Linden Hurst College for Girls, St.Annes

|
Linden Hurst College for Ladies was founded
sometime before 1895. In that year it is listed as being at
19, South Promenade (pictured left), Principal Miss Gardner. This is now part of
the Dalmeney Hotel block.
By 1911, the Principal was Miss Mark and about that time the school moved into
Arnhall (pictured right) St.Anne's Rd
West.
Linden Hurst College merged with St.Annes College for Girls in
the 1930's
|
 |
Below is an article from Faces & Places vol4 N.S. July
1904.
|
The tendency to-day is to specialise. There is another tendency
which is not of today-the tendency for things that are alike to concentrate and
gather to the same place. This is very true in relation to education. Speaking in
this respect of St. Annes, a visitor who had just made the acquaintance of this
health giving place, said: " Why, every second house seems' to be a school!”
|

There is a reason why these schools abound. In our cities every
school which is erected is built because there are children to be educated and
every school means the presence of children. It is impossible for this rule to
apply in St. Annes. Her whole population is less than ten thousand. The real reason
is this: when parents are thinking of sending their children away to school they
choose the most healthy place they can find. The reason why there are so many
schools in St. Annes is that the place is so healthy. The death rate last year was
8.7 per thousand, and the average death rate for the past fifteen years is only 9.3
per thousand. A contemporary, writing on St. Annes, says:
|
"St. Annes is singularly free from epidemic troubles, the
deaths from the seven principal zymotic diseases, smallpox, measles, scarlet fever,
diphtheria, whooping cough, fever, and diarrhoea being but four in number. The
district owes much of its immunity from diseases of the kind enumerated above to
the fact that it has a sandy sub-soil, a complete system of drainage gravitating to
the sea, and streets of tarred macadam”.
“So clear are the thoroughfares, they have the appearance of having been gone over
by some careful housewife with a crumb brush and tray. The air is like wine - wine
without any lees in it - dry and bracing and health giving it comes from the great
Atlantic oxygen ozone stores, and is guaranteed pure and unadulterated."
One of the most pleasantly and healthily situated of all the
schools in St. Annes is Linden Hurst College. It has won a good name amongst
educationists and parents, and its history has been one of well-earned success. The
present principals are Miss Mark and Miss Guelder, both of whom are enthusiasts as
teachers, and have a wide experience in the profession.
Miss Mark succeeded the Misses Gardiner about a year and a half
ago, after having taught in the school for six years. Miss Mark and Miss Guelder
give personal attention to their pupils, and they are ably assisted by a capable
staff of certificated governesses and visiting masters. In addition to a thoroughly
practical, all-round education, the school possesses a very happy home life, and
the influence exerted by the Principals and the staff is such as to guide them in
all that becomes a lady, and enable them to take their places in society.
|

The house is not only excellent for situation, but it is
admirably well built. The rooms are lofty, light, and airy; indeed, there is not a
dull spot in the whole establishment. In passing through the rooms on the occasion
of the visit which the Principals were good enough to allow us to make, we noticed,
in every room those little touches and :treasures which always indicate the
presence of an educated lady; and which differentiate a home from a mere
dwellingplace. This was the case, whether it was seen in the flowers in the
drawing-room or the little tasteful devices of .the dormitories.
Where the home life has such attention, parents may rest
confident that backward children and smaller children have special care.
Astronomers tell us that the smallest planets are the nearest the sun; just in the
same way the smallest child is nearest the teacher's heart when that teacher's
heart is like the sun-warm, generous, and luminous. As we have said, the curriculum
consists of an all-round education, in which the pupils have the stimulus of
preparing for examinations, including the Oxford and Cambridge. In regard to
exercise and recreation, provision is made for tennis, and, for hockey, which has
become so fashionable as a good, sensible winter recreation.
|
One of our photographs is a
picture of the girls playing on the tennis court, which is provided by the
school in the St. George's Gardens. Instruction in physical culture is given
by Miss King May, one of the foremost of its Manchester exponents. The pupils
practise this and deportment for a short time every morning after prayers-an
admirable juxtaposition, we think – after the cultivation of the soul, a few
minutes for the training of the tabernacle in which the soul abides.
In addition to these forms of recreation, the girls find fine and health-giving
happiness in bathing and swimming. The salt water being near, advantage is taken of
its tonic in refreshing and building up the ?????? growing girls. Another
delightful ?????? is enjoying the fresh air is found in the ?????? and Wednesday
cycle rides. In both these exercises the pupils are accompanied by both of the
Principals. Each Christmas the pupils give a little French play and an English
play. The idea commends itself to us greatly. There are so many advantages. First,
it enables the pupils to overcome that tremulousness which seems to be inherent to
all first efforts at public speech. Then it gives the participators an opportunity
of mastering accent and intonation in both languages. It cultivates the memory,
and it gives unbounded delight to those who have the pleasure of listening.
The school has the cordial
commendation of all who have had young people trained there, and an idea of
its standing may be gathered from the fact that such well-known and
representative names as Rev. H. E. Butler, vicar of St. Annes Canon Riddall,
D.D.; of Belfast; Dr. Anderton, of New Mills; Percy Woodhouse, Esq., J.P., of
Marple Bridge; Rev. Charles Handcock, of Pannal, Harrogate; Mr. Bles,
Broughton Park, Manchester; and Sir John Mark, of Mold, appear on its list of
patrons. In the teaching of music, the pupils have the assistance of Mr.
Locke, the accomplished organist of the parish church.
Article from Faces & Places vol4 N.S. July 1904.
|
|
|