Autumn Term 1959
. Sept
The first person I saw when I stepped out of the taxi was Brian and the first thing he said was that the library was in an awful mess.
This morning I unpacked, swept the dorm, put the library to rights, and then cleared out the tuckshop. This afternoon I made out a tuckshop order and ice-cream order and then put my part of the form room straight. The window side of the form room has been made into eight cubicles which are miles too small. There is only a table top in them and enough room for a chair - terribly difficult to move in and out of On the other side, outside the cubicles are our old desks which we have to keep our books in because there's no room in the cubicles. Whenever we need a book we have to get out and fish around in a desk until we find it. All the staff dislike them and so does the chap who made them. The only person who seems to be satisfied is Kenneth! !
I am in a different dormitory - more kids but rougly the same lot as last time. I arranged the lockers and the chest of drawers to suit myself before everybody came back and I swiped a decent mattress and an extra blanket.
Tomorrow Ruth and I are going to Wetherby to buy some curtain rings and a runner and some things for the tuckshop.
4 Oct
Did I tell you I've been elected secretary of the Senate again. I think the voting was very close - between Wendy and myself. I am still manageress of the tuckshop. On Saturday I lost the fridg key down at the side of the fridg and Tomaso had to pull the fridg out. I'm always doing mad things like that.
Frances and John Woods are producing a play this term on Nov. 14th. It's about Richard II and the cast is being taken from all the forms. I'm not in it but am in charge of doing make-up. John is leaving it all to me!! I've to chose the people I want and organise practising times when we can practise makeing up the people in the play.
Kenneth has been away this weekend and on Fri. night when we usually have councellors meeting in the Drawing room Frances complained of a cold and went to bed. She let us go into the drawing room, make ourselves tea, and watch television until 11. 0 . We saw the play 'The Lean Years', then a party political broadcast for the conservatives, and then Mark Zaber. It was quite a home from home.
Yesterday morning I went bonfire wood collecting, and in the evening listened to a conversation between Brian, Wallace, Katherine, and John upon religion and politics. It was most stimulating even though I didn't contribute much and didn't understand it all.
16 0ct
............ I'm sorry this is such a short letter but I must go and help entertain the staff! It's now Sunday evening by the way.
30 0ct
I have been rather busy this week with the makeup for the plays. I have had to write to Leichner's for charts etc. I have also not been too well. A week last Monday Rossy discovered I had a corn on my heel and I had to go down to Dr Lodge. He hacked a bit away and since then I have been putting ointment and corn pads on. Every few days Rossy has another hack at it. She says it will take a long time because it's a deep one. My spots have come up and a few days ago I had four ulcers on my tongue. Rosamond has given me a disgusting tonic.
I played my clarinet in assembly on Sunday and it came off quite well. In the middle there was a terrific squeak which turned out to be Sam not me.
I have started knitting a pullover for Kantilal in orange - the same pattern as my green one. It's taken me a week and a half to knit the back and I have just started the front. It gives me something to do during siesta and while I'm bed-putting.
The inspectors of Education are here this week. The music inspector came on Monday and gave me a harmony lesson. We talked about our set works and he asked me what Elgar I'd heard.
The by-pass was opened on Monday. At 10.30 pm Ruth, Sam, Rosamond Bowes and Roger Dingley and myself persuaded Martin to take us along it in his car. It was teeming and a terrific gale was blowing. The by-pass wasn't lit up at all well which made driving almost suicidal but it was fun - six of us in a four seater car.
2 November
Everything is now arranged for Friday. (Interview for Rachel McMillan College) On Thursday night I'm going to stay with the Swifts (the bursar/estate manager - Belinda's parents). They live nearer Leeds and they think it would be a good idea so that I wouldn't have to rush too much and John can take me right to the station. On Friday night I'm definately staying with Joan (Cassy's Aunt in London) - she will be visiting a student from 3 - 10 pm so she has posted me the keys to her flat and I've to let myself in and she's going to leave me something to cook for myself for supper. It's awfully decent of her. Then I'm coming back to school on Saturday.
I'm making myself go to bed early all this week - am going to sleep in the sick room so that I will not be woken up again by my dorm. Last week I told Rossy I was feeling pretty low - ulcers, farouka (not corn) etc. and she has given me a tonic which somebody else didn't finish last term. I'm also going to ask her for some sleeping pills
8 November
On Thursday evening after tea I went to stay with the Swifts. A whole crowd of the staff came as well because once a week they have a madrigal party and this happened to be their evening. When we arrived Mrs Swift took me to my room and then I went down and sang carols and madrigals with the staff. I felt most priveliged. Irene, John, G D, Barbara and Alice were there and some friends of the Swifts. Barbara took her flute and the Lloyds (friends of the Swifts) took a violin and 'cello. At about 10.0 we had coffee and sandwiches, savoury biscuits and celery and cocktail sticks with lumps of apple cheese cucumber and meat on. I went to bed at 10.30 and the rest carried on.
On Friday morning there was a terrible fog. The train from Leeds to Doncaster was 3/4 hr. late but luckily John had telegramed to Doncaster and they kept the London train back half an hour. Therefore we arrived in Kings X half an hour late too. I arrived at the college with 10 mins to spare. Deptford is 12 mins. from Charing X and is a horrible slum area .
............ (Details of interview and London)
I went to the enquiry office and asked what time the next express to Leeds was. I was told that one left at 1.30 so went straight to the barrier and got onto the train. By 3.30 it began to get dark and from the train I could see the lights from the houses and I wished I was going home instead of back to school. The journey was boring - arrived at Leeds at 5.30 and at school at 6.30. Everybody wanted to know how I got on. All I wanted to do was go to bed. I was and still am absolutely fagged out.
17Nov
I conveyed your thanks to all those who helped me to get to London. When I thanked John Swift he laughed and said "Including the station master at Leeds Central?".
I wish I'd seen the John Barclay program. He is the uncle of one of the boys here and he has given two lectures to the school since I've been here. I wonder if there will be a recording of it sometime.
By the way - we haven't had any snow at all up here - about the only place in England I should think judging from reports. Last Thursday morning I had to cycle down to the doctors to show him my farouka. It was terribly foggy and bitterly cold. By the time I reached the surgery my gloves were coated in frost and my hands hurt so much that I felt really sick. I have to go to Harrogate hospital on Monday to have it cut out.
By the way I'm broke. My watch was broken in a hockey match and I had to pay £1.2.6 to have it mended. I paid for it out of my pocket money. I've still got 10/-left but I've completely run out of stamps and envelopes and there is a concert in a week. Do you think you could let me have 10/-. I probably won't spend it but I'd like to have it just in case. If! do spend it I'll pay you back in the hols.
The make-up for the plays went off OK except that Frances came and fussed around. The play itself was really good. The boy who played Richard 11 was terrific - I watched the play all three evenings and each time he made me feel queer inside. Now the play is finished we are starting a reading of 'Under Milk Wood' by Dylan Thomas.