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INTRODUCTION TO THE ROLL NEWS, 2010 From the Principal Today the Homerton year began in part: the new PGCE cohort arrived in Cambridge to embark on a long, intense year of training. Some are our own new graduates, some have recently graduated elsewhere, but many have had several years of experience in a wide variety of other jobs and they bring this experience with them into their training and teaching. Being at Homerton, in Cambridge, is really only incidental to their training for they have almost no time in which to enjoy college or university life. If they are secondary trainees they are here for less than half a year and so busy that the life of a great university is closed to them and it is not much better for those training as primary teachers. All we can offer at Homerton is our long experience of training and ingrained knowledge of the teaching profession and a sympathetic understanding of their PGCE year. Nevertheless, Homerton will produce about 350 newly-qualified teachers this year, continuing our long tradition of training teachers at the College. The newly-arrived PGCE students probably don‘t know it but they are starting our first full year as a full College of the University, a status which hardly impacts on the College‘s students though it marks a change of governance for the staff. They may perhaps read about it if they buy our new book about Homerton, which is due to go to press any day now. In it the editors have tried to capture Homerton as it is today and some of our recent history. It is a history personal to the College and its many members and I hope that alumni may enjoy it. In two weeks the undergraduates return for their shorter, less focussed year and the annual revolution which haunts teachers and academics will be complete and we will roll forward into 2010 with whatever it brings. But just for the moment we are frozen in anticipation like the late summer itself, sunny days and cold evenings, trees just beginning to turn, cyclamen in the lime avenue - in two weeks it will be autumn and the new term. Like everyone else we wait to hear what will happen to our funding. Higher education is threatened, student fees may rise, fewer of us will have to maintain a programme of education and training for the same number of students and there will be less money for their education. It‘s a bad time to launch an appeal for donations but we shall do this in earnest in the spring for we are determined to maintain the quality of student life at Homerton. So, in this new year, I will be in touch with as many alumni as possible to talk about the College as it is now and our hopes and aspirations for the future. I look forward to it and to a successful first year as a Cambridge college. Kate Pretty 19th September 2010
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EDITORIAL This edition of the Homerton Roll News is my last, and I must first express my thanks to you—the real authors of this Newsletter—for all the news, stories, reports and other fascinating titbits you have sent in over the time I have occupied this seat. As usual, this issue is a mixture of past, present and future. In recording the celebrations with which the College greeted the long-awaited Royal Charter that makes it a ‗full college‘ of the University we celebrate not only past achievements but the springboard to more in the future. At the same time it is important to acknowledge the many, many old-Homertonians whose successes and whose achievements, ‗both in and out of education have made the name of Homerton College known and respected in many parts of the world‘. I remember that in 2007, the first Newsletter I edited, I printed a long letter from Anne Martin (Sparrowe) making just this point and asking ‗Can we know more about them?‘ I hope some of the articles and letters we have published under the heading ‗After Homerton‘ go some way to responding to her challenge. In the course of this year many of you have also responded to my request for ‗memories‘ to be included in a book to be published to celebrate the granting of the Royal Charter. Some came too late or were not quite suited for inclusion so they appear in this Newsletter. Together they give a fascinating picture of the gradual evolution of a college in which so much remained the same even as so much changed. Among them were contributions from some recently graduated students, who have witnessed the more recent changes, but whose words, I think, express what so many in each decade have said about their own memories of Homerton. ‗The mixture of new and old, both in the buildings and traditions, is something which really sets Homerton apart from other colleges in Cambridge. I felt that you could really add something of long standing to the college.‘ Please keep all your news coming in. I am sure the next editor will be as fascinated by your stories as I am. And to all of you, my best wishes for the future. Thank you all. Janet Bottoms
Table of Contents Introduction
1
Editorial
2
Celebrating the Royal Charter (i) The Garden Pary (ii) „Homerton‟
3
The Visit of the Chancellor
5
Memories i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi)
7 1940 and 2010 Homerton in wartime Students from Sierra Leone And after the war A profession of much standing The invisible curriculum
After Homerton i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi)
12
Five lessons from an accident And never give up Dancing in India My other career My path to publication East meets West
Reunion 2010
20
Retired Senior Members News
25
Alumni News by Decades
25
Deaths
35
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IN CELEBRATION OF THE
ROYAL CHARTER
The speeches were pertinent and relevant and followed by the first performance by the Charter Choir of the poem composed for the occasion by the poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, and set to music by the master of the Queen‘s music, Peter Maxwell Davies. It was a delight to see Max at the party and a fitting ‗marker‘ of the day from two of our honorary fellows – another honour for the college.
The Charter Garden Party Saturday 12 June 2010 – would it rain or would it be fine? This was the final concern for the college‘s celebration of the granting of the Royal Charter. This was the day to bring all the members of Homerton together – trustees, students, staff from all sectors of the college and some retired staff – together with guests from the University. The day after the end of term and the start of May Week seemed a fitting time and the afternoon‘s garden party allowed some to prepare for England‘s first match of the World Cup in the evening! On arrival, we were greeted by a student steward who gave us a goodie bag – including a programme and other items such as the Homerton stick of rock and coaster. In the first half an hour, it was an event that had some formality– speeches from the University‘s vice chancellor, Alison Richards, the ‗retired‘ chair of trustees, David Harrison, and from the Principal. Kate was able to be the first to publicly congratulate Alison on becoming a Dame in the birthday honours list, announced that morning. Another auspicious bit of timing?
Throughout the afternoon, catering staff were around serving tasty nibbles and slices of cake that had the charter logo within the icing. Pimms tents were dotted around the grounds and the formal part of the afternoon was followed by a variety of entertainments (musical and theatrical) put on by groups of our ever resourceful students. These provided a lovely informality and showed the talents of Homerton to the fore yet again—a highlight for me was the ‗rap‘ about the principals in the ‗reduced‘ history of the college. In Paupers‘ Walk, the collection of photos and prints of the college through the last century had been completed, and gives a fascinating account of the changes and developments in this time. This was accompanied by an exhibition of some of the artefacts and material from the archive.
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So it was an afternoon with plenty to do, to listen to and to see, with a good balance of formality and informality; lots of reminiscences amongst those of us who have been members of the college for a few years, but also a time for our current students to revel in becoming members of a ‗chartered‘ college. The weather held, the sun came out and it was an afternoon for seeing Homerton at its very best! Anne Thwaites July 2010
„Homerton‟ – Morag Styles describes the new poem by the Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy. After Carol Ann Duffy became an honorary Fellow at Homerton College, she graciously agreed to write a lyric to coincide with our new charter status in 2010. When she started work on the poem, Helen Taylor, her PA (who happens also to be an exHomerton student and ex- Homerton English tutor) asked me to email Carol Ann with any information about the college that might help the composition. In the event, it was the college motto, Respice finem ‗look to the end‘- that seems to have provided inspiration as it echoes, sometimes more than once, in every verse. This is not surprising as the phrase ‗look to the end‘ offers layers of possible meanings, and it is, after all, poetry‘s job is to explore what words can do, especially when they hold rich connotations. Another Homerton tradition that may have taken Carol Ann‘s fancy is that of students with one or two year‘s experience of the college ‗mothering‘ new students, something that I am glad to say still happens today. The poet inventively and lovingly plays with words that can be found within Homerton, including ‗mother‘, ‗home‘, ‗hero‘, ‗more‘, ‗morn‘, ‗moon‘ – no surprises in the last as anyone familiar with Carol Ann‘s poetry will know the moon is a potent symbol in her work. Repetition is used creatively throughout, especially the powerful lines ‗The last act crowns the play‘ and
―Homerton the way‘. There is both sweetness and complexity in the imagery – mothers, homes, alma maters suggest fine female influence; ‗merit‘, ‗light revealed‘, ‗bright new morns‘ and ‗lovely sights‘ all have positive associations, conjuring up beginnings, hope, good things to come, what was previously hidden revealing itself. We are very lucky that the Poet Laureate, at the height of her powers, was willing to write a memorable lyric in praise of the college and that our other honorary Fellow, Master of the Queen‘s Music, was able to set it to music so exquisitely. Morag Styles
HOMERTON by Carol Ann Duffy Poet Laureate and Honorary Fellow Home is in Homerton And you can find the moon Concealed in Homerton, A hidden light revealed. Respice finem. Merit in Homerton, If you will have an eye Only for Homerton, A lovely sight revealed. Respice finem. Respice finem. Look to the end. The last act crowns the play. Respice finem And Homerton the way. Hero in Homerton. Mother, alma mater, And more in Homerton, A bright new morn revealed. Respice finem. Respice finem. Look to the end. The last act crowns the play. Respice finem And Homerton the way, Homerton the way.
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 5 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------were a republic. But what amazed me was the smoothness and precision of the planning, not just by the College but also by the various agencies involved: palace, university, police, bomb squad and local authority.
John Hopkins describes the
Setting by Peter Maxwell Davies of the poem ‘Homerton’ by Carol Ann Duffy Once the poem had been received by the college, it was sent off to Peter Maxwell Davies to be set to music, with the request that it would be simple and singable. In the event, the setting was both of these things, with a few characteristic quirks built in. Cast in a gentle triple time, the music moves mainly chordally, in the key of A major, with broadly flowing lines. For the main verse section, the principal melody lies in the bass, concluding with a hushed tonic minor chorus of ‗Respice finem‘ that closes on the dominant. This pattern for stanzas 1, 2 and 4 is contrasted with a more chromatic setting for stanzas 3 and 5, that takes the tonality to flatter regions before concluding in tonic major. Having sung the bass part for the first performance at the 12th June Garden Party, I can testify to the work‘s simplicity and singable-ness. During the rehearsal, the piece gradually yielded up its secrets and became particularly memorable. The performance itself, ably directed by David Black, was definitely to the composer‘s satisfaction. Later Max said that having heard the choir sing, he didn‘t need to have made it quite so simple, and could he have a recording please. John Hopkins
THE CHANCELLOR’S VISIT Prince Philip’s visit on 21st June. I do not know how much time goes into planning every royal visit, but it must represent a considerable national resource. I have to confess to being a bit of a royalist at heart - it is difficult not to be if you study medieval history; so I would justify it by saying that we would not get off any lighter it we
On 21st June, a beautiful sunny morning, Prince Philip arrived a few minutes ahead of time so the whole process seemed very relaxed from the outset. He and the Vice Chancellor, Professor Alison Richards, were greeted by the Principal at her entrance facing onto Hills Road. Kate has met HRH many times in her capacity as Pro vice-Chancellor and this was his third visit to Homerton, so there were very few formalities. He was visiting us in his capacity as Chancellor, welcoming a new college into the fold. The whole process was timed to take 45 minutes as he had a heavy schedule for the rest of the day. Kate led him through the corridors to the Fellows Dining Room where he was introduced to Sir David Harrison, our former Chair of Trustees who then introduced him to the Royal Charter now splendidly displayed in a purpose-built cabinet.
Prince Philip prides himself on introducing the use of red plastic to create the large and highly decorative Royal seals. Red sealing wax does not survive well in the tropics or in modern centrally heated offices.
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 6 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Chancellor then moved on to meet representatives of the trustees and the Fellows and then the Senior Tutor who introduced him to some selected items from the College Archives.
HRH Prince Philip meets the graduates, with Dr Penny Barton Graduate Tutor (right), in the Combination Room.
The plaque, in simple clear bronze lettering records the visit of Prince Philip and commemorates the arrival of Homerton‘s Royal Charter in this memorable year 2010. After a few more pleasantries the Duke bade us farewell and headed down to the science block where his car was waiting to whisk him away to his other duties in the University. The visit although very brief was a great success and the occasion was greatly enjoyed by all those who wished to be involved. When the last of the bodyguards departed we relaxed and tucked into coffee and cakes for all involved in the Combination Room. Peter Warner These included material demonstrating our connection with Leyton Orient Football Club. As he had been in the area of the Olympic Village the day before in the East End of London he was intrigued. The party then moved outside and down towards the Combination Room where three parties of Graduates were waiting to meet him and the Vice Chancellor. The Prince clearly enjoys meeting young people, particularly from different parts of the world, and Homerton has an interesting and diverse graduate community. So this process took the greater part of his time and was clearly much appreciated by our graduates. Then Kate Pretty said a few words to mark the moment and offer her appreciation of his time and consideration as Chancellor of our great university and invited him to unveil a plaque in the Combination Room. This, duly done, met with loud and prolonged applause from the graduates and assembled throng.
Photographs by Nicholas Luckhurst
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MEMORIES August Bank Holiday Weekend – 2010 and 1940 From Amy Clunis Porteous (Biggs) – known as Cluny B; 1939-41. The entire nation seems to be obsessed with this date, seventy years ago – and rightly so. My thoughts, however, are mainly for the previous August and September, 1939, as that was when we had our Higher School Certificate results, the War started, and I also started – at Homerton. Term should have begun on September 16th. Everything was prepared, but was postponed until the 29th as black-outs were incomplete. Portsmouth Training College was evacuated to us, so all single rooms became double, and the two large double rooms at the top of ABC became triple. That was how five rather tired new students and I were told to occupy the Rabbit Warren, and became life-long friends. (Sadly we have lost three, with one of whom, Joan, I was closely in touch until her recent death, and two are now a bit distant). Our ―Mothers‖ were helpful, and we soon learned where all the vital places were, especially Hall for food, and the showers and gym. The lectures started – every morning, some afternoons with demonstrations and visits, and set work every evening. On a free afternoon we were shown round Cambridge by our ―mothers‖ and began to feel proud. How students manage nowadays, with very few lectures a week, I cannot imagine. We worked and worked! I was lucky that some of the English and Biology syllabuses were the same as two of my A Levels, but Maths and History were new. Then our first School Practice! I never had a class with less than 48 children, but I discovered that you just think in 4‘s, times 12. P.E. was special; dancing even better, but more of that anon. As Cambridge was completely blacked-out, we were rarely let out in the evenings and our ―entertainment‖ was largely home-grown. Our one man, Johnny Lowe, took us for Choral singing every Friday evening, which was great fun. We sang Hiawatha‘s Wedding, and Dido and Aeneas – and acted them – for an audience, and lots of other rounds etc. for pure pleasure. He was splendid! (He came to ―observe‖ a music and dance class I was
taking – and play for – which I thought was terrible, but he, bless his heart, thought it was ―rather jolly‖!) Saturday evening was often for ―Home Entertainment‖ and the ―Rabbits‖ were frequently called upon to perform something or other, usually a sketch of some sort which was rarely rehearsed but seemed to go well. Simple pleasures are sometimes the best. To miss ―Hall‖ on Saturday, one had to go to Miss Skillicorn‘s office to get an Exeat, so one could stay our until 9pm and be ―clocked in‖ by a lecturer on returning. I was fortunate in already being friends with Christopher, an undergraduate at Emmanuel, whose father had come to be the minister of our church at Selly Oak, and with whom, with his sisters, I had been playing tennis and going to the cinema and theatre all summer. ―Skilly‖ did not approve of my regular ―tea at Emmanuel‖ on my Exeat, so I was called in. ―Who is this man?‖ I told her, ―Our minister‘s elder son‖. Grunt. ―He doesn‘t want you every week.‖ I drew myself up to my full 5ft. 2 in. ―Miss Skillicorn, I would not go if I were not invited.‖ Grunt – but she signed. (I was delighted to see that her room, with the adjoining room, is now a very smart toilet, and her SPECIAL entrance is now the main way in.) After Christmas 1939 the situation got worse, and the air raids started, East Anglia having so many American Air Force bases. There were shelters out on the fields, but we on the top floor had to go down three flights of stairs, in silence, in darkness, and find our way to the appropriate shelter in our dressing gowns – and I clutched an eiderdown. Then, and times varied, the ―All Clear‖ would wail, and we would trail up the stairs again. At its worst, in the summer of 1940 this often happened three times a night – and we were doing our Finals. One incendiary bomb fell on the wing of College next to ours, and the Psychology lecturer lost some of her things, but on the whole Cambridge was lucky. The second year came, with Advance P.E., swimming, life-saving, athletics, dancing, tennis, frequently having a gym full of children with every conceivable piece of apparatus out – and me – but no one ever fell or broke anything. All these along with English and the other oddments. And I loved it – especially the dancing, with Joy Atherton. There was tennis of course, and punting to Grantchester with the others, stopping on the way to swim in Byron‘s Pool. (And, with Christopher, punting and having tea at the Old Rectory for 2s.6d.!)
