A Student in the last years of the training college

'In 1874 teachers began to be trained at Roehampton for a few months before moving to Wandsworth. By 1901 numbers had risen so much that teacher training was moved to premises at St. Charles Square, off Ladbroke Grove in North Kensington. During the Second world War both Roehampton and St. Charles were extensively damaged, so, after the war, it was decided to re-locate the boarding school to quieter surroundings in Woldingham, Surrey, and the College returned to the Roehampton site, then in need of much repair and re-building.

Teacher Training courses lasted for two years until 1960 when they were extended to three. I was a student at Digby Stuart College, as the Roehampton site became named on the move from St. Charles, and was one of the final two- year intake from 1959 to 1961. The college was still very small in numbers in those days.

I come from the Midlands, so living in London (albeit some journey from the centre!) gave me a great buzz. I had never met any nuns in my life before so the buzz was somewhat tempered by the seemingly severe figures, clad in black from head to toe, who traversed the quadrangle every morning on their way back to the community quarters, from where Mass was celebrated in a College hall until the bombed chapel was re-built.

I also found that there were many rules and regulations, particularly about times for being in at night, switching off our lights at an assumed bed-time, and whom we could and could not entertain in our rooms!! Not having had any contact with nuns before it took me a little time to adjust, but I gradually came to realise that the nuns were different from any previous teachers I had known. They took a genuine interest in our well-being and were very much at our service whether it was to do with our studies, our worries, our health etc. They came across as very human, but with another dimension in their clear commitment to God. Seeing them at prayer in the chapel made a deep impression on me, partly because they seemed to be able to stay there, and stay still for so long!!!

The studies were not over-demanding, though most people did not enjoy the pressures of teaching practice. There was also a lot of innocent fun laid on for special Feast Days, and I made some lifelong friends while I was there.

However, after some months, the atmosphere of a double commitment to God and to the students, began to seep into my bones, and I began to realise with horror that I was becoming aware of a call to enter the Society. So much for my intentions, when going to college, to enjoy the two years in London, get qualified, teach for a bit and then get married!! I struggled for some months, but, then, helped by Sr. Phyllida Baker, our Education Lecturer, I was able to acknowledge the call, and feel a desire to respond. I left Digby in 1961 and entered the Society in 1962.'

Marion Charley RSCJ