Old Girls’ Association Newsletter 2019
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Upcoming Alumnae Events 2019 Inspiring Each Other: Alumnae Networking 20 March, 7pm - 9.30pm
“Women Mean Business: How to maximise your impact through Entrepreneurship” A panel discussion followed by drinks and canapés where alumnae can network to share expertise. Tickets: https://inspiringnhehs.eventbrite.co.uk Careers Breakfast with Year 13 26 April, 8.30am - 10.40am An opportunity for Old Girls to return to school and inspire the current Year 13 girls with details of their career journeys. This will be followed by the chance to network with each other and take a tour of the school. UCAS Breakfast with Year 12 21 June, 8.30am – 10.40am We invite alumnae who left school recently to return and offer current girls advice on their choices for further education - including courses and university locations. A tour of the school is also available afterwards. OGA Annual Reunion Tea 14 September, 2pm - 5pm Specific reunions this year will be for those who left in: 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 & 2014. Tickets are £10 and available to buy online: https://ogatea2019.eventbrite.co.uk
If you would like to get involved in any of the events above, or would like some more information, please email: alumnae@nhehs.gdst.net, or see the alumnae section of the school website: www.nhehs.gdst.net/alumnae/get-involved where details of all upcoming events can be found. Also, if you would like to suggest a city for a regional tea reunion - please do get in touch. 2
Contents
page 4
Head’s Review, Matthew Shoults
page 6
A Few Words From Jane Sigaloff, OGA Chair
page 8
OGA Reunion Tea 2019 Information
page 9
‘Adieu’ from Jane Hering, with addition thoughts by Jane Sigaloff
page 11
Memories of school by Gillian Lowe
page 12
An interview with Dr Nirupa Murugaesu
page 14
Frances Wadsworth-Jones …A World in Miniature
page 18
2018 Event Highlights in photographs
page 20
A big thank you
page 22
Archives: NHHS faces a War
page 25
News from our Old Girls 3
Head’s Review
Matthew Shoults Head and President of the OGA At a recent GDST Heads’ day, we were asked to discuss our different approaches to our alumnae organisations, to learn from each other. It was notable that I had been sat on the “premier league” table, for those with the strongest Old Girls’ Associations, and this does reflect my experience from so many occasions in the last year! This is all the more so, in a year when we had not one but two alumnae shortlisted for the GDST Alumna of the Year Award: Bettany Hughes (1986) and Nirupa Muragaesu (1995); we were all the more delighted that NHEHS secured the crown, and Nirupa carried off the trophy at the GDST Summit at King’s Place in June, a just appreciation of her ground-breaking work leading The 100,000 Genome Project. Other alumnae have visited the school to support a range of projects, including Angellica Bell (1993) filming for a new video to highlight the GDST Alumnae network, and both Bettany and Nisha Parti (1990) joining former Culture Secretary Ed Vaizey to judge our inaugural Film Festival, featuring short films submitted by students across the GDST. I have also been very pleased to continue our new series of networking evenings; following the Communications evening in January, a second event took place this autumn, this time supporting those interested in or growing their careers in Architecture, Design and Engineering. The series will continue this year. The school has been thriving this year. We have been developing more outward looking opportunities for the girls, including an Erasmus-funded partnership scheme with four other schools across Europe, with our students meeting up with their counterparts in a number of countries, to produce newspapers 4
and presentations together; our relations with Europe have at least been unilaterally positive! We have also introduced a number of new volunteering schemes in the Ealing community, and money raised for good causes this year was double last year’s total. There have been numerous visits from distinguished speakers, including Lord Robert Winston and Helen Sharman, the latter particularly inspiring girls with her passage from Research Scientist for Mars to Astronaut. We fielded our first staff-parent team for the Ealing Half Marathon (other members of my senior leadership team crossed the finish line far ahead of me), raising over £6,000 for the local Log Cabin charity. We are already considering a team for next year, perhaps with alumnae invited to swell the team further. It has also been a pleasure to see girls’ achievements in different areas of school life. There was a glut of sporting triumphs, including the Under 14 netball team reaching the national finals (placing 9th), victories in county cricket tournaments for both Junior and Senior School teams, and a much improved senior hockey team capturing the Middlesex title. Our dramatists took Euripides’ Medea to the Edinburgh Fringe, selling out all performances, while new ensembles in chamber music and jazz have enhanced the musical offering. Excellent A level and GCSE results this summer were matched by the Junior School enjoying its status as Sunday Times Prep School of the Year for 2018. It is always a pleasure to welcome you back to your school, and this year’s tea party, with over 250 guests, was a delightful occasion, even if the much hyped Old Girls’ netball team did not quite manage to overcome the school team. Perhaps next year? As ever, I am grateful for Jane Sigaloff for her stewardship of the OGA committee, alongside Natalie Burns Spence; there has been a flurry of new recruits, and the committee is in fine shape for the future. I wish you all a very happy New Year.
Matthew Shoults 2019
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A few words from Jane Sigaloff
OGA Chair January 2019
Happy New Year one and all. Hope you’ve all had a great festive season with your friends and families and managed to put the gloom of impending Brexit to one side. I’m still hoping that an NHEHS alumna is going to swoop in and save the day. Welcome to this year’s OGA newsletter. Once again we bring you a selection of interesting feature articles and the news of many of our Old (and not so old) Girls. 2018 was another great year for our alumnae and indeed at the OGA. In June, Dr Nirupa Murugaesu was voted the GDST Alumna of the Year for her groundbreaking work and leadership in Molecular Oncology. Our congratulations to Nirupa and indeed to Bettany Hughes who was also shortlisted this year. Angellica Bell returned to school with a film crew in July to present the new alumna film, Antonia Kraskowski judged the NHEHS Charity Fashion show and Nisha Parti, along with Bettany Hughes were on the panel at the GDST short film festival. All our alumnae are valued by their peers, by the school and by the pupils. Thank you to all of you who continue to inspire and who come back to school to visit and to help. Thanks to Natalie Burns Spence (herself an alumna and our Alumnae Relations Manager at school) we have had many alumnae events this year, all of which have been a resounding success – from Networking Evenings centred around media, or Architecture, Design and Engineering, to Summer Drinks on the Terrace for recent leavers, Christmas Wreath Making and, of course, the September Tea Party. This September we welcomed over 250 former pupils back to school for yet another joyful afternoon. In addition to the infamous scones, eclairs, sausage rolls and glass of prosecco, this year school archivist Liz Broekmann had also compiled a slide show of school, team and general photos which were displayed on a loop on a huge screen in the hall throughout the afternoon. These added yet more nostalgia for those 6
attending. Miss Chapman once again blew the starting whistle for the OGs v. current pupils netball match and once again we came second. This time the score was 20-10. There is now talk of pre-match training from the OGs… If you’d like to see photographs from any of these events, please visit the alumnae section of the school website. www.nhehs.gdst.net/alumnae/news and for information on this year’s tea party please see overleaf. There have been some changes on the OGA committee this year too. Gillian Lowe and Jane Hering have been part of the OGA for many decades – around 70 years in total between them – and we have finally allowed them to retire! Read all about them and their NHEHS experiences in the pages which follow. On behalf of us all, I would like to thank them for all their contributions over the years. It is no exaggeration to state that without them we would not still be thriving as we are today. We are one of the oldest OGAs in the trust and one of the few remaining in original form as many OGA committees have now disbanded. With increasing pressures on everyone’s time, I would like to thank all of those who give their time to the OGA committee and help to ensure that we can remain relevant to all our former pupils. And I would like to thank and to welcome four new members to our OGA committee. Carrie Hartnell-Grundy, Irene Reguilon, Chandni Kaneria and Nicola Zoumidou have all just joined us and we look forward to working together as our committee continues to evolve and find its way in the digital and electronic age. When Lucy Cozens handed me her committee and the paper card index of OGA members 11 years ago, she entrusted me to take the OGA forward. With now over 3000 members, my aim is that we do this whilst remaining relevant and accessible to all our members; the most recent and the older foundation members of the OGA. Please do send us your news and updates. If not via the alumnae section of the school website then via email: alumnae@nhehs.gdst.net or if you’d rather write with pen and paper, c/o NHEHS, 2 Cleveland Road, Ealing, London W13 8AX. With all best wishes
