Cloisters Spring 2020 Issue 27

Spring SPRING 2020

Harriet is a London based artist practising mainly in the medium of oil paint and with a particular love and interest in painting people, commissioned portraits or otherwise.

Harriet first developed the desire to explore portraiture at Downe House and it has continued ever since, resulting in her spending three and a half years training at Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy, which specialises in portraiture from life. Here Harriet learnt the sight-

size method, a technique used by painters for centuries, from Titian and Velazquez to Reynolds and Singer Sargent. Her experience in Florence furthered her passion for painting from nature; under natural light; to the scale of life; from life.

Recently Harriet has expanded the way she works by combining the use of photographs too. In this way she hopes to achieve the delicate balance of blending the traditional with the modern in her paintings.”

Harriet was delighted to have her self-portrait “The Yellow Wallpaper” accepted into this year’s Royal Society of Portrait Painters Exhibition.

Sadly, because of the current situation and social distancing, the exhibition will not take place at the start of May as planned. However we believe they are trying to arrange another time for it to be displayed in the Mall Galleries, but for now they are showing the whole exhibition online.

The Yellow Wallpaper A self portrait

by Harriet Pattinson (DH 2009)

There are many wonderful artists and works of art to enjoy!

www.harrietpattinson.com 2

On the Cover Vivian Li (DH 2011) Vivian is a Senior House Officer (SHO) in acute medicine working on the frontline for the NHS in the fight against Covid19.

SPRING 2020

Please do enjoy the exhibition virtually by visiting www.mallgalleries.org.uk/ whats-on/exhibitions/ royal-society-portrait-paintersannual-exhibition-2020/ yellow-wallpaper

Spring

“This is a self-portrait with inspiration taken from Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper.

The story and painting explore the complicated nature of what it means to be a woman and the societal constraints that come with that.”

CONTENTS 6 DH LINKS

12 Focus on healthcare

A recent visit by Eleanor Measham (DH 2007) and Georgia Allison travels to Goldman Sachs in London

Elinor Harvey (DH 2003) shares her career path with us

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14 Focus on design

8 5 Year Reunion A celebration for the class of 2015 which took place in February at The Atlas in London

Clara Barthorp (DH 1989) shares her career path with us

17 Alumnae highlights Read about some of the extraordinary things our alumnae are doing

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22 Focus on medicine Sophie Bashall (DH 2014) qualifies as a Doctor and begins her path into medicine

26 News and achievements

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Read about the various achievements of our current pupils

10 Edinburgh Unimeet

28 A visit from a Downe House legend

Read about the recent brunch with alumnae at Rabble in Edinburgh on Saturday 14 March

We were delighted to welcome Miss Gosse back to Downe House earlier this term

Contributors Magazine team Editor-in-chief Mrs Michelle Scott Content Mrs Alexandra Barlow Mrs Alexandra Barlow

Miss Chloe Donaldson

Mrs Michelle Scott

Mrs Hazel Ormrod

Alumnae Relations Manager, DH LINKS Coordinator

AGS Assistant Housemistress, DH LINKS Coordinator

Assistant Headmistress (Foundation)

Senior Communications Officer

Designer Mr Craig Stevens

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DOWNE HOUSE MOVED ENTIRELY TO NLINE LEARNING After very careful consideration, it was with great regret that the Headmistress announced the decision to move entirely to online teaching and learning from Monday 23 March 2020. Girls began to leave from lunchtime on Thursday 19 March 2020, with the aim of all pupils having started their journeys home by 12 noon on Friday 20 March. This staggered finish supported parents in giving them time to make logistical plans.

Virtual teaching is of course very different and there has been a period of adjustment as everyone adapts and gets into a new rhythm, but the pupils’ focus and enthusiasm have been wonderful to see. Virtual breaks, House Meetings and clubs, as well as the all-important online lessons, have become much more a part of our lives and it is lovely to know that the girls are keeping touch in this format as well as outside the School framework. As a Microsoft Showcase School, we were incredibly well-prepared to move to digital teaching and learning and many staff successfully taught their lessons in this way during the final week of the Lent term and will continue to do so for as long as needed.

With the School campus currently closed for the foreseeable future, virtual teaching and learning is in full swing with all timetabled lessons taking place as usual. Online learning has been incredibly positive and we have been providing guidance to all girls to ensure that they continue to progress academically and also to enable them to have contact with their Tutor and Housemistress each week, as far as is practical in these extraordinary circumstances.

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Moving to remote teaching and learning for all girls and teachers is uncharted territory but thanks to the implementation of the Digital Strategy which has seen the whole community move towards digital learning over the past three years.

This means that all girls are expected to attend virtual lessons according to their normal timetable or watch the recorded lessons at an appropriate time depending on their time zone.

From Chemistry, Maths and History lessons to online fitness, Dance, Drama, Art and Food Technology, every department has found ways to engage girls from West Berkshire to Singapore and everywhere in between.

Director of IT, Mr David McClymont said, “It has been amazing to work with pupils and colleagues as we transition entirely to online. The whole community has supported each other and has made remote learning a truly positive experience for all. When we embarked on the digital strategy three years ago to implement online teaching and

learning, we never dreamed that the necessity would arise for remote learning on this scale. But the Microsoft Surface programme, which gives every teacher and pupil the same device and extensive training to enable teachers to make effective use of the Microsoft Education suite, has now enabled us to move entirely to online teaching and learning. I would like to thank all my colleagues who have embraced the technology and worked so hard to ensure that the School can continue to deliver a full timetable of lessons and tutorials in such extraordinary circumstances.�

We very much hope that we will be able to welcome all pupils back at a suitable time during the Summer term; we are keen for their return as soon as possible but of course we will be reviewing the situation over the coming weeks.

In the meantime, we wish for every member of the Downe House community and their families to stay safe and well.

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LI NK S DH LINKS

Connect I nnovate Onl ine

o vate Online DH LINKS ARCHITECTURE INSIGHT EVENT

Eleanor commenced her higher education at Cambridge University for her BA in Architecture followed by a year working in London and a year at Rice University in Texas before completing her Masters in Architecture at Yale University.

Here she took design studios led by internationally renowned architects such as Frank Gehry and Demetri Porphyrios. In parallel to her studies, Eleanor assisted with teaching undergraduate design studios and core architecture courses, helping to teach incoming graduate students

over summer courses. On graduation, Eleanor took a position working for one of her professors, Robert Stern, at RAMSA in New York where she worked on high end residential properties. This led to a position with Design firm GRADE in Soho, focussing on multi-family residential architecture and interiors.

In 2018 Eleanor returned to the UK to complete her professional licensure under the UK system, in addition to her US qualifications, and gain experience in institutional and commercial design going forward.

The three images are all exterior views of the Levine Building at Trinity College.

This includes the new student residential building and arts/conference centre for the College that Ellie Measham worked on the interior architecture for.

On Tuesday 4 February we were delighted to welcome Eleanor Measham (DH 2007) to Downe House to give a talk to our Sixth Form girls about her career path since leaving School. The talk took place in the Florence Room which forms part of the Murray Centre building. Eleanor joined us for supper in the Main Dining Room and three Sixth Form girls gave her a tour of the School before her talk began at 7.30pm.

Eleanor is an architectural designer working for ADAM Architecture in Winchester. She has recently designed the interiors for a new student residential building at Trinity College, Oxford, due for completion in September 2021. This will include an auditorium, seminar rooms, conference spaces and ensuite rooms for 46 students.

Currently, she is working on an artdeco style multi-family residential property at an ADAM designed development in Cornwall and private residences in Hampshire.

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“I don’t often reflect on the nature of my work, or the permanence of the designs we create, but when I do I feel privileged to be where I am.”

Ellie tells us about her role at Adam Architecture, “At ADAM Architecture I have been able to take my years of residential architecture and contemporary interior design experience and apply them to my work at Trinity College; from luxury apartments in New York city to hallowed Oxford University halls. The interiors of the Levine building at Trinity College are designed to appeal to a range of students. The rooms are spacious and refined with a contemporary yet classic aesthetic. We worked with natural stone floors and oak panelling to interpret traditional features in a modern way, creating a building that will hopefully appeal to all and endure the test of time.

The quality of finish feels fresh and accessible yet the use of oak and bronze trim throughout echoes the building’s historic context. Modern technology is discretely concealed yet ever present, so the building may function to the highest level whilst maintaining a cool elegance.

I don’t often reflect on the nature of my work, or the permanence of the designs we create, but when I do I feel privileged to be where I am.

It’s exhilarating to design and shape the environments we exist in and know that generations of students will sleep in the halls, be inspired in the auditorium and party in the community rooms I have helped to create. Designing spaces, be they houses, hotels or university halls is really quite humbling when you think about it!”

To find out more about Adam Architecture please visit their website https://adamarchitecture.com

GOLDMAN SACHS INSPIRE DAY Upper Sixth pupil, Georgia Allison tells us about her recent week-long internship at Goldman Sachs in London.

