Spring is in the air, 1957

It is March in Bedford and amidst dashing out to pick some primroses Alice seems busier than ever.

The students have a series of exams at the end of the Spring Term and Alice has a heavy timetable as lessons continue with revision built-in. She still has to travel to Cambridge for the 'dissection' classes (Anatomy and Physiology was a key part of the curriculum) despite an impending English exam the following day, but she doesn't seem bothered by that at all. She talks about her hopes for subject choices in her final year and is enthusiastic to take a variety of options...except for Ballroom dance.
The games fixtures also continue and this week has proved very successful with wins in hockey and lacrosse and a draw in netball; Alice thought the Anstey students were really 'nice people' and enjoyed playing to win in glorious sunshine!

 Alice also had fun attending the Dramatic Society's production of 'Jonah and the Whale', although her asides (scribbled on the programme), suggest she and her friends were not a little distracted by the thespian students and that the humour in their observations clearly helped them to let off a little tension and steam.

Wry comments noted while watching the play

Second year timetable: Spring 1957

February 1957: busy in college and beyond

It is near the end of February and Alice seems busier than ever with a healthy mix of work and play. Her first mention is of an entertainment which appears to have had a sea theme involving a heavily decorated gymnasium and even incorporating a pirate cavern. In a previous letter she had asked for a green dress to be sent and it appears that this had been a successful choice - adapting is the order of the day as she makes reference to the addition of net to make it fit to the theme.

Her thoughts are also tending towards a visit home and she is quite excited by the appointment there of a new curate. She encloses a songbook from the Bible rally she has attended and hopes that her Dad will contact the pastor  using details on the back cover.

Despite enjoying her extracurricular activities and looking forward to visiting home, Alice is also trying to make a decision regarding her academic subject choices in her 3rd (and final) year. She is disappointed with Miss Middleton apparently talking about her to other students, but feels vindicated and happier when she later receives an apology and is able to discuss her wish to continue; she recognises that life in an all female college can sometimes be fraught with 'the tension of relationships'. 

She closes with happy thoughts of the impending visit home and is already formalising day and time to meet up with Mum: roll on Half Term!