Dolphin Link Spring 2019 by godolphinandlatymer

Spring 2019

From the ODA

Women in Dr Hayaatun Sillem â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;94

CEO, Royal Academy of Engineering Guest speaker at our inaugural professional networking event

Roundup of school activities and news from our alumnae

W Contents

Welcome School News Old Dolphin Network Feature Class Notes In Memoriam

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Get in touch

We would love to hear news of your university successes (academic, sporting or otherwise), graduations, and any career or professional milestones and achievements. We reserve the right to edit your submissions on occasions where necessary. Please send your contributions to: Alumnae Relations, Godolphin and Latymer School Iffley Road, London W6 0PG Email: oda@godolphinandlatymer.com

Welcome Dear Old Dolphins One of the pleasures of being the Chairman of the ODA is that I have an advanced read of Dolphin Link. Every year I never fail to be moved by the stories you share with us. Funny, entertaining, warm and interesting – they are a true snapshot of our 6000-strong community. What is also clear from your stories is how much talent, experience and expertise there is in our Old Dolphin community. Many of you credited the teachers at Godolphin for inspiring you to pursue your chosen careers. One of those inspirational teachers sadly passed away at the beginning of this year. Jean Glover was my A level Chemistry teacher and the Deputy Head during my years at the school. She was a formidable lady with a passion for teaching. She set high expectations but was never pushy. Instead, she instilled in us the drive to reach our full potential. I remember her fondly and can picture her now, sitting in the Chemistry lab in her white coat and safety specs. Thank you Mrs Glover for being such an inspiration. I encourage you to read the tributes to her from her colleagues and family – they’re reflective of the many messages we received after sending notice of her funeral. This year we welcomed three new members to the ODA executive committee: Sue Lubkowska ‘81, Emma Davies ‘93 and Emma Lock ’10. Your new committee will be working with the school to shape an alumnae programme that meets the needs of our communities, with more services and more opportunities to network for alumnae as well as more ways to offer guidance to the current student body. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Julia Hodgkins, who is pursuing new opportunities after 28 years at Godolphin, for all she has done for Old Dolphins throughout her years as a teacher and Director of Development. On behalf of the ODA, I wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

Janaki Prosdocimi (née Nicholas) ‘89 ODA Chairman

Welcome Head’s Welcome One of the aspects of my role I have most enjoyed over the last year is getting to know the extraordinary network of Old Dolphins who nurture and value their connection with the school. It has been a great pleasure to meet so many of you at Old Dolphins’ Day, carol services, concerts, and theatrical performances, and I thank you for sharing your memories of the school, your observations and wisdom. In particular, I would like to thank Old Dolphins who have given up their time to come and speak to our students about their professional careers and to provide inspiration, guidance and advice. It has been particularly reassuring that, although many of you observe that our buildings and curriculum have evolved and changed, you confirm that our underlying ethos, values and shared vision remain strong and constant: providing access to quality teaching and learning is at the heart of what we do, alongside a real emphasis on the personal development of each and every girl. Nowhere is this better exemplified than our meanstested bursary programme. Many Old Dolphins – including those who attended when it was a government-assisted grammar school – donate to our bursary programme to ensure that our education remains accessible to talented and bright children, regardless of their financial background. We really do appreciate your generosity and I am delighted to share with you that we will be launching a new outreach initiative later this year – the Bridge Programme. This will provide academically-able Year 5 pupils from local state primary schools with educational enrichment activities at Godolphin on Saturday mornings and during the school holidays. We hope that the programme will encourage more children to apply to Godolphin and Latymer knowing that financial support is available when needed. Old Dolphins are most valued members of our school community and inspiring role models for our girls who follow in your footsteps. I look forward to welcoming you on many more occasions as you continue to support the ongoing life of our school.

Frances Ramsey, Head Mistress

Head Girl’s Review With final examinations around the corner, it is hard to believe that for the Upper Sixth our time at Godolphin and Latymer is drawing to an end. There have been many occasions over the last few months for us to reflect on the times we have had together and probably one of the most poignant was the school birthday in September. The highlight of this day was, without a shadow of a doubt, Dr Ramsey’s speech, which focused on the heritage and history of the school. The talk fostered a shared sense of understanding of the school and what defines it. The sponsored walk, too, was a unifying event as girls from all years dressed up in house colours in order to raise money for bursaries. and discussion for International Women’s Day on The school birthday thus celebrated one of the key 8 March, which brought students together to features of this year, which has been a focus on celebrate the advancements made in women’s rights engagement and girls collectively improving the and the success of women working collectively to school environment. This focus has been reflected in further equality. many different projects and initiatives. In February, a This year saw the School Council identify three large group of Year 10 girls, along with some Sixth adjectives that capture most powerfully what Formers, set up a climate change committee and Godolphin promotes as a school: ‘Respectful, organised a talk and discussion on 15 March, the day Courageous, Remarkable.’ These words perfectly of the Global Climate Strike. The Green Team has encompass what Godolphin girls strive to be, and also been active in the school, working alongside reflect the school spirit well. One area in which the Head Girls’ Team to remove plastic cups from Godolphin girls are particularly the Girls’ Dining Hall and Sixth Form remarkable is volunteering. Large Common Room. RAG (the Raising and “I have no numbers of girls volunteer at Giving team) have been busier than established organisations, such as care ever, hosting regular tea parties for the doubt that the homes and local nurseries, and several elderly and organising the Christmas years to come girls have set up their own charities Bazaar. will continue and schemes, such as a debating This year the Sixth Form Student mentoring scheme which trains Wellbeing Committee played a more to build on the Year 9s and 10s at a local state boys’ pivotal role in the school community legacy which we school. Upper Sixth student Daisy won with girls from all year groups working Inspiring Young Person of the Year at inherited from alongside each other to create a more Dementia Friendly Awards for her positive school environment. The all the years that the charity, ‘Creating with Dementia.’ Committee continued the tradition came before us.” In line with this emphasis on social of marking World Mental Health Day action, this year has seen the on 10 October, handing out stickers, introduction of the Whole School Startorganising events and hosting a ‘Just up Competition, which offers girls the opportunity Dance Friday’ which saw girls from Year 7 to Upper to develop a product or service that would ‘make Sixth come together to loosen up a bit in a Friday luncha difference in the world.’ Girls participating in break. It was so popular that ‘Just Dance’ is now being the competition will receive support in the forms run every Friday! The Committee also put on a series of workshops, and one girl’s project will receive of student-led talks during the Spring Term, investment to make her idea a reality. including talks on body positivity, techniques to manage stress, yoga, metacognition, and how to As my time here draws to a close, it is incredible learn most effectively. to look back with real pride at what girls together have been able to achieve not just this year, but The Head Girls’ Team has tried to further this sense every year. There is something in the school spirit of unity and communication between different year that encourages girls to get involved, not just in the groups by setting up a Head Girls’ Team Surgery school, but beyond as well. Whilst one year of Sixth to which girls from any year group can come and Formers is leaving, I have no doubt that the years to raise any concerns with members of the team. come will continue to build on the legacy which we These sessions, which run every half term, have inherited from all the years that came before us. proved popular. The Team also organised a talk Isabel Roberts, Head Girl 5

School News

Sport

As the Spring Term comes to an end, we have calculated that so far this academic year our girls have played 441 sports fixtures across 62 teams and 8 sports. Whilst it is important to list the wins, record the personal bests and display the silverware, it is equally important to recognise how many girls have tried new sports and enjoyed representing their school. We now have eight dedicated members of staff, including a specialised rowing coach. A further twelve teachers also help coach several of our teams. In the lower years, we field six competitive teams for both netball and hockey as well as a development squad and a club for netball. Participation remains high throughout the years, with three netball and two hockey teams in the upper school. The Summer Term sees a focus on Athletics, Tennis, Cricket and Rounders, whilst all through the year, girls compete in Swimming, Cross-Country Running, Cricket, Fencing, Basketball and even Skiing. This school-wide commitment to delivering an inclusive and varied sports programme was recently recognised when Godolphin and Latymer was shortlisted for the TES (Times Educational Supplement) Sports Awards – a notable achievement given the record number of highcalibre entrants.

Netball

This season has been one of our most successful ever, with three age groups reaching at least the quarter finals of their national cup competitions. Two – the U14 and U16 – went on to reach the National Schools’ netball finals in March. The U16 were also crowned Sisters n Sport National Cup winners.

Hockey

U16 in the National Finals

The journey to the England National Hockey finals began in October 2018 when our U16s were crowned Middlesex Champions. Wins in the regional rounds followed before an incredibly tense quarter final against Millfield which was won on sudden death penalty flicks. Semi-final honours against Dean Close were settled with a single goal and our place in the National finals was secured against top team Repton. It was a fantastic final though the fairy-tale ending eluded us with Repton winning 3â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1. The girls can be incredibly proud of themselves for this fantastic achievement: England National Finalists!

British Schoolgirls’ Ski Races

Congratulations to our ski team who returned from the 60th British Schoolgirls’ Races in Flaine with a clutch of medals. The girls completed two days of intensive training with specialist instructors before competing in giant slalom and slalom competitions. The standard of competition was extremely high and we are absolutely delighted that our team captain came home with three silver medals in the U21 Giant Slalom, Slalom and combined races, and that another one of our skiers took a silver in the U18 combined races and a bronze in the U18 Slalom.

Annual Ski Trip to Vermont and Harvard Visit – February 2019 A group of Year 9 students headed off to Vermont to ski both Pico and Killington mountains. For some, it was their first time skiing ever. More experienced groups were able to improve their skills and had great fun skiing through the trees. At the end of the week, our students and teachers stopped off in

Boston to visit Harvard, where they were met and given a tour by Charlotte Dyvik Henke ’16. This was a great opportunity for them to ask questions about her experience of applying and studying at Harvard, and living in the United States.

Rowing

The rowing programme at Godolphin and Latymer keeps going from strength to strength. Over 80 girls now row, starting with the Year 8 ergo club right through to a very competitive senior squad. We have had our largest ever J14 squad – 28 girls – learn to row from the new local Fulham Reach Community boathouse beside Hammersmith Bridge. The remaining J15s, J16s and Senior crews row out of the Kings’ College School boathouse – the same one used by Cambridge for that boat race – on Putney Embankment. The Godolphin and Latymer Boat Club has also expanded its vessel fleet with the addition of two new Hudson Boats racing shells, funded in part by our Annual Giving Programme which many Old Dolphins kindly supported. The calibre of our rowing programme is such that, once again this year, one of our Sixth Form rowers, Alex, has been named to row for GB at Munich Junior International Regatta. Based on her successes this winter (single scull GB trials, placing 9th out of 99 in November and 9th out of 70 in February), she was invited to the winter training camp in Spain and then went to the spring assessments as one of the fastest sweep rowers in the group.

Sporting Achievements 2018–2019 Netball

U12 – Middlesex semi-finalists

U13 – ISNC* quarter finalists, Middlesex champions

U14 – SnS† quarter finalists, National Schools’ regional champions and 6th at National Schools, Middlesex runners up U15 – ISNC* quarter finalists, Middlesex champions

U16 – SnS† Cup finalists, National Schools’ regional champions, National Schools’ finalists U19 – Middlesex runners up

Hockey

U12 – Middlesex runners up and regional finalists

U13 – Middlesex champions and regional finalists U14 – South semi-finalists

U16 – Runners up at National Finals, indoor regional finalists U19 – Indoor regional finalists

Cross-Country Running

Two runners won the junior and senior Hammersmith and Fulham London Youth Games trials and will represent the borough in June. The junior team was a regional finalist at the ESAA‡ Cross Country Cup.

Indoor Athletics

U12 – Won London round of London Youth Games and came 5th at regionals

Our Rowers at Head of the Charles

The Godolphin and Latymer Boat Club made the trip across the pond to compete in the world’s largest two-day regatta – Boston’s Head of the Charles Race. As the river was closed on the first day of the race due to bad weather, the girls spent the day at the Weld Boathouse, the official base of the Radcliffe crew as Harvard’s women’s team is known. Here they trained next to the USA (Olympic silver medallist 2016) and Canadian Heavyweight single scullers. On race day, despite the windy conditions, the crews performed very well. The coxed 8 came 58 out of 85 and the coxed 4 finished 46 out of 84.

Fencing

U12 – Won the London Championship and through to the British Youth Championships in June U13 – Two girls came 6th in the epee and sabre competition at the public schools’ fencing competition U15 – Bronze at the British Schools’ Championships

Cricket

U12 – London Schools’ runners up

U13 – Runners up at the Middlesex

U15 – Middlesex champions and now progress to regional finals in April

Basketball

Both junior and senior teams won the borough competitions and have represented Hammersmith and Fulham at the London Youth Games.

Rowing

J14 – Our A boat finished 14th in The Scullery – our best ever placing – despite spectacular gear failure

J15 – Bronze for WJ15 4+ at National Schools’ Regatta 2018; Bronze for single WJ15 sculler, bronze for J18 and silver for WJ15 4X+ at Ball Cup 2018 J16 – Bronze for WJ16 4+ at National Schools’ Regatta 2018

J18 – Gold for the WJ18 four and WJ18 coxed fours Hammersmith Regatta 2018; National Schools’ Regatta 2018 WJ18 4 came 4th; Gold for WJ18 4+ and silver for JW18 4 at the Putney Town Regatta 2018; Gold for W 4x in tier 2 of Metropolitan Regatta 2018 *ISNC – Independent Schools Netball Cup for U13/15/19 †SnS – Sisters n Sport Cup for U12/14/16 ‡ESAA – English Schools Athletics Association

Music

Our Music programme this year was diverse and exciting, with many opportunities to perform with other ensembles in public venues. On Saturday 10 November, Godolphin and Latymer singers joined the Surrey Youth Choir, the Vivamus Chamber Choir and the Southbank Sinfonia for a special concert to commemorate the centenary of Armistice Day at St John’s Church, Waterloo. They jointly performed Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, comprised of thirteen movements setting texts as diverse as the Islamic call to prayer, the Hindu epic Mahabharata and the poetry of Kipling, all on the theme of the horror of war and the hope for peace. The Godolphin and Latymer Senior Chamber Choir also performed Vaughan Williams’ Linden Lea, Ireland’s Greater Love Hath No Man and the traditional American

Shenandoah, all of which have links to the First World War. On the 21 March, Old Dolphins joined the Parent, Staff and Alumnae Choir for a very moving performance of Mozart’s Requiem to close the Spring Choral Concert. The choir will be performing again next year and we would love to have more Old Dolphins join. Rehearsals are friendly, with four sessions scheduled across February and March. The following week, our Godolphin and Latymer choristers performed a joint concert with the Addison Singers, a West London group of classical and jazz choirs. The final concert of the year will be an evensong service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in June.

