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Greetings from Libby Doig Class of ’69 Head Girl
Dear Class of 69 I hope the reunion goes really well and that you all have a great time catching up. I look forward to seeing the photos. Well done to Idafay and her organising team. Best wishes to you all. Libby Doig Giddey
Auckland New Zealand
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Credits and Thanks Reunion Organising Committee: Idafay Madeisky Mervis Simone Kirsch Hilary Cohen Meyer Mary Williamson Terry
Cartoons Hilary Cohen Meyer
Photos Hilary Cohen Meyer Simone Kirsch Lynette Granger Idafay Madeisky Mervis Bridget Hambley-Wise Dreyer Colleen Brooks Hall Deanie Clark Potter
Advice Sandy Jeffrey Stack Susan Mills Ansell Colleen Brooks Hall
IN MEMORIAM Dawn Nielsen Smith Helene Blotnick
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Editors Comments To the Class of ’69 - 40 years on. I hope you all enjoy reading this labour of love as much as I have enjoyed producing it. It has been wonderful to ‘catch up’ with so many of you. I have found it very rewarding to have been able to trace so many members of the class through Primary school and High School. There is a contact list of the those we have managed to trace at the back of this book. I hope we will all enjoy and benefit from this 40 year reunion, whether in person, in the virtual or in the printed world.
With best wishes Idafay Madeisky Mervis
On 14th and 15th August, some 40 members of the class that matriculated in 1969, will hold a reunion at Wynberg Girls High. Many of our class mates now live in different parts of the world and all over South Africa, and a number are travelling to Cape Town to join this reunion. Many others have been in touch, and there are a number of people that we have not been able to trace. We will be thinking of all of them at the two functions on Thursday 14th when we meet. If anyone does have contact details for those we have not been able to reach, please share them with us.
WGHS Class of 69
Back row: 6th row: 5th row: 4th row: 3rd row:
2nd row:
1st row:
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Life after Wynberg Girls
Janis Venske, Ann Westoby, Linda Hall, Jeananne Gomm, Jane Westmoreland, Lorna Robertson, Colleen McCarthy Patricia Marais, Noelle Louw, Laura Dahlkamp, Gail Wright, Janet Schorn, Bridget Dreyer Pamela Roux, Georgina Scott, Sylvia Cohen, Yael Cohen, Edith Ueberberg, Maureen Lurie, Barbara Tindale Hilary Cohen, Colleen Brooks, Barbara Susman, Brenda King, Cathy Miller, Jenny van Breda, Gillian Biesman-Simons, Karyn Farr Heather Karsen, Jenny Sawyer, Alison Parkins, Ida-Fay Madeisky, Thelma Zabow, Nessa Hurwitz, Judy Fouche, Joan Robb, Fiona Lysacht, Simone Kirsch, Ruth Coats, Barbara Krydner, Laurette Garisch, Ann Mills, Dawn Neilsen, Merlin Blignaut Claire Hvidsten, Merle Anderson, Helen Gilson, Moira Butler, Ann Skeeles, Susan Skaife, Ann Hamilton, Lorette Matodes, Elizabeth Doig, Mary Williamson, Sharon Laity, Alexia Solomon, Shirley Bredenkamp, Patricia Mitchell, E Durbach, Lynette Granger, B arbara Matter Linda Roose, Patricia Hartley, Susan Mills, Alexis Fuller, Cheryl Lewis, Susan Abrams, Marion Arcus, Cynthia Chait, Estelle Katz, Elizabeth Dunn, Brenda Forrest, Rita Haylett, Helen Clark, Deryl Barlow, Helen Dyason, Veronica Lambert
WGHS Class of 69
Back row:
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Bridget Dreyer, Pamela Roux, Lynette Granger, Shirley Bredenkamp, Mary Williamson, Brenda King, 3rd row: Helen Clark, Cathy Miller, Judy Fouche, Helene Traub, Sandra Cawood, Deanie Clark, Barbara Krydner 2nd row: Joan Robb, Elizabeth Dunn, Patricia Mitchell, Susan Mills, Colleen Brooks, Barbara Susman, Merle Anderson, Gail Wright, Patricia Hartley 1st row: Alexia Solomon, Moira Butler, Kathy Wheatley, Hilary Cohen , Ida-Fay Madeisky, Susan Abrams, Lyn Pickup Other Attendees: Classmates: Jenny Sawyer, Denise Curtis, Estelle Katz Sandra Jeffrey, Renee van Boom, Ingrid Marx, Susan Zoutendyk, Glenda Moody, Merlin Blignaut Teachers: Mrs Woodhead, Sally Cox, Ruth Allsopp, Eleanor Perrow, Jo Dean, Miss Vera Lawton
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3rd row:
Lynette Granger, Lyn Pickup, Barbara Krydner Gail Wright, Bridget Dreyer, Helen Clark, Moira Butler, Patricia Mitchell, Sandi Cawood, Susan Mills, Ingrid Marx 2nd row: Pamela Roux, Merle Anderson, Alexia Solomon, Shirley Bredenkamp, Cathy Miller, Barbara Susman, Joan Robb, Judy Fouche, Colleen Brooks, Kathy Wheatley, Elizabeth Dunn, Helene Traub, Susan Abrams, Brenda King, Deanie Clark, Front Row: Miss Vera Lawton, Eleanor Perrow, Mrs Woodhead, Ruth Allsopp, Ida-Fay Madeisky, Sally Cox, Jo Dean, Trish Hartley Mary Williamson, Hilary Cohen , Classmates: Denise Curtis Jenny Sawyer, Estelle Katz, Sandra Jeffrey, Renee van Boom, Susan Zoutendyk, Glenda Moody Do you remember?
The ink well holes are still there!!
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Random Pictures from Thursday night of those who did not attend the morning get-together
Trish Michell, Estelle Katz, Glenda Moody
Susan Zoutendyk, Merlin Blignaut Estelle Katz, .Barbara Krydner
Mary Williamson, Brenda King, Bridget Dreyer, Jenny Sawyer
Hilary Cohen, Denise Curtis
Renee van Boom, Sandra Jeffrey
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Jenny Resnick Marock I graduated with BA Fine Arts from Michaelis/UCT and then spent two years in London. Married Trevor Resnick in 1977 and we have three children, Alissa who is 29 and is a lawyer, Danya 25 also a lawyer and David who recently graduated with a finance degree. I did a Masters in screenwriting and film production at the University of Miami, have written and produced a documentary film, and taught film production to high school students in Miami.
I would love to have joined you - but we will be in Sydney in August - so I am afraid it wont be possible. Hope the reunion goes well Jen
Elaine, Cynthia and Jen in New York. March 2009
Kathy Wheatley Wink After leaving school I was involved in the world of ballet, after which I trained as a general nurse and midwife. My special interest was in the educational field of nursing. I have been married for 32 years and have 2 children. My daughter works in England as an occupational therapist and my son is a law student at UCT. Presently, I am on early retirement - a stage to be highly recommended!
Kathy and Trish Michell dressed for a school play
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Ingrid Marx Stofberg
After leaving school, I trained as a hairdresser, and then went into the world of cosmetics, working for Estee Lauder for many years. I then moved to Clicks as regional manager of theircosmetics departments. I married in 1984 and had 2 children Nicholas, now 25 and Tiffany 21. Nick lives in London and Tiffany in Cape Town. After they were born, I worked for Prestige cosmetics as a part time roaming consultant and then joined my husband in his business. I divorced in 2003. I live in Cape Town and have just returned from spending time in London with my son travelling with him in France and Italy. Sandy Stack (nee Jeffrey)
My husband Patrick and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in April of this year. We live in Cape Town and have three sons, aged 24, 23 and nearly 21.
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Std 4
Gillian Copeland, Glenda Moody, Belinda Buchanan, Felicia Reed, Gillian Coombes, Linda, Jackson, Helene Blotnick Leanne Wolffe, Cynthia Chiat, Rita Haylett, Trish Michell, Laurel Homer, Elizabeth Willis, Cheryl Matthews, Judy Fouche Sheila New, Deanie Clark, Susan Causton, Shirley Laws, Jeananne Gomm, Nadine Snoek, Jane Westmoreland, Debra West, Barbara Susman Pat Wilson, Jenny Sawyer, Helene Traub, Elizabeth Moore, Elizabeth Dunn, Penny Giljam, Ida-Fay Madeisky, Brenda Forrest
Helene Traub Sherer Magid I left South Africa in 1972 for Israel. I have three wonderful kids. Alon (33), Yuval (31) who is married to Olga and Yael (26). I am a kindergarten and English teacher. I lived part of the time in Melbourne, Australia where my husband Deryk Magid was working. Unfortunately he died over 5 years ago of cancer. I live permanently in Israel now and enjoy the good life there.
