My brother Lionel Hemsley & myself Coral Hemsley were on this photo. We were at the school from 1939 to 1944. (We were not entered in the log book until 1940 as Lionel was under age.) We were evacuated to the boarding school as we lived too near Croydon Airport. My parents wanted to keep us together because of the war. I was in Fereby House & had to have a blue check summer dress. When bombers came over on their way to Coventry we had to get under our desks. All the classroom Windows were crisscrossed with tape to stop the glass splintering. It’s good to see the clear panes now!! Seymour House was the girls’ Boarding House. Our Head was Mr Bright. I particularly remember the Art teacher Miss Rudge (?) who gave me a lifelong interest in the History of art & the background to pictures. The music teacher was a funny character. Out English teacher had to teach us French too. Because it was wartime the young teachers had gone off to fight so old retired teachers were called in to help. There was no swimming pool. We used to play five stones at playtime & a number of bouncy ball games against a wall. I also knitted a grey scarf for a sailor who had contacted the school. In 1944 my father’s General suggested we should both be moved to boarding schools in Bruton Somerset so we spent our last 5 years there before university. Lionel became a vet & I was a primary school teacher. I met my husband whilst teaching in Berlin
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My brother Lionel Hemsley & myself Coral Hemsley were on this photo. We were at the school from 1939 to 1944. (We were not entered in the log book until 1940 as Lionel was under age.) We were evacuated to the boarding school as we lived too near Croydon Airport. My parents wanted to keep us together because of the war. I was in Fereby House & had to have a blue check summer dress. When bombers came over on their way to Coventry we had to get under our desks. All the classroom Windows were crisscrossed with tape to stop the glass splintering. It’s good to see the clear panes now!! Seymour House was the girls’ Boarding House. Our Head was Mr Bright. I particularly remember the Art teacher Miss Rudge (?) who gave me a lifelong interest in the History of art & the background to pictures. The music teacher was a funny character. Out English teacher had to teach us French too. Because it was wartime the young teachers had gone off to fight so old retired teachers were called in to help. There was no swimming pool. We used to play five stones at playtime & a number of bouncy ball games against a wall. I also knitted a grey scarf for a sailor who had contacted the school. In 1944 my father’s General suggested we should both be moved to boarding schools in Bruton Somerset so we spent our last 5 years there before university. Lionel became a vet & I was a primary school teacher. I met my husband whilst teaching in Berlin
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