Jane Sigaloff (NHEHS 1978 – 1991)
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Old Girls’ Association Reunion Tea 14 September 2019, 2pm - 5pm The date for this year’s tea party is Saturday 14th September 2019. The afternoon runs from 2pm - 5pm and all former staff and pupils are most warmly welcome, whether or not it is a significant reunion year for you. Please do spread the word among those you are still in touch with and contact the alumnae office on: alumnae@nhehs.gdst.net for more information. Tickets cost £10 and be purchased in advance via Eventbrite at or on the door. Specific reunions this year will be for those who left in: 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 & 2014, although alumnae from any year group are always welcome. We have coordinators for some but not all of these years, please do get in touch if you’d be happy to help with yours: 1954 Leavers – Gillian Lowe (nee Mitchell): gillianlowe@talktalk.net 1959 Leavers – Glenda Blackaller (nee Baron): glenda39@googlemail.com 1969 Leavers – Hilary Edwards (nee Collins): hilary-edwards@sky.com 1979 Leavers – Kate Francis (nee Smith): kdaintree@gmail.com & Melanie Zurbrugg (nee Plumridge) Melzurbrugg@hotmail.com 1989 Leavers – Nicola Lloyd Williams: nicola@lloydwilliams.co.uk 1994 Leavers – Zosia Thackray: zosia@thethackrays.com & Marie-Helene Collins: mariehelenecollins@gmail.com 1999 Leavers – Chrissie Konoupa: Chrissiek1@hotmail.com Tickets are £10 and available to buy online now at Eventbrite: https:// ogatea2019.eventbrite.co.uk
If you are unable to purchase tickets online please contact the alumnae office on 020 8233 8533. 8
‘Adieu’ from Jane Hering Some 35 years ago I was “gently” persuaded that I could be a useful addition to the OGA Committee, having recently moved into a house backing onto school. My ante-natal classes were run by an OG – Lynne Sallows – and she was instrumental in convincing me that I might like to attend a meeting to test the water, but really it was a fait accompli and I found myself a Committee member forthwith! How things have changed in those intervening years. Records were held on hand-written card indices (no Data Protection legislation to worry about) although much more was retained in the memory of the then Secretary, Lucy Cozens. All communication with OGs was done by pigeon post, which involved two posting parties (!) a year when we collated endless bits of paper and stuffed upwards of 1500 envelopes, but also had a jolly good chinwag whilst doing it. The annual get-together wasn’t an informal afternoon tea, but a full buffet lunch, catered entirely by the Committee in the school kitchens, long before they had their modern makeover. One year, I think when building work was underway for a new school hall, we actually had to do all the preparations in my kitchen in Wimborne Gardens and then walk endless bowls of potato salad, coleslaw, plates of cold meats and fruit salad round to the old school hall. Now, caterers and cream teas make life so much easier. I’ve been privileged to know four Heads in my time on the Committee – Jane Fitz, Susan Whitfield, Lucinda Hunt and now Matthew Shoults. Life in school has changed beyond recognition in many ways, particularly with the huge building programme under Lucinda’s tenure, but its dedication to the care, welfare and support of the girls as they move through their academic life has also developed and grown and thankfully is now a core principle in the education of NHEHS girls. How I wish that had been the case when I was a 9
pupil, struggling to cope with exams and life! So, now that social media and all its trappings threatens to take over the world, I feel the time has come for me to retire gracefully and let a younger generation continue the work of our very healthy OGA, which has garnered praise over the years for its lively and enthusiastic membership and its very well attended annual get-togethers. I’ll miss the contact with school (inside knowledge is such a privilege!) but I know that the Committee will be in excellent hands and that somewhere an OG is being persuaded that they might like to attend a Committee Meeting just to see whether they might like to join………. Jane Hering (Kent) NHEHS 1966
Some thoughts from Jane Sigaloff Rather like Jane Hering, I attended my first OGA committee meeting to see whether it was something I might be interested in becoming involved in, only to discover that Lucy Cozens had already earmarked me as her successor. I was merely the last to know. As I sat in my first few committee meetings, surrounded by a group of remarkable women, I did my best to learn on the job. In Jane’s case I found her name easy enough to remember and I knew she was in charge of the newsletter which at that time was our annual and only regular method of communicating with our members. What I discovered and appreciated over the coming years was that she wasn’t merely in charge of the newsletter, she was the newsletter. Under her perfectionist eye, she compiled the content, edited the content, assembled the news of the Old Girls that we all love to read, found suitable pictures and made sure that it looked great and read perfectly. All in the days before our computers became capable of producing a magazine all by themselves.
Jane Hering is back row far right, and Gillian Lowe is back row second from right.
been the treasurer for a couple of decades by then and was also the guardian of the infamous card index. In the days before digital databases, it was this system (operated in triplicate) which contained all members details, provided you could decipher Lucy Cozens’s hand writing. Gillian’s was very neat. She was also in charge of writing and reminding those who paid subs when it was time to renew and dealt with queries from and news of old girls, everything written by hand and communicated by post.
Her affection for and dedication to the OGA was inspiring, her sense of humour and often direct input much needed at both committee meetings and posting parties and her help at the tea parties was always tireless. In my OGA days we have never had to make the scones or a sandwich but Jane would certainly have been able to manage that in Before we began communicating with our members electronically, Gillian quietly organised her spare time had the need arisen. us at our twice yearly posting parties. Always Now a super-granny to two lovely girls, we are keeping an eye on us as we chatted, she extracted allowing Jane to take a step back but thank her occasional envelopes as we worked, counting and sincerely for all her work and support over the bundling others up in piles. She would retreat, years. I may have lost a colleague but I have gained counting under her breath, securing piles with elastic bands and for a couple of years I had no a lifelong friend. idea what she was doing. Everything was quietly I first met Gillian Lowe in 2007 when I attended efficient and I didn’t want to interfere. It was that first committee meeting of the OGA. She had only after I took over from Lucy Cozens that I was 10
enlightened. It was all about postage rates. It was guarded in-house at school, membership is free a need to know basis and thanks to Gillian I didn’t to all OGs and former staff members and a couple of years ago, Gillian signed off on the accounts for need to know! the last time and handed over to her successor. Every committee needs a Gillian. It is only because of OGs like her that our association has thrived We have finally allowed Gillian to retire. For for so many years. She recently divulged that in years she has commuted to our meetings and the 1970s she used to type up all the labels for tea parties from Warfield and has always made the envelopes for the OG mailings whilst she was time for all things OGA between her myriad at work. Mail merge was a long way off and she other interests, responsibilities and travel. Being saved the committee hours of work this way long an NHEHS girl, she has shown no sign of slowing down. We already miss her at our meetings and before the computer was invented to help. hope to see her at OGA events in the years to Over the last ten years, our OGA has embraced come. the 21st century. Our database is electronic and Thank you Gillian from us all.