German Exchange Programme

Hamburg Language Exchange

Last year marked the 40th anniversary our school’s participation in the German Exchange Programme. It had originally been started shortly after the Second World War by the then headmaster of Latymer Upper. To celebrate this long-standing tradition, the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums invited all past participants to a reception in the Assembly Hall of the school on 6 April 2018. Dr Ramsey and the headmaster of Latymer Upper, David Goodhew, were guests of Frau Inken Hose.

Hamburg Orchestral Exchange This past February half-term, students in our school orchestra, along with members of the Latymer Upper School Symphony orchestra, travelled to Hamburg for the orchestral exchange with the Johanneum. This exchange was launched in 1981 following the success of the language programme. It operates on a three-year cycle: one year in London, one year in Hamburg, followed by a year’s break. Chloe Reid, our Acting Director of Music, conducted the combined orchestras as they performed a varied programme of pieces including Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, the second movement of Haydn’s

Surprise Symphony and the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Dr Ramsey commented, ‘I was privileged to visit last year and to get to know Frau Hose. She has been in contact in the last few days to say what a wonderful concert the schools put on last week but also to emphasise her commitment to the exchange continuing beyond Brexit. We both agreed that the opportunity for our pupils to share cultural experiences can only be positive in the face of potential divisions. Very well done to the orchestra and the Music department for all they have achieved.’

Drama

Top: Senior years perform Jessica Swales’ Blue Stockings, a play about women’s suffrage in the 1800s. Left: Year 7s entertain parents and local primary schools and elderly residents with Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes. Bottom: Set in 1692, Arthur Miller’s chilling play, The Crucible, played to soldout audiences.

First World War Exhibition The History and Music Departments joined forces to curate a memorable exhibition commemorating the centenary of Armistice Day. The interactive exhibition included family stories and images sent in by the whole school community and was accompanied by an entertaining concert of music from the era put on by our pupils. Gill O’Leary (née Ramsey) ‘67 supplied information about her grandfather James Collman. Two students, Florence and Susanna, turned it into a fascinating display, the original of which was sent to Gill after the event. The exhibition was followed by a Public Lecture by military historian Elisabeth Shipton who took the audience on a fascinating journey describing the contribution of women during the First World War. The empowering talk was very well received and many audience members bought Elisabeth’s book, Female Tommies: The Frontline women of the First World War. We are hoping to put on a Second World War equivalent event in the near future. Many Old Dolphins’ wartime memories have been published in past issues of Dolphin Link but the History Department would be keen for more. Please do get in touch with us if you have some wartime family stories to share: oda@godolphinandlatymer.com The WWI exhibit helped to raise over £500 for the Bursary Fund.

Sciences Four Sixth Formers were selected to take part in The Salters’ Festival of Chemistry, spending a day working in professional laboratories equipped with the latest technology, tackling challenges and competing against students from across the country. Meanwhile, our biologists took part in the prestigious Biology Society’s British Biology Olympiad winning five gold awards, one silver and two bronze. Another five students, this time from Year 9, attended the Royal Institution’s Engineering Masterclasses, part of a series that also includes Mathematics and Computer Sciences. These masterclasses are hands-on, interactive extracurricular sessions led by top experts from academia and industry.

New Interactive Learning Corridors New this year in the Brooke Building is the interactive Biology corridor. Located on the ground floor of the Science block, the corridor uses displays to stimulate curiosity and promote object-based learning and engagement. The project was funded in part by the generosity of Old Dolphins during last year’s Annual Giving Programme. Building on the success of this corridor, the Chemistry department hopes to create a similar space on the top floor of the Brooke Building. A Periodic Table display is particularly fitting since 2019 was designated by UNESCO as the International Year of the Periodic Table – marking the 150th anniversary of the discovery of the Periodic system by Dmitri Mendeleev. The interactive display will include samples, their uses and a touchscreen with films of experiments and demonstrations.

STEAM x Challenge Your Limits Week This year, Challenge Your Limits week was combined with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) week. Now in their fourth year, these events were designed to build resilience so as to embrace challenges and overcome a fear of failure. The closing assembly saw none other than the extraordinary and inspirational Grayson Perry deliver a talk on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Celebrating Creativity.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Inspiring Entrepreneurship As part of our STEAM X Challenge Your Limits Week we hosted an Entrepreneurial Panel Event on female leadership in business, tech and science with representatives from Forbes Fintech, Snapchat, Spotify and the Stem Cell Research Department at King’s College Hospital. Students and parents heard first-hand about key moments in the speakers’ careers when they had to deal with failure and show resilience, with Claire Valoti, VP International at Snapchat, summing up ‘it’s how you deal with challenges that shapes you.’ The event segued nicely with the launch of our exciting programme of opportunities to encourage students to unleash their inner entrepreneurial spirit. Though not every Godolphin student aspires to be the next Sheryl Sandberg or Richard Branson, developing an entrepreneurial mind-set will help equip them for the 21st century workplace. Important qualities that we are keen to nurture include creativity, innovation, flexibility, self-belief, problemsolving, resilience and purposeful collaboration. Some of our initial activities include: • a day spent as Dragons’ Apprentices (dragons being business mentors) where they are introduced to concepts such as market research, gross vs net income, direct costs and overheads, cash-flow and securing investment; • participating in the F Factor, a nationwide start-up competition that provides them with tools, skillstraining and context to bring their ideas to life and present them to experts; and • a TedEd project where students will explore the seventeen UN goals for sustainable development and look at ways to communicate their ideas and then present them at Ted Talks. 14

Some of these initiatives, such as the Money Matters event at the Founders Factory in Kensington where students learnt about creating and investing in ‘accelerator’ and ‘incubator’ businesses, are run in conjunction with St Paul’s School. The students heard first hand from Alice Scholes, an Old Dolphin, who spoke about her entrepreneurial journey, beginning at school, studying Classics at Oxford, then acting and finally working at L’Oreal before starting up her own businesses at the Founders Factory. The students then teamed up to take on the Money Matters challenge to grow their initial £500 through a whole range of investment strategies from safe and secure low-interest banking, a compound interest building project, to Rich Ricky Easy Money Investments. Sadly, at the last moment, Rich Ricky called in from Monaco to explain that he had ‘lost’ the pupils money! Our winning team had grown their money to over £40,000 in less than an hour. All of the students had a lot of fun and certainly learnt a lot about starting-up and investing in new businesses.

We were delighted to have Dr Hayaatun Sillem (née Is’harc) ’94, the first woman Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, speak at the launch of our professional networking programme. This past November, the school, in conjunction current role. After leaving Godolphin and Latymer, with the ODA, launched its professional networking where she was Head Girl and a Winterstoke Scholar, programme at the Royal Academy of Engineering. Dr Sillem studied biochemistry at Oxford before Over 30 alumnae and Sixth Form students joined the completing a PhD with Cancer Research UK at breakfast meeting to listen to Dr Sillem talk about University College London. She joined the Royal women working in STEM. Academy of Engineering as a Policy Advisor and after a stint in Parliamentary committee and Dr Sillem – the first woman appointed government advisory roles, returned Chief Executive of the Academy – “We need to as Head of International Activities. focused her presentation on how Dr Sillem went on to successfully hold women can best prepare themselves communicate several positions within the Academy, to seize the opportunities arising from that engineering promoting the role of engineering a changing workplace. She also spoke passionately about reframing the is about finding in international development and encouraging women leaders in STEM, discussion on diversity in the workforce, solutions to the before becoming Chief Executive in to focus on the more positive concept of problems people January 2018. inclusion. Her focus is now on increasing inclusivity face.” Amongst her many other insights was in British engineering companies and the idea that education never ends and encouraging them to recruit more that people should always be looking to women into the profession. ‘We have a highly upgrade and learn new skills. Her talk was followed outdated and narrow image of engineering in this by a question and answer period during which country,’ she said. ‘We need to move away from the students and Old Dolphins alike expanded on the perception that it’s all about hard hats and high-vis topics she raised. jackets and show that engineering is about finding Her own very impressive career path provided a solutions to the problems people face.’ perfect example of the importance of recognising We are very grateful to Dr Sillem who we hope will challenges as opportunities. A sudden, severe be the first of many inspiring alumnae to support our sensitivity to chemicals forced her to switch areas networking programme. of research, a decision that eventually led to her

Awards and Accolades London Independent Secondary School of the Year

We are absolutely delighted to have been named London Independent Secondary School of the Year in The Sunday Times Parent Power Schools Guide 2019. We placed 6th nationally in their rankings, which identify the highest-achieving schools in the UK and are widely acknowledged as the most authoritative survey of the country’s best schools. Congratulating the staff and students on the achievement, Head Dr Frances Ramsey commented, ‘Following an excellent set of GCSE, A level and IB results this summer, this demonstrates the importance of a supportive environment to foster academic achievement and high performance’. The accolade not only recognises our exam success, but also the school’s commitment to a wide curricular and extra-curricular programme. Alastair McCall, editor at The Sunday Times, congratulated the school saying, ‘Parents love G&L not just for the academic success it brings their daughters, but for the school’s holistic approach to their education in the broadest sense. Girls leave the school both highly educated and ready to contribute to society, encouraged to be themselves by committed and talented teachers.’

Shortlisted for Tes Sports Award

We were thrilled to have been shortlisted for the Sports award category in the 2019 Tes (Times Education Supplement) Independent School Awards. Although we did not win, being shortlisted was a huge achievement as there was a record number of entries of the highest standard to date. Dr Frances Ramsey commented, ‘Our nomination recognises our commitment to engaging girls of all abilities in sport and increasing participation throughout all year groups, as well as the girls’ achievements in major sporting competitions. It is a testament to the dedication of the teachers and coaches in the PE and Sports department.’

Innovating with Google

Geography teacher Katie Tallett-Williams was one of 35 teachers selected worldwide to take part in Google’s prestigious Education Certified Innovator program. Candidates are selected based on their professional experience, their passion for teaching and learning, their innovative use of technology in school settings, their potential to impact other educators, and their desire to tackle some of the biggest challenges in education.

iExcellence Awards

We were also delighted that Amanda Triccas, who leads our Staff Professional Development, was shortlisted for the iExcellence awards alongside other leading influencers and innovators in the independent schools’ sector. Amanda, who teaches history and joined Godolphin in 2013, was nominated by the school for her commitment to the professional training and development of staff here and in the sector generally. The judges were looking for nominees that captured the imagination of others, changed behaviours, improved pedagogy and school management processes, and had a measurable positive impact on children.

G&L Student Awarded Top Engineering Scholarship

One of our Sixth Formers was awarded the Arkwright Engineering Scholarship. This is the most prestigious scholarship of its type in the UK and aims to inspire and nurture school-age students to be the country’s future leaders in the Engineering profession. Every Scholarship is sponsored by a commercial company, trade association, university, professional institution, armed service, government organisation, worshipful company, charitable trust or personal donor. This means that support over the two-year A level course can be offered in a variety of different ways, either as hands-on work experience, help for a curriculum project or a personal mentor to guide studies and plan careers.

Classic Godolphin

Godolphin classicists from Year 7 to the Sixth Form had a very successful day at the Classical Association’s Greek and Latin Reading competition at Queen’s College. Our Year 8 entrants, Ella, Lavini and Giulia, delivered a splendid performance of a passage from Book One of the Cambridge Latin Course, achieving gold medals. Tabitha in Year 10 earned a bronze medal for her superb solo performance of a passage from Virgil’s epic poem ‘The Aeneid,’ and Lower Sixth student Laura delivered an excellent rendition of Ovid Amores 2.6 which saw her earn a gold medal.

G&L Student Wins Alzheimer’s Award

Daisy in the Upper Sixth has been named the Inspiring Young Person of the Year at the Dementia Friendly Awards of the Alzheimer’s Society. These awards celebrate individuals, organisations and communities whose work transforms the lives of people with dementia by challenging misunderstandings, changing attitudes and taking action. Inspired by her time volunteering for her Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh, Daisy developed a programme of free art workshops for people with dementia and their carers that would count towards her Gold certificate. She interviewed and recruited art facilitators, persuaded a local councillor to provide the Hammersmith & Fulham Town Hall as a free venue and convinced a local importer of art supplies to donate paints and paper. The greatest effort of all has been reaching out to the Dementia community through local churches, GP offices, day centres, Alzheimer UK, Carer Network, community champions, NHS, memory clinics, AGE UK, FISH Barnes, Resonate Arts, Dementia Pathfinders and Arts 4 Dementia. With generous funding from Age Unlimited, her project has expanded to 25 art workshops across London. Daisy is currently working on expanding the workshop programme to be delivered in a chain of care homes across London.

Outstanding 2018 Examination Results

2018 was the last year to run both the old-style A–U graded GCSEs as well as the reformed 1–9 graded ones; our students achieved outstanding results in both. In the old-style examinations, 87.9% of grades awarded were A* and 98.2% A*–A. In the new GCSEs, 56.7% achieved Grade 9 and 96.8% achieved Grades 9–7. That so many students achieved the highly sought after Grade 9 is a testament to their utmost dedication. Last year’s Upper Sixth also achieved excellent results. The average point score for our IB students was 39.7 and six pupils were awarded 43 points or more. Our A Level students were equally impressive: 73% of A Levels were graded at A* or A this year, with 33% at A*. Nine of our pupils were awarded either three or four A* grades in their academic subjects, plus an A* grade in their EPQ. The girls and their teachers deserve our warmest congratulations and good wishes on these excellent achievements.

University Destinations

As a result of these outstanding results we are pleased to report that nearly all of our Upper Sixth students took up a place at their first choice university. A full list list of University Destinations can be found on page 20.

Sixth Form 2019 University Offers

Many of our current Upper Sixth have heard back about their applications and the offers so far been excellent. We are particularly delighted that offers have been given to all three students applying for Veterinary Medicine, widely accepted as one of the most competitive courses in the country. Offers have been made by Oxford and Cambridge for a range of subjects: Biological Sciences, Economics, English Literature, French and Russian, German and Italian, Geography, German and Classics, Human Sciences, History, HSPS, Italian and English, Land Economy, Medicine, Philosophy and French, PPE and Spanish and Portuguese.

