News of Old Girls
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Joan Watson (Smith 1944-51)
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One wet grey day Joan decided it was time to sort out some drawers and cupboards. To her surprise she found some school magazines dated from 1944-54. They, of course, make very interesting reading for ‘Old Girls’ especially remembering Miss King, Headmistress who wrote the Foreword to the magazine dated 1944-45 recalling how the school had coped with the war. Joan has written her memories of being evacuated:
In her article Miss King mentions girls being evacuated from Colchester to Kettering. I was still at St John’s Green School and the group of children from this school was evacuated to a small town near Kettering called Higham Ferrers. We all met at North Station with parents to see us go. Some school staff, of course, accompanied us. Because my brother was only a few months old he and our mother came too. We all wore labels pinned to our coats and carrying our gasmasks we all boarded the train. Even now I can remember looking out of the carriage window and waving goodbye to my father and wondering if I would ever see him again. On arrival at Higham Ferrers we were taken into a village hall, given a drink and a biscuit and there waiting for us were the local people who chose who they would take home. (It wouldn’t happen nowadays!)
We were last to be chosen possibly because there were three of us and not so easy to accommodate. Then a Mrs Grey came and took us to her home where we settled in quite happily.
The local children did not like us because they lost their afternoon schooling. They attended school in the mornings and we went in the afternoon. I cannot remember how long we stayed in Higham Ferrers, only a matter of months, I think. Our reason for leaving? - A bomb dropped in Kettering and killed a Colchester School girl. Mrs Grey did not want us to leave for she had enjoyed our company and of course our mother had joined in doing the housework.
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Other Old Girls must have wartime memories and it would make very interesting reading. Please send them into the Editor for inclusion in future CCHS OGA Newsletters!
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When Joan was at CCHS the following extract by P Manley (aged 13) of Lower Vi was included in the School Magazine 1948-49.
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Extracts from the Diary of a Navy Blue Cardigan
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1949 September 1st: I left Owen Ward’s this morning. At ten o’clock two humans came and fingered me and after a while the smaller one was induced to put me on. Just like that shopman to sell me to a human two sizes too small for me!
September 11th: Worn for the first time. My human is called Jemima. Why can’t they call her something sensible like “Size 24 (Utility)”? In Break I met dozens of other cardigans. They were all flung to the ground beside me. They were all new like me, except one awful old thing with two red stripes, who would keep talking about the time when he went to Lost Property.
September 14th: Art lesson today. Was used to rub out charcoal. I must say it tastes better than I thought it would, but there’s a hole in my sleeve.
September 18th: Hot weather today. Went to Lost Property for the first time.
1950 November 5th: Worn out and weary. Have just been put on the thing they call a guy, in the absence of the two elder humans – even a cardigan knows what that portends.
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