This sounds so, so awful for you, but I'm not going to lie, I would read an entire book about this school, because it's fascinating. I had no idea schools like this existed outside of Enid Blyton stories!
Wow, Katie. I'm sorry you went through that, but you write about it so wonderfully. I was obsessed with boarding school fiction when I was little - I was so desperate to be sent to one that I circled adverts for them in magazines and left the pages open for my parents to see. As soon as I got a bit older I realised they weren't the utopian places I thought!
This line is perfection: "The sort that pours tea and nurtures fondly held prejudices."
I hope this story makes it to something longer - I'd buy it and read it avidly.
I read a lot of boarding school fiction too! I loved the Trebizon books and Mallory Towers -- all while I was at boarding school. Somehow it was just as much a fantasy for me too, despite knowing the reality. (And actually, my secondary school was great and I was as happy as any teenager can be given the circumstances ie. adolescence.)
I love how you describe everything and the little girl who read The Secret Garden and Tom’s Midnight Garden loves the magic of it but then the adult in me feels very sad for the lonely little girl (thank goodness you had books). 📚 I feel I’m there in that world with you! “She never patronised, she didn’t play favourites, and that gimlet eye had naughty glint. Every punishment she meted out felt fair, and once it was done, it was done.” So many great lines. 🤩
I would ask why you were even sent to boarding school in the first place but maybe that’s just what your family did! 🤷🏻♀️ My Grandfather was in boarding school as well and he found it lonely and brutal at times.
Not at all! As I hinted, we were definitely NOT private school people. I stood out like a sore thumb. The answer to why I was at the school was complicated and changes depending on who you ask in the family. But the reason I ended up boarding was that my family all moved to Shropshire and I hadn't finished school yet.
So many great lines but I love this: “See-yute. Tiss-you. When I started school I had an estuary accent like the rest of my family; by the time I left I said, “whoopsie” when I made a mistake, and genuinely said, “ya” without any irony.” I can picture it!
English school is brutal! I went to primary school in England but then was in the US and it was a very different experience actually enjoying school. 🤔 Educationally maybe it wasn’t as rigorous but it instilled a love of learning. My husband made me watch The Inbetweeners and I wouldn’t have survived here. 🙈🤣
This sounds so, so awful for you, but I'm not going to lie, I would read an entire book about this school, because it's fascinating. I had no idea schools like this existed outside of Enid Blyton stories!
I see to be getting a lot of this feedback! I will have to share a part two with all the sections I deleted because I thought it was too long!
Wow, Katie. I'm sorry you went through that, but you write about it so wonderfully. I was obsessed with boarding school fiction when I was little - I was so desperate to be sent to one that I circled adverts for them in magazines and left the pages open for my parents to see. As soon as I got a bit older I realised they weren't the utopian places I thought!
This line is perfection: "The sort that pours tea and nurtures fondly held prejudices."
I hope this story makes it to something longer - I'd buy it and read it avidly.
And thank you for your very kind words! The original piece was about twice as long so maybe I'll share part two at some point!
I read a lot of boarding school fiction too! I loved the Trebizon books and Mallory Towers -- all while I was at boarding school. Somehow it was just as much a fantasy for me too, despite knowing the reality. (And actually, my secondary school was great and I was as happy as any teenager can be given the circumstances ie. adolescence.)
I love how you describe everything and the little girl who read The Secret Garden and Tom’s Midnight Garden loves the magic of it but then the adult in me feels very sad for the lonely little girl (thank goodness you had books). 📚 I feel I’m there in that world with you! “She never patronised, she didn’t play favourites, and that gimlet eye had naughty glint. Every punishment she meted out felt fair, and once it was done, it was done.” So many great lines. 🤩
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I deleted about half of it because it was getting a bit bleak 😆 And yes, adult me wants to rush in and save me.
I would ask why you were even sent to boarding school in the first place but maybe that’s just what your family did! 🤷🏻♀️ My Grandfather was in boarding school as well and he found it lonely and brutal at times.
Not at all! As I hinted, we were definitely NOT private school people. I stood out like a sore thumb. The answer to why I was at the school was complicated and changes depending on who you ask in the family. But the reason I ended up boarding was that my family all moved to Shropshire and I hadn't finished school yet.
So many great lines but I love this: “See-yute. Tiss-you. When I started school I had an estuary accent like the rest of my family; by the time I left I said, “whoopsie” when I made a mistake, and genuinely said, “ya” without any irony.” I can picture it!
They soon mocked it out of me at secondary school (in the midlands where many had local accents). 😂
English school is brutal! I went to primary school in England but then was in the US and it was a very different experience actually enjoying school. 🤔 Educationally maybe it wasn’t as rigorous but it instilled a love of learning. My husband made me watch The Inbetweeners and I wouldn’t have survived here. 🙈🤣
Sounds horrific, and I'm amazed you survived