“In the February half term, I was lucky enough to be selected to attend the Goldman Sachs Inspire Day for Girls, after hearing about it from DH LINKS and deciding to apply. I arrived at their London offices with no idea of what to expect but soon found that I was joined by 150 like-minded young women who were keen to learn. In the morning we had a series of talks given by women from Goldman Sachs speaking about both the company itself and the industry as a whole.

We heard about their commitment to diversity throughout both their staff and the companies that they represent as well as the core values of the firm. We then had a breakdown and explanation of all of the different divisions of GS: from securities and traders to operations and legal; which was helpfully done through a case study of Shake Shack. The variety of jobs within this industry had never been explained to me so clearly and this gave me a much better idea of which sector I might want to go into in the future. Following this, they explained the fascinating work that GS is doing in corporate engagement,

from promoting small businesses and female start-ups, to charity grants and every employee volunteering for at least one day a year. It really did seem like they care about equality in their own company and across the world and are keen to make a difference.

After a networking lunch where I met lots of other girls as well as employees from Goldman Sachs, we had a workshop to create our personal brand, thinking about our skills and how we can really sell ourselves in an interview. This included writing an ‘elevator pitch’ and tips about CVs. However, the one key mantra that came up throughout the day was the importance of doing work experience and internships, not only does this help you to decide if you actually enjoy a job or the environment at a firm but it can really open doors for you and may guarantee you a graduate job in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed the day at GS, not only did it give me some brilliant advice and information but I also had a great time and met some wonderful people.”

Our sincere thanks go to Victoria Stack (DH 2010) for encouraging our girls to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity at Goldman Sachs. Victoria works in graduate recruitment at Goldmans Sachs and has been hugely supportive of the DH LINKS programme.

DH LINKS offers careers-based networking opportunities for current pupils and alumnae – if you can offer support with providing work shadowing or internships, hosting a networking event or giving a careers talk, please do get in touch.

Please contact the Foundation Office if you wish to discuss ways to support DH LINKS. 7

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5 YEAR REUNION Class of 2015

THE ATLAS FULHAM, LONDON THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 9

UNIMEET

Edinburgh

Illustration by ShustrikS on Shutterstock

On Saturday 14 March the DH LINKS team had the pleasure of travelling to the wonderful city of Edinburgh for the launch of our first ever Downe House UNIMEET event.

All alumnae currently studying at Edinburgh University were invited to join us at Rabble Taphouse and Grill for an informal afternoon of catching up over brunch and prosecco.

We were thrilled to welcome eighteen alumnae, from the class of 2003 through to some of our most recent leavers from the class of 2019. They spent the afternoon swapping stories from their time at Downe House and exploring their new commonalities as students of Edinburgh University.

The venue was decorated with photos from their school days, with some guests happier than others to see their Remove school photo

on display. The old uniform was brought from the School’s archives for the alumnae to try on and we even managed to reunite a lost skort with its original owner.

Lady Peto presented our guests with information about the grants available through the DHSA and Mrs Laura Ogilvie-Jones, a former teacher of Downe House who is now based in Edinburgh, attended the event to catch up with some of her former pupils in their now shared city.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to making our first UNIMEET event such a success.

After receiving such positive feedback from all involved we are already planning our next event for later in the year and will be looking to involve our alumnae studying in Exeter, Bath and Bristol as our next stop on the UNIMEET tour.

We were delighted to spend time with Olivia Leeper (Roberts DH 2000) chatting over a cup of tea in central Edinburgh on Friday 13 March. It is always a joy to meet and spend time with our alumnae.

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focus on

healthcare

ELINOR

HARVEY 2003

During your time at Downe House how did you come to pick your future career, what inspired you?

I think I have always been interested in other people. I always seemed to be the ‘agony aunt’ for various friends at Downe and I found it rewarding supporting others. My mother was a social worker and so I think I gained a lot of that interest in the needs and lives of others from her, and that interest in ‘looking under the hood’ and trying to see what’s actually going on in someone’s life. I can’t remember quite when I decided to apply for Psychology degrees but I think once I started looking at the course content, my mind was made up and nothing else quite compared! I wasn’t prepared however for the amount of maths and statistics in the Psychology – it’s a huge part of the course! So I was probably only looking at the modules that I was interested in – Social Psychology, Neuroscience, Child Development etc – and rather ignoring all the modules labelled ‘Essential and Further Statistics’!

Psychology continues to be one of the most popular degrees in the country, however there is often confusion about the careers available.

Can you describe your academic and professional career since leaving Downe House?

After leaving Downe I studied Psychology at the University of Exeter, which was the ideal choice for me – plenty of pubs, near the beach and a

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small friendly campus. I was also very lucky to be joined on my course by my good friend from Downe, Jessica Donald (DH 2003), so having an ally to share/yawn through the statistics lectures with was very helpful! During my degree, I took a particular interest in clinical and forensic psychology, and especially a wonderful module in my final year called ‘Family and Intimate Relationships’ which really sparked off my interest in couple work.

I wasn’t 100% sure which path I wanted to take in my career after graduating so looked for jobs which would provide me with plenty of hands on experience. My first job was working as an Assistant Psychologist in a Young Offenders Prison. I carried a caseload of up to thirty 15-18 year old young men, who had been convicted of a range of crimes, from theft to manslaughter. It was a huge learning curve but I still maintain one of the best jobs I have ever had. I felt it was important for me as someone who had experienced a supportive family background and a privileged education system to actually try to help and understand these young men whose stories were full of abuse, neglect, poverty and deprivation.

I went on to work in Alcohol Services in the NHS and then did further training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and worked with patients experiencing depression, panic attacks, anxiety, sleep difficulties and other common mental health difficulties. During this point (and after a fairly shortlived stint in headhunting where I realised I was not destined for the corporate world) I decided to do further training in relationship therapy.

I’m now a qualified Relationship Counsellor, and work for Relate and run my own private counselling practice in North Hampshire (www. hampshirerelationshipcounselling. com) I also work as a School Counsellor for a large secondary school in Newbury. I’m always eyeing up the next stage of my career though; I’m thinking of training either as a Psychosexual Therapist or a Counselling Psychologist in the future.

Describe an average day at work.

The best thing about being a counsellor is that there is no average day! Currently, 3 days a week I work as a School Counsellor, providing confidential counselling and mental health support to students aged 11-18 experiencing emotional and psychological difficulties. This can be anything from helping with exam anxiety, assessing a student for suicide or self harm risk, or supporting a student after the loss of a parent.

I work closely with the teachers, tutors and House staff to provide a ‘whole school approach’ where the student is supported throughout their school day, rather than just in the 50 minutes they see me. In the evening, I work with couples and individuals experiencing relationship, psychosexual or marital issues. The days can be long as sometimes I start in the school at 9am and dont finish with clients til 9pm, but it’s nearly always rewarding and I feel very lucky to be in this line of work.

Why did you choose your particular field of Psychology/Counselling?

I wanted to work in a field which allowed me to work very closely with clients and to develop an understanding of of their inner and external worlds. I believe that our personal and intimate relationships shape every part of our daily experience: from our success at work to our ability to be a good parent.

When we experience difficulties in our marriage or relationship, this can have a significant impact upon our family, social and professional lives.

Working with couples where there has been a crisis or dilemma can be hugely rewarding, because you see how a fairly small change to the way a couple interact can make this really big difference.

It was also important to me to be able to have a career which would work flexibly around my commitments as a parent too and to maintain that work/life balance while my children are growing up. I’ve found that most counsellors tend to work in several different places, including in the NHS, schools, lecturing and private practice, so it was attractive to have a varied weekly routine too.

What have been your proudest professional achievements?

I think qualifying as a Relationship Counsellor with Relate has felt like a huge achievement, because it has taken so long to get to this stage.

Relate are an amazing charity, who provide low cost counselling to couples and families across the UK, so qualifying with their programme

and meeting their high standards has felt like a real badge of honour.

I was also very proud to graduate with a First Class degree from university as I found some parts of the degree (mainly the statistics!) very hard indeed!!

What makes a good psychologist or counsellor?

There’s actually no such thing as a “Psychologist” as it actually covers a range of different roles: Forensic, Clinical, Counselling, Occupational, to name a few; so there is lots of variety in the roles and a range of reasons why different people are attracted to different paths. I think probably a prerequisite is having a genuine interest in people and the human mind. It’s about the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ we feel, think and behave.

Most days in my role, it doesn’t feel like work because I’m naturally so curious as to what makes people ‘tick’ and what’s going on behind closed doors for them. You can’t fake an interest in others, and without that natural curiosity then the role could feel very draining and dissatisfying.

Having said that, there are many Neuropsychologists and Research Psychologists who focus very much on the brain and scientific aspects of Psychology, without having to come into much contact with patients at all, so it really is a career path that can take you in a number of different directions, including into more commercial roles like Advertising, HR, Marketing and Sales roles.

