School Dinners
Like 'em or hate 'em...we want to hear your comments...
By Friends Reunited (née Team) 9th Oct 2008
Edited 9th Feb 2012
Totally agree about Shepherds Pie. can never be
replicated believe me I've tried. I still eat my cottage Pie /Shepherds
Pie with baked beans.......Oh the memories.
By Liane Eden (née Boggis) 18th May 2009
it was the only dinner I liked. Also if I have ever
suggested that baked beans can be eaten with shepherds pie I have only
ever recieved looks of horror as though I must be mad
By Rosemary Paddington 9th Feb 2012
My first day there I was sick when trying to eat the
raviolli. The chocolate custard was always lumpy but delicious to
children. Kids prefer sweet foods but they insisted on serving
vinegared red cabbage! The nuns who did the cooking (anyone know their
names) would force pupils to clear their plates no matter how foul it
tasted. "People are starving in the world" was their favoured mantra.
Their shephards pie was amazing. Never tasted anything like it. A French recipe maybe?
Their shephards pie was amazing. Never tasted anything like it. A French recipe maybe?
By Stephen Armourae 21st Sep 2013
How I dreaded the day when it was Semolina and Red
Jam! Even today, I have never tasted anything quite so revolting. But
in those days there was no inflation, as dinners were 2/6d (expensive in
1958) per day from 1958 right through to 1965, when I left.
Loved the Friday chips though!
Loved the Friday chips though!
By Barrie Wright 2nd Oct 2013
By Stephen Armourae 22nd Mar 201
Sister Denise
Sister Denise was really scary and it's quite frightening to think she was actually a nun. I hated sewing and she used to smack my ankles if I didnt comply. She also got angry with my bruv one afternoon before Xmas so as a punishment she left him out in the snow all afternoon and he ended up in hospital. He was 8. I think that sums the whole school up.
By Emma Watt 7th May 2002
Re: Sister Denise
Hear Hear
As far as I am concerned they (the nuns) were all a bunch of frustrated old women who got their kicks with their sadistic behaviour towards the kids - Sister Theresa in my experience in paricular. I am sure that if the early/mid sixties when I was there were today the SUN would have a field day
Hear Hear
As far as I am concerned they (the nuns) were all a bunch of frustrated old women who got their kicks with their sadistic behaviour towards the kids - Sister Theresa in my experience in paricular. I am sure that if the early/mid sixties when I was there were today the SUN would have a field day
By Chris Ward 14th Jul 2002
Interesting that most of those who've posted have
good memories of both these nuns despite recognising that both of them
did have a scary side they are remembered for being inspirational
teachers.
Its the lay teachers Mrs Lyons and Mrs Newman who were the worst due to a malicious or sadistic streak in both of them
Its the lay teachers Mrs Lyons and Mrs Newman who were the worst due to a malicious or sadistic streak in both of them
By Stephen Armourae 24th Sep 2013
Also what part of France did she come from? She would often exclaim "Awwww" when expressing disapproval.
She took us from a French lesson, when I was in Mrs Lyons class, as Sister Antoinette was ill. She said there was no word in French for 'rainbow.' My dictionaries contradict her!
By Stephen Armourae 22nd Mar 2015
Miss Williams in Kindergarten 1959+
So, can anyone recall Miss Williams who was in the Kindergarten? I went into her class at Easter 1959. I guess she'd be around 80 year old now!
By Barrie Wright 24th Nov 2013
Sister Theresa
I notice no-one has mentioned Sister Theresa who ran the last class through Eleven Plus, and in my opinion, even slightly scarier than Sister Antoinette! (& Mrs Lyons).I remember the Refectory, the corregated alley by the main school building. Also the mysterious dark rooms at the top of stairs. Being force fed mini bottles of milk, that occasionaly were left in the sun too long(have not been able to drink straight milk since).
Choir practice, a previous message about being taught French at an early age is spot on, as we were also lucky to be taught algebra. Quick fire mental arithmetic quizzes were handy for later life.
I remember naughty pupils having their mouths washed out with soap water - but not me (I think).
Did anyone else go on what I recall as a student exchange to Western France?
This is great nostalgia!
By Paul Deering 17th Sep 2001
Edited 9th Feb 2012
Re: Sister Theresa
I never knew Sr Theresa but remember some time around 1980/81 being in the infant's class and being told by Sr Antoinette that we must all keep quiet as Sr Theresa was very ill. She died a few days later and I think we were even given the opportunity to go and see her in the chapel-I declined of course!
