The Conundrum That Is the Diploma Brooch

The Conundrum that is the Diploma Brooch

Author’s note: The author acknowledges that the following text is highly speculative. It attempts to follow the pathway of the MBÖ brooch over its 130 years of history, pursuing information that is beset with unanswered questions and lack of hard evidence. It is recognised further archival research may eventually reveal a more succinct and coherent assessment. Hopefully this article might just encourage such research!

The College has been represented by four official badges throughout its history, the MBÖ pocket badge and the silver MBÖ brooch being the earliest1.

Speculatively the metal brooch may well have preceded the pocket; it is clear that the cloth embroidered, monogrammed pocket was designed for student use – it being cited on the early clothing lists held in the Archive. It is not so evident that the silver brooch was intended for student use, or for college identification; it does not appear on College uniform lists. It is certainly not evident that it was specifically intended to be a Diploma brooch; more likely an historical move was responsible for such status.

Sheila Cutler’s article ‘The Dartford Diploma Badge – a history’ (BÖU Magazine; 2010) probably ensured that the brooch was claimed as the Diploma Badge from 2010 onwards. Prior to this article the word diploma (usually lower case) and Certificate (upper case) appear to have been used – quite confusingly – as synonymous; the notion of there being an annual Diploma Day is not borne out by available records, whilst a Diploma Day in which a diploma brooch and a diploma were presented together also lacks evidence and serves to confuse!

The recent move to call the ‘Diploma Badge’ (ibid) a brooch (see BÖU Magazine 2017) is possibly more apposite than can be first imagined. In 1907 it was called a brooch. By the 1920s it was called a badge, the Bergman Österberg Union appearing to have made the change.

Undoubtedly, it is an exquisite piece of jewellery – a small unmarked Arts and Crafts monogrammed silver ornament with a central green stone replicated in a similar stone drop2. Sadly, its origin remains a conundrum. Was it initially: a piece of jewellery made for Madame; an emblem to represent her college; an item to signify Principalship; a staff only brooch; an insignia of the BÖU; a proof of qualification from a prestigious college or as a dual award to be presented with the College’s Diploma? 65

Although arguably speculative, these questions are chronologically ordered against the Archival evidence available to date.

It is not difficult to venture that the brooch was a bespoke piece of jewellery made for Madame. It would have been made after the Österberg’s marriage (1886) and from 1888 onwards, but exactly when is unknown. It may be a somewhat romanticised notion, but it might not be too difficult to imagine Madame and her new husband walking or cycling from Hampstead into central London, enjoying some window shopping along Regent Street and then turning into Brook Street. Here they may have come across the silver smith, George Hart in his Arts and Crafts workshop (established 1888), later supplier none-the-less to the newly opened Liberty store close by (1902). They could have commissioned the brooch – one designed to weave them together in the Österberg name. It must be noted that the brooch only bears Madame’s initials – thus it was her brooch; just a personal ornament may have been its raison d’être .

Hampstead, Regent Street and Dartford were her colleges; with the exception of the latter they did not bear Madame’s name despite her being exceptionally proud of hers and her girls’ achievements. Being of a practical, hands on nature, it is unlikely that she would designate her brooch as a representative insignia. The brooch is beautiful, it is hardly an item to be subjected to the demands of vigorous exercise whilst perilously pinned to a gym tunic, even though by 1907 this was the case. The drop itself could easily be torn from its mount.

The cloth pocket, however, would have surely been agreed as a sensible choice, placing the founder’s initials clearly to the fore and identifying both her College and her students. Given this, Madame could hardly have selected the silver brooch for the demands cited.

Working for the London School Board, Madame would have been familiar with the practice of identifying different schools with silver or metal badges to be worn on the shoulder or placed on a cap. This was not confined to the richer schools but also to many of the charitable foundations. She could easily have adopted such a method of identifying her college, her work, and her students. Her brooch, seemingly, at this time was not available for such public display. The tunic, onto which the brooch was later pinned was not available until 1893; by this time Madame had named two Colleges.

