My Years At St Patricks Open Air School.
A Memory of Hayling Island.
St Patricks Open Air School Hayling Island. I went there to get strong enough to have an op' to remove my lung. Didn't like it at all ! The girls were great and had good friends, but it was quite harsh and I found it very strict, almost to the point of unbearable, but it certainly toughened me up ! I can remember Sisters, Bertha, Dorethy, Raymond, John Joseph, & Paul, not forgetting Rev Mother ! A lovely Monk visited, he used to paint the most wonderful water colours, and keep sweets in his habit hood, which he allowed us to have, one each. I hated having to go to bed so early, especially with the Fun Fair just across the road playing rock n roll music, especially Elvis.Tuesdays were stay-up nights to 7-30pm, with games organised by Sister Bertha, or to watch tv, as long as there was no kissing ! What about the awful syrup of figs we had to take every Thursday, and other days it was cod liver oil & parishes, some sort of red stuff, plus glucose and the awful "chicken food" Bemax! which used to stick to the roof of your mouth. If it was very hot, the milk used to go sour, and we were still made to drink it, I always threw up ! Easter time someone donated a huge chocolate egg, and Sister Bertha used to lay a sheet on the stage in the playroom and break it up with a hammer, then we all got a piece. At Christmas we went home, thank God ! I remember Corpus Christi, when we wore our little white dresses, and walked around in a parade outside the school. The new chapel was built on the drive, very grand, and the garden with a fountain in the middle was beautiful when the daffodils were out. There was a sort of Borstal school across the road from the playground, and the boys used to climb the tree over there and chuck us letters over the wall, good job the nuns never knew. So many memories, some too painful to recall. I can remember a tiny built girl we called "Titch", a girl named Margaret Wood from Bath, another named Carol Butcher from West Ham, a Marjorie Smails from Yorkshire, and a Lesley Flinders from London area, can remember loads, but names escape me. If you were there from 1957 -1960 please contact me, Sue Bradford, on Facebook, I would love a chat.
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I remember sister Bertha, who would get you by the shoulders and give you a shake if you did something wrong. I clearly remember syrup of figs days and the queues at the toilets!
On a happier not I also remember the chocolate easter egg - it was huge and really thick. I remember making some inedible food ( a rock hard fruit cake comes to mind) at Cookery class.
We did knitting and sewing I think, and I remember someone driving the machine needle through her finger..
The only name I recall is Elizabeth Lechna - she was polish I think. I had a friend who came from a place called Stone in Derbyshire - was she called Val?? I particularly recall that our letters home were read by the nuns and we couldn't tell it as it was. It took me a while to work it out but eventually I wrote a letter, climbed over the wall and posted it. My mum came to collect me almost immediately! Love to hear from others who were there in the 50s. My email address is brendaholdsworth@ymail.com
prepare us for a servants job or house wives
I was at St Patricks for 6 years and left summer 1965
I remember June Wilson (who I have a photo of) Ann Harvey (who was always the brainy one!) Sandra Topliss who was my best friend and Marjorie Smails.
I remember Sr Bertha Sr John Vianney, and the nurse Sr Vincent in her white habit,
I have photo of a dance we had, with all the older girls on it, the boys from the school across the road joined us, we were highly chaperoned!
I remember the non nun teacher we had in the third class Miss Hodgekinson and another elder girl Celia Buckley who left before 1965 but came back to teach at the school.
I remember Julian Pettifer came to do a documentary at the school, I think it was for the BBC.
I led the Corpus Christie procession carrying the big crucifix one year, and I played the part of Baron Von Trapp when we did the play the Sound of Music
I would love to hear from anyone that might remember me.
My email address is helena.vickers@live.co.uk
I am carrying out some genealogical research on my grandparents, and a number of sources unearthed over the past few days have led me directly to St Patrick's OAS. Specifically, I am looking to follow-up on the history/background of the staff at St Patrick's, and the theory that many of them may have been young women from Ireland - some/all of whom had recently given birth to babies at Mother & Baby Homes in Ireland, and were then, quite literally, shipped over to Hayling Island to work - presumably by the Catholic Church in Ireland.
Does this ring a bell with anyone? I am also trying to trace formal staff records from St Patrick's (going back to the 1930s when I believe that my grandmother was there), and will contact the Diocese in Portsmouth etc to try and find out where those records might be held.
Really appreciate any help with this.
Regards
Peter
Dublin, Ireland
I remember being frightened of Sister Vincent, in fact of many of the nuns! I shared a dorm in the House with Deborah (Hartnell?), Joanne and Dawn Fraser. We all believed there was a ghost in the house that appeared every October, and were told off for scaring the little ones.
I remember the Sound of Music production - I auditioned unsuccessfully for one of the children, I think it was produced by our teacher Miss Taylor
There are some great blasts from the past here!! I was at St Pats from 1957 - 1964 and slept in the House. My best was, and still is, Beryl Bleach. I hung out with Jenny Skillett, Ann Harvey, but remember lots of the names mentioned on this blog. Apart from 'doses' on Friday, I had a pretty good experience of my stay there. I loved Corpus Christi, and stay up night when we were allowed to watch TV until 8.30. I also remember the play Merry Heart, Julian Pettifer coming, the huge Easter egg, which was donated by Woolworths in Portsmouth.
In response to Peter from Dublin, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary are still at their Mother House in Chigwell, Essex and would be pleased to help you with your enquiries.
Any one who remembers Bobby Pressling, my email is roberta.anderson@zoho.com.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/735315756571256/members/
so forget the one I had set up. Go there instead! Irene Tagg
I was at St Patrick's around 65/ 67 don't know how long as I was so young at the time. But I do remember a girl called Susan who used to keep spiders in match boxes and keep them in the outside loos then pull their legs off. Then there was my lovely Teresa, sorry don't have last names, she was from the upper dorm I think one of them sleeped in each section of the lower dorm, please bear with me as this is all from my memory and I was about 6/7/8 year old. Teresa would let me in to her bed until I'd stopped crying because I wanted my mummy.Maria a girl In The next bed to me had this wonderful machine it was red and you could put slides in and see different parts of the world. So many memories but not sure if I may have coloured them over the years. When we went to the nurse I remember having this yellow stuff and having to swollow it along with a list of equally nasty stuff. I remember being made to sit at the dinning table because I would not eat my gooseberrys, they even tried to force them down. then there was firework night, and some of us in the lower dorm were allowed to go up to see the fireworks from the fire escape overlooking the beech. Think this must of been Sister Paul who took us up. Then there was the girls from the upper dorm all dressed up and going to a ball. We were allowed to stand on our beds and watch as they left from the window of the lower dorm. The boot room where you had a locker with all your shoe cleaning stuff in individual little wooden boxes set in a wall with your number or name on. The tuck shop where you bought your toothpaste and soap and some sweets if your money sent by your parents would stretch. Your Sunday best uniform for special occasions. Apron over your every day one. I was always up in the big house having my apron mended. I was back there today and all that's left if the entry post. Hope this all rings a bell and it's not a figment of my imagination.
Marjorie Fawcett Eaglescliffe in Cleveland
My mum is visiting Hayling island for the first time since she left there in the 60's.
I am just trying to surprise who by seeing if I can find any old friends she made there :)
She lives in Nottingham and her name is Gillian Stanfield.
She is on facebook and I bet she would be over the moon to share some memories :)
Many thanks
Carl Stanfield
She was at the school 65-70.
Her maiden name was Chesters.