Key Moments – In Conversation with

In Conversation with…

Harry Gration We were delighted to welcome Old Peterite President Harry Gration to St Peter’s on Tuesday 8 December for our first ‘In Conversation’ event, with Head Master Jeremy Walker. ‘In Conversation with Harry Gration’ was hosted in the Head Master’s study and broadcast live via Zoom. The audience tuned in to hear Harry reminisce about his school days, discuss his career, recent retirement from the BBC and his hopes for the Old Peterite Club. The audience included Old Peterites, parents, teachers from St Peter’s School past and present, and even some of Harry’s old classmates.

Dr Harry Gration MBE DL (Queen’s 1969) was installed as the Old Peterite President earlier this year. Harry was educated at St Peter’s School and his twin boys are both educated here. Harry has fond memories of school, including his time in the CCF, and he has always been a great supporter of St Peter’s and the Old Peterite Club since he left school in 1969. Harry went on to pursue an illustrious career as a BBC presenter which lasted 40 years. In 2013, Harry was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting and in 2019 he was appointed Deputy Lord Lieutenant for North Yorkshire. Harry made his final appearance on BBC Look North on 21 October 2020 (the day before his 70th birthday).

Head Master Jeremy Walker said: “I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing Harry and it was wonderful to be able to share the conversation with our Old Peterite community through the medium of Zoom.”

‘Here Come The Girls’ We celebrated International Women’s Day on Monday 8 March with a special online event, in conversation with the first five girls to be educated at St Peter’s School. The event was broadcast live on Zoom, and was hosted by Head Master Jeremy Walker and Old Peterite Victoria Inness, who left St Peter’s School in 1990 and was the first female Head of School.

Jeremy and Victoria were joined virtually by Sue Miller (née Elston), Louise Denison (née Stansfield), Louise Morales (née Adams), Nicky Goodwin (née Jesper) and Zoe Jones (née Jackson), the first five girls who joined St Peter’s for the Sixth Form in 1976. They spoke about their first day at St Peter’s, the warm welcome they received from other pupils, society’s changing expectations, their subsequent careers, and their happy memories of St Peter’s School.

The women also answered questions from the audience, including why they wanted to come to St Peter’s School, what surprised them the most, how they think they will be remembered, what advice they would give their 17-year-old selves, and what message would they give pupils on International Women’s Day. Jeremy Walker, Head Master of St Peter’s School, commented on how the five women had blazed a trail for girls joining St Peter’s. He said: “It can’t have been easy, but it is quite astonishing to look back and consider that you were the ones who opened the doors for all those generations of girls and women who followed you... You were the pioneers but now there is a great sense of legacy and history of girls being at the school.”

Today, St Peter’s School is fully co-educational and provides an outstanding day and boarding education for girls and boys aged 2-18. From just 5 girls in 1976, St Peter’s now educates over 500 girls.

Both ‘In Conversation with’ events were recorded and are available on the St Peter’s School YouTube channel.

School Office, St Peter’s School, York, YO30 6AB Tel 01904 527300 Email enquiries@stpetersyork.org.uk