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Christopher got his Double First in Classics, and we were together for sixty-five years. He was Headmaster of Eltham College, Eric Liddell‘s old school, for twenty-four years. My own testimonials? ―1. Exceptional ability at all forms of P.E., both as performer and Teacher. 2. A gift for story-telling.‖ Thank you, Skilly! Now the Reunion: I have been back for tea a couple of times, but there seems no one there remotely as old as I am. (But can they still dance?). They look at my dates and sat ―No, it can‘t be.‖! Clunis Porteous September 2010
1939. Back row, “Rabbits”: Pat Edwards, Clunis Biggs, Joan Davies, Anne Cleaver, Jane Callow, Pam Jolly. Front row, „Mothers‟: far right Rona (Newton John), Margaret Drake.
Homerton in Wartime By Kath Buswell (Stangroom) ‗It was really just like an extension of school with the day run by bells. Bells for rising, bells for meals – report to head table (lecturers) if you were late – and bells between hourly lectures There were three of these each morning and afternoon, and several evening ones too, lectures in every school subject and compulsory P.T., games and dance. There was also a visiting male teacher who came each Friday evening to take ―choral‖ with all the students together – otherwise we were divided into four separate groups. The other lecturers were all unmarried ladies, of whom we stood in awe. I was terrified of Miss Glennie who was very strict! We had ―homework‖ in every subject each week, which had to be done late at night and early mornings. The most time consuming were the numerous things we had to complete in craft work; bookbinding – 3 books; weaving – hand and loom,
which had to be set up individually; a piece large enough for a cushion cover (which I am still using); a sampler including a monogram, and one of smocking; a child‘s dress (smocked) and knickers, or smocked overall; a knitted lady‘s jumper; and a pair of socks. Knitting could be done during the vacation along with local school practice, educational visits, child study, and a biology project – mine was on shells, stuck on to foolscap, with cigarette cards and description, because I lived near the sea. We had to make a bag to keep items in, and how we fitted it all in I don‘t know! Our only free (?) time was Saturday afternoon and Sunday. My special friends were four fellow Methodists, so we walked to Wesley over Christ‘s Pieces each Sunday morning, and often had tea in the Manse along with many students in Meth Soc (how they provided for so many beats me). On Saturday afternoons we enjoyed walking over the meadows to Granchester during the summer, with a sixpenny tea and cakes in the Red Lion and punting - if we could afford the 2/6 between us – or in winter a sixpenny seat to see a film – or sixpenny tea and crumpets in the Bot or Waffle. The first year in college we had tables for eight in the hall, with a maid for each table serving us and clearing away. Our second year was war-time, so the maids had all gone into war work and only the cooks were left. Food was meagre, and we helped to clear tables ourselves. We also had Portsmouth College evacuated to us, so a long table was placed down the middle aisle. Our larger bedrooms were made into doubles and some of the Portsmouth students lived in a large house farther up Hills Road. Bathrooms were communal, one bath and eight or ten wash bowls – no privacy. I sometimes went from top floor ABC to showers near the gym, early in the morning. Half term breaks were wonderful, we cycled to Ely, Newmarket and the Gogs and many other places. Just before the war we exchanged with Southlands College for a week and paid educational visits in a HOT London. Many nights during 1940 were spent in air raid shelters.
Students from Sierra Leone Amongst the hundred or so newcomers arriving at Homerton in the autumn of 1943 were one from Middlesex and five from Sierra Leone. Margaret Stevenson from Pinner was a fairly typical entrant by that time, age seventeen, from a County secondary school, with a General School Certificate from the University of London. The African girls
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 9 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------were a new phenomenon, however. Five of them from Freetown, the Secondary School for Girls and the Annie Walsh Memorial School, Freetown, all bearing the Cambridge School Certificate. They came courtesy of the 1940 Colonial Development and Welfare Act. Wartime restrictions in the Atlantic meant their passage took 26 days, but they recalled a warm welcome by Miss Skillicorn at the assembly of first-year students, settling down to hard work and making new friends. One set of friendships lasted a lifetime. Their experiences were fairly routine in the teachers‘ certificate course they undertook. But for Vida Carney, Alice Cole, Betty Conton, Florence Davies and Judith Thomas, it was a culture shock to find themselves in Cambridge and Fenland schools. They all earned satisfactory marks for their teaching with credit for their various different strengths. College supervisors occasionally blamed their academic and formal approaches on the style of teaching they themselves had experienced; one tutor describing it as an ‗African style‘ but exactly the same criticism was made of English students too! Alice recalls that standards at Homerton were high, and they had to burn the midnight oil to quality for their Teachers‘ Certificates. Rations and air-raids were distinctive features of their daily existence, but they remained to celebrate VE day. Dance, music, drama and church activities were valued experiences, as were visits to Cambridge University societies.
A Homerton Educational Leaflet was published by past students, containing book reviews and articles of interest. Margaret contributed an account of her visit to a school for blind and partially sighted girls, reprinted in the Homerton News Letter for 1949. She also kept in contact with her former African colleagues and in 1962 she updated Homerton Association News on their progress. At that time,
Judith had recently returned to England for further studies, Betty had married a Nigerian, Florence had married a doctor and had two children, and Alice, now Fitzjohn, was married with five children and living at the Sierra Leone Embassy in London where her husband was High Commissioner. In 1995, Alice, Florence and Margaret met again in London. Florence sadly died more recently, but we can only admire these friendships formed that endure across time. And we have to thanks Margaret and Alice for keeping in touch and enriching the college archive with memories and photographs that so graphically illustrate this aspect of college life, the activities and experiences they enjoyed in common. Peter Cunningham
AND WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER By Elizabeth ‗Wendy‘ Buckingham (Shortridge) Early in 1949 I was invited for interview at Homerton, and arrived wearing a suit and little hat, as all smart eighteen year olds would. I spent an enjoyable half hour chatting to the Principal, Miss Skillicorn, who was like a benevolent, gentle, elderly aunt. We got on well, so in September I arrived, still wearing the hat, and was billeted in Hartington Grove, all set to do my tow year course. There I met my roommate, Elsie Jackson, then Penna, and we still exchange Christmas letters. In our second year we moved into the main building and lived on ‗2nd D&E‘ with a rich medley of characters – Shirley Beardwell, Muriel Harman, Margaret Monks, Edith Snell, and Dorothy (?) from Durham – a group of lively youngsters, full of fun. Elsie was always known as ‗Pen‘, and she and I were keen potters. We would spend much of our spare time covered in clay, throwing, often discarding, and sometimes even producing works of art. The lovely Miss Carpenter (Carp) gave us free run of the pottery area at week-ends, and she was a delightful, generous support and a wonderfully inspiring tutor. Mr Wormington coached a pretty efficient cricket team, to which I belonged as a slow bowler. Some of the fast bowlers were scary, and very accurate. 1950 was a cold summer and our knees and fingers were often the colour of our blazers. Homerton food was wonderful. I was introduced to soused herrings and kedgeree, and although there was still post-war scarcity of many commodities, we all acquired a bit of puppy fat. That wonderful
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 10 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------dining hall was the venue of some exceptional musical evenings, produced by Mr Rimmer, who was the idol of the masses. He was newly married, and I believe that his wife was expecting their first baby. We performed a breath-taking ‗Zadok the priest‘, with full orchestra and male voices from some of the colleges. It was a joy to be in that choir, although it was enthusiasm more than vocal skill that carried me along. It certainly was an introduction to the appreciation of real music.
fed, with our meals served in the gracious surroundings of a panelled hall. The domestic arrangements ran very smoothly and I believe gave us the freedom to work, to study and to enjoy the social and cultural side of the University – which we did with great gusto, skirts flying, our legs clad in the ―new‖ thick tights (no trousers allowed then) as we cycled back and forth to meetings, madrigals, dances, soirees, concerts, choirs – what a lot we managed to fit in!
The elegant Miss Bradley was Vice-Principal at that time. On one occasion I was reprimanded for whistling as I ran down the D&E stairs, where the acoustics were most satisfying. I was reminded that ‗A whistling woman and a crowing hen were neither fit for god nor men‘. She certainly demanded a high standard of work and behaviour – and got it. Homerton gave me a flying start to a much enjoyed career in primary schools which totalled thirty-eight years, and I reminisce with great pleasure and gratitude.
Work was important too, of course. The professional subjects were sympathetically taught and gave us sound principles to follow in our subsequent careers. I soon had Homerton`s fine reputation endorsed by being offered a job on both my two main teaching practices. I remembered our Principal Miss Skillicorn`s introductory address, when she had said, ―Remember that you will be in a profession with much standing.‖ Oh, I thought, then we shall have some respect. Then she added, ―So try and sit down as much as possible.‖ Ah, that kind of standing.
FIFTY YEARS ON
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“A PROFESSION WITH MUCH STANDING” By Joanna Standeven (Temple), 1958-60. My time at Homerton was magical. It seemed so then and, 50 years on, it seems so now. We were ―war babies‖, a generation which may have had only hazy, though nevertheless disturbing memories of bombs and bomb shelters, but knew well the rationing and restrictions that continued well into the 1950s. I also came from a very sad and stressful situation at home, where I had had adult responsibilities from an early age, but when we got to Homerton a door opened on a different world one which I had thought that I would never see. First of all, we had the opportunity to further our education, an opportunity that many of our mothers never had. Then we were studying for a career that we had chosen and which would give us independence. Again, our mothers seldom had that chance and if they did have a career or a job that they enjoyed, they had to give it up when they got married, so in many ways we were ―blazing a trail.‖ And now, here we were, in a delightful setting for our studies. Not only was there the excitement and wonder of Cambridge itself, but we had our own residential community, in solid, traditional buildings set in lovely grounds. (I was particularly fond of the old orchard where we could draw, paint, read or revise) We were warm, comfortable and very well
Our choice of special subjects was very wide and I was thrilled to be able to take Art and Sculpture. Kay Melzi opened our eyes to so much more than just our own work or the work of the children we were teaching. She told us that even if we never picked up a paintbrush again, but looked at the world through an artist`s eye, our lives would be enriched. How true. Betty Rea was an inspiration in every way, both as a woman who had looked after a family and as a sculptor who was an RA. She was interested in us as people and we could talk to her about anything. I often found my way to the Sculpture Loft over the old stables when I was worried or anxious, because things were still very difficult at home. Mrs. Rea was always sympathetic and reassuring and working with the clay was in itself therapeutic. I am sure it helped me keep going then and it is the one subject I have managed to keep up, in a small way, most of my life and it still gives me much satisfaction and pleasure. trying to distil my thoughts into the essence of my experience of Homerton, I think it was the opening of a wider world with the prospect of an interesting and useful role within it together with the friendships and the feeling of being young and truly in our ―Salad Days‖. Yet what we learned and what we enjoyed there has sustained us through many decades. How lucky we were. Joanna Standeven
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 11 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indelible Memories from the Invisible Curriculum By Lee Gek Ling. I was the second ever Singaporean when I went up to Homerton in 1982, full of confidence that I would fit in quickly and completely. I was completely wrong about the latter. Having been described by my Singaporean friends as a ―banana‖ yellow on the outside and white on the inside, I thought I would integrate into the English culture instantly. My first term on the ABC staircase belied that expectation. The girl next door to my right was very quiet by day but by night made enough noise for two. Indeed, there were two in a narrow camp bed. The boy two doors away was the son of a cleric, and he most certainly had divine intervention when he fell out of his window three stories one night when high on something, and only broke a single limb. These exciting extracurricular activities would remain beyond my capacity for the rest of my four years on the B.Ed. course. This was by parental command. My old fashioned father told me never to entertain a boy in my small college room, never to drink alcohol with him and to only have a coffee with a prospective swain at the Porter‘s Lodge under the watchful eye of the then Head Porter Mr Chapman who had struck Father as a man of authority. The other Singaporean then was in Year 2 and the only other Chinese in college. She tried to warn me that the Ministry of Education would not recognise our teaching qualifications (this was not true by the time I graduated and returned home to teach) and I should therefore bail out. This coloured my perceptions of the usefulness of the course content somewhat, so I concentrated on having a wonderful time instead. And thanks to some wonderful friends, I did. Alison Bishop took me home for Christmas with a real English family. Her father was a Baptist minister in Maidstone which theological subtlety I only appreciated after the silence that followed when I answered their home phone with ―Bishop‘s Palace may I help you?‖ Homerton had quite a strong evangelical Christian group in my time, they were very good people, sincere and kind and for some reason it was only later that I learned that the God Squad was not scary at all. Thirty years and three theological courses later, if any of them is reading such as Tracy Callon and Hilary Cheek, I think of you fondly.