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Deanie Clark Potter
I attended Wynberg Girls' Junior School (from grade 1 to 7) and then completed my education at Fish Hoek High School. I then went to the Teachers' Training College in Mowbray. After graduating, I taught for several years and then married Vernon Potter in 1979 (a WBHS old boy). My first daughter, Leigh, was born in 1981 and my younger daughter, Taryn, in 1984. Both Leigh and Taryn started their education at Wynberg Girls' Junior School. Leigh has a Masters in Conservation Biology (UCT) and works for the Mazda Wildlife Trust and Taryn has an LLB (UCT) and is an attorney at Werksmans in Sandton. I decided to further my education and completed my HDE at Stellenbosch. A couple of years later, I studied for my FDE in Special Needs Education (Pretoria University). I am at present teaching at two schools viz. Sweet Valley and St. Anne's Primary. I am the Learning Support Teacher and I work for the Department of Education. My husband and I have been married for 30 years. We live in Meadowridge and have a holiday home in Pearly Beach, where we spend as much time as possible.
Remember these events of ‘69?
Neil Armstrong is the first man to walk on the Moon Americans protest the Vietnam War Richard Nixon becomes President of the US Robin Knox-Johnston is the first person to sail solo , non-stop round the world Chappaquiddick Ceres earthquake Charles Manson murders Rising Inflation - a worldwide problem Woodstock attracts more than 350,000 rock-n-roll fans Student protests in the U S turn violent
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Susan Zoutendyk Marais I left Wynberg in Std 7 because my parents bought a farm in Stellenbosch. I had to travel by school bus every day to attend Rhenish Girl's High where I matriculated in 1970. I repeated Std 7 as the move in the middle of J.C. caused havoc with my subjects. It was a good idea because school, especially Maths, was a breeze from then on. From 1971 to 1973, I completed a Social Science Degree at U.C.T while living in Baxter Hall Residence. After graduating I worked as a Personnel and Training officer for Woolworths, Truworths and Ackermans. I married Andre Marais in 1977 and left Ackermans when our first son, Pierre, was born in 1980. After a couple of years in the Claremont area, we relocated to Constantia where we have lived for about 28 years. Adrienne, our daughter, was born 3 years after Pierre and during this time I was a stay at home mom doing the occasional freelance work. Both Pierre and Adrienne attended the Wynberg Schools, so I have had a lot of contact with these schools over the years When Adrienne was 5 years old, I tried my hand at selling houses and worked for JH ISAACS in the Upper Constantia area for 3 years. To my surprise, I fell pregnant with our second son, Alex, at the age of 40! And life started all over again. Pierre, now 28, is a multimedia graphic designer and lives in Claremont - single. Adrienne, now 25, is living and working in London on a 2 year visa. She is a graphic designer and is also single. Alex, now 17, is in Grade 11 at SACS and is having a ball !! Andre owns and manages a retail board business and I am teaching English to French professionals on the telephone through the internet.
Can you believe they were born in 1969? Renee Zellweger Gwen Stefani Catherine Zeta-Jones Jennifer Aniston Jack Black Edward Norton Marilyn Manson Matthew Perry Michael Schumacher
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STD 5
Elizabeth Moore, Sandra Cawood, Lynette McKee, Lynette Granger, Ann Mills, Helene Traub Jane Clark, Susan Mills, Susan Abrams, Gwynneth Phipps, Jane Westmoreland, Judy Fouche, Dawn Nielsen, Lorraine Blitz, Sophia Kyritsis, Cheryl Lewis, Rita Haylett, * , Trish Michell, Veronica Lambert, * , Cynthia Chait, * , Pamela Roux Jenny van Breda, Helene Blotnick, Felicia Reed, Karen Paynter, Lynn Pickup, Lynn Williams, Barbara Susman, Estelle Katz, Glenda Moody Thelma Zabow, Hilary Cohen, Idafay Madeisky
Sandra (Now Sandi) Cawood Unite Although I did not matriculate with the class of 69 (I had to repeat std 6 as I was thought to be too young and not performing at expected level), I have always felt that I belonged to this group. Most of my spare time in senior school was spent at ballet classes and the natural extension was for me to go the UCT Ballet School. After 2 years, I realized that, although I loved dancing, I was not that interested in being a swan on stage. This realisation allowed my real passion to surface – fashion. I started my own boutique, designing and producing the clothing. What fun! This was fairly successful (considering the lack of experience) for a few years, until I married and moved out of Cape Town for a couple of years. At 24, I joined Woolworths as a buyer and spent a fantastic 23 years moving up the corporate ladder to managing the buying of ladieswear and then childrenswear. Travelling all over the world shopping and visiting trade fairs combined with the enormous responsibility of the buying and the management of other buyers kept me excited and fairly stressed for all those years.
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In 1999, I decided to go it alone again and I started The Fairy Shop in Kenilworth, much to the astonishment of my former colleagues and friends. This grew into a wholesale business supplying many shops in South Africa and a few abroad. I now live in Kommetjie with my second husband Peter Unite, and work from my studio overlooking the beach. What a life!! The goods are manufactured in Ocean View down the road. We have an olive farm in Robertson and hope to spend more and more time there in the near future. I made a decision not to have children at a young age and feel privileged to be able to bring fantasy into the lives of little girls all over the world. I have developed a keen interest in metaphysics which has given me a whole new outlook on life combined with a sense of peace and enormous possibilities. I have just returned from Canada where I attended the wedding of my god daughter, Emma, who is the daughter of Alison Parkins Uys, my best friend for all those school years. (We were also sisters in law for about 10 years when I was married to Peter Uys).
Gwynneth Phipps Russell I left school and married at nineteen. I worked for insurance brokers for thirty years. My husband started an insurance brokerage in 1979 and I joined him as a full partner in 2001. We are still running the brokerage. I dabbled in two small business of my own - the last one, supplying lampshades to lighting shops. Success was limited. My daughter was born in 1972. She did well academically and qualified as a computer programmer. She has since travelled the world working as a programmer. I am afraid that I will be away during the reunion period.
Glenda Moody Inskip
Glenda lives in Cape Town and is married to Peter Inskip. They have 2 children - Robyn (30) - who has been living in London for the past 6½ years and works as the Chief Respiratory Lung Technician at the Eastbourne District General Hospital. Her son, Shaun (25) lives in Cape Town and is a professional freelance cameraman. Glenda is working as the Operations Manager for a Company called Experian.
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Lynn Pickup Shields I am officially not one of the Class of 69. I matriculated from St. Patricks College, and then at Beech-Nut Lifesavers as bookkeeper. In 1972 married my childhood love, Glynn Shield, 3 years my senior ( he accompanied me to our J.C. dance). I joined him in business, producing plastic packaging, and later irrigation piping. We have 2 children, a daughter Tracey,
born in 1975, a son Mark, born in 1977. We lived in Pinelands for many years, my kids were educated at Groote Schuur Junior School, then W.G.H.S. & Rondebosch Boys High. In 1985, we moved to Constantia, and started an indoor plantscaping business (based on our property), with a large base of corporate clients. In 2000 we decided to sell the property, as it was too large for the 2 of us, when the kids left home. The sale happened so fast that we were left with only 3 months to sell the business and dispose of all our goods. We decided to move to our holiday home in Struisbaai, and from there plan our future. Struisbaai is a small seaside resort at the southern tip of Africa. We have lived there ever since. It was a complete change of lifestyle, and we are very happily settled. Having been “retired” for 2 years, I decided to venture into business again, and I now run a successful lifestyle décor store South Bound. Our daughter, Tracey, recently married, lives in Joostenbergvlaktes. She is involved in the wine industry and works for L`Omarins in Franshoek. Our son, Mark, single, also lives here in Struisbaai, and has a small factory, manufacturing lime washed furniture. Were we reading these books in ’69? THE GODFATHER by Mario Puzo Linda Goodman's SUN SIGNS AIRPORT by Arthur Hailey SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut THE HOUSE ON THE STRAND by Daphne du Maurier THE PROMISE by Chaim Potok THE SEVEN MINUTES by Irving Wallace THE LOVE MACHINE by Jacqueline Susann THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN by Michael Crichton PORTNOY'S COMPLAINT by Philip Roth
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Std 3
Louise Havenga, Jenny van Breda Lorraine Lilley, Denise Furman, Dorothy Abrahams, Lynn Pickup, Sophia Kyritsis * , Lynn Williams, * , Karen Panter, Veronica Lambeet, Linda Dyason Cheryl Lewis, Linda Turner, Lorraine Blitz, Charlotte Rosteucher, Louise v d Westhuizen, * , Gwynneth Phipps Pamela Roux, Ann Mills, Lyn Dixon, Lorna Cole, Susan Abrams, Alison Parkins, Marion Arcus, Susan Mills, Lynette Granger Sandra Cawood, Colleen Brooks, Denise Curtis, Sheila Bing, Denise Haytread, Thelma Zabow, Hilary Cohen
Denise Curtis After leaving school, I obtained a B.Iuris degree from the University of South Africa and joined Mobil Oil as a legal adviser. I subsequently became Company Secretary and Senior Legal Adviser of Mobil/Engen. I left Engen in 1993 and after a brief spell working in real estate, moved to Durban, as Company Secretary/Legal Manager of Robertsons Foods and Robertsons Homecare. I relocated to Port Elizabeth five years ago to take up the position of Group Corporate Secretary and Legal Manager of Goodyear in Southern Africa. In my present position I am also responsible for managing the group's BEE initiatives and government affairs. I am single and take the opportunity to travel whenever I can.
