II THE PATTERN OF THE YEARS 1928 - 1939
The yearly routine of the school, at last adequately housed, soon settled into a pattern. In the Autumn Term, Speech Day and the Christmas Party were the high water marks. In the Spring Term the Singing Competition and the School Concert were held, and the climax of the year came in July with the public, and school, examinations. The year came to an impressive end with the final assembly on the last day of term when Miss Dunn read the Prize List.
Speech Day was a Great Occasion. Held first in the Opera House and later in the Palace Theatre its ceremonial character was marked by the fact that every girl in the school was attired in a white dress. The Teachers wore academic dress and the Chief Guest was always a person of eminence. In days when ceremonial was not so familiar as it is now an atmosphere of circumstance was created. Perhaps the most distinguished speaker of these years was Margaret Bondfield, the first woman cabinet minister. The Duchess of Atholl was another chief speaker and because of her interest in music a special musical performance was arranged. The custom of the Choir’s singing on Speech Day was established from the beginning.
The School Party was held at the very end of the Christmas Term in the Spanish Hall. This was an opportunity for new party frocks an seeing the school, including staff and old girls, in an unfamiliar I Everyone had a printed programme of the dances with tassel and p and partners were booked in advance as in Edwardian Society. favourite dance of the evening was the Lancers, learnt in gym lessons; danced with gusto and relish, if not with grace. It was more pop than the modern waltzes and foxtrots, no doubt because more energetic. During the interval allowed for the band’s refreshment, piano accompaniment was substituted. Miss Humphries and Miss Edwards were particularly noteworthy as duettists. No boys were present; this was a school event and was enjoyed as such. That it really was enjoyed, any suitably aged old girl will testify.
The Singing Competition was a House contest. Two test (earlier three) one in parts, one in unison, were given to the choirs of each House. The House singing captains took rehearsals and the Competition took place on a spring evening with an outside adjudicator. In Mrs. Hood (Patuffa Kennedy Fraser), who was famous for her arrangements of Hebridean folk songs, was the adjudicator. House loyalty always ran high and as many old girls as possible returned to hear their House choirs.
In the earlier years, a school concert was given in addition t competition songs. In 1932, for example, the programme opened a French play and "the audience enjoyed the play immensely, bee even though they did not understand all the French, the acting w; good that they were able to follow the story." The same writer sun the evening as "very exciting".
Eventually the School Concert became separate from the Singing Competition, though the winning choirs (junior and senior) contributed the competition songs to the concert. In 1936, scenes from "Twelfth Night" were followed by a short French play, songs by the School House choirs, dances from members of the dancing class an "orchestra" playing upon pokers and culinary instruments.
Certain years saw an Open Day to show to parents aspects of the school’s work. Sometimes this was held on the day of the concert, times during the Summer Term. Tea was served in the dining root
Around these fixed feasts the other activities of the school arranged. House activities, meetings of the Literary, Debating and Musical Society, and of the Scientific Society, and school journeys and visit s had all to be fitted in.
The four Houses were formed with the new school and the names had been chosen because all the natural features they refer to - The Trough of Bowland, Longridge Fell, Parlick Pike and Pen die Hi were visible from the playing field before building obscured the They served as a reminder of the rural hinterland of Blackpool and Miss Humphries left in 1964 she commissioned the painting of very pleasant scenes, each one taken from the actual area after each House was named.
The Houses competed from the first in Hockey, Tennis and Netball and, when a cup was presented by Major Eric Read for a House Squadron Race in swimming, the school migrated en masse on a summer morning each year to Cocker Street Baths to watch the contest. Swimming was always a strong point in school and in the Gala held in the Open Air Baths school usually did well. Points gained in individual swimming certificates also counted for the Houses, so a humble length of Cocker Street was an unspectacular contribution open to the feebler brethren. Lucy Morton (Mrs. Heaton), herself an Olympic swimmer, did much to foster the tradition of swimming.
Apart from the Singing Competition the other non athletic House activity was the annual House Parties which catered for the age range of the Houses and were run by the House officers. Often they were organised around a theme and in the 1930s, to the party that was representing foreign travel, Miss Weatherup went in beach pyjamas. This cycle of fashion might surprise some readers today
The Literary, Debating and Musical Society started in January 1926. The Scientific Society was inaugurated in 1929. These two societies covered between them a wide range of interests and had many active members. They continued to flourish until the war curtailed their activities.
