Roll News 2011

Introduction to the Roll News, 2011 From the Principal Homerton College is now fully established in Cambridge and is beginning to be accepted, though I know that there are many University colleagues who still believe that we are only offering teachertraining (after ten years of change) and even people who think we are single sex (after thirty-five years!) Cambridge memories are long and it may take two generations (sixty years) before we are wholly understood and appreciated … but we are used to playing it long.

We are working on our image, particularly in the arts, and had you been here in early September, you could have heard Philip Pullman deliver the annual Philippa Pearce Lecture, which we support, or come to a conference on the teaching of Shakespeare and met Michael Rosen, Carol Ann Duffy (an Honorary Fellow) or Trevor Nunn (a parent). At the recent Roll Reunion, we heard again the Homerton song written by Carol Ann, set to music by Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies (also an Honorary Fellow). This month we shall welcome our first medical Fellow, who will help to build our links with Addenbrookes, our nearest University neighbour except, of course, for the Faculty of Education, which is truly next door.

We share a research centre in children‟s literature with the Education Faculty and are delighted that Morag Styles has been elected as the University‟s first Professor of Children‟s Poetry. She and the Poet Laureate have just launched a schools programme called Anthologise, to encourage schools and individual students to create their own anthology - a programme which Homerton has sponsored and I hope that some of you who are still teaching or have school-age children may be interested in the scheme.

We had a wonderful, inaugural Family Day in late June on the hottest day of the year, as part of our event programme for younger alumni. Homerton was at its best: acres of safe, green, play space, treasure hunts, Indian drumming, face painting, bug hunts, storytelling and just about enough cake and ice cream. We‟ll do it again.

The undergraduates helped with the Family Day as they do for many Roll events, and you may have been telephoned by them during the spring. They enjoyed talking to their predecessors about their experience at Homerton - to experience our current Homerton undergraduates go on watching University Challenge and hear the extraordinary erudition that they display. We are all very proud of them.

What of Homerton in the future? The biggest threat may be the collapse of the PGCE, where the Government has already largely phased out bursaries and where, at present, future students face the high £9000 undergraduate fee. Further into the future lies the problem of postgraduate funding for students graduating with heavy debts in about four years‟ time. We need to build up bursary funds for such students. As I write, we do not know anything about applications for next year, but there is a general anxiety about how the next generation will cope with the huge fee increase which will come into play next autumn. So student numbers are a worry.

I should like Homerton to be better known. My task in the next two years is to try to develop Homerton‟s image within and beyond Cambridge, by bringing in visitors to spread the news about Cambridge‟s newest college. My other task is to go on raising funds to enhance the College for all its members - past, present and future.

Kate Pretty 28th September 2011

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Editorial Welcome to the 2011 edition of Homerton Roll News, my first (and, hopefully, not last) edition as editor.

Whenever I attend Homerton Roll events I am struck by the evident pride and affection that everyone has for Homerton and for the part that it has played in shaping who they are. This is true as much of those graduating in the noughties as it is of those whose memories are, by virtue of necessity, rather longer. This year I have been lucky enough to spend a reasonable amount of time with current students and I am delighted to be able to report that the qualities that were so evident in my era, those of friendliness, openness and a willingness to help others, are still very much alive today. Not for nothing is Homerton known as the friendliest college in Cambridge.

Homerton has, of course, changed dramatically over the last twenty years or so, both physically and educationally, and in years to come the memories of members of the Roll will be less education focused than may have been the case in the past. However, the college still has a flavour of education about it: in this issue Andy Lewis writes about experiences of Homerton in the post B.Ed era, but he went on to complete a PGCE and is teaching today.

I am eternally grateful to everyone who has contributed in some way to this issue. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading everything that has been sent to me, and the contributions have confirmed my view that Homertonians are a remarkable lot. I am especially grateful to Sarah Bullett, the daughter of Clunis Porteous, for sending her mother‟s remarkable memories of a wartime summer. If anyone reading this has anything to share, whether it is a memory of youth or an update on where your life is now, then please send it in: we would love to hear from you.

Finally, a rallying call. The reunion dinner is always a wonderful occasion that has grown incredibly in the six years that I have been going, although these two things probably aren‟t related. I have had special requests from the organisers of the special reunions for Golden Girls In and Diamond Girls In for as many people as possible to come next year. There is more information at the end of the „Events‟ section.

James Thomson October 2011

Contents Introduction

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Editorial

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Homerton Memories The Woods near High Wycombe Cong Soc The Black and White Buildings Beyond the B.Ed

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After Homerton Museji Ahmed Takolia CBE Clare Richards MBE Evelyn Wiseman Ruth Eastham Heidi Wyder

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Events Family Day Reunion 2011 Special Dinner Oxford Branch Meeting Wessex Branch Meeting Reunion 2012

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News Retired Senior Members News Announcements Alumni News by Decades Marriages Deaths

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Homerton Memories The Woods near High Wycombe Clunis Porteous (1939-41) sadly died in February 2011, but in November 2010 she sent the college her memories of life for a Homertonian in July 1940, with invasion seemingly imminent. These memories were originally written in September 1940 but were updated in 2008.

Watching the news the other night, which showed the police searching the extensive woodlands near High Wycombe, I suddenly realised that I used to know those woods rather well, again in a time of danger.

During the war, after one year in Cambridge, volunteers were asked to go down to that area to help run an evacuated school for physically handicapped children, from London I think, situated in the woods, while the residential staff were on holiday. Without help, they would have had no time off. So, at the end of a very busy term, with examinations by day and air-raids by night – sometimes three, spread out – we four students were driven down by the father of a friend to Horsleys Green, near High Wycombe.

I think we slept most of the way, then found we were turning into a drive and saw several large, timber, chalet-type buildings scattered round an open field, surrounded by woods. It looked quite safe and sheltered, apart from a tall white flag-staff on a mound, on the top of which fluttered a large Union Jack.

Children of mixed ages appeared to see who had come and we had not been prepared in any way for their disabilities. What a shock we had! Almost no child looked normal: some had limbs missing, some had wooden legs, some callipers, some were bent double, some supported others and some were in wheelchairs. They smiled to see four young people, and they liked the car.

We soon realised that apart from mealtimes, bath times and putting to bed the rest was up to us. Some helpers appeared, to push wheelchairs, but none of them had the main responsibility for educating and generally occupying this poor array of damaged humanity; from 9 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. we were in charge. We were all nineteen.

On the first morning, having about twenty-five children each, in large huts – mine had a platform alas – I soon discovered that discipline was nil. It took a very long time to get every child sitting at a table – some could not really sit – with some book or other in front of them – every child that is except one, who wandered round, up to the platform, round the hall, and so on, and flatly refused to sit. After several warnings, I told him that I would really have

to think about getting very cross with him if he did not sit down like everyone else. His reply was that he had a weak heart (no warning was given to me) and if I got cross he could die. My reply was that we would all be very sorry if he died but it would be his own fault. He sat down and did not die (some children looked quite disappointed!).

If one can call it “teaching”, I had never done anything like it before, and certainly not since, but somehow the time passed. Writing and drawing were difficult with only one hand; we counted everything; stories were good, singing was good, poetry was tolerated. One small boy clung on to my hand the whole time and would not let go. He told me he was not stupid like the others, but the proper school was full up and he was going there when there was room for him. Some time later I was told that he was gradually going blind and nothing could be done. He was lovely. I hope that something was done eventually for him.

Afternoons were better. I decided that they should move around as much as possible, so we all went out on to the grass. Then what? Give boys with two legs a football and they are happy. One leg? That‟s different. Girls? Throwing and catching, or how many wild flowers can you find? Put them in twos or threes, or whatever table we had been learning.

Wheelchairs were pushed around the field; then I thought of cricket. Cricket with one hand or a wooden leg? Yes, cricket, so that was decided upon.

They were odd games of cricket, but greatly enjoyed. If a boy had two hands he could be a batsman, one boy at each wicket. If someone could run he stood beside the batsmen and ran when shouted at. Any boy with a strong right arm could bowl. Fielders were anyone who happened to be near and could throw. Much cheering from the wheelchairs helped. These games, with periods for sitting down and resting, could last a lovely long time.

Eventually it was time for their meal – supervised – then books or quiet activities followed by supervised bathing, which took some time as so many limbs had to be removed. It seemed to be my lot to go round the dormitories to see if all was quiet. “No more talking. Everyone asleep?” “Yes, miss.”

“Goodnight.” “Kiss me, miss. My legs don‟t half hurt.”

“Tuck me in, miss.” At last I could crawl back to my room for a cup of coffee and read and write my letters.

(If anyone has read this far and wonders how I remember details after such a long while, I discovered last year that all my letters had been kept and were carefully placed in a folder in Christopher‟s desk, so I have been re-reading them, along with his to me.)

Air-raid practices were unbelievable. When the whistle blew, everyone had to find a coat and their gas mask and make a long line. This could take a 3

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----very long while as some could barely walk. After checking that no-one was left behind, this extraordinary procession hobbled and shuffled its way into the woods where there were several delightful mossy clearings which made comfortable places to sit or lie. The wheelchairs brought up the rear. Everyone had to sit on their coat, hold their gas mask and be quiet. We examined the trees very thoroughly and quietly. Eventually the whistle blew again and the process was reversed. When we came back inside: “Miss, I‟ve left my gas mask”.

“Miss, I‟ve lost my bear” and so on. Thankfully, unlike Cambridge, we escaped a real raid.

When we came to leave and really start our summer vacation, we were all very tired and sad, and there were some tears. The memorable impression of this experience was that all the children helped each other when they could and they all considered others‟ disabilities as natural. We heard no criticism of failure to move normally or quickly; in fact we should have been criticised if we had said “Oh, do hurry up”, which sometimes we wanted to say.

It is so good that the advancement in the manufacture of artificial limbs has completely transformed the lives of many disabled people. I hope it was in time for our brave children to play proper cricket and to run fast.

Cambridge University Congregational Society (Cong Soc) 1949-51 Reading through the memories of Homertonians of the 1940s and 1950s, Cong Soc features prominently. Geoff Saul was at Peterhouse (194851) but he is married to Sylvia Ward (1949-51).

These are his memories - Matters of doubt are in italic.

This society was based on the town Emmanuel Congregational church, now -URC, which was situated between Peterhouse and the University Press building. It was noticeable that the morning congregation during full term time was considerably larger than the evening one. Yes! Those were the days of two services each Sunday! Several undergraduates swelled the choir too during term time. The minister during this period was Rev‟d John Murray, a quiet studious man who had come into the ministry from journalism and lived past his centenary. The end of the service was a time when we flowed out and occupied the pavement and some of the road with little regard for traffic – there was very little just after noon on a Sunday.

end of the summer term of the previous year together with the other officers. In the autumn of each year an address list was compiled and circulated amongst the members. At this distance in time I cannot recollect topics of our Sunday afternoon tea meetings. There was a „tradition‟ of reading a piece from „Winnie the Pooh‟. This certainly occurred towards the end of the 1949 1950 year. The Society also arranged weeks in the Lakes during Easter vacation with accommodation booked in Youth Hostels. A brief recollection of the clothing worn sends shudders through one of our number! Everyone who went survived. Another activity which has come to mind during this writing was the production of a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta.

