OGA News Spring 2018

oganews SPRING 2018

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OGA OFFICER ROLES PATRONS Rosalind Hayes, Philippa Leggate, Elizabeth Mullenger, Valerie Payne, Peter Pollard, Duseline Stewart, Patricia (Trish) Woodhouse HONORARY PRESIDENT Olivera Raraty HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS Patricia Birchley (Banbury), Anne Borrowdale (Lea), Clare John, Sarah Musgrave, Pauline Newton, June Roundhill, Patricia Wilkinson (Marsden), Elisabeth Rambridge, Hannah Gill (Plant) CHAIRMAN Cecily Hewlett (MGC 2002) VICE-CHAIRMAN Penny Smith (Reay, St J&A 1980) HONORARY SOCIAL SECRETARY Patricia Wilkinson (Marsden, MGC 1956) HONORARY TREASURER Libby Sharman (Myatt, St J&A 1995) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Decade Representatives 1950s Ginny Wigglesworth

(Lawry, MGC 1959) 1960s Margot Jacob

(Coverdale, MGC 1962) 1970s Jane Mason (Coles, MGC 1970),

Judith Drewer (Horrell, 1973) 1980s Sarah Guthrie (Turner, MGC 1984) 1990s Alexandra Surman

(Tams, St J&A 1996),

Georgie Pearman

(Oram Hawkins, MGC 1991),

Sarah Smith (Caldwell, MGC 1995) 2000s Daniella Grieveson (MGC 2001) 2010s Laurel Buchanan (MSJ 2010)

Ex Head Girls teams and OGA Prefects:

Elysia Garland (2016),

Lucy Walton (2017), Nova Yu

(2017), Lucinda Hobden (2017).

Current Head Girl team and OGA Prefect: Chloe Parker (HG), Libby Wilkinson (Deputy), Andrea Rugasira (Deputy), Jenny Gallagher (OGA Prefect)

TRUSTEES Anne Borrowdale (Lea, MGC 1970) Cecily Hewlett (MGC 2002) Charlotte Morrison (Page, MGC 1973) Ottoline Scriven (MGC 2004) Fiona Shires (Beckett, Lawnside 1983) Rowena Westacott (Evans, St J&A 1980)

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WELCOME BY CECILY HEWLETT

OGA CHAIRMAN

We’re in the middle of another busy year of OGA activity.

Preparations are well underway for a big Summer Reunion in June.

This year’s programme includes a special celebration for 125 years of Malvern Girls’ College with daytime events and a black tie dinner, and there will also be a programme for Old Girls of The Abbey. Of course, members from all of our founding schools are very welcome to attend and I hope to see many of you there.

Some of you may be aware of the existence of the OGA Bursary Trust Fund which was set up in the early 1980s at MGC, and was added to by St James's OGA at the time of the merger, to assist pupils. Over the past few years, the Trustees have slowly been winding down the trust and a final award has recently been made to a current pupil of MSJ. The OGA intends to continue to support current pupils through the recently established Founders’ Awards. We are extremely grateful to all Old Girls who have contributed to the Bursary Fund over the years.

Thank you so much to all those who have contributed news and articles to this year’s edition of the Newsletter. It’s always wonderful to hear news of old classmates, but also to learn all about the incredible and diverse things that Malvern girls are involved with. I do hope you enjoy reading it and look forward to seeing many of you at an OGA Cecily Hewlett, MGC 2002 event before long.

Chairman The OGA Committee 2016-17

The

ABBEY SCHOOL

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THE ABBEY

WERE YOU THERE? Here’s a reminder of the last big Abbey Reunion in 1979 … If you recognise yourself, please let us know as these photos are from the Archives but are not marked up with names!

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THE ABBEY

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THE ABBEY SCHOOL CARAMEL TART

Sheila Griffin (Wilson, 1956) of School House sent in the recipe below. “I just wondered how many fellow students remember the ‘caramel tart’ recipe. Originally the kitchen were trying to make fudge.

It did not work, and this is the result. It proved not only delicious but the recipe was desired by all. We were only allowed to have the recipe on our last day at The Abbey. I still make it and it is one of our family’s favourite recipes.”

INGREDIENTS

HALF SIZE

200 grams of melted margarine

100 grams melted margarine

225 grams sugar

110 grams sugar

½ pint water

¼ pint water

½ pint milk

¼ pint milk

30 grams plain flour

15 grams plain flour

Vanilla essence

Vanilla essence

Sheila at school, second row, second left

EQUIPMENT 10” flan case

8” flan case

Saucepan Saucepan METHOD

Sheila in her kitchen

1.

Prepare and bake a shortcrust pastry flan.

2.

Boil the water and sugar together until it turns brown (this takes a long time).

3.

Quickly add the melted margarine and milk. Beat well and add the flour.

4.

Cook a little, then beat well and add a couple of drops of vanilla essence.

5.

When nice and thick pour into the cooled pastry flan case and leave to get cold.

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

GINNY DAVIS (Smith, 1974)

“I failed the entrance exam to The Abbey but my aunt and a distant cousin were former Head Girls so Miss Jones agreed to let me in, provided I stayed down a year. When I got to Lower Sixth I worked out that if I stayed on until A Levels I’d be 19 when I left. No way did I want to be still at an allgirls boarding school when I was nudging 20, so I left and, in order to catch up with my age group, did a couple of A Levels in one year (no frills like Citizenship classes made this achievable) and went to Swansea University to read French.

Then I did a secretarial and language course in Coventry, and for a couple of years worked as a translator in Birmingham.

The trouble was that I felt that if I was to be taken seriously as a linguist I should live abroad, but there was a boy and he wasn’t leaving Birmingham. So I gave up my career in languages and for a while just did jobs that took my fancy until, by now pushing 30, I realised that it was time to get a proper career. (I married the boy, but it didn’t last). I was now working for a criminal solicitor and the work fascinated me. So, I thought, why not apply to the best university in the world to read law - Cambridge? To my amazement I got in and, now 10 years behind my year group, I studied as a mature student at Lucy Cavendish College.

Playing Ruth Rich

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I was called to the Bar in 1989 and practised criminal law until my first child was born. At that point, with no regrets, I became a full time parent. Another child later, and when both started school I joined the Parents’ Association. My job was to devise and create new social and fundraising events. My first was a Parents’ Revue.

Any parents with any talent took part. We had singers, dancers, a magician, an Eastenders actor and Renee from Renee and Renato whose Save Your Love had topped the charts in 1982. This may sound like a smart London prep school but it was just a county school that had hit a purple patch. My contribution was Mrs Bridget Jones’ Diary, a satirical sketch on life as a stay at home mum, influenced by Helen Fielding’s character and inspired by the funny side of parenting which, later rather than sooner, I had come to recognise. I had discovered that one person’s stress and embarrassment was another person’s laugh (Miranda Hart knows this too) and that the most delicious laughs of all are those which respond to situations closest to the truth, so I drew on experience – not just mine, but that of others struggling with the day to day challenges of parenting. This sketch was my first attempt at public performance and to my joy and amazement, audiences laughed.

So I continued to write sketches featuring the same character until shortly after the turn of the millennium I combined them into a single, one act, one woman play in which, to avoid confusion, Bridget Jones changed her name to Ruth Rich. The play was Ten Days … that shook the Kitchen! I sent mailings to all local schools in the hope of performing to parent groups further afield. No-one replied. I shrugged and returned to parenting.

My father was a risk taker. (His first fiancée was an actress – a risky choice of potential bride whose name we were forbidden by my mother to mention at home). In 2007 he died, leaving me a legacy in his Will. That summer I visited the Edinburgh Fringe and decided that

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

Learned Friends

the best use of Dad’s legacy would be to invest in taking my little play to the Fringe. A risk if ever there were one, but in 2008 Ten Days... was performed at Sweet Venues, Edinburgh. It could have gone so badly. Joan Rivers performed at the same Fringe. She knew what she was doing. I didn’t. But, luckily, it turned out that my sense of humour was shared beyond Warwick and the show sold out. I also discovered the addictive quality of an audience’s laughter. One successful show made me want more, so I carried on writing and performing – with a ready source of material as my children and their friends grew up and the challenges and humour never ceased to change and grow. By 2014 I had written five different plays in what had become the Ruth Rich Saga. I’d returned to Edinburgh twice and was now performing most weeks at small theatre venues, village and community halls all over the country.

In 2014 I killed off my best character in the fifth play in the Ruth Rich Saga. Poor old granny was slightly deaf, a bit confused and didn’t see the car coming. That was the end of the Saga and it was time to do something new. But what else could I write about? I only really knew about family life – and my greek harehound, who featured in my play Hound Dog at the 2013 Fringe because I thought the story of how she was rescued from a life of misery and

neglect in Crete and ended up in our family was worthy of a play.

Maybe the Law? It had never been far away because I married another barrister who is now a judge. So last year I polished up my legal nouse and, with a lot of technical, up to date advice from him, wrote Learned Friends, a courtroom drama. It hasn’t been to Edinburgh but it’s been performed at the Old Bailey and other Crown Courts.

And I know a bit about Women’s Institutes too, because I regularly present To The Fringe and Beyond to meetings. It is a talk in which I tell my story and encourage members to get up and get on with the pastime or challenge they might have been putting off because in pursuing this career, which I love, I have found fulfilment, and that, I now know, is a blessing.

What’s next? I’ve just completed research into judicial punishment from the 16th to 20th centuries and my new talk From the Pillory to the Prison Cell is up and running.

More plays? I need a subject. It will have to be about a world I recognise. Maybe I should write about The Abbey.

The trouble is everyone would think it too far-fetched.

Details of Ginny’s play, talks and how to book them are on www.ginnydavis.com

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS OGA Lecture by

PROF. URSULA MARTIN CBE, RSE (1971)

Chloe Parker, MSJ’s Head Girl, attended Professor Martin’s Lecture and interviewed her afterwards. At the time, Chloe was busy doing her university applications. She has since found out that she has been offered a place at St Edmund’s Hall, Oxford, to read Engineering Science.

It was a pleasure to see Abbey schoolfriends Jenny Moore (Trow), Jill Crowson (Carding) and Sarah Weller (Coates) who came to the talk. All remembered Ursula as a brilliant mathematician, even back then. Before she came to the talk, Ursula visited her former Mathematics teacher, Miss Castledine, at Davenham in Malvern.

Chloe writes: “In October 2017 MSJ welcomed a pioneering Old Girl who gave an enlightening talk on a pioneering female from the Victorian era, mathematician Ada Lovelace.

ratio of some 80:20 with men outnumbering women by a considerable margin! Following Professor Martin’s talk I was fortunate to be able to sit down and quiz her on Ada Lovelace, her own work, and women in STEM. Asked what advice Ada Lovelace would likely give girls today to encourage them to pursue STEM subjects, Prof. Martin commented, “Ada would have wanted girls to be curious about the world; and take interest in as much as possible.

It is so important that they are fearless, like she was, and to ask questions to gain as great an understanding as they can.

You will only gain the knowledge if you take an interest in the latest developments and inventions, and inquire into how things work and how you could make a difference.”

Professor Ursula Martin is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford. In 1992 she became the first female professor in any faculty at the University of St Andrews since its founding in 1411. Professor Martin is an Old Girl of The Abbey, one of MSJ’s founding schools.

Alongside her CBE, Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and many academic achievements, Professor Martin is also widely known for her activities aimed at encouraging women in the fields of computing and mathematics.

Ada Lovelace was a mathematician and writer in a predominately male domain and era. She was primarily renowned for her work on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. In 1842 she translated an article on the Analytical Engine by the Italian mathematician and military engineer Luigi Menabrea; in her appended notes she recognised that the engine had applications beyond pure calculation and published an algorithm for such a proposed machine. As a result of this work, Ada is generally regarded as the first to identify the potential of a “computing machine” and the first computer programmer. Formally known as Countess Lovelace, she also gained notoriety in Victorian society as the only legitimate child of the poet Lord Byron, and his wife Lady Wentworth.

Today gender inequality in science, technology, engineering and mathematics still prevails. Through school I have had the opportunity to be to be able to focus on Science and Mathematics, and have applied to read Engineering at university; though all of my potential courses have a

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Ada Lovelace

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

Ursula with MSJ students and Elizabeth Bell, MSJ’s Head of Mathematics

Ursula Martin with Jill Crowson, Sarah Weller and Jenny Moore

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THE ABBEY

Memories from

THE ABBEY

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THE ABBEY

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THE ABBEY

OGA COMMITTEE

Judith Drewer is a member of the OGA Committee and has been instrumental in getting The Abbey School Reunion underway for this Summer.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? D

avid Noot wrote in: “Some seventy years ago, I went to live in Barbados. Within my group of friends, we formed a “gang of four” one of whom was Jennifer Beasley. Jennifer’s father, Prof Cyril Beasley died and the family returned to England in about 1953, when Jennifer became a pupil at The Abbey School, along with her sister Valerie. I came back to school in England in 1954 and Jennifer and I wrote to each other probably about twice a term. I left school in 1958, joined the Navy and lost touch with Jennifer. I know that the girls spent holidays at their Grandparents (Cummins) at Church Walks, Llandudno. I know that Jennifer’s sister Valerie married in 1966 to Roger Collett and was living in London SE3 until at least 2003.” If Jennifer or Valerie are reading and would like to be in touch with David, please let the OGA Office know.

Katie Moore who started at The Abbey in 1972/3 is being sought by Julia Sinclair (Wainman). They were at Fairseat together, Katie lived in Ledbury and the girls lost touch when Julia transferred to Ellerslie School.

SEND US YOUR NEWS! Please send in your news, photos, write-ups of Reunions, and ideas for ‘Alumnae in Focus’ articles, plus Honorary Member (former staff) news. We would be delighted to publish more – we can only use what we are sent. We’d like to make this Abbey section of the magazine bigger and more informative – please help us!

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NEWS

REUNION About a dozen of us keep in close touch and had lunch together yesterday, including Caro Chapman, Caroline Holloway, Diana Dawson, Sarah Collings-Wells, Katie Van Helden, Fiona Leadbetter, Veronica Nott, Christine Morris, Jean Lees, Judy Butt and me. So noisy but so much fun.

Katy Van-Helden (Taylor-Restell), Fiona Leadbetter (Mather), Veronica Nott (Pyemont), Christine Morris, Jean Lees (Haydock)

Sarah Barrett (Hill, 1968) sent in a write-up and picture from an Abbey Reunion last year: “I was at The Abbey with Katie Taylor-Restell, starting at the Prep School under Miss Griffin in September 1959 as a day girl, living just outside Ledbury. I boarded in Junior House with Miss Dennis two years later and then went to School House, becoming Head of House in my last year, 1968.

After a scholarship to St Godric’s for a Political Secretarial Course, on 1st January 1970, I joined Edward Heath’s Private Office in the House of Commons.

Six months later we won the Election!

A few jobs down the line, mostly in politics, I married Robin in 1975 and soon afterwards we drove to Kuwait to set up a Marine Sales office covering the Middle East for Rotork, where James Dyson designed the boats. Skip forward eight years, 2 children, back in London and Katie and I set up and ran Swopshop (new and nearly new ladies clothes) pulling Caro Elphick in as well.

I now work part-time for Savills. Robin and I are still married and live near Hungerford and the Dysons are close friends!

Katie, Caro and I (Godparents to each others’ children) hope to come to the Reunion on 16th June.

Jean Lees (Haydock), Caro Chapman (Elphick), Caroline Holloway (behind the flowers), Diana Dawson (Babar), Sarah CollingsWells (Latham), Katy Van-Helden (Taylor-Restell), Fiona Leadbetter (Mather), Veronica Nott (Pyemont), Christine Morris.

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MALVERN GIRLS' COLLEGE

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MALVERN GIRLS’ COLLEGE

Pippa Leggate, Headmistress 1997 – 2006 A Cause for Celebration – 125 Years of Excellence

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nniversaries are important in our lives as they provide wonderful opportunities to remember and celebrate significant occasions. As we mark the centenary of women’s suffrage this year in the UK, as granted in its first form in 1918, the debt that we owe to those who championed women’s rights and who recognised the need to provide girls with an effective education remains enormous. Quite simply we would not be where we are today if we had not had the foundations laid for us by those courageous pioneers, who rightly recognised the need to ensure that women could contribute fully to society and were prepared to work towards this goal.

The value of schools like MGC, which this year celebrates its 125th Anniversary, offers an excellent example of how this was made possible. So for those of us who attended MGC in whatever form, this Anniversary provides a wonderful occasion for both historic and personal recollection.

The founding of MGC may have been well before our time, but it was thanks to the vision of Lily Poulton and Isobel Greenslade that each of us today has our own memories and experiences from MGC to reflect upon. So this year’s MGC Reunion on 16th June in Malvern will be a particularly special time to come back and to meet up with your MGC friends and colleagues. As the last Head of MGC prior to the creation of MSJ, I am looking forward to attending this special Reunion and hope very much that it will be possible for many of you to be there as well.

Today we have many ways to keep in touch with each other whether through social media or through more routine forms of communication.

Certainly, the days of writing letters home on a Sunday for those at boarding school have been overtaken by a range of choices for keeping in touch with family and friends, including email, Skype, Facetime and a host of other options. Yet it still requires time and commitment to keep in touch and to remember those significant dates and celebrations, but the friendships grounded in schooldays are priceless for so many reasons!

The strength of those links established whilst at school remains remarkable, as so many of you would bear testimony. Over the years since leaving MGC and stepping down from Headship, my work as an Education Consultant has involved considerable travel to many distant places and international locations.

Yet one of the delightful constants has been the way in which those MGC connections emerge when one least expects them, but always with real interest, expertise and warmth involved. The range of occupations, achievements and contributions demonstrated by former MGC girls in societies and countries all over the world is truly remarkable.

On a personal note, having just

spent Christmas this year in Zambia at the Royal Zambezi Game Lodge which is managed by a former MGC girl, I can only say that the founders of MGC would have been just as impressed as I was at the exceptional interpersonal skills, management expertise and organisational abilities demonstrated. Yet, in so many different fields all over the world there are former MGC girls who are demonstrating that the education they received has been put to good use. So in celebrating the 125th anniversary of MGC, it is a wonderful opportunity to recognise both the achievements of individuals who attended MGC, the contributions that the College made and the personal recollections of so many who have memories stretching over the many decades. For all who can, please do come back to share in the celebrations on 16th June 2018. We look forward to seeing you.

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

KIKO MATTHEWS (1999)

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s we go to press, Kiko Matthews is powering her way across the Atlantic, in an attempt to set a new world record for rowing solo and unsupported 3,000 miles from Gran Canaria to Barbados. She will push herself mentally and physically in what she hopes will be a 45 day voyage across this vast stretch of ocean.

Partly this is a personal challenge, but also it is a massive fundraising initiative. In 2009, Kiko was diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome, and had treatment for a lifethreatening brain tumour at King’s College Hospital in London. As she was undergoing training for her transAtlantic voyage, in August 2017, the disease came back, and again she relied on expert treatment and care from King’s. Raising money for their new Critical Care Unit is her way of acknowledging and thanking the King’s team.

Kiko came in to take an Assembly with all MSJ girls about her expedition, which MSJ has co-sponsored, and she will come back in July as Prizegiving Guest Speaker. MSJ is supporting her with our own sponsored row – but ours will be in the relative safety of rowing machines outside Waitrose in Great Malvern.

Jenny Gallagher, MSJ’s OGA Prefect, interviewed Kiko for this article.

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Jenny: Why are you undertaking this challenge?

Kiko: I want to prove to people that anything can be achieved if we support one another. I think it’s really important to rise from adversity; just because something bad happens, it doesn’t mean you have to put your life on hold and mope around. Also, I think the body is fascinating! We should challenge it and prove our resilience – I think that that’s really important.

J: What about the training process; have you always been into exercise or is this completely out of your comfort zone?

K: In many ways, the hardest training has been the management of the whole thing. Being head of the fundraising campaign and managerial side of it, as well as working out the logistics of my crossing, and trying to keep to a physical training programme is hard at times. I do the normal things like going to the gym and cycling to meetings, as well as obviously practising rowing in the boat I will use.

I also have a paddle boarding business and so I do that a lot too. I have always been physically strong. At school I played in all the sports teams and did Gold Duke of Edinburgh, but also being the third child has given me quite a competitive spirit – I never liked to let my brothers better me when we were kids, and so that inner child comes out in this, I think.

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS J: You speak a lot about not worrying in life, but are you nervous about anything in particular regarding this challenge?

social problems; happiness, employability, intelligence – everything! Really I just want people to realise what’s out there and take advantage of it.

K: I’m most worried about not getting to the start line if I don’t fundraise enough, but really, ignorance is bliss. In terms of being lonely, I think that’s something you overcome when you learn to be happy in yourself. Loneliness tends to strike when things aren’t going to plan, so when the weather’s rough or I have to row all night. But if you can find the resources to support you, that loneliness and need for other people disappears. We all have the capacity to cope on our own, it’s just about having the mental strength to do so.

J: And if you had one piece of advice for people, what would it be?

J: You’re raising money for King’s Critical Care Unit – why did you pick this charity in particular?

K: I originally had other charities in mind – one in particular had the ulterior motive of meeting Prince Harry! – but I figured that it’s good to give back to something personal, even if you don’t get to meet a prince. King’s saved my life twice. When I worry about what could go wrong at sea, I reassure myself with the knowledge that I shouldn’t really still be here, and so whatever happens I’m still quite lucky, and the fact that I am here is thanks to King’s.

J: This is a World Record attempt – what’s the time to beat?

K: Stop worrying about the things that you can’t change.

Women in general seem predisposed to worrying, but largely it’s futile. What will happen, will happen – worrying won’t affect outcomes one way or the other. In fact, once you stop worrying about stuff, you start to engage with people around you. If you go out and fill your day, there is less time to sweat the small stuff – I always talk to the people I encounter during my day, whether I know them or not – because in that moment of time, you can’t worry, and it’s this engagement with the present that I really value and hope to promote.”

If you want to support Kiko’s fundraising for King’s, you can give at Just Giving: msj.gs/KikoKings

Jenny Gallagher and Kiko Matthews

K: The current record for solo rowing the Atlantic is 56 days, 13 hours and 9 minutes, and so I’m aiming to cross the Atlantic in 45 days.

J: How have people responded to your mission?

K: My family are fairly blasé about the whole thing, but I think my sister is secretly quite inspired! I’m more interested in helping people than making money, and I always have been. My family are not particularly surprised about this challenge. From the public I get mixed responses too – a lot of people thinks it’s crazy wanting to spend a month and a half stranded at sea alone. But actually people like the fact that I’m quite normal. Often people say, “oh you’re so inspiring”. At the moment I don’t think that’s true because all I’m doing is talking about this attempt, but when I do it, then maybe it’s true that I will inspire others.

J: After this, what’s the plan for the next 10 years?

K: I’ve never been much of a planner, but I think I will always be drawn to the next adventure. I hate the word ‘coaching’, but I would like to help people to be happy and independent through some sort of physical activity and challenge. I have an idea of sending a group of ex-offenders out in a boat, and putting them through a similar thing to what I will be doing, so that they will return with an experience, but also with a practical skill set. I’d love to do some research and present it to the Department of Education to prove what an impact being outdoors from a young age has on all sorts of

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

ANGIE MA

(2000)

KIKO MATTHEWS (1999)

Angie with A Level students

Angie Ma (MGC 2000) came in to talk to students about her career in Artificial Intelligence and her experience of setting up a tech startup, ASI Data Science, almost four years ago, and running and growing the business which now has 60 staff.

“The science classes I took at Malvern were very influential in my career choice. And I’m keen for more girls and young women to see what it is like working in science and technology. As you can imagine, women in the field are extremely rare. Only 5% of female founders of companies are technical. People might think about programmers and engineers when they consider tech, but the industry requires so much more than that – people who want to go into operations, marketing, sales, and management to name a few.”

Her mantra is life-long learning: in her company, staff have a ‘half day learning’ each week where they have to learn something that is not directly their work. Angie identifies this as important in a work environment where how quickly the company can grow depends on how quickly its people grow their skills and abilities. This growth mindset is increasingly vital for people who want to succeed because our world is changing faster.

Emily: What got you interested in artificial intelligence?

Angie: I’ve always been interested in automating mundane tasks and leaving time to do more interesting things. I didn’t know how to do AI until I was faced with a research project, where I had to go through hundreds of thousands of images. In addition to being extremely boring, it would be impossible to look at each one myself, so I started looking at alternatives and that’s really how I got into it.

E: What are some current uses of artificial intelligence in everyday life?

A: It is embedded into our lives. For example, face recognition in photos whether it’s in Facebook or iPhoto, that’s AI. Self driving cars is another big area.

For businesses, AI can predict when a train or plane components will break down, for example, so service can be scheduled before they actually fail.

E: How do you think artificial intelligence will impact people’s lives in the future?

Angie read Physics at Imperial College, London; Law at BPP; and completed a PhD in Physics at UCL.

A: In many positive ways, for example in the advancement of medicine, drug discovery, and identifying and treating illnesses. It also has the capability to make life easier, taking away some of the repetitive and mundane tasks which will give us time to do creative things that are more enjoyable.

She was interviewed by Year 10 student, Emily Cox.

E: How will AI change the jobs of the future?

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS A: I’m optimistic that it will create opportunities, but we don’t know exactly what yet. When the internet came along, people said that it would have a negative effect on jobs. It is true that some have disappeared, but in fact many more have been created. It will be the same with AI. You need to have the expertise to build the technology; then you need people to maintain the technology; and then the people who know how to apply the technology – whether that’s to a commercial end use, or scientific research, business innovation etc. The way that we do things will change, but this brings opportunity.

E: What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in artificial intelligence?

A: In my experience, women think slightly differently and they come up with absolutely brilliant ideas. I love having female engineers. They are so thoughtful about the way they build software: they really think about the design and how to create the best experience for users. If you’re interested in this as a career, be curious. Read about it. Take the initiative and speak to people in the industry. If you have computer science training this is clearly beneficial, but so is Physics, Maths, Biology, Psychology and many more. And AI companies such as mine need professional support – marketing, sales, legal and financial services.

