Alumni Review 2022

ANNUAL REVIEW

William Brierly

I would like to thank the wider alumni and Claremont community for all their support over the years. The return of the annual review is an opportunity for us to share some of the latest news from Claremont Fan Court School and update you on our alumni and Claremont community over the last year. This year the school celebrates its centenary, and presents an opportunity to reconnect with so many alumni and members of the Claremont community and welcome them back to the school and I hope to see more of you in 2023/24.

Since our founding from a small classroom out the back of Mrs Packer’s house for 7 pupils, we have grown in size and strength each year since 1922. By the time you read this article, we would have grown close to 1,100 pupils alone, not to mention the teaching and support staff. A recent ISI inspection gave the school a glowing report as we continued to grow without compromising the quality of education and care at Claremont Fan Court School. As we grow in size and strength each year it is key for us to celebrate our heritage while still looking forwards. New initiatives like Claremont 100 challenged our pupils to be active members of our local community and will be one of the lasting legacies of the centenary year. We look forward to a special centenary gala day and centenary ball in July and hope you will be able to join us in celebrating the end of our centenary programme.

Pages

CONTENTS

2 - Headmaster’s and editor’s welcome

3 - A year in photos

4 - April reunions

5 - Mini meet ups

6-7 - Featured Interview: Christina Dixon

8 - Historical focus

9 - 100 Voices

10-11 - Alumni business spotlight

12 - Looking forwards

13 - Completed works

14-15 - Mini memories

16-18 - Claremont at the coronatation

19 - Patricia Farrar

- Someone Coloured my World Today

20-21 - Heritage 22-23 - Obituaries

24 - Upcoming events

25 - Christmas networking drinks

26-27 - Centenary gift shop

Thank you to Rosalind for her efforts resurrecting the annual review, and to all those contributors to this edition, please do continue to stay in touch with us, as we welcome in the next 100 years. We would like to mark the return of the Alumni Magazine with a huge thank you! Thank you to all the alumni who have contributed to this magazine, supported us by joining Claremont Connect and for attending reunions and community events. This is the first of the annual alumni magazines which will be released at the end of the first academic term in time for the in coming calendar year. We would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of the last year of 2022 and preview some of the exciting plans we have for 2023.

This is a very special year for us, in 2022 we began our centenary celebrations in September 2022 with the official opening of the Prep School Stable Court refurbishment and the Sir Sydney Camm Science and Technology building. As well as the theatre production Choice Grenfell and the December London Christmas Bankside Gallery drinks. We have many more exciting events this coming year such as the Summer Centenary Ball and Summer Gala Day. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like to get involved! For now we hope you enjoy this magazine and will be able to join us in person soon. Keep an eye on Claremont Connect for ticketed events, information and photos.

A YEAR IN PHOTOS

APRIL REUNIONS

Class of 1955-65 and class of 1975-85

On Friday 8th April 2022, we were delighted to welcome back the class of 1955-65 from both Fan Court Boys and Claremont Girls. Taking place in the Great Room the atmosphere was buoyant and there was tea, cake and sandwiches aplenty. There was also an opportunity to tour the school with our resident historian and fellow alumni Pamela Rider. For many attendees it was one of the first opportunities they’ve had to come back since they left Claremont Girls School. Traditionally the Fan Court and Claremont reunions were held on different days and at different locations. However, we wanted to create a more integrated day and we think it was a great success. The archive display proved popular with the inclusion of the Vox Leonis, which we withdrew from the Surrey History Centre, for the special occasion. The Vox Leonis (The Voice Of The Lion) was a studentmade termly book that every student at Fan Court had to contribute to, whether it was a story, a drawing or factual review. It is a treasure trove of memories and we hope to display more at future events.

The following day, on Saturday 9th April, we hosted our second larger reunion of the class of 1976-85. This was a well-attended day and we were delighted to have people travel in from all over the country and the world, with the furthest being Susan from Kenya! The feel of the day was very joyous with the inner hall packed with people. We started the day with tea and coffee in the Great Room and class photos on the steps. We then moved into the familiar Joyce Grenfell Centre (JGC) for a buffet lunch and more opportunities to reminisce. Thank you to William Brierly for addressing the reunion with his usual humour and for helping us cut and serve the cake. The highlight of the day for many people was the opportunity to free roam within the Mansion. We heard plenty of laughter as the old metal lift was ridden up and down the building and alumni returned to their old classrooms and boarding dorms. The archival display

also offered a chance for people to spot themselves in school photos as well as helping us identify familiar faces. For both reunions we wanted to open the day up to those who couldn’t travel to be with us in person. This was a new venture and something we would like to continue. We initially sent our remote guests a postcard, a teabag and a copy of their school record card (where available) and invited them to dial in on the day via video chat. On the day, we had iPads with different class year groupings set up in rooms and the in-person alumni could visit a room and say hello. This worked remarkably well, thank you to our ever-helpful IT department as well as the alumni who dialled in to use this new format.

Both days would not have been possible without the help of our alumni community. You all pulled together to help us contact new people, match up maiden and married names and took it upon yourselves to message and call each other. It was your enthusiasm and commitment to the school that made both days possible. We are grateful for such a well-connected and welcoming alumni community that is growing stronger every year.

