TGS 120 Chapter Rebecca Cassidy nee Webb class of 1978

As Rebecca Webb, I was proud when I passed the selection tests, and prepared to attend Tonbridge Girls' Grammar School in September 1972. My first day was the morning after the murder of athletes at the Munich Olympics. I was nervous, and my biggest fear was getting lost on the way to school. It hadn't occurred to me that many girls wearing the same uniform as me would all be making the trek up the hill towards Deakin Leas!

My first form teacher was Mrs Johns, who also taught us English, and we were based in Hut F. These "temporary " huts had been in use for many years. In winter they were freezing cold, and we wore our navy blue gabardine raincoats during lessons to keep warm.

Every day started with Assembly in the Main Hall, with one year group at a time meeting in the Small Hall in the music block. A hymn was sung, followed by a Bible reading, prayers, and then the Headmistress read out the day's notices. Each form took it in turn to lead the Assembly on one day every week. The form selected a hymn and reading (often a poem or passage from a book other than the Bible) and prayers. Once or twice, I was the girl who had to announce the hymn and read the prayers, and I found it terrifying!

On that first day, our uniforms (all bought at Rex Bentall's in town) were checked for name tags. We had to supply a pair of indoor shoes - which were never worn - and green knickers with a "white lining" (ie two pairs of knickers, for some inexplicable reason). I looked forward to wearing my science overall, but not my games skirt. Luckily, the felt hats and boaters had become optional that year! I found the grey skirt really itchy, preferring the striped dresses we wore in the sumner term. We had to label all our exercise books and folders, using pencil. We were only permitted to use ink on the covers when our handwriting was good enough, following lessons from the art teacher.

In the First Year we had lessons in English grammar. I think the purpose was to instill a lifelong fear of placing an apostrophe in the wrong place. At that time the school's name was Tonbridge Girls' Grammar School.

Moving around the school for lessons in other classrooms was quite daunting in the beginning. At 12.45pm, it was time to go to the school canteen, where we sat at a table with six other girls and a Sixth Former, who served us from the meat and vegetable containers, collected from the serving hatches. On Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977, we cast votes to select our favourite meal, which was ravioli and chips!

Home time was staggered between 3.45pm and 3.55pm, depending on the time of your business or train time in order to avoid everyone blocking the pavements. School rules dictated we should walk two abreast - never more than three. Eating in the street was forbidden, except for small sweets.

Having homework (Prep.) was a new experience, although on most days, the last period of the day enabled us to make a start on it.

I already had a love of reading and, each term, we read and studied a book during English lessons. The first one for my form was "Treasure Island", which we then dissected for the whole term. We were also lent another book to read for pleasure. In addition, there was a well-stocked library.

Tonbridge was prone to flooding, and I remember looking down over the town from the top corridor, near the office, and wondering if we would be sent home early. 

Every Christmas,  the whole school would walk through the town to the Parish Church for our Carol Service. I was in the choir, and still know the "descants" to carols and hymns, although I can no longer reach the high notes! We all walked through town on another occasion, for the Memorial Service for Miss Hiscock, who had died unexpectedly.

I left the School in July 1978, in order to work as a Veterinary Nurse. Each year, the School Magazine listed the Universities and Colleges that girls went on to. Well down the page was a paragraph naming those of us who had gone "Into Employment."

I am often reminded of my schooldays - clarinet lessons when I listen to music, speech and drama lessons when I hear a poem. How I wish I had paid more attention during Latin classes if I come across a phrase or saying! I didn't expect I would ever feel like that!

Best wishes,

Rebecca Cassidy  (née Webb)