Miss Baxter's Diary

I've decided to do the diary extracts in chronological form, starting with 1961. I was fresh out of university, no teaching experience, but was taken on to assist Mrs McCracken with Sets 2/1 and 3. I was supposed to live in, but I went home to Coniston every night - however, I still did the living-in hours and duties, which I found hard work!

1961 Autumn Term (my first term)

Thurs 21 Sept - To H.Hill. Got my time-table. Only half a day off a week - Tuesday. How awful. Never mind. Good lunch.

Fri 22 Sept - To Carlisle with Mrs McC. Met 7 boys and took them back to school. All v. nice - 3 new ones.

Sat 23 Sept - At school at 8.20. Lessons in morning, walk in afternoon, then 2 films.

Sun 24 Sept - Letter writing at school, had Set 3. All to church in afternoon.

Wed 27 Sept - Lessons in morning, then Mrs McC and I took Section E up Loughrigg.

Fri 29 Sept - Lessons all day. Took 2/1 blackberrying. Mrs McC's half day. Dorm duty.

Mon 2 Oct - Lessons all day. Took incaps a walk before lunch.

Wed 4 Oct - Took boys over by Skelwith Fold and back by the Duck.

Fri 6 Oct - Lessons all day. J.Giles tried to run away. Dorm duty - OK. I took Section F to Wray Field. Awful food today.

Sat 7 Oct - Lessons all morning. Collected wood in afternoon. Food a bit better, except for the macaroni.

Wed 11 Oct - Lessons all morning. Round Blelham Tarn with Cohort 1 in afternoon - rather hurried walk, but quite good.

Fri 13 Oct - Mrs McC's half day. Went to rugger field before lunch with Mr Ellis and the young ones. Lousy rice pud for lunch. Dorm duty.

Wed 18 Oct - Up Latterbarrow in afternoon with Mrs McC, Miss Nash and 32 boys - quite nice.

Thurs 19 Oct - Lessons in morning. Messed around on rugger pitch. Came back with Mr Ellis. "The Dam Busters" in afternoon - very good. RAF chap came to show it. Dorm duty - pretty awful.

Fri 20 Oct - Lessons all day. Rugger in Back Field with young ones and Mr Ellis. Dorm duty - awful. Have a feeling the matrons don't like me very much.

Fri 27 Oct - Worked on the drive with Section D before lunch. Helped boys to pack. (Half term)

Sat 28 Oct - Mr Ellis and I took the 9 staying-in boys to play soccer then touch-rugger. After lunch we went from Belle Grange on to Claife Heights - some to BG on bikes, some with Major B in car or with me in van. Lovely walk.

Sun 29 Oct -  Felt ill all day.

Mon 30 Oct - To school - Mr Ellis had been ill yesterday as well, also some of the boys

Wed 1 Nov - Lessons in morning. Took 35 boys to Wray and down along the lake road.

Sat 4 Nov - Took Cohort 1 to Wray Field in afternoon. Bonfire - spuds, sausages, bananas and gingerbread.

Sun 5 Nov - Letter writing with 2/1. Walked around outside before lunch. Miss Walker and I washed up. Bonfire still going. Service at school.

Mon 6 Nov - Lessons all day. Rugger with right-hand side of list & Mr Newby in Back Field.

Thurs 9 Nov - Lessons all day. Did the bonfire again before lunch. Dorm duty - off a little earlier as there were committees upstairs.

Wed 15 Nov - To Duck and the fell behind with Cohort 1 in afternoon.

Tues 21 Nov - Hard frost last night. 2/1 History and English exams.

Wed 22 Nov - 2/1 Scripture exam.Miss Nash and I took Cohort 2 up Loughrigg in afternoon.

Thurs 23 Nov - Exams all day - Dictation for 3 and 4 in afternoon.

Sat 25 Nov - Lessons in morning. Took 2/1 to Skelwith Fold and Green Hill in afternoon.

Sat 2 Dec - Lessons in morning. Cross-country in afternoon.

Sun 3 Dec - Awful roads to school (frost and snow). Letters with 2/1. Patrolled with Mr Ellis - commandoes in Wray Field in afternoon. Service in school.

Sun 10 Dec - Letter writing with Set 3. Played lots of table tennis. Church in afternoon.

Mon 11 Dec - Put up decorations in Reilly at break.