Gillian Lowe - My Memories of NHEHS I started at Redlands aged 9 in January 1945 when my father’s Civil Service department moved back to London after two years outside Bournemouth. My cousin Anne Fretwell had been at NHEHS until she was tragically killed in an accident when she was 11, so that is why the same school was chosen for me, despite the fact that we lived in Isleworth. My parents paid my fees for two years but after moving to Skipton House I took the scholarship (11-plus) and gained a free place so I never did discover if their threat that I would have to leave was real. My most vivid memory of my time in Redlands was sitting in my desk by a window one March morning when the curly window-catch suddenly fell off in front of me. It wasn’t until travelling home by bus later that day along the Great West Road (A4) past the bombed Packard factory that I discovered that the catch had fallen off as a result of the vibrations from the V2 Rocket that had fallen. I remember seeing people being treated, casualties lying on the grass by the side of the road. This was the last V2 to land in Britain. 11
I joined the School Girl Guides at school when Miss Wilson was Captain and have memories of a November Youth Hostel Bonfire Night weekend at Patcham outside Brighton. Amongst other adventures we all descended on our retired headmistress, Miss McCaig, turning up at her lovely house at Ditchling. She must have been horrified at the sight of around 20 of us all piling in but made us very welcome. Miss McCaig was the archetypal “old school” headmistress and I have one memory of sitting on the Elephant (sadly now gone) outside her office waiting with fear and trembling to be called in for my telling off, although I can’t remember what misdemeanour I was guilty of. I’m still in touch with several of my school friends and also have friends who went to other GDST schools. I was once sitting in a Local History lecture & was tapped on the shoulder by a complete stranger who asked if I’d been to a GDST school – apparently she could tell!! Gillian Lowe (Mitchell/Sandland) - NHEHS 1954
An interview with Dr Nirupa Murugaesu
”I want to acknowledge the GDST for showcasing the talents of its Alumnae across such a variety of fields. This can only inspire current students to set their aspirations high.” She also thanked: “…inspiring teachers and incredible colleagues for Nirupa is the Clinical Lead for Molecular their brilliant support.” Oncology at Genomics England. She provides clinical leadership and oversight of the Cancer How did NHEHS shape you? Programme for The 100,000 Genomes Project, NHEHS instilled confidence and the desire to the groundbreaking genome sequencing project pursue my goals, to value our education and to – set up to harness the power of genomics in develop a passion for learning, which has been the treatment of rare diseases and cancers. The invaluable over the years. I remember my school project involves sequencing the DNA codes of days very fondly. It was a fun environment and cancer patients, in order to be able to provide there were truly inspirational teachers that were better, earlier diagnoses and personal care for very supportive, very encouraging and gave us the sufferers. The project is transforming cancer care confidence to achieve our goals through hard work throughout the NHS. and perseverance. Votes were cast by the whole GDST family of students, their parents, staff and alumnae. Nirupa Who was your favourite teacher at school? was presented with her award by the Chair of the Mrs Aplin (Head of Art 1978 - 1994). Whilst I was Council of the GDST Juliet Humphries at the annual stronger at the sciences, she encouraged me to reception following the GDST Summit on 13 June. explore my artistic interests and supported me to On receiving her award Nirupa said: We are delighted and very proud that Notting Hill & Ealing High School Alumna Dr Nirupa Murugaesu (NHEHS 1995) was voted the 2018 GDST Alumna of the Year.
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undertake my Art GCSE in my spare time (having already selected my subjects). The reason she stands out is that she prompted me to develop my skills in a subject that I perceived I had no prior interest or skills in. Subsequently she supported and encouraged me to undertake a Foundation Course at Central St Martins College of Art and Design that lead to an award to undertake a further course at The Slade School of Art whilst studying medicine. What is your best memory of school? Further maths lessons, not just for the maths, but the antics, which unfortunately I predominantly instigated, with a very patient and good-humoured Mrs McKeigue. (Maths/ Head of Year 1989 - 2009)
have to find what you enjoy doing, I think that this in itself provides so much motivation. Initially, motivation can be based on achieving certain academic goals, but going forwards, especially within science, it is the ability to find areas that interest you the most and that you feel passionately about. For me, personally, I have been fortunate to be in an area of work that I find fascinating but also where the application has the potential to produce tangible advances in the way patients are managed. Do tell us about the genome project The 100,000 Genomes Project was set up as part of the Olympics legacy and was announced in 2012. The aim of the project is to provide a research platform to increase our understanding of both rare disease and cancer, and I’m involved in the cancer programme. Ultimately, it aims to provide a research platform as well as the infrastructure to develop a genomic medicine service within the NHS. Going forward the aim is to have equity of cancer genomic testing adopting a standardised approach across the NHS for patients.
Did you know, at NHEHS, that it was going to be science from a very early age, and thereafter, medicine? I always knew I was interested in pursuing a career as a physician, and later specialised in oncology. I think my real interest in science stemmed from my PhD, and I’ve been very fortunate to be involved at a time when there’s been such great advances in the application of the technology. For more information please see the following: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46456984 What is the best part of your job? https://www.newscientist.com/article/2187499The variety, having the opportunity to be involved uk-dna-project-hits-major-milestone-withwith a transformational project and applying 100000-genomes-sequenced/ changes within the NHS and routine healthcare and combining this with practising medicine as an oncologist. Do you have a mentor? I have been fortunate to have had the support of many senior colleagues during my career and still continue to, with their different areas of expertise and at different stages during my career. Their advice, guidance and allowing me to have a ‘sounding-board’ has been invaluable. If you could give one piece of advice, what would it be? I think my main advice would be that you really 13
Frances Wadsworth-Jones …A World in Miniature
Frances Wadsworth Jones (NHEHS 2002) set up her eponymous jewellery label in 2008 after graduating from the Royal College of Art in London, and has since made a name for herself with her playfully conceptual and quietly provocative style. Her distinct approach blurs the boundaries between Design, Fashion, Craft and Luxury to create pieces that defy both trend and expectations. Her collections have been featured in a number of publications including Elle, Vogue UK, L’Officiel Italia and Lurve Magazine. In 2014 she was selected to take part in ‘Made in London: Jewellery Now’ a major public exhibition at the Museum of London which showcased the work of ‘the most talented jewellers working in London today’. In 2016, Frances was awarded a place in ‘Rock Vault’, the prestigious initiative organised by the British Fashion Council and curated by Stephen Webster MBE to ‘promote Britain’s, most jewellery courses. From Wimbledon, I took a BA innovative fine jewellery talent.’ in Silversmithing & Jewellery at Glasgow School of Art and then went straight to the Royal College of We went to meet Frances at her studio in Art (RCA) to do my masters in Goldsmithing. It’s Farringdon, London, where she creates her funny because I probably spent as long studying meticulous, unpredictable, yet unmistakable to be a jeweller as some doctors take to qualify.” collections which showcase that luxury can be approachable and that fine jewellery need not play “NHEHS gave me confidence and friends for life; in it safe to be timeless. fact, I can trace my love of working in metal back to school. When we were in 6th form we had the “After A-levels at NHEHS I went straight to opportunity to choose an elective, I really wanted Wimbledon College of Art for a foundation to get Mr Warne and photography, but there was course. I thought I would do ‘Fine Art’ as that is no space so I ended up on a jewellery course with what I knew, but after a few months of studying Mr McInally (Head of DT, 2000 – 2006). I imagined different areas of art and design, I realised that I would be stringing beads (which is probably what fine art was what I enjoyed least! I work best with a lot of people think I do now when I say I design a brief, so I ended up specialising in 3D design. I and make jewellery), but actually I was working have always been drawn to the miniature and all with metal. I really enjoyed it and the elective of my projects naturally tended towards a small ended up being the thing at school which I looked scale. When one of my projects there developed forward to the most each week. The seed was into a jewellery collection I ended up applying for planted right then.” 14
“People often tell me that my collections all look very different – I have created necklaces based on paperclips, bangles inspired by chewing gum and even brooches that look like bejewelled pigeon poo. It is because the way I work is ideas driven - I don’t have one aesthetic or technique that defines what I create but there are themes that run through every collection: deception, humour, a sense of playful provocation and an intention of finding beauty in unexpected places.”
