Housemistresses

[Alexandra Thrift]

EDIT:This is a reply to Katharine from another thread due to a mistake I made when replying.

I have changed the thread header to "Housemistresses" as, for a new thread this is more general!


You seemed like a terribly important giant/goddess to me at age 11,Katharine ! Now you mention it I do remember that you held the double honour of DR's Mon. and Prefect.

here is the genaeology of the Sixes Housemistresses.The new Housemistress in August 1965 ( after Miss Jenkins) was called Mrs Blunt; she was pleasant and far too normal to stay in that job for long.Soon after her departure came Miss Jackson , a nervous birdlike lady whose sister was the long term housemistress of Fives. Anyway she flew away asap paving the way for the unforgettable Miss Scott-Haughton ( Scottie) who stayed for years ,chain smoking and shouting out for us , using our house numbers, in her broad Scottish brogue. " Six-Seventeeeen , I heard that..... Come doon here immediately !!! " We, somewhat cruelly, endlessly wound her up but she was a tough old haggis, loved the school, where she was awfully proud to work, and stayed until her retirement ( after I left in 1972 ) .She then lived in Hertford Town ,so she could still keep an eye on the place, until she passed away a good few years ago.

[WildOne]

Mrs Healey was my first housemistress, in 4's, in 1965. Do you remember her? She and I had a huge 'personality clash' and she made my life hell.

But then came Miss Summers, or Bessie, as we called her. Such a difference! She actually TALKED to me about why I was so naughty, expected good from me, and was disappointed when I let her down. I think I can honestly say she turned me around from being a life-long rebel into a fairly civilised person.

I remember the lower forms crowding into her little sitting-room to watch Top Of The Pops after prep on Thursdays, at 7.30pm, while she puffed away on her ciggies and fogged the room up! LOL Can you imagine that being allowed now?

But when she was on prep-duty for higher forms, finishing later, we would miss out . Heaven knows how I dared to do it, but I sometimes skipped prep on those nights and crept into her room to watch TOTP in the dark with the volume turned down low. I don't remember ever getting caught, but I sure remember the adrenaline rush when an UVI walked past the door on the way from their study to the loo!!!

Gaye Linskill 4.24
1965 - 1970

[englishangel]

I think I remember Bessie, a tall slightly stooped lady? Was she a sister of the infirmary Sister?

I have remembered our interim housemistress between Fanny and Fanny, she was Mrs (or Miss) Savage. I have always thought you can tell the boss by the keys clinking when she walks, e.g a ward sister in hospital or a screw in prison, Mrs Savage rattled like a skeleton when she walked. At least we could hear her coming.

[Vonny]

OK - 1981-1985

1's Miss Weiss (sp ) - think she was nicknamed Wizzo

2's Miss Lawrence (Laurie)

3's I can picture her but can't for the life of me remember her name

4's Miss Hatton

5's Another I can't remember - very tall lady

6's There were several in 6's over these years - Miss Scott-Houghton (Pot) being one

7's Miss Crutwell

8's Can't remember but the house shut down early 80's.

[Katharine]

Not sure I can name then all from my time.
1s was a junior house and didn't count! (same for 5s)
2s Mrs Winstone
3s Mrs Weill (Old Girl) but not for long of my time
4s?
6s Miss Jenkins (funny little woman, known to us as The Hag which tells you a lot. Don't know why but she had a strange deformity of the legs, never seen it elsewhere if you looked at her straight on her shin bones curled outwards so that her feet were apart when her knees were together
7s Miss MacTier (Mabel) She was senior House Mistress and wielded the gavel with grim determination in Hall.
8s?

Shows how little effect other house had on our lives, doesn't it?

[fivethreeone]

The only ones I remember from 1974 are,

1's Mrs Weiss
2's Laurie
4's Miss Summers
5's Mrs Cooke
6's Pot

At that time 7's were known as the most unruly house and 4's the best behaved - one girl was even transferred from 7's to 4's to redress the balance...

By 1977 Mrs Wright was in charge in 5's - a well-to-do South African lady who was best friends with Miss Summers replacement in 4's. I remember her flat being lined with pairs of shoes around every wall!

[Vonny]

By 1977 Mrs Wright was in charge in 5's - a well-to-do South African lady who was best friends with Miss Summers replacement in 4's. I remember her flat being lined with pairs of shoes around every wall!

I have a feeling that Mrs/Miss Wright may have been 5's housemistress in the 80's as well.

[Alexandra Thrift]

It's amusing to see how the memory of Miss Scott-Houghton has become almost folkloric. I'm pretty certain she retired in the seventies and moved into a flat she had bought in Hertford Town.Mrs Warner, the deputy housemistress took over but , I believe, sadly died prematurely when , I suspect Miss S-H ( or Scottie = Scot Pot = "Pot" ) returned.We already called her Pot when I was there but I had forgotten. Pot had a great sense of her own significance and would probably be rather pleased to be remembered here on the CH forum ! ( " They're writing aboot me an' they think I doon't know bu' ah tell you what...there's nort much ah miss." )

Bessie ( Miss Summers) of fours was unusually understanding for a housemistress and her deeds of tolerance and kindness were well known.I was rather sad not to have her as my HM. I was friends with Shelagh Register and Julie Stones, and Bessie turned a blind eye when I snuck up to little dorm ( and SMOKED with Shelagh !!!). Bessie smoked so much herself herself she never smelled our fumes !

