Good old days

I've just been scanning some old photos to upload and share with my uni friends on facebook. I can't believe it is just over 25 years since I started university! How times have changed. Just take a look at these hideous curtains for starters! No student would be subjected to those these days. I lived for four years in an all girls' hall of residence in Manchester. With beautiful lawns, a sweeping driveway and ivy creeping up the walls, it looked every inch like Mallory Towers. Having been to a nightmarish mixed comprehensive in Salford, I loved this place and all its tradition. Visitors had to leave by 10.30 weeknights and 11.30 at the weekend and all had to be signed in. The signing in process was overseen by a friendly old chap called George, or a scary lady who breathed like Darth Vader, affectionately known as The Beast of the Lodge. I quickly made good friends in my neighbours, (back row Jane, Jayne and Catherine aka Zippy because of her big smile, front Louise and Helen). I'm still in touch with them all.

We did everything together. We even went to breakfast together. In the above photo, we were dressing up as one another! Happy memories. Try as I might I can't remember doing a great deal of work, although we must have done.

There were about 250 girls living under one roof and I shared a room in the first year with Zippy (below second from the right). I'd never shared a room with anyone before, except on holidays and sleepovers so I was pretty nervous. When I first arrived she wasn't in the room, but there was a Bible by her bed and a text propped up on the shelf. I deposited my things and when I returned she was there. Our first words to eachother were spoken in chorus, "Are you a Christian?" I loved my time at uni, especially special events like this garden party, complete with croquet on the lawn, for which I donned my best Laura Ashley sailor suit and hat (which I used to wear in all seriousness for church on Sundays).

Sometimes I think I belong to the wrong era. Peter certainly will agree when he wakes up in the morning. Anni has taught me how to download music onto my phone, so I have set a new alarm tone Puppy Love.