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About St Mary’s

The 1960s

new building seen from Convent garden

1960

•  “Feb 26–Mar 2: Half–term: The school was given an extra day’s holiday in honour of the birth of the baby prince. Two of the new classrooms came into use, but until the heaters had been forced into action, everyone looked, and felt, like an iceberg!” The Pastonian
•  “Mar 21–Apr 7: The school collected £30 in order to send a handicapped child on the Schools Pilgrimage to Lourdes at Easter. Carolyn Bowles from this school was also able to go, so we looked forward to a first–hand account afterwards.” The Pastonian
•  “The New Buildings: Now that the building is erected, I think it was well worth all the noise we endured. It looks very modern from the outside, with its light but warm brown bricks, very fresh and clean. Inside there are six new classrooms in all, a spacious library and cloakrooms for Lower and Upper V beside their own new rooms. All the rooms have lovely big windows, pretty curtains, and floors laid in green and white or red and white rubber tiles which look very gay. There are wonderful heaters which we nickname ‘puff–puffs’ because they suck in cold air and blow it out again warm! Two of the classrooms are rather unusual, one with a staircase going right up into it and the other, beyond it, with windows the whole length of two sides. These belong to the two Sixth Forms. The loveliest room of all is the library which is very large and spacious. The floor is of a pale brown wood and the furniture dark in contrast. The doors are swing doors which shut by themselves without making any sound to disturb those studying. Even the smell of this room is lovely — a smell of new wood — but as it is new it will one day fade away. Altogether, the new building is a very fine one and we who have classrooms in it consider ourselves very lucky.” by Marion Raleigh and Diana Brown (Lower IV) The Pastonian
•  “Oct 20: We had our first Speech Day ‘lines’ practise and we appreciate the difficult task Sister Christopher has in fitting the growing school on to the Guildhall platform.” The Pastonian

1961

•  “Jan 26: The Council for Education in World Citizenship held a Conference in the school. ... An unexpected excitement was provided by the Anglia Television cameras which filmed part of the lecture and the school itself.” The Pastonian
•  “Mar 21: After school was over for the day the annual Staff v. Upper VI netball match was played, and won by the staff — using rather a different set of rules from those of the VIth form!” The Pastonian
•  “May 20: We came back to school after half term to find that Sister Christopher, with some energetic helpers, had dug and cemented a fish–pond just outside the window of her room! It is for the benefit of the biologists in the school, but proved, at first, a great temptation to the juniors, who thought they had acquired a delightful, if rather muddy, paddling pool!” The Pastonian
•  “June 6: Sports Das as usual was a very enjoyable occasion. The highlight was the Fathers v. VIth Form Rounders match in which the fathers inflicted their now customary defeat on the Upper VI.” The Pastonian

1962

•  “Jan 23–30: Mary Ward week. We celebrated on the 25th with a showing of the film The Importance of Being Earnest instead of afternoon lessons. It was colourful and most entertaining. Throughout the week there was an exhibition of pictures, showing houses of the Institute in various parts of the world, arranged by Sister Imelda in the cloister.” The Pastonian
•  “June 21: Corpus Christi — a whole holiday. Some of the School took part in the procession at Sawston Hall. Twenty–three children in the Junior School made their first Holy Communion at the Parish Church and came back here for breakfast with their parents afterwards.” The Pastonian
•  “July 13: We were shown some interesting Geographical films on the projector which the School had just acquired.” The Pastonian
•  “July 17: Sister Christopher’s feast day was celebrated. The House Captains gave her their traditional bouquets of flowers of the House Colours and Adèle Bentley presented her with a projector stand and a book on Physics, from us all. We were treated to ice–cream at break–time and in the afternoon we watched Upper IV’s production of The Princess and the Swineherd. The acting, production, and scenery did them all great credit.” The Pastonian
•  Parish Summer Garden Fête held in the convent grounds.
•  “Sept 18: We returned in the accustomed snail–like manner to school and were greeted by the vividly painted walls of two convent rooms which had been brought to light by Rattee and Kett, Builders and Contractors. During the summer holidays the bicycle sheds and part of the convent had been demolished and a gaping hole had appeared where sooner or later three new laboratories, four new classrooms, a new kitchen, and an extension of the present dining hall will be erected.” The Pastonian
•  “Dec 17: The Christmas Fair was a great success, especially Upper VIth’s ‘Juke Box Jury’. The total amount raised was £77 (with an extra £35 from the Raffle) most of which will be given to the Sheringham Orphanage as a Christmas present.” The Pastonian