E: What’s it like running a company?

A: It is very rewarding, for sure. I feel proud, working with a brilliant team who believe so passionately in what we’re

you have young children, where you will need to be able to work more flexibly. I hope that if you’re driven, your company will facilitate the way in which you need to work.

We are now working with more women who have excellent career experience but are looking to work part-time or remotely to balance their commitments. They are a good solution for us, and that makes it a win-win.

E: You have clients such as the BBC, Tesco and Siemens.

How do you get those big clients?

A: We usually start out small, but then projects snowball into much bigger ones. Starting small means that clients can get a feel for working with us and see how we deliver value.

If we feel that we cannot make the difference at a particular time, we’re not afraid to say this. We find that organisations appreciate this honesty, and come back to us in the future.

E: What memories do you have of your time at MGC? A: Lots! I’d say it was probably one of the happiest times of my life. In Hatfield, lots of happy memories with friends and staff. I remember we had pet hamsters and gerbils and we’d get staff to bring in loads of boxes, and then build really elaborate assault courses. Then I was in Greenslade.

The reason that I studied Physics at university was because I loved the lessons at MGC so much - although I did consider doing Economics too as that was my other great passion. It was great to see Miss Lewis, my teacher, (now Mrs Hemphill), on my visit today. Young Enterprise was also great fun and probably influenced my decision to start my own business.

E: Did school encourage you to forge this kind of career?

A: Yes, there was definitely a very strong influence. I did three STEM A Levels – Physics, Maths, Economics – but also English Literature. I certainly didn’t feel constrained to follow one particular route; I was encouraged to do what I was interested in.

E: What advice would you give others?

Angie and Mrs Zoe Hemphill

doing. That said, it’s very tough: even now, I work on average 16 hours a day. I do try to balance other aspects of my life, but because I’m doing something I enjoy and believe in, most of the time it doesn’t feel like ‘work’. I’m conscious that one goes through phases in life. Sometimes you can put in a lot of effort and time to understand and deliver something. But there will be other phases, for example if

A: From seeing some very brilliant people, I think important qualities are to be curious and to keep searching for what you feel passionate about. We are all now unlikely to have one job forever, so we need to be alert to the next interesting and challenging thing.

It doesn’t matter what path you take – if you are good and can provide value to others because you are passionate about it, you will be able to make a living out of it. The other important skill is problemsolving and a ‘mission-driven’ mindset: all projects have challenges, and you need to be able to see your way through these so that you can deliver value to your organisation or client base.

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REUNIONS

NORFOLK Reunion

T

ishy Bayne and Anne Laubscher organised our 27th Annual Norfolk Reunion on Wednesday, 20th September 2017, held as usual in the friendly surroundings of the Anchor Inn on the coast at Morston and an excellent luncheon was enjoyed by all. Unfortunately, this time only nine of our ‘regulars’ were able to attend, joined by their four husbands, but we were very pleased to welcome for the first time both Frankie Williams from Cambridge and Charmian and John Gilbert from Surrey, who were up in Norfolk on holiday and, having read in the OGA News about our Reunion, emailed to ask if they might join us!

The other excitement of the day was a request via Fiona Meredith, the External Relations Director, for the Headmistress, Olivera Raraty, to come to meet us all, which of course we were delighted to accept. Fiona bravely drove them both across from Malvern in the morning (in order that Olivera could continue to do some calls and paperwork on the journey) and back again in

the evening, after they had both had a good walk down to the sea to breathe in some sea air! Olivera gave us a most interesting short talk and we all felt she will be a breath of fresh air for the girls, bringing some new ideas from a younger Headmistress, with a husband and children, living on site. Fiona had also gone to the trouble of bringing with her a number of old photograph albums and records, which we all much enjoyed perusing!

We shall be holding our 28th Reunion once again at the Anchor on Wednesday 26th September 2018, which we hope may be late enough for people to be back from holidays and we hope you will all please put it in your diaries NOW! We shall be sending out invitation letters and menus around the end of July to those for whom we have emails or addresses, but if there is anyone else who would like to come, please do email me at pbayne46@ gmail.com, or write to me at Pinewood Lodge, Bawburgh, Norwich NR9 3LT.

Gentlemen, left to right: Christopher Bayne, John Gilbert, Louw Laubscher, John Wilkinson, Alan Fry Ladies standing, left to right: Susie Riddington (Boston 1952), Christine Booth (Sutcliffe 1954), Anne Charlton (Burton 1958), Frankie Williams (Royals 1966), Anne Laubscher (Scott 1954), Tishy Bayne (Mackenzie 1964), Sue Key-Burr (Fyte 1954), Charmian Gilbert (Cheatle 1962), Tricia Wilkinson (Marsden 1956)

24 seated: Olivera Raraty (Headmistress), Jen Murray (Carter 1947), Marianne Fry (Newman 1951) Ladies

REUNIONS

Tricia Wilkinson (Marsden), Alan Fry, Charmian Gilbert (Cheatle), Tishy Bayne (Mackenzie), Olivera Raraty, Frankie Williams (Royals)

L-R: Anne Laubscher, John Gilbert, Christine Booth

Sue Key-Burr (Fyte) and Marianne Fry (Newman)

Frankie Williams and Tishy Bayne

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REUNIONS

London 1950s Reunion Jill Gladstone (Vernon, 1958) writes: “On 14th October 2017 we were wonderfully welcomed by Katy (Nairn) and her sister Sheila and fed sumptuously. Nearly all of us are 77 or 78 (although Katy is 76) and have been great friends for 65 years, so noisy greetings and chat were inevitable.

Twenty three of us managed to get to Katy’s whilst 22 others sent apologies, good wishes and their news. All the letters were available to read. Jill had brought lots of photographs – always popular. We remembered with warmth the 18 friends who have died since school. Gillian Hamilton (Shut) had brought updated address lists which are so valuable to each of us.

We all thanked Katy for her brilliant welcome over many years and we recognised that it is quite an undertaking to receive and feed us all. However, while Katy appreciates having a break this year, she loves having us and all being well, will be very happy to do so again in the future! £170 was donated to charities, and after discussion, especially with Katy, it was decided to send £50 each to Alzheimer’s, British Lung Foundation and Marie Curie, and £20 to Malvern Special Families. We have received a letter of thanks from each of the charities and a kind letter from the Headmistress at MSJ, Mrs Olivera Raraty.

The next Reunion will be held at Sandra Smith-Gordon’s Fulham home on Thursday 27th September.

Back Row: Katy Nairn, Ki Johnstone, Mary Briant, Poot Marsden, Carolyn Waldren, Liz Chivers, Lesley Trays, Jenny Blagden, Gail Petrie, Di Harrison-Brown, Fizzy Hill, Suzanne Bird, Diana Habershon, Judith Oakley (half-hidden), Ro Benison, Sandra Farley, Lynda Smith. Front: Janet Mather, Robin Prosio, Jill Gladstone, Gillian Shuttleworth, Hazel Tregonning. (Mary Johnstone had just popped out so missed the photo!)

MGC MID & SOUTH WALES GROUP Ann Payne (Nash,1956): ”We are a small group of eight who meet approximately four times a year. Our activities are varied, usually with food included somehow. In the past we have visited a local flour mill which had recently been restored, and an art gallery in a nearby town followed by lunch in a local hotel. We were going to visit a farm where Morgan horses are bred but unfortunately this had to be cancelled because of a bereavement. Today we (Suzanna Johnson (Habershon), Maureen Jones (Evans), Eira Jones (Greet), Penny Eckley (Pierson Jones), Jennie Vint (Weston), Jessica King (Styles), Margaret Underwood (Collis), Sally Leatham (Eden-Smith) have met for coffee and are now planning to meet for lunch in April at a country pub followed, perhaps, by a garden visit. We would be delighted to welcome any Old Girls who might be in the Chepstow/Monmouth/Powys area.”

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REUNIONS

LONDON REUNION FOR MGC CLASS OF 1989

Anna Hare (Moore) writes: “We are organising a reunion for 1989 MGC leavers. It’s going to be on 29th June 2019 – 30 years since we left. Location will be London, venue to be confirmed. We have contacted about 50 people (out of, we think, about 75), but we wondered if you could help us with the others via the newsletter. It’s for those who left U6 in 1989 or U5 in 1987. Anyone interested can contact me.”

Anna Hare mrsannahare@gmail.com 07976 935650

NORTH & EAST YORKSHIRE Liz Ticehurst (Major, 1966), Area Rep for North and East Yorkshire, writes,: “Here is news from North Yorkshire...

Wedding... Margaret Thomas (Bird,1949), was in Avenue House, married Barry Nicolson on September 19th 2015, and they are both very happy.

Horse Racing...Penny Avison (Beck,1957) was in Mount House and still organises the Trendy Ladies syndicate, a small racing club which includes me (Ryall) and also Lucy Glaisters who was at Lawnside. We run 2 horses, mostly at the Yorkshire race courses and have a lot of fun. Sadly Maggie Wood (1960), also Mount, has passed away but was also an active member of the syndicate.

Sewing...Liz Ticehurst and Margaret Nicolson belong to the same sewing group, along with Rosa Naylor (ex Lawnside).

We have a tutor and are learning some very unusual forms of embroidery.

I am in email contact with Tricia Wilkinson from West Yorkshire re getting old Malvern school girls together, so..."

There will be a North and East Yorkshire reunion on Saturday 14th April – please contact Liz Ticehurst if you would like to attend...peter123.ticehurst@virgin.net.

London 1940s Reunion Ann Parrack (Talbot, 1950) writes: “In 1945/6 six Lower IVs met in Lindfield House. They were Anita Bomford (Sale, d. 2002), Hilary Gale (Childs), Deborah Pittis (Hewes), Muriel Potter (Robinson), Ann Talbot (Parrack) and Jillian Wood (Brand). Valerie Mead (Ruskell) joined us in Lower V. We stayed friends, meeting for an annual lunch in London, and keeping in touch via a ‘Budget’ letter, which consisted of 7 letters in one envelope sent on to the next person alphabetically, with one’s own previous letter removed and a new one inserted. It is still going strong. Three of us made the reunion on 4th November, Muriel, Deb and myself, travelling from Dundee, Isle of Wight and Gloucestershire. Conversation was non-stop and we shared many memories."

Ann, left, Deb standing and Muriel, right

Ann Parrack – Lindfield 1946

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MALVERN GIRLS’ COLLEGE

NEWS FROM OLD GIRLS Julia Elston (Cheetham, 1954) sent in a cutting from the Daily Telgraph: “I opened my paper this morning and saw a news clip on the front page and immediately recognised the name Joy Leslie-Gibson. Surely there cannot be others of that name?! I remember her joining the staff of Hatley St George where I was a pupil in the late 1940s. I remember her being statuesque. She was completely out of the mould of schoolteacher and stood out among the other staff.”

Joy Leslie Gibson was featured in the Telegraph as ‘Britain’s most elderly student’. At the age of 90, Joy is studying for a PhD at the Shakespeare Institute, Birmingham University. She is currently 63,000 words into her thesis on forgiveness and repentance in Elizabethan theatre. Since retiring 30 years ago, she has completed 5 degrees. Joy was educated at Notting Hill School, which is where MSJ’s current Headmistress, Mrs Olivera Raraty, was Deputy Head before taking up her current post.

Tricia Wilkinson (Marsden, 1956): “John and I and Christine Booth (Sutcliffe) attended the Norfolk reunion which we very much enjoyed and it was a pleasure to meet Olivera Raraty, the new HM. I thoroughly enjoyed the reunion arranged by Jill Gladstone at the home of Katy Michael (Nairn) (editor’s note: see the reunion report on page 24 for more info). I had a lovely mini reunion lunch in October in London with Jane Sweeting (Perry), Angela Feather (Tilney), Rosemary Weeks (Pitt) and Jackie Lane – a lot of catching up.

While in London I also met up with Claire Wyatt (Townsend), Meg Coole (Gibbons), Susan Shaw (Pretty) and Elizabeth Virgo (Dalling), Anne Manson and Rosemary Hallowes (East).

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Locally in Yorkshire, I see Barbara Walker (Sutcliffe) and her sisters Ann Petty (Sutcliffe) and Christine Booth (Sutcliffe) – I also see Cynthia Haywood (Rodgers) and Stephanie Ingham.

Daphne Hales (Miller) was over from Canada in September and we managed to meet up for lunch.

Daughter Sarah Stanley (Wilkinson, 1986) and all her year are celebrating their 50th birthdays – she is in touch with many of her contemporaries – Claire Roberts (Bishop), Sophie Thomas (Orchard) and Carol Grosvenor (Thomas) amongst many others. Daughter Elisabeth Allison (Wilkinson, 1993) is expecting her second child in May this year which is very exciting news – she also keeps in touch with a number of her contemporaries and enjoys teaching in a primary school.”

Caroline Keene (Johnstone, 1957): “It looks as though you are going to have a great day on the 16th June.

Tricia Birchley and Cllr David Hopkins

I am afraid I won’t be there as my husband and I have been asked to dog sit for our son’s two dogs in France!! The only news that I have to give you is that last August I went with a group to cycle from Paris to Geneva – 450 miles in four days. I am 77 years old and was 26 years older than the next rider!”

Tricia Birchley (Banbury, 1959): “In May 2017 I was elected Chairman of Buckinghamshire County Council and enclose a photo of myself with Cllr David Hopkins, Mayor of Milton Keynes at our Armed Forces Day in June. Many wonderful opportunities come along during the year including meeting the Japanese Minister for Education, celebrating the 125th Anniversary of Bucks New University in the State Rooms at Speaker’s House and Parents’ Day at Pipers Corner School where Aled Jones was a hilarious guest speaker.

Also a day with the Army Cadets, with the possibility of firing live ammunition, in Lincolnshire with the Buckinghamshire Regiment, and in

MALVERN GIRLS’ COLLEGE

terms of a thrill, the annual reception at RAF High Wycombe where the RAF band played The Dambusters March followed by The Day Thou Gavest Lord Has Ended on a peerless summer evening as a Hurricane flew past repeatedly!”

Sue Stubenvoll (Stiff, 1964): “I still wear my hair in a plait as required at MGC. Malvern equipped me to live all over the world, being paid to solve puzzles. In 1995 I moved to NZ as a director for a big 5 accounting firm. Now, in retirement, I sail, farm sheep, love theatre, the outdoors and all things Antarctic. The 2011 earthquakes destroyed my house but I hope it will be rebuilt this year.

Lesson: 'When it all turns to custard find something to smile at every morning and every evening.'”

Angela Glatston (1968): “After leaving MGC in the late 1960s, I went on to study in Liverpool and UCL before going to work in Rotterdam Zoo – where I spent more than 30 years of my life – first working as a research biologist then as the curator of primates and hoofed stock, and finally as the conservation coordinator. I have now retired, which has given me the opportunity to focus on the things that really matter to me: wildlife conservation and red pandas.

I am focused on three main activities – I am the convenor of the global species management plan (GSMP) for red pandas and president of Red Panda Network, the world’s only charity dedicated to the protection of red pandas and their habitat. Recently a colleague and I founded LINCZ (Linking Nature Conservation and Zoos), a web-based portal to assist zoos and others (schools, businesses) to find valuable conservation projects run by reliable organisations which they can support.

Anyone who remembers me from school days or is interested in

conservation or red pandas welcome to contact me.”

is

Janet Tulloch (Schofield, 1970): “Some ex- Avenue old girls may remember Katherine Schofield, my sister. She joined Avenue House, in 1971, for L5 and U5. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012. Sadly the outlook was not good, however she coped well with recurring sessions of chemotherapy over the following 5 years. She maintained a very positive attitude throughout her illness, until her death in March 2017.

She is survived by her husband, who still lives in Glasgow, and 2 sons, now in their 20s. I have now retired from medical practice… enjoying retirement very much although still supporting my husband in his role as Rector in the Brampton area, near Carlisle. I also look after a grand-daughter for two days a week."

Philippa, windswept on the Preselis, after campaigning in Maenclochog

stayed in close touch ever since. We live in the Cardiff / Bristol area and lunch or do some sort of culturally improving activity yearly. Age has not faded or withered us!!” Left to right: Judith Singleton (Redfearn), Georgina Halligan (Packman), Caroline (Blackett) Wynne Willson, Fiona Jones (Laidlaw), Ann Simpson (Cherry), Victoria Daniell (Anthony).

Fiona Jones and friends

Philippa Thompson (Hadley, 1978) stood for Welsh Labour in the 2017 General Election, coming within just 314 votes of the sitting Conservative MP and increasing Labour’s share of the vote in Preseli Pembrokeshire by 14.5%.

Fiona Jones (1971) sent in a photo from a recent reunion. “We were all in Hatfield, a year group of twelve of us and this group of six have

If anyone wants to get in touch then email fiona@fionajones.org Anna McVittie (formerly Bailetti, 1971): Anna was searching for her former English teacher, Sybil Billingham, and wrote to the OGA office in 2016. “Sybil and I stayed in touch for many years, but eventually, when I was in Latin America for so many years and I stopped returning to England, we lost touch. Now I am

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malvern girls’ college

so much nearer, in Spain, I would very much like news of her.” After a helpful lead, Anna wrote back in 2017 to say “I have finally heard from Sybil … She has sent me two closely written cards with all her news, started in October last year, continued in January, and then finished in March! I am delighted that I can tell you this after all your efforts to help me reunite with her!” In the meantime, we found a book written

by Anna in our Archives. Samson’s Story is about her cat who made himself an integral part of Aldeburgh village and Church life – so much so that a wooden carving was created of him on one of the pews (he was said to make it to morning service and holy communion more regularly than many parishioners). The book raised a considerable sum of money for a social work programme in Peru and for Aldeburgh Parish Church. Anna’s love of animals continues, and at her home in Spain she has rescued a dog and three cats off the street.

we had so much to talk about and so many shared memories. What was also wonderful was being reminded of all the things and people’s names that had drifted from my memory that Barbara remembered and vice versa.

Samson

see the Diana exhibition featuring clothes she wore in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

We then rounded each other up and off we went for a lovely unhurried lunch at nearby Prezzo. We all hope to meet again at the reunion in Malvern on 16th June celebrating MGC’s 125th anniversary. Some of us have booked our rooms!”

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Thanks for getting us back in touch OGA.”

Barbara Bazarnik (1980): “Here’s some OGA news all the way from Australia...

In my last OGA magazine I read that Barbara Hasslacher (1976), a fellow “Benhamite” (and another Barbara!) was living in NSW Australia.

Helen Pugh (1974) writes: “Diana Lewis (Matthews), Jill Oldham (Cornes), Diana Billard (Smith), Liz Greenwood (Mackrill), Chris Findlay (Rees), Sheinaz Panjwani, Sara Hailes (Moody), Rosie Nye (Painter) and I met recently at Kensington Palace to see a very interesting exhibition called Enlightened Princesses. We were delighted that our tickets also allowed us to look around the State Rooms and to see the Victoria exhibition which was very topical following the television series and recent film. We were also able to

Living so far away from where you grew up and made your childhood memories, it’s nice to have the chance to relive them with someone who shared them even though it’s now years later and many miles away!

Barbara Bazarnik and Barbara Hasslacher

And they did! It turns out she lives in the beautiful Blue Mountains just over an hour away from me. We got in touch and after a few phone calls met up in Leura (Blue Mountains) for morning tea and did not stop talking ‘til after lunch time.

Josephine Ong (1979): I am excited to be living in London with my two sons after decades of absence. I am a solicitor, admitted both in Hong Kong and in England and Wales, but I’ve only practised in Hong Kong where I worked in-house for most of my career. I am taking a break from work, and have time on my hands, so would love to catch up with Old Girls, especially ones from my vintage!

I remember the names of a few contemporaries such as Georgina Sprat, Marianne Hope, Jane Wagner, Amanda Price and would love to see whether they are still in contact with MGC. I have diary noted the reunion date and I hope I’ll be able to attend.

It was amazing that although we did not move in the same circles at school (I was an annoying U3 and she was a cool U5!) and it had been ~30 years since we had left Benhams and MGC,

Sarah Winterton (1989) has written a book called The Wintertons Unmuzzled – The Life and Times of Nick and Ann Winterton, Two Westminster Mavericks, described as “riotous” by

I hadn’t seen Barbara since my days in Benhams and she was 3-4 years above me, but the photos in the article brought back memories so I contacted the OGA to see if they could put me in touch with her, hoping that she was living in or close to Sydney, where I live.

MALVERN GIRLS’ COLLEGE

the Daily Mail and “a welcome rebuke to anyone who believes political memorir cannot also be enjoyable”

by The House magazine. The Wintertons explores the life of her parents, who are the longest-serving couple in the history of the House of Commons (Nicholas for Macclesfield and Ann for Congleton). The book’s publisher, Biteback, says, “With her rare perspective on 21st Century British politics, Sarah reveals a lost political world through insightful anecdotes, and asks challenging questions about the character of modern MPs and the functioning of Britain’s parliamentary democracy.” The book is available from Amazon.

THE 1990s Vicky Jones (1996) rounded up the following information from her friends whilst she was here in the UK. Charlie Whitefoot (Bruce Brown) is now living on the Kent coast with her three children, Minnie (11), Ralf (9) and Oscar (5), and works as a Studio Manager at an architects’ practice in Ramsgate.

Sophie Braine (Oram Hawkins) lives in Chelsea with her photographer husband and 3 children, aged 6, 4 and 2, celebrating her 10th wedding anniversary this year. She is a recently published author of Nordic Contemporary by Thames & Hudson/TransGlobe Publishing. The book includes interviews with 80 contemporary artists and over 40 of the art world’s most important contemporary figures: museum

Vicky and Charlie

Sophie, Charlie, Vicky, Emmie and Mel

directors, curators, collectors and galleries. Sophie was a Director and Specialist at Christie’s in London for 10 years then moved to work for a contemporary gallery based in Mayfair, but travelling globally, for a couple of years whilst editing her book. She started as a Researcher for Impressionist & Modern and Post-War & Contemporary art, then worked as a Specialist. She stays in touch with Vicky Jones, Emmie Matthews, Di Redvers, Lulu McEvoy, Kate Saville, Mel Garforth Bles, Philly King and Charlie Bruce Brown and hears about many others!

Emmie Faust (Matthews) lives in London and has 3 girls (aged 4, 6 and 7) and has just had a little baby boy. She regularly meets up with her Malvern friends to celebrate birthdays, babies and weddings and still keeps in touch with Mel, Vicky, Di, Philly, Charlie, Ems H and Sophie H, Carla, Emma and Amelia. Emmie is now working on a project called http://amotherplace.com/ which she set up with a friend that provides free digital antenatal classes for all. It’s in the early stages but is something that she totally believes in.

Di Dugdale (Redvers) worked in the world of advertising for just over 15 years representing directors of film, TV, documentaries and music videos. She looked after high profile directors including Tom Hooper (The King's Speech, Les Miserables) and Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep). In 2009 she met her husband Josh Dugdale and they married in May 2010.

Together, with an amazing team, they run his family estate, Wasing in Berkshire. They have 150 weddings a year, retreats, festivals and corporate events. They have two boys, Ferdy and Oberon.

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malvern girls’ college

Diana Redvers

Mel Garforth Bles (was Head Girl) now lives in Borough Market, London with her husband and daughter. After studying Graphic Design at Central St Martins, she now works as a fashion photographer. Her work can be seen at www.melbles.com.

Philly and Vicky

Vicky and Philly

Philly King (now Edscer) lives in Brighton with husband Joe and 16 month old twin girls, Zoe and Nell. After working in the world of TV, firstly in production and then as

Lulu, Emmie, Mel, Charlie and Vicky

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an agent representing high profile actors and comedians including Mackenzie Crook and Jason Manford, she now has her own massage therapy business where she offers sports massage treatments and teaches parents how to massage their babies. Quite a change in career but she loves it. Philly keeps in touch with Vicky, Emmie, Di, Ems H, Sophie, Charlie, Mel, Emma, Amelia and Carla.

Lulu McEvoy has launched a design line called Lulu & Nat. Driven by colour and inspired by India, Lulu & Nat is a kids' and adult lifestyle brand for the modern home. Lulu has a wealth of fashion design experience having designed and consulted for Aquascutum Junior, The Little White Company, Gap, Marie Chantel, Liberty, Et Vous and Benetton. For Lulu & Nat, Lulu has used all of her knowledge and experience to develop a range that is both commercial & unique. Handcrafted and made in India using traditional techniques, nothing is mass-produced. The result is a beautiful selection of hand-printed bedlinen, embroidered wall hangings and embellished cushions – all in Lulu & Nat’s signature Anglo-Indian style. Since it was set up in 2008, Lulu & Nat’s client list has grown and now includes prestigious London stores such as Designers Guild, SCP, the Cross and Liberty, as well as designer childrenswear shop Bonton in Paris, also trading online at www.luluandnat.com

MALVERN GIRLS’ COLLEGE

MGC REUNION DINNER

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malvern girls’ college

WEDDING BELLE

Back row: Valerie Chu (2003), Veronica Lau (2002), Maggie Cheung (2003), Alexandra Mason (2003), Louisa Bradford (2003), Nicola Kinmond (2003), Harriet Biffa (2003), Bryony Tomlinson (2003), Emma Simpson (2003), Alexa Sharples (2003), Diane Chia (2003) Front row: Lecky Lau (2003), Reanne Kwok (2003), Rachel Wong (2001), Ely Sham (2003), Renee Wong (2003), Phoebe Ching (2003), Mary Lai (2003), Roanna Lee (2003)

Renee Wong (2003): “My husband, Keane Shum, and I got married in Hong Kong on 7th October 2017. We had a lovely ceremony on a Hong Kong Star Ferry which was followed by an evening reception by the seaside. It was a beautiful day. We were very lucky to have many of our friends travelling from around the world to attend our wedding. Not to mention 18 Old Girls (and their spouses) from Malvern Girls’ College, from Hong Kong, the UK, Malaysia and Azerbaijan! I wanted to share with the OGA a group photo of us on the night.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS Natasha Behl Gupta (Behl, 2004): “I am pleased to share the news that I delivered my daughter Celina on October 24th 2017.”

