No 46 - Christmas at Denham Hall

                    Christmas at Denham Hall

I overheard Candice, that Candice Robertson telling Myfanwy Evans one of the Welsh twins, about teeth braces and things. I think I may have mentioned earlier that the Evans sisters were Siamese twins, but that is not so they are identical twins. Anyways Candice spoke at length about the terrible isolation she experienced when wearing teeth braces, and boys would turn away from her in undisguised disgust. They would even refuse to make eye contact with her as though she was a leper or something. She was even forced to stop smiling.

Candice was always inclined to exaggerate. Nevertheless, it must be a terrible thing. She has had them removed now in time for Christmas, that’s Candice. It is Blodwyn and Myfanwy Evans who are about to have them put in…after Christmas.

I wonder why parents put their children through unnecessary torture such as installing stuff in their daughter’s mouths. It’s beyond me. Anyways it appears it was Blodwyn and Myfanwy’s turn to be fitted with one of these hideous contraptions and Myfanwy was asking Candice how long she was required to wear them.

Candice replied “all day”.

Anyway as I wrote earlier the twins were fortunate in that the braces were not going to be installed in their mouths until after the Christmas break.

Tamsin could not help herself suggesting “perhaps it’s a Christmas present from your parents.”

I remember the time Phaedra, that’s Phaedra Gascoigne, turned up at the Rickmansworth folk club one evening wearing earrings. Makeup was strictly forbidden at Denham Hall College, that included eye makeup but especially earrings and lipstick.

It was definitely a call out in front of the students at morning assembly if one was caught wearing earrings. We need not have been concerned. Phaedra was wearing clip-on earrings. Even so, although it was not a hanging offence, wearing lipstick would have been. There was a possibility of bumping into one of the teachers on the way back to college. I don’t think Nurse Mayo would have told on us if she saw us but she would have been asked us to remove them.

I remember when I first arrived at Denham Hall and Tamsin painted delicate looking earrings on my ear lobes with oil paints in really bright colours and I was called out in the playground by Miss Frenzi and told that real OR pretend earrings are not allowed at Denham College. It took quite a while to get the paint off as you can imagine.

It was Friday the 21st of December, the start of the 4 week Christmas break-up and a Christmas party for the boarders had been arranged in the huge dining hall. Most of the boarders will return home for Christmas. I knew at least 3 of the older girls who were about to leave college at end of the Christmas term.

Miss Sefton and Miss Pringle were present for the party but were to return home for the holidays. You may remember Miss Pringle’s mother died quite recently but she does have a sister living at home who owns a really big dog. The girls had clubbed together and bought a present for Miss Sefton, a 2020 Diary and for Miss Pringle a really expensive purse, an alert student noted her old one was falling to bits. The purchases were left up to one of the canteen ladies.

It was Friday lunchtime and as the girls made their way to the dining hall. They found it had been decorated with huge Chinese lanterns and colored Christmas tinsel and stuff. Briggs had sourced a tree from somewhere. Plates, glasses, and cups were laid out on the tables like in a restaurant with the addition of Christmas crackers. The kitchen staff had done us proud. Nurse Mayo from the infirmary had been seconded to take charge to keep order while Miss Sefton and Miss Pringle were relieved of all their college duties for the rest of the day.

There were two tables set for a total of 40 boarders, each with extra places set at each end of the table for Miss Sefton and Miss Pringle and places set at the second table for Briggs and Nurse Mayo. By the way, I don’t know for sure if Briggs has a Christian name. There was six kitchen staff on duty. It was not self-service this evening but waitress-service…….er by the kitchen staff.

In front of all the students was placed a very expensive, real leather-bound notebook with a colored crest of Denham Halls Founder George II. I guess the thinking was a diary would be out of date the following year but this was an expensive keepsake to remind the girls of their time at Denham Hall. Considering the fees our parents were charged the price was of no consequence.

Mother would have been hard-pressed to get the kitchen staff to serve up a Christmas dinner as we enjoyed that evening. Both Miss Sefton and Miss Pringle at the end of the meal stood up and gave a lovely end of year speech. It was a farewell also aimed at the students that were leaving the college wishing them every success in their future endeavors.

Tamsin was her usual noisy, excitable self, aided and abetted by Rebecca, Candice minus her teeth braces, and Phaedra, that’s Phaedra Gascoigne. The teachers were to have a similar break-up party in the teacher's common room tomorrow evening. I should make mention that my parents had invited Mr Crisis to join our family over Christmas. Father is mesmerized by his tales of other worlds. They have a lot in common, not that father is an interstellar traveller that is.

All my friends would be going home for the festive season although I will be seeing a lot of Tamsin as she only lives a half-hour away at Loch Awe.

It was Christmas day. I was up early to investigate the packages under the tree. Father had bought me a bicycle as a Christmas present which I thought was rather odd. It was sitting under the tree. I appreciate it would have been difficult to disguise. It may have been a subtle hint to me that he thought I might be putting on a bit of weight; I know Tamsin is. Mother’s present was much more practical. Gentle readers when I opened my present I was pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful watch.

I bought a book for father entitled ‘The Far Side’. It might give him some insight of life on other planets when talking with Mr Crisis. Perhaps I should have thumbed through it first as it could have been a treatise on life after death. Anyway if it is a book on life after death it will be a present for mother.

The Carter-Browns came round in the evening and they had bought me a thing called a Fitbit whatever that is. I suspect it had also something to do with exercise. Someone else obviously thinks I am putting on weight. I wish people would be more open about it.

I was not surprised to see Mrs Dalrymple arrive soon after the Carter-Browns. She was mother’s best friend who had been invited round for drinks and a social evening. I like Mrs Dalrymple; she is all beads, mythical symbols, and incense burners and things. The world needs eccentric people like her.

An evening had been set aside just after Christmas for the castle’s maintenance people like the gardener Mr Flowers and his wife Betty. You might remember Mr Flowers had joined the local Wassailing club in the village which Tamsin noted would have been the only one in Scotland, had it not been closed down by the police because of continued noise complaints. Then there was the loyal family retainer Beecham, his wife and their son Raymond.

Tamsin was arriving on Boxing day and was to spend a few days with us….maybe even longer. I bought Tamsin’s father, Mr Lacey, a new Clarinet reed…… for his Clarinet. It is difficult to know what to buy people for Christmas.

I cannot contain myself:

Whoopy doo!!! ……4 WEEKS HOLIDAY

No 45 - Denham Hall Legacy

Denham Hall Legacy

                     Given its Charter by George Second 

I have some terrible news for my gentle readers. I don’t quite know how to relate this but Miss Pringle the assistant headmistress is about to resign. It appears her mother is quite sickly and is unable to cope on her own and needs 24 hours of personal care and attention. Yes, Miss Pringle, who has been with the school like forever, almost as long as Miss Sefton, well at least 40 years.

Now it was King George the Second our founder that gave Denham Hall it's Charter way back in the 18th century’. There were already special places of learning for the sons of nobility and wealthy merchants when George realized there were no equivalent places for genteel young English ladies of similar refinement and social standing.

Well to be honest I do not know if it was George’s original idea or not. Alternatively it may have been because of pressure from his good Lady wife Caroline to do something about it quick smart or there may have been serious threats of on-going consequences, even very personal repercussions, if you know what I mean, if he didn’t. Mind you this is all conjecture. We will never really know.

It is going to be interesting to see who applies for this prestigious position. Miss Frenzi the sports teacher is a likely contender. Mr Crisis? Well, I don’t think he would even apply. Who is going to attend to the running of the college if he is suddenly called home to Epsilon Bootis or Zeta Reticuli two or wherever it is he calls home.

I do not think the music teacher Miss Franklin, or Lu Lu as she is affectionately known, will apply as she has only been with the college a comparatively short time so they may have to advertise outside of the college. Anyway enough of this speculation.

