Our first encounter with Miss Phyllis Harley ("Gunner" as she was affectionately called), Head Mistress of Dow Hill School, was way back in 1942, when the two older Dunne girls, Charlotte and Julie, followed two years later by Clara, entered the portals of the elusive boarding school, located three and half miles above Kurseong town.

We were not (?) fortunate in the calibre of teachers who spent their years trying to instill the importance of good education and also, to prepare us for the outside world.

Some of the teachers we can still affectionately recall were :-

Miss Rosalind Ballantyne ("Toady") was not only an inspiring Maths teacher, but also excelled in hockey. She even taught a number of the students the rudiments of the game, some of whom later became, proficient enough to play in State games. Julie Dunne was one who learned to love the game as she represented the Dow Hill School in hockey team by being the youngest goal keeper at the age 12! Julie captained the Bombay National side in Calcutta, Pune and Chandigar.She also was the Senior Indian Judge at the Women's Hockey Complex at the ASIAD 1982.

Miss Molly Siddons was Domestic/Hygiene teacher. She spent many frustrating years trying to teach us cooking, cleaning drains, and last, but not least, dressmaking, hoping that some of us would become tomorrow's haute coutures! One of the items we can vividly remember doing was checkered bloomers (Molly's speciality) for cycling in the hills! I can't remember what became of the cycling or the bloomers! Although our culinary achievements did not come up to Miss Siddons' expections, we were at least able to sample some of our own culinary fares after each cooking lesson and exam!

Miss Clara Tyne taught us Geography and Scripture. Even as we look back, there were our happiest moments as we were transported to the exciting countries on the world map. Miss Tyne normally started Scripture classes with the following "To give and not to count the cost, etc. etc. "in her usual sing song manner!

Miss Margaret Smith was our Games Mistress (as it was known in the Raj days). Miss Smith had all the attributes of being an excellent Games Mistress, having been Bengal's champion in the spring events in her days. She was also instrumental in putting Dow Hill School on the map where sports were.concerned. All her dedication to games and sports paid off as Dow Hill School produced the best athletes in the district. She also spent gruelling hours teaching us various P. T. displays, indoor sports, country dancing, track and field events. One of the social events of the year was Dow Hill School's P. T. displays and Sports Day. All the locals and a large proportion of the district looked forward to this event because of the high standard of the performance. The big event of Dow Hill School's Sports Day was the interschool relay between St. Helen's and Dow Hill Schools. The excitement that built up before this event was electrifying, not only for the participants, but for the two rival schools. Sadly, today the same standards and dedication have declined.

Dad (Charles Dunne) was our greatest fan, having attended all our P. T. displays and Sports Days during our years in boarding school. Dad, till his death in June 1993, was actively involved in the old school and its activities. He was also a part of Dow Hill School's Centenary Celebrations in 1979.

Miss Sengupta was the first Indian teacher to enter the portals of Dow Hill School. She taught us Bengali from Standard II, and if all her efforts at conjugation of the Bengali language failed, at least we !earned to sing the National Anthem!

Miss Flo Smith was our "colourful" Art teacher. Under her able guidance, two of the Dunne girls, Charlotte and Julie, were awarded Bronze Stars for their water colour paintings, which were sent to the Royal Academy of Arts Exhibition in London. The Exhibition was opened by its Patron, the present Queen Mother'.

Miss Peggy Young, who was our Food Mistress, had the unenviable task of feeding the students of both the junior and senior schools. It was no mean task especially if there were transportation difficulties due to landslides or other natural calamities. There was always food on the table! It was natural in our growing years to grumble about the quantity, if not the quality of the food. However, looking back, we were the fortunate ones, as the Second World War years really did not affect us in any way. None of the Dow Hill girls, as far as we remember, was lean! Much of the credit goes to Miss Young!

In the halcyon days of growing up in the wonderful surroundings of Dow Hill School, we are reminded of the times when getting the first two lessons off, as " Gunner " felt we looked under the weather, the girls would immediately take off to a place called " Chimney." The name came about as there was a derelict chimney standing on an abandoned property!

Botany lessons were, on occasions, spent around the pool of Bethseda, when some of the girls would take the opportunity to stray into the nearby forests and return late to school, only to be scolded by our Botany teacher, Miss Pauline MacDonald. Miss MacDonald was from the famous MacDonald family of Kalimpong. Her father was David MacDonald, the British Trade Agent in Tibet from 1905 till his retirement in 1925. Miss MacDonald completed her teachers training from Trinity College, Dow Hill. Miss MacDonald had two other sisters during her tenure on the staff - Isobel, who was a teacher in the junior school, and Bettine, who was a nurse in the school hospital.

It was the school's tradition to hold a House Tea day at half term. Before .Independence the school houses were Clive (Red), Hastings (Green) and Wellesley (Blue). After Independence these were renamed Naidu (Red), Tagore (Green) and Ashoke (Blue). On that day the students were responsible for' the floral decorations, which were done in their house colours.

The final big event before school closed was a sumptuous dinner organised for staff and students, which was followed by a Get- Together in the school's main hall. It gave the students an opportunity to let off steam which had built up during the entire year, expressing our views in song! It went something like this:

These are some of our fond memories of the old school on the hill. We feel the happiest and most productive years of our lives were spent in our school on the hill.