In a role that requires you to support the needs of others, often experiencing distress, how do you balance that with your own well-being?

It’s very important to be aware of your own well-being, and noticing changes in yourself like increased moodiness, sleep difficulties, and physical aches and pains. Stress and burn out is a big issue amongst counsellors and psychologists, as we naturally absorb a lot of the distress that our clients bring us. I tend to make sure I have regular breaks in between seeing clients, and try not to see more than 4 or 5 clients a day, to allow me time to process their sessions fully. Regular supervision, with an experienced counsellor, is a key part of any role, and many psychologists or therapists are in their own personal therapy too, which can help when client issues stir up our own feelings or hit a nerve in some way.

What changes, if any, have you witnessed in attitudes towards mental health in the UK? I’ve noticed that people are much more comfortable talking about counselling or telling others that they have been seeing a therapist. There doesn’t seem to be a stigma around that any more which is huge progress.

I see counselling or psychotherapy being for our minds as going to the gym or eating healthily is for our bodies: it’s all about improving our well-being. There’s also a lot more awareness in young people about mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and panic attacks.

The young people in my school are really wonderful at looking out for each other’s mental health and supporting their friends if they are experiencing any difficulties. People aren’t being told to “just cheer up” or “pull themselves together” anymore, which is tremendous progress.

Social media often receives bad press for its effects on young people’s wellbeing, do you feel this is justified?

I think it’s a complicated issue and one that often gets polarised. It’s easy to think of social media as either ‘all good’ or ‘all bad’ whereas I think it’s more subtle than that. It can be very helpful for some young people, for

instance those with gender diversity difficulties or mental health conditions, to connect with others who are experiencing similar issues and to feel less isolated as a result. On the other hand, there is certainly a lot of bullying that is taking place via comments on Instagram for example, and we see that children are accessing hardcore pornography at a younger and younger age, which is certainly very concerning and can impact their future beliefs around sex and what relationships should be like.

All schools should be making education around social media and safe internet use a part of their curriculum, helping young people to see both sides of the issue and to begin to challenge the concept that everything on social media reflects real life. I take real issue with the promotion of ‘perfection’, in terms of looks, relationships, bodies, careers, homes, lifestyles etc. Yes, having aspiration can be positive, but many young people view social media posts by celebrities and believe that unless they can measure up to the ‘perfection’ being shown to them online, then they are not good enough.

It’s hugely damaging but I hope that there will be a wave of change in this direction and increased awareness of these misconceptions in the future.

To read more about Hampshire Relationship Counselling, please visit www.hampshirerelationshipcounselling.com which offers counselling to couples, individuals and adolescents across the Hampshire area.

focus on

design

CLARA

BARTHORP 1989

WILDLY LOVELY FLORAL DESIGN WEDDING & EVENT STYLING My journey has been very different and varied, since leaving Downe House at 17 at the end of the 1980s.

Being a mother to three older teenage daughters, I am a big advocate for believing it’s OK to course correct and not feel constrained and restricted to the oughts and shoulds that may be bestowed on you or that you put on yourself.

I actually became very ill in my last couple of years at Downe House and left before even taking A-levels.

As a result I didn’t go to university but embarked on a Montessori teaching qualification, in which I was then employed in the school where I did my teaching placement. Living on my own aged 19 and in London, I quickly realised I couldn’t make ends meet on such a limited salary given in the tiny Bee Hive Montessori School.

On the suggestion of a friend, I walked in off the Chelsea streets into the then leading London Prep School, Hill House, and asked to see the Headmaster. No telephone call first. Incredibly, The Colonel (as he was known) took me on a tour of the school and offered me a job teaching in the Small School just off the Kings Road (the building for the 5-7 year olds). One of the first people to say hello to me was my old Downe House lacrosse teacher, Miss Jeavons!

Before you pass judgement, these were the days, before Ofsted, when jobs were offered not so much on qualifications but character and ability to communicate.

I remained there for nine years, made some great friends, and taught

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many children for whom English was a second or even third language.

Through a lot of creative work, and phonetic learning, they all were reading, writing and participating fluently by the time they left my class. It was, however, using creative learning with the children that I enjoyed life the most and it ignited an old longing for art. During my evenings I took myself off on my bike, to Hatherly School of Art to draw and paint.

I loved my time at Downe, especially Art and Sport. One of the Art teachers, unfortunately, did not love me.

Demoralised, my love for the arts broke down and I never even took O-level Art, much to the surprise of the Head of the Art Department.

Another lesson, I have always tried to pass on is, if you have a clash with a member of staff (and this does happen, it’s life, it’s natural) seek to resolve it, as it can shape lives massively. In the teenage way, I pretended I hated Art and that I was rubbish at it; all in my way to justify why I had given it up.

The evenings I spent in the Art school was when I noticed time stopped and I felt in my groove and happy. I felt as though a pair of blinkers had come off and I could see colours in multi layers and textures again.

It was with a chance serendipitous meeting with a very dear, old Downe friend, Suzanna Ruthven (Murray DH 1989) who I hadn’t seen for eight years, that changed my course into the world of Chinese Antiques and Interior Design. I worked with her for a couple of years.

Shortly after my twin girls were born in London, life moved to Jersey.

The marriage fell apart within months of my youngest daughter being born and I found myself a single mother of three girls under four years old. To say life was challenging is a mighty understatement but to find an au pair and get out to work was essential.

Miraculously, I was telephoned quite out of the blue, on the same day by two interior design companies wanting me to go and work for them.

One was with another old friend. We worked out hours which I could work in between spinning the plates of parental responsibilities and Piers from Fresh Fruit Design taught me so much on the essentials of detail. 2mm out could affect things massively. I was back happy working with colours, textures and going to trade shows, hunting out unique

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

objects, lighting, furniture and putting schemes together.

The girls were growing, we had great work in, I was doing it. I was juggling single parenting and work, and felt empowered and happy.

Then every mother’s fear struck. An 18 month horror story and life infinitely worse than going through a divorce.

With all my hours and emotional strength being poured into what was going on, I had to leave my job and get through the nightmare.

I now had no income, three children to support and them needing me like they had never needed before.

I will never forget looking down at my Mum’s dog we had staying as she was away on holiday and the vicar’s dog we were caring for while he was on a sabbatical and saying to the girls over breakfast, half in wry jest and half in all seriousness, “We need to open a dog hotel, we’ll call it Pet and Breakfast.”

Flora, then aged about 7 or 8, eyes sparkled up from her cereal bowl said, “Mummy you’ll have to make it legal”. That afternoon I went and registered Pet and Breakfast as a business. In the total dark, I figured out how to buy a website, how to write a website, what insurance was required and literally within days I had bookings for the school holidays and our little cottage was soon awash with paws. I was an avid researcher and saw how things were done in London and realised there was nothing similar on the market here in Jersey for kind, in-house dog care. No kennels, just great walks and lots of love. The owners could log into a blog and see images of their beloveds. Happy dog, happy owner.

The dogs acted as therapy too for the girls and me.

My car was filled with heart beats and, not being able to afford child care, the girls had to get on with it as well. They walked the dogs with me on the cliffs and beaches regardless of weather. We were in it together and thats how it’s always been. Their play room became the dog dormitory and the business grew.

I had dog walkers walking for me, I had dog sitters running the same operation from home. I ran the business, gave them all work and I took a cut from all their bookings and covered all their insurances. I was solvent and breathing. Looking back I knew what fired me the most was the creative side of building something from new.

I will be forever grateful for the dogs.

Four years passed, time enough for the horror to be put to bed and for decompression to have added its balm. End of 2012 I grew restless, our

cottage felt trashed from the dogs and my creativity had been extinguished.

I thought and thought about what I could do now. The Interiors business had changed and didn’t need anyone, and I wasn’t about to set up on my own. I had to make a change.

I felt hugely underqualified and old.

I was 41 and was totally ill-equipped for any job being advertised and the children were still of an age when they needed me around.

They were only 9 and 11. I couldn’t just work from 8am-6pm in an office, doing goodness knows what, who would be there for them in the holidays? I had to work from home, that was clear.

I asked myself, what did I love, what can I do? The questions burned through me during long nights. I loved gardens, I loved colours, could I be a landscape designer, get a loan, do complete certified training and start again? But the endless Latin names I knew I would have to learn rather put me off.

I could train to be a life coach. I had been through the University of Life, and had vast pools of empathy and understanding. I looked back on my 40 years, there was little I hadn’t been witness to or exposed to first hand; eating disorders, addiction, alcoholism, divorces, bi polar disorder, court cases, it went on.

But exactly that. I had had enough of all that and although I know I could have helped many people navigate their ways out of those issues, I didn’t want my days filled with it, even if it was now other people’s trauma.

I needed vitality and colour.

