Wennington School
Wetherby
Yorks
15 Jan 1955
Dear Mum
I hope you are O.K. I am missing you very much and wish I could be home again. I miss your cooking because the meals here are terrible. The breakfasts are worst. We have lumpy porridge and stale brown bread which makes me heave. The dinners are smashing and the teas not bad.
The girls in my dorm are Mary, Diana, Belinda, Jill, Sheila who is a Canadian and Anthea who is copying Sheila's accent.
We all call the masters and mistresses by their christian names. I am going to ask Les if I can take Latin. Will you send me a bottle of "White Rain", a white apron for cookery and my General Arithmetic for Schools because Cooky (Maths) wants to see it. I am in the 3rd form now (the fourteen year olds).
This week Mary and I have been on Vegetables. We have to get up at first bell and peel potatoes. In our free time we have been skating on a pond. All I had for breakfast this morning was a glass of tea and one piece of white bread. Could you come sooner than Feb. 13th because I am very home-sick.
Sunday
Last night we had three films - a sketch about John Gilpin, a film called "The Overlanders" which was all about getting a herd of bulls across Australia, a school film about the swimming pool and the sledging. And do you know that the boys and girls go swimming without a bathing costume, just bare. I think it's disgusting. I think that's all.
Thursday 20th [1955]
I am feeling O.K. now but I haven't a friend yet because there are seven in the dorm including me and everyone is paired up. Can I have a pair of white ankle socks to go with my party dress because we are having a dance on Saturday, and can I have my costume. (There is a place were I can hang it). I think I would like a marroon and green check scarf, but anything will do really. This week instead of peeling potatoes I had to mop the bathroom floor, clean two basins and clean the bath. And also I had to lay the tables for dinner and wash up with the aid of about seven more people. Don't think I can copy Sheila's Canadian accent because I can't. You see it's very hard and Anthea does it all wrong and everybody in the dorm is down on her about it, so we will just have to stick to MURSEYSIDE (Ha Ha). Don't worry about my nice clean neck because I wash that at least once a day, and I have a bath on a Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. On Saturday I washed my hair with "Silvikrin" hair shampoo which I bought from the tuck shop, but it's not much good. I get up at 7.0.clock and go to bed at 8.30 (any objections).
I am getting my pocket money. I get a shilling on a Thursday and a shilling on a Saturday. I have just bought six "licarados" for three pence and a quarter of "tiny tots mixtures" for sixpence.
I am not feeling to good in health. I've got a bit of a cold and my face feels like emery paper and is very red so Rosamond gave me some "Baby cream" for baby's bottoms to put on. And you'll never guess, --------- I've started, bleeding down below, so I wear a clean pair of white under knickers every day and wash them myself. I am going to join the junior choir.
This school is really boring, most of the time is spent in the dorm, as a matter of fact I'm there now. I like the meals much better now so don't worry about me. I had my first lesson in woodwork and am making a tray. Frank says I'm doing fine. I know how to saw a piece of wood and I can plane a piece of wood as well. Kenneth sometimes comes up to our dorm for a chat with us. I'm taking Latin now and find it a bit hard as most of the lessons, except French, are. Roger (French) is taking a trip to Paris for a week in the Easter holidays, so I have put my name down and he will be wrighting to you sometime. I also find History very easy because we are only up to William the first here and at Wirral we were up to Richard the first (the chap who went to the crusades in case you don't know). The lessons here are proper queer. We have assembly at 9.0.clock in which we listen to Brian (English) read a book or listen to some music as we did this week. Then we have two lessons and then break which is usually cocoa and bread and something. Then we have three more lessons until l.o.clock then have dinner. After dinner for those who don't wash up have "siesta" in other words "rest". Then we have the whole afternoon free (every day) untill 4.0.clock, then we have three more lessons untill6.0.clock then we have tea. After tea we have Dalton work (prep) from 7.0.clock until 8.0.clock. Then we get ready for bed.
I was going to go to Wetherby this afternoon but no-one could come with me out of our dorm because they're in form two and is out of bounds untill next term. On Saturday's we have lessons in the morning instead of Thursdays at four. I can't remember what I've put in my letter because its so long, so you might find some things which have been repeated.
Every Thursday we change our bed linen and make up our laundry which is ever so dear, - 1/6d for a nightdress, so that is why I'm washing my own knickers and hankys. All I've got for my clothes is a big draw in the sewing room and a small draw in the dorm as well as a big rack were everybody hangs there things. Also I have a shoe locker, and a locker and peg downstairs in the girls changing room. The peg is for my overall and mackintosh and windcheater. I have not got a locker for my odd things you know, like writing pad and books. Will you send my "Little Women" because I didn't read it properly last time and there isn't much to do and I just feel like something to read.
