CONTENTS
Contact details of officers and representatives 2
Forthcoming meetings 3
Letter from our President 4
Message from the Chairman 5
Treasurer’s report and accounts 6 & 7
Charities report and Communications report 8
Datchelor Carols – December 2012 9
CLOTHWORKERS TEA – details of our 125th celebration on 10 Friday 9 May 2014
A taste of Facebook 11
Regional Representatives 12
Regional reports from 14 Regional Groups 13
Report on the AGM 16
History of the Mary Datchelor family 17
I remember … A collection of school memories
News from abroad 22
HOME NEWS
Groups I–III (up to 1944) 26
Group IV (1945–1961) 28
Group V (1962–1974) 33
Group VI (1975–1981) 41
Staff news 42
Tributes 43
Editor’s Note 48
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OFFICERS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND REPRESENTATIVES
Chairman Mrs Marion Walker (Brean) 14 Weston Close, Dorridge, Solihull, West 01564 Midlands B93 8BL 779092 [email protected] Secretary Mrs Joan Remnant (Barton) Gildene, Chelsfield Lane, Chelsfield, Orpington, 01689 Kent BR6 7RS 825393 [email protected] Treasurer Mrs Christine Gale (Dodd) Cushna Gap, Bisham Road, Marlow, Bucks SL7 01628 1RL 471940 [email protected] Database Mrs Myra Hurley (Ricketts) 38 Furlong Road, Bourne End, Bucks 01628 SL8 5AA 524214 [email protected] Website & Mrs Maggie Gebbett (Locke) 51 Maisemore Gardens, Emsworth, Hants PO10 01243 Newsletter 7JX 699517 [email protected] Regional Mrs Shelley Mitchell (Boadella) White Hall, White Hall Lane, Saham Toney, 01953 Organiser Thetford, Norfolk IP25 7HB 889550 [email protected] Charities Mrs Ann Medhurst (Skinner) 13 Copse Avenue, West Wickham, Kent BR4 020 8776 9NL 0837 [email protected] Overseas Mrs Mary Steensma (Tunesi) 1 Charter House, Mulgrave Road, Sutton, 020 3620 Surrey SM2 6LA 9598 [email protected] Group Secretaries Groups II & Miss Barbara Lees Rosemary Cottage, 2 West Hall Road, Mundford, 01842 III Thetford, Norfolk IP26 5DR 878655 Mrs Mary French 1 Abbey Road, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 8NJ 020 8657 [email protected] 6195 Group IV Mrs Mary Steensma (Tunesi) 1 Charter House, Mulgrave Road, Sutton, 020 3620 Surrey SM2 6LA 9598 [email protected] Mrs Doreen Evans (Manning) 43 Rainbow Street, Camberwell, London SE5 020 7703 7TB [email protected] tbc 8509 Group V Mrs Rosalind Denton (Haunton) 60 Coniston Road, Bromley, Kent 020 8460 BR1 4JQ 4228 [email protected] Mrs Linda Pritchett (Laurie) 62 Southborough Road, Bickley, Bromley, Kent 020 8467 BR2 2EN 1629 [email protected] Group VI Mrs Katharine Fry (Duce) 15 Lake Avenue, Bromley, Kent BR1 4EN 020 8325 [email protected] 0598 Ms Ali Tucker 21 Guildford Road, Brighton, Sussex 07884 BN1 3LW 226773 [email protected] Names in italics are assistant group representatives. Regional Representatives – please see p.12
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FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
Annual General Meeting Saturday 5 October 2013 from 2pm–5pm East Croydon United Reformed Church, Addiscombe Grove, CR0 5LP Programme Reports on the year from the committee and voting for new chairman Speaker: Renate Schmacher of Jonas. Tea and chat Please let Myra Hurley know, if possible by 22 September, if you intend to come and a badge will be made for you. See committee list p. 2 for Myra’s details. If you find you can come at the last minute – that’s fine. Please note that there is parking for disabled but no other parking on the site. We strongly recommend train travel to East Croydon station. Maps will be sent with agenda to all members nearer the time and some Old Girls will be along route from the station until 1.50pm to guide you. ______
Datchelor Carols Sunday 8 December 2012 at 2.15 for 2.30pm St Olave, Hart Street, London EC3R 7NB All Old Girls and their families are welcome to this event run by M R Seldon. Help with refreshments and clearing up much appreciated. If you would like to read a lesson or sing in the choir please let Miss Seldon know. If you wish to attend this year’s event, please send an SAE to: M R Seldon, Ardun, Wheatley Road, Forest Hill, Oxford, Oxon OX33 1EW Reminders will be sent by email only to those on Miss Seldon’s list ______
Croydon Reunion – All welcome! Saturday 12 April 2014 from 2pm–4.30pm School of Philosophy: 13 Addiscombe Grove, East Croydon CR0 5LP Contact Christine Ewart (Bligh) for details email: [email protected] tel: 020 8669 0165 The date has yet to be confirmed, so please contact Chris to check final details ______
AFTERNOON TEA AT CLOTHWORKERS HALL To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Old Girls Club Friday 9 May 2pm–5.30pm The application form for tickets and more details are included on the yellow sheet enclosed with this newsletter. More details can be found on p. 10 ______
A host of REGIONAL MEETINGS Please contact our Regional Organiser Shelley Mitchell if you would like to know what’s on in your area. Shelley’s details are on p. 2 A list of Regional Representatives can be found on p.12
Details of all meetings on the website www.datchelor.com
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LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT MISS E B GODWIN
5 Stepaside, Mochdre Lane Newtown SY16 4JQ
Dear Everyone,
Greetings to you all. I wish I could get along to one or two Datchelor events but that is sadly not to be at present.
It is a delight to know that the activities of the Old Girls Club continue and that there is a proliferation of regional meetings these days. It seems remarkable to me that the Datchelor ethos continues and that Old Girls seek each other out because, regardless of age difference, they enjoy each other’s company and have the advantage of a shared history.
I gather that a celebration is planned to mark the 125th anniversary of the Old Girls Club next year. Clothworkers Hall will be a very appropriate venue indeed for the event. We all share such happy memories of the Clothworkers’ long association with the school.
The photographs in last year’s newsletter were an added bonus, weren’t they. I hope you will enjoy this year’s selection. They are a testimony to the value that so many put on their school life and the unique heritage it provided.
I am sorry that I can no longer get to Club meetings. I continue to have frustrating problems with my left leg and often ask myself ‘How did I become so ancient?’ But I am well in myself and have many visitors. I greatly enjoy living here in my old flannel worker’s cottage in rural Mid Wales. The area abounds in sheep – hence the flannel! (How appropriate for a Clothworker!) I look out of my windows now at the sheep on the distant hills. I always look forward to hearing from my correspondents in the Datchelor world and hope that you are all flourishing. I send my best wishes to everyone.
Yours sincerely
Enid B Godwin
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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Dear Friends
We hope that you will all be interested in this latest edition of the Datchelor newsletter. Our thanks go to Maggie Gebbett (Locke) and her team of typists and proofreaders for compiling it for our information and enjoyment.
We have had a busy year in the Regional Groups as well as the central meetings at the Tower of London and the Olympic site. Thank you to Ann Blackburn and Jenny Hastings and to Vaninne Parker for organising these central meetings. Our AGM was held in Croydon and we welcomed Caroline Thompson as our speaker, who gave us a fascinating insight into the workings of the BBC.
We look forward to our great celebration of 125 years of the Mary Datchelor Old Girls' Club. The Clothworkers' Company have invited us to use their Livery Hall for the occasion and we look forward to seeing as many of you that we can fit in! All details are on p. 10 and on the yellow flyer enclosed. Get your ticket application in early!
The Regional Groups are thriving. They provide opportunities for members to meet each other from across the years and to share memories and new experiences. If you have not visited one recently, do make contact with Shelley Mitchell on 01953 889550 and find one near you. They are of course open to all so, if your holiday coincides with a meeting, do make contact and join in. I promise you will not be disappointed. A recent meeting of the East Anglian Group was entertained by Annette Carsons (Groombridge) who told us all about her involvement with the hunt for Richard III's grave and left us in no doubt that Richard was a very much 'Maligned King'.
A big undertaking this year has been the creation of a podcast and CDs from the cassettes of the Evacuation Memories of Datchelor in Llanelli. If you would like to obtain these wonderful memories, they are still available from Judith Johnson (020 8660 0215) at the bargain price of £4 for a double CD plus postage. I do urge you to read the item from Barbara Lees on p. 18 about her thoughts on evacuation and her return to the school buildings.
Pauline Holmes (Humphries) has started to lodge her extensive archive of Datchelor memorabilia with Southwark History Library. This is a very safe haven and she intends to send more in the future. Please do visit the library to browse the boxes received so far.
Finally, can I remind you all to let us know if you change your email address or have recently gained one. Although this newsletter comes by post we use email where we can to save money. You will not receive your Forthcoming Events notice each spring unless we have an up-to-date email address. (We only send this by post to those without email.) Please let Myra Hurley know (see contact details p. 2) if you have changed your email address.
With all good wishes
Marion (Brean) Walker
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TREASURER’S REPORT & FINAL ACCOUNTS
TREASURER’S REPORT
The independent financial examiner has verified the Final Annual Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2013 and they are set out on the next page. They show the Club finished the year in a reasonably good financial state with increased net assets of £45,377 (2012: £40,673). The deficit for the year was reduced to £1176 (2012: £1598). However, the main reason for the improved financial position is that our investments have increased in value.
Income more or less matches the previous year, life membership fees plus donations to running cost being almost identical for both years. Our share and dividend income has been higher this year and sales of the CDs, badges and pens have boosted our funds by more than last year too. Payments out have been a little lower. The slightly smaller size of the annual newsletter reduced the printing costs, while payments for postage, the AGM, sundry expenses and getting further stocks of items for sale were similar to last year.
The fact that we continue to record a relatively small deficit each year in maintaining the Club’s continuing operation should not be of concern. We have sound and substantial investments that are there when we have the need to call upon them. With this in mind the financial sub–committee met last year and were appraised of the possibility that gradually the fund of cash we have in the bank is getting smaller and we may need to sell some of our investments in shares and unit trusts in order to fund continuing operations. To this end, we wrote to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for clarification of our tax position if we were to do this. A couple of helpful letters were received from them and they agreed in principle to a tax offset of approximately £16,000 of the loss that the Club sustained on the Marconi shares some years ago. This means that we will be allowed £16,000 of profit on the sale of the BAE Shares and Barclays Unit Trust Fund before we have to pay any tax on the profit from selling them. My next job is to formally submit a tax loss calculation to HMRC for their final approval. After that we can set about determining what and how much we want to sell and when exactly to do it.
In summary it has been a good year financially and the Club can look forward to next year knowing it is in a healthy and robust financial position.
Christine Gale (Dodd)
Treasurer
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CHARITIES REPORT
Thank you again to all of our members who have donated money for charity this year. As you will all recall, one of the charities we support, Dorothy Brock House, has closed and the residents have moved to another sheltered home. We sent a bouquet of flowers and a Boots voucher last year as a farewell gift. Our main charity is of course Renate and her Jonas organisation, which continues to do such amazing work in Romania. I have had a note from Renate in which she details some of the work with which she is involved. She travelled to Romania in March and April and took her grandson, as he wished to be involved in helping to buy and distribute food parcels to the poor families over Easter. So it is good to see that Renate's work is being shared with the younger members of her family! We will display Renate's letter and leaflet in October for all to see.
Thank you all again for your generosity. Ann Medhurst (Skinner)
COMMUNICATIONS REPORT: Newsletter, website and letters
Your committee sends you an update on Datchelor events each spring. The majority of you receive this by email but we also post out well over 200 letters. Each time the letter goes out I am amazed by the number of meetings going on all over the country. It was Shelley Mitchell’s idea to start up Regional Groups and what a great success they have been!
The newsletter is our largest mail-out of the year. The postage costs are high but we know that people like to receive hard copy of it and it is well received. I am most grateful for the help I am given in putting the publication together. Our biggest news this year is the forthcoming Clothworkers tea party. We will be sending out a reminder of course with the spring mail-out in 2014 but we expect interest to be high so get your application in early for a ticket. There will be details posted on the website too.
If anyone would like to take over the editorship of the newsletter I would be very happy to hand it over. I can help any new volunteer to take it on. I have in place a great team of helpers who give valuable assistance in typing, proofreading and troubleshooting the layout. The main job is really just holding the reins and getting the newsletter to print each year. We also have a wonderful ‘stuffing party’ each year when about ten of us put the newsletters into envelopes, stamp them and fill about ten sacks ready for sending out. (The lunch and chat is the most important part of this!)
The website, www.datchelor.com, is well used and Shelley Mitchell and I do our best to keep it up- to-date. The most used page, apart from the home page is the regions section – forthcoming meetings. This enables people to check meeting details and know they are up-to-date. The club also gets a lot of contact via the site from people trying to trace lost relatives. A recent contact via the website came from a person whose son is at Dulwich prep school and goes to the Mary Datchelor field for sports. His mother sent us a message to say she was interested in the name of the field and did some research. Her first port of call was Wikipedia. She points out that there is no entry for MDGS or for Mary Datchelor herself on Wikipedia. There is a short mention of Dame Dorothy but Miss Rigg, Miss Pearse and Miss Godwin do not appear at all. It’s time we moved with the times and rectified this. Who will volunteer? Please contact me if you want to help.
Maggie Gebbett (Locke) 8
DATCHELOR CAROLS Sunday 9 December 2012
The Reverend Oliver Ross again allowed us to have the historic church of St Olave’s Hart Street, Samuel Pepys’ ‘own church’, as the venue for our Datchelor Carols. Changes were immediately apparent: instead of the old heavy entrance doors, we were faced with new glass doors, giving the ancient church and chapel of the Clothworkers' Company a very modern flourish.
Mary Rose Seldon, as irrepressible as ever, was there to conduct the whole occasion and give piano accompaniment, with dependable Elizabeth Werry hidden away at the organ. The Reverend Moira Kerr kindly conducted the service, exchanging the warmth and blue skies of a Caribbean cruise on the Emerald Princess where she had conducted an Advent service, for grey and chilly Hart Street and Seething Lane. Inside, the church was warm and inviting and Moira marked the second Sunday in Advent by lighting a somewhat resistant candle for peace. Her closing Advent prayers were for peace, especially in trouble spots such as the Middle East and also for the education of girls.
The carols were as harmonious as ever. The opening swell of sound with the organ and rich Datchelor voices brought back many memories of school assemblies and concerts. There is a uniqueness about Datchelor carol services, which achieve beautiful sounds with minimal preparation and no over-serious pomposity, but a sense of deeply felt, shared pleasure in the familiar music amid convivial companions.
The church was full and, as usual, many had travelled long distances to be there, from the USA to the North of Scotland. There were no new babies and fewer young families than in some years, so ‘Away in a Manger’ and ‘Rocking’ were sung by all as a real change. Other than the 1940s, most decades were well represented, and teachers Miss Rogers and Mrs Florence (Miss King) were there too.
As usual ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ had to have a second attempt but, always ready for innovation, a leader was appointed for each of the two-part and three-part choruses, with the best results ever. As she conducted her section even Vaninne’s LED Christmas brooch was seen to blink in time to the music.
Whether she plays the piano with her musical flourishes, conducts us with such grace and clarity or gives us ‘a look’ to indicate when we should commence our singing parts, Mary Rose Seldon makes this a most special afternoon and one not to be missed and she most deservedly received a huge spray of flowers to the accompaniment of the loudest applause and expressions of appreciation to be heard all afternoon.
Many thanks to all who participated, not forgetting the organisers, including Marion Walker with her successful innovation for one-way queuing for tea and coffee afterwards with biscuits, cake and mince pies, whose wafting aromas added to the Christmas celebrations. Thank you all for such a delightful afternoon and may Mary Rose Seldon continue into 2013 in the best possible health.