Many of the topics debated, such as the place of women, the comparative value of science and the arts, the materialism of the modern world and so on, are still debated today. Two ingenious arguments are worth noting. Could the proposer of the motion "That corporal punishment is better than detention" really mean that the mental strain imposed by those undergoing detention was so great as to make the practice in-human? She carried the motion by 41 to 26! And quite what did the opposer of the motion "Modern authors should be studied in schools rather than the classics" mean by her emphasis on the "inadvisability of studying modern authors owing to the disturbing effect they are liable to have on the schoolgirl"? She failed, but only lust, to defeat the motion. It became traditional for the members of the First Year Sixth to give a one-act play at one of the meetings of the Christmas Term and a Christmas programme with Boar’s Head (cardboard) carols and a nativity play or tableau became established.
The Scientific Society, though smaller, had supporters who were prepared to work at papers to be given at the meetings. Talks on Davey, Faraday, on Glass, on Fireworks, on the manufacture of soap and many other topics were given by girls. Outside speakers were invited, a photographic competition was organised and Visits to local places such as the Gas Works, the Model Dairy, a bakery, the Fire Station, the Gazette printing works, were arranged. Each year the society planned an excursion to some more distant place and the first of these was to the Soap works at Port Sunlight in July 1929.
The first official school journey abroad was in 1928 when seven girls accompanied Miss Weatherup to Calais. In 1929 twenty four girls went with her to Dunkirk and twenty eight two years later. In 1934 one girl and Miss Weatherup went to Germany; in 1935 thirteen. 1936 saw fourteen girls in Paris and in 1939 a party of ten spent over a fortnight in Clermont Ferrand, arriving back in England less than a month before war was declared. As early as 1930 Phyllis Crossley had exchanged visits with a French girl. These activities reveal the enthusiasm and zest of Weatherup, who was tireless in organising French excursions whet t possible, whether to the Comedie française, which played each year in Manchester, or to the local Cercle francais, which resulted from the presence of Belgian soldiers in Blackpool during the 1914 war and, affiliated as it was to the Alliance francaise, had many distinguished lecturers 1 Miss Weatherup writes,
"French was a living language in the Collegiate School. Each there was an oral examination for every girl. This was conch in each class and then the top performers competed against other. The facility in the use of language was seen when the school journeys took place to France."
In addition to these foreign journeyings, parties were taken to Stratford and the Lake District, apart from more local excursions. These journeys took place during the weekend of Tradesmen’s holidays lengthened to three school days and a weekend by the inclusion of a fully saved holiday awarded for University Scholarships. In 1937 party went to Stratford for "King Lear" and the Shakespeare place 1938 and 1939 there was youth hostelling and walking, with Grasmere as the centre. Miss Weatherup, Miss Taylor and Miss Humphries were devoted school iourneyers and, at a time when such journeys were by no means common, gave their time to organising, and their holiday to accompanying, these excursions.
Of the many plays which the school, or part of it, was able to see during these years, two must be singled out for mention. The first these was on home ground when the Staffs of the Collegiate and Grammar Schools combined to present "Mystery at Greenfingers" in May 1939 raise money in response to the Mayor of Blackpool’s appeal for support for the Manchester University extension scheme. Miss Humphries prodigious feat of memory was equalled by her histrionic skill with the result that she "so captured her audience at her first appearance every subsequent entry was greeted with delight." This was a major production for Miss Taylor. The second was in Manchester; I wonder many of those eligible went there in 1938 to see John Gielgud’s "Hamlet" for this is generally regarded as the Hamlet of the century, if not of all time. There were many such theatre parties to the first class programmes arranged by the local Schools Music and Drama Association, to orchestral concerts by the Hallé and to Opera and to Ballet as well as to the theatre. The standard of professional plays and music available locally was much higher than it is today.
The musical life of the school was particularly flourishing, under the enthusiastic guidance of Miss Read, and membership of the Choir much sought after. In December 1928 Miss Read reported that, "Recruits for the Choir were more numerous than ever this Term and have temporarily banded together as ‘Sub-Choir’ and meet on Wednesdays during the dinner interval." In 1927 the Choir had won their class in the Musical Festival at their first attempt. Each year there was a Picnic when the Choir spent a day in the country, a closed and revered corporate body.
In the dual secondary school it had been the custom to sing the chorus "Tarantara" from Gilbert and Sullivan’s "Pirates of Penzance" as a school song, the boys taking the policemen’s parts and the girls taking the maidens’ parts. The tradition had been carried to the new school, with seniors singing the policemen and juniors the maidens. This song was learnt by all new girls and enjoyed with relish, arrival in the fourth form being marked by a change of role.
The school hymn, "Lift Up Your Hearts", was chosen by Miss Dunn. There is no doubt that this hymn, sung to the tune of Woodlands, has stirred more loyal nostalgia in generations of old girls than any other single item connected with school.