Natasha’s baby, Celina

MSJ CAREERS FAIR

Camilla Finlay and Lucinda Sanders

Old Girls including architect Camilla Finlay (Clews, 1995), Lucinda Sanders (Coghlan, 1995) from Carter Jonas, landscape architect Felicity Robinson (Rivett, 1973), midwife Melissa Baker (Farbon 1993) and scientist Sarah Froggatt (1983) took part in the MSJ Careers Fair. Miss Samantha Marfleet, MSJ’s Head of Careers, says, “I am very grateful to these Old Girls for giving up their time to spend an afternoon at MSJ and talk to current students and to encourage them to think about their futures. It is an invaluable opportunity for the girls to speak to real experts in the field.”

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malvern girls’ college

Jessica and Tom leaving Exeter College Chapel

“Tom and I got married at Exeter College, Oxford, on 9th September 2017. There were a total of 17 Malvern girls there on the day!

Cathy Wood (Smith, Hatfield, 1972) was Mother of the Bride, and her mother (Jessica’s Granny) Jane Smith (Tickle, Summerside, 1953) was sadly missed.

Kate Turner, Jo Neville and Amy Swash (who all started in Ivydene with me in 1998) were bridesmaids, along with my sister Hannah (who they’ve known since we started when she was 4) and two other friends. They organised a brilliant hen party in Brighton last summer, where all of the rooms were named after MGC dorms!

Other friends at the wedding from the class of 2005 were Thea Lees, Amy Lewis and Catherine Golsong (Reed) who I was in Ivydene and Mount with, and Sarah Passmore, Em Borrowdale and Lucy Howard (Scott) from Benhams. Lucy brought our youngest guest, Olivia, who was only a few weeks old and Sarah has since had a little boy, Monty.

Also at the wedding were my Great Aunt, Sally (Sarah) Fontes (Tickle, Summerside), second cousins Lucy and Cordelia Blum (who are current MSJ girls), family friend Ginny Davis (Smith, The Abbey) and Mum’s friends from Hatfield, Caroline Chambers (Sayers) and Ceinwen Lally (Rowlands), who is also my Godmother.

Given the crowd, there were some MGC touches including the school psalm being sung by the choir and Elgar’s Nimrod played by the organist.”

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Hannah, Cathy and Jessica Wood

malvern girls’ college

Marriage of Jess Wood (2005) to Tom Vining

Ginny Davis

Kate Turner and Jo Neville

L-R: Emily Borrowdale, Joanna Neville, Sarah Passmore, Jessica Vining (Wood), Thea Lees, Amy Swash, Amy Lewis, Kate Turner, Lucy Howard (Scott), Catherine Golsong (Reed)

Leaving the house with Amy Swash

All nine grandchildren of Jane Smith (Tickle) and Sally Fontes (Tickle) – Rachel, Hannah (Wood), Lucy (Blum, MSJ), Toby, Molly, Cordelia (Blum, MSJ), Sophie, Flora

Great Aunt, Sally (Sarah) Fontes

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS Memories of MGC by

June Ward (Merttens, 1952)

I came to Malvern Girls’ College in the mid 1940s, from Kenya, where my father was a coffee farmer. The first part of the journey to school was in a Flying Boat in the days when a small motor boat had to dash round persuading the hippos that Lake Naivasha was not a safe place for them to be when the planes were taking off. Is there anything more romantic than mooring on The Nile off The Grand Hotel at Khartoum and going straight in – no formalities?

I came down to earth with a bump on arrival in the UK when I was presented with the MGC uniform. Bear in mind that I had spent a wonderful childhood running barefoot over my father’s farm and here I was in a Liberty bodice!!

Worse still, because we were arriving late, I changed in the car, attaching the lisle stockings – another new item – and found, on getting out, that I had done them up so tight that I could not stand up.

The Oak Room from 1956-57 prospectus

So what part of our lives is it that has disappeared? At Hatley St George we all had a revolting toffee-like substance called Cod Liver Oil and Malt dished out on a large spoon, which

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was supposed to be good for our health, and we also had a sweet ration. One Scots girl was much teased because her tin had the word ‘sweeties’ written on it.

Moving up the school, we had the bone props mentioned in the previous edition of the OGA News, which were used to keep our mouths open when singing. Miss Jackman was so feared that if we lost the wretched thing we would carve one out of a piece of chalk, but you had to be very careful it didn’t dissolve into a pile of crumbs in your mouth. Jackie, as she was known, had an amazing system to ensure 100% concentration in singing practice. Learning a new piece we would be told for instance to sing, say, only the second and fourth notes in a bar. Effective because of the hideously embarrassing prospect of singing a wrong note – a solo heard by hundreds.

Miss Brooks – ‘Brookie’ – had a propensity to write very long erudite plays for the school to perform. One of these involved Jackie, who was not only on stage for large tracts of time but was wearing a very hot wig. The result was that she lost all her hair and in an act of true bravery and courage decided to get it over with and to stand bald before the whole school on the first assembly after, so that it was no longer cause for comment. Happily, her very pretty hair did grow back.

Midnight feasts were a big excitement in collecting both the food and drink. We were never caught when I was involved, although I can’t believe the staff slept so soundly that they did not hear the patter of not-so-little feet during the night; perhaps they sensibly decided that since no-one suffered, just to ignore it. My husband was always much amused that

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS discipline was maintained merely by Order Marks, whilst he was being beaten.

I am dyslexic – a condition totally unknown in those days, which was equated with merely being lazy and not concentrating – so I failed both Maths and French in the

As a result of working for the V&A, I was invited to lecture twice in Malvern. The first time to the school itself, and what a change. I told the Headmistress that our letters were always censored and it was a heinous crime ever to post a letter yourself, even though Avenue Road had a post box that we passed every day to go down to College.

Tea at Hatley St George from 1956-57 prospectus

first O Level exam, and still have nightmares that I am facing one of these exams. I have never been able to tell my right from my left and my husband learnt early on not to pay any attention to what I am saying, but to follow my arm gestures!

We were a year full of fun which didn’t always go down well with the staff. At the end of that year, Miss Brooks made a speech telling our parents that their offspring might try to put their poor results down to the new type of exam. Not so, she explained: it was that were not prepared to put in the necessary effort. I was specialised out of History, which was to become an essential part of my life, to take another subject – Science – which was not.

Compare that with today when every pupil has a mobile.

The second occasion was also for the V&A to the Malvern National Trust. It was in the days of slides and they had a new machine which had a horrible trick of being able to eject the whole cassette, chucking the slides all over the floor. The first time it happened, I had luckily arrived early and we had time to get them all back in order. Halfway through, when it tried again, all I could suggest was that everyone should take their coffee break then rather than at the end as usual, which they duly did. To my surprise, when I finished, a lady came up to me and explained that she was a member of staff at MGC and that the school would be proud of me!!

I was married in Kenya and returning to this country with three small children; I decided to take a Cambridge Extra Mural History of Art degree course which ultimately led to my working for the Victoria and Albert Museum, travelling the world for The British Museum and lecturing far and wide on Islamic Art. My husband called me a ‘museum groupie’.

So 40 years after I had left, perhaps the useless pupil with dyslexia who had been told there was no question of being able to go to university and that the only thing she could attempt was a secretarial course, had made it after all. Happily, the attitude to this condition is definitely one thing that has changed materially in the intervening years.

39

HONORARY MEMBERS IN FOCUS

Mrs Meg Taylor (1966-2004)

M

y long association with MGC began in 1966, when I was first employed as a part- time teacher. Later in that same academic year I was approached by St James’s to help out in an emergency. Little did I know then that the two schools, with different histories but shared values, which were my training grounds in teaching, would unite successfully to form the only single sex girls’ school in Malvern. I remember when there were six!

What did MGC look like in 1966? The Dome had not then been built and the mezzanine floor that is now the Abbey Room (formerly the Jubilee room) and Rooms V and T (now classrooms 11 & 12) did not exist. On the ground floor, too, the accommodation looked very different with no bookshop, Room W The opening of the new garden by Meg in 2004 or OGA office (all now administrative offices). Instead the whole double height space was the GYM. Boarding accommodation featured lino covered floors, iron We had great fun playing staff vs girls sports matches: bedsteads and large dormitories. There were no long the notion of risk assessments was a long way off! You exeats and the girls saw little of their parents during term could tuck an O or A Level syllabus into your pocket, and time. Mobile phones did not exist and access to a telephone it seemed there was little change in what was taught was very restricted and controlled. for whole decades. In my last years of teaching, a good sized crate was needed to carry a syllabus and all the 1966 was before photocopiers, computers and tippex! attendant literature.

Lessons took place in the evenings and Saturday mornings and grades were awarded every two weeks according to an Reports, though, for a very inexperienced teacher were a incomprehensible grading system. terrifying challenge. All comments had to be written on a single large sheet. If someone made a mistake, the only way to correct it was to use two solutions, one following the other to precise instructions. The risk of ruining the whole report was very high. Imagine the chagrin of the poor teacher unfortunate enough to cause the rewriting of the whole report!

I stayed for just one year in my first job at MGC and then moved on, at first to St James’s and later to raise a family.

But the friends I had made at MGC stayed in touch and soon there were opportunities for part-time work which fitted in nicely with bringing up my two sons: no nursery care then!

Meg and 24 mile walkers

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I was eager to return full time to the lively and progressive Science department at MGC and eventually I was able to

HONORARY MEMBERS IN FOCUS

take up a permanent post. Over the years I was fortunate to be given opportunities to do some absorbing jobs. Teaching Chemistry was always fun! Sometimes it got rather more exciting than I intended. I had a dining table made from the old work benches when the new block was built. The scars of a hydrogen explosion I had foolishly caused were visible and every time I ate I was reminded of my fallibility. Now the table has come back to MSJ and lives in Batsford where it serves as a prep work space.

I very much enjoyed being Head of Careers. Every girl liked to talk about her ambitions for the future or in some cases to express confusion given so many options. Old Girls, parents and other employers were always eager to come in to talk about different professions and jobs in all spheres.

A very special event was the Careers Convention in our Centenary year when all of our delegates were Old Girls.

The final chapter of my career was my role as Head of Middle School. In this there was never a dull moment.

My duties involved liaison with parents, tutors, all of my

Meg Taylor in the Science lab

colleagues and of course the girls who were always at the heart of everything I did.

I have many treasured memories. First and foremost, the warmth of friendship and camaraderie in the staff room. What other career could you have where so much talent and experience amongst colleagues and pupils surrounds you? Tea time was a special interlude when conversation could range from the

trivial to academic discussion of any subject you can think of. I have good memories of the concerts, the drama productions, the fashion shows and of course the staff panto, when many a hidden talent emerged.

I shall always remember a certain male member of staff (I will spare his blushes by withholding his name) showing us dancing to rival Wayne Sleep!

Memorable lectures remain in my mind – David Kossoff on his son’s drug addiction, MPs Tim Boswell and Nick Winterton debating the return of capital punishment, Roahl Dahl, Aminatta Forna on her extraordinary life and John Pilkington’s presentations of his amazing travels.

I was privileged to help with a school trip to Russia arranged

by Miss Drew (a remarkable venture in the 1980s) and to learn to ski with the school in Chatel. How very fortunate that Harrow happened to be there too!

I remember offering to walk 24 miles for the Charity weekend. Anthony Marks asked “why not 24 people walking 24 miles?” thereby increasing the sponsorship potential as only a mathematician would quickly spot. So that is what we did, leaving school at 4pm, camping at my home for a few hours’ sleep and returning to school to beat the 4pm deadline to complete the challenge.

Girls, staff and parents joined in. There were some tears and some grumbles, but the bubbles awaiting us dispelled all tiredness and sore feet and gave us a glow of achievement.

We repeated the walk on a second occasion, this time with over 30 volunteers.

It is now nearly 14 years since I retired from full-time teaching.

I count myself extremely fortunate to have spent a career with young women aspiring to such a range of occupations.

When I read of our alumnae or meet them it is wonderful to see their self-belief and good citizenship, many combining career, family and a contribution to their own communities.

It has been a very great pleasure and a privilege to have played a small part in their education. I wish Malvern St James every success as the school continues to respond to changing times and circumstances. I shall watch with fond interest as the process of evolution goes on.

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

GAYNOR HOWARD (THOMAS, 1950) I was at MGC between 1945 and 1950. On leaving, I entered the Royal College of Music to study piano, cello and singing, where I won an Exhibition, and graduated in 1953.

I had always wanted to teach music, and was lucky enough to have had a successful career, which ended as Director of Music at Howell’s School, Landaff. The Headmistress who appointed me, Margaret Lewis, had been Head Girl at MGC soon after Miss Brooks was appointed. This had its advantages! I well remember proposing that the school should have a Carol Service at Llandaff Cathedral. The question came, “Did Malvern do one in your day?” – which made me think that she must have left school before the arrival of the redoubtable ‘Jackie’ Jackman! I replied in the affirmative.“Right, then we’ll do it, and do it better!” came the reply.

Music is a facet of a school’s publicity. Consequently, I have been writing and arranging music for a variety of vocal and instrumental ensembles for all sorts of public occasions and venues.

With a retrospective glance, I even wrote a carol to celebrate MGC’s centenary, and it was recorded for the CD issues at the time. As the result of a chance conversation a few years ago, I am now a published composer, proving that it is never too late to branch out Gaynor Howard in 2016 and try something new!

To my delight, one of my carols was performed by the Choir of King’s College Cambridge, and broadcast worldwide during the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols… just a few weeks after my 84th birthday!

Had I not been encouraged, in those far off school days, to try my hand at writing music, this might never have happened. There was no formal class music teaching to a syllabus, ending in what would now be GCSE or A Level, but all of us, as 6th Form Music students, were encouraged to extend our talents, exploring Music as an art; composition

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was one aspect of this. Technically, in group lessons, we covered the basic skills, unhindered by a formal public exam, though perhaps this limited our choice of further education. It was supported by a series of rich musical experiences; competitive festivals, and ‘in house’ lectures and concerts, while the Priory Service each Sunday opened our ears to English Church music. It was a very old-fashioned way of preparing for a musician’s career, yet without knowing it, it was all (accidentally) a long way ahead of its time.

Music in Education’s revolution came just as I was leaving the teaching profession to become an examiner for the Associated Board. The thinking in the Eighties was that what had been achieved by the Beatles in terms of creativity, would be possible for like-minded youngsters who wanted to try something new, and creative musicmaking became part of the GCSE syllabus. Thousands have taken this into their post-school lives. As concertgoers, we can all enjoy the results of professional musicians’ hard work, but playing or singing as an amateur is perhaps even more rewarding – a great way to escape from the day job. I’ve had such fun being a musician – both professionally and socially. I’ve made life-long friends, and made journeys across the world that I could not possibly have envisaged when practising, as we did in those days, in a small studio, on that brightly painted corridor on the top floor … a very long Gaynor Howard in 1949 time ago.”

VISITORS Cally Barlow (1950s) visited. She was only at MGC for one year, while her parents were based in the US, and she remembers Ginny Wigglesworth (Lawry).

Diana Francis (Slater, 1956) visited with her husband, Brian, for the 2017 Carol Service and came back to school afterwards. She looked up her inscription on the scholarship and exhibition boards at the back of York Hall (she achieved a Modern Languages scholarship to Kings College, London).

Diana’s mother, aunt (Nancy and Bessie Peal respectively), and two older sisters (Anne and Veronica) all attended MGC. Diana met Brian in Nigeria whilst working for Shell as a graduate trainee.

She was sent as a secretary, and on return joined Group Personnel Services, concerned with the movement of personnel around the world.

Diana and Brian Slater

Quite what she made of us is another matter! Walking up the stairs chanting ‘Bobby Bibby Bought a Bat’ which was a chant we had to do in Mrs Kenny’s Elocution lessons – compulsory up to UIV. Mrs Kenny came in once a week, was always a vision in purple, but with violently clashing red lipstick!”

Barbara D completed an Environmental Science degree at Southampton and was then a buyer at Sainsbury’s. Both were keen lacrosse players. Barbara H emailed after she got back to Australia: “An amazing thing that happened after Barbi & I left you and the school: we went to Malvern for lunch and, to cut a long story short, I made contact with Mrs Farthing who had been the weekend matron at Benhams during my time there.

She was by now 89 and being looked after by her daughter, Jayne, both of whom I had not seen or had contact with for over 40 years. You can imagine my joy and surprise to see them both again. Although by then Angela (Mrs Farthing) was frail, she recognised me and I was able to thank her and say how important she had been in my four Barbara Hasslacher (left) and Barbara Devereux years at Benhams.

(Neat) in the MSJ art block.

In any case it was extraordinarily precious to me. I Barbara Hasslacher (1976) visited speak with Jayne by phone each week in May on a trip to the UK from her now, and was very sad to learn that homeland of Australia, where she Angela died just a couple of days after lives just outside Sydney in the Blue we had seen them.”

Mountains. She loved her time at MGC, and afterwards trained as a midwife Claire Hall (Cave, 1979) visited with at Guy’s, London, before moving to her daughter Amelia and husband, Australia. She came with her MGC Richard. She lives in North Yorkshire friend, Barbara Devereux (Neat), who and is a Consultant Haematologist lives in Surrey and has three children. and Deputy Medical Director.

Suzanne Sheffer (Harris, 1960) visited with her husband and provided a copy of the London Illustrated News feature about MGC for the Archives.

She was first in Hatley St George, then Benhams and then Senior.

Bar Greenwood (Walker, 1967) came in with four Old Girl friends during the Summer holidays. “We had a lovely mini reunion last week and Emily was very kind showing us round.

Mrs Raraty with a gift from Barbara Hasslacher

Amelia, Claire and Richard Hall

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VISITORS Ann Hince (Hellen Ann Blevins, 1984) visited whilst on holiday to the UK from California, where she now lives.

Ann Hince and family

Sarah Graham (Harvey,1990) visited from the BVIs, from where she had been evacuated post Hurricane Irma.

Sarah Graham and family

Alice Everley (Kravchenko, 2006) now works as an Associate for Sidley Austin LLP in London. She visited with partner Andrew.

Alice Everley and Andrew

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Jill Jefferson (Page, 1951) is looking for Beryl MaxwellHyslop, who left MGC in 1949. Jill writes: “Looking through the Spring 2016 OGA News, and seeing that my old MGC friend Mary Baron (nee Slatter) had died, made me realise how easy it is to lose touch, especially after a long stretch of time and following completely different paths in life.

What surprises me even more is that she lived “over the hill” at Colwall, and having moved to Malvern four years ago, we could have met up. So, I’m now prompted to ask if anybody has heard of another of my close friends, Beryl Maxwell-Hyslop?

Bar Greenwood (1967 Leaver) and friends are trying to locate Sally Gaskell who was in Mount.

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Josephine Ong is looking to reconnect with Georgina Sprat, Marianne Hope, Jane Wagner and Amanda Price.

Celia Hadjihambi, now Habibi, is looking to trace some of her ex-roommates of 1967-1968. She is looking for Cynthia Fung, married name Hak. “Cynthia came from Hong Kong. Her two younger brothers were also studying at Malvern Boys College. After her GCEs in 1969, Cynthia went to London and became a Doctor.

After their graduation she moved to Singapore with her family. Another colleague who also came from Cyprus is Sue Thomson. I have not heard of her since 1968 when I returned to Cyprus. I would also love to get in touch with her.”

NEWS FROM THE STAFF ROOM

Mr Patrick Harris Patrick Harris, Head of Chemistry, will retire in the Summer of 2018.

Whilst there have been many changes since I came to MGC 27 years ago, much has stayed the same. In those days there were six boarding houses for Years Upper 3 to Upper 5 (Years 7-11), namely Avenue, Benhams, Hatfield, Ivydene, Lindfield and Summerside. The Sixth Form Houses were Poulton and Greenslade. Staff would go for lunch to the houses on a regular basis. We would be escorted by the girls to and from the houses, a practice known as ‘carting’. Back in MGC days, girls referred to Biology as ‘Bilge’ and tracksuit bottoms were ‘tracky bums’. Christmas Dinner in the Houses was a special experience and I was the Master of Ceremonies at the Hatfield Christmas Dinners for many years. This involved introducing the girls’ speeches, after which I would present each speaker with a rose.

My children were born and grew up in my time at MGC/ MSJ. I will not forget the moment when someone rushed into the basement lab to tell me ‘the baby is on its way!’ The class of Lower 4 girls cheered as I rushed off. I had the novel experience of teaching my own daughter and my sons have worked in the Catering and Housekeeping Departments.

I have had a lot fun in my time here. I have inflicted the same awful jokes on my students year after year; ‘The name’s Bond, Chemical Bond’. That said, I think the girls have had quite a bit of fun at my expense. A distinguished Old Girl told me that she had used to bring cups of coffee

Although the York Hall and Library do not seem to have changed very much, I have seen many changes elsewhere. Before the Science and Maths Building existed, the Chemistry and Physics labs were in what is now the Art Department and Biology was in what is now the Drama Studio. We used to teach Upper 3 Chemistry in the Basement Lab. The highlight of their first lesson was climbing out of the window and then up the fire escape ladder into the Quad. So much for Health and Safety!

The part of the school that has changed its location most frequently in my time here is the Health Centre. To begin with, it was in a house called Abbotsmead next to The Mount.

Patrick in full flight in the staff production of Grease In those days it was known as the ‘San’. It was in Lindfield House for a while before arriving in Main Building, where it changed location again before ending up in the Benhams. It has been into my lessons and hide them under the bench. Whenever like Hogwarts in Main building with doors, walls and I said that I could smell coffee, she would convince me that staircases disappearing and reappearing.

I was imagining it.

It has been a privilege to be a member of the school community over all these years. I have worked with many colleagues and taught many students, some of whom sadly are no longer with us. I have worked for seven headmistresses; Dr Valerie Payne, Dr Ann Lee, Revd Pauline Newton, Mrs Pippa Leggate, Mrs Ros Hayes, Mrs Patricia Woodhouse and now Mrs Olivera Raraty. I have known some great characters.

As well as teaching Chemistry, I have taught Physics and Biology. I was the Examinations Officer for eleven years and I became Head of Chemistry in 2009.

The MGC Staff Pantomimes and MSJ Christmas Entertainments have been great fun as well. My roles have included Dr Who, James Bond, Van Helsing, Iron Man and Batman.

I am looking forward to re-engaging with activities that I have had little time to pursue in recent years. These include cycling and hillwalking. One day, maybe I will get the opportunity to visit Hong Kong where so many of my students have come from.

Patrick Harris, MGC/MSJ 1991 – 2018

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HONORARY MEMBERS IN FOCUS

Elaine Hugh-Jones Elaine Hugh-Jones, former MGC Head of Music and accomplished composer, celebrated her 90th birthday in the Summer, along with with two Old Girls, Dellal MacDonald and Susie Allan (both of whom played the piano during Elaine’s birthday concert).

Emma Burrows, one of MSJ’s peripatetic music teachers writes: “I was fortunate to be asked to sing one of Elaine’s compositions and was accompanied by Susie Allan. I first came across Elaine’s music outside of MSJ, but was thrilled to be able to research her as part of my Masters degree. She is a very kind lady and speaks very fondly of her time at MGC. Susie Allan studied music at MGC, before going on to Oxford university and then Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She is an international performer and has also held posts at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Both Susie and Dellal played magnificently and paid tribute to their former teacher. They were not in the same school year but connected a little later on and found this shared experience. They were thrilled to be able to celebrate her birthday and music together.”

Emma also noticed another bit of OG musical news from last year: MGC alumna (2003) Letty Stott appeared in a National Theatre production of Amadeus, playing French horn as part of the Southbank Sinfonia Alumni.

The live production was broadcast to cinemas and theatres around the world in February 2017. Letty has also appeared on the Graham Norton Show and Strictly Come Dancing, as well as playing with the BBC Concert Orchestra and English National Ballet. After MGC, Letty studied at Oxford University and then went on to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Elisabeth Rambridge (1978-1985 & 1995-2014) I have discovered looking after a mediaeval church is a bit like the maintenance of the Forth Road Bridge – never ending. I was delighted that the Bishop of Dudley was able to lead a Service of Thanksgiving for the Restoration Project that was made possible by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

Old Girls of The Benhams will be saddened to hear that Jenny Metcalfe, a member of the House Staff team, died of Motor Neurone Disease in December 2017. Jane King and I attended a Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance for Jenny’s life at a packed St Mary’s Church in Tenbury Wells.

Jenny’s three daughters, and one of her five grandsons tenderly remembered her love of family and young people and of nature, and her skills as a homemaker and a talented gardener. Rev Claire Lording described three ‘lifechanging’ trips Jenny and her husband Peter made to St Aidan’s Church in Maramba, Tanzania. Jenny wore a striking red dress on one visit and so was always known as ‘The Lady in Red’: she was much loved there and a Service was

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being held at the same time. I wore a scarf of Benhams blue for old times’ sake. Charles shared Jenny’s birthday and these small coincidences bind together friendships: Jenny wrote to me always on my birthday and I to her. I know I am spied in repeats of Flog It! and Bargain Hunt; and always enjoy the Fine Arts auctions at Philip Serrell’s. Despite gentle protests, I can confirm that Andrew continues to enjoy seeing June Roundhill – quite regularly – at the excellent Farmers Arms in Birtsmorton!

oganews spring 2016

IN MEMORIAM Ann Westmacott (Vera Ann (“Annie”) Gough, 1926) died peacefully at home in her 109th year on 28th May 2017.

Gladys Harvey (King,1926).