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Heather Karsen, Jenny Sawyer, Alison Parkins, Idafay Madeisky Clare Hvidstein, Merle Anderson, Helen Gilson, Moira Butler, Ann Skeeles Linda Roose, Patricia Hartley, Susan Mills, Alexis Fuller
Ann Skeeles Truter I am so sorry to miss the reunion - it would have been great to see everyone again and a huge 'pat on the back' for Idafay for all her hard work. I applied for Rhodes Univ but was notified too late to get into a residence so did a 1 year secretarial course at Pitmans College in Cape Town. Things happen for a reason - I have not looked back. Worked in London for 1½ years (grew u p fast !!). Then worked in C.T. for a couple of years then transferred to Jhb. I met Alec in C.T. - he also transferred to Jhb and we are still here! We married in 1980 and had a daughter, Kerry, who is working in Doha, Qatar as a teacher (and loving it). At the moment both Alec and I work from home - Alec as an accountant and I have my own secretarial services business which has been going for 25 years. I would like to wish all who attend the reunion a wonderful get-together. Can't wait for the photies.! .
Helen Gilson Hull I met my husband, Chris, at UCT in 1970 and we were married in 1972. In 1975 we went to JHB. My daughter, Andrea, was born there in 1977. In Jan 1978 we went to the UK as Chris wanted to work in the City and we lived in Surrey - Stoneleigh, Ewell, Woodmansterne near Banstead and Cobham. David was born in 1980 and Jonny in 1988. From 1995-1997 I studied at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, then based in Putney founded by Patrick Holford and practiced as a Nutritional Therapist in Cobham until moving back to CT in 2000. I have been putting my time and energies into starting an Association for Nutritional Therapy in SA (SAANT) and am presently the Chair. Chris is a keen sailor and has a yacht so we plan to travel whilst we can now that Jonny is 20 and the nest no longer requires full time attention! My other passions are yoga and Nia dancing. Aiming to Salsa next!
We plan to be in Brazil for for August so I unfortunately will not be able to attend. Such a shame. Would have so enjoyed seeing everyone after all these years!
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Idafay Madeisky Mervis When I left school at 17, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, so I studied radiography at Groote Schuur Hospital, then Radiotherapy and then Nuclear Medicine. I was head radiographer in the Nuclear Medicine department as well as doing all the ‘new’ IT applications for about 4 years. I married Ben, a radiologist (surprise, surprise) in 1980 and left radiography when my eldest child, the first of 2 sons was born in ’83. I loved computers and eventually landed up with my own freelance business - consulting and teaching small businesses and private users on all aspects of software. I also served on the committee of The Night of 100 Stars, a very large fund-raising benefit concert for 15 years. I am currently on the committee of the Adele Searll Memorial Trust Fund. My husband has now retired, and we run a boomerang household. Jonathan my eldest spent 1½ years living in the UK and is now home. He graduated from UCT with an Arts degree and a passion for music and the English language. He now runs his own business consulting to the local government on the music industry and helping that industry in job creation. Steven (24) has a Bus. Sci. degree and is currently doing a post grad at UCT in sports management (he lives for sport and his girlfriend). His post degree gap year, last year, was spent in the US. Ben has been doing locums in the UK and South Africa for some time now, and so we get to live in different places and travel. In the past year, we have lived in Scotland, in Stratford-upon-Avon and in Hermanus. We love cruising and try to do one a year. The last 2 were to the Baltic and St. Petersburg and on the Nile. I manage to trouble shoot remotely online for some of my clients, while I am away, and my very portable hobby is making jewellery with very tiny beads. In addition, when we travel my Nespresso Café Latte machine comes with. A lot of the organization for this reunion was done in Hermanus and Stratford and I managed to chat with a number of our schoolmates in different countries while in the UK.
Jenny Sawyer McDonald I attended Barkly House Teachers’ Training College where I qualified as a Pre-Primary teacher. After teaching for two and a half years it was time to travel and I sailed to England. My “holiday” lasted six years during which time I married, lived in Germany and the UK and worked for a publishing company. On my return to Cape Town I taught at Star of the Sea Convent and then moved to Springfield Convent where my two daughters were at school. On turning fifty I felt that I was too old to go clambering up jungle gyms and the like and moved to the commercial world. I worked for a firm of marine insurance underwriters and studied Human Resource Management. Five years later I realized that I prefer working with children and took up a position as a Grade R teacher at Timour Hall Primary School. Other activities include rowing, which I thoroughly enjoy, Pilates which is hard work and learning to play the guitar.
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Susan Mills Ansell After leaving school, I attended UCT and studied towards a BA/HPTD, leaving after 2 years to enter the corporate world. I enjoyed many years with Quantex Personnel as a Recruitment Consultant and ran the Cape Town office as Senior Consultant for some time. More recently, I have been working with Pharmaceutical Agents representing major Pharmaceutical companies to pharmacists . I’m enjoying the pleasure of being retired and I live happily in Constantia with my husband Roy, an accountant, and my son Mathew, who is 22 years old and has recently graduated from UCT with an LLB degree
Alison Parkins Uys Alison Parkins Uys (pictured with Sandi Cawood Unite). This photo was taking in July 2009 at her daughter’s wedding.
40 years has passed since our matric dance at Suikerbossie, and 40 years since the opening of the school swimming pool, just weeks before we matriculated. 40 years, thank heavens, has helped erase the memory of those ill fitting white dresses we wore at prizegiving each year… and for me, 40 years has passed since I saw most of my fellow matriculants. In these years that seem to have sped by, I graduated from University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Arts in History and English and Senior Teachers’ Diploma and married Paul Uys … all at the ripe age of 21. My tenure at Fish Hoek High School and later Aliwal Road Primary School, lasted 6 short but great years due the births of Andrew and Emma. 1987 proved a year of enormous change as we emigrated to Toronto, Canada – a country, only Paul had visited, and our lives here for the last year 22 years have been blessed by an enormous learning curve and demanding, satisfying careers, as well as supportive friendships. I have worked at Toronto French School since I arrived and while
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proficiency in French continues to be elusive, I have moved from teaching English, to counselling and have specialized in university admission counselling. WGHS certainly helped shape me: my teachers ( Ms Alsopp, Ms Rivett Carnac and Mrs Woodhead, influended my career choice as well as my area of study; my friends, encouraged me to be a more confident risk taker and with all the 20/20 hindsight that 40 years brings, WGHS itself helped imbue us with values and strengths – I continue to volunteer as I did at the Deaf School, but thank heavens for all, no longer bake drop scones for bake sales. 2009 has been a momentous year, as we are now officially wedding poor and next year, following my son’s, wedding bankrupt, – suffice to say, the reason for being a “virtual” attendee at the 2009 Reunion. I shall miss you all and look forward to renewing contacts with others in the Class of 1969. Alison Parkins Patricia Hartley Thorpe
Long, long ago I was a scientist..
After school I studied at UCT and Stellenbosch and worked in medical research - the sort of career path everybody (including myself) expected me to follow. I met my husband, Clive, in 1973 and we've been married since 1976. Ever since I was four years old, I've played musical instruments and sung, so while writing up my thesis for my third science degree in 1977 I decided to take a History of Music course, just for interest's sake. This turned out to be so absorbing that I was blown away and changed career direction completely, setting out on a yet another degree, this time in music. Music studies and practice had to be fitted in around the births and rearing of our four children (Michael, Katy, Julia & Gabriel) so this last degree was only completed many years later. For eight years we lived in Jo'burg, our girls were born there in 1982 and 1985. Nowadays we live in Newlands, the children come and go between continents and Clive has retired, though he keeps out of mischief teaching Maths at UCT. I am very happily involved in music education at Rustenburg Girls Junior School and also enjoy compiling and presenting classical music programmes on Fine Music Radio.
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Merle Anderson Hulley
I have been married for30 years and live in Durban. We have 2 children, a daughter of 29 and a son of 27. My husband and I have a printing and packaging business/factory. I work with him looking after the business administration.
