Aunt Bertha . . . Continued

When JH was in her early teens . . . JH met Ann in the corridor at school. JH was ‘ordered’ by big sister ‘Don’t go swimming today!’ and no explanation as to why was forthcoming. JH could not understand why Big Sister should give this order. [JH had remembered to bring her swimming things to school, and so did not have to ask another pupil to call in and collect JH’s swimming things, when she walked along Courthouse Road – on her way to have lunch at home in Linden Avenue. This occasional request from JH was remembered many years later when Annette reminded JH at a School Reunion – the request for ‘rescue’ from the Games Mistress’s wrath seemed to have multiplied over the years in Annette’s mind!] JH expressed her dismay, about her sister’s order, to Doreen, another fellow pupil, who was a friend in the same Form: Doreen – as ever – was a fount of knowledge, and thought perhaps big sister had been left to tell little sister that the latter had started her periods. JH did think this was unlikely but, in any event, an ‘appropriate inspection’ precluded this explanation. I have no doubt that Doreen was also full of information about other matters to do with ‘puberty’ but, as we were in an all-girls school, further information was not gleaned. Doreen’s Family was known to JH’s Father, as he did insurance business with the Family. So sadly, when JH met Doreen – who was then in her early 20’s – she was crippled by advancing rheumatoid disease at such a young age.

JH did not have to go to the Staff Room, to knock on the door and speak to Miss Spooner, in another break between lessons, she met Miss Spooner who grimly listened to JH’s request to be excused swimming. Then . . . JH saw Miss Spooner talking to Ann. Then JH met Rosalind – who was the Hipsey Family’s next door neighbour, and also a pupil in the school year between Ann and JH: Rosalind accosted JH with ‘why did you have to go and tell Miss Spooner!’ . . . and get your sister into trouble with the Games Mistress who was of a notorious disposition – was the tacit implication. JH walked home, and mentioned what had happened to her mother: a very non-committal remark was the reply.

Somehow very shortly afterwards . . . JH learnt that two school pupils from another school had been diagnosed with poliomyelitis after swimming in Maidenhead Swimming Pool.

However . . .
Miss Spooner was ‘known’ – somehow via the school grapevine – to have disregarded a suggestion that the hockey pitch in Kidwell’s Park was much too muddy to be played upon. Miss Spooner met JH in the corridor and informed JH that big sister had slipped on the muddy pitch and broken her collar bone; Miss S thought she should mention the accident, in case JH received upsetting news from someone else (via the grapevine?). JH is sure she recollects have a sort of déjà vu thought about this accident. In any event, when Ann returned home in an ambulance, my mother could not speak – although she rationalised her reaction in thinking that, whichever member of the family was in the ambulance, they were well enough to return home. She lost her voice for about 48 hours. To this day – Ann has an conspicuous lump on her right clavicle where the fracture healed: it is virtually impossible to prevent this lump appearing after fracturing a clavicle – unless the sufferer is prepared to lie recumbent with a pillow between the shoulder blades so that the broken ends stay in alignment . . . for six weeks!

Miss Spooner had occasion to mop up JH's blood on one occasion: for some reason or no reason at all - Annette had tied a scarf around JH's ankles . . . inevitably . . . when JH tried to hop forward, she fell forward and cracked her chin on the hard cloakroom floor. The small laceration which JH sustained bled profusely . . . so a visit to the Staff Room was necessary: Miss Spooner inspected the damage and decided the cut needed a stitch . . . so JH was taken by ambulance to St Lukes Hospital. She was seen in the Casualty Room - no vast Accident and Emergency Department then! One stitch was put in the cut. JH does not remember the stitch being removed. But an exhortation was give to everybody, at Assembly, to not behave in such an unseemly manner!

On another occasion . . . JH 'caused' an injunction to be proclaimed in Assembly: the evening before, JH called in to school for some unremembered reason, after she had come out of Maidenhead's open-air swimming pool (not quite a lido); JH was (still) somewhat wet because she had got caught in the end of a summer thunderstorm; but JH's met her Headmistress who, of course, enquired as to why JH had returned to school so late in the afternoon; JH's main excitement was in explaining the enormous lake that had spread over about a third of the car-park outside the swimming pool. So JH supposes that she had actually returned to get her school gaberdine mac from the cloakroom . . . because the next day, at Assembly, everyone was exhorted to always bring their macingtoshes with them: as by this time the brilliant July sun had baked us all on the way to school, even if only wearing a blazer . . . I think everyone disregarded this injunction!