Wennington School Wetherby
12 June 1959
DearMummy
I don't know wether you will ever get this completed. The Junior school teacher has got a lot of this yellow paper from a hospital or somewhere and has been giving a lot away. Nearly all the notices that go up around the school are written on yellow paper and people are wandering around with X-ray boxes full of the stuff. Most ofthe girls are betting each other that they can't fill one sheet completely with a letter to their parents. So I'm seeing ifl can. The trouble is no-one will bet me for money.
Last Saturday we had sports day. I was supposed to hold the tape because I didn't enter for any of the events but I decided to open the ice-cream kiosk instead. I was rather glad in the end because it rained quite a bit and was pretty miserable. We made £2.10 on ice-cream alone which means we will make a lot of profit: 11/2d on every 6d ice-cream 25% and 3/4d on each 3d ice-cream or lollipop. Towards the end of the sports the weather brightened up a bit. The girls relay was rather thrilling because the Sherpas were so sure that they would win. We thought they would too. Ruth C-B, Wendyand Sue Townsend were in our relay and they all wrecked their legs before the race so they had to put three people in who hadn't trained at all. Imagine our surprise when the Inca girls won and beat the school record for the girls relay. With the eight points they gained the Incas won the sports by one point. Cassy and Ruth McColm (house captains) had to go to the staff terrace to collect the cup which was given away by Dr Mackay, one of the boys father. When they had received the cup Cassy gave a speech thanking the organisers, starters and finishers, and finally a cheer for the Sherpas. When he had finished a crowd of boys swarmed on Cassy and Ruth and threw them in the swimming pool with their games clothes on. They shook hands and climbed out. Dermis was hanging around with a camera so he took photos of them for parents day. He also took one of Cassy and I earlier in the afternoon but we didn't know anything about it. Since then Cassy has seen the photo but I haven't. I'm rather peeved because I don't think Dermis will let me see them until parents day.
I don't know about you not having done your minutes but I hadn't given the Senate minutes to Alice for duplication for about four weeks. On Tuesday we had Latin with Brian in the LV form room and I took two copies with me to pin on the notice-board. Brian noticed that I had two copies and told me off so this week I made sure I did them early and did them the same evening as Senate. Brian nearly fainted. I don't feel nervous now before I read the minutes but I don't read them as well as I used to, I stutter more. I think I've got a bit big headed about it and therefore don't bother quite as much.
Sunday morning
I suppose its a bit late to send Cassy a card, his birthday was on Thursday. Judy and I gave Ruth a Whimsey model of baby Pegasus and I bought Cassy a model of Jock from Lady and the Tramp. He (the dog) had such a sweet expression on his face and I thought it would correspond to my teddy bear. He (Cassy) was thrilled with it. We are trying to think of a name for the dog and teddy but we haven't any ideas yet. We want to call Jock by a different name - something unusual. I also gave Cassy a bath brush (back scrubber) and dressed it up with my scarves, put a face on it to look like me and put a quotation on the bottom "Not I", quoth she, "Alas, alack, but this fair maid shall scrub thy back". The brush has got a bent handle so that one doesn't rub with the corner when trying to reach the middle of the back. Some of the other boys are glad I got him a back scrubber because he used to ask them to scrub his back for him and they thought he ought to do it himself. We were going to Harrogate to celebrate but Cassy's exams are this week and mine the week after so we've decided to wait until the end of term. By the way, I forgot to tell you that on your birthday Cassy and I went to church to celebrate. We thought you might have gone as it was your birthday; also the first Sunday of the month. Did you?
About the stockings - I think I will try the seamless this time. The stockings I have at the moment are slightly too big and when I walk the seams get twisted, anyway they are terribly laddered. Do you think you could get me a broderie anglais suspender belt, waist 24".
