OGA News Spring 2017

oganews SPRING 2017

OGA OFFICER ROLES PATRONS Rosalind Hayes, Philippa Leggate, Elizabeth Mullenger, Valerie Payne, Peter Pollard, Duseline Stewart, Patricia (Trish) Woodhouse HONORARY PRESIDENT Olivera Raraty HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS Libby Anson, Patricia Birchley, Anne Borrowdale, Clare John, Sarah Musgrave, Pauline Newton, June Roundhill, Patricia Wilkinson, Elisabeth Rambridge, Hannah Gill CHAIRMAN Cecily Hewlett (MGC 2002) VICE-CHAIRMAN Penny Smith (Reay, St J&A 1980)

WELCOME BY CECILY HEWLETT Welcome to this year’s edition of the OGA News rounding up another busy year for the OGA. Last June saw another successful Summer reunion, culminating in a dinner for Old Girls of St James’ which was well attended and much talked of after the event! As I write, we are looking forward to a sell-out event at the Houses of Parliament which promises to be an exciting and useful networking evening for all attending. We have also recently launched MSJ Connect - a new online platform for the OGA - and we are very excited about the potential for it to serve as a way of keeping you up to date with news and to help forge connections between Old Girls. You should have received an invitation to join, so please do sign up and take a look around the site. www.msj-oga.co.uk

HONORARY SOCIAL SECRETARY Patricia Wilkinson (Marsden, MGC 1956) HONORARY TREASURER (Position to be voted in) Libby Sharman (Myatt, St J&A 1995) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Decade Representatives 1950s Ginny Wigglesworth

(Lawry, MGC 1959) 1960s Margot Jacob

(Coverdale, MGC 1962) 1970s Jane Mason (Coles, MGC 1970) 1980s Sarah Guthrie (Turner, MGC 1984) 1990s Emma-Jayne Wright (Roberts,

MGC 1992), Alexandra Surman

(Tams, St J&A 1996) 2000s Daniella Grieveson (MGC 2001) 2010s Laurel Buchanan (MSJ 2010)

Ex Head Girls and OGA

Prefects: Jenny Avdoi (2015),

Victoria Gawlik (2015),

Elysia Garland (2016),

India Wilkinson (2016)

Current Head Girls and OGA

Prefect: Lucy Walton, Nova Yu,

Lucinda Hobden TRUSTEES Anne Borrowdale (Lea, MGC 1970) Cecily Hewlett (MGC 2002) Charlotte Morrison (Page, MGC 1973) Ottoline Scriven (MGC 2004) Fiona Shires (Beckett, Lawnside 1983) Rowena Westacott (Evans, St J&A 1980) OGA OFFICE Fiona Meredith and Katie Powell

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Cecily, Emmeline and husband Richard

It has also been a busy year for me personally. In December we welcomed the arrival of our first baby - a daughter, Emmeline - and we have just returned to Malaysia after a trip to the UK where she made her first visit to Malvern and attended an OGA meeting! We will be returning permanently to the UK in the Summer and, while we will certainly be sad to leave Malaysia, we are looking forward to being back on home soil closer to family and friends.

Happy reading and I hope to see you at an OGA event soon.

Cecily Hewlett, MGC 2002

The

ABBEY SCHOOL

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THE ABBEY WARTIME LIFE AT THE ABBEY

T

he School has recently taken delivery of a watercolour painting by David Cox, which was a bequest from the estate of Elizabeth Melling, an Old Girl of The Abbey (1945), who died in 2014. It must have been fate that shortly before the painting arrived, we found in the Archives a few pages of handwritten memories of life at The Abbey during World War II, written by Elizabeth herself. They provide a glimpse into life at boarding school during the war years.

I went to The Abbey in the Summer Term of 1940, at the age of 13, and left in July 1945, a few weeks before the war finally ended. A girls’ boarding school over 50 years ago, particularly in wartime, was a very enclosed community. Yet we were aware of the great events of the war, and wartime conditions certainly affected our daily lives. I can remember one of the staff spending part of a lesson in the summer of 1940 drawing on the blackboard to illustrate the retreat of Dunkirk.

Later, a wireless was put in the dining room so that we could listen to the news being broadcast while we ate breakfast. There was great excitement over events such as D-Day. That same evening, Mrs Stephan-Jones let the girls in her House listen to a broadcast by war correspondents such as Richard Dimbleby, describing the invasion.

The war had come nearer to us when, for example, Coventry was bombed. So big was the raid that the Working in the garden was a tradition at The Abbey

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sound was audible in Malvern Wells and the dormitory door rattled with vibration despite the distance between the places.

In the summer of 1944, we used to hear the allied bombers going off to bomb Germany from the many airfields in the area. The roar of the planes’ engines could be heard in the late evening and then again at about 5am the following morning as they returned. There was a certain feeling of excitement in these evidences of war, but only sadness when fellow pupils’ brothers were killed or wounded.

I did not mind wartime food so much, even the bitter dandelion leaves which we were told to pick to supplement the salads served. Nor did I mind domestic chores such as washing up and working the potato peeling machine, which girls had to do after the domestic staff all walked out one night and could not be replaced.

Girls who were over 18 had to register for National Service, though full time education provided exemption.

I can remember being allowed to go by myself into Great Malvern on the bus to register. It was quite an adventure to be allowed out of school alone.

At the end of the Easter school holidays in 1945, the European war ended. The start of the Summer Term was postponed for a few days to allow girls to spend VE Day at home.

THE ABBEY

ABBEY ARCHIVES REVISITED Judith Drewer (Horrell, 1973), Charlotte Reynolds (1976) and Jenny Moore (Trow, 1970) came into MSJ to look at Abbey items that we are holding in the Archives.

They spent the morning with Elisabeth Rambridge looking at the information she has collected on The Abbey’s history, and then sifting through items. It was lovely to host these three Old Girls, and we persuaded

Jill Crowson (Carding) and friends

Judith to do a write-up on her memories of her time at The Abbey.

As they were sorting through pictures, they came across a picture of friend Jill Crowson (Carding), Lizzie Painter and Rosemary Goddard.

Charlotte, Judith and Jenny

MEMORIES OF THE ABBEY

by Judith Drewer (Horrell), 1973 We are very grateful to Judith for writing this piece about her time at The Abbey.

In January 1966 my trunk was packed with indoor shoes, outdoor shoes, a blue silk dress (for concerts), woolly gloves, Sunday gloves, 24 handkerchiefs, a games cap, an option of three brassieres (if required) - they weren’t!

- and the countless other things I would need during my first term at The Abbey Preparatory School. It was a long journey from Cambridgeshire to a school I had never seen in a part of the country I didn’t know. My mother had been happy there during the war - she had been sent to Malvern in case the Germans invaded East Anglia. Miss Griffin, the Housemistress, gave us tea in the Drawing Room and we went up the front stairs to Deer Forest, my bedroom which I shared with four others during that term. That was the last time I went up the front stairs - and the last time I had tea in the Drawing Room!

The Prep school – now a care home I believe – was run totally separately from the main school. We only went there for Chapel on Sundays. I don’t remember much about our school day; just our time out of the classroom. We had lots of inspections: hands and nails, necks and ears, brush and comb, bedrooms - anything and everything. We were allowed two sweets on weekdays, four on Saturdays and a bar of chocolate on Sundays! If it was our birthday, we could choose the pudding that day. The bedrooms were all called after the homes of animals – Badgers’ Sett, Rabbits’ Warren, Foxes’ Den, Otters’ Bank, Squirrels’ Drey, and so on. Every week a bedroom picture would be awarded to the best behaved room, and I do remember that it never once hung on a wall of a room I was in!

Mr Burley and his team from Great Malvern would arrive once a week to wash our hair – as he had in my mother’s day. We had to write home every Sunday and Wednesday.

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There was the annual dance with boys from The Wells House and I remember one boy asking me for the pleasure of the next dance, but could I dance the man’s part because he had only learnt the lady’s!

In September 1966, about 14 of us joined about 20 new girls in the Third Form in the Senior School, the year groups being: 3rd Form, 4th Form, 5th Form, Shell, Lower 6th (O Level year), Middle 6th, Upper 6th (A Level Year) and 7th Form - for the three or four doing Oxbridge Entrance. There were five boarding houses at The Abbey - I was in Leamington, my mother’s old House, with her Housemistress, Miss Dixon, in charge.

The other Houses were School, Graham, Assarts and Heathland, and then Senior House for those in Middle and Upper 6th. We ate together in the School dining room – the chef we called ‘Man Friday’ – I have no idea if he actually had any other name. He was Italian – not that you would have known by his standard of cooking, which at best I would call limited, and obviously no choice in anything.

Every morning we went to Chapel. Mr Cox was our Chaplain.

We sang a hymn from Ancient and Modern and a psalm from the Worcester Psalter. Wearing gloves was compulsory, as were our boards. (Boards to others might be called boaters – we wore them throughout the year, always two fingers above our eyebrows).

Lessons followed before Lunch, which was quite formal. We were never allowed to help ourselves to anything unless invited, therefore we were always offering butter (or more likely margarine) and jam etc to others, in the hope that they would ask us what we might want.

Grace was always said before meals. “Bless, Oh Lord, this food to our use and us to Thy service” before meals, and “For these and all Thy gifts, the Lord’s name be praised” after meals. Games were played every afternoon, except Tuesdays which was hair-washing day!

We played lacrosse in the Autumn term, hockey in the Spring (always wearing our games caps), with tennis and swimming in the Summer.

We had silent reading as well every afternoon, with evening lessons and Prep before perhaps half an hour of free time.

Before going back to our houses at night, we had ‘Good Nights’. We all had to file through the front hall where Miss Jones (our Headmistress) would be. “Good Night, Miss Jones”. “Good Night, Judith”. With a hand shake and curtsy, off you would go, unless either party had a reason for further conversation, in which case you would stay behind and see her afterwards - always rather daunting.

