Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
St Mary’s Priory on St Ann’s Road
Is there anyone here that went to St Mary’s Priory (Convent), when it was still a fee paying school? I was in the last Prep 4 in 1966, going on to St Angela’s at Wood Green…a school that fell far short of the standard of education and pastoral care that St Mary’s provided.
The grounds stretched all the way to the railway embankment, we had the convent garden to roam in and enormous playgrounds.
The nuns were calmly strict and very encouraging. I revisited the convent four years ago, most of the land has been built on…but the garden and cemetery were still intact.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Shulver on
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Is that the convent beyond St Anns Hospital, Christine ? I used to go to South Grove SM near opposite.
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Permalink Reply by Christine Yates on
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Hello John,
I had a school friend who lived at 16 South Grove: Geraldine Samuel’s, she went on to Our Lady’s at Stamford Hill, also run by the Servites.
The convent grounds ran from Hermitage Road, right up to the railway embankment and then down to Suffolk Road…I may have the road name wrong, but certainly to the first road past the convent on the right. Presently there are new houses from the corner of Hermitage and St Ann’s Road. Originally there were four, four storey Victorian houses there, one of whom was lived in by the Ricker family, Andrew was in my class and his brother a Malcom was a year above.
The main building had a wonderful main chapel with a side chapel where we made our first Communion. The nuns used the main chapel for mass, each nun having her own side chair. The chapel was enormous with a tableau alter of Christ with his ,other and Mary Magdalen, having just removed him from the his cross.
There was a large choir loft and equally large organ that was played either by Sr Anthony or Sr Theodore. Ones you were in Prep 3 and Prep4 you had the privilege to sing at Friday benediction. All of the Christian effects have been removed now, the side chapel pews are gone too.
It was a magical place, calm, well ordered and no one slipped through. I feel blessed and lucky that my parents gave me such a good start. I passed my 11+ only to go to what was the most awful grammar school: St Angela’s at Wood Green. No pastoral care, no empathy, no support. Bullying was rife.
I hope this bit of info has helped. St Mary’s was a wonderful place of learning.
xxx
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