St Patricks Convent O.A.S Hayling Island

A Memory of Hayling Island.

I was at St Patricks 1948 to 1952, I loved it there! I remember Pauline Quinn, her mum ran the laundry and little Margaret who ran the uniform and sewing room...I spent hours trying to darn a sock. Rosemary Bacon, Pauline Quinn and I were friends. Our ward maid was Bridie, she was a dreadful bully, we always got our own back though. She used to hand out syrup of figs or cascara on a Friday night, if we upset her she used to give a double dose and held your mouth shut until you swallowed it. Oh, I nearly forgot Winnie Pratt - great girl. We had stretchers in the playroom on wet days and in the gardens in the sunshine. Stretchers were like half deck chairs that we had a nap on everyday after lunch. We used to have lessons in the gardens on sunny days. Sister Bertha was my teacher, we all loved her so much and Sister Katherine was another favourite. We used to help butter the bread while she cut it on a machine. Sister Vincent was the nurse, she gave us cod liver oil, parishes food glucose and bemax on alternate days. I was upset to leave that lovely safe place; midnight feasts, ghost stories in the dorm and great friends. Sad its no longer there.