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My mother's memories updated 15/6 http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=7928

Author:	vicki_theterror [ Thu May 27, 2010 6:35 pm ]
Post subject:	My mother's memories updated 15/6
This is something I've had on the back burner for sometime, I hope you enjoy! Carlotta sighed as she opened the next box from the pile in her parents store, she supposed that clearing out anyone’s stuff was a horrid job and when it was ones parents bits it was twice as bad. She was glad that her brothers and sister were coming to help her later on, although it was harder for them to help as they had their own families. As she looked into the box Carlotta saw a huge pile of papers, mentally she groaned as she guessed it was her job to read them to make sure there was nothing important before they were destroyed. As she picked up the first batch she paused and read the title closely, it appeared to be her mother’s writing and seemed to date back to her school days. All about me by Frieda Mensch form five I was born in Innsbruck in 1918 – just before the end of the war and the creation of a separate Austria. Not that I was aware of this at the time. My father was a banker and my mother stayed at home, looking after us. I was the fourth child in my family – there was my brother Gottfried, my oldest sister Bernhilda and then Luise who died before I was born. I was the youngest in our family. At the time we lived in a small apartment with my Grandmother and my Aunt. When I was born my father was away fighting in the war – not that I was ever aware of this. As I grew up I was very aware of the presence of other people. Some of my earliest memories were of my sister and me sitting in the parlour with my grandmother telling us about how we should never run around and fight with each other. Not that I remember that particular fight. Bernhilda and I generally got on well, she tended to mother me and look after me and I rarely complained. As I grew older I was taught the same sort of things as all girls of my class were. You may not realise it now but Austria was very, very class conscious and as daughters of a banker we didn’t associate with many other children except those of the other bankers. We were very protected from the nastier side of life and I don’t ever remember us not having a servant around, if not more than one – it was just what someone in our station in life did. Saying that we were not waited on hand and foot – I don’t ever remember not being able to sew, although Bernhilda has recently taken great pleasure in telling me how when I was about four I threw my handkerchief I was being taught to hem on across the room as I was fed up with it. As I said we were not allowed to have many friends and those we did have were carefully vetted. The people I remember coming around most when I was a child were the Marani family. There older daughter – Gisela was slightly older than Bernhilda and Maria was about a year younger than me. I am sure there were other families calling in when we were small but I don’t remember any. In the summer we used to spend two or three weeks on holiday as a family, when I was small I always thought we were going to the same place each time, but as I’ve got older I have realised this wasn’t the case. One place we all loved to go was the Tirensee, this was a beautiful lake set in the mountains. Many times father and Gottfried used to go off to climb the mountains, I was never encouraged to join them and mother always used to say that it was unsuitable for a young girl to be climbing like a mountain goat. I had been taught from infanthood that my parents’ decision about anything was final and I should do what they asked with a smile as they would always know what was best for me. This was reinforced at home with punishments for disobedience and encouragement for doing the right thing. Not that I was a miniature saint by any means. I can still remember the two main punishments given if we disobeyed, the first was to spend a set amount of time sat on a hard stool in the hallway. We were not allowed to move while we sat there and no one else was allowed to talk to use. The other punishment was a smack to the backs of our hands with a ruler – this tended to come from mamma rather than father.

Author:	Liz K [ Thu May 27, 2010 6:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories
Ooooohhhhh this sounds good, thank you.

Author:	PaulineS [ Thu May 27, 2010 6:53 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories
Thank you. i am glad Carlotta decided to read the papers rather than throw them out.

Author:	Lesley [ Thu May 27, 2010 6:53 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories
Very interesting seeing Frieda's point of view.

Author:	Abi [ Thu May 27, 2010 8:28 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories
Interesting to see Frieda's earlier life.

Author:	cal562301 [ Thu May 27, 2010 8:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories
A very interesting start. Thanks. Looking forward to more.

