As acknowledgment to Muriel's capabilities as headmistress, Dr. Margaret Lowenfeld, a renowned child psychologist periodically recommended the school to her patients. 34 Carlyle Square successfully opened on May first with eight students.
Peter
Soon after the first day of classes, Muriel returned Peter to his boarding school about ninety-five miles away from her in London.
Peter has returned to Stowe -- I fear I shall miss him terribly, for I could discuss almost anything with him and now I am alone again, even though... surrounded by people" [Diary, 1940, May 3, 1940, pg. 136].
As the days went on, Muriel became more and more worried by the news of German troops. She did not like being separated from Peter with an encroaching war.
The news is so alarming -- and one seems to be expecting the worst -- and yet we just must win the War! How could there be any sense in the world or in life at all if the Nazis were to dominate and ruin everything. Oh how gladly I would give up life to rid the world of Hitler" [Diary, 1940, May 27, 1940 pg. 160].
Concerned for Peter's safety, Muriel decided to send him overseas to Canada out of the way of almost certain war. She wrote to his headmaster at Stowe, J.F. Roxburgh and asked for his advice. Roxburgh agreed with Muriel it was best to send Peter out of harm's way.
"I want Peter to come tomorrow and stay the weekend -- for if I am really going to part with him, I want to talk to him so badly. There have been a variety of plans... The Canada one is the best idea" [Diary, 1940, July 3, 1940, pg. 197].
On August 9, 1940 Peter left for Canada. Muriel was so upset she was unable to even write a word about his departure in her diary.
Due to his education at Stowe School, Peter was too advanced to enter the Canadian public school system. So at the age of sixteen, Peter was enrolled spring semester 1941 at Trinity House, University of Toronto where he excelled in Modern Languages.
"Mother, I need your advice on this matter: Would it be better for me to continue taking German next year, or for me to drop it and take up Italian?
You see, it is not possible to take all four languages together. The time-tables would clash most horribly, and I would only be able to take Spanish at the expense of the other three. And I am loath to give up my German, because I want to keep up a high standard, I emphatically won't give up French, and I'd see the whole University in HELL before I surrender my Spanish -- and yet I would rather like to do a little Italian!... Dilemma. Question: WHAT AM I TO DO?" [Letter: Peter Boyd Bowman to Muriel Boyd Bowman, May 11, 1941].
The Orchard
During the 1940 London air raids, 34 Carlyle Square was bombed. Fortunately no was harmed, but Muriel was shaken by the experience. She immediately searched for a new location for the school. In September 1941 she rented The Orchard in Kings Langley which she converted into a preparatory school to prepare children for their public school entrance examinations.
That year, Dr. Lowenfeld sent one of her patients, Hamish Orr-Ewing, to the Orchard for schooling. Muriel was almost immediately taken by Hamish's father, Captain Hugh Orr-Ewing. Hugh later moved into the Orchard causing a great scandal as both of them were still married to other people. It would not be until 1947 when Muriel was able to obtain a divorce from Franz that she could marry Hugh.
Two of Muriel's students from the Orchard became her life-long friends. Valerie Daniel was a troubled teenager who looked to Muriel for encouragement. They corresponded for many years and Valerie asked Muriel to be her daughter's godmother. Another student, Adèle Leigh, became a well known British opera singer. Muriel often took her future students to see Adèle sing at Covent Gardens.
In 1945, Muriel lost her lease at the Orchard. She searched for a property that could be the perfect spot to start a girls finishing school. In late 1946 she purchased The Grove, an estate located near the town of Sevenoaks just outside of London.
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London in WWII, 1940-1946
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