For the early boarders the ringing of the Angelus bell at around 7.00am signalled time to rise for the girls to morning prayers or Morning Offering. Whilst it rang, “dresses still want fastening, collars adjusting, shoes buttoning.”
When ready the students proceeded in line from their dormitories along St Angela’s walk, beneath the reception parlour window and round to Mass in the boarder’s chapel. Mass was followed by breakfast, eaten in silence.
At 8.45am all students assembled for home exercises, study and religious instruction. Classes ran from 9.15am until 11.45am, with recreation followed by dinner at 12.30pm. Afternoon classes ended at 3.30pm “when the rosary was said. Lunch was immediately afterwards, and study began at 4.00pm.”
Afternoon recreation was a time for relaxing with other activities, such as walking in the grounds. A smaller meal - supper or tea - was eaten later in the evening. What seems to us an unusually early time to have dinner was in fact common for most social classes of this period. Dinner consisted variously of soup, boiled or roasted meat, rice, potatoes and occasionally other vegetables, for breakfast and supper there was bread and tea. Fruits such as apple and rhubarb constituted dessert or ‘sweets’.
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