Barbara Kendall (Cunningham)
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Our next year’s celebration of 125 years of the Old Girls Club
Afternoon Tea at Clothworkers Hall
In 1889 the inaugural meeting of Old Girls of Mary Datchelor School was held in the Camberwell Grove building under the watchful eye of the school's first headmistress, Miss Caroline Rigg. The school, in the two years since its opening, had mushroomed in numbers. At the first Old Girls meeting there were many women keen to keep in touch after their school years had ended.
The Clothworkers became school governors in 1894 and took an active interest in the school as well as being generous benefactors. Most pupils enjoyed the privilege of visiting Clothworkers Hall at some stage in their school careers. So it is fitting that the Old Girls Committee should request the use of this stunning venue to celebrate the Club's 125th Anniversary in 2014. We are most grateful to the Clothworkers for allowing us to use the Livery Hall for our celebration.
The Celebration Tea
On Friday 9 May at 2pm a warm welcome awaits all members of the Old Girls’ Club who book for this event. Tickets will cost £25. There are 180 places and booking will only open after this newsletter is distributed. Applications, completed on the yellow form inserted in this newsletter, should be sent with a cheque by 31 October 2013. You can send in applications after this but we may have sold out of tickets by then.
If demand is very strong we will institute a waiting list – strictly in order of application. If there should be any spare places after Christmas, we will inform members in the 'Forthcoming Events' letter sent out in the spring and it may be possible to book further places for non-members and friends or partners at that stage.
Tickets will be sent out in March with a list of those planning to attend. If you find you have to cancel after booking, full refunds are possible until 9 April. After that refunds cannot be made.
It will not be possible to book tables in advance so we suggest that if you meet up with friends and arrive together then you can easily arrange to sit together. We envisage some time for mingling after the tea has been served and the musical interlude has taken place. Badges will be made for everyone.
No Datchelor event would be complete without music there will also be a large cake to cut and some commemorative Datchelor mugs on sale on the day. We hope to keep the cost of these down to around £10 each. There will also be blue Old Girls Badges available for those who do not yet have one. The yellow form asks for indications of possible interest in buying a mug so that we can order an appropriate number.
We hope to have a small exhibition of items of interest to Old Girls held by the Clothworkers. If anyone wishes to wear any items of uniform they still have, that would add to the fun! We shall of course have some guests of honour and we are hoping to invite a female member of the Clothworkers along too as our guest.
Please do make contact if anything is not clear. All contact details are at the beginning of this newsletter. Don’t forget to fill in the enclosed yellow form as soon as possible.
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A TASTE OF FACEBOOK
This extract is from the Mary Datchelor Group page on Facebook, which can be viewed only by people who sign up to belong and are allowed in by the moderator of the group. The editor of this newsletter (who is a member of the group) thought you would a like a taster of some of the discussions on the Datchelor web page around Christmas last year. More than 130 Old Girls read these comments and the thread was started, as you see, by an Old Girl in Australia. I have taken out the names of individual Old Girls to preserve their privacy. (You may wonder what the term ‘like’ means in the context of Facebook. If you agree with a comment but don’t have time to write a comment, you can just click ‘like’ to signify your agreement.)
OLD GIRL ONE Just had Speech night for my youngest daughter, here in Melbourne. Her school has always reminded me of Datchelor – small girls’ school, strong music influence, very dedicated staff. Feeling very nostalgic. I think we were very lucky to go to such a lovely school.
Seen by 131 members OLD GIRL TWO and 10 others like this. OLD GIRL THREE Yes, we were! 7 December 2012 at 23:44 · Like · 1
OLD GIRL FOUR I think I was very lucky too. Datchelor had a profound effect on the rest of my life. My 1951 school picture is proudly hung on my bedroom wall. I have no one to appreciate how I feel except all of you. Regards, and Merry Christmas. 8 December 2012 at 00:04 via mobile · Like · 6
OLD GIRL FIVE I agree – I certainly wasn't musical but I developed a love of music through Datchelor and I feel that the school gave us a great grounding in all subjects, far better than my children got at their high school. 8 December 2012 at 07:35 · Like · 2
OLD GIRL SIX I tend to agree about the legacy even though I had a miserable time throughout my seven years at Datchelor and recognised many shortcomings in it as an educational establishment. I managed to retain a love of music and a passion for history, literature and the history of architecture. 8 December 2012 at 10:14 · Like · 1
OLD GIRL SEVEN I was at Datchelor from 1952 to 1958 along with my sister Beryl and we have very many happy memories of those school years. 10 December 2012 at 15:56 · Like · 2
OLD GIRL EIGHT Margaret, we just missed each other at Datchelor. I was far from a good student – unless I loved the subject and chose to listen, but I did matriculate. Somehow I learnt to love Maths and Geography and still do. ------This is just a tiny item in among hundreds of others on the Mary Datchelor Group Facebook page. Recent discussions have centred on photos taken at school and identifying who is in them.
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REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
BEDFORD, BUCKS & HERTS: Beryl Mitchell (Harris) 01525 861821 [email protected] BIRMINGHAM & MIDLANDS: Heather Rippon (Lee) 02476 675329 [email protected] BRISTOL: Ann Burrows (Laws) 01179 277705 CHESHIRE: Gwenda Banwell (Luzmore) 01625 522656 CROYDON: Wallington: Chris Ewart (Bligh) 020 8669 0165 [email protected] DEVON: Isolde Summers (Grove) 01363 773472 [email protected] EAST ANGLIA & CAMBRIDGE: Shelley Mitchell (Boadella) 01953 889550 [email protected] ESSEX: Elisabeth Miller (Keyte) [email protected] GLOUCESTERSHIRE: Anita Richards (Farmer) 01242 514758 [email protected] HAMPSHIRE: Diana Werry 01256 353969 [email protected] KENT: Beckenham: June Kirby (Camp) 020 8650 0463 and Pam Goodwin 020 8650 1462 [email protected] KENT: Bromley: Margaret Walker (Hammond) 020 8857 7464 [email protected] KENT: Orpington: Joan Remnant (Barton) 01689 825393 [email protected] KENT: Rochester: Dorothy Armstrong (Mills) 01634 847080 [email protected] LINCOLNSHIRE: Diana Knight (Grundy) 01507 608772 [email protected] LONDON: Camberwell: Joan Denne 020 7701 5765 LONDON: Dulwich/Herne Hill: Joyce Guillaume (Moore) 020 8693 9635 [email protected] NEWCASTLE and NE Christine Hull (Biffin) 01434 606192 [email protected] NORTH WEST ENGLAND: Gill Jenkinson (Osborne) 01524 655950 [email protected] OXFORD: Christine Tucker 01235 203176 [email protected] 38 SCOTLAND: Jean Paterson (Kisby) 01382 812789 [email protected] SOMERSET – Taunton Rosemary Blackman (moss) 01823 6606 SUSSEX, EAST: Brighton: Polly Stebbens 01273 508377 [email protected] SUSSEX, WEST: Maggie Gebbett (Locke) 01243 699517 [email protected] WALES: Janet Austin (McConachie) 01597 811051 [email protected] YORKSHIRE: Diane Bainbridge (Long) 07534 226286 [email protected]
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DATCHELOR REGIONS REPORT
Several people have commented how important they feel the setting up of the Regional Groups has been for the Club as a whole. As always I thank all the Group Representatives for making this possible and for their time and effort in keeping in touch with members in their Group and organising events. In some areas there has been little interest in meeting, but the structure is there for anyone who wants to make contact at some time. A number of Groups have sent in news of what has been going on during the past year – all very different but all much enjoyed and appreciated. Shelley Mitchell (Shelmerdene Boadella) Regional Organiser
BEDFORD, BUCKS & HERTS (THREE COUNTIES GROUP) Our group tries to meet up a couple of times during the year and recently a small group of us met for a lovely lunch at a restaurant overlooking a wake-boarding lake. Then we visited Kathy Brown's garden in Stevington. Despite the disappointing weather we enjoyed looking around and hearing about all the plants and flowers she uses in cooking. After this Mary Ronald (Carlisle) entertained us to tea at her house nearby. We hope for better weather when we are visiting Bletchley Park in June.
Beryl Mitchell (Harris)
CROYDON AREA GROUP Our new venue for the April meeting, the School of Philosophy in Addiscombe Grove, provided a bright, attractive setting for our spring get-together. About 30 Old Girls chatted their way through the afternoon, fortified by tea/coffee and a highly tempting variety of cakes. Christine Woodley gave us a brief outline of the history and work of the centre and some groups exercised their little grey cells with a table quiz, with some success.Thanks go to Christine Woodley for suggesting this new venue which proved very successful. We hope to repeat the meeting next year, so watch for details of date and times. Chris Ewart (Bligh)
DATCHELOR IN DEVON This Group has met twice so far this year, with another two or possibly three more times to come before Christmas. A cold January day saw several of us waiting on the quay at Exmouth Docks to board the boat for a trip up the River Exe. The purpose was to see the avocets and other specific birds. Personally I cannot say ‘yes, that was an avocet’ because the birds were at quite a distance from us! However, the trip was a good time for socialising! At the end of April a small group travelled on the Tarka Line to Barnstaple from Exeter. Most of the hour’s journey was on a single track through beautiful countryside with trees and shrubs close to the track which then opened out to a wider vista. At Barnstaple we met with Joan Hooper (Clark) and her husband and also the Rev. Sarah Wood (Speed-Andrews) whom we had not met before. They all live in that area. We went to a hotel for an excellent lunch and were extremely well looked after. For any visitors to Devon I do recommend this trip, and Barnstaple has quite a bit to offer with shops and places to visit in the area. Looking ahead, 9 August will see the annual ‘unofficial’ get-together at the Dartington Music Summer School, Totnes, with tea at the Roundhouse at 3.30pm. Simply turn up, and take pot luck. The proposed visit to the helicopter base at Chivenor is still being planned – Sarah Wood is our negotiator. And lastly we plan a bring-and-share lunch early in December to celebrate Christmas – possibly at the Boniface Centre, Crediton.
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If there are ‘new’ Datchelorites who have not yet joined with us, or if you are a visitor to Devon, do come and join in. Simply contact me: Isolde Summers (Grove) 01363 773472.
EAST ANGLIA/CAMBRIDGE GROUP The year 2012 turned out to be a very quiet one for the group as so much was going on in the country as a whole, but this year kicked off with an excellent meeting near Norwich, when Annette Carson (Groombridge) gave a talk on her lifelong interest in Richard III. Before the search for Richard III's lost grave began, Annette had already written about where she believed he would be found, and was one of the small team that set about finding his remains which were discovered last year. We were able to meet in Annette’s local inn, and were delighted that a couple of members of the Club had come quite a distance to the meeting – Jo Waring (Anderson) and her husband came down from Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, and Margaret Nolan (Sargeant) and her husband travelled from south London. Margaret was delighted to meet Barbara Carlyle (Hardiman), one of our regular members. They had been in the same form at school and hadn’t met for 50 years! Jenny Hazel (Turvey) lives nearby and brought several members of her local History Group along to the meeting and we were delighted that David and Marion Walker (Brean) were able to join us. Ruth Meyer is hosting a bring-and-share lunch in Cambridge mid-June, when we hope to be able to stroll along the towpath and watch the Bumps Racing on the Cam. We did this a couple of years back and it was very popular. And in September Toni Arthur-Hay (Antoinette Wilson) has offered to host lunch at her home in Northwold, Norfolk. Northwold is quite near the bird sanctuary at Welney, and some of us plan to meet for an hour or two there before heading on for lunch. Let me know if you are interested in the September meeting. Shelley Mitchell (Boadella). 01953 889550
HAMPSHIRE We have had a couple of local lunch meetings in the Basingstoke area, at The Vyne and also at Basing House, but we plan a Milestone’s Museum meeting shortly on 21 June when we hope to see a few more from our area. Diana Werry Thomas
BECKENHAM & WEST WICKHAM GROUP In September Penny Horsman (Sword) hosted an enjoyable lunch for several of the group. As a result of this lunch a further group visited the Keeping Gallery in November in Shortlands. This proved to be a most fascinating and successful visit conducted by Renate who works in watercolours, textiles and mixed media. She gave a talk on the work of her late husband Charles, who was a well-known book illustrator. Previously we have been to a coffee concert at St George's Church, followed by lunch at a local restaurant. In March a lunch hosted by June Kirby (Camp) and Pam Goodwin (Usher) and held at June's house was a chance to catch up with news and welcome some new members. A small group, hosted by Elizabeth Werry, visited Dulwich Picture Gallery to view the Murillo Exhibition. Elizabeth kindly invited the group back to her home for tea, which was very enjoyable. Pam Goodwin (Usher) and June Kirby (Camp)
BROMLEY GROUP Bromley Group has a large number of Old Girls living in the area and from time to time another one pops up and joins us. We are also fortunate that transport links are good and car parks plentiful so that we are delighted to welcome people who live some way away from Bromley and join us for our regular six-weekly lunch events. Our main focus of activities is the lunch. We usually meet at Ferrari's and enjoy good service, pleasant surroundings and well prepared and presented food all for the price of £10 including tip.
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We have, however, experienced something of a blip as we had arranged to celebrate Mary French's 87th birthday there, only to discover by chance two days before that Ferrari's had drainage problems and was closed. Thankfully Joan Remnant (Barton), MDOG's secretary and Orpington organiser, immediately saved the day and suggested that we meet at her church cafe. We were able to have a lovely occasion and gave Mary French (Bushell) (England netball captain, etc.) a birthday lunch. We have since had lunches again at Joan's church cafe and ASK in Bromley. Our numbers seem to be growing as we had 16 members arrive last time to chat for hours! However we are hopeful that Ferrari's will open their doors again sometime soon. A group of 20 of us are due to do the tour of the new London BBCTV studios in July. As usual there has been a good response and even more so as we are being joined by other friends and family members. Other members of the Group also organise events such as theatre trips, and of course the annual Messiah from Scratch. We also enjoy hugely the fact that the regions around us are active and all- embracing as we have experienced all sorts of visits and events in surrounding regions. Margaret Walker (Hammond)
ROCHESTER/MEDWAY GROUP We have met at irregular intervals throughout the year, usually on a Thursday, because that suits us all very well. We have an average of eight members, but sometimes only four of us manage to come. Transport, health or family problems or other commitments are the main reasons for non-attendance. We last met on 15 May and, because of holidays, we shall not meet again until 25 July. We meet in the Cathedral Tea rooms (upstairs) because it seems the most central point for everyone. Our members come from Maidstone, Gravesend and Rainham as well as Rochester. Regular supporters include: Shirley Davies (Hallett), Mary Preston, Joyce Hogg (Ireland), Susan Brinn (Evans), Pamela Tiller (Gorman), Margaret Crystal (Nipper) and Jacqui Henry. We meet at 12 noon and stay about two hours. The food in the tea rooms is all cooked on the premises and a reasonable price; the service is good too. Dorothy Armstrong (Mills)
NEWCASTLE & NORTH EAST ENGLAND The first meeting of Datchelor Old Girls in Northumberland took place as planned on 17 April 2013. We sat and chatted over coffee for a couple of hours and were all agreed it was a good idea to meet from time to time and hope to continue. We also agreed that (a) Northumberland was a great place to live and (b) Datchelor was a great school! Sheila Robertson (Wiltshire) brought along another Old Girl – Kay Smith (Martin). They play bridge in the same club and found out by chance that they both went to Datchelor and were in the same year at school. The second meeting of the group took place on 10 May – just four of us again, but this time without Kay, but with Liz Baker (who is still working so couldn't make the first one). We're hoping to meet again in the summer. If you live within travelling distance of Newcastle and I have not contacted you, please call me. Chris Hull (Biffin) 01434 606192
NORTH WEST ENGLAND On the Tuesday of May half term, (before summer started!) we met at Beetham, a village south of Kendal, to visit the garden centre. Pam Brown (Haycock), Linda Studley (Brown 1969–75) and Gillian Jenkinson (Osborne 1951–59) met for coffee and a browse round the plants in the wind and drizzly rain. Edna Wells (Young 1950–58) joined us for lunch and, as usual, we chatted happily for a couple of hours. Edna and Linda discovered that they are both keen knitters and sewers (Edna belongs to a modern-day Dorcas Society!) and so our next meeting is to visit a famous wool shop in the Pennine village of Clapham, with lunch near
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Ingleton. This will be during the autumn half-term holiday; date and time to be arranged. It is a lovely part of the country, so non-knitters can go for a walk if their interest in coloured silks and yarns wanes!
