Lost in France

By Rita Clements Lee

Dedicated to Mrs. Cabanes for her kindness and hospitality.
In a pithy, humorous memoir, the author recounts from her letters, the most vivid experiences of her student days as an assistant at a School in Albi, Southern France. 1969/70.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rita Clements Lee
• Release date: Oct 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466182981

Rita Clements Lee

Born in Liverpool, Lancashire. Educated in Yorkshire. Primary School Teacher for 20 years. In Commerce for several years. Interests include watercolour painting, music, walking,reading. French language.

Book preview

Lost in France

Rita Clements Lee

Smashwords Edition

Published by Rita Clements Lee

Copyright 2011

Rita Clements Lee

Cover

Rita Clements Lee

Copyright 2011

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved.

*

Dedicated to

Mrs. Cabanes for her kindness and hospitality.

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Contents

November

December

January -1970

February

March

April

May

June

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ALBI

1969/70 Aged 21

NOVEMBER

Everyone’s been so kind here – it’s wonderful – I’m really enjoying it. Last Sunday I went out with Mme G (the Headmistress), her daughter and her husband. It was unbelievable – like a fairytale. The sky was so blue. It was quite warm and the colours were so vivid. The old farm (now a weekend cottage) was on the top of a hill – great big old-fashioned hearth – we collected chestnuts in the nearby woods, lit a log fire and sat around roasting and eating them. Down below was the really ancient little village, which we visited – fabulous. Then we went to Cordes, a really medieval village set right on the top of a hill, a stronghold of all kinds of craftsmen – weavers, artists, sculptors.

I’ve been ‘teaching’ (messing about with the kids) for over a week now. They haven’t got a separate room for me. I’ve got a corner of a great big room. The ‘femmes de service’ (women who help to keep the kids in order) walk in and out at liberty. It’s rather difficult. However, they’ve got a little screen for me now. Anyway, I always tell the kids as they traverse the great big room in single file that we are going to England. I’m going to put a picture of the Queen up tomorrow. God! It’s funny.

A lot of them run up to me now and say ‘Hello Miss’ (or ‘goodbye Miss’ instead of ‘hello’ miss) but never mind. They seem to be enjoying themselves and so am I although one class is rather difficult. I repeat an English word – ‘cat’ ‘walk’ and they continue chanting it as though they were at a football match, insist on standing up when I say sit down and vice versa. When I tell them to jump the noise is enough to bring the roof down – when they lose interest (after 2 or 3 minutes) they start squirming all over the floor – still…

Of course I drink wine with my dinner so I return at 2 0 clock - slightly - you know what I can be like when I’m slightly tipsy – so in the afternoon things get even more chaotic!

I am also going to go – starting tomorrow to an ‘Ecole Normale’ (equivalent of Teacher Training College) – well, to the ‘Ecole Maternelle’ there affiliated to the college. There is another English girl there from the ‘Ecole Primaire’ and a French teacher of English. I go to ‘my’ school 8.30 – 10.00. I cross the town and start teaching at the other school, 10.30 – 11.30. I can get my dinner at the Ecole