Hatbox Ephemera

Three Old Greys (GCH Alumnae) dropped in to visit last week.

They started secondary school in September 1975 and were curious to see their school 50 years later. We had a lovely chat, and a wander around the school, and they talked to some students from the Graphic Novels Club. 

They left me a hatbox for the Archive.

It is my favourite kind of gift, full of very personal items - not of any intrinsic value, but bursting with personal significance and memories.

First is the GCH summer boater, complete with weathered ribbon, and chewed elastic. The current students enjoyed trying it on.

Then the treasured pencil case with ink pen, knfe-sharpened pencil and that essential '70s rubber with stacking bricks (how I wanted one when I was 11!).  

And at the bottom, a report book, and vocab lists.

Small things, but full of wonder for today's year 8. They liked the boater, they wanted to write with ink, and they all though that to have permanent record of reports in a book might be a good and a bad thing...

But most of all, they liked talking to women who had been at their school and still loved it. 3 women who have been friends fro 50 years, all because of GCH.

A school history research blog

Hello. I'm the Librarian at The Grey Coat Hospital in Westminster, and have by small degrees become the de facto historian and (not really an) archivist. 

It's a fascinating place, with a history going back to 1698. Some way into my research journey I've decided to start this blog to share my discoveries: partly because I get very excited and need to tell people when I unknot a question; and partly to keep track of my research.

Currently, I am concentrating on the headship of Miss Elsie Day 1874-1910, but I will also post about my earlier research on the beginnings of the school.