ALUMNI MINI MEET UPS

Elizabeth Snelgrove (nee Mossman) (1952-1958) and Sandra Davey (nee Bell) (1953-1960) celebrated their 80th birthdays this year in Jersey, Channel Islands. Their friendship began at Claremont School when they were both 10 years old.

Although they lived in different countries, Elizabeth in Somerset and Sandra in Johannesburg, South Africa. They have managed to meet up many times over the years either in England or South Africa.

Elizabeth has a daughter whose husband farms in Somerset and two grandsons. Sandra has three daughters. Two live in the United States (Greenwich, Connecticut and Denver, Colorado) and the youngest in Jersey where Elizabeth and Sandra were able to celebrate their 80th birthdays this year. How wonderful to have been close friends from their school days at Claremont.

1963 Tour

On Saturday 24th September, we welcomed back members of the class of 1963 back to Claremont for a mini reunion and tour. It was a lovely morning with great weather, the morning was led by our resident historian and member of the 1963 cohort, Pamela Rider. The class of 1963 had an opportunity to explore the mansion, the walled garden and catch up over a cup of tea. If you would like to host a private tour with your friend group, please get in touch with us. We offer tours during the school holidays and for larger groups we can offer Saturdays.

Fan Court School boys, George and Andrew Sutton, 1961-1968, met up to watch the Mini Coopers race on the road course at Indianapolis, Motor Speedway on 6-8th October, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Both George and Andrew in Missouri on opposite sides of the state, Kansas City, and St. Louis.

WE ARE HOSTING MORE REUNIONS IN THE COMING NEW YEAR...

• Class of 1966-74: 1 April 2023

• Class of 1986-94: 15 April 2023

• Class of 1995-2000: 18 March 2023

If you would like further information or help planning your own reunion tour of the school, please do feel free to contact us at:

Alumni@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

ALUMNI INTERVIEW: CHRISTINA DIXON

How would you describe your work?

I am an environmental campaigner working at an NGO specialising in investigations, advocacy and campaigning. I lead the ocean programme where I’m predominantly involved in working on national, regional and international policy related to plastic pollution and fisheries, so my work tends to comprise of meeting with governments, companies and grassroots/non-profit organisations, writing and publishing reports, speaking at conferences and organising events, inputting into policy processes and working with the media to amplify the issues we work on.

CLASS OF 2004

In our organisation we also do investigative work to expose things like illicit trafficking and other environmental crime, and use this information to work with enforcement agencies and law makers.

How did you come to work for the Environmental Investigation Agency?

I have been working in this field for around 12 years. At university I studied journalism and then did a Masters in communications and cultural theory. I also spent time teaching overseas and did an EU-funded internship at an international non-profit agency in Berlin as well as a brief stint working in TV.

I only ever wanted to work in the non-profit sector but didn’t have a strong view on a particular field within that, though at school and beyond I was involved in environmental activism. I’ve always been interested in human rights, politics and environmental issues and working at EIA allows me to cover issues that transect all of these interests.

While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend a degree in journalism, having a communications background has really helped me hone my campaign skills, as a key aspect of the work is being able to take complex geo-

We reconnected with Christina (Chris) after she kindly agreed to be a member of our in-person careers fair in 2022. We thought we would catch up with Chris again to ask some more questions about her work for the Environmental Investigation Agency and if she had any advice for our students and alumni.

political issues and communicate them effectively to a broad range of audiences. On any given day I can be talking about my work to school children, the United Nations or the Guardian, and there’s a different way of getting across the message with each of these groups. I was lucky to land a job at EIA when another campaign I was on was starting to wind down and I think they were looking for someone who could combine robust research with compelling storytelling.

I’ve been there for three years and came from a background of working on fisheries and animal welfare issues, so this has allowed me to work on a much broader range of topics, including the human health impacts of plastic pollution, environmental justice and climate.

Do you have any advice to students or alumni who would like to work in the

Environmental sector?

I don’t think there is a set career path to working in this sector and there is a big movement at the moment to boost diversity by removing some of the obstacles that have hindered this in the past, such as reliance on unpaid internships and steep academic requirements.

For campaigning the most important skills from my perspective are interpersonal ones - so knowing how to break down complicated issues, how to convey things to different audiences, how to frame a topic to capture public and political interest, how to mobilise people behind a cause and inspire them, how to communicate creatively, and so on.

When I’m hiring I look for people who have broad skill sets and a genuine interest in community or political organising and activism. Recruits don’t have to be subject matter experts - for example, a lot of people ask me if I have a degree in marine conservation or

chemistry, which I don’t - but an ability to pick things up, organise yourself and be curious to dive into topics with an open mind.

I’d really recommend getting some volunteering experience and starting to build a network and profile within the sector if it’s of interest as a career path, but I also think setting a broad base from an educational perspective is really important as well, as in this field you can be working on quite a wide range of issues and in many different settings.

What is your most memorable experience at EIA?

Being in the room at the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi when the gavel dropped on the decision to adopt a resolution initiating negotiations for a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution.

My team and I have been working on this for several years alongside partners around the world and it was a truly historic moment. The hard work is just beginning and now we have to keep pushing through two years of negotiations to ensure the ambition remains high and the final agreement reflects the severity of the challenge at hand, but with so many voices calling for a robust agreement I believe we can do it. I still get shivers thinking about that moment.