One day last week Anthea and I were talking about various programmes on the wireless and I mimicked Al Read and the one about the marble and the man's ear. And she made me do it to the whole dorm and they said I was very good at mimicking.
Well I think it's still Thursday. Yes it is, and about time for tea. I hope its something nice because I'm famished.
23/24 Jan 1955
Thanks very much for the scarf it's a smashing colour, and for my other things. Did you address the parcel to Rosamund because she opened it and didn't even tell me they had come. I found out myself when I went down for a clean vest.
We had a dance last night. I danced with most of the masters, and we had smashing grub. We have houses now, Incas and Sherpas. There was a hockey match yesterday and Incas won. Today we had a football match and the Sherpas won. Today (Monday) there was an electricity cut from 8.30 to 3.30 so we've been walking round in the dark.
Will you let me go to Paris. I see you didn't mention it in your letter which I recieved this morning. Don't worry about me being in form 3 and sleeping with form 2 because I have been moved from Eliz Fry dorm to Joan of Arc with the fourteen year olds. We're not supposed to be in our dorms but there's nothing else to do. There's hardly any variety here and we don't even have a church service on a Sunday because Frances and Kenneth are Quakers. All we have is assembly in the evening when we have one hymn and a lecture or the news. All the days seem alike. At home we new when it was a Sunday but here its just the same as any other day. By the way, in Joan of Arc I have got a draw and a locker. I am feeling O.K. now but my face and neck is still like emery paper. I went to Elizabeth the Junior School matron, because Rosamond was out and she gave me some "Vic". Phew! it didn't half sting. It kept making my eyes water. I love both woodwork and pottery. I like woodwork best for the learning side and the pottery teacher best for the other side. His name's Louis. Will you send me a few more envelopes and 2d stamps because I only get 2/- a week and that isn't enough to get sweets and everything else out of. What am I to do about my pocket money. Martin says have you got it yet, and I say no, and he says, well mean while your pocket money is coming out of my money. Well I think that's all- goodbye for now.
Dear Mummy
I have just thought of something else to tell you. I like the meals much better now and I am getting quite plump. I recieved my "Girl" this morning and I am going to lend it to one of the boys I like. I wish you would slip a little note in when you send things though. As you most probably know, I am in the top group of the fourteen year olds and I find the French very easy, but I can't do the Maths, Latin, and Science and I'm getting a bit worried. What can I do? I have been feeling miserable today so I thought I'd write another letter. Here's another queer tale for you. We are not allowed to go to bed early, and I often wish I could because I feel awfully tired.
12 June [1955]
Dear Mummy
I went home with Auriel last week, but I wouldn't want to go for a whole week in the hols because they are so posh. You wouldn't think Mrs Smith was Auriel's mother because she is so stiff and not at all homely so you'll have to get me out of it somehow.
It was the middle of term dance yesterday so I did a lot of washing and ironed my dress and washed my hair. I joined in the Paul Jones and was dancing with Tom Hardwicke when he said "you've got a lush one next". I looked round and it was Michael and then the music stopped. Then he, Michael, danced with Auriel and then Rosemary and then Ruth and then Catriona (all the girls in our form). I danced with Emest a bit and had the supper dance with him. Then Michael danced the Merry Widow Waltz with Catriona again to make me jealous. Our last dance was "For Ever and Ever" and he danced this with Ruth. But I wasn't a bit jealous, just upset and I dashed out in the middle and started to cry. It was awful!! I went to bed and cried half the night. My eyes are still a wee bit swollen and whenever anyone starts humming the Merry Widow Waltz or For Ever and Ever, I start crying again. I'll soon get over it though.
24 June 1955
Dear Mummy
I'm sorry I haven't written but now I've got tons of things to say. On Saturday evening we had country dancing on the lawn and we all wore flared skirts. On Sunday Anthea and I trailed Michael and Alan through the woods. Tuesday we went to Castleford potteries. It was very interesting. We bought 6d souvenirs and we got a fish pepperpot, but I gave that to Michael for a birthday present. Thursday (yesterday) we climbed Ingleborough. We were about quarter of the way up and it started to pour down. We got soaked to the skin but it was jolly good fun. We had dinner by a waterfall. Near the top it was very misty and we had to keep together. Three people nearly got killed. I was the first girl to get to the top (2,300 odd feet) and some other people have done it before. On the way back we bought chips in Harrogate. I got a biro off Auriel and Liquorice Allsorts and hanky off Judith (Birthday presents).
Well I must knock off now and write and thank people for various things. Am writing with Auriels biro.
Love Pat