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