Sue Bantoft was from Derby and she took me up north on various other holidays and so I learned about the other half of Britain, that the sincerity and warmth and loyalty of an English friend is more indirectly expressed up north than down south. In the intervening years, correspondence has been maintained first by snail mail and now by email and Skype. I am thrilled to be meeting Sue‘s parents in York on my upcoming trip to the UK since she is now in the US and Sarah Taylor who is now in Lincolnshire and also Carrie Evett and Becky Jacks who are going to London from Sussex and Dorset respectively. Besides learning about friendship, I also learned about fine dining. I had two tutors who were excellent chefs, the late Elizabeth Brewer who was also the wife of the Master of Emmanuel, and Sandra Raban (who had already taught me about dry wit quite early on in my first year. How many minutes I spent trying to work out the meaning of some remark or other). Formal Hall had already taught me about using cutlery from the outside in, but these other meals taught me about asparagus tongs, snail forks, hi-ball glasses versus tumblers, and how to pick out lead pellets from pigeon breast and other game meat before chomping down and losing a dental filling. I also became addicted to cheese at their tables and this has proved an enjoyable, delicious if expensive habit over the years as artisanal dairy products lose their peasant prices once they are air flown across continents. But did I learn anything about teaching that has endured? Ever since leaving Homerton, I have always marked my essays in a PC manner, i.e. praise first, and comment second. My teaching philosophy has been to be educational and entertaining, creative about methodology (Ian Morrison once observed a class in which sparklers were lit for a lesson on simile and the class teacher stood at attention with a fire bucket for emergencies) and conservative in discipline matters. These all derived from the teaching practice over the course. Parkside Primary taught me about motivating students to learn without realising it, Bottisham Community College taught me about the importance of classroom management and Knights Templar taught me how to rise above my challenges of being in the words of the headmaster who had obviously heard about my failings in Bottisham, ―short, female and not English‖. Such remarks would not now be considered politically correct, but for me they were personally corrective. These vertical, gender and national handicaps have not been a challenge ever since.
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 12 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I graduated in 1986 in more than one way. Homerton was very much a teacher training college in the 1980s, but one with a difference, it taught you to teach and also to learn. Lee Gek Ling
After Homerton (i)
Five Lessons from an Accident By Jackie Harrop (Hornby), 1967-70 I came to Homerton by accident. My dad was a foundry worker and my mum worked on the evening shift in a cotton mill to pay for my uniform to attend the girls‘ grammar school. I was one of three girls on the council estate to attend the grammar school and left at sixteen to work as a lab technician at ICI. At the time I felt this was quite an achievement but soon realised that in those days the glass ceiling for women was made of concrete. Encouraged by one of the chemists to gain further qualifications, I applied to Homerton without even realising where Cambridge was, or the college‘s status in relation to Cambridge University. Moving away from home in Rochdale was a huge culture shock, and I was fascinated by the knowledge being unlocked for me. I had never heard of sociology, psychology, philosophy, let alone studied it. My tutor, Derek Johnston, was very supportive but it was Sylvia Williams, one of the chemistry lecturers and teaching practice supervisor, who sadly died of cancer earlier this year, who was my inspiration then and for the rest of my life. She opened a world of organic chemistry, radioactivity, chromatography, spectrometry, and the mysteries and magic of a subject which I was then able to teach with genuine excitement and interest. As my teaching practice supervisor , she encouraged me, guided me and gently coached me to believe anything is possible—of course I would get it right if I kept going, and even when I didn‘t get it first time, it was always worth another go.
Lesson 1: if it doesn’t excite you, move on, explore, and discover what does! I began as a middle school teacher, quickly transferring to secondary because I saw more opportunities for promotion in a bigger school, and was lucky again to have an inspirational head who introduced an integrated curriculum, open plan
classrooms and team teaching. As a young teacher I led teams that contained the head himself and his deputy. This was a huge boost to my confidence and we were encouraged to experiment with teaching delivery, with group role play, rotating group work, interdisciplinary teaching and working beyond our comfort zones. I taught 6th form psychology classes using clay therapy, chemistry through dance, used yoga and relaxation in maths, physics through sport, and literacy through French. Of course this was all pre-national curriculum, SATs and Ofsted , although I was inspected at the time and came through it quite well. I took a short career break to have children, lost considerable ground in terms of promotion opportunities, as happened in those days, and dabbled with the idea of becoming a counsellor. I completed the diploma for BAC accreditation, following a growing interest in special educational needs, and was particularly drawn to work with children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. This was prompted by incidents where I had dealt with two young people who had overdosed in suicide attempts and one disclosure of sexual abuse, which left me feeling vulnerable about the training for risk which I recognised in those pre-safeguarding days. On my return to work in SEN, I initiated Multi-agency team lunches, inviting social workers, police, speech therapists, and psychologist education welfare staff to save time in meeting them all separately. It was a team around the child without the CAF but with the lead professional. With the backing of yet another supportive head teacher, I set up an in-school ―sanctuary‖ and used the case studies as a piece of action research for an MEd in SEN. I also experimented with enterprise projects using alternative accreditation to ensure low achievers developed pre-employment skills and social competences.
Lesson 2: choose your head teachers carefully; experiment; use colleagues! Over the years, there were pupils who made me laugh; those whose wisdom left me speechless; those whose circumstances made me cry; those who made me want to scream; and those I will remember forever. They test you to the limit; wringing every emotion you have ever felt until you feel empty, drained and exhausted. They do it collectively, individually, consecutively and endlessly. They make you feel hopeless, helpless, useless, and—over and over again—proud, privileged, fantastic and worthwhile. They catch you in the street years later, recognising you in restaurants, shops, at the
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 13 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------hairdresser‘s, and with their children—and your own. It leaves a lump in your throat when they remember something you did that changed their lives. They remember things you said, things you did, things you wore, but not always the things you thought you taught them, and often things you didn‘t know you had. Sometimes you remember them, sometimes not, but they remember you.
Lesson 3: when you become a teacher, you become a force for change in the susceptible lives of generations; make it count, because it will for them. I was then invited to join the advisory service for SEN, beginning a career in local authorities which included Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Luton, Harrow, Manchester, Westminster, Wokingham and finally Government Office for London. I began within my comfort zone, managing services for SEN, including visual impairment, hearing impairment, pupil referral units, behaviour support units; but I was soon including services for ethnic minority achievement, hospital schools‘ services, tuition for teenage parents, parent partnerships and admissions. Eventually this scope widened in different authorities to include Early years, Youth services, Adult learning and, in my last local authority, a post as assistant chief executive. Here my role included Education services, Children‘s social care, Adult social care, leisure, Libraries and culture. In each move—from shire authorities to unitaries, London Boroughs, and Metropolitan authorities—I was broadening the scope of my experience, staying between three to five years , and maintaining Ofsted accreditation which enabled me to see the workings of lots of other settings and measure practice against those standards which were judged to be good or outstanding. Each move presented huge challenges in terms of taking up the unknown, rapidly learning the ropes, taking a good six months to a year to feel as though I knew what I was doing, and then a year to motor with it, move it forward and start to get to grips with transformation.
Lesson 4: scan the horizon for opportunities to broaden, deepen or otherwise add to your experience. Have courage, it takes time to settle, but if it doesn’t feel right, or isn’t enough, it probably isn’t. The final phase came when I saw an opportunity to work at regional level, in Government Office for London as a Children‘s Services Adviser. Government offices currently bring together eleven Whitehall departments to work together to influence improvement in the regions. This was a DCSF role,
monitoring policy implementation in London boroughs but also playing a part in influencing policy development. I had responsibility for seven boroughs in the south east of London, reviewing their progress and offering support or challenge as appropriate, to ensure that performance against the Every Child Matters agenda was on trajectory and targets were being achieved, and identifying risks. The role involved advising ministers where there were serious concerns and working with improvement support teams or the intervention unit to put support in place to turn things round. After four years in this role I was asked to take on the role of Director for Children and Learners, leading this work across all 33 London Boroughs. This has involved working with the Mayor‘s office, London councils, and the DCSF, and linking with the other eight regional offices across the country to support Whitehall in developing and delivering national policy. Since the election there have been dramatic changes, working with a new ministerial team through a newly formed Department for Education to transform the roles in response to revised priorities. The potential to make a difference to the lives of children and young people whilst indirect could not be more fundamental. I feel enormously privileged to have had the opportunity to play a part.
Lesson 5; Aim high, think big, welcome the challenge. If—as I hope—you have found, or will find along the way someone to inspire you, keep that little voice at the back of your mind when the doubts creep in, reminding you that you can do it if you really want to. If you can do the same for someone else, there is no limit to wha they may be able to achieve. Sylvia did that for me. She was my teacher. She encouraged me to imagine, create, explore and excite through experimentation, collaboration to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people . Jackie Harrop
After Homerton (ii)
.... and never give up By Valerie Thompson (Pollock) ‗I came to Homerton in 1962, but in 1965 was the only student to be failed on my teaching practice, due to the unsympathetic attitude of an external tutor who had never even met me before the final teaching practice. On leaving I obtained a job at two-thirds
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 14 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------pay in Ruislip and had to be re-examined. On his report the examiner stated: ‗This student should never have been failed‘. For some years I taught art and music at a secondary modern school and to adults, but at 40+ I returned to college, and studied Interior Design, leaving with a distinction and the external examiner‘s prize. I have continued many music activities, accompanying choirs and playing for vocal master classes, as well as composing numerous works, including an ‗Ave Verum‘ performed at a Sunday service at Westminster Abbey, and a Mass and Requiem, parts of which were sung by the London Chorus. Singing in the London Chorus and the Bach Choir as well as smaller groups has taken up much of my time, but I have also produced 2 lovely daughters, each of whom has one child. I have written three books, of which the first, The Hidden Triangle,is available in paperback from Amazon,; and the third, which I am trying to get published, is about the river Dordogne, from source to sea. Over the years I have continued painting, selling many pictures at exhibitions in London and Guildford. I would love you to publish this as it may give hope to all those who are deemed failures in their youth. Valerie Thompson
After Homerton (iii)
Dancing in India By Fenella Kelly, 1991 When approached a few weeks ago and asked to write about my life after Homerton, I found it hard to decide what to write about. My life has been so varied that I feel as though I have lived many lives since I left Homerton, back in 1991. So, what would the reader find interesting? I was torn – would I write about my life in Brazil as a contemporary dancer, teacher and part of a Brazilian physical theatre company? Would I write about my eight years in Istanbul, Turkey, where I was teaching day and night to make ends meet, while running salsa and tango dance classes in the evenings? Or would I tell readers about my life as it is now, as an international teacher trainer and theatre practitioner, currently studying an MA in Drama and Theatre Education, while also teaching adults from the
Middle East how to speak English, and doing the odd salsa show at the weekends? Well, let‘s touch on each, but I‘ll focus on India, and give you an inkling of what made me the type of person that would choose to head off to a remote Indian village to work until my brain hurt; what contributed to making a person that would put up with being taught by a teacher that never gave any praise and made their student cry on a daily-basis; and what it means to persevere and to really focus on learning something, even if that means feeling extremely lonely at times, being cut off from all civilization, and trapped in a small Indian village in the middle of the monsoon..... About eleven years ago I was working at an International Theatre festival in Istanbul, running workshops on magic in Shakespeare, when I was approached by the Principal of the host school and invited to set up a Drama programme there. I leapt at the chance, as I had been working freelance for a year as a Drama teacher and teacher trainer across Istanbul, and felt that I wanted to get back into the structure of a school schedule. Being able to create a programme of my own design for students aged 1118, I decided to take the opportunity to find out more about the Middle Year Programme (MYP), the IGCSE curriculum and the Diploma IB Theatre Programme. My courses at that time were based on these curricular, and I found the knowledge I had to acquire to be able to deliver these courses absolutely stimulating. Two years later I was head of a huge performing Arts Department at Graded School in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where I was teaching the IB Theatre Programme to a committed group of very talented South American, North American and European students. It was extremely challenging, but exhilarating, on a daily basis. At that time I was hungry to learn about more theatre practitioners, more world theatre practices and then take all that back to the classroom. I was in the heart of political theatre, being surrounded by Boal‘s work, and groundbreaking ideas in daring Brazilian theatre performances, so embraced every play and every experience. It was at this stage that I was the only foreigner in a local theatre company, and thrived on the constant desire to follow the Portuguese speaking director‘s instructions and later perform for a Brazilian audience, in a foreign language, as part of an extremely demanding physical theatre production. It was being able to blend into the culture and be part of something that was not in my
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 15 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------blood that was so exciting, rewarding and surprisingly enlightening. Years later I was fortunate enough to have three months ‗free‘ between the end of my job in Cairo, Egypt (I was there for 4 years as Drama teacher and head of Performing Arts) and the start of my fulltime MA (for one year) at Warwick University, so I decided it was time to plunge myself into some cultural Arts experience again. So I headed to Kerala, India. With the requirements of the world theatre practices in the IB Theatre programme at the back of my mind, I enrolled at the Vijnanakalavedi cultural centre in the little village of Aranmula. I headed to my mosquito infested housing to immerse myself in conservative Southern India and learn forms of Indian dance and drumming that would change the shape of my body, my mind and my future. In the pursuit of knowledge I lived alongside a group of Indian performing Arts teachers and foreign artists from all over the world. We ate together for each meal, sitting around a large wooden table and enjoyed south Indian delicacies, cooked in coconut oil and served on banana leaves. Each day started with an hour of yoga, then we headed off to the two hours of intensive personal teaching in our first subject. My first subject was Kathakali – a form of Indian Dance theatre that is about 500 years old, done traditionally by men, and performed in temples as an offering to the gods. Kathakali literally means ‗story-play‘, and through the performances stories from the Hindu epics ‗The Ramayana‘, ‗The Mahabharata‘ and the ‗Purana‘ are told. Training each day started with body strengthening exercises and footwork. Kathakali is very specific and there is no room for individual interpretation, so my teacher drilled me on these moves until I had mastered them exactly. For Kathakali dance the performers dance on the sides of their feet with their knees bent and their body straight, arms bent at the elbow and held at chest height. Holding this posture for hours on end is hard enough, but add the stamping foot work on a stone floor and it becomes challenging. This all prepares the dancer for the 50kg of costume that will be worn later in performance. Needless to say, many students dropped out of the Kathakali classes quite early on, and chose a softer option like singing or cooking! My afternoons were spent practising my footwork, learning the mudras (hand gestures), and reading up on Kathakali plays and characters.