American University Offers

Congratulations are also in order to our US college applicants for the Class of 2023 who were awarded a remarkable number of scholarships. Early acceptances were received from a number of top US institutions, including Dartmouth, Duke, Northeastern, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford and Vanderbilt. Equally impressive are the offers received from the Regular Application process, which so far include Chicago, Columbia, Georgetown, Princeton and UCLA, among others. It was another year of admit rates at record lows: Columbia 5.1%, Princeton 5.8%, Brown 6.6 %, Penn 7.4%, Dartmouth 7.9%. Therefore, these were excellent outcomes and we are very proud of our students’ successes. Well done, everyone!

Prize List 2017 – 18 Winterstoke Scholarships Anastasia Blamey Hannah Girma Cäcilie Habbel Aisha Straker-Grimes Anna Tippett

SUBJECT PRIZES

Gertrude Clement Books Emilia Bryant Asha Eborn Isabel Hawes Alice Horrell Arabella Vickers

Chemistry – Winifred Watkins Aime Keane

Marshall Hays Prizes Isabella Daniel Layla Ettinghausen Sarah Hobson Emily Jones Bryony Streets Dean Prize Verity Walker Maria Zemtsov The Dawe Prize for Achievement Amelia Frei Bronwyn Lowe Paria Malekahmadi White Prize for Sixth Form Service Imogen Francis Stratta Prize for Service to the School Kate Devey Head Girl’s Prize Edith Elliott Granger Spong Modern Language Travel Scholarship Isobel Taylor LVI Chaplin French Prize Polly Dacam LVI Wilson History Prize Alessandra Waggoner Charlotte Wilson

Art and Design Prize Heather Smith Biology – Ennis Prize Karma El Chalabi

Classics – Downer Jolliffe Prize Cordelia de Mitry Eleanor Flanagan

Physical Education – Walsh Award Sophia Free Science – Bearman Medicine Prize Juliet Craig Science – Richards Prize Sarah Palmer Spanish – Frost Prize Simran Patel

Creativity – Reiss Prize Sophia Free

Speech and Drama – Mantle Prize Abigail Turner

Economics – Mason Prize Harriet Symons

Sport – Cox Prize Hannah Allchurch

English – Titmuss Prize Marlia Van’t Sant French – Dixon Spoken Prize Georgia Church French – Homan Prize Jessica Baird Geography – Hobbs Prize Abigail Turner German – Prynne Prize Isabel Yurdakul History – Claire Eccles Mila Prest History – Gilliland Prize Isabelle Kenney-Herbert Eva Magyar History of Art – Charlton Prize Eleanor Campbell Italian – Sandra Williams Prize Lauren Keller Mathematics – Bell Prize Javiera Quiroz Fernandez Mathematics – Selsky Pure Prize Annabel Howell

LVI Harvard Book Prize Nathalie Korhonen Cuestas

MFL – Jessi Stafford Prize Sorcha Gorman

LVI Jefferson Book Prize Chartlotte Coles

Music – Sarah Illingworth Memorial Choral Prize Bronwyn Lowe

Vellutini Prize (for Year 11 English) Erica Weiler

Philosophy – Bellew Prize Amber Davies

PTFA LEAVING PRIZE: GOOD WORK Annabelle David Tatiana Dickins Maia Farrell Ines Ghalia Isabelle Hall Katie Huckett Justine Lepic Chloe Monaghan Imogen Treger Helena Yurdakul PTFA LEAVING PRIZE: SERVICE Clea Audin Angelica Bowden Jones Rubin Celesnik India Colegrave Amelia Lack Roma Lewis Michelle Messerer Victoria Newell Reagen Readinger Justine Stummel Nicole Szelag Danielle Sutherland India Weir Kosana Weir Amelia White

University Destinations 2018 Bath University

Birkbeck, University of London Birmingham University Brighton University Bristol University

Biology Business Administration (with professional placement) Economics Sociology Psychology Psychology History of Art Liberal Arts & Sciences Philosophy, Politics, Art Biology Engineering Design with Study in Industry English Geography Geography with Study in Europe History of Art & Spanish Italian & Spanish Philosophy & German Philosophy & Theology Politics with Quantitative Research Methods

Cambridge Emmanuel College King’s College Queens’ College Selwyn College St John’s College Cardiff University City University Courtauld Institute Durham University

Edinburgh University

Exeter University

Imperial College London

King’s College London

Leeds University Liverpool University

English Economics Psychological & Behavioural Sciences Medicine Medicine Medicine Health & Social Care History of Art Chemistry English Literature English Literature Geography History Liberal Arts Philosophy & Politics Biomedical Sciences Economics & Politics English Literature Geography History History of Art History of Art Persian & Middle Eastern Studies Philosophy Art History & Visual Culture Classical Studies & English English History & International Relations Modern Languages Medical Biosciences with Management Medical Biosciences with Management Medicine Classical Studies French & Philosophy Nursing Studies Politics Religion, Philosophy & Ethics Neuroscience Medicine

London School of Economics & Political Science Manchester University

Newcastle University Nottingham University Oxford Exeter College Keble College Keble College Lady Margaret Hall Lincoln College Oriel College Queen’s College St Edmund Hall St Hilda’s College Wadham College Sheffield University SOAS, University of London St Andrews University

St George’s, University of London Swansea University University College London

University of the Arts London Warwick University Universities in Europe Amsterdam University Bocconi University École Polytechnique, Université Paris-Saclay L’école hôtelière de Lausanne Universities in North America Boston College Brown University Chicago University Columbia University Dartmouth College Denver Univeristy Duke University Georgetown University McGill University Princeton University Yale University

Economics & Economic History Arabic & Modern European Language English Literature Management & Modern Language Combined Honours Medicine Biochemistry English Language & Literature English Language & Literature Geography Ancient & Modern History Biochemistry Physics History Geography French & Italian Philosophy & French Sociology English History of Art Art History Art History & German Biology English Literature Medicine Biomedical Science Criminology & Psychology Arts & Sciences with Year Abroad Arts & Sciences with Year Abroad History & Politics of the Americas with Year Abroad Medicine Modern Languages Art & Design Foundation Diploma Civil Engineering Pyschology Literary and Cultural Analysis Fashion, Experience & Design Management Bachelor Program Bachelor Program International Hospitality Management Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Arts Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Liberal Arts

Farewell to Staff This year we said goodbye to several long-serving members of staff. They have helped guide and form many a student over their long and often varied careers here. We wish them well and look forward to welcoming them back for Old Dolphin events. Most of the following tributes have been adapted from the farewell speeches given in the Hall.

Sue Adey

Sue worked at Godolphin and Latymer for an astonishing 31 years. It is a hard fact to reconcile with the emotions she felt at her first interview. Legend has it she was ambivalent about changing jobs, was late due to traffic, and failed to recognise the Deputy Head altogether. Luckily for us, Sue’s ignoring the Deputy Head all those years ago did not prevent her from being hired as a PE teacher, and the rest as the saying goes, is history. Many Old Dolphins shared their memories of Sue coaching their sports teams. Kate Frayling ‘94, now a Physics teacher at the school, was in Year 9 when Sue began teaching. Her hockey team was always met by an energetic, enthusiastic and very welcoming Miss Adey. In fact as Kate recalls, Sue’s apparently only unsuccessful teaching moment was when she tried to introduce non-competitive sports – Kate’s year was so sporty that this caused total misery and had to be abandoned. Her compassion and kindness is what undoubtedly positioned her to take on the first formal role of pastoral care at the school. When Heads of Section were introduced in 1994, she was the first to be appointed as Head of Lower School. Sue’s sense of fun was always evident, even when it came to serious

things like formal Heads of Sections meetings. These had a tendency to run on, and it was a known fact that Sue cheekily ran a sweepstake on the exact time these meetings would finish. No story about Sue and Godolphin can fail to mention the Christmas Bazaar. Sue ran this gargantuan event with her characteristic warmth and humour for decades. An Old Dolphin remembered her dressing up to generate excitement about the Christmas Bazaar. Apparently, the costumes were varied, hilarious and whacky. One in particular stands out: she dressed up as a toothbrush, the message being ‘don’t forget your toothbrush and don’t forget the Christmas Bazaar.’ Sue’s love of the theatrical also led her to embrace the staff performance for students which were a feature of school life during Miss Rudland’s time as Head. As well as the Bazaar, Sue is famous for having organised more ski trips than she has had hot dinners. Sue also assisted the examinations officer and was assiduous in all aspects of the role – even when required to patiently measure the distance between each and every desk in the examinations hall. In addition to being profoundly kind, warm and optimistic, Sue was an inspiration to all her fellow teachers. She always saw the good in people and looked for the best to happen. She was an example to us all about seeing the bright side of life and being appreciative of what we had. On behalf of the many hundreds, if not thousands, of girls Sue supported, and the many members of the pastoral team she worked with, I would like to offer her the most heartfelt thank you for everything she did. It has been a privilege to work with her and we will miss her so, so much. We wish her every happiness in her retirement and hope to hear tales of more of the travelling that she loves so much! Anna Paul, Deputy Head, Pastoral

Mattie Cockbain

Mattie Cockbain has been a wonderful teacher, colleague and friend throughout her 27 years at Godolphin and Latymer. Having been a Medieval Historian at Oxford, she quickly demonstrated her capacity to turn her hand to anything as she taught a whole range of early modern and modern subjects all the way to A Level. There is no finer accolade that can be paid to Mattie than the number of students and parents who expressed sorrow at her leaving. Amongst Mattie’s many qualities were commitment, dedication and organisation. The department as a whole relied on her fantastic skills of prediction with IGCSE and A Level questions. Her pupils were always so well prepared that it became somewhat of a department challenge

to beat Mattie’s students’ strings of A* and A grades. This superb organisation, commitment and dedication extended to her pastoral work where she was a lower school tutor for the majority of her career. It was always impressive how well she instantly got to know her pupils; she spotted their character traits and made sure that each pupil progressed pastorally or academically as an individual. A prolific reader and museum-goer, Mattie took it upon herself to expand all of our horizons; she shared her views on books and exhibitions with the department and the girls, many of whom took the opportunity to follow her recommendations. Long before the term dual-coding became popular, Mattie brought art into the classroom as a way of accessing history. Her lessons always began with girls sharing their reading and visits with Mattie and vice versa — and this led to a lovely atmosphere where shared academic growth was central to learning. The annual residential battlefields trip is another area where Mattie excelled and will be sorely missed: head counting, sandwich-making duty and don’tgo-near-the-barbed-wire-and-unexploded-devices duty will be very different next year without Mattie, although I hold out hope that we may be able to persuade her to join us! Godolphin has been somewhat of a family affair for Mattie as her two daughters, Bea and Ella, attended the school and then followed their mother’s clearly fantastic genes to Oxford University. In keeping with the family theme, her supportive nature meant many staff viewed her as ‘work mum’ with one even known to have called her ‘mum’ on several occasions – there is no finer accolade. I thank Mattie for all she has done academically and pastorally for the school, and wish her the best in her retirement. Amanda Triccas, Senior Teacher, Staff Professional Development

Julia Hodgkins

I was on holiday in Japan when I received a request to write something about Julia. Of course I said yes, but I did wonder, “Where to start?” Luckily, my surroundings proved to be inspirational. I had a perfect view of Mount Fuji, all 3776 m high, 50 km wide and 125 km round of it. It is immense and the base appears to spread endlessly into the local towns and countryside. Millions of people visit Mount Fuji every year and one cannot fail to be affected by it. Mount Fuji inspired me to write about Julia, not because of the many ski trips we went on, but because of the immense contributions and difference she made to the Godolphin and Latymer School community, Old Dolphins and beyond, into the local community and primary schools. Julia joined the PE Department in 1990 as a hockey and athletics specialist. She was enthusiastic and dedicated, and a firm proponent of the ‘Sport for All’ motto. She organised the first Junior Hockey Tour to Malvern Girls College back in the early 90s where we stayed in a very interesting hostel. I have many happy memories of ski trips to France, Canada and the USA with Julia, some of which were incredibly challenging! But she always remained calm and made us laugh in some of the most trying circumstances. She was a fantastic form tutor and the girls appreciated and benefitted from her consistent and fair approach, great sense of fun, and excellent pastoral care. As a well-organised and ambitious people-person, Julia was well placed to take on the role of Staff Development and Welfare on the Senior Leadership Team. She oversaw the introduction of staff reviews, organised IB courses for colleagues and instigated NQT (Newly Qualified Teachers) courses at Godolphin and Latymer. Her next role was Director of External Relations, which saw Julia set up links with local primary schools, and because of her enthusiasm, this soon evolved to reading groups, Latin classes, netball coaching, etc. Her boundless support of the school and her willingness to always help out at fundraising events paved the way for her appointment to Development Director in 2013. She led a dynamic team whose four office moves did not detract from their success. Julia had a knack for coming up with inspirational and novel ways to raise money. She organised race nights (dressed as a jockey), fabulous gala dinners, lectures by prominent quest speakers and sponsored walks. She also initiated social fundraising events like Ladies’ Poker Night, Climb-and-Dine and winetasting evenings. I know parents really appreciated the chance to get to know each other at these smaller events. Julia has always been fantastic at staying in touch with people and she recognised the importance of

maintaining personal links with Old Dolphins. Many of you have come back to school to talk to current pupils or have stalls at the Christmas Bazaar. Everybody at Godolphin and Latymer has benefitted from Julia’s fundraising efforts. She oversaw the Annual Giving Programme and in recent years took over the organisation of the Christmas Bazaar. She managed to double the takings and encouraged the PTFA (Parents, Teachers and Friends Association) and a Sixth Form committee to help out. Although she was great at delegating, people helped out so willingly because she led by example. For instance, Julia scanned every ISBN code on every donated book to ensure the maximum amount of money was raised. She also made sure all unsold items were donated to local schools, charities or shelters. In recent years, Julia discovered she had an amazing talent for painting, and in keeping with her spirit of generosity, she donated some of her work to raise money for the school. From a personal point of view, I never thought I would see the day that Godolphin and Latymer had a modern new sports hall. Julia – through her hard work, fundraising, attention to detail and patience – was able to see the school’s vision through and today our students and community all enjoy the new Hampton Sports and Fitness Centre. The quality of sport, the variety and the outreach to local primary schools is something she should be incredibly proud of. Thank you Julia for everything you have done for Godolphin and Latymer and for being a wonderful colleague, teacher and friend to so many different people in the school community. We wish you and your family well and have no doubt that whatever you do in the future, it won’t be long before others are lucky enough to experience the same Mount Fuji effect you had on all of us. Sue Adey, Head of Lower School 1987–2018

