Old Girls Go Global

Sarah Tarnopolsky (née Hancock, Class of 1999) I live in Victoria, on Vancouver Island in British Columbia (BC), Canada. I moved here in 2008 on a one-year travel abroad visa, but have since become a citizen. I met my now-husband (who is Canadian) when teaching abroad in Japan after university. When we finally decided to live in the same city, Victoria was where we landed, and we haven’t left! Even though Victoria is probably one of Canada’s most British cities, I find the politics Sarah, Ronan and mindset quite different from the UK. There’s a large focus on things like sustainable and Greg enjoying the great transportation, protecting natural spaces, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. There’s a lot less traffic here too! outdoors I work at a university so that’s exciting and energising. I soon found out why BC is often rated one of the most livable and beautiful places in the world. In particular, I enjoy having great access to nature – from oceans to ancient rainforests to impressive mountains. My favourite sports when I was at Bolton School were tennis, netball and swimming, but now my free time is spent outdoors as much as possible, mountain biking, trail running, camping and lake or ocean swimming and paddle boarding. My son, Ronan, is very fortunate he gets to grow up here. Before moving here I lived in London for a few years and at first I missed the variety, culture and amazing restaurants. I also miss the British sense of humour, and often yearn for a pint in a traditional pub after a long hike. Mostly, I miss my family and friends. I still call Bolton home, I just have two homes!

Eleanor McGivern (2008-2015) I have been living in Munich, Germany for almost five months. I relocated as I was offered a job at Amazon as a Campaign and Creative Manager. As I studied German at A Level and at university, this was a great opportunity to utilise my language skills! I find Munich far more traditional than the UK, with everything being closed on a Sunday and Lederhosen being a normal outfit for many! The approach to Covid-19 is also much stricter over here; we still have to wear masks everywhere and also have to take a test in addition when going to the gym or cinema for example. I love living in Munich, as there is so much to do in the city-centre and there is a very big expat community. I also love that you can jump on the train for an hour and be in the mountains – there are so many beautiful places to explore around the city, and it's not far to travel to Switzerland or Austria. I miss my family the most, and also good-tasting food! I also definitely miss the British sense of humour!

Aysha Harwood (2002-2011) In September 2021 I moved to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to take up a three-year overseas posting with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). My role focuses on providing essential services to poor and marginalised people across Ethiopia, namely basic health care, education – including for girls – and access to clean water and sanitation facilities. Life in Addis is very different to the UK, not least because of the sunny weather and some of the privileges we enjoy as diplomats, like having gardeners, drivers and housekeepers – all very alien to me on arrival! It is difficult to get some things here, like cheese, western toiletries and recognisable brands, and not everyone speaks English, but with a bit of creativity you can live comfortably in Addis and the Ethiopian culture and languages are very special. The conflict in the North seems remote most of the time but can sometimes make work difficult and affect morale. I am slowly learning Amharic, the official language, and hope to get to working proficiency before the end of my post. The best thing about living here is being able to work closely with my talented Ethiopian colleagues on important issues, and being able to see regions outside of the capital for both work and in my spare time. Since cross country in School I have been a keen runner, and Ethiopia has produced some of the fastest long-distance runners – weekends running in the Entoto hills are quite something! There are also ample hiking opportunities and historic sites that I look forward to exploring. My time in Ethiopia is just beginning, so it’s not yet time to ask ‘where next?’ – but with a career in the FCDO the possibilities are vast.

Cherrill Lee (née Gratrix, Class of 1970) We moved to Angoisse, in the north east corner of the Dordogne, in October 2020, next door to our elder daughter and family. We had had our holiday home since 2013, but a combination of Brexit and deciding to remain ‘stranded’ in this rural retreat at the start of Covid-19 for five months formed our decision to make it permanent. We moved here from near Poole, Dorset where our younger daughter still lives, so we miss the sea, sand and coastal scenery, but not the holiday crowds. It is a pleasure to drive on the largely traffic-free roads and shop without cash out queues. Parking is usually free or low cost. Crime involves farming equipment. We are making the most of our recently-acquired campervan and electric bicycles to explore the many diverse regions of France safely. I am grateful to Miss Groser for fostering my interest in wild flowers and birds when I was in ‘Remove’. After working as a British pharmacist, it is interesting, in retirement, to benefit from the French health care system, which I cannot fault. We pay a monthly sum in insurance for a particular level of cover, irrespective of any predisposing conditions. Access to your doctor and other medical services is swift and thorough –I am to undergo a hip replacement operation within five months of diagnosis. (Skiing might have been a contributory factor, but I have no regrets.) Minimising social contact has meant improving my fluency via weekly tutorial sessions via Zooms and joining a book club in French. Progress is slow, but there is a great sense of achievement when I get it right! I am eternally grateful to Miss Johnson who accompanied us to Oberau in Austria by train on three different occasions (the last two joint ventures with the Boys’ Division). At that time, the skis and boots were still quite antiquated; nevertheless, building on that initial instruction on the mountain at Niederau allowed me to ski down many a challenging run, my favourite being the Mer de Glace at Chamonix on my fortieth birthday. Having been triple-vaccinated and issued with our ‘pass sanitaire’, we can engage with the French way of life: long lunches, people watching at pavement cafés and visiting art and cultural venues. Relaxing and rewarding is how I would describe our life in France.

Catherine Goodwin (1981-1983) I have been living in Cape Town since my husband and I, along with our two boys, moved here in 2014. However, in 2003 my parents emigrated from Edgworth to Johannesburg initially, and then settled in the fair Cape where I finished school and university. So, it was more of a return – my home away from home! After university I travelled and worked in Europe. I fell into the travel industry and had the good fortune to be offered the opportunity to transfer to Johannesburg to head up Contiki Holidays for 18-35s and revamp the African inbound programmes. However, the arrival of my boys gave the impetus to move to a place where outdoor living is prized: Cape Town. Johannesburg is a busy African city which hubs flights all over the continent. Cape Town, on the other hand, is a village by comparison. The Mother City, as it is fondly known, has always been a cultural melting pot that attracts a lot of visitors to its shores. It has a rich and interesting history and a vibrant music and art scene. It is naturally breath-taking and the climate is Mediterranean. We live near the Tokai Plantation in the Constantia Valley which is a forested area criss-crossed with green belts featuring tracks for walkers, runners, and riders – on bikes or horses. The boys also take part in surf lifesaving and their Scout packs have them hiking and camping all over the peninsula. I miss not having a working post office – I developed a love for the ink pen and handwriting during my time at Bolton School, but there isn’t the same romance attached to sending letters which might not get there! And public transport is complicated; many overseas visitors have braved the roads, but probably felt they should have earned a medal for doing so – social distancing was practised on the roads long before Covid-19!