Instead of using her name she opted to name her colleges after location. Although the Dartford Site was officially named the Bergman Österberg College of Physical Training (1896) it was more frequently called Kingsfield or the College on the Heath (even in 1916). Again, given this it is unlikely that the brooch was designed

as a badge for her college. Surprisingly there are no archival photographs of Madame wearing the brooch. There is only a single piece of evidence to show that Madame wore the brooch as cited by Jean Milligan (1906) in a transcript of a memoir (referenced in: BÖU Magazine 2016) when Madame was seen to remove her brooch and pin it onto a student’s tunic.

The later pioneer women’s colleges students all chose metal badges which were specifically made to state student training and qualification at that specialist institute. None of these are as spectacular or as endangered as Madame’s brooch.

The Archive holds a photograph of Mary Tait (1902); in this she is wearing the brooch in choker style fashion around the neck. This is, to date, the first photograph of the brooch. In the Middle Ages, badges were popular as jewellery; the grandest form of badge was worn as a pendant to a metal collar often in gold or silver gilt. Miss Tait frequently deputised as ‘Superintendent, deputy to the Principal’ in Madame’s absence (May:1969). Again speculation, but had the brooch now been moved from a personal piece to a more public wearer, in Mary Tait as ‘Principal’ in absentia; had the brooch come to symbolise the Principal?

In the early years of College, staff and ‘Old Students’ would play in the College teams alongside those in training. Archive photos of students indicate unqualified students did not wear the metal badge; where the brooch is shown it is worn by a qualified or ‘Old Student’ – thus labelled, and usually a member of staff. A clear example is depicted in the Staff photograph, 1912 (in: op cit Claydon). This practice indicates that ‘Old Students’ were now entitled to wear the brooch. The date otherwise from which staff were permitted to wear the brooch is unknown. It is interesting to note the absence of the brooch in Archival photographs – they are mainly of students in training. This seems to endorse the unqualified status. This is only clarified at a much later date (1923).

A key event occurring in 1902 also points to this issue highlighting the difference between the qualified/unqualified student: ‘the Bergman-Österberg Union of Trained Gymnastic Teachers was founded on an informal basis’… for … ‘Old Stu- dents’ (op cit May; 1969). By 1903 ‘Old Students’ had initiated their access to the brooch. The oldest badge held in the College Archive is inscribed E C Ranken with 1903 stamped on the reverse. Miss Ranken did not join the staff but was a qualified student. On this basis she was entitled to wear the brooch alongside members of staff.

Prior to 1904 all staff would only have been Dartford trained. Once the BÖU was formally established, the brooch (now called badge) was embossed on the cover of the first official BÖU Magazine and remained thus until 1980. Clearly, by then, the qualified students had made the brooch their own. Whether this was the case 67

in 1902 is again unknown. The demand for a change of badge in 1923 (BÖU Maga- zine; 1924) highlights the status of the brooch to the BÖU.

We understand that for some time past there has been considerable comment and discussion among Old Students on the fact that students at College who are still working for their diploma wear the same badge as Old Students who have gained the diploma. At the meeting of the Old Students in July 1923 it was finally decided to ask Miss Lett if the present Students could have a badge different from the M.B.O. one. It was agreed to make the change.

This states that the BÖU cloth badge, at the least was now an official insignia, and it was to be jealously guarded. With Madame’s death in 1915 and with the change in name of the College the original motif seemed only relevant to those qualifying under Madame. The change made was from the MBÖ embroidered cloth badge to the DCOPT cloth one.

The MBÖ ‘badge’ may well have been the prerogative of the ‘Old Students’ by 1923 but it may not have been so clearly thus in 1907. Jean Milligan (op cit BÖU Magazine; 2016) recalled: ‘on our last summer term …..when we all got our Certificates and our MBÖ brooch … at the end of the ceremony … Madame pinned it on the student’s tunic …’. This is the first of only two such records of a specific ceremony where a Certificate and an MBÖ brooch were presented at the same time to a student and where it was pinned on to the student’s tunic. Note also that there is no suggestion that any payment was involved. The well-aired photograph of Madame presenting students with their certificates shows that only a certificate was given. The 1907 date is the only one which puts the two together in Madame’s lifetime. However, note, the word diploma is not used.

