Alice's last letter home

On 6^th August 1958 Alice writes her last letter home.  She is now an old student of the Bedford College of Physical Training having received her badges, carnation and goodbyes on the previous Saturday.  She was also able to meet up with around 200 other students in the London region who would have graduated that year.

Alice has decided that it is important that she goes to her new school, Heriot Wood, where she will start her teaching career as she needs to be there for a parents ‘do’.  She is also involved in visiting London schools where she is helping a lecturer with some research for her Diploma of Education in Movement Education.

Alice is preparing a final skit for the staff party which will be called ‘ A Tree in Spring ‘or ’ A Day in College’ and is on a Judo course run by Central Council of Physical Recreation which she is looking forward to.  She also asks her Mother if her colleague can have a bed on Tuesday night as she is needing to catch an early train from Waterloo.  Alice’s trunk is leaving on Monday and she will be home for the final time later that same week.

Leaving Bedford in a hurry - December 1957

It is now mid-December and Alice's commitments mean she barely has time to write a last letter from Bedford before heading off on her activity course which she has been preparing for.

She expresses her relief at completing a Pathology examination paper but has no time to relax as there is packing to be done in readiness for the Christmas holiday break and, more urgently, for the trip to Wales which is tomorrow:

Despite suffering from a heavy cold Alice continues with all her activities right up to the last minute. She has been selected to attend the equivalent of a modern day 'outward bound' course, run by The Central Council of Physical Recreation, an organisation created through the endeavours of the college's own Phyllis Colson.
Although the course is not a requirement for her studies it is one of the many extra-curricular activities that the ladies are encouraged to take part in as part of gaining a well-rounded education. Alice has had a long day getting there but is full of enthusiasm.

Once she has settled in Alice begins to write a small journal-type letter to her parents, filling them in on her new adventures in Snowdonia:

Extract from publication marking the achievements of Phyllis Colson upon her retirement in 1963, and featuring the CCPR Centre in Snowdonia.

April 1957

April 1957

Alice seems to be busy during April 1957 as there is only one letter to her parents lodged in the Bedford Physical Education Archive for that month.  The letter is sent from The Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick where she is at a Christian Conference and appears to be part of the Executive Committee as she is attending a meeting which is going to last all day.

She is very taken with the Anglican Evangelist Rev. Dick Rees who is one of the speakers and also a Mr Aldis and Major Batt whom she says are ‘both very helpful, inspiring Christian men’

On a lighter note there seems to be evening entertainment where some of the groups have put on skits, Bedford College of Physical Education have dressed in shorts and gone barefoot  ‘and took the mickey out of various people who had tried to do the same to us’  

April 1957 seems to have been a very cold month and Alice is pleased she had taken her winter clothes with her but has still managed to get a cold.  Although she has obviously enjoyed her stay she is tired and is suffering from ‘spiritual indigestion’ but feels it has been a lovely preparation for Easter.

 

Programme from 1957 Rally

February 1957: busy in college and beyond

It is near the end of February and Alice seems busier than ever with a healthy mix of work and play. Her first mention is of an entertainment which appears to have had a sea theme involving a heavily decorated gymnasium and even incorporating a pirate cavern. In a previous letter she had asked for a green dress to be sent and it appears that this had been a successful choice - adapting is the order of the day as she makes reference to the addition of net to make it fit to the theme.

Her thoughts are also tending towards a visit home and she is quite excited by the appointment there of a new curate. She encloses a songbook from the Bible rally she has attended and hopes that her Dad will contact the pastor  using details on the back cover.

Despite enjoying her extracurricular activities and looking forward to visiting home, Alice is also trying to make a decision regarding her academic subject choices in her 3rd (and final) year. She is disappointed with Miss Middleton apparently talking about her to other students, but feels vindicated and happier when she later receives an apology and is able to discuss her wish to continue; she recognises that life in an all female college can sometimes be fraught with 'the tension of relationships'. 

She closes with happy thoughts of the impending visit home and is already formalising day and time to meet up with Mum: roll on Half Term!

 

Teaching Practice and Christmas 1956

Alice is very busy with her teaching practice at the moment but hoping to get home for just one night to watch the original film of Oliver Twist which was first released in 1948 and produced by David Lean with Alec Guinness portraying Fagin.

Alice is working at a local village school in Harrold which she clearly loves, although not so happy about teaching P.E. in the snow. The social history is portrayed wonderfully with her astonishment that 8 children in one class still had to use a well to get their water.

It is apparent that Alice and her supervisor do not always get on, which must have made the teaching practice difficult at times.  She also mentions a new teacher who also doesn’t seem to fit in at the school who Alice feels sorry for.

Alice is looking forward to the Christmas Carol Service and there is a programme showing the Procession of Carols which would have been sung during the service.  She is then going on for coffee with her colleagues and music tutor, Mr  Thackray (who incidentally was appointed as the College’s first male lecturer in 1954) which she is looking forward to. The Christmas plays and pantomime are being rehearsed and seem to be coming on well with plenty of useful evidence for her teaching practice file.

Some aspects of student life don’t change; Alice has to ask her Dad for some money to pay her expenses and to buy some items she needs.

 

 

Drawing water from the well in the garden