Back in Leamington - known as ‘Leam’ - our bedrooms had a nautical theme in their names: Shipwreck, Crow’s Nest, and so on. Year groups were mixed up and we changed rooms every term - we could request who we shared with, but it was a bit of a lottery.

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The Abbey chapel window

We either bathed on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, or Monday, Wednesday and Friday - never on Sundays otherwise strip washing was the order of the day. The thrill of being in Senior House when we could bathe when we wanted to was marvellous - along with having our own kitchen and being allowed to use a telephone!

Each term was punctuated by its own events. The Autumn term meant the UGS Sale, the Carol Service and Christmas. The Spring Term meant Lent and knitting squares for blankets for, I think, the Peckham Mission, and singing a choral work with Malvern College. The Summer Term meant Wednesday picnics and bike rides. Highlights each term were trips to Stratford where Judi Dench was often the leading lady, Friday night lectures and concerts, and of course, exeats and Half Term.

We always had to write to Miss Jones for permission to go out on our twice termly exeats, our letters always ending with ‘yours affectionately’. The end of term was always exciting – Good Causes on the last Sunday of term and some form of entertainment. One person from each class had to speak to the whole school for about five minutes on a given charity. I remember I was about 13 when I spoke on the Winged Fellowship Trust and £5 went to them as a result of my efforts! ‘Mirrors’ during the last week of term could be good – or bad. Miss Jones would see each of us in turn and discuss our report and reflect on our term’s achievements.

Then the last morning Chapel: always the same blessing, “Go out into the world in peace, be of good courage” etc, singing the school hymn, “Wrought by brave hands”, then the London train where we would ditch our uniforms for our illicit home clothes, our trunks having gone before, P.L.A.D - Passenger Luggage in Advance Delivery!

The Abbey School Reunion, Summer 2018 Calling all Abbeyites: there will be a Reunion for all Old Girls of The Abbey on Saturday 16th June 2018. There will be a lunch at Malvern St James (very handily located right opposite Great Malvern station) and we will see if we can organise a tour of the old Abbey building in Malvern Wells. This will be 40 years on since the last Reunion.

Judith Drewer is kindly taking on organising this event, in conjunction with the OGA Office. You can contact Judith for more information on judithdrewer@me.com or the OGA office on oga@malvernstjames.co.uk.

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS URSULA MARTIN (1971) Professor Ursula Martin CBE works at the University of Oxford, and has recently been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE).

The RSE prides itself on the breadth of disciplines represented by its Fellowship, and she joins a select group of outstanding academics and celebrated professionals. This range of expertise enables the Society to take part in a host of activities, such as providing independent and expert advice to Government and Parliament, supporting aspiring entrepreneurs through mentorship, facilitating education programmes for young people and engaging the general public through educational events.

New Fellows are elected each year through a rigorous five-stage nomination process. President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, of Oxford’s Department of Physics, commented, “Each newly elected Fellow has been nominated on their exceptional and extensive achievements; it is a great honour to welcome such outstanding individuals to the Fellowship. In joining the RSE Fellowship, they will strengthen the Society’s capacity to advance excellence across all areas of public life, in Scotland and further afield.”

Ursula Martin joined Oxford in 2014 from Queen Mary University of London, where she served as a member of the senior management team. Before that she worked at the University of St Andrews, as their first female professor in any discipline since its founding in 1411.

Her research in algebra, logic and computer science, in particular the deployment of novel logic software in defence applications, has led to many papers and industry collaborations. She and her team are currently collaborating with social scientists and philosophers to understand how mathematicians work, with the aim of building better software to help. She also works on mathematics policy, and the history of mathematics and computer science, in particular pioneering work on the mathematics of Ada Lovelace.

Her recent work looks at how very abstract and rarefied mathematics leads to very concrete and signifcant outcomes. Mathematics’ impact in every walk of life is astounding. Deloitte estimates that 10% of all UK jobs and 16% of total UK GDP is a direct result of mathematics. The key is human interaction, long-term relationships and close working with

other disciplines and end users, so as to exploit the distinctive and all-pervasive nature of mathematics, a discipline that is underpinning and influencing so many of the scientific, technological and social questions we are asking of our world.

Ursula was a pupil at The Abbey School from 1965 to 1971, and remembers to this day wonderful mathematics teaching from Miss Castledine. After The Abbey she went to Girton College, Cambridge to study maths, and then moved into computing in the early days, long before the invention of email or the internet.

We are delighted that Ursula has kindly agreed to come to MSJ next academic year to talk to our STEM students in Year 10 and above about the relevance of mathematical applications in our everyday lives and how computers will influence our futures.

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

(Gail Conolly, MGC 1963)

Courage and integrity. These are the key tenets of Gay Haines’ philosophy on life and it is the mantra that has seen her career trajectory sky-rocket from a stay-at-home mum to leader of a global business empire – at that time the only female Chairman and CEO of a publicly quoted company - and voted one of The Sunday Times/Debretts Top 500 Most Influential Britons in 2016.

An Old Girl of Malvern Girls’ College, she returned to MSJ in February to talk to the girls about her three decades in business, first of all in London’s leading advertising agencies and then on to running blue-chip headhunting agencies, placing the most senior communications executives from America to Asia and Australia.

There is no doubt that she is a tour de force, exuding a palpable energy, warmth and ‘can do’ mentality that is totally infectious. “Anyone can do what I have done. I’m not a great intellect, nor strategist, but I know what I’m good at”. In her own words, “If you had told me, or my teachers at Malvern Girls’ College, that I would achieve half of what I have done, I think they would have laughed out loud!”

Following school, Gay’s life had followed a happy and predictable route for women of the time. She was married to John, a barrister, had three young children, and lots of friends in the same position. She saw her job as making

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sure her home ran efficiently, “that the children were fed and bathed by the time John got home, that dinner was on the table, and that he had a clean shirt for the morning”.

So what happened to change a happy and comfortable, but quite ordinary, life as a wife and mother, to someone who has established herself as one of the UK’s leading business women and the go-to woman in the advertising and communications industry?

Gay’s story takes off in her mid-thirties, when she broke her leg and, with three small children to get to school, she had to take on a nanny. To cover the expense, she signed up at her local temping agency which offered her a role as a secretary at ad agency Young & Rubicam (Y&R). She discovered she loved working – the validation of being recognised for doing something well, the buzz of working with top creative talent on some of the most high-profile campaigns of the day – and, crucially, she was good at it.

From Y&R, she went on to Collett Dickenson Pearce and was then personally persuaded by the CEO to join J Walter Thompson, known as “the university of advertising”, attracting Oxbridge’s brightest and best. This was telling recognition of her reputation in the industry, but it didn’t stop her being dogged by the fear of failure. “I arrived frightened. I was on a mega salary but it was like a

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS millstone, I felt that I didn’t deserve it. I used to go home to John at night and say, “I can’t do it”.” She realised that to get on with the job, she needed to shed the fear, not try and be something she wasn’t, and play to her strengths – as a networker and a team leader. With a “brilliant and supportive” management team of six around her, she threw down the gauntlet and publicly set herself the aim of being Agency of the Year in 12 months’ time – and achieved it.

But she did not do it by herself, for it was here that Gay learnt the power of being part of a team all pushing in the same direction. A lesson which has served her well during her years as a headhunter.

She has an innate curiosity and has always been an ideas person – a naturally entrepreneurial mind - and having gone as far as she could go in agency land, she spotted her next project. At the time (1993) headhunting was very much a cottage industry of small independents and individuals. She bought a ‘faded’ agency, Kendall Tarrant, and, with characteristic chutzpah, “set out to be the best headhunter in London.” Within three years, the business had 80% market share and had been reported to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission for controlling the advertising sector. In 1996 Gay floated the company and she became at that time the only female Chairman and Chief Executive of a publicly listed company. She went on to open offices all over the world.

Gay talks to MSJ girls after the lecture

impact. But you have to accept that there will always be good times and tough times, and you have to have the courage and the integrity to do the right thing.”

By 2005 she didn’t want to run a public company any more – always having to operate at the behest of investors’ opinions rather than her own instincts. In 2006 she started Grace Blue, with her long-term business partner Juliet Timms and son, Jolyon. The success of this company, which has offices in the US and Asia, has, she says “been down to choosing great partners – people I like, trust and respect.” More recently, Grace Blue, which places senior executives in the communications business, has been complemented by Liberty Blue, which looks after younger practitioners in the industry.

As for being a woman, it has never been an impediment to anything she wanted to do. “Being a woman in business has only ever been a good thing. Women are wanted. CEOs say that they would actively like to have more women in senior positions.” That said, she believes that talent – not fulfilling gender quotas - has to be the number one reason for getting the job. “Sometimes the men put forward are just better than the women”.

Gay with student Issy Ashdown

The ride has been hairy at times. She says, “There is a saying that you are only ever two phone calls away from disaster in agency life, and I totally subscribe to that. Lose a couple of big clients and you can find yourself in immediate dire straits. I’ve had my moments. When we opened Kendall Tarrant in New York and San Francisco, our costs spiralled and the economic dip at the turn of the millennium meant we were on a knife edge. I’ve had to do the things you don’t want to do: making excellent people – who I respected and built the business with – redundant. That has a personal

Gay gave the MSJ girls (and actually, the staff too) some great advice: the power of charm, of listening to people, and being genuinely interested in what they have to say; the value of being tenacious and determined; the necessity of courage and integrity – “never tell a lie or an untruth”; the importance of putting your hand up when you get something wrong; and the almost unstoppable force of a strong team of people who offer 100% support.

MSJ is grateful to Gay for coming in to share her knowledge, expertise and wisdom. It will give our girls some big things to think about as they move forward to university and their professional lives.

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LAWNSIDE

HEADMISTRESS’ LETTER Dear Lawnsidians, It is always a great pleasure and a great source of interest to meet Old Lawnsidians, so I am looking forward to the Reunion in June. We shall be able to revisit the Grove (now renamed Elmslie House after the architect who designed and built it) and you will be amazed at the transformation.

