Blogs and Interviews

CLC in the 1920s - Through Rotha Dalton's Memoirs

12th June 2025

Following the recent donation of the memoirs of Rotha Dalton (CLC 1921–1926) to the College Archives, student volunteer Livvie has undertaken original research into life at Cheltenham Ladies’ College 100 years ago.

Rotha’s vivid reflections offer a unique window into the routines, expectations, and traditions that defined College life in the 1920s. Through careful reading of her memoirs and thoughtful comparison with life at CLC today, Livvie uncovers striking contrasts and enduring similarities between Rotha’s time at CLC and her own.

We would like to thank Jane Bailey for this kind donation to the College Archives.

Georgina Robinson, College Archivist

Livvie (SFC1)

Archives Volunteer

“Their voices echoed through the silent corridor, for there was no other noise. Silence reigned in college, not a word was spoken anywhere.” - Rotha Dalton (1907-1989)

These are the words from the memoirs of former Guild member, Rotha Dalton (1907-1989), who attended College from 1921 to 1926 as a pupil in Bunwell. Written in the 1980s, over half a century after her time at CLC, she recalls her experiences, with a stress on discipline, being a ‘lady’, and generally fitting into boarding school life. From reading her memoirs, it is evident that College life was far different from what we know today, but some things have remained the same, and I’m sure will continue to in the years to come.

^{Image 1: Rotha Dalton (CLC 1921–1926) in the garden at Bunwell. Image 2: Bunwell House, 1925. Image 3: Rotha aged 13. Photograph courtesy of Jane Bailey.}

Life at College in the 1920s was strict and regimented, its sole purpose was to prepare you to be a polite, educated young lady. Wherever they walked, whether it was from College to Field or Field to House, the girls would walk ‘sedately in crocodile’. During Prayers, it was expected that they would spend the time ‘sitting bolt upright, without a cough or fidget or any behaviour “unbecoming to a lady”’, and of course, there was no talking, ‘not even in a classroom without permission’.

^{Image: Girls in ‘Lines’ down the Mable Corridor, 1930. Girls were expected to walk in silence around the College in ‘Lines’.}

Rotha enjoyed her time at school. Perhaps this was due to the ‘House ladies’ of Bunwell at the time, one of them being Miss Sharpe, who had been a pupil under Miss Beale herself, and so understood what it took to be a lady without it impeding on student life. On Sundays, the students in Bunwell were often invited to tea with Miss Sharpe, giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their acquired skills. ‘We balanced our cups, sat correctly, made polite conversation and ate elegantly’, and she ensured that there was ‘no slouching in us girls’. Despite these formalities, the girls were on first-name terms with Miss Sharpe, who was often referred to as ‘Anna’, which is almost unimaginable to us as pupils at College today.

^{Image: Bunwell House photograph, 1926. Rotha Dalton is sat second row, fifth from right. Miss Sparks is sat in the centre with her dog, Donald, on her lap.}

Amongst all these alien attributes and quirks, life in College 100 years ago was fundamentally very similar to today. There is the same drive for success that we as pupils carry with us everyday, and those successes were rewarded. Rotha mentions that upon reaching the first division (Upper College), mark cards were kept. ‘If we got 10/10 we wrote that in red and it was a great stimulus to see how much red you could get on your card.’ After Prayers the girl with the most tens in one week would bring the mark book on stage in front of the whole school and show it to the Principal, Miss Beatrice Sparks, and according to Rotha it was her ambition.

Most importantly, the camaraderie between the girls is just the same, with sport being particularly at the centre. According to Rotha, ‘we had our greatest fun in the ‘dorms’, it was always the happiest time in spite of extraordinary rules’. She shares lots of joyful anecdotes of time with her friends outside of the classroom, and this is certainly true of CLC pupils today. She also says that ‘it was almost a sin to dislike games at CLC’, and even as a pupil who disliked sports in general, she still ‘enjoyed gym’ and took it as an extra, as well as enjoying riding and making use of the CLC baths, sharing that it was ‘really blissful fun’.

^{Image 1: Beatrice Sparks with Miss Sharpe, c.1926. Image 2: Beatrice Sparks was Principal of Cheltenham Ladies’ College from 1922 to 1937.}

For me, working in the Archives Department has opened up a whole new world and allowed me to delve into the past lives of former students and Guild members, exploring the rich tapestry of our College history and improving my understanding of my current life at College.

I urge you to stop by and read some of Rotha Dalton’s memoirs for yourself if you’re ever passing the Archives; it’s such a wonderful treasure and it’s been such a privilege to explore her life at CLC.