What today seems an incongruous feature of these years was the dancing classes which all girls could attend on Saturday mornings and which were eventually included in the time table of the senior school. Greek dancing for the heftier damsels of the Fifth Form was not the most appropriate exercise and many will recall with amusement their galumphing efforts to tread the grapes in a Greek harvest dance with grace and ease. However, the more willing minions of Terpsichore had a moment of glory in 1938 when a ballet, "Jill’s Magic Island," was performed on Speech Day with a large cast, the corps de ballet diaphanously clad in blue butter muslin to represent waves. Ballroom dancing was also taught in these classes, Madame Thomas standing on the platform to keep the reluctant under surveillance.
The stage in the hall was not initially provided with either curtains or stage lighting. Private enterprise had to supply the means for both. In 1930 Miss Dobson and Miss Humphries produced "x=O, a night of the Trojan war" by John Drinkwater and it was presented by the Literary Society to the School. The magazine records:
"The staging of the play was rendered excedingly difficult by the absence of curtains, but this difficulty was temporarily overcome, for the audience obediently closed their eyes between the scenes, whilst the actors, whether supposed to be dead or alive, walked off. The need for a curtain is urgent and members of the Society will be pleased to hear that a committee has been formed for the purpose of acquiring one as soon as possible."
But it was left to the Staff to raise most of the funds for the curtains by the proceeds of their "She Stoops to Conquer" produced by Miss Taylor in March 1931 (the lighting came much later after years of effort). For many years a photograph of the cast in costume hung in the corridor and provided much scope for speculation. Earlier than this the grand piano for the Hall had been bought by the school. A bazaar in October 1928 raised £190 and this was added to the existing fund to enable the purchase of the Bechstein for £222 7s. 6d. This bazaar was run by the Houses, and in the previous July it had been reported that:
"Already some of the Houses have had ‘Sewing Teas’ where much stitching and serious discussion of ‘prices’ took place. Some of the goods have already been seen a lovely raffia tea cosy for one, and a fine etching for another."
The need to buy these large items precluded much activity for charity, but the first magazine reports efforts for the local blind, and for many years eggs were collected annually for the hospital to preserve.
The sale of poppies for Armistice Day raised more money in actual amount than it does today, a sign that the legacy of war was more acutely realised. Certainly the school assembly held each year on November 11th was very moving.
Two awards are worth mentioning. The first was the granting of umpire’s whistles to girls who had umpired all games and succeeded in a written paper. This custom began in 1931. In 1936 Councillor Singleton gave a Form cup for Deportment to encourage the girls to walk well and take care of their appearance. The time taken in the allotting of marks for hair, hands, uniform, carriage and so on must have been considerable, but the idea was good. From time to time distinguished visitors would address the school. Margaret Bondfield came the year before she officiated at Speech Day. Jim Mollison and Captain Neville Stack came just before their glamorous flights and the Rev. F. Coleman gave an account of the Abyssinia Italian debate in the League of Nations at which he was present. Councillor Duckworth, Chairman of the Education Committee and subsequently M.P. for Moss Side, talked to the school about his journey to India and each year the Rev. Courtney Weekes spoke on the dangers of intemperance. Each year, too, Mr. Archer spoke about the League of Nations, a Junior Branch of which the school had formed in 1932.
From 1926 the school was enabled to save through the National Savings Association which Miss Fletcher worked hard to promote. By December 1931 the branch had saved £2,166 and the record £622 had been reached in the year.
In winter, the navy blue serge uniform gymslip was varied for the fifth and sixth form by permission to wear a plain navy blue dress. In summer 1932 the magazine comments
"Many pupils have taken advantage of the new style of summer dress and panama hat introduced this term. The dress is of an attractive blue cotton with white collar and cuffs, while the panama hat which. can be had in two shapes, bears the new band in the School Colours. This uniformity of colour scheme as seen in the classrooms or on the school field is certainly refreshing and attractive."
In summer, girls in the first two years were allowed to wear white socks (to mid -calf "like the little princesses") but from the third forms upwards fawn lisle stockings were the only concession. In winter, all wore hated black woollen stockings. These regulations were in strict operation until war time clothing restrictions made them impossible.
In 1935 it was decided that Wednesday night should be free from homework, a practice which persisted for twenty years. One weekend, in 1935 too, the flagpole suddenly appeared, for no explicit reason and with no attendant flag. In 1938 some of the girls in the Science Sixth had the unfortunate experience of having their notebooks destroyed by fire which broke out during one December night and gutted their forn 1 room (Room 23 in the year of their Higher School Certificate. As the boilers were put out of action, the Spring Term began late.