Once again we would like to thank Chris for her contributions, if you would like to share with us your own mini careers interview please do get in touch.

HISTORICAL FOCUS

A feature of the Mansion that can be easily overlooked is down the corridor, outside Leopold (now the headmaster’s office) and next to the drawing room. It is of course a dumbwaiter. Dumbwaiters, in some form, have been in use since Roman times; but in 1887, George W. Cannon filed the first patent for a mechanical dumbwaiter operated by pulleys and weights. This design featured a counterbalanced weight to help the car move vertically. The dumbwaiter at Claremont is a later electric kind which required no manpower at all. Electric motors were added in the 1920s and increased the ease in sending food from the basement kitchens (now the art department) upstairs. The dumbwaiters have been decommissioned, the kitchen end has been sealed off and the hatch covered by student paintings, the one in the servery is an empty space for mugs. While the Leopold end is still visible, the hatch is filled with textbooks and serves as a quirky feature.

ARCHIVE DIGITISATION PROJECTION

our collective history more accessible and that we will continue to grow and build in the coming years.

Our digital archive currently contains material from Clear View School, Claremont School and Fan Court School. In the future, we intend to digitise material from Claremont Fan Court School. The school has an onsite archive room which contains material related to the school’s extra-curricular, administration and alumni activities, mostly dating from 1978 when Claremont School and Fan Court School amalgamated to become co-educational. Additional records related to the earlier period of the school’s history as two separate schools can be found at The Surrey History Centre, Woking.

Our school’s resident archive room has gone digital! The development and alumni department has been working with SDS Digitisation to bring our school’s one hundred years’ worth of memorabilia to life. Our online archive can be found on our alumni portal, Claremont Connect, homepage under ‘Archive’. The Claremont Fan Court School Archive preserves material connected to our school’s history from its foundation in 1922 to current day. We hope our digital archive will be a valuable resource for our alumni, students and wider community. By making this available online, we hope to make

Our varied collection of memorabilia would not be in our grateful possession without the generosity of our alumni and wider school community. If you would like to contribute any material of your own or from a relative to our school archive, please do contact the alumni and development department via alumni@claremont.surrey.sch.uk or ring 01372 467841. Please also do contact us if you wish to donate to the Archive Fund to support the ongoing digitisation of our school archive.

100 VOICES OF CLAREMONT FAN COURT SCHOOL

To mark our centenary, past pupils and former staff have shared their favourite memories with us. ‘The 100 voices of Claremont Fan Court School’ is presented on our school website’s centenary page and features alumni profiles from all four schools – Clear View School, Claremont School, Fan Court School and now, Claremont Fan Court School.

Alumni have shared what their school years mean to them and how that particular time in their lives has shaped them into the person they are today. Sitting on the mansion’s front steps with friends, making model aeroplanes in the workshop, a flashback to eating gooseberry crumble for lunch (the smell has haunted him ever since!), flag-raiding, winning the poetry prize at Summer Meeting, belting out The Animals’ hit, ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’ on the mansion’s roof– the stories are boundless!

A number of our school’s families have been a part of our community since the very start of our one-

hundred-year journey. Some of whom have chosen to be a part of ‘The 100 voices...’ page. It might be a great-grandmother who attended Clear View or an uncle who boarded at Fan Court. A great-aunt who was evacuated with Claremont to Wales during the war or a grandchild who attends the co-educational school we know today. Looking ahead, these ties will continue to be strengthened over our next onehundred years.

Although the school has developed and grown over time, the experiences of alumni can mirror even the most recent of Claremont Fan Court leavers. With just over forty memories collected so far, we would love to reach one hundred! If you would be interested in sharing yours during our centenary year, please contact alumni@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

ALUMNI BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Nicole (1993–2006) and Lauren Dodds (1990–2005)

Alumni sisters Nicole Dodds (1993–2006) and Lauren Dodds (1990–2005) own Afternoon Crumbs, a cake shop in Claygate. In their shop they sell cupcakes, hand-make bespoke celebration cakes and biscuits. They have also created a range of fun and colourful gifts, cards and wrapping paper featuring treats they’ve made. Nicole tells us about their journey from Claremont Fan Court School to proud cake shop owners.

“We both started Claremont in Nursery and have fond memories of crafty classes, summer picnics and hugging Harry The Horse Chestnut Tree. We loved the Middle School and all the school trips, fun projects and of course the Year 6 plays!

But it was my time in the Senior School that highlighted to me the value of creative expression. The arts were championed and we were encouraged to explore different outlets from Food Technology and Textiles to after school Life Drawing and celebrated Art Shows, which definitely gave me the confiidence to pursue a creative path.

I went on to complete an Art Foundation course and then study Art History at Sussex University (certainly inspired by Mr Howard Farrar’s slide show assemblies - I was particularly fond of his one on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers).

I had a lot of spare time on my hands at Uni so started baking and blogging about my creations. I continued this after I graduated alongside taking a number of courses and carrying out an amazing internship with Zoë Clark at The Cake Parlour in Wimbledon.

Meanwhile, Lauren had completed a BA in Psychology and a Masters in Health Psychology and was working at an Online Marketing company in London.

In November 2016, with Lauren having left her job and my business growing, we opened our shop on The Parade in Claygate.

