In Memoriam

Since the last newsletter we have been advised of the sad news of the following alumnae and staff.

Dorothy Powell

Alumna of Church High 1930-2020

Dorothy taught in Church High Junior School until the late 1980s. She passed away peacefully on her 90th birthday in February last year.

Elizabeth Martin

Former Staff, Central High 1936-2021

Elizabeth Anne Watson married William Martin in 1961 and worked at Central High as school secretary between 1961-1966 until a brief move to Peterborough in 1966. Paul was born in Carlisle in 1969 and they moved back to the North East in 1972. They lived in Ponteland until she passed away peacefully at Marie Curie Hospice on 17th April 2021.

Vivienne Bruce Charleton

Alumna of Church High 1939-2021

Vivienne sadly died in February of this year having lived for a number of years in Lowick, near Berwick upon Tweed. She had been a pupil at Church High School and, until recently, met regularly with friends from her year group. Vivienne will be missed for her beautiful contralto singing voice and her unique personality. She gained her Private Pilot’s Licence in her twenties, and was very well known for her love of all animals. Her funeral at West Road Crematorium was attended by many friends.

Elizabeth Bird

Alumna of Church High 1945-2021

Dr Elizabeth Bird, pioneering feminist academic, has died of cancer aged 76. As head of continuing education and Dean of the Arts at Bristol University, she was a key figure in the development of women’s and gender studies within the University and nationally.

Born in Gateshead, she became Head Girl of Church High. After a short cultural course at Perugia Univeristy, she studied PPE at Oxford followed by an MA at Sussex University, then a year Cornel in the USA (where she was known as the red haired English Bolshevik!) before returning to Sussex to attain a DPhil in the Sociology of Art and Literature. Her first salaried post was at Glasgow University, researching the Glasgow school of artists before moving to Bristol. Her first task there was to inspire ambition for further education in rural communities. For this she was awarded her MBE.

An enthusiastic commitment to wide-ranging cultural work brought her the admiration and support of hundreds of colleagues and students. Fearless and energetic she stood up for women’s rights through the Senate and UAT and fought for women’s and gender courses against strong opposition. Always a keen artist, after retirement from Bristol she gained another MA in Fine Art from the University of the South West and exhibited her work throughout the region.

Liz’s personal kindness and down-to-earth generosity are recalled by everyone from porters to secretaries and even Vice Chancellors and senior academics. She was a loyal and imaginative friend to many and a committed mother and grandmother.

France, where she owned a second home in rural Brittany, always had a special place in her heart.

Watching tennis and cricket as well as writing her memoirs occupied her final days. She is survived by Brian - they married in 2008 - by her son Francis, grandchildren Sam and Iris and siblings Michael and Victoria.

Angela Milner

Alumna of Church High 1947-2021

Angela was born in Gosforth, and educated at Church High. Her interest in the natural world began at an early age and led her to pursue a degree in Zoology at Newcastle University, with the goal of becoming a microbiologist. However, a series of lectures from Alec Panchen inspired her to pursue palaeontology, and she began her PhD research at Newcastle in 1969 under his supervision. After a stint in academic publishing, Angela was appointed to a curatorship at the Natural History Museum in 1976, with responsibility for fossil amphibians, reptiles and birds. During her time at the museum, Angela rose through the ranks, reflecting her expertise and administrative prowess, eventually becoming assistant keeper of palaeontology, a post she held until retirement in 2009.

Several extinct animals have been named in her honour – including the dinosaur Veterupristisaurus milneri – and her influence on her colleagues and on the development of the subject, both in the UK and internationally, has been immense.

Angela died on the morning of 13th August 2021 following a short illness at the age of 73. She is survived by husband Andrew.

Rebekah Swift

Alumna of Central High 1959-2021

Rebekah joined Central High as a pupil in the Junior School around 1966 and moved up to the Senior School in 1970. She left the school at Easter 1974 when her family relocated to the south of England. Rebekah was diagnosed with cancer in July 2020 and had a long illness during which she was tended by close family. She died on 17th October 2021. She leaves three adult sons and her devoted partner, Jeremy.

Harriet Gayner

Alumna of Central High 1991-2021

We were deeply saddened to hear of the recent passing of Harriet, aged 30, on Friday 17th September following a battle with breast cancer. Our deepest sympathies are with Harriet’s family.