Into that room, instead, she took
A nice and tasty English book!
One day, a teacher coming round
Raised her eyes from off the ground,
And looking hard on Susie’s plate
Saw : y + 3 makes x + 8!
She rubbed her eyes and looked again
Now y + 3 makes x + 10!
She fixed poor Susie with a glance,
”Answer this, girl, if you dare –
Why are you learning Maths in here?
To the Head you’ll go, I fear.”
“But please, my book is here to eat,”
Replied the girl with flustered heat.
But Susie to the head was sent,
And thence to the stock-cupboard went
“Now eat these books, and we shall see
What wicked lies you’ve told to me!”
So Susie ate, ‘til black and blue
She cried aloud, “Have mercy, do!”
And home was sent quite woebegone,
And there, quite still and pale she lay,
Until the hour she passed away.
If you her gravestone should espy,
These words you’ll see when passing by :
“Here lie the bones of Susie Books,
Death cased from eating High School books.”
Now, if on reading this, you pale,
You’ll know the moral of my tale,
And if your line be eating books,
Take warning from poor Susie Hooks!
​