Merle at our 30 yr reunion
Moira Martins Butler Tony and I met in December 1967 at the end of my standard eight year and we have been together ever since! This, of course, heavily influenced my decision not to go to university to study to become a veterinarian. Instead, I started working for Colorlab (Colour Processing Laboratories) photographic laboratory until I left to join the family business, Clover Leaf Candles , a candle manufacturing factory, when Tony and I got engaged on my 19th birthday! We married in 1972 and, despite travelling quite extensively on our annual buying trips and attending trade shows in Europe and Asia, we started our family of three daughters, at a young age. My jobs included researching and developing new products and photography, as well as various administration tasks. We left the manufacturing world behind us in 2003, when we started Tomar Trading cc. We now still supply candles and candle-related products to candle factories and retail outlets, but our manufacturing is now done overseas instead. The best thing about this is that, with our laptop computers, we can continue working from anywhere in the world as long as we can connect to the internet! I think that my greatest achievement is my family!! We have three daughters, all of whom attended WGHS, even though our youngest daughter left WGHS after the second term, to attend Herschel School. Nicola, our oldest, who is 36 years old, was a prefect like me and I think we created our own little bit of history when she was given her prefect badge and turned it over to find that she had been given the one that I had scratched my name onto, 20 years earlier!! I even wrote a little note to Miss.Urie to tell her about it! She is married and is the Strategic Planning Analyst for Visa International and is based in London. Our middle daughter, Tamlyn, is 34 years old and is engaged to be married early next year. She is a homeopath and studied at Regent's College of Homeopathy and is working in London.
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Our youngest daughter is Ann-Marie, who is 29 years old. She studied Architecture at UCT, obtaining the first part of the degree, but then left after obtaining a Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurial Management, to join her sisters in London as well. She is currently working as P.A. for the Executive VicePresident of Motion Pictures at Disney Corporation in London. She is also engaged to be married early next year!! And the "cherry on the cake" is that last year,after a very long wait, Nicola and our son-in-law, Matthew, presented us with a most precious little grandson, Thomas Antonio Martins Warren!
Heather Karsen Walker
After WGHS, I went straight to work at Old Mutual; as my dad's illness left no choice. Dad died in '71. I married Michael in '75. We had 2 kids. We moved to KZN in '93 and then Jo'burg in 2000.
We are currently living in Joburg with husband, Michael, and son. Andrew. We have adopted Zim family. The 2 oldest girls live with us and we help with education and tutoring. Our home has gone green--recycling, composting , solar panels and a grey water system.
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Thelma Zabow, Nessa Huwitz, Judy Fouche, Joan Robb, Fiona Lysacht, Simone Kirsch,, Ruth Coates Susan Skaife, Ann Hamilton, Lorette Matodes, Libby Doig, Mary Williamson, Sharon Laity Cheryl Lewis, Susan Abrams, Marion Arcus, Cynthia Chiat, Estelle Katz, Elizabeth Dunn, Brenda Forrest,
Joan Robb Green I married in Nov ‘70 and my first child, Kim was born in ‘71 - now turning 38! Kim has 2 lovely girls, Tayla almost 8 and Ruby 4. She lives in Hout Bay, is in HR at Foschini group after being teacher and is currently engaged to Tyrone. My son, Brad, turns 35 this year and has a son, Reece, 9 from a previous relationship and is now married to Tamara and has daughter, Dakota (3). He is in advertising/ marketing/ brand management and currently working at Zoom advertising. I got divorced in ‘74 and remarried in ‘84 to Ian. We have a daughter, Melissa (24), she has been living in Scotland and then Chester for the last 5 years, working for solicitors in Chester. We miss her like crazy but with her UK passport she is very happy there and is in a relationship so I don’t think she will be back to live in SA. We see her quite often as Ian's family all live in the UK. Ian has his own Interior business, Design Syndicate - wallpaper supplier/ retailer and I currently work for Ian, have my own real estate business and sell Wellness Products. Brenda Forrest Hilliard Brenda works as a primary school teacher. She has been married to Roger for 35 years. She has a daughter, Jane (30) living in Miami and a son Paul,who is 28 and lives in C.T. She lives in Panorama, Parow and loves travelling & gardening.
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Elizabeth Libby Doig Giddey I went to CT Teachers' TC after Matric. I married Mike Giddey at the end of '72 and taught at WGJS till mid '76 when we went to the UK - to London. Our son Steven (now living and working in France as a glorified taxi driver) was born there in mid '84. We came to NZ Auckland - in mid '86. Our daughter Laura (still living at home studying to be a Baptist Minister) was born in '88. I have not taught in schools since leaving SA but have worked in early childhood centres here over the years - still do but only to relieve. My main work here is now 25 odd admin hours a week at a children's drama school. Both of our kids have done drama with this group. I walk most mornings; love reading and x stitch, making cards and meeting friends for coffee/lunch. I haven't been back to SA since '95 when my mother died. I have only kept in contact with Mary Williamson Terry over the years - she's been here several times and we last met in Sydney in '86. Mary Williamson Terry Now living in Johannesburg and teaching at St Andrew’s School for Girls, where I have been for the last twenty years. No children, so we have been able to travel extensively. Two Border Collies who keep us well exercised and fit. I have taught non-stop since qualifying in Cape Town in 1972! We have lived happily in Jo’burg since 1983 and visit Cape Town regularly to catch up with family and friends
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Ruth Coates Bourne After matriculating I studied at UCT and obtained a Higher primary Teachers Diploma. This was followed by an additional year at Barkly House to specialise in PrePrimary Education. I then began my teaching career at the Carel du Toit Centre, which is a school for deaf children. I immediately loved working with disabled children and it became a life-long passion. I am currently the principal of the school. In 1980 I re-married. We lived in PE for 6 years and during that time I obtained a diploma in special education through UNISA. My husband is an academic at UCT and we have two daughters, now 27 and 25 years of age. My husband and I live in Rondebosch.
Thelma ‘Telma’ Zabow Schwartz
Thelma with Hilary in Israel in 2008
I came to Israel 30 yrs ago for just one year - and I am still here . My small family is made up of 3 continents - me (Africa), my husband (Europe Romania), my 2 kids born in Israel/Asia. So all those years of Latin really helped me understand Romanian!! My kids speak English, Hebrew & Romanian Telma works for Sigma-Aldrich .
Marion Arcus Schapiro
Marion graduated with a B.A. from the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 1972. She and her husband immigrated to Canada in 1979 and currently live in Vancouver. They have 3 children, the eldest is getting married in November 2009. Marion obtained her M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology from the University of Alberta in 1990. Her research relates to women's work issues. She has published articles in the Canadian Journal of Counselling. She has a private career and personal counselling practice
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Simone Kirsch Simone lives in Stellenbosch, and has been teaching at the Music Department, University of Stellenbosch, since 1982. Prior to that, she taught music at primary and high schools in Cape Town, after graduating from UCT with a BMus, TLD and PDM. She also holds both the teachers’ and performers’ licentiates of the Royal Schools of Music, London, and has an MMus (cum laude) from Stellenbosch University. She adjudicates and serves on panels for various music competitions and prizes. She is an external examiner for postgraduate piano performers’ examinations at UCT, and is also an examiner for UNISA music examinations. She herself has performed as a piano soloist with the orchestra, given piano recitals, toured for CAPAB, and broadcast for the SABC. She has done a considerable amount of vocal accompaniment and chamber music over the years. Having a particular interest in psychology, she has been conducting research on the psychological aspects of one-on-one instrumental/vocal teaching for some time. She has written and lectured on this inter-disciplinary field in South Africa and England. She is fond of languages which she studied at university together with her music degree. She is passionate about Italy, both ancient and modern, as well as Italian opera, food and the people. She has a great affection for animals, and is keen on the theatre, art, movies, travelling, nature, writing, reading, cooking, and tennis. She is looking forward to catching up with the ’69 matrics and her old school friends from Wynberg Girls’ High!
Cynthia ‘Cyndi’ Chiat Freiman Cyndi Freiman is a practising artist, studying, writing and teaching in Sydney. She is currently working on her Master of Fine Art. Her thesis topic, ‘Handwriting is becoming an Extinct Practice’. is a combination of painting, collage, printmaking and drawing. She is married to Michael Freiman, an anaesthetist and has 2 children, Jason Kaplan aged 34 and Nikki Kaplan aged 32 as well as two stepsons, Ilan and Daniel Freiman.