There were amongst Cong Soc several good voices, Homertonians were prominent. Those also were still the days of returning servicemen and women who raised the average undergraduate age several years. Some can be identified in the two group pictures… The effect was nearly dead by the early 1950s.

In those days also Homerton was a teacher training college with its principal course of two years duration some of which time students spent away from college on teaching practice. Their term was somewhat longer than the typical undergraduate term of eight weeks. As most if not all the Homertonians were female there was a much more favourable sex ratio in Cong Soc than in many other gatherings in the University! The picture taken in May 1951 of the May Day tea makes the point (see below).

Hughes Hall was another source of members. All the students here were studying for the postgraduate teaching certificate and there was a more normal balance.

The society took its pastoral commitments seriously with an officer appointed to encourage regular bible reading using the Bible Reading Fellowship notes. In most terms bible study groups were formed to discuss nominated topics. We met by arrangement in one another‟s rooms, though not in Homerton.

(College rules?) It was on one such occasion that a blonde sat down in front of me probably without knowing who was there – and the rest is sixty years of history. We were not the only couple emerging from those days, indeed at least one other is to be seen (sitting one behind the other on the right!) in the May Day picture, see below! Perhaps readers can name others?

The Society was properly constituted and recognised as an official University society. The chairman for the following year was elected at the 4

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----One of the most frequent observations made by returning Homertonians is how attractive the college now looks. Those of a certain vintage then follow-up by reminiscing about the black and white buildings.

Among the activities of the society was one which provided leadership in worship at the small local churches around Cambridge – the preaching group.

Those were the days of few if any student motor cars, all used bicycles if not „Shanks‟s pony‟. A group of three or four would gather and assemble a service, and lead worship mainly in the evenings wherever called. There was not much publicity given to this activity.

About once a term the society would hold a communion service early in Cheshunt College chapel on a weekday morning when one of the society officers would preside and select two members to assist serving the elements. We acted out Congregationalism in all its aspects …

The May Day picture was taken after punting up the Cam towards Grantchester where we sat on a bank side meadow to eat our tea. We took to punts on other less auspicious occasions as the smaller picture suggests, that was a less clement occasion!

All was very sober and no one fell in, well in my sight or hearing!

Some thirty years later one of those in one of the pictures was ordained and inducted to the URC pastorate of Wembley Park. Ten couples from this particular time in Cambridge appeared to continue conversations which had lapsed, almost as though we had spent a mere vacation away before the next term – certainly not enough to have families and grandchildren! For me it was to be early retired essentially by government dictat!

The Black and White Buildings James Thomson came to Homerton in 1987 and left shortly before the black and white buildings were demolished. Serving as HUS President, HUS VicePresident and Men’s Welfare Officer at various points, he spent a lot of his student life in the black and white buildings.

Attractive is not the first word that springs to mind when describing the black and whites, for they were of the same school of 1960s architecture that brought us Harlow town centre, but for many of us they formed the core of our Homerton existence, the eternal triangle of Union Room, bar and buttery forming a centre point from which all other activity sprung. As an English student I rarely had to venture much past the staircase and could probably have spent days at a time without going outside, had I so desired.

It was only when I looked at the photographs printed here that I remembered just how big the buildings were, stretching out from Red Square next to the hall pretty much to the college gates. My memories tend to be of the more leisure focused areas, but there were significant numbers of teaching rooms, the library, porter‟s lodge, the strange little dining room next to the bar that no-one ever seemed to use and the, frankly bizarre, unisex toilets round the back of the bar, all linked together by glass panelled corridors that were freezing in winter and boiling in summer.

I had also forgotten, until seeing the photograph below, about the bridge that connected ABC to the black and whites. By the time I arrived in college it was no longer is use and full of filing cabinets (indeed, it was demolished at the end of my first year) but it gave the hint of motorway service station that all serious educational establishments should have. Certainly when I first arrived at Homerton for interview it didn‟t fulfil the image of Cambridge University that I had in my head: it‟s fair to say that it does now.

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Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----random libraries wondering where the nearest, and cheapest, cup of tea and slice of cake could be found, or in Homerton bar, trying to find someone to have a new adventure with.

For all of their aesthetic failings, however, the black and white buildings did provide a focal point for the college community. If I was at a loose end I could be pretty sure that I could wander through them and find someone that I knew, either coming out of lectures or the library or, more likely, playing table tennis or reading the paper. The photograph above also shows the lawn outside the bar where we whiled away many happy summer evenings, talking rubbish as the light faded.

Homerton has moved on dramatically, and for the better, since the heady days of the late eighties, but no matter how much I appreciate the new buildings there is still a part of me that would love to have one more night in the old bar, or to watch a rugby international in the Union Room or even to go to a lecture in N106. The black and whites were ugly buildings, but they were our ugly buildings and I wouldn‟t have had it any other way.

I left with a striking ability to cope with the academic and the social demands that college life had prepared me for. The great balancing act of Homerton life always seemed to revolve around ensuring that the next shift working in the bar didn‟t clash with a formal hall in town, as well making time for „that‟ essay and attending an early supervision.

Each and every term was hectic, but immensely fun.

These experiences have been most useful in my teaching career, although to date, thankfully, I‟ve not had to pull too many „all-nighters‟ and end of term staff dinners tend to be less wild than Griffins Formal Hall.

The passion for learning instilled in me by my Homerton lecturers has lead me to continue my studies in the field of education, recently completing an MA in Catholic School Leadership. I demand the excellence that I experienced myself from my own students, helping them to believe that they can succeed and that they can make a difference in whatever they choose to do. The whole learning process was embedded in college life, and I am grateful that I have managed to hold on to this.

Beyond the B.Ed Andy Lewis came to Homerton in 2002, the year before the final cohort of B.Ed students graduated, to read for a B.A. in Theology and Religious Studies.

He then went on to complete a PGCE and now teaches in a school in Essex.

It is ten years since I decided to put in an application to the University of Cambridge, and more precisely Homerton College. During the open day and subsequent interview, I realised that there was nowhere else in the world that I wanted to live and to study. Yet I still made the road to matriculation as difficult as possible, missing my A-Level grades by a narrow margin. Luckily I was still offered a place and had not spent too long drowning my sorrows to accept it.

In no particular order, my greatest achievements at Homerton are: holding the Presidency of Blaggards during my PGCE year; achieving a 2:1 degree; never getting Deaned, despite probably deserving it; being an inaugural member of the Griffins Sports Club and being phoned by the Taj Tandoori to see if I wanted a table as they were „getting busy‟. I‟m still not sure if I spent more time procrastinating in

Personally, the thing that always made Homerton so special and homely was the people. The porters who let you borrow the croquet set at 6am (to celebrate finishing an essay), the housekeeper who conducted numerous investigations in to West House shenanigans, the catering staff who would give you extra chips for smiling nicely, the lecturers who would accept any number of weird and wonderful excuses for not completing an essay on time but most of all my fellow students and Old Homertonians. It was them who were game for a laugh, provided a shoulder to cry on, bought me a beer or lent me their revision notes. Thankfully in many cases, they still do.

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After Homerton Museji Ahmed Takolia CBE Museji Ahmed Takolia CBE (1980-84) was awarded a CBE in the 2011 New Year’s honours for services to Diversity and Equal Opportunities.

(CHI). He served on CHI for 5 years. Locally in Gloucestershire where he lives he has served on the Board of the Hospitals Foundation Trust. He has been a member of the Governing Council and Executive of Ruskin College, Oxford. Last year he was re-appointed by the Secretary of State at the Department for Education to the Board of the new OFSTED – the new super-regulator of education, children‟s services and skills.

Museji is now busy in the commercial world as Executive Chairman of a Bangalore based software developer that is taking communications technology to the mobile markets in India, South Africa and the Middle East.

Clare Richards MBE Clare Richards MBE (1989-93), is Chief Executive of The ClementJames Centre and a founder and trustee of the IntoUniversity charity. Clare was awarded the MBE for services to the community in North Kensington in the Queen's Birthday honours in 2011.

Museji, born to Indian immigrants of Gujarati origin in Coventry, came to Homerton in 1980, then still an Approved Society of the University. He graduated with a B.Ed in 1984 and went on to study for an MSc. in Social Sciences at Bristol University. In 1993 he was awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellowship and graduated from the Executive Education Programme at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs (Princeton University, USA).

He has served on a wide spectrum of public bodies and charities in the UK. His professional career spans periods in charities, local and central government as well as management consulting on economic and social planning. The CBE recognises his leadership roles in equality and diversity, which culminated at the Cabinet Office, where he was the Government‟s top adviser, leading the first phase of reforms in the British civil service to increase diversity of leadership at the top. His contributions to public services are many and varied however. As a management consultant, he worked on reforms arising out of the Northern Ireland Peace Process.

He has also spent six years in senior management positions in local government. Until 2009 he was Group Chairman of the Metropolitan Housing Partnership (MHP) Group – a major housing development, regeneration and social care organisation based in London.

He has a particular interest in communities, education, consumer affairs and regulatory issues.

In 1999 the Secretary of State at the Department of Health appointed him as a Commissioner on the Government's Commission for Health Improvement

The ClementJames Centre is located in an area of multiple deprivations in North Kensington. It is an award-winning charity that delivers a rounded programme of educational, employment and pastoral support; providing opportunities to enable over a thousand local people each year to achieve their potential, working closely in partnership with other institutions including primary and secondary schools, universities, cultural institutions, other voluntary sector organisations and corporates. It offers three main strands of help and support: the Communicate programme, IntoUniversity (which is now a charity in its own right) and IntoWork, as well as operating as a Community Centre.

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Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----The Communicate programme is an adult learning programme that offers ESOL and Basic Skills courses that are tailored to individual needs, enabling participants both to realise their potential and to play a fuller role in the community. In 2010 one hundred and sixty students regularly attended adult learning courses and 100% of students taking the IELTS examination passed and progressed to university and employment.

Evelyn Wiseman Evelyn Wiseman (1948-51) has finally published a book entitled Movement Discovery: Physical Education for Children.) It was co-authored with Andrea Boucher and is published by Jones and Bartlett.

IntoWork is a new multi-stranded, adult employment programme designed to break the cycle of generations of unemployment in the local population and enable local long-term unemployed to find secure employment. The programme focuses on identifying the needs, skills and confidence required for people to break down the barriers to employment and to fulfil their potential.

IntoUniversity is an innovative programme of support for young people enabling them to attain either a university place or another chosen aspiration, which is targeted at those pupils who receive free school meals. In 2010/11, 67% of IntoUniversityâ€&#x;s Year 13 students progressed directly to university, a further 26% are studying for a future university place and the other 7% are in employment, apprenticeship or vocational training. At a time when youth employment is high and access to higher education is at risk from higher fees this is a remarkable achievement, especially given that nationally just 24% of students on free school meals progress to university

Arriving at Homerton very keen to enjoy all sport and physical activities that were available I was devastated in an introductory talk to be told by Bill Warmington "We are not interested here in people who want to teach Physical Education...we want people who are interested in teaching children".

I knew virtually nothing about children. During my time at Homerton we were required to spend quite a lot of time with children...there was even an oncampus nursery school and regular teaching practice in London as well as locally was required.

