Mama’s Diary Chapter 1.09 – Matriculation

Then a letter came from A.H.S. Anne and Jo to catch a special train from London to Exeter in Devon where the school was being evacuated. We all had our gas masks and off we went without a care in the world. The School had leased several buildings in Countess Wear just outside Exeter on the River Exe. The Senior girls were all billeted in the village. I was billeted with a single elderly lady and my companion was Mary Glassborough (ex France). We had a week in which to “Swot” for our exams and I remember well lying on the Banks of the River in the sun, studying and learning poetry with Prue Petch. At the end of July we sat for our University Entrance to London University. In spite of all the chaos of our interrupted schooling we all did quite well and I got a good result and Distinctions thrown in.

Thus my School days came so

unexpectedly to an end. I was 17 and the world was in confusion. I have a picture in my mind of myself and a few of the Upper V leaving in Cherub’s huge open Tourer for the station and up to London and thus home again.