Kenneth said you had written to him about a week ago about my carreer. He said he was going to see Brian to see if it was worth my while doing Advanced English and Music so that if I wanted to I could go to a teachers training college. I told him I was rather terrified at the thought of teaching and he said that most people were until they started. I also had a talk with G D in one of my music lessons and he said it wasn't much point doing music if I was just going to be a librarian but if I was going to do a teachers course I would need it. He said he knew a librarian who on her free days goes to a music college to carry on with music and if I did that it would be a good idea to stay on and do music. He said I am quite capable of getting it. I have also been talking to Dennis, he says he is glad I am coming back next term - I can't think why. He says even if I don't get Maths this time I've still a November exam and next summer in which to take it again. He thinks I might just scrape through this time if we get a decent paper. If it's lousy I'll just fail. I don't think I'm going to pass History this time either because I can't get down to learn the stuff. If I fail this time I'm not taking it again. I really should be learning something for a test tomorrow but if I try I'll sit dreaming and waste my time so I might as well do this. I tried to do some revision on Friday evening but couldn't so went and asked G D if he would give me a piano lesson. I haven't had one for ages because Dorothy has been in hospital. She is out now and is at home - may be coming back in a few weeks. Anyway the thing is everybody has been moaning because G D doesn’t give them reasonable piano lessons and mine was fine. Ruth C-B went into her lesson last week and asked G D what she should play – he said he didn’t care if she didn’t play anything. Then in our music lesson he told Ruth she had better write home and ask her mother if she can drop piano lessons because she wasn’t sufficiently interested. He said she didn’t show any enthusiasm – looked half dead. When I had my lesson with him I went straight in, sat down, and started playing. He obviously saw I was keen and gave me a decent lesson. I had fun in choir too last week. I was the only alto there. Ruth wasn't and neither was Cassy so I was OK - I did the part by myself and when I wasn't sure of a certain part G D would make me sing it by myself without the sopranos, tenors, and basses. I like it when Ruth and Cassy aren't there because they are so much better and they put me off. In a way I'm looking forward to next term because Cassy won't be there.
Monday Morning
I have just finished making out an exam revision timetable and it's nearly the end of the period so it's not really worth working. I had a History test this morning. Luckily John gave me the subject I'd revised most so it wasn't too bad. What I did know was the stuff I learnt last year and not in the latest revision. I didn't quite finish. John seems to think I know the History but am slow to get it down - he thinks I need more practise in writing essays which is probably true, but I don't really know the History. At least I don't think so.
Cassy and Judy are getting worried about their music exam. They think G D is such a lousy teacher that they are having secret harmony lessons with Irene. I wish I could. I thought of asking her to give me piano lessons while Dorothy is away but I don't like to ask. She seems to be very busy with Soma. Irene hasn't got her shape back - her stomach sticks out a mile and she is still rather plump. Do you think she will go back to normal now?
We had the dance on Saturday. Cassy and I did food for dance committee. We had to make over 200 sandwiches, tomatoe and cucumber, fish paste, and meat paste. Then we had to cut 50 meat pies in half and arrange them and 100 odd fancy cakes on trays. We also had to make up 5 large jugs of orange squash. About halfway through Kenneth and Frances came in -(Frances was cooking something ghastly for staff supper). A few minutes later two Swedish girls arrived, one aged 13 and the other 17. We have them every year for about a month to learn English. The girl aged 17 was tall with fair hair draped around her shoulders and had a very tight skirt on. They came into the kitchen and shook hands and curtsied to Kenneth and Frances. When the girls had gone out Cassy started laughing and calling them suckers for having to curtsy. Kenneth gave him a great big wink and said he thought he had better stop having Swedes if they were going to send ones like that girl. She looked a bit like Marylin Monroe, Diana Dors and Bridget Bardoe all rolled into one.
We finished doing food at 4.0 clock and then went for a walk until 5.30. We had a long talk bout hiding ones feelings but didn't really get anywhere. When we came back Wendy blew up because we had been shirking. I felt like telling her what I thought about her. During previous dance committees she has just wandered in and out when she felt like it, telling everybody else what to do. She doesn’t seem to realise that doing food is a none stop job from 2 o clock until 4 o clock and much harder than just flitting around all afternoon doing nothing. But of course I didn’t tell her what I thought of her. Anyway she was thoroughly catty and she got me in a thoroughly bad mood which was rather lucky because usually I get so tired before the dance starts that I’m in a bad mood for the dance and don’t really enjoy it. This time, however my bad mood had blown over and I did enjoy it. About half way through my feet started to hurt - (my arch had dropped earlier in the afternoon) so I put my ballet shoes on to see if it would make any difference. They were wonderfully comfortable and slippier than my heels. I tried them out by doing a Gay Gordon with Cassy - it was terrific everybody else went round the room following each other in the normal way so Cassy and I went up and down the middle by ourselves - we like plenty of room! !