After two months of training I was able to understand and use the ‗mudras‘, could complete the eye exercises without blinking (Kathakali performers don‘t blink in performance), do all the footwork without going wrong, and know how to apply the make-up for a number of different characters. Kathakali is a complete art form, in the sense that the performer has to know the footwork and dance steps for hundreds of roles that they may play; know how to sign the story (through mudras) with precision, staying true to the text and the tradition; act a character; apply the exact make-up of that character; and make the relevant sounds for characters such as the evil Kari character of the hunter. Each Friday we had a two hour session of make-up, where I had to do half of the face myself, to copy what the teacher had done on the other side. Before I left we mixed all the colours from local materials, and I took away some banana leaves and sticks which are traditionally used to apply it with. The Hunter ‗Kari‘ Ankari An = man The Hunter lives in the forest and survives on flesh that he kills, if meat runs out in the forest then he comes to the village to kill man. He has a bow and arrow and sometimes a saw. He is dressed all in black or all in blue, shirt and skirt, with a black beard. This is Shiva‘s incarnation. Parvati is the huntress. Colours: Red, yellow, black, white, pink powder Order of application: 1. Do red moons around the eyes
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 16 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Add lips and crescent moon on the forehead Do the nose and chin Add pink powder to lips and nose Do the yellow outline for mouth Add all the black – do not go to hair line or below chin (thicker brush) 7. Add a layer of thick white 8. Add paper nose Now that I have learnt the basics of Kathakali I have been teaching it to anyone that will let me, but I hope to return to India one day, and to complete my initiation performance where I will take on the role of Krishna at the start of a Kathakali play. Having been a student learning in a very traditional way, it gave me huge respect for the Art form and the people that dedicate their lives to it. It was also an honour to be taught by Mr Kesevan, who is himself a Kathakali performer, and to have been taken under his wing, as he moulded me into someone that could cope with the rigour of such an impressive art form. Through him I was immersed in the culture of India, welcomed into Indian life, and never doubted of my ability. In a way I had blended into India and it was now in my blood, as Brazil, Egypt, Turkey and Greece are too. That is the beauty of being an International theatre teacher and an eclectic International being. Sanskrit Poem Yeto hasta tato drishti Yest drishti tato mana Yeto mana tato bhavaa Yeto bhavaa tato rasa The moral of all Classical Indian Art forms Where the hands go there do the eyes follow Where the eyes go the mind follows Where the mind goes there emotion will follow Where there is emotion satisfaction will follow This Sanskrit poem is applicable to all classical Indian Art forms, and makes me think of my chenda teacher, Thampy. He lives in a small hut with his parents and the family goat, with a well outside. But, he studied the chenda at Kalamandalam for 10 years, plays it every day, regularly leads the musicians in Kathakli performances, and this playing brings him satisfaction. My second subject was the chenda, and through his passionate instruction in Malayalam (he doesn‘t speak any English!) I learnt how to perform a 45 minute piece from memory entitled the Pathigalam. This part of my time in India really did
make my brain hurt, but the story behind that experience will have to wait.......... Fenella Kelly May 2010
After Homerton (iv)
My Other Career By Dorothy Waite (Corden), 1958-60 ―What do you want to do with your life?‖ I was asked at age sixteen. ―I want to be a journalist,‖ I said, and pictured myself stepping purposefully through the swing doors of the local paper, to be instantly offered a minuscule job which would, of course, blossom into something grander. ―That‘s a tough proposition,‖ said my mentors. ―Do you think it would suit you? We think you should go into teaching, with juniors. You‘d enjoy that. You might even manage a place at Homerton.‖ They were, I‘m glad to say, completely right. I loved the years I did in Primary schools. But although there were regular opportunities for writing stories, play-scripts and professional documents, I still had that itch to see my words in print in the wider world. Remembering some absorbing English lectures focused on ‗facts‘, opinions and advertising‘, I took an interest in the fledgling Consumer movement, and joined the committee of my local group in South London. Soon I was helping to design questionnaires for local shops and services and writing up reports for our members‘ newsletter, usually by hand. In the early sixties the delights of word processing were a distant dream, and extra copies of anything were produced with carbon papers or machined where you cranked a handle. Information for shoppers on choice and value was a new concept too, and business people were not always receptive to questions about what they offered. A big smile plus some classroom sweetness and light was called for. Local Broadcasting After moving to the midlands and spending some years at home with my sons, I decided to find a typing class. I came about bottom in the group but I could now manage with four fingers on my husband‘s portable, so feeling well equipped I answered an advertisement from Radio Leicester. Five-minute scripts were requested for a midmorning programme aimed at housewives. (We were still allowed to call them that in 1972.) I concentrated on children‘s topics – books, activities
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 17 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------and play equipment, drawing on Homerton training and my few years experience.
Bragg or Jeremy Irons in the canteen sadly came to nothing.
When a script was accepted I had to report to the studio at the top of a skyscraper to read into an enormous microphone. Local radio stations were not then the gleaming centres of technology they are now. They operated on a shoestring and looked as though they relied on sticky tape to keep everything together. But it was certainly interesting, and I was encouraged to try some interviewing. ‗Make like a chimpanzee‘, they said, issuing me with a reel-toreel tape recorder that hung on my shoulder like a bag of bricks. ‗Keep nodding and smiling.‘ So I did, as I questioned my friends and neighbours on family related topics. My big fear was ending up with a heap of spaghetti as the tapes unspooled. I had seen lecturers longing for rescue in that situation.
After retirement, my lifelong interest in literature for children sent me to some conferences on books for young age groups. As a school librarian I had seen a wide variety of things offered to them by publishers, not always of thoughtful quality. I remembered with affection the Homerton teaching library in 1960 – a large, cosy room, with armchairs and floor to ceiling shelves of the best writers and poets. Again I answered an advertisement, this time from the Children‘s Book Trust. They were publishing a magazine for schools and needed more reviewers. It was lovely to receive packages of brand new books to study, and to return with my impressions. I thought of those hard pressed teachers running school libraries, and considered how I would have felt about spending some of my school‘s budget on these books, or giving them to pupils to explore. I judged accordingly. Unfortunately the magazine folded after a few years and all the information went on line, but it left me with a taste for book-reviewing to pursue elsewhere.
Materials for schools Looking for part-time teaching, I soon found the demand in our midlands city was for English as a second language. A large number of children just entering our primary schools had little or no English, and the challenge to get through to them was huge. The only materials available had been written for teaching adults, and though we had some excellent picture books for children in general there was nothing that reflected other cultures, nothing that bridged the gaps for these children or their teachers. At one stage a colleague and I produced some simple pen and ink picture story books ourselves, built around tales from the Hindu Ramayana. They were for our five-year olds to read and relate to. All over the region people in education were inventing materials, designing teaching schemes, and arguing about methods. Suddenly we were all pioneers, and it was several years before the publishers caught up. I found the development of language and literacy skills a fascinating area, and when I moved back to full-time Junior teaching I continued to study needs and methods. About this time I had my one and only fiction success, with a short story for a reading scheme. But the proceeds did buy me a smart new typewriter, and I began to feel more ambitious. I approached the magazine Junior Education with some articles on ideas I had used. This proved very enjoyable, and the magazine even sent a photographer to picture the children in discussion groups and role-play. Later I answered a request from the BBC for teachers to report on schools‘ radio broadcasts – an irresistible opportunity to tell them what we thought. That led to an invitation to Broadcasting House for a preview of some new ideas, but my hopes of catching sight of Melvyn
All my journalistic ventures have been small stuff: letters, articles, reports, opinion pieces, light verse and book reviews. However, I have been able to contribute to magazines at club, community and national level, and on different occasions have received free copies, beauty products, travel vouchers, and more books in return. Sometimes I even got paid. For me, the sense of challenge to get your own words into print never fades, nor the thrill of seeing it happen. And as a teaching colleague remarked, ‗Unlike the day job, you can go on as long as you‘ve to the strength to tap a key.‘ And it does seem to be so. Dorothy Waite
After Homerton (v)
My Path Towards Publication By Elizabeth Glanville, 2002 - 2005 I‘d always had it at the back of my mind that I‘d like to write fiction, but for some reason or other it took me until three years after graduating from Homerton to actually put pen to paper (well, fingers to keyboard) and to get going. I started writing my first novel, ‗Oceans Apart‟, in June 2008 and had a finished first draft by the following summer. By the end of that year I had the sequel, ‗Learning to Fly‟, ready to go, and after spending a lot of time editing
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 18 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------and re-writing I got cracking on my third novel, ‗The Imaginist‟, which is currently about a month off completion.
After Homerton
After attending the Cambridge WordFest Writing Fiction Workshop with Jane Rusbridge I became inspired to experiment with other genres and branched out into travel writing, poetry and short stories. I also started entering competitions. After achieving first place in both the poetry and microfiction categories of the monthly RW International Writing Competition and second place in the Bradt/The Independent on Sunday People‟s Choice Travel-Writing Competition I went on to feature twice in the list of top ten entries submitted to the M Amann literary agent‘s short story competition. This success led to attaining a publishing contract with Little Acorn Press for my works, entitled „Undying Love‟ and „Thick as Thieves‟, which will be included in an anthology of short stories to be published by September 2010. A copy of the book can be obtained by visiting the M Amann Literary Agents Home Page at http://www.mamannlitagents.com/sizzlingsummerst ories.htm
East Meets West
Through writing I aim to reach out to young adults struggling with the move between university life and the ‗real world.‘ I am also training as a Psychotherapist in order to work with supporting people in their twenties with this transition. I am passionate about writing and also passionate about raising awareness of the concept of the ‗Quarter Life Crisis‘. This phenomenon dogs many twenty somethings each year as they struggle to find direction in, and meaning to, their post-university lives. My works address this very serious issue in a light hearted and accessible manner; one could describe my books as „Shopaholic meets The Bell Jar‟. I will continue to write and submit my work to agents as I am still looking for representation for my novels. Further examples of my work and writing achievements can be viewed in an online portfolio by searching ‗Elizabeth Glanville, writer‘ via Facebook. I always welcome comments and am more than happy to talk with anyone about my work. Elizabeth Glanville
(vi)
By Anthea Wicks (Pearey), 1958-60 After thirty years teaching a range of children in England and Uganda I had a chance to work with students and teachers from Eastern Europe. When the Berlin wall came down in 1989 there was a sudden need for people in Eastern Europe to learn English. Asa Martin, a Czech lady who we knew at that time, was making great efforts to arrange for groups of young teachers to come to England for short visits hosted by English families, and we met some of these teachers. Her niece, Nadja Mokresova, was working in the Ministry of Education in Prague with responsibility for English teaching in Bohemia and Moravia ( now the Czech Republic ), and from her we learned that in June of 1991 there were only about 800 children learning English in Czech schools. We had, ourselves, recently enjoyed a very interesting visit to Prague and driven through Czechoslovakia. To cut a long story short, through these contacts, we began to offer free scholarship places to Czech boys and girls to study A-levels, in the school where my husband was the Head and in other independent schools which had shown interest. We did receive assistance from the Open Society and other trusts but the main support came from the schools which offered full scholarships as a gift. In general only independent schools were able to do this since maintained schools were not able to use state money for this purpose. It was a brave step for these sixteen-year olds to come to Britain for a year. They would travel overland by bus (then much cheaper than air) and only go home once in the year. Communication home was mainly by letter, since there was neither mobile nor e-mail, and several families had no telephone at home so that contact had to be through a friend or relation. In the early years especially these young students also needed a great deal of practical help and advice since they were away from their families, so I was asked to take on the role of personal support which had to be very practical. During all the short breaks from schools I had to make sure that they had suitable hospitality, and many came to stay with us. When the numbers became too great, sometimes reaching forty, I planned and supervised short holidays for them in
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 19 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------the best of British Youth Hostels like York, Edinburgh, Bath and the Lake District. This programme started during very difficult times in the Balkan countries. We knew children who had received much of their education underground in Sarajevo during the war and one, who had a very happy time at The Leys School, had lost both her mother and her grandfather. When we took away groups of mixed nationality, students from countries still at war discussed what was happening at home and sometimes conversations became rather heated. After three years we were offering places to about eighty students each year, coming from twelve different countries. Contacts had been established in each country with foundations such as the Open Society, universities or the British Council, who had advertised and coordinated the application process. At times over a thousand students applied from a single country for just seven places, and the success of the programme depended on a very careful selection process so that the most suitable students (academically and personally) were chosen, regardless of background or family circumstance. Thus far over one thousand very able young people have benefited from this scheme and a further programme has been introduced enabling over three hundred teachers to enjoy a year of Work Experience in British schools. We have come to know and enjoy the company of many wonderful young people. Hedvika was our first student in Canterbury. After her years in England she went to university in Olomuc and now has a very good job teaching English to Social Science students there. She often returns with her husband to stay with us. Ania has moved from Poland to Slovakia where she works in the Polish Embassy. Jiri returned to take his degree in Electronic Engineering in Prague, followed by his PH.D. His knowledge of English meant that he was in demand to travel to international conferences with his professors and recently he was appointed as System Architect for the new Vodaphone network being set up in the Czech Republic. He too has brought his wife to stay with us and says that he would not have had these opportunities without his experience in England. Milica was brought up in Croatia where her family was caught up in the Balkan crisis, which meant that she was separated from her parents at the age of eight and for three months did not know if she would see them again. Understandably she was a little insecure when she first came to England but was so able and determined that Oxford awarded her a full
scholarship. Now she is studying for a Ph.D working on the causes and consequences of conflict for the individual with particular reference to the Balkans. Over the years the students have brought many of their parents and friends to stay with us and we have enjoyed hospitality in their homes. The purpose of this project was to enable young people and teachers from both Eastern Europe and UK to come together after so many years of separation. In this way we hoped to make a small contribution to mutual understanding and goodwill whilst, of course, helping our guests to gain a strong command of English which would be essential in the modern world. We hoped to assist their countries in the process of integration into the new Europe. We know that strong and lasting friendships have been made by many students and indeed many families. Anthea Wicks
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REUNION 2010 DIAMOND GIRLS, 1948-1950 It is now more than sixty years since in September 1948 we had gathered in the Drawing Room to hear Miss Skillicorn‘s words of welcome. She told us how fortunate we were, for we represented no more than ten percent of all the applicants who had sought a place at Homerton. And now in September 2010, ten per cent of those untested first year students were meeting again at Homerton to celebrate a special year, the Diamond Anniversary of our leaving College. We ten were Alice Addison (Ironfield), Brenda Belcher (Williams), Joan Bellis Brown (Saltmarsh), Brenda Buchanan (Wade), Jane Charman (Paterson), Margaret Down (Holroyd), Margaret Godwin (Whitlock), and Barbara Jones (Hunt), and as we talked, laughed, and pored over photographs at our Saturday morning meeting, we heard the echoes of those earlier days and thought of our ‗absent friends‘.
Friday afternoon challenge of making the register add up, are now denied access to this useful tool. Our special meeting was still in full flow when we had to heed the call to join the large gathering in the Auditorium for what was in effect the AGM of the Homerton Roll. The main item on the agenda was the celebration of the granting of the Royal Charter, there in the Auditorium for us to see in all its sealing wax and vellum glory. The Principal Dr Kate Pretty, and the Chair of the now-dissolved Board of Trustees Sir David Harrison, both outlined the procedures undertaken and the help received from a large body of people, but these acknowledgements cannot disguise the fact that it was due to the wisdom and persistence of Principal and Chair that college status within the University of Cambridge has been achieved, for this sometimes disregarded incomer from east London, Homerton College.
From left: John Charman, Jane Charman (Paterson), Rosemary Billett(Hillyard), Jean Brown (Saltmarsh), Alice Addison(Ironfield), Brenda Belcher(Williams).
from left: Brenda Buchanan (Wade), Margaret Godwin (Whitlock), Alice Addison (Ironfield), Barbara Jones (Hunt), Angus Buchanan.
