Remembering Loved Ones Margaret Bunford (née Taylor) NLCS 1940 – 1948

Margaret died in February 2023, aged 92, in a care home in Sheffield where she had lived for the last three years of her life, close to one of her three daughters. Her commitment to the School and to ONLA was long and productive but only one of Margaret’s many enthusiasms.

In the 1930s Margaret’s father was working as an accountant in London. His partner’s daughter was at North London Collegiate and recommended the school; the family moved to Dalkeith Grove, so that Margaret could come here.

Most recently for ONLA, Margaret took responsibility for organising the reunions for ONLs who left more than fifty years ago. The first lunch was in April 1995 and Margaret collected War Time Memories preceding the event. The book sold well on the day of the lunch and also was popular with current pupils.

For the book of memories of school in wartime, Margaret recalled that when war broke out in 1939, she was initially, sent to her grandparents who farmed in Northamptonshire. However, eventually her parents decided that the family should be together so she returned home and joined NLCS at the beginning of the Autumn term, in 1940. Her journey to school was just a short walk up the road from home. Shelters were built at school on the ground floor and even exams were conducted in the shelter at times if there was an air raid.

Margaret remembered that everyone’s gardens were turned over to growing food and that all children had extra milk at school. She thought Domestic Bursar, Miss Turpin did a good job, despite food shortages and the school meals were very nourishing although the pupils may not have been impressed at the time! One day Margaret found a nut from a piece of kitchen equipment, in the boiled sponge pudding. Taking it, with some glee, to Miss Turpin, she was disappointed to hear “Ah, we have been looking for that all morning, thank you so much!”

Margaret had a successful academic career at school and went on to Bedford College, graduating in social work. She subsequently worked for Remploy, assisting disabled people into work.

She met her husband, John Taylor on a blind date. Hoping to impress her, John took her for a drive in his Alvis sportscar, only for the car to break down. Needing a screwdriver to effect repairs, John was impressed when Margaret produced one from her handbag! They married in 1956 and had three daughters, Sally, Caroline and Fiona.

Until 1982, Margaret worked for ONLA as the “Address Secretary”. She inherited the traditional means of keeping up to date with ONLs’ changes of address and names which was very simple – asking them to sign an attendance “register” when they came to Founder’s Day or other event. Members’ details were recorded on index cards. Roughly 6,000 of these cards were donated to the school’s archive in 2009, many of them bearing Margaret’s amendments.

In addition, Margaret worked hard for the School as a governor between 1993 and 2006 and as Vice Chairman of Governors to first Ian McGregor and then Helen Stone (ONL) as Chair. Helen recalled:

“[Margaret] was a marvellous fount of knowledge, and I much enjoyed working together on the numerous challenges of governing NLCS. I have particularly nice memories of going to dinner with Margaret and John in Northwood during that period. His wry humour and Margaret’s fabulous hospitality combined to provide a wonderful time.

…. Margaret’s positive outlook and business-like approach were always very welcome attributes.”

Margaret’s steadfast commitment to the School has never wavered but she was always the driving force at the heart of celebrations to honour the contributions made by others, in particular, the ONLA centenary dinner in 1973 and the dinner for Madeleine McLauchlan’s retirement in 1985. Margaret was elected Vice President of the Association in 1995 and became the champion for pre-1950 leavers. She organised a Sesquicentenary Lunch for them and the event was repeated in 2005 and 2010.

Apart from her dedication to the School and to ONLA, Margaret had many other interests and was regarded by her family and friends as a force of nature, multi tasker (“She was always busy”) and a persuasive recruiter of volunteers in support of all the organisations she herself supported. She was a founder member of one of the very early NADFAS, National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (now The Arts Society) and was an Honorary Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Horners.

As a fund raiser, Margaret was associated with the Sunshine Home for Blind Children near her home in Northwood (now run by RNIB) and sat on the Cancer Research UK committee. A friend remembered working with Margaret on a small charity which gave money to schools for projects. Their meetings were held at Margaret’s home and as always, Margaret was the driving force. “Even in small activities she made things happen”.

Since 2000, her daughter, Fiona, has worked at Montgomery Heights, an orphanage in Zimbabwe. Margaret collected books, toys, medicines, clothes, bicycles and garden and kitchen equipment to send to the orphanage. The boxes – which filled an enormous shipping container –were packed in Margaret’s garage, mostly by Margaret herself although at least two ONLs will remember being recruited for the job! For as long as she could, Margaret visited the orphanage for a month every year to help wherever she could and becoming affectionately known as “Mummy Bunford”.

Margaret served as a JP for 28 years, retiring at the age of 70. When she began it was the convention that the longest serving JP would become Bench Chairman but – with typical perspicacity – Margaret considered that longevity did not necessarily ensure the skillset needed by the Chair. She pioneered appraisals and skillbased elections and helped to develop training for the bench. She was a member of the Middlesex Advisory Committee for the appointment of magistrates as well as the National Probation Committee and later became a prison visitor through the Howard League for Penal Reform.

In 2018, NLCS made a small tribute to Margaret to recognise the unique contribution she made to the life of the School. Her many friends, both in and outside of school attested to Margaret’s many qualities; positivity, generous hospitality, cooking, efficiency combined with tact and charm, a “do-er”. Margaret Bunford encapsulated intelligence, compassion and social skills; we have been fortunate to have known her.