In the July 1995 issue the editor was kind enough to review Caroline's book, and wrote, clearly with her eye on the earlier chapters, since 'innocence' is not the word that comes to mind to describe later St Mags girls:
"There is a general air of innocence about the girls. One wonders how they coped once they left this protected atmosphere, although there were a number of day pupils to keep them in touch with the outside world. You can see that the 1920s Angela Brazil school stories were set in very similar establishments. This book will obviously be of most interest to former pupils, but it is also an insight into social history, showing the type of education available to middle class girls, whose horizons were thus made appreciably wider than those of girls who had to leave school at the age of fourteen."
All credit, and thanks, to the older Old Girls who contributed their memories to this little slice of social history --- C.T.
'Bygone Kent' is a booklet describing itself as 'a monthly journal on all aspects of local history'. Shortly after producing her history of St Margaret's Caroline offered an article with photographs extracted from the book, and they published it in their February 1995 edition.
The April 1995 issue featured a letter by Bill Aird, a name familiar to some staff and Girls, either as Gilllian Chesterman's stepfather or as the donor of many natural history specimens to the School's little museum. Here is what he wrote:
"Dear Editor,
The very interesting article by Caroline Thomas on St Margaret's School, Folkestone, in your February issue has brought back, as a Folkestonian born and bred, some interesting memories concerning the school's playing field, bounded by Grimston Avenue, Shorncliffe Road and Godwyn Road. It was here, in the late 1920s and early 1930s that as a boy attending Malvern House Preparatory School we played rounders, football and cricket on another part of the playing field, with the games being played simultaneously side by side.
I might add that as our ages were from 7 to 12 years we had to walk almost a mile from Bouverie Road East to the top of Shorncliffe Road before we commenced our sporting activities. On the way we passed Felton Fleet, another well-known school, whose gymnasium we used twice a week. On the north wall in large letters was painted Mens Sana in Corpore Sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body) and how true this was for the St Margaret's girls, who thrived under Dudley Hasson on the sports field and received education of the highest standard.
Caroline has mentioned that Susan Goatman became Captain of the England Ladies' Cricket Team and also of the school. Douglas Wright, the Kent and England slow bowler had his daughter at the school. Jimmy Hanley also had his daughters there --- their mother was, of course, Dinah Sheridan, the brilliant actress of 'Genevieve' fame.
My father often spoke about Miss de la Mare, as he delivered milk to the school daily from his Martello Dairy.
The pantomimes were excellent. They should have been seen as Drury Lane productions. However, the sports field produced some excellent and healthy English Ladies."
