At the beginning of the summer term in 1937 we had another addition to our staff, Jenny Berger from Zurich in Switzerland. Some years before Eleanor and my sister-in-law’s sister, Marjorie, had gone on a History of Art Tour in the company of like-minded people and had ended in Zurich where the ladies of the party were entertained by the ladies of Zurich. Eleanor and Marjorie had been allotted to Fraulein Muller who taught English in the Girls Seminary in Zurich and had continued to correspond. Eleanor now wrote to her and asked if she had a pupil in the school who spoke good French and who would like to come to England as French mistress in a school in order to learn English herself. Jenny Berger who was just leaving school wanted to come to England that Summer to be a bridesmaid to her cousin who had lived some years in England (her father was in the Diplomatic Service) and had been educated at a school in Surbiton. She had met a young officer in a Scottish regiment and become engaged and they were about to be married. Jenny and her mother came over for the wedding having communicated with us about coming to The Spinney, and were staying with the bride's mother in Surbiton when they met some old friends of ours. They mentioned that they were going next day to a little village called Bookham near Leatherhead where Jenny was hoping to go and teach French. 'What,' they cried, 'not The Spinney?' So a friendly footing was established straight away. One of the many instances in which The Spinney was linked up with so many people that we dealt with. Jenny and her mother came down that afternoon and we had tea in the garden and thus began a very happy association that continues to this present day. Jenny was with us till the end of the next summer term and when she left it was with the understanding that I should visit her and her family in Zurich that August.

As the school grew we were able to take part in many outside interests. In the autumn term of 1937 we had our own tray of poppies to sell in the school and made £1.9s1d for the Poppy Day collection. Miss Smythe from the League of Pity came in November to collect toys and clothes for her League of Pity cupboard. So many children both present and old pupils brought things there was only just room for her and her chauffeur to squeeze into the car. In later years the Inspector from Guildford came in the Christmas term to collect toys for and from the children. In the Autumn term we had Harvest Festival at the school when children brought flowers and fruit and vegetables from their own gardens and we had a Harvest Service at prayers. These were taken up to St John's Church in the Waterloo Road. It so happened that we knew one of the young curates at the church, when he was a small boy his family lived near us in Cottenham Park. I got in touch with him and, taking two of the elder girls with me, we drove up to Waterloo in the school car. The most notable thing we took with us was the sackful of horse chestnuts. One of his Sunday School boys had said: 'D'ye know where I can get chestnuts, mister?' Well we could certainly provide those. Beside the chestnut spinney there were two big chestnut trees in the lower part of the school grounds. The larger and more noble of the two was indeed a 'spreading chestnut tree'. The little boarders used to play underneath it on a summer evening even in a shower of rain and not get wet. When eventually the school was closed and the land was sold for building and every tree and leaf and blade of grass was cleared away the chestnut tree alone was spared and it stands in the middle of the road at the end of the cul de sac surrounded by houses and shorn of all its lower branches but still the same tree.

In the November of the same year some of the children went to St Nicholas Church to see the scenes from the Church History of Great Bookham when members of the congregation took the part of some of their forebears who had worshipped in the church in generations past on special occasions such as the Dedication of the new chapel in 1341, Thanksgiving for deliverance from the Armada, Presentation of the new Church Plate in the time of Charles II, Evensong in the 18th Century.

These scenes were compiled by me at the time of the restoration of the Slyfieid Chapel and were inspired by the Memorials in the Church to those who had worshipped there in generations past. After the war they were produced again and since then the production every five years has become something of a tradition. The complete 'book' together with the music, stage directions and the names of all those who have taken part on any occasion has been handed over to the Rector and Churchwardens of Great Bookham in perpetuity.

Perhaps the highlights of that year are the more memorable because of the serious time of the International Crises which the nation experienced soon after school had re-assembled for the autumn term. Because of the threat of war some parents were prepared to send their children further away from London, and two of our number actually did go. On the other hand two new boarders came to the school because their home was in a built-up area near an aerodrome. Then came what was known as the Munich Conference, war was averted and peace restored, for a time.

Several of our elder pupils had left either then or the previous summer and had presented the school with very useful accessories. Anita's parents gave an epidiascope which was much in use for showing pictures and/or objects illustrating the accompanying lesson. Mr. and Mrs. Wallis (later Sir Barnes and Lady Wallis) gave a beautiful wireless set on which we listened to Geography and English lessons and to Miss Ann Driver's Music and Movement. We also listened to outside events such as the Armistice Day Service (a reminder of the 1914/18 war). Antonia's present was an aquarium which afforded much interest. Two acquisitions which were much used were the hilltop slide from Rosemary and Patrick Bogue and a swing and kumback set from Mr and Mrs Rose. Mrs Dibdin gave a little bronze figure of an athlete as a trophy for the prize-winner at sports and cups were presented by Pat Kingham, Noel Jean Geddes and Miss Trickey. Sally Allchild who was a boarder for four years during the war presented us with a silver inkstand engraved 'with affection and happy memories of my school days at The Spinney Prep School.' It stands on my desk before me as I write.