Also at that time climbing apparatus was beginning to appear in infant and junior schools and in lectures the work of Swiss Epistemologist Jean Piaget was beginning to shock educational theorists.

The vast growth and success of the IntoUniversity programme resulted in the expansion of the programme and the creation of IntoUniversity as a charity in its own right in 2007. Clare is a founder and trustee of the charity which now has seven centres across London, a centre opening in Nottingham and a further six centres planned by 2013.

It took years for me to become convinced, but I finally realised that the opportunities available in a well planned physical activity programme, treating young children as individuals and the role of encouragement to develop self confidence were all a vital part of education. For me, intellectual development started at birth. I encountered neurodevelopmental therapy in the U.S.A. and acquired a better scientific background in movement (Newtonâ€&#x;s laws of motion) at the University of Birmingham, where I was lucky enough to secure a three year teaching appointment. So the "floating" around the gym at Homerton in what we called "peapods" (pale green dance tunics) developed and broadened. I 8

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----was always grateful for the pioneering attitude I received at Homerton.

I am giving a copy of the book (dedicated to Agnes Whyte) to the library but at present it is only published in America. Published on April 1st 2010 (an auspicious date?) I believe it might help to counteract obesity if children learn early that strenuous exercise can be satisfying and pleasurable and that to "discover" can change the world. I would be most interested in any opinions from Homertonians. (eve@wisewoman.plus.com)

Ruth Eastham Ruth Eastham (1991-95) has been shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize.

keep growing up during the Bosnian War: Alex's beloved grandfather has Alzheimer‟s. His memory is failing, and Alex's parents want to put him in a home.

Alex has promised Granddad that he won't let that happen. But Alex has broken promises before. He once swore that he would protect his little brother. It was a promise he couldn't keep and he can't fail again. The Memory Cage is an inter-generational tale of war, memory, love and loyalty.

The Memory Cage was praised by the leading bookseller: “A beautifully written, touching and emotive story; never before have I felt so emotionally tethered to a book.” - Sam Bryant, Waterstone‟s, Oxford St. Plaza.

Another former student, Ruth‟s co-year, teacher Sarah Brennan (aka Sarah Dewey) has written three Study Guides for The Memory Cage (a Literacy Guide, Chapter-by-chapter Reading Guide and a History Guide) which are proving to be very popular with schools, several of which have taken the novel on as a transition text at Primary and Secondary level. To obtain free copies of the Guides, Ruth can be contacted from her website: www.rutheastham.com.

Heidi Wyder Heidi Wyder (1991-92) released her latest album, “Divine Romance” in November 2010.

Ruth Eastham‟s debut novel, The Memory Cage, was shortlisted for the Waterstone‟s Children‟s Book Prize earlier this year, one of the most valuable and prestigious children‟s book awards in the country.

Ruth graduated from Homerton in 1995. While there she did teaching placements at Bar Hill Community School, Burwell Village College and city centre primary school, St. Matthew‟s. She later worked at Morley Memorial School, and then a number of years at St. Alban‟s Primary School on Lensfield Road. She has since worked in more than a dozen different schools in the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Italy. She recently lived in an international college with twenty-six teenagers from twenty-three different countries, and currently teaches at the International School of Trieste.

The Memory Cage is also on the shortlist for the 2012 Inspiration Book Awards, which will be voted for entirely by readers themselves. Ruth appeared at this year‟s Edinburgh International Book Festival with the authors Kate de Goldi and Julia Donaldson, and ran a writing workshop in a local Secondary School with the Guardian Award shortlisted Annabel Pitcher.

The Memory Cage is a story about a 13-year-old boy haunted by a promise he made but couldn‟t

After I left Homerton, I spent two years teaching in Esher, Surrey, and within a couple of months discovered a passion for song writing. My first pupils told me that my songs got stuck in their heads and encouraged me to record them. My first albums, "Peeling Oranges" and "Solitaire" were recorded and launched within a year of each other and sold through word of mouth and local radio play.

This encouraged me to realise a dream to travel on a round-the-world ticket, planning to wind up in Australia and find places to perform. However, my plans changed after a stop-over in India lasted for three years, during which time I studied yoga and meditation. Although I was a highly sceptical Christian when it came to all Eastern traditions and practices, I was so fascinated by all that I was learning that I ended up researching and writing a book about four hidden spiritual masters of Kriya Yoga called "Footsteps to Freedom, Four Spiritual Masters of Kriya Yoga and a Beginner". I selfpublished it in 2003; it was published by Penguin books, India in 2005, and in June 2010 it was published in its first foreign edition (Italian) -see www.kriyasource.com. This was part of the reason why music took a backseat for almost a decade. It was also a time when I married Andreas and moved to Switzerland with him in 1997, our children Joshua 9

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----(2000) and Jessie (2003) were born and I continued to teach part-time.

In Switzerland I taught English, and did a theology course in order to be able to teach Religious Studies. We decided to come back to the UK in 2006, but ended up migrating to rural Melbourne, Australia in 2007 a few weeks before I finished a new album called "India Dreaming", so called because most of the songs were written during my time in India. It‟s a compilation of the songs which I published at the end of each chapter of my book.

Because of the timing I never actually released it, nor was I ready to pick up my guitar and start performing right then.

Since March 2008 I‟ve been working part-time as a supply teacher in the local secondary college in order to leave some room for family and creative endeavours such as music and writing. During 2009 I was put in touch with Athol Guy (sixties and seventies pop icon in Australia from the famous group The Seekers), who listened to my recent songs and early albums, and urged me to go back to the studio. As a result, in November 2010 I launched a new acoustic album, "Divine Romance" with a concert at the secondary college where I teach.

Some tracks are upbeat and funky, others are peaceful and inspirational. Athol commented that the world needs more happy songs like these!

Several independent radio interviews are lined up, there are plans to gig with a couple of other musicians and this seems to be my cue to finally realise that dream (which I first had about sixteen years ago) to perform in Australia.

Due to the inspiration behind both the book and my music, just recently I launched a blog called "The Buddha in the Garden" at www.kriyasource.net.

My yoga teacher, Yogi Prakash Shankar Guruji Vyas, is a spiritual master who now lives and teaches in Gisborne, Vic., having migrated from India in 2007. Guruji is best understood through his own words, stories and examples and it‟s a real privilege to share his wisdom once again, whilst blogging about my passions in life: music and yoga.

Events Family Day

In a summer that wasn‟t noted for its magnificence there had been a certain amount of trepidation in the run-up to the inaugural Homerton Roll Family Day, with contingency plans („indoors if wet‟) being put in place and the various organisers scanning the BBC Weather website with almost obsessive zeal.

As it turned out there was no need to worry, for the appointed day dawned bright and simply grew brighter. Indeed, at the risk of damning with faint praise, it was probably the most glorious day of the summer. The college grounds, much admired by those who return for other reunions, looked at their best and the challenge turned out to be finding sufficient shade as one hundred and seventy assorted Homertonians and family members laid out their picnic blankets, smothered their children in sun cream and basked in the sunshine.

Once everyone had got their bearings (and, in some cases, eaten their body weight in sandwiches and crisps) so the activities began. Some were happy simply to wander the college grounds and admire the photographs and cool air in Pauper‟s Walk, others had their face painted or whacked rats (of the unusual stuffed and cuddly breed) as they shot out of a drainpipe, while still more played the various games that were available, such as Connect 4 and 10

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----Giant Jenga. Meanwhile, I contrived to lose to a seven year old at croquet.

As the afternoon progressed, so more organised activities filled people‟s time. The Homerton Gym Club, with a proud Trish Maude looking on, gave an impressive demonstration outside what had once been the gym and which is now the Combination Room, the Indian drummers set-up in the Dance Studio and the grounds were soon full of children, usually accompanied by adults muttering something about remembering when this was all trees, testing their wits with the treasure hunt. In the cool shade by the biology pond the joys of pond-dipping were being explored and insects were being unearthed from the foliage by delighted children. There was even a game of volleyball to satisfy the competitive dads amongst us, although pretty much everything temporarily ground to a halt when the ice cream van arrived.

The beauty of the day was the informality. Everyone was free to wander and play as they wanted to – most people took part in one or more of the organised activities but there was no obligation to do so, and it was perfectly possible to spend a pleasant afternoon sitting on a rug, catching up with old friends and letting our children run amok in an environment that had a wonderful feel to it. I finished the day with a very happy, if rather tired, child who was full of cake and ice cream and regaled me with stories of his afternoon all the way home. Massive thanks are due to everyone who helped to organise the event, especially the students who very kindly gave up their time to paint faces and generally keep everyone informed and entertained. We shall do this again.

James Thomson

Reunion 2011 Diamond Girls Going, 1949-51 It was sixty years ago that we left Homerton to start on our teaching careers. As a group, twenty-five of us had managed to meet up after fifty years in 1999, but after that sadly the numbers began dropping. In 2009 fourteen of us gathered together, but this year only eight of us managed to get to this year‟s Reunion. It was great to see our friends again & look at the old photos of that period.

As the day grew ever hotter the story teller, settled in the shade of one of the many trees in the grounds, enchanted both young and old – a fine nod to Homerton‟s educational roots and an opportunity for everyone to cool down and rest (parents) and lose themselves in the magic of the occasion (children).

We also greatly enjoyed the Homerton College Music Society Roll Reunion Recital. It featured the Sophie Singers and a quartet from the Homerton Jazz Orchestra. The students had returned from their vac especially to perform for the Reunion and it really was well planned and most enjoyable. They deserve to be congratulated!

11

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----the Great Hall, I met a lady who had returned with friends sixty-five years after leaving college. Her comments and example were encouraging. The Reunion Dinner in Great Hall was a special occasion, dining by candle light. After dinner, I was joined by people I hadn‟t met before, but enjoyed hearing some of their experiences since leaving college.

In 2006 Peter Warner had asked three of us past students to be interviewed by him to cover the time we were in College. I was the oldest and asked about the 1940s & 1950s. The questions included: What are your earliest memories/earliest impressions of Homerton? (NAMCO the chocolate powder, for making drinks and good companions.)

What did you enjoy most about being a student at Homerton?(I found the Infant/Nursery course interesting & enjoyed College life) What did you dislike about it? (Very little, but remember there was still rationing and austerity after the war) How much freedom did you have to mix with other students in the University? (We were restricted by the exeat system but we did meet up for various social activities such as dances at "The Dot" and May Balls.)

What did Homerton do for you in the longer term?

(Gave me a very good basis for my teaching career.)

I think most of the Diamond Girls Going would have similar memories of College, and many went on to get further qualifications to continue their studies after their two years at Homerton.

Coral Harrow (née Hemsley)

Golden Girls Going, 1959-61 Bright sunshine enhanced the drive to Cambridge. I looked forward to meeting friends and seeing once familiar places. Having enjoyed past reunions, a poignant, somewhat unwelcome thought came to mind as to whether I might come to future special year reunions.

On Saturday I opened the curtains to see a fine autumn morning with a very low band of mist just above the grass in front of the College buildings.

