Extracts from Miss Bubb’s Diary
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#1: Extracts from Miss Bubb’s Diary Author: LottieLocation: Humphrey's Corner PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:26 pm


Saturday, 1st May 1943
I reached Howells Village this morning; it has taken a few days to give up my rooms, and pack up my belongings for the move. Lady Russell introduced me to the girls of the Chalet School, then Miss Denny showed me over Plas Howell. I think I shall enjoy my time here; the building is beautiful, and has been very well equipped, with an excellent library and laboratory; the surrounding countryside seems very pleasant too. However, I think I shall have my work cut out; the girls appear to have a good number of outside interests and they will have to be kept firmly in place if I am to ensure the Oxford results are as good as I would like this term. Next summer will be a bit easier because I will have had all year to ensure that they are all well up to the required standard. After that. I feel sure that the Chalet School will be recognised as one of the leading scholastic schools in the country.


Monday, 7th June 1943
I think I am rather relieved to have left Plas Howell. The last five weeks have been a real trial to me. The girls at the Chalet School seem to have had little respect for the discipline I was trying to instil, and spent far too much time on things like Guides, games and music. What was worse was that the staff refused to back me up at all, and some of them were not even concentrating completely on their jobs, since they were trying to look after their babies at the same time. Matron insisted that both the girls and the staff waste their time out in the garden, instead of concentrating properly in the classroom, and then Lady Russell herself told me that she did not like the improvements I was trying to make to the school. I have never before felt my work to be so unappreciated. In fact I think it will be a pleasant change to join my friend next term when we can start our school in the way it should be run, and ensure that any staff we choose to engage support us completely, instead of trying to undermine everything we do.


Monday 20th April, 1953
My first day back at the Chalet School is over, and I think it all went quite well. Mlle. de Lachenais explained the work that the sixth form would need for their Highers; she also asked me if I could take some of VA for special coaching for their School Certificate. I was happy to agree; I enjoy the challenge of teaching girls for whom the subject does not come easily, and I am sure I can make excellent progress with them. The sixth form are all keen students and I shall have no trouble there; in fact, I hope that we can go beyond the examination syllabus, because I am sure that they will enjoy the extra work, and it will be useful for them when they go on to the University. The train journey was quite straight forward, it leaves the Rosleinalp at eight o’clock, which fits in very conveniently with my breakfast here. Miss Annersley has said that I may have Kaffee and Kuchen at school, so, with the substantial meal served for Mittagessen, I need not have any further worries on the two days that I go down to the Gornetz Platz. I should be able to save enough to stay here until the summer is ended.


Thursday 9th July, 1953
The school breaks up next week for the summer holidays, but my work there finished today. In many ways I shall not be sorry, because the weather is now very hot, and it is quite tiring to have to travel to the Gornetz Platz from the Rosleinalp on the train every Monday and Thursday. The staff were polite to me, of course, but I did not feel that I was really welcome in the staff room, and I could not participate in the conversations about the trips to the Achensee or reminiscences about past events. I have been pleasantly surprised by how well my girls have worked this term, despite the fact that they have had even more distractions than when I was last at the school. In fact, I shall be very disappointed if they do not attain excellent results in their public examinations. Miss Annersley has promised to write and let me know the results when they are due out in August. I think I shall be able to stay here until the middle of September now. Two more month’s recuperation in the Alpine air should see me fit enough to face the winter at home again.

 


#2:  Author: LesleyLocation: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:36 pm


Very interesting, Lottie - fascinating to see the differences in ten years.

Thank you.

 


#3:  Author: ChairLocation: Rochester, Kent PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:27 pm


Thanks, Lottie. It was good to see everything from Miss Bubb's point of view.

 




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