It was Feb 2013. As Spring begun to poke her head out and colour began invading our lives again, I knew what it was that I wanted to do. Flowers.

In my London days of teaching, I would seek out top flower shops all over London, never spending a penny but spending hours watching the florists, marvelling on the scents and colours within these exquisite shops.

My childhood garden and its scented roses, coupled with my love for decorating a home, filled my thoughts.

I researched flower schools in London and ultimately found one in Bath, Tallulah Rose, whose free flowing natural style I loved. However none of the dates available worked with my commitments with the girls and the dogs already booked in. I only had one three week window in October without dog bookings or school holidays, and I called the school up and asked if I could do a private three week course. Career courses usually took four weeks, but I’d work hard

and learn fast and I begged her to take me on.

I arranged for the children to be looked after during the week by kind friends and family and I commuted for three weeks back and forth to Bath.

I arrived in Bath at the beginning of October really having no idea what flowers were what, except a rose. I had no idea what conditioning was, I had no idea what anything was, but what I did know was if I was to support and educate my girls literally on my own, I would do it doing something I loved even if it meant working until I was 70.

I had a great sense of trepidation, I had spent a lot of loaned money on this latest career change, and what if I was rubbish at it? I had already registered a business name, Wilde Thyme, (a name which sprung from my love of Shakespeare, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream).

I had a website, business cards and pretty tags I’d planned to put on arrangements when they go out.

I had even gone so far as getting beautiful high quality candles made up to go with my flowers and three fragrances, named after my girls; Flora, Cleo and Skye. I realised people smell and taste often through association.

If they say they don’t like vanilla but read fragrance ingredients with vanilla in, the likelihood is they won’t like that scent. With my fragrances, they can initially sniff, smell and make their opinion “blind”. I now have six fragrances: Delphi named after my dog, Grace my charity candle, and Mae. I had done all this, and even had an event lined up for the start of December, and hadn’t so much as cut one stem of flower!

I was about to embark on another life changing and illuminating journey. One which seven years later, I am still continually growing with, understanding and evolving.

I now have grown from a kitchen table based florist to one still working from home, but from a studio I built

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in my garden. The dog room has become my office and client meeting room. I have rebranded since the early days and I have worked out what works and what doesn’t. I don’t have a shop so can’t do everything.

Wilde Thyme now transforms spaces with wildly lovely floral designs, styling for and specialising in luxury weddings and events.

My design style is like my painting, free flowing, textural and organic in feel, always using seasonal flowers, herbs and my favourite: scented garden roses.

I have a fabulous team who come and help me out doing the physical work during event or wedding season.

Although based in Jersey, we have travelled to mainland UK to create loveliness for weddings and super special events there.

I have a main supplier in Holland who will deliver to me anywhere and I supplement their seasonal flowers with garden roses, grown Fair Trade in an area of Kenya my father used to farm in the 50s and 60s. I also use locally grown British flowers. We can work anywhere now. It’s a thrill to do so.

We have sustainability at the forefront of our ethos and do not use oasis or floral foam, as it’s a non biodegradable plastic, but use other mechanics however challenging the installation may be.

I have learnt how to use Instagram, please follow us on @mywildethymes for a regular dose of pretty in your feed, and am still figuring out Pinterest. Anyone great at this please do get in touch! Instagram being so visual works best for us as a marketing tool. No advertising but organic reach. A great website and learning how Google works has been very beneficial but mostly I get business from kindly word of mouth.

No two days are the same, no two jobs are the same and I make sure each are different so as to reflect each individual client and their characters.

Nothing is more exciting than a very small brief and letting imaginations and ideas flow.

January through to March are busy desk days. It’s the time when I have to translate my internal visions into proposals, and working out the event design by gathering all the client’s wish list, adding ideas and thoughts.

There are meetings here and in London and endless orders need sorting and I search for new interesting vessels, vases and props.

April through to October is wedding and event season. Those days, the weeks merge into one. Wednesdays the boxes arrive, filled with blooms needing hydrating and conditioning.

Thursday and Friday the team and I are on frantic making and setting up mode, all those hours spent designing has to be made up in haste.

Hot weather and flowers are not friends, and time and brides cannot wait. Saturday is for final deliveries and tweaking and Sunday a different team help me derig. Monday and Tuesday are spent clearing up and recleaning and getting prepped for the weekend’s wedding!

End of November to Christmas Eve is a nonstop marathon of super long days wreath making and decorating people’s houses. We also run ever popular workshops and classes and I love teaching people. Their sense of joy when they discover they can do something they thought they never could, is wonderful.

All this is sandwiched between time out running or walking on the cliffs and remembering to stop and breathe. It’s only by creating inner space that I can really look and see the colours nature gives all around me, for an endless source of inspiration.

Sometimes a whole scheme can be created from a tiny mash of colour noticed in an obscure place.

I know when the rush of excitement as the boxes arrive and I see the colours inside wanes, is when I will put down my snips and seek another direction to turn in. Until then, I paint using flowers.

www.wildethyme.com @mywildethymes

ALUMNAE

Highlights 1

2 ?

1 MARY BONSOR (DH 2005)

3

Mary has recently been named as one of the pioneers and innovators in Verdict Magazine, which is aimed at giving law students the inside track. Mary was featured in a special Pioneers edition of the magazine which included a range of legal pioneers and innovators who continue to break down barriers in law and business. In the magazine, Mary discusses the journey of her business F-LEX and what it means to be a female entrepreneur.

2 FLO DOWLER (DH 2014)

Flo has been holding aerobic workouts for her neighbours to support the NHS and to keep everyone fit, healthy and positive during the lockdown. Flo says “I wanted to do something for the community. As a personal trainer I know how important it is for your mental health to exercise regularly.”

4

3 ELLE MANNERS (DH 2012)

?

5

4 LULU O’CONNOR (DH 2004)

Tell us your story Do you have a new job, received a promotion or awarded a degree or professional award?

These are accomplishments we want to announce.

Email foundation@downehouse.net

Elle is a Junior Doctor at an NHS hospital in London who has recently started a blog to highlight the work that NHS staff are doing during the Coronavirus outbreak. You can follow Elle on Instagram @frontline_on_the_backfoot

Lulu who set up the Clothes Doctor in 2017, recently introduced a new initiative during #FashionRevolution week which saw her business producing a range of non-medical face masks. Using sterilised scraps of fabric from their workshop, Lulu’s team of experts have come together to find a great way to reduce waste and avoid fabric ending up in the landfill. Each mask has a pocket to place a filter and a unique appearance with beautfiul designs. These non-medical masks are for personal use only, to help stay safe and protect others.

5 ROSE LLOYD OWEN (DH 2001)

Rose and her food business Peardrop have had to adapt quickly to the incredibly difficult circumstances that the majority of small catering businesses have found themselves in. They have started a food delivery service in various areas of London and for every order they receive, they will donate a meal to someone working in the NHS. They are working with furloughedfoodieslondon.co.uk to deliver delicious and nutritious dinners to NHS frontline staff.

17

focus on

life beyond Downe

NADIA

GALITZINE 2009

Nadia Galitzine (DH 2009) shares her story with us.

Can you describe your professional journey since leaving Downe?

After leaving Downe in 2009 I bought a pancake van and Totally Crepe was born! None of this would have happened without the help of my father, who mainly drove the van (as the insurance was so expensive) as his cheffing skills were rather lacking.

We had some hilarious encounters, my most vivid memory I had was being offered a sawn off shotgun by three kids around 12 years old.

I wanted to experience working for a larger food business, so after graduating and selling Totally Crepe, I spent 6 months interning at Fortnum & Mason. I worked alongside the confectionery buyers, sampling chocolate most days… a tough life!

Totally Crepe was in some ways reborn when I had the chance to man a stand for Shrove Tuesday on Piccadilly’s pavement! I also had a brief stint in Australia working for a fancy bakery, where I became Head of Quality Control on night shifts…

I became obsessed with measuring bread and telling experienced bakers what was adequate, despite having no experience. I had to learn fast and

18

gain their respect to get the job done.

Also not a smart move spending my days and nights at over 40 degrees!

With my visa soon to expire I moved back to London. Keeping to my theme of working with food beginning with ‘P’ – I went from pancakes to pain au chocolats and onto popcorn! I worked for Joe & Seph’s, a family run premium popcorn company, for nearly 4 years. My days were spent negotiating pricing with suppliers to designing Batman branded packaging for Warner Brothers World in Abu Dhabi.

It was an extremely varied job and my friends slowly took advantage of the fact that I never went anywhere without some popcorn. I realised I wanted to work for a company with more purpose and social impact, and it was whilst volunteering at an incredible charity, Refettorio Felix, I was introduced to Karma and I found my new calling – food waste!

Can you tell us about Karma?

