No 49 - Denham Hall's Record of Excellence

    Denham Hall’s Record of Excellence is Challenged

      

First of all, I will bring everybody up to date. I may have told you this before but you could have probably forgotten. Tamsin has broken up with Nathan and both have gone their separate ways. That must have been at least two months ago and a huge relief for Tamsin, but this is where it starts to get really, really interesting.

I was told by Candice that Nathan from the folk centre, who had the hots for Tamsin for a long time, had broken up with his latest girlfriend, a girl that goes to the St Joan of Arc Roman Catholic School in Rickmansworth, near Wharf Street next to the station. I think it’s a grammar school. Candice reckons it’s a secondary school. Charlotte replied, “isn't that all the same thing?”

Anyways, Candice, that’s Candice Robertson told me Nathan’s latest girlfriend, the one he recently broke up with was Elizabeth O'Flaherty. Charlotte could not contain herself. I am not sure if it was cattiness on her part but she put her hand over her mouth and exclaimed in horror “ER YUK I KNOW LIZZIE, SHE WOULD GO OUT WITH ANYONE” with the emphasis on ANYONE’.

Well, it appears not so as she has just broken up with Nathan. Poor Nathan. I think I know someone who might be interested in him, no promises though.

In passing, I heard the St Joan of Arc Catholic school received a ‘GOOD’ report from Ofsted. Our report was ‘INADEQUATE’. The report said Denham Hall, despite its overall high academic and excellent achievements, was still ‘struggling’ with diversity which you might remember really upset our headmistress Miss Sefton, and even Miss Frenz, both of whom violently disagreed.

The examiners nevertheless were startled to discover, to their surprise and momentary elation, that the second language for most of the students was not English, the Evans twins and Eustasia Alexopulos being exceptions. However they were deflated to discover the main second language was in fact Latin, followed by classical Greek and French. Despite this, it’s report gave the college an ‘INADEQUATE’ rating.

Miss Sefton the headmistress was overheard muttering to Miss Frenzi about Government Quangos and things. She said their charter is the education of our children and suggested they, they being Ofsted, keep their noses out of social issues outside of education, issues that do not concern them.

She pointed out to this traveling government education woman that for over 400 years Denham Hall had educated students from all over the United Kingdom, daughters of royalty, the aristocracy and daughters of prime ministers and yes, even commoners from Ireland, the Isle of Wight and Wales.

Denham Hall Young Ladies College had a record of excellence decades before schools like Primary, Elementary, Secondary, Grammar or Comprehensive schools even existed thanks to its founder King George number two, and Miss Sefton emphasized Denham Hall was not ’struggling with diversity or anything else of that nature. Thank you very much.’

Anyway to change the subject, this evening saw the performance of the inaugural concert of the Denham Hall Chamber Orchestra or Rickmansworth Strings. Actually to be honest it was not so much a concert as a recital. The small group consisted of about 10 strings consisting of two violas, a couple of cellos I think it was, and double bass, but no wind instruments. Miss Franklin, the music teacher, was the conductor.

The group had only been formed less than 6 months ago so it was a brave thing to do to give a public concert so soon. The decision had been left up to Miss Franklin or Lulu as she affectionately known by the girls.

I cannot remember the half dozen pieces they played except Les Plaisir’s thingy and Hungarian Dance No 5. I think by Brahms. It was only a short performance that took place in the concert hall of about one-hour duration to give the orchestra experience of giving a public performance. The invited audience were teachers, kitchen staff, gardeners, Nurse Mayo, their friends and Briggs of course.

Tamsin had told Miss Franklin when the group was formed she wished to play the guitar, even though it was a string orchestra. Miss Franklin reminded Tamsin it was not planned to be an Appalachian Mountain Bluegrass Band and chose a violin for her. She is a fast learner. I was also teaching her to play the piano.

I realize this narration of my college life is a bit disjointed but there again so is real life. Candice, that’s Candice Robertson, who at present is my third best friend - no, she is my fourth best friend, Rhonda is my third best friend - is being fitted with new glasses, well, ‘fitted’ is not quite the right word. With the boarders, most things of a medical nature are the left to the responsibility of the college infirmary in agreement with the parents.

The glasses I believe are only a temporary thing; the optometrist said Candice has a lazy eye, whatever means. So she is having a new piece of plaster stuck over one of her lenses. I assume it is until her eye stops being lazy. The first clue that Candice’s eyesight was getting poor was when it was noted she kept bumping into things like closed doors and other students. I may have mentioned earlier Candice’s mother is the Lady Mayoress Molly Robertson. It was not that long ago she had her teeth braces removed … er, that’s Candice, not her mother.

Anyway, Candice asked Nurse Mayo if I could go with her to the optometrist. He had all this equipment for testing eyes and stuff which Candice had to look into. One machine was like a camera which went off with a big flash and it took a close up of her eye which was displayed on his computer.

Later we were both looking over his shoulder at the screen of the close-up of her eye. It looked revolting! It was all red with veins and stuff. Candice asked him if he could send her a copy of the photo for her Facebook page. I thought that was even more disgusting. Candice Robertson has no shame.

When we got back to the college the girls asked Candice what the optometrist did. “Did he just change the plaster on the lazy eye?” Maybe he should have put a plaster on both of her lenses, like do both eyes at once, just my suggestion.

I love Fridays because they are followed by Saturdays. Tomorrow Tamsin and I are traveling to Scotland to Loch Awe and I will be staying on Saturday evening with the Laceys, Tamsin’s parents. On Sunday we will spend at home at Inveraray Castle.

By the way, I was going to mention because no doubt you would have forgotten by now, that Tamsin now has 6 Facebook friends. She roped Zanthe in when she arrived at college recently. I did have six including Zanthe until it was pointed to out me by Tamsin that one of my friends was a bed and breakfast somewhere in Spain, Alicante I think it was or was it Benidorm, who knows?

Andrew the stable lad picked us up from Oban Airport and drove us to the Presbytery at Loch Awe. Tamsin’s parents were very pleased to see us all and Andrew was invited to stay the night and drive us to Inveraray Castle the following morning.