Denise Davies Nee Smith

A Memory of Bushey Heath.

I started at Rosary Priory in 1953 when I was 8 and left at 18. I was so happy there that our 2 daughters attended the senior school until we moved to Wiltshire. When I first started at RP the only building was the beautiful old original one, but both new blocks were completed by the time I left. A few years ago I visited the convent, which had been totally separated from the school once it became Immanuel College. One of the nuns showed me around their cemetery. I saw many grave stones of nuns I remembered, but Sr. Vianney was the one I remembered most fondly. I used to visit her in the convent, after I was married, and even took our young dughters along a few times. I remember the nuns taking them off to the kitchens to give them ice cream! Sadly Sr. Vianney died of MND several years ago. Jean (Aitken) and I were recently sharing memories of the school......the Science room was up the tower and had many jars of preserved creatures! The gym was at the bottom of the Rose Walk. Mrs Simpson was our PT teacher. At one time we were a small class, at the foot of the tower and Sr. Angelina was our class teacher. Jean and I sat at the back with a pet mouse beside us! I remember being made Games Captain of St. George's House.......a standing joke in our family, as I never run if I can walk! When I finally left school I went back for a year to assist with the kindergarten class, which I loved. I always intended to be a teacher, but met my husband and married instead! Life has gone full circle as I am now very involved in our village school, running an After-School Club and taking some Assemblies. Some of the people I remember are Patricia Kavanagh, Maureen Gregory (RIP), Judith Petters, Janice Throstle, Janet Green, Susan Dawson-Goody, Hilary Warrell, Romayne Mallard, Valerie (Canton), Linda, Sandra, Honor, Lesley Mapstone and many others. Does anyone remember me? I used to live near Stanmore before I was married, then in Pinner before moving to the West Country in 1982.