RELIGIOUS LIFE

September 1964 - Diamond jubilee of Profession of Sister Marie Gertrud Sohle.
September 1964 - First Profession: Sister Gillian Smart.
March 1964 - Reception of the Habit: Sister Therese Brooks.

These ceremonies took place in the Convent Chapel at Boscombe.

June 1964 - Reception of the Habit: Sister Mary Clare - Poor Clare Colettine ( Jennifer Coombes).

Let us now delve into the year's mail-bag.

Barbara Green (Withington), writing from Quebec, gave interesting details about Frances, Maryann, Caryl, Helen and Adrian. They are hoping to return to England for a six-week holiday in 1965. The day Barbara wrote was bright and sunny with a temperature 10° below zero! Little wonder all her children learn to ski.

Carol Horn (Boyd), whose husband is farming near Arcadia, New South Wales, remarks on her wish that she had had more experience in needlework in order to be able to adapt patterns when making clothes for her small daughter, who is at the stage of finding it much more interesting to empty drawers and generally untidy the house than to play with her toys.

Patricia Ryan sent a long letter from Melbourne in April and says: "Melbourne is a lovely `garden city', well planned and spread out, but what impresses me most of all is the bush country and the striking individuality of the scenery. Above all, the colouring of the various landscapes is fantastic and quite unlike anything in England. As I have always been a lover of open spaces, this is the place for me.

In about ten months time, I have planned a complete tour of Australia, taking in as much of the country as I can possibly see before returning home via the Pacific route and the States. This year, in Melbourne in a steady job, is designed as a wholehearted effort to save what I shall need towards travelling expenses."

Carol Wickham, in sunny Bermuda, has decided to work as a Librarian before returning to England for her college training. She is enjoying her experiences in a very different type of life from boarding school, but Carol remarked: "The Bermudians make much of Hallowe'en, or at least the children do - so what with that and November 5th, it has been a gay week here. "

From West U.S.A. Mary Baker (Gilbert) has now four children. She was hoping to go to Rome this year for the Ordination of her brother, Peter. Anne, Mary's sister, is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where her husband is a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.

Louise is living in Mountain View, California. Gillian Jackson is working for UNESCO in Paris. She kindly consented to prepare an article for the Magazine, when she called early in the year. Gillian is hoping to return to England next year to read for a Degree in Oriental Studies.

Honor Waring (Langford-Sainsbury) never fails to send greetings at Christmas to Reverend Mother. She mentioned the death, after long suffering, of Dorothy Smythe, who was with Honor as a Domestic Science student, when that school was in Kerryton. Honor's son is studying to be a marine geologist in a Canadian University; her daughter is doing a secretarial course in London.

Ronaleen Lee supplies a good deal of news about her contemporaries. Although right away in Los Angeles, she is certainly `au courant' with what is happening in England. We quote from her letter: "Linda Baker (Thornback) is still in Southampton. She sees Ann Brayshaw (Crawford) quite often. Ann is living. at West Moors.

Helen Bevan (Edmond) is also settled at West Moors and has now a son and daughter. Teresa Salisbury (Lane) is in Essex, where her husband has his medical practice. Pat Ogden (Buck) keeps in touch with me from Hong Kong. Another of my correspondents is Mary Crocker (Hannigan), who has a boy and two girls. They live in Northwood, London. I had a long letter from Jane O'Brien (Thurgood) telling me of her four children . . . . Now for some information about myself. You know I have been working in the estate agency business for the last couple of years.

Early this year I sat for my State exams - which I passed and am now a licensed Estate Agent. I enjoy it very much. I deal with very high priced Beverly Hills houses and luxury estates (complete with swimming pool, chauffeur's quarters, private Swedish steam baths, etc.). I meet most interesting people who are buying or selling their Beverly Hills houses.

Rex Harrison and his wife rented a lovely house here, while he was filming `My Fair Lady', and many world figures seem to have some association with Beverly Hills." If Ronaleen is as fascinating to her clients as her long letters are to read, we have no doubt of her success at her work.