Wed 13 Dec - Lessons in morning. Large tea 4.30 pm. Christmas tree, games etc.

Thurs 14 Dec - Cleaned the Reilly, then part of the grounds. Football in afternoon. That's the end of term for me.

1962 Spring Term

Mon 15 Jan - Went to school, made new work logs, copied timetables etc. Nice to see Bill and Wilf again. Stayed to lunch.

Tues 16 Jan - Boys return. Up early - collected Mrs McCracken, then to Windermere for 8.10. I went to Liverpool. Fletchers arrived only just in time at station (5 pm). Bobby Costain ill, picked Michael Sayer up at Ormskirk. They all went to school in bus, I followed in van.

Wed 17 Jan - Lessons as usual. One new boy, Rupert. Took Cohort 2 up Green Hill & down through Skelwith Fold in afternoon. Set 3 for prep. I'm at the other end of Miss Byron's table now - Mrs McCracken has moved to Miss Nash's old one.

Thurs 18 Jan - Lessons till 11.20, then I took Cohort 1 for soccer on tennis court. Roast lamb for lunch (and rice pudding !), macaroni for supper. Lessons all afternoon. Prep with Set 3.

Fri 19 Jan - Took Cohort 3 (mostly Set 4) for nature walk. Went up Green Hill beck and followed it to source. Not very good really - they weren't v. impressed!

Sat 20 Jan - Lessons all morning. Stew and stodge for lunch. Took Set 2/1 for nature expedition in afternoon. Went to wood along old road and ploughed through rhododendrons. Back along back drive. Film - "Appointment With Venus", very good.

Sun 21 Jan - Took Set 3 for letter writing. Mr Ellis and I patrolled round later. Washed up with Miss Byron, then home.

Mon 22 Jan - Now 4 periods in afternoon - at least, the 5th one is 1 hour long with break in the middle. Football with Cohort 1 on tennis court.

Wed 24 Jan - Lessons all morning. General Knowledge Comp. I took Cohort 1 up Black Crag in afternoon - saw 2 deer.

Thurs 25 Jan - Took Cohort 2 for nature - up Pull Beck to the cottages. Rice pudding for lunch, so didn't have any - just roast beef. A lot of boys are incaps after smallpox vaccinations.

Sun 28 Jan - Letter writing with 2/1, then walked round outside with Mr Ellis. Wray church in afternoon.

Thurs 8 Feb - Lessons in morning, then half day. Took Cohort 1 to Wray Field before lunch, and took Cohort 2 on nice walk up Loughrigg in afternoon - super views.

Sat 10 Feb - Lessons all morning. Washed up, then went to watch house match.

Mon 12 Feb - Got stuck by a flood near the back drive, and Bill and Wilf had to tow the van in for me. Usual lessons - boathouse not used in morning because of rain and stove fumes.

Wed 21 Feb - Took Cohort 1 up Green Hill in afternoon; found some super fossils in Coniston Limestone there. Had to go back in prep for Mick Robertshaw's lumber jacket.

Sat 24 Feb - Washed up after lunch, then took the incaps to watch the house soccer match.

Wed 28 Feb - Usual lessons, except that I invigilated a C.E. paper instead of taking Arith. Took the verandah for lunch. Took Cohort 1 for a walk round by Blelham and Dan Becks.

Sun 4 Mar - Mr Ellis and I took the 11 staying-in boys in car and van to High Wray, and went up Latterbarrow.

Mon 5 Mar - Had to take 2/1 for prayers and prep and 2 extra periods as Mrs McC was away. Took them for soccer as well, on tennis court.

Wed 7 Mar - Lessons all morning, then I took cohort 1 up towards the Duck, across the fields and back via the Green Hill. Jolly cold. Took the verandah for lunch.

Thurs 8 Mar - Snowed all morning. Cohorts 2 and 3 went sledging with Mr.Newby and me - good fun.

Sat 10 Mar - Washed up after lunch, then took 2 incaps for a short walk.

Sun 11 Mar - Took Set 3 for letter-writing, then walked round bounds with Mr.Ellis. Usual awful lunch. Wray Church - I took cohort 2 and part of 3, and they marched back very well. Spoke to Mr.Butler about Fridays this term (can have evenings off) and week-ends next term.