2008
College of Fine Art, end of year exhibition.and first solo exhibition, Urban Narrative at Meld Gallery, Sydney. 2007-8 Master of Art, Painting major at the College of Fine Art, University of New South Wales. 2006 Annual exhibition National Art School. 2004-6 B.A. Fine Art, National Art School. 1989-2009 Taught art to children at the Bondi Pavilion Community Centre 1989-2002 Wrote and published 10 self-help books, including There's a Lipstick in my Briefcase, Did motivational speaking in Australia and New Zealand for women's groups and organisations. 1976-1989 Designed, manufactured and marketed a range of creative activitytoys called Nikkikraft to all major supermarkets and toy shops in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 1974 Taught art and history at the Salesian Institute in Cape Town 1973 Diploma of Education specialising in teaching art and history. 1970-72 Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology and Art History at the University of Cape Town, South Africa
I am passionate about walking, running, swimming and yoga. I adore drawing, painting, reading, writing, going to the movies and my dog Ruby Star who is the love of my life. Sorry I can't be with you to celebrate.
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Susan Abrams Lipman After school, I completed a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Psychology at UCT. I spent 1973in Israel then I returned to CT do a Secondary Teacher’s Diploma and actually did prac-teaching at WGHS – weird. In1976, I married Alan Lipman and immediately immigrated to Sydney, Australia where we have lived for 33+ years. I worked at the Sydney Stock Exchange; completed a Special Education diploma and taught remedial Maths privately for many years. 12 years ago I had a mid-life career change and did a travel course and opened my own travel agency. I now work out of a local agency but only for my own clients. I love walking (we have been on many guided walks/hikes around the world and hope to still do heaps), travel as much as I can (I need it for work experience!), Sudoku, reading, movies, cards, theatre and eating out. We have 3 daughters – Nicola, 30 - a lawyer happily working as a journalist, married; Tammi, 28 - works in Finance and is getting married in December; Janine, 21 - almost finished a Commerce degree. Alan has had his own electrical contracting business for 21 years - We both still work actively. I am very fortunate to have a huge family living nearby – all our immediate family and more besides live in Sydney. Sydney is wonderful – come and visit us anytime – you are all welcome!
Estelle Katz
1969 It was the year of burning the bra, free sex and ???/Oh my goodness. Kyk hoe lyk ons nou??!!! But life was great....and still is!! 2009 I am now happily divorced and enjoying my freedom. Pity I never learnt that earlier in life.....
Nessa Hurwitz Leibhammer
Nessa is the curator for Traditional Southern African Art at the Johannesburg Art Gallery.
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Cheryl Lewis Lewis I married Stuart Lewis in 1975. We have been living in London since 1977 and have three children, David 30, Romy 26 and Lisa 19. David, after graduation, worked as an Investment Banker for some 5 years and is now living in Sydney Australia, where he has joined the Strandbags retail organisation. Our daughter, and I am sorry I won’t be runs her own business, with a partner; Lola’s Cupcakes, to be found on www.lolasattending the Reunion, kitchen.co.uk. Our youngest daughter, Lisa, and wish you all a is a second year student at the University of lovely time and Miami. successful event. !! After school, I trained and practised as a beautician during the first four years of married life. Apart from being a mother, and running a busy household, I am involved in various family design projects, art appreciation programmes, charitable work and enjoy travelling and cooking.”
Judy Fouche Waldron After leaving school at the end of 1969, I tried to choose a career that matched my interests as closely as possible. Consequently at the beginning of the following year I joined the Department of Agriculture where I trained to become a Cartographer. In 1971 I met my future husband Tubby with the help of some very dear and supportive school friends after a personal tragedy. Yes, you know who you are and I am forever grateful. After he graduated as an electrical engineer, we were married in 1973 and have just celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary. We have two wonderful children, Jeremy who is 34 years old and married to Hazel and Lauren 33years old, married to Nicholas Runnalls. They have a dear little boy Dominic. We are delighted that there are two more grandbabies on their way. The nature of Tubby’s work has meant that we have lived and worked in Johannesburg where I worked as a commercial cartographer for Map Studio and Port Elizabeth where I worked as a cartographer in the Geography Dept. at UPE. After moving back to Cape Town in 1990, we lived in Durbanville until the children had completed their schooling and then to Hout Bay. After Tubby’s retirement we decided to downscale when the children both married. We sold our dream home and bought a townhouse and plot at the sea in Langebaan. Tubby is a frustrated architect/builder and we soon found ourselves in Stilbaai where he designed and built three houses. We eventually sold the townhouse and are now happily settled in Langebaan in a house 200m from the sea that we also planned and built ourselves. Never one to sit still, Tubby is rebuilding a houseboat at Kraalbaai and refers to me as his favorite “handlanger” (we are known locally as The Duracell Bunnies) He occasionally even coaxes me onto the back of his motorbike! In between I am passionate about organic and indigenous gardening and healthy eating habits. One of my favorite days is one where I am able to tend my little garden and veggie patch.
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Elizabeth Dunn Brunt
My photo shows my family before my son’s wedding in 2007. First from left is Nicola (33), my second child, who is married to Brandon – second from right. They have two little girls, Jessica (3½) and Tamsin (11months). Next is Gregory (35) my eldest who was about to get married. He and his wife, Julie now have a son, Taylor (17 months). I come next with my husband Richard. On the right, next to Brandon, is my youngest daughter, Lauren (29). Lauren lives in London and is a teacher at a private school just outside London. Although we talk to Lauren often, Richard and I really miss having her around but on the other hand we are very lucky to see Nicky and Greg’s families as they both live in Cape Town
We have not managed to trace: Helen Dyason, Alexis Fuller, Jeananne Gomm, Ann Hamilton, Rita Haylett, Fiona Lysacht, Noelle Louw, Melanie Marks, Linda Roose, Janet Schorn, Georgina Scott, Susan Skaife, Barbara Tindale,Edith Ueberberg, Janis Venske, Ann Westoby
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Do you remember? Our uniform trials and tribulations
Cathy Miller: remember suspenders? and the brown winter stockings we had to wear?
Hilary Cohen Meyer Never mind the suspenders and stocking....remember the bloomers !!! And pantie checks or detention !! I used to cut my hems off so they could not be lengthened...four fingers above the knee when kneeling on the table !!
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Janis Venske, Ann Westoby, Linda Hall, Jeananne Gomm, Jane Westmoreland, Lorna Robertson, Colleen McCarthy Pat Marais, Noelle Louw, Laura Dahlkamp, Gail Wright, Janet Schorn, Bridget Dreyer Pamela Roux, Georgina Scott, Sylvia Cohen, Yael Cohen, Edith Ueberberg, Maureen Lurie, Barbara Tindale, Hilary Cohen, Colleen Brooks, Barbara Susman, Brenda King, Cathy Miller, Jenny van Breda, Gillian Biesman-Simons, Karyn Farr
Colleen McCarthy Shedden Colleen married her childhood sweetheart Ed Shedden (a Wynberg Boy) in 1973. They have 2 children Nicollė born 1975 and Jason born in ’77. Jason has a Master of Commerce in Financial Management Sciences working for Blue Financial Services, while Nicollė is a Chartered Accountant working for Atterbury Properties as Director of Asset Management and has 2 children, Ashton and Patrick. “Ed and I have been married for 36 years and he is an Engineering Geologist who has his own business. We live in Pretoria.” CV- from Colleen’s website. After matriculating from Wynberg Girls High School, Cape Town, I completed my nursing training at Victoria hospital in 1972. In 1975 I relocated to Pretoria where I worked in Neurology and Coronary ICU at Pretoria Academic hospital. In 1977, I was asked to join a colleague in the Gastroenterology Department and went on to become one of 50 founder members of stoma therapy worldwide. It was here that my passion for helping people to help themselves was ignited and with the help of a psychiatrist, psychologist and sexologist, I started the first group therapy sessions for stoma patients at Pretoria Academic hospital. In 1980 I was invited to Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA to share my knowledge with their stoma therapist who had started a similar clinic. From 1981 to 2000 I worked as a medical representative and later on as a sales manager for Novo Nordisk (world leaders in diabetes therapy) specializing in Insulin for people living with diabetes and Hormone Replacement Therapy for the menopausal woman. I started a diabetic clinic in Pretoria where the patients were monitored and given group and individual training on how to control their diabetes in order to prevent complications later in life.In June of 2000 I joined Eta Lyons and Associates (the leaders in medical recruitment). In my 6 years of recruiting for the Pharmaceutical and Surgical industries, I recognized that really good candidates were not making the grade because they lacked interview intelligence. I decided to develop this niche into my own business which has proven to be both rewarding and satisfying. www.interview4success.co.za
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Hilary Cohen Meyer (The small thin one who eventually grew and is now suffering from inevitable middle age spread!) qualified from UCT with degree in architecture. Worked as such in Cape Town,Israel and Port ELizabeth(SA) where I returned to live after year of travel with boyfriend(now husband Ian Meyer, clinical and forensic psychologist). Now managing Practice of several psychologists. We have two children; daughter Kary (25) fashion designer back in PE after stay in UK to open own studio/label; son Joshua (22) studied IT in Cape Town where he now lives. I have been very involved in their school in PE writing/producing/directing musicals, teaching art and chess for 15 years. I enjoy entertaining (eating!) photography, movies, theatre, design.
