Claudine (and Angela) at St Clare's

The Honourable Angela Favorleigh

Angela arrived on her first day in a big car with a crest on the panels and two chauffeurs. 

Luggage: posh new trunk, three beautiful tennis rackets; and a handbag with gold initials on.

Physical features: pale golden hair bobbed like angels in pictures; a pointed face like a pixie; and a voice like a princess.

School uniform beautifully made.

Shoes custom made.

Handbags with gold initials on to match every frock.

Has a third cousin who is a Prince and has his own aeroplane.

Has seven bathrooms in her family home.

Unexpectedly good swimmer, deft and swift.

Plays a neat and deft game of tennis.

Angela's parents own a Rolls-Bentley, black with a small green line plus a chauffeur wearing a uniform of black with green piping to match the car.

Angela's mother (Pamela) was a vision of beauty with golden hair and brilliant blue eyes. She looked very young and was dressed in a most exquisite fashion.

Angela's father was a tall, soldierly-looking man,

with rather a serious face.

The harsh and loud complaining voice of Angela’s 'wonderful' mother could be heard very often indeed that afternoon. Complaints included: 

• The 'unbecoming' school uniform (unbearably terrible school shoes with the flat heels and ugly dress)

• The hard bench that she had to sit on to watch the tennis-matches

• The 'terrible' tea (they might at least provide China tea, you know I can’t drink Indian tea)

• The 'awfully dry' cake that she could hardly eat  (when told to leave the cake, she dropped the cake on the ground, where it could be trodden underfoot)

Beautiful as she was, attractive and exquisite in her dress and looks, the lovely face was spoilt by an expression of discontent and boredom.

She also did not praise the pictures in the art exhibition, neither did she show any enthusiasm for the pottery work. She was forced to express a good opinion on Claudine’s cushion-cover, because Mam’zelle stood there like a dragon, looking so fierce that every one felt they must praise her niece’s handiwork.

She cattily remarked very loudly that Mam'zelle was awful and dowdy.

St. Clare’s was proud of their swimming pool for it was one of the finest and biggest owned by any school in the kingdom. The water lapped against the sides, a beautiful blue-green colour. 

But even here, Angela’s mother had fault to find. When told that they changed the water twice a week, sometimes three times, she gave a little disgusted squeal and said: 

• Good gracious! To think they can’t even change the water every day! 

• What a school, I really must make a complaint about it. 

• Angela, you are not to bathe in the pool unless the water has just been changed. I forbid it. 

• I never did like the idea of sending you here. It’s a second-rate school, I think. I wanted to send you to High Towers School. Such a nice school! I can’t think why your father wanted to send you here.

No, Angela’s mother was certainly not a success! Beautiful she might be, expensive she certainly was, but she had none of the graciousness of the

twins’ mother; or the common sense of Bobby’s jolly-looking mother; or the affection of Gladys’s plainly-dressed but sweet-faced mother.

 

However, she did approve of the pretty and dainty Alison:

• I must say you look a little more attractive than some of the girls here. One or two that Angela had introduced me to have been perfect frights!

When the bell rung telling people to go and watch the swimming, she said: Oh! Must they ring bells like that! How crude!’ 

Whilst sitting at the front edge of the baths watching the swimming, Angela's mother looked disgusted when a drop of water splashed on to her beautiful frock. She shook it daintily and tried to move backwards a little-but other people were behind her and she couldn’t.

Claudine

Niece of Mam'zelle (aunt Mathilde).

Description: small, dark and smart with a cheeky look.

Borrows items from other students and forgets to return them.

Hates the water and thinks swimming is not a good thing; it's a horrible thing; wet, cold and shivery.

Thinks tennis is a so silly game.

Likes sewing and darning.

Doesn't like lessons outdoors. Thinks the sun is too hot; it is not pretty to get burnt and it is ugly to grow freckles.

Detests nature walks.

Accidentally on purpose fell from the gallery balcony and into the the water below where the parents were sitting. She made a most terrific splash. The water rose up and fell all over Angela’s mother, soaking her from head to foot!

Locked the cover Matron into a cupboard so that she didn't discover and spoil their moonlight swim and picnic.

Finally understands the 'English sense of honour' during her fifth form at St Clare's.

All the information in this post was derived from Claudine at St Clare's written by Enid Blyton