I was sent as a supply teacher to a Catholic secondary modern school in Lambeth Walk. I, knowing nothing about children or teaching apart from my years at Jeppe High School for Girls, had naively suggested I was sent to a special school where the classes would have been smaller. It was suggested I start first in an ordinary school. Just as well in the light of my complete incompetence
Tues. lunchtime at school!!!!
Have just been for a stroll down Lambeth Walk! Very romantic . When I arrived back on Sat. evening I found a letter waiting telling me to report at St Annes Secondary School, Walnut Tree walk, Lambeth on Monday. I was thrilled about having a job, but terrified when I actually thought about teaching. On Sunday night I phoned Shirley to get some hints, & I hurriedly made up some simple arithmetic problems etc in case I was stuck with kids with no books etc which often happens.
Anyway, as Peg predicted, the school turned out to be RC with many Hail Mary’s etc. I want to die – If I’m expected to give the kids prayers, chants etc for meals etc. Anyway I wasn’t shoved straight into a class – for a week or so I’m sitting in with another teacher which is very nice indeed. A small school (6 classes only) – not the usual type of school which has supply teachers. Will be given Form I or II (11+ and older). 1st day of term yesterday so they were rather overwhelmed (I’m in Form I). I can see teaching is damn difficult. The kids aren’t too bad, but they could very easily overwhelm me completely – I’ll have to be damn careful. I’m trying to take in as much as possible, but am in perpetual need of sleep, so have to be careful not to doze during classes.
Airmail dated 3.0 pm, 7 Oct, 1959
To Mr & Mrs A.L. Povall
11 Castle Blaney
Leyds St,
Johannesburg, South Africa
From M Povall
59 Warwick Rd
London SW5
MORE TRAVELS – I have no memory of this. I must have been half term from my Walnut Tree Walk School, so off I went
Cornwall, Monday eve Oct 5th
Dear family, Well here I am on the train going to Torquay, not quite able to believe I can sit tight for 4 and a half hours. Today has been a scramble from one bus to another, and now I’m tired, oh very tired. Well to begin in the beginning, on yesterday morning
Sunday Oct 4th
I woke to a wonderfully warm & sunny day, even sunnier, as the clocks had been put back an hour the night before, so 8.0am used to be 9 am. After a hurried tidying, ironing, burning of rubbish (I’d spent the night before sorting out & washing) I went over to breakfast to be handed it all ready on a plate. The night before as I walked out I’d simply said to chef “An early breakfast 8.30 sharp, and not just bacon and eggs as is usual for early breakfast, and a packed lunch for one” (this being a standard request for people leaving early. Chef was most annoyed that I only arrived at 8.40 (I’d forgotten request) as my breakfast – cereal, bacon, eggs, fried bread & tomato, was waiting for me, as was my packed lunch of ham sandwiches, small cakes, chocolate biscuit and apple. So amid great farewells & well wishing I left on the great trip.
I got the 10.10 bus to Plymouth arriving noon. The first through train was only in the afternoon, so I decided to try for buses, although it was Sunday and so a bad day.
At Plymouth I found there was a 1.15 bus to Looe (nothing to Polpero), so after phoning the station, finding there were no trains on Sunday to or from Looe, I went to get a bus out to Torpoint across the ferry. Being Sunday, I had to wait 20 minutes, so at 1.15 when I should have been on the bus to Looe, I was on the other side of Plymouth harbour waiting for the ferry. The harbour was interesting (no sign of boat trips though mom) with huge ships in. The 1.15 was of course the only bus to Looe, so I decided to take the 2.0 to Whitesands & walk & hitch from there. Whitesand Bay is a huge expanse of sand for miles & miles & I almost felt tempted to bathe. Anyway I started my trek. After about 5 minutes while trying to reach some blackberries I stuck a hand wheat stalk into my foot, & bled so much my sandal was oozing blood & for a few moments I feared a newspaper heading such as “SA girl comes to bloody end in Cornish lane,” I survived however and except for a blister on the bottom of my other foot a few miles further on, was none the worse for my 3 or more mile trek. At first it was fun, but after a while I decided walking was vastly overrated & felt as though I had done at least 10 miles. So I decided to hitch (up till then I’d not wanted to, being alone). Of course all the cars I hitched were full of families – mama, papa, granny, 3 kids, dog, pram, kitchen stove, but eventually an old gentleman on his own stopped. He was going right through Looe & I could have gone to Polperro with him, but I didn’t know how I’d get back. So I wandered round Looe – very commercialised & spoiled. The higgledy piggledy houses with no proper streets were lovely, but all in their blue & white, red & white, grey & green, pink & yellow colour combinations, just a little too. Most cafes etc were shut for the winter & the one I saw open was doing a roaring trade with people queuing outside. One place had sold out of most things because of the unprecedented good weather & rush. After stocking up on some appleade & crisps, I got the 6.0 bus up to Liskeard. It was cold by this time & I was sorry I hadn’t brought my mac, slacks, blouse & jersey weren’t very warm making. Because of blasted time changes it was dark by 6.30 so I saw nothing of the ride really. The bus took an hour for about 8 miles as country buses do, wandering from village to village – picking up 1 or 2 & getting rid of 1 or 2. At Liskeard I found the London train was 46 minutes late, so we all sat keeping as warm as possible & the train obliged by only being 30 mins late. I had been going to the hostel at Lostwithiel, but as it was out of town (a mile walk in pitch dark as the moon was like) this, I decided I might as well go on to Truro. I’d picked up a woman also making for Truro who said I could go in her taxi, so soon after 9.0 I was dropped to walk up a rough, black lane to the hostel. I was the only hosteller. There were 2 old dears – one a warden from some other hostel – a half deaf stupid creature, & her very stupid but rather sweet friend & I spent a “happy” hour with them, but by 10.30 I was quite happy to crawl into bed alone in a huge dormitory.