Staff Leavers 2018–2019 Sue Adey

Physical Education, Head of Lower School

Ella Barden Physics

Katie Bird

Physical Education

Katy Blatt

History of Art

Mattie Cockbain History

Catriona Crosby

Julie Kaiser

In her impressive 41 years of commitment to Godolphin and Latymer, Julie had a strikingly varied career. As a young science technician, she stood out for forensic attention to detail and superb organisational skills; in setting out equipment and chemicals for student experiments, there could be no room for error! She then shone in the Resources department before finally finding her niche as Head of Higher Education and Careers, inspiring generations of students and staff. A natural inquirer and dedicated lifelong learner, Julie developed an understanding of Higher Education that was second to none. Over several years, alongside her day job, she broadened her knowledge of subjects not taught in school by achieving a First Class degree in Sociology through the Open University, followed by a Distinction in her Masters. Taking the management of US applications under her wing, she completed several intensive tours of US campuses, formed key contacts and developed a really comprehensive grasp of the system. Her outstanding guidance of our students led to her being feted many times as ‘the best college counsellor in London.’ It is a testament to Julie’s dedication that, although now officially retired, she is still seeing the current UVI US applicants through to the end of their round of applications. As an incredibly generous and caring member of the school and the wider community, Julie also managed the logistics behind our Christmas tea party for the elderly – always sporting festive antlers! She was the inspiration behind our Stratta Prize for Sixth Form service, ran Year 11 Work Experience and encouraged staff to donate to the Women’s Refuge. Supporting Bassi assiduously, she wore the house purple with pride. Continuing to volunteer, Julie now shares her US expertise in support of the Sutton Trust. Four decades of helping to make the school a better place is an amazing achievement. Julie, we thank you and wish you a long and extremely happy retirement. Caroline Drennan, Head of Sixth Form

School Administrator

Nikhil Dholakia Mathematics

Jenny Hanley

Development Department Administrator

Rachel Hart

Spanish, Head of Modern Foreign Languages, OxCam coordinator

Lisa Henderson Examinations Officer

Marie-Louise Henham English

Jenny Hill

Deputy Heads’ PA

Julia Hodgkins

Development Director, Senior Leadership Team

Lorna Jones German

Eva Lerche-Lerchenborg ‘08 Art

Kirsty Murdoch

Development and Events Officer

Iona Mackay-Bulger

Development and Communications Officer

Laura Pryer Bursar’s PA

Fiona Ratnaraj Biology

Thania Troya Spanish

Rik Werker Mathematics

Louise White

Deputy Heads’ PA

Alastair Wood

Philosophy and Religion

Old Dolphin Network

Old Dolphins’ Day 2018

As is tradition, Old Dolphins’ Day took place on the last Saturday in September. Approximately 135 Old Dolphins attended the day’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and luncheon, where the classes of 1948, 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988 and 1998 made up the largest proportion of guests as they were celebrating milestone reunions. Melanie Wood, Acting Chairman in the absence of Janaki Prosdocimi, welcomed all to the Association’s AGM, especially six Old Dolphins from the classes of 1939, 1948 and 1949. Janaki Prosdocimi ‘89 as Chairman, Ruth Mitchell ’65 as Honorary Treasurer, Joy Puritz ’67 as Honorary Secretary, and Melanie Wood ’81 were reelected, and Sue Lubkowska ’81, Emma Davies ’93 and Emma Lock ’10 were newly elected to the ODA Executive Committee. Topics covered at the meeting included points raised by Ruth Mitchell about the Francha Leale Fund and the general ODA account. The Francha Leale Fund is currently being used to help Old Dolphins in need and mostly to pay for tickets for the ODA luncheon and travel costs. Its only source of revenue is the raffle held every year after the luncheon and an occasional donation. The general account helps pay for Old Dolphins’ Day, covers the costs of printing and posting Dolphin Link, and sponsors alumnae networking events. The school thanked Old Dolphins for their ongoing and continued support of the school’s fundraising programmes. £173,000 was raised during last year’s Annual Giving Programme, which helped fund an interactive Biology corridor, two new row boats and

Class of 1968

our bursaries which currently support 72 girls at various levels. Dr Frances Ramsey then gave a roundup of the school successes over the year. She concluded by stressing the importance of the link between the ODA and the school, and said how grateful the girls were to Old Dolphins who came to the school to give career advice. Our key note speaker was Dr Elizabeth Darling ’86, Reader in Architectural History, Oxford Brookes University. Dr Darling opened her talk by mentioning that she had fond school memories of being taught Art History by Miss Berenice Goodwin. Her presentation was entitled a ‘Framework for Living’ and was about another Old Dolphin, the progressive Rosemary Cooke, known as Molly (1900–1985), who had come to Godolphin in 1912, gone to Cambridge University, become a Freudian Psychiatrist and then, with her husband and the architect Wells Coates, had designed the Lawn Road Flats, Hampstead, which were completed in 1934. Molly had been one of the first to raise important questions about the social impact of domestic architecture like ‘How do we want to live?’ and ‘What sort of a framework must we build around ourselves to make that living as comfortable as possible?’ It was a very informative and engaging presentation that raised issues still relevant today. After the AGM, guests moved into the Bishop Centre, where a delicious three-course lunch awaited them. As is customary, tables were set by class. All throughout lunch, peals of laughter rang out as forgotten memories were re-surfaced and shared. Lunch ended with the singing of the school song, accompanied by Joy Puritz at the piano, and the raffle for the Francha Leale Fund. Current Sixth Formers, who were there to give tours of the school, enjoyed hearing the stories and achievements of our inspiring alumnae.

Classes of 1948 and 1949

Class of 1978

Class of 1988

Class of 1998

Classes of 1952 and 1953

Classes of 1958 and 1960

Reunions In June, the classes of 1993 (top), 2008 (middle) and 2013 (bottom) returned to celebrate their milestone 25th, 10th and 5th year reunions. Each event gave us the opportunity to find out more about the careers and life trajectories of our alumnae, with many Old Dolphins signing up to give current pupils university and careers advice.

Note to the Class of 1997!

Alan Tomkinson, Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Assessor for over 50 years, is writing his memoirs and would like to hear from any Old Dolphin who undertook the DofE Gold Expedition in 1997 in mid Wales with him. You can send him your memories at a.tomkinson16@outlook.com

Summer BBQ The classes of 2016 and 2017 met at the Hampshire Hog in Hammersmith on a lovely hot summer evening in late June. Several teachers joined them for drinks, a BBQ and a general catch up on what everyone had been up to since leaving school.

Year 11 Leavers

The ODA hosted a strawberries-and-cream farewell event for Year 11 Leavers on 20 June to officially welcome them to the Old Dolphinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; community. They were encouraged to use the ODA to keep in touch with the school and will be invited to attend all reunions and events with their year groups.

Old Dolphins Getting Together

Class of ‘57 – Photograph from Maureen Taylor (née Pettifer)

Class of 1957

Our annual jolly in May 2018 marked the coming of age of this event – 21 happy meetings. Of course, as we shall all reach 80 during the current school year, we are all feeling the coming of age in one way or another! Okay, a pretty painful joke but what do you expect at my age? For this reunion, we went back to Bournemouth for a second stay at a particularly welcoming hotel on the seafront – good food, friendly staff and live music if you wished to be lively. We always plan a visit on the Saturday and this took us to Compton Acres, and I can wholeheartedly recommend spending time at that delightful collection of gardens. There are four of very different character, so you can be sure of finding something to your taste: the formality of the Italianate, the delicate order of the Japanese, the rugged nature of the heather garden and the gentleness of the woodland area. My sight is now very poor, so I found crossing a stream via uneven stepping stones quite exciting! There is also the chance of some retail therapy if you wish in the shape of a very comprehensive garden centre. After making the most of our time at Compton, we returned to our hotel in time for a gorgeous walk along the sea front – a perfect end to the day. 2019 will see us in Cardiff for a very different experience. One thing will be the same – the pleasure of spending time with old (and I do mean ‘old’) friends. You can’t beat it. Gillian Smithies (née Stevens)

Class of ‘73 – Back row left to right: Jane Hanlon, Chrissie Lawson (née Adams), Helen Cooper, Mandy Parkin, Amanda Ladell (née Croston), Claire Wilcox-Stair, Felicity Handford

Class of 1973

Last year, several members of our year group met on two separate occasions. In early May, Marcia Rogers (née Shoenberg) kindly hosted the event at her house in Upminster. In late September, we met at Deb Llewellyn (née Bailey)’s house in Hurstpierpoint. The sun certainly shone on the righteous and we were lucky enough to be able to sit in Marcia’s beautiful garden to enjoy the delicious spread she laid on for us (and of course to partake of an alcoholic beverage or two in celebration of our long and continuing friendships). It was wonderful to see everyone and Felicity Handford (née De Ledesma) made a great effort to travel from her home in Belgium especially for the event, as did Mandy Parkin who came from Shropshire and Jacqui Hodgson (née Edmonds) from Devon. In November, a smaller group of us met at Deb’s house. As it was later in the year we did not sit outside to eat but did enjoy a delicious afternoon tea, together with cake and a walk around her interesting garden. As a year group, we are rather proud of ourselves in that we pioneered the year group reunions at Godolphin and Latymer. Back in 1993 (our 20 year anniversary of leaving school), initiated and led by Marcia (with help from others, including Deb, Chrissie Lawson (née Adams) and myself), we skilfully managed to contact nearly 70 ex-pupils from the 1973 leavers. Bearing in mind we had no IT tools to aid us (i.e., no Internet, Facebook, Friends

Front row left to right: Diane Hickey (née Gurney), Deborah Bailey, Sally Franklin, Marcia Rogers, Jacqui Hodgson

Reunited etc.), we were able to contact the vast majority of our former friends with the help of some old address books and word of mouth. People came from far and wide for the reunion, including Africa, the USA, Europe and Ireland. We even had a group photograph, reminiscent of the photos we had taken regularly at school. (Remember having to stay very still while the camera panned along the line of girls, otherwise you would end up blurred?!) With the help and encouragement from the then headmistress, Miss Rudland, and the ODA Coordinator, Caroline Shattock (who went beyond the call of duty to help us), we were able to use the school premises for our first reunion on the day of the Old Dolphins’ Day AGM, enjoying a wonderful lunch and tour around the school to see the many changes that had taken place since we left. From then onwards, every year at the AGM, year groups have held their reunions to celebrate each decade’s anniversary. Our year group has since celebrated our 30th and 40th reunions, kindly hosted by the ODA at the school, and of course we very much look forward to our 50th in 2023. We intend to continue to meet in between the formal reunions at school. Whichever direction life has taken us as individuals over the past 45 years, we all share the wonderful memories and life skills that we acquired from such a magnificent education at Godolphin and Latymer. Sally Franklin

Here, There and Everywhere Class of 2009 in Australia

Old Dolphins in NYC Anna Williamson, Sian Connor, Alexandra Pasint Magyar in Australia.

Class of 1986 in the UK

Sarah Houghton (née Curtis), Jo Dixon, Portia Cousins (née Galloway), Selena Hickey (née Borthwick), Phee Adam (née Morkel) and Amanda Powell-Smith.

Class of 2015 in Canada

Emily Kendrick-Brajou, Lauren David, Emma Ferrabee, Isobel Higgins and Lacey Dikkers met up in Montreal in September 2018.

In May, we hosted our second alumnae dinner in New York City, and the strong community spirit that Godolphin and Latymer fosters was evident immediately. The Old Dolphins who attended – including a member of the Class of 1962 and a 2017 leaver – spent the evening swapping stories and making connections, appreciating that, although they may not have been at school at the same time, they had a lot in common and had much to share. As the global reach of the Old Dolphin network continues to grow, we look forward to organising more international reunions, giving Old Dolphins living abroad more opportunities to remain connected to each other and the wider Godolphin and Latymer community.

Sue Adey’s Retirement Drinks After a career that spanned more than 30 years at Godolphin and Latymer, Sue Adey retired in July 2018. Old Dolphins and former members of staff were invited to a retirement drinks for her on 4 July. Sue joined the PE Department in September 1987, a few years after graduating from Chelsea PE College in Sussex. Later, Sue was appointed Head of Year 7 (Upper III at the time) and then Head of Lower School, a role which she held for the past 26 years. In addition, Sue ran the Christmas Bazaar for 20 years and the ski trip for 22 years, and has seen over 2,000 girls go through Godolphin and Latymer! You can read more about Sue’s many contributions to the school in the excerpt of the speech given at her staff leaving do, reprinted on page 22. We want to thank all of you who sent her messages. Sue loved every single one of them.

Old Dolphins Back to School Our sense of community has always been strong at our school: Old Dolphins feel the pull long after they have walked out of the Iffley gates for the last time. This academic year saw many of you come back for reunions, to visit teachers or to speak to current students. We are grateful to all of you and thank you for your generosity; the students certainly appreciate hearing from one of their own. If you are interested in helping out in any way, please do get in touch. Helen Hardy (née Smith) ‘94 spoke at the Middle School and Sixth Form assembly on National Careers Day about her path to university, graduate school and into the working world. Her main message was that life is unpredictable and that keeping an open mind is key to recognising interesting opportunities along the way. She also emphasised how important it was to study subjects one enjoyed and to learn to think analytically and critically. Another important bit of advice she was keen to pass on was that she has learned valuable skills in all the jobs she has ever had, including waiting tables and selling radiators. In fact, a stint at HM Revenue and Customs was where she started to develop the skills she uses today as the Digital Collections Programme Manager at the Natural History Museum. Annabel Mullin ’96 was the guest speaker at the Greenford Link Event (Sixth Form Oxbridge Dining Club) on 26 June 2018. This is a networking event where Oxbridge candidates from both Godolphin and Latymer and Greenford High School meet over dinner to practice interview techniques ahead of the Oxbridge application process. This is a longstanding biannual event that also includes a dinner in October at Greenford High School where the students face intellectually challenging icebreakers. Rosie Andrews ’15 and Annabel Frost ’15 came in June to give a lunchtime talk to the LVI about the subjects they are reading at Leeds. Rosie has just graduated in Biology and Annabel graduated in Geography but has decided to stay on for a postgrad in Geography.