“My ‘Thieves’ collection (where 18ct gold ants clamber around sapphires, slide along delicate gold chains and carry pearls across jumpers in brooch form) developed from that piece. People often ask me ‘why ants?’ Because I love their behaviour and the fact that I can create a narrative in miniature with them which unfolds at its own scale. The pieces are plausible whilst being undeniably silly and surreal. When it hit the news recently that an ant had stolen a diamond from a manufacturer’s table I must have had 50 people send me the link “My first collection, produced for my BA degree online!” show in 2006, was influenced by Japanese Netsuke. These are intricately carved toggles which often depict nature, but in an honest, non-idealised way that manages to find beauty in decay and the mundane. I think my desire to question what can be beautiful and what is worth looking at began here.” “When I arrived at the RCA, I became really interested in the idea of ‘the double take’ as a way of playing with and questioning people’s perceptions and preconceptions. I began working with very traditional jewellery techniques and forms and using them to sneak in unexpected narratives. I made an installation piece called ‘Reel’ that initially looks like a length of industrially manufactured chain hanging from the wall on a plastic reel. It is only on closer inspection that the piece reveals itself to be a hand-made chain of worker ants that, on touching the floor, snakes along disappearing under the skirting board. The chain was 10 metres long, containing over 6,000 solder joints which took around two months to make. I wouldn’t suggest this way of working as a business model, but it did create a crazy, loaded object that people find hard to forget (it also made me the first jeweller to win the CONRAN award for exceptional students at the RCA).”
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“I have this love-hate relationship with tradition. On one hand, craftsmanship and beautiful materials are central to my pieces but at the same time I always want to mess with the rules. The Fine Jewellery industry is incredibly conservative, especially in Hatton Garden, just a few streets from here. It means it is very easy to play with people’s preconceptions and it’s fun to break the mould. I don’t think you have to be serious to make something lasting and meaningful.” “There are fewer motifs more iconic in jewellery than the pearl necklace. The innate connotations of decorum and properness (and my desire to play with that) have meant pearls have become a recurring theme for me. My most recent collection ‘Who?’ explores pearls in terms of portraiture -classical pearl earrings and pendants wear headphones and sunglasses and are transformed into playful characters - but before that there was my “Labour of Love” collection. Here I meticulously sliced pearls in half in order to super glue them back together again as hearts. I find the idea of ‘destroying’ something in order to
create something, poetic. Both collections poke to jewellery, but there were many teachers that fun at tradition, transforming classic pearls into had a big influence on me. Mrs Hurd (Head of Art, something that I hope is strange and marvellous.” 1992 - 2004) was fantastic, but I know I drove her bananas. A lot of my school friends still call me “FWJ” as Mrs Hurd used to holler it across the art rooms in her booming voice when I hadn’t done my work or had forgotten something (which was often). I think of her a lot now actually - I teach 2nd BA year jewellery design at Central Saint Martins and am a personal tutor at the RCA, and so many of the things I used to do to Mrs Hurd, my students do to me. That’s Karma! Mr Quarmby (maths 1998 – present) certainly deserves a shout out for teaching me to love a subject that I never dreamed I could be good at. I quite literally went from failing at maths before GCSE, to it being my favourite A-level. He taught me to have an open mindset about what I could achieve and be good at, though the experience left me with a recurring nightmare about maths exams that I get to this day whenever I have a big deadline! Ha ha!” “My biggest challenge was coming out of art school and being qualified as a designer with all “Finally, I will never forget Mr Davidson (who sadly these ideas of what I wanted to create, but having died in 2008 after almost 20 years of working at absolutely no idea how to be a business woman! NHEHS)– not for his teaching, but for being a lovely You need to learn how to sell yourself and what human. I wasn’t very confident when I started you do. This is something they don’t train you senior school and he truly brought the best out in to do in at art school and something I’ve had to me. I had him as my form tutor in year 7 and my culture over time! I think that this is true of a lot personal tutor in the 6th form, so he bookended of creatives - you don’t often get into art because my whole school experience. He told me I would you come from a commercial angle or because end up ‘a crazy artist like that Emin woman’… he you are great at accounting! I am dyslexic, so wasn’t too far off. I am not going to lie, it has been hard to get my head around the business side. Organisation has always been difficult for me (as many of my NHEHS teachers will remember) and a designer’s life is a multitasking one. I have 200 jewellery pieces on the go at the moment, all at different stages of production and going to different places, so I have to be able to keep track and find systems to make “Having a mentor is essential and I am so lucky it work. I use production work grids – I like to be to have one who is another jeweller that was a able to visualise every stage.” few years above me at the RCA - she is like my ‘jewellery mum’. I think it is really important “In terms of my career, it was Mr McInally at school to have someone you can go to for advice and who most directly inspired me by introducing me opinions, especially in such a specialist industry. 16
I was also really fortunate that I was involved in ‘Rock Vault’ – set up by Stephen Webster and the British Fashion Council to support and mentor young fine jewellery designers. Stephen is a fantastic mentor and incredibly generous with his experience – even though the programme finished last February, I know I can drop him a line any time. Through Rock Vault I began showing my collections at London Fashion Week (LFW) which has led to me exporting to stores in Japan, South Korea, Russia and Canada. I even got to meet the Queen when she visited LFW last year. I showed her my pearl piece with the crown and that’s actually the reason why she was laughing in so many of the press photos! It was amazing and surreal as we had no idea she was coming - she spoke to everyone in the accessories room; jewellery and millinery. I missed the briefing as I was one of the first she saw and it was only afterwards that I realised that I hadn’t curtsied – I think I just grinned like the Cheshire Cat and said “hiya!”
and of course social media, as essential parts of how people encounter my pieces and how I communicate what I do.”
“I have had customers who have loved my jewellery for 10 years before they have finally bought a piece - often for a birthday, engagement or anniversary. That is why it is fantastic to have created some more affordable pieces for Tate Edit, the Tate Modern’s curated design shop. One of the curators of South East Asian art, selected me to be featured there. There is a range of Thieves (everyday) pieces on display including unisex silver pins, and silk bracelets – I love that my ants made it to London’s home of surrealism.” “The most exciting thing about anything designrelated is when you see something you have imagined in your head become real for the first time. It’s magical! But the reality is this doesn’t actually happen very often – I am often making the same thing again and again, answering emails and dealing with accounts and customers. Running your own brand isn’t easy and I have made plenty of mistakes, but it is worth it. You just have to believe in what you do.”
“Fine jewellery is a long game - if you are making something out of precious materials it is going to be expensive and there is a lot of trust involved, so people almost always need to see your work around for a while before they feel that they can invest. I have a very holistic approach to what www.franceswadsworthjones.com I do. I see the display, packaging, photography, instagram: @ fwj__studio 17
Alumnae Event Highlights 2018
The first alumnae networking event in the “Inspiring Each Other” series was fantastic. We welcomed a panel of alumnae from the fields of PR, Media, Journalism & Broadcast.
Alumna Charlotte Hands-Wicks advises girls at the Parents’ Guild Careers Event in February. Alumnae advise girls at the careers networking breakfast in April.
We welcomed recent leavers for Summer drinks on the terrace.
Recent alumnae return to advise the girls on their university choices in June. 18
Alumna Antonia Kraskowski was on the judging panel for the Charity Fashion Show in June.
There was a fantastic turn out for the annual OGA Tea Reunion at school in September. More photos on the alumnae news page of the website.
The second networking event in October centred around Architecture, Design and Engineering, and we heard from an inspiring alumnae panel.
The Christmas wreath workshop was brilliant fun in December.
For more information on past events please see the ‘news’ section on the Alumnae page of the NHEHS website: www.nhehs.gdst.net/alumnae/news or visit the OGA Facebook page @NHEHSoldgirlsassoc 19
Thank you!
