St Margarets Boarding School for Girls ( closed approx 1963)

Questions on schools and colleges, past and present
jenifer_foster
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:46 pm

St Margarets Boarding School for Girls ( closed approx 1963)

Postby jenifer_foster » Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:44 pm

[quoted]
John Wood wrote:
I am seeking further information of this remarkable school, and its even more remarkable headmistress, Mrs Doris Batty. Life here was severe, to say the least, at least at times,the girl boarders being required to wash, and brush their teeth, in the water from their hot water bottles! The school was situated on the clifftop I believe, and closed when Miss Batty retired in approx 1963. Any further information, photos etc would be warmly appreciated.

John Wood
[/quoted]


St. Margaret's School was located on The Ridge, Hastings. I was a full time boarder there in the 1950's. I don't remember any of this hot water bottle stuff, must have been later on. There were 2 girls from Iran. One was a princess. I need some information on them and who they were.





jenifer_foster
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:46 pm

Re: St Margaret's Boarding School for Girls ( closed approx

Postby jenifer_foster » Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:52 pm

[quoted]
Jocelyn Marriner wrote:
I went to St. Margaret's from 1955 to 1958 I remember Jenifer Moore we were in the same dormitory when we started at the school, the girl from Iran which was then called Persia, was called Mercedes as far as I know she is living in America and is married to one of the Kellogg's family.
The school was on the Ridge in the village of Ore. I have photos of the school and pupils and am still in touch with many of the girls who were in the same form, we certainly didn't have to wash in the water in our hot water bottles, though the dormitories were very cold in the winter.
Why does John Wood want information?
[/quoted]
Jocelyn,I think I remember you. Thanks for the reply.
There were 2 Persian girls one was tall and seemed older and the other one smaller and looked younger, I can't remember their names, the older girl could have been Mercedes, and the younger one was possibly the princess.
I'd love to see the pictures you have?
By the way, I don't know why John Wood wants this information, maybe he's writing a book!




jane_ogborne
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:47 pm

Re: St Margarets Boarding School for Girls ( closed approx 1

Postby jane_ogborne » Fri Aug 20, 2010 6:11 pm

Regarding pupils having to wash in their hot water bottle water, that was in the freezing winter of 1963. I think the pipes froze. Likewise the rationing of the toilet paper.
Merrivale was converted into flats about 20 years ago.




jane_ogborne
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:47 pm

Re: St Margarets Boarding School for Girls ( closed approx 1

Postby jane_ogborne » Fri Aug 20, 2010 6:14 pm

Anyone remember the tea dances held at an hotel in hastings? We used to stuff ourselves with sandwhiches and cakes and show off our dancing_ _ __ _ _.My friend Penny and I fell down during a demonstration because my shoes were so new and slippery. Got in trouble because we had a huge fit of giggles.




patrick
Posts: 144
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 3:35 pm

Re: St Margarets Boarding School for Girls ( closed approx 1

Postby patrick » Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:37 pm

Drove along The Ridge today and noticed that the school has been demolished..Google Maps, Street View, still shows the frontage as it was, so before Google changes the view have a good look and perhaps print a nice colour picture of the frontage to remind you of days gone by..




jenifer_foster
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:46 pm

Re: St Margarets Boarding School for Girls ( closed approx 1

Postby jenifer_foster » Sat Sep 04, 2010 11:51 pm

Thanks for the update Patrick.
Is Merrivale still there? I know it was converted into flats some time ago.
Do you know where I can find a list of alumni who were at St. Margarets in the 1950's?




patrick
Posts: 144
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 3:35 pm

Re: St Margarets Boarding School for Girls ( closed approx 1

Postby patrick » Sun Sep 05, 2010 2:18 pm

Looking at Google Maps it seems that all the land at the back of the school is now occupied by private houses..I do not know where Miss Batty's Merivale Manor was located but assume that it was quite close to the school and so must have made way for these houses..As to the list of alumni,was there an Old Girls magazine ?,these usually give a list of pupils, if so there is a possibility that the local reference library has a copy or two, if not then an enquiry to the Records Office at Lewes Library is your best bet..




kay_angell
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 8:31 am

St Margarets Boarding School for Girls ( closed approx 1963)

Postby kay_angell » Thu Sep 09, 2010 8:31 am

I was at St Mags from May 1958 until it closed at the end of the summer term 1963. In the winter of 1963 the pipes in Merrivale remained frozen until the end of March because there was absolutely no heating in the building, or to be accurate, two coal fires each day, one in the classroom on the ground floor and one in a bedroom and those bedrooms with fireplaces took it in turns to have the fire! Water was carried across from the main school to be heated in a huge urn to give us a tiny drop of water in our hot water bottles and we did indeed have to used that water to wash and clean our teeth the following morning! We were freezing and literally everyone had chillblains!! My year was in Upper V 2 when the school closed and some of us and the year above are still in touch and have a reunion lunch in London once a year. What sort of info are you looking for?
John Wood wrote:
I am seeking further information of this remarkable school, and its even more remarkable headmistress, Mrs Doris Batty. Life here was severe, to say the least, at least at times,the girl boarders being required to wash, and brush their teeth, in the water from their hot water bottles! The school was situated on the clifftop I believe, and closed when Miss Batty retired in approx 1963. Any further information, photos etc would be warmly appreciated.

John Wood
[/quoted]






jenifer_foster
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:46 pm

Re: St Margarets Boarding School for Girls ( closed approx 1

Postby jenifer_foster » Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:37 am

I'm looking for pictures of St. Mags and students who attended from
1954 to 1958. I'm also interested in who the Persian princess was that attended the school for one or two years 1955 to 1956, there were two girls from Persia (Iran) only one of them was a princess.
I would also like to get in touch with some of the girls when I was there.





jenifer_foster
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:46 pm

Re: St Margarets Boarding School for Girls ( closed approx 1

Postby jenifer_foster » Wed Sep 15, 2010 3:11 am

[quoted]
jenifer foster wrote:
I'm looking for pictures of St. Mags and students who attended from
1954 to 1958. I'm also interested in who the Persian princess was that attended the school for one or two years 1955 to 1956, there were two girls from Persia (Iran) only one of them was a princess.
I would also like to get in touch with some of the girls when I was there.

[/quoted]







Return to “Schools and Colleges”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests