10 minute read
Alumni
Alumni Events
‘7’ Class Reunion
Over 200 Old Boys, Old Girls and former staff gathered at School in May for a trip down memory lane. For many it was the first time they had returned since leaving and there were some emotional reunions with former classmates. After catching up with old friends and enjoying a traditional school dinner there was an opportunity to take a tour round School to see what had changed - and what hadn’t!
Bristol Dinner
The Grand Hotel – Friday 30th September 2016
Pat Priestley (née Oxley, 1945-1953)
Margaret Southgate (née Close, 1960-1967)
Christine Watson (née West, 1958-1965)
Audrey Hollingsworth
‘A wonderful opportunity to catch up on Bolton School
news.’ Margaret Southgate
Alan Hardy (1946-1954) Yvonne Lowe (née Conroy, 1947-1955) Audrey Hollingsworth (née Ashworth, 1947-1954) David Lowe (1944-1954)
get-together.’ Yvonne and David Lowe
Oxford Dinner
Balliol College – Friday 18th November 2016
Alex Hopkinson (2002-2016)
Alex Hopkinson (2002-2016) Lucy Nolan (1996-20101) Duncan Leary
Lucy Nolan (1996-2010)
Vanessa Mitchell, Peter Reed Jane Reed (née Hall, Class of 1971) Andrew Mitchell (1962-1967)
‘So lovely to be here in such amazing company.’ Cambridge Dinner
Jesus College – Friday 3rd February 2017
Sarah Richards, Natasha Hall, Sohail Daniel, Than Dar (all Class of 2015)
Holly Holt (2007-2014), Emily Bodger (20072014), Izzy Sabini (1999-2013), Charlotte Wardle (Class of 2013)
Susan Gillard (née Brewis-Levie), Maxine Robbins (née Raffle), Sylvia Hutchinson, Jane Irving (all Class of 1985)
Inspirational Alumni
Old Girl Returns as Manchester High Sheriff
Lady Smith of Leigh (1953-1961), the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester, returned to School to deliver an engaging address to the girls during morning assembly. After recalling how she had sat in the very same hall as a pupil, she spoke about the history and duties of the High Sheriff’s office. She explained that the term ‘Sheriff’ was first coined in Saxon times and is the oldest continuous secular office under The Crown. There are several references in the Magna Carta about measures designed to cut the power of the High Sheriffs – Lady Smith said if she had been in office during King John’s time she would have had tax collecting duties and would have been very powerful! However, the role is now largely ceremonial and symbolic as a keeper of the Queen’s peace. One of her jobs is to entertain high court judges and she also has the pleasure of meeting royalty when they visit the area. Her role also involves supporting the emergency services, the police and the armed forces, and she particularly enjoys visiting people working in the voluntary sector. Lady Smith also visited Hesketh House where she talked to pupils about what her role as High Sheriff involves and recounted some fascinating anecdotes about her time as a Bolton School pupil before presenting the Junior Girls’ chess team with certificates and a trophy they had won the previous evening at a Bolton League match.
The High Sheriff of Greater Manchester with the Deputy Head Girls, L-R: Vasudha Marthi, Victoria Jolley, Alisha Maini, Rebecca Dixon, Sreya Coomer
Inspiration from WAGGGS Chair
Old Girl Nicola Grinstead returned to Bolton School to speak to Sixth Form students about her experiences and career. She currently has two jobs: she is the Deputy Chief Executive for Great Ormond St Hospital (GOSH) and also the Chair of the World Board for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). She spoke passionately about both of these roles, talking the Sixth Formers through a ‘typical day’ at GOSH and WAGGGS and also touching on the important work that both of these organisations do. She gave an overview of her ‘defining moments’ and closed her talk with some great lessons and advice inspired by her career so far. She ended with the message that the girls should not underestimate themselves and the contribution they can make.
Pupils face Grandmaster in simultaneous chess match
Old Boy and chess grandmaster Nigel Short returned to School to meet the new crop of chess enthusiasts and to inspire the next generation of players. Nigel left Bolton School in 1981 and at that time was already a chess prodigy, having tied for first place at the British Championship in 1979 and become the youngest International Master at the time in 1979/80. He was awarded the title of grandmaster at the age of 19, becoming the youngest in the world at the time. He remains one of the most successful players Britain has ever produced. His visit culminated in a simultaneous chess match against 23 Junior and Senior School pupils, ranging in age from 8 to 18. As the match got underway, the Arts Centre fell silent and there was an atmosphere of intense concentration. At the hour mark, all pupils were still playing. However, the first few began to fall shortly after and, by the time an hour and a half had passed, Nigel had halved his pool of opponents. However, as two hours went by, eleven boards remained active, including representatives from all four parts of the School.