While waiting for those coming for the day, we tried to name those we recognised on the official photograph taken at the end of our first year in college. We talked of absent friends and of our memories which seemed to come very readily to mind. We celebrated with a piece of delicious cake and coffee. It was a pleasure to see those whom we had not met for a number of years. Most of us attended the AGM of the Homerton Roll followed by Dr Pretty‟s address. There have been many changes over the years, yet the college continues to enable students to succeed in their studies and enter their chosen careers.

Conversations that continued over lunch included memories and recent experiences. At times a great deal was said in relatively few words. During the afternoon, some people toured the grounds, while others were shown round the buildings. The Homerton College Music Society presented a Roll Reunion Recital which featured Sophie‟s Singers and a quartet of musicians from the Homerton Jazz Orchestra. The selection included madrigals, three different styles of jazz, songs from the twentieth century and finally music of Homerton by John Hopkins and Peter Maxwell Davies. The text of the last song was written by Carol Ann Duffy. The recital was truly inspirational and much enjoyed.

At the end of the afternoon, people said how much they had enjoyed the reunion. They are thankful and appreciative that they studied at Homerton. Not a few are already looking forward to a future reunion!

PS Twenty of us (including some husbands) ended the day with supper at the home of Diana Lucas in the Fens! I don‟t think many of us (apart from Geographers) knew of the existence of Fenland when we were at college, Cambridge was our world.

We drank a toast in champagne to absent friends and Sue Hiliam played a selection of music on the piano including pieces from „Salad Days‟ which encapsulated all our memories, hopes and dreams!

Thank you, Homerton.

Gill Rogers

I appreciated the cheerful welcome at the Porters‟ Lodge. I walked across to West House and found my room. I heard voices of those who had arrived earlier and wondered if I knew them. Shortly afterwards, I met old friends. As I walked across to 12

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------

Golden Girls In, 1961-63

Forty Years On, 1968-71/2

At the end of a golden September day, the 'Golden Girls In' had a reunion in Homerton College. On entering the college, there were no pigeon holes full of post, or bouquets of flowers to greet us! We found that lecture rooms had become The HUS bar and buildings had disappeared. However, over dinner, we agreed that despite these changes, the grounds were still beautiful and that the caring atmosphere that we had experienced remained.

Homerton has successfully embraced the challenges of becoming an esteemed college of the University. The following were present:

We weren‟t a big group, but we had a lot of fun. We hadn‟t all known each other well during our years at Homerton, but we soon started recognising each other and sharing memories.

Lucy Barnett (née Allen) Kathleen Abbot (née Weaver) Wendy Bosker (née Johnstone) Marilyn Clare (née Wilson) Susan Dee (née Moss) Susan Dickson (née Johnson) Dillon Gardiner (née Jewkes) Anne Hulse (née Goss) Joy Kohn (née Read) Susan McFarland (née Cluley) Marguerite McKellar (née Helm) Victoria McKellar (Marguerite's daughter) Margaret Newbury (née Cooper) Jean Thorman (née Wylie)

The next day, most of us met up and pored over a black and white photograph of all the 1961 intake which Anne had kindly brought - all those sixties hairstyles! After that, there were so many interesting events on offer for us to do. For me, the recital by Sophie's Singers of Homerton by Carol Ann Duffy set to music by Peter Maxwell-Davies was a perfect way to end a memorable reunion.

Lucy Barnett (née Allen)

We enjoyed catching up with each other‟s careers and personal lives. We remembered as new teachers in the seventies that Heads had made us use Cuisenaire rods and teach Marion Richardson handwriting, while others in the group had been shown our classroom door and just left to get on with it. We of the post-Plowden generation agreed we still believe that education is for the whole child, and that we disapprove of the present narrow “core subjects standards agenda”.

We agreed that parents these days are far more demanding (as indeed are we on behalf of our grandchildren!), and that our daughters are more confident than we were at student-age. We felt that as little girls who had grown up in the fifties, with rationing and mothers at home, we had enjoyed some of the freedoms of feminism in our lives, but retained some of the traditional female joy (or was it perhaps guilt?) in wanting to be a homemaker as well as a professional.

We shared happy memories of favourite people at Homerton: Jean Holme‟s RE lessons, which we unanimously agreed gave us an excellent grounding in understanding religion and being able to teach it without dogmatism. We remembered Miss Woodard (we weren‟t sure of her first name - we weren‟t on those kinds of terms with the older staff in those days!) and her excellent advice to become hoarders...most of us still are, which is perhaps why none of us could find the group photograph to bring along. I think I was the only one who remembered with great clarity our introductory lecture in 1968, and the autumn sunshine beaming through the Great Hall windows, backlighting Dame Beryl Paston-Brown‟s hair as she noticed a butterfly flying in the shaft of sunlight, and her interrupting her address and exclaiming, “What a beautiful creature!”. For me, coming from a dull girls‟ exam factory, it was an introduction to a new world, where stopping to look and enjoy was not just permissible, but the essence of life, and it changed in one instant how I wanted to be as a teacher.

We had all had to get used in our careers to the fast technological revolution which had us mastering first the school Banda copying machine, with its distinctive and pervasive smell, then, for the really ambitious, the mighty office Gestetner. And still continuing, we have learned how to e-mail in the place of letters, and how to play computer games with grandchildren, but we are still a little frightened of IWBs (and some of us confessed we aren‟t quite sure what they are!)

13

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----Back to the reunion: we were a bit naughty during the summary of Roll finances, and passed notes to each other just like in the old days, impatient to be outside in the sun. We did approve very much of Kate Pretty‟s address and her continuing ambitions for the college. And then, set free to enjoy the rest of the day, we enjoyed seeing the refurbished rooms in the old part of the building, with their little en-suite bathrooms, and we had fun teasing our youthful guide about how “in our day” we could only have one bath a week, showers weren‟t invented and we washed in curtained cubicles in front of a basin and put our third of a pint of milk in the gutter outside our room to keep it cool and were only supposed to meet men in the TV lounge. We didn‟t think she believed one word, although she listened to us very politely and was a credit to the college. It was a happy day. Thank you to the Homerton Roll for existing, and for organising a very well planned occasion.

Barbara Curry

After supper we retired up to our rooms and sat up late into the night drinking coffee and recalling the corridor life of „ABC‟ and „D and E‟ – the current students enjoy the luxury of en suite rooms... not quite the same as the lino-floored bathrooms and the baths which although separated by screens still enabled you to have a conversation!

On the Saturday morning, those of us who had not already taken the opportunity to pop back in to Cambridge to explore favourite haunts did so. I had taken the opportunity to walk down from the University Library across the Garrett Hostel Bridge...not quite as exciting as when you hit it at speed on a bike!

We started the Saturday morning having been joined by the rest of our group in studying the photograph of our year group taken a few days after our arrival at the college in 1986, swapping snippets of news about various members of our year group. A second meal was then enjoyed in the college hall.

Twenty-five Years In, 1986-90 Amid the amazing new buildings that have been put up since us going up to Homerton and on a gloriously sunny September day, a small but select group of eleven Homertonians (1986-1990) gathered together to reminisce and catch up on old times. Six of us were able to make it for the Friday evening from as far away as Wiltshire and Lancashire to enjoy our first ever meal in the Homerton Great Hall!

Across the candlelit table we recalled meals in the buttery, the pink meal tickets and the aim that we all used to have of being invited to as many other college formal halls as possible – it was almost like having a dance card, you ticked off the ones that you had been to!

After lunch we were given a tour of the college as it is now by the current HUS president. He raised a few eyebrows and looked just a little bemused as we squealed with excitement as we toured ABC and D and E, bemoaned the removal of the pigeon holes and shared our memories of „Banda‟ machines and teaching practice mini-buses!

At the end of the afternoon, we shared a last few memories over tea and cake... again in the Great Hall, swapped e-mail addresses and vowed to meet again sooner rather than later. We very much hope that a few more of our year group will be able to join us next time!

Emma Morley (née Till)

Twenty-one Years In, 1990-94 Our reunion began at Friday‟s formal dinner with a gathering of music graduates. The close-knit nature of the music department was reflected in the fact that ten out of the seventeen members in our cohort attended, and we were delighted that Barbara 14

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----Pointon and Jane Edden were able to join us, since they had been at the heart of the Trumpington House extended family that had been so central to our Homerton experience. Our fear that we would not recognise each other quickly melted away as we renewed old friendships, and the seventeen years since graduation just melted away. After an excellent meal in the Great Hall, a setting so much grander than the old prefab dining room than we all remembered, we gathered round the piano for a group photo, with Barbara fittingly centre stage! As we retired to the combination room for drinks, and then to our accommodation block, photos and reminiscences were shared into the wee small hours.

disappearance of the central stairwell, the site of many a gathering and photo opportunity in our ball gowns.

As the day came to an end it was interesting to reflect that whilst people‟s lives had taken varying paths with families, careers and further study, most of us still hold a common commitment to education, and gain an immense sense of fulfilment from our careers with children, in whatever guise. There seemed to be an overriding sense of appreciation of the opportunities we had at Homerton to enjoy the best that Cambridge had to offer, both academically and socially, whilst also having the opportunity to hone our teaching skills gradually over four years, and the belief that this had given us a firm foundation for our subsequent careers.

The reunion continued the next morning with the arrival of seven more of our cohort, and the sharing of more memories, and news of families and careers. As news of some absent but memorable characters was swapped, we found that our predictions of their future career paths were often uncannily accurate! The bright sunshine gave us the opportunity for some photos on the lawn, with the view we all remembered so well of the Great Hall and its adjoining buildings, the only part of the college unchanged from our time. As we set off to explore old haunts, the musicians went on a pilgrimage to our family home Trumpington House, the scene of so many happy memories of lectures, rehearsals, recitals, and parties, but sadly no longer used for music. As some stayed to picnic on Trumpington House lawn, others returned to the Great Hall for another superb meal.

The afternoon activities included the chance to see some films from the college archive, including one made by the history department around the college in 1992, where some familiar faces were spotted. A tour of the college gave the opportunity to revisit the original accommodation and find our first year rooms, some of which had disappeared, incorporated into neighbouring rooms to accommodate en suites – no trips down the corridor with toothbrushes for today‟s students! Of particular sadness for residents of ABC wing was the

Kathryn Andrews 'It was great to get so many music students back together but we didn't manage to contact all the music department from our year ( 1990-94) If there are any other people who would like to get in touch, please contact us via Cathy at Homerton Roll.'

Anne Fitz (née Vernon)

Special Dinner – Twenty Years In, 199195 th

On Saturday 16 July 2011, forty-six Homertonians from the Class of ‟91 gathered for a reunion meal to mark the twentieth Anniversary of the start of their B.Ed course. The event was organised by Sarah Mansfield (aka Manny) and Suzi Turton via the power of Facebook and other social networking sites, quickly snowballing from a „shall we/shan‟t we?‟ idea during February half term to a full scale operation within a few days. In fact, we were somewhat overwhelmed with the positive response to the idea and it wasn‟t long before „dodgy‟ photos and reams of memorabilia from our undergraduate days were being posted on the Facebook event page and people were booking flights from as far away as New Zealand!