From 1907 onwards, the brooches may well have been similarly presented, but again the College records fail to help here. Current BÖU members have brooches dating back to the 1900s and some have been able to follow up their previous owners. Diploma Days are not regularly accounted for in the available literature, mainly the BÖU Magazine, so it is difficult to know what procedures took place and what traditions were followed. From 1907 onwards, it is clear that all qualified students were permitted to wear the brooch, membership of the BÖU or not.

By 1924, tradition seems to change; the silver badge was advertised as for sale in the BÖU Magazine. It seems that it was no longer being given or presented. However, there is a contradiction to this: in offering her recollections in 1965 of ‘College Life in my day 1926-29’, Catherine Elizabeth Bowen writes of ‘Diploma Day’:

This was held in the dining room. The 3rd year credentials were read out and your brooch was pinned on your tunic, straight one year and angled the next.

This may be the first archival record of the event being called a Diploma Day; there surely must be more? No mention of a diploma or Certificate presentation is made. The photographs of her year group on Diploma Day (Archive photographs, 1929), show that no brooches are pinned onto their tunics! There seems to be no explanation here; the photographs seem at odds with her text. Bowen’s account reiterates that of Milligan’s (op cit) and adds further explanation of the tradition of the positioning of the brooch on the tunic; whether the brooch was given or bought is not mentioned.

As stated, adverts appeared, albeit infrequently in the BÖU Magazine indicating that the ‘badge’ could be bought from Harts. In her article (op.cit.) Cutler suggests that Hart’s were not the only suppliers of the brooch. There has been some speculation that the Murrle Bennett jewellers (founded in 1888) also made it. They, like Hart were skilled jewellers and silver smiths. They too supplied Libertys with stunning pieces. The brooches recently advertised on the internet (2014) as made by Murrle Bennett are not handmade and are therefore, post 1920. Since the firm closed in 1910 it is impossible for them to have made the brooch.

Harts today still hold a series of unpolished original hand beaten silver MBÖ badges. They are examples of the brooches produced pre-1920 and differ slightly in size, thickness and shape – because they are hand beaten. Harts have been at their Chipping Campden premises for 116 years, having moved from their London premises in 1902 and are world-renowned.

By the 1950s the silver brooch seems to have hibernated; the figure head had gone, no strong leader had emerged to take on the mantle of Madame, the College name had changed to reflect new educational thinking and with it went Madame’s name; the College Diploma had melted into London University accreditation deposing the Bergman Österberg Certificate/diploma; early students had long-since retired – their brooches often wrapped away with their College memorabilia; the BÖU had only just survived the war years experiencing difficulties in publishing and distributing the Magazine; the war had impacted on student finances and the increasing student intake had changed in nature – all of, to name but a few, could be cited as reasons.

As Cutler (op cit 2010) puts it, the ‘traditions … were forgotten’. She then follows this up with her comments on the revival of interest in the silver brooch, citing the impact of 1985 and 1995 centenary events. She adds that the last student cohort

(1986) were presented with ‘silver pendants’ to mark their graduation, but sadly the MBÖ motif was replaced by one of Madame’s tree!

From 1888, at the earliest, until 2018 the brooch has travelled through almost 130 years. It has moved from being Madame’s personal brooch, to Principal’s pendant, to staff ‘badge’, to qualified ‘Old Student’ badge, to BÖU members badge, to a brooch given with a Certificate ceremony, to a brooch given with a Certificate on a named Diploma Day, and to a Magazine badge; this offers a series of brooch, pendant, badge, badge, badge, brooch, brooch, badge, and finally to today – brooch.

References

1A photograph labelled ‘Dartford Graduates 1898’ (Claydon; 2015) shows students wearing shield badges but their significance to the College to date is unrecorded.