Mon 5th
Another gorgeous day. I woke before 8 & breakfasted on 1 pt milk, 1 small packet cornflakes and 1 in tropical fruit salad (pineapples, pawpaw, banana, and granadilla). Try it sometime & you’ll know why I felt a trifle inflated & sick afterwards. My job was to tidy the dormitory which I did by transferring one blanket onto another bed. That completed I collected my card & wandered into town by 8.30, to have an exterior look only at the cathedral (19thC but built in early English style & effective). Well placed centrally to dominate the town as so many medieval cathedrals do. I got a bus at 9.0 to Redruth & transferred there to one for Penzance (both wandered in and out of villages). The countryside is of course very dry & rather desolate looking, windblown & nothing like Devon. I was told they haven’t had rain for 3 months there (Torquay only 2). Just before Penzance I transferred to a bus for Marazion the village opposite St Michaels Mount. The tide was low so I walked over the causeway to the Mount (they were busy spraying it with acid to kill the plants that make it slippery. Winter, so the castle is only open Wednesdays & Sundays & I could only wander along the small frontage. A pity as there must be a wonderful view from the top. The wind was blowing great guns, so I hurried back to catch the deadline of a bus at 12 to Penzance, a biggish not very interesting town. I wandered through and bought some pottery (this becomes the habit in each town), and got a 12.30 bus to Mousehole an unspoilt village on the outskirts. We passed through the suburb of NewLyn where the artists collect, & there were some pottery shops but no time to stop. Mousehole is a really uncommercialised, little fishing village with the usual harbour, and a considerable artists colony. I didn’t see much of it as I discovered a pottery shop, and had to get the 1.20 bus back.
By this stage I realised I had to cut out either Lands End or St Ives, as I had to get the 4.30ish train back, so I decided to go to St Ives, as I’d heard so much about it, and didn’t really care if I didn’t get to Lands End. I’d planned to have a proper lunch, but no time, so I rushed & bought 2 meat pies (no pasties left) and at the bus station had coffee and a roll as my St Ives 2.0 pm bus was late. I met a woman and a pug (not a man with 7 wives) who gave me a sort of guide book she had, & who pointed things out as we passed.
St Ives certainly was lovely – sun on the lovely beaches, deep blue sea, and green in the shallows. I checked up first that I had to get the 4.32 train and bought my ticket so I didn’t spend all my money, & then wandered through the town, but the 2nd shop was pottery with a sale on, so it was 4 2/6 mugs & a 5/- basket thing. Then down to David Leachs p (he’s Britain’s premier potter) to look & not buy and round the town & 5 minutes on the one beach. The wind still blowing great guns, but still not really cold. A quick cream tea (2/6 for a glass of milk, 2 scones, jam & cream), buying a hot pastry , picking up my former purchases and buying another ash tray, and then to the station. A short ride along with a English woman with an American accent – a friend who has done refugee work & now looks after USA students from Antioch University, Ohio, who came over to do courses in Europe. This means she travels from Exeter, to Germany to Edinburgh to the States, to Spain, to France, Birmingham etc. A most interesting person & job.
Later Now I’m sitting in the train at Newton Abbot, having waited ½ hour for it to come in, and now its not moving. I’ll probably miss the last bus which I have a horrible feeling is at 10.30 and have to get an 8/- taxi back. From today water is switched off from 9pm – 8am so I won’t even be able to wash on my return, or even before work really as I start at 8.0am. I’m filthy and tired but its been a wonderful two days & I’ve achieved quite a bit.
Much love to you all Margie