tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290395635850697105.post8726003051767174503..comments2023-09-22T13:57:20.922-04:00Comments on From The Valley To The Palais: The reluctant boarder 1984-89nappy valley girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10788949037047084412noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290395635850697105.post-62220287180364484012013-03-14T08:55:19.596-04:002013-03-14T08:55:19.596-04:00How sad, but how beautifully written. I do find th...How sad, but how beautifully written. I do find these stories of British Boarding school life really tragic. But I can see there was no other option, not really for many families. My husband boarded and it was the best thing for him, but his circumstances were very very different--both before he arrived at boarding school and while there.Michelloui | The American Residenthttp://www.theamericanresident.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290395635850697105.post-13132236107889202662013-03-12T16:03:29.461-04:002013-03-12T16:03:29.461-04:00NB - thanks, and I will email you separately...
K...NB - thanks, and I will email you separately...<br /><br />Kit - that sounds even worse! six inches of water, how appalling. <br /><br />MsCaroline - it wasn't like that in the rest of the school, just the first year house for some reason. Just the youngest, most vulnerable girls....sigh.<br /><br /><br /><br />Melissa - yes I am finding it interesting. Stirs up things I'd really forgotten!<br /><br />Iota - the lively streak has always been there. It's a bit buried at the moment, though.<br /><br />Expat Mum - you are right about my mother, of course. It wasn't a good thing for her at all.<br /><br /><br />planB - Interested to hear about your school, I wonder which one it was? Yes, lots of unhappy boarders. Today I am sure they would have their own social network!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />nappy valley girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10788949037047084412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290395635850697105.post-65362182689378711162013-03-11T15:24:06.886-04:002013-03-11T15:24:06.886-04:00Ah... the sweet smell of cabbage and homesickness....Ah... the sweet smell of cabbage and homesickness. <br /><br />Takes me back...<br /><br />Very interesting to read someone else's experiences. I was at the school that allegedly St Clare's is based on, and like you felt rather let down it wasn't like that.<br /><br />The thing I find most heartbreaking now though is that there were clearly lots of us dotted round these schools that felt like we didn't fit in yet we never found each other... Harriethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11975259590293860488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290395635850697105.post-12518180552009874432013-03-11T10:12:43.249-04:002013-03-11T10:12:43.249-04:00What a shame. I imagine one consolation (if that&#...What a shame. I imagine one consolation (if that's the right word) is probably that your mother was just as miserable as you were. It would've been quite hard to think that she was living a glorious expat life while you were squirreled away in England.<br />Thank goodness most boarding schools these days seem to have wised up and realised that you can't treat kids like that and expect to stay in business. Expat mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17798190669591053390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290395635850697105.post-4979748181882759442013-03-11T08:54:21.689-04:002013-03-11T08:54:21.689-04:00I await each installment of your life eagerly. Suc...I await each installment of your life eagerly. Such good reading, and a wonderful window into you as you are today.<br /><br />It makes me feel somewhat helpless as a parent. For all the effort we put into helping our children develop self-esteem, it can all be ruined by a group of mean kids. I think that kind of bullying, or whatever you want to label it, is much more likely to be noticed and stamped on these days, but even so, children have ways of building each other up and tearing each other down. I'm so glad you had those lovely three friends.<br /><br />I'm so sad about your lively streak being ruthless suppressed. Has it come back? Is it still waiting in the wings a little? When you're back to health, maybe you can tend it!<br /><br /><br />Iota https://www.blogger.com/profile/08507184283437057648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290395635850697105.post-55470310341035822192013-03-11T06:17:22.569-04:002013-03-11T06:17:22.569-04:00Well now you've ruined my thoughts on boarding...Well now you've ruined my thoughts on boarding, which I admit always ran towards the Mallory Towers way of life. But it sounds so interesting. Hope you're enjoying remembering it all. I found it a really liberating and eye opening experience as to why I am who I am todayMelissahttp://talkaboutyork.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290395635850697105.post-66952625430884300752013-03-11T04:34:24.151-04:002013-03-11T04:34:24.151-04:00I am finding this fascinating - the limited bathin...I am finding this fascinating - the limited bathing and hair washing especially - I thought that sort of thinking (weekly hairwashes and not-daily bathing) was more of a 50s and 60s thing. Of course, I remember living in Germany in the 80s and our landlord was very cross with us because we all showered daily - water-wasting Americans. The more of this I'm reading, the more I think it needs to become a novel - such interesting/exotic settings. So enjoying reading your memories and hope they're providing a little 'escape.' xMsCarolinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03623997911568143459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290395635850697105.post-79350387503027657792013-03-11T04:07:06.600-04:002013-03-11T04:07:06.600-04:00Oh bath rotas and hair washing with a cup in a sin...Oh bath rotas and hair washing with a cup in a sink! I started boarding school in 1976, the year of a very hot summer and drought. We were only allowed two baths a week and six inches of water. Hair washing was a separate once a week event again with a rota. We also had an Irish matron with a sharp tongue. And county girls with sharp eyes. Must have been even harder for you being so far from home.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11594062064082350697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290395635850697105.post-83362981478662089342013-03-10T21:32:07.906-04:002013-03-10T21:32:07.906-04:00Having known you for so long, I'm so pleased t...Having known you for so long, I'm so pleased to be reading this and getting to know you more...I hope you are making progress?Nota Benehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00969705852180234416noreply@blogger.com