Gill Jenkinson (Osborne)
BIRMINGHAM & MIDLANDS A matinee performance at the RSC Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon is fast becoming a regular feature of the Midlands Region OGs activities, ably masterminded for the fifth year by Heather Rippon. A group of 19 enjoyed Hamlet in June. We started with a fascinating historical walk led by our very own Blue Badge guide, Kay Thorpe. After the play, the day was completed as we adjourned to the Round Room in the theatre for a splendid afternoon tea.
SUSSEX WEST AND SOUTH HAMPSHIRE The highlight of our visits this year was a sunny afternoon in April at Champs Hill near Pulborough. This delightful private house and gardens, only rarely open for prearranged visits, includes a private concert hall and picture gallery. The owners were both very welcoming to us all and pleased to host a group with an interest in music and the arts. Frances Prince (Martin) organised this visit and more than 20 turned up including Mrs Theo Jackson-Cole (Handley) who lives nearby in West Sussex. We also went to Chichester Cathedral again in February for a free lunch-time organ recital followed by a lengthy coffee and chat. On Wednesday 7 August Maggie Gebbett will be hosting a garden party again on the edge of Chichester Harbour in Emsworth. All are welcome. Let’s hope the weather cooperates! Then at Christmas Bridget Marlow (O’Rourke) is kindly organising Christmas lunch again for us all at The Angel, Midhurst, on Wednesday 4 December. This will be our third Christmas event.
SUSSEX EAST Polly Stebbens is suggesting a possible lunch on Saturday 14 September in the Brighton area. Do contact her if you’d like to go along.
WALES: Janet Austin is willing to organise a get-together for those in her area of central Wales but says she has yet to be deluged with expressions of interest!
REPORT ON THE AGM October 2012
The AGM took place at East Croydon United Reformed Church due to the greatly increased hire charges at Girl Guiding HQ in Victoria. There were 66 Old Girls present with 21 apologies for absence. There were reports from the Chairman and Treasurer. No other nominations for Club Treasurer had been received and there was unanimous support for Christine Gale to continue the excellent work she is doing.
Guest speaker and Old Girl, Caroline Thomson, spoke about her career with the BBC and in her references to Datchelor, she mentioned the Debating Society, Dorcas and the annual Shakespeare Competition and how all these and a lot of other things we took for granted were actually very important – teaching us confidence, social responsibility, an enquiring mind and essentially the right values. These had helped her through what was a very enjoyable (and sometimes challenging) career. A fuller report of Caroline’s speech can be requested through the website or by phoning Maggie Gebbett (01243 699517).
We were, as always, grateful to those who provided refreshments so that we could enjoy that all- important part of any Datchelor meeting – chatting and laughing with old (and new) friends.
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HISTORY: MARY DATCHELOR – some background on the family and the foundation of the school taken from a 1927 programme of the School’s Jubilee and opening of the new buildings.
Mary Datchelor and her sisters Beatrix and Sarah lived in Threadneedle Street and attended the church of St Andrew Undershaft. Their father, Matthias, had been a merchant. Mary Datchelor died, unmarried, in 1725, and in 1726 her sisters made a gift to the parish of St Andrew’s of their old home in Threadneedle Street. The income of the property was to be employed to preserve the Datchelor family tomb beneath the church and to apprentice two poor children of the parish. The remainder was to be spent for the benefit of the Rector and parishioners. The Datchelor Trustees took over the administration of the fund, the income of which in 1731 was about £40 a year.
In 1863 the freehold of the Threadneedle Street property was sold for £30,000 and it was eventually decided to use part of the money for building and endowing a girls’ school in Camberwell. Camberwell was chosen partly because in 1330 the estates of Isolda of Camberwell were given to the parish of St Andrew Undershaft.
The Mary Datchelor School was opened in 1887 in what used to be the Lower School. The Datchelor Trustees were the first governing body but in 1894 the Clothworkers’ Company took over the administration. In 1909 a new governing body was formed – a Board of Managers including representatives of the Clothworkers’ Company, London County Council, Camberwell Borough Council and the University of London.
Addendum from the Editor: The Old Girls Club was formed after a reunion in 1889 so 2014 will be our 125th Anniversary – see item on p. 10 about the celebration of this event
I REMEMBER … by JOAN McCONACHIE (CONDY) Joan is 96 and has been gathering her recollections of school years. Here is a taster of her memories of Datchelor.
My sister Beryl and I started our Mary Datchelor life in 1924. (Joan would have been seven. Ed) As the new school building was not completed we had our lessons in a spare room of a local church in Wren Road, Camberwell. Miss Friend took the Kindergarten and Miss Cumely the Transition.
When the new building was ready it was great fun to go in. Local people came to watch us and customers came out of the shop across the road as we walked up the steps to the door, straight into the new cloakrooms. We were each given a peg for our shoe-bags and under the seat below was a space for outdoor shoes. Classrooms were on the floor above. First was the Domestic Science room where we learnt our cookery skills. Next was Form 1, teacher Mrs Mills. I know that her method of teaching Arithmetic was absolutely first class. Form 2 was Miss Mary Sanderson, a teacher we all wanted to please. I do not remember Form 3 but Form 4 was Miss Gaster’s room. She was very strict and everything had to be just right.
Our day started with prayers in the school hall. We stood, the organ was played, and Dr Brock (as she then was) walked the length of the hall to the platform. At mid-morning recess we could go to the luncheon hall if we wanted to buy something. On offer was a glass of milk for one penny, or two custard cream biscuits for one penny or a bar of milk chocolate for two pennies. A bell rang for dinner time. We stood each side of long tables until we had said or sung grace. 17
There was a large gymnasium where Miss Coggin operated. We were regularly seen by the school Doctor and Miss Coggin sat in, in case of any problems. Our mothers were asked to be present.
We had periods of netball and lacrosse in the playground but for more athletic lessons we had to go to the playing field quite a way from the school, meaning we walked crocodile style down Dog Kennel Hill, and back up the hill, quite tired at the end of the lessons. For swimming we had to go to the Camberwell public bath which meant traffic being held up as we crossed the busy main road. At the end of the summer term there was a gala, the highlight being when Marion Morton dived from the high gallery to shrieks and claps, into the pool.
Our prize days were special events as a well-known person always presented the prizes. Always representatives from the school governors, the Clothworkers and other guests came. I remember Princess Marina coming and years later her daughter the present Princess Alexandra. We also invited the ballerina Beryl Grey.
At one stage new chairs were needed in the hall and parents were asked to buy one (I think £5) each. Each chair had a plaque on the back with the student’s name.
At the end of each year the Christmas Carol service was a memorable and happy end to that term.
(I started at Datchelor more than 30 years later – but much of this is familiar. By then it was Miss Pearse walking the length of the hall – passing between the head girl and deputy on the doors. The cloakrooms sound exactly the same. At recess the sugar buns had gone up to a penny halfpenny. I remember the embarrassment of school medicals in the medical room up by the staff room on the top floor of the old building. Yes, the long walks to games, carrying a mountain of text books, were really tiring. Prize day was just the same 30 years later. Were the first-formers on benches down the sides? If you were quick and four of you stood up smartly, the fifth one was deposited on the floor as the bench tipped up … I remember those chairs in the hall very well. More than once my plaits were knotted round the back of my chair by a helpful person behind so that when I stood for Miss Pearse’s departure – the chair came with me … I wonder what happened to those chairs. Did anyone manage to salvage one? I wonder if the Christmas tradition of the senior choir singing the Boars Head Carol at Christmas lunch, as food was carried in, happened back in the 1920s? Ed)
I REMEMBER … the war years, by Barbara Lees 1939–45
I was very pleased to be asked by Shelley Mitchell to write the introduction to the CD recordings made by evacuated Old Girls (and one boy!), regarding the experiences of fostering during World War II and I must confess that my ‘bit’ was very much written from the heart. I am aware that, as time passes, I am becoming so much more nostalgic about my time at Datchelor. Is this usual? I guess it is. I remember how so many of us stifled yawns as our fathers (of both world wars) recounted their stories for the umpteenth time. Our boredom was unforgiveable really, considering their earlier inability, immediately after the wars, to speak of the horrors they had encountered. But life goes on I suppose, and I hope my own wartime reminiscences won’t bore too many of you. If they do – skip the page.
I joined Datchelor in 1939, right at the beginning of World War II, so apart from a week of preparation for evacuation in the Datchelor building, when we waited anxiously for ‘the call’ to evacuate, I did not set foot there again until June 1945, when we returned home – in my case – 18 just in time to sit A levels. After six years of working in so many different buildings across Ashford and later Llanelli, it felt very strange to be back – almost alien in fact. But on the last day of term, I found myself on senior prefect duty for morning assembly, which, as I am sure many of you will recall, meant dinging the bell, the signal for the whole school to rise as one, before Dame Dorothy (then DB) entered, followed by all the staff. For me this was heady stuff, inducing what, in retrospect, was at first a feeling of power, my first experience of such I guess; but when DB had ascended to the platform, the mood changed to one of serenity, of content and a phase of life successfully completed by all who had undergone evacuation. I had a vision of all the five-and-a- half years I had watched DB conduct the same ceremony, in the rather dim and dusty crypt of St Albans Church in Llanelli, and the 300 to 400 of us who had crammed in daily to listen to her before going our several ways to ‘school’.
Dame Dorothy had, as I remember, another six years before she retired; for me it was my last day at Datchelor, but what a happy note on which to finish. We had all ‘come home’.
(Do remember we have a few CDs left of the wartime memories of Old Girls and their evacuation experiences. Ed.)
I REMEMBER … the food, uniform, art and music, by Maureen Mulley (Jones) 1947–53
I was thinking how I used to be when I started at Datchelor in 1947. During the war my mother had evacuated to Long Melford in East Anglia. She subsequently went to work for the village barber, Berty Prigg, and, having dumped me with a family in the village, ran off with him. My father was in the RAF. He eventually married his second wife and I acquired a reluctant stepmother. It was not a happy time but I won a scholarship to Datchelor. And my friend, Doreen Ransom, joined the Junior School under the benevolent eye of Miss Gaukroger. I was in Upper 3M, with Miss Morton keeping a beady eye on me.
My mind turned to food, an enduring interest of mine. I was always hungry. My stepmother was not very forthcoming with food, as she needed all the cash to pay for the cigarettes. The school dinners were quite adequate but there were certain items not beloved of many – tapioca and semolina. So the rest of the table would take a couple of spoonsful and smear them over their plates and I would eat the bowlful! Also I used to save my fare to school so that I could have a penny bun. As one walked into the dining hall, to see those trays piled high with glistening buns was heaven. I am afraid that today I still have a weakness for Belgian buns! Oh yes, and I was allowed to finish up the surplus bottles of milk to supplement my diet.
I was very energetic and relished the games periods, except the long walk up the hill to the playing fields. There Miss Haines would charge up and down the hockey field waving her hockey stick yelling, ‘Shoot!!’ My only interest in the game was aiming at her shins (I preferred netball). And I remember her mode of dress – a gymslip, with navy blue knickers underneath for all to see And then there were the gym lessons with Miss Haines, and her standing there by the vaulting box banging it and saying ‘Hup!’ in a loud voice. You took a deep breath, your heart was banging, but still I remember the moment of triumph when I did the long fly.
I paint with pastels today, my abiding passion even above food! I have to thank Miss Adams for this. She encouraged me so much. Pastels are so easy to use (I tried watercolours but there was
19 not enough ‘welly’ for me), and I use the soft ones, silky and beautifully rich in colour. I love painting flowers … using a fine glass paper as a support. They positively glow!
But, of course, the crowning glory of Datchelor was the music! Music appreciation, singing … You all know what I mean. I sometimes hear music in colour and am going to try to use pastels to convey the glorious swirling sounds of Rachmaninov.
I could not finish without mentioning that the school paid a bursary for me to stay on in the secretarial sixth. And the most terrifying task was reconciling the petty cash book for Miss Foot! And my dearest friends, Doreen Ashby (Ransom), Sheila Weaver (Thomson) and Joan Remnant (Barton) are all Old Girls and we still meet up several times in the year and exchange emails.
I REMEMBER … Greek Dancing, by MIriam Cooper (Ellis) 1957–64
A memory that I had totally forgotten was jogged by a meeting with Jill Mure (Baker) here in Hobart a few years back. We lunched together and talked Datchelor most of the time!. She recalled the Ancient Greek dancing that we learnt in the first form with the blue pleated tunics that we had to wear. Where else would you have done that except Datchelor! I had totally forgotten this. I ‘stayed down’ so I am not sure that the girls starting in '57 would have done this but the '56ers certainly did.
And do you remember the honour of being able to wear to school the dress you had made? It was like a fashion parade – I think in the 4th form. Who else was in the production of Noyes Fludde? I was a ‘gossip’! Does anyone have any photos of that or of any of the Shakespeare competitions? I hope to meet up with some of you either here or there one day again. The links with Datchelor continue. (Yes Miriam I remember the Greek dance tunics – they had to be no more than four inches off the ground when you were kneeling. We used to call those lessons ‘flit’. Ed)
I REMEMBER … the Datchelor Swimming Bath and Bath Hall, by Jennifer Murphy (Massey) 1961–68 As an 11-year-old I remember being unimpressed by the fact that school had its own swimming pool, but looking back, it really was a fantastic resource.
We had to line up outside the pool building until the teacher came to unlock it. Then we rushed to try to get an individual changing compartment, complete with modesty, green canvas curtain; but the central, communal part was spacious enough and good to share with friends. There was a glass roof to the changing rooms so it got pretty hot and humid, especially at the height of the summer.
I loved swimming lessons even though I was never very accomplished. In the first form swimming gala I was afforded the privilege of representing form 1D in the ‘Beginners’ Length’. My breast stroke was slower than the others’ front crawl and I came in last. I did improve over the years but, to this day, I cannot perform the front crawl. I recall practising for the Bronze Medallion life-saving award, and managing to do all those surface dives to pick up black rubber bricks from the bottom of the pool. Some years later, I competed again in the inter-form gala. This time I was a member of the synchronised swimming squad. We were so elegant and must have looked wonderful in our
20 black swimming costumes and white caps. (No sparkly make-up, posh hairstyles or nose-clips for us.)
I could never understand why some girls disliked swimming. It was like 40 minutes relaxation, and, even better, no homework was set. I was always sorry when it was my time to whisper ‘P’ to the teacher to explain why I couldn’t swim that week. Some girls used that excuse week after week. (I should explain that, back in the old days, Tampax was a new invention and not widely used.) I recall one day when the fire alarm rang during our swimming lesson. We all had to go out of the building and line up in Camberwell Grove, in our wet costumes!
Best of all was the Swimming Club which was held after school. It was free to attend and you could go along and just have fun. That’s where I learnt most of my water skills from my more aquatically able friends. It was wonderful, especially when there were only a few girls there.
Then came the winter, when the pool was emptied and covered with those dark wooden boards to create the ‘bath hall’. It was a strange dark space, which was very noisy when anyone ran in there. The sound must have reverberated in that big hole below. It was used for PE and games lessons. A netball court was marked and I can remember doing netball shooting practice before school. We had dance lessons there with Miss Johnson. We did national dance and ballroom. We learnt waltz, quickstep and foxtrot – not just the basic steps, but the turns as well. On one occasion, we had a male PE instructor come to the bath hall to introduce us to trampolining. I think the trampoline stayed for one week only.
All sorts of activities took place in the bath hall – during the day and by after-school clubs. There was a stage, at the ‘deep end’ of the hall, which we used when rehearsing for our inter-form Shakespeare Competition. One Christmas, there was a lunch-time disco. I think we paid sixpence (6d) to go in and some sixth formers played latest records and we listened or danced. It seemed rather naughty and very daring. I think it must have been to raise money for some charity otherwise I’m sure it would never have been allowed.
