OLD FELICIANS WINTER NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2017 EDITORS’ NOTE We are most grateful to all those who have responded to the request for news and articles and to those who have taken time to write obitu- aries for their family and friends. Please do keep sending them to us, either by post or email or via the OF Facebook page. We do, however, reserve the right to edit them if necessary. Although every effort has been made to see that entries are correct, the Club cannot be held responsible for any errors that may have arisen. We would especially like to hear from younger OFs, who have left school relatively recently. We welcome news of your studies, your travels, your families and your lives. We are always pleased to publish news of any OF gatherings or simply memories you have of your time at school. Please send your submission to Deborah Digby at [email protected] and feel free to contact her if you have any queries on content of submissions. We often receive requests from OFs for information about friends they have lost touch with over the years, so if there is anyone you would like to track down, please let us know and we will post it in the news- letter, if they are not on the OF database. Our newsletters are now posted on the Old Felician section of the school website (www.stfelix.co.uk) and so are accessible to anyone using the site. If you do not wish your personal details to appear on line, please advise us when submitting your news. Please note that the deadline for news for the Summer 2017 newslet- ter is 1st APRIL 2017 but we welcome submissions throughout the year. Deborah Digby Elizabeth Strowlger 1 OLD FELICIANS CLUB EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2017 Life President Janet Buchanan-Smith (Lawrie) [email protected] 0131 449 4242 Chairman Fran D’Alcorn [email protected] 01502 675358 Hon Secretary Caroline Macmillan (Hayward) 36 Wendell Road, London W12 9RS [email protected] 020 8749 3010 Mobile: 07979 751 722 Membership Jean McArthur (Clarke) Secretary 30 Lytham Rd, Broadstone, BH18 8JS [email protected] 01202 640066 Mobile: 07726 330 376 Members Erica de Courcy (Salisbury) [email protected] 020 7262 1490 Deborah Digby (Wilkinson) [email protected] 01904 738824 Mobile: 07711 947 647 Sylvia Hillier (Winsnes) [email protected] 020 3665 5488 mobile: 07805 957 130 Carol Smithers (Watts Jones) [email protected] 01525 753220 Mobile: 07721 030 203 Elizabeth Strowlger [email protected] 01243 373122 Mobile 077 3089 3027 Christina Walmsley (Melvill) [email protected] 020 7371 0121 Mobile: 07818 217 507 New Committee Members and a Treasurer are needed NOW. Please con- tact Fran or Caroline for further details- these positions are not arduous or time-consuming. 2 ***************************************************** Please note that we are looking for a new treasurer and younger commit- tee members to keep the club vibrant, so please do get in contact. It is a great way of keeping in touch with other OFs and the school and we do have a lot of fun too. Officially, nominations should be submitted to the Executive Committee in time for the AGM – but don’t wait until then. ***************************************************** REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES The Regional Representatives do a sterling job obtaining email addresses and contact details for local OFs and so ensuring our data base is kept up to date. They continue to arrange local social events including visits to cathedrals and gardens, coffee mornings, lunches in pubs and restau- rants and London walks, which are open to ALL OFs, not just those living in their county or country. Why not contact a representative to see if she is organising a get-together? And if your country or county is not represented yet, why don't you vol- unteer? It is a great way of renewing friendships made during your time at Saint Felix. Bedfordshire: Carol Smithers (Watts Jones) 01525 753220 [email protected] Berkshire: Sharon Upton 05600 496767 [email protected] Bristol: Erica Wildgoose (Budgen) 07901 646820 [email protected] Cambridge: Liz Thomas (Thorogood) 01223 842400 [email protected] Cornwall: Hilary Price (Butters) 01803 813472 [email protected] 3 Devon: Hilary Price (Butters) 01803 813472 [email protected] Dorset: Jean McArthur (Clarke) 01202 640066 [email protected] and Mary Gosling (Hudson) 01935 812673 [email protected] Essex: Jill Griffiths 01277 822224 [email protected] Gloucestershire: Lucy Josey (Adkinson) 01242 234888 [email protected] Hampshire: (TEMP) Liz Strowlger 01243 373122 [email protected] Herefordshire: Elizabeth Henderson 01568 616990 [email protected] Isle of Man: Jane Tatchell 01624 844949 [email protected] Kent: Elspeth Howell (Kellock) 01580 880361 [email protected] Leicestershire: Sue Read (Ashpole) 01780 721237 [email protected] Lincolnshire: Frances Carr (Mead) 01790 753561 [email protected] London: Caroline MacMillan (Hayward) 020 8749 3010 [email protected] and Christina Walmsley (Melvill) 020 7371 