15 minute read
ALL CHANGE
An interview with Margaret Imlah on her retirement
Change, whether welcome or not, is inevitable in all our lives. It has become a theme of the COVID pandemic and brought considerable impacts with it. Over the past year, our capacity for change has been tested as well as our resilience to deal with it. At St George’s there has been an outstanding commitment to addressing this change positively and as a community. At the heart of that commitment there have been key figures, one of whom is most certainly Margaret Imlah. That will come as no surprise to anyone involved in the school over the past 32 years. Her complete and utter dedication to St George’s and its staff, pupils and wider community has been steadfast, surpassing even her own high standards in this past year to help address the challenges faced. It therefore feels very strange and sad to acknowledge that inevitably there must be change and, with that, the retirement of one of St G’s longest serving and most dedicated members of staff: Margaret Imlah, who retired in January 2021.
One might say she is “in with the bricks” but she certainly helped to get several of them put in over the years, with a significant number of successful building projects completed under her management. The thousands of meals, lunches and dinners she has organised and served with her dedicated teams; the accessibility to the school and safety of pupils and staff she has ensured come snow, rain or high wind; the financial due diligence she has shown and management across so many departments of school; and her unbelievable knowledge, memory for pupils, staff, parents and partners has been nothing short of miraculous. She is a tourde-force with a heart of gold; that is without question. Margaret joined St George’s School in 1988 as Domestic Bursar. She had been a pupil at Morrison’s Academy, Crieff, before going on to read History at the University of Aberdeen. She went from there to become a Domestic Bursar at the University of St Andrews, before joining St George’s. From Domestic Bursar she became Facilities Director, reporting directly to the Head, and her key responsibilities were substantial (to say the least): the School Estate, including Grounds, Buildings and Health, Safety and Accessibility; Catering, Domestic Work, Boarding, Risk Management, Facilities, Financial Management and Strategy; and on-site responsibilities outside the school day and during school holidays. Margaret’s leadership in so many areas inevitably gave her a vital role in St George’s governance and leadership structure, with attendance at the Council and its committees and of the Senior Leadership Team, as well as a wide range of internal and external teams. Margaret’s influence and experience has permeated the school for 32 years. Life at St George’s without Margaret Imlah will be difficult to imagine and certainly will take some adjustment. How many people will be required to replace her is not quite clear yet! Margaret will remain on the OGA Committee and will help with the organisation of the archives, so we can be assured we will still have her around showing as much energy and enthusiasm as ever – we are certain of that. In all she has done for the school and its community Margaret has left a legacy that will continue for many, many years to come. From all of those in our St G’s community, we thank her from the bottom of our hearts. We were delighted that Margaret agreed to be interviewed for this edition, to share some experiences of her career at St George’s.
YOUR ST GEORGE’S CAREER When did you start working at St George’s?
I started work in October 1988.
How did your job evolve over the years?
Originally my job title was Domestic Bursar and my role centred around making up weekly lunch menus, ordering food, working with the catering staff, drawing up cleaning schedules, making sure all areas of school were cleaned, looking after the domestic staff in both Lansdowne and Houldsworth Boarding Houses and the manual calculation of weekly wages for all Domestic Staff (as they were called then). The lady who held the job before me told me that she usually started work around 8.30am and left about 4.00pm. I thought I had died and gone to heaven, but I have no idea how she ever did that. I certainly didn’t, not even on day one. I still loved it though! The calculation of weekly wages was a new undertaking for me and was done on a ‘Kalamazoo’ system involving lots of duplicate forms and Tax and National Insurance calculation tables. As this was taking up most of my weekends, my husband suggested I should request that it all be computerised. Jean Scott, Head at the time, agreed, so I became the proud owner of only the third admin computer in St George’s - the only others we had belonged to the Head and her PA!
How many headmistresses have you worked for?
I have had the privilege to work under the Headship of six different leaders. Each one was very different, but each a supremely gifted and enlightened educationalist with a passion for and understanding of the power of education. Mrs Jean Scott; Miss Eileen Mackintosh; Dr Judith McClure; Mrs Helen Mackie; Mrs Anne Everest and Mrs Alex Hems. All very special people from whom I learned so much.
Where are you mostly likely to have been found in the school?
Now that is a hard one. As I liked to have an overview of what was happening each day, I tried not to stay too long in one place but, to be sure, I did visit all areas regularly. Initially my office was at the top of Upper School. Once the St George’s Centre opened in February 2001 and all catering and our offices moved there, the Centre would always be my base, but I did like to get out and about!
