Confessions of a serial mower - Out in front
Its not often that I am rendered speechless, but Saturday was such an occasion.
We had accepted an invitation to watch Goddaughter give her final speech at Parents' Day at Saint Felix at Southwold and to partake of a picnic lunch on the lawns afterwards.
This is now a co-educational private School, having educated at least seven members and three generations of goddaughters' maternal and paternal family.Her grandmother is a GP, still practicing at 80. One of her aunts if a published historical author. Her mother an accomplished cook. An illustrious lot let me tell you.
We were highly honoured to be included with the family and all these old "Felicians"!
I had offered to make the pudding and actually pulled off a mixed berry fruit mould which finally set and plopped out of its dish on command, in true Delia fashion.
A triumph!!
We met in the entrance to the School at the appointed time of 10.30 sharp! The two grandmothers, mother, father, etc etc and GOH and I. My friend had requested that we dress smart casual for a summer picnic.
Don't you just hate that phrase? "Smart" - I know where I am; "Casual" I can do.
We duly complied and waited to be seated at the back of the assembled 900 pupils and guests, with hopefully, a good view of "precious girl".
Not a bit of it; there we were, being ushered to the front. Yes, the front row in direct line with the podium and all the great and the good Governors seated on the stage! I could hear the folks behind saying "who the hell are they" - with good reason.
"I think there has been some mistake" I muttered as I was shown to my seat. My name was marked on the seat. The grandmothers being seated about halfway back down the hall somewhere with the "also rans"!
Utter Embarrassment.
I am now looking round at the Chanel and Prada numbers seated behind me wishing to goodness my smart casual was a bit more Ascot than Country Show! One such lady is a very well known actress off the telly. Holy Moly, what was going on.
Turns out GOH has now been appointed as official Building Surveyor to the School and his name had been noticed on the guest list and thus we had been elevated to the front! He also, from where I was sitting, appeared to have scored a hit with the Head of Governors and Head of History, both females! Oh yes, old smoothie is jolly useful at times. If only I had known in advance!
Poor "precious one" has to then climb the stage and do her speech with us sitting bang slap in the front opposite her. She was wonderful it has to be said and received well deserved prolonged applause. She even received a bronze statue in recognition of her contribution to school life and sport. GOH of course couldn't resist the temptation to take a quick snap of her, in all her glory!! And here she is - da da!!!
The guest speaker was an old Felician girl who has gone on to be a Major in the Army, and had done stints in the Falklands, Northern Ireland and Iraq. She was hysterical and an inspiration to all there. Male and Female. She would take no prisoners. She extolled the virtues of a good sound education. She stood strong, stocky and solid. You would want her on your side and at your side. I felt somewhat heartened that women like this are in our forces.
She trained at Sandhurst and gave us some details of what the recruits are like these days. She said that 50% of new recruits into the Army have the reading age of 9. Nine! I could feel my jaw drop. It appears that the Army then has to educate the new intake until they have the reading age of 15. This then enables them to read instructions, commands and maps etc.
God Almighty, and these poor souls are given guns!
I have no doubt that her words were true. The audience in general around her looked shocked. The teaching staff did not.
She then went on to give us a small insight into some of the more wittier remarks found on the reports of some of less bright of the new intakes. Such as "the wheel is turning but the hamster is dead", "would not breed from this young man",
"stand close enough and you will hear the ocean through his ears"!
We closed the speeches and prize giving with the School Hymn.. "He who would valiant be 'gainst all disaster...." and the School Prayer.
"O God, who shewest forth They Light in every age; we thank Thee for Thy Servant,
Felix, The Apostle of East Anglia.
Grant unto all who teach and learn in the School called by his name,
We had accepted an invitation to watch Goddaughter give her final speech at Parents' Day at Saint Felix at Southwold and to partake of a picnic lunch on the lawns afterwards.
This is now a co-educational private School, having educated at least seven members and three generations of goddaughters' maternal and paternal family.Her grandmother is a GP, still practicing at 80. One of her aunts if a published historical author. Her mother an accomplished cook. An illustrious lot let me tell you.
We were highly honoured to be included with the family and all these old "Felicians"!
I had offered to make the pudding and actually pulled off a mixed berry fruit mould which finally set and plopped out of its dish on command, in true Delia fashion.
A triumph!!
We met in the entrance to the School at the appointed time of 10.30 sharp! The two grandmothers, mother, father, etc etc and GOH and I. My friend had requested that we dress smart casual for a summer picnic.
Don't you just hate that phrase? "Smart" - I know where I am; "Casual" I can do.
We duly complied and waited to be seated at the back of the assembled 900 pupils and guests, with hopefully, a good view of "precious girl".
Not a bit of it; there we were, being ushered to the front. Yes, the front row in direct line with the podium and all the great and the good Governors seated on the stage! I could hear the folks behind saying "who the hell are they" - with good reason.
"I think there has been some mistake" I muttered as I was shown to my seat. My name was marked on the seat. The grandmothers being seated about halfway back down the hall somewhere with the "also rans"!
Utter Embarrassment.
I am now looking round at the Chanel and Prada numbers seated behind me wishing to goodness my smart casual was a bit more Ascot than Country Show! One such lady is a very well known actress off the telly. Holy Moly, what was going on.
