I really like the juxtaposition of going back in time, recreating childhood memories and applying an adult's analysis of those memories - very well written!
Just one thing: Top of the Pops began in 1964, whereas Helen Shapiro's ' Walking Back to Happiness' was a hit in 1961. I remember TOTP only played what was in the charts at the time - definitely remember watching the Monkees' 'I'm a Believer' on it in 1967!
Beautifully written Emma. I remember cruel matron - friends of mine reckon she was a voyeuristic paedophile. The boys Matron Mrs T was no better.
Still my memories are probably more mixed than yours. There was homesickness and being forced to carry more than is healthy for an eight year old. On the other side we had an incredible freedom and opportunity to run around and play in the open air that’s children today can only dream of. Who now would allow you to climb a highish tree and go down on the zip wire? (It’s a miracle no one ever fell!) If I had my life again, I’d probably stick even though it damaged as well as fed me.
This is scary stuff, Emma. What strikes me is the huge gap between an adult mind analysing, remembering and focussing on what actually happened compared to a little girl forcing herself to find undercover coping strategies hiding her turmoil -. The ‘safety place’ for her is in numbers and friends. The ‘dangerous place’ is the isolation when alone, the dread, fear and anxious anticipation.
Engrossing is the word. The way you recreate this poor child’s nasty, pathetic experience with the present/past perspective and the concrete detail is so effective (thanks, by the way, for reminding me so vividly of the disgusting school food of the time!).
Thank you, Helen. Sorry to remind you of the school food! I seem to remember that dead man's leg (jam roly poly) was edible, but not with school custard.
What a masterful description of the puny delights of boarding school! We too had birthday teas - but the nuns wanted us to stay at our tables selected each term by them. They wanted to promote a cross section of ages and, in a tiny school of 120 girls in an English convent, knit us together in groups not dominated by form or house allegiances! We too had Top of the Pops supervised by prefects- the hierarchical influence of the Roman Catholic mentality encouraged! We loved Top of the Pops and dancing. It was a great release on Thursday evenings. Matrons were not so obvious because we had Form Nuns but many of them became allies and even, by the end of 6 or so years, friends!
I really like the juxtaposition of going back in time, recreating childhood memories and applying an adult's analysis of those memories - very well written!
Just one thing: Top of the Pops began in 1964, whereas Helen Shapiro's ' Walking Back to Happiness' was a hit in 1961. I remember TOTP only played what was in the charts at the time - definitely remember watching the Monkees' 'I'm a Believer' on it in 1967!
Thank you so much, Cleo. I'm glad the way I'm writing it works for you. And thank you for setting me straight on TOTP. Interesting the way my memory conflated the TOTP studio with seeing Helen Shapiro so clearly on it. You may be interested in my Author's Note post on memory: Memory underpins imagination Hope this link works! https://thedryingrooms.substack.com/p/authors-note-memory-underpins-imagination?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
Beautifully written Emma. I remember cruel matron - friends of mine reckon she was a voyeuristic paedophile. The boys Matron Mrs T was no better.
Still my memories are probably more mixed than yours. There was homesickness and being forced to carry more than is healthy for an eight year old. On the other side we had an incredible freedom and opportunity to run around and play in the open air that’s children today can only dream of. Who now would allow you to climb a highish tree and go down on the zip wire? (It’s a miracle no one ever fell!) If I had my life again, I’d probably stick even though it damaged as well as fed me.
Lovely to get this comment from you, David. Thank you. And thank you for reading The Drying Rooms. I can see us all whizzing down that zip wire!
I too was there, on the platform, on the zip-wire… I sometimes imagine that I've been climbing up that gnarly ivy 😳 for decades…
This is scary stuff, Emma. What strikes me is the huge gap between an adult mind analysing, remembering and focussing on what actually happened compared to a little girl forcing herself to find undercover coping strategies hiding her turmoil -. The ‘safety place’ for her is in numbers and friends. The ‘dangerous place’ is the isolation when alone, the dread, fear and anxious anticipation.
Thank you, Rosalyn. You’ve hit the nail on the head.
Engrossing is the word. The way you recreate this poor child’s nasty, pathetic experience with the present/past perspective and the concrete detail is so effective (thanks, by the way, for reminding me so vividly of the disgusting school food of the time!).
Thank you, Helen. Sorry to remind you of the school food! I seem to remember that dead man's leg (jam roly poly) was edible, but not with school custard.
What a masterful description of the puny delights of boarding school! We too had birthday teas - but the nuns wanted us to stay at our tables selected each term by them. They wanted to promote a cross section of ages and, in a tiny school of 120 girls in an English convent, knit us together in groups not dominated by form or house allegiances! We too had Top of the Pops supervised by prefects- the hierarchical influence of the Roman Catholic mentality encouraged! We loved Top of the Pops and dancing. It was a great release on Thursday evenings. Matrons were not so obvious because we had Form Nuns but many of them became allies and even, by the end of 6 or so years, friends!
This is so interesting, Angelique. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences.
Chapters 3 and 4 are brilliant and engrossing. Keep going!