The high school I went to might as well have been a Convent. We called it the ‘Pink Prison’. An all girls school, tall pink buildings, with high walls, yep, they too were pink. The gardens were beautifully manicured, a plethora of hockey fields, tennis courts, a 25 metre swimming pool. There was also a lake at the end of the eternal green fields – only seniors had access to this lake – it was a case of what happened at the lake stayed at the lake, and you were only privy to the secrets of the lake when you got to 6^th form.  There were security guards at the Fort Knox entrance gates, to keep any unwanted guests out, these being any of the young  admiring boys from neighbouring all boys schools– or with hindsight, the security was more about keeping us space cadets within the confinements of the Pink Prison walls. At 7am, the bell would ring, up you got, showered, and immaculately dressed in the turquoise and brown uniforms, hair tied back, books ready, all of us in a neat line, ready for inspection by our dormitory prefect. This was followed by breakfast, then class. It was gruelling stuff for a young girl. But I remember the highlight of the day – after a 3 course lunch, was running back to my hostel, heart racing with anticipation, to check if I had any mail. I remember certain occasions very clearly bringing a frenzy of excitement to the inhabitants of the Pink Prison – such as exit weekends, the last day of term, debating clubs with other schools, basketball matches, exam results. But the one that always sticks in my mind was the flurry caused by St Valentine’s day. For us, it was a very important occasion. Popularity in the hostel was hedged by how many cards you received on Valentine’s day. So the race back to hostel after lunch on St Valentine’s day was more like a 300m sprint. You can only imagine the excitement of seeing an envelope, neatly addressed to you from a secret admirer, or maybe two. And hats off to you if you were lucky enough to receive a bouquet of flowers, you would be crowned with this invisible ‘Belle of Valentine’s’ tiara of honour! I can’t help smile to myself as I remember how innocent those days were.

As a result of these fond memories, St Valentine’s day will always be special to me. My more cynical side thinks ‘bar humbug’, but the softer side thinks ‘no harm in making an effort’

So I would like to extend a very Happy Valentine’s day to all our Covent Garden Dental Spa clients. We are also giving out red roses and chocolates (yes chocolates – the irony!!) to all of our clients today! It promises to be a fun day. And if you are still stuck for an idea for your loved one, check out our Valentine’s 2 for 1 offer on laser teeth whitening which has been so popular, we will spend most of today doing teeth whitening, and getting Covent Garden smiles ready for all those romantic dinners tonight.