Just imagine - a bar in the old Library!

This year has largely been spent trying to get the garden into some sort of order. I have had the ivy stripped from the walls and they are looking good except for the bit that was brought down by a falling tree. This has revealed the old privy, built against the wall. Inside I discovered some graffiti, done, I expect, by some apprentice gardener having a crafty smoke. There are drawings of a luxury car, a girl smoking a cigarette and a tankard of beer - perhaps the expression of his dearest ambitions?

The only other event of note in the year was a visit with my Canadian family to Virgin Gorda, the island where Richard Branson had his bike accident. Not very surprising. Every few hundred-yards’ stretch on the island’s few roads is punctuated by a bump right across the road signalled by a yellow sign saying Bump! The island is tiny, the landing strip a beach, and we needed two planes to ferry the 12 of us there. The island is simply beautiful, with little bays, coral reefs and exotic plants and wildlife. I had my first experience of kayaking there.

Mikey and Orlando continue to rule Tudor Cottage. I am merely doorkeeper and restaurateur to them but I hope some of you will come over and meet them after the Reunion.

Love to you all,

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Duseline has collected the following news from her Old Girls: Tracy Borman (Scott) finds that all is going well in Sussex for the family, with her eldest son on a gap year in Western Australia and her youngest in his final year of A Levels.

Sarah Grace (Alexander): “We have all had a busy year. I think a household with teenagers will always be challenging. Hannah is struggling after four years of illness and is having a year off before deciding if F.E. is for her. Josh has decided to go to college to train as a Chef. I am still working part-time and spend my summers heavily involved in local cricket. I don’t know if you would have watched a programme called ‘First Dates’, but if you do get to see it, the blonde waitress called Cici is Tessa’s youngest daughter.”

Sarah Harris’ (Tyler) eldest daughter is hoping to go to Reading University or Southampton in September.

Her sister Mary (Webb) would like Mrs Speechley to know that daughter Beatrice has just taken her Grade 8 piano exam. All her girls are at different schools which involves a lot of travelling, but it seems to work.

Hayley Pinchbeck (Fletcher) and family have had a different Christmas this year - a great adventure in the Arctic Circle, including skiing, skidooing and dogsledding. Her older son weekly boards and “totally loves it”, and she has become a governor at his school.

She says it is hugely challenging, but she really enjoys it. Just as well, given the workload!

Monica Fisher, formerly Mrs Brown, has been very busy painting animal portraits which are made into attractive cards.

Mrs Russell, aka J.R,. is enjoying life in Southsea and will reach the grand old age of 100 next year. She says she has happy memories of her years as Housemistress in Lawnside Main.

Pam Tromans: “I am making good use of my dogwalker for further and faster expeditions. I lost my lab unexpectedly in May and am trying to control the urge to get another. Two plus one Westie must be enough!”

LAWNSIDE

LAWNSIDE REUNION - JUNE 2017 All Lawnside Old Girls are warmly invited to a special Lawnside Reunion, within the larger OGA Reunion, on Saturday 17th June 2017. There will be Lunch at MSJ followed by free time to look around MSJ and Malvern, and then tea at Elmslie House (formerly The Grove). If you would like to come to this event, which is free to Old Girls, please RSVP by emailing oga@malvernstjames.co.uk or call us on 01684 892288. Guests may also attend at a charge of ÂŁ10 per adult and ÂŁ5 per child.

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MALVERN GIRLS’ COLLEGE

Malvern

GIRLS’ COLLEGE

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MALVERN GIRLS’ COLLEGE

MGC’s 125th ANNIVERSARY Reunion Day and Dinner next year’s Summer Reunion to have a MGC Reunion within it. Old Girls and Honorary Members from all generations of MGC will be warmly invited. Currently the plan is to do a Reunion Day with Lunch, followed by tours of the School and Houses in the afternoon, with some exhibitions from the Archives. In the evening, our plan is to host a formal black-tie MGC Dinner in York Hall.

So, even if you’ve never been back since the day you left, consider this a great opportunity to gather old friends, rekindle memories and relive your youth. Let’s make it a day and night to remember.

More information will be sent out about this in due course, but you can mark the date in your diary now! It will be Saturday 16th June 2018.

An MGC Dinner from the 1930s

Next year, 2018, marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of Malvern Girls’ College. We feel that this provides a fitting opportunity for a big celebration of the School and all of its’ past pupils and staff, and our plan is for

We are usually able to provide some overnight accommodation at School (in Benhams) after Reunion Day; some of you might like to take advantage of this. All accommodation is allocated on a first come, first-served basis and further information will be released nearer the time.

NEWS FROM OLD GIRLS

Vera Gough

Vera Gough (1920s) has just celebrated her 108th birthday.

Daughter Julie Wilcher (Westmacott, 1962) sent in the following news: “Vera was in Mount in the early 20s (I have a Mount House photo dated 1925).

She celebrated her 108th birthday on 29th December 2016 and still lives alone with a little help, climbs stairs and walks unaided.

She was not allowed to play hockey at MGC because of a heart murmur!!”

MGC 1950s Reunion Jill Gladstone (Vernon, MGC 1958) wrote with news of her year group’s reunion. The group, who have been friends for 64+ years, met last October.

Twenty five attended the gathering, with a further 23 sending news and apologies. “It is a very special group”, said Jill.

The OGA would like to say a very big thank you to Jill and her friends for their kind donation for Malvern Special Families, in celebration of MSJ’s 10th birthday.

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MALVERN GIRLS’ COLLEGE

NEWS FROM OLD GIRLS Shaunagh Wand (Crew, 1947) came to Malvern at 14. “I always feel I was so lucky – I managed School Certificates (but not Maths or Latin!) and I went into Nursing at 19. I have always taken an interest in the School and always will.” Shaunagh knew Patricia Wilkinson and her Headmistress was Miss Brookes.

Joanna van Kool (Newman, 1952): “In 2014, I published a book, The Followers, on my mother’s forebears (Mum attended MGC as Catharine Lister) and it has been on Amazon for some time. I had a most helpful English editor and I have some very kind comments from readers.

I would love to find a friend from school. Janet Perry disappeared from my life so long ago. We both lived in Avenue House in the late ’40s and left school in 1952.

I am still writing and also broadcasting for a radio that is dedicated to the handicapped and disadvantaged.

Fitting in an exercise program is not always easy, but I manage.”

Eleanor Allen (Prynne, 1954) writes that she sadly lost her husband, John, in September 2015. “He was the son of an Old Girl (Isabel Otter-Barry) and brother of another Old Girl, Jane Allen – then married me, so he considered that he was an honorary member of the OGA! Jane and I, as well as being in-laws, are still very close friends.”

Daphne Hales (Miller, 1955) visited from Vancouver and met with Rosemary Hallowes (East, 1955) and Anne Manson (1955).

Deirdre Kinloch Anderson (Loryman, 1956) wrote in with the following

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story of enduring friendship from her time at MGC: “Eve Aveling (now Bost) and Deirdre Loryman (now Kinloch Anderson) first met at the age of 12 at Paddington Station. We were setting out to be boarders at Malvern Girls’ College and waved goodbye to our mothers – who were more tearful than we were! I cannot remember any feeling of anxiety or apprehension although I do not believe that either of us had any idea of what life at boarding school would be like. We went to Hatley St George for a year and remained together thereafter in the Middle School House of Summerside. We were “best friends”. Since our school days, Eve and I have lived in France and Scotland respectively so we have only seen each other a few times over the 60 years between then and now – but we have always exchanged news and photos at Christmas time. In 2015 we decided that the time had come to meet up again for a weekend together, and rather than choosing Scotland or France we chose Budapest!! Suffice it to say that last year we chose a weekend together in Vienna and our destination this year is Copenhagen.

We share memories of Malvern, recollections of childhood after the War and stimulating conversations about the commercial and political issues of today, particularly as Eve understands the French “rationale” but can still relate to British culture and ideology. At the same time, I can share Eve’s love of Opera, and as we both love music and art, we can share an interest in the history and culture of our chosen city.”

Elizabeth Cox (Williams, 1961): “I’m enjoying country activities and small tasks in the local community

Eve and Deidre Kinloch Anderson

and very specially my two little granddaughters who have come to me rather late, Sophie aged 3 and Annabel aged 1.”

The editorial team asked Julie Wilcher (Westmacott, 1962) whether she and her mother (Vera Gough, 1920s) had any memories of MGC that they would share: “I recall Mum telling me that in Mount they had lidded potties under their beds which the maids emptied.

They had jugs and basins for washing - but so did we in Benhams 31 years later! I remember one summer in Benhams in dorm 5 when one of my dorm mates was drying her underwear on the windowsill above Miss Warry’s study. They fell down onto the wisteria around the Study window in full view of Miss Warry and important visitors! The Study was also the scene of our Benhams group being made to eat our confiscated “midnight feast” while Miss Warry watched.”

MALVERN GIRLS’ COLLEGE

Sue Stubenvoll (Stiff, 1964): “I have just finished reading Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. Please can you recommend it to everyone connected with MSJ (current staff, pupils and OGA members). It was recommended by a female, award-winning scientist friend. It captures a huge part of what our best teachers taught us and what is important now, while being fun, inspirational and full of interesting facts.”

Editor’s Note: this book has now been purchased for the Library.

News from The Norfolk Reunion

by Tishy Bayne (MacKenzie, 1964): “Seventeen of us met up once again at the Anchor Inn, Morston, for our 26th Annual Norfolk Reunion Luncheon on Wednesday 14th September 2016. All the ‘Old Regulars’ of 13 MGC Old Girls were joined by four husbands and a very happy, chatty time was had by all. As usual, Patricia Wilkinson and husband John came on a jaunt from Yorkshire, Charlotte Ridler and Angela Crowe drove down from Lincoln, Sue Key-Burr drove up from Woodbridge, Joan Rivers came up from Surrey and, for the first time, Audrey Peters drove all the way up from Devon! It was unanimously decided that The Anchor provide us with an excellent meal in very comfortable surroundings and that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ so we have booked it again for Wednesday 20th September 2017 and very much hope to see everyone once again, plus any other Old Girls who would like to come - the Anchor is happy to accommodate up to about thirty of us!!”