15

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----After a few months of chasing people (quite literally!) for their payment and menu choices, the day dawned with the hallmark torrential downpours of Summer 2011…but this didn‟t deter us and despite the weather, some of us were lucky to have a tour of the new and improved version of Homerton with „the friendliest porter in Cambridge‟, Lionel and marvelled at the apparent luxury in comparison to our own halls experience! Naturally enough, many of us went in search of our old rooms and haunts only to find them changed or indeed missing but it was generally agreed that college had changed for the better and nothing compared to the view of The Great Hall through the trees.

Thankfully, the day morphed into a gloriously sunny evening in time for us all to gather for pre-dinner drinks with Dr Pretty in The Combination Room where she addressed us about times past and present and gently encouraged us to subscribe to The Alumni in all its guises. There was a wonderful atmosphere and the rapid exchange of over fifteen years of news; Homerton speed dating at its best!

After a group photograph on the lawn, the meal commenced in the Fellows‟ Dining Room and the catering staff really did us proud; not a three layered „terrain‟ in sight and chocolate fondant to die for.

With the soundtrack of the nineties in the background, the wine flowing and spirits high, it‟s fair to say that the evening was a great success and it was amazing how quickly we all clicked back into our undergraduate behaviour, but also wonderful to hear what rich and varied paths we have all chosen in our lives.

painting „A Florentine Procession‟ in the Great Hall that had been absent from its frame for the entire duration of our time there. Needless to say, the evening continued in the bar where we were disappointed to find an absence of table football but this was more than compensated, for some, by a late night trip to the Gardenia.

Special thanks must go to Alex Cox and Alison Holroyd for their invaluable help in making the evening viable and for those of you who weren‟t able to join us on this occasion, plans are already underway for an event to mark the twentieth anniversary of our graduation in 2015.

Oxford Branch Meeting, May 2011 Eight Homertonians gathered at the home of Sonia (1946-48) and Ron Hewitt at Toot Baldon. After the usual exchange of news and views, the group were delighted to welcome Sylvia Avgherinos (1960-63) for a talk about the Joshua Trust in Malawi.

In her speech, Sylvia thrilled and amazed the assembled company with her description of her incredible work in establishing the Joshua Trust for the purpose of providing essential support to many deprived children, including many who are orphans, some due to the effects of such diseases as HIV. These children desperately need profound attention to provide them with basic daily needs, care and provisions of such things as schools, homes, medical attention, a feeding programme and some enjoyment of life. Without doubt, the Joshua Trust is doing a fantastic essential service and needs much financial support from any organisation or personnel who can provide this.

Listening to Sylvia, we all felt very proud that our fellow Homertonian has devoted her life to this vitally important work. We now wish to ensure that her work is fully known by many, many people and, particularly, by present and past Homertonians. We plan to recommend to Homerton College itself that Sylvia be invited to have the opportunity to describe her wonderful work to as many people as possible.

Sylvia was warmly thanked for her moving and thorough description of her work in establishing this vital Joshua Trust which brings life to many, many young people whose lives are sorely affected by illness, shortage of basic needs and, for many, the loss of all family members. As expected, Sylvia‟s dedication to this work means that she will return very shortly to continue her wonderful work in Malawi.

The meal finished with a very grown up speech by Steven Hayes who presented flowers to Manny and Suzi before we had an en masse viewing of the 16

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------

Wessex Branch Meeting, October 2011 The Wessex Branch were delighted to welcome Dr Kate Pretty for lunch on Saturday 8th October.

Thirty-four of us sat down to a really delicious meal at The Kings Arms Inn at East Stour near Shaftesbury. Kate had a long train journey to and from Cambridge to reach us and we did appreciate her visit, and her talk giving us all an update on the news about Homerton. Those lunching today covered a wide span of years spent at Homerton.

We shall meet again for our next lunch in mid-March at a rendezvous yet to be decided. Do contact me on coralharrow@waitrose.com or telephone 01258 820517 if you would like to join us then.

Back Row L to R: Angela Daysh (Francis),Valerie Thompson (Pollock),Carol Stephenson (Brewis), Jean Salt (Wightman), Anne Prescott (Prendergast), Carole Girdler (Dunford), Lynn Dowson (Dothie).

Front Row L to R: Anne Stedman, Esme Partridge, Hilary Armfield (Moss), Marion Foley (Arliss).

A small group of us meet each year in Cambridge.

Sadly, this photograph (August 2011) does not do justice to our combined good looks!

I look forward to seeing you in 2012.

Coral Harrow (née Hemsley 1949-51)

Lynn Dowson lynndowson@gmail.com

2012 Events 2012 Golden Girls In Reunion Homerton College: entry 1962 Where have all the years gone? Not an original thought, but I am constantly amazed at the passage of time since we left Cambridge. But the educational (and occasional social) opportunities that we enjoyed have left lasting impressions; many successful teaching and allied careers have been built on that firm foundation. We had a most enjoyable reunion of a large number of our group in 2002, and hope that more of you may come to this very special occasion next year.

I have agreed to co-ordinate our Gathering in 2012, and would love to hear from members of our Year Group. Email addresses would be particularly welcome for further contact.

st

Roll Reunion 2012 – (Friday 21 September to rd Sunday 23 September 2012) - 65 Years In Reunion (1947-1949) Mavis Smith (née Roberts) has kindly volunteered to act as Co-ordinator for this „Special Request‟ Anniversary Group at next year‟s Roll Reunion. She says: “I am hoping that several of my year group from long ago, 1947-1949, will be able to attend the Roll Reunion in 2012 to remember 65 years since we first arrived at Homerton for our 2 year Teacher Training Course.”

Anyone interested in joining Mavis for these celebrations should contact her at 47 Jessopp Road, NORWICH, NR2 3JF or phone her on 01603 453337.

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Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------

News Retired Senior Members News Diana Jill Waterhouse (known as Jill) 1974-77 and again as Senior Lecturer in History 1979-90 I currently have two work projects in hand, a PhD in History and an anthology of world-famous research undertaken at the Australian National University, Canberra. The subject of my PhD, engineer, administrator and company director, Sir John Henry Butlers (1885-1969), was born in Gosport, Hampshire, but spent most of his professional life in Australia. My partner, Peter Pearson and I plan to visit Homerton in October 2011. Trish Maude and Peter Warner are our contacts.

Announcements Homerton now has an Official Alumni Facebook group at www.facebook.com/pages/CambridgeUnited-Kingdom/Homerton-College-CambridgeAlumni/38635419944 which contains information about all Roll news and events and is well worth joining.

The Roll Office also send out emails about forthcoming events, so if you would like to receive those please make sure that the Roll Office have your up to date details.

Alternatively, for more information about events, please contact Cathy Bogg, our Roll and Alumni Assistant, at cb647@cam.ac.uk.

In 2012 we are hoping to repeat the very successful Family Day and are also considering a July dinner in addition to the Alumni weekend in September.

News by Decades News of individuals that have been received since the last issue of Roll News. We are always delighted to hear your news, whether you‟ve been trekking through the Andes or enjoying pottering around the garden.

The news is ordered by year of arrival at Homerton.

1940s Margaret Stevenson 1943-45 Still living alone but reasonably active. I was very glad to have a visit from my great friend Margaret Campbell Smith (née Greenhalgh). I correspond with Alice Fitzjohn (née Cole) in Freetown. I taught in Hospital Schools for forty years and had a very happy career in teaching.

Freda Lee (née Alton) 1944-46 I visited Dorothy Handy (née Foster 1944-1946) and had a pleasant chatty lunch with her.

My husband and I have been lucky enough to be able to continue with our singing and folk dancing interests and our caravan holidays at home and our foreign holidays, including a Borneo adventure and a Rhine river cruise recently. Jean Eyre (1944-1946) still visits several times a year and we spend the day together.

Dr Brenda Buchanan (née Wade) 1948-50 My interest in historical research continues, especially that into the history of gunpowder. I have contributed a chapter on 'The Birth of British Gunpowder Engineering Overseas: The case of the Mole at Tangier, 1661-1684' to a book on Landscape and Technology (Millstream, 2011).

I continue to be invited to speak at local societies, and it was one such talk last year to the Clinical Society at our local hospital in Bath, that formed the basis of a paper entitled 'Gunpowder and Medicine', presented at an international conference in July.

In transport history, my research on The Avon Navigation was published under that title by the Bristol Industrial Archaeology Society. I was delighted to receive a huge bouquet on the publication of this work - something I am not used to outside the family.

Doreen Evans (née Caldwell) 1949-51 Now retired, formerly worked as the International training Officer of the “English Speaking Board”, examining in UK and overseas, (examining students‟ English communication skills). Now very “old and forgetful”! I am a widow with two daughters and four grandchildren, all of whom are through University and working. I am still alive! Just!

1950s Juliet Dyer (née Cheadle) 1951-53 In June this year I had a severe fall off a wall. It has incapacitated me until now, when I am reasonably recovered, but I have had to give up my painting and clay work and even sold my kiln! All this is very sad, because I‟ve taught these subjects all my working life in schools and private classes in my studio. I‟ve also exhibited widely in London, Bath and Bristol.

Miss Melzi and Mrs Rea were my guiding lights and inspired me. I am most grateful to them and Homerton.

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Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----Our three daughters are all married and we have seven grandchildren.

Pauline Curtis (née Haigh) 1954-56 Pauline is a Retired Senior Member and was Keeper of the Roll from 1976 to 1996. She reports the following activity: Chairman Local Committee Age UK Member of City of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra RSM Committee Events Organiser Furniture Restoration Caroline Banks (née Goddard) 1959-61 I met and married an engineering student from Jesus. Lived and taught for several years in the Far East while he was working abroad. Much later we spent five years in Botswana which was wonderful. I have two sons and a daughter, who are all grown up now, and five grandchildren. Since 2001 we have lived most of the time in Umbria, Italy.

Sheila Clark (née Gattie) 1959-61 Sheila reports that she is enthusiastic about music, playing in an amateur orchestra, tending to her large garden and playing petanque. She is also a member of Probus and a volunteer at S.P.C.A. She is in contact with Pam Dawson (née Attwell), Dr Maureen Greenland and Ann Elliott (née Gill) and says that there are three ex-Homertonians in the small town of Masterton.

Patricia Howe (née McNally) 1959-61 I worked for the Ministry of Defence as service teacher in Aden 1963-67 and taught in Hampshire and Norfolk. I then moved to Norfolk 1970 and opened a new first school and middle school on a split site 1978. I first retired in1996. Later in 1996 I joined the County Head Team supporting a village school that had failed Ofsted inspections. I retired again in 2011. Now Governor of New Norwich Free School opened 30 August 2011. The Principal we appointed is Tania Sidney-Roberts who is another Homertonian (although much younger than me!).

1960s Nancy Akrill (née Ingham) 1961-64 I am married with two children and was a classroom teacher in Kent until the birth of my first daughter. I was a peripatetic instrument teacher from 19772007.

Susan Dickson (née Johnson) 1961-64 We own a property in Barbados and spend six or seven months there every year. I am Vice-President of a local music competitive festival which I ran for years until our move to Barbados. I still help out with it when I am in the UK

Joan Penny (née Flower) 1962-63 Married to Tom, we have four grown-up children and seven grandchildren. Tom was a country solicitor in private practice in Tiverton, followed by Chief Executive of Tiverton Almshouses, and a Notary Public. In 2004, Prince Charles, as a Patron of the almshouses, came to open thirty new units of new almshouse accommodation built on a brownfield site in Tiverton.

