1978 School Magazine

THE STXTH FORM DANGE - 1942 ,.The Sixth Form Dance,, what magic they.ilere back tV dance held at Scnoo'1 unO uuu. i6" highlig;"t'"i"'i'ritiV"ut ner then, so the Oanc6'*ui if'"-gt"ateit (anO only) social event' Forweeksandweeksbeforehandweaskedeachotherwhatwewouldbewearing,andwho would be coming as our partner. t can reln"Jrioei so vividly mv frock' my very first long f rock, for this was *uri.JunO clothing *ut t"ui""' I don't remember whether clothing was on ration coupons l"riin"" Oui t t nori it was my only long f rock for four years' It was a soft pink-apricot net over a pinkish taffeta slip that made it stand out beautifully' lt had puff sleeves, uniitigl"' nuutl'p"i", Pan" collar over a row oJ buttons down the bodice' The frock was cut to an-,,empress" style,'r'ig"h-busied, and I thought lwas just "it"l Dadhadjustenoughpetrollefttodrivemeandcollectmypartner,thentakeustoschool, with enough in,.ur",'1""t';;;li;;i;;t ii"p.;. inO Otiu"'him and ourselv s h me' Petrol was rationed too, u *nofu-t*o gallo1s " ;;;ih ;;s tfre allo-wance for our car' With the btackout hood fitted ""Lrii-l" r."ioright. driving was a slow affair at night. Mv father delivered us to the school's front door, a forbidden.place in my time' and it was with an almost guilty feeling, mixed witn.Oravll-o'unO-"io*n"d bv excitement that we went inside and past Miss Liii;ti JreaOeO otticJ'iriere to tuny of u6 spent quaking moments' on down the sombre ir[iliJ#r"";;J p;.;ir"Jr-,"n *ittiit's polished cases oJ books of the Beanland Memorial Library. These *"t" in gtod condition' but mainly just on display as uu"iyon" was too timid to use them' somehow that night whe whole place looked tess Jorbiddino than usual' and the old Assembly Hall tooked positi-vely gavr str!i;e" uno balloons-were drapped around the wails, and in one "oin5,."u'cpi'ec"e'oano;;;;;";;;ng-to prav A piano, saxaphone and drums can provide t'n" s*uetist music when-iou'are happy and in the right mood' I can remember we were rather early as there were only 3 few other couples there before us, so after hurrying;JuiunJ ia'lng''OonJi'ou'looft nicu", (even though we had been told so many times that 'Yni""";' iuit'jin,JC onf V tJ ioiOl, unJ ; f hit is Tom ' ' or Geoff ' ' " or whoever it was, or even ,,so you're eettyL;r;;;;;;vo, co1't look a bit like her", we realis- ed we were receivinq ; slight'trown f rom tfrJOiit' Ouitttry I brought my partner up the three steps io Miss Liley;rfrj;Y;66j;il ;i;.'shu *u. not a person witrr wnom one made casual conversation easiry,loi;h;;;A; naturattv'impiii"ti tltnel tfrat made me feel I wanted to curtsv every time I spoke to her. ftris ev6ninbln"rgn she was very pleasant and beamed when I introduced mY Partner' led' in my days.at Grammar! lt was the on- tne'" was no sixth {orm din-

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