It was amazing to take the online business and put into four walls. I hand-make everything from my

kitchen at the shop and Lauren is the friendly face you see behind the counter each day and runs the business side of things (she loves a spreadsheet!).

As two women in business, we have often reflected on the confidence given to us by seeing so many female role models when we were at school. From our female Principal, Mrs Farrar, to Head of Middle School, Mrs Cox, and women heading up most departments. We still talk about how rare that was and how lucky we were to grow up surrounded by this kind of representation which definitely empowered and inspired us.

The shop has allowed us to meet so many lovely people and help them to celebrate the everyday and the bigger occasions. We love that we are so local and have many familiar Claremont faces (teachers and pupils, new and old) popping into the shop. We have been honoured to make cakes for lots of alumni, for birthdays, weddings and now even their children’s birthdays, and hope to be able to continue to make cakes and bring joy to new generations of the Claremont community.”

Be sure to follow @afternooncrumbs on Instagram for the latest sweet treat updates. You can also visit their website: afternooncrumbs.com or contact them at: hello@afternooncrumbs.com

Thank you to Nicole and Lauren for contributing to the magazine. If you would like your business featured in the next annual review please do get in contact.

LOOKING FORWARD...

A contribution by Krish Gunatunga head of development

As we celebrate Claremont Fan Court School’s centenary, we can take a moment to look at how much the Claremont estate has changed since our initial 45 pupils arrived in 1931. We have now grown to over 1,100 pupils, and the facilities to provide for our students have had to move with the times.

In September, we held a belated celebration for opening of recently refurbished Stable Court, home of the Prep School, and the Sir Sydney Camm science and technology building. Both buildings showcase our commitment to providing first class educational facilities that also protect our historical surroundings and promote environmental sustainability.

The Stable Court refurbishment was the final part of phase one of our original masterplan which is currently under revision. A new master plan must account for the growth and evolution of the school, including the balancing of gender to close to 50:50 boys and girls. At time of publication, we are close to appointing the new master planners to map out our future capital developments over the next 20 years across the school. Last year, we started the planning application to install a multi-purpose sports pitch in the top field

which many of you wrote in to support. The multipurpose sports pitch would be an all-year-round facility for multiple sports. During the planning process it became clear we would temporarily withdraw our application to take on board issues raised by some concerned local parties. We want to thank everyone who took the time to support our submission during the public consultation process.

We are now working with the UK’s premier sports construction specialist, S&C Slatters, who bring decades of experience delivering first class sports facilities, to consult and guide us through the application and building process and will be submitting a revised planning application within the next year, and we will ask you once again to write in support of the application.

During the October half term of 2021, the school was made aware of the opportunity to purchase the West Acre property adjacent to the school. The property sits within the School’s site, between the top field and the back of Orchard classrooms and the sports hall. Whilst not in the original master plan, the acquisition of West Acre gives the school the immediate opportunity to move some office and support staff out of rooms which can be used to provide additional teaching space. While this cannot be occupied until Elmbridge Council give planning permission we are working towards a speedy resolution to free-up some much-needed teaching space.

COMPLETED WORKS

This year has been exceptionally busy with a number of upgrades to the site including creating some new teaching space.

We have a new pupil support hub, bringing together our health centre and individual needs and support services under one roof in a central location for both the Prep and Senior School. This complete refurbishment of an existing building has already shown its worth with over 400 pupil visits within the first half term of the centre being open.

Music department relocation and peripatetic (peri) music rooms. The music department moved out of the Joyce Grenfell Centre to the Close, which is attached to Stable Court, formerly occupied by the health centre and facilities. The move provides spacious peri music rooms and more natural light and space in a centralised location near to both the Senior and Prep School.

Conversion in the mansion basement from office to a new classroom space (Bursar’s and finance, HR and Bursar’s PA’s Office) Despite being on 97acre grounds, space is actually rather tight at Claremont Fan Court School. The majority of our site is green belt, limiting the school’s space for new buildings. To continue to develop our site as the school grows, we have identified innovative solutions to create more teaching spaces. This year saw a big reshuffle of support staff to free-up two large rooms in the mansion

basement which have now been converted into Classrooms.

For a long time, our pupils have requested we have a fitness facility and finally, over the summer break, a space was identified in the sports hall and the room refurbished and fitted with the latest in cardio and strength and conditioning equipment. This new fitness suite helps with our pupils physical and mental wellbeing, as well as sports teams on-field performances.

Feeding over 1,300 people a day has been a challenge in the existing dining hall of the Joyce Grenfell Centre. Work started in the summer break and has been running over the winter term to create a new £800,000 dining facility in the single storey section of the Joyce Grenfell Centre, the space vacated by the music department. The interior space has been gutted, with partition walls removed to create a large dining space in close proximity to the existing kitchen, which has also been upgraded at the same time. We opened the new dining space earlier this month and it is a brilliant addition for the whole school, not only during lunch, but as a spacious sixth form study space.

Mini Memories

When we first put a call out in our alumni community for a favourite story or two, there were moments of serendipity. A Claremont “Old Girl” shared with us photographs of her mother when she was a pupil at Clear View in the nineteen twenties. A reel was unearthed in our resident school archive of Mary Willcox recounting her teaching years at Fan Court. A Claremont jumper and tie with the name tapes still intact were found whilst an alumna was spring cleaning in Virginia, USA. A Fan Court Old Boy by sheer coincidence had too been reminiscing throughout lockdown when he transcribed his school-day diary.

