THE BERGMAN ÖSTERBERG UNION B E R G M A N Ö N A S T E R T I B E A R R M G D A R T F O R D 2011 The Bergman Österberg Union 2011 CONTENTS Page Letter from the Chairman 2 Letter from the Editor 4 Agenda for the AGM 2011 6 Minutes of the AGM 2010 7 BÖU Committee 2011 18 Bergman Österberg Trust Panel 21 Dartford Museum Display 21 Calling all Leavers from the 1970s and 1980s 21 Rachael Heyhoe Flint – ‘Working Peer’ 22 Peggy Thwaites – ‘100’ 24 Malcolm Bell 26 Awards and Presentations 27 Kent Netball Archive Group 30 Dr Jackie Farr 31 Response to a Tribute 32 BBC Interview 33 The Return of Madame’s Chair - a Saga 34 News from Former Students 40 Obituaries 42 BÖU Accounts 59 Benefit Fund Account 60 Changes to the Register 2010-2011 61 The Benefit Fund 62 The Bergman Österberg Trust Awards 63 Diploma Badge 64 Donation of Material to the Archive 64 BÖU Website 65 The Bergman Österberg Union 2011 1 Letter from the Chairman Dear Friends, It has been another busy year for the BÖU and there is plenty to read about in this Magazine. During the year,I was fortunate to be present at Malcolm Bell’s retirement function and visit the BBC radio studios in London to record an interview about Madame's life and work as well as attending the Archive sub-committee meetings. Details of the year are recorded in the Magazine. Work on the Dartford Campus is continuing and the new buildings are rapidly taking shape.As the funding for the project was cut, the changes on the site are not as drastic as was first planned; consequently those of us who still visit regularly can easily recognise our old college and feel at home. I hope that those of you who have ceased visiting because you considered the changes too extreme will feel able to join us again for future reunions knowing that familiar college buildings are still there. We are delighted that our Patron, Rachael Heyhoe Flint, has been asked to go to the House of Lords and has chosen the title Baroness Heyhoe Flint of Wolverhampton. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Rachael on behalf of the BÖU. It is an honour that she fully deserves. Our President Margaret Chamberlain is now housebound and is unable to contribute to our work as she would wish. She retains a keen interest in the BÖU and sends her best wishes to you all. In due course, we will have to appoint a new President, but in the meantime, the Committee has decided to invite two people to become new Vice Presidents. I hope to be able to report favourably on our efforts at the next AGM. I hope that many of you purchased our 2011 calendar and our Christmas cards this year.Rosemary Moon collated the calendar content once the Committee had chosen the photographs. Jilly EllisWilliams had them printed and also organised the cards. If anyone has any ideas for a theme for next year's calendar, please let us know. We have to be careful of copyright and obtaining permission for some photographs but we will do our best to include those that you suggest. I should like to thank the two members who have written to me, following my plea in the Newsletter,to advise me about students they have taught who have competed in the Olympics. If anyone has any other similar contacts, which would help with the proposed display at the Dartford Museum in 2012, please let me know. On that subject, it would be lovely if we could encourage more people to come to the reunion in 2012 and I would ask you to consider organising a year reunion if it is appropriate. 2 The Bergman Österberg Union 2011 The Archive rooms have been significantly refurbished during the year; our thanks go to the North West Kent College (NWK College) management and staff for organising the changes and doing the work.We are delighted to be able to work more closely with Kent Netball and incorporate their archive into ours.Thanks also go to Sheila Cutler who is providing the nameplate for the new display room named after her.She is going to purchase one which will match the others we already have. Those of you who like to surf the net may have found the Wikipedia entry about Madame. At present we do not know who posted this entry,and although it is quite accurate in the main part, Jilly and I propose to investigate how to go about correcting the errors we have found! Our congratulations go to Dr Jackie Farr on achieving her doctorate. This achievement is acknowledged in the Magazine. I should like to thank all the members of the committee who continue to work as hard as ever. My right-hand woman is Jilly Ellis Williams, without whom I am sure I would simply fail to remember everything! Ken Challinor continues to give sound advice and support; Christobel Elliott has shouldered the majority of the work as