Turns out GOH has now been appointed as official Building Surveyor to the School and his name had been noticed on the guest list and thus we had been elevated to the front! He also, from where I was sitting, appeared to have scored a hit with the Head of Governors and Head of History, both females! Oh yes, old smoothie is jolly useful at times. If only I had known in advance!
Poor "precious one" has to then climb the stage and do her speech with us sitting bang slap in the front opposite her. She was wonderful it has to be said and received well deserved prolonged applause. She even received a bronze statue in recognition of her contribution to school life and sport. GOH of course couldn't resist the temptation to take a quick snap of her, in all her glory!! And here she is - da da!!!
The guest speaker was an old Felician girl who has gone on to be a Major in the Army, and had done stints in the Falklands, Northern Ireland and Iraq. She was hysterical and an inspiration to all there. Male and Female. She would take no prisoners. She extolled the virtues of a good sound education. She stood strong, stocky and solid. You would want her on your side and at your side. I felt somewhat heartened that women like this are in our forces.
She trained at Sandhurst and gave us some details of what the recruits are like these days. She said that 50% of new recruits into the Army have the reading age of 9. Nine! I could feel my jaw drop. It appears that the Army then has to educate the new intake until they have the reading age of 15. This then enables them to read instructions, commands and maps etc.
God Almighty, and these poor souls are given guns!
I have no doubt that her words were true. The audience in general around her looked shocked. The teaching staff did not.
She then went on to give us a small insight into some of the more wittier remarks found on the reports of some of less bright of the new intakes. Such as "the wheel is turning but the hamster is dead", "would not breed from this young man",
"stand close enough and you will hear the ocean through his ears"!
We closed the speeches and prize giving with the School Hymn.. "He who would valiant be 'gainst all disaster...." and the School Prayer.
"O God, who shewest forth They Light in every age; we thank Thee for Thy Servant,
Felix, The Apostle of East Anglia.
Grant unto all who teach and learn in the School called by his name,
to serve Thee here with energy and love, and ever spread the knowledge of Thy Truth.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord". Amen
We then ventured out onto the playing fields for our picnic lunch of smoked salmon, champagne, salads and fruit mould with proper china, crystal glasses and linen tablecloth and a distant view of the Sea.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord". Amen
We then ventured out onto the playing fields for our picnic lunch of smoked salmon, champagne, salads and fruit mould with proper china, crystal glasses and linen tablecloth and a distant view of the Sea.
Truly British and Proud!!
The sun even shone down on our smart casual little ensemble!
The grandmothers appear to have forgiven us!
13 comments:
Lovely Mousie! This reminded me of Speech Day at my old school, we sang our school song, 'Non Nobis Domine' and the speeches seemed to go on for hours. Your Goddaughter did very well! xx
Lovely Blog Countrymousie,
You and rest of the family must be so proud of her, and glad that the sun shone for that very special day for picnic. Glad that your fruit mould was a success,have never made one, where can I find the recipe, thank you Mousie.
Camilla.xx
What a proud moment for you all. I wouldn't have been able to resist a few camera shots either. I have heard that tale about army recruits once before and I was shocked then too.
Crystal xx
Camilla - all I did was make up two sachets of gelatine powder in fruit juice/ dash of port and water. I filled a 2 and a half pint glass dish (pyrex) with layers of fruits - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and mullberries in this case and topped up with the one pint of gelatine mix - it set quite quickly and I left it overnight. Then ran round edge with a knife dipped in hot water - and - out in plopped. Looked far more complicated than it was. I used either frozen or fresh fruits it works with either. Make a pretty pattern on the base of the dish and this is what greets you at the top when turned out. I made it up.
I have started to make jellies for my granddaughter and this was a posher version.
Thank you CountryMousie,
I have jotted it down, and will try out, most kind.
Camilla.x
Oh small world hits us once more. i know a gaggle of children who go to that school. Four children or an old friend, and D's cousins gang also.
Come on who was the actress, and did she look taller/smaller/older/younger/fatter/thinner than on the telly!
Well Devon - it is a VERY small world. I better not name them in case of privacy and children at the School - one starred in Eastenders and the other Soldier Soldier. Narrows it down a bit though for you!!
Dare I say they are not quite so glam without the TV slap!!
What a proud and happy day. I know exactly what you mean about smart casual -- it never looks quite either.
Loved the recruit reports. Wish teachers were still allowed to say what's true so wittily. Everyone has to be so darn PC nowadays. It's just so DULL.
Beautiful god daughter and very wity god mother!!! Your day sounds like a fairy tale and I would love to have been an ant at the picnic!
I also hate "smart casual" however it is a tad better than the "dressy casual" that came written on an invitation in Oklahoma. I wore a casual summer dress, the Great Dane wore khakis and an open necked shirt. Everyone else was in jeans or shorts, and T-shirts.
Sounds a lovely proud happy day. I enjoyed your army comments. Always seems strange (to me) seeing children who my children were at school with, grown up and in army uniform. They suddenly seem much older. But guns and reading age 'yes.' But if they weren't dim they wouldn't shoot the guns, I suppose. If someone passed a law saying all soldiers had to be over 50, nobody would bother to make war.
ooh memories of speech days flooding back, so glad the weather was kind to you, wise not to name names, small world indeed.
Lovely blog - I still have the St Felix School prospectus rattling around somewhere from our almost-Suffolk days. It is a lovely school on a lovely site.
Back again! My old school too! Scribble
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