Memories of Ripon College during World War II
We’re always reconnecting with our alumni, whether through social media, our magazine or through appeals and campaigns. Thanks to our certificate of education campaign, in 2020 we reconnected with Nora Olennick (nee Reeder) who attended Ripon College during World War II. Written by Nora in October 2020, her memories of her time at Ripon College shed light on an important time in UK history and its impact on day to day life.
Written by Nora Olennick (nee Reeder) in October 2020.
I came from a small village near the North Yorkshire Moors called Skelton. After finishing High School at Saltburn, I worked for two years as an uncertificated teacher so that I could save for college. Initially I had applied and went for interviews at three colleges – Darlington, Durham and Ripon. My offer from Ripon stated that an umbrella was a requirement!
Ripon College: Rice-pudding to Roll Calls
Mid-September 1940 I caught the train to Ripon, not forgetting to take my gas mask and personal identity number. At that time, inspectors would check people on all transportation as a national precaution. Because I had worked before college, I was 20 years old when I started.
Ripon College was all female, and there were over 100 of us as we gathered in the hall that first day. We then had to make the choice between teaching ‘Uppers’, which was for age 8 and upwards, or ‘Lowers’, teaching preschool to age 8. Next, we were allocated the name of our corridor, where we would find our room. The corridors had Abbey names such as Fountains and Bolton. I was in Fountains.
For meals we sat at tables of 12 and shared the dishes. The food was tasty but if you sat near the teaching staff you often received their meal. There was always as alternative dessert- rice pudding. When we were on teaching practice we had an early breakfast to allow time to collect teaching resources such as a rabbit or clay. One little boy on one of my teaching practicums was a gifted artist, so he was allowed to paint murals on the hall walls.
Roll call was at 8 or 9 o’clock and we all went to the Common Room to have our names called and checked.
As Ripon was a Church of England College, we initially had compulsory church services and students would play the organ or act as a Chapel Monitor. But by 1942, the evening service was by choice.
Air raids, coupons and local landmarks
If an air raid warning was sounded we all had to go down to the cellars and take a blanket with us. We would stay there until the all clear was blown. It was something we grew used to. One time we all volunteered to give blood, and we had to go into Ripon itself to do this. There were both army and air force groups stationed quite near.
If our train was bombed we lost all our possessions, and often our projects for College. When a train was bombed at Darlington a friend of mine lost all her final sewing. She was given 20 coupons to replace everything, so she had to return home to try and make new clothes.
For outings we went to local landmarks such as Brimham Rocks and Fountains Abbey. Any mail we received was put on the entrance table each day. We did our own washing down in the washing room, but things went missing all the time. Eventually they found all the items in one girl’s room and she was expelled.
HEAD STUDENT
I loved being in College and was Head Student in my second year. Every morning I had to go the Principal’s door and report if anything had happened!
We had four practicums. The first was fairly easy and not many visits from lecturers, the second and third were 3 weeks and more visits and the last was full time teaching. On one of my practicums the infant’s head showed me lots of different lessons which was very helpful, at another I had fifty children in the class and a lunch duty every day.
Our ‘Lowers’ lecturer was Miss Stowe who had been a student at Ripon herself. She loaned us her thesis and it helped us with our study for our Finals. I received ‘honours’ which helped me gain my first job. Many boys had left teaching to join the army so there were some vacancies. There was a house at Ripon College for the Chaplain but it was turned over to a group of poor children who lived there with a Matron. Some students, such as myself, did extra lessons with these children and I think that also helped me to gain my first teaching position at Grangetown.
Studying at Ripon was one of the happiest times in my life.