Tom and I opened a new pharmacy in a nearby growing village of 4,000 inhabitants, which was an exciting venture. We have now sold it and can spend time at home, at last.

Erica Rigg (née Harding) 1963-66 I loved my time at Homerton in the 1960s under Dame Beryl Paston Brown – a really open-minded Principal who encouraged us to try out new things and enjoy ourselves. Subsequently my cousin, Helen Whittaker, daughter Lucy Rigg and recently great niece Madeleine Dedhar have been students at Homerton – so quite a long connection.

Janet Webb (née Bower) 1965-68 I left Homerton and married. I spent my entire working life in secondary school, spending the last sixteen years teaching Maths in a comprehensive. I enjoyed teaching at all levels, especially A level, and was Head of Year for some time. I have two children and four grandchildren and am still working with children as a governor of a CofE primary school, something that I have done for nearly twenty years, spending some of that time as chair.

Susan Hollow (née Buckett) 1966-69 I am coming up to my Ruby wedding anniversary in 2012. I have two children: Sophie is thirty-four, lives in the Algarve and had her first baby in August.

James, who is thirty-one, lives in Tokyo, where he runs his own company, and is married with two children.

Would like to hear from any friends I've lost contact with.

Avril Growcott (née Kemp) 1967-71 I have finally taken the decision to retire and left St George‟s School, Ascot at Christmas 2010 after a twenty-five year association with school and staff.

My husband and I (with full backing of our children and grandchildren) have sold our house and moved to France! We have bought part of a former coaching inn in the Brenne Regional Park, which is reputed to have more than 1,000 lakes! We shall content ourselves with the one in our garden, the pool and the river which forms part of the boundary.

We are expecting lots of visitors including Ruth 19

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----Ramsay (née Mullen) who will be en route to her brother-in-law‟s in Limoges in November. We enter this new phase in our lives well-prepared and with eyes wide open – fluency in the language (thanks to Frances Turner, née Weddell, et al) is a big advantage.

Althea Stevens (née McCord) 1967-70 I am co-founder and trustee of the UK registered charity Tukae (www.tukae.org). This was set up in 2001 in Tanzania to address poverty; now we run a very special safari site (mostly birds), employ twenty people, run a women‟s craft shop, have started another for men, help with medical emergencies and have provided a large number of impregnated mosquito nets. This is an ongoing project – any help would be welcome.

Barbara Curry (previously Kay and Harborne) 1968-72 I'm happy in retirement, enjoying the chance to paint seriously for the first time, and still in touch with my old Homerton pottery teacher and tutor, Mike Bibby.

I still have a lot to learn, but have sold five paintings so far this year. I love my big community choir but especially my smaller choir, 'Rough Diamonds' - we sing acapella World music and specialise in South African songs (with dancing!).

I have two gorgeous grandchildren, both toddlers, and am hoping for more.

Una Scaletta (née Frost) 1968-71 As I only do the odd private lesson now, and my husband has retired, we are starting a new venture renting out self-contained flats in the historical centre of Ragusa in Southern Sicily. Website: www.ivyhouselets.wordpress.com. Other than that we enjoy our two grand-daughters and the occasional concert.

Elizabeth Owen-Evans (née Hand) 1969-73 I retired in August. I am a very keen horse rider and lace maker with two daughters, one of whom is a linguist who works for a bespoke travel company and got married in August and the other a National Series mountain biker who works for Sports UK.

1970s Rachel Salmon (née Cole) 1970-74 I spent most of my career in comprehensive schools, largely at The Chase High School in Malvern. From there I moved to Malvern Girls College and taught there until 2008. I then set up a holiday lets business and am now enjoying more spare time although I am busy volunteering for various organisations including The National Trust. I

recently completed a City and Guilds course in textiles and have just signed up for another. I had two sons and I have two delightful grandchildren aged two and three months respectively.

Joanna Bamford (née Middlemiss) 1971-74 I have three children, the eldest of whom, Lucy, did her PGCE at Homerton in 2003-4 and is now Assistant Headteacher of a primary school in London. My son did the CELTA course after university and is teaching English abroad. My younger daughter works for The Bank of England and her employers are sponsoring her degree alongside work. My husband is a retired Headteacher. I was Headteacher of a school in Basildon until 2009 when I took on my present role of School Improvement Advisor for Essex County Council.

Jill Hales (née Streeter) 1971-75 Jill is happily married to Robin Hales with two children and one grandchild and is very much enjoying teaching at Lanesborough Boys Prep School.

Elaine Harris (née Cushion) 1971-75 Elaine retired recently from thirty three years teaching English having spent thirty years as Head of Department at Burnt Mill School, Harlow.

Jane Spittle (known as Ginny) 1971-74 I taught for one term only in London after leaving Homerton. By the following September (1975), I had moved into industry where I have had an international corporate career working in Strategic HR/Organisation Effectiveness for British Gas, ICL and Royal Dutch/Shell Group. These roles have been interspersed with some roles in management consultancy and for the past eleven years I have worked for myself as a freelance management consultant and Board Advisor specialising in Organisation Effectiveness before taking on my current role as Director, Leadership and Organisational Development for the Arts Council. I have lived and worked in Australia, Asia Pacific, Europe and the USA (New York was mad!).

Currently back living in London. Never married but have six nieces and nephews and eight godchildren.

Judith Yarrow (née Dodd) 1972-75 After working initially in a Traveller Unit in Hounslow and than for the Family Service Unit in Islington, I joined my husband on a farm in Wales. I met my husband in Cambridge and we have four children and one grandchild. I work as an artist now and we live in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. I am still in touch with many friends from Homerton and Cambridge. I particularly enjoy walking in remote 20

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----places in this country and abroad and have recently returned from trekking and camping in Bhutan in the Himalayas. Two of our children went to Cambridge, so it has been nice to continue to visit. The Art department was very good when I was at Homerton and I was sad that John Jackson died last year. I was also sad to see that Tony Crowe had died. He was endlessly enthusiastic, sharing his passion for literature and film in a way that made a lasting impression on me.

Marian Clements (née Curtis) 1973-76 I am still happily married to Gary - we married in June 1976. We spend most of our free time on our yacht which we keep in Plymouth. I am still working in education full-time but for the first time in my career I am only actually teaching for 2.5 days/week - I share a class with the deputy head. The other 2.5 days are taken up with my role as SENCO in the Junior School where I teach and in the neighbouring Infant School (the two schools are separate but are in the process of becoming a Federation).

Muriel Male 1973-76 This year, rather to my surprise and certainly to everyone else's, I have taken early retirement from teaching! Having decided to leave whilst still enjoying myself I'm really looking forward to the new chapter about to unfold.

Denise Prosser (née Cawley) 1973-76 Loving retirement - however did I find the time to prepare lessons and teach?

Sue Rodford 1973-77 Continuing to travel and run all external exams whilst still finding time to costume two drama productions a year and help with various extracurricular activities. Husband Phil decided to retire in July 2010 and spent three months touring America as the 'roadie' for a small Christian rock band, raising money for charity.

Son Ben is still at home, working in Cheltenham and captaining Gloucester Rowing Club in his spare time.

Daughter Beth continues to row for GB; has moved from W8 after gaining 5th place in Beijing Olympics and is now in the Women's Quad which became World Champions in NZ in November 2010. She is hoping for a place in the team for London 2012 - lots of training!

Jane Scott (née Lumsden) 1973-77 After thirty years living and working in London I took up my second headship in Sevenoaks in 2008. I am enjoying the beautiful Kent countryside and the ability to be in London in less than half an hour. I am divorced and my two children, Emma (twenty-

six) and Alex (twenty-three) are pursuing careers in the music world.

Helen Bristow (née Burns) 1977-81 I have just been appointed Senior Project Officer Writer, Curriculum in the classroom project, eLearning, Web & Digital Delivery Dept Education and Training, Brisbane, Queensland Australia. My eldest son is doing a Drama degree, while my youngest son has another year before finishing school.

Sheila Davies (née Thompson) 1977-81 Sheila has two children - Adam (1984) and Rhiannon (1986) and is a Registered Landlady with Glamorgan University.

Alison Arnott 1978-82 I am currently teaching literacy to children in the Primary and High School classes in a small remote Aboriginal community on the edge of Lake Dora, a salt lake that lies between the Great Sandy and Gibson deserts, eight hours drive from Port Hedland.

The Martu people speak their own language so English is the children's second language. I have been in Australia for twenty years now and my beautiful girls have flown the nest, so I was free to go and teach in an indigenous community. It is both challenging and rewarding in equal measure.

Elizabeth Dickinson 1979-83 In September 2010 I won the National Pro-Am Ballroom Championship at the Bronze level in American Smooth Dancing (Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz) with my teacher, Jeff Nehrbass.

The video may be seen on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLN2PfXCnq4&fe ature=youtube_gdata_player

1980s Alison Dack (née Crompton) 1981-85 Alison works two days a week at a local village school, covering PPA time. She has been married to Peter for twenty-one years and has a twelve year old son, James.

Emma Hoare (née Awdry) 1981-85 I recently married for the third time and seven of my Homerton contemporaries organised a hen weekend at Center Parcs. This fantastic group of women consisted of Amanda Child (née Archer), Pamela Barrack, Victoria Duckett (née Chubb), Alison Watson (née Crane), Andrea Jacobson (née Butters), Mary Webster (née Dobbin and Annabel Nnochiri (née Barrington Brown). We were all rd undergraduate chums on 3 ABC staircase and as truly modern women we make up a gang of eight 21

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----with the usual statistics including divorces, health issues, re-marriages and thirteen children between us but the friendship bond we formed whilst at Homerton 1981-1985 is strong enough to last us a life time.

Katharine McDonald (née Whitelaw) 1981-85 I married Jack McDonald in 1989 and we have three children (Victoria, Kitty and William aged twenty, eighteen and fourteen). I completed a Diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties in 2001.

Sarah Mitchell 1981-85 Working at the Department for Education in the division responsible for helping schools convert into Academies – busy and interesting work. I went with Amanda Edwards (née Simmons) to the London Branch of the Homerton Alumni meeting for the celebration of Homerton receiving its Royal Charter.

An interesting and good do – it was a pity that there were not more old Homertonians from our era present. Planning to go to the alumni weekend this year given that its thirty years since I started at Homerton – how can it be so long?

Sarah Palmer (née Davis) 1981-85 I continue to enjoy Headship in West Sussex and am now Headteacher of two primary schools, which is an interesting challenge!

My husband, Simon, continues to work for TOATAL UK as HR Director. Our son, Hedley, has just started at the University of Birmingham reading Business Management. He is now to enjoy university under-graduate life as we did!

Karen Williams (née Tickner) 1982-86 I am now head of the Prep school at Hull Collegiate.

I am married with three children, aged eleven, sixteen and seventeen. Not a great deal of time for other activities, but I do enjoy relaxing by cooking, reading and going to the cinema. Handling middle age pretty well!