2Cutler, S (2010) identifies the stone as the semi-precious chrysoprase.

BÖU Magazine 1923

BÖU Magazine 1924

BÖU Magazine 2010

BÖU Magazine 2016

BÖU Magazine 2017

Claydon, J (2015) ‘Madame’s Pioneers’

May, J. (1969) Madame Bergman Österberg, London, Harrap

Gill Metcalfe

News from Australia from Margaret Gill (Gaitskell; 1951)

New Year's Eve and it is a beautiful day with a blue sky and not a cloud to be seen. It will be the perfect backdrop for the inevitable fireworks display here that seem to be the norm around the world, with each city trying to out-display the rest! We won't go into the city to see them but just watch on the T.V. - not quite as satisfying, but being a little part of it.

As usual, summer is full of sport. The Ashes series nearing it's fifth match and I hope that England will be able to win this time! We have some interesting domestic "conversations" at times like this! There is a lot more Womens' sport now which is wonderful to watch.

We have been on holidays to explore more of this wonderful country including South Australia for the first time and saw some of the coastlines with their magnificent cliffs. We also continued our love affair with the High Plains on two occasions, one a tour and the other with the family at the ski lodge. The biggest family occasion in September was to celebrate our 60th. Wedding Anniversary. We hired a hall and caterers and had a fun-filled evening of music, games and singing. Wonderful memories which are still lingering.

Another family highlight was the presentation of a Ph.D. to our second son Bruce. He was working full-time so it was really an achievement. He is a Hydro-geologist and his work was mapping the aquifers to help the farmers in Victoria find and use their water to the best advantage.

Healthwise we have a lot to be thankful for, slowing down but managing to do most of the activities that interest us. We found the lead-up to Christmas quite tiring with Christmas day being on a Monday and the usual Sunday services plus Christmas Eve. The choir was involved, of course, plus extra practices but we survived. I described it as being "Churched Out". Not to mention all the pre-Christmas parties that seem to increase each year. The family gathering was on Boxing day and a good time was had by all.

Sheila Gooch and I have kept up regular correspondence. Jennifer Heaviside wrote a card and a letter and Anne Tilley sent a card (and a change of address) which was a lovely surprise.

I am quite thrilled that we now have recognition of our academic achievements with the awarding of Honorary Degrees. I know it is very late in our lives with our careers having finished many years ago but still great personal satisfaction. I would be interested in news of any of Madame's students in Australia. I hope that you don't have too many spells of heavy snow again and we hope we don't have too many very hot days this summer with bush fires.

News from the 1957 Year Group

The year 2017 has been a celebratory year for us as it was not only 60 years since we left Dartford, but a year in which we also received our Honorary Degrees.

We have had numerous reunions since 1957 and we try to meet each year at different venues, including Dartford when possible. In 2017 fifteen of us met for coffee and lunch at “The Crown of Crucis”, Ampney Crucis, Gloucestershire, near Cirencester. This venue proved to be so successful we have decided to meet there again in September 2018. It is a very accommodating old pub and we were able to have a room to ourselves for coffee. Lunch was in the dining room and as there is also good bedroom accommodation some of us stayed overnight.

Of course the highlight was on 26th October when we received our Honorary B.Ed. Degrees at University of Greenwich. Although it had been some time since our year first suggested it, the occasion was truly wonderful and to be in such beautiful, historic buildings with friends and family added to the happiness of the day. We congratulate University of Greenwich on achieving this in spite of many logistical problems.

Patricia Frearson (McCue; 1957)

Front Row L-R: Lucia Robinson (Hartley), Maureen Hatton (Timberlake), Kit Adlington (Clunon), Norma Jenner (Teasel), Pat Williams Back Row L-R: Val Russell (Robinson), Mary Hunt (Wigg), Margaret Watson (Pilgrim), Fiona Carter (McWalter), Judy Herten (Sanderson), Jenny Field (Watson), Susan Leakey (Marshall), Joy Adams (Sydney), Ann Holder (Denney), Patricia Frearson (McCue).

