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1950
1953
Rosemary Filmer (Dr Moore)’s 2000 book The Light in Their Consciences: The Early Quakers in Britain, 1646-1666 has been published in a revised edition.
Nadine Brummer writes: ‘I was lucky to have my new book Whatever It Is That Chimes: New and Selected Poems published on March 13 and luckier to have been driven down to Dorset March 22 to share our equal (not second) home with shielding friend. Experience of lockdown April/May was surreal – such a disjunction between loveliness of cottage garden and the shadow of coronavirus with bleak daily news and stats. As it went on lots of emails and kindness of Beaminster neighbour/ friends helped. Felt privileged and mindful of people in dire situations. Sad and worried by Covid-19, I’ve been profoundly shocked by events in Minneapolis; their ‘choke-hold’ seems crueller than any pandemic, involving, as it does, intentional killing cruelty. I hope I live long enough to see benign change.’
Daphne Wall writes: ‘Since I came up to Somerville in 1950 I leave it to my fellow Somervillians to estimate my age. For those of us in this group, of course, there has been no going out, much reliance on kind neighbours and friends for shopping, and a great deal of dependence on our many devices and on a good book to curl up with when we want to forget the often grim news. But we are lucky to have survived, lucky to have children and grandchildren to call us and report their achievements. Finding great joy in my own garden I often think of Somerville’s and especially its beautiful trees. Thanks for the memories – and greetings and best wishes.’
1951 Lindsey Miller (Mrs March) moved to Oxford to be near her daughter. Since then she has been involved with a lot of local and international causes, mostly environmental and to do with international justice and peace. Patricia Owtram (Mrs Pat Davies) became a Freeman of the London Borough of Hounslow on 12 November 2019 at Chiswick Town Hall. Pat has had a busy year with WW2 anniversaries and was one of three representatives from Bletchley Park at the 2019 Women of the Year luncheon. She has also been heard on Radio 4. Jenifer Weston (Mrs Wates) writes: ‘Initially, utterly dismayed by the severity of the lockdown. But then I realised that of course, I would do anything within my power to save the lives of my beloved people. So have been seeing myself as a temporary hermit: painting, reading, gardening. Missing people, but welcoming the telephone and Zoom. And feeling very privileged.’
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Ann Mansfield-Robinson (Mrs Currie) writes: ‘We came to this assisted housing complex with attached nursing home in 2014 and it is a great success. Sadly Giles is now completely blind and has vascular dementia so he is now in the nursing home. He is very well looked after. They had one case of Covid and nursed her back but it has meant I cannot go into the building. I am able to take him for a walk every day in the lovely park surrounding us and I am being looked after too but retain my independence. Our daughters live within half an hour so we see them (outdoors) regularly and are altogether very privileged. I feel for those less so. Life is much more trying for our grandchildren.’
1954 Hilary Maunsell (Dr Brown) writes: ‘We continue to enjoy living in northwest Scotland. It has been a good place to be during coronavirus lockdown with plenty of room for social distancing and kind younger neighbours who fetch our shopping. Our garden has received much attention this year and rewarded us with its usual fine display of rhododendrons.
PROFESSOR DAME AVERIL CAMERON
The adjacent 14 acres where we are restoring the oak woodland (some of the most northerly in Britain) has also kept us busy. Our best trees, started from acorns, are now, after 14 years, 5 metres tall.’
1956 Sonia Jackson writes: ‘I went to Spain in December 2019 to launch an international book on the education of children and young people in care. My flight was so delayed that I missed my connection in Madrid and arrived too late for the dinner at which I was due to speak. No sign yet of the promised compensation, but Oviedo was lovely.’
1958 Warmest congratulations to Averil Sutton (Professor Dame Averil Cameron) on the award of the British Academy’s Kenyon Medal for her lifetime contribution to Byzantine Studies. The only other woman to receive this medal is also a Somervillian, Joyce Reynolds (1937). https://www. thebritishacademy.ac.uk/prizes-medals/ kenyon-medal/