A huge thank you to the Old Girls who have been such an inspirational part of school and alumnae events and lectures in 2018 - the following alumnae have provided work experience, offered the opportunity for school trips, or have been in to school to inspire girls with their university and career stories, judge the fashion show or film festival, or be part of one of our networking events... Olivia Christie-Miller Amrit Sandhu Sarah Ashraf Priyanka Datta Isabelle Farrow Hafsa Malik Yasmin Sahota Julia Morgan Zaibun-Nisa Malik Connie Goring-Morris Sophie Phillimore Kinda Savarino Olivia Stamp Chloe Coates Gala Garrod Farnaz Motamedi Rachel Aroesti Sophia Djili Francesca Paltenghi Emily Lloyd Grace Richardson Holly Smith Sophie Cater Charlotte Cooke Emilie Paine Sara Sesardic Natalie Hughes Alice ter Haar Harriet Grigg Negar Hamzianpour Marisa Hofat Chloe Hole Eimi Howse Anita Davies Anna Angela Ma Claudia Burns Spence Antonia Kraskowski
2017 2017 2016 2014 2014 2014 2014 2013 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2010 2010 2009 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2007 2007 2007 2007 2006 2006 2005 2005 2005 2005 2004 2003 2003 2002 2002
Katie Wilmot Emily Kooner Yasmine Say Pippa Evans Charlotte Hands-Wicks Maggie Rogers Dhanusha Dharmarajah Roseanna Hailstone Jasmine Piran Divya Shah Elizabeth Chase Victoria Crawford Lisa Priestly Laura Vickery Anna Allatt Lizzie Davison Anji Kang-Stewart Aneeta Parthipun Lara Saour Kate Crawford Nirupa Murugaesu Azmina Airi Anne-Marie Pearce Angellica Bell Jane Sigaloff Rupa Huq Nisha Parti Katharine Hunt Vanita Parti Lydia Stevens Amabel Polglase Bettany Hughes Shailina Benning Helen Kelisky Kate Murphy Anna Zakharova Susie Leigh 20
2002 2001 2001 2000 2000 1999 1998 1998 1998 1998 1997 1997 1994 1997 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1995 1995 1994 1994 1993 1991 1990 1990 1987 1987 1987 1986 1986 1984 1984 1983 1981 1966
NHEHS Alumnae in the News: Rona Orme (Monro) NHEHS 1974 was awarded the Canterbury Cross by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2018 for services to the Church of England for outstanding work in the field of Christian education for children. Polly Arnold (NHEHS 1986) is a Professor of Chemistry at Edinburgh University, and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2018. This is one of the highest honours that a scientist can get in this country. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to chemistry and women in STEM. Besides being an excellent chemist, Polly fights tirelessly for women’s issues in science and also for LGBT rights. Dr Seema Srivastava (NHEHS 1993) is Associate Medical Director for Safe Care for the North Bristol Hospital Trust and Consultant Physian at Southmead Hospital, Bristol. We are delighted
to hear she was awarded an MBE in the 2018 Queen’s New Year’s Honours list, for her services to the NHS in Patient Safety. She is the lead Consultant for safety and quality improvement and led the development of a combined ‘National Early Warning Score (NEWS) and Pain’ chart across the Trust. This helps the early identification of patients at risk of deterioration, thereby ensuring early intervention. Seema also developed a novel NEWS chart for Neurosciences, which helps detect deteriorating neurological health. Sophia Djili (NHEHS 2008) won the 2018 Victor Watson Trophy for Young Persons of Outstanding Achievement in the Print Industry, which was set up by the British Institute of Printing Federation (BPIF). She is a project engineer at De La Rue, a printing company that specialises in security products such as banknotes, passports and tax stamps, and it is for her part in the design of the new sterling notes that she was awarded this prize.
Endangered Instruments The Symphony Orchestra at NHEHS is thriving with recent performances of Brahms, Prokofiev and Beethoven to name a few, but one of the things it lacks is the true diversity of a full Symphony Orchestra. Violins and Flutes abound and we have the odd oboe and trumpet but a true mix of instruments, including bassoon, double bass and lower brass is missing. As a result, we have launched a project for Year 7 students this year to counteract this. Named the ‘Endangered Instrument Project’, the school funds the initial lessons on one of 7 instruments identified as being lacking in the school. This includes bassoon, oboe, viola, trombone, double bass, french horn and trumpet. Alongside the initial lessons, the student is able to borrow an instrument from school, the only cost being to counter general wear and 21
tear. A keen lover of music, the Headmaster has provided us with some start-up capital which has been added to by the kind donation of a beautiful oboe from Alumna Carolyn King (West), NHEHS 1962, for which we are very thankful.
Archives: nHHS FacEs a war
During the past few years, we have been reflecting on the events of the first world war. The focus has inevitably been on the soldiers, but the lives of those left at home were also affected in many ways. Notting Hill High School faced many challenges but the staff, girls and old girls, with patriotic zeal, accepted the often-harsh conditions and rallied to support the war effort.
but … thrown flat into the basket and collected by a special monitress in each form at the end of the morning.’ For a period, sheets of scrap paper were flattened and made into notebooks for staff and girls to use. The number of bookbinders going off to war, together with paper shortages made it difficult to obtain books and this brought significant changes to the annual prize-giving. In consequence, ‘Notting Hill scorned the idea of prizes in wartime and substituted certificates’ Prize-winners received ‘only a symbol in the shape of a card tied with red, white and blue ribbon’. The money saved by this was donated to various war charities. Paper shortages also led to the decision not to publish the school magazine in 1917, 1918 and 1919.
Writing in the March 1915 issue of the school magazine, Headmistress, Miss Berryman expressed the view that ‘We are living in times which will for later generations mark an epoch, and out of which we ourselves will emerge with a sense of changed conditions… in spite of the gloom and chaos one inspiring thought emerged from the very first. It is clear that this War means change, that somehow through stress and strain a new thing is in the making, and that we must be “fit’’ and ready to The school was mindful of the need for economy help when the moment comes to mould it for the in the war years and so by 1917, shortly before rationing was introduced, meat was virtually better. This we feel in the School’. eliminated from school lunches. Heating became a Paper shortages were one of the first things the relative luxury when the Headmistress announced school had to adapt to. The staff minutes dictated at a staff meeting that no fires were permitted in that in future, ‘Waste paper [is] not to be crumpled classrooms, unless ‘really required’. 22
Despite the difficult conditions, lessons carried on as usual, with ‘war topics’ now included in most subjects. Girls were expected to do their preparation on time and no excuses were accepted for homework not completed. Public exams continued throughout the war and most girls did quite well, even though they suffered from disturbed nights and a shortage of food.
dozen limb pillows and 11 woollen blankets- show the incredible commitment of the girls who held bazaars to raise money for materials.
