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.