The school grew gradually. By 1932 there were 408 pupils, by 1935 462. There were steady examination successes, mainly in university degrees, Teachers’ diplomas, Civil Service classes and nursing and secretarial qualifications. But long before courses in "Business Studies" were established, in 1933 Marjorie Noble was awarded the Diploma of the Manchester Society of Associates in Commerce.
A cooked midday meal was provided for those few girls who could not get home. In addition a few pupils brought a packed lunch which they ate in the dining room while the school meal was in progress. Until 1939 not more than about twenty girls took the school meal and for many years the number was considerably less. Two members of staff supervised the meal, also carving the joint and serving the pudding. Dinner girls watched with amusement the reaction . of newcomers to this procedure! Miss Dunn held a watching brief, usually visiting the dining room and kitchen once during the meal. She insisted on a very high standard, and tinned fruit from Fortnum and Mason’s could be had as a substitute for an unpopular pudding. The meal, unsubsidised of course, cost one shilling a day. Occasionally Miss Dunn would come to the music room where dinner girls congregated for the dinner hour unless they wished to do homework in the Biology Lab., and offer chocolates as a compensation for having to stay in school for dinner.
Miss Tarver (Mrs. Walton) remembers the Friday evenings the staff spent at Miss Dunn’s house with Mrs. Dunn, Miss Dunn and Miss Bessie Dunn. The staff took their needlework and listened to Miss Dunn’s account of life in London when her father was editor of the "Morning Post", and were provided with a delicious supper. A full length portrait of Mr. Dunn hung in Miss Dunn’s room at school, as it was too large for her house, and fascinated girls and parents alike when they went to see Miss Dunn.
These years were very much influenced by the personality of Miss Dunn. When she died in 1956 her obituary stated,
"Many generations of Old Girls of this school, and of the old Grammar school, will remember Miss Dunn with affection and respect. She was pre-eminently, and in every sense of the word, a lady. Her courtesy, her profound care for the welfare of the individual girl, her shrewd assessment of character, her most successful teaching of History, were combined with a rigid sense of duty to her work and profession. In her sixteen years here, as Head Mistress, she laid the strong foundations on which we have built our School and in all those who knew her, something of her still lives."
These years which read so easily with their comfortable routine and their variety of minor incidents were by no means so comfortable in the world outside the school. It is true that as early as 1932 Margaret Bondfield’s Speech Day address had looked very far ahead and could be transposed to a 1972 speaker with no hint of anachronism. The magazine records,
"Her interesting and eloquent speech held the attention of the huge audience for nearly half-an-hour. Miss Bondfield stressed the point that economy in education was usually very short-sighted. In view of the fact that we shall soon be living in what the Americans call an age of technocracy. or government by machines, she urged the need for recognition of the fact that education was just as important for training pupils to be fit to make the right use of leisure, as in training them to be capable tenders of machines." Yet in 1931 the Editorial had begun,
"We write at a time of national anxiety and strain, with numerous problems to be solved for our nation and the world. Not even the most thoughtless pupil can be entirely unaware of the atmosphere of suspense and anxiety in which we are now living. Talk of the failure of the Round Table Conference, reparations, income tax mortgages and economy cuts, may convey little to our schoolgirl; but the most thoughtful ones at any rate must have wondered in what way they can share the burdens, family or national, and how the can best prepare themselves for worthy citizenship."
The family burdens meant m all too many cases that girls could not enter the Sixth Form because they felt obliged to earn what money the could to help at home and the economic pressures of the depression were felt everywhere. The immediate crisis of 1931 passed without war, but the murder of Dollfuss, the German Chancellor, in 1934 led to the withdrawal of all save one of the girls intending to go on the school journey to Germany and Hitler’s Munich putsch took place that summer. Fc the next years the skies gradually darkened even as we lived our live in the hope the threat would pass.
The Spanish Civil War was for the Nazis a dress rehearsal. For the school the only immediate reminder was in May 1938 when a party thirty-two Basque Refugee children from Keighley, on holiday in Blackpool, were entertained at school. But the even tenor of our ways was rude shattered in the Autumn of that same year. As the magazine reports, the term began,
"in an atmosphere of strain and gloom, for the international crisis
overshadowed all our activities. Two days were devoted to organising and practising the evacuation of children to their homes if near enough, or to the Park along with mistresses, and still more time to the fitting of gas-masks, and the practising of putting them on an taking them off correctly. It was a great relief to find that war ha been averted. Several mistresses have attended A.R.P. courses, an others are still undergoing the same training . . . Armistice Day; seemed more solemn than usual, with the memory of the days strain at the crisis still so vivid."
Before the next Autumn term began, we were at war with Germany.
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