Frankie Williams (Royals,1966): “A note to say that I spent my first day at Parkfield, MGC, on 3rd November 1956. The reason I joined in the middle of term was due to my father changing jobs. I remember the holly hedge, the pink seat, the hills and the see-saws.

Gentlemen, left to right: Louw Laubscher; Alan Fry, Christopher Bayne, John Wilkinson.

Ladies standing, left to right: Sarah Jewson (Spencer, 1962) Anne Laubscher (Scott, 1954) Charlotte Ridler (Crossley, 1964) Audrey Peters (Bennett, 1964), Angela Crowe (Tudor, 1964), Tishy Bayne (Mackenzie, 1964) Patricia Wilkinson (Marsden, 1956) Sue Key-Burr (Fyte, 1954) Joan Rivers (Turnbull, 1954) Anne Charlton (Burton, 1958) Susie Riddington (Boston, 1952) Ladies seated: Marianne Fry (Newman, 1951), Jen Murray (Carter, 1947).

On the following Saturday my parents came to see me as it was Bonfire night and my father brought pallets for the bonfire. He said, “Hello Frances” and I replied, “My name is not Frances”.

He replied, “I can assure you it is!”.

“But”, I said, “everyone here has a nickname and they call me Frankie”, and I have been called Frankie ever since!! I remember Miss Temperley (known as Teapot), Miss Gutch, Miss Woodruff and Miss McIver (who became Mrs Mullen).”

Anna McVittie (formerly Bailetti, 1971): “With my hotel-partners of various nationalities, all of us having lived much of our lives in Latin America, our eco-lodge Cocolobo, on the stunningly beautiful and unspoiled island of Roatan in the Bay Islands of Honduras, continues to attract divers from many countries.

The second most important barrier reef in the world is just metres in front of our land. Cocolobo has now been operational for over 10 years, and it has been a huge challenge and most definitely a wonderful

adventure, as we bought the land and built the hotel ourselves. All divers and non-divers welcome! www.cocolobo.com Diana Barrett (Thorn, 1975) lives in Australia. “Keeping in touch with a number of OGs which is always interesting. Retirement is creeping up!! Life is good. I am still in touch with Susie Roberts (Marshall), Ali Wesson (Allan), Catherine Bullock (Fox), Debbie Allmey (Hill), Katharine Heimann (Wickham), Erica Scott (David), Lucy Napier-Andrews (Jones), Richenda Tonge (GurneyChampion). Career-wise is not a happy story at the moment. I had a hip replacement in August 2015 and it dislocated in April 2016: I haven’t been to work since. I am however clear to go back to work in a limited capacity and not in an acute clinical setting but Queensland Health are having trouble finding a suitable job for me! I am a Mental Health Nurse and worked on the acute inpatient wards which entails a fair degree of risk of personal harm. In the meantime I am

15

malvern girls’ college

driving for UBER and loving it!!”

So we had three of us who had spent 20 years at MGC without ever overlapping: Sarah Ovans, 1963 1968; Helen Davey, 1968 - 1973 and me, 1973-1980.”

Heather Farmbrough (Mills, 1975) is living and working in London and Stockholm – the latter more so during the summer. She is still a freelance financial journalist, editing a book in English on business in Sweden, working for a number of financial institutions in London and commentating on financial events in both countries.

In Sweden, she swims and plays tennis – the only two sports that she was told by the Malvern PE staff that it was worth her continuing – and is rowing and sculling in both Stockholm and London (something that wasn’t on offer at MGC!).

Barbara Hasslacher (1976) attended Malvern Girls College between 1970 and 1976, living at Benhams and then in the main school building during her last two years. Born in Paris, she studied and travelled in several countries including Bermuda and Canada before arriving at MGC. After school, Barbara was accepted at Guy’s Hospital, London, to do her nurses’ training, qualifying in 1979. In 1980 she went on to become a midwife in Dorset. Barbara emigrated to New Zealand in 1982 where she worked both as a hospital and homebirth midwife. After three years she moved to Australia and has lived there ever since. Over the years, she’s also worked in a bookshop, as a freelance proofreader / editor, and at an assortment of jobs. In May 2017, Barbara will be returning to school for the first time since she left MGC 40 years ago. She’s very excited about seeing the school she spent six years at after all these years. She hopes she may be able to contact some of the other girls who were at Benhams with her in the 1970s with whom she has lost contact.

If anyone would like to make contact with Barbara, please email oga@

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Barbara Hasslacher’s year group at Benhams (L to R): From top row Alison Allan, Jane Pearson Ann Sutcliffe, Alex ???? Fiona Nobles, Caroline Tinkler, Alison Davies, Maureen Ng, Barbara, Kathy Kawaley

malvernstjames.co.uk and we will put you in touch.

Dr Caroline Lucas MP (1979) returned to MSJ to talk to Senior and Sixth Form girls, staff, parents and former staff, about her life and politics (see page 20 for write-up). Caroline was at School between 1973-79, and remembers some great teachers, including her German teacher and Mr O’Neill talking about Sartre. She was in Lindfield, and looks back with a lot of affection to those days.

She remains close to several school friends, including Rachel Nicholls, who we picked out on the Oxbridge boards, and who is now a vicar in Cambridge.

Catherine Jones (1980): “In the OGA Digital News in November you mentioned Sarah Ovans and her glass sale – I went along and as Sarah and I were discussing which houses we had been in, another visitor popped her head around the corner and said “Ivydene Hall! I haven’t heard that mentioned in years.” Her name was Helen Davey and she was there completely by coincidence!

Sarah, Helen and Catherine

Aminatta Forna (1982) has been made an OBE for services to literature in the 2017 Queen’s New Year’s Honours. She went to the Palace for the investiture on 19th April from Washington D.C. where she is currently based as Visiting Chair of Poetics at Georgetown University.

Naomi Khaldi (Radcliffe, 1983): “I changed jobs (Jan 2016) and now work for Allianz in the City. We have completed a conversion of a 17th Century barn into our new home in Berkshire.”

Elizabeth Gowing (1990) sent us news of The Ideas Partnership, a charity she co-founded that helps the poorest children in Kosovo, whose families survive on what they earn from picking rubbish. The Ideas Partnership, which is based in Port Isaac, enjoyed a visit from HRH The Duchess of Cornwall during the summer. Having visited the charity in Kosovo earlier this year, the Duchess talked to the charity’s volunteers about their work.

The Ideas Partnership has also won a grant to expand the SaPunë business in Kosovo. SaPunë is a social enterprise project that parents in margianlised communities can take part in if

MALVERN GIRLS’ COLLEGE

Louise England (1994) married Harry Warner in March 2016 and Fiona Norris (Cooke) was one of the bridesmaids.

The ceremony was in Rockhampton, and reception at Berkeley Castle. Louise now lives near Tewkesbury and is loving married life.

Judith Lau and Elizabeth Spedding (1995) visited in November and had a great time exploring the building, showing their guide some places which she didn’t know even existed! Jude is now living locally with her family, having previously been in London, and Liz lives with her husband in Exeter.

Elizabeth Gowing and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall

their children are going to school. Those involved in Sa-Punë make a number of products, including soap, bags, lavender bags and jewellery. For more information about The Ideas Partnership and Sa-Punë: theideaspartnership.org

Louise and Harry

Caroline Steer (Ringrose, 1994) has returned to the UK after serving in Thailand for nine years with OMF International. “A move to Cambridge is a fresh start working with St Andrew the Great church and we hope to enlarge our family through adoption.”

Caroline Steer (Ringrose) and partner

Bridesmaid, Fiona

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malvern girls’ college

Judith Lau and Liz Spedding

Tasmin Learoyd-Hill (Fordham, 1995) emailed: “This is a photo of me meeting up with Liz Hanson (MGC 1995) and Cat Meakin (Bennett-Rees, 1995) to celebrate my 40th birthday. We met for lunch in Cambridge and were joined briefly by Lizzie Cook (Carey, MGC 1995) via Skype from Ghana!”

Sophie and children find a lion track

gather for (the MGC Reunion) in 2018; look forward to hearing the details. Now I own and run an eco safari Lodge in Kenya. I have already had two older MGC Old Girls come to stay, by pure coincidence, and then my best friends of course who have visited many times including as my bridesmaids when I married here on the ranch!”

See ‘Alumnae in Focus’ feature (page 22) for more about Sophie’s life in Africa.

Tamsin Learoyd-Hill (centre)

Cecily Hewlett (2002) and husband Richard Pink announce the birth of daughter Emmeline Alessandra on 12th December in Kuala Lumpur where they are currently living.

Delia Burnham (1996), who was in Summerside and Hatfield, and went on to Oxford University, wrote: “I wanted to let you know about where and how I live and invite any pupils or Old Girls to visit our community.

Since 2003, I have been living in Romania and for almost a year, at a meditation community. We welcome visitors who want to stay and work with us and those who want to learn to meditate at a course. Our website is www. meditatie.ro and I would also be happy to talk to Old Girls looking for advice on living abroad, in Eastern Europe, or living out of the system.”

Sophie Grant (Mills, 1998) wrote in January: “My best friends are still those from MGC. We have a very tight knit group and I’m just about to travel to Sri Lanka to meet up with one of them! So we may all be able to

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Emmeline came to visit us: Cecily with Emmeline and Fiona Meredith from the OGA Office

malvern girls’ college

70 years on from MGC Some Memories Now That I Am 80 By Margaret R Chittock (Davies, 1951)

I

benefitted enormously from my six years of the strict rules and regulations for everything, but excelled at precisely nothing; happily conforming to the myriad rules and regulations while doing very little work. My parents tolerated my indifferent school reports but my career and life would not have been so varied and interesting without all that I absorbed in those happy times in Hatley St George and then Benhams.