As it was close to the weekend and many of the girls would be home for the weekend a collection for flowers or whatever was not going to commence until Monday. I felt a terrible sadness pervading the college, especially among the boarders. I admit Miss Pringle was a hard taskmistress and she did have her moments of tension with Tamsin, as did all the teachers, but with Miss Pringle the next day it was usually forgotten. She will be sorely missed, that’s Miss Pringle not Tamsin.

At Inveraray Castle, mother was also very saddened to hear of the news of Miss Pringle’s resignation she thought very highly of her. We must not dwell too much on these sad events but look on the bright side and wish Miss Pringle’s mother a speedy recovery.

At the dinner table I asked mother what had happened to the castle manageress lady’s hand as it was heavily bandaged and no-one had made mention of it. The story goes she was in the castle teashop showing a busload of Japanese tourists just how tame Reynard the fox cub was and on offering this creature a slice of ham leftover from a ham sandwich it bit her.

Nothing serious you must understand. Reynard was taken to the saloon where there was much scolding, accompanied by lots of wagging of forefingers by Lady Rowena accusing Reynard the fox cub of being a naughty boy. That is the second time the castle manageress lady has been told by the castle teashop people he was untrustworthy and not to take her eyes off him. I am sure she will listen in future.

Tamsin again had been invited to my home for the weekend. Her home is only a half-hour up the road at the Loch Awe presbytery and her parents had also been invited for dinner this evening as well as Mrs Dalrymple and the Carter-Browns.

Tonight there were not enough guests to establish a game of bridge even though in desperate times I get roped in to make up the numbers, but not this evening, so Tamsin and I were about to retire to the saloon and leave our parents and their guests to enjoy a social evening. It will not be chopsticks on the piano this evening as I am teaching Tamsin to play the piano properly. Her mother is also sending her to lessons and surprisingly she is a quick learner.

As we were about to leave for the saloon mother asked “Well you pair, in just over a year you will both be leaving college. Have you thought about what you are going to do when you leave Denham Hall?”

I replied “I would probably become father’s secretary. ”

Mother asked “What if he has retired by then?’’

I said “Well he will still be writing emails, letters and things won’t he? And he will need someone to answer the phone so he will need a private secretary to attend to all his papers and stuff”.

Mother said “you could always earn some extra pocket money by offering to play the church organ when Mrs King is sick or on holiday, or play at dances, weddings and parties. Well at least it will keep you busy until you get married”.

I replied nonplussed “mother I am not planning to get married”.

She ignored my reply and turned to Tamsin.

“And you Tamsin?”

I butted in answering for her “She said she is going to join the SAS or become a container ships captain”.

Annoyed Tamsin answered “that’s not true Bridgette”. Turning to mother she said “I never said that. She just made that up”. I chose not to make comment.

The four week Christmas break was coming up shortly so no doubt Tamsin and I will be seeing a lot of each other. I will ask if father if Mr Crisis can stay with us over Christmas as his home is a million miles away. Father will not be going anywhere over the Christmas period and there is only part-time skeleton staff left at the Hall over the Christmas period. All boarders are expected to return home.

It is Monday and I am back at college. Gentle readers as I mentioned earlier there was some really bad news I had to tell you about but alternatively there is also good news. Miss Pringle’s mother died over the weekend that is the bad news. The good news is Miss Pringle will be officially withdrawing her resignation after taking a month bereavement leave. Denham Hall breathes again; I will ring mother and tell her the good news later.

Miss Frenzi meanwhile is filling the temporary vacancy of assistant headmistress. Miss Green the maths teacher from the day students 4B class has moved up and is filling in Miss Frenzi’s position. This is just to keep you all up to date. The withdrawal of Miss Pringle’s resignation was a huge relief for Miss Sefton, as you can imagine.

It is the Christmas holidays that are now the main topic of conversation in Boadicea dorm.

Whoopy doo!!! ……4 WEEKS HOLIDAY

No 44 - Tamsin's 15th Birthday

  

                                    

                                       

    Tamsin’s 15 th Birthday

Sorry I do apologise, I lost the photo I was about to post of Tamsin. I hope this will do.

It was a big day. It is a day that only comes round once a lifetime. It was Tamsin’s 15th birthday. I am a fair bit older.  I passed my 15th a couple of weeks ago.  Perhaps I forgot to mention it as I was home that weekend.

In Boadicea Dorm we were all about the same age anyway. I thought for starters I would invite Tamsin home to Inveraray Castle on Saturday, then if she wished, she could go home on Sunday to Loch Awe Grange to celebrate her birthday with her family. 

As it turned out the Lacey family had arranged for Tamsin’s birthday party on the Saturday at the Presbytery at Loch Awe. I had also been invited, as well as her next-door neighbours, Rosemary and her brother Richard. For Tamsin, this could turn out to be a two-day party as mother has also arranged something for her on Sunday at Inveraray.

Tamsin assured me there would be no children’s entertainer with rabbits and stuff; no magicians or ventriloquists at her birthday party. More importantly, her father was NOT going to play his clarinet. She said her birthday party was going to be a grown-up affair which is fair enough. I mean she is 15 years of age for heaven’s sake….er almost going on 16.

In passing, at college, Miss Pringle and Miss Sefton usually made a fuss of the girls on their birthdays and always announced birthdays at the morning assembly. Generally, the students leave Denhall Hall at around 17 years of age and then they go on to further education if need be.

Birthday presents from Tamsin’s friends were not going to leave her short of lollies and stuff for a long time. Candice gave her a lovely pendant and mother helped me fund a real silver ‘Language of Love’ bangle, well she is my best friend…….at present.

The following weekend I was at home at Inveraray Castle. I had invited Phaedra and ‘15-year-old Tamsin’ home for the weekend. It was like I had never been away. Colonel Carter-Brown and his wife Lady Rowena were already in the drawing room as was mother’s friend, Mrs Dalrymple. Disturbing though it might appear, mother and Mrs Dalrymple seem to have an unhealthy but common interest in contacting ‘our loved ones’ or our ‘dear departed’ or, as Tamsin says, ‘the dead’.

Oh, before I forget, first of all Phaedra Gascoigne told me she also is going to start her own blog. I asked her what the subject of her blog was about, as mine was life at Denham Hall. She said at this point she did not know. She is always quick to criticize my stuff so I will be quick to criticize hers. I pointed out to Phaedra my blog, in fact, is not far off a daily diary, is it?

It was Phaedra who suggested I got business cards printed up and suggested I ‘seed’ them at places like Macky Dees and Marks and Sparks, Tesco’s, bus stations, telephone boxes, waiting rooms and railway stations. I hand them to the postman, workers in the castle grounds, even to Japanese tourists to take home, in the shops in Inveraray village, in fact, all over the place just to help me drum up readership. I thought it was a good idea. Anyways I got a couple of hundred or so printed up. I suppose Phaedra will do the same once she starts her blog.

As a result of this I must tell you a story; well it is not really a story because it actually happened. I left a card advertising my blog on the notice board at Loch Awe railway station and when I went back a few weeks later my card was still there. Someone had left a lovely penciled note reading ‘I Love you, you are er… whatever. I left a reply, ‘Thank you for the lovely words. Us authors try to create an illusion. More stories will follow’.
 

I suspect a girl had left the note as my blog is aimed at young girls, unless it was a male of the species, like a gentleman who is trying to pick me up. If so I warn you now sir, these are business cards advertising my blog for heavens sake. I am NOT ‘seeding’ calling cards for Escort Services, thank you very much.

For those of you that might be interested, it is Kozłowski, the Polish Gamekeeper who is standing in for Beckett while he is on maternity leave, that's Beckett who is expecting his first child. If there is any confusion it is Beckett's wife who is actually expecting.

