Room 2D

From Uniform Girls 15 ‘Had old Forster look her over, of course; give the whole thing a feel of respectability, don’t you know?’ ‘Respectability? I thought Forster had been struck off.’ ‘Oh, well, yes — he has, but the girl isn’t to know that, is she. Nor her father.’ ‘Thought he was her stepfather.’ ‘Stepfather. Sorry — hadn’t realised we were being pedantic.’ ‘Not pedantic, old boy — just that I like to know what’s what. Don’t see what it’s got to do with him, anyway; I thought she was beyond the age of needing her guardian’s consent — beyond the age where she even needed a guardian, for that matter. ‘Well, I’m not quite sure about that aspect of it. Still, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen — what’s the difference? So long as someone’s signed the enrolment forms, eh?’ ‘I suppose so. What did Forster do with her then? Make her strip off, eh?’ ‘Well, I did ask him to ‘look her over’ — couldn’t very well do that if he didn’t...

A photo-story by Julie Holmes from Februs 17 It had been a long day and there were still at least three hours to go. Prunella Simmons had arrived at the tea rooms at seven as usual to start preparing the basic items for the day. Then there had been the breakfast rush (why didn’t these people stay at home and have cornflakes like any civilised being would do?) followed by the genteel lady shoppers arriving for elevenses which, in turn, were followed by the usual motley crowd at lunchtime. The two part-timers had helped to clear the debris and then left for the day and it would be a good half-hour before the Canadian student arrived to assist with the afternoon cream teas. Pru was exhausted and the chaise-longue standing guard in front of the curtained boundary between public tea-room and the private living quarters of the proprietor was just too inviting. She plumped a cushion and stretched out for a quick break with a magazine a...