News from the 1968 Year Group

A group of us who left College in 1968 met for lunch at Horsted Place Hotel to celebrate our 70th birthdays.

L - R: Jennifer Thompson, Gill Lamarque, Mollie O’Neill (Finnegan), Elizabeth Shepley (Jones), Irene Bulley, Christine Matthews (Morey), Delphine Beecham (Palmer), Linda Chanan (Gilchrist).

1977 Year Group - 40-Year Reunion

Our little group from Dartford have managed a few get-togethers over the years and each time our get-togethers have included lots of laughter and lots of reminiscing!

Rees (Bev Dunn) Shirl (Shirley Quinn now Neal) and me Kim (Rickards/Ratcliffe and now Stafford) all met on our first day at Dartford. Rees came from the same school as Jones (Elaine now Davies) and she made friends with Janet Nicholas (now Gurmeric) and the late Linda Johnson. And so we became a group of 6!

We had much fun at college and reuniting brought out all the memories! We planned our reunion this year around the BÖU day and following Linda's premature death two years ago it was good to be back together and raise a toast to her! This year we welcomed Sheila Hayler (now Smidt) to our group - all the way from New Zealand!

Our group stayed in a little gem of a place via AirBnB. Our first night was full of laughter and catching up. I managed to find most of my old kit and there was much hilarity over that and even more when Janet could actually fit in it!!! Jones and Rees are still based in South Wales, Shirl returned to the North East, I am based in Kent and Janet is now based in Istanbul!

When visiting Dartford the next day it took a while to get our bearings, with the loss of our beloved Allerloo and the demolition of Bergman, replaced by large buildings on the North Kent College site.

Our netball courts were covered in weeds, the redgra gone; much reminiscing about where the "games shed" used to be and our duties painting balls and hockey pads. We all agreed this was part of our character building and made us all the amazing PE teachers we have all been!

The highlight was our walk round to the cricket pitch and a picture under Madame’s tree. Despite our shock and quite frankly disgust at its demise! But it stirred many memories and again much laughter.

We ended the day with a lovely meal, minus a few from the day, but with a few more faces from 1977 joining us - much laughter and sharing of yellowing funny little pictures (no iPhones in those days!) and was I really that skinny!

Kim Stafford (Rickards; 1977)

1977 - 2017 Reunion Rosie Amorese (Hocking) Elaine Davies (Jones) Tricia Day (Heyworth) Bev Dunn (Rees) Hilary Gunnell (Bucky) Janet Gurmeric (Nicholas) Cheryl Ling (Stamp) Shirley Neal (Quinn) Hilary Pollard (Holmes) Brenda Riches (Davidson) Susan Scholefield Sheila Smidt (Hayler) Kim Stafford (Rickards) Anne Stuart Elaine Talbot (Hardwicke) Jill Ellis Williams (Ellis)

Back row L-R: Sue, Jilly, Rosie, Kim, Anne, Tricia, Brenda, Janet Seated L-R: Cheryl, Bev, Elaine, Sheila, Shirley

OBITUARIES

Sheila Maureen Norman M.B.E. (Scarfe; 1952) 2nd June 1931 - 20th January 2017

Sheila was born in 1931 and her early life was based around Ipswich and Framlingham. She attended The Mills Grammar School in Framlingham and kept up her relationship with the school through the Mills Grammar School Association, developing friendships which lasted throughout her life. This characteristic of Sheila's was typical of her loyalty and her sunny, open nature and is evident time and time again when the friendships she made throughout her life proved to be deep and enduring.

In 1949 Sheila began the Teacher Training course at Dartford College of Physical Education and qualified in 1952 with the London University Diploma.

She represented College in the First Hockey XI in her first year, but severe back problems prevented a much fuller participation, although she did from time to time play in other matches. Her mantra, which she most pointedly aimed at herself as well as her pupils, "there is no such thing as can't" gave her the will-power and the faith to complete the course in spite of the debilitating effect of the pain. Typically she played an active part in College life and subsequently served for many years on the Bergman Österberg Union Committee, the Association of past students of Dartford.