The bath hall was also the place where our handiwork was displayed before being dispatched to the UGS (Union of Girls’ Schools) for various charities. Big trestle tables were arranged down the sides of the hall and each form was allocated one. Do you remember knitting squares for UGS? They had to be six inches square, knitted diagonally and stitched together to make a blanket. We made soft toys, knitted and sewed garments. Was there a club called ‘Dorcas’? Did the club organise all of this?
It was many years later, after the school had closed, I heard that the pool was still there and was hired out for use by certain schools/groups. I made enquiries and was fortunate enough to be able to hire the bath myself; so I contacted old school friends and one afternoon we went, together with our various offspring, and relived those happy days. Those steps at the shallow end were perfect for small children.
What a shame it’s now all gone. I spent many happy hours in that ‘bath’ and hall. In these days of ‘academies’ with their fantastic facilities, priority doesn’t seem to be given to the swimming pool. It makes me realise how lucky we were – and I should have been more impressed.
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NEWS FROM ABROAD
Note from the Editor to Old Girls who live abroad: PLEASE send us your email address. (Send it to Myra Hurley – see contacts, p. 2)You will still receive your newsletter by post, but to cut costs we intend to send any other notifications only by email to those living abroad. We do a spring mail-out each year about forthcoming events so you will miss these unless you have let us know your email address.)
ROSEMARY BALISTER (MINES) 1945–53 Rosemary has sent various letters and photos and commented on how much she enjoyed the Olympics, even managing to find some Union Jack shorts to wear while she watched. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA and their big excitement was a visit from the Dalai Lama, who was very jolly and cracked several jokes at a meeting for which she was lucky to get a ticket. Charlottesville turned into a mini-Tibet with many exiles coming in to town colourfully dressed. Rosemary also had two poems chosen as winners in the Bus Lines Communication Poetry contest, which meant they were printed on the sides of the buses. There was a special event at the Downtown Transit Center, at which she read her poems, and they were also to be given to the University of Virginia Special Collections library.
RUTH CLATWORTHY (HOSKING) 1937–42 Ruth writes: ‘Thank you for all the information you send me. But as I have lived in Australia since 1963 I do not know the students and of course cannot attend functions. I have a life membership and have enjoyed all the magazines and letters, but those I knew are well retired and I think it is time I do the same retiring act. It will save all of you who so magnificently carry on the Datchelor tradition. Please leave me off the mailing list. I never forget my schooldays and all it taught me. Music is still my great love, plus all the other teachings. I remember all our great teachers, the sport, Christmas Carols and Messiah. Thank you Datchelor. I am 89 years old this year and Datchelor is still bright gold in my mind. Thank you for everything. My best wishes and (yes) love.’
MIRIAM COOPER (ELLIS) 1957–64 Miriam is a regular correspondent from Tasmania and says: ‘We were honoured by a visit to Richmond by Prince Charles and Camilla, as part of their jubilee tour. They were only five days in Australia so we were thrilled that they spent three hours of that in Richmond, Tasmania. We laid on a lovely morning with sunshine for the royals. By the afternoon it was tipping it down with thunderstorms so we were fortunate. Much to my delight I got to talk to the Prince. I run a tourist experience called Granny Rhodes cottage and I was in my Granny garb. The Prince said it looked great! I welcomed him to Richmond and he took my DVD. He looked at it and read Northamptonshire on the front. He looked surprised and asked if that where I was from as he has some property there. I said no but that the story of Grannie Rhodes was connecting Richmond in Tasmania and Northamptonshire. I shook Camilla’s hand and asked her to watch the DVD as it was about the women coming here and she said thank you and she would! All very exciting! I am currently working on the second edition of my book and coming to UK in August to research for the third book.’
MARGARET DICKIE (FAGE) 1953–60 Margaret writes: ‘Last year was a good year for us. It included entertaining friends from England that we hadn’t seen for 20 years (Margaret) and 40 years (Ross).We also had a wonderful three weeks in the South Island, visiting the Catlins (an area of petrified forest and penguins), a ride on the Kingston Flyer (an old steam train), and a soak in Hanmer Hot Springs.
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'Our daughter, Helen, Thomas (then nearly two) and Vala the dog came down from Gisborne at Easter to help us celebrate our 140th birthday (well 2 x 70!) In January they presented us with another grandchild – Joshua Ross. So we now have two grandsons here and two granddaughters, Lillian and Eleanor, in America with parents Matthew (our son) and Sharon.
'Last year we also went to hear Miriam Margolyes on “Shakespeare’s Women” – a fantastic evening which also turned out to be her birthday. The audience was primed to sing “Happy Birthday” at the end of the show. A visit to the Air Force Proms gave us a chance to sing such favourites as “Land of Hope and Glory” and “Rule Britannia”. Links with England are alive and well! Oh yes, and there was our visit to the pantomime “Cinderella” in December.
'Ross is still working, though he will probably retire this year. I’m thoroughly enjoying retirement. Our association with Wellington Central Baptist Church is still strong and Ross plays the organ there once a month. Last year Family Groups kicked off and have been a great success. We look forward to the rest of 2013 but are not sure that it will “top” last year!’
PAULINE LIENGME (ADAMS) 1952–60 Pauline tells us about her busy year that has entailed a couple of visits to the UK from Canada. She says that she and Bernard are both ‘creaking a bit’, but she enjoyed spending her birthday in the UK with family and managed to fit in a trip to the Paralympic games. Later there was a holiday in the Rockies where ‘we saw grizzly bears and had a day at the Stampede’. Pauline is still active in the Harbour Players but starting to hand over the reins to spend more time on music as her main subject in the BA she is taking.
OLIVE LYON (HUNTLEY) 1944–51 Olive says: ‘I have just received the lovely newsletter. Shelley Mitchell wrote about the war years and asked about what was happening in 1943 and 1944 at the London end of the school during evacuation.
‘I have clear memories of September 1944, when I started at Datchelor in ONLY the old building plus hall and dining room. The Gas Company was definitely still in residence until about May or June 1945 (I think) when the “Welsh” people came back. I'll write in more detail but I am currently busy with short stories and cannot stop the muse for now. By the way, I met Norma Yates on that very first day and she has a good memory. I'll be in touch.’
JENNIFER KOLSTAD (PRESLEY) 1957–63 Jennifer says she really does have news for us: 'I got married (for the first time) on 7 April of this year. We were married at the Audubon Naturalist Society mansion in Chevvy Chase, Maryland, USA. My husband is Andrew Kolstad. He is a statistician for the Federal Department of Education’s National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP). I am now retired from my career in education policy research, and hoping to have Andy join me in at least semi-retirement shortly.' Jennifer sent us a wedding photo which is included in our picture pages.
STELLA LA RESERVEE (BRUCE) 1960–66 Stella writes:'Hlobane, in northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, is, at the moment, entering winter; the days are gloriously sunny, but the nights and early mornings are cold (average at this time of the year is from about 6⁰ C to about 22⁰ C). Hopefully we will not get snow this year (yes, we do get it sometimes) as our houses are equipped for the heat rather than the cold and I dislike having to walk around the house with scarf and gloves on! Luckily this does not last long as 1 September is officially the first day of spring.
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‘We are coming into the burning season, when farmers do controlled burning of their land (bit too big to take a grass cutter to it) and I really dislike it as it makes great swathes of the land look like the aftermath of Armageddon! On a plus side, it attracts the birds namely the bald ibis, secretary birds and pied crows, who like their bugs cooked.
‘I keep busy by sewing (take a peek at the Facebook page, Thula Thula crafts) and now find I am about to embark on another project in the local community.
‘We live very close to an extremely poor village which is composed of the families of the miners who had worked the longest serving coal mine in SA when it closed. The youngsters have to combat poverty, AIDS and ignorance. A friend and I had the privilege of helping one of these youngsters by getting him into a course to become an Ambulance Assistant, as although he wanted to go nursing, he was not given the correct information. From this episode, we have decided to help the youngsters on their way with career guidance. It seems that they are given very little guidance in the schools as to what they can do, what courses are available and how to go about getting bursaries, etc. The upshot of this is that they turn up at the universities clutching their matric certificates and hope to take any course which they can enter with the marks they have attained.
‘As you can imagine, there is no such luxury as a computer to get the information; that is possible only at school (long queues for that, if they work) or at an internet café (requires a trip to town). We hope to help them by providing the basic information for them. The young man we helped has made arrangements for us to go to his old high school and he has promised to help us (our Zulu is non-existent!)
‘I do so enjoy receiving the Old Girls newsletter and love catching up with all those ‘Datchelorites’ from all corners of the world.’
PATRICIA MONRY (WELSH) 1945–46 Patricia says: ‘I briefly attended the school in the year 1945 to the spring of 1946. I don't remember too much about it except that I had to sing in the soprano group in Handel’s Messiah. My cousin and I attended there but I think she attended much longer than me as I had been evacuated during WWII. I just thought I would contact you as I am now in the US, in Washington State.’
JENIFER McDERMOTT (MOORBY) 1948–54 writes from Manly, New South Wales, saying how much she enjoys our newsletters and loves the photographs. She says: ‘Australia is a long way from those schooldays and our journeys to Europe never seem to coincide with Old Girls meetings … maybe, one day!’ Earlier this year Jenifer and John travelled on the Cunard Elizabeth and met a headmaster from Peckham who lived in The Grove until recently. ‘He was full of praise for Datchelor and told us of all “the doings” up to the conversion to fine living accommodation – very interesting.
‘We enjoy the company of Penelope and Peter Stamford. Pen (Cullingham) married Peter a few years after they met at our one and only School Social. We bumped into them 35 years or so ago when our sons were playing rugby in the same school team. Now we enjoy Sydney Symphony Orchestra subscription series and walks, talks and visits together.’
ELIZABETH MASON (DE VAL) 1962–70 Elizabeth sends us this report: ‘I am currently moving around rather a lot. We moved to France last year after having lived in Germany since 1988. We have been looking after my sister-in-law’s property since April of last year while renovating ours – 24 she has been in England on a narrow boat. In April of this year we finally managed to sell the German house and have now officially moved, together with our red English telephone box. We also have a boat, which is currently in The Netherlands and which we have not managed to sail in yet. Hopefully we will be able to go somewhere this year.
‘In the meantime, we have just been in England for my sister Ann’s ruby wedding anniversary – Ann was in the sixth form at Datchelor. We are now in The Netherlands, staying on the boat, which is not yet in the water! I am also still doing a bit of technical translation work, having managed to work my way through the complications of setting up my business in France – with a bit of help. French bureaucracy is a minefield when you only have schoolgirl French or none at all. However, we have managed to re-register the car and sort out the health insurance. With state pensions from two EU countries and living in a third, we decided to employ an accountant for the first tax return – all I needed to do was to provide a mountain of paperwork in the form of certificates, statements, etc. (56Mb!) and do the adding up once I knew how the accountant had tried to complete the forms. One day I may be able to get to an Old Girls meeting again but it is still nice to keep in touch even if I can’t.’
REBECCA SIMPSON (HUGHES) 1964–71 Rebecca writes: ‘I recently returned to Scotland after spending nearly five years living and working all over New Zealand as a landscape architect where we have family – including four grandchildren. We have family here too so we go back and forth most winters. We were based on North Island at Bay of Plenty, at a tiny place called Maketu with lots of history from the original Maori tribe of Te Arawa who arrived in the mid-1300s. Later on Europeans arrived starting a flax industry which exported far and wide as the original rope for shipping among other uses. That's an unusual depth of history for a young country like NZ. We lived on the cliff with beautiful views of the ever changing estuary and sea – it was a truly memorable time.
'But I always remember my happy schooldays playing netball, hockey, tennis, diving and of course singing in the choir, even though I wasn't the most well behaved pupil! Thank you, Datchelor.'
TRUDI TRITSCHLER (BARKER) 1954–62 Trudi sends us this news: ‘We are still enjoying life in Bungendore, near Canberra, after coming to Australia for a three-year working holiday in 1967! With three children and seven lovely grandchildren we are not likely to return to the UK to live! We only wish it was a little closer to visit family members. We are settled in our retirement, but not inactive – where did we ever find time to work? There are always things to do on the farm, and we still find time to do the garden, grow what we can, and are planting trees for tree lanes and shelter. We also pursue our hobbies in our "spare" time. I am actively involved in the local branch of the CWA of NSW, our local branch of the South Coast and Country Quilters, and a friendship quilting group, which makes quilts for the local doctor's surgery to distribute. My husband tries to find time for the British Model Railway Society, model boat building and photography with his new camera, and we are both members of the Australian Carriage Driving Society. I still have all my school reports (1954–62), together with a Prospectus, uniform list and order form, and the letter to my parents with the offer of a place at Datchelor! We last visited the UK in 1999, and hope to do so again sometime.’
ANNE van BASSEN (McGREGOR) 1940–46 Anne tells us that she has moved to a new address in Canada. She says that she visited the UK in spring 2012 when she stayed with her cousin, Katherine Whitehorn and with friends. Anne says regretfully that she does not expect to visit the UK again. 25
DENISE SWANSBURY (EVERETT) 1969–72 Denise is now a Colonel in the Salvation Army. She and her husband Charles are in charge of SA work – churches, schools and clinics throughout Ghana.
SUZANNA WARRICK 1971–77 Suzanna has sent us this news – it’s her first time in the newsletter. ‘I left MD and became a horse-riding instructor for nine years until I joined British Caledonian airways as ground staff in 1986. I remember boarding Miss Charman and Miss Seldon on a flight from Gatwick once and they remembered me, despite my being unremarkable at both music and physics! (Or were they just being kind?) BCal was taken over by British Airways in 1988 and I held various positions with BA until I finished my airline career in 2001. They were offering voluntary severance and made me an offer I couldn't refuse!
‘I then moved to France with my husband. Unfortunately, we separated almost immediately afterwards and I subsequently remarried, to an Englishman I met in France. We have had a building business here since 2004, renovating old French houses for the Brits. We work very hard but love our life here. I spend my spare time fostering dogs from the local refuge and 'doing up' our present house which is in a wine region (Gaillac), in the south west, near Toulouse.’
HOME NEWS
GROUPS I, II and III (Leaving dates up to 1944)
MEG ALUN-JONES (CREAIS) 1931–39 Meg says: ‘Everything comes to a stop when the postman delivers the Old Girls Club magazine and nothing starts again until I have read it from cover to cover. The new format is excellent and the coloured photos a big bonus; hard to remember the magazines were all carefully typed in years gone by – the same dedication but different methods.
‘The year (2012) has been an exciting one nationally for many reasons and even the little town where I live managed to be included in the festivities when we had the honour of seeing the Olympic flame being carried along the banks of the Mersey, passing in front of my flat. It was taken to the Coast Guard Station at the end of the road then turned back and retraced its steps past my flat again. Thousands of people were there to cheer it on its way and 5000 local school children wearing different coloured tops formed the Olympic logo on the bank of the Mersey – great excitement.’
DOROTHY BRAND (SMALLWOOD) 1931–42 Dorothy says that when you reach 90 you don’t have much news of interest and then goes on to tell us what a very interesting life she leads! She says: ‘I can still walk to church and to two ladies’ groups and go on coach outings. Leonard and I are glad that we have, at last, learnt to make grocery orders to Tesco by computer, and that we have an excellent gardener and cleaning lady. My best news is that my daughter, Nicola, bought a derelict Chalet Park on the Isle of Mull a year ago, and has already got four out of nine chalets refurbished and has done a lot of manual labour herself. Does anyone want a holiday in Mull?’
Dorothy goes on to recount her grandchildren’s lives: Anthony (30) in the RAF, Colin (28) an editor, Jeremy (21) a student in Bristol and Lewis (23) a computer whizz. Dorothy’s other daughter, Stephanie, lives nearby.
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Dorothy adds: I keep in touch with Rosemary Blackman in Taunton, Stella Bryant, Joan Hainge (Reakes), Joan Cheatle (Pailing) and Joyce Tristram (Wyard) and of course my sister Mary, living in Edinburgh.’