Monica Maloney (Wynne, 1932) on 27th June 2017, aged 102. Her daughter commented, “She always enjoyed hearing news of the school.”

Denise Southall (Bond, 1942). Her granddaughter, Elizabeth Rees (MSJ 2014), says, “She loved her time at school, as I did, and even in her old age she would talk very fondly of it.”

Rev. Thea Jones (Margaret Dorothea Higham, 1940s) on 17th July 2017.

Her sons write, “She had a scholarship to Malvern in the 1930s with her two younger sisters, Angela and Elaine.

She lived a full and active life of Christian service. Her time at the school was in many ways challenging to the staff and herself but she was always appreciative of the academic grounding which she received. It was tragic that the war prevented her from going to Cambridge.”

Rhona Sharratt (1944) on 9th July 2017, aged 91.

Theo Steward (Hood, 1946) on 26th December 2017.

Ann Bonne (Duncan, 1947). Her son wrote that Anne loved to read the magazine and “MGC had many good memories”.

Audrey Bradley (Peters) wrote in: “Anne Muir (1952) died February 2018 following a severe stroke. She was known as Scottie to her many friends in Summerside in Pippy’s time. After MGC she went on to Southampton University and then had a long career teaching French at several schools, after which she made a change and joined the staff at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

In 1961 Scottie’s brother John and his wife, moved to Australia but, despite the long distance, she visited friends and family often and was a loving and supportive Aunt to her nephews and nieces.

She also enjoyed her cruises with Saga Travel, keeping us all entertained and

informed about her adventures.

On retiring, Scottie was able to develop and follow her love of piano playing and singing. She sang in the Banbury Choral Society as well as for the Choir at St. Mary’s Church in her home town of Bloxham."

MGC. She went on to teach Geography at Torquay Boys’ Grammar School, and to be Head of Ralegh House there.”

Pat Gold (Raylor, 1961) died from cancer in November 2017. Elizabeth Cox, (Williams) writes, “She was with me at Parkfield, Hatley and Mount.”

Deirdre Birkett (1953) on 7th March 2017. She attended MGC in the Sixth Form. Her niece writes, “In a conversation not long before she died, she said that she’d liked MGC very much, that it was the only real education she had received and she would have liked to have been there for longer. After Malvern she trained as a speech therapist and had a long and successful career.”

Katherine Schofield (1975), sister of Janet Tulloch (Schofield), and exAvenue for L5 and U5, died in March 2017, having been diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012.

Jane Hudson (Dalling, 1955) on 16th November 2017.

Rebecca Dykes (MGC, 2005) in December 2017. See pages 50 & 1.

Margaret E Phillips (Taylor, 1956) on 2nd April 2017, aged 79, after being diagnosed with bone marrow cancer.

Her husband writes, “Almost to the end, she maintained her lifelong appreciation of music. This was given to her by MGC and after she left, she took a graduate course at the Royal College of Music. She sang with the Bach Choir, then trained as an accompanist with various artists at venues like the Wigmore Hall. Wishing to pass on her passion for music, she went into teaching and soon was in charge of the music department at Sutton High School and later in 1967 at Sidcup Girls’ Grammar School. Around 1982, she became an Associated Board Examiner with the Royal Schools of Music. This was a post that took her all around the UK and to the Far East on many occasions until she retired in 2005.

Around the Millennium, we purchased a holiday home in the Languedoc region of Southern France. She discovered that the thorough MGC grounding in French enabled her to converse quickly and confidently with the local inhabitants.

Her quick ear also helped! Her funeral was held last week in Bedford where we had lived for almost fifty years. It is good to have two children who are both pursuing musical careers.”

HONORARY MEMBERS

Gwynneth White (Gover, 1959) on 8th November 2014. Her daughter says, “She talked fondly of her time at

Samantha Schmiegelow 1979) on 17th April 2017.

Melanie Viner November 2016.

(1982)

(Clegg, on

9th

Vicky Yates on 11th January 2018. Former secretary to seven Headmistresses in 30 years’ service at MGC, as well as House Tutor and highly respected and well-loved member of staff.

Joan Vera Hickman, former matron of MGC passed away in September at the age of 100. Her son commented, “Her ashes are resting in a church in Guarlford so she will always have a lovely view of the Malvern Hills!”

Margaret Macdonald joined MGC as librarian in 1964. She also served the College as a resident Sixth Form Tutor, which included a period as the Senior Tutor, responsible for the organisation of Sixth Form boarding. She had concern and sympathy for the Sixth Formers, showing balance, wisdom and insight in her dealings with them.

Margaret was also kind and unselfish in her work with the other tutors who owed her gratitude for all the help she gave them. In the staff room she was a witty colleague who enhanced community life. In December 1974, she took up a post to return to her beloved Edinburgh. Margaret’s final years were overshadowed by Parkinson’s disease, but she was supported by her faith.

(Written by Gladys Bland, former Head of History and Senior Mistress).

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

LUCINDA POWELL (Wharton, 1995)

Lucinda has been teaching Psychology on and off for 15 years and has an MA in Special and Inclusive Education. In recent years she has worked with nurture groups and individual sixth form students with poor mental health and is now working with a number of organisations to promote whole school mental health and wellbeing. She has three children, two of whom have special educational needs. She believes passionately in inclusive education and has both professional and personal experience of coping with demands of SEN and the difficulties of accessing appropriate support.

HOW ARE YOU TODAY?

best place to start is with yourself.

I left MGC in 1995 and to be honest my school years were not the best years of my life. There was lots going on at home that school were unaware of, and I was carrying much of this burden. Being away from home made it very difficult to feel in control or able to make any difference. I can now look back at those years with better understanding of the changes that teenagers go through and a real understanding of mental health. It is truly difficult to say whether I had depression, but I probably did. I do remember the school, ahead of its time, introduced a school counsellor when I was in the Sixth Form, but there was a stigma around this and I never sought help. Instead my wonderful tutor (Dr Hutton) was my support.

LOOKING AFTER YOUR OWN MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Fast forward several years: a psychology degree and teacher training complete, I had discovered sport and was in a much better place. As a teacher I started to see young people who were struggling in exactly the same way I had and worse. I tried to implement techniques in my classroom and tutor time that I knew would boost positive self-image and self-confidence and gained a reputation for being able to support more vulnerable students.

But life moves on and with a change in circumstances at home and a job move, I found myself in a school that was entirely focussed on results at all costs. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t teach in the way I wanted. So in July 2017 I left teaching to learn more about the role of the education system in the mental health and wellbeing landscape.

WHERE TO BEGIN There is so much that I could share for all sorts of different groups - young people, teachers, parents. However, as we can never help others if we are struggling ourselves, the

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Check out the 5 ways to wellbeing (thanks go to the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust for this):

Connect with the people around you: your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Spend time developing these relationships (a 10 second hug releases hormones that make you feel good – try it!)

Be active: you don’t have to go to the gym. Take a walk, go cycling, or dance round your kitchen. Find the activity that you enjoy and make it a part of your life.

Keep learning: learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence.

Give: even the smallest act can count, whether it’s a

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

smile, a thank you or a kind word. Larger acts, such as volunteering can improve your mental wellbeing and build new social networks.

Be mindful – aware of your feelings and thoughts, your body and the world around you. This can positively change the way you feel about life and its challenges.

SUPPORTING OTHERS It is really difficult to know what to do, but doing nothing, in general, is the worst thing that you can do. A good starting point is to ask and then listen.

Often it takes enormous courage for someone to open up about their mental health difficulties so your response is crucial, just listen. From here you can offer support in all sorts of ways – see my suggested resources below.

RESOURCES Sarah Jayne Blakemore: the mysterious workings of the adolescent brain – anyone who has anything to do with teenagers needs to watch this! https://www.ted. com/talks/sarah_jayne_blakemore_the_mysterious_ workings_of_the_adolescent_brain Dr Pooky Knightsmith: really excellent 5 minute videos about a wide variety of issues – https://www.youtube.com/user/pookyknightsmith Resources for schools: see the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust website: https://www.cwmt.org.uk/ If you need help, you can see your GP and utilise these: https://www.mind.org.uk/ https://www.samaritans.org/ https://www.papyrus-uk.org/ Twitter @sixthformsavvy Facebook @changingstatesofmind

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IN MEMORIAM

Tribute to

REBECCA DYKES (2005)

L-R: Emily Davies, Georgina Griffiths, Becky Dykes, Cressida Nnyanzi, Lucy Dean. “This photo is taken on the train on the way to the Millennium Dome. From memory, MGC hired a train!�

Following the sudden and tragic death of Rebecca in Beirut in December 2017, the OGA office received many calls from Old Girls and former staff who remembered her and were devastated by the news.

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IN MEMORIAM

Born in Hong Kong in 1987, Becky joined Malvern Girls’ College at the age of 10. She stayed until finishing her GCSEs, after which she went to Rugby for Sixth Form and then Manchester University. Becky’s sister, Harriet, was also at MGC (2002 Leaver).

Becky worked for the Department for International Development, and she dedicated her life to improving the lives of others, particularly on conflict and stabilisation issues in sub-Saharan Africa, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt commented, “Rebecca changed thousands of lives for the better, and if we judge her on those achievements, she achieved a lifetime’s worth.”

Remembered by her friends and school staff Mrs Liz Prophet, Becky’s Housemistress comments, “I remember Rebecca as a quiet, pensive young woman who was independent and dependable. She had a wonderful smile, was kind and understanding to those who were ‘new’ to The Mount and to boarding. Having spent time in the junior house, she was an ideal mentor.

I have memories of her arriving back at The Mount, more often than not, with her music case on her back and school bag in her arms. Self-assured, Rebecca was not afraid to take the road less travelled by others.

I am sure that many of us who knew Rebecca for just a few years will not be surprised by what she achieved in her time at university and in her chosen career, albeit for such a short time. My love and sincere condolences to her family and especially to Harriet, her trusted ‘big sister'."

Friends Amy Lewis, Victoria Thwaites, Jess Vining (Wood), Theodora Lees, Amy Swash, Sarah Passmore and Becky Davidson have all remembered Becky. The girls spent a lot of time together, in and out of school. “We never stopped laughing; we giggled ‘til the small hours and we were constantly getting into trouble for it. Becky took her work very seriously, and was definitely a positive influence. She insisted on having Classic FM on when we did our homework as it was 'good for us' and 'stimulated our brains'. We will never forget Becky and Olivia Mason's contribution to the Ivydene Talent Show, The Combies and the Rollies. This was them doing synchronised forward rolls whilst wearing combat trousers. Nor an oboe performance, which, despite much practice, was a few minutes of the most unholy squawking, God it was awful! There were 21

Left side (front to back): Abi Hughes (Morpeth), Georgina Griffiths, Amy Swash, Thea Lees, Becky Dykes Right side (front to back): Natalie Phanphensophon, Emily Borrowdale, Sarah Passmore, Catherine Golsong (Reed), Laura McDaniel (Ellis)

boarders in our first year and it was quite ‘old school’. We didn’t have mobile phones and did things like House Music and Drama (including a production of Cinderella, where we were mice), Fashion Shows and the Ivydene Talent Show.

She was dedicated to her pet hamster, Pumpkin, who was huge and angry, and kept in the ‘pet shed’ at Ivydene, where no-one else dared handle him. He accompanied her to friends’ houses, where he was prone to biting his hosts, in one instance prompting a trip to A&E. Becky and her sister, Harriet, were very close and spent time together (which was super cool as Harriet was in Lower 4 and that seemed so grown up). Becky was hilarious, dedicated and loyal.

Hearing about what Becky achieved once we’d left school – her work abroad, friendships and marathons – shows that the kindness and determination she had as a teenager had led her to do amazing things. Thank you, Becky. Thank you for being for such a selfless soul and beautiful person. You will always be remembered.”

A lasting legacy Rebecca loved her work with refugees and Rebecca’s family’s aim is to raise enough money to establish a Foundation that continues her humanitarian and stabilisation work.

A charitable fund has been set up, and anyone wishing to donate can do so here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rebecca-j-dykes You can run the Great North Run for Rebecca, which takes place on Sunday, 9th September. The family has secured 100 places – please contact RebeccaDykesFamily@gmail.com.

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

VICKY JONES

(1996)

Vicky is a Life Coach, now living in Sydney, and on a trip back to the UK, she came back to school to give a talk to students about creating a mindset for success and wellbeing.

In 2014, Vicky swapped her career of 15 years in the media industry to follow her passion to inspire and empower individuals to be the best they can be. She does this through transformational coaching, mentoring, facilitation, keynote speaking and training programmes.

With a BSc in Biology and a keen interest in neuroscience, she is fascinated by human behaviour and its impact on peak performance.

Jenny Gallagher, Year 13 OGA Prefect, took some time out with Vicky to investigate her time at school and the journey she’s been on since leaving…

Jenny: What do you remember from your time at Malvern Girls’ College?

Vicky: The friendships. I met my best friend (Philly King)

on my first day at MGC – we’re godmother to each other’s children now. I also learnt a lot from being in a dorm (in Ivydene) of 21 girls, especially as some of them were three years older than me. MGC was a nurturing environment and I have really good memories of being there.

J: When you left MGC, you went on to study a science degree. Can you tell us about your university experience?

V: I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I left school so I decided to do a degree I knew I’d enjoy. I went to Oxford Brookes and studied Biology and Environmental Science. I worked really hard and got a 2:1. I think it’s really important to follow what you’re passionate about. Just like MGC, I made friends for life at university, as well as playing lots of lacrosse (which I did at school too).

J: After university you went into the media industry for 15 years. Did you enjoy it and can you tell us about moving from London to Sydney?

V: My first job was in Advertising. It was exciting and daunting at the same time, with lots of responsibility.

I would always put my hand up to do things that other people wouldn’t and as a result, I was running a department and training senior members of the organisation within a year. Always be open to any opportunity and always take on more than your job description as this can lead to other opportunities. Richard Branson says he always hires the attitude because skills can be learnt.

Sitting in Leicester Square in London one rainy February day, I decided to apply for a working visa to Australia. It soon came through and I was heading to the other side of

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

Vicky Jones (second from left) and friends revisit their old classroom

the world. I worked my way up at Fox Studios and became an Account Director. I loved the diversity of my job – and the glamour! I often went to red carpet events and film premieres, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jack Black and Ben Stiller. It was a really fun environment to work in.

J: You underwent quite a dramatic career change to become a Life Coach. What inspired this and what do you get from the job personally?

V: I changed career in 2014 after losing my brother suddenly. Whilst grieving our loss, I went in search of a more meaningful career. I considered going into teaching as I always wanted to give back through education.

I began researching life coaching, quickly realising it ticked off multiple passions of mine in one amazing career. I could work in challenging and dynamic environments; use my natural ability to inspire and motivate; and incorporate my love of science into my work – all of our actions are driven by our biology after all.

I have never been happier and I get a deep sense of fulfilment knowing that I am able to help people transform their lives on a daily basis. I now run regular group workshops across Australia, as well as having the flexibility to spend more time with my daughter, and family in the UK.

a new one – it was Socrates who said, “know thyself”. It’s about investing in yourself. The most successful leaders are those who continue to grow on a personal level.

J: You have an array of testimonials singing your praises.

Why do you think people value life coaching and the skills you teach?

V: With coaching, it’s about building trust with a client and being a best friend to them. As their coach you can tell them things that their friends and family may not say. It’s about giving people the gift of honest feedback, with their best interests at heart.

J: What one piece of advice would you give to girls today?

V: Know that you’re enough. Have trust in yourself and follow what you’re passionate about. Also… enjoy the journey.

J: Who inspires you?

V: My daughter, who’s nearly 10 years old. I want to be an amazing mother and role model for her.

J: Why do you think it’s important for people and firms to have the kind of self-awareness that you teach? What benefits does it bring?

V: 95% of the journey is about self-awareness and it’s empowering to have self-knowledge. When you know your true authentic strengths, you can be yourself. This is important for everyone. The idea of self-awareness is not

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LAWNSIDE

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LAWNSIDE

Duseline Stewart Head of Lawnside 1971-1990 Dear Lawnsidians, What a tremendous Reunion that was! I was thrilled to see so many of you again after such a long time. The extraordinary thing is that you are all so recognisable as the girls I knew 20, 30, 40 years ago.

Malvern St. James gave us a truly warm welcome, the weather behaved itself splendidly and the delicious tea at The Grove was a fitting climax to the day. It gave me the opporunity to indulge in memories of my 19 years at Lawnside from the platform where I had so often stood at prayers.

And wasn’t it fun to see the transformation from The Grove to Elmslie House? A bar in the old library, what would Miss Barrows have thought? Memories lurked behind every corner. I well remember the time Miss Burrage caught two girls entertaining three College boys in the cellar, and the discovery of a smoking den on the flat roof.

My one regret is that there was so little time to speak to each one of you.

Thank you all for coming, whether from the next county or from far away. And thank you, Bernard and Anna for opening up your home to us, and to Fiona and Katie, who worked so hard to make the Reunion such a success. I am looking forward to the next one!

Yours affectionately,

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LAWNSIDE REUNION

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LAWNSIDE REUNION

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LAWNSIDE REUNION

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LAWNSIDE REUNION

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LAWNSIDE REUNION

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LAWNSIDE REUNION

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

JOY HUNTER (Milward, 1942) Joy Hunter (Milward) has been in the spotlight recently.

She walked down the red carpet with Oscar-winning Gary Oldman at the premier of Darkest Hour, and was then to be seen on the This Morning sofa with Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield to discuss her experiences in the office of Churchill’s War Cabinet.

I was at Lawnside from May 1936 until December 1942.

Our school year ran from January to December so I took Cambridge Schools Certificate in December 1941 followed by a year in the Sixth Form. While science consisted only of nature study until the year I left, I loved the accent on the arts – singing (with Sir Ivor Atkins of Worcester Cathedral), dancing with Barbara Parsons and elocution and verse speaking, at which Miss Barrows excelled. We performed all-school productions of Greek and ancient English dramas and Nativity plays in the Winter Gardens which I thoroughly enjoyed, often taking leading roles. For me, there was never any suggestion of matric or university, and there was a war on so I signed on at the Labour Exchange in January 1943, as all young people had to at the age of seventeen and a quarter. I’d planned to be a nurse and had made some preliminary enquiries, but my parents decided six months at an elite secretarial college would be best. I wasn’t happy, but children did as their parents told them in those days!

Joy at the Churchill War Rooms

I set off for Stamford in Lincolnshire with a heavy heart. On reflection, I think Mrs Hoster’s was a wartime equivalent of a finishing school with a wide syllabus and we were

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promised a top-notch job rather than a rich husband (though some no doubt achieved both). After three months, I received a form from the City office sending me for interview at No. 10. I’d never been to London before but somehow managed the long journey and duly arrived – there was just a bobby at Downing Street, no armed guards and no gates. A delightful interview and I’m sure I was offered the job, but I asked if they could wait till Christmas when I would finish my course. Miss Stenhouse tried to persuade me, saying I could continue my studies at the Treasury but I suppose I thought my parents would be cross, having had to pay my fees upfront – nearly a third of my father’s annual stipend.

While I was doing a fortnight’s practical work at Mrs Hoster’s City office, I was sent for interview at the Offices of the War Cabinet. By then I was eighteen so there was no choice, otherwise I would have been conscripted into whichever service was needed.

It was the beginning of January 1944 when I entered the imposing doors in Great George Street, showed my pass and went into a large room full of typists, shorthand writers and Roneo operators sitting at desks in rows of four or five with a supervisor at the head of each block. She received the incoming work, handed it out and we handed it back to her when finished, so we never knew where the work had come from or really what significance it had. We had to sign the Official Secrets Act and in wartime everything was classed as Top Secret. I didn’t even know the names of the girls I worked with, nor anything about their home lives as there was no general talking while at work.

After about two months a small group of us were sent downstairs. We had no idea what went on down there, and arrived to find a locked door with two Marines guarding it. Shift work continued: 8am – 4pm one day followed by 2pm – 9pm the next, but about three times a fortnight we went in at 3pm and did a 24-hour shift until 4pm the next day with a few hours sleep underground on hard wooden bunks. Upstairs the work had not been particularly interesting but downstairs we were at the hub in the Joint Planning Secretariat which included typing the orders for D-day. It was a very stuffy atmosphere with a lot of smoking and hard lighting. We would meet Mr Churchill, often in his self-

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS outings including visiting Berlin; collecting some pieces of Hitler’s desk in the bombed Chancellery, horrified by the stench of death from bombed air raid shelters and the appallingly sad state of the people.

It made a big impression on me: I felt uncomfortable and responsible.

Left to Right: Angela Holgate, Rosemary Bates, Joan Knox, Pat Morgan (a second cousin) and my younger sister, Anne

designed siren suit, in the corridors and he always spoke. We civilians found him very affable. If we didn’t see him, we always knew when he was about because of the smell of his cigars!

I was one of six secretaries from the War Cabinet who went to the Potsdam Conference after the war. That was an exciting and amazing experience – a mixture of working all hours, and

In September 1945, I went to the States as a member of the party accompanying Maynard Keynes for the Bretton Woods talks. We travelled there on the original Queen Mary and back in December on the original Queen Elizabeth, journeys of 6 days each way. That was an amazing experience: no rationing or bomb damage, articles of food and clothing I had never seen before.

had to work.

Guildford Diocesan office was followed by the National Book League, training as a teacher and working in senior posts in two Surrey schools before being headhunted for the NHS, involved in training teachers and health staff in a wide range of health education.

Then followed five years of selfemployment and finally twenty years managing two county-wide services for Age UK Surrey. During these years I studied part-time for two national diplomas, two first degrees and two masters, became involved in public speaking, singing in a large semi-professional choir and met hundreds of interesting people, as well as travelling the world as much as I could.

We lived in Hampstead until 1956 when we moved to Guildford: three children and a fourth on the way, we were struck by polio. Noel died and Stephen was born dead on Christmas day. Life changed dramatically.

Since retiring at the age of 88 I have been swept up by the Imperial War Museum and Churchill War Rooms for countless press, radio and television interviews. All totally unexpected and challenging but exciting and enjoyable, the last of which was attending the Cenotaph Service and the premiere of Darkest Hour – red carpet and interview with Gary Oldman – and a consequent live interview on ITV’s This Morning programme!

After the local church primary school, all three children went to boarding schools; heartbreaking for me but better for them and I

I am greatly blessed with my three wonderful children and their spouses, eight grandchildren and, to date, ten great grandchildren.

Sometime in 1946 I received another form from the City office saying the Archbishop of Canterbury wanted a secretary so I went for interview and was appointed, staying until Noel and I were married in September 1949.

Nativity tableau, 1946

Joy at her 92nd birthday party

receptions given by various senior officers and dances arranged by the Signals soldiers based in the local film studios which they promptly nicknamed Elstree. I was fortunate in being allowed to go on various

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NEWS

NEWS FROM DUSELINE STEWART Helen Braggington writes: “My new job is wonderful and I am actually enjoying work again. The dog has found a new lease of life and is enjoying ‘retiring’ as a town dog although he has lost a few teeth and now has greying eyebrows. I’m loving being back in London. With only one daughter left in London, Christmas with John and the ‘baby’ was a very quiet affair.”

Sarah Harris (Tyler) was so pleased she came to the Reunion to catch up with news and see familiar faces again. Her daughter Charlotte, now 18, is reading English at Reading and appears to have survived her first term. Her brother left Cranley after GCSEs and is at Godalming Sixth Form College for A levels.

Hayley Pinchbeck (Fletcher): “The boys are now weekly boarding at Old Swinford Hospital and are making the most

of all the great things to do there. I am so jealous. Happy memories!”

Alison and Rosie Porter: Alison is living only a mile from her parents’ house, making financial budgets for people who are divorcing and are referred to her by mainly London law firms.

Rosie is still working as a reflexologist in London. She is thinking of selling her flat and returning to Herefordshire.

Mary Webb (Tyler): Mary’s daughter Beatrice has won a music scholarship to Canford starting in September.

Rosamund is at St. Mary’s, Shaftesbury and Ellen at Godolphin, all in different directions, and a constant transport dilemma!

NEWS FROM FORMER STAFF Pam Tromans writes: “I’m so glad that I made the effort to come to the Reunion – confirming the belief that Lawnside was special and I was lucky to have my (too few) years there. Sadly I lost Dora in September. She had learned so much, I felt cheated to have had her only two years. I may get another puppy in the New Year to fill the vacancy. I still have Millie, the rescue from Kent and my regular visitor, Sam. Luckily my arthritis and poor balance haven’t stopped my driving but I drive only on roads I know well on the

mainland. I tried a Satnav but Pam and technology are best kept apart! I gave it away PDQ.” Glenis Graham: “Home is boring and quiet with just my cat for company, so I am taking trips abroad and cruising, while I can. If there is another Reunion planned I would love to know, so that I can attend.”

Eunice Dickinson now lives in Harrogate, closer to her daughter.

DEATHS Unity Barratt (Lyster, 1938) in August 2017.

Sarah Holman in June 2017. An Old Girl of Lawnside from the 1960s, Sarah’s death was featured in The Telegraph obituaries.

Described as a ‘Highland countrywoman' and ‘compulsive fundraiser', she attended the Sorbonne and the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester after leaving Lawnside. She took an active part in life of the villages of Ilmington in Warwickshire and Acharacle in Argyll, ‘where she delighted local residents with her eccentricities’. The family owns the Shielbridge estate in Argyll and Foxcote House, a ‘magnificent’ 18th century manor near Shipston on Stour in Warwickshire. At 35, she took over the running of Shielbridge’s 10,000 acres. She was an accomplished stalker, a great host, and swam every day in the Atlantic all year round.

She served as Deputy Lietutenant and High Sherriff of Warwickshire, was on the Executive Committtee of the Association of Deer Management Groups and ran the Cheltenham Countryside Race Day for the Countryside Alliance. The Telegraph states, ‘Sarah Holman had no airs and graces and at a smart charity lunch in Gloucestershire last year she invited her carpenter, her plumber, her gardener, her rat-catcher, and Barry her local taxi driver, and had the most fun of all the tables there.’