Old Dolphin Art Historians

Helen Wilford ‘83 organised the International Baccalaureate Art History three-day Continuing Professional Development Workshop in Rome in April last year, where both Olivia Dobell ’05 (now teaching Art History at Putney High School) and Caroline Osborne (Head of History of Art at Godolphin) ran sessions. These included some eye-opening and mind-expanding tours of early Christian architecture. Helen also came to London for the annual Sixth Form ‘Ways of Seeing Art History’ conference organised by the Association of Art History at the National Gallery. Cleo Roberts ‘03 is now a trustee of Art History in Schools, a charitable incorporated organisation, and is helping to organise our Art History and Art and Design Higher Education Conference and Fair on Monday 1 July. As always we are hoping Old Dolphins will be there representing their universities at the Fair, or like Candice Baune ’15, talking about their early careers.

Top: Helen and Olivia in Rome Bottom: Helen with Godolphin and Latymer’s Caroline Osborne and Dr Gabriel Williams at the National Gallery in November.

Feature

Road Kills, Roundabouts & Research I was transferred to Godolphin and Latymer from a smaller, more traditional school in 1962 to study A level sciences in the magnificent, newly completed labs. The Science Block on the south side of the main building (now repurposed to other uses) was part of a national effort to educate more scientists and technologists, prompted by the Soviet Union’s spectacular achievements in the ‘Space Race’: Earth’s first artificial satellite, the football-sized Sputnik, in 1957, the first human in space, Yuri Gargarin, in 1961 and more. The government decided to improve A level teaching in maths, science and technology in state-funded schools – including those for girls. The headmistress, Dame Joyce Bishop, was quick to exploit the opportunities, and so Godolphin became one of the first girls’ grammar schools to have purpose-built teaching labs, and even offered Russian for scientists (I did O level)! A level Physics, Chemistry and Zoology were wonderful, although the modern curricula emphasising experimentation, molecular biology

and individual projects were not yet in place. Unusually for the time, I applied to Oxford University before A levels and was put on the waiting list. Nine months later, I was back at school to try again, when suddenly St Hilda’s College telephoned asking if I was qualified and available to replace someone who had dropped out. So within a fortnight, I was there, reading Zoology! The next forty years included: winning a University Scholarship to study for a DPhil; junior research and teaching jobs at Oxford with secondments in Kenya; a period in the USA including teaching pre-medical courses and veterinary anatomy; and joining The Open University less than a decade after it started. This last job was mostly writing and managing science courses for part-time students but I used the little time allocated for research to study aspects of obesity. During the 30 years that I lived in Milton Keynes, it grew from villages and small towns built around the railway and Grand Union Canal to a major city. Woods

and low-grade farmland became house estates, businesses, and yes, roundabouts. Cycling around the building sites at weekends, I soon realised that the destruction of these natural habitats presented research opportunities, so I started collecting roadkilled wild animals to study their anatomy and biochemistry in parallel with experimental projects. On mornings after rainy, rowdy Saturday nights in Milton Keynes, I sometimes collected as many as five hedgehogs, a couple of foxes, a badger or two, muntjac deer and more; now all are rare. The research produced useful publications that attracted support for its extension to other naturally obese wild mammals, including arctic species. Animals are beautiful and interesting, so I kept many of the skulls and skeletons, cleaning and preparing them at home, amassing more than 400 specimens that filled the garage and spare room. Increasing obesity in people and livestock was causing serious concern: hedgehog numbers had been in steep decline since the 1970s; badgers were under threat from bovine tuberculosis, and rural foxes were becoming urbanized. But science had also advanced: new physical and biochemical techniques could analyse DNA, lipids, proteins and minerals from old bones, producing useful information about animals’ ancestry, relationships, physiology, diet, habitat and more. Realising that the collection could be used for such research, I contacted a former pupil from the 1970s who leads Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) which researches many aspects of wildlife conservation, including integration of wildlife into cities, and teaches a post-graduate Diploma in International Wildlife Conservation Practice for international students. WildCRU accepted the donation as a research resource, based at their headquarters, to be used in teaching and for any approved research, including those involving destructive methods. I spent more than a year preparing and cataloguing the specimens and funded the refurbishment of an old building at WildCRU’s headquarters near Oxford to house the specimens and serve as a meeting room and study centre. The collection continues to grow as others contribute unwanted heirlooms, relics from research projects and interesting finds that could serve wildlife research and education. Caroline Pond ‘65

Helen Hardy ‘94, Digital Collections Programme Manager, Natural History Museum, speaking to students at the Higher Education and Careers Forum

Celebrating our Alumnae Godolphin and Latymer is just the beginning of the journey. It is by celebrating the lives and achievements of our alumnae that we tell the full story and we are indebted to Old Dolphins who send us their news and stories and join us at our reunions and events. Back issues of the Dolphin Link, and other school publications, are published digitally and can be accessed through our website. Our alumnae are an extensive and diverse group of women, on a myriad of pathways, and we are particularly grateful to those who spare the time to speak at professional networking events, offer work experience or provide advice to our current students. Please keep in touch with news of your university successes (academic, sporting or otherwise), graduations, and any career or professional milestones and achievements. As a Godolphin alumna, you remain a valuable part of our community and an inspiration to the students who will follow in your footsteps; in turn, we hope that you enjoy being part of the ongoing life of our school. Please contact us at: Alumnae Relations, Godolphin and Latymer School, Iffley Road, London W6 0PG Email: oda@godolphinandlatymer.com

Old Dolphins’ Association @OldDolphinsAssociation @GandLAlumnae issuu.com/godolphinandlatymer5

Catalogue and terms of use: www.wildcru.org/news/19477/ www.wildcru.org/the-pond-collection/

www.godolphinandlatymer.com

Class Notes 1952

Christine Cuss (née Pierce) In 1944, my home on Cambridge Grove, just across from Godolphin, was destroyed by a doodlebug. My parents and I survived because we were sleeping with all the neighbours in an air-raid shelter under the underground railway bridge that crossed the road. Joining Godolphin and Latymer the following year opened up so many opportunities for me. Not only did it give me a good education, but it widened my horizons and gave me great self-confidence. My father wrote a diary to me during the first ten years of my life, which was turned into a book and published in 2009. As a result of my presentation at the book launch, I have given many, many talks which have raised several thousand pounds, all of which has been donated to the Royal British Legion. My father would probably never have written a word if he had known that his diary would be sold nationally, and also at the Royal Albert Hall! I very much look forward to the Old Dolphins’ Day and AGM in September 2019. Audrey will also be there with two other form mates. We must be four of the oldest Old Dolphins now!!

1954

Sheila Penfold (née Boyes) A short note from Sheila let us know that although mostly housebound due to various knee and hip replacements – a consequence of all those years lifting patients as a nurse – she is surrounded by a very large and caring family. Sheila has six children, fourteen grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren.

Ann Chaplin In November 2018 I completed 15 years as a Metropolitan Police volunteer and on 21 February 2019 received a certificate to mark this achievement from the Commander of the SW Command Unit at Imber Court, West Molesey.

Below is my story of a recent trip to the Philippines. In the summer of 2017, I was invited by a long-time Filipino friend, who lives in Rome, to accompany her to her family home in the suburb of St. Thomas, Candon City, in the Province of Ilocos Sur in the north of The Philippines on her home leave in February – March 2018. I flew from Heathrow to Dubai, where I met my friend Sanie, before flying on to Manila. From there, it was an 8 hour car journey to her family home. In the following days, I discovered that a large number of her extended family all lived in the same street. That meant we were lucky enough to be offered the use of various cars and 4X4s for our more distant trips while the local ‘taxi’ (a motor cycle and sidecar affair) was useful for shorter trips to the beach to swim in the warm waters of the South China Sea or to the pools at a mountain resort about 45 minutes away as well make shopping trips to Candon city for items not available locally or to change money into Philippine pesos. We went for supper to Vigan, capital of Ilocos Sur, and to see the sound and light fountains display in the main square. Unfortunately, the very moment the ‘show’ began, the heavens opened and we were treated to a tremendous storm so had to dash for cover. We went to Baguio City in the Cordillera range to see the Panagbenga flower festival, arrived too late for the procession but were able to see some of the floats parked in the car park of a shopping mall. The next morning, we decided to go pick some strawberries for our host (yet another member of Sanie’s extended family) as this was a region known for its strawberry fields. We planned a visit to Banuae as I had specifically asked if we could make this visit. I was anxious to see this UNESCO Heritage Site right up in the Cordillera Mountains where the Igorots,

the original inhabitants of the area - probably from Indonesia or Malaysia - had built row upon row of rice terraces dating from around 2000BC. As Sanie and her family had never been to Banuae, we had no difficulty filling all the seats of a 4X4, setting off at 4.00 am. As dawn broke, we arrived at the Bessang Pass, the site of a tremendous WW2 battle fought by the Allies and the Imperial Japanese Army with a loss of some 3,400 lives. On and up and round and round the bends we drove until we arrived in Banuae just after noon and found a lovely place to eat on a hillock overlooking a whole valley of these historic rice terraces. As we mounted the hillside to the restaurant, we noticed two Igorot ladies engaged in their traditional weaving. After lunch, I purchased some of the original black rice grown in this area. The weekend before I returned to the UK, I was invited to the wedding of Sanie’s granddaughter. The couple had been legally married in the USA where they work, but they wanted a real Filippino wedding with all the family present – some 200 guests. The venue was the Thunderbird Resort south of Candon City in the Province of Union where the United States Air Force had been quartered in previous years. It was right on the sea shore, but as the sharp rocks made it too perilous to swim, several swimming pools had been built. It was a very memorable occasion in the cooler temperature of the late afternoon with the reception in the open-air as the sun began to set. On the return journey next day, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant of bamboo built out over the river where they cooked fresh fish with rice and vegetables for us. The last day of my holiday, we paid a trip to Pinsal Falls for a swim and picnic lunch and then our driver suddenly decided to head south to visit the Stone Hand Art Gallery, a fascinating museum of multi-sized stones collected from the nearby beach, mounted

and painted into a collection of animals and other types of statues by a Japanese artist who lived there. All good things come to an end and sadly I had to fly home the following day but I brought back with me lots and lots of lovely memories.

My studies of French and Spanish at Godolphin were the gateway to a career in the travel industry and then international banking. My first husband was from Brazil, so I spent time there along the way, together with our two children. My present husband was born and raised in New York City, where we now live. If any member of the Class of 1962 would like to get in touch, my e-mail address is stephanie. felshin44@gmail.com

1958

Brenda Saunders In these hectic and troubled times, Old Dolphins might like to be reminded of the first verse of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, ‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven;’ I remember it being read by Dame Joyce Bishop at assembly in her authoritative tones. It has stayed with me all these years and has become increasingly important and practical in that, when called to mind, everything flows and becomes relaxed and easy. The rest of Ecclesiastes is full of wisdom too and is said to be a sermon of Solomon which is revered alike by Muslims, Jews and Christians. I am so grateful that we never experienced a trace of racial discrimination in the time that I was at school.

1959

Jill Howell (née Carter) Last July, I went to an ordination service at Repton College. What a surprise to find Pauline Beatty (née Childs) ’59 there too. Her husband Andrew was playing the organ and Pauline played the piano. We caught up a little. The friends who were with me could not believe it, saying ‘I thought you said you went to school in London?’ To which I replied, ‘Of course I did – and so did Pauline, a long time ago!’

1960

Shirley Holloway (née Pomeroy) It is a great honour to be Mayor of Thornbury again and this is my third time, having previously been mayor in 1995 and 2008. I am so enjoying the responsibility and

1964

Alexandra Williams (née Newton)

the opportunities that such a role entails. Most weeks I have two to three engagements which vary from civic events, award-giving, cuttingribbons, attending concerts and shaking a lot of hands. My favourite event so far was attending a visit of an 80-strong Welsh male voice choir. Their performance was breathtaking although the mayoral seat was in the front row – very close, almost too close – to the magnificent, harmonious basses. I am also expected to attend all the town council committee meetings which number about eight each six weeks. There is no doubt that I am more tired after a busy day than I was 24 years ago, but it is a great pleasure to be welcomed to so many local societies and to have the opportunity to thank residents for all that they do for our town.

1962

Stephanie Felshin (née Love) A reunion dinner was held in New York recently, for Old Dolphins of any Class who could make it. We were about eighteen participants, of whom I think I was the oldest by about 20 years. We nonetheless shared many similar fond memories of Godolphin and Latymer.

In 1964, Caroline Rainger and I bade farewell to Godolphin and Latymer. We hadn’t been its most outstanding pupils and certainly not its most well behaved. We were jointly the last to receive our Red Badges, long after the rest of our fellow pupils had received theirs and you can imagine that a Silver Badge was never going to happen! However we took away much that was good and worthy of remembrance. Caroline married very soon afterwards and ended up in Italy, from whence her husband originated. I was engaged and looking forward to my own wedding to Michael. Over the ensuring years, we occasionally met up at school and Old Dolphin functions, and each time we talked about Michael and me going out to Padova. Young children, elderly parents and then grandparent duties prevented us from doing so for a long time. There followed a couple of abortive attempts to find mutually acceptable dates but lives today are very busy. Last year, however, saw a turning point! We were free at the same time and Michael and I booked tickets on the plane. After some alarms and excursions, Caroline managed to find us at the airport and we piled into her car and headed to her home. She obviously should have been a tour guide! We saw some

amazing places during the next few days, including the imposing historic villa where her daughter was getting married at the end of the week!! How she found time to entertain us so royally, when she had so much to do, was a mystery to me. The finale was a trip to Venice on the train: busy and hot but we loved it. It wasn’t our first time there, which allowed us to explore off the tourist track. We took a load of photographs, as you can imagine! And talking – we did lots of that too. Michael left us to it then and sat outside in the sunshine, reading his book. Thank you Caroline. We both hope that you will come to see us this year and that our friendship of over 50 years will continue for a long time yet.