Later in the day Phaedra and I were looking out of the window of the saloon when we saw Mrs Dalrymple with mother carrying what appeared to be divining rods wandering aimlessly around the grounds at the back of the castle; trying something new perhaps? If there was water beneath our feet it might be because we are almost on the confluence of the River Aray and Loch Fyne.

It is not that we live in the Australian outback and are desperately looking for water. We have the River Aray which travels from, well wherever it comes from, and is within walking distance and runs into Loch Fyne in front of the castle which then travels down to the sea. I think it even has oyster beds in it and I see no chance of either of them ever drying up, both of them are full of fresh water. So I have no idea what mother and Mrs Dalrymple were up to and I was not about to ask father.

In the evening all three of us, that Phaedra, Tamsin and me  went back into the private drawing room where mother and father were taking drinks with the Carter-Browns. Reynard the fox was curled up asleep in front of the fireplace. I noticed they had purchased a new collar for Reynard with a disc with his name on it. Colonel Carter-Brown told father he is behaving less like a fox and more like a dog, so that’s really good news.

I must remind mother to get the Bechstein tuned.

No 43 - Rickmansworth Reminiscing

     Rickmansworth Reminiscing

So you ask what’s new this week. Well, Zanthe was told by Miss Pringle, our English that she needs elocution lessons and that Denham Hall was never intended to be an exclusive private college of higher education for circus performer’s daughters, but for daughters of families of substance, old money families, whatever that might mean.

Poor Zanthe. I like Zanthe so I have put her on my Facebook friends list; that’s driven my total up to four. I did have five friends but I discovered to my astonishment that one of my friends was a Bed and Breakfast place somewhere in Spain, could have been Benidorm, so I have un-friended them. Not sure what happened there.

Tamsin is very popular she has six Facebook friends. I will check with Zanthe later and see if she has any brothers or sisters, as if Tamsin has not already thought of that without telling me.

It was bath night for the girls of Boadicea Dorm. There were ten girls in a dorm, 6 baths in the bathroom, so five baths had two girls in each bath, one at each end. The rest of the week the girls took showers. It was a directive that came from…. well from somewhere, probably Miss Sefton the Head Mistress. She is always complaining about the girls wasting water. It is not as if she was paying the bill once a month.

I became conscious of the thrust of the conversation when I heard heated words being exchanged about underarm hair and stuff between Tamsin and Phaedra.

I missed the first words but as Tamsin stood up to get out of the bath she put her hands on her hips and haughtily retorted “There is no need to get personal Phaedra. If we are discussing underarm hair I do not have an over-abundance of male chromosomes coursing through MY system thank you very much”.

Phaedra inquired “don’t you mean testosterone?”

Tamsin answered irritably “yes and that”.

From my viewpoint at the opposite end of the bath to Tamsin I had to agree with her about her ‘personal hair’, but I preferred to make no comment …….er at this point.

Nurse Mayo, the duty matron, sat on chair knitting. Her job was to keep an eye on the girls and to keep some sort of order. After Tamsin’s outburst, she looked over her glasses and interrupted “alright, alright girls keep the noise down”.

Tamsin and I were staying in the college for the weekend or we would have waited and had a bath on arriving home.

Anyways it's strange how things stick in your mind. The next day, Saturday, Rebecca’s mother and father had arrived at the College for an interview with the headmistress Miss Sefton and while the interview was taking place Rebecca’s brother Gavin waited in the main hall. As a male specimen of the opposite species, the girls seem to be intensely interested in Gavin and found any excuse to travel via the concert hall and the locker room to catch a glimpse of him. Poor Gavin, he must have felt somewhat like a hunted animal.

Tamsin, like no show without Punch, also took an interest in Gavin and asked Rebecca if she could arrange a one on one meeting, which she did. Anyways later that afternoon when Rebecca’s parents were about to leave Gavin said to Tamsin he found her quite attractive and that perhaps they might meet again sometime. I think at this point Tamsin thought some sort of date might have been in the offing. Gavin then asked Tamsin if she could arrange a date for him with Charlotte.

Well, this is a story Tamsin told me. She was very rude to Gavin, no I tell a lie she was livid. There were no formal goodbyes as such, she just got up and left. Poor Gavin, you don’t mess with Tamsin. Anyways the last we heard Gavin was going out with a girl from the St Joan of Arc Catholic Girls School in Rickmansworth. Tamsin would say that’s his loss.

It was Saturday and those boarders returning home over the weekend had notified the front office so the kitchen staff could organize the number of meals required. This was arranged on Friday. Another important, hang on I almost wrote ‘law’, rule was those boarders venturing beyond the town center also had to notify the office of their plans and if they did not possess a mobile phone were temporarily issued with one and it HAD to be turned on. Saturday evening I was not returning home.

A crowd of us were going ice skating but it meant going to Hemel Hempstead so instead, we decided to go to the folk club in the high street. There were six of us, Tamsin, Candice, Rebecca, Phaedra, Charlotte and me. Rhonda couldn’t come, which was just as well as the last time Rhonda came she got up on the stage to sing and some drunken idiot kept blowing raspberries at her before he was removed from the club. You would not want to experience that twice.

Oh, I nearly forgot Elspeth was also with us and Tiffany was coming later. That more or less emptied out Boadicea dorm except for the two Welsh girls Blodwyn and Myfanwy; they are identical twins actually. There was a rumour they were born as siamese twins. I am not sure who started that rumour, probably Chloe Higgins again.

At the folk club, Nathan was being his usual annoying self. He had finally realized his close friendship with Tamsin was only in his mind and the possibility of his friendship developing into more of a ‘liaison dangeroux’ was never on the cards. I had a feeling Elspeth might be his next victim but with her lisp, Nathan might have trouble understanding her but as Elspeth confided to me when referring to Nathan - quote ‘I am not that thupid’.

The evening at the folk club was uneventful, not much to report really. The only highlight that I remember was heated words by Phaedra accusing Charlotte of sneezing in her coffee twice, while her attention was distracted. Charlotte apologized and said it was an accident.

Now I may have previously used the expression of ‘bold suggestions’ and it was one of these bold suggestions I write of that was telegraphed by Nathan to Tamsin that ended that little tête-à-tête, thank you very much. Anyways it was getting very silly.

Nathan’s band has changed their name again from ‘Melody Five’ to the ‘The Sheriff’s Men’

I ask you, ‘Sheriff’s Men’ in Rickmansworth? He lives in a dream world.

On second thoughts maybe we should have gone skating at ‘Planet Ice’ in Hemel Hempstead. I remember the last time we went it was Rebecca’s first time skating. She wisely held grimly onto the rail most of the evening but an hour or so later with a little bravado she tried letting go of the sanctuary of the rail and was picked up like a fish snared by a bait getting in the path of a passing skater and found herself totally out of control, with no brakes hurtling towards the center of the rink bringing down a half a dozen skaters in the process like a ball in a bowling alley. It hasn’t put her off though.

I should make mention Pastor Dickie wants us all to attend chapel tomorrow morning being Remembrance Day. Well, that about wraps up this week. Next week I am going home.

No 42 - Millicent's Surprise Trip to France

                                              

                                       

 

              Millicent’s Surprise Trip to France

         

Oh, I must tell you about the plight of Millicent Martin. It was another story that passed into Denham Hall folklore.I remember I was in the junior dorm at the time. It was a beautiful summer day and the junior students were to spend the day at Worthing. 

Miss Frenzi, the sports mistress, was in charge of the students. Briggs drove the school bus. 

Arriving at the beach, all the girls rushed squealing into the sea with their floaties and whatever. In the late afternoon when Miss Frenzi had shepherded and corralled all the sunburnt girls up by the Punch and Judy tent she found that Millicent Martin was missing.