PAMELA CHARMAN The Old Girls Club has received news of Pamela. She is in a residential home now. We were sent a signed programme of a school production of two plays: Thor, with Angels and Kate Kennedy. These were put on in 1949 and produced by Miss Swithenbank with Miss Adams doing the scenery, Miss Craze in charge of tickets, Miss Gray as stage manager and some costumes made by Miss Baker. Pamela played a leading role in Thor and Olive Lyon (Huntley) remembers the production well.
MARY FRENCH (BUSHELL) 1936–43 Mary says she ended 2012 well with a family gathering, with both daughters, two sons-in-law and three grandchildren all gathered together for Christmas lunch and she didn’t have to do any cooking! She is still in touch with Mary Preston and Pat Penstone (Peal) who are both older than she is, but, at the moment, as she can still drive, it is Mary who does the visiting.
Amy, Mary’s granddaughter, reached new heights (or lows!) as she worked at the O2 Christmas Pantomime as part of her placement work from RADA and was on stage as Booboo, the baby elephant in Aladdin!
JOAN HAINGE (REAKES) 1932–39 Joan says: ‘Not much news except that I still manage to go on various coach outings – the latest one was going up in the lift to the top of the Shard. It was a dry day but rather misty. However the view overlooking London and beyond was fantastic. My latest holiday will be by coach visiting Tetbury and Cardiff. The weather in early 2013 has been pretty poor so I have only played tennis once, and as I shall be 86 in June, I fear my days of playing are coming to an end. Rambling will be restricted to strolls, but in the winter we play 10-pin bowling once a month. Many of us find the balls veering into the gutters, causing a lot of laughter.
'My adopted son and his wife in Australia have recently moved back to Brisbane and they also adopted a little boy aged two in April this year. My granddaughter is still at university in London and is enjoying life. She manages to teach swimming and lifeguarding in her spare time in London and also when she is at home.’
KATHLEEN KERRIDGE (TOWNSEND) 1931–37 Kathleen reports: ‘I still live in a comfortable retirement flat in Radcliffe-on-Trent. My health is good, I am fairly mobile (I can’t run) and I manage to look after myself to a large degree. Fortunately my daughter, Jan, lives just half an hour away and keeps a watchful eye on me.
‘I am praying I keep well until May when my granddaughter, Helen, is getting married in St Paul’s Cathedral. My grandson, Ben, graduated in Theology at Cambridge, spent several years teaching in Bologna and is now back at college hoping to be ordained next year. I have two half-French grandchildren, Alba and Noé, studying Languages and Engineering respectively at French universities.
‘I have read the newsletter from cover to cover. How could they close a school which produced such brilliant pupils? Sadly, I only recognised three names from my year – Winifred Speirs, the late Joan Rich and Beth Cooke. I was in touch with Eileen Soames until she died a few years ago.’ 27
BARBARA LEES (1939–45) Groups I, II and III representative Barbara has a message for those she represents: ‘As your group secretary may I be forgiven for issuing a slightly bracing message to you all which goes like this: “Come on girls, we may be knocking on a bit, but age never prevented any Datchelor Old Girl from communicating by talking, reminiscing or laughing, so let’s push the boat out shall we? If too late for this newsletter, 2014 is only just around the corner and, remember, our efforts in this regard gain additional significance the more historical they are!” ‘And while on the subject, can I issue yet another plea, to all those in Group III who left the Club in chagrin at the time of “the troubles”. Please come back. You are all at the lower age range of the group, so there’s masses of life left in you yet and you are needed. Under excellent leadership, the club has lifted itself up by its bootstraps, is flourishing and is well worth belonging to. So come back while you have the opportunity.’
MARJORIE MASON (ROBINSON) 1926–40 At nearly 92 Marjorie tells us she is just about to become a great granny! She keeps as busy as she is able and cuts the grass each week on her ‘ride-on’ mower. She does as much as she can for other needs in the garden. She says she is a bit ‘wobbly’ on her feet but otherwise she is very fit and doesn’t need any pills!!
JEAN WATTS (CHRISTIE) 1939–45 Jean says she had no exciting news to report unlike so many of the contributors to the magazine but she does like reading about other people’s ‘unusual happenings’. Apart from the ‘usual deterioration that happens to the old’ Jean says she is pretty fit and looking after herself (chivvied gently along by her two daughters and their children who enjoy taking the mickey out of her).
GROUP IV (Leaving dates between 1945 and 1961)
JANET AUSTIN (McCONACHIE) 1954–60 sends news of her mother, one of our senior Old Girls, who has been jotting down her memories of school (see p. 17). Joan McConachie is now 96 but she remembers her school days fondly. Joan’s sister Beryl Thomas (Condy) also went to Datchelor. Janet adds that she is having no luck in getting a regional Old Girls Group going in central Wales but she still likes to keep in touch with her own school friends, Wendy Grower (Howlett), who celebrates her 50th wedding anniversary this year; Kay Wilks (Masterson) and Jenny Janes (Cleveland).
JEAN BOURNE (WALSH) 1942–47 writes: ‘This year has been an “annus horribilis” healthwise, involving many hospital visits, resulting in an inability to go swimming and the inevitable takeover of arthritis, but she says she is now on the road to better health. She adds: ‘I wonder how many Datchelor people saw the BBC series on areas of London including the one on Camberwell Grove. I understand many notable people live there but would rather have had the school in existence.
‘Next year Laurie and I celebrate our diamond wedding. Our five grandchildren are well on the way in their chosen careers, covering Masters in criminology, degrees in sports studies, in Horse Management, Media and Communications, and a 16-year-old aiming to take Performing Arts after A levels. I was one of the sports fanatics, particularly netball, which led to having to repeat a year to pass my school certificate. The asset was in my teaching career when I was able to say to the wayward there was nothing they could do that I had not done before them. In the sixth form I frequently took the netball lessons for the lower forms, I wonder if anyone remembers? I had a
28 long teaching career in PE and school management eventually being the head of an unusual comprehensive with a fully integrated unit for hearing impaired. Having been retired for 24 years those days are as vivid as ever. I enjoy doing jigsaws, eating out and socialising and I live in Nottingham so if there are any “old” girls near I would love to meet up with them.’
PATRICIA BOUTLE 1950–57 tells us: ‘I am greatly enjoying my retirement in my bungalow on the South Coast and taking particular pleasure in redesigning the garden, to ensure future low maintenance but to include an attractive selection of plants and shrubs to give year-round colour.
‘I continue to play duets regularly with an old college friend of mine. It is a good discipline to not let someone else down and this motivates me to practise. We give little informal concerts here in my home about two or three times a year and in local churches at Christmas time.
‘I visit Kate Morgan (Daniels) from time to time as she is in a nursing home near me in Winchester since having a serious stroke in April 2011. She has been very poorly but is now making gentle progress with her speech and language. She and her husband had the great joy of attending her son’s wedding this summer in St. Albans Cathedral.
‘My son, Alex, is now working permanently at Heathrow Airport as the Business Strategy Manager for the British Airports Authority and he is really enjoying his new challenges and experiences.’
ANNETTE CARSON (GROOMBRIDGE) 1951–59 Annette tells us: ‘Since 2011 I have been privileged to be a member of the team of Ricardians who identified the location of Richard III's grave, a project started in 2009 by Philippa Langley who has been seen in TV programmes and news reports. We started excavations in Leicester in August 2012 and found him exactly where we expected him to be, although his identity was not confirmed by DNA until February 2013. If anyone would like to hear the talk given by Philippa and myself at a special conference in Leicester in March, we describe how all this happened in a video which can be seen on the website of the Richard III Society (www.richardiii.net – the link to the Leicester Conference is on the home page).
‘Since then I have brought out a revised edition of my book Richard III: The Maligned King, plus I am publishing a new introductory book, due out soon, entitled Richard III: A Small Guide to the Great Debate. On 15 May this year I gave a talk to the East Anglia & Cambridge Group, which was also attended by Old Girls from outside our area, together with some local history enthusiasts. It has been an exciting time for Ricardians and has kept me very busy!’
VALERIE CLASBY (PIKE) 1951–57 Valerie reports that she took longer than expected to recover from a replacement hip and so her activities in 2012 had to give way to home-based interests. She can drive and has bought an automatic. In the New Year Valerie developed shingles which again put her back, but she is hopeful for sunny weather soon!
BRENDA DAGLISH (BLACKWELL) 1959–61 Brenda writes about how pleased she was to attend one of the regional meetings organised by Beryl Mitchell, visiting Hughendon Manor, and to put a face to the name of our Treasurer, Christine Gale, at this event. She adds: ‘Historical interest and “chat” – BLISS!’
EDWINA GLOVER (PRESTON) 1943–49 Edwina says: ‘I would like to get in touch with Anne Philpot (Toffolo). I knew her mother and father very well and we were great friends and I am sure I could give her some information concerning her father’s family tree, which she is researching. If she would like to make contact with me, my email address is [email protected].
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‘I am afraid I find it difficult to remember my dates at Datchelor but I think it was 1943–49. I do recall returning from Llanelli to Camberwell when I must have been about 13.’
JEAN GOUGH (CASWELL) 1951–57 Jean has enjoyed meeting up with a number of Datchelor friends this year. She says: 'I keep in regular touch with three old classmates and their families plus one Old Datchelor girl we met while living in South Africa. My classmates are Diane Ellis (Egan), Margaret Prout (Page) and Valerie Hudson (Stanbridge). The Old Girl we met in South Africa is Pamela Baker (Greatrex). Each year my husband Ron and I try to get away in April to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This year that anniversary was spent visiting the New Forest, Dorchester and Cornwall. We used it to meet Diane by having lunch with her at Poundbury’s Engine Room cafe. We had hoped Margaret would join us but she was abroad at the time. On another day we visited Pamela for morning coffee at her home in Chard.
‘In May we partly completed a get-together which had been snowed off in January, when Margaret and Valerie were supposed to visit us in Essex. We managed to get to Valerie’s and go out with her and husband Ray for lunch at the Crook Log Carvery at Bexleyheath, but again Margaret couldn’t join us. We are currently working on a plan for Diane, Valerie and me to go to see Margaret in August.'
JOAN LITTLEJOHN 1949–55 Joan tells us: ‘On Easter Saturday I welcomed Professor Jeremy Dibble of Durham University and Jonathan Clinch PhD student for a visit about Herbert Howells. Jonathan, born 1984 (the year I was given Herbert Howells’ composing piano Steinway 77089) kindly insisted that everything I said was relevant! The full score of Peter Racine Fricker’s 3rd Symphony, which I prepared for him in 1960 working from his manuscript, has been listed by the composer in the Fricker Archive at Santa Barbara University California, as ‘Score prepared by Joan Littlejohn’. It is nice to be remembered and to discover it via Google and my new smartphone!
‘My collection of Miss Pearse’s letters (six folders 1960s–1993) and some of her poems has been microfilmed by the Devon Record Office, who also hold the original documents for safe keeping (reference TD370 now integrated with 5823M – the National Archives reference). Microfilm reel reference is MFM 66/1–27.’
MAUREEN MULLEY (JONES) 1947–53 Maureen reports: 'We are usually pretty busy. We are Befrienders for Age UK and visit a couple of little old (well, older than us) ladies. David pops over to Sainsburys with a list and then we go to them. One has a near-blind son living at home and they have full and frank exchanges of views – and we tell them we feel insecure!
'One of my favourite occupations is painting with pastels. They are not just chalks but sticks of pure pigment that give remarkable results. We keep closely in touch with Doreen Ashby (Ransom), Sheila Weaver (Thomson) and of course Joan Remnant (Barton). I had a stroke about four years ago but David recognised the symptoms and called 999 and I was put on oxygen treatment pronto and off to hospital. I have made a very good recovery. I thought it would be the end of painting but I am so grateful to the Lord that I can still paint! We went to Iceland last year. I had that country as a project and sent off for information from the Icelandic Embassy while still at school. Fascinating! We saw the big gap caused by two tectonic plates pulling apart.'
VALERIE OWEN (SUTHERLAND) 1943–50 writes that she is well on the way to recovering from the Vasculitis diagnosed in June 2011. She continues: ‘It has been a memorable year family-wise:
30 my eldest grandson, Stuart, was married at the Honourable Artillery Co. in Moorgate; his sister Nicola presented me with my first great-grandchild, William Finley. Another granddaughter, Emily, was awarded “Employee of the Year” at the Randolph Hotel, Oxford. We had a lovely party at Caius College, Cambridge, to celebrate my middle son Jeremy’s 50th birthday (which included punting on the River Cam). Finally the family gave me a wonderful party in September to celebrate my 80th birthday. In between time I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Olympics.’
MARGARET PROUT (PAGE) 1951–59. Margaret tells us that she is enjoying retirement but gets too busy! She keeps up with several MDOGs including Jean Gough (Caswell), Valerie Clasby (Pike), Valerie Hudson (Stanbridge) and Frances Clayton (Sangster), as well as Renate Schumacher (Rieger) who was also at her primary school in Forest Hill and who does so much for Jonas. They met for tea at the Savoy last autumn by very kind invitation of another schoolfriend from primary school days. They had a delicious tea and lots of talk!
Margaret and her husband enjoyed their fourth trip to Australia and New Zealand last year. They did some spectacular flying in the Southern Alps in New Zealand. Margaret’s husband is a flying instructor and found the mountain flying quite challenging but marvellous – Margaret closed her eyes when it got too scary. This was probably their last trip over there as Margaret writes that they are getting a bit too old for long-haul travel.
JOAN REMNANT (BARTON) 1947–53 Joan says: ‘I’m still very busy with lots of different activities. I was really looking forward to singing Messiah with Bromley Youth Music Trust Adult Choir (plus a contingent who came over from the German town Neuweid, which is twinned with Bromley) but I had to pull out because of the awful cold/fluey thing which so many have suffered from this year. I was able to be part of a Pop-up Performance at St Pancras Station where we sang “Do You Hear the People Sing?” to publicise Les Miserables becoming available on Blue Ray and DVD – great fun, but over too soon. It is great to meet other Old Girls on a fairly regular basis for lunch in Bromley – if you would like to join us, do contact Bromley Rep, Margaret Walker (for contact details, see p. 2). I also find it very entertaining to read the reminiscences of younger Old Girls on the Mary Datchelor Facebook page.’
SHEILA ROBERTSON (WILTSHIRE) 1951–57 Sheila shares some exciting news: ‘I have belonged to a Bridge Club for several years and on occasions I’ve played with a lady with whom I got on very well. Imagine my amazement when a chance remark brought us to discussing our education, as card playing usually restricts any chat time!!! It transpired that not only did we both attend Datchelor, we also both started in September 1951 in Miss Alexandra’s class. She, Kay, was very anxious for news and I have loaned her my latest Datchelor newsletter. We now plan to swap photos. Our regional rep is Christine Hull, whom I’ve met before. She is planning a small reunion of our select NE band of ex-pats on 19 April. Kay and I plan to go along and then hopefully Kay will be keen to join Old Girls.
'The lady concerned is Kay Smith. She lives in the coastal village of Beadnell. I can’t honestly say I remembered Kay’s name but she said, “Oh yes, I remember you!’’ I’m not quite sure what that implies! I am so thrilled that, for a second time, I have “discovered” a Datchelorite. About six years ago the Old Girls’ Club helped me to locate my long lost cousin who also started Datchelor in 1951.’
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Sheila wonders how her ‘garbled news’ (her expression!) would be précised. She says her subject was always maths with Sheila Nevell, but thinks that Miss Alexandra would be impressed by her use of the word ‘précis’ as, at times, Sheila is sure she despaired of her!
JOAN ROPER (COUSINS) 1945–52 says she continues to enjoy membership of Portsmouth Festival Choir and the Petersfield Musical Festival. She still belongs to the WI and has recently been to the Jubilee Exhibition at Buckingham Palace where she saw the Queen’s diamonds – amazing! She sees her daughter, son-in-law and grandson, now 17, regularly as they live nearby and has paid her annual visit to Lake Maggiore in Italy, where her son has lived for the past 23 years, and where he teaches English as a foreign language. She has two granddaughters there, 14 and 8, continuing the musical tradition and learning flute and piano.