1965

Joyce Poole I became aware of Godolphin and Latymer around the time of getting my 11+ results and decided I had to go there. Why not aspire to the best? My parents were unaware of Godolphin’s existence but were supportive of my aspirations. An interview was secured and the rest is history. I duly started at Godolphin in UIII4 in 1958 aged 11 years and 2 months. With new found friends, Bonnie Tompkins, Sue Davis and Kate Jones, the camaraderie was as important as lessons. Morning milk breaks gave the opportunity to chat about the evening before which, by LV, was as likely to be about dancing at Hammersmith Palais (Monday nights only!) as homework. Boys and fashion were also important topics of conversation. The early 60s beehive hairdos played havoc with wearing the obligatory school beret. Lessons were attended with variable degrees of diligence but homework was usually completed. Kate Jones lived a few houses away and we did our homework together while drinking copious amounts of weak milky coffee. We

travelled to school on the trolley bus along Fulham Palace Road and in the summer we walked along the Thames towpath from Putney and over Hammersmith Bridge. The occasional late arrival earned detention on a Wednesday afternoon. Even this was educational as I can still recite the poems I had to learn by heart. Unfortunately my departure from Godolphin was precipitated in the first term of LVI when, armed with six O levels, my second trimester pregnancy became obvious. In March 1965, two months after the birth of my son, I started work as a student laboratory technician at the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory in Chelsea. My son was adopted at the behest of my father and this duly happened when he was six months old, having been looked after at the Thomas Coram Foundation in Brunswick Square. Although working full time, my further education progressed forthwith. After three years of day release and four years of weekly night school, I gained Fellowship of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences in Transfusion Science and became a fully-fledged laboratory technician. This was regarded as a first degree which enabled me to study for an MSc in Immunology. I gradually progressed up the rungs and gained scientist status. I loved my job, the best part of which involved complex antibody

investigations on patients with rare blood groups who urgently needed a blood transfusion. We enabled them to receive it, sometimes having to find the rarest blood overseas. I also did research in new blood group discoveries and molecular genetics and lectured in my specialist subject worldwide. With over 100 peer reviewed publications, including reviews and book chapters, I gained Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists and became a Consultant Clinical Scientist, heading up the very laboratory in which I had started work 40 years earlier. In 2009 I was proud to be one of 50 NHS healthcare scientists selected for a Department of Health publication which showcased our careers. In 2005 my son, aged 40, found me which was a highlight in my life. I discovered then that I had a 16 year old granddaughter. In 2011, aged 64 and one year before my retirement after 47 years of work at the same institution, I got married for the first time. I remain Joyce Poole

Bonnie Green (née Tompkins), Joyce Poole and Kate Helm (née Jones)

and remain good friends with those classmates aforementioned and several others. I am proud to be an Old Dolphin and have never forgotten my time in Iffley Road. There is no doubt in my mind that attending Godolphin was THE most important influence in forming me as a capable adult and enabling me to have a fantastic and rewarding career.

1967

Stella Caney (née Windsor) In December I celebrated a special birthday and my daughters arranged a lovely little party for me with family and friends. Our third grandchild was born last May – a baby girl. My elder daughter turned 40 (scary) and gained her third degree. My husband and I have visited a number of countries – Cyprus, Egypt, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro in addition to the usual four trips to our house in Normandy where we have a large garden. We are off to Paris and Lille for a few days at the end of March. I was called for jury service at Gloucester Crown court last spring, which was an experience! I am closely involved with our local U3A (the University of the Third Age) and continue with languages and music on an active basis. Additionally, after having played pieces on the piano in a desultory fashion for years, I am now going to start classes to improve my playing. I managed to return to London for several events last year – a baby shower for my younger daughter, two trips with our art appreciation group and a visit to Wimbledon during the tennis tournament where we had centre court tickets. During this particular trip, we stayed in Ravenscourt Park which gave me the opportunity to wander down to Iffley Road before meeting up with some friends in Hammersmith Broadway. Having sadly lost a few friends during the last year also, it is a question of carpe diem, which we should all embrace.

1975

Jane Ackroyd I was born in London into a seemingly conventional family. We lived in Notting Hill, which as a child in the 60s was a brilliant, bohemian and exciting place to be. My parents were extremely supportive of the arts and encouraged every aspect, from acting to drumming to clay sculpture. In the basement of our house there was a large room, in which we were allowed to play havoc. So we painted the walls, made up plays, used plaster of Paris and bags of clay (supplied by my mother). In this room we also had a vervet monkey, a bush baby, 21 white mice and a couple of gerbils. Every Sunday, my father would drop me and my brothers and sister at the zoo while he vanished to follow other pursuits. This is when I became immersed in the beauty of animals and birds. I was at Godolphin and Latymer from 1969 to 1975. Encouraged by Miss Berenice Goodwin, I went on to pursue a career in Fine Art and Sculpture. I received a BA First Class in Sculpture from St Martin’s School of Art in 1979. St Martin’s opened my eyes to abstraction, serendipity and spontaneity. During this time I discovered steel and have never looked back. I enjoy its flexibility and strength. It is the material of my choice for the subjects that I want to create. This period was inspirational and explosively creative. I then went on to complete my MA at the Royal College of Art in 1983. Here I received the special Melchett Award for work in steel, the Fulham Pottery Award and a travel scholarship to Carrara. I have produced many public and private commissions and am in collections in the US, France, Switzerland, Italy and the UK. A large commission in collaboration with Levitt Bernstein Architects on the redevelopment of the Old Royal Free Hospital in Islington in 1993 won the Europa Nostra Prize. In 1995 I won an award from The Jackson Pollock-Lee Krasner Foundation for work to date. In

2016, I was elected a Fellow of The Royal Society of Sculptors. In recent years I have worked with architects, landscape designers and developers to produce large scale commissions for public sites. Photographs of these sculptures appear on page 43 or you can visit my website: http://www. janeackroyd.com. I have recently finished writing a book with Zoë Parker (née Kingsmill-Lunn) ‘75. It is a joint autobiography entitled And You and I. We wrote this book together in the year we both turned 60 as we wanted to create something beautiful to celebrate our friendship, mark our lives and remember people whom we had loved who had died. The book is a concrete artefact that celebrates our longstanding friendship. We are looking for a publisher and would welcome any leads from the Godolphin family.

1977

Alison Raeside (née Powell) I was called to the bar in 1982 and practised as a barrister in London until children made it impossible to carry on. I started sitting as a District Judge in 2000 and as a Circuit Judge in 2011. I am based in Guildford and sit in family and civil matters as well as in the Court of Protection (looking after the interests of those who don’t have capacity to make decisions for themselves). In January 2019, I was appointed the Designated Civil Judge for Surrey which means that I have an overall responsibility for Family Justice in Surrey, leading the team of judges and magistrates who do this work. Most of my work involves cases where the local authority is seeking to remove neglected and abused children from their families. I also hear private law cases (disputes between individual family members over children). I have four children (ranging from 30 to 13) and a husband who is also a judge.

Ruth Finkel (née Levy) I recently won an award for Charity Initiatives at a Primary School. I work as a Teaching Assistant at North West London Jewish Day School; in addition, I am the Charity Lead and the Interfaith Lead for the school. As Charity Lead, I have a committee of children who choose which charity we will support each term through our regular collections each Friday. One of the weekly Jewish Newspapers, in conjunction with an organisation called Pa Jes that supports Jewish education, holds awards each year for practitioners in Jewish schools in various categories and I was nominated and won the award for Charity Initiatives in a Primary School. I received a trophy, a certificate and £5000 to spend on a charitable project at school.

1984

Sophie Baring (née Andrewes) In August 2016 I married for the second time. My husband’s name is Mark Baring and we host The Grange Festival and other fabulous events at The Grange Hampshire. If you love opera or need to host an event, please get in touch or come and see us. Sophie@thegrangehampshire. co.uk.

1987

Marushka Vidovic Here’s my news from the barrio of Poblenou in Barcelona, and the non-profit I set up four years ago, NouPOP. It began as a project to give teens and tweens a place to go and dance without their parents! And it quickly grew into a 21st century educational project in which secondary school students design and produce their very own mini-music festival for their peers. We are currently beginning our third collaboration with a local secondary school, the Institut Quatre Cantons de Poblenou – a reference in innovative schooling in Catalonia. Twenty-four thirdyear students have eight hours

a week over seven weeks to organize a two-hour festival, held at the beginning of April in Hangar, a Fábrica de Creación and research centre specialising in sound and new technologies. Their jobs include programming, performing, production, communication and decorating. NouPOP believes in the power of culture to create a sense of community, and the incredible connections that arise when people unite around a shared love for art and music. Our aim is to work with secondary schools from as wide a variety of barrios as possible, bringing students together in festivals held throughout Barcelona. Our ultimate ambition is to widen our reach to cities around Spain, and further afield, using a digital platform to connect projects and truly create a global community of young people through music and culture. If anyone is interested in learning more, or contributing in any way, I’d love to hear from you! noupopbcn@gmail.com

1989

Julia Bueno I left Godolphin and Latymer in 1989. After studying law at Oxford, I had a (very) brief career teaching and then practising law. I re-trained as an adult psychotherapist via a small detour in online journalism. This spring, I’ll be publishing my first book, The Brink of Being, which explores the varied experience of miscarriage. It aims to educate, console and remind the reader that women’s reproductive struggles in general continue to be minimised and misunderstood. It also explores the idea that miscarriage should be reframed as an issue that has far-reaching consequences for many women and couples. My Godolophin and Latymer friends remain my closest friends to this day. I live in Hackney with my husband and two sons.

1991

Stephanie Sanders I will be trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp in February 2020 in aid of the charity Ovarian Cancer Action. Preparation will involve six months’ endurance and stamina training – so not an easy task at all! I have very fond memories of my time at school and it would mean a lot if anyone reading the magazine could support me in this ambitious venture to raise money for such a worthy cause. My JustGiving link is https:// www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ stephanie-sanders2. Thank you so much for your help in advance.

1992

Zoe Ley (née Appleyard) Rockster, the pet food company I started in 2015, has just signed a deal with the biggest pet food distributor in North America. It’s a distribution deal that virtually no other European brand has, and one that is unprecedented for a company of our size. We had limited resources when we launched just over two years ago, but what we did have was a very strong vision. I would like to thank Godolphin and Latymer for instilling in me the ‘Dream of the Dolphin’ and for making me into a person that doesn’t give up when faced with a hurdle.

Katy Lindfield-Butler (née Marsden) Bodhi Hendrix Lindfield-Butler was born 13 June 2018, younger brother to twins Finley Ocean and Jenson Blue.

1994

Tamsin Astor I had an idea to write a book a few years ago, after blogging about habit science, ayurveda, yoga, meditation and how we can re-train our brains to be more efficient so we can have more time and energy for fun. I talked about it, took some notes, created a vision, and in 2018 I had my first book published as part of a three-book deal! Don’t negate the power of intention… My book, Force of Habit: Unleash Your Power by Developing Great Habits, details an east-meets-west approach to managing your key daily habits and includes a plantbased recipe book and journaling questions.

Francesca Stavrakopoulou In the early 90s, I went on a school trip to Mount Sinai that had a profound effect on me. What I saw and learnt on that trip sparked a curiosity in biblical traditions that encouraged me to study Theology at Oxford. I am now a Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion at the University of Exeter. When not teaching and doing research on the biblical traditions of ancient Israelite and Judahite religions, I give talks on the roles of the Bible, religion and atheism in ancient and contemporary societies. This coming September, I will be re-joining, as guest lecturer, the expedition group that first took me to the Sinai. If any Old Dolphins want to join me to revisit the desert – or discover it for the first time – please contact office@ windsandstars.co.uk. You can find out more at www.windsandstars. co.uk.

Zara Balfour I have just produced and directed a feature documentary entitled Children of the Snow Land which was released in UK cinemas mid-March 2019. It tells the extraordinary story of children from the High Himalayas who were separated from their families at age four so that they could receive an education in the city.

For twelve years, they do not see their parents. Aged sixteen, they trek back to reconnect with their parents and an ancient way of life. You can see a 60 second trailer of the film at www. childrenofthesnowland.com There are 25 similar schools in Kathmandu alone and in every one of these schools, there will be children who are bravely attending city school while their families are out of all contact in the mountains. Similar situations exist elsewhere: globally, an estimated six million children live away from family in schools and institutions, despite having a living parent. Our aims in producing this film are to increase awareness about the lengths families go to receive an education as well as to help improve the lives of Himalayan children attending school far from home by helping them stay connected with their families. We also want to ensure they make full use of the education for which they have made such a sacrifice. In the long term, we hope we can help inspire development of the villages of the Himalaya so that eventually children won’t have to be separated from their families for education.

bearing his name, to mark the run of Pinter at the Pinter, a season of Pinter’s short plays. I frequently do portrait commissions of children and I am now painting a lot in Cornwall and Wales for a new solo show, planned for next year. You can see examples of my work – still life, landscapes and figures – at www. amyshuckburgh.com. Some are reproduced on page 43. I am also a mother and all three of my children now go to school near Godolphin and Latymer, where they regularly use the trampolining facilities, which they find thrilling.

1998

Hui Ling McCarthy

Hui Ling was appointed QC in March 2018.

1996

Amy Shuckburgh I was a particularly enthusiastic art student of Miss Berenice Goodwin before leaving in 1996, and I have painted ever since those days. In October 2018, I had three of my works accepted by The Chelsea Art Society for their annual group exhibition at the Chelsea Town Hall on the Kings Road, London. In February 2019, I had a joint show at Olympia Auctions entitled Motherhood. In March, I exhibited at The Other Art Fair (presented by Saatchi Art) in a show called UnMissable, where 25 portraits of missing people by 25 artists were exhibited to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Missing People charity. My portrait of the late Nobel Prize winning playwright, Harold Pinter, was recently gifted to the theatre

2004

Felicity Barber (née Dennistoun) I was offered the job of a lifetime in New York in 2018, while I was pregnant with my second baby. I was living in San Francisco at the time. We relocated to New York with our new daughter, Beatrice Elsie, my 2-year-old son, Albert Christopher, and our two cats. I’m Executive Speechwriter to the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. If any Dolphins would like a tour of the gold vault, get in touch, via the ODA mailbox! 41

Alanna Wakeford (née Harris) I am very pleased to announce the birth of my daughter, Indianna Gillian Ruth Wakeford, on 12 January 2019 in Wiltshire. I am also very proud that her godmother will be fellow Old Dolphin Charlotte Crisp (née Rebuck).