Mon 12 Mar - Rice pudding - uggh! Took cohort 2 through Low Wray.

Tues 13 Mar - Exams - History and English for 2/1.

Wed 14 Mar - Exams. Took cohort 1 up behind Dan Becks in afternoon.

Thurs 15 Mar - Took Mr.Newby's Scripture exam for Set 3. Cohort 1 (again) for soccer at break. Two Dictation exams in afternoon. The men brought the tractor to school to pull out some trees.

Fri 16 Mar - Gave Set 2/1 a writing exam, and the results their others. Took cohort 3 the Green Hill on rather unsuccessful search for fossils.

Sat 17 Mar - Usual morning lessons. I washed up, then took the incaps round by Pullscar Cottages.

Mon 19 Mar - Took Set 4 for prep, and cohort 1 for soccer on the tennis court. Did 2/1 reports.

Wed 21 Mar - Rather awful day. Took cohort 1 again in the afternoon - up Loughrigg. Did Set 2/1 order.

Thurs 22 Mar - Half the afternoon was the General Knowledge Competition. Took cohort 2 round by Pullscar Cottages before lunch.

Fri 23 Mar - Rather an awful day, but the boys were very nice about my birthday! Took cohort 1 through by the old road before lunch.

Sun 25 Mar - Letter-writing with 2/1, then nothing, as too wet to go out. Wray Church - terribly wet walking. Paul Fletcher has chicken-pox.

Mon 26 Mar - History Date Competition in afternoon. 3 more boys have chicken-pox.

Tues 27 Mar - 2 more chicken-poxes today.

Wed 28 Mar - Tables Competition in the morning, then I took cohort 1 to the top of the Green Hill and we played "Go Home."

Thurs 29 Mar - More chicken-poxes. Spent half the afternoon out with cohort 1 getting soaked.

Fri 30 Mar - Mr.Ellis has got chicken-pox, so I have to go to Leeds tomorrow. Polished Reilly with half Set 3.

Sat 31 Mar - To Windermere - had the Leeds party. A very nice lot, and super parents at Leeds.

1962 Summer Term

Thurs 3 May - Collected Mrs McCracken and Mr Newby from school and went to Windermere for the 8.10. I did the Liverpool trip, and brought Paul Fletcher and Bobby Costain back on the 5 pm train.

Fri 4 May - School. Beastly - Mr B told me not to go into the boiler room any more. Felt rotten and fed up.

Mon 14 May - Gave Mr Ellis a lift up the drive - he's leaving at the end of this term - how awful. Lessons all day. Took Cohort 2 up Green Hill. Took the Dutch assistant matron Janine home for supper, then we went to the Duck and back to school.

Fri 18 May - Usual lot of lessons. Took Cohort 1 on nature walk - Janine came too. Gave Mr Ellis a lift down drive and up again, so Mrs Chilvers must have been busy with her diary!

Wed 23 May - Bit of a fire at school last night - Mrs Shannon's mattress caught fire!

Thurs 24 May - American astronaut safely launched and retrieved today - Scott Carpenter.

Fri 25 May - Usual lessons. Cohort 1 for nature walk. Boys had Coventry Cathedral consecration. I stood outside and talked to Wilf, and Steve Ellis made tea.

Mon 28 May - Junior Cross Country. George Adamson had an "accident" in the boathouse!

Fri 1 June - Sport practice - I helped Mr Newby with the juniors - morning and afternoon.

Sat 2 June - Sports Day.

Mon 4 June - School all day.Usual lessons. Had Set 3 outside for reading. Cohort 2 to Green Hill for break. Sat on the pier and had my lunch there.

Tues 5 to Fri 8 June - Away in Edinburgh doing history exam.

Mon 11 June - Cohort 2 for nature walk, along old road. Lessons all day.

Tues 19 May - Felt poorly, and came out in spots.

Wed 20 June - Very spotty, but went to school. Felt progressively worse. Went to doctor - German measels. Can't go to school till next week - Mr B not at all pleased.

Mon 25 June - Went back to school - home after prep.

Wed 27 June - Rather shorter lessons, then they had cricket before lunch.

Mon 2 July - Half term. Went to school. Fished off the pier a bit, then took James Farmer out in the rowing boat. Lunch, then I took 4 juniors round the cottages and back down Green Hill, then sat outside while they all played soccer.