Gail Wright Ferreira After leaving school, I did a secretarial course for a year, then went to Durban University.A fter getting engaged to Peter Ferreira, we decided to leave Natal and come to the Karoo to farm on the family farm, which is near De Aar. We farm with sheep and Nguni cattle, etc. I finished my degree via Unisa. My eldest son Craig is also farming now after finishing varsity and travelling the world for a while. My daughter Leigh is married and lives in Dubai where she and her husband are running their own production company. My youngest son Stuart has finished at Stellenbosch and wants to travel in America soon. Photography is my new hobby but art & travel will always remain an important part of my life. Bridget Dreyer Hambley Wise I arrived at Waterloo House from Grahamstown in ‘68. Most of the ‘70s were spent studying at UCT and UNISA or trying to avoid the security police and detention during the political turmoil of the time. I have worked for the education department for too long! (over 30 years). I am attached to special support services. I worked at the school for the deaf, Wittebome, Somerset West,
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Guguletu and Mitchell's Plein. This year I have moved to the southern suburbs. Wynberg Girls' has been on my books for 7 years. I do a fair amount of work in the junior school, but only pop into the high school annually (most psychological work is outsourced privately). I have 37 schools! We live in Rondebosch. My two children are at UCT. Lauren (22) is in her final year Bachelor of Music and hopes to study/perform in NY next year. Jason (20) is final year BA. and plans to register for a LLB next year. Retirement to be spent travelling!!
Pam Roux Gush Am so looking forward to the reunion --- hope we'll have name tags! We don't look much like we did 40 years ago! Anyway, here's a short history of my life: I went to Grahamstown Training College (with Lyn Granger), and then taught in Grahamstown and PE before meeting and marrying my husband, Ron. I started off married life as a farmer's wife, but that soon changed and Ron joined De Beers and trained as a metallurgist. We lived in Oranjemund (Namibia), Orapa (Botswana), Joburg, Gaborone, and are now happily retired in Kenton-on-Sea in the Eastern Cape. We have 3 children: Rosemary (30), a vet in Cape Town, Jennifer(28), a biokineticist in Joburg, and Matthew(25), a sound engineer/musician in London. Life in this little village is so busy, that we wonder when we had time to work! Bookclub, needlework club, bridge, church choir, a bit of teaching..life is wonderfully full. We travel around as much as we can, and enjoy camping in remote places, as well as visiting all the family. Jane Westmoreland Meintjies
Since leaving school it has been a long and winding road - worked, then in 1976 met Fred, got married in 1977 and we have two great children - Sue, who presently lives in London and Johno, back here in Cape Town after three years in London. We live in Tokai in Cape Town from where we run our own business and we are working hard and enjoying it. By working for ourselves, we
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also have a lot of freedom. Our work allows us to work from anywhere, as long as we have a computer. We have a house at Stilbaai on the river and spend some ten days a month working from there - in between enjoying the beautiful place and relaxing around the braai fire. Life has been good to us and we are so grateful for what we have and enjoying it all with great humility.Unfortunately I will not be able to make the reunion - but I wish you all a great time and look forward to seeing the mag.
Linda Hall
Now a Counselling Psychologist doing assessments for corporates and running a private counselling practice in Stellenbosch and Somerset West. Divorced some years ago, no children. Interests: Music, dancing, writing, painting, gardening, animals, trips into the bush, reading, and movies.
Cathy Miller After leaving school, I went to UCT for 5 years, dropped out for 1 year (1975) and returned in 1976 to complete an MBChB I married in 75 to Peter Hassell, a Rhodesian, so we spent that year in Rhodesia. I have not changed my name. Contraception being what it was in those days, I had a baby in my final year of medical school. Lisa, now aged almost 33, is working as a primary school teacher in an international school in China. I spent one year in SA 77, working at Tygerberg I remember Hospital and then (with love and affection) immigrated to NZ in 78 Mrs Meltzer our little Parisian where we all lived French teacher (subsequently Mrs Hall) - gosh she put up happily ever after (so with a lot of nonsense from us far!). Had another child so graciously, especially in the in 79 Joe, now aged winter, when we would all hem her in as we huddled our desks almost 30 and proud and closer and closer to the the wonderful father of my two heater gorgeous grandchildren - dont get me started I will bore you for hours! Joe works in IT in NZ, which is
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great as he can work from home. I was a GP for around 20 years then retrained in Palliative Medicine and currently work in Auckland City Hospital with the Palliative Care Service.
Yael Cohen Wollach I went to U.C.T. and received a B.Soc.Sc.(S.W.) in 1973 and married Jeff Wollach the same year. Worked at G.S.Hospital until 1977 when we emigrated to Canada. We have 3 kids, Stuart 30, Carla 25 and Malcolm 24. Started off in Cabri, Saskatchewan where Stu was born, moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia where Jeff did his post-grad studies in Anaesthesia and landed up in Victoria on Vancouver Island in British Columbia where we have been for 26 years. I volunteered while the kids were growing up - was on the National Executive of Canadian Women's ORT, President of the Parents' Auxiliary of the kids' school and helped on various committees within the Jewish community. In 2003, I went back to "school" and became a Pharmacy Technician and now work twice a week at a pharmacy. We have 2 Bichon Frises pooches, Ole and Bentley, and my new-found passion is playing bridge!
Colleen Brooks Hall I attended Wynberg Girls from 1961 - 1969 and have happy memories of my school days. I worked as a technologist at Groote Schuur’s medical laboratories and Blood Bank for 4 years and then in a microbiology laboratory for 7
years. I married John Hall in 1978 and had two sons Wayne (born 1981) and Craig (born 1983). Both were educated in Cape Town and graduated from UCT. Wayne is married
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to Louise Bredell and they live in Sydney. Craig lives and works in Cape Town. After the birth of my sons, I stopped formal work and have been involved in volunteer work in various fields. I’ve worked at a visually impaired aged home, coached under-8 hockey at Rondebosch Boys Prep, worked as a Trauma Counsellor at a police station and am currently working in a paediatric ward at a local hospital. I retired from league hockey in 1983 but am still playing league squashas well as doing pilates, gym and walking. I am lucky to have been blessed with good health.
Laura Dahlkamp
Laura’s Facebook profile states that she is a Pre-Press Manager working for a printing company in Los Angeles
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Gillian Biesman-Simons She lives in Horley, Surrey, is divorced with a 21 year old daughter Kimberley and a stepson Clinton(36). She spends her time between Horley and Bedford where Peter, her long time partner, lives. After school, she worked with Karyn Farr at the Provincial Admininistration doing town planning. She left South Africa in ’73 for about 4 years, and then returned to live in Durban . She married in 1980 and went to the UK in 1988 with her husband who was a pilot. There she worked as an architectural draughtsman and studied Architecture. After 3 years, her husband’s work took him to the Middle East, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Woman were not allowed to be draughtsmen, so she studied to become a Montessori Teacher, but then she divorced her husband and returned to the UK, where she was teacher and head teacher of a Pre prep school for 10 years. She met Peter at the end of Mrs Simons the Montessori teacher, 1999 and in 2003 when he was involved in a very bad head of pre prep, summer 2004 motor cycle accident she left her job and went to live in Bedford to take care of him. She returned to Horley in 205 and retrained as a bus driver. Today she loves driving her bus and spends time off with Peter in Bedford. She will be in Cape Town at the end of October.
Jenny van Breda Biesman Simons
Jenny married Gillian’s brother John and together they have been breeding German Shepherd Dogs since 1985 and have won multiple awards .
I won’t be seeing you as we will be in the Magaliesberg with friends. Will be with you in spirit and hope you have a super get together. Jenni BiesmanBiesman-Simons
Biesman-Simons family Zevenwacht Easter Sunday 2008, Gillian’s daughter, Jenny (van Breda) B-S, Gillian B-S, her partner Peter, Jenny's husband, Alan B-S. and Gillian’s parents.
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Karen Farr Loubser
A bit about me. I got married in 1973, my son Jason was born in 1975 and daughter, Nicola in 1978. Both are married and they have a daughter each. They both settled here in 2001 so as I was on my own, having divorced in I unfortunately won't be able 1986, I took early retirement from the council, where to attend the the functions but please I had worked for over 25 years and joined them here send my best wishes to all, in 2006. I work in the finance department of an I'll be there in spirit.. International Company and live in Surrey. The best decision I ever made was moving here and I wish I had I hope you all have done it years ago. a lovely time. Karen
Sylvia Cohen Farkas
Sorry Sorry I cant be with you all as as its my cousins wedding in Johannesburg on the 12th and I cant miss it. Enjoy the reunion. Sylvia
I am married with 2 children (a boy and a girl). My daughter is 25 years old and is married and living in Israel. My son is 27,engaged and working in Johannesburg. I have been living in Johannesburg since 1981. I studied psychology at UCT but landed up working with my husband in a company that manufactures industial magnets.