Shirley Alexander (née Baker, Esher, Class of 1962) discovered photographs of her mother, Helen (Nell) Baker (nee Bean, Class of 1933). Nell started Clear View just three years after its foundation, and thereafter went on to board at Claremont School in Esher. School life was busy. Girls, like Nell in her photographs, enjoyed playing hockey with Miss Fowler. A sport that a later Headmistress would replace with Lacrosse – over fear girls were to develop bad posture! Nell performed in a production of ‘Psyche’ which featured in the Christian Science Monitor in 1930. The costumes were handcrafted by pupils in their needlecraft lessons, with the mise-en-scene designed in Grecian art. The rave review described the performance as “an all-school production, and while affording a vast amount of pleasure to an enthusiastic audience, [it] must have given remarkable interest and happiness to the scholars.” I guess some things never change!

Fan Court alumni, Ian Kynoch (McGregor, Class of 1954) remembers the moment the coach back home to Chertsey station accidentally left without him! A dash as Ian described it, for “a call of nature” coupled with a breakdown in communications, left him stranded with only his trunk on its way back to Loughborough! Thankfully so, one generous parent came to his rescue and helped him chase the coach down. Shortly after the war, Ian remembers going shopping at Harrods in London for his school uniform.

“The uniform consisted of…a grey cap with a blue lion on the front and [a] squared off tie and short sleeve Airtex shirts for the Summer… there were short grey trousers and long socks with the blue band around a sock just above the knee. [It] had to be done correctly, like you were in the army.” All boys at Fan Court had a number, with Ian’s being number sixty-three. The boys had two different pairs of shoes kept at the back door.

“We had little tacks put on the instep of the shoes…everybody had that. I don’t know how they didn’t fall out. You know, boy were boys. They were not exactly delicate!”

Sisters Elizabeth Lempert Soderholm (née Lempert, Norwood, Class of 1973) and Cynthia Lempert Hoye (née Lempert, Norwood, Class of 1977) arrived at Claremont from Boston when their father was given a job in London. “We ended up at Claremont in nineteen sixty-eight,” Cynthia described, “our father was in the oil refinery and chemical processing business…our parents did not want us to go to the American school because they wanted us to be immersed in English schooling.” The sisters lived in Clare Hill but initially commuted every day from Lancaster Gate in London whilst the family was finding a new home.

A uniform with a beret, the English wet weather, new teachers, friendships and learning to knot a tie; school life was busy but different. “Claremont stays with you,” Cynthia recalled, “when our parents moved home to California, there was a lady in the apartment where they were living…somehow mum found out she went to Claremont!” Elizabeth kept her drama cup, programme for ‘The Rivals’ performance at Claygate Village Hall and a telegram wishing the girls good luck on opening night! “I've always said that that moving to England and being at Claremont was literally the most important thing that ever happened to me in my life, because at the age of thirteen, it opened up an entirely new world to me. I will never, ever forget it.”

Claremont Fan Court alumni Marie Louise Peterson (Longcross, Class of 1985) started the school during its first year as coeducational until 1980. She had moved from Denmark with her parents and sister to join the lower third class. Learning a new language and settling into a new school was a daunting prospect for Marie Louise but with the help of friend, Penny T she soon settled in fine. Games was a favourite subject for Marie Louise where she excelled at lacrosse and swimming. “Unfortunately, I didn't keep my lacrosse stick and I only have a few items such as my Hymn Book.

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the 100 voices of Claremont Fan Court project. If you would like to find out more please email us at Alumni@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

To see more of the project please visit the centenary page on the whole school website.

CLAREMONT AT THE CORONATION JUNE 2ND 1953

By Margaret Willis

On cue, the double doors of the Assembly Hall opened and in swept Miss McAfee, her gown floating behind her. “Good morning Girls”, she said from her podium. “Good morning Miss McAfee”, we replied as always in unison before the daily hymn was announced. I had been a pupil at Claremont for just a couple of months and enjoyed walking up from the Close each morning to join the whole school for Assembly. Miss McAfee (1944-65), was a formidable woman, striking both awe and unease in her presence, though she did have a kindly approach under that strong presence seen mostly only at the podium.

However on this day in 1952, after the hymn, readings, and the daily notices which were often boring, there was one that captured my attention so strongly that I forgot about the hard floor digging into my crossed legs. I couldn’t wait until Assembly ended. She announced: “The school has been given ten places on the route of the Coronation. Two will be taken by teachers, so if any pupil is interested, please come and see me.’

As a collector of many books and newspaper clippings on the royal family, it seemed a dream coming true. So it was with great trepidation that I slipped away from my class line and, with knocking knees, tapped on her study door. “Well’ she said, What do you want?” I told her that I would like to be put on the list for a place. She asked why and if my parents would give permission as I would be the youngest allowed to

go? The decision would be made in a few months, she stated as I rushed off to my classroom. The agony of waiting was challenging. But finally, the list was announced, and there was my name, representing Form 2. I started counting the days until June 2nd 1953.

had all come to school by car), Miss Doran and Miss Ison (My dad cycled back home, while I took my bike back on the train when to school returned to normal again.)