ANN SIBLEY (GUY) 1953–60 writes: ‘My husband and I moved to our present address (Llangoedmor, Cardigan) in April this year, leaving a smallholding of 35 acres for a very small one of three acres. This enabled us to bring our ‘oldies’ with us – five small ponies and two goats. We also have show dogs. The move has meant that we are much nearer a town and to the beach which we enjoy, as do the grandchildren (now numbering 13 and aged from 18 to two years) when they come for visits. We are very involved in our local U3A and have been on the committee for several years.’
IRENE THOMAS (ALLEN) 1954–60 Irene sends distressing news. She says: ‘Sadly my life changed for the worse on Good Friday when my husband of 52 years died suddenly (and fortunately instantly). I am grateful that my family and friends are helping me through and friends are maintaining the nearly five-acre garden that he created from scratch.’
SYLVIA THOMPSON (SOAR) 1946–53 keeps up with a variety of interests: music (particularly the Southampton Concert Orchestra), Amnesty International, walking, swimming, gardening, church choir, environmental issues and work with the ‘Tiny Tots’. The orchestra gave a Jubilee Concert and sold 1000 tickets, with Datchelor represented by Betty Duff. Sylvia continues to be married to Don (and not Doug as reported in the last magazine)!
The BBC programme on Camberwell Grove also brought back memories for Sylvia, as she was born and raised nearby. She lived in a house without a bathroom, and attended the Camberwell Public Baths every Saturday morning. There was also a stable for horses which delivered milk from the Co-op in Graces Mews, just off Camberwell Grove; and the Liquafruita factory nearby produced an aroma familiar to people living in Camberwell. (Yes, lots of us remember that smell! Ed.)
Sylvia adds: ‘Certainly that programme brought back memories but I find it hard to understand how a school which played such a part in the community, that was to change from school to charity headquarters to expensive flats could pass unnoticed. I shall be grateful to the school to my dying day. My father was an enthusiastic amateur musician with a fine tenor voice, and Datchelor nurtured my inherited talent throughout my school days, into the Music VI, and on to teaching, and has been a great source of joy and inspiration throughout my life.’
MARY WICKS (O’BRYAN) 1944–46 reports that she attended our AGM in October for the first time and was delighted, after scanning as many names as possible, to find someone who had been in the same form as her in 1946.
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She continues: ‘I had to leave MDGS in 1946 after two years owing to the poor state of my eyes. I subsequently went to a technical school where the emphasis was very much on trade. I had been offered four trades, needlework, hairdressing, photography and cookery and, for the first three, good eyesight was essential. So it had to be cookery. It being 1946 food was still rationed and not to be wasted, so my poor efforts were soon recognised for what they were (hopeless) and I spent most of my last two years at school washing up. Later I learnt shorthand and typing at night school and this stood me in good stead. I worked in law, publishing and the probation service, where I learnt life skills, but I will always be grateful to MDGS for the formal education I received in those two years.’
GROUP V (Leaving dates between 1962 and 1974)
PAT BEALE (GREEN) 1957–65 Pat writes: 'I have been following the comments on the Datchelor Group page on Facebook and have been disappointed that there is so little from our era. Some of the staff names I recognise as they were obviously there for many years after we left in 1964, but I wonder if people of our age (!!) are a bit wary of Facebook. It would be great to hear some reminiscences from our time at school.
'On a personal note I have now retired completely but like everyone, seem to be busier than ever. I do all the publicity for our local choral society and attempt to sing as well – I think they only let me stay because I write the programmes and design the posters! I'm also involved with our local U3A, keeping up my French conversation, playing cards and teaching at the computer class.
'We have managed several holidays this year already, just returning from a tour of Classical Spain, which was magical, and are now planning a trip to Bruges & Amsterdam in July, specifically to visit the Rijksmuseum. Then it's off to France at the end of August – just home long enough to catch up on all the washing before the next trip!
'We are also kept busy visiting grandchildren – two girls in Cheshire and three boys in Reading and we manage to all get together twice a year in Devon, which the children really look forward to.'
ANN BLACKBURN 1960–67 Ann writes: 'I thoroughly enjoy my retirement without the tyranny of the ticking clock. I retired from the NHS over four years ago but still do a little medical work, which I enjoy. From A-level Biology days, I was always fascinated by honey bee colonies and, I regret to say without much careful thought, I took possession of a small colony of bees just before I retired. I continue to be amazed at the wealth of knowledge available about these wonderful creatures and am just becoming used to the year-round list of jobs to do looking after them! I am keen to learn about the hobby, (which can easily become a cottage industry with honey, wax, creams and soap making!) I have been well supported by my local beekeeping association and also an Old Girl, Jill Forbes, who has been keeping bees for many years and whose advice has proved invaluable.
'I also enjoy meeting up and getting to know Old Girls who live nearby and also further afield, most of whom I didn't know at school and also going to various regional Old Girls meetings. I've particularly liked going to the Midlands meetings at Stratford-upon-Avon, ably organised by Heather Rippon, where for the past three years we have seen modern interpretations of well- known Shakespeare plays and also enjoyed wonderful cream teas afterwards!'
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AUDREY BOUCHER (WILSON) 1962–69 Audrey reports: 'I continue to work in general practice, but dream of retirement with every new government initiative. I dropped working Tuesdays a few months ago. Patients ask me how I am enjoying semi-retirement, to which I reply that I am working 50 hours a week even with dropping a day, so not many people would call that semi-retired. This year, GPs have been handed the job of running the NHS among a host of other new initiatives, and so it doesn't go well with us when Jeremy Hunt complains that people can't get to see their usual doctor – their usual doctor is off at a meeting running the health service, and has had to put in a locum to see the patients!
‘As light relief, I am a governor of Queen Mary College (a Sixth Form College) in Basingstoke. It has had an "outstanding" judgment from Ofsted, and we are rightly proud of the college. My particular interest in Children in Care enables me to give some added perspective to governors’ deliberations. Currently the concerns are the number of students failing to complete their courses when they are offered a job, for example by the shop they are working for part time. The fear of unemployment after graduation is very real, together with the need to pay back student loans as well, and young people are taking what they can get, which is a great loss to the community.
‘We travelled to New Zealand in January to see our daughter Ellen, who is now working at Victoria University in Wellington. We did the tourist trail down from Auckland to Wellington, enjoying bathing in geothermal springs, walking in volcanic valleys and watching bubbling mud on the way. It took a bit of mental readjustment to see all the children in the sun on their summer holidays in mid-January. Wellington was packed with supporters for the annual Rugby Sevens tournament. There are prizes for the best fancy dress among the supporters, and the streets were thronged with groups dressed as Super Heroes, Chickens, Adam and Eves, US Sailors from the film South Pacific, and so on. The top prize went to a group dressed as National Costume Snow Globes. The sun was shining and everyone happy. From Wellington we travelled on with Ellen to the South Island, going south as far as Akaroa, just beyond Christchurch, where we went dolphin watching. New Zealanders are relaxed, friendly and very welcoming, and the country is absolutely beautiful. We are already looking forward to being able to go again.’
MARY CADE (GROSSE) 1963–70 Mary is enthusiastic about a change of job. She says: ‘I am enjoying my last year of school teaching and looking forward to a new (part-time) job with Adam, my husband, who works in “educating for sustainability”. Our eldest daughter is about to join the teaching profession (teaching classics) so it is definitely time for me to leave! I’m in contact with Carol Donne, Sarah Jennings, Vivienne Andrews and Audrey Blackshaw.’
DIANE CLACK (CLARK) 1960–67 Diane writes: ‘I still work part time for West Sussex County Council, helping to train primary school teachers to teach Modern Foreign Languages. In addition, I trained last year as a Parenting Group facilitator and we have now run our first Parenting Group. It is a privilege to be part of the Mothers’ Union programme helping to support family life. My own family keeps me busy as I wear my "granny" hat to help with my four grandchildren.’
MIRIAM CROZIER (BROOME) Miriam says: 'It is now 49 years since I left school, the school closed over 30 years ago and yet I still feel its influence. Throughout my musical career I have met countless numbers of people with links to Datchelor, the most recent while talking to someone before a rehearsal at St Olave Hart St in the City. I happened to mention that there were lots of things in the church that reminded me of my old school, in particular, the badge embroidered on the hassocks. She turned and said that that was her old school blazer badge. No guesses for where she went to school. 34
'Indeed, when my husband and I moved into this house some 12 years ago, my elderly neighbour, in introducing his wife, proudly said that she had gone to an “operatic” school. Curious, I asked where, and was, of course, told “Mary Datchelor”! She had been a pupil at the school during World War II and had been evacuated to Wales. Last year at a performance of Mendlesson’s Elijah I was conducting, the leader of the cellos was the brother of Gabrielle Bethge who was in our year at school until she returned to Germany in 1962. I play string quartets with the sister of a Datchelor girl, and sing in and conduct choirs with Datchelor Old Girls. Throughout, the influence of our musical education at Datchelor has been very strong.
'This was very apparent at the very recent and most enjoyable reunion of the year of 1964 at the wonderful and interesting home of Daphne Bagshawe (Triggs). There were 17 out of a cohort of 90, with the biggest number from 1R (of course) who made the journey into deepest Sussex for a trip down memory lane. Meeting someone you haven’t seen for nearly 50 years is quite a marvellous experience. The wrinkles, grey hair and altered figures count for nothing as you remember that person from so many years ago. So many things hadn’t changed. The memories that came up time and time again were the memories of our musical experiences, notably Messiah. We recalled that hushed moment as Miss Pearse led the City of London Policemen’s choir into the hall to provide us with the tenor and bass parts. Thinking back, they must have had very strong voices to have balanced out 650 girls singing the Hallelujah chorus at the tops of their voices!
'Thank you Mary Rose Seldon for the lifelong interest in music you helped to encourage in us. Next week I will be conducting a choir for the wedding of two pupils I taught 15 years ago. The woman is the youngest in our local choral society and loves singing. She began her enjoyment of singing in the school choir. Datchelor may have shut its doors many years ago, but its influence still lives on.'
ROSALIND DENTON (HAUNTON) 1957–65 Group V Representative. Since one of her sons moved abroad Rosalind is frequently globetrotting. She reports: ‘Singapore beckons again in April this year. My first grandchild, a 7lb 2oz boy, Elias, was born there on 28 February. He spent four days in intensive care but recovered quickly. The hospital was, luckily, world class. Skype helps bridge the 9000 mile gap but a real cuddle will be so very much better. We hope to explore the beaches of Borneo too.’ Rosalind’s sister, Sarah Harvey (also Group V) became a grandmother for the fourth time in April last year (a fourth grandson, Finley Jack) so Elias will have four male cousins within a five-year age span to play with if he ever returns to England to live! Not quite enough for a football team yet. Rosalind’s cousin, Anna Dean, granddaughter of Lillian Williams (Group II) thoroughly enjoyed working for LOCOG at Stratford during the London Olympic Games last summer and toured Europe afterwards to relax, before returning to Vancouver. She now looks forward to a similar adventure in Rio do Janeiro in 2016.
BETH DEVONALD (SOUTHCOTT) 1961–65 Beth tells us: 'I retired from general practice five years ago and had just been doing two days a week as a colposcopist (gynaecologist) at the local hospital. I retired from this last summer. It seems very strange not to be going into work on a Monday morning but I’m sure that I shall get used to it. Hopefully I shall go out to Nepal in October to do some voluntary gynaecology. I have been doing this for a few years since I gave up full-time work and it is very rewarding to be able to contribute even a small amount in a country that needs so much.
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'I keep in contact with some of my year at Datchelor. Later this month we are having a weekend in Wales with Sue Hickson (Spinney), Rosemary Lilley (Cotton) Sheila Meredith and Jean Nixon (Henderson). We had a youth hostelling holiday in Wales in 1963 so thought that it was a suitable place for a reunion 50 years on!'
CAROL DONNE 1963–71 Carol reports: 'I have just moved into a converted Victorian school hall (Pre-Raphaelite, mock Medieval) in the village of Swainby. If anyone is in North North Yorkshire (it's a big county!) I would love to see them. I'm still working as a GP. My son, Max, is currently doing his finals in History at Corpus Christi, Cambridge(nail-biting stuff)!
‘I keep in contact with Mary Grosse, Audrey Blackshaw, Vivienne Andrews and Sarah Jennings.'
CHRIS EBURNE (RUNACRE) 1964–71 Christine recounts: ‘I recently stumbled across the MDGS Facebook page and have been interested to read the reminiscences of other Old Girls, even though I don’t know them. I have also greatly enjoyed viewing the various photos which have been uploaded; many of them brought back memories of my time at school. As a natural progression I have now found the Old Girls Club website and decided to rejoin. (I think I was a member for about a year after leaving school). I took early retirement from my job as an internal auditor in June 2011 and have been enjoying the easier lifestyle with my husband of almost 40 years. We married in October 1973 – the year after I left Datchelor.
‘During term time I volunteer one day a week at a local primary school, which I find very interesting, and the children seem to enjoy it too. I mainly help with reading on a one-to-one basis but also get involved in helping with lessons and accompanying classes on trips to the local swimming pool, etc. I’ve learnt quite a bit myself as well because teaching methods have changed enormously since I was a primary school pupil! Although I have lost touch with all my old school friends over the years, my sister, who is another Old Girl, only lives about a mile away from me and we spend a lot of time together.’
MAGGIE GARTLAND (GREATREX) 1962–69 Maggie reports: 'I retired 18 months ago but have been working on an hourly basis at various schools when needed. John, my husband, is retiring this summer and so we shall be free to start on life's next adventure!
'It is our 30th wedding anniversary in August and we have booked to go to China in October so we've plenty to look forward to. Also our son, Paul, is eventually leaving home to live in London and our daughter, Sarah, is buying a flat near us.
'I still play netball regularly, which I love, and have taken up golf to fit in with the rest of the family but my success there is very limited!'
MAGGIE GEBBETT (LOCKE) 1957–64 Newsletter Editor continues to enjoy life by the sea in Emsworth and delights in retirement with time to do such a variety of things. She says: ‘We are enjoying the house and garden now as we have more-or-less finished the refurbishments needed. This has freed up time for more leisure activities. Martin is back into his painting and has joined a couple of local groups. We hosted an exhibition of paintings by local friends for the Arts Trail in the town recently. I should be more productive with quilting but still have many unfinished projects. I am volunteer fundraiser for a local conservation group and am about to take on being minutes secretary to the governing board of a local school. Martin and I went ski-ing earlier this year – possibly the last time – as we are both getting a bit creaky. We are looking forward to sailing in 36
Croatia and escaping the cold spring here. Our three granddaughters are a bit far flung – two in Chester and one in Bristol, but we love seeing them as often as we can.’
Maggie says she hopes to see a lot of Datchelor friends at Clothworkers Hall next year. ‘I don’t think I ever went with the school. I think we were taken to Fishmongers Hall while Clothworkers Hall was being refurbished in the late 1950s. I hope next year’s event will be a memorable occasion for us all.’
JOAN HARRIS (WILLSMORE) 1957–64 Joan says: 'I am now fully retired but still on the solicitors roll with the Law Society. I had my children later in life after I had become a full equity partner with the firm of Coole and Haddock in Horsham. After I had my family I became a consultant for my husband's law firm in London and was able to work from home.
'My daughter Amy (25) is currently converting her degree in English Literature from Royal Holloway to Law at Guildford and as I write she is revising frantically! Luke is taking yet another Masters this time in osteopathy (he gave up law as it was too boring and gained a Masters in philosophy).
'John and I are happily retired and spend most of our time looking after our pension fund (property) and walking the dogs – a golden Labrador and a French bulldog. I play tennis three times a week (weather permitting) and play in a charity league. We have 25 acres of gardens and woodland to care for, so gardening is a big priority. We also have an organic blueberry farm which is managed but when the crop is abundant it is all hands to the pump!