Ultimately the grandmaster’s wealth of experience proved too much for the next generation, and after two and a half hours of chess, the last Bolton School player, Year 10 pupil Sharon Daniel, was defeated. Sharon, who is Captain of the School chess team and a member of the National Junior Chess Squad, and has previously been crowned the British under-11s and under-13s girls’ champion, said “I was honoured to be playing a grandmaster because it’s not every day that you get to play one of the best players in the world, and to be the last player standing showed that I am able to compete with players at a higher level.”
“Every chess player hopes to play a grandmaster at least once in their lifetime but this is the second time I’ve had the opportunity to play with Nigel Short. This is a wonderful experience that I will never forget. I would like to thank Bolton School for organising this event which will help to inspire the next generation of chess players.”
News of Young Old Girls
Helen Thaventhiran
(née Crawforth, 1994-2001) Helen is now a university lecturer in Literature from 1830 to the Present and is a fellow of Robinson College, Cambridge. She lives in Cambridge with her husband, James – an immunologist – and their two children: John, who is four years old and Francis, who is 18 months old. Alice Gregson (1992-2006)
Having hated cross country at School and being more of a swimmer than a runner, Alice is sure Mrs McCulloch and Miss Donaghy would be shocked to hear that she is going to be running the London Marathon on 23rd April for Children With Cancer UK, a charity which does amazing work funding research into childhood cancer, as well as supporting children with cancer and their families through welfare programmes and awareness schemes. Anyone wishing to sponsor Alice in this worth cause can visit her link: https://goo.gl/ESTCgi Laura Grace (2002-2007) Congratulations to Laura who has recently graduated from Lancaster University with a PhD in Medicine. She has now stepped out of academia and is working in medical communications as a medical writer.
Rachel Thomas (Class of 2007) Rachel recently got engaged to James Clarke (Boys’ Division, Class of 2005), the pair having first met whilst at School. Although being good friends whilst at School, they did not get together until five years ago when they found themselves both living in the Bolton area after completing university. Rachel and James are now in the midst of wedding planning – with Bolton School a possible venue for the big event! Holly Morton (2004-2009) After completing a BA in English Literature at University of Chester with a 2:1, Holly worked for a brief spell at Graduate Prospects, and is now studying for a Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Salford. She hopes afterwards to study for a PGCE. Rosie Brown (2000-2010) Rosie graduated from Cambridge in 2013, and chose to dedicate her degree to the late Dr Brown of Bolton School’s RS department. Having caught the musical theatre bug whilst playing Fantine in Bolton School’s production of Les Misérables in 2010, Rosie went on to study for a Masters at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. However, after that she decided that she hadn’t quite finished with theology, and so returned to Cambridge for an MPhil which she will be completing this year, and graduating with the further Cambridge MA. Rosie is moving to China to work for Disney Education Worldwide, before applying for PhDs in religious studies in the USA. Tia Louden (2002-2011) After graduating from Reading with a degree in Politics and International Relations, Tia went on to do a Masters in HR at the Henley Business School. She is now working as an incident coordinator for Microsoft. Hannah Furey (Class of 2012) Hannah graduated in December having achieved a First Class Honours degree in Microbiology in Relation to Medicine from Leeds University during her intercalation year. Elizabeth Garretty (2006-2012)
Lizzy studied at West Thames College, London (2014-2016) and achieved her qualification in Specialist Makeup (Theatre, TV, Film and Fashion). She graduated in June 2016 and is currently employed as a Wig and Makeup artist for The Lion King, Wicked and Matilda in London’s West End.
Forthcoming Events...
Save the Date
Friday 29th Sept 2017 Alumni Bristol Dinner, The Grand Hotel Friday 10th Nov 2017 Old Girls’ Lunch & Armistice Memorial, Arts Centre, Bolton School Friday 24th Nov 2017 Oxford Dinner, St Anne’s College
Further Ahead
Saturday 21st April 2018 ‘8’ Class Reunion, Bolton School Isobel Cotogni (2007-2014)
Isobel is in her final year at Durham University studying Classics and hopes to pursue a career in the media after graduation. During her first year at Durham, she joined The Tab, the largest student news provider in the UK, and began to write articles for their Durham website. She worked closely with the editors to develop her news reporting and became Deputy Editor at the start of her second year. Several of the articles which Isobel has written for The Tab have been picked up by national newspapers such as The Sunday Times, The Daily Mail, The Sun and the Independent. With this invaluable experience down on her CV, she gained a placement at BBC Breakfast last summer and shadowing at ITV Tyne Tees. Isobel began her final year in October as Editor of The Tab Durham and returned to ITV as a weekly intern. Her advice is that industry experience is vital for those wishing to enter a career in the media and joining a student news network at university is the most important first step in gaining further experience. Corin Greaves (2007-2014)
Corin is studying History at Bath Spa University where she has recently been awarded the Bill Martin History scholarship in support of her dissertation research on radical Civil War pamphlets. She will be going on to study for an MA in Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the John Rylands’ Institute at the University of Manchester in September.
Thank you to all of those Old Girls who have given so freely of their time, knowledge and expertise to help current pupils. If you would like to offer your assistance, please contact the Development Office.
