Margaret A P Jones (Puxty)

“Here are some memories of my time at Claremont as a boarder in the 1950s. Miss Margaret McAffee was the headmistress. She was tall and regal. She never raised her voice, and her readings in Assembly each morning were often inspiring. At weekends she would play the piano in the front sitting room, and the boarders would choose hymns from the Christian Science hymn book for us all to sing while she played. On Sundays we would gather there also, occasionally bagging a comfortable seat (the only comfortable one all week!), and she would read from biographies.

I loved English literature lessons with Mrs Jewitt, and art lessons with Mrs Sexton. Confidence and ideas flowed. The art room was a special favourite place separate from the main building, in the room next to and just below the few steps leading up to the swimming pool.

One fun event was when a film crew and film stars visited Claremont for the making of a film called “The Admirable Crichton”. (Only the exterior of the building was used). The star was Kenneth Moore, and in full costume he umpired a hockey match. I was a goalkeeper. As there were 3 girls with the Christian name Margaret in my class, I was always known by my unusual surname – ‘PUXTY’. When I failed to stop a goal, he said “Oh Puxty!”

I loved my time as a pupil at Claremont, and am still in touch with boarders in my class, although some have passed on now. Sweet memories.”