'I have to say I look back to my days at school and feel that I have been so lucky since that very first interview with Miss Pearse when she was so kind and had faith in me. It gave me the need to succeed and I believe I did not let her down.'
JAN HOLT (JANET RENSHAW) 1954–62 Janet says: ‘I love hearing all the Dachelor news and I am still in touch with Maureen Cane (Knight) in Australia and met her in Sydney a year or so back while visiting my son (recently gone to Melbourne with his family) and Christine Swaby (Costin) who I looked for over many years and finally caught up with her living a stone’s throw from me! Funny old world!’
PENNY HORSMAN (SWORD) 1958–64 Penny says she is still enjoying retirement from headship but is very busy leading inspections of independent schools and looking after two of her three grandchildren on two days a week. ‘It has been lovely to get to know other Old Girls via the regional system – long may it continue! I have enjoyed many Bromley and Beckenham Group lunches and a trip to the theatre and to Dulwich Picture Gallery – all with people I did not know previously.’
CHRISTINE JORDON (BROWN) 1958–65 Christine says that she enjoys the local Old Girls meetings. The most recent one was to Champs Hill near Pulborough. It was a wonderful place to visit. She continues: ‘We have a grandchild in Brisbane, Australia, about to be three years old. Wonderful Skype connections allow us to see our son Michael, Julie and young Oliver Lewis.’ Christine says her elder son and his wife are just one hour away round the M25. That’s not too far from her home in East Grinstead.
SUE KINSMAN (BOYDEN) 1958–65 Sue sends us this news: 'Highlight of the year has been our trip to Hong Kong (so interesting and different) and New Zealand(fantastic scenery, lovely people)
37 in January and early February – thereby avoiding at least some of the winter! Otherwise still busy enjoying retirement. Activities include infant school governor, Inner Wheel, local Catholic church, BHF and gardening. I thoroughly enjoy meeting up with other Old Girls at the Medway and Beckenham Groups – lovely to meet and get to know Old Girls from different generations. I also joined the group singing Messiah at the Albert Hall on 2 December, a wonderful start to Christmas!’
BABLA MEERA KOHLI 1964–71 Babla is jetting about the world and sends us this news: 'The past few years have been eventful. I have been spending a lot of time in India for the past five years. The first two years I was accompanied by my son, Dinesh. For the past three years, I have been shuttling between the UK and India.
'My elder daughter moved to Israel after four years as a British Diplomat in Bermuda. While there she organised visits for HM the Queen, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie and the Duchess of Gloucester. I was fortunate to meet HRH the Duchess of Gloucester during my visit there. In her current posts at the Embassy in Tel Aviv and at the Consulate in Jerusalem she often meets William Hague, George Osborne, Tony Blair, Cherie Blair as well as other worldwide dignataries.
'My younger daughter, Laveena, married James Kerr at Norwich Registry office. This was followed by a Hindu ceremony and evening reception, hosted by James's father at James's childhood home in Norfolk. Ruth Meyer and Deanne Andresier Beever came to the wedding. James and Laveena both continue to work in the City of London as investment bankers for Deutsche Bank. They moved from London to East Anglia two years ago. I visit them often.
'After 11 years in the UK, my son decided to pursue his International Baccalaureate in an International School in Hyderabad, India. On successfully completing his IB he moved back to the UK to study for a BSc in Environmental Economics and Environmental Management at York University. In July we will all travel to York to celebrate his graduation ceremony.
'I am presently in Hyderabad, India. I shuttle between London, East Anglia and Hyderabad in south India. I was in London last summer for the Olympics and Paralympics and was able to attend many exciting events including the Paralympics Opening Ceremony. I also enjoyed watching Great Britain win the gold and bronze medals in the dressage at Greenwich. I went to many events at most of the venues thanks to the help and generosity of my kind children who constantly sought and booked tickets for me throughout July and August. The grand finale was following the British athletes through the streets of London from Mansion House to Pall Mall. It was a special day etched in my memory forever. I am presently in Hyderabad, India, but will soon be in the UK for my son's graduation. Look forward to meeting some of you during my time in the UK during this summer.'
JENNIFER McFARLANE 1961–70 Jennifer emailed us to say: 'I am just waiting for the taxi to take me to the airport – flying off to Madrid where the conference I am organising is taking place. It's the 13th international conference I have organised for the company I work for. I am still working full time and sometimes think I am the only person my age that is! But I still enjoy my job and the travel to our offices around the world – South Africa being my favourite.
'My eldest son works for Marussia – back of the grid if you follow F1 but a fabulous job for him. The middle son is a partner with PWC currently living with his family in Doha, another good
38 opportunity for travel. My youngest son (aged 32 – how did that happen!) is a sergeant in the Met – all so different but still good friends and it’s great when we all get together. Luckily I have three wonderful daughters-in-law too and four grandchildren – it's a good life!'
PAULINE MCGILL (HAMMETT) 1965–72 Pauline tells us: ‘Another year or so before retirement and lots of plans: to leave London at last; to qualify to teach horticulture to adults with learning difficulties; and to spend more time in my garden! I have had fun catching up with other Old Girls on Facebook – it always brings back memories – good and bad. It was great to see Pauline Thomson at the AGM – we were the only two from the class of 65 and I would love to catch up with others.’
ALISON NEWNHAM (MANN) 1957–64 Alison reports: ‘I have recently visited the Old Girls website and it was wonderful to see familiar names and to read the news. I currently live in Wales but hope to move to Suffolk next year where I will be able to go to the reunions and meetings in the area. I would also be able to go to meetings in Sussex where I lived and worked for over 30 years. I did a degree in history at London University after abandoning a teacher training course in Portsmouth after one year to get married. I also did a postgraduate course in librarianship and worked in libraries for several years before having three children. When they were older I went into the civil service and retired in 2010. I met up with Christine Oliver in Bath which was rather overwhelming after over 40 years but she hadn’t changed and we didn’t stop talking. There is still much to catch up on so we will meet again!’
SONYA PARR (FRIAR) 1965–72 Sonya reports a difficult year with bereavements of close family. Her mother and aunt, both in their nineties, died recently and Sonya has acted as executor for each of them. Sonya continues: ‘Fortunately my husband Steve, daughter Rachel, son Matthew and daughter-in-law Naomi have given me full support. My house and garage are now full of furniture as a bungalow and flat have been emptied and stored. On the plus side Matthew and Naomi have produced another baby girl, Rose, sister for Isla aged two.’ Sonya concludes with mention of her forthcoming wedding anniversary celebrating 35 years of marriage. She adds: ‘Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday that we were married!’
LINDA PERHAM (CONROY) 1958–65 Linda says: ‘I am continuing with my charity work as Chair of the Thames Water Trust Fund and Director/Trustee of Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure. I also sit as a JP. This year my husband, Ray and I, celebrated our Ruby Anniversary by spending three weeks in Hong Kong and Australia – climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the actual day! We also enjoyed two days at the Olympics, but best news of the year has been the birth of our beautiful granddaughter Jessica Maisie on 24 September.’
ANNE PILCHER (MASON) 1957–65 Anne sends us this news: ‘I went to an art and crafts class for three years, and to gardening, and I'm hoping to get back soon. It's held in Sydenham Garden for patients from the local health centre; have a look at the Syd Garden website for more information. No, I haven't got a mental illness, I was referred because of my MS, which I’ve had for 25 years, and get lots of practical help at these classes. I really enjoyed making things like bowls, using papier mache.
‘My husband (Rob) is writing really good poetry of all kinds and performing it (not reciting) at various venues. I go along sometimes.’
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LINDA PRITCHETT (LAURIE) 1960–67 GROUP V REPRESENTATIVE Linda says: 'I am still working part time at Bromley Adult Education College. I work with adults who have special needs and I have recently started working in a Dance/Drama group. We have had loads of fun putting on a production not dissimilar to Romeo and Juliet, but with rock and rollers versus the ballet dancers (with apologies to Mr Shakespeare).
'I am still enjoying being part of the Bromley Rock Choir, with thanks to Judy Lawrence who told me about it four years ago. She is now in her eighth year. We have been lucky enough to perform at some great venues, including Wembley Arena and Stadium. We performed at the Royal Festival Hall a couple of weeks ago for the Voice-lab, and last week on Clapham Common where some fit members joined in the 10k run for the Missing People Charity. Our choir recently recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios just for fun. We are also singing at the O2 on 6 July with lots of other Rock Choirs around the country.
‘I am actively involved in Datchelor meetings. We are lucky enough to have quite a few members in Bromley who meet on a fairly regular basis. My daughter refers to us as the Coven!’
MARY SOUTHCOTT 1962–65 Mary was in Cyprus to cover their general elections in February and frustrated that the only time Cyprus made the headlines was for their bailout. She continues: ‘Hopefully the peace process will begin after the summer depending what happens in the economy, and neighbouring Turkey (battle between the liberal secularists and the authoritarian Sunni Moslem government), Syria and Israel. She decided to put herself forward for the Bristol council for the Ashley ward, which covers St Paul's, 25 years since standing for the General Election. She beat the LibDem doctor councillor but lost through tactical voting to the Greens, winning in the inner city and getting to know many of the older and newer communities there, Jamaicans and Somalis. Daughter Caroline has battled against the "bedroom tax" and the dreaded ATOS interviews and now teaches medical students the advantages to her and other disabled people of horse riding. Daughter no. 2 is working for AGE UK reckoning she had better get the preparation in now before it is too late, with the NHS and welfare state being demolished. Sisters, Beth Devonald and Frances Watson, have both retired from medicine and teaching respectively but seem very busy. Beth has had her daughter Briony over from South Africa and Frances welcomed her second grandchild, Hassan, into the world, a brother for Rabbiah.’
CHRISTINE TUCKER 1967–74 Christine says: 'Since July 2009 I have been working on setting up my own freelance bookkeeping business and for the first couple of years combining it with a mixture of full or part-time working for employers in Oxford and the surrounding area. Last April I took the step of going 100% freelance as the demand was there. However the situation soon changed and life has been a little tough since then; the drop in business combined with the death of a close friend last August from pancreatic cancer and continuing worries about my mother's health have been added pressure. I have had to move from the house I was renting and currently am 'sofa surfing' while trying to find somewhere more permanent! However I refuse to let circumstances get me down as I know that there are lots of people globally in worse situations. I hope to write with better news next year.'
ELISABETH WALDER (SWEETING) 1956–64 Elisabeth tells us: 'I have two pieces of family news. My son Michael and his wife Alison had a baby daughter last July – Emma Mae – who is an absolute delight and is very happy to bestow voluntary kisses on her Nanna. We had a whole family get-together for my mother's 90th birthday in April so my three boys and their partners were able to catch up with my sister Margaret's four sons and partners. I am really enjoying retirement 40 by indulging in my sugarcraft hobby – paid for by doing occasional exam invigilating. My secretarial training is still being made use of as I was persuaded to become the secretary of my local WI which certainly keeps me busy. My husband, Lee, and I enjoy the WI Family and Friends Walking Group's monthly walks and weekends away and we both belong to a conservation group which attempts to keep brambles at bay along the pathways around Cock Road Ridge. We have just embarked on a project to create a photographic record of the flora for its website – not easy as the wind always seems to blow at the moment the button is clicked!’
HAZEL WATERS 1956–63 Hazel reports: 'I have been as active as possible – given that I am a carer for my husband – in the campaign against downgrading Lewisham Hospital's A&E department and maternity unit. We are very worried about what this means for our local Parkinson's patients – I am on the committee of Lewisham branch – who are more likely than most to need emergency care. I am looking forward to 29 June, when there is to be a People's Commission into the proposals headed by Mike Mansfield QC. I have already been videoed for my evidence.
'Apart from that, life goes on much as normal; wheelchair visits to the local garden centre, Alexandra nurseries (just round the corner, lovely coffee and cakes) where we can always be sure of encountering a friend or neighbour. Our little bit of Penge/Sydenham still does have a real community feel, which is probably quite rare in London these days.'
GROUP VI (Leaving dates between 1975 and 1981)
SUE ALEXANDER (SUSAN CHUTER) 1969–76 Sue reports that she is staying at the Royal Marsden where she is two years into an MBA. She is tutoring for the University of Greenwich’s online MSc programme. Sue is also writing a Management and Leadership course for the University of Ulster. Sue saw orang-utans in Sumatra last year and earlier this year she toured Venice, Rome, Florence and Pisa. She will be visiting Madagascar in October. She says she has never been busier.
GINNI DARBYSHIRE (WINCOTT) 1966–69 Ginni relates her news to us: 'The main focus of our lives in the last year has been on Tom’s Mum. After finally leaving her sheltered accommodation for a residential home, she was only there for a few months before being hospitalised with what turned out to be her final illness. She died in February and is much missed. 'Even so, we have managed to have time away, with several holidays including a fabulous two weeks in Italy in September, incorporating Venice and a trip further south to visit old friends in Calabria. Tom chose the only two decent weeks of weather last May to do the Coast to Coast walk, while I stayed to help with my mother-in-law. 'I came to the Carol Concert last December, with my niece Debbie Garrod (Smith). It was the first time I’ve been able to come, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. I met up with two or three old classmates; we even recognised each other! I use the MDGS Facebook page regularly, and have recently posted a Sixth Form photo from 1967; I am gradually tagging it with names, with much help from others!'
JILL ELLUL (UNDERWOOD) 1975–80 Jill writes: ‘I am enjoying connecting with some old Datchelor girls via Facebook and am even making new friends with girls I never actually met while at school! It’s amazing that after so many years and across many miles we are all bound by an
41 invisible Datchelor thread. Life is still treating me well in Dublin and I am looking forward to my two children being teenagers together for one year.’
DR MARY EMBLETON (INNES) 1969–76 Mary continues to love her new life in Marcham, where she shares in preaching duties at her fantastic local church, loves her garden, breeds puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and chairs a long-term charitable link with Moldova in Eastern Europe.
ELSA LUCKING (STONE) 1969–76 Elsa writes: ‘I am married to Alan and we have two daughters. The elder has a psychology degree and is currently studying to be a nurse at St Thomas’s. Our younger one is studying English and Drama at Birmingham University. After leaving Datchelor I studied music at the Royal Academy, then did a PGCE at the London Institute and have taught class music and the piano ever since. I am currently Director of Music at Oakfield School in Dulwich, which I love! I am in contact with Ruth Atkinson, who is married and lives in Basingstoke where she teaches music. I also occasionally see Susan Field, who is now a grandma, and Catherine Womell who lives in Brighton with her husband and daughter Susanna.’
KIM MENAGH (HAY) 1970–77 Kim writes: ‘Our son, James, proposed to his girlfriend, Sadie, in June 2012 while we were all away together on a family holiday to Sicily – wonderful news and we look forward to the wedding in July 2013. June 2012 also saw my husband, Charlie, and I celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary – don`t know where the years have gone!
‘I attended the MDGS carols this Christmas, for the first time in quite a few years, with several other MDGS friends and we really enjoyed the atmosphere, reflecting on our school days and, of course, singing those oh so familiar songs!
‘I keep in touch with several MDGS friends and it is always good when we meet up during the year: Caroline Walton, Jill Jones (Butler), Elaine Mason, Heather Collins (Brean), Patricia Winn (Dakin), Heather Evans (Tribble), Jenny Simnett, Amanda Marston (Rivers) and Lorraine Deacon.’
AMANDA WILMORE (YOUNG) 1968–75 Amanda says: ‘We are living in a very quiet, tidy house now that the twins, Megan and Jacob, have started their degrees – both at Nottingham, which has made visits easier for us, as I had visions of them studying at opposite ends of the country! Having worked in education for 12 years before being made redundant, I now work for the NHS – ‘glutton for punishment’ springs to mind. We have planned a trip to Venice in April and I’m dreaming of sunshine as I watch the snow falling outside.’