Geraldine Dunbar (née Clarke) 1984-88 I‟m married with four children aged four to sixteen (two boys and two girls). Helen Laycock keeps in touch and thanks to her I'm no longer a lost sheep!

Shenaiya Day (née Khurody) 1986-90 I am married to Tom Day and have two children Anna Day and Henry Day. We have been posted to Sydney for a few years. I would love to hear from anyone in my year at Homerton.

covering the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean.

Having been happily married for eleven years I live in Ely with my wife and whirlwind seven year old son. When I‟m not helping him to build Lego I am a school governor, coach Ben‟s mini-rugby team, serve on the Homerton Roll committee, write sporadically for football magazine When Saturday Comes, and edit this publication. I‟m still in touch with plenty of Homertonians and we come to the dinner every year – why not join us?

Lisa Ashton (née Hughes) 1988-92 Our little family are happily settled in our now freshly renovated house, although the rambling garden is now the next challenge! As my youngest daughter will be full time in September I am currently training to be a Rainbow Guide Leader and am looking forward to having lots of fun running my own unit.

Sarah Phillips (née Talbot Rice) 1988-92 From 1992-1996 I taught Years 3-4 at Beckley CE Primary School, Oxford. From January 1997-July 2006 I taught at the Dragon School, Oxford (Years 1, 2 & 3, Head of Year and SMT). In September 2006 I moved to London and Finton House School.

Over the last five years I have taught Year 3, 5 and 6 there and left this summer. I got married in July 2010 to Daniel Phillips (Director of Music at King‟s Wimbledon) and in September 2011 I will start a two day a week Year 3 class share at King‟s College Junior School.

Michelle Laffling (née Fagan) 1989-93 On graduation I returned to Manchester and taught there for nine years, then went overseas to teach in international schools in Poland and Russia, returning to England in 2004. I got married in 2009 at Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Hills Rd, to Howard, who was at Churchill when I was at Homerton. We graduated on the same day, though we never met whilst students. We had a beautiful baby boy, Callum, last year. I've given up working (for Ranstad Education) to look after him, which is the best thing I've ever done! I also started catechist training last year, at St Philip Howard Church, Cherry Hinton. I intend to help with the children‟s liturgy.

Karen Lillywhite (née Griffin) 1989-93 In June 2010 I moved back to the UK from America with my husband Rob and two children Thomas, now five and a half, and Lauren now almost two and a half. Rob and I moved to Phoenix Arizona in 2000 and after seven years there on to Chicago for three years. We now live in Woodbridge, Suffolk.

James Thomson 1987-94 I am actively embracing respectability as the Digital Development Manager for Pearson Education 22

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------

1990s Lois Burton (née Barker) 1990-94 I have just spent a very happy year on maternity st leave with Toby Euan Fraser Burton, born 1 September 2010, my third son! Thankfully a happy, easy baby; we have had great fun together this past year. Back to work part time in September while Toby and his Dad have some quality time together.

Helen Groth (née Clarke) 1990-94 On January 1st 2011 I relocated from Singapore to The United States after twelve years of life in South East Asia. I had over the previous eighteen months established the Step by Step Learning Centre in Singapore which provided services for children with specific learning needs and their families. I am now living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and have very recently married David, an architect, who I met in Singapore.

Ian Hodgson 1990-91 Ian is currently Director of Music at Portora Royal School in Enniskillen, having previously been Head of PE at Hayesbrook School, Tonbridge, Head of the Performing Arts Faculty at Towers School Ashford and Head of Performing Arts and Student Engagement at Worthing High School. He married Sinead in 2006, having previously been widowed, and has a one year old son called Harry.

Outside work and home, Ian‟s hobbies are music, especially brass bands, golf, cricket, rugby and sailing.

Kerrie Mulleague (née Robins) 1990-94 After teaching in Romford for a year I moved back to Cambridge and taught in Bottisham for 4 years. I then moved abroad with Joe. We lived in Prague for two years (and got married there too), then lived in Brunei for three years (and had our first son, Louis), then headed to Phuket for two years (and had our second son, Cormac). We are now happily living in Bahrain, we are in our fifth year here and have no more additions to our family except a dog called Benji!

Angela Tallett (née Morris) 1993-97 I have two sons, James aged seven and George aged four and have been married to Paul for thirteen years. I had a career break while my sons were young, but am now teaching again at a local independent school. We have a boat on the River Hamble near Southampton where we enjoy spending our summer weekends.

Marion Durnin (née Canavan) 1994-95 I was awarded the post-graduate research degree of MLitt at Trinity College, The University of Dublin on

st

1 July 2011. The Chancellor of the University, Mary Robinson, presided at the commencement ceremony.

Martine Horvath (née Hattersley) 1994-98 I am currently working as a Quality Inclusion and Learning Co-ordinator for east Sussex County Council. The work is similar to that of an Early years Consultant with a SEN / Inclusion specialism / focus.

I am still happily married to Adam Horvath (19941995 PGCE met at Homerton), having just celebrated our twelfth wedding anniversary. We both have the fondest of memories of fun, friends and Homerton. Adam is Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Analyst for East Sussex County Council.

Verity Rudd 1994-98, 2002-05 I am currently breeding and exhibiting Bearded Collies all around the country - most likely to be seen with wellies on, a brush in my hand and a smile on my face!

Edward Cearns 1995-96 Edward is involved in a number of social enterprises and regularly participates in local theatre productions.

Ed Hassall 1996-97 Since Homerton I have taught in schools in southern England, northern India, Thailand and Malaysia. I currently work as a Year 6 teacher at Tanglin Trust (British international) school, Singapore. I live in Singapore with my wife Sharon, who was on the French with German teaching PGCE at Homerton the same year as me. She has had a very successful career herself so far, although she is now devoting more time to looking after our five year old daughter Isabel.

I have written a book called Troy Story (published August 2010), which is a 264 rhyming version of Homer's Iliad aimed at an upper primary/secondary readership. More information can be found at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Troy-Story-EdwardHassall/dp/1907652094/ref=sr_1_1?i e=UTF8&qid=1286619938&sr=8-1 Robert Daniels 1997-98 Since leaving Homerton I have been teaching Special Needs in the Maidenhead area part time, the remainder of my free time I have been developing my hobby in bespoke drum making, for the likes of Evelyn Glennie, Gilson Lavis (Jools Holland), Andy Gangdeen (Chase and Status), Eliza Carthy, Clune (David Gray), Rowland Rivron (Comedian) and Gary Wallis (Pink Floyd/Tom Jones/Il Divo), an eclectic 23

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----bunch of musos to say the least, all massively talented and very groovy to boot!

Anna Edwards (née Berry) 1998-02 nd Anna married James Edwards on 22 May 2010 and they had their first baby in July 2011.

Lucy Palmer-Jones 1999-02 Lucy is married with two children.

2000s Hannah Nolan 2000-04 I left in 2004, and got an office job whilst I decided what to do for a "proper" job. Whilst I was waiting for my perfect opportunity to come up I met an Irish man, fell in love and moved to Ireland! Married a year after, first baby a year (almost to the day) of our wedding and second baby just 15 months after that!

So busy busy busy!! When I was at Homerton I played Ice Hockey and made it to the Varsity team.

Playing against Oxford was amazing, but since leaving University my drive for exercise seemed to take a back seat. After marriage and children I gained A LOT of weight and have spent the last two and a half years losing it all again. In total I have lost seven and a half stone and am now back to a nice slim and healthy body! That brings me to now, after getting hooked again on a healthy lifestyle I am now training to be a health and fitness and nutritional expert and will be hopefully setting up my own business over the next few years.

Stephen Jukes 2002-04 Stephen is spending much of his time playing the violin and learning Mandarin.

Veit Koch 2003-04 Veit is the Head of Physics at the Bonn International School and completed an MA in Leadership in 2009.

Bing Wan 2006-07 Having worked for Siemens as strategy consultant for three years, I decided to have a career break. I am currently living in Munich, as a Chinese visiting scholar invited by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation under the auspice of the German Chancellor Fellowship. This award is given annually to up to ten prospective leaders from China, Russia and the USA, who have shown outstanding leadership potential in their profession of fields, and enables them to stay in Germany/EU for one year to lead a project of their own interests. My individual research project is centred on the topic of CO2 emission assessment methods. Built on my previous expertise, I am hoping to learn about the existing assessment methodologies and tools in Europe, adopt them to China with up-to-date emission factors, and bring them to the acceptance of various Chinese stakeholders.

Benjamin Mills 2007-11 Benjamin graduated in July this year with a BA/Eng in Engineering. He is now working as a graduate engineer for Rolls Royce.

Francesco Greco 2010-11 I am about to publish a crime novel.

Marriages Brian Goggin 1986-88 Dan Harvitt (1987-88) writes: Brian finally got married to Florencia Aleman, in San th Francisco, on September 10 2011. I had the good fortune to witness this happy event. Nobody else there admitted to having studied at Homerton. For those who want to keep up with Brian's amazing sculptures, go here: http://www.metaphorm.org/works/ Or better yet, visit California!

Susana Velez-Castrillon 2003-04 This fall, I will become Assistant Professor of Strategy at the Richards College of Business at the University of West Georgia.

Richard Ainslie 2004-05 I am now a teacher and professional singer with the Testostatones – if you are interested please go to

www.testostatones.co.uk Camilla Bergin (née Kingston) 2006-07 I am enjoying being a Mum of twins: Luke and Benedict, born April 2010 and looking forward to returning to teaching a Reception class in September.

24

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----Nikki Wilson (née Longbottom) 1993-97 th Nikki got married on May 28 2011 at Shire Hall in Cambridge.

Elsie Winifred Butcher (née Parry) 1942-44 Elsie‟s eldest son has informed us that she sadly th passed away on 24 June 2011.

__________

Deaths

Marjorie Emma Butler (née Watts) 1930-32 Marjorie‟s son Alan has informed us of the sad news of her death.

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 2010.

__________

Moira Armson (née Spence) 1945-47 Moira was a student at Homerton College from 1945-1947.

She was a very active member of „CongSoc‟ and left with an „A‟ Grade Teaching Certificate. She went on to teach at Holbrook School and Whitehouse School in Ipswich. Having moved to Birmingham, Moira taught at Hall Green School, Collingwood School and for seven years at the pioneering Uffculme Open Air School in King‟s Heath (featured in „A Breath of Fresh Air‟ by Frances Wilmot and Pauline Saul, published 1998).

She married Frank in 1962 and settled in Sedgley, near Dudley. They had two children, Michael and Jenny. Moira then taught at Woodsetton Special School, Cotwall End Primary School and Queen Victoria School, where she finished her highly successful career as Deputy Head Teacher in 1983.

She devoted her retirement to voluntary work and her family. Moira was a proud and devoted grandmother to five grandchildren. She wrote her memoirs and remembered her time in Cambridge with great affection.

Carol Lesley Collett (née Harker) 1979-83 Mrs P M Harker wrote to inform us of Carol Collett‟s death and added: Carol came to Homerton College from Cranbrook School in Kent. She joined the Rifle Club and became a member of the Cambridge University Rifle Team where she gained her Half Blue. She then went on to teach at various schools. She leaves a husband and four children.

