I went there, it was a bloody miserable place. My Mother went there, she hated it. the only good thing were the soft bread rolls at breakfast. Not sure what there was to rejoice about. The nuns used to work on 6th formers to become nuns. Grim life.
I went to wee St. Pats in Mc Lean Place with SisterJulie Marie and Sister Gertrude and I had a happy time there, on the whole. I’m still in touch with some of my classmates so I think that speaks volumes. I went to Notre Dame Clerkhill for two years before emigrating to Vancouver, Canada in 1964 and I paid a visit to Sister Julie Marie one holiday back home. She and Sister Gertrude remembered me and I was touched by that. Also, I remember our janitor, Mr McFall, whose son is now Lord John Mc Fall, Speaker Lord in the House of Lords. I’m proud to belong to Dumbarton and Notre Dame Clerkhill.
I attended both St pats, Primary when Sister Julie Marie and Sister Gertrude were in charge and Clerkhill High School. There were no boarders at Clerkhill by the time I got there.
Both schools gave me lots of opportunities that I have appreciated in later life and have stayed with me. This is true for bringing up my family and throughout my professional life.
Their ethos and approach taught me how to accept my own children and support them in many different parts of their lives no matter what problems came. I went on to Edinburgh University and specialised in the teaching of children with complex needs. The Notre Dame nuns taught and supported many girls who had lots of needs and gave dignity and hope to women and girls who often had traumatic home lives at that time, the 1960s and 1970s. There is an initiative in parliament at the moment for helping families in poverty with free school meals, including breakfast. The Notre Dame nuns were doing this sixty years ago. They made sure no child was left unshod and made sure they had coats in the winter. They did this in a private way. I know because my mother gave clothes and shoes when the nuns asked her to help.
I could go on about how inclusive their approach was and give lots of examples which touched many lives. They made a huge impact on a community that had varied resources and suppoŕt as well as delivering an interesting and inspiring education to up to 4 generations of children. Dumbarton has been very fortunate to have had them touch their lives .
my mum elizabth theresa carroll and her two sisters, helena winifred and kathleen moira attended clerkhill as did i. their names were on the rotunda.
mine was not because after 2 years the notre dame order had a new mother general, an american i believe it was, and she shut down all the boarding part of the notre dame schools across the world.
it was devastating to the nun who go into a teaching order for a reason.
myself , my mum and aunts we were all boarders and the same nuns were running the place 20 years later when i attended!
i have many fond memories of clerkhill – the secret garden – the walks along the forth to the carmelite convent – the latin mass and sacred music – the piano and ballet lessons – the many laughs etc.
the nuns were a fine example for young girls and my grandfather, playwright paul vincent carroll always said that the nuns did a fine job of my mum and aunts.
during ww2 – dumbarton was bombed because of the proximity of the shipyards.
gf and gm lived on queen mary road in glasgow.
gf joined the war effort (i believe it was the blackwatch regiment) and sent “the 3 wonders” lol and my granny to ireland, which was neutral.
when the school closed the boarding part – i attended kilgraston, convent of the sacred heart in bridge of earn, perthshire.
after ww2 my aunts emigrated to new york and my mum went to spain. my mum eventually emigrates to the usa also.
fast foward many years later and when doing a road trip through scotland with my teenage son – we turned down that long drive. i wanted my son to see clerkhill – where his granny and mum rec’d some of the ed. the shock was palpable. clerkhill was in ruins! it was so sad. we walked through the ruins as much as we could but it was rather unsafe! the chapel was the saddest. burned out – but the huge crucifix above the alter was still hanging albeit askew.
i found a plaster “rose” that was on the ground – the notre dame order’s symbol. anyway went up the rossen house? (dont recall the name) up by on the hill inside the grounds of the secret garden and knocked on the door. a very old nun answered and we chatted for while. she actually remembered my mum – being good at the piano (she became a professional musician and later music producer). she specifically recalle my mum playing “in the mood’ on the piano as a child – which my mum taught us to play when we were kids – so i knew for sure the nun actually remembered my mum. can’t recall the nun’s name – but she had another funny antedote about my mum, that is she always was being called up for “the gap” ? the gap was the space between one’s stocking and the bottom of one’s skirt. not allowed to have a gap inn those days lol!
anyway – i still have the plaster rose and my mum laughed when i asked her about “the gap”.
my other fond memory was a huge trunk that had odd cold fashioned clothing that we loved to play dress up with. i actually have a photo of one of those afternoons at clerkhill.
it was so sad to see the place a ruin. it rather jolted the memories.
but now i understand it’s all been taken down and fancy condos erected. i can understand why – it’s prime property overlooking the water.
anyway – just wanted to impart my 2 cents worth for prosperities sake.
someone made a rude comment above about it being miserable. well perhaps they are just unhappy people because none of us ever thought it miserable – we are thankful for the both the wonderful religious and regular education the nuns gave us and the fun times too. and as for the food – it was good when both myself and my mum attended – so i don’t know what that lady is talking about? the nuns grew some of the food in the garden and we had lots of fresh veggies – that great angus beef and scottish salmon and great bread.
can’t get better than that!!!
the sisters of the notre dame’s moto is “help all and harm none”
i don’t recall the latin version but it is something i have lived by all my life. am 71
MAKE THE CHURCH GREAT AGAIN
I went there, it was a bloody miserable place. My Mother went there, she hated it. the only good thing were the soft bread rolls at breakfast. Not sure what there was to rejoice about. The nuns used to work on 6th formers to become nuns. Grim life.