I never knew Sr Theresa but remember some time around 1980/81 being in the infant's class and being told by Sr Antoinette that we must all keep quiet as Sr Theresa was very ill. She died a few days later and I think we were even given the opportunity to go and see her in the chapel-I declined of course!
By Mark Wadman 9th Nov 2001
Re: Sister Theresa
Spot on with Sister Theresa, but don't you remember such things as 'doing the cleaning' (ie basically sliding up and down the hall with rags on your feet hitting ?:!$ out of each other? Or how about being charged 1/2p for a cup of water? Or being sent to the 'Friar Tuck' chip shop on its opening day when fish and chips were free: the sisters got the fish and the pupils got the chips as commission! I'm sure there's plent more memories!
Spot on with Sister Theresa, but don't you remember such things as 'doing the cleaning' (ie basically sliding up and down the hall with rags on your feet hitting ?:!$ out of each other? Or how about being charged 1/2p for a cup of water? Or being sent to the 'Friar Tuck' chip shop on its opening day when fish and chips were free: the sisters got the fish and the pupils got the chips as commission! I'm sure there's plent more memories!
By Clive Nicholas 21st Dec 2001
I certainly remember the milk and same here - I hate
the stuff. I remember the rooms upstairs and all the teachers who I
mostly disliked. I came out of there with 9 O levels and went to
Beaverwood to do A levels. Mostly I hated PE.
It really is a very long time ago
It really is a very long time ago
By Rosemary Paddington 9th Feb 2012
Sister Theresa was a huge nun with hand as wide as a
plank, twice as hard and she wasn't slow to use it. Saying that, she was
a superb educator and genuinely loved the boys who went through her
care. I remember those afternoon spelling tests and the quickfire mental
arithmetic quizzes, both of which I think I benefit from forty years
later.
By Nick Waddell 23rd Jul 2013
I would have been in Sister Theresa's class when she
died over the summer. We all thought she was frightening due to her
habit (no pun) of waving a cane above our heads. We all missed out by
her death. She was a fantastic teacher who was more like Fagin from
Oliver Twist: sending out her pupils on errands and drinking beer at
lunchtime surrounded by her class watching darts on TV.
Mrs Lyon's was a very different matter in the late 70's when we had her. Lower middleclass affectation and snob who believed she could beat eduction into young boys. Those of us in her class have speculated that her readiness to slap the bare legs of young boys may something more about her.
Referring to Clive's memories of cleaning by sliding around with dusters tied to our feet. Lots of fun but would be allowed by health and safety pedants now.
& Paul Deering's remarks. My year never found Sister Antoinette frightening. There was a darker / angrier side side to her, but the scary one was Sister Denise: the tallest, dressed all in black, unlike the other nuns, a huge silver crucifix and a very dramatic and dynamic personality. If she thought you were messing in class , this black shape would suddenly engulf you and demand answers.
She was a great teacher.
I sometimes saw the nuns: usually dragged in for tea by one of the cooks when they were gardening. Sister Denise turned out to be a lot shorter than she appeared to us aged 9
Mrs Lyon's was a very different matter in the late 70's when we had her. Lower middleclass affectation and snob who believed she could beat eduction into young boys. Those of us in her class have speculated that her readiness to slap the bare legs of young boys may something more about her.
Referring to Clive's memories of cleaning by sliding around with dusters tied to our feet. Lots of fun but would be allowed by health and safety pedants now.
& Paul Deering's remarks. My year never found Sister Antoinette frightening. There was a darker / angrier side side to her, but the scary one was Sister Denise: the tallest, dressed all in black, unlike the other nuns, a huge silver crucifix and a very dramatic and dynamic personality. If she thought you were messing in class , this black shape would suddenly engulf you and demand answers.
She was a great teacher.
I sometimes saw the nuns: usually dragged in for tea by one of the cooks when they were gardening. Sister Denise turned out to be a lot shorter than she appeared to us aged 9
By Stephen Armourae 21st Sep 2013
Edited 2nd Dec 2013
I remember having to polish the floors in Sr.
Theresa's class, with dusters stuck to my feet. Also, the 1/2d payment
for a drink of water in the refectory.