My lifelong enjoyment of classical music was influenced by the amazing international musicians who came to York Hall 70 years ago. I recall Yehudi Menuhin, Kathleen Ferrier – did she come twice? – Benjamin Britten (did he play piano accompaniment by Joseph Cooper who definitely came more than once?), the cellist Paul Tortelier, The Jacques Strong Orchestra, the Boyd Neel Orchestra – who have I forgotten? Our appreciation was hugely increased by the pre-concert talks given by members of the Music Department (and even to those like me who were not musicians). An example was that we all learned much of what they then knew of the background and influences for Elgar’s Enigma Variations. I still sit very still at concerts.

she could accomplish the amazing uniform list for MGC – including three Liberty bodices, endless other undies and twenty four large white cotton handkerchiefs. The war had just ended but I needed a trunkful of clothes plus bed linen, and all with Cash’s nametapes.

Finance is beginning to be taught in schools. We had MGC printed cheque books to draw out one shilling pocket money each week. My father talked to us about politics and influenced my future interest in the stock market as he would discuss MGC fees (£300 a year from start to finish) against his income and investments and the

I gained a lifelong interest in politics, news and current affairs from my years in The Benhams.

A handwritten hymn book and ‘bone prop’ to keep the mouth wide Miss Warry, one of our two Housemistresses, open while singing would expect us on Sunday evenings to be able to explain to all in our house the detailed meaning of Punch magazine’s political cartoon.

Terrifying for a new girl! All the national newspapers huge taxation he was paying then – nineteen shillings were also in the House library (with certain scandalous and sixpence in every pound (Sir Stafford Cripps was the items occasionally cut out) and gradually one learned personally extremely wealthy Socialist Chancellor of to read/know/understand the political influences and the Exchequer). world events of the times. Hatley definitely instilled high standards in our table manners, they were quite I recall taking part in a mock general election. We all had strict although how did they feed us in those severe food to be prepared to speak in public and speak well, and this rationing times? Personally, I used to resist the grim always stood me in good stead in later life for giving votes milk puddings and no-one could leave until none was of thanks, making occasional speeches and presentations, left on our plates, so in disgrace I would be moved to sit and reading lessons in church. In my time, Malvern was next to the Headmistress on her top table on an elevated a watchword for us all – self-control! Funny what one platform while the whole dining room waited for me. recalls about school days – we were not allowed to use the word ‘nice’ and when hymn singing in The Priory, we Grandfather had no new clothes in World War Two so he had to pronounce the word ‘and’ as ‘und’, and I still do! gave my mother all his wartime clothing coupons so that

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS The Old Girls’ Association Lecture with

Dr Caroline Lucas MP

Rachel Huntley, Lucinda Hobden and Caroline Lucas

W

e were delighted to welcome Dr Caroline Lucas MP to Malvern St James to present the Old Girls’ Association Lecture in November. It had been a long time in the planning, but it was undoubtedly worth the wait. We decided to turn the idea of a lecture on its head, and make this an interview style set-up. The idea was that it would be an excellent opportunity for one of our MSJ girls to be chief interviewer. Lucinda Hobden, in Year 13, bagged that role and carried out her duties with style.

She was ably assisted by Mrs Huntley, Head of History and Politics. Afterwards, the floor was opened up to questions from all of the girls, and a number of Sixth Form students joined Caroline for an informal supper after the event.

Caroline was at MGC between 1973 and 1979, leaving after A Levels. She has fond memories - particularly of Sixth Form - and before the lecture, looked at the Oxbridge boards which line York Hall, where she identified Rachel Nicholls, who remains a close friend along with several other Old Girls. Before Caroline had arrived, she had sent a list of former classrooms that she wanted to find - Upper 3J, Lower 4D, Upper 4N amongst others: some she found, others remained elusive! A quick tour ended up in York Hall, which looks now pretty much as it did then. Caroline was a Prefect and remembered doing lots of things up on stage, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise to be back up there again, looking out at a sea of faces – but this time on the other side of the fence as a Guest Speaker.

Caroline has had a significant impact on British politics, being the first Green MP to be elected in the UK and now leader of the party for a second time. She has garnered an impressive range of awards for her politics and activism: MP of the Year from the Patchwork Foundation for her work with deprived and minority

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communities, Most Influential MP from the Political Studies Association, Best Newcomer from The Spectator, Most Ethical Politician three times over from The Observer, Woman of the Year from Red magazine in the ethical/eco category, and voted into the Top 100 Eco-Heroes of All-Time by the Environment Agency. She was voted a Top 500 Most Influential Briton in 2016’s The Sunday Times/ Debretts list.

Lucinda Hobden started the questions by setting the scene with Caroline’s memories from School. Caroline’s first observation was one that many Old Girls make: “I can’t believe how quickly life goes by. Grab it!” Thirty-seven years on, she fondly remembered various teachers who helped inspire her including in particular her German teacher and her English teacher. She looked back on her time at MGC with a lot of affection, and visiting Malvern again, retracing a familiar path from the town down Avenue Road, past Willows and Lindfield, had been a warmly nostalgic experience.

After MGC, Caroline went on to read English at Exeter University.

Through the Eighties, she was active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. The zeitgeist then was anxiety about nuclear war: “the big existential worry”. Caroline joined protestors at the Greenham Common peace camp.

Her epiphany came in 1986 when she picked up a copy of Jonathon Porritt’s Seeing Green. “It brought together all the things I was concerned about”, Lucas said. “It was a lightbulb moment”. (Editor’s note: Jonathan Porritt is husband of another MGC Old Girl, Sarah Staniforth, 1970).

Mrs Huntley picked up the baton to pose questions about some of the key tenets of Green politics. Some of these focused on the big current topical issues affecting all parties:

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS first off, Brexit. Caroline said, “We advocated Remain, from a hard-headed practical stand-point as well as an emotional one”. She argued passionately that the biggest threats that face us, face all of our neighbouring countries, and we are stronger together. In a time of deep global instability, the EU is “probably the most successful global peace project ever”. Getting hung up about the perceived bureaucracy of the EU detracts from the bigger picture, which is that the EU has brought peace and prosperity for all its member nations, “a precious and fragile thing”.

the barriers has been the cost of childcare. Recently, one of the bars in the House of Commons has been converted into a crèche. Good news for working mothers, but a move which prompted some men to complain that now they have only 10 bars to choose from, instead of 11 … The atmosphere of Westminster is also not terribly conducive – the otherworldly ‘Hogwarts’ feel, the Punch and Judy atmosphere of the debating. “It needs to be made into a place where women want to do politics”.

So is the political life one to be encouraged for MSJ girls?

“Absolutely, yes” is the resounding answer. “We need more women fired up and wanting to change things and making a difference where they can”. Also, “There is no greater satisfaction than sorting something out for someone: it is a powerful experience to be able to help.”

Asked about her greatest hope to achieve in her political lifetime, Caroline has two. In terms of process, she wants to see Greens, Labour and the Lib Dems working together to change our electoral system to a fairer one of proportional representation; and her issue-based hope is for climate change to be properly addressed and for the UK to stop fracking now.

Take a closer and objective look at the EU legislation which many write off as meddlesome and bureaucratic, and much of it is “good and constructive”. The EU is looking out for the issues that affect every individual in every nation and has a huge remit, whether this is protecting natural habitats, keeping our beaches clean or many other thousands of things. The UK will be able to adopt this kind of legislation, but the EU can provide a huge resource in terms of identifying and monitoring situations, renewing and revising legislation and providing a framework of enforcement. This will be much harder - and costlier - for us to achieve as a nation by ourselves.

And the other big issue for the Greens is freedom of movement: it is a “wonderful gift” to be able to go where you please, to experience the sense and flavour of ‘elsewhere’. Caroline is particularly worried about the implications for EU nationals who have made their lives here and have contributed to our society. The pressure of movement of people is only set to increase as war and climate change make parts of our planet unliveable: migration is an issue which will not go away and one we can’t solve by ourselves.

A solo MP she may be, but the Greens have got things on the political agenda and are influencing policy. Over 1 million people in the UK voted Green at the last election. If we had Proportional Representation, that would mean 24 MPs – not one. “This is scandalous, and we call ourselves a democracy.”

Asked about the political gender gap and why more women don’t want to enter politics, Caroline acknowledged that whilst only one third of MPs are female, things are improving, but “at the pace of a sclerotic snail”. One of

Caroline Lucas with Chris Shepherd

And so we came to the end of the session. Caroline had been a powerful and compelling voice. The audience were unanimous in feeling that she was a very ‘human’ MP – humorous, open and very charming with a clear and passionate message for change. For so many of us, her politics ‘makes sense’. It was clear that it comes from the heart and the head. Little surprise, perhaps, that the Green party won with a landslide victory in MSJ’s most recent mock-election.

Both the Old Girls’ Association and the School are very grateful to Caroline for giving us her time. We all got so much out of the experience, and Lucinda in particular was really pleased to have been given this amazing opportunity. “It was such a good experience, and definitely something I’ll remember for a long time to come.”

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS Sophie Grant (Mills, MGC 1999)

S

ophie Grant (Mills, MGC 1999) owns and runs El Karama Lodge, an award-winning, intimate and family-friendly eco safari lodge in Laikipia, Kenya, specialising in ecologically responsible wildlife and walking safaris. Laikipia is a 3,385 square mile area of mixed habitat in the heart of Kenya, known for its incredible wildlife diversity.

“It is now 16 years since I left MGC and in the intervening years since leaving Nairobi where I was involved in eco building and community training, I have set up a business in Laikipia, and made a home with my husband Murray, a talented bronze sculptor, and our two children Archer (5) and Celeste (2).

