But I Smile Anyway…

I was very lucky! Well I think so anyway. My Pops was a well established dentist, and he could have had everything, my parents and us kids could have lived in the lap of luxury, but we didn’t. We could have had the huge house, two car household way sooner, but we didn’t. Because when they married and had us kids, my mum specified that she didn’t care for all these material things, what she wanted dearly, more than anything, was the best education they could afford, and provide, for us both. They researched lots, and my name was put down on the waiting list of the school I went to as soon as I was born, and the same went for my brother.

So from 3 all the way to 17, from nursery, all the way to finishing my A-Levels I was at the same school, an independent all girls school. And I have to say that I came out of it with no bad memories whatsoever!

My first school birthday party

I started in nursery with very little English, as I detailed in a previous post here. Hello was my only word! But I survived, and within weeks I made lots of friends, and really got in there, I was the youngest in my class, actually I was a year ahead. The school had taken me on, with the thought that if I struggled, I could repeat a year, and I wouldn’t have missed out. But somehow, I managed to stay there, one year ahead of myself the whole way through! I remember our classes having cute names like Rabbits, Treasure Island, and Wonderland, in these Infant years, and we were in a beautiful building, an old Tudor style house called Alice House. After that we went to Juniors, then Senior school in a different building, another old row of Tudor style houses, full of character! At 14 our school decided to buy an old mansion close by, and move there. Malvern Hall, another beautiful character filled building. And obviously, being so old, there had to be ghost stories attached… oh the times I remember scaring and daring each other to go up to certain places, where we were convinced there was some eerie activity happening!

School Uniform!

Oh and I have to mention the uniform… Maroon and pink! Yes really! With a large heavy tweed winter coat and brown felt hat for the cond, and a maroon blazer and straw hat for the summer. As you progressed through school you got to exchange the maroon tunic for a maroon skirt, and the White and red striped summer dress for a short sleeved pink shirt along the lovely maroon blazer! Oh and post 11years old you didn’t need to wear the hats, thank Goodness! You always knew the St Martin’s girls in town, and get this.. We weren’t even allowed to eat in public in our uniforms! I remember the head mistress even coming up to mums and requesting them to refrain from buying edible things for us to eat in public, due to the image of the school! I have since found out that the uniform has recently changed to a more user friendly navy blue and Sky blue! Lucky girls!!!!

One of our school plays, I was a page boy!

Even from the early years I loved theatre and drama, and we staged plays regularly, and I was given amazing opportunities with extra curricular activities, like Ballet, Modren Dance, learning to play the Guitar, and when I was older, participating in the Duke of Edinburg Awards. We benefitted from smaller class sizes, many teachers, specialists in their fields, who gave themselves completely to the school, and it’s students. I have fond, very fond memories of many members of staff there. I recall with a giggle, the fact that two of our P.E. and swimming teachers were called Mrs a Fish and Mrs Waters!

We were given the opportunities to visit so many different places, and go on fantastic residential trips, both in the UK, and abroad too! I went to Butlins in Wales at 10, for a week, France, Fougeres to be precise, at 12, and even a week in Russia, when I was 16, visiting St Petersburg, and Moscow.

As I finished my formal education, at 15, sitting my GCSE’s, I was awarded the honour of being a School Librarian. Geeky, yes, I know, but I was one proud librarian! I loved books, even then, and would spend my lunchtimes, lovingly helping the official School Librarian (yes my school had a full time member of staff just for the library!) organise things, and help the younger girls find things they wanted.

Proud librarian, me!

Then I joined the 6th form, attached to the school. It was quite new, in its infancy to be honest, we were the second year of girls to take our A-Levels there. And weren’t we excited, not having to wear that God awful uniform! We could wear a navy blue skirt or trousers and ANY top we wanted! But on formal occasions navy blazer, white shirt and navy skirt! Oh, and we could leave the campus at lunch time! Weren’t we lucky!!! Again tiny class sizes, due to the newness of the 6th form meant we got so much individual attention, there was no excuse to flounder!

With the 2 girls I went from 3 to 17 years old with!

My brother was obviously not in an all girls school but he went to an all boys preparatory school. Up until it was time for secondary, then he went off to a mixed boarding school where he created many amazing memories himself.

I still carry some of those friendships to this day. We don’t get to see one another  easily, living in different p,aces, but the beauty of the Internet, and social media means we are still in touch with one another.

Honestly, if I could, I would go back now! If I could give my children the same experience I had, I would…