2006

Camille (Milly) KennyRyder I have recently self-published my third book, London by Weekend Journals. It is a design-focused book that offers imagery and tips to discovering the best food, art and culture in the city. It completes the collection of previous books on Cornwall and Provence. I started the company with my husband, Simon Lovell, and my brother, Gabriel KennyRyder (a Latymer alumni). More information on all our books can be found on our website www.weekendjournals.co.uk/ shop/

2011

Hiba Saleem Danish I was at Godolphin and Latymer from 2004 to 2011 and have really fond memories of my time there. After school I pursued Medicine at Imperial College and now work as a Junior Doctor in London. Last summer, I married Akbar Sher Khan and was lucky enough to have my best friends from Godolphin attend the celebrations across two continents! Present were: Sophie Elliott, Louisa Treadwell, Florence Rees, Sophia Johnston, Charlotte Elder, Wells Fray-Smith. South Asian wedding celebrations traditionally include a number of pre- and post-wedding events, and we split these across England and India. The events started off in London with traditional pre-wedding parties and the civil ceremony, continued with a destination wedding in Jaipur, in India, and ended with postwedding celebrations in Bhopal. Zahra Ahmed ’12 created the most amazing guide to the wedding with a detailed explanation of all the events. The Mehndi, a traditional prewedding party, was held on the Dixie Queen travelling down the River Thames. This event was really special because all my friends prepared an incredible 18 minute Bollywood dance with a song from each year of my life. Shout out to the Old Dolphins who brought their A game and surprised us all – you can see the dance on YouTube: www.bitly. com/mehndidance More parties and events followed in India. We had a bride versus groom’s cricket match, a second Mehndi, a Sangeet (another pre-wedding celebration full of dancing and singing), the Nikah (the religious ceremony) and finally the wedding. All of these events were held at The Jaibagh Palace in Jaipur. The festivities ended with a post-wedding celebration at the Noor Us Sabah Palace in Bhopal, about 600km south of Jaipur.

Artists from Godolphin This year, we were delighted to hear from some of the artists within the Old Dolphin community. Here is some of their wonderful work. Their stories can be found in Class Notes.

Jayne Ackroyd â&#x20AC;&#x2122;75 Left: Hop Stringers Right: Autumn Watch

Amy Shucknurgh â&#x20AC;&#x2122;96

Below left: Harold Pinter Below right: Landscape Bottom: From Motherhood

In Memoriam

Jean Glover (1927–2019)

A beloved former member of staff who held many positions – Teacher of Chemistry, Head of Chemistry, Head of Science, Deputy Head, Bursary Fund Trustee – Jean Glover died on 11 January 2019. Her husband Bob Glover (1931– 2019), who was also a member of staff, died three days before. A tribute by Margaret Rudland with help from Susan Ross Funerals are often very sad occasions and joint funerals are rare. Yet the funeral of Jean Glover and her husband Bob on 26 February was uplifting and happy as we celebrated the lives of two extraordinary people who, in different ways, had contributed so positively and practically to the life of Godolphin and Latymer School over many years. Jean was appointed to the School in 1970 as Head of Chemistry and Head of Science. She will always be remembered as an inspirational teacher with infectious enthusiasm and a deep love of her subject. Simply, she made Chemistry fun. Her lessons were exciting voyages of discovery which fired many girls to continue their Chemistry studies at university. As a Head of Science, she led her team of staff with skill and trust, empowering to them get on with their teaching without interference but supporting and guiding appropriately. Having an eye for the wider needs of the school, she developed the Careers Department, recognising the increasing importance of girls having access to tailored advice and to the wealth of information about higher education and the diversity of opportunities. Jean’s ability to fundraise was legendary and through her superb organisational skills and tireless hard work, our jumble sales and Christmas Bazaars raised staggering sums of money. She was expert at

encouraging girls, staff and parents to give of their time, often on Saturdays, to raise money for charity, and not least our own Bursary Fund, which was very important to her. It was at such events that Bob’s help was enlisted. He was working in the laboratories at UCL and years before had met Jean through the University of London Social Club. There was nothing that Bob did not know about electrics, so that setting up lighting and sound systems for events was a joy to him. For years he ran the electrical stall at bazaars and jumble sales, usually able to work his magic and restore old or broken equipment to new life and a sale. It was said at the funeral that for the first half of their lives, Jean and Bob did not know each other but for the second half there were inseparable; they were a very close couple who enjoyed working together for the good of the school. In 1983 Jean was promoted to Deputy Headmistress, a role that she enjoyed as it brought her into close contact with the whole school community. She had enormous affection and respect for the staff and girls and was a great encourager and problem-solver. Nothing was too much trouble; even in a very busy day Jean showed unfailing kindness, thought and compassion. She sometimes agonised over decisions and issues, wanting things to go well but, cheerful and approachable, Jean so often found solutions to problems which many thought impossible to resolve. Jean’s kindness was her foremost quality, making her a wonderful teacher and colleague. She was one of nature’s forces for good. Her day-to-day acts of kindness were the oil in the wheels of the school and on one occasion the kindness of Jean and Bob extended to taking a girl into their home for a term because of her family circumstances. As a new Head, navigating my first few years of Headship, I will always be grateful to Jean for the personal warmth and kindness she showed. Patient and thoughtful, she was a fount of knowledge and a source of good, common sense giving me sound practical advice and issuing the occasional timely, yet kindly, warnings in the events of potential misjudgement. She was a wonderful support and an excellent deputy. Jean officially retired in 1990 but during the following year she graciously returned as acting Bursar, to cover absence, and taught some Chemistry on a part-time basis. A few years later, Bob joined the maintenance staff for a short time. Their love for the school continued into their retirements. Jean was a very private person who did not talk about herself but who did express great pride in her family: her nieces, Louise and Lucy, her sister Jennifer, whom she persuaded to join the teaching staff and her beloved Bob. We remember Jean and Bob with great affection and gratitude for their kindness, expertise and devotion to the School. Susan Ross, Head of Physics 1975–83, Head of Science 1983–90, Deputy Headmistress 1990–94 Margaret Rudland, Headmistress 1986–2008

A tribute from Alison Wilson When Jean Glover followed Frances Eastwood as Head of Chemistry in 1970, she was joining a department which was very highly thought of in Chemistry education circles. Both she and Miss Eastwood were, in 1974 and 1964 respectively, appointed Chair of the Association for Science Education (ASE), a very prestigious appointment. It was, in fact, to cover her necessary absences from school in this role that I was appointed by Miss Gray as a part-time teacher. The department was staffed at that time by Mrs Glover and Lynda Dowd, both charismatic and gifted teachers, and it offered the best possible example of forward-looking science teaching. With Joan Elleboode as a technician with many years’ experience, it was an exciting place to work. It was one of the trial schools for Nuffield chemistry in the sixties; the Nuffield course embodied a commitment to guided discovery through practical investigation, and its approach was both more interesting and more challenging than the rote learning approach that was the norm. By the time I joined the school in 1973, the course was fully established. So new was it, however, that the equipment we needed was not commercially available, and we were immensely grateful to Bob Glover, Jean’s husband, for his ingenuity and expertise in creating the necessary apparatus – always functional, often quaint. Jean went on to become a trustee of ASE and was for many years a Moderator for Nuffield A Level examination papers. She was an inspiring teacher, and a caring and supportive Head of Department. She played a very important part in encouraging large numbers of girls to study A Level Chemistry at a time when this was by no means the norm in girls’ schools. It was an exciting department to teach in. In the mid-eighties, she moved on from her role as both Head of Chemistry and Head of Science to become Deputy Head, and was ably succeeded by Joy Mason. Alison Wilson, Teacher of Chemistry 1973–98

A tribute from her niece Lucy Watson ‘91 I grew up just around the corner from my aunt, Jean Glover, and throughout my childhood, I remember her as living and breathing Godolphin and Latymer – day, evening, term-time and holidays. She lived to work, throwing herself with gusto into every endeavour; indeed for 25 years, Godolphin almost became the family she never had. In the early 80s, before I started at Godolphin and Latymer, I remember the earnest business of the Christmas Bazaar preparation. My aunt must clearly have commanded immense respect from her pupils as she somehow managed to persuade teen girls to eschew other weekend activities to come to her home to fold Christmas cards, prepare calendars and make Christmas decorations (a feat that, almost 40 years on when I have teens in my own home, seems quite unbelievable). From my own years at Godolphin, I picture her as a passionate organiser, talking at full speed, constantly running up and down the stairs between her office and the staff room. A perfectionist, she frequently worked late into the night, always putting the school before her home life. Former teachers remember (with a sigh) the staff noticeboard under her deputyheadship: every millimetre of space was crammed with copious instructions to ensure that every possible eventuality was fully prepared for. Indeed, when she retired in 1991, she was presented with a ‘School Report.’ One contribution that encapsulates her particularly well reads: ‘Jean is an enthusiastic worker and takes a keen interest in all aspects of this subject. She does tend to use up her energy by rushing around excitedly.’ My family often attempted to persuade her and her husband Bob to take a holiday, but our efforts fell on deaf ears; there was always a school-related reason why they couldn’t get away. This seems a shame, as on one occasion (c. 1980), she was invited by the Association for Science Education, of which she was previously Chair, to accompany a group of A Level Science students on a trip to Australia. It is a trip that must have marked her deeply as she continued to talk of it well into her old age. It is a shame that she and Bob never found time to travel the world a little, as I feel sure they might have enjoyed it. I asked my peers for some memories of Mrs Glover and this is typical of what I received: ‘Deeply committed to every Godolphin girl, I will always be able to picture Mrs Glover patrolling the corridors of the school with her unique blend of sternness to keep us on track and warmth to make us feel welcome.’ After retiring in 1991, she devoted herself with characteristic fervour to the Barnes Community Association, raising huge sums for local charities. Jean became frail in her final years and moved to a residential home in Barnes. She passed away peacefully on 11 January 2019, aged 91, preceded by just a few days by her husband Bob.

Muriel Bishop (née Hadley) ‘32

Muriel’s daughter Judith Bishop writes: My mother passed away at the age of 103 on 13 May 2017. She always spoke so highly of Godolphin and Latymer and how she enjoyed her time there. She came to Canada after the war with her husband and enjoyed a long life in Oakville, Ontario. Although she had some issues, she was still able to go out for a birthday lunch a few weeks before she passed.

Margaret Cable (née Lewis) ‘39

Margaret passed away in the middle of March.

Merriel Phillips ’41

Merriel’s niece Alex Huxham writes: My aunt joined the Bank of England as a secretary during WWII, having obtained very high speeds in shorthand and typing. She remained there until she retired prematurely to look after her ailing mother. She was also an accomplished pianist. In 1986 she moved to Midhurst where she became secretary of the local bridge club, joined many other groups and enjoyed holidays abroad with friends from her Bank of England days who had also moved to this area. Merriel passed away in February 2018 and is buried in Midhurst cemetery.

Kathleen Goodchild (née Foster) ‘42 Betty Morley (née Bennett) ’43

Muriel Bishop in school uniform

Muriel with her birthday card from Her Majesty the Queen celebrating her 100th birthday

Betty’s daughter Jane Morley writes: Betty joined Godolphin and Latymer in 1936, but had to leave three years later at the outbreak of the Second World War. She was supposed to be evacuated to the countryside, but she begged her parents to let her stay near them in London. A compromise was agreed, and she spent the weekdays in Denham – less than 20 miles from central London – and the weekends with her family in Hammersmith. Although to her regret she never returned to complete her schooling, she did forge a career. Betty particularly enjoyed her work for theatrical agent Charles Tucker and his roster of young talent, including the teenage Julie Andrews (whatever happened to her?). She put her work on hold when she met and subsequently married Geoffrey Morley, appropriately, a former Latymer boy. They later adopted a daughter, Jane, and Betty

Margaret Cable with her daughter Mavourna at Old Dolphins’ Day in September 2018.

devoted herself to her family and her many friends – including former Godolphin classmates – who greatly valued her warmth, supportiveness and love. She retained her thirst for new experiences, developing a taste for cruises – and in her 80s, Indian food – while maintaining longstanding passions, including the theatre. She died aged 94 and one month, more than 30 years after Geoff’s passing. A fellow churchgoer described Betty as the kindest person she had ever met, and she was the best mum anyone could wish for. She will be missed by all who knew her.

Margaret Anne Edgington (née Rose) ‘49

An excerpt from an eulogy given by Margaret’s daughter-in-law Becky Edgington: Margaret Anne Rose was born on 12 December 1930 in Uxbridge, back when Middlesex was a proper county. She was the second child of Amy and Will Rose; she had an older brother, David. As Will was an electrical engineer at London Transport, the family had free travel and so enjoyed many train holidays. They were in Crewkerne when war broke out and Margaret was left to stay with the family they had been lodging with while Amy, Will and David returned to Ickenham. However, as there was little action in the first few months of the war, Margaret only stayed in Somerset for a term and returned to Ickenham and her school at Christmas. Margaret passed her 11 plus and was awarded a place at the Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith. She always said it was because there was no room in local schools, although she was obviously a very bright child and was probably selected to attend this prestigious school. She became a young commuter travelling from Ickenham to Hammersmith by tube from 1942 through the rest of the war. Until very recently she would recall running for the train from home in the morning, perhaps ¾ mile, and on one occasion being admonished for arriving late at school because the train had been held up by a bomb near the line! On leaving school, Margaret got a job in the Aeronautical Inspection Department (AID) in Harefield. She used to cycle to work along hilly country lanes, a memory which she never lost. In 1952 she left AID to work in the pathology department at Hillingdon Hospital which suited her love of science and her enquiring mind. Her only other paid employment was after her son had started school when she worked for a short while as a lab assistant at the local Roman Catholic School.

It was at Hillingdon Hospital that Margaret met Robert, who was a physiotherapist there. He was a blind man of some character – one might say a bit of a handful – but nonetheless she was not put off by the challenge and they married on 5 March 1955. Soon afterwards, Margaret found out she was pregnant and Julian was born just before Christmas. They bought a house in Ickenham very near to her mother who was able to help out when Margaret became ill soon after Julian’s birth and had to spend some time in hospital. In 1967 Robert decided to get a guide dog. Seeing how marvellously Shanti the dog protected Robert from danger prompted Margaret to start taking in puppies who were destined to be guide dogs, socialising them as part of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Puppy Walking Scheme. Each puppy stayed with them for ten months before going off to be assessed for further training. She loved doing this and could tell funny stories like the time one of the puppies drank Robert’s beer and slept for some while. Another often recounted tale was when one of them fell through the open-tread at the top of their modern staircase with no apparent ill effects! Robert died in May 2006 at the age of 81 and in 2011 Margaret moved to Abbeyfield Sheltered Housing in Great Missenden. She had been very happy in Ickenham but was finding it increasingly lonely and she liked the idea of living close to Julian and his second wife, Becky. Living in Great Missenden meant changing churches for the first time in her life – but she wasn’t fazed and attended the Baptist Church there. By 2015, Margaret’s accelerating dementia meant she needed more care and so moved in with Julian and Becky. She joined the Alzheimer’s Support Day Centre which she attended every Friday and especially enjoyed the visits from dogs. Through the Centre, Margaret took part in the Music for the Mind sessions as well as

the Wildlife Club at Lower Moor Farm run in conjunction with Wiltshire Wildlife. She loved being taken on walks around the reserve watching the progress of nature although she never did see that elusive otter or kingfisher! Margaret was always cheerful and a gentle lady. She was quite spiritual and enjoyed reading and discussing the Bible and her Faith. She also enjoyed poetry, a love she shared with Robert, and Becky often would read her favourite poems to her. Margaret was not a flamboyant person, usually quite reserved and never loud or shrill. But those who understood from her quiet demeanour that she was a person of few firm opinions soon found such an impression to be misplaced. Margaret had certain clear views of the world, principally centred around her categorical conviction that all people were equal in the eyes of God; or when interpreted in the context of our everyday lives, that everyone deserved respect and should be afforded equal opportunity. She loved the natural world; to Margaret even a rainy grey day could be beautiful, and she would hold a pigeon in as much esteem as she would a peacock! Notwithstanding the debilitation of her progressive dementia, Margaret continued to give joy to everyone she met. She found making friends easy and touched people wherever she lived. To know her was to love her and she will be missed by many.