The interest in hockey continued and she supported Ipswich Ladies Hockey Club, being the President from 1963 to 1970 and Vice President from 1970 to 2002. Her husband John was a hockey player and also the long standing umpire for the Ladies teams. Sheila was justifiably proud of their three sons, all very sporty too, of course.

As her photograph album shows, she took a keen interest in Clinic whilst at College. The photos show excellent improvement with the local children she supervised who had physical deformities and disabilities. This keen interest

prevailed, and after her first teaching post at Talbot Heath School in Bournemouth, she joined the staff at Heathside School for Children with Learning Difficulties. Whilst she was there she set up Banbury House in the grounds of St Clements Hospital which gave short and long term care for children with all types of learning difficulties and associated physical difficulties. When most of the children were successfully placed in local schools she returned to Heathside for a further 10 years. Sheila then taught at the Convent of Jesus and Mary in Ipswich.

Sheila was passionate about water safety and she progressed in the Royal Life Saving Society from an Instructor in 1965, going on to become an Advanced Teacher in 1971, a Tutor in 1981, a National Competition Judge in 1982, and an United Kingdom National Training Assessor in 1990.

She served as an official on the Royal Life Saving Society committees at Branch, Regional and National level. She was at the heart of Suffolk's life-saving community becoming Chair of the Suffolk branch for many years, and she was awarded an honour in the Queen's Jubilee year.

In 1995 Sheila was awarded an MBE for services to the RLSS. This was a well deserved honour for her total commitment to the Society over a period of more than 50 years.

Sheila was also awarded a Diploma by the International Olympic Committee. The citation reads:

"For a remarkable contribution, as a volunteer, to the development of sport and Olympism, and to the promotion of friendship and solidarity among peoples."

In 1996 Sheila was appointed as UK Commonwealth Development Liaison Officer dealing with water safety and drowning prevention. In this capacity she visited Kenya, Lesotho, Tanzania, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Canary Islands, Bermuda, South Africa, Malawi, Balearic Islands, Crete, Rhodes, Cyprus and Turkey, where once again she cemented long lasting friendships.

Being an outstanding teacher herself she stated that her 'primary interests are teacher training, basic poolside qualifications for teachers and coaches, water safety education, safety for swimmers with disabilities and outreach programmes.'

Sheila's total commitment to her family and to all aspects of her profession was all -embracing. She will be fondly remembered by everyone with whom she came into contact.

Publications

1. 'What's in a Game' with Alan Pollard A book of games designed to help rescuers to be prepared to adapt to changing situations where they have to use their initiative. The 'body' plays an important role, altering the situation and does not remain passive as used to be the case. This forces the rescuer to rethink the original response, thus making the practice more in line with what might happen in a real situation. This booklet was published by the RLSS and approved by the Society's National Education and Technical Committee to accompany the Society's Handbooks.

2. Thesis: 'The Psychological Concepts related to Teaching and Training for Initiative Tests For submitting this thesis, Sheila was presented with the RLSS Diploma Award.

Toni Cutler, with thanks to Sheila Cutler, Christobel Elliott and Jerry Norman

Rachael Heyhoe Flint OBE, DL Opened the batting 11-6-1939, Carried her bat 18-1-2017

It is hard to know where to begin writing about Rachael’s life. So much has already been documented and she lived a lot of it in the spotlight, thus there are many radio and television programmes that exist as a testament to her witty and vivacious personality. A list of all her achievements would take up several pages and these can easily be found by putting her name into an Internet search engine. Instead here are a few stories about her that are generally not in the

public domain.

Cricket and the battle for equality came early to Rachael. Her son Ben recounts that at the age of eight she was playing cricket with a group of boys in the street, something that fell foul of the law in post-war Britain. A policeman caught them in the act and began taking down names and addresses but only those of the boys. Rachael insisted that he take her name down too, only to be told, “Girls don’t play cricket”. Little did that policeman know that Rachael would become a trailblazer for women in sport, her achievements peppered with a series of firsts.

