Monday, May 20, 2013

School days

Firstly, apologies for the lack of posts recently. We've been busy sorting things out (and I've been slightly distracted by Miniatures make me happy) but I hope to get back on track soon.

In the last week of Pat's life, we spent our evenings in her room at Mount Ephraim House going through the suitcase. One of the photos that appealed to me most was the one below as she is instantly recognisable as the young girl on the left. I wish she'd been awake so we could have asked her about it.

Pat (left) in what we assume was her school uniform

A week later and sadly I was drafting her eulogy. It's the first time I've ever had to write one but fortunately I was basing it on some beautiful words that Tim had already written. It made me realise that although we knew all the vague details about her life, we weren't too clear on the specifics.

Every time I drove her down Calverley Park Gardens in Tunbridge Wells, she would comment that she went to school in a building on the right hand side. It was only after she died that I realised I had no idea what it was called. She talked about the nuns and the fact that they spent a lot of time in bomb shelters but that was really all I knew.

Finding out more about the school proved (and is proving) extremely difficult. I've been really lucky when posting pictures on Twitter and Facebook - someone is almost always able to help. In this instance, there were several suggestions about where the shot above was taken but I'm now fairly sure it is the school she attended in Calverley Park Gardens.

Searching the internet (my usual first port of call for all information) proved fairly fruitless but huge thanks to Carolyn Gray who managed to locate the cutting below, via a local historian.





We believe that Pat must have attended 16 Calverley Park Gardens, Convent of the Blessed Sacrament. I would love to know more about the school and to see more pictures but so far, I've had no luck.

I'm hoping this post might prompt some memories so we can find out more. Do get in touch if you think you could help.