Geraldine Dodd (née Warren) attended Ellerslie School from 1963 – 1969, joining Hampton House as a boarder.
Geraldine has written her memories of life at Ellerslie and has kindly shared them with the Malvernian Society. Her memories offer a very honest, candid account of everyday life as she moved through her school years. Details of meals, uniform, freezing cold swimming and Sunday walks are all shared, along with her reflections on teaching and teachers, all brought to life with wonderful photographs from her personal records and those of her friends.
Geraldine begins:
“Previously in October 1963 I had attended an interview with the headmistress Miss Margaret D Prior. My parents and I were ushered into a large drawing room on the right-hand side of the front door of Ellerslie House. It was quite lavishly furnished I thought, considering it was school property. The walls were decorated with a pale blue traditional patterned wallpaper with a sheen on it. At one end of the room there was a large floor to ceiling mirror flanked by a tall column on either side. There were several armchairs in the room mostly covered in pale blue, and a large, well-polished grand piano stood in the side window that overlooked Abbey Road. My mother had primed me up to say I was reading the book Black Beauty should I be asked.
‘Tell me Geraldine, what book are you reading?’, asked Miss Prior.
‘ Black Beauty’ I dutifully replied having never read a single word of it! To this day I have still never read Black Beauty.
‘That’s absolutely splendid!’ said Miss Prior. Little did I know that was to be her catch phrase for the endurance of my education at Ellerslie!”
Geraldine’s words have been a welcome addition to our Ellerslie Archive. If you have any photographs, memorabilia or memories about your time at Ellerslie and would like to share them with us, we would love to receive them. Please get in touch with us: [email protected].
Read Geraldine’s memories here:
I went to Ellerslie in 1966 I think that’s our house mistress in Hampton, but can’t remember her name!
Well well well such a long time ago I was a prefect in 1966 am in the picture.. Became a qualified teacher in 1970 married 72 and reside in St Vincent West Indies. I also did TEFL and have a diploma in special educational needs Dyslexia…. Heather Punnett (nee Barnard) past pupil, also of St. Vincent we are now cousins through marriage a very good friend. She now lives in Barbados. I helped to start a private school here in St. Vincent in 1989 and amazingly its still going strong. I taught for 40 years and obviously retired though I still do SEN workshops. Remember the good ole days of Ellerslie. The girls live in luxury now compared to the early 60s.