Re-connect with Rosemary Le Cornu (nee Morel)

Pupil at Beaulieu from 1955 to 1962

 9 year old Rosemary Morel arrived at Beaulieu for the first time in September 1955.  There had been the possibility that she and her sisters, Simonne and Jacklyn, would attend FCJ but partly due to her parents’ French background (Jersey-French was spoken at home) Beaulieu was chosen.

One of young Rosemary’s earliest memories of school is of the opening of the Middle School block when she had the honour of holding the ribbon for the Bishop to cut.  All the teachers were habit-wearing nuns at that time, the Headmistress being Mother Agnes whom Rosemary did not see very often.  So she knew that something “big” was about to happen on the day Mother Agnes visited her class.  The purpose of this visit was to introduce her successor – Sister Paul (later of course to be known as Sister Marie-Louise).  The event is etched on Rosemary’s memory.  “Her eyes swept around the class and everyone’s knees trembled!” is how she describes the moment.

“Sister was very strict and we got away with nothing.  Once when a group of us were walking down the drive without our hats, a shrill voice brought us back to school.  It was from Sister who was standing on the roof of the Middle School!”  (It was only single storey then.)

“Sister was always ahead of the game,” says Rosemary.  On one occasion, she was watching at the Weighbridge to ensure that her girls were behaving themselves.  Our chips which we were eating while waiting for the bus were smartly jettisoned.  Heaven knows what would have happened had we been caught eating in the streets in our school uniform!”

Rosemary was keen on sport and remembers tennis on what is now the staff car park.  The girls were even allowed to play against De La Salle, but only if the opposition had been vetted and declared “Approved Catholics”!  Sister Augustine was the umpire.  She also remembers a tiny nun called Sister Veronica who joined in Netball matches.

In class her favourite subjects were Maths and History.  Latin was less popular and at one point she asked to leave the subject.  This was refused but she got her way in the end.

At the age of 11, Rosemary experienced her first aeroplane flight when a group from Beaulieu visited Ilfracombe.  They stayed in a convent but for Rosemary this was difficult and she suffered from homesickness.

Rosemary adored school and there was never any doubt for her and her husband Stan that their daughter Jean would go to Beaulieu.  Their son Philip also attended for two years and Rosemary and Stan would take some of the boys’ football sessions.  She is now proud that her grand-daughter Rebecca (Year 8) is following the family tradition.

In her adult life Rosemary helped run the family guest house before taking a job at the J.E.P. at first in photography archives then on the news desk.  She remembers the fun and the teasing when she was known as “the oldest junior on the firm.”  She recalls a phone call to the newsdesk during which a worried voice asked, “Have there been any plane crashes as my daughter is late arriving.”  Rosemary’s advice was, “Make a cup of tea, she’ll be here soon.”  It was because of incidents like this that she was known among colleagues as something of an “Agony Aunt”.

Rosemary is in no doubt that her school days set her up well for her family and career responsibilities in her adult life.  She wishes Beaulieu every success in the future.

Rosemary today with her mother and latest grandchild