Greenways Preparatory School, Codford St Mary post 1969. Miss PILLOW, Matron

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi, Everyone,
I suppose this is not strictly a family history enquiry, though in fact Greenways Preparatory School was in effect a small family in itself - it felt very much like that while I was there between 1955 and 1960 at Ashton Gifford House, nearby Codford St Mary.
The school closed in 1969, having been there from 1940, moving from Bognor Regis because of wartime concerns about German bombing on the coast there.
I am particularly wondering what became of our Matron, rather a mythical figure, but known as Miss PILLOW.  I think she was a spinster, some say that her forename was Rikki or Rickie, but although PILLOW is not a commonly occurring surname, I have been unable to find someone of this name anywhere.  No certainty about her age then - little boys are really not very good at guessing - but looking back I would say she might have been in her mid forties.
Any subsequent trace of her, or of her origins would be gratefully received!
Keith

[CaroleW]

Lot of female Pillow births.  Strange christian name

Have you tries social media in case anybody remembers her?

Also - people often looked older than they were "back in the day"😂

[rosie99]

She also seemed to be involved with the cubs around the time you were there, sadly newspaper articles don't give a first name for her 

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi again, Carole!
Thanks so much for responding...and yes, the forename doesn't really fit the woman as I remember her.  Perhaps a form of Ulrike/Ulrika or Erica/Frederica. And  she could have been in her fifties, possibly.  She was also an expert in Country Dancing/Morris Dancing, and we used to win prizes at the annual(?) Country Dancing Festival at Devizes.  She was also Akela for our Cubs.  Strict but fair.  Nightly inspection  before bed was teeth, ears, hands, knees, and you had to tick a book, honestly or dishonestly, to say whether you'd managed to do a poo that day.  Also the doling out of those big dollops of a gruesome malt or cod liver oil substance...
K

[rosie99]

I wonder if the name Rikki is something to do with her work with the cubs 

[Keith Sherwood]

...and hi again, Rosie99, too!
Ah, yes indeed. If anyone didn't have or need a forename in those days it was her.  Not even an initial?  But maybe not quite the past of a Miss Haversham.
Keith
Oh, do explain the connection between Rikki and the cubs....

[rosie99]

Jungle Book 

She is older than you thought,  her name appears to be Gladys.  You can find her at the school in 1939
 

[rosie99]

Baptised at Dover - Birth 19th November 1906. Bapt 6th January 1907 - parents George Walter & Helen Florence Pillow

[rosie99]

PILLOW, GLADYS  AGNES     Born 1906 
GRO Reference:  DOR  Q1/1995 in HORSHAM  (7831)  Reg 38C  Entry Number 60