The school took interest in and supported Belgian refugees. It welcomed two little Belgian girls, Cecile and Denise Feyerick, to the junior school and the girls raised money for their upkeep while they were at NHHS. They collected kid gloves to be used One of the great dilemmas facing the school to line the waist coats of refugees and gathered concerned the German Club whose members clothing for Belgian refugees at Earls Court. eventually decided to suspend their meetings ‘Although the outbreak of the War has, naturally, Quite a few of the staff left school to take up war somewhat disturbed our sympathies with the roles. Several went to train as nurses and worked German-speaking nations, our interest in their both in England and on the continent. Gym mistress language and the treasures of their literature Gertrude Bomford trained as an army nurse, and remains the same, but for the time being all was sent to a hospital ‘somewhere in France’ while special efforts out of school hours have had to Mlle Joakim went ‘to nurse her brave countrymen give way before our increased activities in helping at the Front’. Catherine Curtis, a Classics mistress various patriotic charities. The work of the Club is joined other women doing munitions work at Woolwich Arsenal, while Kindergarten mistress, adjourned to more propitious times.’ Katherine Fryer became an officer in the WRNS. The safety of the girls then, as now, was always Madame de Boyes, a French teacher at the school paramount and so, in 1915, the school adopted gave French lessons to groups of NCOs and men of the air raid precautions prescribed by the LCC. the Scots Guards. This required ‘children [to be] kept in classrooms, not allowed near windows, not allowed home’. There were regular drills, during which the girls assembled in the basement. The girls were keen to help their country. There were weekly collections of small gifts such as chocolate, stationery and tobacco which were sent to soldiers at the front, preference being given to relatives of school members. Judging by the many letters of thanks which were read out in assembly, these were greatly appreciated by the men. Work parties to make hospital equipment and knitting sessions to make socks, soon became a regular part of school routine. During the knitting meetings, someone would ‘read aloud to pass the time pleasantly’! The work parties made shirts, woollen blankets, limb pillows and hospital bags for military hospitals. The statistics for just one term – 1050 hospital bags, a dozen shirts, three 23
It is incredible to see the range of activities the Old Girls got involved in during the war Medical contributions were made by, amongst others, Dorothy Chick who served as a House Surgeon in Serbia, Meta Smith who was house surgeon at Northampton Hospital and Harriette Chick who
was involved in making vaccines and sera for the troops. Sisters Phyllis and Olive Mudie-Cooke drove ambulances in Boulogne and Salonika and Hilda Struthers drove one in Udine. Olive MudieCooke made sketches of what she saw and became recognised as one of the first official women war artists. Dorothea and Noel Hearn went to nurse in Malta while others went nursing elsewhere in Britain and Europe. Millicent Johnson trained as a masseuse and worked with wounded soldiers while Marjorie Hallward managed the YMCA’s Queen Mary Hut which provided accommodation for the wives of wounded soldiers so that they could spend time with their injured husbands.
Many of the Old Girls joined relief and refugee organisations. Louise Steibel was one of the founders of the War Refugees Committee and May Mitchell went to work in the Netherlands. Several others were involved with Belgian relief while Georgina Walrond worked in the British Red Cross Society’s Search Department in Paris. The Old Girls’ Association played a key role in fundraising for various war charities. One of the most interesting and innovative fundraising efforts was undertaken by old girl, Hope Clarke who set up the Silver Thimble Fund. Worn out thimbles and unwanted items of silver, gold and jewellery were collected and their sale raised an incredible £66,000 which was used to equip ambulances and for relief work. This scheme was so successful that it continued in World War 2 and led to Hope being awarded a CBE in 1949. For women and girls who were used to living comfortably, the trying conditions caused by the war must have been a very great challenge. This did not, however, stop them from rallying to Miss Berrymans call to be ‘“fit’’ and ready to help when the moment comes’ and from doing what they could to support their country in its time of need. Liz Broekmann (BA, HDipLib, HED, MCILIP) NHEHS School Archivist
CALLING ALL RESEARCHERS! To celebrate Notting Hill and Ealing High School’s 150th anniversary in 2023, a group of volunteers is being put together to create a colourful history book of the school. The book will contain photographs, anecdotes, stories of great moments and pupils, that capture the school’s incredible history from its inauguration in 1873 to the present day. We need help researching. This would primarily involve looking through the school archives which are now all online and so can be done remotely and anywhere round the world!
Would you like to take part and be prepared to devote a little time? If so, please do get in contact with the alumnae office: alumnae@nhehs.gdst.net 24
News from our Old Girls... Audrey Birt (Izzard) NHEHS 1948 Having lived in the South East all my life and now in my mid-eighties, I decided to move to be nearer to my family. I am now living in Devon and am closer to my son and two oldest granddaughters. It is certainly a lot more peaceful.
organizations. I was married for a short time in the seventies but found I’m not suited to la vie à deux and live in happy spinsterhood in the East Village of Manhattan. Quite often I visit my sister in England (Somerset) and love coming back to London.
Patricia Ford (Mason) NHEHS 1951 It is so good to still be in touch- I have had endless pleasure in looking at the old all-school photographs (I attended between 1946 and 1951). I think I could still reel off the register! I am still working (aged 83). I invigilate for the local college and also for the Open University - home exams for those unable to get to a centre. I am also still mimicking Her Majesty the Queen! I have been a lookalike since 2002 and am still kept busy, in this country and abroad, impersonating her. It is an honour. Semi-retirement is wonderful, as I fill my weeks with attending clubs, thereby meeting many different people. I belong to two U3As, and play bridge and scrabble with them. Plus, another bridge society, and rummikub as an extra. This year I joined a canasta group. Mixing with all ages is the thing to do when you’re getting old!
Jean Aldred (Hubble) NHEHS 1956 Quite by accident earlier this year I discovered one of my class of 1956 had a son living in Brisbane close to me. His older daughter, my friend’s granddaughter, was in the same class at the same school as one of my granddaughters. To add to that, both girls (aged 12) were the championship swimmers of the primary school this year.. They certainly did not inherit that from either of us in post war London. Doreen Flood (Munt) and I were able to meet this year and exchange 60 or more years of our lives since those long forgotten days. We also discovered we had both named our own daughters Katrina Louise! All these coincidences and I do not think we ever spoke when at school at Notting Hill.
Beryl Pytches (Houghton) NHEHS 1954 We celebrated our Diamond wedding anniversary in July 2018. Those who came included my sisterin -law, Dorothy Houghton nee Ryan who was at NHEHS with Lucy Steadman. She is now over 90 and my bridesmaid Anne Green nee Barralet. Anne Boster NHEHS 1955 I taught in London for a couple of years before following friends to New York at the time of the ‘braindrain’ in 1964. Later I got my M.A. from New York University and taught at various institutions, finishing at Friends Seminary, a Quaker school. Now I am involved with various Greening 25
Virginia Patterson (nee Thorp) NHEHS 1956 This year has been a very busy one which started with our accepting an offer on our house in Earley (Reading) and confirming our purchase of a much smaller house in Woodley (also a suburb of Reading). We actually moved house on February 28th (when it snowed), just a few days after my 80th birthday, which disappeared under a mountain of packing boxes!! Our address is now 234, Kingfisher Drive, Woodley, READING RG5 3LH; our phone number is the same (0118-926-4141) and anyone is welcome to call on us after a phone call to check we are here! The excitement of moving and unpacking and trying to accommodate all our souvenirs of almost
55 years of marriage was suddenly overcome by the news that Michael had been discovered to have cancer of the liver. This has of course meant a lot of travelling to Birmingham where he was sent for treatment, as it is a centre of excellence for cancer of the liver; however, after several months of different tests and X-rays and scans we were finally told that his cancer could not be treated there and we were recommended to come back to Reading for chemotherapy here. Michael is now receiving treatment at home via 3 pills taken every day, but as usual the treatment causes many side-effects and he is now very tired and lacking in energy all the time, sometimes nauseous and sometimes has bad migraines and pain in his fingers and toes. However, we know that God has our lives in His hand so we are not downcast and look forward to as many months or years as the Lord allows. Life still continues and we spend as much time as we can with our three children and 10 grandchildren in Leicester, the New Forest and Belfast. I look forward to the OGA news and to hearing from all my friends.
Diana Pemberton-Pigott (Sellman) NHEHS 1969 I have recently started working for one day a week on the ward desk at Sobell House Hospice in Oxford. I am also involved with my local WI, Neighbourhood Watch and continue to take an active part in the Oxford Operatic Society performing at the Oxford Playhouse & New Theatre. I have 7 beautiful grandchildren who give me much joy! Catherine Noble (Johnson) NHEHS 1973 Retired, still living near Winchester. 5 children over 30 in our blended family, but not a single grandchild to spoil!