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

Ellen LeCompte E

llen LeCompte came to the Lawnside Reunion, all the way from Richmond, Virginia. She had first come to Lawnside on an exchange programme in Miss Stewart’s first year.

“The English-Speaking Union, founded in 1921 by Sir Evelyn Wrench, provided a Secondary School Exchange program in which I was lucky enough to be a participant in 1971. I was assigned Lawnside in Great Malvern and arriving there in September, was warmly welcomed by the students and faculty alike, despite language differences such as flannel, rug, rubber, biscuit, chips and zebra crossing to name a few. I remember Miss Burrage taking me to the local police station where I had to be registered as a foreigner and then to Barclays Bank to open a cheque account. My fellow Upper Sixth classmates showed me all the useful shops in town – Woolworth’s was a particular emporium of Useful Things! Miss Dillon-Weston made sure I learned how to write a proper essay – a skill that stood me in good stead when I went on to University the next year. Special memories were the boaters introduced by the new Headmistress, Miss Stewart, tea and toast at all hours, having kippers for breakfast, learning how to play netball, rendezvous with boys from Malvern Boys College, and most of all, walking in the amazing hills (often with aforementioned gentlemen from MBC!) It was the year of national power cuts, so in January and February we were often without lights or heat – teaching us the valuable art of dressing completely under a mountain of blankets. Our water glasses next to the bed would have a skim of ice in the morning!

We warmed up in the gym though, doing aerobics to the music from the musical Hair – very shocking in those days. A special treat for me was to oversee Prep for the Third Form – they were so precious. My year in Great Malvern was truly a transformational one in both experiences and friendships that are still strong and deeply treasured.”

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LAWNSIDE LIFE

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LAWNSIDE LIFE

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ST JAMES’S and St James’s & THE ABBEY

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Elizabeth Mullenger

oganews spring 2016

Headmistress 1986-1997

Dear Old Girls, I hope that you are enjoying reading the OGA News and that you will continue to contribute. Some of you need to begin to do so as well! Your news and photographs are so much appreciated.

I continue to be involved in MSJ both as a Vice-Chairman of Council and through the OGA. If you have not yet read the account of the school in the Good Schools Guide, I urge you to do so. For me, it captures the spirit of MSJ perfectly and memorably: ”a gentleness combined with a sassy competitiveness….” Exactly!

Carl Attwood has retired from Council where for many years he was Vice-Chairman. Many of you will remember Carl as Chaplain at St James’s and The Abbey, renowned for his short and punchy Thursday Assemblies, for his part in cultural trips to Italy and for all the varied gifts of his wisdom and experience – and, of course, his music. We have celebrated his huge contribution to both schools at a Dinner where many of these memories were recalled.

A generally inclement summer here enabled me to finish writing a family history which I started to research five years ago. It is now published and despatched around the globe.

No significant skeletons in cupboards but the experience has underlined what I have always said, that no family, or individual, should ever regard itself as ordinary.

During the summer, Hannah Plant (Head Girl 1996) and I, with the help of Roger Woolley, smashed into a terrace wall below the cloisters and drew out the Time Capsule buried there during the St James’s Centenary celebrations. It will now be installed on site in Avenue Road.

I have enjoyed visits to Italy during the year as well as frequent trips to London for galleries, concerts and theatre. I shall be treading the boards myself this summer in a production of Salad Days at the local theatre: I’d prefer Chekhov of course but life can never be perfect!

Do, please, keep in touch and send your news and views!

With affectionate good wishes,

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

JENNIFER KIRBY Jennifer Kirby (2007), alumna of St James’s and Malvern St James Girls’ School, is star of Call the Midwife, a three times award-nominated and critically acclaimed stage actor, and has travelled the world with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

She was our Guest Speaker at Prizegiving in Summer 2017, and her message to MSJ girls was pragmatic and universal: more often than not, it’s the things that don’t go to plan that shape us.

“Without our mistakes and our downfalls we have no lesson to learn and no story to tell.” Jennifer started her speech at the beginning of the first ever term of the first ever year of Malvern St James (Autumn 2006).

Despite the awards, the celebrity, and the multi-million audiences that BBC prime-time delivers, Jennifer remains self-effacing, wise and utterly un-starry.

“This school is living proof that great things can have difficult beginnings. Two notorious rivals – Malvern Girls College and St James’s School – were being thrown together into one building, what could possibly go wrong?!

The difficult aspects of that year do not stand apart from the wonderful things that I encountered, far from it. That year cemented my resolution to become an actor, owing in no small part to the guidance and encouragement of Mrs Fisher and Ms Rhodes, two people I am so grateful that I found when I did. It also made me appreciate my wonderful family and friends more than ever.

This school is as whole and as superb as it is today because it started on scary ground. It is the sum of its progress and its determination, and I am so proud to say I went to MSJ. After I left school, I spent three years at the University of East Anglia studying English Literature and Drama. I filled any time I had free by working with a local theatre company. I often look back at these years and see them as some of the most valuable I’ve spent. I could have left MSJ and immediately applied for Drama school, but without these formative few years, I would have done a lot less growing up, learning, and understanding.

So, with a little more experience under my belt I did apply for drama school. The first time I didn’t get in anywhere, not a recall, not a sniff.

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The second time I got into two, but that didn’t stop another school telling me in no uncertain terms that I simply "didn’t have it" and that "maybe I could try am-dram". Let this be a reminder that art and talent is completely subjective. This subjectivity is why art is so important: any person, from any walk of life can have an opinion and no one is right or wrong. It’s ferociously and stubbornly individual and that is why we need it.

The drama school I attended was The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Although I’d made some wonderful friends at school and University, LAMDA was the first time I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Nearing the end of drama school, a bit of luck came my way. The casting director for Pride and Prejudice at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre saw me in a showcase. I was called in to audition for Elizabeth Bennet, and to my disbelief I was cast in the role opposite David Oakes as Mr Darcy and Jane Asher as Lady Catherine DeBourgh. That summer saw my professional debut to an audience of fourteen hundred people a night. Subsequently I was longlisted for best newcomer in The Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

That night has to be one of the most surreal of my life. My taxi pulled up next to the red carpet and I immediately saw a parade of established actresses wearing the most spectacular dresses I’d ever seen, cameras snapping them from every angle. "Go round the corner", I said to the taxi driver. I snuck in through a side door. Once inside I sat next to Gavin Creel (who eventually won the Olivier Award for his role in the musical The Book of Mormon) and stared around me, hardly able to believe my luck. The highlights of the evening were as follows: being in the next cubicle along from Joanna Lumley in the Ladies', spilling a tiny bit of champagne on Hugh Grant, and a household actress – one of the best – saying that she hadn’t been able to concentrate all evening because her Spanx were too tight.

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS Afterwards, I got the night bus home, and as I sat at the bus stop, my outfit completely drenched by the rain, I reflected on the experience. The person getting rainsoaked was the same one that had been in that room half an hour before, they were no different. All that sparkle is glorious every so often, but it doesn’t mean a lot, not really. When I was leaving school, I imagine I would have thought that a night like that would be a defining moment in my life. Now I’ve come to realise that those moments are to be found in the smaller things, the everyday joys that we must take care not to miss in search of something more glamorous.

I’m lucky to have had many rewarding and exciting acting jobs, but of all the experiences I’ve had, being part of the Royal Shakespeare Company is the one I think I’ll cherish the most. I played Lady Percy in Henry IV Parts I and II and Princess Catherine in Henry the V. I performed in Stratford, London, cities all over the UK, Beijing, Shanghai, Honk Kong and New York. Those productions proved to me that Shakespeare is for everyone, still as relevant and insightful today as he was five hundred years ago.

In the final performance of Henry IV Part I in New York City, I rather spectacularly broke my foot. And it was as I sat in a hotel room feeling very sorry for myself, my hardbooted foot elevated, that I got an unexpected call. My agent rang me to say that the part of a new midwife had come up in the BBC’s Call the Midwife.

The remainder of my time in America was spent sending tapes of myself doing the character's lines and sending them to the producers of the show. My flight back to the UK landed at 7am, and I was whisked away directly to meet one of the producers. The following day, to my intense surprise, I got a call to say I had secured the role, and a week later I was standing face to face with Jenny Agutter, filming my first scene.

As a programme it aspires to show every angle of human existence, the beautiful, joyful moments and the moments of devastating sadness. Acting out these storylines has taught me more than ever that every good story needs balance. We cannot know true happiness and achievement without our moments of loss and worry.

Life has also shown me that you may be hoping for something for years and believe it may never happen, but in the space of one day everything can be turned around.”

Jennifer dedicated her speech to the memory of her school friend from St James’s, Laura Walker (Kerrigan) who tragically lost her life to cancer on Boxing Day 2016.

She told the girls, “You have been given the most amazing beginning and if this loss reminds us anything, it’s to live life to the fullest and find joy in every moment.”

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NEWS Julia Boulton (Leonard) wrote last year: “Gareth and I have been together for five years now and he proposed the day before my birthday in November 2016 while we were on holiday in Pembrokeshire! It was a complete surprise but obviously very exciting and romantic. We bought a house together about 18 months ago and after a bit of job shuffling we finally both live and work in Worcester (I’m a journalist at the BBC and he made the switch from journalism to PR and Comms a couple of years ago). We’re getting married late September in Malvern and then hoping to go to South Africa and Namibia on honeymoon.

One of my three lovely bridesmaids is Alexandra Thornton-Hopwood (Beard) who was in my year at school (1996 to 2003) and now runs a B&B with her husband in Malvern.” You can see a picture of the wedding on page 108.

Julia and Gareth Boulton

ST JAMES’S TIME CAPSULE A time capsule that was buried at St James’s School to mark its centenary in 1996 is to be given a new home.

The old army ammunition box, painted in St James’s blue, was buried in the lower terrace of the school. After the merger of St James’s and Malvern Girls’ College in 2006, the St James’s buildings were sold and became Regents Theological College.

Members of the College’s team suggested returning the time capsule to MSJ. A report about the time capsule's burial appeared in the Malvern Gazette on 8th November 1996 and gave a list of contents.

These included photographs, a school magazine, a school tie, coins, stamps, a piece written by one of the girls about life at St James’s, Twentieth Century technology used or made by the girls and a cassette tape recorded by the school choir.

Hannah Gill (Plant), who was Head Girl of St James’s and part of the original team who buried the capsule in 1996, was there to help remove the time capsule from its hiding place of over 20 years. She was joined by her Headmistress, Miss Elizabeth Mullenger, and Roger Woolley, the Estates Manager at St James’s and the Abbey and latterly Maintenance Technician at Regents College until his very recent retirement.

The time capsule, which has been left unopened, is due to be reburied in the grounds of Malvern St James, where it will stay until 2046, when it can finally be opened.

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NEWS

ST JAMES’S DIAMOND JUBILEE 1956

By Veronica Williamson (1956) embroidered in pale blue or silver within the stripes.

Our bloomer-like ‘upper hose’ were made like slashed sleeves and the thick material kept fraying. Vim had to keep rescuing my attempts; perhaps that is why they are invisible behind the bench! I had more success working on Rake’s ‘stomacher’ which each ‘woman’ dancer had had to design herself. I must have helped her embroider it. Vim and Tante were sticklers for authenticity and liked to go into any project in depth. I hope those costumes were used for years to come in each O Level class’s Shakespeare production.

The Duchess of Gloucester came to the Diamond Jubilee.

She had been slightly younger than Miss Anstruther, our Headmistress, when they had been pupils there.

“What are you going to call her?” we Sixth Formers asked Tante with interest.

“That remains to be seen,” was her discreet reply.

One of the entertainments was a display of different dances. Some very small girls, daintily attired in muslin, did a minuet, some IVth formers, wearing overlong kilts and large sporrans, performed a Highland Fling but the reporter from the Tatler decided to photograph our group, who danced a stately pavane.

The ‘men’ standing were Gertrude von Heinrich and Jennifer McConnachie on the left, me (behind the bench) and Jennifer King (bearded). The ‘women’ on the bench are Suzanne Meyer, Lois Denny and Jane Cundy. Rachel Bather, always called Rake, is sitting in front.

Gertrude and Jennifer M were in the class below and probably ‘borrowed’ for their height. Suzanne was perhaps included for her beauty – or maybe she was a wonderful dancer – but the rest of us were in Miss Varley (Vim)’s Sixth Form Art group and helped to make the costumes. These were made from the most sumptuous furnishing fabrics; I can feel the material now. Jennifer King still has an off-cut of the stuff that was used to make her doublet, grey and navy-blue stripes with little roses

I nearly didn’t take part at all. I caught German measles and was incarcerated in Raglan. The matron didn’t even want my parents to visit me but luckily my doctor godfather, whose daughters were also at school, amiably blundered in and pronounced me ‘no longer contagious.’ Vim and Tante breathed sighs of relief but the other dancers did not want to touch my hands.

We five ‘artists’ were all part of a group of friends who kept up with each other for years after we’d left. I still go to plays or exhibitions in London with Rake two or three times a year; in fact we are off to the theatre again next month.

We all left at the end of that term. Jennifer went to Art School, Lois to University, Rake and I did secretarial courses, although I eventually became a Primary School teacher, and Jane married very young. That was the last time I saw her. Rake became godmother to her first child. I worked in Lois’s flower shop in London for two months but later lost touch with her as well.

Our lives diverged until, 40 years later, St.James’s had its centenary. I went and met up again with many of my year group. We decided there and then to meet up once a year at someone’s house for a reunion and have gone on doing so ever since.

Whereas Rake is my cultivated London friend, Jennifer is my eccentric countrified one. Her husband was a schoolmaster but Jennifer always farmed. She is a splendid shepherd but does not approve of putting her collie on a lead. She controls him by voice and crook which had the shoppers of Castle Cary leaping off the pavement in alarm when we went to collect the Sunday papers at our reunion last October!

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

LUCINDA VENN (Buxton, 1963)

Miss Valerie Byrom-Taylor, former Head of Music at St James’s School, put Fiona Meredith in contact with Lucinda Venn (Buxton, 1963) who kindly agreed to do a write-up of her memories of St James’s School. Lucinda had attended Valerie’s 80th birthday celebrations at the school building in 2016, (Elim does B&B in the building) along with many other Old Girls and former staff.

“It has been a delight to read memories of other OGs of The Abbey and MGC. I never suspected that other schools had similar quirky traditions and rules, and so many inspections!

I went to St. James’s in 1956 in the Summer term. Being in 1st form, we had early supper and then to bed before everyone else. The next term we were the first “inmates” of the junior house, Westminster. (This had been a hotel, so the cloakrooms had a distinct aroma of beer).

“naughtiest girl in the school”. I suspect that I was trying to prove that I was not “sucking up” to “Tante”, (Miss Anstruther), who was my great aunt. (Many of my aunts and cousins also went to St. J.’s) I must have improved because I became Head Girl in my last year.

In the last two years (1961-63), I was attempting to do A Level Biology and Chemistry. The facilities were not up to scratch in those days, so I had to go down to Malvern for Biology lessons at Ellerslie and Chemistry at the Boys’ College. I spent a lot of time waiting for buses, or walking over the hills, (wouldn’t be a good idea today!) but I did enjoy the freedom!

It was a great joy to meet up with so many at Val Byrom-Taylor’s 80th at St. J’s, now Elim. To find myself sleeping in the very comfy, re-modelled dorm where I had surreptitiously listened to my “tranny” under the bedclothes, 55 years before, was amazing.

The grounds are still beautiful, That was where I learned so many trees and flowers for my Guide badges. I think we’ll be going back to the “B&B” quite often!”

I have vivid memories of “illegal” food after lights out. On one occasion we had smuggled bananas out of the dining room and had a “feast” on the top landing. Unfortunately the skins would NOT flush down the loo. The other scary event was sharing out our secret stash of sweets, which had been hidden under a floorboard. In the middle of this, I suddenly became aware of a pair of shoes just beside me.

Miss Gibson had crept into the room so quietly! Sadly, all the sweets were confiscated and the floorboard nailed down!

At one stage I was told by a 6th Former that I was the

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

Pictures from the St James's archives

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

AGNES GREGORIAN (1973)

Agnes was at St James’s in the early 1970s, a student from America, where she lives still. She has sent in various photos from her time, and written a short piece below. She will visit Malvern in May 2018.

“Here are some pictures from between 1970 or ‘71 and ‘73.

One of the Houses I was in was Raglan; I forget the name of the other. The pictures remind me how we celebrated our birthdays. Everyone would come into the birthday girl’s room before getting ready for classes and sing and blow out candles. We would have the cake in the afternoon.

My roommate was Marie Bisson. She was an American from Boston. She came to stay with me on her honeymoon when I was at University of Southern California doing my undergraduate studies. She married young and I have lost contact with her. The middle far-right photo is when I’d come back from other European countries from my semester break, and bring sweets from Italy or France. My

Miss Braithwaite’s welcome speech to all girls, where she announced that a Middle Eastern princess was to attend St. James’s School.

I arrived two days later with my parents. Miss Braithwaite and Miss Calvert welcomed us, and as we were walking through the school grounds with Miss Calvert, every girl we passed would just stare at me with a certain inquisitive Agnes look. We finally walked to my room in my Upper 5th House on the third floor. I was wearing a beautiful white outfit, and rings on both ring fingers. As soon as my parents left, almost all the girls ran into my room and together said, “Are you a princess and are you married?” I said “No! What princess, and who marries at our age?!” We all began to laugh. But then they said, “Let’s not tell anyone you’re not the princess and have fun for a couple of days with other girls believing a princess lives with us”. The cat was out of the bag on day two but we had great fun!

I’m not sure if the princess ever came. Someone came, and left at the end of the semester. Who knows, it may have been her.”

With Marie Bisson

House girls would gather in my room to taste them. Then, of course, the beautiful younger ones. The little girls were all so cute and sweet, always sitting on my table for meals, sharing stories about what they missed from home. There are also two pictures of me and Miss Braithwaite.

I have a funny story about starting St James’s. I arrived a couple of days into the first term of school. I had missed

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The younger ones

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

Agnes

With Miss Braithwaite

Birthday celebrations

In PJs

Birthday celebrations

Treats from my European travels

With Miss Braithwaite

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

DR PIM KON

(SATHIRATHAYA, 1980)

The former Global Head of Medical Governance at Pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline, talked about her career and what she has learnt about business and life.

“After a long drive from London, it was with trepidation that my sister and I approached the stone wall and turned into St. James’s School. In front of an imposing building stood Miss Braithwaite, the Headmistress, a tall lady with a beaming and welcoming smile.

studying at St James’s but for my Sixth Form, the school was very supportive and arranged for me, along with a few other girls, to attend Malvern College as day girls in order to study the sciences and give me the best chance of pursuing my ambition.

That was 40 years ago, yet I still remember it vividly, down to the first meal I had at school, which was macaroni cheese! Having always followed my parents round the

I made it to Charing Cross Hospital Medical School from where I qualified. I started working for the NHS for 5 years, specialising in general medicine. It was hard; long days, three in one night rotas with internal cover, which meant that on many occasions I would be on call alternate nights and have to work through the day too. This is of course in addition to trying to take postgraduate examinations. I became so stressed I decided to leave and seek a “normal” 9-5 job and I accepted the position of resident medical officer at a private hospital.

Pim with Liz Lule and Adetola Kotoye

world, being left at boarding school came as a complete shock especially as they were based in Moscow thousands of miles away. As there was no choice, I did settle in and learnt to be more independent, have the courage to stand up for myself and live in a “community environment”, all of which prepared me for the big wide world ahead.

As the eldest child, my parents expected me to be a doctor.

This meant hard work! I spent my first year in Upper Fifth

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The role was simple, entailing examining patients when they are admitted to the hospital and looking after them on a day-to-day basis.

Initially, the hospital catered for patients with moderate illnesses, but then the decision was taken to set up a high dependency unit so the hospital could admit sicker patients. To my surprise, they asked me to be part of the team responsible for setting up the unit.

This was my light bulb moment! I realised that not only did I enjoy it, but also I was reasonably good at the management of projects and people.

After the project was completed, I was certain I did not want to return to the NHS and sought advice from

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS numerous sources. It was quite daunting to give up a lifetime’s dream; my parents and relatives were horrified: “You want to stop being a doctor? You will lose all the respect!” However, I was sure that even if I didn’t want to work in a hospital and see patients, I could still put my medical degree to good use.

I took a deep breath and joined the pharmaceutical industry – the “dark side” to some people! There are many opportunities for those who are medically qualified, as well as scientists, since everything the industry does is sciencerelated. I wanted a role that involved having responsibility for patients so I became a Medical Advisor (MA). The role of a MA is very broad and covers all aspects of the industry from clinical research, close cooperation with doctors on how medicines are used, the need for new medicines or technologies and licensing. It also involves the creation and review of materials that a company publishes about its medicines, and the analysis of any side effects that may be associated with the use of the medicines.

Crossing the fence from a hospital environment to a commercial organisation with strong sales and marketing departments was challenging and character-building to say the least! I needed to work with my colleagues to ensure that what we did was always in the best interests of the patient.

During the course of my career, I worked for several companies and was surprised how each company’s culture and perspective differed regarding their ethical and moral compass, business conduct through to the treatment of employees of different genders and races. From personal experiences, I can understand why there is such a pay gap between men and women; many women I have worked with – I have been told myself included – tend to be self-deprecating, devalue and under-rate their work, and importantly, do not highlight their achievements. This means that unless the manager is perceptive and has a grasp of what goes on in the office, they will not know who really does the good work. This, coupled with the embarrassment of negotiating a pay rise, results in women falling behind at each annual pay review.

I was very lucky to have had an excellent manager at my second company. He realised that I was relatively quiet and non-confrontational; this being partly my culture (I am Thai) and partly my upbringing, so he sent me on an assertiveness course. That course changed my life – it released the energy and confidence I found I had suppressed all this time and from then on, I was able to be myself and use my capabilities to the full; perhaps to some, I am now even bossy!

My most frightening – and at the same time greatest – achievement was when I was Vice-President and UK Medical Director for pharmaceutical giant,

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Our vaccine for cervical cancer was being used as part of the national immunisation programme. One day, a teenager, who had received the vaccine a few days earlier, died, and the relatives and media blamed the vaccine. I was called back from my holiday to be the spokesperson for the company. I was required to do numerous interviews with journalists including on the Today programme and a live BBC news broadcast with Branwen Jefferies. Although I had been on television a few times before, they were factual discussions. This time, I was on the receiving end of angry allegations. The key was to be calm, to show that I genuinely cared and would do all I could to investigate what had happened and take the appropriate action. Suffice to say, I think the interview went well and in the end it transpired that the unfortunate girl had died of a heart condition, completely unrelated to the vaccine.

Although I really enjoyed work and moved on to become Global Head of Medical Governance, for the last eight years I had been doing a weekly commute from Worthing to London, only seeing my husband and dog at weekends.

I realised that my work-life balance was not what it should be, and having seen friends and colleagues succumb to various illnesses and even death, I decided to retire early to spend more time at home.

Having now been retired for three years, I can only say I have enjoyed every minute of it. Not only do I have more time for myself and my family, I have been able to meet up with long lost friends from school – I had not seen Liz Shillingford (Lule) and Tola Ebo (Kotoye) for over 15 years. I am pleased to say I am now also in touch with other friends and plan to meet them soon.

I have very fond memories of my school days, the friends I made there, the discipline and knowledge I learnt and importantly the social and life skills that helped shape me and made me who I am today – that is something I shall always remember and be grateful for."

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

TOTTIE AARVOLD (SARGEANT, 1979)

M

y time at St. James’s feels like a major part of my life, a place where I met lifelong friends and learnt what mattered to me – loyalty, honesty, love and laughter. My earliest memories are of faces covered in calamine lotion for acne, cold fried bread on a tray in tunnel passage, having to walk to archway every morning and those awful gym knickers! As I grew older the fear of losing my napkin became the fear of being caught smoking!

I was one of the first six girls to do their A Levels at Malvern Boys' College alongside 600 boys! Having worked hard for my O Levels my Sixth Form was a time of rebellion and I spent a great deal of it gated! I regret messing up my A Levels, but have spent the rest of my life attempting to make up for my misspent youth!

My first job after leaving school was for a photography agency in London followed by working for HTV and Anglia television and Radio Orwell Community Action units in Bristol and Ipswich. Having moved to Ludlow I then became involved with South Shropshire Voluntary Action. Whilst my two children were young I took a Psychology A Level at the local college which led on to me studying an Open University Psychology and Counselling degree.

I then worked for many years as a psychotherapist for the NHS, working with people with severe mental health problems. Sadly, I had to retire from this as I was diagnosed

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with fibromyalgia. I always loved art and photography at school, so with time on my hands, I decided to fulfil my dream of becoming an artist.

I am about to graduate with a Fine Art (Hons) Degree at Hereford College of Art after 7 years of part-time study.

At the age of 56 I have realised I actually love learning and that it is never too late to do what you have always wanted to do. I have really enjoyed working alongside students of all ages and interests and would highly recommend being a mature student. The course has given me structure, deadlines and something else to think about since my husband Peter died four years ago.

I work mostly in photography but I also paint abstracts and experiment in 3D. I have been lucky enough to have been selected for various group and solo exhibitions in Shropshire and Herefordshire. What excites me most as an artist is capturing the abstract qualities of the world around us. I am drawn to textures and layers – to the unnoticed, the abandoned, the unusual and random in everyday life. I find beauty in decay and love exploring derelict buildings with my camera. My work is very personal and involves self-exploration, especially around the feelings of loss. I have found creativity to be a very positive way to deal with emotions. My work as a psychotherapist has led to my interest in the hidden and revealed, in what lies beneath.