Author:	Fiona Mc [ Thu May 27, 2010 11:53 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories
Looking forward to seeing more about Frieda's life

Author:	Miss Di [ Fri May 28, 2010 5:10 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories
Thanks Vicki, this looks interesting.

Author:	Mona [ Fri May 28, 2010 11:43 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories
What an interesting start. Thanks Vicki!

Author:	ChubbyMonkey [ Sat May 29, 2010 11:40 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories
As others have said, how very interesting! I can't wait to read more - thankyou!

Author:	vicki_theterror [ Sun May 30, 2010 2:20 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories
I can remember a day when I was 4 when suddenly Bernhilda wasn’t at home any more – she seemed to be going to the same place as Gottfried had always gone to. I didn’t understand but she went to a place called school for four hours each morning and when she came home at lunch time she had work to do for the next day. I couldn’t understand why Bernhilda only went to this school place in the morning as Gottfried went for the whole day. It wasn’t until I was older that I learnt that they went to different schools. It was during this time that I spent many hours sat on the stool in the hallway, I wasn’t a naughty child but often my own high spirits and the lack of any specific purpose got me into all sorts of trouble. In the end it was my Grandmother who decided that I needed to start to learn to read and write. I think her idea was to give me something different to think about and to concentrate my energies on. It soon became apparent that while I was not a natural scholar I was intelligent and although I never caught up with Bernhilda, I always made sure I sat and did my small amount of ‘homework’ that grandmother set for me – this often involved drawing and colouring to illustrate the lesson from that morning. My life carried on in a similar way for the next few years, the lessons at home got harder and grandmother got my aunt to start me on simple sums to increase the amount that I was learning. Just before my sixth birthday I was taken into town and measured for my school clothes. This was exciting, I was finally to go and explore this place called school that Bernhilda and Gottfried went to. I can still remember my first day, I walked with Bernhilda and mother down the road, the closer we got to the school the more children there appeared to be walking towards the school with their mothers. As we approached the school I became more and more scared about the number of people who appeared to be going into the building. The only thing that confused me was that everyone going in appeared to be a girl. I had never seen so many children in one place although looking back there were less than one hundred of us in the school. Despite knowing how to read and write and some basic sums I found school a very scary place that day and was glad to know that at lunch time either mother or aunt Luise would be waiting outside to take me home, and unlike Bernhilda I didn’t have to go back after lunch. Over the next few weeks I gradually settled down to the routine of school although I continued to be glad that I was able to go home at lunch time and did not have to stay for the whole day. When I asked mother about the fact that no boys appeared to go to my school she explained to me about the separate school for boys and the fact that girls and boys needed to learn slightly different lessons. When I had been going to school for about six weeks it came as a shock to me that one day mother did not put out my school clothes for me to wear. I had always known that Bernhilda and Gottfried had school holidays but I had somehow failed to realise that I too would also have these holidays.

Author:	Lesley [ Sun May 30, 2010 3:08 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 30/5
Love that description about school from a young child's POV. Thanks Vicki

Author:	cal562301 [ Sun May 30, 2010 5:59 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 30/5
This is really interesting. Thanks Vicki.

Author:	shazwales [ Sun May 30, 2010 7:10 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 30/5
Really enjoying reading this,thanks Vicki.

Author:	ChubbyMonkey [ Sun May 30, 2010 7:12 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 30/5
What an apt description! Thankyou.

Author:	Abi [ Sun May 30, 2010 11:01 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 30/5
Thanks Vicki, that was really interesting.

Author:	Miss Di [ Sun May 30, 2010 11:37 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 30/5
I wish I had work holidays.

Author:	Fiona Mc [ Mon May 31, 2010 5:03 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 30/5
Thanks, am really enjoying this

Author:	sealpuppy [ Mon May 31, 2010 9:23 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 30/5
Fascinating insight into the quietest of the Quartette - but sad to realise she has died.

Author:	La Petite Em [ Mon May 31, 2010 8:51 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 30/5
This is really interesting, thanks! It is lovely to hear about Frieda's early years.

