TGS 120 Chapter Jean Marson nee Farrington class of 1945

It is with enormous sadness that I must share with you that just before this post was about to be published, we heard again from Gill.  This time with the news that Jean has passed away very suddenly.  We take comfort that she did not suffer.  And I am so glad she was able to share her stories with us.  It meant a lot to her.

Jean's TGS Chapter was sent to us by niece TGS alumna Gill Bradley nee Wickenden in advance of Jean's upcoming 95th Birthday on 28 August 2024.

"I’m afraid this is going to be a very long email.  My aunt Jean who was a 10 pound Pom in the early 1950’s and has lived in Tasmania ever since was a pupil at school during the 2nd World War.

She will be 95 on 28 August, recently broke 2 bones in her neck and is having to wear a brace and will be in hospital for quite a few weeks.

I asked my cousin to ask Jean about memories of her time at school and this is her response.

“Well of course the school was very different back then.  It’s no doubt changed a lot since.  When I was there there were lots of tennis courts and sports areas.  I’d won a scholarship to the school and loved sport so I was thrilled to be there.  The head teacher, Miss Arnold, used to bring her dog to school every day.  Miss Mallard was my history teacher and there was a Miss Wilson, lovely teachers.  The war was on which made many things difficult.

I loved looking out at the hockey fields outside the classroom and I loved sport in the gym.  I was the gym captain and received 2 junior and 4 senior blues.  I played netball snd hockey and Miss Wood and Miss Capper were sports teachers.  Some years later they visited my sister’s shop in Tonbridge to inquire about how I was doing in Australia.

The food at school was bland because of the war.  Every we had boiled rice with jam and we drank a lot of milk.

I got a detention once for talking too much and had to weed the lawns.  I was often caught talking too much.  Rules were very strict.  We weren’t ever allowed to talk on the stairs and, of course, I would and got caught.  Back to weeding the lawn.
Shoes were changed when you came inside to keep everything clean.  We stuck to the rules and practised good etiquette.

Learning music was an extra cost but sadly my family couldn’t afford it.  I would love to have learnt music.

We had air raid shelters out near the hockey fuelfs and if the sirens went we had to run and hide in the shelters.  The shelters were always wet due to the rain and we had to sit in the wet!  The enemy fighters used to go over our heads as they flew under the radar.  It was a scary time but you just got on with it.

Our uniforms were green and white and when I was a senior we wore a lovely navy skirt and white blouse.

We had a formal dance once a year with the boys from Judd.  We did old tine dances and dressed up.  I didn’t have a dress so my sister altered one if hers fit be to wear.

I recall Miss Dixon and Miss Sproule who was actually Australian.  They taught me home economics and that’s where I learnt to sew.

Towards the end of the war the whole dcbool was evacuated to Exmouth.  I stayed with a lovely couple but only for a couple of months as my mum wanted me home.  Sadly school didn’t return for some time as they stayed in Exeter.

I left school at 16 to become a telephoning after passing the Post Office exams.

I have very fond memories of my time at the school.  It was wonderful’.

Jean Marson nee Farrington
August 2024

Passed away September 2024