Alison Forsyth NHEHS 1978 For a variety of health and personal reasons I have taken early retirement from my position as Senior Lecturer in Drama/Theatre Studies at Aberystwyth University. My key research areas as an academic included Documentary and Testimonial Theatre, as well as adaptations for the stage - and most of my publications focus on these topics. Over and above these areas I taught specialist modules titled Shakespeare in Performance and American Gillian Mary Beavin (Mann) NHEHS 1965 This year we celebrated our Golden Wedding Voices (Contemporary American Theatre 1960s to Anniversary with a cruise around the British Isles present). Now I focus on creative writing/fiction writing, as well as researching twentieth century and a family gathering. ceramics/vintage artefacts. Would love to hear from old class mates! Last time we got together Hilary Joyce (McKenzie) NHEHS 1965 I continue to farm organically on my small farm in was a reunion in 1998. West Dorset since my husband’s death five years ago. I have recently completed a number of EU Julie Stafford NHEHS 1985 funded environmental projects such as coppicing Living in Sydney, Australia and working at Cricket riverside trees, laying hedges traditionally and NSW in charge of Female Cricket. Keeps in touch planting new hedgerows. I have a small flock of with NHEHS friends when visiting London. Always sheep and 14 hens, selling meat, wool, eggs and happy to connect with NHEHS girls looking to jams at the farm gate. It is a wonderful lifestyle make their way in the sports industry. which gives me great joy and one which I had not even dreamt of while at NHEHS, having trained Jane Flanagan NHEHS 1987 as a barrister and working as a public relations After working as a news reporter on national newspapers in London, I moved to South Africa in consultant for many years! 2000 to work as a foreign correspondent. Despite promising my parents I would return to the UK 26
after 18 months or so, I never have apart from occasional holiday. My two children were born in 2005 and 2007, while we were living in Jerusalem, and I hung up my notebook for a few years for more predictable hours as a part-time consultant with the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territory and then back in South Africa. I am now happily and fully immersed back in newspaper journalism, based next to the sea in Cape Town, as the Africa Correspondent of The Times of London. @janeflan
a lot of singing in various choirs. Looking forward to tours in Barcelona and Berlin next year!
Jane Sigaloff NHEHS 1991 Still juggling as much as she can and writing very occasionally. Her eldest daughter is in her final year of the junior school at Putney High and wants to be a zookeeper when she grows up. Her youngest daughter is also at Putney and plays trumpet and ukulele in her spare time. Neither daughter has any interest in sport so Jane continues to play netball every week in an attempt to be a role model and also to pretend she is not yet truly grown up. The family had a wonderful trip to Australia in 2018 to visit her brother and his family who are now permanently settled in Sydney and managed a trip to the Great Barrier Reef too.
Emily Stride (Brittain) NHEHS 2001 but left when family moved in 1994. I’m working as an actress and living in East London with my fiancée. I have worked as an actress and voiceover artist since graduating from Royal Holloway, University of London, in 2005. I have toured the UK with plays including Sebastian Faulk’s ‘Birdsong’, and performed in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Vienna and Dubai. I adored NHEHS and have very fond memories of my time there.
Lorraine Hamid NHEHS 1994 I gave birth to my second daughter, Talia, on 24 October 2018. She is a great little sister to 5 year old Rayanne.
Helena Pavitt (Pearce) NHEHS 2008 Big year for me this year - I got married, got a new job as Head of Content for Samsung Europe and am now expecting my first baby. Phew
Caroline Brooks NHEHS 1999 After having spent the last 15 years, working in the West End, touring the UK (and parts of the world) with a number of wonderful different shows, such as Hairspray, Wicked, West Side Story and Miss Saigon, I have finally decided to “settle down” in Brighton and have wonderfully come full circle, as I am now working with Jay Green (Head of Drama at NHEHS 1992 – 2000) at Freckle Productions - it’s Rachel Ellison NHEHS 1988 like no time has passed but the only difference is Former BBC news reporter. Led women’s and that he doesn’t mark my work, or make me wear human rights media project Afghanistan. Awarded stick-on sideburns, a la Midsummer Night’s Dream an MBE ‘for the promotion of human rights and ’97!!! women’s self empowerment in Afghanistan’. Book: ‘Global Leadership & Coaching: Flourishing under Sarah Millette (Cook) NHEHS 2002 – left 2000 intense pressure at work’ - published by Routledge Working as a geriatrician in Oxford and have 2 kids 2019. www.rachelellison.com - Poppy (3) and Theo (9 months)
Anshu Bhimbat NHEHS 2007 Had a baby girl, Kaira, on 5th June 2018
We love to hear from you! Fran Hathaway (Hammond) NHEHS 1994 Still a midwife, but I’ve also set up my sideline Please update us with your news and with any business (very small) called Frantastic Cakes. Along changes to your contact details at: with being very busy with my three boys, I’m doing www.nhehs.gdst.net/alumnae/keep-in-touch 27
Your letters: Kate Downs (Parnell) NHEHS 1944 Dear Natalie, I believe it was you with whom I fairly recently had some contact, about Miss Mc.Caig? You commented about “the never give up” attitude that the school installed in us from the very first day we pass through those doors! A few days later I thought of an incident, which perfectly exemplifies this! I was 9. I know that for sure, because Miss Drury was my form mistress. I would be ten at the end of August. So, summer 1936. I got a wasp/bee sting, which had my mother, a trained nurse, worried enough to take me to the doctor. He did whatever doctors could do in those days, put my arm in a sling and said ”rest it”! Next morning, no English homework to hand in. Miss Drury said, with no show of pity at all. “I’m sorry about your arm, Kathleen” She looked me over and said, “What’s wrong with the other one, Kathleen?” Pause. “I want that homework, together with tonight’s, on my desk tomorrow morning. Is that clear?” I was a bit shaken, but told myself that all would be well, Mummy would write a note. Told my sorry tale to Mummy, who listened looking over her specs , with the faintest look of amusement and said with a bit of a jokey smile, “Oh dear, you’ve got your work cut out this evening, haven’t you?! Have your tea” – which, in those balmy pre-war days, consisted of half a pint of Jersey milk and a biscuit or a piece of cake” and you’ll have an hour and a half until supper”! So much for parental support!!! Miss Drury got her two homeworks. Actually, looking back, I think Miss D was a touch surprised! She probably expected a note! But there again, it did teach me a lesson. Ever since I have cultivated a bit of an ability to do something with my left hand and although I could not write with my left hand, what I can do surprises a lot of people! Miss Drury, poor soul, was probably our least-liked mistress. She really was very plain (who am I to talk?!), didn’t smile at all easily. Other teachers had very good discipline without being heavy-handed, but Miss Drury quickly got CROSS! She wasn’t very smiling! It is really only lately, with all the commemorations of the Great War that it entered my head, that the reason ALL of our teachers pre-war were “Miss” was that there were no men left for the girls to marry. Many of them would have given their all, I am sure, to have husbands and children of their own. Very sad. (We did have a Mrs. Marriot who came in once or twice a week to teach singing to the Lower School. I hated her because she told me to stop singing, I was spoiling it!) All the very best. Yours, Kate Downs (Parnell) Gene Barber (Cooper) NHEHS 1948 Received your e-mail this morning right out here in NZ where we, my husband, Allen and I are spending 5/6 weeks in Christchurch, South Island. We have been coming over here for years having fallen in love with the country on our first visit many years ago. We bought a bungalow, single story property is what they are called over here, quite a few years ago but sold it after 8 years after the earthquake struck. We were actually living there at the time and were very lucky to escape any injuries. (Allen nearly got hit on the head by the standard lamp but my yell made him move in time!) We had decided not to come back but, of course we have, every year except when medical conditions held us back. Our friends think we are mad at our age but we love it and have friends over here, sadly not as many as we used to have. 28
