Sibton Park School

[ndestael]

Hi:
My name is Caroline Redmond Kock, and my sister (Kim) and I went to Sibton during the 80s. If anyone reading this was there during this time, please feel free to contact me. I have had such a blast remembering the spinny, bones, and don't forget the sticky walls you could climb up with your feet and hands!
Caroline
ndestael@comcast.net

[Kitty Lloyd-Lawrence]

Hi Libby, author of Blow Out the Moon
I am the Catherine Marshall you wrote about in your book. I visited the school in December last year and was googling it on the internet afterwards, not expecting to find anything, when what should come up but a couple of chapters from your book. And there I was! by name with our conversations recalled! It was quite surreal. I would love to be in correspondence with you about this - a whole lot of coincidences occurred recently in connection with my time there and something I had been trying to write... and a young friend who had been encouraging me... I told her about your book and she said she had read it with great pleasure, not realising that she actually knew the Catherine Marshall in the book... strange world! could we correspond by email? My address is: Kitty@ubique70.com

[carolyngilmour]

Hi!
So nice to have joined the forum as Sibton Park days were very much in past memories with no-one to share them.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who knew or is in contact with one of the twins whose name is/was Jill Merton.

For those who knew Tina Cole, her family still own a pottery shop in Rye, Sussex.

I also remember June Randall who, I think, came from America or perhaps one parent was American.

During my school days Marza was headmistress and she had a son, Christopher, and two daughters whose names I can't remember. Marza's elderly mother also was alive and living at Sibton Park in those days.

regards

cg

[Laura]

Hello Carolyn!

I remember you, I'm Laura, née Daniel. Are you in the 1959 school photo? I was in touch with Libby a few years ago who kindly sent me a copy of it.
I think Marza's daughters were called Thelma and Barbara, and her mother was Mrs Leather, I remember if you were in the bedroom above where she lived and made too much noise, you'd get The Bumps, which consisted of Mrs Leather hitting her ceiling hard and repeatedly with a broom - something to be avoided!
One of my memories is filing down to church in Lyminge on Sunday mornings in a crocodile, (having written our letters home beforehand) and sitting through the sermon having guilty reveries about the bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk we would be given after lunch on Sundays...
Another very happy memory was occasionally being taken to the beach in Hythe on fine summer days by Mr Prebble in his coach, and putting on olive oil as sun tan oil! We would rush to the beach sweet shop and lay in illicit supplies of Rowntree's Fruit Gums (my memories often seem to associated with sweets) this was a real treat.

[carolyngilmour]

Hi Laura,
It was great to see your name and that you remembered me! I remember you as tall and slim. I don't know what you remember of me! As for the school, thanks for reminding me of the names of Marza's two daughters. Didn't she have a white dog called 'Rupert'? Yes, I do remember Mrs. Leather banging the ceiling with her brook! It usually happened because on summer's evenings it was so light we just couldn't get to sleep. Our dorm was a big one with huge windows at one end, from floor to ceiling. Do you remember having to stand, face against the wall, downstairs in the oak-panelled hallway outside Marza's sitting-room as a punishment for talking and using the counterpane as a skipping-rope 'after hours'? And do you remember the dragon of an Irish matron we had? One minute she'd skate over any misdeeds and you'd thank your lucky stars; another time she would lash you with her tongue! And 'Daisy' the cow? She used to come up to the metal railings, wait while we clambered up in order to hop on her back and then, at the last moment side-step so we landed in the mud! Did you participate one summer during Parents' Day, in the ballet on the lawn at the back, where we dressed in sea-green long tutus and ballet shoes and danced holding hoops decorated with paper flowers? Yes, I remember those awful Sunday walks to church (I think we gave one of the choir boys the nick-name 'Fish Face'. And then the long long dreary Sunday walks. I think the bars of Cadbury Milk Chocolate were the only good thing about it. Funnily enough, our vicar at St. Dunstan's in Canterbury has just retired after 21 years, but before that he was vicar at that church in Lyminge - but not in our time. I also remember Hythe and buying sticks of rock. Do you remember Tina Cole? She was an artist, still is, and her parents still have a pottery shop at Rye in Sussex. She makes glazed tiles among other things. She made a large model of Sibton Park plus the stables and outhouses. I think she then went on to Benenden. I remember the Merton twins (Jill and Elizabeth). Also Margaret Gilbert and Clare Miskin. Do those names mean anything to you? Write and let's update each other. Regards C

