Memories of Grey Friars from 100 Years Ago
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From Miss J.D.Thornbery
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Miss Thornbery joined CCHS in September 1919 and was Senior Mistress at Grey Friars when it opened in January 1920, until she went to Muswell Hill in 1934.
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Old Girls who were at North Hill (left) in the Autumn Term of 1919 will remember the crowded conditions under which we worked. Grey Friars was not ready and the School was overflowing. There were classes in every available corner, even in the gallery where a wooden trellis was erected so that girls, more interested in Gym than Maths, would not fall over into the hall below. Some of us trotted across the road to St Peter’s Hall where the Preparatory children had temporary accommodation in the charge of Miss Harris.
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During the term, furniture and equipment were ordered for Grey Friars, but it was not until almost the last day that we were able to have the keys of the building. We worked
feverishly all through the Christmas holidays. Curtains had to be made for the ground floor rooms so that passers-by could not wave to Staff and children during Science lessons and while we were having dinner. Miss Collier bought a sewing machine to ease the work and, as well as the many curtains, we made about two hundred and fifty bright blue shoe bags and put large white numbers in chain stitch on every one. At last the great day arrived and Staff and children poured through the front door to be welcomed by Miss Crosthwaite who learnt their names in a very short time.
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The years at Grey Friars were some of the happiest in my life. We worked hard, played hard - especially in matches against the School - tennis, rounders, hockey and netball and we laughed heartily at the funny things that happened. We stayed late at School, took home piles of books to mark and went to bed tired, but it was all so worthwhile. We were poor - very poor by present standards - but the work and responsibility gave us great satisfaction and the good effects of Miss Crosthwaite’s leadership and influence have remained with us throughout the years. We can never be sufficiently grateful for having had the privilege of working under her.
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(Below: a rather blurred picture of the staff at CCHS in 1923, but unfortunately no names)
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