The people who serve the food at the dance always have their supper in the kitchen afterwards. I always keep the food back in the kitchen for these people and always cater for eight people but only six have supper there. This is so we have lots of food. On Saturday we had lots of pork pies and ice creams with chocolate sauce poured over. It was gorgeous. The dance finished about 11 0 clock. I did the statue dance with Philip again (he's leaving in another three weeks) but we were out because I was breathing too heavily. Honestly I was terribly cross but one can't make a fuss about those sought of things, because it shows bad sportsmanship.
A few days ago Cassy and I cycled to Wetherby to get a tin of coffee. Actually we both cycled to the bottom of the drive and I waited there fore him while he went on into Wetherby to get the coffee. When he came back he had a tube of Nestles sweetened condensed milk which was given away free with Nescafe. It was meant for putting in the coffee but Cassy and I sat in the form room squeezing the tube into each others mouth in turn and both complaining that what he'd been given was smaller than what he had given to the other. The only real trouble was that there wasn't enough.
My skirt has come at last. I found it lying on my bed when I went up to wash before lunch. By the side was a little note from Rosamond telling me to put my name on it. I tried it on first!! It fits OK round the waist at the moment but some of the girls say that when they are washed they go very limp and the waists stretch which is a pity because they look very clean and fresh looking when they are new. At the moment I haven't any shirts to wear with it. They are nearly all ripped in vital places. I am wearing one ofCassy's old white ones that doesn't fit him any more.
At the end of last term we refused to move over to our new form room until we had some curtains because the place is like a fish tank in the day time and at night when we have the lights on we can't see out but people outside can see in, this being rather disturbing. We had to move in though because they wanted to extend the History room and this meant knocking down the wall of the old form room. John Swift even promised to get us curtains by the beginning of this term. About three weeks ago there was still no sign of any curtains so the councellors brought the subject up in councellors meeting and they told Frances that we would need about twenty-five yards. She said we would need at least forty yards so she trotted off to Ripon market one Wednesday and bought forty yards of material. Then she gave the material to Ruth Mc and Ruth C-B to cut out. When they had finished they handed back the extra
Irene took Sonia for an inoculation the other day. It was for small pox, diphtheria, and whooping cough, which struck me as being rather silly. What is the harm in a baby having whooping cough? By the way did I tell you that Frank Burgesses wife is having another baby. It is due some time this month I beleive.
Tuesday morning
Last night Cassy and I went to play records but instead he gave me a long lecture on not singing in front of him. He seemed rather upset about it and said that he supposed I would be able to sing when he had left. And then he said that was the way in which I would benefit. The trouble was we had been acting a bit mad before this lecture and all the time he was talking to me I was trying to stop myself laughing. In the end we both laughed although he said he felt like shaking me thoroughly. I just couldn't be serious at all. Anyway he saw the uselessness of it all and put some Tom Lehrer on.
Well I must go in a minute. John Swift is giving assemblies this week. He is talking about the new staff houses which are being built outside the courtyard. Yesterday he told us about his interview with the Barc1ays Bank manager, the town planning chap and some other person. On parents day there is going to be a project on the houses all the plans will be going up.
By the way - I forgot to say that the reason why I thought Cassy's lecture so funny was because I had already written much the same further back in this letter.
Well - this last few paragraphs has been a great strain but I was determined to get to the end of the paper. I hope you haven't fainted of shock by the time you read this far. I don't suppose you will ever get another one like it. It's just about killed me even if it doesn't kill you.
I must close now and do some Maths or History. We are supposed to be having singing this period but G D refuses to teach us every week, so I don't feel so guilty about not working this period. At last I've got to the end
Lots of love
Cassy sends his regards.
P.S. Alan has started writing a letter on this paper but his isn't as big as mine.