Alice arrives
back in Bedford for the summer term in early May 1956 and finds herself in the
midst of a hot and sunny spell. Writing home on 6th May she says that the area
around the College has been transformed, with the leaves on the trees along Lansdowne
Road now hiding the houses. She and the other students are making the most of
the sun.
The College’s
new gymnasium is preparing for its official opening on 29th June and Alice sent
her parents a cutting from a feature story on the gym in the Bedfordshire Times and Standard. Stories
about the new gym also apparently featured in the Evening Standard and the Times
Educational Supplement. The students resort to subterfuge when out and
about in town to ensure that the Daily
Mirror does not learn anything about the new building, as they are also
interested in the story.
Term started
on Saturday 5th with an Anatomy class and Athletics trials. On the day after
Alice writes her letter, she is scheduled to take part in swimming, tennis and
Modern Dance.
The following day, Tuesday 7th, a group photograph of the
College’s students is due to be taken.
Towards the
end of her letter Alice mentions that she is on her ‘locking up week of 11pm’.
The college’s rules stated that students could have evening leave until 11pm (9.30pm
on Sundays) by signing in and out of the book in their house. Lock up was at
11pm unless a student received special permission for a later return.
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