When I leave Hereford College I hope to exhibit my work and produce photography books. I may also find I can’t bear not being a student and go back to College to do an MA. This is my time now and I want to carry on learning something new every day. totaarvold@aol.com FB: TottieAarvold-FineArt

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

Deborah THOMAS (St J’s & A 1995)

I am not quite sure where 23 years has gone since I last belted out Jerusalem from the Anstruther Hall or heard a final rendition of Mrs Lindner’s accompaniment to I Vow To Thee My Country, but I am happy to report that the years that have passed have mostly been kind. Some deviations on the career path, and geographical U-turns north to south, I have survived partly down to luck, but mainly down to the friendships I made at St James’s & The Abbey in the early/mid nineties. My job title has changed, so has my hairstyle, I’d even state that the eternal wanderlust has mellowed, but my Malvern cohorts are, happily, still alongside.

A

s I write this I am a few weeks off giving birth to my first child. It is really nice to slow things down and begin the nesting/resting stage. For the past 14 years I have juggled a passion for theatre alongside a corporate role, as a presentation skills trainer. Life as a public speaking coach means I get to work with a wonderfully varied mix of people. From Year 7 and 8 school children to conservatoiretrained musicians, lawyers, bankers, extreme athletes and personal stylists – and whilst the message and material has stayed relatively steadfast, an introduction to industries keeps expanding. To that extent there is no typical day as such, as the venue and client revolve. For seven years I

we are in the position of appointing a new Principal, so if anyone is up for the challenge, then...

Deb (far left) with friends from St James’s School at MSJ Prizegiving in 2015

At the beginning of 2017, I set up Wedding Speech Genie, designed to help all wedding speakers write, refine and deliver their special message. It has been great entering a new market and helping people overcome their fears and find confidence in front of a crowd, on such an important day. Maybe Meghan Markel will take up my offer of a wedding speech coach? She may well be the first female speech giver at a Royal Wedding, paving the way for a new tradition. Something that would suit the voices of MSJ girls, of that I have no doubt.

have taught part-time – both actors and musicians – at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, which means that my cultural fix is regularly satiated. I still get a shiver when I pass through the College foyer, something that hasn’t shifted and I doubt ever will. If you haven’t been to the College in Cardiff city centre, I’d recommend a visit. In fact

Having left London some years ago and whilst currently based in South Wales, my job occasionally allows for an international contract. I recently travelled to Belgrade, (the Serbian welcome was very special) to work with an American firm, TeleSign – think online security and major software genies. Now, anyone who knows me will vouch I am the least ‘techy’ person out there, but thankfully they’ve extended an invitation to work in California next.

It seems the need to get ‘really good at presenting…’ has become a standard industry qualification. I get asked a lot, “What are your top tips for controlling nerves before speaking?” My answer is always, breathe deep and breathe low, then you have a chance. I hope by the time my baby gets to school, breathing will be on the curriculum! As I say to all my clients, it is the first thing we do when we come into the world and it’ll be the last thing we do before we exit, so we may as well have a good relationship to it. Finding your voice and delivering a speech really does boil down to three simple things: permission to be imperfect, breath control and a sincere passion for the subject in hand. Everybody has their hang ups, just as everybody has their special something.

Sometimes that something can be said in a very simple fashion, with fewer words and great intention.

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

ANGELA VAN DER SPEK

(Coles, 1999)

N

ext year it will be twenty years since I left St James’, having completed my A Levels. I came to the UK in 1992 from Hong Kong, where my father was working, to attend Lawnside School along with my sister Marcia who was in the year above. Malvern was very different to any school I had been to previously: we moved from country to country with my father’s work every year or two. I settled into boarding school life well.

Two years after I joined, Lawnside merged with St James’s & The Abbey, where Miss Mullenger was Headmistress at the time, and so in 1994 we made the trip up the hill to start a new chapter. St James’s & The Abbey was a lot bigger than Lawnside, both in student numbers and space. U4 dorms were in the main building of St James’s where I first boarded, and Miss Owen was out Dorm Mistress. Again, I soon made friends – great forever friends – with whom I remain in touch to this day.

Heading into Year 10, or L5 as we called it, with Mrs Patten as our Dorm Mistress, dorm rooms became two to a room, and we could also have Prep time in our

For Lower and Upper Sixth, we moved to the brand new St Edwards building, where we were looked after

by Mrs Churchill. My sister Marcia was in the year above so this is the first time since leaving Lawnside that we boarded in the same building, which meant I could now visit her anytime, just down the hall, which was great.

L-R: Georgia Burford, Olivia

We had our own gym Lewis (Kneale). Year 10 dorms in the grounds of St main building.

Edwards and even had some classes here in a separate Sixth Form Centre – we thought it felt so much more independent.

At the end of my time at St James’s, I took a gap year and then attended Oxford Brookes University. I now live in Gloucestershire with my husband and my baby daughter who was born in October. Being on maternity leave, I have spent lots of time meeting my fellow St Jimmies pals who have recently had babies or have one on the way.

Although it was hard leaving my parents and friends from home, the strong ties and lifelong friends I made at boarding school are things I will always cherish and be thankful for.

L-R: Georgia Burford, Carly Williams, Sally Rigg (Wallace), Lucy Lambton, Camilla Elliot (Stopford Sackville). Year 10 dorms.

rooms. And after Prep was done, a lot of chatting, of course, dressing up and just having fun: times we all still reminisce about when we meet up.

Heading into Year 11 meant moving outside of the main house, over the road to ‘St. C’s’, a dedicated house for Year 11. Here we had Mrs Bailey as our Dorm Mistress. We felt very grown up being away from the main building.

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I am looking forward to the next St James’s School reunion to see fellow classmates and teachers.

L-R: Lisa Mahindadasa (Hickerton), Sally Rigg (Wallace), Angela van der Spek (Coles). Main building dining room. Christmas supper. Upper 6.

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

L-R: Carly Williams, Lucy Lambton, Sally Rigg (Wallace), Jo Mann, Sophie Aplin (Hawksley). Year 11 St Christopher’s house.

Dressed up for Summer Ball.

L-R: Lucy Lambton, Olivia Rigg, Georgia Burford, Sophie Aplin (Hawksley), Camilla Elliot (StopfordSackville), Jo Mann, Carly Williams, Sally Rigg (Wallace). Year 11 St Christopher’s house.

L-R: Camilla Elliot nee Stopford-Sackville, Angela van der Spek nee Coles, Olivia Lewis (Kneale). Year 10 dorms. Fun after prep time.

L-R: Liz Meyer (Barneby), Katie Allder (Mander). Year 9 dorms.

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IN MEMORIAM

Elizabeth (Libby)

ANSON (MAUDE)

B

en and Bill Twiston-Davies, Libby’s sons, write: “Our wonderful mother Libby Anson MBE OStJ (previously Twiston-Davies, nee Maude) sadly died in Salisbury Hospital on 1st February 2018 aged 77.

She had a lifelong love of St James’s and kept many friends from her schooldays to the end. She was very proud of her strong family connection to the school. Her mother Joan had attended the school in its infancy, and she was related to Alice Baird (St James’s founder) and also to Mary Anstruther. Her father Christian Maude served on the school Council. Mum also served on the Council, for many years as its secretary. Her career was spent largely in education – as School Secretary at Westminster Under School, then as Secretary of the Common Entrance examination board.

In later life, she worked tirelessly for many good causes, Libby (second left) at the St James's 120th Anniversary Dinner

Libby (top right), in the picture which appeared in the London Evening Standard

photo – circa 1957. She and some St James’s chums had arrived by train into London and as a prank gave ludicrous false names to a roving reporter – which got printed! She never changed.” in particular raising huge sums for St John Ambulance in Wiltshire. We were very proud of the MBE she was awarded for her good eggery.

She was an extraordinarily determined, clever and generous woman, a great stickler for correct form, and huge fun. This picture of her (right) is a detail from an Evening Standard

Libby was an Honorary Vice President of the OGA, as well as having been involved on Council for St James’s and MSJ. She was a staunch supporter of the OGA and school, and regularly attended events in Malvern. Mrs Olivera Raraty, Headmistress of MSJ, comments, “I am sure you will join me in saying that Libby was a great friend of the School and will be very much missed by us all. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.”

ALSO REMEMBERED...

Jean Wrangham (Tunstall Behrens), born 1926, died in September 2017.

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Mary Acworth (Tunstall Behrens), born 1924, died in November 2015.

NEWS

MSJ COMMUNITY CHORUS MSJ launched its Community Choir at the beginning of the Spring Term, and, as we go to press, approximately 60 members are gearing up for the inaugural performance at the MSJ Spring Concert on 17th March 2017. The choir has attracted Old Girls, Honorary Members, past parents, current parents, current staff, several Headmistress old and new, as well as a very healthy showing of male voices. All are ably led by St James’s Head of Music, and now MSJ Head of Vocal Performance, Lynne Lindner.

Among our Old Girls and former staff are Antonia Ellis (Densham), Harriet Self, Gemma Bruce (Knowles), Miss Elizabeth Mullenger, Mrs Ros Hayes, Miss Greer Owen and Mrs Jenni Chuck.

The first rehearsal for the MSJ Community Choir

PREB CHIG CELEBRATED Old Girls of St James’s School from the 1950s through to the late 1970s/1980 will remember, surely very fondly, the Reverend Prebendary Rowland Chignell (aka ‘Preb Chig’). Chig died in 1994, but recently a book entitled Chig: Sky Pilot to the Glider Pilots of Arnhem has been published by his friend, the Rev Prebendary Mike Vockins, which includes mention of his time at St James’s. Chig started teaching Divinity in 1956 under the Headship of Miss Southgate. When she appointed him, she famously told his Bishop that she was not interested in O Levels and A Levels and Chig's ability to get girls through them; what she wanted was his help getting them through the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven. Preb Chig taught part-time and was also Rector for Whitbourne in Worcestershire. He encouraged the girls to get involved with this parish, and they twice did sponsored walks to raise money for the village hall and the church tower. He says of St James’s: “I reckoned it was a super school. It seemed to me that it set out to educate girls – that is, to bring out the best in them – and not to stuff them with masses of indigestible knowledge, much of which would be useless when they left school. I was happy and proud to be given the opportunity to play a small part in such a school.” Preb Chig continued to be involved in St James’s girls' lives well after they left school. Some were married by him, and secured his services for their off-springs’ christenings.

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

MARY LAVER

(BOYLE, 1974)

The school looking up from the pool

Mary Laver (Boyle, 1974) is an Old Girl of St James’s School and has been a volunteer Archivist at MSJ since 2016.

The St James's grounds

In the Summer holidays of 2017, Fiona Meredith and Katie Powell (from the OGA Office) and I set off on an adventure.

We went to meet Sally Gibbs, the librarian at Regents Theological College in West Malvern.

You will remember this place as St. James’s School – later St. James’s and The Abbey.

Regents, its new owners, is the national training centre for the Elim Pentecostal Churches.

We were introduced to Roger Woolley, whose knowledge of the site and school buildings was amazing. Roger was formerly the Head of Estates for St James’s, and

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continued the role when Regents College moved in.

Having spent several decades dedicated to this building and its grounds, he was about to retire in a few days’ time. He and Sally led us on our tour which started very excitingly with a walk back into the grounds. We travelled along the “Blue Path” taking in the trees, plants and breath-taking green of the rolling hills of West Malvern. We passed by the remains of the “Rose Temple”. Although the temple itself is long since gone, the area is still used as an amphitheatre for productions.

We continued our walk to Archway, still standing proudly, evoking treasured memories of the past. We saw the Chief’s Shelter, partially roped off and worse for wear. It was still possible to see its former glory, standing at the top of a substantial set of stone steps with sturdy balustrades and with a terrace overlooking the rhododendrons below. The school was so proud of this building as part of its heritage and connection to the Baden Powells. Despite the full force of the westerlies rolling in from Wales, it stands not yet beyond repair, but far less loved over the years than perhaps it should have been. It could be a beautiful sanctuary for the College who now has it in their possession, but without the tangible link to its past, they probably don’t feel the same sense of urgency about its preservation, nor sadness about its demise. We came back up to the Italian garden.

After a splendid luncheon served in the Dining Room and convivial conversations we continued our tour with the internal layout of “Big House”. What were for us classrooms

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS and sitting rooms and the “bootholes”, are now lecture rooms and offices for the conference accommodation that the College offers. The dorms upstairs are now very well-appointed bedrooms with ensuites. The Tunnel, opened in 1930 to give “safety from wild motor buses”, following a road accident, still has the engraving by Baden Powell. The Biology Lab at the top of the Tunnel is now a games room and the classrooms which we knew in the stable block are now serving as a Theological Library. The outdoor pool still stands and invites in willing swimmers.

Mary Laver in Archway

The Anstruther Hall has lost its pew-like benches and is fitted with lecture-style seating. It still feels like a proper theatre, and indeed that forms part of its mainstream function, as many productions by the drama students take place there.

The Dance Room next to this building is now a Café serving the local community, in both outreach and friendship, and also to walkers who frequent the Malvern Hills.

The Bridge between the Dining Room is no more, but the building is very tastefully adapted to the needs now placed on it. Baird House is being turned into family-friendly accommodation. It shows us our ‘Home on the Hill’ has new and welcoming residents.

St James's grounds

Chief’s Shelter

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HEADMISTRESS’ REPORT The Spring Term is well under way and I am constantly struck by the vibrancy of life at Malvern St James. In addition to the very full programme of events and activities for which the school is well known, there are a number of exciting new developments and initiatives that I would like to update you on.

Firstly, I am delighted to congratulate Mrs Lucy Hutton on her appointment as the Director of Teaching and Learning who brings tremendous vision, passion and enthusiasm for learning in its widest sense. Many of you will know Lucy as a Geography teacher and Head of Year at MSJ. I have also been joined in the Senior Leadership Team by Mr David Strawbridge MBE as our Director of Operations. He brings a wealth of leadership experience from his long and distinguished career in the military where he served as a Colonel in the Royal Engineers. I am delighted to have in my team two strong leaders in their respective fields who will be helping me to take the school forward.

Congratulations are also due to our Year 13 girls who have been highly successful in securing their university offers in what is always an extremely competitive process. Chloe Parker, our Head Girl, has secured an offer from St Edmund Hall, Oxford to read Engineering Science, along with Charlotte Li who has an offer from Exeter College, Oxford to read Mathematics. It’s a wonderful achievement and we are delighted for them.

We are very proud of all our girls who are applying for a large range of courses which reflects the breadth of their personal interests, from Ancient History and Law, to Computing, Psychology and Marine Biology.

Between them, they are holding an impressive array of offers from top Russell Group universities. They are all extraordinary young women who never cease to impress me with their curiosity, interest and care for one another.

One of the new projects we are currently working on is the refurbishment of Greenslade House, and there is more information about this further on in the magazine. When completed, Greenslade will be relaunched as a Year 13 House providing a smooth transition to university living.

Our Community Chorus has now been launched by Lynne Lindner and we have been totally delighted by the amazing response from parents, staff, Old Girls and Honorary Members. There has been a terrific turnout for the rehearsals this term and we are all in awe of Lynne, who is doing a wonderful job in blending our voices of varying gifts and training into something that sounds rather special.

We are also supporting our inspirational Old Girl, Kiko Matthews (mentioned earlier in this magazine) who is now engaged on her World Record attempt solo row across the Atlantic. She is fundraising for King’s College Hospital Critical Care Unit, and we have launched our own charity event in School to support Kiko and are aiming to row 100 km on our rowing machines which will be placed outside Waitrose in Great Malvern. Whilst it won’t be a patch on her 3000 miles, it’s a gesture of solidarity.

I am delighted the Founders’ Awards bursary fundraising programme that was launched last term has resulted in many kind and generous donations and intentions of legacy bequests to the school, which help us to build our Founders’ Awards Bursary Fund. This is a vital part of our Giving programme, and I thank all those of you who have already given or are considering giving, if in a position to do so.

As always, thank you for your continued support. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Summer Reunion in June.

Mrs Olivera Raraty Headmistress, MSJ

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ONE YEAR ON

by Lucy Walton, joint Head Girl, 2016-17

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fter finding out I had been accepted at Loughborough University to study Sport and Exercise Sciences, the following week we began hockey training to prepare for the season. We had a whole month of intense training before term began which gave me the opportunity to find my bearings and settle into Loughborough life.

The sport here is incredible and the support we receive as student athletes is exceptional. I have been fortunate to be in the performance squad for hockey and golf, meaning we receive supplemented support in physiotherapy, nutrition, psychology and strength and conditioning as well as having mentors to aid our studies. I have decided to put my focus on hockey but I am fortunate that I am able to play golf for the first team in their matches when we have no hockey fixtures. Our hockey season runs from September through to April, then we have training during the summer months.

Our weekly schedule is pretty busy with three gym sessions, four hockey training sessions and two matches.

We are extremely lucky to be able to play in the university hockey league as well as the National club league. Due to ongoing knee issues, I have been 'sat on the bench' during hockey matches, but this hasn’t stopped me being part of the team. Every match, I am in charge of substitutions, a task I never thought would be so difficult but with rolling people on and off every other minute, there is a lot of pressure. During the week we all have to analyse the previous match by watching the video back and we have one-to-one meetings with our coach once a fortnight.

Off the hockey pitch we have a full day of lectures except for a Wednesday, which is match day. So far my modules have included: physiology, sociology, teaching and coaching, pedagogy and biomechanics. We have just finished our first semester examinations and I had to email the MSJ Maths department for some practice questions for my biomechanics… I thought I had got rid of Maths after GCSE… But no!

The opportunities at Loughborough are fantastic and if there is one lesson I have learnt so far, it is to get involved in as much as you can. Every day there are dozens of societies you can be taking part in. I tried wheelchair

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basketball, yoga, UV Zumba and crocheting, none of which I was any good at.

We have just begun semester 2 so I am studying new modules and getting used to a new timetable again. I am very much hoping that I will be back out on the hockey pitch within the next month and playing the sport I love.

There is no time to be upset and down about an injury when you are so busy and you have a great team around you, supporting you every step of the way.

I am looking forward to coming back in the summer to see the next cohort of MSJ girls leave with smiles on their faces, ready to face the next adventure in their lives.

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Lucy with Jennifer Kirby and Nova Yu at Prizegiving in 2017

Lucy (back left) with team mates

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malvern ST JAMES MSJ 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS Head Girls’ & Deputy Head Girls’ Dinner To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of MSJ, Head Girls and Deputies from the last 10 years and their parents were invited to a dinner hosted by current Headmistress, Mrs Olivera Raraty and MSJ’s first Headmistress, Mrs Ros Hayes. The event was well-attended with representatives from nearly all years. Ros Hayes writes…

“As we gathered for drinks in the Drawing Room it was difficult to believe that a decade had passed since the merger of Malvern Girls’ College and St James’s School.

Although it would be fair to say that not everyone was happy about it at the time, 10 years on there can be very few people who doubt it was the right decision.

It was a delight to talk to past Head Girls and Deputies and hear about their experiences since leaving school, but, for me, it was especially pleasing to see Fran Clixby and Jenny Haighton, Head Girls from the merger year and one of their deputies, Jenny Kirby. Their commitment, strong leadership and support during that challenging first year had been crucial in helping girls adapt to the new school and forge friendships across the new school community.

Over a delicious dinner, I enjoyed reminiscing about some

of the tricky situations they had to deal with during their year in office and hearing a slightly different perspective on those early days.

Many present will have joined the school after it was established as Malvern St James, so it was good to be able to share with them some of the early challenges. Following the merger announcement, there were only six months to get ready to open the new school in September 2006. Six months to create a new brand, a new school uniform, new signage, letter headings, reorganise classrooms, adapt the curriculum and most importantly, select the staff needed to provide the best educational and boarding experience possible.

A fiercely loyal Leadership Team, undaunted by long hours and determined to make a success of this new venture, ensured this herculean task was a success. Mrs Sarah Musgrave, Deputy Head (2006-2013) and Mrs Joan Newby, current Director of Pastoral Care, attended the dinner as representatives of the original team and enjoyed catching up with girls and parents.

The happy evening was a real testament to the success of the last 10 years. During that time the school has achieved a reputation as one of the leading all-girls’ boarding and day schools and I am confident, that under the Headship of Mrs Olivera Raraty, we will be celebrating another 10 years in 2027."

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10th anniversary

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10th anniversary

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MALVERN ST JAMES

INDIA WILKINSON YEAR 13 STUDENT LIBBY WILKINSON HERE PAYS TRIBUTE TO HER SISTER, INDIA, WHO DIED SHORTLY BEFORE CHRISTMAS FROM A BRAIN TUMOUR

“My beautiful sister India died on Monday 11th December 2017. I write this just under 2 months since she died; as my family and I have stumbled through our grief we have been able to find comfort in the many memories we shared with India.

MSJ was such a huge part of India’s life; she started school here in Year 6 and left the Christmas of Year 13 when her cancer was diagnosed. I clearly remember the Open Day we came to for our tour of MSJ. We explored the ‘castle’ it seemed to be, wide-eyed and excited. We had never been to a school like this and it was just amazing. My parents knew this was the place for India: as a 10 year old she was remarkably unique and they hoped MSJ could foster and nurture this independence. It always did.

As India progressed through the school, she excelled in all her studies, obtaining scholarships, academic awards and much more. MSJ also helped her develop an appreciation for art. Mr Terry is hugely to thank for this. It always struck me how India was fascinated by art yet at the same time viewed the world so scientifically. I have many fond memories of going to art galleries with India for her GCSE coursework, from the Saatchi gallery to exhibitions at Somerset House. She had an incredible mind and this was so beautifully portrayed in her artwork which I see around the school.

It was later in her time at MSJ that India found her love for Chemistry, inspired by the teachings of Mr Harris and Dr Guy. I could never understand India’s fascination, but it was the subject that captivated her. Her ultimate goal was to attend St Andrew’s to study Chemistry, and I have no doubt that if India’s life had not been cut short, she would have been an amazing scientist. The world is truly poorer for this loss.

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Another key part of India’s Sixth Form life at MSJ was her position in the netball team. When she decided she wanted to play netball, it wasn’t something she had done much before. She never let this stop her and trained tirelessly to earn her place on the A team, something she was so proud of. The determination she learnt became so important when she had to learn to walk and talk again after her initial surgery.

Many of the important lessons she learnt at MSJ carried forward into her recovery. I was so honoured to watch my extraordinary sister face her illness as she did. Her true grit and dedication has been an inspiration to all around her. We knew her cancer was terminal yet she still kept going. More than that, she travelled the world, sky-dived, parachuted and so much more.

India (left) with Libby

India’s life should have been much longer, but in her few years she so graciously embodied all that it is to be an MSJ girl. She was brave, courageous, unique, committed and truly exceptional. I wish I could have more time with India but I know that my life will forever be shaped by the time I did spend with her.

I really could not be more proud of my incredible sister.”

in memoriam India created a 3 minute film, Inside My Head in which she talks about her illness and movingly explains why we should always be kind. It can be seen at http://bit.ly/2ocVRvp

India (left) at an OGA Committee meeting with Elysia Garland

Ms Marina Stentiford, Head of Prep: “Academically gifted, a Sports Leader, fiercely independent and unwavering when expressing her own identity; India routinely inspired others to work hard and achieve their best. A role model to younger girls, she supported many of them on the sports fields and in other activities. India’s legacy lives on in every effort they make to do that little bit better next time, to be true to themselves and to explore the world round them. India was many things to many people, yet here, in Prep, to me, she will always be the serious young girl discussing possible new horizons.”

Cliona Maley: "Indi was the most life-changing person that I will ever meet.

She taught me the true meaning of love and friendship. She was a gentle giant who quietly loved science, netball and a plethora of fandoms, who wasn’t afraid to be herself or show people what she loved."

Ellie Revill:

In the OGA office, we were proud to have India as our Prefect; but far more than that, India was loved, respected and admired by friends, school and House staff. A tribute day to India is planned for 13th October 2018, with an Old Girls/MSJ netball tournament, the instalment of an artwork at MSJ in her memory, and a fundraising dinner for St Michael’s Hospice in Hereford who supported India and her family. Please look out for further information from the OGA.

"Indi stands out to me as an incredible, exuberant and wonderfully eccentric friend. Ind was unapologetically herself and with that so easy to love - to see her was to smile."

Henrietta Hunter-Hamilton: "On my first visit to MSJ I met a humdinger of a human. I’m so glad I met her and yes, when a person dies they become our hero. But she truly was a hero until her last breath. She will be in my memories for the rest of my life."

Dr Sarah Guy, India’s Chemistry teacher and Sixth Form Tutor: "India had the rare gift of being able to look at Chemistry from unusual angles and to think about problems differently. She would have made an amazing research scientist I am sure.

The picture of India and Chemis-tree (right) was taken just the week before we broke for Christmas 2015, when India was in Year 13. The look of joy and concentration as she gently draped the delicate, newly formed nylon thread on our Chemis-tree epitomised her love of Chemistry and how I remember her best."

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LETTER FROMVICTORIA OXFORD GAWLIK A

s the days have just started turning, I’ve been experiencing the yearly ‘firsts’ that have come to characterise my time here. The first walk around Christchurch Meadow in the spring sunshine, the first netball match, a first trip to the ice cream shop (although it’s probably still too early for that!). Of course, all these firsts are mingled with my knowledge that it is the last time I’ll experience them, making each one bittersweet. Coming to my final terms in the three years I’ve been at Oxford, I’m ever more aware of the wonderful environment around me.

As an English student, I’ve already completed a third of my degree in coursework. At the moment, I am working towards my dissertation, which should (hopefully!) be the culmination of the research and academic skills that I’ve developed over my degree. I’m writing on the poetry of R.F. Langley, a poet I was introduced to in Lower Sixth by Mr Morris. It’s wonderful to be able to connect my school studies and my degree work together in this way. Langley was influenced by the work of American poet Charles Olson.

As part of my dissertation, I was very lucky to win a travel scholarship from the Master of Univ to go to the US and undertake archival study in North Carolina and Connecticut, whilst making stops in New York and San Francisco along the way. The opportunity to access these materials was unprecedented and has dramatically altered my project.

