Old School Reunion

Yesterday OH and I travelled to Bedford for the 129th anniversary of The Dame Alice Harpur School, where I attended from 1968 to 1973 (it would have been longer - till 1975 - but my parents decided to move house).


Half the school photgraph from 1970

It was a day of nostalgia and fun, tinged with sadness. Four years ago we celebrated the 125th anniversary; next year we will be celebrating the 1st anniversary of the new school. In September this year, Dame Alice will be amalgamating with the High School, to become Bedford Girls' School. The bonus as far as I am concerned is that the new school is on our site, using our buildings and the new Head is our Head! That makes it Dame Alice with added High School girls!

We left home at around 7am to make the 200 mile journey, arriving at the school at 10.45am. After parking at the back, we walked round the front to enter the building by the front door - something that was forbidden to all but teachers and prefects in the 6th Form. I not-so-fondly remember one evening leaving school at around 5pm and using the front door. Being a shy child, I didnt want to be noticed at all, but of course the inevitable happened and Miss Broadway (history teacher, now sadly long dead), caught me and gave me a right old telling off. Needless to say, I never used that door again! Until I was an adult that is.



Coffee was served in the assembly hall - we were never allowed to take food or drink that there when I was a pupil!



A welcome speech or two - the Chair of the Old Girls' Association and the new Head. Then down to Room E (where I used to eat my daily packed lunch) where we were served champagne - didnt have that when I was there either.



On into the dining hall, which had been beautifully laid out for the reunion participants.



Dinner was a buffet, where we were sent table by table to collect our food (now that was more like I remember things!)

After dinner, we were free to wander round the school - not much has changed to be honest, though they have moved the entrance to the swimming pool and there are one or two building additions, not to mention Room 9 has disappeared!

Anyway, met up with a couple of old friends - twins, Sylvia and Elizabeth - and made some new ones! And met some old teachers - most of them were old when I was there! And one previous Headmistress (I had two, the first one is now dead)

Miss Lawson-Brown

Miss Morse

Meeting my old chemistry teacher was a laugh. We reminisced about a chemistry lesson at the evry end of term one year. I was slow on the uptake, so she set the class some work to do, then called me to the front. Very patiently she went through the work several times. The penny finally dropped just as the bell rang for the end of the lesson. It was the last lesson of the day; the last lesson of the term; the last lesson of the year. And my last ever chemistry lesson!!

Whatever people might think about private education, I feel privileged to have been to this school and will be eternally grateful to my parents for making it possible.