- I left school in July 1948, from the Upper 5th, A, Miss McCaig, bless her heart, tried hard to make me stay on into the 6th Form but having lost a couple of years schooling during the war I was nearly 18 and really had had enough by then! This might, or might not, amuse you but I always remember, during the summer, going home for lunch, we lived in Wimborne Gardens, alongside the school, and I was able to bring back the latest cricket scores in the afternoon! I have kept up with 3 old school friends, Marlion Poulter, to whom I have recently sent a copy of the old school photo, I think it was 1942, Audrey Izzard, who is in the process of moving house from Slough to Devon to be near her son and family and Patricia Hellins, who left at the end of the war, to live in Portsmouth and attend the NHEHS version school down there. She still lives in that area and we do still meet up, which is great. We both think neither of us has changed! Thanks for all your efforts you make to keep the magazine going. Things are so very different now but great to be able to bring back all the happy memories of the time we all spent there. Quite a few of our lot still going strong! Wish we had had a swimming pool then. We now live in a retirement village and now have a lovely warm pool there, great for our weekly acrarobics! There’s life in the old dog yet! Just re-reading your letter about the school during the war, the thing that I remember was continuing our lessons in the cloakroom with all our books on our laps. Also the time when a Doodle-bug cut out its engines right above us, you just had to wait for the explosion to get an idea as to where it had landed. This sounded rather too close one day, the “bang” was very loud. I was terrified it might have been our house but it was a shop called Abernethies, in West Ealing, where they sold school uniforms, from what I remember, and Christine Abernethie was in our class. No-one was hurt, if I remember correctly. Best wishes to all of you who work on the magazine, much appreciated. Jill Barlow (Roberts) NHEHS 1954 Just to let you know unable to attend this evening due to inclement weather (hail earlier this afternoon in my home town St Albans Herts, freezing temperatures & slippery pavements – destined to become black ice as temperatures drop further!) Still I feel sure other OGA networking events will follow - my special interest is journalism in the academic field as I’ve reviewed for a Cambridge University Press academic journal on modern contemporary classical music 1999-2014 still ongoing writing for other similar outlets in the field as Music Critic. Anyway many thanks for the warm welcome I got on the phone from Alumnae Office (I seem to recall I spoke to Natalie Burns Spence. Very inspiring for us older members to hear of all your current avant garde events at the old school!) Intrigued to see Miss Chapman still ‘blowing the whistle’ for Netball matches- she must be well into her 90’s by now & taught me- tho sports were not my forte---do give her my fond regards. May see you all on another occasion weather permitting etc. all best & fond memories
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In Memoriam
we fondly remember Lindsay Cooper, NHEHS 1969, died of MS in 2013 “Back in the day, the late ‘60s, in the year above mine, there was a wonderful group of talented musicians, a piano and wind band or sextet who named themselves “The Rare Room Ensemble”... I do not recollect any school organised events which involved them, but whenever I heard them play, I was transfixed. The pianist was Gillian Spragg, who I remember got 3 A grade A levels (when A grades represented only 3% of candidates!) AND distinction in Grade VIII piano the same term (her teacher was Eileen Rowe and Gillian Spragg still lives in Ealing and has a music career). There was another virtuoso, a bassoonist, Lindsay Cooper, who played in National Youth Orchestra and went on to study at Darlington Hall and Royal Academy. At school she had seemed to me to be rather exciting and unconventional; her career showed this, according to on line obituaries with Women’s Lib, jazz, all female music groups and composing AND feminist /socialist political activism. She is also playing on Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells and other recordings. She was certainly at the core of a rare concentration of musical brilliance which formed an embryonic example of her future passions. In the School of today, the Sextet would have no problem finding rehearsal or recital space - I wonder what they would have called themselves? Dr Sally Mason (NHEHS 1970) Hilary Gordon-Champion (nee Champion) NHEHS 1966, died 23rd December 2017 “At Southampton University Hilary read Maths and went on to teach at Newland House Preparatory School before taking a break to become nanny to the children of Kenneth and Kathleen Tynan in London and California. After 2 years she returned to Newland House where she taught for a number of years. In the early 1990s she became a private tutor while teaching maths in the mornings at both Durston House and Harvington Preparatory schools in Ealing. Throughout the 1980s Hilary was an active fundraiser as Vice Chair of one of the London committees that raised money for Mencap. More recently she had been an active committee member of her professional body, the Association of Tutors. Hilary married Milton Gordon in 1997 and they travelled widely. She loved going to the opera at Glyndebourne and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival which she enjoyed for the last 20 years with Milton. Throughout her life Hilary maintained close contact with family and friends and liked nothing better than bringing people together. If the length of one’s life was measured by the contribution one made to the lives of others, Hilary lived a very long life indeed.’ She was born in Hampshire 13 Jan 1948 and died in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford on 23rd December 2017. The funeral was very well attended and no fewer than 6 NHEHS ‘Old Girls’ were among those attending. Numerous others have emailed and made donations to the Stroke Association. Five friends were asked to speak briefly about different stages of Hilary’s life and I was very honoured to be asked to cover the school years. I knew Hilary for 65 years – since I was five and she was four. Although we didn’t meet all that often we were able to just pick up where we left off the last time, as you can with someone you have known forever. I miss her.” Anne Irvine (NHEHS 1965) 30
Betty Birch, NHEHS 1933, died 2nd January 2018, aged 99 “My mother was one of the girls who did the transfer from Notting Hill to Ealing in 1930, but left NHEHS aged only 15 in December 1933 to care for her mother following an operation that had dreadful consequences.” Anthonia Chalmers (NHEHS 1960) Isabel Little (Ewing) NHEHS 1958, died 9th January 2018 Tereora Chaplin (nee Pethick) NHEHS 1938, died 11th February 2018 Penny Vincenzi (nee Hannaford) NHEHS 1957, died 25th February 2018 “A leader in a generation of women that included Shirley Conran, Jackie Collins and Jilly Cooper, she wrote books that earned the epithet “blockbuster” for their formidable heroines, doorstop size and complex plots, in which businesses are fought over, lovers lost and found, and secrets revealed.” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/feb/28/penny-vincenzi-obituary Omojola Ogundipe, NHEHS 2016 - left 2014, died March 2018 Diana Balogh (nee James) NHEHS 1959, died 13th June 2018 Caroline Parr-Voller (nee Parr Head) NHEHS 1956, died June 2018 Ann Kenwright, NHEHS 1959, died 20th August 2018 Noreen Winifred King (nee Ross) died at home on 2 November 2018, aged 97 years. “Dear wife of the late Wilfrid King, and loving mother of Rosanna, Alison, Stephen and Patrick, grandmother to Edward, Tom, Helen, David, Patrick, Chris and Monica, and great grandmother to Wilfred. Noreen left NHEHS in 1938 with a school certificate in 8 standard topics plus drawing, sewing, singing and gymnastics. After leaving school she learned shorthand and typing and worked for short time as a secretary in an architect’s office. Then war broke out, and she became an ambulance driver, first for the Air Raid Precautions team then in the all-female First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (now the Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps). Her older sister Cecily Ross was head girl. Two of her nieces later attended the school Virginia Patterson (nee Thorp) and Caroline Baynes (nee Thorp).” Corinne Christine Joy Dwyer, NHEHS 1957, died November 2018
Editorial, layout and articles, where not otherwise acknowledged, by Natalie Burns Spence, Alumnae Relations Manager, NHEHS. ed. 2018/2019
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Old Girls’ Association c/o Notting Hill & Ealing High School 2 Cleveland Road, Ealing, London W13 8AX alumnae@nhehs.gdst.net
www.nhehs.gdst.net/alumnae
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