[Helen Heath]

I am Helen Heath nee Frederick and was at Sibton at the time of Laura Daniel, Catherine Marshall, Tina Cole, etc. and am fascinated to read about everyone! My sister, Auriol, followed me to the school, and subsequently went to Benenden. I also remember the walks to church, and the bus to the beach and the sweet shop too, also the bumps from Mrs. Leather and the dormitory names, Florence Nightingale, Anne Howard, etc. I was in the ballet on the top lawn wearing one of those tutus & waving the hoops! Does anyone remember the gym displays, with the sergeant major, "Sir"? Funnily enough, the Lyminge priest (name forgotten) became the chaplain at the school I went to afterwards, The Abbey at Malvern Wells, now also closed down. And Mademoiselle who rammed French into us in a brilliant fashion (I went to the Sorbonne later) also needlework and made us unpick whatever we had done because it wasn't good enough. We never knew her name. That matron was HORRIBLE, I still remember her altho' she did sit with me one entire night when I was being sick and took good care of me even though I was a horrible brat. Does anyone remember being taught how to curtsey to the queen for when we were presented at court ?? Then she stopped doing the debs' balls and they stopped teaching us that! Also dancing in the long room on Sunday evenings, and back, together, step, kick?

[Laura]

Have just written a long-ish message and lost it all through accidentally hitting a wrong key, grrrr....
How great to rediscover two old friends at once! And memories come flooding back.
Helen how amazing about the clergyman from Lyminge turning up at the Abbey, he was obviously following you around the country! Some people seem to have had exciting times at Sibton, I don’t remember ever having tried to ride a cow, or indeed having known their names although I knew all the ponies well. I certainly remember that ballet with us all in tutus, must have been my last year, I thought this the absolute height of romance and glamour at the time! Do you remember that Thai girl (we still said “Siamese” then), Alice, who did a lovely Thai dance, that really was glamorous and much appreciated by the parents.
The Sunday afternoon walks were indeed dreary, probably made more so by feeling rather bloated as a result of recent consumption of the bar of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk (all intentions of saving it up for the week having gone to the winds). Not as bad though as Saturday afternoons, which if I remember rightly were totally devoted to GAMES, at which I was absolutely no good at all and always let my team down in some awful way. I remember Mademoiselle, poor lady, always dressed in black; people said she’d lost her fiancé in the first World War, and how she made us chant French verbs and lists of pronouns as we came into class. My memory of Tina Cole is of her once rather dramatically fainting in prayers and having to be carried out, looking as white as a sheet. Clare Miskin I remember more clearly, she was the brainy one of our class and was indeed put up a year by Marza, rather suddenly and without consulting our form mistress, Miss Deck, which I think caused a bit of a diplomatic incident.
As far as rooms go I seem to have spent most of my four-year career at Sibton in Florence Nightingale: I got rather bored with it but at least as a result of my seniority I got to appropriate the most comfortable bed, or the one with the bounciest mattress.
Carolyn if I remember correctly your family lived in Geneva which meant that you spoke enviably fluent French? I do have a clear memory of you, although I can’t seem to find you on that famous Summer of ’59 photo. I can see you on it, Helen, up in the back row!
Do let’s go on being in touch, if we can all get up to London perhaps we could meet.

[Helen Heath]

Laura, how lovely to read your message. This is my first effort at being on a chat page & I'm thoroughly enjoying it! Yes, I remember Alice doing her thai dance, I believe she eventually went on to medical school or something - I got that from my sister who managed to keep up with the news for longer than me. After that I don't know what happened to her. I kept up with Charlotte Hedley for a few years, she was at university in Italy while I was at the Sorbonne but after that lost touch completely. Apparently Marza's great grand-daughter was running the school for a while but I don't know how that fitted into the time frame as she would surely have been very young.
Does anyone know where anybody else is? There was a reunion of sorts in London in about 1970 which was a little disappointing as I only knew about 4 people, Christopher R-D was standing in the corner not talking to anybody and Marza didn't remember me (how crushing!) We were forced to flee for the nearest pub for a stiffening G&T!
Love your idea about getting together in London, however I now live in California ...for the last 30 years, yikes, time flies! But I do get over about once a year & do a troll through London, usually Sept/Oct or thereabouts.
Helen

[Laura]