The police were called and a search began, but there was no sign of Millicent. It was assumed she may have drowned. At morning prayers, Pastor Dickie asked us to keep Millicent’s safe return in our prayers.

The good news eventually arrived via Miss Sefton at morning assembly who announced that Millicent had been found by the coastguard, cold, hungry and sunburnt floating off the French coast on her inner tube.

If my memory serves me right Millicent told us there had been a strong rip in the channel that day and that she had been lucky to have missed some really big ships. She said because of this strong rip she had missed Calais and found herself heading for a place a little further south, a place called Sangatte I think it was.

She said she waved furiously at people on a couple of really big tankers but they just waved furiously back. She said the only plus was it had been her very first visit to Sangatte. Anyways the news had come as a complete surprise as a collection had already been started by Pastor Dickie.

There had been a collective sigh of relief by the assembled girls. It was also pointed out by an observant fifth former just how lucky Millicent really was as she couldn’t even speak French. The expression was coined ‘Millie’s Luck’. Anyway enough of Millicent.

Now for a change of pace, the college gossip is Tamsin is livid with Nathan. He told Rebecca that Tamsin is not a bad looking chick. Rebecca passed this news on the Tamsin. I think it was the comparison to chickens that offended Tamsin. You see Tamsin is her own person and objects to being compared to free-range chickens. If Nathan visualizes him and Tamsin one day being a ‘unit’ he’s got another think coming.

 As a rule, I don’t like slandering anyone and I was very reluctant to mention that this Nathan person just happens to be one of those creatures from the Watford Grammar School for Boys. So for starters, he and Tamsin are poles apart. I am surprised they even speak the same language. Just joking, nevertheless on second thoughts there is an element of truth in what I say.

I was looking forward to going home for the weekend. The Lacey’s being almost our neighbour were living at the old presbytery at Loch Awe and Tamsin and I were spending Saturday at her place and travelling to Inveraray Castle to spend Saturday evening and Sunday at our place.

 We arrived at Loch Awe Grange and found Mr Lacey, Tamsin’s father, busying himself putting the music stand in place and arranging the music score in order for preparation for a one-hour clarinet recital he was hoping to give; a second attempt at a recital which was interrupted on our last visit because of a crisis at the Town Hall. Tamsin and I had been hoping again to play tennis for an hour.

 There was a knock on the door and a number of the neighbors and the local pastor arrived. Greetings were exchanged and there was much scraping of chairs being positioned for the audience. I remember Tamsin saying the neighbors had been ‘roped’ in for this event, not my words.

 Mrs Lacey left to answer another knock on the door. Heavens above I thought this is going to be a full house for Mr Lacey’s recital.

 Mr Lacey then approached the audience and thanked everyone for coming and announced the composition he was about to perform was a lengthy piece called ‘Scherzo for Clarinet and Orchestra in D’ or was it D#, (it really doesn’t matter) by someone or other.

 A Scherzo for all you people out there that are totally bereft of any musical knowledge whatsoever is a vigorous light or playful composition that may be the part of a larger work. It was the reference to a larger work that has me worried.

 Mr Lacey blew a couple of notes to free any squeaks still hiding within his clarinet and to warm up the reed. We had an hour of this musical extravaganza to look forward to and Mr Lacey had not even got started.

 As Mr Lacey put his lips to the mouthpiece of his clarinet he took in a deep breath just as Mrs Lacy returned, put her hand up and quietly beckoned. “Darling, there is a gentleman here who would like to speak to you”. In my mind I asked ‘was this again a last-minute reprieve from the executioner?’

 Mr Lacy apologized and headed towards the door. Even if Mr Lacey’s recital goes for an hour I quickly calculated it was only 11am so Tamsin and I might still get a couple of tennis games on the courts before we had to leave for Inveraray.

 Meanwhile, Tamsin’s mother sat next to Tamsin and me to indulge in light chitchat and asked how our college studies were going and then asked me about my parents and inquired if Colonel Carter-Brown still possesses the fox cub and how did the Best of the West Festival at the castle go.

 I told her Reynard the fox had now been released off the muzzle as it had been behaving itself and to its credit and so far had not bitten one Asian or American tourist. Then Tamsin told her mother about me being made dorm monitor. I told Mrs Lacey that the castle manageress lady told me this year’s Best of the West Festival was the best yet. Father and the auditors will be pleased.

 At this point Mr Lacey returned, apologized and regretfully informed us that he has been unexpectedly called away to the Inveraray Council offices on urgent business. I looked at Tamsin and raised my eyebrows. I saw at least 2 full games being played, even a set.

 Mrs Lacey was left to entertain the assembled guests and offer morning tea. We exchanged waves with Mr Lacey as he drove out of the property, making our way to the tennis court.

 It goes without saying that was a very close call indeed.

No 41 - Camera-Shy Tamsin

  

Camera-shy Tamsin

Tamsin said she was NOT taking a nap. She was just fooling around on her neighbour’s donkey and she wants her identity removed from the photo. She said it is embarrassing and demeaning, . She said it is not suitable as a photo for her birthday invitations. Her 15th birthday is coming up soon. I agreed, so I blanked her face out to protect her identity. I think she is just having a hissy fit over nothing. I didn’t think it was all that bad.

Some of you might remember Patience Beauchamp; she recently left Denham Hall Young Ladies College to attend university to study law. I should mention she had been my best friend for ages and ages and is still on my friend's list. I’ve got four now; that’s Facebook friends because I also have added the new girl. I will tell her about it later when she gets settled in.

Elspeth, that’s Elspeth MacDonald and Phaedra, also put her on their friend's list as soon as she arrived as they are also struggling with friend’s numbers. By the way, we once had a pet Angora rabbit named Phaedra. When she was called she pretended she did not recognize her name.

Patience had been invited back on a number of occasions to talk to the girls about life after Denham Hall. Her leaving college left a bed spare in Boadicea dormitory which was allocated to a new girl.

By the way the new girl is Zanthe. When she arrived I knew this would trigger a comment by Tamsin. She said mothers who give their children names like Zanthe should be ‘up on criminal charges’. She did not say what charges they might be; child abuse perhaps?

I repeat they are Tamsin’s words, not mine. I thought that opinion was a bit over the top; mind you that is only one of Tamsin’s opinions which are many and varied.

I was reminded of the time when young Dakota Pugsley of the lower fourth first arrived at college, Tamsin’s first comment was “It could have been worse, a lot worse. Her mum could have named her Massachusetts Pugsley”. Very true I suppose.

No, apart from her name, Zanthe is a lovely girl. Tamsin said her father worked for many years in the circus as an aerialist or tightrope walker and between jobs drove his very own cement truck before he got a job in Treasury on a salary which allowed her parents to send her to Denham Hall.

I must ask Zanthe to confirm this as Tamsin sometimes handles the truth rather sparingly. Normally boarders entered the college or move to the boarding section from the junior ranks on reaching ages 11 to 12.

I suspect Miss Pringle, our English teacher, realized the college resources would be tested to the limit when on asking Zanthe her age she replied ‘I am firteen and two mumfs, Miss’.

It was after college Friday afternoon, I asked Zanthe if she would like to join me and Tamsin shopping. She decided to lay around the dorm.

Woolies in Rickmansworth and Watford had closed down so we were shopping at the Watford Marks and Sparks. I lost Tamsin for a while until I found her studying the herbal essences, ethical nutrients, and skin moisturizers.

Peeping over her shoulder I inquired “Looking for something to help you smell nice, Tamsin?”

She replied “There is no need to be sarcastic Bridgette. No, I am looking for a ‘You Are Here’ thingy. It might tell me where the batteries are hidden”.

Wearing makeup at the college was discouraged. Hang on I tell a lie it was forbidden. Anyways, the vivid red of Señorita Lipstick would stand out like the red at the traffic lights so alternatively, herbal essences would have been a wise move, batteries even safer.

