1926-1932 Canynge House School
In 1926 the building was bought by Miss Cowell for a girls' school, Canynge House.
Mrs Seligman, who taught at Canynge House for a year or two, passed on the following memories of the school and of buildings as they were then.
What is now the Oak Chapel (built in the early twentieth century as a billiard room) was the Headmistress's dining room. What is now the front lounge [now known as Carey Lounge], to the left of the front hall, was her drawing room. The the girls felt it was not fair that she should have such a large room for herself.
The new brick fireplace in the front hall (now the college reception) was put in when the original Adams fireplace was sold to America.
The small room behind the stairs, now the librarian's office, was called the Chip Room because it had wood chips on the floor on which stood potted palms.
The front room to the right of the front hall, now the Principal's study, was the girls' dining room.
The ballroom, now the Upper Library (bottom photo, right), was a dancing room; it has a sprung floor. The girls did Greek dancing. The room had green velour wallpaper and was also used as an exam room.
The room under the ballroom, now the Lower Library, was a play room.
There was a swimming pool in the garden pavilion, in what is now Trinity College chapel (main picture).
The Quad was used for staff accommodation.
The girls were not allowed to use the front stairs but had to go up and down the back ones.
The front room on the second floor, which is currently Trinty College's Courses Office and a faculty member's study, was a single room that served as a dormitory for six younger girls. The matron slept in the small room over the front porch so that she could look after them in the night if necessary.
It was very cold in winter as the heating was inadequate.
Mrs Seligman slept in rooms at the top of Stoke House and had to use the bathrooms on the next floor down. There were two baths in what is now the staff kitchen, the right hand rear room on the first floor. The lavatory was where it is now.
The girls went to St Mary's Church twice on Sundays. They played rounders outside and were allowed to play tennis on the lawns. There was some mown grass but otherwise the grounds were a hayfield.
