Cecily Parris (ACKMAN 1960)

Our deputy Headmistress in 1959 was Miss Spicer. She was our class’s geography teacher and very rarely smiled.

One morning Miss Spicer came into our classroom with a pile of books. “Girl’s, she said, these are new books for the library. Can I please have a volunteer to take down their titles.” Like a shot my friend Sonia raised her hand. “All right Girlie (she called most girls Girlie because she never remembered our names!) I will read them out and you write them down!” So Miss Spicer began reading the titles and Sonia diligently write them down! When Miss Spicer came to the third or fourth title, she said “What Bird is That?”

Sonia looked up startled seeing a bird on the book cover. “I don’t know” she said. “No What Bird is That?“ repeated Miss Spicer. “Sorry Miss Spicer, I really don’t know!” retorted Sonia, (ACKMAN 1960)her cheeks reddening.

Suddenly Miss Spicer’s face lit up in a broad grin. “No Girlie, that is the title of the book!”

The class roared with laughter, Miss Spicer with us!