__________ Barbara Deans 1948-50 Barbara‟s brother informed us of the sad news of her death in May.

__________ Ida Grundy 1945-47 th Ida died suddenly on 4 July 2011 while out shopping in Marple. She was eighty-four years old, st born on 21 February 1927 in Crumpsall, North Manchester. She leaves her sister-in-law, niece and family, nephew and family and many friends from throughout her life.

Most of Ida‟s childhood was spent in Timperley with her parents and older brother Arthur (died 1995).

Here she spent a happy childhood attending the local Congregational Church, teaching in the Sunday School and taking part in amateur dramatics. Ida‟s education progressed with a scholarship to Altrincham Girls‟ Grammar School (1938-45) where she was a prefect and head girl, academically successful and also singing in and conducting the choir.

Ida was at Homerton from 1945-47 studying English and Geography as part of her teacher training course. This is where she made many lifelong friends and joined Cong. Soc (Cambridge Congregational Society). These friends and Cong.

Soc members gave her opportunities for lots of visits and holidays over the years including an annual walking week in the Lake District. Ida was also a regular at Homerton reunions including meetings of the Manchester branch.

After Homerton, Ida‟s teaching career started in Manchester and Derbyshire then in 1958 she ventured abroad to what was then Southern Rhodesia, still teaching but also travelling to explore the country and continuing to collect more friends.

25

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----On her return to the UK in 1960 Ida had a brief spell working for Marks and Spencer, but this was too commercial for her liking and she returned to her first love of teaching, always in support of pupils with difficulties of some sort. All her life Ida was ready for a challenge and to improve herself. While working at Glossop School she studied Counselling at Keele University from 1965-6 and later still Health Education at the South Bank Polytechnic in London in 1980. This was her final field of work in the Stockport Health Promotion Unit before retiring in 1987.

where a thanksgiving service was held for Ida‟s life.

Jane the minister and a close friend gave a moving tribute based on a theme of bright colours (Ida‟s favourites) reflecting all the aspects of her long and interesting life.

Her whole life in work and in retirement was characterised by her kind and caring nature, always generous and ready to help and support anyone who was disadvantaged or in trouble.

Megan Hawkings (née Roberts) 1950-53 Sadly, Megan died in August. Her daughter Jenny writes:

Her retirement lasted twenty-four very busy years.

Apart from family, friends and the church, Ida‟s retirement was mainly spent on her favourite hobbies of yoga and art. She attended classes for both, worked hard to improve her skills and even persevered with her yoga (a little more gently) after an injury that fractured her pelvis! She left many drawings and paintings, some of which are proudly displayed in the homes of her family and friends.

She was interested in music and the theatre, enjoyed going to concerts and plays. And another main hobby was talking, as many of her friends will remember from lengthy phone calls! During retirement Ida also took on the challenge of technology, learning to use a mobile phone, digital camera and a computer with the internet, email and even Facebook.

The overwhelming influence right through Ida‟s life was her Christian faith, which she practised constantly and followed in many practical ways.

Though Ida missed out on marriage and having children of her own, she played an important part in her sister-in-law Joan‟s family and in the lives of the families of her friends in the UK and worldwide.

She was frequently included in their family visits, holidays and celebrations and responded by joining in with great enthusiasm and taking lots of photographs.

Ida was due to visit the family of a Homerton friend (Jean) in Australia in November this year. This is how it was with Ida‟s friends – once a friend, always a friend, but not only that, her friends were multigenerational. She was always kind, ready with practical help and support and interested in other peoples‟ lives, so that some regarded her as a mother figure and she was known as Auntie Ida to many others.

Someone who has known Ida from her teenage years said it seemed she was happiest in these later years in Charlesworth and Marple and especially as part of the United Reformed Church family in Marple Bridge. Naturally this was the very crowded church

Ida will be missed by all who knew her, but we are better for having known this truly remarkable woman.

Anne Pritchard (Ida’s niece)

__________

Megan was born in 1932 near Coedpoeth in North Wales. Her father was a general labourer, looking after horses on farms and her mother had been in service as a cook. Until she went to primary school she had only spoken Welsh. She gained a place at Grove Park Grammar school in Wrexham where she gained Higher School Certificate with distinction in Geography. She had had the offer of a place at Aberystwyth University but typically chose the more adventurous option of attending Homerton College, Cambridge. She went up to Homerton in 1950 and in 1952 obtained Principles of Education and Practice of Teaching with advanced study of Geography. She made several friends at Homerton that she kept up with for the rest of her life such as Mary Down (née Scriven) and Wendy Jerred. She enjoyed Cambridge life and was a member of several societies such as Welsh and dramatic/operatic groups. She returned to Homerton for several reunions – it obviously had a special place in her life.

Her first school practice was at Linton Village College and her first teaching post was a Melbourne Senior School which enabled her to continue living in Cambridge (digs near Parkers Piece). In 1954 she moved to London to teach geography at Park Modern School for Girls, Barking, having travelled across Europe to Istanbul during the summer holidays. Her love of travel stayed with her throughout her life: she visited over sixty different countries with an especial love of mountains such as the Himalayas.

In the following year she met (at a dance) John Hawkings who proposed to her seven months later and then married in 1956. They both gave up their jobs to travel (mainly by hitch hiking) around France but had to give up after six weeks because the money ran out. Less than a year later her first child (Dylan) was born so she had to give up teaching for a while. She returned to Park Modern for a short period until pregnant with her second child (Jenny).

After several moves of house due to John‟s job Megan did some primary school teaching in Newbury, once Jenny was old enough to attend kindergarten. In 1966 the family moved to Suffolk 26

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----where they stayed until John retired. She taught (mainly) geography at Copleston Girls School but also at Holbrook Modern School, Wolverstone Hall and Ipswich School. After she gave up teaching she organised and attended WEA meetings in her village, Holbrook.

Once retired Megan did not stop teaching or learning. She helped set up U3A (University of the Third Age) in Ludlow (to where Megan and John moved to be closer to the hills) and was an active member of several groups such as geology, garden history, music and Welsh.

She died of a brain haemorrhage suddenly in August 2011 while in her garden that she loved and had skilfully developed to be as busy and vibrant as her life.

__________ Minnie Holden (née Drewery) 1946-48 Min‟s oldest daughter Ann has written to give us the sad news of her mother‟s death.

She writes: Minnie (later known as Min) Holden came up to Homerton from Harpley, a small village in Norfolk.

She was the first girl from her village to gain a scholarship to King‟s Lynn High School for Girls. In the Sixth Form, Minnie became Head Girl and was awarded the Queen‟s Prize for the most publicspirited girl in the school, going to Sandringham House to receive her prize from Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Min described her two years at Homerton as „gloriously happy‟: she made several close and lasting friendships and was particularly involved in Christian fellowship and playing tennis. She remained a member of the Manchester branch of the Old Homertonians for the rest of her life and attended reunions in Cambridge on several occasions.

Min started her career teaching science and maths in a large secondary modern school in Derby and ended with 26 years (several of these as Deputy Head) as an infant teacher on the Wirral.

Min married John in 1952 and they had two girls, Ann and Wendy. Ann followed her mother to Cambridge (but to read veterinary medicine) and Wendy followed her into the teaching profession.

Away from school, Min was always closely involved with her local church, at various times helping to run the church choir and acting as churchwarden. Min always said that she lived her life within a triangle: her family and home, her job and her church and faith.

Since her retirement, Min experienced several serious and painful health problems and these increasingly restricted what she was able to do and enjoy. John died in 2006 and Min then developed

heart problems. She was very seriously ill at the end of 2010 but recovered to move into a local nursing home, in a room overlooking Hilbre Island in the Dee estuary, where she lived quite happily until her death. Only a few weeks before she died, Min was visited by Ida Grundy, one of her closest Homerton friends. Very sadly, Ida was to predecease Min when she died very unexpectedly about three weeks before Min herself.

__________ Margaret Johnson (née Todd) 1947-49 Margaret‟s husband, Elvin Johnson, wrote to us in May with the sad news that Margaret had passed away.

Because of her father's occupation as an Admiralty Civil Servant, Margaret spent part of her childhood in Malta and her teenage years in Alexandria, Egypt, the latter beginning at the outbreak of war in 1939.

Margaret saw war service herself as a member of W.T.S (F.A.N.Y). She trained as a cipher operator, being posted to India and then to Burma and was one of the few women awarded the Burma Star. She entered Homerton in 1947, the year in which her husband-to-be, Elvin, returned to Emmanuel after army service.

They were married in 1951 and had two daughters.

Margaret taught at the Blyth Girls' Grammar School in Norwich, then at the Manning Girls' Grammar School, Nottingham, and finally at the Ailwyn School, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire.

Besides her very successful teaching of Biology Margaret had exceptional manual skills, being renowned at Homerton for the jacket made from material she had woven herself and for her twodimensional cod for which she had sliced every bone laterally in half. Margaret was also an active member of the Methodist Church, but her over-riding interest was the Guide Movement in which she held many offices, ending as Regional Chief Commissioner for Anglia Region.

She and Elvin moved to the Cambridge area in 2001, but Margaret was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2002 and went into residential care in 2007. She died in May 2011, and after a private funeral her life was celebrated in a memorable Service of Thanksgiving at Wesley Methodist Church, Cambridge, held just a few days before what would have been her 60th Wedding Anniversary. There are seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

__________ Amy Clunis Porteous (née Biggs) 1939-41, known as Clunny B whilst at College Clunis‟s son Richard, who came with her to the 2010 th reunion, informed us that she passed away on 8 February. Her memories of being a student at 27

Homerton Roll Newsletter, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----Homerton during the war can be found elsewhere in this edition of Roll News.

__________ Diana Prickett (née Mabbutt) 1959-61 Diana, widely known to college friends as Miranda, died on Sunday 1 May at the hospice of St Peter and St James in Wivelsfield, East Sussex.

Diana taught in a wide variety of schools during her career from village schools in Ashwell in Cambridgeshire and Albourne in Sussex to inner city ones in London. She published books on children‟s assemblies in the 1960s and later specialised in teaching children with special needs, continuing this well into her retirement.

She moved to Ditchling in Sussex with her family forty years ago and was involved in many local activities, from teaching at the Sunday School to working with Sure Start, a charity offering support and practical help to families in difficulty.

Diana had a wide range of interests including watercolour painting, walking, local history and gardening. She was also an excellent cook. Despite suffering from recurring bouts of ill-health caused by an auto-immune illness that began in her forties, her last illness was short. She accepted the severe physical challenges caused by her auto-immune condition in recent years methodically and philosophically, always concerned not to be a burden on those trying to help her.

Her sense of humour and ready perception of the absurdities of life made her greatly loved by a wide circle of friends. She is survived by her sister, Jenny, two children, Ruth and Mark, a grandson, Felix, and her dog, Murphy. Her family was enormously important to her and it was particularly comforting that shortly before she died she was able to attend a special service of blessing for her son, Mark, and his girlfriend, Tora, when it became clear that she would not be able to attend their wedding in Sweden this summer. Her family was with her at her death.

Ruth Prickett (Diana’s daughter)

__________ Mary Audrey Betty Thatcher (née Street) 1945-47 Betty‟s daughter Sue informed the University that th Betty sadly passed away on 18 December 2010.

__________

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