Anyone recall the 'lemon sherbert' drink Sr. Theresa used to make up in class for the afternoons? Think the charge was a 1d into the Lourdes fund.
Anyone go on the summer holiday trip to Lourdes in the 1960's?
Anyone recall the 'lemon sherbert' drink Sr. Theresa used to make up in class for the afternoons? Think the charge was a 1d into the Lourdes fund.
Anyone go on the summer holiday trip to Lourdes in the 1960's?
By Barrie Wright 2nd Oct 2013
Sister Theresa was still having her 'special'
lunchtime drink up to her death, surrounded by her class watching darts
or wrestling-
what other school would have such an arrangement!
what other school would have such an arrangement!
By Stephen Armourae 14th Oct 2013
What 'special' lunchtime drink? Doesn't sound like the Sr. Theresa that I knew...and wrestling? This is surreal.
By Barrie Wright 24th Nov 2013
By Stephen Armourae 2nd Dec 2013
Years Ago
I started at St Gertrudes (as it was known) At St Josephs's (was the boy's part.)At the time I was just over 4yrs So about 1946.
I can only remember one boy called Guy who was pretty naughty.
I remained there with Mrs Curle Sister Antoinette, Sister marie,
Sister Theresa, Sister Denise (Who hated me for some reason and was why my parents put me in for the technology school exam.
I passed high enough to qualify for Beaverwood Rd Grammar
But struggled all through. Left with 4 O.L's
Miss Hillman my French teacher said if I passed it would be a miracle.
I passed with 85% told her.
Girls I remember Teresa Miller, Ann Whitehead, Barbara Dann, Irene Burrage, Shirley Woolner Maureen O' Dwyer
Maura O'Donaghue, Mandy Weeks and many others
By Stella Hopgood (née Foxwell) 8th May 2004
Sister Marie-Claire was the mother superior and died in her sleep on her 95th birthday. She needed 2 walking sticks in the last couple of years. Sister Theresa died within a year.
Denise and Antoinette returned to France when the bishop closed the convent.
There was a sister Emmanuel who haven't mentioned, was she there in your time.
And no one has mentioned the names of the 2 cooks, they were younger and could only speak broken English. One of them became mother superior.
By Stephen Armourae 23rd Sep 2013
lost friends
i would like to hear from friendsthat graduated with me in 1964
sister emmanual was the head mistress,mrs wyatt was a teacher
one of the nuns i remember was very tall and thin and also a tough task master. i was always getting into trouble and spent a lot of time in the head mistresses office.
we had our first cigarette in the toilets and turned our uniform skirts to mini shirts as soon as we left school for the day.
we played a mean game of rounders at the local park, hated to walk to the park in the gymn outfits
i played tennis and we did very well i loved to play and im left handed so i had a mean back hand.
in those days we had latin classes and went to church once a week. i am not catholic so had to stay in school and have religious classes.
one of the classes i remember was typing on old typewriters.
there was also a homeless person that came by every week, he had a bicycle and went all around the area. the nuns fed him and one time they managed to get him new tyres however the next week the old ones were back on. he traveled a lot,my mother in law tells of him sleeping on her door stoop and she live in orpington.
i have a lot of stories of that time and was very upset when i saw the school demolished i believe it is now part of another st josephs in st marys cray. is that correct.
would love to hear from anyone from 1960-1964. maybe a reunion...
By Iris Hyde (née Donovan) 27th Oct 2001
Edited 9th Feb 2012
i was there between 1961 and 1967 so you must have
been a couple of years ahead of me. I remember all that stuff you said.
The old boy was nicknamed Joseph but I also remember a woman tramp who
was called Mary. The latin has always served me well. I have very mixed
feelings about the place -some good but a lot of bad.
By Rosemary Paddington 9th Feb 2012
I'm surprised that Sister Emmanuel was the headmistress!
She was the kindergarten teacher with Sister Antoinette in the 70s.
She returned to Normandy in 1977. She was suffering from some minor illnesses and was overweight by then. She was a very good teacher and tolerant of my repeatedly getting her name wrong; called her 'Sister Whale' I was 5 years old.
Sister Theresa was the headmistress in the 70s until death in 1980.
The tall thin teacher was sister Denise. Very good, but a task master with a dynamic personality which made her appear more imposing
By Stephen Armourae 21st Sep 2013
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