LIVES REMEMBERED

Imogen Sarah Welch (1972-1978) Imogen was born in Chichester in February 1961, but the next year was moved to Bolton when her father joined the staff of the Boys’ Division. She started at Bolton School in 1972, but her studies were not smooth and not helped by her dyslexia – not universally recognised as a precise condition at the time. She left the Sixth Form in the first year and worked for the DHSS in Salford. She took up A Level studies again at evening classes and achieved good enough results to persuade Manchester University to offer her a place to read for a general degree in Geography and Geology in 1980, and allowed her to move to a place on the Honours Geology course after the first year. She graduated in 1983 with a 2:1.

Finding work for a woman geologist at this time was difficult and Imogen took a Civil Service computer aptitude test, in which she performed well, and was offered a post with the MoD: ironic, considering her strong anti-establishment views. She subsequently worked for BT and IBM, initially in programming, but later in promoting the services of the companies. She became active in union work and went on demonstrations to GCHQ.

The demanding nature of her IBM work began to affect Imogen and she experienced a depression serious enough to stop work and receive professional help. She slowly recovered, decided to change direction and joined a Fine Art degree course at Buckingham Chiltern University College in 2000, specialising in conceptual art. She managed to cope with the written work to the extent that she was awarded a First and subsequently an MA at Southend. During her art career, she had several exhibitions and her work can be viewed at Imogen Welch artist. Sadly, in 2017 Imogen was diagnosed with cancer in an advanced state and underwent repeated surgery and chemotherapy. She decided in 2021 to forego a planned course of treatment to concentrate on work for a project in Southend in June for which she had gained Arts Council funding, but her cancer was proliferating and she was referred for palliative care to the hospice she had chosen. She died in the early hours of 2nd August. Imogen had planned several aspects of her funeral and it took place on 7th September followed by burial in a woodland site at Jordans near Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire. The ceremony included tributes from artist friends and the family and it was consoling that so many expressed their appreciation of her kindness and interest in their work and lives. She leaves Ken, her husband of 26 years; parents, Leonie and Michael (Boys’ Division Staff, 1962-1981); an older sister, Virginia Skoyles (née Welch, 1970-1977); two brothers, Jonathan (1975-1980) and Timothy (1976-1980); five nephews, a niece, many friends to remember her fondly and a large body of artwork. The Welch Family

Margaret Jean Wilby (née Walker, 1954-1961) Joining the senior school in 1954, Margaret found herself amongst a very talented cohort of girls and initially felt somewhat overshadowed by especially gifted pupils already identified as destined to achieve great things. In the field of sports, she had no particular aptitude nor liking for team games but she was a strong swimmer and a competent tennis player. In later years, a daily swim became a constant and unmissable part of her routine and she continued to play club level tennis until the introduction of the Covid-19 restrictions proscribed these activities. In the academic areas of the school’s curriculum, her innate abilities became increasingly clear from O Level onwards and she went on to achieve outstandingly good A and S Level results, on the basis of which she became one of the eleven girls in that year who were awarded State Scholarships. She loved English literature and history and always remained grateful to the teachers who recognised and encouraged her potential in those fields. Margaret also learned to play the piano at school; an accomplishment to which she pleasurably returned, when living in Devon, in her retirement years. In the long term, however, the most valuable and influential part of Bolton School for Margaret proved to be the Archaeological Society, which was joint with the Boys’ Division and organised with flair and enthusiasm by Colin Harding, a Classics master in the Boys’ Division. Margaret was immensely grateful to Colin for nurturing her interest in archaeology, which remained with her and gave her great pleasure throughout her life. In a different era, in her ideal world, on leaving school she would have gone on to build her career in the archaeological sphere. As it was, she was strongly advised to abandon any such aspiration on the ground that women were unlikely ever to break into that male preserve, and she was directed instead towards the study of law. After leaving school, she obtained an LLB degree from Exeter University and enjoyed an interesting and varied career in the law. In 1965, after being called to the Bar at the Inner Temple and completing the then innovatory postgraduate criminology course at Girton College, Cambridge University, she lectured on criminal law, in the Law Faculty at Manchester University. Completion of the Manchester University postgraduate Social Administration Diploma was a preliminary to her appointment as a Manchester Probation Officer based in Gorton. Suitably toughened up by her experience working in the Moss Side area of the city, she secured a pupillage at the Bar and tenancy in Manchester chambers. At the time, this change of career direction elicited a rebuke from one of her former teachers expressing disappointment that she was moving from ‘one of the most selfless and worthwhile professions’ to join the ‘the most selfish’. In practice, however, Margaret did not find this