I’ve been in contact with Langley’s family, who are delighted that I’m working on him, and have even asked to read the piece when it’s done, which certainly puts the pressure on!

I was very pleased to receive a visit from Mrs Winwood, my old Form Tutor, earlier this term. I always welcome an opportunity to get outside the ‘Oxford bubble’, in addition to seeing Angela Liu, who is a fresher studying at St Hilda’s College. I’ve noticed this term that my friends and I have Victoria features in the Martin Parr book about Oxford life

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really buckled down to begin the hard work for our final examinations. Finals are notorious for the hours they demand you spend in the library, and I’ve enjoyed what I consider to be a new hobby in café-hopping, from one wifihotspot to the next. However, the approach of Finals hasn’t quelled our ability to have fun just yet, and this term we have our annual subject formals, along with a special formal for the University College Players. The Players are the college drama society, and I was President last year. I have

Directing at the dress rehearsal for Volpone

been heavily involved with drama throughout my university career, moving from acting to directing and producing, which has given me experience on both sides of the stage. My last production was directing Ben Jonson’s Volpone, but set in Blackpool in 1982. This was a university-wide production, with members of the team coming from about 15 colleges.

I’ve been so grateful for how many people drama has helped me to meet. After my exams, I’m hoping to get involved with some productions going to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer. I’m also finishing up as Editor for The Mays, an Oxford-Cambridge new writing anthology, and I’ve been playing a lot of netball and lacrosse (which might come as a surprise to those who played with me at school!).

Most of all, I’m looking forward to the months after Finals. I remember last summer, when we would take punts out for hours at a time and picnic on the river, and doze in Port Meadow with cows nearby. On my travel scholarship over the summer, I was very privileged to stay with many old members of my college.

They all told me how much they loved this time, in the sense of fulfilment in each moment knowing you have done the hard work, and that now all there is to do is enjoy the company of the people who have touched your life. It’s a thought to get you through those days in the Upper Bodleian Library!

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Victoria with The Thinker outside the Legion of Honour in San Francisco

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KATHERINE BARNES BSC BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE, OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY (MSJ 2015)

Katie is in her final year of a BSc in Biomedical Science at Oxford Brookes University and has created an e-mentoring programming for teenagers and young people with type 1 diabetes.

school with diabetes, and there is no family history either.

Consequently, I didn’t have many places to turn to when looking for advice and was frequently left feeling isolated when considering challenges with my illness. My parents and friends tried their hardest to provide support but without direct experience of the condition, it was difficult for them to truly understand and relate to how I was feeling. In addition, there is currently a lack of meeting groups or online forums for people of a comparable age, which further hampered access to support.

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ype 1 diabetes is frequently diagnosed in adolescence with the peak onset of the condition arising at 12 years of age. The impact of the condition is chronic and has a significant impact on daily life, requiring numerous long- term lifestyle and behavioural adaptations to maintain optimal blood glucose levels. Without sufficient control, patients may suffer detrimental and severely debilitating secondary illnesses such as sight and limb loss.

Furthermore, lifestyle changes associated with the disease can be draining and psychological illnesses are frequently witnessed in diabetics. Diabetes-related stress affects a considerable number of individuals in the UK. However, it has been noted that support from a comparable member of society may reduce the impacts and instances of mental health conditions linked to diabetes.

On 8th August 2012, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Immediately, many aspects of my life changed, from monitoring my blood sugar and injecting insulin numerous times a day, to changes in daily tasks such as a walk to the shops, eating at restaurants, going on holidays, and much more. All of these changes were draining. At the time of diagnosis, and for most of my teenage years, I didn’t know anyone else with the condition. There was nobody at my

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For these reasons, as well as a desire to engage the public with scientific research, I decided to set up a bespoke e-mentoring service for type 1 diabetic patients aged 13 to 18 as an undergraduate project. As someone who had been through many of the situations that this target audience would be facing with their diabetes, I felt that I would be in a good position to provide support and advice from a different perspective to that of their clinicians.

Currently, the e-mentoring programme is going through evaluation stages. Here, people have been asked to view the site and provide feedback using a questionnaire, created specifically for the programme. Using this feedback, it is hoped that amendments can be made to the online site prior to release for eligible patients.

When live, the participants will follow the programme for a four week period. Each week has a specific theme relating to many aspects affecting type 1 diabetics, including eating and drinking, and special considerations such as driving and stress. To successfully deliver a stimulating experience for participants, I have created videos to discuss my own experiences and the weekly topic, as well as adding web links, leaflets and chat rooms. The chat rooms were added following market testing with some patients from Worcester Diabetes Girls’ Group, who fitted the inclusion criteria for the programme. They stated that what they wanted most was to be able to freely discuss their problems and get support from people who understood

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how they felt, and ‘just got’ their frustrations. To fully enable members of the forum to freely express themselves, it was decided that the site should be anonymised, which the girls agreed with.

As part of the preparation for delivering a well structured and successful mentoring programme, I have become an e-mentor for Year 12 students.

This online programme is delivered by the charity Brightside to help students during their application to university and has enabled me to gain knowledge of mentor-mentee relationships and establishing rapport with younger individuals.

By running this programme the aim was to address the question ‘Do type 1 diabetic patients between 13 to 18 year olds demonstrate improved blood glucose control and psychological management following mentor directed digital engagement?’ In order to evaluate the success of the programme, patients will have an HbA1c reading (a measure of blood glucose levels over a 12 week period) taken prior to the study as part of their normal clinical appointments. They will be asked to fill in a well supported questionnaire known as PEDs-QL, which aims to measure perceived quality of life and psychological wellbeing. The measurements will be repeated subsequent to participation in the E-mentoring programme. It is hoped that there will be improvements in the HbA1c and PEDs-QL score. Analysis of the results will help to demonstrate improvement in blood glucose control and psychological wellbeing as a consequence of participation in the programme.

When discussing my project with other people I have been surprised by the sheer amount of interest that there has been in the programme and its future potential to impact healthcare and patients suffering from a wide array of conditions. I was also shocked when Worcestershire Royal Hospital Paediatric Diabetes Department told me that they are in support of the project and would facilitate the recruitment of participants and collection of their data. If the predicted results are seen, we would

like to progress the site further in the future. We would also like to increase the length of participation, introduce more areas such as goal setting, and collaborate with more hospital trusts.

Creating the programme has been a very challenging but rewarding process but I am thankful for all of the opportunities it has provided for me and the long-standing connections I have made with charities and influential professionals in the field. In addition, I have learnt many techniques including filming and editing, alongside web page design and social media skills. On a personal level, I have been able to consider the effect of the condition on my life, and fully appreciate how medical research has impacted the lives of many others with chronic illnesses.

The vast improvements in technology have revolutionised medicine, and will continue to do so. This is an area that I am particularly interested in and will follow very closely over the coming years.

I am incredibly grateful that my project has granted me numerous opportunities, including the offer of a PhD, increased interest in medical technology, and a greater desire to pursue a career in medicine. However, following completion of my undergraduate degree in biomedical science, I hope to explore a wider range of careers available to me and share my experiences to those less fortunate than myself at home in England and further afield.

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MSJ Sixth Form Experience MSJ was delighted to have two Old Girl Guest Speakers at the Sixth Form Experience in October 2017. The event is organised for Year 11 girls so that they can get a feel of what lies ahead in Sixth Form and see what some of our young alumnae are up to.

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sabel Rawlings, a 2016 Leaver, is now in her second year at Cardiff reading Law. She became the Vice President of the Law Society in her first year and has kept her eye on the ball in terms of gathering work experience. She was the youngest intern in her cohort at investment bank Goldman Sachs, where she worked in the Global Investment Research unit looking at macro and micro economics. Isabel studied English, Physics and Economics at MSJ, she was our Deputy Head Girl, editor of the school magazine, English Literature subject mentor, Young Enterprise Managing Director and on the organising Committee for Model United Nations and the Summer Ball.

Sophy Coombes-Roberts left MSJ in 2012 and went on to read Philosophy, Politics and Theology at Exeter. She

graduated in 2015 and since then has been working for Sky Sports as a publicist.

A long-time lover of sport, Sophy works on cricket, football, women’s sport and athlete management. From organising promotional football shoots with Thierry Henry and Jack Whitehall, and press days with Jess EnnisHill and Sir Chris Hoy, to working with sports fans such as Micky Flanagan, Jeff Bridges and Wretch 32 – “there is never a dull day”. She is also an on-screen social media reporter for Sky Sportswomen.

As well as working for Sky, Sophy is a current Welsh International Lacrosse player and has played in two World Cups (2013 and 2017), two European Championships (2012 and 2015) and was named as one of the top 12 players in Europe in 2015. She is also part of the Sky Sports tennis team that finished third in the corporate tennis league this year.

Sophy (right) with a Year 11 MSJ student

Isobel Rawlings, Mrs Raraty and Sophy Coombes-Roberts

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Sixth Formers with Mrs Hemphill (Lewis)

NEWS Invitation to the Palace Katie Barnes (2015) writes: “In May 2017 Buckingham Palace hosted a Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award presentation ceremony, which Alannah Byrne (MSJ 2016) and myself attended. This was a very rare opportunity as it was only the second presentation day held here, with most ceremonies taking place at St James’ Palace. Presentation of the award was conducted by Steph McGovern, BBC Breakfast reporter. She delivered a very inspirational speech, stating that the most motivational and memorable individuals are those that confront adversity. She highlighted that many of the key skills developed through D of E would enhance our future and job prospects, acknowledging many challenges facing young people entering the job market. Receiving my certificate felt incredibly special. 250,000 young people embark upon their D of E each year and only 11,000 achieve their Gold award (with only 3,000 being invited to Buckingham Palace).

Completing the award has been incredibly rewarding and provided a sense of fulfilment as I was able to overcome many personal obstacles, requiring dedication and hard work. It has enabled me to develop skills in many areas, which I know will remain with me as I move through university and into my career.”

Wedding Belle Charlotte Laidlaw (Mason, MSJ 2010) was married on 2nd September 2017 at St James’s Church in Colwall. “It was full of Old Girls and staff – two of my bridesmaids were from MSJ, Rebecca Fisher and Stephanie Hencher; we were married by Rev Anne Lanyon-Hogg; Mrs Lynne Lindner sang as part of the choir; Mrs Sue Adeney did a reading and many other Old Girls were guests and part of the choir.” Charlotte is now an opera singer and vocal tutor, having graduated from Manchester Conservatoire.

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MALVERN ST JAMES The Jenny Lind Singers Mrs Sarah Musgrave, former Deputy Head of MSJ, writes: “On 23rd December 2017, The Jenny Lind Singers presented a beautiful programme of Christmas music, including Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, at Elmslie House (formerly Lawnside’s The Grove building) in Malvern.

The all-female vocal group is named after the renowned ‘Swedish Nightingale’ who lived in Malvern for the latter part of her life and who was a well-known benefactor of education and the arts. The character Jenny Lind appears in the recent film release, The Greatest Showman.

The Jenny Lind Singers was formed 5 years ago and the group brings together young women who began their musical training at Malvern St James and are now spread across the country in their various occupations.

They perform under the direction of Lynne Lindner who is Director of Performance and Vocal Studies at the school.

This Christmas performance, accompanied by Piers Maxim and Malcolm Macleod (piano) and Rita Schindler (harp), was dedicated to the memory of India Wilkinson. The programme also included a well loved favourite with The Singers and their audience – The Snow by Elgar, accompanied on this occasion by Catherine Okey and Grace Higgins (flutes), who also performed solo items. Other soloists were Charlotte Laidlaw (Mason), Hannah Buckley (Evans), Rebecca Fisher, Zara Edwards, Gabriella Grandi and current student Lara Maylor-Wrout. They sang to a packed house and received a standing ovation.

The concert raised £600 for St Michael’s Hospice near Hereford, where India spent the last weeks of her life, and Bernard and Anna Taylor of Elmslie House, current parents at the school, matched the funds raised to bring the total donation to £1,200.”

THE MSJ CAREERS FAIR – INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

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hanks to Old Girls including architect Camilla Finlay (Clews, MGC 1995), Lucinda Sanders (Coghlan, MGC 1995) from Carter Jonas, landscape architect Felicity Robinson (Rivett, MGC 1973), midwife Melissa Baker (Farbon 1993) and Dr Sarah Froggatt (MGC 1983), who took part in the MSJ Careers Fair, as well as Nicholas Burt, husband of Isabel Burt (Bomford, Lawnside 1993).

Camilla Finlay and Lucinda Sanders

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Visit to Warwick University Thanks to MSJ 2015 Leavers Mandy Chan, Ivy Qiu and Karen Yung who showed current MSJ girls studying maths around Warwick University, where they are all in their third year.

Mandy, Karen and Ivy with Mrs Bell and Mrs Winwood from MSJ’s Maths department

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GREENSLADE REFURB G

reenslade Boarding House is currently being refurbished to create a ‘transition to university’ Year 13 boarding experience. Steady progress has been made in Greenslade throughout the year, including a complete rewiring.

The ground floor is undergoing a refit to create a relaxing reception area, open plan study areas, tutorial room, large open plan kitchen where girls can have breakfast and cook their own meals and various social spaces. “This is a whole new way of boarding for the girls, one which promotes independence which will in turn prepare them for life beyond school”, says Miss Anouska van Ravenstein, Head of Boarding.

The House will feel sophisticated and modern and we are confident the new residents will find it homely whilst being different from what they have previously experienced in boarding. The school is currently working with a committee of Year 12 boarders to help out with choices over furnishings and dorms. It is all looking good for our official Greenslade re-launch at the end of August. “I am really looking forward to moving up to the new-look Greenslade next year. The plans look exciting and I love the grey, teal and mustard yellow colour scheme; it’s sophisticated and grown up. I know living there will really prepare me for university life”, says current Year 12, Hajar Zubairu.

The refurbished Greenslade will enable all Year 13 girls to not only study together in School but also to enjoy community life in the House. “All girls can enjoy friendships and community living across the year group”, says Mrs Olivera Raraty, Headmistress. This will encourage more flexi boarding alongside full boarding in the Sixth Form. What better preparation for the next stage?

VISITORS TO MSJ Liza and Ulkar with Mrs Huntley

Ulkar Akhundova and Liza Kovalevych visited in the New Year. Ulkar is studying Digital Culture at King’s College London and Liza is studying Marketing at Westminster University.

Tiffany Au and Kimmy Kong visited and met with Heily Lam, Mrs Joan Newby, Mrs Rachel Huntley and Mrs Zoe Hemphill. Tiffany is studying Engineering at Southampton and Kimmy is studying Animation at Kingston, London.

Georgie Kwok, Amal, Ife and Harmony

2014 Leavers Georgie Kwok, Amal Zain Azlan Idris, Harmony Chan and Ife Otegbeye visited in 2017.

Other visitors include Leanne Hui, now based in London, Anna Senkevich studying for a PhD at Bath and Veda Lui, a Management Accountant at EY in Hong Kong.

Tiffany and Kimmy visit MSJ

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MALVERN ST JAMES

GRAPEVINE

By Lynne Lindner, MSJ’s Director of Performance and Vocal Studies

This past year has been a whirlwind of fairytale weddings and opportunities to meet with Old Girls and learn of their adventures and successes.

Charlotte Jackson (Winter-Taylor), Hannah Wetherill (Gayler), Julia Boulton (Leonard), Charlotte Laidlaw (Mason) and Hannah Buckley (Evans) from St James’s all tied the knot and had beautiful services with glorious music.

You’ll have read on page 106 about the Jenny Lind Singers' Christmas Concert at Elmslie, and I am also involved with the The MSJ Community Chorus – this exciting venture has attracted more than 60 singers from across the MSJ community (more on page 85). It has been heart warming to see familiar and new faces all enjoying crafting sounds and making uplifting music together.

Charlotte Jackson's wedding

Natalie Halliday (MSJ 2008), who is a cellist, recently performed in a beautiful concert with Mike Halliday and Tim Sidford at Christ Church. Many former staff, friends and girls from MSJ were there to support this concert.

Livia King (MGC) will be returning to Elmslie House on Saturday 21st April after eight months on the high seas as a performer for Silversea Cruises to perform Silver Siren: A Homecoming Cabaret. The programme will include art song, cabaret, musical theatre and opera featuring Grieg, Mozart, Fauré, Britten, Kurt Weill, Noel Coward and Stephen Sondheim.

Tickets available from www.elmsliehouse.co.uk, Malvern Tourist Information Centre or www.eventbrite.co.uk

Juliet and Gareth Boulton

On 18th February 2018, a Malvern contingent of 15 including Ros Hayes, Sarah Musgrave, Greer Owen, staff, Old Girls and parents travelled to London to support Malcolm Forbes-Peckham, who was playing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue at the Cadogan Hall. It was a stupendous performance to a packed audience and we were all so proud to celebrate Malcolm’s success as he climbs the ladder in London’s musical scene. His next gig is Associate Musical Director of Broadway’s The King and I at the Palladium in the summer.

Charlotte Laidlaw (Mason) is currently singing for Bergen Opera in Wagner’s Flying Dutchman and Verdi Requiem, a remarkable achievement for this young soprano.

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Hannah Buckley, Georgie Rees, China Drew, Charlotte Adeney and Rhiannon Allen

MALVERN ST JAMES Grace Higgins (MSJ 2015): This flautist is flying in her second year at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and we look forward to hearing her play soon.

Kirsty Haines (MSJ 2015) continues her training as a Royal Marine musician. Kirsty and her mother, Wendy, who are staunch supporters of MSJ, attended the poignant Remembrance Service in November 2017 at Malvern Priory with MSJ. Emma Gayler and Hannah Wetherill

Elizabeth Rita Scott (St J’s 2005), former Head Girl, is in demand as a makeup artist and hair stylist in London. She is currently working for Nivea and The Voice and recently for the BAFTAs and Brits.

Felicity Houlbrooke (St J’s 2005), former Deputy Head Girl, is heading to New York to appear in a production Off-Broadway.

Grace Crane (MSJ 2009) is a photographer who specialises in stunning photos of the Malvern Hills. Thanks to Grace for our beautiful cover photo.

Gabi Grandi and Rebecca Fisher

Musicians at Hannah Buckley's wedding Malcolm Forbes-Peckham, Rebecca Fisher, Giselle Pearson, Hannah, Lynne, Catherine Okey, Zara Edwards and Malcolm Macleod

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MALVERN ST JAMES

Alexandra and Anthony Thornton-Hopwood

Rebecca Fisher (MSJ 2011) is currently working as a Foundation Doctor in Cheltenham. Becky is the editor of the textbook Introduction to Surgery for Students which was published by Springer Publishing in August 2017. Over 11,000 copies have so far been downloaded by medics around the world.

Saska Ingham (MSJ 2013) gained a First Class degree and continues to model. See Harpers Bazaar Spring edition – elegant, demure and ravishing.

Cliona Maley (MSJ 2016) and Sasha Lloyd (MSJ 2017), former Heads of Choir, were selected for the Three Choirs Youth Choir and sang There was a Child written by composer

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Jonathan Dove. It was an extraordinary evening of music making.

Zara Edwards (MSJ 2012) continues her exciting Music Theatre course at London College of Music and has secured the lead in her second year productions – as Desdemona in Macbeth and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.

Felicity Rogers (St J’s 2006) is a remarkable young soprano who is involved with top class music making.

Felicity is a freelance Soprano based in Birmingham.

She is an inaugural Scholar with choir Ex Cathedra, recently recording a CD of Roxanna Panufnik’s choral music. She also sings with Armonico Consort and St

MALVERN ST JAMES

Chad’s Cathedral Choir. Her work has seen her perform at The Royal Albert Hall, Sadler’s Wells, The Coliseum, Birmingham Hippodrome, Symphony Hall and Alhambra Palace. Felicity is Voice Coach and Choir Librarian at Birmingham Cathedral.

Alex Thornton-Hopwood (St James’s 2003): We are delighted that Alex has found time to sing in our Community Choir in between running Sidney House, B&B in Great Malvern. Sidney House is stunning, having been newly refurbished and decorated. www.sidneyhouse.co.uk

Felicity Rogers

Flautists Stephen Bennett and Grace Higgins

Elizabeth Rita Scott

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Eleri Clarke and Cliona Maley Saska Ingham modelling in Harpers Bazaar magazine

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Lynne Lindner with Kirsty and Wendy Haines

Livia King

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MALVERN ST JAMES

NEWS FROM THE STAFF ROOM MRS RACHEL HUNTLEY

person that she would respect. I have memories of watching Daisy Pulls It Off in Mount gardens, watching Flora play lacrosse at the Nationals at Wycombe, and Flora’s account of being illegally in the lift, only for the doors to open and to find Miss Tudsbery-Turner stood facing her. This scenario is something that still happens today, only it is now invariably me that the girls see when the lift doors open... Shock… Horror… "Sorry, Mrs Huntley".

My memories of St James’s are of working under Hilary Martin who was amazing!

Sitting in the wonderful Common Room overlooking the hills and dells of Herefordshire, and watching Marina Stentiford establish the Prep Department, with little mites like Rebecca Fisher – now a mighty medic – following in her wake.

A

fter about 16 years of playing tennis, being on committees, helping in a small business and being a mummy, I never expected a second career. I had loved teaching History, Ancient History and current affairs in my early 20s at West Heath School in Kent, but children, friends and family had taken over once we moved to Herefordshire.

I started teaching in Learning Support at St James's and then MGC, only just overlapping with Flora who was a full boarder at The Mount under the wonderful care of Liz Prophet, chosen because we felt Flora needed a formidable

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Teaching girls one-to-one is a great privilege and brings a different dimension to the experience. I remember having really interesting conversations with Frances Reed about Art, or puzzling over a poem with others. This has probably been part of what I still enjoy about teaching in MSJ, where we create something bespoke to individuals. Late into the evening, girls will knock on my door, whether it is Saphie Soros-White discussing the Mock Election, Henrietta Hunter-Hamilton working out how EXACTLY do you source questions, or recently, Margot Bondarchuk discussing Climate and History for Oxford Entrance.

What I have loved about teaching at MSJ is the unbridled enthusiasm the girls I teach have for learning and experimentation, even if their History teacher is rather scary! Recently I was thrilled to have a delegation of 3 Year 8s (probably the other two for ‘protection’) asking if, instead of doing a ‘Roller Coaster’ of 16th century Religion, they could make a comparative model of a Catholic church and a Protestant church… would I mind?

My classroom teaching started really with Critical Thinking, encouraged by Ros Hayes. It was meant to be only Year 10s, but then I got a delegation of Year 11 girls, led by Lucy Darling, saying that they wanted to do this in their spare time – would I teach them? Next, I migrated to History and

MALVERN ST JAMES

my first cohort was Fiona Sedgley, a memorable Head Girl, Alice Ogilvie Smals and others. Then I really got going…

One of my passions (and at times hugely annoying for others, I fear) is to see what other schools are doing – especially in the co-ed sector, and realise that there is no reason why MSJ can’t do the same if not better. This has made me an awful agitator! So my first campaign was to introduce US university preparation and take girls off in crocodile style to Oxford Colleges to meet Old Girls and friends. Alice Porter and Lucy Darling were our first hosts, then Jess Wright and more recently, Victoria Gawlik and Anna Baird have been wonderful. I feel it is great for our girls, at 14 years of age, to meet girls like this and feel that they too can achieve what these amazing OGs have done.

The next thing was Model United Nations (MUN), FUN and Socials. How to get girls to get to know boys, work alongside them and avoid gruesome discos. Heather Cardy and I were ‘Team Socials’ and we contacted and mercilessly pursued any boys’ school who in a weak moment agreed to host us. Early on, this involved developing an interest in croquet on the basis that housemasters (well, ok, some of them) like croquet and this would go well with a barbeque.

So summer outings took place to Shrewsbury and Eton for wonderful afternoons of barbecues, socials and possibly Pimms. This was expanded to Reeling as the Caledonian Societies in boys’ schools (and many universities) are thriving and involve dinners. I have memories of Georgie Kwok and her friends in the coach only really going because they were too polite to refuse, and coming home having had a good time.

What never ceases to amaze me is the MSJ girl. After a pep talk on the bus, they walk into the social, mix up, chat, introduce people round and not a phone in sight, or a bored ‘I am too cool’ look either. The Housemasters say they like MSJ girls because they are comfortable in their own skin, not desperate, not too cool or bored, but fun! I do feel there is something of a cross between Joyce Grenfell and Miss Trunchbull about me, but the girls are unceasingly appreciative, great company and rewarding.

Wine tasting was a bit of a brave concept with visions of girls being carried senseless up to Poulton. My first wine tasting (ably assisted by my husband Andrew) was Champagne. The heat in Lawnside meant that all the corks shot up to the ceiling and sounded like the charge of the Light Brigade. Sarah Holdsworth was an early President of Wine Soc and took it up a notch with her connections with port houses and a good nose. Probably our most memorable event was an overnight stay at Eton.

I was eager to wrap the blind tasting bottles in silver foil, but in this case, decanters were more their style. Kellina Gannon, Georgie Kwok, Harriet Gloag and Lucinda Ellaway-Bell were in the party. Needless to say, some met boys at these parties and five or more years later, still see them. A half page article in The Independent and The Times followed about ‘Why in an age of binge drinking, would you teach girls about wine tasting’ with the brave encouragement of Ros Hayes.

Finally, FUN at MUN. Where shall I start? In 2008, my partner-in-crime was Jenny Mann, now Major. Edinburgh became legendary for various reasons and our early cohort was Emma Leese, Jackie Koh, Ali Robb, Raja, Toria Jackson, Naomi Hoggett and Tamsin Elsey. Seeing these girls arrive shaking in their shoes at a conference of 700 delegates from all over the world and seeing them speak to the 700 from the platform and win a top award was amazing - as they turned and cheered Jenny and me, tears of pride streamed down our faces! More recently, Lucy Hutton’s induction into going away with me on an MUN trip was me leaving my suitcase behind and surviving almost a whole weekend in one set of clothes, and Jenni Chuck’s very forbearing nature with the ‘Huntley banter’. Henrietta Hunter-Hamilton and Ellie Revill arrived in my office one day saying that as they weren’t prefects, they wanted to do something and it was going to be an MUN conference. So started out our first MSJMUN adventure.

