When I look back it seems extraordinary that although I was only a pupil for 1 1/2 years, just before closure, I managed to break most of the rules.

I was in Dol. A beautiful house that did not deserve our mistreatment of it. In the first term I was in the dorm above the staff room. This room looked out over the orchard. Too tempting. One night myself and one other crept out through our window and down the fire escape. Taking the ladder past the staff room. I remember looking in and seeing members of staff in front of the most beautiful carved fire place reading. We did get some apples but it was very dark and a bit scary.

On Mondays we would go back to Dol from school after lunch and spend time with the house mistress sewing. This particular Monday was April fools day and two friends and I were determined to play a trick. When the house mistress wasn't looking ( I forget her name but it was the one with the noisy slippers that announced her presence) we took the large hand bell and hid it, stuffed with dusters, in a box in the cupboard under the stairs. The next morning when she would normally walk into the dorm to ring the bell she came in and said "I'm so sorry girls those naughty lower 5th. have taken my bell". We felt triumphant.

I also did the worst possible thing and that was "run away". I didn't really. A friend, Leona (?) wanted to go home. Her mother and siblings lived at Fairbourne. Another friend and I decided that we felt like a walk and she couldn't possible go on her own. So after lunch on the Sunday off we set. Across country at first. Talking all the way, and not really sure which way to go. We nearly made it when an aunt of Leona saw us on the road and took us straight back. I think we were gone for about 6 hours. It must have been a terrible panic at school but we were oblivious to what we had done. It was a great walk though. Our punishment was to dust all the books in the library!

Please forgive any memory errors. I have found that having gone on to schools after DWS, memories tend to get blurred.