Mary Gregory ‘51

Mary’s sister Christine Parker ’55 writes: My sister Mary sadly died unexpectedly on 20 August 2017. She was born to Frederick and Ethel Gregory on 29 November 1932 and we lived in Sudbury, Middlesex, except for three months at the beginning of the war when we went to our grandparents in South Warnborough, Hampshire. Mary attended the village school there, having had a year at Wembley

Grammar School previously. When we returned home, we went to St Dominic’s on Harrow Hill. Mary then went to Godolphin and Latymer in September 1944 and I joined her in the preparatory the next term. Mary always did very well at school and in the Sixth Form, she studied the sciences and had lessons with Mrs Hereford and Miss Richards in Botany and Zoology, I believe by herself. As children, we spent all our school holidays with our grandparents in Hampshire and went for long walks with our parents (our father was a teacher at Latymer Upper School and was with us, as he had reserved occupation status). That is where our interest in flowers developed and Mary was always looking up what we had seen in flower books. Later in 1960, she was co-author of the Oxford Book of Wildflowers. Mary won a state scholarship and went to Girton College, Cambridge in September 1952 to read Natural Sciences specialising in Botany. After

graduating, she worked at the Clarendon Press Oxford as an assistant Scientific Editor from 1955 to 1961. She then went to the Jodrell Laboratory at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, initially as an Experimental Officer and finally ending as a Senior Scientific Officer. Mary retired in 1992, but continued to work at Kew on her own work as well also working with volunteers, and she was even at work a few days before she died. She has written, edited and co-edited numerous books including volumes in the Anatomy of Monocotyledons and the Anatomy of Dicotyledons series, and three important bibliographies for wood anatomists and paleobotanists. Mary was made an honorary member of the International Association of Wood Anatomists in 1980 ‘for her outstanding merits for the advancement of the knowledge of wood anatomy.’ She was made an Honorary Research Fellow of Kew in 1993 ‘for her contribution and her continued work there in her retirement.’ She was also a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London. She was awarded the William Aiton Medal ‘for exceptional service to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.’ She was actually the first person to receive it on its introduction in 2009. The citation not only mentions her work but also ‘the supervising of four volunteers who were data basing the Kew microscope slide collection: an essential Kew resource.’ Her fellow colleagues have said she was a meticulous editor, noticing inaccuracies in different sections of a text. Mary enjoyed many holidays abroad with various friends from Girton, usually on a special nature tour, especially looking at wild flowers. We also had many such holidays together, although my knowledge of flowers did not run to the Latin names as Mary’s did. Everyone remembers Mary as a quiet, modest but extremely kind and thoughtful person and a true friend to her little sister.

Janet Cole (née Frewin) ‘53

Janet’s daughter Sandy Hickey ’82 writes: I am sad to have to inform you that my mother died last year on 2 May 2017. She used to love coming to Old Dolphins’ Day. I enjoyed bringing her when she needed some support. As her dementia worsened over the last few years, it became less tenable to join in. The following is a modified version of what I said at her funeral: Janet was a person who, although sometimes scared of taking action, used her intelligence and emotion to decide what the right thing to do was and usually overcame her fears to do it – or got Dad to do it. She was vivacious and loved to talk. She was a worrier, but liked to amuse. When I went to university, her firm instruction was ‘not to worry, I’ll do that for you.’ My mother trained as a secretary in her last year at school because that was one of the things wellbrought-up girls did, and by the time she met Malcolm at the age of 26, she was personal assistant to Sir Richard W. Burbidge, the Chairman of British Home Stores. This proved to be excellent training for the job she excelled at – being a mum. Janet was very proud of her school, Godolphin and Laytmer, and loved it. Of course, for the first twelve years of my life I only heard the scary stuff, but that all changed when we moved back to London and lived within a mile of it. Then, suddenly, school was a great place. Her favourite teacher, Miss Dean, was now Head Mistress, and I was welcomed. I was the very last pupil to join the school before it became independent, two weeks before the end of the summer term. Mum got to have a new and happier relationship with her old school, re-connecting with old friends and teachers. Dame Joyce had been her headmistress, and I think Mum had been terrified of

her. She told her this on meeting her, and from then until Dame Joyce’s death in 1993 they remained firm friends. Mum enjoyed helping to raise money for the school bursary fund. My favourite memory was when Mum and I came up with the idea for a money-making activity at the summer fete: playing horseshoes. This is a game where teams have to try and hit a target with a horse shoe. But where to get lots of horse shoes in Hammersmith? Mum solved it with a phone call, and two weeks later, off we went with a shopping trolley to Hammersmith police station to meet the police horses and collect our booty – two happy girls! My father, Malcolm, was an honouree member of the school too, giving support at events whilst I was at school (1977–1982) and beyond. He had the job of running the money to the bank during the Christmas Bazaar, and we are not talking paper money. It needed strength! The shopping trolley was put to good use yet again, hauling numerous heavy loads of coins. Dad was also instrumental in running the annual fireworks display at the school for a number of years after I left. Mum was proud of what I did, but never pressured me to achieve for approval. She was the memory bank of the family, often surprising Dad and me with things we had forgotten. When I wasn’t sure if I should take A level Art, she reminded me that I had won the Art cup at primary school. Mum then suggested I take evening classes in life drawing and she paid for them. I got an A in Art, so it was money well spent. She was also creative. She pushed me to go, I suspect, where she might have gone herself – not that she ever said so. She definitely led from the back. Anyone who visited her would have seen her paintings. Many childhood outings were spent with Dad and me exploring while Mum sat and painted a view. She also made lots of great friends when taking art classes. As I sit

writing this in my office, I have a recent montage of her still life paintings and drawings. In our house in Hammersmith, when I was at Godolphin, she used ordinary coloured tiles to create a picture of the Tower of London by night, still not forgotten by my school friends. When I was very little, she worked part time for Polycell and surprised them with her creativity. I apologise – she was the woman who inspired the development of Artex for ceilings! What would Dad have said about her? Obviously, that he loved her. That they worked well as a team. That quite often she was the brains behind the outfit. That he valued her people skills. That she often brought the world to him, being out there, meeting people, hearing news and ideas. That she brought sense to his more extreme ideas. And that she supported him. When my father wanted a sailing boat, he got one, and with trepidation, we went sailing. Later on, after I had left home, they had a 42-foot-long narrow boat built for them so they could cruise the canals of Britain. At this point, Janet decided to face her fear of water and tried to immerse herself in learning to swim. She became good friends with a young mum at her swimming class and had the lasting pleasure of watching her toddlers grow to adulthood, sharing their achievements along the way, including little Sophie getting into Godolphin at the age of 11. And how did she do with the swimming? Well, if at first you don’t succeed – try hypnotism! I don’t know if it was her idea or Dad’s, but it worked. She could finally swim. This gave everyone confidence, till she took an unexpected tumble off their boat into the canal after many years of uneventful cruising on the waterways of Britain. From then on, boats were still absolutely fine, but getting into water was not. There was no moving her on this. Even after I yielded to Dad’s daftest idea yet – of building a swimming pool in the earth-

Janet’s artwork

sheltered house I designed for them as a retirement home – it didn’t change the situation. She stayed firmly on dry land, taking her pleasure instead from watching her granddaughter Amber play in the pool. You can bring a pool to a wife, but you can’t make her swim! My best memory in the last few weeks before Mum died is of her unexpected animated peel of laughter as my aunts Jenny and Vicky discussed the time Jenny had to use a milk float to move house. Imagine the milk float lumbering up the road with furniture stacked out on each side. I am happy to say Mum never lost her sense of humour.

Dr Celia Scully ‘53 Frances Williams (née Cox) ‘55 Jean Skinner (née Toplis) ‘55 Susan Willard (née Taylor) ’55 Jonquil Bevan ‘59

Dr Bevan died peacefully at home on 15 November 2018. Jonquil was the much loved sister of Chloe and the dear aunt of Sophie and Lucia. Her funeral service was held in the main chapel at the Mortonhall Crematorium in Edinburgh on Saturday 15 December.

Katherine Elizabeth Hickman (née Goddard) ‘99

By Olivia Pearcy ‘99: Kate and I became friends at Godolphin sitting together in our GCSE history classes. She had a sense of humour that could keep me in giggles for ages while she also managed to pick up all the finer points of the Russian Revolution – much to our history teacher’s chagrin! Kate was academically very gifted and did brilliantly in every subject she took at school as well as throwing herself into other aspects of school life such as choir and geography society. She was also willing to help others. A friend remembers how Kate patiently explained the nuances of one of the A Level mathematics modules they were taking so that it ‘clicked’ just before their exams. Kate left Godolphin in 1999 and headed off to Chengdu in Sichuan Province of China to teach English for six months. This sparked a love of China, which she revisited in 2008 with her husband Paul. After her gap year, Kate went to Durham University, Castle College, where she studied Psychology, graduating with a 1st in 2003. She then studied at Roehampton, undertaking a master’s degree in Volunteer Management.

Kate put her skills and knowledge to very good use in a successful, respected and varied career in volunteer management. She worked with a range of people and organisations and achieved more in her life than most people achieve in 40 years of working. Kate worked at Breast Cancer Care, BRAVA (a volunteer centre), the library services of Ealing Council and ultimately the National Deaf Children’s Society (NCDS) as a volunteer manager following a move to Evesham in Warwickshire. Music always played a part in Kate’s life. At Godolphin, she sang in the Senior Choir and afterwards took up singing with Rev (a gospel choir which she joined at University), the London City Singers (a four-part harmony choir), and then the Vale Chorus in Evesham. Whilst at NCDS, Kate also joined in with a signing choir – she had learnt sign language when she started working with the organisation. In fact, her musical aptitude had her hailing the Fourth of May with not only the school song many years after leaving Godolphin, but also with a slightly updated version she created to reflect a May day visit I made to her house! Kate met Paul early in 2007 and in 2011 they married in Richmond Park on a beautiful day surrounded by friends and family. It was a move of Paul’s job that took them out of London to Worcestershire where Kate embraced village life – becoming a part of the Village Hall committee as well as joining a local choir. Even after her cancer diagnosis in 2016, and at a time when, understandably, most people would have gone to ground to concentrate on treatment, Kate thought of others and the commitments she had made before she became unwell. While recovering from emergency surgery, she looked out for her fellow patients on the ward making sure that their needs were met. She asked her friends to help at the village fete (which was raising funds for the village

Hall) in a role to which Kate felt she could not dedicate enough time or valuable energy to do well. Throughout treatment, Kate still maintained her fantastic sense of humour, determination and a level of optimism that few people have when they are well, let alone fighting cancer. Kate died peacefully on the 21 May 2018 at the Myton Hospice in Warwickshire. She had been diagnosed with a brain tumour just less than two years before. As a humanist, Kate’s beliefs were that there is no afterlife but that the deeds you do during your life are how you live on. Judging by the outpouring of amazing memories of Kate and her kindness and humour, she will continue to live on for a very long time. Kate will be remembered and much missed for her kindness towards others and sense of humour even in the darkest days, funny and occasionally rude but very apt birthday cards, and her love of cats, earrings and Christmas. She continues to inspire people with her generosity and kindness, with many friends raising money for the charities that helped her, especially the hospices that looked after her while she was ill. Her husband Paul and her mother Jane will be travelling to China this May to walk on the Great Wall in Kate’s memory and to raise money for the Myton Hospice which looked after Kate. Here is Kate’s JustGiving page link if any of her classmates would like to make a donation in her memory. www.justgiving.com/teams/ kateschinatrekkers.

Old Dolphins’ Day Saturday 28 September 2019 11am – 4pm You are invited to join us at the school for all or part of the day’s events: 11.00am

Registration and refreshments

11.45am

ODA Annual General Meeting

Specific reunions for the classes of 1949, 1959, 1969, 1979, 1989 and 1999 also will be held on the day.

2.30pm

School Tours

It will be the perfect opportunity to re-connect with school friends, share memories with Old Dolphins from different year groups and get up-to-date information about developments at the school.

3.30pm

Francha Leale Fund Raffle Singing of the School Song

We hope you will join us for this special event!

12.45pm Lunch

Tickets £25

If you would like to attend, please complete the form below and return together with a cheque by 1 September to: Alumnae Relations, Godolphin and Latymer School, Iffley Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0PG. Any Old Dolphin who would find it a hardship to attend should contact the Francha Leale Fund through frcmitchell@aol.com

Old Dolphins’ Day and AGM Booking Form Saturday 28 September 2019 Name:

Year left:

Maiden name:

Class of (year it would have been had you left at the end of UVI):

Address:

Telephone:

Email:

Name of guest (forename & surname): Please advise of any special dietary requirements: The cost is £25.00 per person (including lunch). Cheques to be made payable to ‘Godolphin and Latymer School.’ I enclose a cheque for Tickets will NOT be sent out. Please tick the box if you would like to receive confirmation by email.

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Old Dolphins’ Day

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14 June | 6.30pm – 8.30pm

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28 September | 11.00am – 4.00pm

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7 December | 10.00am – 3.00pm

Alumnae Relations Godolphin and Latymer School Iffley Road, London W6 0PG Tel: 020 8735 9550 Email: oda@godolphinandlatymer.com

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