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Do you remember?
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Barbara Krydner, Laura Garisch, Ann Mills, Dawn Nielsen, Merlin Blignaut, Alexia Solomon, Shirley Bredenkamp, Pat Michell, Elaine Durbach, Lynette Granger, Barbara Matter Rita Haylett, Helen Clark, Deryl Barlow, Helen Dyason, Veronica Lambert
Elaine Durbach Norstein Oi! - How to condense 40 years? Since leaving WGHS, I did a B. Journ at Rhodes, joined the Cape Times briefly and then went freelance. Wrote the text for two books. Came to the US on a World Press Institute Fellowship in '79, met an American and came back to marry him in 1981. Corresponded for the SA Morning Group papers, and wrote for United Nations, among others. Divorced in 1985. Married Marshall Norstein in '94. Had Gabe that same year - a very laat lammetjie - now 15, almost 6ft, with hair dyed bright red. I write for the New Jersey Jewish News, and if you Google me, you can see what I do every day. We live in Maplewood, an apple-pie cosy community 30 mins from NY - Victorian houses & oak avenues. Come visit??
So sad to have to miss the Great August reunion - but my trip to South Africa has been pulled forward . Heading there(May 18) for two weeks, to help my mother (in Hermanus) move out of her house at Onrus Manor, and into an assisted living unit. I'm sorry about the reunion, but very happy that I'll be with her. Through the past four weeks of her injury, illness, and painful recovery, the distance has been hell. Wish it was a long enough trip to spend time in CT too and reconnect over many cups (or glasses) - but maybe another time....
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Shirley Bredenkamp Sisson
I remember Mrs Townsend throwing that piece of chalk up in the air!!
I left school and went to work in IT at the Old Mutual and moved around a bit in the IT business. I always enjoyed my sport and met my husband, Geoff Sisson, through playing hockey at Bergvliet Club. We have 3 daughters - Keri (30) - that makes me feel old! She is married, lives in the UK and has 2 boys - Matthew aged 3 and Jake who is 1, - Nicki (27, single and living in Jhbg) and Ashley (22, living in Lakeside). For quite a few years, Geoff and I ran a business, called Action BTS, which supplied school books at the start of the year. 18 months ago, we decided on a total change in our lives and we now run a small guest house just outside Simonstown, which has 3 self-catering flats. We both enjoy walking and I walk on the beach most days. I also enjoy reading, travelling, sewing and crafting.
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Ann Mills Harris I went to Mowbray Teacher's Training College and then spent a year at UCT studying Teaching of Special Classes. I taught at John Graham until I married John Harris in 1977. We moved to the OFS and then Johannesburg where our 4 daughters were born. Colleen (30) is married and living in Sydney where she is in investment banking. Elspeth(27) is a biology teacher, Jo-Ann(23) is a travel agent and Kate (19) is studying theraputic massage. We moved to Wellington, New Zealand in 1990. John is a project manager and I am a self employed SPELD tutor working with children who have different learning disabilities. I enjoy Have a wonderful reunion. movies, theatre, reading, I have thoroughly enjoyed your handwork, tramping, e-mails and the profiles of the girls. friends, travelling and Will be thinking of you all so much most of all family get togethers. Best wishes for the best of times Ann
Barbara Krydner Poulter
I qualified as a Medical technologist, working in that field at GSH for 11 years. Then, I joined the pharmaceutical industry, where I have, and am still, working as a medical representative. I am currently with Sanofi-Aventis oncology division. I have 2 sons 19 and 20, and 2 stepsons 19 and 22!,so lots of testosterone at home!!! I live in Houtbay with my husband Neville Poulter and all the boys
Technology?
Heart transplants were old hat - Dorothy Fisher is the 5th person to receive a heart transplant under Dr Christiaan Barnard The Boeing 747 jumbo jet made its debut.. First Concorde test flight First Quartz Watch First ATM Cash Machine installed Creation of ARPANET, the predecessor of the Internet The Microprocessor was invented
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Life after Wynberg Girls
Deryl Barlow-Weilbach After I left WGHS, I obtained a BSC and Bsc Honours Degree (cum laude) from Wits University and an MSc Degree (cum laude) from Pretoria. I have had a long career as a research scientist at the CSIR in Freshwater Biology, then as a science lecturer and teacher at Natal University, Pietermaritzburg campus, and at Daveyton College of Education. I also obtained an HED from Unisa in order to be able to teach and lecture. In 1993, I joined the National Department of Environment Affairs where I became involved in environmental management. I have worked for the Development Bank of Southern Africa for the last 16 years doing environmental risk assessment for large infrastructure project loans in South Africa and the rest of Africa, which involves some interesting travel to other African countries. I am at present building my retirement house in Montagu on a smallholding. I plan to retire as soon as the economy recovers. I am divorced with no children having 2 legs! My ex husband was a farmer in the Free State. I bred Arabian horses and race horses on the farm. I also had a long career as a show jumper and dressage rider. I have been importing and showing greyhounds and whippets since I stopped riding about 12 years ago. My current family consists of 5 greyhounds and 2 whippets which explains I am really disappointed why I needed a smallholding as a retirement home. I also but I will be overseas on obtained a diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour so I could business at this time so I understand my hounds better. shall not be able to attend Looking back, I always knew that I missed my vocation. I in person but will be with should have been a vet but in those days veterinary science you all in spirit! was not considered a suitable occupation for women! Deryl WGHS gave me a wonderful start to my life, building self esteem and giving me the intrinsic motivation necessary to succeed. You are all welcome to visit me in Montagu when I retire, just turn into Low Street from Long Street. It is the Cape Dutch house. Hopefully the economy will recover soon so I can sell up in Gauteng (I’m really tired of the rat race). God Bless you all.
Do you remember what we wore? Tie-dye shirts and Bell Bottoms We ironed our hair. We wore Mini-skirts and Daisy prints Twiggy was fashion’s favorite face,
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WGHS Class of 69
Life after Wynberg Girls
Barbara Matter Ikin What a blast from the past!!! After no contact for almost 40 years, I'm seeing photos of schoolmates I do not recognise! Unfortunately I will not be able to join you at the reunion in Cape Town... I have had a wonderful life with my husband, Derrick, working and living on three continents - a stint doing volunteer work at the Church of Scotland Hospital in Tugela Ferry, Msinga, was followed by six years of living in Switzerland, working in epidemiology and food research. Then off to Bangladesh and Indonesia, working with women's groups all providing me with a rich tapestry of encounters with different cultures, religions and languages. After nine years in Mozambique we returned to Knysna , where we are living and getting to know the new South Africa.
Veronica Lambert Taylor Six years ago John and I decided that we needed to retire somewhere peaceful. We bought a plot and built a lovely home overlooking Dassen Island, and with a view of Table Mountain in the distance, and retired to Yzerfontein on the West Coast. About this time I was diagnosed with MS which, fortunately, has not yet had a negative impact on our travels. Between us we have a son and 3 daughters & 1 grandchild. We are involved (me as secretary and John as treasurer) in various classic car clubs, having an Austin Healey and a MGC. We have a well kitted out Landrover and spend a tremendous amount of time touring Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana and also S.A. Next year we will be heading for Zambia, Malawi & Tanzania in the Landy. When at home, in between planning the next holiday, besides doing boring housework, I find time to read, bake, sew, and work on a rather comprehensive stamp collection.
WGHS Class of 69
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Life after Wynberg Girls
Trish Michell Inggs After school, I graduated from Rhodes University with a B Pharm & did preregistration internship year at Tygerberg Hospital. I then worked in the UK from '75 '80 as a research assistant, in medical information & then hospital pharmacy before registering as a pharmacist in the UK. I married Mike Inggs in '80 & we lived in Stoughton, Massachusetts for 2 years where our oldest daughter Kirsty was born. We then returned to SA in '83 & Jonathan was born in Joburg. In '85, we came to live in Simon's Town & have been there ever since. Both Gordon & Stella were born while I was working part time at the Pharmacy I had worked in as a student. In '93 I bought the business and am still running it. Mike is a Prof at UCT & has been there for the past 21 years - how time flies
Merlin Blignaut Luke I married Harold Luke in 1973. We have a son, Richard, who is 34, unmarried and lives in London and a daughter, Taryn who is 31,also unmarried, living in Cape Town. We live in Monte Vista, Cape Town. Following the completion of matric, I attended Cape Town Teacher's College, where I completed my training and obtained my Primary Teachers Diploma. My first post was at Bosmansdam Primary School. During the 18 years I was there, I taught Grades 4 to 7, had a stint teaching Speech and Drama and then moved down to Grade 3, which I discovered I actually preferred to Senior Primary. I thus completed a 3year “long distance� in-service course through Denneoord Training College in Wellington and received my Higher Diploma in Foundation Phase. I became the HOD at Bosmansdam and in 1991 moved to Panorama Primary as Deputy Principal, where I have been working till now.