It is a remarkable feature of such reunions that a spirit of friendship can be so quickly regenerated, even amongst those who may not have known each other very well at College. On the present occasion the rediscovery of this spirit may have been helped in part by the fact that due to Data Protection requirements, no register could be made available to the organizer of our group by the College Office. This led to a good deal of preliminary contact by telephone, letter, and email, so that a personal note had already been given to our reunion before we met, and we brought messages from and information about those unable to attend, but with us in thought. Nevertheless, it is a strange circumstance that those of us who began our professional lives facing the
Much more could be written about the splendid meals, the range of talks, concerts, and college and garden tours that could be enjoyed, but the highlights were the pleasure to be found in talking to friends old and new, and the magnificent and memorable achievements of the Charter Year. Brenda Buchanan (Wade, 1948-50)
GOLDEN GIRLS GOING 1960-63 Forty-one war babies came to the Reunion on 24th25th September. A quick check of my original Year List shows that there were 113 of us making that splendid journey in 1960. No Miss Skillicorn to greet us now, but kind and friendly Kate Pretty. We had Friday ‗Hall‘, as usual – but without the preprandial prayers – Perhaps the rack of lamb was a
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 21 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------little challenging, but most of us managed to despatch it by candlelight! Saturday was wonderful. Over breakfast, and in the designated Special Year Room we again made our joyful reunions. All recognizable (perhaps with the help of name labels), and our hostess Angie Payne (Mortimer) making sure we all had coffee and looked at the framed photos of our year at the time. An hour of Homerton ‗business‘ with the Keeper of the Roll, Ian Morrison, led to pre-prandial drinks and then a wonderful repast with all our year at the High Table. Great fun – lots of joyous reminiscences and a celebratory toast of the Royal Charter. What a big red seal! Prince Phillip had confided that it wasn‘t wax but resin. That afternoon involved a tour of the college. Also the Head Gardener conducted us round our beautiful and colourful autumn gardens. A special student recital in the Mary Allan auditorium was much appreciated, with works by John Rutter and Vaughan Williams, and finally the poem ‗Homerton‘ by Carol Ann Duffy, set to music by Peter Maxwell Davies. Our Poet Laureate is also an Honorary Fellow of Homerton. Tea was served in the Great Hall, and we sadly said our goodbyes. Three of us remained for dinner in the Fellows‘ Dining Room, and it was a joy to see Rachel Symonds, who just ‗popped in‘ from Hartney Witley, and later drove all the way back again. Till we meet again, Cynthia Loudon.
GOLDEN GIRLS IN A much smaller group met up this time than for the Big Reunion two years ago, when we celebrated entering Homerton for the start of our teacher training. However, it was very good to see those friends again, and catch up on everyone‘s news. I think we all remembered our time there as being an enjoyable introduction to life away from home and school. On the Saturday we had our customary September sunshine but there was one of those bitter easterly winds that you will all remember. Oh! The joys of cycling fast up Hills Road in order to get back for lectures, or into the Porters‘ Lodge in time to sign in, with the wind howling across the Fens from Siberia! In the morning Dr Pretty and others gave us an update on the College and University. It was,
though, worrying to hear that Education might disappear from the courses offered. We admired our new Charter in the front of the hall afterwards. I much enjoyed the talk on the Lost Film, and especially being reminded of Modern Dance sessions on the lawns. There were some entertaining stories told. Few of us had realized that our pianist was a refugee from Nazi Europe, who entered College via working in the kitchens. A very accomplished concert pianist pre-war. Jo Temple handed over sketches that she sent to her mother of Modern Dance and college life. Wet grass prevented me from actually inspecting our Conifer Tree, but from the path I could see that it looked healthy and is now a metre above the surrounding apple trees. The grounds looked very well kept, and still look spacious and tranquil despite the building of so many blocks over the years. Our next Big Walk down memory lane could be in three years time for a 55 year Reunion. Best wishes, Sue Prideaux (Aldred) Elise Wylie (Wood)
THIRTY YEARS So Thirty years on and none of us really felt any different. Most of us are still teaching, have family commitments or a long way to travel and I think it was probably the best attended reunion for quite a while. Over the whole weekend there were at least 20 of us in College to reminisce about what we did whilst in College Sally (Dixon) Collins brought along her scrapbook and we were reminded of various parties, the HUS Exec, our Winter Ball and the names and training programme of the very first Homerton Men‘s VIII coxed by Sally in 1979. Someone had the programme from our graduation, the first Homertonians to be awarded the B.Ed (Hons). What a special day that was. We had the Senate House to ourselves as the pen pushers at the University were not able to fit us in on the main graduation weekend, even though they had had two years to sort something out. The Saturday Dinner despite being smaller in number than Friday was really appreciated by those who attended and it was well on the way to midnight before people were heading out of the now Combination Room which for us had been the gym. Sunday morning saw me reunited with another three people from my year who had come especially to
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 22 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------commemorate the life of John Hammond. It was a super occasion and a fitting tribute with participants from all aspects of John‘s College life.
treated us all in different ways. We felt an immediate affinity with those there coming from a shared and very precious experience in the past and a common desire in all of us to be there again. Everyone seemed so happy and I think it was wonderful that such an effort was made to attend the day. One had flown in from Connecticut in the US to be there and others had travelled considerable distances from North and West leaving husbands, partners, children, careers and schools to cope whilst we enjoyed again the warmth and openness that is Homerton 'the friendliest College in Cambridge'.
For those of you who didn‘t make 30 years out, perhaps I‘ll see you for 35 years in next year! Ann Muston (McDonald)
TWENTY FIVE YEARS IN Caroline Marcus, Jo Ebner, Mehmooda Moosa
Lucy Webber (Saul), Judith Balls (Pelley), Elaine Diamond (Hoyle), Mehmooda Duke (Moosa), Anna Waters (Morgan), Kathryn Ward (Jenkinson), Anna Williams (Waitt), Helen Barker (Rickard), Jane Arney (Aldwinckle), Luke Lowry, Gill Smith, Liz Blake (Wotton)
On a blustery but rain free Saturday in September a select group of twelve from the Homerton College year group 1985 -1989 met together to celebrate their 25 years in. A further four had met for a wonderful Friday night Formal Hall but the majority of us were there for the Saturday special in this Royal Charter year. I think we all attended with a certain amount of trepidation, most of us had not ―been back‖ since graduating 21 years ago, but it was really good to meet up with old friends and acquaintances and to catch up with how life had
It was a warm welcome we received from the moment we arrived. It was particularly touching to be greeted by Peter Warner who was celebrating his own 30 years at Homerton and who was able to recall the names of Landscape History students that he had taught 25 years ago. It reminded me of the care and value that was placed on us students as individuals which sets Homerton apart. It was a similar pleasure to hear the principle Dr Kate Pretty address the gathering in the wonderful auditorium and to learn with pride of the arrival of the Royal Charter. Lunch was lovely and loud and ended with a toast to the Charter. After we gathered for a 25 Years In Group photograph. The highlight of the day surely came next when we left the wonderful and extensive new buildings and ventured down memory lane (or memory corridor!) The lovely Alex had his work cut out keeping our gaggle in order as we realized ―the phones were still in Paupers Walk‖ and ―pigeon holes should be there‖ and ―we‘re just going to climb to the top of D&E staircase‖. We commandeered a poor second year, who was quietly trying to move into her new room on D&E, and accepted her friendly offer to ―come and have a look‖. The rooms have the same view and have gained such luxuries as washbasins (en-suite in many parts of the college now) and numerous sockets and connection points – how
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 23 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------different the college experience is today with all that ―stuff‖ available on line; essays delivered at the click of the email ―send‖ button. Do I regret the passing of the late night cycle ride to deliver an archaeology essay to Dr Pretty at New Hall……I think not! We found the changes to the College and grounds very pleasing; everyone seemed to feel that the buildings were tastefully and sympathetically designed although there was a pang of regret for the passing of ―our buttery‖ and ―my library‖. However the surroundings remain beautiful & peaceful and the spirit of the place is constant. We all felt we had experienced something special in returning and hope in four years to revisit again for our twenty five years out……………come and join us. Jane Arney September 2010
enjoyed a glimpse of other colleges and evensong at King‘s College chapel while others undertook a cultural tour of a few other famous sights, including the Earl of Derby, the Flying Pig, the Maypole, the Mitre and the Anchor. Eventually everyone made it back to their rooms in college or local hotels and guest houses - although Ofsted would surely have been unimpressed with an absence of medium term planning, as one head teacher failed in a last minute attempt to find accommodation on the day and ended up sleeping in the car. We hope that others will return for future reunions in particular it would be fantastic to see as many as possible at the next special anniversary for our year group in September 2014, when we will mark a quarter of a century since the start of our time at Homerton. So contact those you still have addresses for, or come along on your own - you will certainly not be disappointed.
TWENTYONE YEARS IN 40 YEARS ON - 1967-1970/71 There was a very good turnout at the Roll reunion in September from those who started at Homerton in 1989. Some had attended previous reunions but many were visiting college for the first time since leaving 17 years ago - this was the first ‗special anniversary‘ reunion for our year group. The reunion began on Friday evening with the annual dinner in the main dining hall – a transformation from the hall in which we recalled ‗melting into the walls‘ during PE lectures and bopping to Ronnie Scott, Doctor and the Medics and Katrina and the Waves in the early 1990s. We all adjourned to the new bar, generally seen as an improvement on the pre-fab outfit we remembered, although several expressed disappointment that beer was no longer available for 85p a pint. For many the evening extended into the early hours with one small group even rolling back the years and braving the local night club near the new cinema complex, a stone‘s throw from college on the corner of Hills Road and Cherry Hinton Road. There were more arrivals on Saturday morning and many took the opportunity to tour the college with a current student. Some who lived in the main building in the first year were surprised to find that their room no longer existed - every third one has been converted into en-suite facilities for the two adjacent rooms. After a lunch attended by over 250, a few gathered for an impromptu garden party on the lawn. The Saturday dinner was a quieter affair with many opting instead to head into town. Some
About 14 of us came back and had a most enjoyable time. The swapping of experiences (and gossip) was interspersed with College tours, exploring the grounds, enjoying excellent music, a fascinating talk, delicious food ...so much to enjoy and be proud of! However, the icing on the cake was The Charter - what a wonderful achievement by Kate Pretty and all concerned. Thank you! Rosemary Thackray Pat Saxton
SPECIAL REQUEST GROUP 1978-82
Jo Manisier, Dee McNamara, Polly Jones, Jane Jephson, Lesley Cox, Sue L Wilkinson, Sue M Wilkinson, Judy Spracklen, Sue Davies, Gill Winstanley, Kate Witney, Susie Tydeman, Adrian Smith, Jo Windsor Aubrey, Sue Armstrong, Vicki Sutherland, Helen Burnett
This year, the organisers of the Homerton Alumni weekend accommodated a special request for a
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 24 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------reunion of the 1978-82 cohort. It was not a multiple of a decade since we either ‗went in‘ or ‗came out‘ but it is the year in which many of us have reached our personal half century and as such seemed a fitting time to catch up on long lost acquaintances. We were absolutely delighted with a turnout of 22 people, which sadly included only one of the 11 ‗first boys‘ on the four year course. We are very grateful to the College for allowing us to have a separate Saturday evening dinner; many of us are still teaching and as attendees came from as far afield as Cumbria and the western end of the M4, (to say nothing of the teacher who had been in Durham with a Year 6 field trip all week), the Friday dinner was just not a viable option for some. Unfortunately, given that we have all reached a certain age, this inevitably meant that some were unable to make this weekend as they were depositing their offspring at other universities around the country for the first time.
mutual admiration as everybody commented on how well we were all wearing and how apparently, none of us had changed a bit. The whole weekend was a fabulous experience for me. I marvelled at how individuals had shaped their lives, using the skills and talents they had discovered / acquired / developed during their time at Homerton. The majority of the people are teaching in one form or another; many have taken on subjects over the last 30 years that were not studied as part of their original degree and a high proportion had taken further qualifications in specific learning difficulties. Others are teaching English as a foreign language after vast experience abroad, teaching from the pulpit after becoming a vicar, home tutoring their own children, and running their own educational consultancy; in fact there wasn‘t anybody there who had allowed the grass to grow under their feet. Some people had been highly successful and become Heads or other senior teachers, whereas others had chosen to work part time in order to allow the flexibility for family or other charitable commitments and hobbies.
Sue M Wilkinson, Judy Spracklen, Joy Watson, Sue Davies, Mary Underwood, Sue Armstrong
Kate Witney & Sue Armstrong
There was a small degree of nervousness and uncertainty amongst some of us; emails and telephone calls were exchanged discussing dress codes, and some people preferred to meet friends beforehand so that they could make an entrance together. On a personal front, I had set myself two targets before the weekend; the first – studying the ‗1st Year Students‘ photograph, was completed successfully but the second – losing a stone in weight proved to be somewhat over ambitious. However, it was all totally unnecessary – as soon as people entered the room there were cries of recognition, hugs and kisses, and a general feeling of
We are of course extremely grateful to the College for acting as wonderful hosts; we were all very proud to hear about the significance of the Royal Charter, to see how beautifully the buildings and grounds have been developed both sympathetically and to such a high standard, and to hear of the determination to maintain the high profile of Education in Cambridge. However, it was the alumini who made this weekend; a gang of us relaxed on the sofas in the SCR until the early hours of Sunday morning when we almost became too tired to move, just simply not wanting the day to end. Thank you so much to everybody who made the supreme effort to join our group and I hope we shall all meet again in the not too distant future. Vicki Addey (Sutherland)
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 25 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RETIRED SENIOR MEMBERS NEWS Barbara POINTON, 1963-93. She writes: ‗I have become a bit like a mediaeval troubadour, wandering the length of the land to spread news about how to offer enlightened care to people with dementia. Lots of speaking engagements and sitting on committees for the Department of Health and Social Care, including two Ministerial advisory groups. Never thought retirement would be like this! Jane Edden (Cursiter) and I have also formed a singing group of Retired Senior Members of Homerton, known affectionately as ―The Crumblies‖. Britain‘s Got Talent – watch out!‘ Frances TURNER, (Weddell), 1966-87. She writes: ‗I continue to enjoy village life – writing group and book club in the library, Keep Fit, scrabble, etc., here in Windmill Grange; also various church activities (young mothers and babies seem quite happy to have a great grandmother in attendance!) I still have my Rwandan families, a number of Japanese contacts, some old Engineering Lab friends, old Homerton students and above all the Retired Senior Members. So there is plenty of social life and no possibility of boredom.‘
ALUMNI NEWS News and Announcements DID YOU KNOW... Homerton now has an Official Alumni Facebook. If you want to hear about news and events at the earliest possible point, do please join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/pages/CambridgeUnited-Kingdom/Homerton-College-Cam bridge-Alumni/38635419944. Alternatively, for more information about events, please contact Cathy Bogg, our Roll and Alumni Assistant, at cb647@cam.ac.uk. Looking to 2011 Jo Stoaling (Whyte), 1997-2001, writes: I am in the process of organising a Homerton 10 Year Reunion, and have booked the main hall for 9th
April. Obviously Facebook has made the task of contacting members of my year considerably easier, but I am still missing some names, and would be delighted to hear from anyone who can put me in touch with others.
NEWS BY DECADES News of individual Homertonians received sine the last Newsletter.