I love shopping as does Tamsin, so much so she said when she leaves college she would like to take it up professionally. Sounds more realistic than becoming a tug boat captain or joining the SAS. Having bought her batteries we walked up to the High Street to McDonald's, that’s near Tesco’s; you know opposite GAP for those of you that are unfamiliar with Watford High Street.

We sat by the window and said little. We were hypnotized by the exotic ever-changing vista of Watford High Street. Tamsin sat with her egg mcmuffin, me with my happy meal and both with our two slushies. This momentary weakness was going to cost me about 2 hours in the gym, or more.

After speaking to Phaedra on my Iphone, mother rang to say the good news is the castle manageress lady informed her the castle tuckshop is now fully staffed for the rest of the season, which is just as well with the ‘Best of the West’ festival in full swing at Inveraray Castle.

That’s a relief, and more good news is that father will be home for a least a month. I wish he would fully retire, if only for mother’s sake and the chance of some relief from the amateur physic woman Mrs Dalrymple.

Some more gossip. The Carter-Browns told mother Reynard the fox has disgraced himself and is now kept muzzled after he reverted to type and bit one of their gardeners. He is yet to bite one of the Japanese tourists in the tuckshop who love petting him. Enough of the castle gossip, I will be going home next weekend with Tamsin and Phaedra so no doubt I will be brought up to date.

This morning Mr Crisis, the science teacher, as you all know comes from Zeta Reticuli 1 in the constellation of Reticulum, hang on ‘praps it was Epsilon Boötis, not that it matters, it is not important. The story circulating among the girls is that he is on a sabbatical.

He explained time-travel to us. He explained looking through a telescope one looks into the past. One cannot look it into or travel into the future as it has not happened. Makes sense I suppose.

He said to travel to Zeta Reticuli for instance, which is 39 light-years away at our level of technology and travelling at the same speed of the Voyager Spacecraft, would take about 680,000 years as we understand time. He said his people travel by inter-dimensional means and skip universes……whatever that means.

It is deliberate, the girls purposely ask these sort of questions during lessons to upset his train of thought as they find it more interesting than discussing magnets and things.

It did not matter. I heard fish and chips was on the menu this evening.

This evening after tea some of us are going to the Rickmansworth Folk Club in the high street.

I remember one Christmas Rhonda, who has not got the best voice in college by a long way and is not even in the choir, got up on stage to sing and someone kept blowing strawberries or was it raspberries at her. Perhaps he was blowing his nose. Anyways the person was ejected so you can imagine how off-putting that would be.

I believe it is going to rain this weekend. Well it is in Rickmansworth so I am going to attempt to do nothing.

No 40 - Short Story Competition. A Love Story

The Short Story Competition

Phaedra, that's Phaedra Gascoigne who is currently occupying the position as my second best friend has her own blog but always reads my new stuff. I must admit I don’t always like some of her criticisms though. She said of my latest blog upload why don’t you enter this short story in the Rickmansworth Library short story competition you might win some money. It was the possible monetary gain that encouraged me to enter and I asked Miss Pringle to read it through and tell me if she thought it was good enough to enter the competition. 

She read it and said, her words “that is very good Bridgette you must enter it” Little did I know it would eventually be entered into a National Competition and come runner up. I mentioned previously before I was hoping to be father’s secretary when I left school but if I win this competition I am going to become a famous author. 

Tamsin my best friend was also very encouraging and no doubt hoped to share in the prize money which I would spend buying coffees and stuff at the Rickmansworth Folk club in the High Street. Anyway, this was my entry.


                                                                ******************************
                                        
                                    A Love Made in Heaven
Graham was on his way to work, a most boring, stupefying job with the council handing out job orders. His father also had worked for the council and would occasionally remind Graham he used his own influence to get Graham a job with the council. He, that’s Graham traveled to work on the Central Line underground heading for his workplace near Liverpool Street station. The train was heading for Marble Arch station. As usual, the train was very crowded as one would expect during the rush hour and again Graham was strap-hanging.

He pondered his position in life and wondered if this daily grind was the sole purpose of his being. Graham by nature was not a philosopher by any means he was a practical down to earth person. I should mention at 23 he was still unmarried much to his mother’s disquiet and his father’s unease.

He was positioned at the end of the underground carriage by the rear window. He turned around and looked into the window of the following carriage and saw the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She had dark hair and very fair skin. The word Angel sprang to mind. She appeared to be about 20 years old. He was transfixed, that is the only word to describe Graham’s interest. He was staring at her but she was looking past him.

He decided today he was not going to work; he was going to meet this young lady come hell or high water. He positioned himself near the door but careful not to lose sight of her in the following carriage. The train was just slowing up as it arrived at Marble Arch Station.

The doors opened, he saw the young girl move towards the opening doors. He fought his way past the swirling mass of humanity and stepped out of the carriage onto the platform and immediately looked back towards the door of the following carriage as the passengers poured out, but she did not appear.

He stood on the platform as it emptied to make sure he had not missed her, except for the stragglers who had now left the platform it was silent, he was all alone. The chances of meeting her again were slim. Like an empty glass, the deserted platform slowly began to fill up again as he waited for the next train.

Graham’s has no interest in job numbers that day. He daydreamed, no he was consumed with the chance meeting he had with Miss Angel at Marble Arch station and was determined he would meet her again.

He had little sleep that night anticipating the possible events that might eventuate the following day. He asked himself had no-one else seen this gorgeous creature, were they blind. He was nervous that another chance meeting was a little too much to hope for, but he was consoled by the old saying you never know your luck in a small world.

He boarded the tube at Ealing Broadway and positioned himself in the same carriage and stood once more by the rear window looking into the following carriage, again strap-hanging, although there was no need he had to be near the window not to have his vision obscured by a fellow passenger.

At Marble Arch station he started to pay very close attention. The girl never entered. The train continued to Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Chancery Lane, St Pauls, Bank and finally Liverpool Street his destination. No heavenly Angel entered the carriage. His heart sank. Then on the bright side, he thought there is no need to fret about it there is always the rest of my life to wait for her.

He told his Mother and father about this otherworldly apparition on the train. Mother's interest became immediately apparent; it was also a huge relief for his father as you can imagine. Mother asked if he had spoken to her and asked when he was going to bring her home and what his intentions were.

Graham had not actually given much thought to intentions as intentions had not even been factored in at this early stage, besides he had not actually spoken to her. It was the weekend.

It was Monday morning and had the whole weekend to plan his strategy. He would board the train early and join the tube train at Holland Park five stations up the line. He knew roughly what train to board to reach Marble Arch at the time he saw Miss Gorgeous. The train had to arrive at Marble Arch at around 8 45am.

At 8.45am the train from West Ruislip was about to stop at Marble Arch station. He was in position in the strap-hanging position at the end of the carriage. The train slowed and stopped.

THERE SHE WAS. Now what? Graham saw her step off the train and followed her off onto the platform. He thought I cannot mess this up. She did not leave to walk along the platform but stood still as if she knew Graham wanted to meet her. He approached her.

“Hello Graham,” said the girl.

“How do you know my name?” replied Graham.

“There is little I do not know,” said Miss Angel.

“Where are you going?” Graham was flustered and struggling for words that made any sense.

“Oh Graham that would be difficult for you to understand, I travel inter-dimensionally”

Inter-dimensionally meant little to Graham maybe it is another means of transport she used.

“Where is that?” asked Graham. He was not too sure where to take this conversation to entice her to meet mother and father.

“I am here, I am everywhere I can never stay but if you wish I could be here tomorrow”

Well, that’s a good start thought Graham let’s take it slowly from here and see what happens.

“I will be here tomorrow,” said Graham.

