Laleham Abbey School

A Memory of Laleham.

I was a pupil for two years at Laleham Abbey. My maiden name being, Elsa-Marie Burberry - Elsa.
I was friends with Phyllis Baker who I remember as having beautiful auburn-red hair and who I think came from Totteridge. Other friends were Tania Morley, who was the best ballet dancer. And Caroline Hood, who I think was blonde. There was a pupil named Louis who seemed to see visions of Our Lord quite a lot. Sister Marianna played and taught piano. The common room was called Caina. We used to get our nightly 'tuck' from a hatch in the other Common Room. The Abbey was such a lovely place. In the gardens a Tulip tree, Yew and Cyprus trees. The dormitories and the classrooms were round the cloisters. Then sadly, the school closed down and we were all moved on, I was almost twelve. We used to picnic at Virginia Water. The Riding Stables were some distance away and owned by a Miss Feegan.
The english teacher was a Miss Waghorn. We used to mark the butter at breakfast and have our own Malt and Cod liver oil on the table and Glucodin. I think Princess Marie Louise was our Patron. We wore short yellow veils until confirmed, then long blue ones. We kept pet snails in rosary boxes and we buffed the floors during Housewifery with ronuk and donkey! So many lovely memories. Including walking through the beech copse, round the school, down to the river Thames to watch the swans gliding by. I now live in Warminster , Wiltshire. Married. Three adult children and four grandchildren, life is good. I returned once only to Laleham Abbey to show off my husband and met Sister Marianna and Sister Claire.
Sister Mary Padraig, I also remember. She was a large lady with specs.