Launched in Sweden in 2016, Karma is an app dedicated to battling one of the world’s largest climate issues: food waste. The app helps people rescue unsold food from local cafes, restaurants and grocery shops before it’s thrown away and ends up in the landfill. More recently we have

opened offices in London and Paris in 2019. We work with companies such as Itsu, Leon & Benugo along with thousands of independents and we have over 1.2 million users across the 3 markets!

Describe a typical day for you.

At Karma my role is within the New Business Team. Essentially I sign up new companies and manage their accounts. Most people embrace my calls as Karma helps businesses to make money from food they would throw away! They upload items to the app at half price and customers click and collect on their way home!

During this unprecedented time with the current lockdown for COVID-19 we’ve had to think on our feet and adapt fast to help the industry as much as we can. I’m now part of a new arm to the business – a subscription box service. My new role is finding suppliers to fill these boxes and creating a supply chain to get orders to the customers.

This change in our model has all been set up in the last 5 days, which would take most businesses months, so it has been incredible to witness everyone’s energetic teamwork.

What skills does someone require to work in your industry?

I’d say you need to be resilient, personable, adaptable and creative.

Every day I talk to a whole range of people from store managers to CEOs, so you have to be flexible in your approach and win people over. I am also faced with a lot of rejection so

you can’t let that get you down and just carry on! Being a start-up things change all the time, so one day you might find yourself doing something completely new and you just have to pick it up quickly and get the job done!

With so many apps constantly coming into existence, how does Karma stay relevant and stand out from its competitors?

This current time has been our most innovative at Karma. Due to COVID-19 most of our partners had to shutdown overnight and we needed to find a way to support the ones still open along with safeguarding our customers.

Customers can now get their food delivered, add a tip to support their local business and soon they’ll be able to purchase a subscription box.

Another exciting part of the business is the Karma fridges. These are found in supermarkets or public places.

Customers can buy surplus food through the app and collect it by unlocking the fridge via bluetooth.

I saw this in action during my trip to Sweden (see pic) and we now have 3 in London, with more to follow! We’ve also painted London pink with Karma Buses.

Above all, the culture at Karma sets us apart from other businesses. We are a tight knit team of over 50 and the founders have done an amazing job of ensuring all our voices are heard and we feel valued as a team. We have monthly team socials to strengthen our relationships, our most recent event was painting pottery!!

Why is food waste such an important area to tackle to improve our effect on the environment?

If food waste were a country it would be the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China & the USA. Government policies take time to change so using an app like Karma can allow people to make a difference. Globally we waste 1/3 of all food produced which is a shocking statistic. In industrialised countries more than 40% of losses happen at a retail and consumer level so Karma is working to reduce wastage from this part of the supply chain.

What three changes can people make to their daily life if they hope to reduce their impact on the environment?

Use your freezer for everything and you’ll throw a lot less away! Bread is the most wasted food item and it’s very easy to toast straight from the freezer rather than throwing it away.

Best before dates are just an indicator to the quality of the food, they are different to use by dates!

So if it looks, smells and tastes fine it probably is!

Finally, one non-food related tip that Karma taught me recently via their Instagram stories. Clear out your old emails – these are stored in data centres and consume energy. If you delete 30 emails, you can save the equivalent of a low energy light bulb left on for a day!

What have been your greatest accomplishments in your career?

I would have to say running Totally Crepe has been my greatest achievement. It was fascinating to learn all aspects of running a business and I’ve learnt some valuable lessons for when I do it again. It was also fab to have been invited back to a couple of Founder’s Days at Downe. The Nutella was an instant hit as I seem to remember it is a banned ingredient at school!

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into the Food Industry?

Talk to as many people as you can, never be scared to email someone you look up to and ask for a coffee – people love being flattered and asked for advice. If you see a company that you want to be a part of, reach out.

To get my job at Joe & Seph’s I created a video CV. I edited various clips to music demonstrating my experience and spelt out my key skills in popcorn. My alternative approach secured me an internship as I wasn’t right for the role I had applied for, but they wanted to employ me and I was there for nearly 4 years. You just have to find companies that appeal to you and you want to be a part of their mission and growth. I wouldn’t necessarily get too hung up on the role. Just apply and if they see your potential, a role might be adapted to suit you, like what happened to me!

Where do you hope to be professionally in 5 years’ time?

In 5 years’ time I hope to be running my own business again, but unlike last time I want social impact at its core. As we’re currently in lockdown I’m putting aside time each day to develop some ideas. I have a feeling my next venture will still be food related…

Find out more about Karma by visiting https://karma.life 19

focus on

global opportunities

ALICE

FANE 2010

AN INTREPID HORTICULTURAL ADVENTURER Alice and her partner Charlie, a landscape architect, took a year out in 2019 to work as gardeners at the Tokachi Millennium Forest in Japan.

Alice shares her experience with us.

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I doubt I will ever be offered a job again to work “from snow to snow”.

But this was how Midori Shintani, Head Gardener at the Tokachi Millennium Forest in north Japan, outlined an eight month gardening placement to me and my partner, Charlie.

It was a leap of faith, to uproot our lives and move from busy London to the depths of Hokkaido, Japan’s most northern island. Whilst Charlie was already a landscape designer working for Tom Stuart-Smith, I worked as a strategist for a creative agency and this would be a huge change for me.

I wanted to improve my knowledge of plants and knew hands-on experience would be the most effective way of doing so, and we could not have found a better place to do so than the Tokachi Millennium Forest.

The forest is a public garden, set up by a Japanese entrepreneur who wanted to off-set his carbon footprint. The surrounding landscape is dramatic, nestled in the foothills

of the Hidaka mountain ranges it looks out onto a flat plain towards the Daisetsuzan National Park.

In winter temperatures can reach minus twenty degrees celsius, and in summer bears and wild deer have been known to venture beyond their mountain homes. When we first arrived there was still so much snow on the ground we could hardly orientate ourselves from our old farm house on the edge of the forest, to the main public entrance. But quickly the snow melted and the dormant seed bank, hidden below the leaf litter, started evolving.

The forest has much to offer visitors, but its most famous area is the ‘Meadow Garden’ designed by English designer Dan Pearson. It takes a naturalistic style meaning, rather than a strict planting plan, the space is divided into mixes. Each mix is made of a different combination of plants, with varying degrees of competition. Plants are allowed to move within each mix,

and our role was to keep the balance, making sure no one species became too competitive. With perennials taller than people enveloping the paths and bright swathes of colour leading you on, The Meadow Garden is a space of heightened aestheticism. In one small space you have the feeling as if you have walked from a Japanese woodland to an American prairie.

Leading to the Meadow Garden is the Forest Garden, a remarkable place where the dominant sasa bamboo is cut back and the native Japanese flowers are able to flourish. A space of pure green with a meandering river, it really brought home to us the value of ‘shin-rin yoku’(森林浴).

A phrase for forest bathing, or taking time to walk in woodlands, which has found popularity outside of Japan.

We were lucky enough to plant ​ Veratrum Maacki b ​ ack into the forest, which Midori had collected from seed and had the patience to grow in the greenhouse for eight years.

If you would like to see more images of the Tokachi Millennium Forest then please visit http://danpearsonstudio.com/tokachi-millenniu

21

focus on

medicine

SOPHIE

BASHALL 2014

‘The trust patients give you is extremely humbling. It’s not about you, it’s not about money, it’s just about helping people through a really difficult time of their life.’

Huge congratulations on your recent graduation from medical school, what an achievement! For those just starting their journey as a medical student do you have any advice on getting through medical school?

Thank you! I’ve spent almost the same amount of time getting my Medical degree as I did at Downe House, which is a crazy thought.

I think getting through medical school successfully means different things to everyone. Some people get huge gratification from getting really stuck into societies and sports teams and that can be so valuable especially around exams because you have this group of people, all sharing resources with each other, including from years above.

If getting through it successfully means getting the highest Educational Performance points (the points system used by all medical schools for academic attainment) then there are lots of specific tips and tricks I would love to share with those at the beginning of the process, as I myself learnt some of them too late!

For me, getting through medical school successfully was about maintaining all other aspects of my life. I didn’t want to let my degree consume me and so I kept up a job (or three) alongside my studies and always made time for seeing my Downe friends and relaxing.

So my advice would be to think about the things you want in your life and how much of your time and energy you want to give to them and go from there. Medicine will take up a big chunk, but it doesn’t have to be everything and if you have other passions then keep them up! Other people might question you for not being in the library until midnight but ignore that! Everyone is different – keeping yourself happy is the most important thing.

Why did you want to be a doctor?

What do you want to achieve in medicine?

I have always loved science and been naturally able to do it. I chose medicine because it seemed the obvious option at the time. The reasons that I want to be a doctor now though are totally different. It’s such an extraordinary experience it’s really hard to describe. You go into work and there’s no competition.

Everyone works together and your common aim is to make other people well. The trust patients give you is extremely humbling. It’s not about you, it’s not about money, it’s just about helping people through a really difficult time of their life.

It will always sound cliched I think so maybe I should just say – trust me, it’s incredible.

