Memories
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Beryl Whent (Pettitt. 1945-1950)
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Beryl’s article in the last newsletter was much appreciated and she has written another - this time her memories of CCHS. It should evoke many more memories from Old Girls and if you can send them to the editor, Old Girls will be very grateful!
Looking back on my days at CCHS and reading in the newsletter how appreciative some girls have been by the encouragement and help they received from Miss King, it made me realise that far from the strict and severe person, of whom we were all terrified, she was, in fact, someone who was watching over her girls, and would do all in her power to try and help them to a good future, if they merited it, and wanted it.
I was very good at French, and after a two week visit to France in East 1950, I almost immediately had my French Oral for Cambridge School Certificate. I was summoned straight afterwards to Miss King’s study, which was most unusual, as we normally had to wait some time for the result. Because my mother had written to say I would be leaving at the end of the summer term, Miss King said she was going to write to my mother as she felt I should stay on in the sixth form, to further my French studies. She said there would be opportunities for secretaries and translators in the Common Market, or even work in a French Bank, in London.
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My mother’s reply was that they had kept me on at school two years longer than many of my friends and no way could it be afforded. Miss King wrote to her three times mentioning bursaries, etc, but as a friend had offered me an office job, Mum and Dad felt this was quite a leg up in the world as many girls in Colchester found employment in the clothing factories, or as shop assistants. However, I did enjoy my job and I did realise the sacrifice my parents had made to keep me on at school with the expense of uniforms, etc.
The other teacher that I held in high regard was Miss Flatman. After I had won the “scholarship” I spent one year and one term at Newmarket Grammar School. As I was having to cycle six miles each way to Newmarket, my father decided to look
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Above: Miss King’s flat (from Jo Edwards). This photo appeared on Facebook, and shows the building where Miss King later had a flat. It is now, of course, Three Wise Monkeys!
for a job in Essex and rather fancied Colchester. At Newmarket, Latin was only taught in the sixth form with a view to university. On arriving in the Upper Fourth (Year 8) at Grey Friars I found they had already had one term on Latin. Miss Flatman gave up her lunch hour once a week to tutor me and thanks to her I had caught up with the rest of the class by the end of the Easter Term. I was so sorry to read that some girls were unhappy at school but I must say that I loved my time there from the moment I entered the big front door at Grey Friars. I really did not want to leave.
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My husband and I had sixty years of marriage and my children and grandchildren have all flourished. I have eight great grandchildren who are naturally much brighter than anyone else!!! So I have no regrets.
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Below: Grey Friars when it was a Convent
Jean Brown (Saltmarsh 1941-48)
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I was at CCHS from September, 1941 – July, 1948, and Head Girl in 1947/8. Then, much to Miss King’s annoyance, I went to Homerton College. Miss King came to see me, while I was there, and told me I should have been taking a degree, but I wanted a good teacher training course, which I had at Homerton, followed by a further course at Goldsmith’s.
I hope I will make it to the Coffee Morning, in September, as I would like to see what has been done to the inside of Grey Friars.
In the meantime I will look to see if I can find any old photos, but they were few and far between during the war.