Weavers

Weavers is the secondary school attended by Palinurus Maciver Junior and Helen Dunn, and the place where Helen first encountered Jason Dunn. In the family’s account, it stands against the possibility of boarding school: a school chosen by the children themselves and, for Helen, a reassurance that she would not have to leave home.

School Choice and Family Circumstances

When the family moved into secondary education, their father was keen for both children to go to boarding school. Palinurus Maciver Junior refused, wanting to attend Weavers with his friends. Helen followed his choice when her turn came. After Kay Kafka joined the family, however, Helen reconsidered boarding school because she did not want to share a home with Kay all year. She discussed the possibility with her brother; he said he would miss her but understood, and pointed to the holidays as times they could look forward to together. Helen then went away to school, initially felt homesick, and gradually settled in.

Helen’s later account describes a different decision when she was approaching eleven. She feared Kay might send her away to school as Cressida Maciver had gone away. Kay reassured her that Weavers was a perfectly good school and asked whether she would like to attend. Helen eagerly agreed; after getting used to it, she enjoyed school and made many friends. The contrast between her earlier departure and this reassurance makes Weavers part of her changing sense of security within the family.

Helen and Jason Dunn

Weavers also marks the start of Helen’s acquaintance with Jason Dunn. When Helen was thirteen, Jason began teaching boys’ physical education there in his first job. Helen recalls that the girls admired him and hoped to go out with him, though he showed little interest in them. She did not imagine then that she would marry him less than five years later. The school therefore connects an adolescent crush, recalled with hindsight, to the later marriage that became central to her adult life.

Jason’s Work at the School

Weavers remained part of Jason’s working life after his marriage to Helen. When Helen was expecting her twins, she told Peter Pascoe that Jason was back at school and responsible for an important match, which she thought was an inter-house final. He was the only person available with a proper referee’s qualification; Helen understood that schools needed qualified referees in case something went wrong and they were sued. Her account also mentions a kind headmaster and her wish not to make Jason worry while he was working. The details present the school not only as the setting of her memories but as an institution with practical obligations that shaped the family’s day-to-day concerns.