![Our Lady’s Convent, Daventry Street; view from the garden showing convent and courtyard. [1930s]. | Warwickshire County Record Office reference PH352/165/10](https://d23iiv8m8qvdxi.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ph352-165-10-275x166.jpg "Our Lady’s Convent, Daventry Street")
My name is Diana Mentor (nee Harris) and I currently live in New Zealand. I emigrated from the UK in 1954. Recently I was talking to my daughter about my life in England when my thoughts went back to my school days.
Safety in the country
In 1940 the bombing of Birmingham was at its height. My parents decided to send me to a boarding school in the country where it was safer. Friends of my parents decided to send their daughter Julia to the same boarding school, so I was not going to be alone. The one they chose was the Our Lady’s Convent. The entrance to the Church can just be seen in the first picture, between the two buildings in the direct foreground. The Nuns’ living quarters were in the building in the centre foreground, and the boarders were housed in the larger building on the right of the photograph. Looking now at the old photograph of the Convent it looks very “Dickensian”. This building was demolished in 2015 to make way for some development.
So from 1940 to 1942 I was a boarder at Our Lady’s Convent. I was not Catholic, but all Faiths were welcomed. We were two little girls away from their parents in a strange place, but at least we had each other.
Our parents would come to visit us alternate months, travel was restricted as petrol was rationed. They would take us out for tea in the village that was a real treat and one we looked forward to.
Away from home
I remember the dormitory rows of little iron bedsteads covered with white counterpanes. Each child had a chest of drawers next to their bed on which stood a wash bowl and on a hook beside it their washbag. There were, as far as I remember around 12 girls of my age group in the dormitory room in which I was housed. Being an only child, sharing my living space was rather overwhelming at first. I was very homesick, and I remember I cried rather a lot until I settled in. Our dormitory was supervised by a Nun who had a curtained partition in the corner where she slept, so giggling and talking were forbidden after lights out.
The refectory if I remember correctly was downstairs from the dormitory. We all sat at long tables and the food was served to us. In particular I remember the long French bread – this was delivered from the village baker. I remember it well for it was not white but a grey colour; we were always so hungry, as children are, so we didn’t seem to mind it being an unusual colour. Cooked swedes were served quite a lot. I hated them and even to this day, the very thought of them now turns my stomach.
Diana recalls other regular events during her time at the convent in part two.
Comments
My great grandmother and great great aunt were sent to Southam convent in the 1880s and I’m wondering if there are any records of what it would have been like in those days? I know it was first opened in the early 1880s and that it was run by nuns that had escaped from abroad and only spoke German.
Hi Diana,
My mother was also a border from 1940, she was only four years old arriving at Our Lady’s Convent. She was also an only child, born in Coventry and sent away for own safety.
Mum moved to Ireland when she was 13 and has lived here since. It was a great pleasure to share your recollections with her. Thank you.
Dear Diana.
I was also a border at Our Ladies Convent. My home being in Coventry, which as you will be aware was bombed repeatedly. My closest friend there was from Ostend. Her name was Denice. I often wondered how she found her family after the war. It was interesting finding your comments. I now live in Australia. Strange we both moved to the southern shores. Regards Catherine.
My sisters and I came to the orphanage in approximately 1965 until at least 1969
Would love to hear from people that may remember Lorraine, Diane, Maxine and baby Tracy.
Maybe Juliet or Catherine?
I live in Australia now but my family are still in the UK
I also lived there in the 70’s. I don’t remember the exact dates. I seem to remember one boy who I remember crying the I eventually left there. I would love to hear from anyone who remembers me.
Hello,
I am trying to track down a name that I think might have associated with the convent – Agnes Mary Edwards. She is buried in the churchyard of St James in Southam in the same grave as my Great Aunt Evelyn. I can find no family connection to Agnes but my Great Aunt turned to the Catholic church towards the end of her life and I wondered if they had met there. Agnes died in 1940 aged about 65.
I can’t find her in any census after 1891, maybe if she was a nun she had a different name. I can’t find the nuns in any census either. Does the name ring any bells with anyone?
What a lovely site, brought back many memories.
In recent years I visited Southam and found the building boarded up. Sadly
I and my younger sister were resident at Southam convent between 1965-1967 approx. It is strainge that experience that was traumatic at the time, is remembered now with some fondness.
I specifically remember walking in the courtyard garden and sitting in the shrine, Dancing (running) around a common room with other children to Cliff Richard singing “out in the country “ playing on a wind up gramophone. And being cast as grumpy in the school performance of Snow White. A part for which I may have been suited at the time, and not because of any talent unfortunately.
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