School Carmen and other songs....

[midget]

RR's version has 1 more verse than I have on the programme for Speech Day 1950 (is that sad or what) We agree up to verse 5, we didn't have verse 6 and the next verse began "Artes palaestrae floreant" with the last verse the same as yours. This led to a peculiar ending with the last bit of the tune repeated.
(in the same scruffy old envelope that I found the programme was a request for the first year fees £24!

[midget]

on the whole I think girls are just bitchy

I agree Jude, there was an awful lot of whispering behind hands, and when you are small you can very easily feel overwhelmed. In addition, there was a continual feeling of being watched by the Ward mistress. I don't think the situation was the same in every house, but there was always some sort of inspection going on so you had no privacy at all.

[englishangel]

on the whole I think girls are just bitchy

I agree Jude, there was an awful lot of whispering behind hands, and when you are small you can very easily feel overwhelmed. In addition, there was a continual feeling of being watched by the Ward mistress. I don't think the situation was the same in every house, but there was always some sort of inspection going on so you had no privacy at all.

I think I have said elsewhere that girls bullying is much more subtle, psychological rather than physical. But certainly the privacy thing was a problem, even the loo doors had glass in them, albeit frosted. (Very difficult when trying to complete needlework at 2 am)

[Jude]

Mary - only you could have been up doing needlework in the loos! The bathroom was worse - flimsy plastic curtains around the 5 sinks, and only 3 baths - and bagging a bath was a running contest! As for showers - what the hell were they? The only showers we had were when it rained outside!

Oh those outside loos!!! They were cold! no top to the door and a great big gap at the bottom - brrrrrrrr!

I got stung on the bum on the toilet with the glass panel on the first floor - since then I have an allergy to the wretched things!

[englishangel]

oh we all did needlework in the loos, upstairs, not the outside ones

[Euterpe13]

I think I have said elsewhere that girls bullying is much more subtle, psychological rather than physical.

Not true, unfortunately : I was also physically bullied - slapping, kicking, buckets of cold water over me whilst in my bath, and various other delights. Funnily enough, 2 of the worst torturers became my friends later in the school ( they know who they are...)

As to Jude's comment about her son " bringing it on himself" , I was served the same excuse : my son is half french, half english , and when you are called a " dirty frog", you do tend to react - but does this justify getting regularly beaten up ? His housemaster ( the Rev Dobie, to name names ) laughed it off, and said that it was just " high spirits and horse-play".....

[englishangel]

Just goes to show, I had no idea.

[Jude]

Chris was taunted by one nasty young brat not only over his surname (Comber) -cucumber etc.. but also that this brat was going to rape me... It was so horrible the actual things this child said - Chris due to his father leaving us when he was 4 is very protective of both Sarah and me - and being taunted by another boy about your mother - isn't that incitive??

I got kicked, tripped over and things always went missing, but I gotto the point where my wall got thick and I ignored them - one of them was afterwards a good friend, another who was a good friend at school has become so snobbish she won't talk to me as I don't have a plum stuck in my mouth - and - oh terrible sin - I am divorced!!!!!!!!!!

[Richard Ruck]

Chris was taunted by one nasty young brat not only over his surname (Comber) -cucumber etc.. but also that this brat was going to rape me... It was so horrible the actual things this child said - Chris due to his father leaving us when he was 4 is very protective of both Sarah and me - and being taunted by another boy about your mother - isn't that incitive??

I got kicked, tripped over and things always went missing, but I gotto the point where my wall got thick and I ignored them - one of them was afterwards a good friend, another who was a good friend at school has become so snobbish she won't talk to me as I don't have a plum stuck in my mouth - and - oh terrible sin - I am divorced!!!!!!!!!!

Not much of a friend, then.

The brat taunting your son should have been nabbed, warned about his behaviour and, if necessary, kicked out.

And....... what happened to peer pressure? Did none of the other kids stick up for him?

[Jude]

in Lamb b at that time I thikn there were a lot of disturbed youngsters... and in order not to be picke on you kept low and ignored what was going on - Chris however (bless him, ) would go to the defence of the smaller boys and try to prevent it - hence him "bringing it on himself"

I wonder if I have failed as a parent as I taught them never to use their hands in battle but to use their minds and if nevessary their mouths, to walk away and ignore things said..... Perhaps I should have brought them up like my father and their father - kick anything and punch everything!

nope - I have to say I prefer to walk away and not face confrontation..

[Mid A 15]

in Lamb b at that time I thikn there were a lot of disturbed youngsters... and in order not to be picke on you kept low and ignored what was going on - Chris however (bless him, ) would go to the defence of the smaller boys and try to prevent it - hence him "bringing it on himself"

I wonder if I have failed as a parent as I taught them never to use their hands in battle but to use their minds and if nevessary their mouths, to walk away and ignore things said..... Perhaps I should have brought them up like my father and their father - kick anything and punch everything!

nope - I have to say I prefer to walk away and not face confrontation..

Sounds like the adults in the house were at best incompetent at worst downright negligent.

[Jude]

let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, mother Mary comes to me let it be bebeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....

sorry - am remembering Live8 and am totally unabvle to keep up with the notifications - they are at 16 currently - I did get tehm to 8 but it's a struggle - I'm a GE now!!!!

[sport!]

let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, mother Mary comes to me let it be bebeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....

sorry - am remembering Live8 and am totally unabvle to keep up with the notifications - they are at 16 currently - I did get tehm to 8 but it's a struggle - I'm a GE now!!!!

I'd switch them off if I were you Jude, they'll drive you insane eventually

[Jude]

I am considering it - I have it down to 10, but it makes me feel loved!!!!

[englishangel]

don't worry about it, richard ruck is having similar trouble