That day finally dawned. My first task was to get to school by 5:30am to join the others for the two mile walk down to Esher Station where special early morning London trains had been put on to cope with the expected crowds. I lived in Raynes Park, ten miles away , and as we didn’t have a car, my dad and I cycled on the Kingston by pass— (now the A3)—to school, starting at 4:15am. I rarely rode a bike, so this was a huge undertaking, but it was also an indication of how much I wanted to be part of the day . Being so early, there was very little traffic going in our direction, and we arrived at school about an hour later. I parked my bike at the Close and marched up the hill to the Mansion in good time to set off for London with the other seven girls, (who

Looking back, I don’t remember any sense during the whole day of weariness from the early start and the exertions of cycling, plus the immediate walk to the station. It was the expectation of the exciting and historical day that lay ahead of us that energised everyone. Arriving at Waterloo, we made our way in an orderly fashion across Hungerford Bridge, along with dozens of other school children, all marching like hordes of busy ants, each group toting a hand-made wooden pole aloft on which was a letter and a number so we could be directed to our officially marked out places on the Coronation route. Everywhere there were huge decorations, brightly coloured bunting and flags, and, of course, a tremendous buzz of excitement and anticipation. Over 30,000 schoolchildren gathered there on the Embankment, their places for the historic occasion reserved by order of the Queen herself.

As the roads were officially closed to traffic, we all walked down the middle of the Embankment to our allocated places. We reached ours and sat down on the cold, hard concrete to rest a while. Once settled, brown boxes were given to the leaders of each group, and sandwiches and milk— and later, even ice lollies— were tossed like tennis balls to each of us. Now,

munching happily, we could take in all the activity around us. The site was very promising, so close to the road that we would be able to see everything clearly and take photos with our Brownie box cameras which had to be held awkwardly at stomach level to use. Having arrived at 7am, it seemed a long time to wait for the official procession to begin, but there was plenty to watch in the meantime—the redjacketed Canadian Mounties and the Gurkhas with fancy headgear who passed en route to their locations, the occasional official car and motorbike. However the man who got us cheering and laughing was a small road sweeper who trundled up and down with his cart and broom, searching for rubbish and always taking a bow, with cap off, when he got cheered for finding something.

clearly. However our policeman sympathetically moved out of the way for the ‘important’ guests and we did get clear, if brief views of grand people like Winston Churchill, Queen Salote of Tonga, (with her wonderful tall single feather on her head, riding in her open landau which she refused to close even when it started raining), various royal family members, including the coach with the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. Out came our cameras despite the challenges, since, it started to drizzle. Undaunted by the weather, the school children heartily cheered them along, delighted to have action at last!

Beefeaters and livery men walked alongside as it trundled slowly past, giving ample opportunity to view its occupants. There, waving to just us (so we felt), and accompanied by her handsome husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, was the young beautiful Queen, looking petite and regal, and perhaps a little apprehensive at the herculean ceremony awaiting her. She was everything I had dreamed of. (But why, oh why, did that boy scout pass right in front of me as I pressed my Brownie camera for a memorable photo?) The cheering of 30,000 school children was deafening as they tossed their caps and berets in the air in jubilation.

What a moment to cherish over the next 75 years!!

Sadly that turned out to be a dream as, just before the first contingent of military units passed, such as the marching and playing, redjacketed Grenadier Guards with their huge busbies, followed by Horse Guards, riding on glossy black steeds, in shiny uniforms and plumed helmets— a veritable fleet of Marines in white pith helmets appeared and stood at intervals along the curb of the whole processional route. Suddenly our lovely panoramic view was diminished and it seemed as though we weren’t going to see

Then from a distance, even louder cheering could be heard—The Queen was coming. This was the moment we had all been waiting for, the reason why we had woken up so early that day, why we had sat on a cold damp pavement for several hours, and the great occasion that would give us memories to last a life-time. And suddenly here it was in front of us—the wonderful Gold State Coach (straight out of a Disney fairy-tale) drawn by eight milk-white horses and glistening in the light.

Policemen were everywhere and we had a very friendly and chatty one for our site. He asked all about each one of us and told us just when things were expected to start, the timings of the day and who would be in the official cars and carriages. How fortunate we were, we thought. And with just him standing there, we would get a wonderful view of the day’s processions.

Thank you to Margert Willis for this wonderful story in what has been a historic year for the Royal Family. If you would like to submit to the alumni magazine please do email us.

“It seemed a dream coming true.”

PATRICIA FARRAR

- SOMEONE COLOURED MY WORLD TODAY

On 28th July 2022, friends and family of the late Patricia Farrar gathered in the River House Barn Walton-OnThames to celebrate the life, work and legacy of Patricia Farrar. Many of our readers may remember Patricia who retired in 2008, following a 25-year career at the school, with 14 of these years as Principal.

At Claremont Fan Court school she is remembered as a dedicated educator, the founder of the laptop education programme, part of a committed team and as key creator of the character education programme.

Beyond this, she was a woman of great faith, conviction and had a passion for painting and poetry. Her celebratory exhibition Someone Coloured My World Today is a glimpse into an expansive catalogue of work.

The opening evening was so well attended the doors to the gallery were opened, people travelled from all over England and beyond to show their support to the Farrar family and view Patricia’s work in such a lovely setting as the River House Barn.

