Composed by Keith Carey-Smith (Pridham 1957-60) whilst still at school, for circulation amongst family and family friends. The content was therefore slightly dramatised, and ‘sanitised’ for home consumption! Minor editing and additions in 2020.
Original illustrations by Dr Eric Bird; photos by Keith.
Written in the first person.
Dorm Incidents
and Shine!”, or “When I get up you all get up!”
All too soon you find your-self in the queue for the shower and it is surprising how quickly you get to the front and make the plunge. On issuing out again in a semi-solid state, you rub must of your skin off in an attempt to get warm, find it makes no impression, so rush back into bed again. Unfortunately this is now unlawful, but gathering the bed-clothes around you is nearly as good. You stay like this until the first bell for breakfast rouses you, and you soon find yourself rushing towards the dining hall doing up buttons and brushing your hair at the same time.
However, to get back to the dorm again. At night there is always something boring being said. The discussions are numerous and range from ‘hate talks’ on the ‘boss’ or the prefects, to talks on various people at the GHS (Girls’ High School). Jokes are a favourite, usually very weak.
Occasionally we become rather high spirited and then you never know what might happen. On record nights you might have to remake your bed up to 5 or 6 times.
Sometimes a pillow fight is most invigorating and recently we have kindly been issued with new Dunlopillo pillows which are nice and hard and do not split easily. On one of these occasions we were suddenly blinded by a flash, and thereafter our activities were recorded in black and white. Fortunately it was one of the boys who took the photo. Unfortunately these incidents sometimes end in disaster, such as a broken bed or a sore behind.
As you have already seen, we don’t enjoy getting up, especially when it is not at the usual time. About twice a term we are woken up early be a frantic clanging of the fire bell. At this we all have to make an undignified exit down the fire escape in our pyjamas. Another time we were just falling asleep at about 12.30 after the term dance when the whole establishment was roused to go and look in a swamp for a missing girl. However she was found before we left, unfortunately dead, and we went to bed with rather lower spirits than before.
There are certain rules which apply in the dorm. For instance, we are not supposed to eat there although lately we have made ourselves a thermos of hot soup no drink (not eat!) after prep. Sometimes our housemaster has ‘checkups’ of various kinds. Often he is seen sneaking round the dorm at about 11 o’clock with a torch looking at all the beds to make sure no one has gone to the pictures (as if we would!). Wardrobe inspections are a favourite, and either Mr Wilson gets suffocated by all the garments which fall out when he opens the door, or there is much compulsory tidying up for us to do!
Life in the dorm is, however, great fun.