Graham was a million miles away as he went to cross the road from Liverpool Street Station to the council offices.

The truck driver never saw Graham; by the same token, Graham never saw the truck. 

Gentle readers I do have some really good news though, the situation might appear on the surface to look grim and somewhat final but the subsequent meeting that coincided with the truck squealing to a stop before hitting Graham coincided with this Angel I write of exiting the Third Dimension. 

Graham’s Angel had no reason to travel the dimensions anymore she had finally found what she had been looking for as surely had Graham. He would not be turning up for work ever again. EVER. 

Bridgette Campbell   (Boadicea Dorm)

I will let my gentle readers know of the result of my entry into the competition in due course. Makes one cry, doesn't it, the story that is.

Little did I know at the time of writing this, it would eventually be entered into a national competition and come runner-up.

No 39 - The College Photo..... and Jabs

      The College photo .....and Jabs

A lady doctor and an aide arrived to administer the HPV vaccinations for the girls of Boadicea and Pankhurst dormitories. Of course the mothers had to agree with any medical procedures, particularly vaccinations. Nurse Mayo the college duty matron was also in attendance to oversee these injections.

As we stood in line there was varied conjecture among the girls as to the purpose of these ‘jabs’.

Phaedra put her head close to Rebecca and whispered “I suspect it’s a secret medical experiment being done on us girls”.

Rebecca replied nervously “You know they used to do this to prisoners during the war to sedate them”.

Rebecca added “well if mother agreed to this and it causes any behavioral changes in me she has only got herself to blame”.

We went into the first aid room in pairs. I went in with Charlotte. I know she is terrified of injections.

When the doctor asked her to pull up her sleeve up she looked up at her and asked sheepishly “Is this going to hurt, miss”? Irritated the doctor replied “Of course not Charlotte. You will just feel like, well a little prick that’s all”.

As the syringe hovered above her arm her eyes opened wide with nervous anticipation. As the injection was being administered she bent over and closed her eyes in pretend pain. I thought she is a better actress than her mother.

“There, there, Charlotte it was not all that bad, was it?” said the nurse as she dabbed a piece of cotton wool on the puncture and topped it off with a circle of plaster.

The nurse called out “Rebecca, Phaedra!”

Leaving the infirmary the girls discussed and compared the severity of their wounds and the size of the bits of cotton wool and plaster stuck on said wounds that helped stem the bloodletting.

Denham Hall was an imposing college. I heard Tamsin tell Nathan in the folk club it was a ‘Posh School’. I suspect it was the exorbitant cost of the college fees that helped keep the student numbers in check, particularly the boarders who numbered about 40, but the bed numbers could be increased to 50 with a few extra girls being accommodated with an extra bed or so in each dorm. Nevertheless 50 would have been the limit.

Having college boarders was much like having two schools in one thus separate catering facilities for the boarders had to be considered. They had their own separate dining area within an area of the main dining hall. Non-boarders brought their own lunches. All meals were provided for the boarders.

This afternoon a photographer was to take the annual photo of all the college students which included all the teachers. A separate photo was also to be taken of the boarders so all students were warned the previous day to be in uniform for the photo.

Although the total numbers of students at Denham Hall were not large, organizing the girls for the school photo was much like a shepherd using his dogs to shepherd his sheep, but the dogs here were the teachers and the photographer the shepherd. The photographer wanted smaller girls sitting in the front and taller girls standing on benches at the back.

Now before I continue let me explain about this ‘bad blood’, that Phaedra described existed between Tamsin and Miss Pringle. I personally think it was just bad behavior on Tamsin’s part that sparked this ‘bad blood’ that I refer to and a photo opportunity like this was a too important event to go to waste on Tamsin’s part. I have to believe it was the very same ‘bad blood’ that existed between Tamsin and Miss Frenzi.

Tamsin had discovered that the photographer was going to do a ten second time exposure so she decided to blacken out her top front teeth with duct tape, place herself on one side of the group and then quickly run around the back and reappear with a smile and blackened out teeth to reappear a second time in the photo, hoping no-one would notice but it would impress her friends.

The photographer had one of those very large cameras which required a cloth to be put over his head and the camera to take the sun off the viewfinder. He called out “Right Girls…. SMILE” and ducked down under the cloth covering. Tamsin smiled, counted five and ran around the back of the group to the opposite side. I don’t know how she got away with it but she did…………or so I thought.

It was not until a week or so later Miss Pringle, the assistant headmistress, pulled Tamsin out in front of the students at the morning assembly and showed her the offending photograph with her appearing twice in the photo on each side of the students with her front teeth apparently missing.

She really tore a strip off Tamsin chiding “Miss Lacey, you might think this is amusing but I don’t. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior”.

Anyways I thought it was rather an odd comment for Miss Pringle to make as she has been tolerating ‘this kind of behavior’ since Tamsin’s arrival at college.

She hung her head low in pretend shame, that’s Tamsin not Miss Pringle. Tamsin is terrible. I was about to make mention of actresses again but I thought ‘what’s the point’, so I won’t bother.

Miss Pringle continued “It is all time and money Miss Lacey. Now we will have to get the photographer back and reassemble the whole school”.

Miss Pringle, to her credit, realized she was treading a fine line between the severities of the reprimand of the daughter of one of the more affluent benefactors of the college and/or having to break the news to the headmistress, Miss Sefton, that the parents of this said daughter would not be tending any more cheques.

Even Tamsin has her limits and did not push her luck by requesting a copy of the offending photograph to show all her friends. It goes without saying, no doubt Mr and Mrs Lacey will be receiving a letter from the college in due course, possibly even a surcharge added to Tamsin’s fees to cover the cost involved in the reshoot. Not that it will make the slightest bit of difference. I sometimes think Tamsin has a suicide wish.

Well, that was most of Friday taken care of.

This weekend I will not be going home to Inveraray Castle. Mother had rung to say the castle manageress lady is organizing a Scottish dancing group from Inveraray village to perform for a large group of Asian tourists the following day. Another nagging and continuing worry for the castle manageress lady is the castle’s tuck shop is still running understaffed.

As we passed Mr Crisis, the science teacher, in the corridor Tamsin inquired of him if he had received any news from Epsilon Boötis …….. But that’s another story.

No 38 - The Inveraray Fox

                                                                                  

   The Inveraray Fox

Things were in a bit of a tizz at the castle with the castle manageress lady being rushed off her feet with two events scheduled almost back to back.

Firstly the Inveraray Dog Show was due to take place today and even though we did not have a dog we did have a cat named Lorraine, thanks to Mrs Rutherford who used to own the bread shop in Inveraray Village; a cat she kept when she was being bothered by mice. This event was followed closely by the MG Car Club meeting which initially thought might have to be rescheduled.

You might wonder why the excitement also extended into the castle when we did not have a dog. Well, you see our neighbours, the Carter-Browns of Ruthin Castle our closest friends, had permission from the council to adopt an orphan fox cub after its mother…or father was culled for killing sheep. They named the fox cub Reynard. Now you are going to ask what has this to do with the Dog Show. Hang on be patient, I am getting there.

Colonel Carter-Brown assumed, after his success with the council allowing him to keep the fox cub, his thinking was if his luck held, the dog show judges might allow him to enter him in the dog show, that’s the fox, not the colonel. His analysis being, and quite rightly, a fox is of the dog species but just a little more wild or is that wilder?

Now male foxes are known as Dogs, Tods or Reynards; the females as vixens, the difference in name is to differentiate between the sexes, NOT the species and his argument with the doggy people was his animal was a MALE Fox thus he was officially a DOG so they could not discriminate against Reynard taking part in the Dog Show. Do you know what I mean?