STAFF NEWS
MRS ANN HATHERILL (CARTER) 1960–68 Mrs Hatherill says: ‘I passed the 75 milepost in 2012 and Gordon reached 80. I keep well and ‘pill free’ but Gordon has on-going heart problems. Thanks to Kings College Hospital he is able to enjoy life. I still do GCSE and A-Level maths tuition to keep my brain going and to help local youngsters. I do enjoy the contact with young people. Many work so hard as they struggle with a multitude of GCSEs with extra lessons before school hours, after school hours and in the holidays. The family are well. Our daughter left teaching but enjoys giving one-to-one maths tuition at home. Her son and daughter are now 14 and 16 and in the midst of GCSEs. Our son married late and has a son of four, so things may well have changed by the time he becomes a teenager.
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MISS SHEILA ROGERS Miss Rogers tells us that: ‘This year has had its ups-and-downs, with rather too many of the latter being uncomfortably painful, as well as disruptive of favourite activities such as visiting exhibitions. However, life is at last returning to a more normal state, especially now that the four months taken up with cataract surgery (complicated in my case) and its aftermath are over. But at least I did get to the AGM last year, to hear Caroline Thomson’s fascinating talk, to Carols and to the Croydon meeting in April; at all of them it was very good to meet Old Girls whom I hadn’t seen for many years, as well as the more familiar faces.
‘Exhibition-going has inevitably been limited and I was disappointed to miss several of last year’s outstanding shows, but more recently I have greatly enjoyed the RA’s ‘Monet: Portraying Life’ and the National Gallery’s ‘Barocci: Brilliance and Grace’. No! I hadn’t heard of Barocci either, but what a discovery he was, this late Renaissance master of colour and line. With so many of his superb preparatory drawings being shown alongside the paintings it proved to be one of the finest exhibitions I’ve seen in years. Now I’m looking forward to seeing more of the current and forthcoming shows and resuming some travelling again – maybe Paris before too long.’
TRIBUTES
JEAN JEFFRIES (KIRK) 1941–47 died December 2012
Mollie Cozier (Kirk), Jean’s sister, sends this information: ‘It is with great sadness that I write to tell you that my sister Jean Jeffries (Kirk) died on 5 December 2012, after several years of illness, borne with fortitude and her customary good humour. Due to wartime evacuation Jean had a shortened time at Datchelor but enjoyed her schooling there and made lifelong friends.
‘After leaving the secretarial sixth she worked at an Australian firm, Austral Development, together with several other Old Girls. She and her husband Ken were keen and active members of the Old Girls Tennis Club and Operatic Society – I remember one of her lively performances as one of the “Three Little Maids” in The Mikado.
‘Jean held the onerous position of Treasurer of the Old Girls’ Club for over 26 years, always holding committee meetings at her house over lunch.
‘Jean is greatly missed by her children, Christopher, Sally-Anne and Michael, and her five grandchildren and all of us who were close to her.’
WINIFRED (FREDA) SPEIRS (PERRY) 1919–2013
Freda was born in Sparkhill, Birmingham, the youngest of four children, the other three all being boys. When she was aged two, the family moved to Birkenhead and then when she was aged ten the family moved again, to London where her father was in meat wholesale at the Smithfield market. There Freda attended Dulwich Hamlet School and then Mary Datchelor Girls School. Practical rather than studious, she won prizes for drama and needlework. She went into the secretarial sixth form and, suitably qualified, became a shorthand typist for Commercial Union. She married Alec Speirs, a doctor, in 1941. He joined the RAF in the war and they had three daughters born 1941, 1945 and 1947. Freda was a caring mother and homemaker, very hospitable to family and friends. She had been brought up in the Anglican Church – two of her 43 brothers became vicars – but later became a member of the Baptist church which Alec attended. She helped with church flowers, the toddler group, Sunday School, and in many other ways. She served on committees for RNLI and Cancer Research and was the local secretary for Women’s World Day of Prayer for ten years. She took part in the Old Girls’ production of The Mikado. In her 60s she obtained the City and Guilds qualification in floral art. In 1986 she and Alec moved to Christchurch, Dorset, to be near her brothers. They joined the local Baptist church and she also attended classes for calligraphy and water-colour painting. She also did knitting and sewing until arthritis made this too difficult. In later years she enjoyed the company of her great-grandchildren, two of whom live in Bournemouth, and her faith became a cornerstone that she relied on. She was a wonderful Christian lady and will be missed by many including Alec and the family. (From daughter, Jen Amos.)
ALMA HUGHES (CHRISTIE) 1943–47
Jean Watts (Christie) sends us this information: ‘Sadly I have to tell you that my sister Alma died in October 2012. She had been suffering with a meningioma on the brain but died peacefully in her sleep in a Beckenham nursing home. After leaving school with matric she worked with the Foreign Office before leaving to look after her three children. She was a keen walker – she and her husband completed all Wainwright’s walks – she also ran six half-marathons. Her garden was her passion and would have qualified for the Yellow Gardens book but she valued her privacy too much to have strangers wandering around. As a good swimmer herself she helped disabled children to enjoy swimming and she also helped in the Langley Park School Library. She was a “fun” grandmother, building dens and camps with her grandchildren in the wild part of her garden. All through the years she kept in touch with her friends Madeleine Daniels and Suzanne Vincent from her school days at Datchelor.’
HANNAH RACHEL GOULD OBE 1931–38
‘Hannah was born in 1920, the youngest of four siblings. At Mary Datchelor she decided she wanted to be an actress. This did not go down too well with her father who said she needed a real career. Hannah felt that teaching was the next best thing to acting so she went on to get her teaching qualification, then gained a BSc in Economics at LSE.
‘She rose through the ranks of the teaching profession to become the first female head in Haringey and then head of a girls’ secondary modern in Wood Green. This later amalgamated with two larger co-ed schools to become Alexandra Park Comprehensive. Hannah made a huge success of this role and in 1976 she was awarded the OBE in recognition of her services to education.
‘Hannah made many contributions to the community, especially after she left school. She was a volunteer at the Citizens Advice Bureau and was an enthusiastic supporter of the North London Music Festival.
‘She had many friends in the City of London and was a member of three city clubs. She maintained close links with the University of London from the time of her graduation.
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‘Hannah’s health started to fail last year and she found the loss of independence difficult. She arranged some care at home and a stair lift. Eventually she had to go into hospital and latterly to the North London Hospice. She died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 93.’
This information was sent to us by Shirley Davis (Hallett) whose sister was a friend of Hannah’s.
EILEEN MYLAND (WARREN) 1942–49
I am sorry to let you know that my mother, Eileen Myland, passed away this spring after a brief battle with cancer. (From Nicola Emrich.)
JOAN OAKDEN 1931–37
Joan died recently. She lived in Bexhill. She was a Group III Member. We have no further information from her solicitors.
GWEN HARRIS (MAYHEW) Group II member. 1911–2013
‘None of you would be here if it wasn’t for me’; our mother always said that at family gatherings. How true this is. She almost made 102, but longevity is nothing if not accompanied by an active and healthy life.
‘It all began in The Harrow – a pub in Camberwell, owned by her parents where she grew up with her two brothers. After the death of her father in 1919, her mother moved to Dulwich where she remarried. Then Gwen became part of a much larger family, which included three step-sisters and later a half-brother.
‘Gwen attended MDGS from 1918–1927. She wanted to be a hairdresser, but her mother had more ambitious plans for her! She was sent to study pharmaceutical dispensing at the London College of Pharmacy and Chemistry, and qualified at the Apothecary’s Hall.
‘She married, Goff, our father, in 1935 and they moved to Somerset. When war broke out Goff was called up. So, in 1941 she returned to Dulwich to live with her mother and step-father. She took a job at Colwill chemist in Lordship Lane, but, when the buzz bombs started, we moved to Brecon, in Mid Wales, where her brother was stationed. There she worked in the local chemist shop, dispensing horse pills and cow drenches on market days!
‘After the war we moved back to Dulwich, and Di was born. As soon as I started school Gwen went back to work at Dulwich Hospital, this time in the pharmacy, dispensing medicines. She stayed there for ten years.
‘In 1963, after she had moved to Shirley, she worked in the pharmacy at Mayday hospital. It was a great shock when our father died suddenly in 1969 so she moved to Maresfield and got a job working in the pharmacy at Queens Hospital. It was at this time she became a member of St Matthew’s congregation. This was to play a very important part in her life, both spiritually and socially.
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‘In 1977 at the age of 66 she retired. But she was far from ready to withdraw completely from the world of work, so she applied to an agency called Success after 60. For the next couple of years, using her free bus pass to commute to London, she sold herbal remedies in Selfridges. She followed this with a variety of jobs: voluntary work for the charity MIND in Selsdon; selling ladies’ fashions for three years in Grants, and then in Debenhams; then a further three years selling the merchandise of ‘The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady’ in Allders.
‘At the age of 75 and considered too old for paid employment, she became a volunteer, first at the Red Cross charity shop, then the Save the Children shop. Helping to raise money for them, she sold raffle tickets at Wimbledon and appeared on the catwalk at their 1993 fashion show, modelling six different outfits – well what else would you do at 82? In 2006, to her surprise, she received a letter from Save the Children wishing her a very happy 95th birthday, but at the same time informing her that she was now too old even for voluntary work. She was forced, at last, to retire!
‘The family has always been important to her. In her spare time (!) she decided to research its history. Without the help of the internet, she traced it back to 1546. She visited us frequently, loved family celebrations and keeping in touch with her brothers, her nephews and her nieces. She always had time for our ever-growing bunch.
‘Gwen lived completely independently until, just two weeks before her 100th birthday, she moved into Whitgift House. Typically she took a very positive approach to yet another change in her life. She enjoyed a happy two years there, making new friends and participating fully in the many activities that Alison organised.
‘She considered herself truly blessed to have so much – her family, her many good friends and such a marvellous and varied life. And what a life it was! At her 90th birthday party, she made a speech, dropped a full curtsey and let us into the secret. It was the three Bs. “Keep body and brain busy”.’
Well, it certainly worked for her; from Gwen’s daughter, Beryl Mitchell (Harris), also an Old Girl.
MARY COLLINS (TELFER) 1932–35
‘I am writing to tell you that Mary died peacefully in hospital on the 13 March 2013 from natural causes. It was all very sudden. She will be sadly missed.’ (From Mrs S Brown.)
PAULINE WARD (MILES) 1934–40
My mother was a Datchelor girl born in 1924 and evacuated from London with two other Dachelor Girls. I would like to donate the books she had back to the Old Girls Club. There is the book The Story of the Mary Datchelor School; a Datchelor Memories book 1929–66; a book An Unusual Happening (the story of the Mary Datchelor Girls' School in evacuation); two Datchelor reports for the school year, one for 1976 and one for 1980; a Datchelor Old Girls' Club pamphlet from 1989; Old Girls' Club newsletter 1999; the Mary Datchelor School Magazine Eightieth Birthday Edition July 1957; and ‘A Tribute to Rachel N Pearse’. I will gladly and most happily send you all that my mother had in her possession; she would want me to do so. I will even send her Dachelor Blazer from the 1940s! She LOVED going to school at Datchelor and I do have some memories that she told me that you may print! She told me that she was always late for prayers in the morning and that it would be ‘known’ if her coat was not on the hook in the hallway. So she would show up late
46 and throw her coat over some gap into the hallway to show she was on time. (Let me say that my mother never did anything out of line in her life EVER … but her mother surely might have brought her to school late!) Thank you for being a ‘safe house’ for her treasures since she has passed. It may take a while but to you they will come. (From Diana Hutton, daughter.)
THELMA RICHARDS (PURKISS) MBE (1942–45) died 3 June 2013
Verna sends brief news of Thelma's death as she only knew her through her work as a JP. Verna says: ‘Thelma was a retired magistrate on the then Reading, now Berkshire, Bench when I joined it in 2002. We met at a social event and were introduced by my mentor, Dr Carolyn Boulter, who is herself a current member of the Clothworkers Court and also the granddaughter of Major Maurice Beachcroft. That's quite a Datchelor connection.'
Verna continues: 'Thelma was cautious about revealing the dates of her school attendance but I do know she was a Dame Dorothy girl. As Thelma had retired from the Bench before I joined it, she must have been at least in her mid-80s when she died.'
STAFF
Miss Barbara Johnson (Mrs Barnett) Died 1 August 2012 aged 82
Barbara Johnson was a key figure in the school’s PE department for 11 years in the 1950s and 1960s. When Miss Pearse appointed her in 1954 she was seeking someone with the potential to take over as Head of Department, for Miss Frankish was by then not far off retirement. In Barbara she found an excellent candidate, someone who had trained with great success at the prestigious Dartford PE College, and had then taught for three years at the independent Sheffield High School. In 1957 she did indeed succeed Miss Frankish and led the department outstandingly well until 1965, when she moved to Hampshire to join the county’s team of eight PE advisors, remaining as a senior advisor until her retirement.
All of us who knew Barbara in her time at Datchelor, as a pupil or a colleague, will have vivid memories of her boundless energy, her warm outgoing personality, lively sense of humour and her confidence that any problem could always be overcome. Maybe those who disliked the long walk to the old playing fields at the bottom of Dog Kennel Hill were not so enthusiastic when they were chivvied to take the walk briskly, but to Barbara it was just good healthy exercise and, since there was no alternative, better to get on with it quickly! Though tennis was her first love, as a PE teacher she was excellent all round, and those who played for school teams have especially fond memories of her leadership and encouragement. I can personally vouch for her skill in one sphere, for she achieved the seemingly impossible task of teaching me to swim (ably abetted by Mrs Vider) to the stage where I could do the length of the swimming pool without feeling I would drown! Mrs Hunt (who was then Miss Wigg), was Barbara’s junior colleague for three years. She remembers her very warmly in every way especially as a Head of Department who not only gave her good leadership, but also shared out the responsibilities for school teams equally between colleagues, so that they all had a chance of coaching the first teams. All of us, whether pupils or colleagues will also, I think, have happy memories of Barbara’s colourful dress sense and the cheerfully bright sweaters which were her preferred choice on and off the games field, rather than the more traditional navy blue. In this, as in many other more serious ways she symbolised a new generation, helping the school to move forward into the second half of the twentieth century. 47
Barbara’s decision to move from teaching into advisory work was in part because she knew that the physical side of teaching might well become more difficult for her (in all her adult life she was plagued by a painful back injury suffered when she was at college) but also because it gave the chance to share her teaching experience with a wide range of schools. The Hampshire part was ideal too because it meant that she and Ewart, who worked in Hampshire, could be together. They had first met in Sheffield and then, some years later, met again in London, but there were difficulties to overcome before they finally married in May1966, beginning a long and happy life together. (Ewart’s death, in January 2012, came just a few months before their 46th wedding anniversary.)
Though Barbara had left London she kept in touch with Datchelor friends and when the ex-staff reunions began she was a frequent visitor (though golf matches sometimes intervened – she and Ewart had become very keen players and Barbara captained the Alton Golf Club’s Ladies team for a number of years). Even as the years advanced she remained the warm and outgoing ‘young in spirit’ person she had always been, and it was only in her latter years that health problems made it unwise for her to tackle the journey from Alton to the reunions, though she still liked to hear all the news, both of former colleagues and pupils she had known. It is a tribute to the affection with which she is remembered that at both the AGM and at Carols last year, the announcement of her death was greeted with palpable sadness and distress, and that my letters told colleagues who had known her on the staff brought just the same response – and a flood of memories of the times we had shared as young staff together, half a century ago! S. J. Rogers
EDITOR’S NOTE Thank you to everyone who sent in news items. The club has around 800 active members yet we only receive news from about 10% of you. I apologise if you sent in news and can’t find it here. I think we have searched every folder and inbox in case any have escaped. As always the newsletter is a team effort. Pat Baxter does a wonderful job on proofreading. Without her help this magazine would not have been produced this year. Myra Hurley has helped with the database and typing. Many of the group reps have chased up their contemporaries to send in news and I appreciated help in typing from Diane Clack, Joan Denne and Penny Horsman. Shelley Mitchell assembled all the regional reports with the help of all the regional reps. Thank you also to those who sent in photos. Maggie Gebbett 01243 699517 email: [email protected]
The editor wishes to clarify that any views or opinions expressed in this newsletter are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the MDOG Club.
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