During Margaret’s time at St George’s the following milestones took place:
1991 – Robertson Music Centre opened. 1996 – Junior School extended with the building of 6 additional classrooms. 1996 – Upper School Labs refurbished.
And where were you least likely to be found?
Latterly I didn’t visit Lower School quite so often, and I would seldom stray into science lab areas during the working day. On the whole though, I was probably likely to be found in any area of school and always seemed to be tracked down with ease if needed quickly!
What are the parts of your job that you liked the most? And which parts were you less keen on?
I am quite a practical person and would really prefer to be ‘doing’ and thinking on my feet rather than stuck at a desk. I wasn’t so keen on writing things like Health and Safety Policies. I spent a lot of time on them, and always worried important details had been missed – or worse, I had committed the school to actions no-one was likely to undertake.
You and your team prepared some of the all-time St George’s favourite meals – what do you think was the most popular?
I think if we asked the students, they would say Christmas Lunch! After that probably any homemade cake or pudding – especially chocolate brownies. I was always pleased how well home-made soups and old-fashioned meals like steak pie or macaroni cheese would go. There is also, as we know, a place in the heart of most students for chicken or veggie burgers in a bun with chips, although latterly there was much evidence of a love for salads too.
LOOKING BACK AT ST G’S What memories of St George’s make you smile most?
2000 – 2003 – Upper School building rewired in 3 stages. 2002 – Locker Cabin installed in first courtyard of Upper School.
1988 - 1994 1995 - 1998 2000 - 2010
1988 – The Sports Hall was completed. 1994 – Astro-turf pitches constructed at Upper School. 1996 – Nursery moved from the Lodge at Lansdowne (where it started) into the 6 rooms now vacated. 1998 – Change of use of Lansdowne House from Junior Boarding House to Admin and Classroom space. 2001 St George’s Centre opened. 2003/4 – Languages Wing made in ground floor of Upper School.
Being offered my job in the first place. Then there are many – antics of the children; work on the walls in Junior Schools; daft things Facilities staff have done (some on purpose and some not!); and getting to the end of a busy function always brought a smile to my face. Arriving in the early morning in Spring and Summer to see the school buildings and the grounds looking stunning also holds lovely memories.
Are there any memories which make you wince?
Yes, far too many to say.
You have set up a group on Facebook – ‘St George’s – the Shortbread Years’: can you tell us a bit more about that?
Over the years, I built up quite a collection of photographs I had taken, had been given or, in some cases, had found in boxes ready to be thrown out when I first arrived. I was not sure anyone else would be really interested but thought it would do no harm to set up the Facebook page and see. I called it ‘The Shortbread Years’ as shortbread always seems synonymous with St George’s to me. Especially when I first started, there was always a plentiful supply of delicious shortbread ready for use on any occasion. I will keep the page going until the pictures run out and then wind it up.
‘A bridge called Geoffrey’: Can you tell us the story behind this? My hope for St George’s is that it will continue to be true to the spirit of its Founders and be a community going from strength to strength, showing girls the power of being able to learn.
There used only to be one bridge (the road bridge) into school. We also allowed lots of parking in school grounds, so children, adults and cars all shared that one pretty narrow road bridge every school day. Dr Judith McClure said it was an “accident waiting to happen” and school needed a pedestrian bridge. Mr Martin Sinclair, the Secretary and Treasurer at the time, went very pale but set to the task of seeing how the bridge could be afforded and so, in 1998, the foot bridge was commissioned and installed. It would now seem very strange to be without it, but it was a very significant undertaking at the time. As the work was nearing completion Judith launched a competition to name it - I am pretty sure that Geoffrey (after Geoffrey Chaucer) was the winning name. There was once a plaque with the name, but it has long since disappeared.
An OGA lunch or a school building project – which one was easier to deliver?
The OGA lunch was easier, although at times that might have been a close-run choice! The building projects were a huge, and sometimes very steep, learning curve for me. I learned a lot and grew to really enjoy being there right at the inception of new building projects; attending early planning meetings, moving on to meetings with the architects, then the various contractors, dealing with the issues that came up and, finally, with a huge sigh of relief, opening up each wonderful new space for school use.
2006 – Enterprise Centre installed. 2008 – Wooden Lodge installed at Houldsworth House. 2011 – Junior School Hall and office / reception areas re-designed and rebuilt. 2018 – Staff accommodation suitable for a family created within Houldsworth House. 2019 – Formation of 6th Form Suite in areas around Upper School Library.