My safari lodge employs a permanent team of 15 local Kenyans to host and manage safari experiences for guests from all around the world. It is an affordable and intimate lodge (award-winning!) and is just one part of a much bigger habitat stabilisation project – El Karama Ranch. This 14,000 acre private, working livestock ranch with wildlife, has over 50 years of cattle breeding and wildlife protection under its belt.

The lodge brings around 2000 bed nights a year to the property and contributes to wildlife monitoring programmes for the 80 mammal species and 427 bird

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species identified here. In addition to offering ‘straight’ eco tourism products, we also offer short courses, retreats, special events and a mentorship programme for young Kenyans. We welcome school children free of charge throughout the year to learn about self-sustaining private sector business, tourism, conservation, renewable energy (100% solar powered, we are!) and other interesting subjects that relate to our operations.

Guests can expect to see four of the ‘Big 5’ including leopard, lion, hippo, buffalo, elephant, cheetah, reticulated giraffe, northern species like gerenuk, grevy’s zebra and vulterine guinea fowl. We are also extremely fortunate to see African hunting dogs, bat-eared foxes, aardwolf and the ever elusive aardvark! The only large mammal we don’t have is rhino, but you can do a day trip nearby to see both black and white rhino.

Bush walks are a memorable way to explore this landscape.

We walk a lot here, always armed, as the potential for encounters with cape buffalo and elephant are high. We are trained to carry a .458 calibre rifle, which is essentially a ‘buffalo gun’. The aim is not to ever have to use it, but it is a necessity and we wouldn’t ever leave the lodge area on foot without it. I recently completed an advanced rifle-handling course in Kruger, South Africa as part of my guide training, but I can safely say no blind loading drills

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS or simulated charges will ever compare to the moment a buffalo charges you in thick bush!

With direct views of Mount Kenya and the Ewaso Nyiro river marking our western boundary, this high altitude, mixed habitat is a haven for naturalists. Forget the image you have in your mind of endless dusty, game drives and think rather of walking quietly in the bush with your binoculars surrounded by browsing giraffe and feeling the sandy soil crunch under your feet.

In addition to walks we take guests on game drives, night drives, fly camping and bush meals, all of which are done at 2000m, right on the Equator!

There is no phone signal or wifi in the lodge itself, just in our office so people can have a real break from their lives at home. The sparkle comes back to all of us after a few days under the stars eating delicious food and falling asleep with the sound of elephant rumbling and lion calling in the distance.

The stars at night here are mind-blowing with no light pollution and with our proximity to the equator it’s as though we can see the curve of the earth itself. A recent astronomy event we hosted showed guests perfect views of Mercury and Venus, the surface of the moon and all the constellations including Orion’s belt, which often used to sit above the apex of the roof at Lindfield when we arrived back late at the end of an exeat or some event.

Although the wildlife and the birds are something we all marvel over, the people in Kenya are also a huge part of its attraction. Our team is made up of Kenyans from all over the country, half of which built this lodge from scratch. Lovi came to dig a trench 11 years ago and now he is running the lodge as the Assistant Manager.

It’s a strange and visceral life we all lead here, full of challenges, never dull. We have had to adopt a fairly zen attitude to change though as the political landscape here is fluid and never predictable. This life is not for the fainthearted nor is it for those stuck in their ways. To survive you have to be flexible, forward thinking and definitely not work-shy!

I am certain that my family life and my time at school prepared me for what was to come. The rigours (and insecurity) that come from placing oneself outside of a

comfort zone, the adaptation skills and work ethic required to survive and flourish in a highly competitive and creative environment, gave me some serious foundations for what we face in this country today. I could not have done what I do without that part of my education. We were nurtured and encouraged at MGC, our voices were heard and we were given the space to experiment both with our thoughts and our identities. Although I have always been grateful, it is really now as an adult and a mum of two girls that I can see just how unusual that degree of pastoral care is for many within education. Now that I have made my life in a developing country, I also see how very fortunate we have been in our schooling and recognise the discipline, training and opportunity that it has provided throughout life. We were - we are - so lucky.

I am extremely grateful to my teachers, Housemistresses and Heads of Departments. The friends I made at school are still the closest girlfriends, we continue to be very much in each others’ lives, godparents to each others’ children.

Every single one of the MGC girls I know has gone on to do great and sometimes very unusual things, which in itself is testament to our education.

So don’t worry if you leave school unsure of where you are going … the things you learn here will come in useful in more ways you could ever imagine. If you had told me then I would end up in one of Africa’s last areas of wilderness running my own safari business I would never have believed you!

For safari information you can contact us directly on through www.laikipiasafaris.com / www.elkaramalodge. com or you can reach Sophie direct on sophiemills16@ gmail.com anytime.

All alumnae will be given special rates on all safari packages. Just ask for Sophie.

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

Sarah Austin (Skinner, 1987)

I was at MGC between 1980 and 1987. I then read Classics and Modern Languages at Oxford, before joining Baring Asset Management. I had a successful and fulfilling career at Barings and was a fund manager for 10 years as well as a Director of the company. I left the City in 2003 to start my family.

I have two children aged 13 and 9 and have been very lucky to be able to devote myself to them full time. With my children growing up, I launched the Really Helpful Club (RHC) two years ago. I now have the time to build my business alongside raising my family.

The RHC is a free, online network that brings together dynamic, busy and like-minded people to help and connect one another and make our lives easier. Members share recommendations in our online Forums, discover outstanding businesses in our Directory and connect with one another at RHC events. Growing all the time, and with thousands of members in just a couple of years, the network is buzzing.

The RHC events bring to life what we’re doing online and help our members to make new connections and learn and discover something new. We organise a wide range of lifestyle, business and charity events. They are fun, interesting and a great way to meet other people with a shared interest or learn a different skill.

Due to demand from our members, we run a Back to Work programme to help women rediscover the workplace. This recognizes there is a growing pool of talented and well educated women who all too often leave the workplace to raise a family and then lack the confidence or opportunity to find the role that utilises their talents and fulfils their ambitions. More and more of us are changing our personal definition of success and an increasing percentage of the population now have some degree of flexible working, whether that is to pursue other interests or to turn a passion into a business.

Our workshops and seminars provide opportunities to be inspired and learn from other women who may have already done it. They are suitable for anyone actively considering a return to work after a career break, or who is looking to switch careers. Alternatively, they may want to start their own business or take their ideas to the next stage. Taking those first steps can be daunting and our events help our members to rebuild confidence and to find the role that suits them. It’s about accessing a wealth of knowledge, experience and support as well as making new

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connections and sharing your own experiences with one another.

I have had to learn a huge amount since taking my first step. My journey has required a mixture of hard work, many highs and lows, stress and a real fear of failure.

The experience of having the initial idea to establishing the concept and actually taking the plunge to launch the business has been completely new and incredibly testing.

What if no-one is interested?! Will it actually work? Will I lose money? I have had to build my own confidence and trust my instincts. I am driven by a determination to make this work and am sustained by the overwhelmingly positive feedback I have received.

Two years on I find it hugely rewarding to see the difference that we are making. On a daily basis I get to meet such inspiring women and to connect like-minded people. I can bring all the experience from my corporate days and everyday life and combine it with a passion to build something exciting. We empower our members and inform them about what is on offer and how to have the confidence to achieve anything.

Reallyhelpfulclub.com Sarah Austin (Skinner)

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS Georgie Pearman (MGC 1991) Georgie Pearman (MGC 1991) and her husband, Sam, started the Lucky Onion, a Cotswolds based hotel and restaurant group, nine years ago. The flagship is No 131 (www.no131.com) in Cheltenham which is a small boutique hotel which won Tatler’s Best of Britain at the Tatler’s Restaurant Awards 2016 and is a finalist for the GQ Magazine’s Hotel Awards this month. Georgie was a lawyer for many years at Allen & Overy in the City but decided that she wanted a lifestyle change due to the long working hours required being a corporate M&A lawyer and having a young family. Sam was managing

Georgie and husband Sam

restaurant in the backstreets of Cheltenham and started the Royal Well Tavern with a friend of theirs, Humphrey Fletcher, who had been a chef at the River Cafe in London. Within nine months the Royal Well Tavern had a Michelin bib gourmand which recognises value for money and quality. Over the years they have added two country inns, a pub and two small hotels with the backing of Julian Dunkerton of Superdry who lives locally. Sam focuses on the food, wine and restaurant operations whilst Georgie focuses on the sales, marketing and new projects. Currently they have three new projects on the go, all in the Cotswolds. Georgie still keeps in contact with lots of her MGC friends and looks back at her time at MGC fondly. She says she had such an idyllic childhood in Malvern now she looks back at it all. Malvern was and still is such a nice environment for children to develop into young adults and that they had so much fun there.

She says all her old MCG friends still meet up about once a year as a larger group although she does see some of them more regularly, often in London. They are life-long friends and recently four of them went to Paris together.

They are also godmothers to each other’s children. She is looking forward to attending the Old Girls Reunion in June this year and is hoping that a few of the old MGC girls from her year will come as well (some are hopefully staying with her for the night): www.theluckyonion.com

No. 131 in Cheltenham

Michelin starred restaurants in London. He wanted his own restaurant but the London property market was booming so they decided to leave the capital and move to the Cotswolds. First, to do Bibury Court in Gloucestershire but then when that didn’t really work out due to the huge amount of money required to renovate a Grade I listed mansion, they found a boarded up small

No. 131 in Cheltenham

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ST JAMES’S and St James’s & THE ABBEY

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oganews spring 2016

The St James’ Reunion It was an ambitious plan and it was a marathon of a day but worth every moment. To mark and celebrate the 120th anniversary of the founding of St James’s and the impending 10th anniversary of Malvern St James was an unmissable opportunity to draw together Old Girls from so many eras.

