GCSEs

I don’t really have too much to say about this. I guess we all felt a bit of pressure doing our first ‘big’ exams, although as I recall GCSEs were predominantly a memory test… I do recall that study leave was pretty cool.

And the time off after the exams were over was good; Catherine and I went to Switzerland, Marie what did you do..??

I recall that results day you and I walked to school together Marie, and when we got to Colesmead the gate was locked so we climbed over and I made you look the other way cos I was wearing a skirt!!! Results night we went out with Monique and Andi to Pizza Piazza – clearly hadn’t committed our alleigance to Pizza Express quite yet!

xLuce

Athletics

The two of you used to go to athletics ‘meetings’ in the summer. I remember this mostly because Catherine used to write me letters when you were there, telling me what was going on. (Seriously, HOW bad was I at athletics not to be included, oh, nevermind…) So, basically, the two of you will have far more to say here… Surely I could’ve done shot-put or something???

xLuce

Geography A-Level & GCSE

I’m a bit hard pressed to write this cos I wasn’t actually involved. So here’s a third party view:

Catherine and Marie selected Geography for GSCE and then A-Level, and so started a love affair with the subject, the class, the field trips… You guys still talk about it now so there must have been something special happening there. I am going to make no suggestion that it had anything to do with the boys in the classes.

OK, so someone better jump in with a better account than this…

xLuce

French A-Level

Ah, we had a good time in this class didn’t we…. Great crowd, great teachers, I think we may have even got quite good at speaking French. Do you remember being told that we should have a glass of red before our oral exam cos it would help us relax and speak better French. Can’t imagine it would make any difference these days, probably just make me hungry. Anyway, there was the French Exchange as well, where Marie landed the high school delinquent, ha.

Now, if I was a clever girl I’d have written this in French. But we all know you two are far far better at this than me so I’ll leave the cleverness to you…

xLuce

English A-Level

Do you remember how much fun we had in this class Marie… A great crowd and teachers that we liked and, well, stuff we liked studying.

Course, you know what I’m going to say, the bit that sticks in my mind is how we used to practise writing our short stories and then meet on the corner to swap over and critique each other’s work. Such good girls.

Correct me if I’m wrong, did you once write a line about someone frowning and their “two caterpillar eyebrows meeting in the middle”. I thought that was legendary.

Also, (and this won’t surprise you either) but ah, Cuthers. Sharing all his wisdom about English Studies, university, life, and as I recall telling us about Yo Sushi when it was a very new concept!

xLuce

Sixth Form

I suppose really everything has gone quickly but Sixth Form seemed to go especially quickly! Personally I mostly recall the daily challenge of figuring out what to wear, having to juggle school & work for the first time, and trying to do well at driving lessons, ballet exams and partying at various 18th celebrations. The pressure!

I guess this is when we really started to make the choices that influenced where we are now. Am I right in thinking:
Catherine: Geography, Sport Science, French
Lucy: Economics, English, French, General Studies (seriously worth the paper it’s written on), Spanish GCSE
Marie: Geography, English, French

Of course there’s lots to remember from these years. Here are some specific bits:

• All of us learning to drive at various stages. And then some people having cars. And, well, basically, starting to drive everywhere.
• Fwaaa, just as I was writing the above I remembered ‘thingy’ week, the one where we had to dress up every day. What was it called??
• We all did French together which was a giggle and led to the semi-legendary French Exchange… (only ‘semi’ cos I didn’t go )
• Of course the major difference, apart from the no-uniform thing, from school, was the free periods. Which, for myself, I used ever so productively, lying on the common room sofas talking about the ‘ideal man’. I most certainly did not do this on my own.. who else was there??
• Nights at the Embassy
• We started looking at universities. There was heaps of chat about what, where, why; trips around the country checking places out; and those bl**dy UCAS application forms, needed a degree to complete one of those…
• We all had Saturday (and the rest) jobs, let’s see if I can get this right…
  Catherine = Halfords
  Lucy = M&S and waitressing
  Marie = Safeway
  ???
• Actually, off the back of the Safeway crew (I believe) a Friday-night-in-Reigate-routine started. We were talking about that when we checked out The Cage for your 30th birthday Catherine…
• Of course there was actually doing all our mock exams, coursework, A-Levels and then the reward of Zakynthos…
• Lots of ‘dress up’ parties, 18ths, and – it feels – non stop parties at Katie’s, actually how many excuses did we come up with to have parties at Katie’s??? (Thanks again Sheila…)

I don't remember what Ball this was but who cares, this picture is GOLD!

(Photos courtesy of Aine. Thank you!)

(Photos courtesy of Catherine. Thank you!)

(Photo courtesy of Monique. Thank you!)

xLuce

Year 11

There’s not masses to say about this from my POV. I mean, mostly I recall studying a lot, a few more parties, some more boy action (record as you choose…) and then GCSE stuff kicking in. Not that there was anything wrong with this time, just don’t got that much to say about it. Feel free to add whatever I’m clearly missing…..

xLuce

Marie’s surprise birthday party

This did happen didn’t it?!
At the church hall near Sue Woods’s house?
Was it for your 16th birthday? Man, I can hardly remember the important details. I can however remember organising and planning it. All talking about how to keep it secret, what food to have, how to get everything ready, an argument (?) about whether to get you a present as well or just a smashing party.
Oddly, I can also remember what I was wearing. How wierd is that.
As I recall, a fun time had by all. And was it actually a surprise Marie? This is something I’ve never really known the answer to….

xLuce

Year 10

No doubt there’s heaps I’ll miss here too, but some specific memories from me:

Top of the Pops
Sometimes I actually wonder, what were there thinking and, why. Apart from the fact that obviously it gives us something to laugh about now. Rest assured, should I find a way of popping the video of me ‘doing’ Madonna on here, I will do so. Until then, it’s up to your recollections and comments yeah…

Options
We chose the subjects for our GCSEs, first step on the paths that took us to where we are…

Geography
And with those ‘options’ the geography years started.

ok, sketchy and room for improvement I grant you..

xLuce

Year 9

Biggest thing I remember from Year 9 is the French Field Trip. I mean, sure, heaps of other stuff must’ve happened (and not for the first time am I realising how ill qualified I am to be writing this stuff…) but the Field Trip is what I remember most from Year 9…

Given which, bits I remember from that:

• The journey, ferry, coach etc
• In all honesty, I can completely picture the place; the driveway, the grounds, the rooms, the dining room. Hang on, I just realised something – did we go to the same place when we were ‘helpers’ Catherine? Or did we go somewhere else? Maybe this is why it seems clear..?
• Orienteering. Ask me not why, but I remember orienteering.
• Junge Le Lion cereal. Again, don’t ask me why, but I know it wasn’t Kellogg’s that we had on this Trip
• Being given snails on the last night. I quite literally ran out of the room, I don’t know if you know this.
• Actually now I think about it, we didn’t spend hardly any time on this Trip together did we.???

Naturally this segue-ways into the Trip that we ‘helped’ out on Catherine but I feel that’s for a different post, not this innocent Year 9 space…

Tell me some of the stuff I’m missing from Year 9?

xLuce