|
|
St Christopher School |
||
|
|
In 1927 when Pat was 12 she was sent to St Christopher School in Letchworth as a boarder. It was chosen for the simple reason that it was the only vegetarian school in Britain. It was a progressive, co-educational school which had been founded by the Theosophists. There was no physical punishment and each child had their own timetable. Pupils were divided into companies and each company had an adviser. Pat loved the social aspect of the school and games such as tennis, netball and lacrosse formed a large part of her life. A school report noted: “Pat is an exceedingly jolly member of the company. She is keen and frank and capable of really good work.” As she became a teenager she became very popular with the boys. They would offer to escort her to her hostel and there was competition to partner her on the dance floor. It was both exciting and frightening but she did not allow any close friendships. However she was a bit of a flirt, she admits. Then a much older and sophisticated boy began an obsessive pursuit of her which was to change the course of her life. When studying at Cambridge he began coming back to St Christopher’s to visit her. This became an impossible situation and, at Pat’s request, her parents arranged for her to study music at Lausanne Music College. Music and been her passion for some time and she had gained Grade 8 in both piano and violin. |
||
