"My first impression, I did Sister
Gertrude at school," Faith recalls. "I hated her. She
was tall, skinny, hump-backed, buck-toothed, dreadfuly ugly and
put the children through hell. I ran to assembly one day and she
shouted "Irene Carroll!" - that was my name then -
"Can't you pull your brassiere any tighter? You're wobbling
up and down and the men can't take their eyes off you!" A
venomous, witch-like voice cracks the air - it's Sister Gertrude
and she's terrifying. You hate her too". But it's Faith's
hearty laugh which reassures you. "I got her the following
day She was standing on the rostrum, wearing her old-fashioned
habit ringing her bell like Quasimodo, and I stood behind her,
emulating her. The girls were killing themselves laughing. Then
she swung round and I got six of the best!"
Monocle Magazine,
January 1999 edition