I have quite a specific goal that I have formed in the last year or two which is centred around mental health and women’s health and I’m just starting to work on it at the moment – I’m excited…

and seriousness of it all. However, this change turned out not to be as severe as I thought. You do need to start to take things more seriously but you can still be yourself. In fact bringing your personality to the work is really important. Patients don’t like robot doctors. It’s good to iron your shirt though.

For our current students considering a degree or career in medicine, what advice do you wish someone had given you during your time at Downe House?

Getting into medical school is the hardest part and beyond that it’s literally just like school. Everyone freaked me out saying how much work it was going to be but really it was the same if not a bit less than school. So don’t be scared of that.

‘Don’t let your Mum force you into it’ holds true. Don’t do medicine for the reputation is what I think that really means and I agree with that.

I think it’s important to be excited by it and love it a little bit and make sure those feelings really come from you.

If you think that is you then go for it!

In many ways you’re lucky if you want to pursue this career because you know what your passion is and you have job security for the rest of your life! Lots of friends have expressed to me how they wish they had those things.

Do you feel the rise of popularity with social media “health influencers” is having a positive or negative effect on young people’s health?

I think following responsible health influencers is great. Many accounts have helped me find new healthy recipes and fun exercises which is so useful when I’ve been too busy/ lazy to think of them myself. I think you have to be honest with yourself about why you’re looking at certain content and the effect it is having on you. However, it’s unfair for the responsibility to be put on young people to spot which influencers are ‘good’ and ‘bad’. In general I find myself asking ‘is this a realistic person or an idealised alien’? And if the answer is ‘alien’ then I don’t follow them. I would also say occasionally looking at lots of different accounts for food/fitness inspiration is better than trying to emulate one person’s account/lifestyle as that can easily lead to comparisons. (I’m going to plug my DH best friend here and tell you all to follow @go.with.the.flo__)

What have you found to be some of the most rewarding aspects of the job and what have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced?

For my first patient case study I followed an elderly gentleman’s hospital admission from A and E, through surgery to discharge over the course of a week. Lots of our conversations were about his illness but we also talked about sailing and his family. When he left he wrote me a card saying thank you for helping me through the hardest week of my life and I couldn’t believe I had had that effect on someone – it made me very emotional. The privilege of getting to know patients and that sense of reward when you know you’ve had a positive impact is incredible.

The biggest challenge for me came around fourth year when I was transitioning between student and doctor in terms of my mindset.

You have to suddenly accept that you need to become a member of society that is held to the highest regard and that a lot is expected of you professionally. In many ways I still thought of myself as an 18 year old and I felt afraid of the responsibility

What are some of the biggest challenges facing the NHS and how can people support in tackling these?

Covid is obviously a huge problem right now. My friends and I (like many others) filled out the form this morning to apply to begin our foundation training early so we can start helping with coronavirus. Prior to coronavirus I felt that one of the biggest challenges the NHS faced was the faith that people have in it.

It’s important to be realistic about what the NHS can cope with because acting like everything is fine is unsafe.

But I think this epidemic is going to show the public and the government how strong the NHS is and how much we need it. I can only hope that this might lead to more funding in the future. So keep talking about how important the NHS is and keep supporting the workers however you feel able. Food is always appreciated!

Opposite: Sophie pictured in 2014 at the Leavers’ Day celebrations.

23

focus on

well-being

LYDIA

FARQUHAR 2015

How I shed

light on my

anxiety

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Lydia Farquhar (DH 2015) explains how she has brightened her days and raises money for Mind by starting her own candle-making business.

‘A Little Light’ candles was started from my parents’ kitchen in 2019, whilst I took some time off from work as a result of my own struggles with mental health. During this time, I realised I had to do something to remove the strong stigma attached to poor mental health, and emphasise the message to young people that it is not a weakness, nor a failure to be not okay.

Whilst suffering at home, it became known to me that I wasn’t alone in the feelings I was experiencing, and many people, including friends of mine, had struggled. Although this filled me with reassurance that I wasn’t ‘different’ to others, and that the feelings I had as a constant battle in my head was normal, it seemed crazy to me that if so many people, of all ages were faced with challenging thoughts every day, why was there not more being done about it and why was the stigma around mental health so strong, forcing people to feel they can’t talk openly about it?

I began making candles as a project to keep myself busy, and to provide me with a sense of self worth and purpose. Hours, days and weeks were spent brainstorming, researching, mixing fragrances, designing logos and trialling candles.

Through this I saw the perfect opportunity to turn a hobby into something that could have a positive impact on others and ‘A Little Light’ was born. I had one goal in mind: to provide high quality, sophisticated and environmentally friendly candles at an affordable price, whilst raising awareness for a very personal cause that affects many others all around the world. All the candles are made from 100% soy wax and for every sale made, 10% of all profits will

be donated to ‘Mind’ to help them continue with the outstanding work they do.

Anxiety has always been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, no matter how big or small the ‘worry’ seemed to be. For a long time, this left me with a lack of selfesteem, an insecurity with any form of friendship/relationship, a feeling of dread in most given social situations, minimal capability to cope with any negative situation that presented itself, and matching everyday life with a constant negative ‘what if’. It would eat away at me, resulting in recurring tension headaches and panic attacks. I was convinced that the physical symptoms I felt must have been something serious. It’s only looking back now that I realise it was triggered by my anxiety. It took me years to seek help, as in the back of my mind I thought my worries were unusual, and that they would go away by themselves. I didn’t want to burden anyone with my problems, and I strongly felt no one could even begin to help me.

Over a long period of time, the feelings I was experiencing caused the way I behaved on a daily basis to change for the worse. I had no confidence and no trust, which had a domino effect on the majority of aspects in my life. I would drink too much in social situations, which ended in wreckless behaviour, followed by blackouts. All this culminated in pushing away all the things I cared about, and my friendships and relationships broke down. I wasn’t able to look after myself properly, which meant I was often getting sick and taking a lot of days off work as a result. My moods were unpredictable, I was either on a complete ‘high’ or a

complete ‘low’. I felt like my anxiety had won and I’d had enough of feeling unwell, exhausted and unhappy.

In February 2019, I became unwell.

I felt completely unable to leave the house at times, not wanting people to see me and I had no motivation to do anything. Self-harm became my way of expressing my feelings of frustration, anger, confusion, sadness, loneliness and self hatred. It was at this point that I knew I had to open up and talk. Whilst not being able to make much sense of my thoughts, I knew that I was causing more harm to my body, and enough was enough.

Being open about my feelings was the first step, and the biggest step of all in my road to recovery. The minute I did this, I was immediately overwhelmed with a sense of relief, and comfort in that I no longer felt I was battling this alone. It is especially hard for anyone who hasn’t experienced these feelings first hand to fully understand the extent of the struggles that people with mental health problems face. People with a mental illness don’t necessarily look like they are unwell, and therefore people hold misconceptions about you, such as ‘we all have an off day sometimes, you’ll be alright’. However, I was fortunate enough to receive unconditional love, support and understanding from my family, friends and in particular, someone who had experienced exactly how I was feeling in previous years and acted as a real tower of strength to me; for him I will be forever grateful too.

I decided to go to therapy for four hours a week, and it was the

best decision I made. Although the feelings of dread flooded inside me before the first few sessions, my therapist helped me recognise my thought patterns that were keeping me trapped in the ongoing negative cycle that created all my ‘anxiety’ symptoms. Together, we worked through unpicking all the tiny details and I began to believe I was capable of choosing how I felt and how to respond to things. Despite finding the sessions demanding, both emotionally and physically, they provided me with the tools to cope with everyday life.

This year has been a total rollercoaster of emotions for me, and for the people I have been surrounded by. I remember celebrating New Year’s Eve last year with my best friend and thinking ‘2019 is going to be a good year, my year’. Despite being an incredibly tough year, it seems strange to say that this has been partly true. I feel so proud of everything I have achieved, mainly through opening up and sharing with others how I felt; something so simple for us all. Without this journey, I wouldn’t have felt able to move on with my life in the way that I feel I can now, and my

business ‘A Little Light’ wouldn’t have been created. I still have ‘off’ days and I still have days where I feel anxious about certain situations. However, I am more aware of what I need during these days, and feel fearless about being able to speak openly and seek that extra bit of support.

Everyone will go on their own journey at some point in their lives, and each mental health one is unique, but I hope that through ‘A Little Light’ and sharing this story, we can all feel encouraged to speak out. Please do not feel ashamed to share your experiences, and be assured that it is through your strength of talking that we can all work together to beat this.

Put yourself at the top of your to-do list every single day and the rest will fall into place.

NEWSAND ACHIEVEMENTS ALEXANDRA HAMILTON Huge congratulations to Alexandra Hamilton (LVI) who is the first musician at Downe House to gain Grade 8 on the Tuba and not only that, but to gain a Merit as well.