For my gentle readers, this was a real headache for the head doggy people and I suspect it was the threat of legal action hanging over their heads on charges of discrimination that might have presented huge problems at the Doggy Headquarters. As you are all aware in this day and age there is to be no discrimination against ANY kind, ANYclass or ANYone and dogs were no different and I did not hesitate to tell mother the threat of legal action is one I would not like to be faced with.

The dog club president wrote to the Carter-Browns to inform them they were quite happy for Reynard to take part but if there are no other fox entrants he will have to be placed in a class of his own. Lady Rowena warmed to the expression a ‘Class of his Own’. So on their own admission, the canine authority did recognize Reynard was special and Lady Rowena was very happy with that.

It was Saturday morning, a beautiful sunny day; Doggy people were starting to arrive at the castle grounds. Some had already arrived and were brushing, combing and fluffing their little darlings up. Reynard was not like that. He was his own ‘dog’. The opposition was going to be vicious. Mother and father declined to be judges as they were close friends with the owners of one of the entrants.

Reynard’s class represented solely by Reynard eventually entered the ring. Tamsin and I watched from a distance. My chest pounded as he was led in by Lady Carter-Brown; Rowena, there was sustained, jubilant applause, whistling and strident calls of ‘GO FOXY’. One comment I heard was an astonished ‘WHAT BREED IS THAT?’‘

No, the highlight of the Dog Show was not Pekinese, Dalmatians, Dachshunds or Labradors but Reynard the Fox Cub.

He did not growl, look menacing or snap at anyone and appeared to understand he was to be on his best behavior.

I think Lady Rowena was very proud of Reynard winning the title ‘Dog of the Show’……. er or something similar and was happy with the cup, even though the cup was not all that big.

Reynard’s photo appeared on the front page of the Argyll News. I believe there was also an offer from a toothpaste company to use Reynard in a series of TV commercials. Maybe there was a connection with Reynard’s teeth, although as far as I know Reynard has not shown his teeth or growled at anyone yet.

The following day after the excitement of the dog show Tamsin and I decided to travel to her home, Loch Awe Grange. Before we left I asked father if he would make arrangements for us to travel back to Denham Hall on a Sunday afternoon flight which meant travelling to Oban to catch an executive jet to Stanstead.

On arriving at the Grange, to our complete surprise, the highlight of the afternoon was Tamsin’s father, Mr Lacey, was to give us a recital of a classical piece he had learned on his clarinet, a piece that could go on for half an hour.

Mr Lacey brought in his music stand while Tamsin’s mother busied herself organizing the chairs in the lounge. Tamsin and I tried to look busy, with difficulty. Mrs Lacey then went into the study to answer the phone.

Mr Lacey took up his position in front of the music stand, blew a few notes on his clarinet allowing a few squeaks to escape. I suppose to warm the reed up. He paused while he composed himself and was about to commence the recital when Mrs Lacey appeared in the doorway and said ‘Darling, darling there is a phone call for you in the study’.

During Mr Lacey’s absence there was some fidgeting, coupled with an air of suppressed excitement, ‘suppressed’ being the operative word, when Tamsin’s father returned to the lounge and announced “I do apologize. I will have to call the recital off. I have to leave immediately. It appears we have a small crisis down at the council offices. Maybe another time”. Mr Lacey helps out as a consultant with the local council following his retirement.

The expression ‘a close shave’ came to mind. It looks as though Tamsin and I will get to spend an hour on the tennis court after all.

It had been a weekend full of excitement. I was so pleased for Lady Rowena and Reynard. It was a successful weekend for them also.

No 37 - The Limping Badger

                                                                                         

      The Limping Badger

Like you, I also thought it was a stupid title and I don’t have to tell you who suggested it. You might remember the other ridiculous title she suggested once before ‘The Hallucinating Rabbit’. She commented that the title for this particular story was obvious, pointing out the fact it was an injured badger and because of its injury it was limping. She said it was a true story so it was no use trying to confuse the readers and dress it up to be something it wasn’t just to obscure the truth. I had no argument. 

It’s Gascoigne again; Phaedra Gascoigne. Always quick to criticize. I honestly don’t know why she doesn’t write her own stuff. It’s no big deal. 

Anyway to explain - it was not so much a cross country ‘race’ per se as a run to keep the girls fit and healthy and to keep the weight off them. I don’t want to get personal or name names but Chelsea Atwell springs to mind here. 

The event was classed as a sports lesson. As there was little for Briggs the caretaker to do around the college in the afternoon he was requested to help Miss Frenzi, the sports mistress, to shepherd the girls on the cross country run. 

The excitement started when Tamsin, while negotiating the stile at Badgers Bend at the bottom of Farmer Benton’s field, tripped in the undergrowth and almost trod on a badger. It had been injured and was limping; that’s the badger, not Tamsin. 

Rebecca alerted Miss Frenzi who requested Briggs carry it back to the college bus that was parked on the grass verge on the side of the main road, and to take Rebecca with him who was to nurse the injured badger while Briggs was to drive it to the vet. 

The vet said it was nothing serious just a sprained ankle or a pulled tendon or whatever. While it was recuperating the college adopted the badger and named it Bartholomew. I thought it was a really stupid name. I suspected Phaedra had a hand in that too. Personally I would have chosen Betty myself……... If it had been a girl that is. 

The news made the Rickmansworth Bugle, and the Watford Observer also sent a photographer down. 

Anyways to cap it off the BBC sent a local reporter Britney Duff who only covers the really big Rickmansworth news stories. This event just might make the BBC National News or even Current Affairs. Duff did a piece to camera alongside Briggs holding Bartholomew (how I hate that name). 

I am not sure who discovered its gender: I almost wrote sex there, a word which Miss Sefton might frown on were she to read these stories. Not that it adds to the story in any way. 

Giving credit where credit is due, Phaedra was right when she pointed out regardless of its name, it was neither here nor there, once released back into the wild it was perfectly free to divest itself of that ‘silly’ name (my description). 

Needless to say, there was a steady stream of girls traipsing back and forward getting pictures of Bartho… the badger for their Facebook page. 

More news for my gentle readers; Briggs made a really nice home behind the chapel while he was recuperating. I am referring to a home for the badger, not Briggs. I thought that was lovely of Briggs. I heard him suggest to Miss Frenzi the badger should be placed near the stile on its release as it may have a family waiting for him. 

I had Phaedra looking over my shoulder while I was writing this. There was no positive criticism like ‘lovely story Bridge’, just ‘do you know where you are going with this Bridgette?’ I will choose to ignore her. 

So much excitement and the week had only just begun. 

The highlight of the week for Candice was that Nurse Mayo has been given permission from Candice Robertson’s parents to take her to the dentist to have her teeth braces removed. At least Candice will be able to smile once again without attracting wretched, pitiful stares from the public when travelling on buses and things. What's more, boys might just start looking at her again as if she is a human being. It might also lift her out of her depression. 

There was not much else happening in the college during the week, although what did create a stir was that it was Miss Sefton’s birthday on Wednesday and unbeknownst to Miss Sefton, our headmistress, a pound sweepstake had been organized to guess her age. 

Tamsin reckoned Miss Sefton did not have birthdays any more but another furrow added to her brow. 

Knowing Charlotte she would put her age in her early hundred and twenties. It was wide open. The odds were in anyone’s favor. 

Remembering Miss Frenzi’s comment of it being a ‘dog eat dog’ world during the swimming competition with Pixie Hill Camp School last year when she decided not to let on we had a southern counties record holder swimming for us, I should have guessed the chance of monetary gain or even the chance of winning a pound, was going to bring out the very worst in people, as we found out. 

During the afternoon of the draw, it was discovered Bethany had asked her mother who knew Lady Cynthia, who was on the board of governors, to check with the college office ten minutes before the draw and check the records for Miss Sefton’s age. 