Helen, lovely to hear from you too, how exciting living in California, do you have an American accent now? I've lived in Paris since 1974, quite a bit more of my life than I passed in England.
Well we must be in touch next autumn and try to arrange a meet-up in London when you next come through.
I missed the reunion in London in 1970 although I was still living in London then, I'm sure Marza wouldn't have recognised me either, I wasn't particularly one of her favourites! She told my parents she didn't think I'd pass the Eleven-Plus exam, and in fact I did....she probably despised State education anyway, I think most of her girls went on to private schools. Talking of which, my cousin Catriona (née McTurk) was at the Abbey in Malvern too, rather depressing for her in a way as she lived practically next door!
I remember Charlotte Hedley, just. I think in fact you and she were younger than me, in the form below. Sadly I'm not in touch with anyone from Sibton now, though I am still with two friends from my secondary school in London.

[carolyngilmour]

Dear Laura and Helen,
Yes, I remember Alice from Thailand (Siam then) doing her wonderful dance with fingers which could bend right back. I remember learning ballroom dancing (the Bolita, Fox-trot, Cha-Cha-Cha, waltz etc.). Can't remember the curtseying! Can you post the 1959 photo, Laura, in case I should be there after all? I remember Charlotte Hedley and Clare Miskin (yes, the brainy one) and I remember Miss Deck: one year she got us all in the barn to look for 'unusual birds' to add to our list of birds we had spotted. Turned out to be Easter eggs for all of us, hidden all around the barn. Very nice of her, really. I remember Mademoiselle well: we had to recite French verb endings inbetween mouthfuls at lunchtime. Oh yes, do you remember the dessert 'Flies' Cemetary'? Yes, the poor cow Daisy! We all sniffled and cried as we watched her being loaded into the lorry for the slaughter-house as she was elderly. I can't remember the ponies' names but I do remember a tall grey mare called 'Petronella'. Unfortunately, on the few occasions I have met women with that name, I immediately think of that horse! Laura, even I remember how bad you were at sport! And I expect you remember that large games teacher, Miss Dimmock! I remember the names of the dorms; in my last year I got to live in the cottage up the road, remember? I shared with Rosemary Carter and Margaret Giilbertson (or was it Gilbert?). I can safely say I wasn't bright enough to go to Benenden or Roedean. I landed up at a French Lycee in Hte Savoie, France. I remember June Randall who, I think, came from America. I would love to get in touch with the Merton twins (Jill and Elizabeth). I'm sure more names will come to me but not at this instant. I think we should definitely all get together in London, somewhere where there are plenty of G & T's and we can then swop photos, news, etc. I just find this whole things so far back in our past being aired as though it was yesterday. Wonderful. Do you both have email addresses so that we can send attachments (i.e. photos)? Lastly, Laura you have a good memory or I was impressive because, yes, I did live in Geneva. Best wishes to you both. Carolyn

[carolyngilmour]

Laura/Helen,
have just noticed all my 'typos'! Sorry. Have just remember another 'old girl': I was very envious as she was a day-girl so she'd come in each day with lots of tuck, such as bags of crisps etc. She was very generous about sharing them out. She was a bit tubby in those days but very pretty and came from a glamorous background - her mother was a film star. Can you guess who I mean? Well, the clue was that her mother starred in the film 'Gemevieve' with Kenneth More. The school girl's name was Jenny Hanley and she went on to do children's TV programmes i.e. 'Magpie'. The mother's name is/was Dinah Sheridan. Cx

[Laura]

Helen/Carolyn,
Here’s a link to the school photo, kindly sent to me by Libby Koponen a few years ago, probably you will recognise quite a few more people. I’m the one just behind Marza, with my friend Elizabeth Luke on my right (I’d love to have news of her). On Marza’s right is a lovely man called Brigadier Kenchington who taught us French, I think Mademoiselle must have retired by then. If you’re there Carolyn (and I suppose you would have been unless you were ill) do let me know which one you are!

http://www.ifyoulovetoread.com/schoolpi ... oolpic.htm


Oh dear I see my lack of sporting talent made a real mark! In my next school it didn’t matter so much as I was in a class where we prided ourselves on despising all sports. One happy sporting memory from Sibton however was playing tennis on those grass courts up towards the Cottage. I think girls who lived in the Cottage were much envied by the others, it was a privilege reserved for those in the top form I think. I spent about a week there with some other girls when we were convalescing from measles. I (and some other delinquents) once helped ourselves to some delicious strawberries from its garden and duly got a stiff telling-off from Miss Monkman, the riding mistress.

