Memories of CCHS
Beryl Whent (Pettitt), 1946-50
​
Recently I went through my old school magazines and photos and it sent me right back to CCHS.
I was the “Scholarship” from my little village school and went first to Newmarket Grammar School 7 miles away which I cycled every day, come rain or shine. The Grammar School only had one form intake each year and half were boys and half girls sharing the same classes. There was a very fierce headmaster and we had mostly elderly teachers as it was 1945 and most younger teachers were still in the forces.
​
​
​Seven or eight years ago. I met up with Pip from Wales who was living in Prettygate, having been a nurse all her working life. She was a Baptist Worshipper (remember Rev Warwick Bailey?) but came to my church, All Saints, for a few weeks. She was known as Jean even though her first name was Phillipa (Pip). I was so astonished to see her and said to come and sit with me and that Pauline would be joining us after ringing the church bells. On leaving the vicar came up to speak to her and I said “Do you know your Gilbert and Sullivan? He looked puzzled and I said ..... “Three little maids from school are we”.
​
​In 1981 I went into St Mary’s Hospital and was sitting on the edge of the bed feeling rather apprehensive, when I looked up and in the next bed – looking just as worried as me, was Judy Eves (née Hunwick) who had married Brian Eves of Bensusan-Butt and Eves (Colchester Accountants). We were there for 12 days and had the most hilarious stay. As the Sister said “I shall be glad to see the back of your four.” (there were four of us there).
​
Pamela Rodd of Rodd’s Riding School was also in my class. Sadly she was killed when thrown from a horse, many years later. Her son, Maurice, was manager in the opticians at Fiveways and he used to say to people, “This lady was in my mum’s class at school!”
​​
​​
​​
​​
​​
​​
​​
​​
​​
​​
​​​
​​​
​​
​​
​​
​​
My father applied for a job in Essex and we moved to Ardleigh in
November 1946. I was allowed to transfer to CCHS and my first
memory was of being ‘interrogated’ by Miss Herriot on the landing
at Grey Friars. However, I was put into Upper 4D and from the
moment I entered the Great Front Door my world changed. I was
met by Jennifer Lebbell who was form captain so immediately my
worries dissolved. I soon made friends with Pauline Nice and another girl from Builth Wells in Wales who had also, like me, just moved. We were friends with Barbara Hatton and Gaye Lomonaco and we were
inseparable for the whole of the time until leaving.
(Right: Pauline and Beryl)
Mary Clibbon (left) sat next to me. She was great. A large girl, I
remember she took size 10 in shoes and at that time could only get men’s
shoes. Both her sisters, Joan and Anne, were also CCHS pupils – head girls, I think. I kept in touch with her for a time.​​ Anita Hible sat behind me and her family owned and ran the trick shop in Eld Lane. Ann Bayley whose family also lived in Ardleigh, became a doctor and I think did missionary work later.
Our visit to France was a wonderful experience and I stayed with Claude and her family and she visited me twice. (Right: Beryl and Claude at Versailles) Her family, I found out, were Jewish which didn’t mean much to me, but I know things were hard for them during the war. I asked about her Dad and she said he was deported and it was only a few years later that I understood what ‘deported’ meant.
We took our French oral exam about three weeks after our return and I was sent for by Miss King. She said that my examiner told her that my French was good and I should go to university. Having already been sent the letter telling of my leaving at the end of the
summer term, she wrote three times to my mother, but there was no way they could afford to send me and I was already promised a job at Kent Blaxill. Miss King was always keen to help her girls if possible.
​
Pauline also left school. Her brother, two years younger, was at the Grammar School and, in those days, a boy always took preference over a girl as it was recognised that they would always be the breadwinner.
Yvonne Wyman went to Bland Fielden (accountants, now Scrutton Bland) and for years I used to see her when I went to pay the mortgage, as you did when everything was cash.
Sadly Pip, Pauline, and Judy are now gone but what memories we made.
​
(Below) Beryl’s friends watching school sports (right) from the roof of Grey Friars.
(No health and safety then and no-one fell off?!)
