Denford Park

A Memory of Denford Park (Training Coll).

I came here from Austria with my sister to work as au-pair girls in this boarding school. We found an ad in a German newspaper for girls to help with domestic chores etc. My sister and I wrote to the Mother Superior, (Mother Magdalene John) applying for the job(s), and to our surprise we got a reply back within a week from Mother Superior, offering us both jobs straight away! Needless to say we were over the moon having been given the opportunity to go abroad to work and learn the language. But convincing our parents that we really wanted to go was no easy task, anyway, eventually they consented and we packed our bags and set off on this new adventure. Back in 1959, people rarely went abroad to work. so it was very exciting indeed! We took the train from Mayrhofen in the Zillertal to Innsbruck and from there the train to Ostende in Belgium. Taking the ferry to Folkestone and the train to Victoria. from there we took a taxi to Paddington and the last leg of our long journey to Hungerford, where we were met by Sister Mary Andrew. She welcomed us warmly, (speaking in German) and a car took us to Denford Park. Upon arrival my sister and I were overwhelmed at the size of the convent and the surrounding grounds. We were introduced to Mother Magdalene John, who we both liked immediately and some of the other nuns came running along. We were given a newly furnished apartment, which we shared with two other girls from Holland and Germany.
Our jobs were easy and all the nuns were so lovely, we were given weekly English lessons by Father Whiteside, the residing priest. (he couldn't speak a word of German, but he was an excellent teacher. My sister and I each had one free afternoon per week, and on Sundays the Cook and her husband would take us to London sightseeing. The Boarders, (all girls between 5 and 11 years of age) were lovely, and we served visiting parents afternoon teas and sandwiches in the 'parlour' , supervised by Sister Paul. In the summer holidays when all the children had gone home, we were allowed to use the outside swimming pool and had great fun with the other girls and some of the staff. If one of us became unwell, Sister Mary Theresa would look after us very well. The oldest Sister Anthony, was 85 and still working in the Linen Room, she was lovely, as were all the nuns. We had a great time, and a year went by very quickly. Our knowledge of English was sufficiently good to go back to Austria and get jobs in the hotel industry. We gave in our notice and returned to Austria in the summer of 1960.
Not liking the long hours in the hotel industry, I came back to Denford in 1961, to work in the convent with Sister Mary Thomas, supervising and maintaining the children's uniforms.
In 1963 I got married and lived in Berkshire ever since.
When the nuns moved to New Hall in Chelmsford, I was very sad.
Denford Park became a Norland Traiinng school for nannies.
But I have many wonderful memories of the time spent at the convent.

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