Stories of "The Hag" lingered on for years in Sixes although she left just before I started.I wonder if the tendency among certain upper fifth and sixth formers ( NOT YOU Katharine) to be overly harsh ( bullies sometimes) with the new third formers ( my year) was this "Hag's" own legacy? Sounds like she was knock knee-ed and bow legged ...possibly due to nutritional deficiency as a child?

I remember "Millie"( Miss Miles) from Threes as I was ( and still am) friends with Jacquie Tomlinson and Penny Manning ( both 1966 -'71). Also we did Sunday walks across the meads in crocodiles with House Three ....Millie striding along shouting ( in an accent I've never heard before or since) " Cem along Girls , Hurry up ! "

[midget]

Not sure I can name then all from my time.
1s was a junior house and didn't count! (same for 5s)
2s Mrs Winstone
3s Mrs Weill (Old Girl) but not for long of my time
4s?
6s Miss Jenkins (funny little woman, known to us as The Hag which tells you a lot. Don't know why but she had a strange deformity of the legs, never seen it elsewhere if you looked at her straight on her shin bones curled outwards so that her feet were apart when her knees were together
7s Miss MacTier (Mabel) She was senior House Mistress and wielded the gavel with grim determination in Hall.
8s?

Shows how little effect other house had on our lives, doesn't it?

Was Miss MacTier still at CH then? She seemed pretty ancient even in my time. I had Miss Robertson (Robinson?) in 1's, and Miss Norris (Nobs or the Hag). Neither of them had much sympathy for young girls, and certainly Miss N had a suspicious streak, and forever seemed to be checking our meagre possessions for tidiness and/or contraband

Happy days!

[fivethreeone]

It's amusing to see how the memory of Miss Scott-Houghton has become almost folkloric. I'm pretty certain she retired in the seventies and moved into a flat she had bought in Hertford Town.Mrs Warner, the deputy housemistress took over but , I believe, sadly died prematurely when , I suspect Miss S-H ( or Scottie = Scot Pot = "Pot" ) returned."

In 1974 Pot was house mistress of 6's and Mrs Warner (presumably the same one?) was deputy for 5's and 6's. I can't remember if she took over 6's for a while but I think Pot may have still been there I left in 1980. The story in 5's was that Pot got her name from smoking pot but this may well have been just a rumour! Unfortunately Mrs Warner went blind and left in about 1976 - I remember us raising money for her to have a guide dog.

[Katharine]

Stories of "The Hag" lingered on for years in Sixes although she left just before I started.I wonder if the tendency among certain upper fifth and sixth formers ( NOT YOU Katharine) to be overly harsh ( bullies sometimes) with the new third formers ( my year) was this "Hag's" own legacy? Sounds like she was knock knee-ed and bow legged ...possibly due to nutritional deficiency as a child?

She wasn't bow-legged, Alex. The shin bones at the knee end were together then they curved away from each other down to ankle. Possibly nutrition don't know.

I think one of the most difficult things about her was her inconsistency. Her use of English was legendary, she liked long words but did not know their meaning. When someone knocked over a vase of flowers in the hall (in 6s) they were urged to get a cloth to mop the floor 'before we get hydrophobia'. I'll try to remember more examples.

I was definitely NOT her favourite person in our year. Just as I was about to go into one of my O Level exams she said to me, 'Katharine, One of the houses in High Cross (the village where my parents lived) was struck by thunder (sic) last night. I don't know which one. Now run along and do your exam.'

Midget, as far as I can remember, Miss Mactier was there the whole time I was there. Can Alex or Mary remember who was in 7s when they started?

[englishangel]

Midget, as far as I can remember, Miss Mactier was there the whole time I was there. Can Alex or Mary remember who was in 7s when they started?

I can't. The name rings a bell but I think it was becasue she had left but was still talked about.

2's had Mrs Winstone 65-69, Miss (Mrs?) Savage for 18 months or so, Mrs Winstone, 70-71 then Mrs Dean (daughter Lucy in 3's probably a non-Foundationer) for my final year. she invited both Jane and me into her study on our 18th birthdays for a glass of sherry.

[DavebytheSea]

I have changed the thread header to "Housemistresses" as, for a new thread this is more general!

You girls were certainly very lucky. We lads were never allowed to have mistresses at all in the house - though some of the more daring did pursue Spanish maids with some vigour. As for the rest ........

[englishangel]

I have changed the thread header to "Housemistresses" as, for a new thread this is more general!

You girls were certainly very lucky. We lads were never allowed to have mistresses at all in the house - though some of the more daring did pursue Spanish maids with some vigour. As for the rest ........

Ha-very-Ha NOT (the cider's at it again)

[UserRemovedAccount]

That's funny - I thought they were Irish. Eithne certainly was.