Old Leicestrian Newsletter Trinity 2013 Welcome to the Old Leicestrian Newsletter Ron Berry In our efforts to keep in touch with the ever- highlights of this year were the Reunion Dinner, [OL Liaison] growing number of OLs, we are trying to go as held in what used to be Great Hall, and the paperless as possible. However, it is impossible Reunion for the Class of ’03. With this success for us to effect such a transition until we have the under our belt, we are going to have a 10 year email addresses of all our members. We already reunion every year; so I would like to hear from have about 1000, but we need to increase this. anyone who would like to help us to promote If you never receive an email from the school the a Class of ‘04 event next summer. This year’s chances are we do not have your email address, ‘London Meet’ was also well attended. so please email the school as a priority and include the year that you left the school. Our On Foundation Day the new digital organ in the Facebook page and the School website are also St. Nicholas Hall was dedicated to the memory ways in which we can reach out to you. of Fred Berry, the founder bursar and the first President of the OLs. Fred’s widow Sybil and his Rebuilding the early fervour of the OLs is not an daughter’s family were present at this occasion. easy task, but I feel progress is being made. The Calling all choristers! Charles Paterson As I am due to retire from LGS in the summer of 2014, we are planning a reunion of former members of the School Choir on Saturday 21st June 2014, with the main events being lunch and an afternoon workshop followed by an informal performance. Spouses and partners will also be welcome, and the musical content is open to requests, though Blue Skies and Tequila Samba are definitely in! The OLs are now on Facebook Please visit our page at www.facebook.com/LGSOLs and ‘like’ us to find details of all upcoming events, to see photos of recent ones, and to find out what exciting things have been happening to your former classmates. E-Mail: [email protected] OLD LEICESTRIANS 1 Valete ... so it’s ‘Goodbye’ from them! Margaret Redfearn It hardly seems possible that 20 years have passed since that September day in 1992 when Leicester Grammar Junior School opened its doors for the first time. As one of the founder members of staff I can still recall the feelings of excitement and uncertainty as to what the future might hold. Now, as retirement looms, I find myself reflecting on the many changes that have taken place as the school has grown and evolved from a school of 180 pupils, housed in a beautiful Victorian house in Evington, to over 400 pupils occupying a purpose built modern of work colleagues and undoubtedly, one of the complex, equipped with every facility one highlights, accompanying Her Majesty Queen could ever wish or need to deliver a first class Elizabeth on her visit to the Junior school. education. I believe the Junior School is a school with a LGJS has been central to my life for so many unique and well deserved reputation for happy, years and I am grateful to have had the privilege well rounded, confident children and tremendous of working with fantastic children, inspirational academic, sporting and musical achievement. and supportive staff and loyal, appreciative The personal pride I have experienced in seeing parents. so many children progress through the Junior School to the Senior School and on to University Each year has been demanding but rewarding and the world of work has been immense. and filled with countless joys. I have so many fond memories: the pure, spine tingling sound As I move into retirement and a life given over of the whole school singing; Infant Nativity to travelling, reading and gardening I know the plays where it was always a case of expect school is in good hands; a thriving community the unexpected; sports days; cheery ‘Good and a wonderful place to be. I am content to Mornings’ from the children; whacky walks and think I have, in some small measure, played a other crazy fund raising events; the friendship part in its development. The interview at LGS was on my 50th birthday. been a privilege to follow students’ progress As I travelled into Leicester, all 32 sets of traffic right through school, to university and beyond. lights between home and school were on green, The highlights have been too many to mention; a phenomenon never repeated before or since! the low points few but mainly involved bus trips! The move was a new challenge, having only With the mantle of Head of Prep passing into the taught in primary schools before. Also, I am capable hands of Jo Mould, the last two years of forever grateful to Mr King for his willingness, in part-time teaching have been a lovely transition the first appointment he made, to overlook the towards the challenge of retirement, which looks Hilary Painter minor detail of a degree missing from my CV. as if it is going to be a busy time. However, I However, thanks to 3 hard years with the OU, I shall miss my colleagues, their companionship, managed an English degree in the end. the humour (particularly in the English office), the coffee (particularly in the English Office) and the The years that followed have been the best of students. Thank you all and God bless. times. Prep forms are all delightful and it has 2 OLD LEICESTRIANS Valete cont… ‘Wanted for September’ was how the make the many concerts a success. advertisement began, ‘an enthusiastic professional musician to develop the practical Alongside the normal teaching it was the extra- music at LGS’. That was in March 1990 and so curricular involvement that was just as exciting. started the last, happy, 20 odd years. The annual water sports trip involved taking a group of students by coach to France or Spain Having played for 15 years in various orchestras for a week of sailing, hiking, canoeing, scuba- as a professional oboist, the sideways move to diving, wind-surfing and ghyll-walking. Also teaching as a peripatetic instrumentalist was close to my heart are the model aeroplane club then a logical step to make. Northamptonshire and my involvement with the many sports and Bryan Shaw rivalled Leicestershire for having the best county DofE trips. Who could forget the successful 3 musical provision in the country and for three Peaks Walk and the crazy driving required to years I had taught all the woodwind instruments get from Ben Nevis to Scafell and Snowdon for Northants., to groups of ‘enthusiastic’ within the allocated 24 hours? I will also always children as well as maintaining my own playing. remember building the drum room and Lord What I missed was the feeling of belonging and Jeans’ ‘bathroom’ in the basement during one the opportunity to be involved with all the other summer holiday together (with a large group of activities a school could offer. sixth formers). LGS changed all that. From the outset the Musically we achieved so much. From the small atmosphere was that of a large, happy family. team in 1990, Dr. Whittle, myself and the now This abiding impression is one of the many things large team of permanent visiting teachers have that sets our school apart. For example the then developed a department any school could be organised chaos of day to day life appealed to proud of, housed in a new building we could my disorganised mind. The far-sightedness of only have dreamt of back in 1990. the Head in allowing me to go on orchestral tours to maintain my own professional standards was Regrets? Only one. Having to leave before I was unique – a form of inset training as he put it. Staff ready to. and pupils were willing to give of their time to Barbara Harper has, for many years, been an have helped bring history to life for the students, inspirational History teacher and in her latter be it the trip to Toledo for the Upper Sixth, our years she led the History Department with programme of guest speakers or the range of a terrific mix of energy, drive, commitment, teaching methods we deploy in the classroom. dedication to her subject, to her colleagues, to Fiercely loyal to the department, she was always the school and, above all, to the students in her totally organised and always willing to give of care. her time to the students. Those who have been taught by her will remember her lessons forever When we appointed Barbara I spotted and many former students who have gone on immediately that she had an absolute passion to study History at higher level have done so Barbara Harper for history - the hallmark of all of the History because of her. teachers in the school in all the years I have been here. In Barbara we found an absolutely She will be much missed by us all and we wish wonderful teacher, friend and colleague. She her every happiness in her retirement. has led us into more and more activities that OLD LEICESTRIANS 3 Old Leicestrian Awards Gap Year Carl James We have recently established a new annual £250 award Sarah Wolloff (OL’13) will be the first recipient of the award. [OL Committee] to help one upper-sixth student to fund a planned Gap From 2014 we will be inviting applications for consideration Year initiative between school and university.