If you would like to see more of her work, please do visit https://patricia-farrar.co.uk

HERITAGE

A contribution

by Krish Gunatunga head

of development

We have to balance our role as the custodians of this historical site with what is best for our pupils. The mansion is a grade II listed building, we have taken great care over the years to restore, preserve and showcase some of the mansion’s beautiful features. Working with specialists we hope to be able to continue to enhance this unique teaching space whilst remaining faithful to the historic setting.

Our in-house architect is currently looking at a number of heritage projects for the coming years. One of the larger projects will be the restoration of the inner hall including the main staircase and the glass dome above. Given the central location, this renovation will take more time to plan to minimise disruption. The proposal for the inner hall includes stone repair and new carpeting, alongside replacing the bannisters and mesh on the main staircase and the glass dome above. At present, the glass panels are discoloured and cracked, as well as the protective cover over the dome, dulling what should be a magnificent light source for the heart of the Mansion. We are looking at potential options to bring back this magnificent light feature. Three rooms currently in use also require varying degrees of restoration, Princess Charlotte and Henry Holland rooms, and the room known as Capability Brown, currently the Head’s Pa’s office. These rooms require expert restoration of the interior and fabrics as well as modernisation to function as classrooms, such as upgrading the lighting.

Historical features beyond the mansion require restoration, including the icehouse and the recently uncovered “necessary”. The icehouse situated on the outskirts of the Mansion site is currently closed off due to structural safety concerns and needs significant work to repair having been left out in the cold for so long.

During early 2022, some routine site maintenance by our head groundsman around the ha-ha north of the mansion, uncovered a “necessary”. A “necessary” is an outdoor toilet, origins and further details when the structure was built are yet to be determined. Also uncovered in 2021 was the much talked about outdoor stage, following some tree clearances. This presents a future restoration opportunity to revive a space once used to stage school plays such as “A Midsummer

Night’s Dream”. As custodians of this historical site we continue to work to ensure Claremont can be enjoyed by our pupils and the Claremont community for the next 100 years.

HERITAGE UPDATES

The outdoor stage

Something that can never be underestimated about Claremontians is their enthusiasm. Thanks to the help of multiple alumni who remembered and sent us photos of an outdoor stage, it has recently been unearthed.

Particular thanks to Susanne Tunnicliff who came and led us directly into the under-brush to find it. The outdoor stage was first referenced in 1939, although regular drama productions are written about from 1932 onwards. We believe the first performance was of “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream”. Over the years performances of Greek tragedy, Shakespearian drama and even Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland have graced this fine stage. With the hard work of our grounds team led by Stuart we plan to share updates of landscape and heritage projects such as the stage.

The Milestone: RevisIted

This article originally appeared the December 2020 issue. Since then, the Milestone area has been cleared and made much more accessible. Once again, we would like to thank Stuart and his team for working tirelessly to preserve the Claremont Estate.

In 1768, the year the Dukeof Newcastle died, a milestone was placed beside the driveway running in front of Claremont House. The milestone is a scheduled ancient monument (SU 130) and is grade II listed. It gives the distance to Cornhill, Westminster Bridge and Newcastle House by Hyde Park Corner (17 Miles, two furlongs and eight poles). It is commonly thought that

Claremont Drive and Blackhills were part of the route for the original Portsmouth Road rather than running directly through Esher as it does today, however this is not correct. The driveway was in fact never part of Portsmouth Road, it was an estate road built by the Duke of Newcastle to convey guests and visitors to and from Claremont.

The Portsmouth Road has always hugged the north-west boundary ofClaremont Fan Court and Claremont Landscape gardens. Indeed, it was so close to the lake and grotto that, for tranquillity’s sake, Robert Clive decided to move it back and drive cutting through Horseshoe Clump Hill which is the route still used today. An 18th century survey of Claremont gardens and parkland shows the road in roughly the position it is in now but before Lord Clive had it moved slightly to the west to make room for his enlarged lake, which is now part of the National Trust’s Claremont Landscape Garden site.

BANSTEAD HOUSE

We are proud to announce the introduction of Banstead house! Banstead is a new addition to the house system and pays tribute to the original location of Fan Court School. Banstead’s symbol is of the mighty oak which is in Banstead woods.

Banstead is 14 miles south of London and was a private house Guy Snape and Geith Plimmer (the founders of Fan Court) rented as a temporary location for the school for one year, until September 1933, for £350. It was in this house the foundations of the school were started, the motto “be strong” which comes from Daniel 10:19 was decided and the lion was drawn by the art master Mr Charles Chowne. There were multiple designs for the new house before we settled on the oak tree, including a well, a stag and a ram. Ultimately it was decided a strong oak tree which evokes images of wisdom and strength was most appropriate. We are sure the new members of Banstead house will do us and their teammates proud.

OBITUARIES

Sir John Elliott

Sir John was born in Reading to Janet (née Payne) and Thomas Elliott. Fan Court alumni will remember his parents for their dedicated service to the school. His father was Headmaster of Fan Court between 1933-1957 with his mother responsible for the care and well-being of the boys.