A little-known achievement is that Rachael raised over £7 million for charity, including 150 minibuses for the Lady Taverners.

Sclyd Berry, cricket correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph said, “She was, among other achievements, the W. G. Grace of Women’s Cricket – the pioneer without whom the game would not be what it is.”

Rachael always wanted to teach PE. She and her best friend Ann Jago applied to go to Dartford because the England captain Mary Duggan was a lecturer there and the best coach they knew of. Mary became her personal tutor and a great influence on Rachael.

Reminiscence from Chris Demmar (Smart):

I had little contact with Rachael during our time at Dartford; she being mainly games whereas I was occupied with dance, gymnastics and swimming. However, I

do remember her as a great character, and to illustrate this will pass on one story, which no doubt others will tell you also.

On our rare escapes from college many of us students would hitchhike up the A2 into London, chiefly in order to attend functions at other colleges where there would be MEN. Rachael and a few friends somehow found a venue where a competition was being held. The prize was a very desirable motor scooter! Competitors (without any equipment) were asked to give a short performance, pretending to be a ventriloquist and his/her dummy! There was no holding Rachael back. She gave a great performance - and WON. (She and Ann Jago later used the scooter to “escape” from college whenever they could).

Reminiscence from Anne De’Ath (Saloway)

Everyone knew Rachael. Her cheerful and witty personality ensured she stood out from the crowd and was always popular with the other students. Sometimes she managed to overstep the mark as far as the lecturers were concerned. Being an excellent games player she was perfectly happy playing cricket, hockey or even lacrosse but her attitude towards dancing was somewhat different. On one famous occasion a visiting teacher chastised her for not getting the steps right and disrupting the class. She asked Rachael her name. HEY-hoe was her honest answer but the poor lecturer had not been warned and did not believe her! Rachael chose drama as her subject of special interest. This was not surprising as she loved performing. For one of our entertainments she reprised Joyce Grenfell’s famous skit where she tries to control a little boy called George. Unfortunately the drama lecturer did not share her sense of humour and failed her. I’m sure she would have realised how wrong she had been if she had witnessed Rachael’s success as a personality, journalist and entertainer and ultimately a member of the House of Lords, not to mention the honorary doctorates she received.

Rachael was always destined to become famous as a cricketer and was a born leader and an obvious choice as captain of whatever team in which she played, be it Dartford or England.

I remember when Rachael was going out with a sub Mariner from the Royal Naval College. She told me she was knitting him a jumper (we all knitted in those days); I never knew whether it was ever finished.

Rachael was a kind and generous friend to all and deserved her success. I am sure that all of us who were lucky enough to share her company for three years at Dartford are proud of her achievements and enjoy the reflected glory of having known her.

The following ditty was one of her favourites: Why does a red cow give white milk when it only eats green grass? That’s the burning question, burns like indigestion. You don’t know, I don’t know, don’t you feel an ass? Why does a red cow give white milk when it only eats green grass?

I am still trying to work that one out!!

Reminiscence from Ann Stubbs (Jago)

Rachael and I met when we were nine years old at Woodfield Avenue Primary School and went on together to Wolverhampton High School, where we had a wonderful sports mistress, Mary Greenhalgh, and I believe that was where our love for cricket began. We were a mischievous pair and this continued when we were both accepted for Dartford College of PE!

We were both useless at dance being sporty types and we gave the lecturers lots of trouble and often ended up in fits of laughter just watching one another perform, particularly in National Dance lectures. One lecturer did not believe us when I said my name was Jago and Rachael said Heyhoe and we were sent out for being disruptive!

We hitched up to London regularly and I remember going to see My Fair Lady many times. We waited until the audience was seated and then crawled out of sight of the ticket office up the back stairs to the Gods and sneaked in at the back in the dark.

Our gang at College took over The Tower. Rachael acquired a 30mph road sign which was used as a tray for drinks in our room and I remember kicking it quickly under the bed when the Principal, Miss Alexander, entered the room unexpectedly one morning, as we had not appeared for breakfast.