There is more, but I would like to also say what brilliant friends and colleagues I have had at MSJ. Head of Year 9, Karen Hubbard, has been a stalwart colleague and a great sounding board, and the teams I have worked with have been enriching. We have laughed and, at difficult times, kept going together. New York YMCA comes to mind and dancing in Hard Rock Café in Washington, encouraged by my supportive colleagues and Tito Otegbeye and co, who really knew how to dance. There are probably more tales of Life in the History and Politics classroom which will out at some stage, when I am safely recovering in retirement.

To any Old Girls who survived my teaching and various adventures, do get in touch. I would love to see you. huntlr@malvernstjames.co.uk

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HONORARY MEMBERS

ROS HAYES

Headmistress MSJ 2006-10 and St James’s 2003-6 “Late one evening at the end of July, I remembered that I had not shut up my chickens. Fearful that they might make a fox a hearty breakfast, I ‘nipped’ down the garden to close the pen door. It was the last time I ‘nipped’ anywhere for nearly 6 months!! Slipping on the grass, I fell on my ankle, broke my fibula and damaged some tendons. Naively, I thought once the plaster was off, life would return to normal, but it was not to be; I am still not able to play tennis, although I have recently joined a dance class to try to improve my agility.

However, I did manage to get to the World Championships at the Olympic Park, with the help of Miss Owen and Mrs Shindler, and saw some amazing athletics. Sadly, Mo did not win his 5000m, but it was exciting to see him run his last major track race. However, the GB relay teams made up for it. The stadium was electrified as GB Men 4 x 100 crossed the line to win Gold followed by the GB Women taking Silver in their event.

Music has never been my strength, but I was persuaded to join the MSJ Community Chorus and I am really enjoying trying something different, although it is a very steep learning curve! It is lovely to see so many Old Girls attending. It is always inspiring to meet up with past students and the Jenny Lind Concert at Elmslie, just before Christmas, provided an opportunity to catch up with so many of our talented OGs. In January, I was invited to the 21st birthday of the daughter (Beth) of a St James’s OG, Natasha Phillips-Holt.

“It is never too late in life to have a genuine adventure” (Robert Kurson, American author) is a favourite quote of mine. So, with my ankle now on the mend, I look forward to 2018 and new challenges.”

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IN MEMORIAM Mrs Alison Hewitt, Director of Teaching & Learning at MSJ 2007-17

A

lison died on September 11th 2017 after suffering a massive brain haemorrhage whilst out running with friends. Mrs Raraty, Headmistress of MSJ, said at the time, “As individuals and as a community we feel incredibly sad for the loss of not just someone we worked with, but a friend, who brought something special to our lives. Alison has been an important part of MSJ since she joined ten years ago. She was passionate about English teaching and gave her best for all of our girls. Malvern St James is the richer for her contribution.”

Sarah Musgrave, former Deputy Head of MSJ, comments, “From the moment she attended interview at Malvern St James, Alison impressed us with her excellent presentational skills and her knowledge of all educational matters.

It was, however, her unique ability to combine high quality classroom teaching and a passion for learning with sensitivity for the individual which made her an outstanding and well-respected teacher."

"All who encountered Alison at MSJ appreciated that she had a special gift of extending kindness and compassion to those in difficulty. She went out of her way to find solutions to problems, whether it was a student’s particular choice of subjects or a member of staff struggling with a demanding

personal situation. She treated all members of the school with respect and consideration. Alison cared deeply for all she worked with and she will be greatly missed by students and colleagues alike.”

Judy Palmer, former IT Support Manager at MSJ, adds, “Outside the school environment, Alison was a loving and fun mum to her two teenage daughters, welcoming friends into their home and accompanying the girls to concerts and the like. She was a keen music lover and cellist but was an even keener runner, taking part in many Park Runs in Hereford.

At these runs, Alison’s personality shone through and she could be seen encouraging those people who were struggling, urging them on with cries of “You can do it”. This was accompanied at all times by her lovely smile! When she had the time, Alison was always ready to meet for coffee and cake or lunch with friends, colleagues and ex-colleagues; these occasions involved much chatting, much putting the world to rights and many laughs. She is sorely missed by all of us who knew her.”

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THE FOUNDERS’ AWARDS

H

olly Harvey and Lara Maylor-Wrout are this year’s Year 12 students who have been given a Founders’ Award, the school’s most prestigious scholarship.

The Founders’ programme was launched in 2015 to recognise talent and to give opportunities to girls who couldn’t be at MSJ, or participate as fully, without bursary assistance.

Holly is studying Biology, Chemistry and English Literature at A Level and is undertaking an Extended Project Qualification, for which she is producing a children’s book. Over the course of the next few months, she will be making some serious decisions about whether to apply for Medicine or English Literature at university. She is aiming for Oxford or St Andrews.

Holly (left) and Lara in front of the Scholarship and Exhibition boards in York Hall

Lara Maylor-Wrout is also involved with Model United Nations and Choir and is an Expressive Arts 'ambassador' for Daring, one of the school ships. She is a Music Scholar and a chorister at Worcester Cathedral, and has performed at Buckingham Palace. Lara’s ambition is to study Medicine, and she is aiming for Oxford University. She is studying Biology, Chemistry, Maths and English Literature for A Level and her EPQ is about the future and ethics of genetic screening, and whether it will lead to genetic cleansing, with a focus on Downs Syndrome.

Lara joined MSJ for Sixth Form from Gloucester High School for Girls, a maintained-sector school. She feels that already she is reaping the rewards of an independent education.

“Because of my ambition to be a doctor, and to study at Oxford, I wanted good support and opportunities to give myself the best possible chance. There are so many more enrichment activities here. I am a founder of FemSoc (The Feminist Society), and a member of the Medical Society, Debating and MUN.

Holly (left) and Lara in the Science Lab

Before, the cut-off for the school day was 3.30pm, and being here and being able to stay later has really helped. I can access the Library and teachers when I need to. There are more leadership roles here and as a keen singer, I’ve enjoyed the many opportunities for public performance, such as Evensong at Tewkesbury Abbey.

Holly, from Gloucestershire, is a weekly boarder at MSJ and participates fully in all that the school has to offer her.

She is in the Lacrosse 1st team, and the Netball 2nd team, and outside of school she is a proficient sailor who has competed in national regattas. She is now aiming to get her instructor qualification.

MSJ is like a smaller version of university. You are given independence to work to your own schedule and on your own initiative, but all the while knowing that the support network of teachers and House staff is there for you. I feel that I am benefitting from more personal attention and this different approach to higher learning.”

She participates in the educational ‘top table’ activity of Model United Nations, where debating and critical thinking skills are tested in an environment that mimics the United Nations proper. Students represent countries in topical debates on anything from economics and aid programmes to ecological conservation. Some debates are planned and researched; others are off-the-cuff. Both provide great experience.

Holly agrees. “I am really enjoying Sixth Form, the greater responsibilities, independence and freedom. I am making the most of the drop-in sessions run by teachers and supported prep time to help my academic studies, but I’m also doing loads of other things which are useful and I really enjoy. When I came to MSJ, I was really shy. The opportunities that I have had here have built my confidence, and now I am not fazed by public speaking.

Holly is a Senior Vocalist, is in the Chamber Choir, and plays piano. She has leadership roles in the Prep department and at Hatfield House, and is an ‘ambassador’ for the Old Girls’ Association and Model United Nations.

Both of us feel very privileged to have been given a Founders’ Award, and to be role models for younger girls at MSJ. We have worked hard and the academic recognition and the bursary support makes a real difference.”

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ANNUAL GIVING

ANNUAL GIVING REPORT MARCH 2017 TO MARCH 2018

In the latter part of 2017, MSJ started a fundraising appeal for bursaries to support The Founders’ Awards, the scholarships that are bestowed on the most exceptional girls going into Sixth Form. We are very encouraged by the response we have had so far which will help sustain the awards going forward, and we thank everyone who has donated. Your gift will go towards creating a transformational experience for Award beneficiaries.

Miss Margaret Harper (MGC,1956) Mrs Rosemary Hoyes (Mason, MGC 1951) Mrs Jennifer Leigh Mitchell (Leigh-Bramwell, MGC 1967) Dr Rosemary Pepys (Penny, MGC 1998) Mrs Denise Smith (Quarmby, MGC 1946) Ms Sue Stubenvoll (Stiff, MGC 1964) Ms Bryony Tomlinson (MGC 2003)

The Old Girls’ Association

Legacy Intentions Miss Valerie Byrom-Taylor (Director of Music, St James’s) One anonymous

Parents’ Donations (2017 leavers) Major and Mrs Moran

Thank you for this very encouraging start, and for supporting Malvern St James and its pupils.

Mr and Mrs Phillips

If you are interested in knowing more about single gifts, regular giving or legacy intentions, and how they can help the work of the school, please get in touch with Fiona Meredith ~ oga@malvernstjames. co.uk

Other Legacies

Donations to the The Founders’ Awards Bursary Campaign have been gratefully received from the following:

Professor Barbara Heap Billing (MGC 1938)

Old Girls and Honorary Members Mrs Elizabeth Anson (Maude, St James’s 1957) Mrs Hilary Banner (Gardner, MGC 1968) Mrs Anne Borrowdale (Lea, MGC 1970) Mrs Susan Bourne (Clarke, MGC 1952) Mrs Gwen Curran (Britnell, Lawnside 1974) Mrs Kemi Elegbede (Ukonga, Lawnside 1990) Mrs Jennifer Finch (Longworth-Krafft, MGC 1967) Mrs Sarah Fontes (Tickle, MGC 1956) Mrs Judith Foord (Greenacre, St James’s 1950) Mrs Diana Francis (Slater, MGC 1956)

Mrs Ann Parrack (Talbot, MGC 1950) – November 1968 edition of MGC magazine.

Mrs Helen Schettini (Godfrey, MGC 1956) A further four anonymous donations

The school also provides bursary funding through working capital to a significant number of students every year but, typically for a girls’ school, Malvern St James has no endowment. Effective and continued fundraising therefore remains crucial to its ability to provide bursaries for girls from a wide range of backgrounds, ensuring that the school remains inclusive and diverse, and rewards talent regardless of circumstances.

Mrs Jenny Forrester-Wood – photo albums and a brochure of St James’s photos (prospectus) belonging to her late mother, Pamela Maslin (Ryland, St James’s 1931).

One anonymous donation

Mrs Margaret Warner (Shentall, MGC 1939) Miss Mary Bowker Ms Hilda MacClure (MGC 1940)

MSJ Archives Mrs Mary Laver and Mrs Jenni Chuck for the regular time they volunteer with the Archives.

The Friends of MSJ (parent body) – display cabinets and stands, mannequins, frames.

Mrs Ann Birch – photos, letters and other ephemera belonging to her late mother, Dr Lucy Duncan (Crawford Boyd, MGC 1943).

Mrs Rani Pert (Aziz, St James’s 1970) – photos and other ephemera relating to St James’s.

Mrs Suzanne Sheffer (Harris, MGC 1960) – The London Illustrated News, 12th December 1959 edition.

Mrs Alison Wheatley (Archivist at The Schools of King Edwards VI in Birmingham) – photos and other ephemera relating to St James’s.

Mrs Maggie Wilson – a Parkfield School of Domestic Science exercise book on Hygiene, belonging to her late mother, Viola Mary Lovegrove.

A set of images (prospectus) for Hatley St George Preparatory School.

Other donations for school-led appeals, where MSJ is not the beneficiary Old Girls of MGC born in 1940 and Leavers in 1957, ’58 and ’59, London Reunion group (see report in the MGC section of the magazine) – donation for Malvern Special Families.

Old Girls who have supported Kiko Matthews’s fundraising for her World Record attempt solo and unsupported row across the Atlantic.

Mr Peter Davis – a leather-bound photo album from the 1920s belonging to his late mother, Rhoda Frances McGaw (Pears, St James’s).

Miss Marie Hall (MGC 1948)

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EVENTS

HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING EVENT Just after we went to press in 2017, the OGA hosted an event at the Houses of Parliament, kindly sponsored by Victoria Prentis MP (Boswell, MGC 1989). There was a crack squad of speakers who spoke for five minutes each on their careers: these were Victoria, Angie Ma (MGC 2000 – Artificial Intelligence), Tamsin Barber (MGC 1998 – broadcast journalist), Rachel Hawkins (Moon, MGC 2001 – counsel), Anthea Cheung (MSJ 2011 – management consultant) and Catharine Wozniak, Victoria’s Parliamentary Office & Research Manager.

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Victoria Prentis (Boswell, MGC 1989)

EVENTS

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COMMEMORATION & PRIZEGIVING 2017 Anne Borrowdale (Lea, MGC 1970), Trustee of the OGA, retired from her post as Chairman of Council. She is succeeded

by Mr Mark Groome, who was Head of Prestfelde School in Shrewsbury until 2016. Reverend Prebendary Carl Attwood, formerly Chaplain at St James’s School, also retired from Vice-Chairman of Council. Jennifer Kirby (St James’s School and MSJ, 2007) was our brilliant Guest Speaker. The School handed over a cheque for more than £12,000 to Malvern Special Families, the charity that had been chosen as the main beneficiary for its 10th Anniversary fundraising campaign. We are very grateful for the donations from Old Girls towards this, and those who participated in fundraising events.

Anne Borrowdale retires from Council

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COMMEMORATION & PRIZEGIVING 2017

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COMMEMORATION & PRIZEGIVING 2017

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COMMEMORATION & PRIZEGIVING 2017

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NOTICEBOARD Potential Governors – come out, come out, wherever you are...

Retirement and the wish to introduce new skills into the governing body of the school (its Council) has resulted in there being a number of current or near-future vacancies for governors. Governors serve on Council and its committees for 1 to 3 terms of three years and generally attend between 2 and 4 meetings (of 2 to 3 hours) per term at school. The current governors contribute a wide range of experience and skills from a diverse range of backgrounds and work well together with opinions challenged and answered and collective decisions made. They also work well with, and respect, the Headmistress and her executive team – monitoring, challenging and supporting them.

There are written terms of reference for the operation of Council and its committees and for the recruitment and induction of new governors. We are looking for individuals with real experience (and time) to contribute and a wish to help – ideally located not far away from the school. You

can expect an interesting time through an involvement in a diversity of debates with contrasting opinions, and involvement in a variety of school life and events.

If you have : •

a practical approach to business and finance and are a qualified accountant;

•

practical experience of IT implementation;

•

a successful record of developing a business in general or marketing in the field of education, or

•

are strongly involved in the school’s local community and its politics,

and are interested to explore the opportunities, please contact Bill Richards (w_t_richards@btopenworld.com) who is a member of Council.

Email

Careers and Connecting

If you are on email, but you are not registered with us, please send us your details. It is a far more immediate and efficient way of us communicating with you, particularly for invitations to events and ad hoc updates. oga@malvernstjames.co.uk

If you are interested in connecting with other Old Girls for professional networking and social purposes, take a look at MSJ Connect, a new networking hub provided by market specialists, Graduway.

Social Media

If you are a Facebook user, find us at Facebook/msjoga for the most up-to-date information on upcoming events and regular postings about the schools, the archives and Old Girls.

MSJ_OGA

This provides an area for Old Girls to offer help – for example work experience/ interview coaching/ CV reviews – as well as to link with other Old Girls in their career sector or in a sector they are looking to get into.

It is a forum to promote yourself and your business, and advance your personal and professional goals.

We encourage you to get on board. The more Old Girls we have, the better and more useful MSJ Connect becomes.

You can use it for socialising too. It will pull together all the girls from the same year group, so you can see what people are up to now, chat and share events. www.msj-oga.co.uk

Venues for OGA Events You will have read on previous pages about our very successful professional networking event at the Houses of Parliament.

Tickets sold out in just 48 hours, which meant we had lots of disappointed Old Girls who were unable to come.

We want to do more of these events, but finding venues that are suitable and cost-effective is a real head-ache, particularly in London. If your company is located in central London and has a large meeting room/ conference room/ lecture theatre/ large atrium area which you could offer for free, please let us know. Without this kind of help, we are very restricted.

We want to do more of these events (at least one per year, ideally in March/ November) and we like to keep ticket cost to a minimum so that they are accessible to all. oga@malvernstjames.co.uk

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NOTICEBOARD

DIARY DATES Please note that some dates may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control, and exact timings may not yet available for all events. More information will be available on email and our Facebook and Twitter feeds.

If you would like to attend, please check with the OGA Office before planning your journey.

Saturday 16th June OGA Summer Reunion for all Old Girls MGC Reunion The Abbey School Reunion MGC 125th Dinner in York Hall See full page posters in the magazine for further information Thursday 5th July Morning: Prizegiving with Guest Speaker Kiko Matthews (MGC, 1999) Afternoon: Commemoration at Great Malvern Priory Saturday 13th October Tribute to India Wilkinson Afternoon: Old Girls’ Netball Match; Art Instalment in India’s honour Evening: Dinner in aid of St Michael’s Hospice, Hereford Thursday 22nd November, 4.30pm OGA Lecture by Sue Garrard (Anderson, MGC 1978), Executive Vice President, Sustainable Business and Communications, Unilever Friday 30th November Honorary Members’ Coffee Morning at MSJ, 9.30-11am Featuring Prep Carol Singing Friday 7th December Carol Service, Malvern Priory Followed by mince pies and mulled wine at MSJ

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OGA PREFECT

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very year, a current member of Year 13 is assigned the post of OGA Prefect. For the OGA Office, this is an important role, as the designated student is a key helper at OGA events, attends Committee meetings, and encourages others to sign up to the Association as they leave school, and continue to be involved thereafter. This year, we are delighted to have Jenny Gallagher on board.

“My name is Jenny Gallagher and I am the Old Girls’ Association Prefect for this year. I have been at MSJ since Year 7, and am now in my final year of school, studying English Literature, History and Religious Studies.

For me, MSJ is the perfect mix of academic rigour and creative fun, and I know that when I leave I will have many happy memories from my time here. I like to keep a busy schedule in school, and take advantage of all the opportunities on offer. I play lacrosse for the first team, am head of the Model United Nations society, and have

competed in debating and public speaking since Year 9.

However, it is not only my current pursuits that make me really value MSJ, but also all those from the last 6 years.

DofE, swimming galas, Christmas dinners, art exhibitions, the ski trip, boarding, school plays, the USA trip, various residentials, MSJ Masterchef, wine tasting, reeling, writing for the school magazine… the list goes on!

I’m really thrilled to be the OGA Prefect, as I can see the importance in staying connected to my past. You often

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Jenny (right) welcoming OGA guests

hear people say that schooldays were ‘the best days of their life’, and whilst many of the Old Girls have gone on to have fantastic careers and experiences, there is something special about reuniting with the past before all of this. At the 2017 Summer Reunion, I had the pleasure of giving Old Girls tours of the school, and whilst many commented on how much it had changed physically since their time, the memories built in the very corridors came flooding back. They were awash with stories about MGC, St James’s, The Abbey and Lawnside. In many ways, I myself look forward to returning to MSJ as an Old Girl, and I think that we are so lucky to have such a strong network spanning many decades and numerous schools.

I am hoping to study Law at university, which is both an exciting and somewhat daunting thought. The Old Girls’ Network offers connections worldwide from individuals in hundreds of different fields of work, yet all with the shared history of having attended one of MSJ’s founding schools. For many current girls, this global network offers the resources required to be ambitious and adventurous, as it acts both as a network to gain advice and experience, as well as a comforting and inspiring reality that those who once populated the small town of Malvern are now scattered across the world.

I have enjoyed meeting so many of you this year at the Old Girls’ events. I look forward to becoming an Old Girl myself.”

Jenny Gallagher

EDITOR’S NOTE I hope you enjoy reading the OGA News and seeing some familiar names and faces staring up at you from the pages.

As ever, it is your contribution that make this magazine possible, and I would encourage more of you to send in stories and photos of reunions and what you have been up to personally and/or professionally. In particular, I would like to be able to expand our Lawnside and Abbey sections, so if you’re reading this and you are Old Girls of either of these schools, please consider contributing next time.

Generally, we ask for news to be in by the end of January, and we send out email reminders well beforehand.

In the OGA Office, Katie and I have been consumed by preparations for the Summer Reunion on 16th June. I hope many of you will take this opportunity to come back to school. All Old Girls are welcome, and there are particular reunions for MGC and The Abbey School with tours around your respective schools, and an opportunity to have a look around Malvern. Look out for the full-page posts in this magazine for the Summer Reunion, MGC Reunion and The Abbey School Reunion.

Many Old Girls, from all of the founding schools, mention walks on the hills as part of their time in Malvern. Walking on the hills in the snow this weekend, I looked from the ridge across Herefordshire and away to the Brecon Beacons on one side, and on the eastern side, over to the Cotswolds, and further on round to Worcester and beyond. Having made the move from London to Malvern a few years ago, it has taken me a while to settle in, but I now feel so lucky to have views like this on my doorstep. You can see why so many educationalists were inspired to build their schools in Malvern and why so many artists, musicians and writers through the generations have been inspired by the landscape. One of the things that stands out as you read through the Old Girl news is the number of you who have followed a creative path, either professionally or as a pastime. MSJ is still producing a wonderful mix of artists and creatives, so this seems to be a continuing tradition. Having not managed to fit in an OGA music event this academic year, it is our aim to schedule an event specifically for Old Girls and their parents and families as part of next year’s event calendar.

We have had a very busy schedule of Old Girls coming in to talk to current students (and often, parents, staff and Honorary Members too), and my thanks for this academic year go to all of these girls who are featured in the magazine.

It has also been good to see several Old Girls coming to Open Mornings with their daughters with a view to the next generation of girls attending MSJ; and all the visitors we get through the year who simply wish to come back and see their old school.

Looking beyond the Summer, we hope to bring you a professional networking event in London in the Autumn/ Winter period, and in October, at MSJ, there will be a netball tournament in tribute to India Wilkinson (2016 Leaver). Looking further ahead still, we are aiming to do

Fiona Meredith and Katie Powell

an Old Girls’ Association Carol Service in London, where so many of you are based, in December 2019.

New data protection legislation has consumed the thoughts of alumni associations up and down the land for the past 12 months and more. In May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation will come into force. Please see our piece about this on page 130. In a nutshell, we won’t be changing the way we communicate with you immediately, pending official guidance for schools, but it may well be that in the future we will require you to opt in to communications and specify which type of communications you want to receive. Look out for more news from us as soon as it becomes available.

On that note, it is quicker and more efficient for us to communicate with you on an ad hoc basis by email rather than post. This means that we can let you know about news in good time and events as they are slotted in to the calendar. If you have an email address, and would like it to be added to the OGA database, please let us know at oga@ malvernstjames.co.uk.

I am sad to announce that Katie is moving to the Expressive Arts department at MSJ from mid-April. We have had a great time working together over the past two years. But parental obligations (Katie has a daughter, Sophie, at MSJ) mean that a part-time role better suits her. A new Assistant, Verity, will join me shortly. I can't thank Katie enough for all that she has done for the OGA – always with a smile and a calm capability. I shall miss her.

Wishing you all a happy Spring and remainder of 2018!

Fiona Meredith

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Data statement

THE OGA, YOU, AND YOUR DATA CHANGES IN DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION AND ITS MEMBERS On 25th May 2018 new data legislation will come into effect across the EU. Called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), this will supercede the 1998 Data Protection Act. The aim of the new legislation is to harmonise data privacy laws across Europe, to protect and empower all EU citizens’ data privacy and to reshape the way organisations across the region approach data privacy. It will place more rigorous obligations on all organisations to ensure that data relating to individuals is protected and used in accordance with clearly stated purposes. Individuals will have their rights strengthened in terms of what information an organisation may hold about them and how it is used and stored.

We use your data to communicate with you about OGA and school reunions, events and news, and fundraising. We do this via email and/or post, where you have given us your contact information. This helps us create a vibrant and flourishing community, to keep people in touch with one another, and to forge closer relationships between the OGA and the school.

As we go to press, we are still awaiting official guidance for schools from the Information Commissioner’s Office. When this becomes available, we will let you know if there are any implications for us as an organisation with reference to how we hold your information and communicate with you. For example, it may be necessary for us to seek new approval to communicate with you, and possibly for you to opt-in to various types of communication.

Changes are also to be made to PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) at a European level, but there is no expected date as yet for the new e-Privacy regulation. In the meantime, we adhere to PECR regulations that state that consent to use your email address must be freely given.

As you will be aware from our previous data statements printed in this magazine, we operate best practice. Your details are stored on our school database. The information you share with us is held securely on this system and used by the Old Girls’ Association, and can also be shared, where appropriate, and with the approval of the data administrators, with other relevant departments of the school, such as Careers. Your details will not be shared with other Old Girls, current or former staff, without your express consent. Your data will never be disclosed to third party organisations for commercial purposes. Where we have to use a third party organisation to handle our data (for example, mailing houses for the distribution of magazines and other literature), we ensure that they are fully compliant with the relevant data legislation.

The OGA data statement is on our website at http://msj.gs/ogadata and will be updated as necessary in line with the new legislation.

If you would like to unsubscribe at any time from our postal and/or email communications, please let us know by contacting: Tel: 01684 892288 Email: oga@malvernstjames.co.uk Post: OGA Office, Malvern St James Girls’ School, 15 Avenue Road, Great Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 3BA

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MSJ Connect www.msj-oga.co.uk

Call 01684 892288 oga@malvernstjames.co.uk www.malvernstjames.co.uk Malvern St James, 15 Avenue Road, Great Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 3BA

Photo: Summer at British Camp by kind permission of Grace Crane.

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