Laleham, Abbey c.1955

Photo ref: L5042

I attended Laleham Abbey when I was 7 or 8 so that would put it c1953. I remember bonfire night on November 5 and eating hot potatoes, the nuns reading us Winnie the Pooh at bedtime, lining up for the cod liver oil and malt on a cold winters morning and having winter green rubbed on our knuckles and toes. I can still conjure up the smell of all of these things and my husband and I still take cod liver oil but in ...see more

I was sitting on the riverbank seat at the end of Blacksmiths Lane with another girl and three boys, we were laughing and chatting one summer evening at about 8pm. Suddenly and simultaneously, we saw a hooded monk like figure dressed in brown, 'float' off the misty river about 40 yards away. We all stopped talking and stared in silence and amazement. The ghostly figure came up the bank, crossed the narrow road, up the ...see more

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 ...see more

I was a pupil here for about 4 or 5 years up to 1952. I loved it there and have such happy memories. There were two sisters in particular who were so kind and understanding - Sister Constantia and Sister Pauline Mary. The quadrangle remains in my memory with the huge tortoises which I was told were about 100 years old. If anyone remembers me my name was (then) Pauline Brenda Flenley, I was known as ...see more