1930s PORTEOUS, Amy Clunis (Biggs), 1939-41. Now widowed, living in Suffolk with Henry, her 5th Golden Retriever, having visits from family, and visiting her youngest daughter in Canada; from time to time reading her letters (all kept) and counting her many blessings. See her account of Homerton in war-time under ‗Memories‘.
1940s BUCHANAN, (Dr) Brenda J (Wade), 1948-50. ‗In June 2010 we celebrated our 80th birthdays with a family party at the home of our younger son in Oxford. Military service had meant that my husband Angus (St Catharine‘s 1950-56) was not in Cambridge whilst I was at Homerton but we had met in the 6th Forms of adjoining grammar schools and kept in touch. Our first married home was a flat in Chaucer Road, and I taught history at a school in Royston. We continue to share an interest in matters historical, and had to miss the Reunion last year in order to present papers at the annual meeting of the American Society for the History of Technology in Pittsburgh. After that we were able to spend time with our elder son and daughter-in-law in Upper New York State. All such opportunities to meet up are so welcome.‘ LEE, Freda (Alton), 1944-46. She writes that she and her husband are still active – country dancing, choir singing and foreign holidays. Their two daughters are still raising their families. The elder is working full time as a nursery teacher and the younger works part time, while their four children are all heavily involved in sport – football, cricket, tennis and swimming – and the two eldest play in a prize winning brass band. Their elder son reached his 50th birthday and retired from the fire and rescue service on that day. The younger son was
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 26 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------made redundant and decided to start up his own gardening business which is going well. McWILLIAM, Eileen (Price), 1945-47. Eileen writes: ‗After two wonderful years at Homerton, I was offered the Open Music Scholarship to the royal college of Music for four years. A career as professional singer followed before the birth of my two sons. As chairman of the association of Teachers of Singing I sent to America on the invitation from the National Association of Teachers of Singing America to observe their methods of teaching singing to students. As a result I formed an Intern programme for Teaching of Singing which has been taking place annually for the past 18 years. (See at www.aotos.org.uk) SAUL, Sylvia (Ward), 1949-51 ‗We have enjoyed on the spot news of Homerton‘s very important year from grand-daughter in residence, Rebecca (Jackson), who has successfully completed her M.Phil year and is now working for WPP in London. Geoff had emergency major heart surgery at Masefield Hospital in early March, and life is slowly returning to something like normal. Usual activities were on hold but Geoff has just produced his local History Society Newsletter again, and I managed a couple of School Book Club sessions at the end of term – also on-going British Red Cross fund raising. We have had wonderful support from family and friends, including Roy and Brenda Underwood (Cole, ‘47-‘49), who are fellow (very active) Friends of Maresworth, our local care home.‘ WISEMAN, Evelyn, 1948-51. She has just published a book, ‗Movement Discovery: Physical Education for Children‘ (Jones and Bartlett: 2010), written to help teachers develop an active PE programme in elementary schools, in the belief that the best preparation for active life is enjoyment and skill in a variety of physical activities. Eve and her co-author, Andrea Boucher. who is still teaching at Towson State University, Maryland, have dedicated the book to their mentors – in Eve‘s case Agnes Whyte, who she thinks made a great contribution to life at Homerton. Eve also credits Homerton for her change of perspective when she arrived at college ‗gung ho‘, as she says, to teach PE ‗and ―Billy Warm‖ as we called him (Mr Warmington) said they were only interested in people who wanted to reach children - a big shock at that time for me!‘
1950s BILSON, Diane (English), 1954-56. Still enjoying retirement, and devoting a lot of time to Family History investigation. BURT, Renee (Howe), 1950-52. Although now retired, she is pleased that after 60 years she is still in touch with four of her contemporaries from Homerton days. CURTIS, Pauline (Haigh). 1954-56. She writes: ‗I still enjoy close contact with college as an RSM (Retired Senior Member. I was made an Honorary Senior member for my 25 years as Keeper of the Roll). Involved with ‗Age UK‘ (as Chair of the local committee), NADFAS, and spend as much time as possible playing the violin in local orchestras and chamber groups. I will always be grateful for the excellent music course at Homerton, and Alan Percival our inspirational music lecturer and teacher.‘ DAVIS, Julia Barbara (Harradine), 1957-59. She writes: ‗Interests – Grandchildren and the Environment; i.e. ‗Waterwatch‘- water monitoring for Melbourne Water (creeks, rivers, and wetlands); ‗Platypus count‘ - for the Australian Platypus Conservancy; Care and revegetation of Bushlands/wildlife corridors; and volunteering in the Indigenous Plant Nursery of an Environment Education Centre. In 1999 she was given the Australia Day Award (Environment) by the Federal Electorate of Jagajaga. She was Volunteer of the Year, 2008, City of Banyule, Community Volunteers; and given the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority Landcare Individual Award, also in 2008. ‗All,‘ as she writes, ‗with thanks to those with whom I work and who have taught me about Australian Nature; and with thanks to my tutors, including Mr Palmer and Miss Carpenter for their encouragement.‘ JACKSON, Patricia Jean (Wilkinson), 1959-62. Since 2002 she has organised five trips from the Grove School, Market Drayton, Shropshire, to South Africa, where they support a township Primary School in Cape Town. Their sixth trip will take place in August 2010, and last seventeen days. They also support a community Aids project near Paarl, South Africa.
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 27 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------LEWIS, Pam (Walker), 1951-53. She writes: ‗2010 has been an eventful year for me. In February I flew to Hong Kong for my annual visit to my son. As always I enjoyed life in this wonderful city. On 9th March, Kevin and I flew to Singapore to visit dear friends who used to live in Hong Kong. They have three delightful sons aged 3, 5 and 7, and I spent a lot of time with them, finding that skills learnt in Homerton in the ‗50s are still very relevant. We also explored the city, shopped and sipped Singapore Slings in the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel. Sentosa is a small island to the South, and has wonderful beaches, cafes and bars, a Pioneers Museum, a water theme part and a great view of ships moored in the Straits of Singapore, and we spent a long, enjoyable day there. Then on the 13th we had a phone call to say my husband was ill, and we flew back to Belfast to find he had had a stroke and was hospitalised. Physically he is very near normal, but mentally he is confused, forgetful, muddled and has mood-swings. He is not allowed to drive so I am chauffeur as well as ‗secretary‘, dealing with all paperwork. I can only leave him about an hour at a time, so my life has completely changed. No more visits to Hong Kong in the foreseeable future, but my son flies home for a week about every three months. It can be very tough, but other folk have bigger problems, and I am thankful things are no worse. It has made me realise that there are so many problems in life that we hope we are equipped to deal with.‘ STANDEVEN, Joanna (Temple), 1958-60. She writes: ‗No more teaching now, not even teaching Lip-reading to Adults except for an occasional informal group on ‗Deaf Awareness‘. Enjoying voluntary work with Conservation and Wildlife groups, and Age Concern, Suffolk. Happy memories of Homerton Days!‘ TOPLEY, Barbara (Hough),1955-57. After a widely travelled life, gaining a 1st class degree in Psychology at Hong Kong University in 1972, doing most of an MA in 1973 at Chicago Roosevelt University, and taking a CQSW at Goldsmith‘s in London, working as a teacher in school and university and as a probation officer, Barbara is now retired. She has edited the Pitt Rivers‘ Museum (Oxford) Friends‘ Newsletter for the past 3 years, and acts as a guide in the Museum. Other time is spent with her own six grandchildren, often watching them play a variety of musical instruments, and with the six grandchildren of her second husband, Ken, who died three years ago.
VINER, Rosemary (Billington), 1957-60. We have now been back in Sheffield for nearly a year, having lived in the country in Derbyshire for 27 years. It is much more convenient – a smaller house and garden, shops just round the corner and a regular bus into town. I am still in touch with some of my Homerton contemporaries, and would be glad to hear from anyone else.
1960s ANNETT, Jane (Pirie), 1960-63 Jane married in 1964 and has two children – Sally, an artist, and Mark, a surveyor and karate teacher. She has moved frequently, due to her husband‘s job, teaching a range of pupils from 2 years old to 90 years. She has started playgroups; taught at Infant, Primary, Secondary, and University levels; been Head of Year, Deputy, Head, temporary Inspector of Primary/Environment; and taught in the Open University for 2 years as a Senior counsellor. Her final job was as Head of a Field Study Centre in Oxford , and she now runs fund raising visits for the Oxford Botanic Gardens. CAISH, Andrea Caish (Baker), 1963-66 Andrea has retired, after teaching for over 30 years, the last 15 of them as head of a Bristol primary school. Last year she visited Homerton and was shown around, including seeing her old room again. She writes: ‗Next week I am off to Menorca with 4 old Homertonian friends - so try to keep the old flame burning! I should be very pleased to see a copy of any Homerton photos taken during the years I was at Homerton - 1963-1966. Has anyone got any?‘ COOMBES, Eileen (Tricia) (Nurphy), 1969-72. Retired, but writes that as she is not paid to not go to work yet, she is enjoying a ―gap year‖ while deciding what to do with the rest of her life. ‗Wonderful to see so many at the ―40 in‖ reunion.‘ CRAIG, (Dr) Olivia (Hurst), 1961-64. After Homerton, spent 20 years in Special Education, meanwhile acquiring a B.Phil, M.Ed, M.Ed (Psychol) and Ph.D at Birmingham University. In the 1990s transferred to City of Birmingham Social Services Psychology Team, ending as Principal when the Team was made redundant in 2003. Now semi-retired and living, singing, and ‗friend‘ of the Royal Ballet in Brum, she practices privately as an Educational and
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 28 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------forensic Psychologist and Expert Witness, specialising in Child Protection.
learnt the need for commitment and effort in pursuit of excellence.‘
DICKSON, Susan Deborah (Johnson), 1961-64. After retirement as Head of Music at the Hampshire Schools in London, my husband and I bought an apartment in Barbados where we spend half the year. If there are any Homertonians living in Barbados or in Norfolk (U.K.) I would love to hear from them (email; j.dickson10@virgin.net).
HARROP, Jackie (Hornby), 1967-70 After working for Wokingham District council as Assistant Chief Executive, incorporating Director of Children‘s Services and Director of Adult Services and Cultural Services, Jackie was seconded to the Department for Children, Schools and Families as Children‘s Services Adviser. Among many other responsibilities, this has included supporting and challenging performance management across all areas of the Every Child Matters agenda, including safeguarding raising attainment, and providing Joint improvement support plans for six SE London Boroughs. (See the longer account in ‗After Homerton‘)
FORREST, Judy (Moorhouse), 1967-70. Recently retired, having enjoyed a full and happy career in teaching. I started working with deprived children in the East End of London, before moving to Dulwich College Prep School and becoming Deputy Head of the Annexe Department (pre-prep). Married, with two children, I moved to Nottinghamshire and ran my own Nursery school from home. Later divorced and remarried, I moved to Oxfordshire, where I worked at the Manor Prep School in Abingdon, and became Head of the Lower School. Amanda Rowse, my great friend from Homerton, was Head of Middle School and Deputy Head there. After twelve years I became Head of Upton House School in Windsor, and then Head of Chandlings School, a large co-educational Prep School in Oxfordshire. My daughter Emma did a PGCE at Homerton a few years ago, and Amanda‘s daughter Chloe did one a few years before that! Teaching obviously continues through the generations. GIBBONS, Sally (Deeprose), 1966-70. Now retired, and enjoying life on the edge of the Fens near to Stamford, with lots of gardening to keep fit in readiness for her first grandchild, due early 2010. She is acquiring some new skills, including geography, with more fair weather boating! GROWCOTT, Avril (Kemp), 1967-71. Avril writes: ‗Still working (now part-time) at St George‘s School, Ascot, teaching French, Latin and Classics. Still contemplating retirement with ambivalence. Three children and three grandchildren all doing well. I have seen quite a bit of B.A. Cummings (Whitley) and Anne Small (Mills) in the past year, as well as Jen Taylor (Kilburn) and Ruth Ramsay (Mullen) a couple of times. Most of us were together in 2009 to celebrate our 60th birthdays. Our friendships, formed at Homerton, have lasted over 40 years. Homerton really was a very special place for us, giving us values and standards for both work and life; we
KNOWLES, Jenny (Anstis), 1969-73. I have been a Committee member of the Cambridge Society of Surrey for several years, helping organise local events for alumni. Each year I organise a Freshers‘ Party, giving students from around Surry an opportunity to meet each other prior to going up. LOUDON, Cynthia (King), 1960-63. She writes: ‗Still gardening, writing and walking! Married to geologist T.Victor Loudon. My daughter is a cardiologist at John Radcliffe, Oxford, and my son, James, a phycisist and Fellow of Homerton. My own main academic interest is in the Friends of Tilling and the E.F.Benson Society, involving an annual Gathering in Rye.‘ PIPER, Janet ( Phillips /Grant ), 1964-67 Janet is now running her own International Trade training company, having sold her partnership in Phillips Export Training in 2005, after 25 years. In 1993 she was elected Fellow of the Institute of Export. She writes: ‗I am looking forward enormously to the next reunion of my dear old Homerton friends at here at our house in the Cotswolds at the end of June. Kate Cotton (Ralphs), (and her sister Anne and partner), Christine Purkis and her partner Chris (they happily married earlier this year), Sally Platts (Pond), Carolyn Adams (Kitcher) with husband David, Carmen Renwick (Bassoli) and partner Jon, Theresa Collier (Piers) and husband John, Elsa Nicholas (Moir) and husband Paul, and Penny Rkaina (Vaughan Thomas) and husband Rachid all hope to join in a weekend of celebrations - lamb roast in the garden, opera at local Longborough House and a visit to the lovely Rousham House and gardens.
