Original St Trinian girl hoping for 70th anniversary reunion

Annabelle has the fondest memories of it all – while scarcely believing that it is nearly 70 years ago: “The Belles of St Trinian’s was the original one and the best one of the St Trinian’s films. It started the trend. They made three other films and after that it just developed into the Carry On films really. You ended up with people like Sid James and so on who went on to to be in the Carry On films once St Trinian’s ran out. It is just my opinion but the other ones weren't as good. The first one was the best.”

Annabelle, who is currently looking to move within Yapton and has her house on the market through Glyn-Jones Estate Agents, recalls: “I went to stage school in Chiswick and a number of us were put forward for the various parts in the film. I think there were 12 of us that were up for the part of Maudie the Bookie. I was the last one to do the audition, and the first ones were more or less copying each other. But when I did mine I was asked to do the line in a different way and I got the part. I think if I hadn't been last I might not have got the part at all! Maudie was the one who did the betting on the horses which is ironic really because I'm so completely against gambling of any kind. I was ten years old at the time and my mother was in the film as well. She doubled for an actress that played the art teacher and it was just great fun. On the days when we were filming we were picked up in a car that took us to the studio and back home. I think the whole movie took about 12 weeks but we were only intermittently in it. Sometimes we would be going there twice a week; sometimes just once. It just depended on what was being filmed.”

Annabelle has stayed in touch with Polly Baber who played the young girl called Celia in the film.

“I have spoken to Polly about having a meeting to chat about what we'd like to do to celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Belles. I'm sure I can get together at least five or six. I know I can do three. I will see what I can do. Polly and I have always been in touch. She lives about 40 miles away. Not so much with the others now that things have died down. When there were lots of things happening we would be in touch because everyone was always willing to go along to events and so on.”

As for the stars of the film: “I remember Alastair Sim was a big bloke and in those days you didn't get many men dressed as women. It was not as popular as it is now but it didn't seem odd at all when we saw him dressed as a woman (as Millicent Fritton), but we just knew it was OK. There was a big scene where we had a great big pillow fight in the dormitory, and little girls can be like beastly boys. I thought I don't want to get clobbered so I was the first one through and I made sure that I was alright! But I think back at it and it is just such happy memories. It was all such great fun.”