I planned an escape from college one term. I got my brother to bring his old army truck to the walls of the grounds at midnight. I figured that if the holidays started on a certain date then they started when the clock struck midnight. Those holidays we all got letters saying we should appear in the Principal’s office on the first day of term!

And I do remember Rachael knitting a jersey. It was agony and full of dropped stitches. She started at the front, then increased for the arms and then went down the back all in one piece. In the end it looked like a lavatory seat cover!

At the end of our course Rachael was failed in her third year because of her special subject drama! She had to take her exams again whilst I went off to teach. Quite ridiculous.

We had the time of our lives at college actually and what with Rachael’s wit I remember we were always laughing.

********************

Rachael often spoke of how cold it was up in Tower. In February 2005 when she unveiled the blue plaque on the front of Kingsfield, she said:

I’m a great traditionalist and I know Madame Österberg was a great traditionalist; I’m just delighted that her memory is being perpetuated here. To me Dartford speaks of cricket and my beginnings and I could never perhaps have had the wonderful life I’ve had as far as sport is concerned, and life in general, if I hadn’t been here to Dartford.

In 2003 when accepting her Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Greenwich, she said:

I am a very humble sportswoman, who paid to play for her country.

Later I battled to try to become a member of the MCC and it took me nine years of campaigning. The MCC had been in existence for 211 years when they made me an Honorary Life Member (ten women were honoured; three were over 80).

So don’t give up, there is plenty of time for you to keep battling away at everything!

Also in her year were: Diana Bains (Warren), Mary Evans (Pilling), Anne De’Ath (Saloway), Judith Hilton (Dodsworth), Penelope Tuck (Ingle), Colleen Jerrold (Craske), Christine Demmar (Smart), Anne Henderson (Wilton), Susan Heywood (Masser), Mary Swallow (Crake).

Reminiscence from Sue Heywood (Masser) Rachael and I were good friends as we were in the same year and the same group so attended all the same lectures etc. She was a games player though and I was a gymnast and dancer, so we helped each other out! When it came to cricket she roped me in as an umpire. I was scared of the ball!

******************** Many people were at Rachael’s funeral and St Peter’s Church in Wolverhampton was full. Some notable friends included Sir Tim Rice, Angela Rippon (eulogy), Judith Chalmers (Joyce Grenfell sketch), Trevor Brooking, Mary Peters, Denise Lewis, Mike Gatting, Lesley Garrett. Plus ex-England Cricketers Enid Bakewell, Jan Southgate, Lyn Thomas, Chris Watmough, some of whom went to Dartford, and several ex-Woverhampton Ladies cricketers. At the funeral, her stepdaughter Rowan told me that Rachael didn’t like arrogance or falseness in people.

On a personal level, I was lucky enough to play against and with Rachael at county cricket level and at the wonderful women’s cricket week held every August, based at Colwall near Malvern in Worcestershire. Rachael was my captain one year and I was immensely proud to have been in her team. I still have the words to the team song we wrote and performed on the final evening and I will never forget how furious she was to be given out LBW when she was halfway down the wicket in what was only a friendly match; she never lost her strong competitive streak.

Along with many other people I counted her as a friend and she was the charismatic kind of person who made everyone feel that they were very important to her. Years later she invited Sarah and me to sit in the Directors Box at Wolves on New Year’s Day for the match against Plymouth Argyle, and let us wear our Argyle scarves!

She was generous to a fault and became our first Patron as a favour to me when she was already a full-time carer for her husband Derrick and heavily involved with the Lords Lady Taverners and other charity fundraising. She only reluctantly gave it up when she became Baroness Flint of Wolverhampton in 2010 and had so much more to do. Being unable to come to any of our events, she felt it was wrong of her to keep the title and not contribute.

I am sure that everyone who knew her will have their own personal memories of Rachael; without her there is no doubt that women’s cricket would not have advanced as much as it has today.

Anne Stuart (1977)