Whilst a pupil at Fan Court from 1937 to 1943, Sir John was Editor of the Vox Leonis school magazine and a member of McGregor house. Upon leaving the school, he won a scholarship to nearby Eton College in Windsor before going on to read History at Trinity College, Cambridge. A six week summer holiday travelling around Spain in 1950 established an interest in Spanish history in the early modern period. Sir John was fascinated by the sight of Diego Velázquez’s portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares at the Prado Museum. This moment would inspire a lifetime’s worth of dedicated research. His career would come full circle when he would join the Prado’s advisory council.

He earned his doctorate in 1955 from Trinity College, Cambridge for a study on the seventeenth century’s Catalan Revolt. For several years later, Sir John taught at Cambridge before he moved to a professorship in 1968 at King’s College London. The British Academy elected Sir John with a Fellowship in 1972. He spent the next seventeen years at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton before he became the Regius Professor of Modern History, Oxford until retirement in 1997.

Sir John believed that individuals were as instrumental in shaping history as historical forces. He too was instrumental in shaping the historiography of Spanish and Hispanic studies, with honorary doctorates from many universities in Spain and other countries, as well as from Cambridge and London. He was knighted in the 1994 New Year Honours list and, amongst other prestigious accolades, he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize in 1996 for his outstanding contribution to the study of history.

On behalf of Claremont Fan Court School, we extend our sincere condolences to the family of Sir John Elliott.

Nicola Mallett and Pat Hargreaves

In memory of Nicola Mallett (née Hargreaves) and Pat Hargreaves (née Fraser) as written by Pip Blackstone.

I have recently come across this delightful picture of my mother celebrating her final school days at the school dance in 1952. Twenty years later in 1972 her children Nicola and me Philippa (Nikki and me Pip) would also become Claremontians! Readers will have read in an earlier magazine that Nikki Mallett nee Hargreaves passed away in May 2020 after a short illness. Pat Hargreaves nee Fraser passed away in January 2022. My mother, sister and I have a lot in common with other alumni of Claremont and Fan Court, which is that

lifelong friendships are made at school. I know some of the girls at the ball with my mother, and their families too! I know Nikki kept in touch with her Claremont friends, and they are wonderfully kind and supportive friends to me and to Nikki’s two sons. I am deeply grateful for the friendships that I made at school and more recently delighted to rekindle friendships after many years, picking up as if we have never been apart.

Claremont dance - summer term 1952

Left to right

Rear: Pat Fraser, Sue McMicking, Angela Hall, Rhona Ibbotson.

Front: Sheila Henwood, Jean McMicking and Jill Periton

UPCOMING EVENTS

• 1995-2000 class reunion 11am-2pm

Saturday 18 March 2023

• 1966-1974 class reunion 10am-1pm

Saturday 1 April 2023

• 1986-1994 class reunion 10am-1pm

Saturday 15 April 2023

• Centenary Gala Day 9am-2pm Saturday 1

July 2023

• Centenary Summer Ball 7pm-12am

Saturday 1 July 2023

Morgan Williams Photography

CHRISTMAS DRINKS

On Friday 2nd December, we returned to the Bankside Gallery with spectacular views of the London skyline, for our annual Christmas networking drinks. Thank you to everyone who attended for their ongoing support, every year our community grows in size and strength, events such as these help us cement these bonds in a less formal setting. The evening was well attended by parents, past parents, alumni and senior leadership. With plenty of complimentary drinks and mince pies to go around the discussion was lively. The contemporary art exhibition by the London Group helped start discussions. Of particular interest was an interactive sculpture with different pitched horns which was excellent at getting our attention for William Brierly’s welcome speech– I am sure it is now on his Christmas list! The Christmas drinks was our last event for 2022, we look forward to welcoming you in the new year and we hope to see many more new and familiar faces as we continue our centenary celebrations in 2023.

The Claremont 100 will be one of the lasting legacies of the centenary celebration and will have a positive impact for many within our local community. Claremont 100 is a whole school challenge for every pupil to raise £100 over the centenary year, as well as volunteer their time to their local community. The challenge is a house competition awarding points for both fundraising and volunteering, with the Claremont Work Cup up for grabs (a cup dating back as far as the 1920s, originally awarded for good work in the community). The whole school fundraising target is £100,000, which would result in each

of the five local charities receiving a transformational £20,000. The money raised across the whole school will be given to five small local charities, nominated and voted for by the students and staff. Shooting Star - Children’s Hospice in Guildford, East Elmbridge Food Bank (The Trussell Trust),Grace Dear Trust – Children’s mental health charity in Surrey, Rentstart – Elmbridge homeless and vulnerably housed charity and Momentum – Helping families of seriously ill children based in East. To hear more or get involved please visit the Claremont 100 section of the website.

CENTENARY GIFT SHOP

The centenary shop has a range of high quality, limited edition merchandise which are available for home delivery or click and collect. Here is a small taster of some of the items we have available, for more information, products and bundle deals please visit the Claremont Connect gift shop. International and UK wide postage available.

Visit https://www.claremontconnect.co.uk/shop

CLAREMONT FAN COURT SCHO OL

Stay Connected

We’re always keen to keep in touch with the Claremont Fan Court community. Whether it is memories of your school days, stories of your travels, career details or reunions. Please email alumni@claremont.surrey.sch.uk with your updates

Rosalind Seabrook Alumni office alumni@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

Krish Gunatunga Development office development@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

Kate Bradford Development office & Archive Kbradford@claremont.surrey.sch.uk