Alexandra has recently been appointed as the new Leader of the Orchestra and the Music Department are looking forward to her musical leadership skills flourishing.

HOLCOMBE SINGERS WITH ETON It was such a treat to listen to the Holcombe Singers in concert with the Eton Incognitos in the Chapel on the 12 March.

The girls have been dedicated to their rehearsals in House over the year, to ensure they produced a polished selection of pieces.

Having the performance held in the chapel was beautiful, an intimate space with a positive yet peaceful atmosphere.

You would not have believed that they only had half an hour of rehearsal with the boys in total! It was wonderful to see the Eton Incognitos alongside the Holcombe Singers, a rare sound in Downe House indeed, but one which I will never forget.

Miss Rosalie McCann Holcombe Assistant Housemistress

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EMMA POWELL We were delighted to welcome Emma Powell (DH 2010) back to Downe House during the Lent Term for a whistle stop visit. Emma was incredibly busy acting a multitude of characters in ‘One Million Tiny Plays about Britain’ at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, but was somehow able to lend her time and expertise to our girls. Amongst other things, Emma spent time with our Upper Sixth Drama students, giving them valuable feedback on their exam piece.

DOWNE HOUSE SCHOOL ECO COMMITTEE The Downe House Eco Committee, or the DECO’S as they are fondly referred to, recently participated in the first BSI Horizon Scanning Day which took place at the British Standards Group global headquarters in London. The BSI has a presence on every continent, with 87 offices in 31 countries across the world. Their clients range from globally recognized brands to small, local businesses.

During the Horizon Scanning Day our girls were able to present their ideas on the many exciting initiatives that Downe House hope to roll out in the coming months. Girls were also able to listen and contribute on topics including: tax incentives for textile companies recycling, carbon labelling on food and community gardening.

To read the full stories and further news from the School www.downehouse.net/news-and-media/news-room/

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legend A VISIT FROM A DOWNE HOUSE

28

d

I

t was a great pleasure to welcome Miss Jennifer Gosse to Downe House in mid March 2020.

Risa Cooper, a Literary Senior, and I sat in the Murray Centre with her and she was delighted to see what a welcoming and democratic place the new centre for learning is, with girls from all year groups, teachers and other members of the school community using it for so many different purposes. We walked past Mrs Henson taking a small Mathematics tutorial and she gave a little shudder, “Eek, Mathematics”.

Always tricky to know how to address in this situation, so naturally we both used Miss Gosse: ‘Let’s make it easier’ she said, ‘I am Jennifer, you are Jane, you are Risa.’ She had written out a poem for Risa, and read it out to her, as a bit of an ice-breaker.

A perfect start.

Jennifer was a pupil here from 1943 to 1950 and remembers a lot of military activity going on the common ground close by the school, with gliders flying over, troops on manoeuvres and trains chugging across the valley to the west of the school. During WWII the train line, from Didcot to Southampton which stopped in Hermitage, was a crucial transport link for troops and armaments.

Her boarding house was what we now call Old Hill House and in her time, it was called Ancren Gate. She remembers going back to the House at the end of one day and being sent away as the Canadian soldiers, training in the woods close to the school, were allowed to use the bathrooms from time to time.

She remembers being fed well, “we were fed like fig” as there was a huge vegetable patch and a lovely big hen house. That was all run by Mary Young with the help of other members of staff and the girls, and there is still a small structure visible down the slope as one goes from the Farr Centre towards the Lower School Boarding area. Sometimes pupils were given a detention task of working in the garden, a rather pleasurable task so she said it was more of a treat rather than a punishment!

Each person had a ration book, so the girls could walk to the local shop, called Foxgroves, where they could buy their sweet ration. There was a bakery down in Cold Ash also which supplied the school with heavenly buns.

The big room that is often called the Fishbowl, in the central part of the school, was the surgery when Jennifer was a pupil here;

she remembers having to line up endlessly to have one’s temperature taken by Sister Kite. They all wondered why, but never asked!

Miss Willis, the Headmistress, had her rooms in what is now Aisholt – her suite was made of the rooms that are now called The Basement, The Conservatory and The Lounge, so she had a commanding view of the Cloisters, the Chapel and beyond.

The views were much wider in those days because there was less tall tree cover and Jennifer remembers the joy of being able to use the garden room which is now part of the top floor of the History block. That was a place for the Seniors to use – she says “all Old Villains became Seniors” … very clever of Miss Willis to guide them towards responsibility that way.

There was always a lot to do on weekends and the grounds of the school were open to all to wander in and enjoy, they had their favourite trees with sturdy low branches on which to sit. Girls could also join up in threes and take their bicycles out, they often went great distances but were never allowed to go south of the Bath Road, what is now the A4. They could ask for supplies from the kitchen to keep them going for the day. One of their favourite destinations was the workshop of the renowned Mr Lailey, the bowl man. Mr Lailey worked in a simple workshop on Bucklebury Common and made bowls on a pole lathe – a skill passed down to him through his family. The girls loved watching him work, wood shavings littered the floor and they would endlessly ask him to make bowls for them to buy for their parents and grandparents, he would inevitably decline and then on their next visit they would find their orders ready and waiting. Each table in the school dining room had one of his bowls, for fruit and we still use his bowls for the collection in Chapel.

Each Saturday evening, one year group would be asked to put on a play; it was sometimes a skit, sometimes an adaptation of a well known play, sometimes a cut down Shakespeare. When the weather was fair, these plays would be in the Greek Theatre. The Greek Theatre was used a great deal, and whole school productions were rehearsed for a considerable time and put on with splendid costumes and sometimes quite elaborate sets.

Miss Nickel would build bits of the set and Miss Hatton would put together costumes with great ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Jennifer remembers during one

It was an absolute pleasure to meet Miss Gosse, who was so kind, interesting and intelligent. I learned so much about the history of Downe House, and I was delighted to discover that the Downe House spirit of close community, intellectual curiosity and kindness, and generosity to everyone has not changed after many decades.

As I retold what I had learned at the dinner table, my friends and I were inspired by how bohemian Downe House used to be, with lots of Shakesperean plays on the Greek steps, long cycles through the countryside and sleeping in the cloisters under the stars at night.

We’ve been inspired to recreate what Downe House must have been like with a long walk to Donnington Castle and a lazy summer picnic with lemonade, sandwiches and of course a Victoria Sponge!

Risa Cooper Upper Sixth

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performance, The Tempest, some local young boys had crept in with thunder sheets and disrupted the play, much to the girls’ amusement.

Even during Jennifer’s time as a pupil, the school day was divided into forties and one forty a week was set aside for mending. Your form mistress would read aloud to you as you mended your poor beaten old djibbahs – “all that reading aloud … marvellous”. Miss Willis would also read to the girls often in the evening and on weekends, anything from classical stories to Archie and Mehitabel – they loved it!

As we looked to the north west out of the big library windows, Jennifer told us of the Giant Stride, or Gianty’ that was set up down near the Social Sciences area. It was a gymnastic apparatus that looked rather like a maypole but you actually held on metal bars that were attached to chains, ran around and then lifted off the ground. All rather hazardous, and there were endless falls and grazed knees and then visits to the San for a bandage. She also pointed out where

Miss Willis kennelled her dogs, she had a family of Samoyeds – all rather disobedient though rather fluffy and lovely to look at.

Risa asked about her preparation for Oxbridge; Jennifer went on with six others to Cambridge, she read English at Newnham, and four others from her form went up to Oxford.

Jennifer and others preparing to read English were helped by a Junior English teacher from Sommerville, Miss Willis’ old college. Jennifer said she was asked in her interview at Newnham what her interests were, so she said she liked nature, looking and learning about plants and animals, walking in the countryside, and then was stopped and sharply asked “but do you like reading?” She thought that was rather an odd question (it is isn’t it, for one applying to read English?) and quickly responded that “reading was like breathing”.

So after Cambridge, Jennifer went into the teaching profession and before too long returned to Downe House as an English teacher. She loved teaching here and retired

in 1991, having led the English Department in her last years at the school. Many past pupils remember Miss Gosse with great affection and many say that their love of words and poetry came from her lessons and from their Literary Society meetings.

We asked what she enjoyed most about teaching and her answer was simple, “all of it”. She always wanted to hear a lot from the pupils in the lessons, the last thing she ever wanted to do was walk into a classroom and talk nonstop. We then asked what her favourite book was, well that is difficult she said, as it is always the one I am reading.

Jennifer, Miss Gosse, lives locally with a charming four-legged companion called Ivy. Their house is surrounded by birds, flowers and trees, and backs on to the common; from her windows there are woodlands, full of life, as far as the eye can see.

Mrs Jane Caiger-Smith School Archivist

Remembering Gillian de Zulueta (Owtram DH 1943)

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illian Owtram joined Downe House in the Summer Term of 1940 and left in 1944, having won an exhibition to Newnham College to read English.

