• School work

    I have started writing about my school experience in England, I haven't quite finished, but as a starter, I have a few school things which, upon looking at them carefully, something I'd never done, revealed funny little idiosyncrasies. This little English-French vocabulary notebook, for instance, on which "classe trois" is written:

    School things

    opens on a fairly normal first page:

    School things

    It isn't surprising there should be mistakes such as "the childrens" or "Good bay" (goodbye the way the French would spell it); but the third page is perhaps more amusing:

    School things

    Especially the little conversation between Anne and her Grandfather... I have no idea when this was used and written.

    When I was at Saint Monicas, with Miss Jeffcott, which must have been 1973 I think, there was a school outing to Hampton Court, and as is commonly done, the class had to fill questionnaires about the place. I don't know why I have a (faintly) handwritten one with all the 20 questions:

    School things

    But what's rather fun is my answer to question n°9 "how did you get to the Palace?":

    School things

    Never mind that I made a mistake on "coach", which somebody must have tried to indicate to me was the right word to write down; but just before, there is "by road", and so I wonder if my well-established irony was already in use? I might of course have misunderstood the meaning of the question, but that's not likely!

    BTW, just above, for question 8 "From what materials is the palace built?", all the answers are in French: métal, platre, verre (metal, plaster, glass).

    To finish off, here's a page with sea-creatures, which could have been done while I was sitting at the bottom of the class, getting bored during biology:

    School things

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  • Comments

    1
    Jane Evans
    Tuesday 24th September 2013 at 21:54

    Yves, I just had a quick look at your Hampton Court review.  I think we would have gone in about 1968 or 69 as I moved to senior school in 1970 and I was in Miss Jephcott's class when I was about 10 yrs old I think.  I am very impressed you still have this information.  Do you remember the bonbons from Mr Ainger outside the Maze exit?

    2
    Wednesday 25th September 2013 at 11:40

    Wow, then Miss Jeffcott's class would have been 1970?? I wonder; this seems very early!  I remember the maze at HC, but alas, not the scene with the bonbons! Perhaps he had given them to me because I had lost myself, come out late and it was to comfort me? I think the HC handwritten document which is scanned above comes from my mum's "children's treasures" that she had kept, and must have given back to me a few years ago. Otherwise I would never have retained it.

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    3
    MarkP
    Thursday 26th September 2013 at 23:07

    Well I was in St Monica's from 1967-71 and I had no idea that from time to time, French cousins of mine were being taught elsewhere in the school. But I do remember an occasion when a dignatory with a familiar face was shown into our classroom (Class 8 Miss Baker). "Hello Auntie!" I said brightly, for it was Auntie Olive. Perhaps she was on a tour of the school whilst negotiating your later visits? 

    4
    MarkP
    Thursday 26th September 2013 at 23:09

    Remember "Bon Voyage, numero un"....?

    5
    Friday 27th September 2013 at 21:41

    That's right, "Bon voyage!", I remember that one: her French audio lessons!

    No, I don't think she would have needed to negotiate anything for us... She was probably there to make the link between schools, or something of the kind.

    6
    Jane Evans
    Monday 30th September 2013 at 21:14

    the bonbons may have been to cheer you up perhaps!!! who knows ha! You know Miss Jephcott's class may even have been 1969 - can you imagine that????? it really doesn't seem that long ago does it?

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