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 29 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We (with others unable to come this time) have all met regularly since our privileged years at Homerton (over 40 years ago) and we have found immense pleasure in each other's matchless company (and marvellous support through the various emotional difficulties - divorce, death of a loved husband, and illness – as well as the great joys - marriage, re-marriage, retirement and grandchildren. There's absolutely nothing to beat those old friendships, forged with the very special people who were luckily chosen by Dame Beryl Paston-Brown. I remember that interview still and PB became a wonderful female role-model. I look back on my own successful career and attribute it to her graceful, courteous and steely example. We all owe a debt to Homerton!‘ POWRIE, Heather (Griffiths), 1968-72. Still teaching music privately at Home Studio (Griffiths Music Studio) in the national capital of Australia. ‗I no longer go into schools, finding plenty of work with families coming to me before and after school on weekdays. We do exam and festival preparation, and run an annual music camp down at the coast; and I am also involved in quite a lot of fundraising events for the council. Have taken up running again after recovering from broken limbs.‘ RIGG, Patricia (Vasey), 1960-63. After leaving Homerton in 1963, I taught in a girls‘ school in my home town of South Shields. Four years later, in 1967, I went to live in Germany. Five years – five wonderful years – at Prince Rupert School, a boarding-school for service children, in Wilhelmshaven on Germany‘s north coast. I met my husband there and married in 1969 at the British Consulate, Hanover. My husband‘s first wife was Greek and her family in Thessaloniki gave me a loving welcome. We spent our summers in Greece, driving down from Germany. The school in Wilhelmshaven closed in 1972, but a new Prince Rupert School – now a day school – was built in Rinteln, not far from Hamelin on the River Weser, a very beautiful place to live and totally different from the north of Germany. After Four happy years in Rinteln, back to England in 1976, to a village in Lincolnshire, where I taught in a local comprehensive school until early retirement in 1993. Life now became very different – gardening, forest walks with our dogs, theatre visits, writing, travelling, fund-raising, family, friends, W.I (jammaking? Yes!!), Tai Chi, computer classes, photography, etc. etc. Am a member of the Wilhelmshaven Association, for ex-staff and pupils
of the school from its opening in 1947 until 1972 – interesting newsletters, plus reunions every 2 years. It‘s just like being part of one enormous family. Sadly, my husband died last year, so once more my life is very different at the moment.. I still have good friends from Homerton days, and hope, one day, to meet with them again. And now it‘s our Golden Anniversary reunion at Homerton – that is hard to believe!‘ ROBERTS, Mair Elonwy (Lonnie) (Edwards), 1969-72. Married Peter (Pembroke College), brother of Sue Roberts (Homerton 69-72), in 1974. Three sons and currently two grandchildren. Became Advisory teacher with Berkshire Science support team in 1995, and then went into SEN as SENCO with Windsor Girls‘ School for ten years. Retired after thirty-seven years of teaching, and is now in semiretirement, teaching adults at Maidenhead‘s Adult Dyslexia Centre and trying to play to her golf handicap.
RUPP, Jacqueline Margaret (Eke), 1960-63. ‗Music has always been a big hobby – I met my future husband through music and we have been singing together for 50 years! For 8 of those years we were in charge of Canterbury Cathedral choir boys, as part of our job at St Edmund‘s School, Canterbury, where we taught for 37 and 27 years. I started my teaching career at a local primary school for two and a half years before the family of three boys arrived: Andy, an opera singer; Peter and Christopher (twins, an accountant in Australia and a banker in London. They were all choir boys. I taught mainly geography, keeping art, music and French as hobbies, and I have a house in France which we visit monthly. This was purchased ten years ago, following a lifetime of happy camping in France with the family, and staying in Gites with friends. Two sons went to Cambridge – Andy as a Choral Scholar at St Johns, and Chris at Downing. We were all proud of Martin‘s father, Principal of Wesley House, and Fellow of Emmanuel and Fitzwilliam, where my husband had been an undergraduate. He was President of the Methodists the year the twins were born in 1968. The musical tradition continues – all 7 of our grandchildren (6 boys and 1 girl) are musical. The eldest holds an Exhibition at Sevenoaks School and will take his O levels this year. The youngest is due to start at the Choir House next September, where his brother is already a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral.‘
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 30 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SUTHERLAND, Judy (Phillips), 1960-63. ‗Trained as a Child Care Officer with Dr Barnardo‘s before teaching. Now retired, but still giving private tuition in A level English. Rich family life – 3 children: John a police man, currently Borough Commander in Camden; Annie, a Medieval English Fellow at Somerville, Oxford; and Mary, a physiotherapist. They are all married and I have 6 grandchildren. In 2004 I had a liver transplant – brilliant – for which I am very grateful. I run the local church youth group, and am very involved with the church - my main joy – apart from family!‘
BRIANT, Ruth (de Iongh), 1978-82. Still doing freelance teaching in various museums in London, and particularly enjoying doing outreach work in Hospital and SEN schools.
THOMPSON, Valerie (Pollock), 1962-65. ‗Having taught art and music at a secondary modern school for some years, I then worked on the committee for Drug Addiction as a civil servant. Later I taught art to adults at the FSCs at Hatford and Nettlecombe. As a hobby I took up silversmithing during which time I made much lovely jewellery. I have also produced 2 lovely daughters, each of whom has one child.‘
BURTON, Jill (Grant), 1979-1983. Jill is now living in Devon, close to Exeter. She writes: ‗My husband is parish priest of Starcross with Cofton, and we have moved round Somerset and Devon for the past 18 years since making a foray into the South West from the South East when we first married. My eldest daughter, Hannah, is in her first year at Edinburgh University and my son Will is 'enthusiastically' approaching GCSEs this summer. I have been head of English at Richard Huish College in Taunton for the past five years, which keeps me lovely and busy!‘
See the rest of Valerie‘s news in ‗After Homerton‟.
1970s ALLWOOD, Rosalind (Mapstone), 1972-75. Married to Peter (Kings, 1971-74), with 4 sons. Lived within Independent Boarding Schools since 1995 (Leighton Park, Oundle, Christ‘s Hospital, and Lichfield Cathedral School where Peter is currently Head). I have always works in a pastoral capacity within these schools. During the 70s, 80s, and 90s Peter and I were involved in the National Youth Music Theatre, taking shows annually to the Edinburgh Fringe. Since 1990 I have taught in local state primary schools as a class teacher specialising in music. BENNETT, Sue L (Wilkinson), 1978-82 ‗Still teaching part-time in primary schools in Year 6. Plus supply work from infants to Year 6. Enjoy tutoring maths up to a level, both in school and privately. Family no all left school and becoming more independent – a trainee accountant, a fullyqualified joiner, a trainee water-sports instructor, and one finishing a year in Africa before going to university.‘
BROYD, Rosalind (Willey), 1973-77. Still happily married to Tim and living in Surrey. Now teaching Drama in Croydon High School (GDST) at junior and senior levels. Would be delight to hear from anyone else teaching drama or involved in school productions, with a view to exchanging ideas and creating a forum for debate.
COLLINS, Sally (Dixon), 1976-80. ‗Simon and I have been married for 26 years – we met at school, then he went to the CCAT, as it was known in those days. We have two sons, James and Joe, both studying geography at Bristol, albeit in different years. After many years as a primary school teacher, I now work at Kent College, Canterbury, teaching international students and also pupils in our dyslexia Unit. Our great passion is sailing, and we sail in various parts of the British Isles and abroad, time permitting!‘ CRASTON, Wendy Elizabeth (Strauss), 1974-78. ‗I have lived in Germany now for almost 20 years, and at the beginning of 2007 decided to set up my own company, ‗English Matters‘. I teach English in companies, and help students prepare for English language examinations required by universities here in Germany and in Great Britain. I give individual coaching to pupils needing extra help to master the intricacies of our language; proof-read presentations, both academic and for companies; and teach Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency examinations. My clients are varied – at present I am teaching people in a nuclear power station; a hydraulics company; and a company selling table tennis equipment. Occasionally I still do some supply teaching in local schools, but am unable to get a permanent contract since the Education Authority
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 31 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------here thinks my BEd from Homerton isn‘t good enough!! I live here (about 25 kilometres north of Hamburg) with my daughter Sarah, who has two more years at school here.‘ DARMANIE, Bonnie-Lou (Walker) 1979-83 Has just celebrated 26 years of marriage and her 50th birthday. Both children have graduated from US universities. She has published her first book ‗Caribbean Beat‘ and is looking forward to publishing more. GREGORY, Lynda (Walsh), 1976 - 1980 She writes: ‗Finally decided UK schools and attendant stress levels were unacceptable and that I would much rather spend the summers in Greece with my husband running a sailing school. So here I am remarried February 2009 and semi retired July 2009. Now have a winter house in Cornwall and summers in Greece. I am busy keeping house, trying to learn a bit of Greek and helping with sailing instruction, paperwork, boat cleaning and skippering. Check out Porosyachtingacademy.com and greeksails.com One of the best bits of being a Head of a small school was having 4/5 of out teaching staff Homerton trained! Loved working with Jane Evans from my year and Janet Cottenden who are still at Ashdon Primary. But I‘m not missing teaching and especially SATS, targets, initiative x, y and z yet!‘ HINDLEY, K.F ( Hindley /Parry), 1978-82. About to complete 28 years ―at the chalk-face‖ > whiteboard >SMART board. Hoping to retire after thirty years service to state education in July 2012! LEWIS, Robert D, 1977-78 Worked for the SQA from 1984-2008, setting and examining for higher Religious Studies. Principal Examiner for higher Religious Moral and Philosophical Studies from 1993-2008. He is currently researching into the Junius Mystery (historical) and enjoying retirement but still enjoying supply teaching. He plays croquet with his wife Barbara, to whom he's been married to for 32 years, and his good friend Maurice Bond (his contemporary on the PGCE RS course in 1977-78). MOOKERJEE, Mary (Hickson), 1978-82. Married with two teenagers, a boy (16) and girl (14). Moved with her husband to California in 2003, after living in Germany, the United States, Germany again, and the United Kingdom. She is enjoying life
in California, and volunteering in the local school and library outreach programme. MOULSDALE, Nicky (Tyler), 1974-78. ‗Still living in Wimbledon with my husband Johnny (St Catharine‘s 1974-77). We will be celebrating our Pearl Wedding Anniversary in September, two days after the marriage of our eldest daughter Jessica to Yohann Bellanger in France. Lucy works for Save the Children, and Hannah finished at Bristol and is going to do an MSc in Real Estate at Reading. I go along as often as I can to the London Branch of Homerton Rollers and we‘ve had some really interesting outings. Very much looking forward to the Charter Celebration Lunch at the Oxford and Cambridge Club on 20th November. ROPET, Kim (Watson), 1976-80. Have just started my 30th year in teaching, and am still managing an Art department as well as being an Advanced Skills teacher in Art in a secondary school in Lewisham, London. I am on the Senior Leadership Team, advising on teaching and learning. I also work with a number of secondary schools, advising on art and design. I am still in contact with many friends from my years at Homerton – Sally Hunter, Phyl Flack and Sarah Jacobs. Sadly Teresa Hudson died earlier this year. SCOTT, Graham, 1978-1982. Graham gained a Diploma in Acting from the Guildford School of Acting in 1989, and having worked as a teacher and an actor, is now Director of the Kinetic Theatre Company. He is in touch with Gill Stone (formerlyWinstanley), and Melanie Pitcher who now lives in Manhattan. SISWELL, Marsha Jean McLeod (Howdle) 19701973. She writes, ‗Since leaving Homerton in 1973 I have married, had 3 children, and spent my working life teaching in secondary school across the North West and North East of England. I am just completing my 37th year.‘ WALKER, Susan (Blake), 1970-74 Sue writes: ‗Singing used to be my main interest, however having had four hip replacements and a new knee I am now very involved with Sunshine Hospital Radio at Weston General Hospital. I am happily married for a second time and we have a son who will be nineteen in July and who is studying Engineering at Durham University.‘
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 32 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WHITTAKER, Lois Margaret (Chapman), 197073. She writes; ‗Still married to Raymond, who I met whilst at Homerton. We live in North Cumbria, where he is an architect and I am currently Head Teacher of a fellside primary school – 137 pupils plus lots of sheep. I was a literacy consultant for 3 years. Still working very hard – plus garending, reading, travelling, Our two children both live and work in London.
1980s ARMSTRONG, Elaine (Cox), 1980-84. ‗At the end of December 2009 I gave up part-time teaching to pursue the dream of setting up my own business. By the end of March 2010 I found myself pitching my invention to the iconic but troubled retail store, Habitat, in front of TV cameras for a new BBC 2 series called ‗The Buying Game‘, with Theo Paphitis as presenter. Since then I have pitched successfully to Argos and am in the process of sorting through offers to license the idea globally. I may have found myself in front of the TV cameras, but that‘s nothing compared to my ex-pupils, comedian Jack Whitehall and Hollywood‘s new darling, Robert Pattinson, both of whom I taught when they were 6-7 years old at Tower House School in East Sheen. Perhaps they‘d like to offer their old teacher a few tips! Or, where‘s Nick Hancock (Homerton post-grad 1984?) when you need him? The invention is called Bikeback, at the time of writing, but will probably be renamed in the branding process before it hits the High Streets. It is a touring device for a young child‘s bicycle, basically a tourable skate-board for bikes! I continue to be very busy on the home front, with a workaholic husband, four daughters and a granddaughter. Yes, I know, I‘m too young but I love it!‘ ASHTON, Lisa (Hughes), 1988-92. She writes: ‗Following an intensive year on our building project, involving extensive renovatin, remodelling and extesnion, we finally moved in in November 2009. Our two girls ar enow in Reception and Nursery and both enjoy their ballet and swimming.‘ EBNER, Joanna (Ebner-Landy), 1985-89. Currently headmistress of the Royal School, Hampstead, as well as being mother to three children aged 17, 15 and 11. Involved in the Girls‘ Schools‘
Assocation, and appear regularly on the mydaughter.co.uk website. I have co-authored a book on Counselling in Schools (Sage, 2002) and am delighted to provide work experience in my school, which is an independent school for girls aged 3-16. HANN, Heather (Dovey), 1985-89. Taking up the post of Headteacher at a Primary school in Essex from September 2010. IRWIN, Helen (Burgess), 1980-84 Helen writes: ‗I have been working at the City of London Freemen's school for 15 years now. I married John in 1994 and have 3 daughters, Ellie, 14 years, Kate 12 years and Sarah 8 years. I've taught in a variety of schools including a school in Peru. I really enjoy teaching at Freemen's where we have a very strong department and Physics is a compulsory GCSE subject. We have huge numbers of 6th form doing AS and A level physics so our department is lively and busy.‘ JAMES, Anna Hennell (Hennell), 1982-86. Still a Headteacher in Ipswich, and working with lots of other ex-Homertonians. Had the pleasure of a sunny day in Cambridge recently when my son was taking part in the ICYD finals at the Union. Still in regular contact with Liz Currie (Blainey) and Fiona Woods (Abery). KEARNEY, Lisa Claire (Newbury), 1982-86. Still teaching geography in Dorset, but also now a Housemistress. Husband, Mike, is Head of Science in the same school. Daughter born 2005. WATERS, Anna (Morgan ), 1985-1989 Currently living in Connecticut, USA with her husband and two sons, Martin, Oliver and Harry, and happy to have stopped moving, having moved from UK to Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong in the last 12 years! Very busy teaching in a variety of schools with a variety of ages in all countries! WHYTE, Alison (Briggs), 1985-1989. Present Occupation, being a mum. Has just had three years living in Kiev, Ukraine, and moves to Moscow in August 2010. ‗Fancied a colder climate!!‘ WILLAT, Helen (Priestley), 1989-93. Married to Guy (Homerton 1990-94) and living in Sheffield with two children, Emma (6) and Samuel (4).