She discovered not only her age and the month and the year of her birth, but her birthstone, her sign of the zodiac, the phase of the moon on her birthday and a list of tide tables for Brighton on that day. 

It reminds me of the old proverb ‘The moving finger writes’, hang on that’s not it. ‘Praps it was ‘in for a penny in for a pound’. That sounds about right. Phaedra Gascoigne eat your heart out. 

I rang Mother at Inveraray Castle in the afternoon. She told me the castle manageress lady was beside herself with worry and stress due to tourist numbers to the castle being up because of the gorgeous weather. Father was due back this evening from Brazil and they were expecting the Carter-Browns over a little later. 

Mother had also invited Mrs Dalrymple for tea. When I think ‘Mrs Dalrymple’ I am not sure why I think of witches covens and things, and mother as an unwilling convert. 

By the way, Zanthe Perkins won the sweepstake guessing Miss Sefton’s age (well, she was closest).

No 36 - Roland's Rescue

The Basement   

Roland’s Rescue

Again I was looking forward to the weekend, particularly this weekend. You see mother had rung to say the BBC had contacted father earlier in the week for permission to use the castle grounds to film location shots for a new period TV drama called Mr Grayson. It was just a one day’s shoot. There were no interior shots required.

There were approximately 13 or 14 film crew expected. The director and his assistant, a make-up lady, an audio man and his assistant, a lighting director plus two lighting assistants or ‘sparks’ I believe they call them, a props person plus 2 actors and 2 actresses and a wardrobe person.

The film crew had arrived by a crew bus and brought their own canteen truck which was a relief for Mrs Pasta and the kitchen staff.-

The crew were busy unloading equipment when Rebecca, Phaedra, Tamsin and I arrived at the castle Saturday mid-morning after being picked up by Andrew the stable lad at Oban Airport.

Andrew has now taken over many of Beecham’s duties in deference to his age. Beecham had been our family retainer longer than any of us can remember, well before I was born. It was Andrew that ferried us from Oban airport to Inveraray Castle calling in on the way at Mr and Mrs Lacey’s converted presbytery, Loch Awe Grange.

We had left Denham Hall Young Ladies College very early so as not to miss all the excitement. Filming had not yet started when we arrived at Inveraray. Lights were being positioned and the producer was still discussing shots.

We went into the castle kitchen to see what we could scrounge as we had missed breakfast at Denham Hall in our hurry to get to Stanstead airport. We were not disappointed as Mrs Pasta was busying cooking her own breakfast.

The TV crew had chosen a beautiful day to record; no doubt they had waited for a sunny day to be forecast. After breakfast, we found some fold-out chairs to relax and positioned ourselves like spectators at a cricket match to watch the film rehearsals taking place between the South and West Turrets.

While lights were being rigged, camera positions were being established and actor’s moves being rehearsed Tamsin, Phaedra and Rebecca disappeared in the direction of the kitchens to see if Mrs Pasta had any ice cream hidden anywhere and were successful, I am pleased to say.

As recording had not yet started in earnest mother and father who had surfaced earlier to find little serious activity taking place retired to the saloon.

Tamsin suggested, “We could ask the director if he would like to use us for crowd shots”.

Rebecca giggled “Tamsin, girls did not wear leggings and stuff in the 18th century. It would spoil the illusion”.

“Just asking” Tamsin haughtily replied.

She added “Anyhow I am sure Bridgette could rustle up some gear for us”.

I replied “Tamsin, I don’t think they are going to rewrite the script just for us to show off our gear. It is a period drama for heaven’s sake”.

The director appeared with his personal assistant (PA for short) clutching her script-board. After an animated discussion with the PA, he called for everyone’s attention and announced “Quiet people. This is just a just walk-through. Julian treasure, straighten your wig”.

“Right people, in your own time”.

This film business was a very slow process. I knew Tamsin was going to lose interest very quickly and I was not about to be disappointed. After about 10 minutes of cries from the producer like ‘Stop people’ and instructions like ‘Julian love, you are missing your mark every time and you end up masking Bernice’s MCU (medium close up) and the PA reminding Bernice the word is ‘anyway’ not ‘ANYWAYS’.

Phaedra shook her head and suggested we retire to the tennis courts.

Mother and father arrived and took their drinks out into the afternoon sun and sat by the tennis courts to watch the ladies doubles match. In the late afternoon, two singles matches were played. Scores were not important.

At around 5 pm the film crew started to pack their gear.

It was Saturday evening. There was no bridge tournament. Even though Mrs Dalrymple had been invited to tea there were no attempts planned to contact our ‘dear departed’ and no tarot card readings. Mother and Mrs Dalrymple both suspected they were psychics. I have no idea where they got that idea from, nor did father.

Gentle readers, it was NOT to be an evening of television quiz shows, cooking shows, Come Dancing or talent shows, instead it was a feast of TV delights that exercised the brain.

It was during a natural history programme about the flora and fauna of the highlands of Papua, New Guinea we thought we heard a soft knocking.

Father questioned, “Who would be here this time of night?”

There were no visitors at the door.

Rebecca said jokingly “Hello it might be another of Inveraray’s ghosts abroad tonight”.

The knocking continued sporadically. We tried to chase its origin but eventually the knocking stopped, so we went back to the saloon and to continue watching the natives in New Guinea.

After about 10 minutes the knocking started again but it was very difficult to track down.

Father said irritably “where is that infernal knocking coming from? I can tolerate musical harpists and bagpipers but knocking on walls is not a big thing with them”.

Tamsin pointed out the castle’s brochure will have to be rewritten with the addition of a new ghost.

Rebecca replied, “Why bother? It has no musical abilities. Can we go to bed now?”

As we retired to our rooms the knocking stopped.

I always make sure my mobile phone is turned off in the classroom as Mr Crisis, our science teacher, is a stickler about phones going off in the classroom.

When I left the classroom on Tuesday morning after the first lesson, on checking my mobile I realized mother had been trying to contact me. I immediately rang her in case it was a message of importance.

I will bring you up to speed on the news from Inveraray. We had left the castle early Sunday afternoon to head back to Oban Airport arriving back at Denham Hall around 5 pm.

Mother said the knocking had continued intermittently during the day but all was quiet Sunday night. I had previously suggested to mother to summons Mrs Dalrymple to do whatever one does to encourage the lost soul to go elsewhere. Thankfully she was not needed.

She told me that on Tuesday morning a BBC person had arrived at the castle to inquire if anyone had seen one of the ‘Sparks’ from the film crew. If you are interested his name was Roland. His wife had rung the TV station to say he had not returned home. After it was discovered he was missing it was realized the last place he had been seen was on the film shoot.

Father gathered the gardeners, the maintenance men, and the kitchen staff and told them to search the grounds from top to bottom. Father and Andrew searched the castle rooms one by one.

It was while searching near the north west hall staircase they went down to the basement. There was a small cupboard in the tea room for stores which was wedged open when someone was inside as it had a habit of closing on itself and locking, which was a trap for the unwary. Fortunately the kitchen workers were aware of this but unfortunately for Roland, he was not.

Due to the few numbers of visitors at this time of year, the basement had been closed to the public for a couple of days for renovation and modifications.

It was in this store cupboard off the Tea Room where Roland was discovered. He had been nosing around and got trapped. What made it worse the light in the cupboard was not working. That was another job for the maintenance men.

When father found Roland he was not exactly in a malnourished state, like covered with sores, flies and stuff with a large growth of beard and looking hollow-eyed, thin and dehydrated... er and hallucinating, because he had only been missing a for a day or two.

You could imagine, he was really pleased to see father who immediately took him to the kitchen and gave him a cup of tea and a biscuit.

I told the other girls what had happened and informed them there had been no additions to the tally of ghosts at the castle.

Thankfully Mrs Dalrymple’s services were not needed at this time.