TGS Chapter RUTH BARROW. 1946 - 1953

I had to cycle 3 miles to Penshurst Station and then travel on a steam train that came from Reading and ended at Deal or Dover. Sometimes it was a bit late and we had to go straight to Assembly and we were often only in time for the notices.

I was the only one on this train in my class and I didn’t know any of the other girls so initially was unsure of what was going on.

When the weather was bad we were allowed to catch the 2.12 train home instead of the usual 4.12 one. It was amazing how news of the permission was quickly passed round the school.

This happened often in my first winter of 1947. Snow no longer had any excitement for me I longed to see green grass verges again!

We were all made to use the same style of writing to make it easier for the staff to mark. We were given marks out of ten for home work and every 3 weeks these were added up and averaged to give us a percentage mark divided into Honours, above 75%, credit above 60%, pass above 40%, this was read out by the headmistress, Miss Arnold, in Mark Reading.

Because I was tall I was given the position of Goalkeeper in Netball, I hadn’t played this in junior school but apparently, to my surprise,I was good enough to play in a match for the team in the year above me. Matches took place on Saturdays mostly in the mornings.

I played in matches throughout my time at school, fortunately our season tickets were valid on Saturdays. Mostly we went on coaches for away fixtures but sometimes we had to make our own way there.

We were put into houses and matches in netball and hockey were played between houses at the ends of terms.

Once I hadn’t finished my needlework, when watching one of the matches I was sent for but I sent back a message to say my needlework was at home!

We had to change into indoor shoes in school and even at mid morning break when we had to go outdoors we had to change our shoes.

We were not allowed to speak in the corridor at any time, not even when we were queueing outside the classroom. When there was general movement prefects were posted at strategic points to ensure there was no talking.

I loved sport, I remember playing hockey in a thick fog when it was hard to see Miss Wood who was referee.

At the end of each day there was a half hour when we could do prep. but Tuesdays and Thursdays we could go to team practices instead. Wednesdays there was a longer prep period which was often used for outside lectures and other special events.

I liked it when I had games lessons Monday, Wednesday and Friday so that I played games every day of the week

I played in netball, hockey and cricket teams and was captain of the cricket team in 1952 & 1953 and of the hockey team in 1952/53 season and games secretary 1951/52 when I had to send postcards to arrange match fixtures.

The UVI had a form room in the Study above the office but our year was the first to have too many to fit in so the Head Girl, Janet Waterman, and Deputy, Dorothy Bibby, were in the study and I was made Senior Prefect to lead in Room 1 class room which was carpeted and supplied with a large table in the centre instead of desks. I arranged a party to celebrate our newly furnished room but then was not well enough to attend but the games I planned went ahead.

In 1951 I was in the first year of O Levels when we were able to pass in individual subjects, some people didn’t sit a subject at O Level but continued onto A. Level. We could also drop subjects, I dropped Geography.

I always enjoyed watching the dress rehearsal of the school play which was often one of Shakespeare’s.

I was in an A. Level Chemistry lesson when we received a message that the King had died and there would be a special assembly before lunch.

I was in the UVI in Coronation year and I remember going with Miss Mallard to chose a tree to plant in Commemoration.

To celebrate the Coronation the whole school went on a special train just for us that took us from Tonbridge through to Windsor where we spent the day at the Castle.

Current Students welcomed Meeting Ruth Barrow 

October 2024 

Sophie’s Experience: 

Ruth Barrow was part of the TGS community in 1953. She was a very proactive student, being part of the hockey team and having a lot of friends. When we met her a few weeks ago, we asked her about what life was like at TGS in the 1950s. She told us how each student needed to have a little piece of paper that said that they were allowed their lunch, and how if you didn’t have one, you had to be ashamed and put on a gym mat in the corner of the lunch hall! 

She told us many funny but true stories from her time, and I personally found them extremely interesting. She told us how the school celebrated the Queen’s Coronation which happened in the year she left. Apparently, she specifically was chosen to plant a special tree in memory of the coronation, and how it has, sadly, probably been cut down since her time. The school also went on a trip to London, where they took the train which had been reserved for the school and they went to Windsor. 

Ruth told us of how they had a prep session at the end of the school day, which was basically an hour of time to do homework set from the day's lessons. She told us of how much she loved PE, especially hockey, which was proven by the fact that she was captain of the hockey team, but she was also captain of the netball team too! She was also part of the cricket team. 

Talking to Ruth made me feel very happy to know that there has been so much change made to the school since Tabby, and I joined. Talking to Ruth has also made me realise how much of the school’s history is not noticed by its students, and how good it is to know what the school has been through, how it has adapted to those challenges, and how it has changed the school a lot. 

Tabby’s Experience: 

We met Ruth Barrow, a TGS girl who left this school in 1953. We were given the chance to interview her and add some more information to our archive. We asked her a lot of questions, and she had an amazing memory of everything she did here, and we were able to ask her what school life was like in just The Old Building.  

We started by asking her if the school did anything to celebrate the Queen’s Coronation, which took place the year she left. She told us that all 450 students went on a special train, reserved for TGS, and went to Windsor. They explored the castle and enjoyed lots of activities around the castle! She was also specially selected to plant a tree on the school grounds, which is now a housing estate. 

Someone asked if the teachers were strict, and Ruth shared that they weren’t super strict, but you did have to behave yourself! During lunch, you had to have a ‘lunch pass’, that allowed you to eat school dinners. If you forgot your card or lost it, you had to sit on the floor in the school hall, without your friends.  

Ruth told us all about the sports teams she was in too! She was Captain of both the netball and hockey teams, and she was also in the cricket team. She also had a friend called Dorothy, who has also been to TGS to talk to us about her experiences of school life too.  

It was a privilege to be part of this interview, as we were able to learn so much more about our school. Ruth was so proud of her time here, and I loved that she came back and was keen to tell us all about it. It was amazing that her Physics teacher inspired her to pursue the subject as a career, and she was very interested in how much it has changed.