Bell. It was an elegant evening attended by alumnae from St James’s, St James’s and The Abbey and Malvern St James, as well as by parents and former staff. Alice Baird’s portrait was on show and alongside it that of Ros Hayes, the last Headmistress of St James’s and founding Head of Malvern St James. Ros also sent greetings from Turkey in a speech read by Penny Smith (Reay), joint Head Girl at the time of the merger with The Abbey and now Vice-Chairman of the OGA and a member of staff at Malvern St James.

Joining hands for Auld Lang Syne

It was a great pleasure for me to be able to meet so many Old Girls from different decades and to hear them sharing memories, taking pride in the school and its many traditions and showing such joy in friendship. I hope that some contacts, perhaps long lost, were re-established and, as importantly, that contact with the Old Girls’ Association at Malvern St James will now be sustained.

Girls just want to have fun!

What a day it was! Distances, sometimes vast, were travelled and many messages came in from afar. From the opening drinks to the end of the Dinner, the excitement was palpable, not least in the noise levels! The planning of the day worked well, especially perhaps the afternoon visit to West Malvern.

We have changed buildings and it is only when reading letters and emails from Old Girls and speaking to them that one realises just how deeply this matters. Where we are now is a noble building with a proud history (and so convenient for the station and those longed-for visits “up town”!) but the unique beauty of our St James’s setting and buildings is indeed incomparable. Hilda Muller reflected in a letter to Alice Baird in 1947, “St James’s is in a beautiful setting but all that is like a beautiful frame. It’s what’s inside that matters.” The staff of Regents College made us very welcome indeed and continue to accommodate visits from Old Girls most willingly.

There were several satellite dinner parties that evening hosted by Old Girls in their homes around Malvern. The York Hall in school was beautifully set out in blue and white and with the St James’s silver, including the Boar

Libby Anson (Maude), second cousin of Alice and Katrine Baird, proposed an affectionate final toast to our founders and the celebrations ended with the traditional singing of Auld Lang Syne, remembered from final assemblies in The Anstruther. We sang it properly, in true Scottish fashion, and we raised the roof. Like the memories of that day, it was fun and it was moving.

Many years ago one Old Girl wrote,“St James’s had sunk far more deeply and thoroughly into us than we had imagined and its influence as the years whittled away the first glad nonsense of growing up became ever more apparent.”

Nobody can quite define the spirit of St James’s but we know that it is very real and very strong – and very lasting.

Affectionately,

Elizabeth Mullenger

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ST JAMES’S & ST JAMES’S & THE ABBEY St James’ Anniversary Dinner

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ST JAMES’S & ST JAMES’S & THE ABBEY Memories of St James’s and St James’s & The Abbey

The St James’s Reunion prompted some Old Girls to send in memories about School life. We’ve chosen a selection below which should resonate with readers: The Great Outdoors – the sunsets, especially in winter; the views over Herefordshire to the Welsh hills.

The Grounds – Chief’s Shelter, The Blue Drive with the Maple Walk; hitting Archway with our hockey sticks for luck; the pools; the Azalea Bank; Rose Temple and the plays we performed there; the Taize Services; Top Terrace; chasing sheep from the hills off the lower terraces.

Sport – The open-air swimming pool and the swimming gala on Ships’ Day; Abbots Hill Tennis match played each summer.

Clubs and Societies – School societies always led by girls; Girl Guides from 1911 onwards; Sixth Form Wine Society (in the 1990s) run by Mr and Mrs Bolt.

School Life – support for the Francis Low Settlement in

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Battersea; school bank and cheque books; Sunday Teas; the Boar Bell on Top Table; the magnificent fireplaces; Miss Baird’s and Miss Braithwaite’s bronze busts in the Dining Room; the morning run to Archway; news headlines in Assembly.

The wind blowing through the cloisters, dormitories and classrooms. The tiny chapel with beautiful Abbey stained glass windows. The peace of Compline on Wenesday evenings. Marble passage where all queued in silence before lunch, with its newspaper stand, the huge brass gong and the napking ring cage. Lessons with Malvern College in the 1980s.

Special Occasions – School fêtes on May Bank Holiday; Commemorations; the Carol Service; Carols around the tree; Auld Lang Syne at Final Assembly each year; the German Exchange; The Brittany Trip for Juniors; the Tudor Supper; Stir-Up Sunday for the School Christmas pudding.

Dining Room Etiquette – Passing dishes; making conversation with others on the table and ensuring that all are involved; eating fruit (especially bananas) correctly; clearing and cleaning tables properly; always showing appreciation to the kitchen staff.

ST JAMES’S & ST JAMES’S & THE ABBEY NEWS FROM OLD GIRLS Barbara Beatty (Purves, 1952) is living in Auckland, New Zealand. She has written 93 books, each containing 80 poems. Twenty three of her books were bought by Harvard University and are held there. Barbara writes two or three poems a day, on all sorts of subjects, including people she’s met and been inspired by, nature, books she’s read and characters she’s liked. Barbara has a daughter and two grandchildren.

St James’s Class of 1957 Reunion Lunch No fewer than 15 members of the form which started St James’s in 1951 met for their annual reunion lunch on 18th May 2016. This year it took place at The Army and Navy Club (also known as ‘The Rag’) in Pall Mall, London, by kind permission of Helen Hadfield (Mark-Wardlaw) and her husband Michael. Gertrude Harmer (von Heinrich) flew over especially from Vienna to be there.

The lunch was also attended by Ros Barnes (Bell), Christian Bevington, Pat Bowen (Hutchinson), Rosalind Boyd (McCrone), Ann Crickhowell (Healing), Caroline Gardner (BourneArton), Jenna Lougher (Cowie), Stephanie Manthos (Serantis), Jill Phipps (Boswell), Sarah Richardson (Radclyffe), Janet Skilbeck (Munro), Prue Whitcombe (Bottomley) and Libby Anson (Maude). Sadly, the date coincided with a strike by Southern Railway, which meant Sue Smyth (Swain) and Maureen Lambert (Watt) were prevented from joining us from Sussex and Kent respectively. Long may these annual lunches continue.

Charlotte Ainscough (Dickins, 1988):“I had a very vivid dream last of night of reconnecting with dear old friends from what was St James and The Abbey. I attended as a boarder from I think 1986 - 1988 and was Charlotte Dickins back then. I loved the school, played for the first hockey team, tennis and athletics. I would

love to connect with anybody else from my year.”

Charlotte Brown (1988) wrote in after the St James’s Reunion in June: “I had a good time and it was lovely to catch up with faces from past times.

There were only three participants from my academic year (see photo, from left), Tracey Dudfield who lives and works in Worcester, Claudia Bombeck who works for a ticket agency in New York, and me – I am a Sales Manager for Food and Drink exhibitions and am based in London.

It was lovely to see our Headmistress Elizabeth Mullenger also.”

Antonia Ellis and Mrs Lindner

and was involved in the productions of La Boheme and Cosi fan Tutte at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. Now Antonia sings at numerous weddings and various events. She married in 2003 and has an 8 year old daughter Amelia and 6 year old twins, Henry and Tilly, and lives in Gloucestershire.

Elizabeth Mullenger and 1988 Leavers

We were joined for Christmas Carols last December by St James’s & The Abbey Old Girl Antonia Ellis (Densham) to sing in the service.

Former Headmistress, Miss Elizabeth Mullenger, was in the congregation to hear Antonia’s sublime voice fill Malvern Priory for ‘O Holy Night’.

St James’s Old Girl Genefer Archer shared some pictures with us on Facebook after a trip over the Malverns. She took some inspiring photos of St James’s nestled at the centre of West Malvern village, and the rolling countryside beyond.

Genefer Archer’s aerial view

Antonia left St James’s in 1994. She was awarded a music bursary for the last two years of school where she sang in the school choirs and sang solos on several occasions. She went on to study singing for three years at The Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff where she came top in her performance in her finals and won a music prize. Antonia then went on to perform with the British Youth Opera

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HONORARY MEMBERS

NEWS FROM HONORARY MEMBERS St James’s Reunion: The following was sent in by Miss Valerie Byrom-Taylor. “Old Girls and staff from St James’s in the 1960s met to celebrate the 80th birthday of Valerie Byrom-Taylor, former Director of Music, in August last year. A party of 43 girls and husbands enjoyed the excellent hospitality of Elim Conference Centre, which is now situated in de Walden House. “An ensuite bedroom in my dorm!”, one seventy year old observed. The Fourth Form classrooms on the ground floor are now a large meeting room and proved a splendid venue for chat – and there was plenty of that! Valerie had arranged a display of photographs and programmes, particularly musical events and Guiding.

The highlight was a gala birthday dinner superbly organised by the catering staff. Valerie had made menus and also placemats with a picture of the Malvern Hills by Vim - Miss Mabel I. Varley, the wonderful art teacher who would have been proud of her girls – among them several professional artists, a potter and a bookbinder. A large birthday cake was cut and the School Song sung. It was a truly memorable occasion.”

Miss Valerie Byrom-Taylor and friends

Back Row: John Kendrick, Mark Denyer, Tudor Venn, Lucy Clark, Sandy Smith, Celia Harrisson, John McCullough, Susan McCullough (Williams), Simon Friedenthal, Lucinda Venn (Buxton), Robert Stone, Peter Scott, Patricia Inman (Lamb), Zillah Richards (Pettit), John Aston, Bridget Laycock (Williamson), Patricia Newman (Berger), Alison Voelcker (Edwards), Wendy Heesom (Marshall), Lloyd Cromwell-Griffiths, Richard Davis, Robert Reynolds, Wren Hoskyns-Abrahall, Nicholas Heesom, Christopher Frith, David Bowen Front Row: Isabel Denyer (Kerr-Jarrett), Sarah Jarrett Kerr (Kerr-Jarrett), Susan Stone (Pilkington), Carol Pike, Penelope Wood (Irish), Margaret Davis (Dixon), Gillian Smith (Hollingsworth), Elizabeth Bowen (Norris), Jacqueline Seymour (Kerr-Peterson), Valerie Byrom-Taylor, Elizabeth Reynolds (Pawle), Sally Scott (Payne), Gillian Friedenthal (Wale), Elizabeth Aston (MarkWardlaw), Phyllis Hoskyns-Abrahall (Mark-Wardlaw), Pamela Frith (Firkins), Felicity Cromwell-Griffiths (Shanks).