0121 [email protected] Midlands: Jane Adams 01981 540695 [email protected] Norfolk: Alison Gibb (Berry) 01953 850606 [email protected] Northamptonshire: Sue Read (Ashpole) 01780 721237 [email protected] Rutland: Sue Read (Ashpole) 01780 721237 [email protected] Scotland: Janet Buchanan Smith (Lawrie) 01314 494242 [email protected] 4 Somerset South: Maggie Hague (Johnson) 01963 250108 [email protected] Somerset (rest of) Hilary Price (Butters) 01803 813472 [email protected] Suffolk West: Charlotte Hare 01359 250474 [email protected] Sussex East: Elspeth Howell (Kellock) 01580 880361 [email protected] Sussex West: Liz Strowlger (Roberts) 01243 373122 [email protected] Warwickshire: Rosemary Hyde (Riley) 01789 298897 [email protected] Wiltshire: Jennie Slater (Thompson) 01672 564689 [email protected] INTERNATIONAL Australia: Catherine Heap (Johnson) [email protected] Canada: Linda Wrigley [email protected] France: Jean McArthur (Clarke) 01202 640066 [email protected] Ireland: Fenella Begley [email protected] Middle East: Deborah Digby (Wilkinson) [email protected] New Zealand: Cati Condon (Plaegaerts) [email protected] Portugal: Sarah Hockley (Kerrison) [email protected] South Africa: Sherley Southworth (North Lewis) [email protected] Switzerland: Jenny Haller (Ollington) [email protected] USA: Alison Partridge (Lawrie) [email protected] 5 *************************************** WELCOME TO THE CLUB 2016 LEAVERS We are delighted to welcome all Old Felicians who left Saint Felix during 2016 as members of the Old Felicians’ Club. We wish them every success and look forward to hearing their news and to meet- ing them at future events. Remember to use the OF section on the school website too. *************************************** PARENTS’ DAY 2016 - THE OF PRIZES I was delighted to attend Parents’ Day in July 2016 and to see the OF prizes given to two UVI A Level students: Caitlin Dobson, who got A*s in Latin and Physics and A in English; she is now at Homerton College, Cambridge, studying English + Education Tom Collis who got A*s in Biology and Chemistry plus A in History; he is now at Newcastle University studying medicine Liz Strowlger **************************************** 6 NOTICES OLD FELICIAN WEBSITE Old Felicians have their own section on the school’s website www.stfelix.co.uk, which is currently being updated. There you will find news of forthcoming events as well as reports and photo- graphs of reunions, etc. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS Please let us know if you would prefer to receive the newsletter by email, especially if you live abroad, as the cost of posting out the newsletter is soaring. The newsletters are available in PDF form on the OF section of the school’s website. CONTRIBUTIONS TO FUTURE NEWSLETTERS We look forward to receiving your contributions, which are one of the most popular features of the newsletter, be they reminis- cences, news of what you have done since leaving Saint Felix, re- ports of get-togethers or reunions or articles of interest to Old Felicians. Please let us know who attended reunions, along with their maiden names and house/dates at Saint Felix. DATABASE - THIS MEANS YOU! The latest database is only as good as the information YOU give us, and we are finding that changes, particularly to email address- es, are not kept up to date. This is very frustrating for the regional reps as well as for our membership secretary. PLEASE drop a quick email to [email protected] confirming your latest name, address, email and phone numbers, if any of these have changed. 7 SAINT FELIX POSTCARDS Both Alison Clark (Lathbury) and her mother, Margorie Thomasson were in Clough, Margorie during the First World War and Alison in the 1950s. Postcards and pictures have been reproduced from the two delightful watercolours which Margorie kept from her time at the school, one of Clough and the other a long view to- wards Somerville, Gardiner and the main school buildings from the Sunken Garden You can view reproductions on the Old Felician section of the school's web site. Cost and ordering information is as follows: POSTCARDS: £2.50 (pack of 10) plus p&p £1.00 (UK only) A4 PICTURE: £15 each plus p&p £3.00 (UK only) Cheques payable to The Old Felicians' Club. Send order to: Caroline MacMillan, 36 Wendell Road, London W12 9RS. [email protected] 079797 51772 For larger quantities and overseas orders please contact Caroline for a quote. ***************************************** THE ISABELLA GARDINER TRUST For some years now, the Isabella Gardiner Trust has provided scholarships and bursaries to help with the advancement of edu- cation at St Felix School. It has also received generous financial donations from Old Felicians and from events such as the London Walks. Caroline Macmillan, Trustee **************************************** 8 SUMMER UPDATE 2016 As many of you did not receive your Summer Update, which included a farewell from both the Chairman of the OFC and the Head of Saint Felix, these are reproduced below.