1963

•  “May 9: We had School Mass in the Hall instead of the chapel for the first time. The altar was a table in the centre and were were grouped in a semi–circle round.” The Pastonian
•  “Nov 16: A number of Old Girls, some with their children, attended a most successful social meeting at the Convent. While their parents renewed acquaintances the children played games in the hall. A photograph of the group was taken and this was followed by an enjoyable tea.” The Pastonian

new Chemistry lab 1964

1964

•  “May 7: Ascension Day. A whole holiday. Sister Christopher and Sister Anna took the Middle School Club to Royston to see the unique ‘pasque flower’ on the heath and to take a soil profile. Sister Pauline took several of the VIth form to London to see various exhibitions of Shakespeariana.” The Pastonian
•  “July 13: We kept Sister Christopher’s feast. The School gave her a Union Jack to fly from the newly–erected flag–pole, and flowers arranged to form a picture of st Christopher.” The Pastonian
•  “Dec: I was greatly privileged to be in Cambridge last May for the opening of the new building by his Lordship, the Bishop of Northampton. ... The extension includes three spacious laboratories, four class rooms, a large school kitchen and an extension of the dining hall to accommodate 270 at a time. Beautifully designed and furnished, with wide corridors and ample lighting, the building is certainly one to delight parents, children and all of us who the School so much at heart. The join–up is particularly well done and convent and school are now much more of a unit. I found myself completely lost at first in a labyrinth of stairs, passages and the unfamiliar, but it did not take long to realise the vision and tremendous thought that had gone into the planning of this large, impressive building and I felt proud that I had once belonged! ... And now Cambridge has welcomed Reverend Mother Gregory who comes with a wealth of experience from many years of administration as Superior and Headmistress or our convent in Shaftesbury.” M. Paul, IBVM, from letter in The Pastonian
•  “Dec 15: The whole school turned inside–out and upside–down for our annual Christmas Funfair which included such attractions as a Live Operation, a Tavern, numerous competitions, gambling, a Pet Show, and the limitless provision of unnecessary nourishment for those who felt unnecessarily hungry. The worthy result of all this upheaval was £55, which was used for school charities.” The Pastonian

1965

•  “Jan 23: Mary Ward’s birthday. According to custom, pictures depicting various events in her life were put on display in the corridor.” The Pastonian
•  “Jan 29: The Silver Pin a play about Mary Ward, written and produced by Sister Pauline, was acted by the Lower VI and enjoyed by all.” The Pastonian
•  “Mar 12: Reverend Mother’s Feast Day. The school gave her a book on mediæval art. We were regaled with ice–cream at 11 o’clock. In the dinner hour the Boarders gave Reverend Mother and the school an entertaining performance of Fat King Melon. After that we saw the film The Student Prince adapted from the musical of the same name.” The Pastonian
•  “Mar 18: Speech Day was held in the school hall. ... The grandeur of the Guildhall was missed by some, but it was pleasant to have our parents to tea afterwards.” The Pastonian
•  “May 15: Babies’ Day. Many old girls brought in their babies for a social afternoon. It was a fine day so they were able to have tea on the lawn.” The Pastonian
•  General Inspection (HMI) by the DES.
•  “June 21: Sister Christopher started campaigning for Green Shield stamps for a minibus for the school, and aided by Sister Scholastica, hopes to reach the target of 1,000,000 stamps.” The Pastonian
•  “Sept 20: After school, Miss Houghton gave a stimulating talk on the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. As a result several people are now taking part.” The Pastonian
•  The PTA is formed and held its inaugural meeting on Oct 8th.
•  Over 500 pupils (including over 70 in the Sixth Form).