WGHS Class of 69
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Life after Wynberg Girls
Lynette Granger Hampton
I live in Bergvliet, Cape Town, with my husband, Ian, and various sons. Together we can do the seven-a-side thing – his four (top pic) and my three. (Bottom pic -my sons with one stepson 2nd from right) They are all in their twenties Mark, Nicholas, Michael, Timothy, Jeremy, Matthew and Nicholas, either still studying or out there working. They come and go, depending on their plans at any one time, but at present my three, Jeremy, Matthew and Nicholas are under our roof, livening up the place and generally being good company. I spent many years teaching art at the Dominican School for Deaf Children, but when the school could no longer afford to keep an art teacher, I moved on to Herschel where I am now teaching art to the girls at the prep school. Ian is a fisheries scientist whose surveying work frequently takes him to New Zealand and Chile. Whilst retirement doesn’t seem to be a prospect, we look forward to a change of lifestyle by spending longer periods of time at our home on the river near Stilbaai and trying our hand at organic olive farming amongst other things.
Helen Clark Kleynhans
I studied at UCT and the University of Natal and, except for 9 years when my children were young, have been teaching Maths ever since. I met my husband, Charles, while we were both students at UCT and we have a son and a daughter. We lived in Sasolburg for about 10 years, then in Johannesburg for 18 years and have been back in Cape Town since 2003. I teach at Rustenburg Girls High now. My main hobby/interest (as it was in my school days) is mountaineering and I also enjoy orienteering
WGHS Class of 69
49
Life after Wynberg Girls
Do you remember the movies we were watching in ‘69…? The Love Bug Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Easy Rider Where Eagles Dare Funny Girl Monty Python's Flying Circus "And now for something completely different”
…and the Academy Awards that year? Best Actress
Maggie Smith, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Best Actor
John Wayne in True Grit
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
Best song
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
and the music we listened to? Time Is Tight - Booker T and the MGs Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones Come Together - The Beatles In The Year 2525 - Zager And Evans Sugar Sugar - The Archies Sorry Suzanne - The Hollies My Sentimental Friend - Herman's Hermits Hair - The Cowsills Where Do You Go To My Lovely - Peter Sarstedt Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival You Can Cry If You Want To - The Troggs Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley Crimson And Clover - Tommy James And The Shondells
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WGHS Class of 69
Life after Wynberg Girls
Contact your Classmates Name Susan Abrams now Lipman Yolanda Adams now Simpson Merle Anderson now Hulley Marion Arcus now Schapiro Deryl Barlow now Weilbach Gillian Biesman-Simons Merlin Blignaut now Luke Shirley Bredenkamp now Sisson Colleen Brooks now Hall Yvonne Brown now Cawood Moira Butler now Martins Sandra Cawood now Unite Cynthia Chait now Cyndi Freiman Rosna Charles now Kerr Helen Clark now Kleynhans Deanie Clark now Potter Ruth Coates now Bourne Hilary Cohen now Meyer Sylvia Cohen now Farkas Yael Cohen now Wollach Denise Curtis Laura Dahlkamp Elizabeth Doig now Giddey Bridget Dreyer now Hambley-Wise Elizabeth Dunn now Brunt Elaine Durbach now Norstein Karyn Farr now Loubser Caroleen Feldman now Zaszrewski Janet Fisher now Ronnenburgh Brenda Forrest now Hilliard Judy Fouche now Waldron Laurette Garisch now Swan Penny Giljam now Holmes Helen Gilson now Hull Lynette Granger now Hampton Linda Hall Trish Hartley now Thorpe Nessa Hurwitz now Leibhammer Clare Hvidstein Sandy Jeffrey now Stack Sandra Jonas now Sidman Heather Karsen now Walker Estelle Katz Brenda King now Weir Simone Kirsch Barbara Krydner now Poulter Sharon Laity now Bridger Veronica Lambert now Taylor Cheryl Lewis now Lewis Maureen Lurie now Green Idafay Madeisky now Mervis
Contact Details Sue@BayTravelGroup.Com.Au ysimpson@nhhs.co.za merle@shepco.co.za marion@schapiro.ca derylw@dbsa.org gbsimons24@hotmail.com merlin.luke@gmail.com shirley@glenmarinelodge.co.za colleen228@gmail.com jcc@gcss.biz martins@global.co.za Sandiunite@gmail.com cyndi@iinet.net.au accounts@cleducap.co.za (work) kleynhanscr@telkomsa.net dpotter@sweetvalleyprimary.co.za rbourne@mweb.co.za hilmeyer@mweb.co.za sylvia@702mail.co.za ywollach@shaw.ca denisecu@vodamail.co.za ldahlkamp@yahoo.com giddeyml@xtra.co.nz hwisefam@mweb.co.za rbrunt@iafrica.com marshall-elaine@att.net karyn_loubser@yahoo.co.uk carolzak@telkomsa.net ronnenburgh@telkomsa.net roger.hilliard@quad.co.za waldronfam@vodamail.co.za cswan007@telkomsa.net penny.holmes@ntlworld.com helen.hull@gmail.com ihampton@new.co.za linhall@mweb.co.za trishthorpe@iafrica.com nessle@global.co.za Ask Colleen Hall stack5@mweb.co.za sandys@pansolutions.co.za mikejw@telkomsa.net estellekatz@gmail.com weir@sondor.co.za simkir@iafrica.com barbara_poulter@live.co.za bridger@iafrica.com jetaylor@telkomsa.net cheslewis@aol.com alangrn@iafrica.com idafay@mervismail.com
WGHS Class of 69
51
Life after Wynberg Girls
Name Pat Marais now Williams Jenny Marock now Resnick Ingrid Marx now Stofberg
Contact Details williamsd@fm.co.za jenresnick@bellsouth.net istofberg@hotmail.com
Loretta Matodes Barbara Matter now Ikin Dale MacMurray now Slatem Colleen McCarthy now Shedden Trish Michell now Inggs Cathy Miller Ann Mills now Harris Susan Mills now Ansell Glenda Moody now Inskip Anita Owen now Brewis Alison Parkins now Uys Gwynneth Phipps now Russell Lynne Pickup now Shield Joan Robb now Green Lorna Robertson now Wall Pam Roux now Gush Jenny Sawyer now Mcdonald Ann Skeeles now Truter
loretta.lorelai@yahoo.it fig@xnets.co.za huricane@iafrica.com colleenls@telkomsa.net trish.inggs@gmail.com cathymillernz@gmail.com ann.harris@xtra.co.nz sueansell@exclusivemail.co.za glendai@kredit.co.za bretals@iafrica.com AUYS@tfs.ca ericr@sentechsa.com (husband’s) lynsouthbound@gmail.com dessyn@mweb.co.za wallfamily@ihug.co.nz ronandpamgush@gmail.com jenmed@iburst.co.za amtruter@global.co.za
Alexia Solomon now Dose Barbara Susman Helene Traub now Magid Renee Van Boom now Stewart Jenny Van Breda now Biesman-Simons Jane Westmoreland now Meintjies Kathleen Wheatley now Wink Mary Williamson now Terry Gail Wright now Ferreira Thelma Zabow now Schwartz Susan Zoutendyk now Marais
alexiadose@gmail.com barbarasusman@yahoo.co.uk sherermagid@yahoo.com info@fourballplus.co.za annenberg@tiscali.co.za wordfact@telkomsa.net winklet2000@yahoo.co.uk maryterry@telkomsa.net potfontein.1@webmail.co.za Telma.Schwartz@sial.com susan.b.marais@gmail.com
WGHS Class of 69
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Life after Wynberg Girls
Do you remember?
The WYNBERG GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL SONG Founded in the soil of our land’s history, Looking to a future yet untold, Wynberg, Alma Mater; we thy daughters Proudly wear for thee the brown and gold. Glory of our lovely land, the protea Born of our brown earth and golden sun, Take we for our emblem; may its beauty Flower in every heart that thou hast won, In the mountains finding peace, God-given, In great pine and oak trees seeing his power, Wearers of the crimson badge of courage, Bravely may we meet each unknown hour. Strong in all of good that thou has taught us Ready where our duty calls to stand, Ever Honour seeking before Honours, May thy daughters nobly serve thy land
The WGHS Hall 1969