Re-connect with Carla Benest

Pupil at Beaulieu from 1990 to 2001

Beaulieu was always the school which Carla’s mother had wanted for her daughter.  However, her name had not been put down in time for Carla to attend reception class.  “Some girls had their names down 12 years before they were born!” jokes Carla.  But after brief stays at two other schools, a place became available due to a family moving away from Jersey, and the future advocate was able to become a member of Miss Connery’s Year 3 class.

Carla’s memories of her time in the Junior School include how Sister Aline would astound the class by guessing the contents of her end-of-term presents by simply looking at them or feeling them.  She says others of her generation will remember “Badger Girl”, a TV programme which was watched in class and on which homework was set.  “There weren’t too many shocking incidents at that age,” says Carla, “But one unfortunate child did wet her knickers in class.  It wasn’t me!” she adds.

The angle of the mirrors in the toilets allowed the trick of raising one arm and leg to produce the illusion of both arms and legs being raised.  (What some very old people will remember as stunt done by TV comedian Harry Worth, back in the 60s).  Carla also recalls with some pride her days in Mrs Charlton’s class.  “We were the “big girls” and prefects, too!”  She still has her macramé pot-holder from those days.  She cannot remember why she went to drum lessons.  Her mother did not sanction them but somehow she followed her friend and joined in!

In her senior school career, Carla developed an enjoyment of modern languages and is grateful to Mrs Garton for her guidance in French and German.  Sport was also a favourite, especially hockey, netball and tennis.  She hated cross-country.  Textiles was one area of the curriculum which Carla found “challenging”.  She is somewhat embarrassed that her two projects - a jester and a kimono – were never completed.

Another teacher whom Carla remembers fondly is Mr Horne, partly for his famous “Triangle Song” and also because he was in charge of the school bells which regularly needed adjusting.  This meant that science lessons often ended with a Quasimodo impersonation as the teacher rushed out of the lab shouting ‘The bells, the bells!’  And like all her generation, she says she learnt at an early age that ‘a lot’ is two words.

Carla’s close friends were Sarah Huelin, Fiona Connelly, Laura Hendrick and Kirsten Faichnie.  The school’s relatively small size meant that it was easy to get to know most people in all years.  One of the highlights of the year for Carla was Feast Day, December 8^th, and although she was never too keen on the sticky buns she thoroughly enjoyed the knockabout humour of the show that followed the Mass.  At that time, of course, the whole senior school fitted in the gym.  Compare that with the current situation where we now only just all fit into St Mary and St Peter’s Church!

Carla took English, French and Sociology at ‘A’ level.  In her year-group everyone got on well with each other, except for the time in the common room when one group of friends insisted on playing the same song over and over again until the fur flew!  But if life got her down or she was suffering from a tummy ache, Carla well remembers the one person to whom she, and all others, would go to for sympathy and remedy – Mrs James.

Her University career took Carla to Nottingham Trent, not a place she was particularly keen on at first, but she stayed 4 years, graduating in law and completing her LAC.  Returning to Jersey, she was first employed at Crill’s then at Mourant’s where today she specialises in employment law and litigation.  Work colleagues include fellow Beaulieu past pupils Sarah Huelin, Eloise Layzell and Fritha Ford.  The Beaulieu Foundation would like to wish Carla and her new husband Matt every health and happiness together.