2011-2016 2017 - 2021
2006 – Second extension to the Junior School to give the Futures room and 3 additional classrooms. 2014 – Additional running track and long jump area installed. 2014/2015 – Lansdowne House and Lower School rewired respectively. 2018 – The Everest Sports Pavilion opened. 2019/20 – Resurfacing of two tennis courts at Lansdowne House.
What will you miss most about St George’s?
All of it. I loved my years of work in school and the sense of purpose it gave me. I have had the chance to meet so many different children and adults and be involved in so many projects. I have been very lucky and privileged to have had so many amazing years of work. I feel though that this is the right time for others to take the school into the ‘next phase’. I will confess to enjoying no longer getting up at 4.15am on weekdays to be in school by 5.30am.
St George’s in 2021 and beyond Thinking about today, so very different to any other with the impacts of Covid and the changes it has enforced on education in the past year, how would you say the St G’s team has responded to this?
I think the St George’s team has responded magnificently as its Heads and Staff always do, with enthusiasm, dedication and determination. Staff, children and parents have risen to the occasion and I feel sure that the profile of St George’s is riding high. Alex Hems has been there for staff, students and parents, constantly making her concern for their mental wellbeing clear, while highlighting the importance of education continuing. The ability to access education is possibly even more important than ever now. This has always been a core part of the St George’s mission.
How has the school evolved since
you first started at St G’s? Physically there are more buildings and buildings with changed use. When I started there was no Nursery, the youngest students were the Primary Ones. Lansdowne House was a boarding house for students from P6 to Lower 4 before they moved to Houldsworth, the senior Boarding House. Overall, the use of IT has also taken a huge step forward, enabling school to continue offering the same high-quality education it always has.
What hopes do you have for the school in the future?
That it will continue to be true to the spirit of its Founders and be a community going from strength to strength, showing girls the power of being able to learn.
LOOKING BACK
OVER THE ‘IMLAH YEARS’
However early you arrived at St George’s, Margaret was there before you, having completed her morning jog. However late you found yourself at school, Margaret was still there. Should you wander into school in the holiday, Margaret would still be there. The only time you could be sure of not seeing her was during her fortnight’s skiing holiday in March – then one had the uneasy feeling that something would go wrong in school. Nigel Shepley once quipped that, since Margaret had a History degree, she could cope with anything! Whatever the reason, it is certain that Margaret could indeed ‘cope with anything’. This she did with charm, quiet confidence and permanent good humour. On the staff of five St George’s headmistresses, Margaret was persuaded to adopt a gradually increasing workload involving a number of new roles. Margaret – all your St George’s friends thank you for all that you have done for the school and wish you now a little time for relaxation and enjoyment of your own hobbies.
Eileen Mackintosh – Class of 1948, Staff from 1976 and Deputy Head 1982 – 1991
Margaret’s achievements were and are visible in her relationships but are also, sometimes literally, set in stone. She was at the heart of the Campus Development Plan 1994 – 2004, which included the complex building of the St George’s Centre, the coming together of boarding in Houldsworth House, a new Library and Sixth Form Reading and Common Rooms, the Languages Wing, an extension to the Junior School and developments in the Lower School and Science Laboratories, and much more besides. As always, with Margaret’s skill in financial management, working with contractors, and constant consultation with the Council, the Treasurer, the Senior Leadership Team and the Futures Group, all additions and changes were accomplished on time and within budget. Margaret is going home to a richly deserved new phase of life with Alasdair. Margaret, you have our heartfelt recognition and thanks for all you have done for St George’s School. We shall never forget you.
Judith McClure Head of St George’s 1994 – 2009
A former Chairman of Council wrote: Margaret will have achieved 32 years of exemplary commitment, good humour, utter reliability and genuine care for all. To say nothing of modelling why diffidence and lack of conceit matter so much. Margaret was a fixer – for other people – making sure that events ran to plan and that whatever was needed was in the right place at the right time, whether it was people, food or bottles of wine. Her work involved doing far more than that. She has worked with her team to make St George’s the safest possible environment for work and for learning. She has sought out every corner of the site – and she has indeed ‘fixed it’. Such vital work would not have been possible without a strong and willing team of people – facilities and catering staff – whom Margaret has managed and led with such humanity and encouragement. That her staff respect Margaret is not in doubt; that they love her is testament to her character and personality – and her heart.
Anne Everest, Head of St George’s 2010 – 2016
