There were only forty of us, and you could take your own pony

If you look at old photographs of such schools, the girls are smiling genuine giggly smiles of joy. Alexandra Etherington showed me photographs of her and her friends in kilts and blouses at Butterstone, near Dunkeld, in 1969, and I don't think I've ever seen such happy children.  'I can still name every girl in those photos,' said Alexandra, 'there were only forty of us, and you could take your own pony.'

Y. Maxtone Graham, Terms and conditions: like in girls' boarding schools 1939-1979 (2016), 93