new minibus 1966

1966

•  “Feb 2: At 11.10am precisely, the MINIBUS was driven into the playground for all to see — and some to drive around in! But as we had not quite collected all the Green Shield books needed it was not, alas, here for good. Still, the sight of it urged us on to make a spurt and reach the target soon.” The Pastonian
•  “Apr 28: The Summer Term started. The VIth Form boarders were thrilled to find their beautifully furnished study–bedrooms ready for use and rejoiced, too, in having a common room of their own at the end of this new wing. A big thank you for Reverend Mother for all the thought and care that went into the planning of these lovely rooms.” The Pastonian
•  “May 2: After many trials and tribulations of Green Shield stamp collecting, our minibus arrived. The school was invaded by reporters and television people and some of us were seen on television and had our pictures in the paper. For a few days the school was not only known locally, but also nationally.” The Pastonian
•  “The Minibus: It is in daily use, running a shuttle service between the school and the playing field, and providing transport for matches and scientific expeditions.” The Pastonian
•  “May 3: The Mayor and Mayoress honoured us with a visit.” The Pastonian
•  “July 14: We celebrated Sister Christopher’s Feast Day. First we had Mass in the hall for the whole school. This was the first time the whole school had had Mass all together for many years. After, we gave Sister Christopher a wheelbarrow — apparently, her dearest wish!” The Pastonian
•  Sixth Form: nearly 100 pupils in the Sixth Form (including 20 new girls) and 17 subjects offered at A Level.
•  “Dec 16: Instead of the usual Speech Day, an informal Concert was held followed by Prize Giving for the Senior School.” The Pastonian

1967

•  “Apr 22: Many of us walked to Bishop’s Stortford to raise money for Oxfam.” The Pastonian
•  “May 9: The whole school assembled in the playground to have its picture taken — the first to show VIth Form in their new uniform and also the first to show the school in summer dresses.” The Pastonian
•  “Mary Ward House: With increased numbers in the school, we have become more aware of the restrictions of the school site. After a long house–hunting operation, we have been fortunate in acquiring a large property in Hills Road, with two acres of garden. The house, which used to be called Edmund Rice House as it belonged to the Christian Brothers, we have re–named after Mary Ward. It provides accommodation for Middle School Boarders, under Sister Imelda’s care. The land may at some future date be used for further building.” The Pastonian
•  “Dec: It was a great pleasure for me to be present at the general meeting of the Association in July and to meet so many friends. What a delightful gathering it was and how happy we were to welcome so mnay Pastonians! The children’s day in June was an equally happy occasion. Over a hundred Pastonians then must have come back to their old school and seen the developments of the past year. I know that all enjoyed seeing over the study bedrooms for sixth form boarders and were much impressed with their attractive decor and furninshings. The number of boarders has increased rapidly in the last year or two and providng accommodation became a serious problem. Fortunately, the Convent acquired towards the end of July a very suitable house on Hills Road standing on two acres of ground. This is now called Mary Ward House and already twenty boarders sleep there. Next term the top floor will be ready and then there will be accommmodation for thirty. ... The school has now reached the 600 mark which speaks for itself of its high standing not only in Cambridge but in the surrounding areas from which many pupils are drawn.” M. Paul, IBVM, from letter in The Pastonian
•  “Dec 5: Father Pateman gave a helpful talk about the Mass, which was followed by the first concelebrated Mass in the school hall. Hymn words set to well known folk tunes were accompanied by guitars. Many of us found it much easier to participate in this way.” The Pastonian
•  “Dec 18: In the morning we were all entertained by the four house plays... We were all extremely amused and thought that the standard of acting was remarkably high. The Fun Fair took place in the afternoon with the usual enjoyable noise and chaos and mess! The afternoon began with the Upper VI Revue which appealed greatly to everyone’s sense of humour and was most cleverly contrived.” The Pastonian