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 33 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WILLIAMS, Anna (Waitt), 1985-89. Married to Nigel for 21 years, with 5 children – Sarah (14) Daniel (13), Ruth (11), Rachel (9) and Esther (4). Still involved in PACT summer camps, but sadly no longer playing rugby! After becoming a Deputy Head in 1995, I left teaching in 1997 to look after a growing family. Now parent helper in my childrens‘; school, and Vice-chair of the PTA. Main work is as Chair of Governors in a local primary school – becoming a Federation. It was great to meet up with 12 colleagues from our year in September. We are planning for a bigger group to meet for our ‗21 years Out ‗– watch for news! WOODCOCK, Sally (Ronaldson), 1983-87. Recently completed an MA at RADA/KCL (with the top distinction in her year), and an MPhil at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Now writing plays, with one currently in development in London. ‗Watch this space!‘
1990s BROWN, James Robert (Jim),1998-99 Now a Deputy Head, and completing the Scottish Qualification for Headship. Recently married to Marian. COX, Christopher John, 1992-96. Now acting as Secretary of the Yorkshire/Derbyshire Alumni Branch, and in my third year as General Manager of the University of Sheffield management School. DELCOLLE, Jeanne M. (Del Colle), 1991-92 Jeanne now teaches history in New Jersey, and was awarded ‗Teacher of the Year 2010- Burlington County Institute of Technology Honoree - Women's History Month - For environmental and archaeological work.‘ She was a staff member on the archaeological dig at Tell al Umayri in Jordan in 2006 and 2008. GRUNEBERG, Fiona (Yelland), 1990-94. A busy year last year with the birth of her son Benjamin in April, moving house in August, and completing her MA in December. HARVEY, Emma (Brooks), 1997-98. Recently married, with a honeymoon in Corsica. Now works as an executive search consultant recruiting for senior roles in the central government and not-for-profit sectors.
HASSALL, Ed and Sharon ( ), 1996-97. Ed and Sharon were both on the PGCE course at Homerton, and have since pursued teaching careers though Sharon is now devoting more time to looking after their 5 year old daughter, Isobel. Having taught in schools in southern England, northern India, Thailand and Malaysia, Ed is currently teaching in the Tanglin Trust (British international) school in Singapore. Ed has written a book called Troy Story (published August 2010), which is a 264 page rhyming version of Homer's Iliad aimed at an upper primary/secondary readership (available from Amazon), and lends itself to interactive performance. He writes that his main aim in writing Troy Story was to provide an accessible and enjoyable version of the Iliad for a young audience. He has also done several successful workshops with students from yrs 5 - 13 as well as a one-man show at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and hopes to do (free) school visits every summer in the UK, after his school term finishes in late June. HUYNH, Sabine, 1997-98 Now a Post-doctoral Fellow in Sociolinguistics (University of Ottawa), as well as a poet, writer, and literary translator. She has just published her first novel, ‗La Mer et l'enfant‘. JEWELL, Jonathan David, 1997-99. Married Natalie Louisa Parker on 1st May 2010. LUM, Sonja (Yunus), 1994-95 At present working as a part-time Holistic Practitioner and full-time Mum to Joshua, born in 2001, and Yasmin, born 2006. She would be happy to hea from former classmate and friends. MARSLAND, Nicola (Hammersley), 1991 - 1992 Working as both teacher and actor at present. MORE, Abigail Louise (Hine), 1996-2000. Married in 2002 and now has 3 children, but she is still working two days a week teaching at Tangmere School, in Sussex, as well as running the village toddler group on another day. REITER, Jacqueline (Faulkner), 1998-2001. She writes: ‗following my graduation in 2001 I transferred to pembroke College, where I read for an MPhil and a PhD in history. I met my husband there, and we married in July 2007. Our son, Felix, was born in august 2009. I am currently working as a Law Librarian and living in London.‘
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 34 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ST VALLE-SMITH, Bethina (St Valle), 1994 -95 Working as a teacher and married to Dr Martin Smith, with an 8 year old son, Julian James.
FOSTER, Rebecca, 2006-07 Married Samuel Foster on 31st July 2010
SVENSON, Bjorn Anders, 1997 - 1998 Now a senior leader in charge of special needs/inclusion in a fantastic school in Winchester, and living in Petersfield. WOOD, Romy, 1991-95. Romy teaches for the Open University and lives in Cardiff. Her first novel is to be published October 2010 - Bamboo Grove, Alcemi.
2000s ANJARI, Joher M, 2000-01. ‗Took the plunge and moved to Cornwall last summer. Loving the sea and the space, and the freedom I‘m finally finding in the classroom.‘ BONNER, Hannah (White ), 2002 – 2003. Hannah writes: ‗ I saw myself on the Lost Sheep list - and realised just how long it has been since I made contact with my fellow PGCE-ers. If anyone wants to get in contact to say ―hi‖ then I'd love to hear from you again.‘ BROOKS, Will (Will Gardner), 2003-04. ‗Doing really well teaching in Northampton – now appointed as an Advanced Skills teacher. Getting engaged in November to long-term girlfriend, Jo. Watch this space for wedding bells news.....‘ CALLOW, Emma, 2004-05. In Septmber 2009, achieved an MPhil in Psychology and Education. CORBIN, Simon, 2002-03. Simon is now teaching Functional English at Kingston College in southwest London, but has also recently published a novel, Rude Boy, recently featured in two book signing events at the Richmond (Surrey) branch of Waterstone's, and reviewed on Amazon (with 5 stars) as a ‗Catcher In The Rye for Generation X.‘ See the website link: http://rudeboybook.com/index.htm. DWINELL, Abigail, 2006-2009. Now engaged to Emmanuel graduate Andrew Barclay.
KAMIL, Nadia, 2002-2005. Nadia has been working successfully as a writer and performer. She has written for numerous BBC programmes including the News Quiz, Look Away Now, Newsjack and ‗I Guess That's Why They Call It The News‘, and has a sitcom in development with Baby Cow. She has also appeared on Channel 4 in a new sketch show called Happy Finish, as well as various radio programmes, and will soon be recording a new sitcom for Radio4, broadcast August 17th, and also featuring Tim MacIrnerny and Andrew Sachs. With Edinburgh Fringe successes, a host of London performances and an upcoming rehearsed reading for the Hampstead Theatre, Nadia is also developing writing for the stage with huge success. KRAFT, David Michael, 2001-02. In 2008, David set up as a private psychotherapist and hypnotherapist in Harley Street, London. He is a full member of the British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis (BSCAH) and a Fellow of the royal Society of Medicine. He is also on the General Hypnotherapy Register, holding the GQHP, and a member of the Hypnosis and Psychosomatic Medicine Section of the RSM. He has published nationally and internationally in the following areas: driving phobia, covert sensitization, hyperhidrosis,
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 35 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------anxiety, sleeping disorders, eating disorders, IBS and sexual disorders. OGDEN, Louisa (Stammers), 2001-02. Now living in Australia. Son born on 5th April, 2010. Has taught at St Hilda‘s, a private girls‘school, for 2 years. OZER, Seniha (Sami), 2003-2004, While working as a primary school teacher, she has had her first book for children, ‗Sweet Dreams‘, published by Matador Fiction. SHELTON, Anna, 2004-05 Anna writes: ‗Made redundant from an Educational Publishers at six months pregnant (such bad timing!) I now love being a stay-at-home mummy to Joe (13 months), and we are expecting another little arrival in September. Teaching doesn‘t have a patch on motherhood! Best job in the world by far.‘
DEATHS (The following are former Homerton students whose deaths have been reported to the Keeper of the Roll since the publication of the Newsletter in November 2009.) ASHBURNER, Philip, 2003-04 Died on 3rd September, 2010. Philip studied for the MEd at Homerton and was engaged on a PhD. __________ ASHFORD, Jo C L (Houston,) 1951-53 Jo died on the 31st of August this year. __________ BARKER, Dorothy (Stappleton), 1937-1939. __________
BEARDSMORE, Doreen (Alsford), 1943-45 We received the sad news of Doreen‘s death on 15th August, 2010 from her husband. __________ BUCK, Lys, (1970-73) Information sent in by her surviving civil partner Josette Bohan. __________
BUSSEY, J (Starkey), 1931-33, __________ CARROLL, Teresa (Hudson), 1976-80. Teresa sadly died from ovarian cancer on 28th February, 2010. Her husband, John, writes: Teresa was born on 30th May, 1958, in Muswell Hill, North London, the only daughter and youngest of five children of Joy and John Hudson. She grew up on an extremely close and loving family environment, and had an especially strong bond with her mother, from whom I believe she inherited her gifts as a mother. Unfortunately Joy also died tragically at a relatively young age. Teresa went up to Homerton in 1976 to study French. She had a flair for the language and always had a great love of France. She was extremely happy during her time at Homerton, where she made many close friends, and was still in contact with some of them until her death. I first met Teresa in February 1980 and we were married in 1984. From my first meeting with her I was struck by her warm, lively
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 36 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------personality, willingness to help others and especially that she expected so little in return. I know that everyone who knew Teresa will agree that those qualities remained with her throughout her life. After graduation Teresa spent a year in Bordeaux teaching English, and on her return taught French in schools in North East London until Tom was born in 1987, when she became a full time mother for a few years while Tom and Andrew, born in 1990, were very young. Teresa returned to teaching when Tom started school, and taught French at Rushcroft School in Chingford for a few years during the 1990s. She then moved into special needs teaching, and the last few years of her working life were spent as a special needs teacher at Hainault Forest School in Redbridge. Although Teresa enjoyed teaching, I believe that the thing she found most fulfilling in her adult life was motherhood. She told me shortly after Tom was born that she always wanted to be a mother. She was able to give Tom and Andrew the happy and loving family life that she had experienced, and was always totally involved in their lives including helping in their classes at primary school and going on school trips as a parent helper. Teresa always had tremendous enthusiasm and energy and was totally committed to any organisation or group with which she was involved. She was a very loyal and committed member of St Anne‘s Church, Chingford, was a very active member of the local National Childbirth Trust when Tom and Andrew were very young, and I know that anyone who dealt with Teresa greatly admired her devotion and enthusiasm. Sadly, Teresa was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in June 2008. An initial course of chemotherapy appeared to be successful but the cancer soon returned and, though a further cycle of chemotherapy also seemed to work, in late 2009 her health started to deteriorate steadily as the cancer become more aggressive. After her death many people told me that they always felt that Teresa was genuinely interested in them. They found her easy to talk to and she always took a great interest in her friends‘ children. At all stages in her life, Teresa had a great ability to develop and maintain close and lasting friendships. Even though distance and the general pressures of living meant that she did not see some of these close friends very often, it did not matter because her friends all felt as if they had seen her the day before even if they might not have met her for several years. She derived tremendous support from her close friendships, and I believe her
friends obtained great support from her. She was also very fondly remembered by work colleagues. Although I do not wish to dwell on this too much, I will always remember the courage and dignity with which Teresa bore her illness, particularly in the last three months of her life when she was becoming very weak and extremely disabled. I will never forget the calm way in which she greeted the original diagnosis, her happiness at being told that the cancer had disappeared and, a few months later, the brave way in which she faced the news that it had returned. She had hoped that she was going to have many more years of life after the cancer was initially treated but this was not to be. If I can sum up Teresa in a few words it is that she had a wonderful gift of making people happy. She is greatly missed by her family and her many friends. __________ DODD, Elizabeth Jean (Baxenden), 1948-1950. Died on 23rd December, 2009. __________ FREDERICK, Thelma Joy (Mrs), 1947-49 __________ FREESTONE, Hilda R (Skinner), 1940-42. Died on the 7th July, 2010. Information sent by her daughter, Elizabeth Young, of the death of her mother. __________ GOODWILL-HODGSON, Joyce (Goodwill ), 1949-1961. Joyce died in November 2009. A strong supporter of the Homerton Roll, Joyce had attended the Reunion as part of the Group of 1949 only six weeks prior to her death. __________ HUTCHCROFT, Diana (Brooks), 1935-37. Recently died, aged 93. After working for ‘28 very happy years‘ at Saltford Primary School, where she became Head teacher, she was asked by the British Council to go to Chile to help with the reorganisation of that country‘s education system. Later she ran seminars at Bristol University for Chilian educationalists. In 1970 she was awarded an OBE for her services to education and in-service training, and served as a member of the Bullock Committee in 1975. She published her own book, Making Language Work, in 1982, and continued to lecture on education well into her 70s,
Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2010 37 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------while visiting schools all over England to lead workshops. Widowed 16 years ago, and without children, she is survived by her half-brother Michael RoughtBrooks, and his family, her two nieces and three nephews. Her nephew, Tudor Thornton, wrote of her that she was a woman of strong character who didn‘t suffer fools gladly but had a broad sense of humour, and was always generous and caring to those close to her. __________
and I knew her then, of course, as the college was a very friendly intimate institution. While in Kenya in 1960, I met Jean again while shopping in Nairobi. I was wearing my blazer, so very distinguishable (I still wear it!). We became good friends and she will be sorely missed.‘ __________
LAST, Roma Elizabeth (Harper), 1946-48. Died on 27th August, 2009. __________
Beryl taught in Honiton until she retired when she became very involved in the local U3A. Annie and I will miss greatly the regular meetings and annual visit to the theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon they had enjoyed with Beryl for very many years.‘ __________
THORPE, (Rev) Sheila Elizabeth (Jones), 1944-46. Her daughter, Kirsty Thorpe, has written to tell us of his mother‘s death on 17th September, 2010, after a mercifully short illness. She writes: ‗I know that the college played an immense role in her life, as she learned skills she continued to use throughout her teaching career, and later in Christian ministry, and made lifelong friendships. It was a source of great pride (and some surprise) to her that she was invited to give the address at the College Centenary Service in March 1994, at Emmanuel United Reformed Church in Cambridge. The reasoning was that as a former student and URC minister, she was well placed to explain the college‘s roots in religious nonconformity. I travelled with her that weekend, and experienced her pleasure at seeing the college again, and her interest at being able to talk to staff about their work.‘ __________
RICHARDS, J (Forester), 1946-48. We have been informed by her daughter, Ann Morbey, of the death of her mother on 16th February, 2010. __________
TODMAN. Sarah (Gorton ), 1997-98. We have been informed by her husband Clover Todman of the sad death in 2009 of his wife Sarah, who was a PGCE student at Homerton. __________
RIGBY, Dorothy Irene (Guilford), 1952-54. We received information of Dorothy‘s death from her daughter Mrs Ellen Davis __________
WADE, M (Mrs), 1933-35. Died on April 21st, 2001. __________
MILLER, Beryl (Gettings), 1949-51. Her friend Janet Weston (Geary) writes: ‗Beryl died in Exeter Hospital on died on April 11th, 2010, having bravely fought cancer for two years. Annie Melling and I (both 1949) were pleased to be able to join her family and friends at her Memorial Service in Honiton on April 26th. Her husband David, son Simon, daughter Juliet and grandsons Robin and William each paid tributes, spoken and musical, in a very moving ceremony.
SMITH, Stuart Anthony, 1997-1998 We have received the sad news from his Parents, Ron and Margaret Smith, that Stuart died in early June from cancer. __________ SPENCE, Jean (Atkinson), 1949-51. Died on June 5th, 2010, leaving a husband, Roy, and son, Andrew. Her friend and contemporary, Wendy Cannon (Norrington) writes: ‗Jean was at Homerton with me
SWAN, Evelyn (James) 1944-46. Evelyn sadly died shortly before Christmas 2009. __________