Treasurer, aided by Margaret Medland; Pat Chatters has the register well in order; Brenda Barton produced an excellent Newsletter; Jan Grimsey organised another successful reunion; Gill Metcalfe produced another excellent Magazine; Rosemary Moon for her work in the Archive; Dr Jackie Farr for attending Archive meetings and for agreeing to represent the BÖU on the Bergman Österberg Trust Award panel, whilst Hazel Chapman and Sheila Norman have been a great help during the year. Unfortunately Betty Lewis is not well enough to attend meetings; she was unable to join us in September to receive the BÖU vase awarded in recognition for all her years of loyal service. She is however, delighted to have received it. Finally, I should also like to thank the University of Greenwich for paying for the printing and postage of our Magazine. I wish you all the very best for 2011, and look forward to seeing you at the reunion on September 3rd. Anne Stuart The Bergman Österberg Union 2011 3 Letter from the Editor Dear Members, My editorial starts with correcting an omission from last year – the photograph of the Year of 1960 – as promised – my first inclusion in this year’s Magazine.Thank you for the photograph Diana (Bains).The omission is a reminder that photographs do not always download in the format expected. TheYear of 1960 Back row L-R:Anne Henderson (Wilton),PenelopeTuck (Ingle),Mary Swallow (Crake),Lin Benson (Inglis),Anne De’Ath (Saloway), Collen Jerrold (Craske) Middle row L-R: Chris Demmar (Smart), Christine Tink (Stabler; Pyle), Rosemary Acton (Chapman), Sheila Buchanan (Martin), Sue Newman (Pickles), Sheena Macdonald (Leckie), Brenda Smith (Routledge), Hilary Prowse (Varley) Front row L-R: Sue Morris (Kilburn),Marjory Smith (Thompson),Judy Humphries (Beauchamp), Ann Stubbs (Jago),Rachael Heyhoe Flint (Heyhoe),Diana Bains (Warren),Irene Moore (Payne), Judy Hilton ( Dodsworth), Pamela Baxter (King) It is also fitting that the year member taking centre spot in the photograph is the BÖU Patron Rachael Heyhoe Flint,now Rachael,Baroness Heyhoe Flint of Wolverhampton. There are no prizes for spotting the typographical errors which appeared in the last Magazine, just apologies that there were so many. Madame’s brooch features once again in the Magazine. Jane Claydon (1968) was drawn to research the former Dartford student,Christina Stevenson,from whom she inherited her brooch;her article unravels a small part of Christina’s story.By coincidence Christina coached Hockey in the States (1923);in the 1970s Dartford students,and staff member Toni Cutler, coached Hockey at the same camp, Camp Tegawitha, in the Poconos, Philadelphia. Perhaps this article will encourage others to research the background of their brooch? 4 The Bergman Österberg Union 2011 I was able to spend a day with Sue Hogley (Dartford; 1968; and member of staff) last summer;we talked for ages and of course Dartford was a key topic of conversation.Her son James (early twenties) is a fully qualified plumber with, not surprisingly, plenty of work! I also spoke (phone) with Sheila Godwin (Dartford;1950;and member of staff) recently. Despite several health issues, plus being 82, she was still as sharp as ever and of course most amusing.For those students recalling her gymnastics sessions they will be pleased to know that the wood bases on wheels are now supporting her pot plants.You have to have been one of her students to understand that one! It is always sad to report the deaths of ex-students,especially early deaths;this year we have lost two high profile sports women in Heather Crouch (Newbigging; 1969) and Roey Goodridge (Squires;1978). The deaths of O M Smith (1935) and M JVizard (1947) have also been reported to the Committee. It is with much sadness that I report the death of MaryThomas, Dartford Staff 1962 – 1985 onWednesday 23rd February 2011. ‘For many people MaryThomas was England Netball and Umpiring’ (AENA tribute). We are grateful to The University of Greenwich for allowing us to place the several tributes to Mary in this year’s Magazine – we were able to recall it from the publishers in order to bring this news to you. Further tributes will be included in the 2012 Magazine. My thanks are certainly due to the Magazine’s proof reader.Editing a magazine, though fun, can be somewhat daunting, so readers will understand how grateful I am for the sagacity of Dr IdaWebb, my walk-in archive; just a touch of the phone pad and queries are solved; thank you Ida! I conclude with a plea,which was first voiced by the Editor of Vol.2 of the ‘Magazine of the Bergman Österberg Union of Teachers and Trained Gymnasts’: in citing the need for contributions to the Magazine she wrote,‘we hope that students ..