1968

•  “Library: In the last three years 1,500 books have been added to the Library. ... Shelves have been fitted into every available space and the books are steadily creeping along them.” The Pastonian
•  “Debating Society: In March this year a Debating Society was formed by several members of the Lower VI who felt that there was a serious need for regular discussion of current topics and controversies in which they were interested. ... There have been several very lively debates with marked improvement in the quality of the speeches as the year progressed. We have reached many conclusions, among them: that inevitably, ‘some men are more equal than others’; that the ‘flower–power’ people are really escapists and do not have the secret of life; that euthanasia is never justified; that women are definitely not second–class citizens; and that student demonstrations are worthwhile.” The Pastonian
•  “Living Space: During the year the attics of Mary Ward House were converted into bedrooms and two outside fire–escapes were constructed. There are now forty–two children living in the house, under the care of Sister Imelda and Sister Jane, and pressure in the boarding–school has thus been relieved. The problem of clearing part of the Paston site for rebuilding remains a very urgent one. In the early summer our search for lebensraum led us to make enquiries about a large empty house in Cavendish Avenue. We heard, at short intervals, that it might be for sale — was for sale — must be purchased immediately or would be lost for ever. We took the risk and bought it, and then spent much of the summer in pleading with various authorities for planning permission to use it for a section of the Junior School. This was given only at the very end of August. On September 17th Babthorpe House was opened for three forms, under Sister Anna, Sister Luke and Miss Green. In addition to the class–rooms, there is a dining–room, kitchen, art–room and library. A hard–court is under construction, and the coach–house offers all sorts of possibilities.” The Pastonian
•  “Nov 8: Lower VI organised a dance in aid of Shelter. Upper VI were invited and the Sixth Forms from the Perse Boys’, Leys and Kimbolton Schools. The school hall was rejuvenated for one night. Tennis nets were draped low across the hall and paper flowers and streamers were attached to them. Because it was well organised and owing to the atmosphere created, the dance was a very great success.” The Pastonian
•  “Dec 16: We had the Annual Fun Fair and the school went mad, as usual. Among the money–making efforts there was a Ghost Train, a ‘Miss St Mary’s Convent 1968’ competition, and Upper V provided us with sausages and chips.” The Pastonian
•  “Dec: Last June I spent two nights in Cambridge... It was a happy coincidence that I came in again this year on another school development. I was shown round the newly acquired property in Cavendish Avenue and was much impressed by its large, well–lighted rooms, eminently suited to house part of the Junior school. You will be interested to know that three of the Junior forms are now established there, and both chidlren and parents are very pleased with the move. Because of the large numbers, the Upper II form is in two divisions and this makes possible the individual attention so useful at this age. Two other large rooms are used for an Art studio and a dining room, and there is also a charming library. For the time being, the chidlren use the spacious ground of Mary Ward House (at the corner of Cavendish Avenue) for recreation, and all seems to be working very happily. I saw over Mary Ward House too and found the improvements there unbelievable. The rooms are beautifully decorated and furnished, and are much appreciated by the forty or more boarders who sleep there. The idea behind the transference of the Junior forms is to make room at the Convent for some further buildings, principally a Gymnasium which, as you know, is an urgent necessity.” M. Paul, IBVM, from letter in The Pastonian

1969

•  “Mar 11: The ‘English Speaking Union’ semi–finals were held at the school. Both our teams did extremely well, the ‘A’ team being chosen to go forward to the Eastern Regional Final.” The Pastonian
•  “Jul 11: During the week there was an exhibition of our art in the cloisters. It included paintings, lino–cuts, pottery, sculpture, and some very beautiful fabric batiques.” The Pastonian
•  “Plans for the Future: On our constricted site, demolition and construction have to be nicely balanced, so that plans for the future do not leave present–day classes with no roof over their heads. We intend, therefore, to begin this winter by building a third storey to Crush’s building, and as soon as this is housing two classes we shall demolish Barnes’ building and the ‘temporary’ gymnasium which has done good service for over 50 years. On the space thus cleared we plan to build a big gymnasium and a block of special–purpose rooms for art, geography, plant physiology, needlework and music. We hope that this will be ready for occupation by the autumn of 1971. The cost will be very heavy, and to help us to meet it we appeal to all our old girls and other friends to make a contribution, either direct to the school or through the Friends of St Mary’s Trust which the Parent/Teachers Association has founded.” The Pastonian