I went to wee St. Pats in Mc Lean Place with SisterJulie Marie and Sister Gertrude and I had a happy time there, on the whole. I’m still in touch with some of my classmates so I think that speaks volumes. I went to Notre Dame Clerkhill for two years before emigrating to Vancouver, Canada in 1964 and I paid a visit to Sister Julie Marie one holiday back home. She and Sister Gertrude remembered me and I was touched by that. Also, I remember our janitor, Mr McFall, whose son is now Lord John Mc Fall, Speaker Lord in the House of Lords. I’m proud to belong to Dumbarton and Notre Dame Clerkhill.
Josephine Anderson (nee Harrison)
I attended both St pats, Primary when Sister Julie Marie and Sister Gertrude were in charge and Clerkhill High School. There were no boarders at Clerkhill by the time I got there.
Both schools gave me lots of opportunities that I have appreciated in later life and have stayed with me. This is true for bringing up my family and throughout my professional life.
Their ethos and approach taught me how to accept my own children and support them in many different parts of their lives no matter what problems came. I went on to Edinburgh University and specialised in the teaching of children with complex needs. The Notre Dame nuns taught and supported many girls who had lots of needs and gave dignity and hope to women and girls who often had traumatic home lives at that time, the 1960s and 1970s. There is an initiative in parliament at the moment for helping families in poverty with free school meals, including breakfast. The Notre Dame nuns were doing this sixty years ago. They made sure no child was left unshod and made sure they had coats in the winter. They did this in a private way. I know because my mother gave clothes and shoes when the nuns asked her to help.
I could go on about how inclusive their approach was and give lots of examples which touched many lives. They made a huge impact on a community that had varied resources and suppoŕt as well as delivering an interesting and inspiring education to up to 4 generations of children. Dumbarton has been very fortunate to have had them touch their lives .
my mum elizabth theresa carroll and her two sisters, helena winifred and kathleen moira attended clerkhill as did i. their names were on the rotunda.
mine was not because after 2 years the notre dame order had a new mother general, an american i believe it was, and she shut down all the boarding part of the notre dame schools across the world.
it was devastating to the nun who go into a teaching order for a reason.
myself , my mum and aunts we were all boarders and the same nuns were running the place 20 years later when i attended!
i have many fond memories of clerkhill – the secret garden – the walks along the forth to the carmelite convent – the latin mass and sacred music – the piano and ballet lessons – the many laughs etc.
the nuns were a fine example for young girls and my grandfather, playwright paul vincent carroll always said that the nuns did a fine job of my mum and aunts.
during ww2 – dumbarton was bombed because of the proximity of the shipyards.
gf and gm lived on queen mary road in glasgow.
gf joined the war effort (i believe it was the blackwatch regiment) and sent “the 3 wonders” lol and my granny to ireland, which was neutral.
when the school closed the boarding part – i attended kilgraston, convent of the sacred heart in bridge of earn, perthshire.
after ww2 my aunts emigrated to new york and my mum went to spain. my mum eventually emigrates to the usa also.
fast foward many years later and when doing a road trip through scotland with my teenage son – we turned down that long drive. i wanted my son to see clerkhill – where his granny and mum rec’d some of the ed. the shock was palpable. clerkhill was in ruins! it was so sad. we walked through the ruins as much as we could but it was rather unsafe! the chapel was the saddest. burned out – but the huge crucifix above the alter was still hanging albeit askew.
i found a plaster “rose” that was on the ground – the notre dame order’s symbol. anyway went up the rossen house? (dont recall the name) up by on the hill inside the grounds of the secret garden and knocked on the door. a very old nun answered and we chatted for while. she actually remembered my mum – being good at the piano (she became a professional musician and later music producer). she specifically recalle my mum playing “in the mood’ on the piano as a child – which my mum taught us to play when we were kids – so i knew for sure the nun actually remembered my mum. can’t recall the nun’s name – but she had another funny antedote about my mum, that is she always was being called up for “the gap” ? the gap was the space between one’s stocking and the bottom of one’s skirt. not allowed to have a gap inn those days lol!
anyway – i still have the plaster rose and my mum laughed when i asked her about “the gap”.
my other fond memory was a huge trunk that had odd cold fashioned clothing that we loved to play dress up with. i actually have a photo of one of those afternoons at clerkhill.
it was so sad to see the place a ruin. it rather jolted the memories.
but now i understand it’s all been taken down and fancy condos erected. i can understand why – it’s prime property overlooking the water.
anyway – just wanted to impart my 2 cents worth for prosperities sake.
someone made a rude comment above about it being miserable. well perhaps they are just unhappy people because none of us ever thought it miserable – we are thankful for the both the wonderful religious and regular education the nuns gave us and the fun times too. and as for the food – it was good when both myself and my mum attended – so i don’t know what that lady is talking about? the nuns grew some of the food in the garden and we had lots of fresh veggies – that great angus beef and scottish salmon and great bread.
can’t get better than that!!!
the sisters of the notre dame’s moto is “help all and harm none”
i don’t recall the latin version but it is something i have lived by all my life. am 71
MAKE THE CHURCH GREAT AGAIN
*posterity’s sake – oops wrote prosperities by mistake lol