Orange Hill

A Memory of Burnt Oak.

Hi there... great to read these posts. Seems like most are from alumni who attended earlier than me but clearly some of those teachers had been there forever. I started in the second year in 1964, and immediately started a friendship with another girl who also had done her first year elsewhere...her name was Marian Langdale and we are still best friends to this day, despite living 6000 miles apart now.

Then the school was next to the boys school in Burnt Oak. I lived in Edgware and rather than take the train I kept the money my mum gave me and walked most days. I remember all us 2nd year girls had a crush on a boy who had red hair and was in his 3rd year, whose name escapes me.

Shortly we moved to the new all girls school in Stanmore.. Miss Woods head mistress, famous for often wearing one seamed and one unsealed stocking. She also taught me extra French because I was so hopeless. My favorite teacher was Ms Friedlander..all the wonderful countries she would teach us about. Ms Lean for History, a very grumpy Physics teacher who’s name escapes me, equally grumpy male French teacher. Recall having the length of my skirt measured from the knee having hiked it up en route to school and failing to lengthen it on arrival.

Other girls I remember well we’re Jane Gray, Linda Kaye, Davina, Gabbi Magee,(who followed The Who), Margaret Holgate and Hazel Ede. Hazel and I both lived at the Spur Road council estate and would walk to school together. She and I got into major trouble one talent show when she went as “Little Ex” wearing a girdle, and I went as “Little Extra”, with a small pillow shove under my school uniform.
Needless to say the teachers sitting in the front row hauled us out of the gym totally appalled. Both of our mothers were contacted immediately!!

During this pandemic I have spent considerable time going down memory lane. I have lived in California since 1975, usually come home every year but not this one sadly, so enjoying researching the various places I have lived and studied.

Orange hill was a great school that provided a frightful school uniform yet a well rounded education and I’m thankful I had the opportunity to attend, ..even though I was not the best student. I left at 16 and went to Cassiobury College in Watford when my parents moved and finally took education a little more seriously. Happy Days! Patricia Ranger, now Leary.

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