Author:	Smile :) [ Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:23 am ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 30/5
This is looking really interesting, looking forward to more.

Author:	vicki_theterror [ Sun Jun 06, 2010 5:32 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 30/5
Carlotta paused in her reading, this seemed to be the end of the section her mother had written as a school girl – probably for some assignment or other. However the stack of papers did not seem to have diminished. Carlotta felt that she wanted to go on reading this as the insight it gave to her mother’s early life was something she had never considered, she settled herself more comfortably and continued. It was during my first winter at school that I remember grandmother first being ill. She stopped getting up for breakfast with us and spent a week in bed. Grandmother also started to spend more evenings in her room rather than in the parlour with us. This didn’t really affect me at the time, but looking back I realise that it was the start of her slow decline and I now wonder how much of those last years she really enjoyed. That summer we went to the Tiernsee again for our holiday. This was the first time that Grandmother did not come with us. It was also the first time that I was allowed to climb what I thought of as a mountain, in fact it was just up to the bern alp where we were able to get cream to eat with the strawberries we had picked on the way up. I was so excited to be allowed to climb a mountain that I was almost running up the path, although father did not approve of the speed that I was going but I did slow down and was eventually persuaded to walk at a more sensible speed. It was either that year or the next year that I realised we owned the chalet at the Tiernsee, and we started to visit during most school holidays, Mama was always there with us but Papa often only came for the weekend. It did mean that we were able to do more – although there was no mountain climbing for anyone unless papa was present. I remember growing to love the area and wanting to live there the whole time, it was so different with small villages around the hotels which were lively and then the quiet around the lake. Mama laughed at me and said it was impossible to live there as there was we wouldn’t be able to go to school. Those early years at school seem to merge into one, I was expected to work hard and don’t remember any organized games during those years. I think we had early morning drill and exercise, but this seemed to mainly be bending and stretching and marching together. It seems wrong but I can’t even remember having any real friends at school and we certainly never went to play in anyone else’s house. My parents always supported us in doing our school work and took great interest in what our reports said, they always pushed us to do our best and get the highest marks we could but they did seem to realise when we had done our best. However if we got bad marks because we didn’t try then we were punished – as we got older this went from just sitting on the stool in the hall to having to complete a punishment task while sat on the stool – these tended to vary depending on what we had failed at, sometimes it was extra work or reading in the subjects concerned, or for general bad behaviour it might be some hated household job that we had to do. My school years followed a similar pattern until I was 12, during the Easter holidays we once again went to the Tiernsee. Over the past few years we had seen a large chalet near the lake go through many tenants and even a short time as a hotel. This year it seemed there were new people staying there, we were first aware of a French lady, a young girl of similar age to me and a gentleman staying there. About a week after we arrived there were suddenly three more people there, from listening to Mama talking to some of the other people living near around the lake we discovered that the lady who had arrived last with 2 more girls was going to start a school in the chalet and it would be run on English lines, however she was happy to take pupils of any nationality. The three girls looked so happy when out and about near the chalet; I hoped that Mama and Papa might consider sending me to the new school rather than going back to the school in Innsbruck. I was due to move to the senior school the following September and was not looking forward to it. I was a shy when in large crowds and the thought of going to school with hundreds of new girls was very scary for me.

Author:	cal562301 [ Sun Jun 06, 2010 5:52 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 6/6
This is great and very insightful. Thanks, Vicki. Looking forward to more.

Author:	PaulineS [ Sun Jun 06, 2010 6:07 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 6/6
Thank you. Pleased to see Frieda wanted to go to School by the lake, rather than in Innsbruck

Author:	Lesley [ Sun Jun 06, 2010 6:34 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 6/6
The Chalet Schoolcame along at just the right time, didn't it? Nice that Frieda has some memories of her Grandmother. Thanks Vicki

Author:	shesings [ Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:38 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 6/6
This just lovely - glad to have found it!

