School Snippets

by various contributors

Here we have more memories from our school days.

The bread always had streaks of green mould in it and no matter how much Bovril you slathered on it you could always taste the mould. They used to put a table out at break with the loaves of bread and the Bovril. I'm amazed that I still love Bovril (I even import it!). I remember also the smelly Friday fish.
Marion

remembering the pk's at the Umtali Convent. I was about ten when I had the great misfortune to drop a library book in the bucket -- we were all peering at the contents! How gross!
Marion

I really enjoyed the Umtali Convent PK memories. I also remember them in the 50's when they were no longer buckets, but still pretty primitive. Any one remember the porridge (with proteins added in the form of worms!!). And the weekly menu? Any one remember that? Friday was smelly fish. Thursdays meant leathery green liver (that I couldn't force down my throat under any circumstances, so used to drop it surreptitiously onto my lap on a tissue, wrap it up, slip into my pocket and later disposed of it in the rubbish bins outside, when no-one was looking). And the dark green, runny stuff they optimistically called spinach, and the ice cream (was it frozen pink-coloured milk?) on special occasions (Saints' days). What memories! We seem to have lived on another planet, and had such fun with so little.
Mani

At the age of 6, I started at Melsetter School as a boarder. I can relate to so much of what has been written here; the dreadful bucket pks and the nightsoil men; taking the wings off flying ants and sizzling them on the boiler. Every Sunday we were marched down to the village to attend whichever church service was on that week, and if it was Dutch Reformed we sang away in Afrikaans. Every year the DR ladies held a wonderful Bazaar where we bought koeksusters, etc., admired the needlework and watched the men play jukskei (spelling?). On Sunday afternnons we went on walks to Lonely Tree on Pork Pie, or to Bridal Veil Falls. Everything was pretty primitive; the sickroom a thatched rondavel, Sixpence brought in the Tilley lamps into the dorm in the evening (no electricity of course). Children today would not be able to imagine the "deprivations" we suffered - but weren't we happy!
Barbara

1... hitchhiking illegally down selborne avenue from milton school to the city after prep in the afternoon.
2... whilst on the train from gwanda to bulawayo, throwing the green cushions out when crossing a bridge, trying to hit the water.
3... hot chips from the fish and chip shop in 10th av. bulawayo on a sunday lunchtime.
Nick

I went to Montrose Girls High & remember how we looked like sacks in our summer uniform. It was ice-blue with white dots. Our hats had to be worn at all times outside of the school & it was this 'cotton number' with a huge brim which would fly in the wind as we went downhill on our bikes. How anyone found a date after being seen in uniform, is beyond me :) If I remember correctly, we were nicknamed 'The Flying Nuns' - although we were not a Catholic school.
Cathie