Edna Cornish (2)

Edna Cornish - 1928

In the previous post, the school had received a lovely handwritten letter from  91 year-old, ex-pupil Mrs Edna Phillips (nee Cornish).  In response to this letter, one of our Year 6 children, wrote to Mrs Phillips inviting her to attend the School's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations for the Queen.
Although Mrs Phillips was unable to attend, she sent this wonderful reply:  

Dear Amie,
That is a pretty name, I thank you so much for the neatly written letter that you sent me. Afraid my writing is a bit scrawly these days.

It was kind of you to invite me to your coming Jubilee celebrations, I would have loved to have come if  I lived nearer and was a bit more active, but the old legs are a bit wobbly and I need help on long distances, as in cars I tend to get a bit stiffened up. I hope you all have a lovely time. It would be nice if they made ‘Magic Carpets’ like in the old fairy stories.

I have looked on my son’s computer at the pictures of the old school. Everyone looks so happy. I note that you have tables and chairs. We had desks which the boys would bang the lids down and there were inkwells on the top. We, that is the older ones, used pens with nibs and those boys used to snap them off, attach a paper piece to make into darts to throw up to the ceiling. Very naughty.

I see you are year 6 – we had standards – I, II, III, IV, V and I left school at 14. I don’t know how long you have to go at Sandhurst school but I went straight out to work.

What a lovely idea to call the new infant class ‘Ducklings’, sounds fun.

Thanks Again.
Good luck for your future
Sincerely Yours
Edna Phillips (Mrs)