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Dear Miss Eckersley,

I am so sorry, but my duties here prevent me coming to London. Will you please convey my regrets to those present?

It is this way.

In the event of an air-raid we might get on fire, and then a responsible person would be wanted to direct things.

In the event of bombardment of the coast I am pledged, if the students are not here, to put up refugees from the coast, also possibly wounded soldiers; so it would seem that my place, at present, is at St. Hild’s College.

I must endeavour to say on paper what I might have said had I been present – If the Practising School children will let me. They are having their recreation outside the Chapel at the moment; and they are young, and their voices clear and their lungs strong. To this is about to be added the Recreation of the Juniors, who are also young and very happy at the prospect of going down next week. The Seniors are all out, in School Practice. They seem very cheerful; at least those who are getting A, are.

We are having an unusually busy term because next term is unusually short.

We are thinking of sending copies of the Fourth Commandment to Germany, because they will persist in disturbing us on the Sabbath. On March 5th we had to scamper to the White Wing at a moment’s notice. (The White Wing is the floor on which the Dining Hall and Kitchen, etc., are). There we had to stay till 11.30 p.m. The students sang and recited. At 11.30 I sent them off to bed; and I sat up till 3am before the ‘resume’ call came from the Police Station.

Now I have my dining room turned into a bedroom, in order to sleep with my ear to the telephone box.

I hear Bede College betook themselves to the cellars last Sunday night and they never got a resume call. I kept my lambs above ground, because the foreign aircraft were at Dover; and I got the resume call at 1am. This is all very well, written; but I agree with the student the other day who said to me “I wouldn’t be you for anything.” I certainly would rather not be me, it is very tiring.

I have continued and happy news from Miss Fish, at the General Hospital, Swansea; of Miss Skinner too I often hear from Miss Thomas. She has been assisting (I hear this morning) in a wonderful Red Cross Sale, which brought in £500…

The soldiers still have the Girls’ and Infants’ Demonstration Schools, now no longer called the Practising Schools; and the soldiers still continue to drill in large numbers on the race-course below.

Almost every week – lately every week – some old student sends me a gift for the Chapel, and the debt is creeping gently down.

I hope you are not all hopelessly overworked. I am afraid the public feels, “when in doubt, economise on Education.” Up here many of the young teachers are being very much overworked; the classes are huge, and they are willing, and then I am told “So-and-so has broken down.”

I am afraid I have written a very long letter, but I am very sorry not to be present.

With best wishes for a Happy Easter to all present.

Yours Very Sincerely,

Eleanor Christopher

Date: 30-Mar-1916

Author: Miss E. Christopher

Reference: E/HB 1/518

Where to find this: Durham County Records Office – St Hild’s School Magazine 1910/1911-1919/1920

Contributed by Fiona Johnson - Durham