Author:	Abi [ Sun Jun 06, 2010 8:37 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 6/6
It's nice that Frieda actually wanted to go to the CS. It'll be interesting to see her reactions once she gets there.

Author:	charli [ Sun Jun 06, 2010 9:13 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 6/6
I'm enjoying this. Loved her description of climbing the "mountain".

Author:	ChubbyMonkey [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 6/6
It's lovely that she wants to go there - this is a beautiful drabble, thankyou.

Author:	Elbee [ Wed Jun 09, 2010 5:14 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 6/6
It's really interesting hearing about the start of the school from Frieda's point of view. Thanks, Vicki.

Author:	vicki_theterror [ Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:17 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 6/6
I was really pleased when Mama and Papa said that this year we were going to spend the summer in the Tiernsee, I didn’t realise at the time that this was partially due to the cheaper cost of living in around the Tiernsee. Mama explained that as we were going to live at the Tiernsee papa had arranged for Bernhilda and me to go to the new school in the chalet. I was really excited about this especially when they said it was a small school and we would be able to learn to speak English properly. I did get the impression that we would only be going to the school for the one term before we moved back to Innsbruck for the autumn term. The one downside to the new arrangements was that we would not be able to see grandmother much as she was staying in Innsbruck with aunt Luise. Papa was also spending the weeks in Innsbruck as he had to work. That first term at the school was a magical time; the lessons were so different to any I had previously experienced. To start with there were only a few of us in the school, although the numbers did increase over the weeks of the term. I did struggle at first as most of the lessons were in English which I had only been learning for a few years, but hearing it around me all day every day it was much easier to learn than in my previous formal lessons. I also experienced organised games for the first time, not only did I get the chance to play tennis properly I also learnt to play cricket. This was something that would never have been taught in my previous school. One of the best things about the school was the chance to make new friends, as it was a much smaller school it was easier for me as a shy child to become friendly with the others. One girl who seemed to be friendly with everyone was Joey; she is Madame’s younger sister and seemed to get on with everyone. The other girls who I grew friendly with included Simone – a French girl who seemed to spend most of her time hanging onto Joey’s every word and Margia. By the middle of the term we were split into three distinct forms – senior, middle and junior. I was in the middles form although there was still a lot of mixing between the forms for language lesions. During the term we were determined to be as English a school as possible, looking back we were probably more English than a normal English school. We had our prefects who included Bernhilda. Although Bernhilda and I were friendly out of school and enjoyed our walks together to and from school, in school she always seemed to be stricter with me than the others if she caught any of us misbehaving. We had great fun as middles trying to find all the possible tricks we could play on each other, as middles it was especially fun to try to wind up the seniors as many of them were only a year or two older than us but seemed to be on a different level. Looking back there were many highlights to the term but one of my favourite was our trip to celebrate Madame’s birthday – I think the idea came from some school story. On the day we all came to school early and presented her with flowers from our gardens before we were taken up the Mondscheinspitze. This was the first time we were taken on a climbing expedition. Things were not all fantastic on that trip as the lemonade had been left behind so we had to wait for a drink till we got the alp were we were stopping, luckily there was a herd of cows pasturing there for the summer and one of the herdsman was quite willing to provide milk for us to drink. Unfortunately the weather changed while we were there and we got caught on the alp by a thunderstorm. As there was only one herdsman in the hut where we were we slept on the hay on the floor of the hut. This was something I would never have done if it wasn’t for the chalet school – as our new school had become known.

Author:	PaulineS [ Tue Jun 15, 2010 6:11 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 15/6
Thanks for the update. Frieda seems to settle quickly, lovely to hear things from her perspective.

Author:	cal562301 [ Tue Jun 15, 2010 7:21 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 15/6
How nice to see the early CS from a different person's point of view. Frieda was always the quiet one in the books.

Author:	ChubbyMonkey [ Fri Jun 18, 2010 7:32 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: My mother's memories updated 15/6
It's lovely to see how well she settles down, as we don't seem to hear much of her early in the books. Thankyou!

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