Yes I do indeed remember Miss Dimmock, she was our form mistress and quite a crusading Christian, I think she became a missionary when she left Sibton.

Your idea of getting together round a G&T is an excellent one Carolyn! So you’re now based in or near Canterbury I gather? If so you’re the one of us who stayed nearest Sibton. Where did you go to school in Haute Savoie? I have family connections at Aix-les-Bains. By the way my e-mail is schaub@orange.fr, but apart from the school photo I’m afraid I don’t have any exciting ones from those days to show you.
It is indeed wonderful being in touch again and sharing all these memories.

PS: Dammit I've tried to access the photo and the link doesn't work properly, if you send me your e-mail addresses I'll send it to you that way.

[carolyngilmour]

Dear Laura,
Thanks for your post. I couldn't believe Miss Dimmock became a missionary. She certainly made it her mission to get me up to scratch in my reading and spelling - an upward grind for her I suppose - a terrible experience for me! However, I can now boast being semi-literate a-la-Dimmock! The Lycee I went to was Lycee St Genevois in the small town of St. Julien-en-Genevois in Hte Savoie. It was somewhat different from the convent I went to called Ste Jeanne d'Arc in Gex-la_Faucille, Ain. The thing is that my parents worked for both the I.L.O. (Int'l Labour Office) and U.N. so we lived in Geneva which had the borders of France on either side of it and this is why I went to French schools. My mother felt the Int'l School in Geneva was a bit precocious (not academically, mind) in the sense of girls wearing nail-varnish and jewellery which she thoroughly disapproved of! Contrary to what lots of people say, and usually people who have never been to a convent, the nuns were really lovely and I did pick up on a lot of French literature, for which I am very grateful to them. Laura, I am going to email you so you'll have my email and I shall look forward to getting a copy of the school photo: who knows, maybe I will remember some more people. Can you remember the name of our Irish matron? And can you remember the name of the army P.T. instructor? I can't believe I did back-flips. He'd be there to catch us in case we didn't make it, and of course it was quite nice to land in his arms! I am sure I can't be the only girl who thought he was wonderful. Mind you, he didn't have much competition as he was the only man! Look Laura, you weren't brilliant at sport but then I was hopeless at Maths! And we have both survived! Oh yes, do you remember Thomas? He was Marza's grandson. It can't have been great being with a whole lot of giggly girls at his age. And then there was a Persian girl with her male cousin. She was eight years old and he was five and she was his aunt! Marza's son, Christopher Ridley-Day became a Councillor for Lyminge. What happened to Marza, do you know? Did she just retire? Cx

[Laura]

Hi Carolyn
I'll get the photo to you soon! I think the Matron's name was Farrelly, or something like that. She could be a bit awe-inspiring but she was nice to me once or twice as I was already an insomniac at that early age, and would sometimes get panic attacks in the middle of the night when everybody else in the dorm had been asleep for ages and I still was wide awake, once or twice I went down to her room and she let me stay the night, or at least a few hours, there, sounds strange but just the company of somebody awake was reassuring. She eventually retired and we had a younger woman whom I quite liked, also a rather sadistic young German Nurse (this you'll remember being the name given to the assistant Matron). I'm afraid I don't remember the name of the military gym instructor, but he was always very kind to me and sort of helped me over the gym equipment when I couldn't manage it on my own! I used to have to practice piano in the early mornings on the piano in the gym, one morning it was so cold the piano keys were frozen! Will be in touch.

Yes, I remember Thomas, if you mean Tommy Harler, I felt sorry for him being the only boy in the school part from Mo. I'd thought it was the other way round, that Mo was Feri's uncle in spite of being younger than her, he often got called Uncle Mo.

As to Marza, I don't know, perhaps you could get some info. by scrolling back in this forum to posts from people who were there more recently than us, I rather think she went on more or less until she dropped, well into the 1980s but I'm not sure.

[Helen Heath]

Hi Carolyn & Laura,
Here I am back in the loop ... I remember Jenny Hanley, I think she was on Blue Peter for a while but I never saw it. Marza died about 20 years ago, my mother sent me the announcement from the newspaper. And I remember Catriona McTurk at The Abbey, we were in the same house! She was very clever & I was terribly impressed that she went to work at the BBC. What's she doing these days?
And what are you 2 doing? Married, kids, grandchildren, retired? My e-mail address is heathgroup@comcast.net. I couldn't download the school photo either but I don't expect any of us look like that any more ... (oh dear)
Helen