She met her husband to be, Julián de Zulueta y Cebrián, in Cambridge; it is said that he requested permission from the Principal of the college to serenade Gillian, a beautiful elegant young woman with hazel eyes and a love of literature.

They married in Cambridge and she stayed to complete her degree before joining him in Colombia where they made their first home, in Villavicencio. He was an epidemiologist and became an expert on tropical diseases, in particular malaria. When he joined the WHO, the family moved to Borneo first and then onto other places including East Africa, the Middle East and Switzerland. Finding themselves

in remote places seemed to hold no fear for the couple and their young children.

He has been described as dashing, bold and colourful and it is clear that she had a tranquil nature which balanced his, but that she also had great strength of character, great compassion, sensitivity and resourcefulness. She trained to teach English and she translated her brother-in-law Luis’s book, Velázquez: it is truth, not painting. She was fluent in Spanish and learnt Malay, basic Swahili when they lived in Uganda, and French.

She maintained contact with the school and the ‘News of Old Seniors’ which appeared in each school magazine. News from Gillian told of her marriage, the birth of their children and their various postings all over the world; one of her messages back to Downe House included the

footnote ‘Gillian would love to see any Old Seniors ever in her part of the world’.

Gillian’s Obituary in The Times, describes her hallmark as ‘quiet fortitude’ and tells of her sending brigands on their way when they surrounded their Colombian home while her husband was away on a field trip and she was pregnant with their second child. It also tells of her love of literature that has been passed on down to their grandchildren.

Gillian and her husband retired to Ronda in Spain, the country of his birth. He died in 2015 and she returned to England. She died in West Sussex in September 2018 aged 91.

Mrs Jane Caiger-Smith School Archivist

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DHSA NEWS GRANTS Two new grants were awarded in February. Recipients are: Fiona Macbeth (DH 1981) – Course in Digital Business Skills for Women Auriol (Louise) Harford (DH 2006) – Medical Elective in Seychelles (District General Hospital, Victoria) Do remember that all members of the DHSA are entitled to a grant to assist them in a worthwhile project e.g. towards an individual’s professional/educational development.

All submissions are considered at the next scheduled meeting of the Committee. Application forms, available from the website, should be sent to the DHSA administrator at dhsa@downehouse.net Next application deadline is 31 August 2020.

THE NEW MATHER TRAVEL AWARD We are delighted to announce that the new Mather Travel Award is up and running.

Inspired by Jennifer Murray (nee Mather) who was at Downe from 1952-57, The Mather Travel Award is designed to help provide members with the opportunity to travel abroad, encourage and support Members in their pursuit of a sense of adventure, keen independence and a readiness to serve.

Individual initiative, challenge, clear-cut projects and competent planning will be viewed favourably as well as volunteering opportunities to help in communities (UK included) around the world.

NEW HONORARY SENIOR We are delighted to welcome Miss Anne-Marie Gane to the DHSA as an Honorary Senior.

AGM RECENT DEATH NOTIFICATIONS The Hon. Mrs Ruth Adorian (Wakefield DH 1946) The Hon. Mrs Jacqueline Hutton (Grant DH 1959) Mrs Elizabeth Kay (formerly Owen) Former Staff, Head of Modern Languages, retired 1984 Mrs Gillian Lee (Hill DH 1976) Mrs Mary Elspeth Batstone (M E Milford DH 1950)

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The AGM was held on 11 February 2020 in Wandsworth, London by the kind permission of Penny Burles (Reeves DH 1984). Chaired by the President, Lady Richards (Gillian Taylor DH 1968), it was the final meeting for Bridget Wheeler (Campbell DH 1980). Bridget has been chairman of the DHSA for 6 years and on the committee in a variety of roles for 30 years. Throughout, she has worked tirelessly and enthusiastically and we are very grateful for all she has done.

Jennifer Kingsland takes over as Chairman with Clare Duffield (Davies DH 1982) as Co-chairman and Catherine Palmer (Jackson DH 1975) as Vice-chairman.

Top: Bridget Wheeler Bottom: Jennifer Kingsland

TRAVEL AWARD’S INSPIRATION

APPLICATION CRITERIA

Jennifer Murray (nee Mather), who was born in June 1940, has undertaken a number of courageous adventures including circumnavigating the globe aboard a Robinson R44 helicopter the distance of 36,000 miles in 97 days in 2000, earning her the Guinness World Record for the first helicopter circumnavigation by a woman. The trip was clearly momentous, challenging and enormously satisfying when completed. It was not only inspired by Jennifer’s vociferous sense of adventure but also to raise money for Operation Smile a charity which provides reconstructive surgery for children and adults in developing countries.

Members may apply as many times as they wish for both the Mather Travel Award and Educational Grants. They will however only be eligible to receive each once in a lifetime.

Mather Travel awards may be applied for by Members from university age onwards (Travel awards will not be granted for gap year activities).

The maximum grant for the Mather Travel Award will be £500 however all applications will be reviewed on an individual basis.

All those accepting grants will be required to submit a written report of their travel soon after their return (minimum of 750 words) accompanied by a jpeg picture/s for use by the DHSA (publications/website).

For full application criteria, process and timing – www.downehouse.net/community/dhsa NEXT DEADLINE DECEMBER 2020 FOR REVIEW EARLY 2021

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Photo by Sergey Pesterev on Unsplash

“I would be honoured and delighted to have the Travel Award named after me – very special” Jennifer Murray (Mather DH 1957)

FONDLY REMEMBERED Camilla Pardoe (Tudor-Evans DH 1955)

It is with great sadness that I have to tell you that my wife, Camilla, died peacefully and in no pain on January 19, 2020, she was 81 years old. Camilla was born on 29 April, 1938. After leaving Downe House, and before we were married, Camilla worked for Sir Bernard Lovell, who was the boss of the UK’s large radio telescope at Jodrell Bank, which was close to her family home in Cheshire. We were married when she was twenty three, in October 1960. We were married for fifty nine years with three children & eight grandchildren.

I was in business and travelled extensively. Camilla frequently came with me and, with holidays abroad included, she travelled in every continent including Antarctica and travelled in at least sixty five countries. We had some marvellous adventures together. At home she created a wonderful garden at our former home of forty seven years, Brinkley House on the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk borders.

Camilla carried out a wide range of local charity work. Someone called her ‘the mother of Brinkley’. For a while she

Gillian Lee (Hill DH 1976) Gilly, after a very valiant fight of four years against an aggressive Brain Tumour, died peacefully in our arms on December 9, 2019. She leaves behind her husband Christian and four lovely children Cal, Kitty, Jens & Robin. She showed the utmost strength, humour and never complained after being diagnosed 4 years earlier on December 10, 2015.

Gilly was quite a remarkable lady, an editor for the BBC, she then rode across Africa with me unsupported in 1990 on our two bicycles. We

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virtually fulfilled her bucket wish, travelling all over the world, I called it our longest good bye and Gilly called it our biggest handover! She was always very proud of her time and connection with Downe House.

Gilly ended by writing a book ‘The Other Days: living with a brain tumour diagnosis’ which is an inspiring read of basically living the moment.

She will be deeply missed.

Christian Lee

was chairman of the Cambridgeshire branch of the DGAA, which became the Elizabeth Finn Trust and is now Turn2Us. We ‘down-gardened’ to our current house in Moulton (9 miles from Brinkley) in 2012.

Camilla was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia in 2015 and died after ten days in hospital following a massive stroke on 19 January this year. A Thanks-giving service took place at Moulton Church on Tuesday 4 February.

Julian Pardoe

A number of Downe House events have been postponed or changed due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We are very much looking forward to bringing our alumnae together when the time is right and we would like to share with you the events that are planned for 2020/2021. Please be aware that some of these dates may need to change.

WED

14 OCT WED

10 YEAR REUNION (CLASS OF 2010) LONDON

REGIONAL REUNION

28 OCT

SCOTLAND

THU

20 YEAR REUNION (CLASS OF 2000)

12 NOV THU

12 NOV WED

24 FEB 2021 JUN 2021

DATES FOR THE DIARY

LONDON

25 YEAR REUNION (CLASS OF 1995) LONDON

5 YEAR REUNION (CLASS OF 2016) LONDON

QUIZ NIGHT DOWNE HOUSE 35

Scotland Regional Reunion

Held with the kind permission of the Duchess of Argyll

Please note this event has been postponed and will now take place on Wednesday 28 October 2020

TICKET PRICE: £25:00 Includes a welcome reception in the private apartments, tour of the house, guide book, two course lunch with wine and an opportunity to explore the magnificent gardens RSVP BY FRIDAY 18 SEPTEMBER Contact Lady Peto foundation@downehouse.net or 01635 204797 INVERARY CASTLE Inveraray, Argyll PA32 8XE www.inveraray-castle.com

Cold Ash, Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 9JJ T: 01635 204719 E: foundation@downehouse.net www.downehouse.net

Downe House School

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