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HONORARY MEMBERS Mr John Birks and Mrs Marilyn Birks: “John and I attended the MSJ Carol Service and thoroughly enjoyed the event. John was the Head of Drama (the first) at St James’s back in the 1970s and I taught Drama and Dance at St James’s and also at The Abbey and Lawnside (part-time and for a few years) before we moved away from Malvern. We both finished our full time careers in senior positions in international organisations and universities and drama and performing arts have always been a part of our working lives.”

Mrs Judith Bailey: “I thought colleagues and pupils from my time as a teaching Housemistress and Director of Studies at St James’s and The Abbey (1988-1997) might be interested in what I have been doing since leaving. After taking early retirement from Harrogate Ladies’ College I went back to university to do a BA in Philosophy (just for fun!). I then did an MA and last October I was awarded a PhD on my thesis entitled Shaping Plato: interpreting Plato’s philosophy through his geometry. I am now trying

to enjoy a more normal retirement!”

Mrs Jane Barraclough celebrated her 80th birthday with friends from the staff from her St James’s days.

From left to right: Lynne Lindner, Angie Fearnside, Jill Bray, Ros Hayes, Anita Lloyd, Jane Barraclough, Penny Vere.

Mrs Ros Hayes, Former Headmistress, St James’s (2003-2006) and MSJ (2006-10) Mrs Ros Hayes, Former Headmistress, St James’s (20032006) and MSJ (2006-10) writes: “I wonder how I ever found the time to go to work?” Life continues to be very busy with governorships, educational consultancy work, gardening, walking groups, lunches, holidays and ever increasing amounts of time spent on a tennis court. I have recently joined a small group who have coaching once a week with Mrs Sue Sadler. Many St James’s girls will have been taught tennis by Mrs Sadler and will know she is an excellent coach. Learning a new sport has been an interesting experience and I have found it quite challenging to be constantly reminded to “bend my knees”, “keep my bottom in”, “throw the ball up straight” and “hold my racket firmly”. I have even begun to sympathise with those girls who would do anything to avoid games lessons!! Hopefully, in time I will improve, although I think I can safely say that I am no threat to Serena Williams.

I have recently returned from a very exciting trip to South Africa. Mrs Karla Shindler (Head of Art, St James’s) and I travelled to Johannesburg to stay with Mrs Pet Jones (Housemistress, St James’s and MSJ) who now lives in South Africa for some of the year. We spent a wonderful four days in a bush camp near the Botswana border complete with pit toilets, bucket showers and kerosene

lamp lighting. During six exhilarating game drives we saw everything, including the “Big Five” plus wild dogs and cheetahs.

We then flew down to Cape Town where we spent a thought-provoking afternoon on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, took the cable car to the top of Table Mountain and sampled some of the Cape wines at Franschhoek.

This summer the school is celebrating its 10th anniversary; I hope to see many of you at the OG events and look forward to catching up with all of your news.

Ros (centre) and friends

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10th

10th

A N N I V E R S A RY

Malvern St James celebrates its

10 ANNIVERSARY TH

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A N N I V E R S A RY

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MSJ’s 10th Anniversary Party (2016)

Mrs Olivera Raraty, students and entertainers (2016)

The opening of Batsford (2010)

Mrs Ros Hayes in the new Sports Centre (2008)

Old Girl Iskra Lawrence visit (2016)

Prue Leigh opens the Alice Dining Room (2016)

The Royal Wedding (2011)

HRH The Duke of Gloucester opens MSJ (2006)

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malvern ST JAMES Elysia delivers her final Head Girl’s Speech at Commemoration 2016

ONE YEAR ON

by Elysia Garland, Head Girl, 2015-16

In August 2016, I started studying at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in the USA, having been awarded a scholarship to play lacrosse there for a year. As well as playing lacrosse, I have also been attending classes. Mrs Perkins might be happy to hear I have returned to the Maths classroom as well as taking English, Geography, Psychology and the rather unusual class that involves discussing the cultural and ethical issues raised in the Harry Potter novels... only in America!

My lacrosse team consists of a great bunch of girls, who have become a sort of second family. We practice six days a week as well as weight lift twice a week, which keeps me pretty busy. Our competitive season started on 7th March and consists of 17 games, hopefully more if we make it to the PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) tournament. To make sure we’re match ready we’ve had some pretty intense fitness sessions, which make Rich’s Tuesday fitness programme seem like a walk in the park.

Although practice and classes are a big part of being here, I’ve still had time to have the full American experience, which does include more than just eating food.

The highlight so far has probably been the Edinboro Homecoming weekend which consists of a big American football game and a huge parade. I have also had the chance to participate in the Polar Plunge which consists of running into Lake Erie in December, when the temperature was below 5 degrees Centigrade to raise money for the Special Olympics Charity.

Coming up shortly is Spring Break, when we will be venturing off as a team to North Carolina, where we will play three competitive matches. On the way we will be stopping in Washington DC and Charlotte, the capital city of North Carolina.

Since being here, I’ve also had the opportunity to go to Chicago to visit my parents, Philadelphia to visit Penny Green, who is also out here playing lacrosse, and to Buffalo to see the Niagara Falls.

My semester ends on 12th May; however I won’t be returning home until June as I am hoping to spend a month travelling around the USA, first stop Texas. I’m looking forward to furthering my studies at Exeter University in September 2017.

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Elysia with pals in the States

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MALVERN REVISITED Georgiana Kwok (former Head Girl, 2014) is currently in her final year of her LL.B. degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). After graduation, she will be pursuing a legal career. She has written this beautiful piece on her memories of MSJ.

I

attended a concert in early February at Cadogan Hall. The Mozart Symphony Orchestra was playing Elgar’s Enigma Variations. After hastily shuffling in, mildly flustered, I leant back in my seat and thought how much ruder I could be, on top of arriving fifteen minutes late, should I happen to fall asleep.

I have never been a musician — piano practice in Avenue was probably better used as an excuse to go down to First Lunch — but curiously, the music washed over me, lulled my mind but heightened my senses, enthralled me. There was a strange familiarity about the piece, which, admittedly, would not be surprising, but equally, the notes could well have been alien to my ears, which, even after years Georgie and Ife at their Leavers’ Ball, 2014 of musical training, still have not acquired a sensitivity to classical music. Perhaps I had slipped into a slumberous state after all — and in It was not long into the concert when I realised that the pianist the reality of my half-consciousness I was brought back was a former piano teacher at MSJ. The knowledge added to Malvern. to the sense, not exactly of nostalgia, but more of home. I remember returning to Malvern for my sister’s graduation School concerts meant the Houses were locked from and playing Chanson de Matin on loudspeakers as I looked Supper until concert finish. The music was often delightful, out onto the Hills from the open window of my hotel room and of course, extra attention was paid when friends on the morning of the Commemoration Service. The sense of were performing, though it was probably ice creams at home was incomparable — Elgar was home, the music rode the end of evening — an unspoken promise for concert easily on the crisp morning air, and I was home. And in the helpers — that added a skip to our step as we walked sparsely seated concert hall, this sense of home was brought back to House. Life in Malvern was composed of custom back to me, a surge of calm and of rich contentment. and routine, but we were all quite aware that there was a certain glitter in the sunlight. It was a time of unabashed This summer will see most of us graduating from dreaming. We were drunk on life’s possibility, enchanted university, each headed in different directions. Every by how real this possibility was, so real its possibility was end of an era is always bittersweet, but in this parting, that it seemed an absurdity. My memories of growing up, it feels extra exciting: the notion of ‘home’ has gained that almost sacramental phase in each of our lives, are an element of mobility. So at whichever point in time, largely situated in Malvern, in the dim glow of the dorm wherever we may find ourselves then, if you are feeling room’s yellow light, echoing with wild raucous laughter, homesick — for your hometown, for Malvern — know that joyous banter, and hushed tones, too. And we will always Elgar is always a good remedy, and know that ultimately, carry these memories with us, like a gold locket, like a home is where the people are. And the people will be torchlight, these memories that are in us and of us, like a everywhere, scattered across the globe. So you should beacon of fire. never feel that homesick.

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GRAPEVINE A round-up of news from Mrs Lynne Lindner, MSJ’s Head of Performance and Vocal Studies and formerly Director of Music at St James’s School.

These have been an eventful and exciting few months and it has been a delight to catch up with so many Old Girls. News has just flown in of Becky Fisher (2011), who is now qualified as a doctor. This has been an astonishing journey for Becky and for us all to witness. What a hard-working, tenacious and gifted girl she is: studying, writing and editing her book on surgery, and always finding time to sing and connect with MSJ. It has been a joy to hear that so many of our girls are about to tie the knot: ‘love is in the air.’ Our next magazine will certainly be a bridal edition!

Hannah Evans (2010) is getting married to James Buckley in August and she has invited the Jenny Lind Singers to sing favourites from her MSJ choir days. Hannah and her parents, Tony and Diane Evans, invited St James’s girls to a New Years’ Eve party at their beautiful home in Bishopswood.

It was an evening of glitz and glamour and a brilliant time to catch up with lots of news.

We also heard the exciting news that Emma White (St J’s 2006) became engaged to Matt Lambeth on Christmas Day. Emma is a busy bee; she is Portfolio Manager at Sanctuary, she has qualified as a professional business coach, is training for a powerlifting competition and often performs musical gigs. It was great to hear her at Bolero in Worcester.

Alasdair Chatterton proposed to Kirsty Haines (2015) on New Year’s Eve in Paris - how romantic! Kirsty has completed the rigorous Commando Training – a fantastic achievement – and now continues her training to become a musician in the Royal Marine Band.

Julia Leonard (St J’s & A, 1996), who is a talented journalist for BBC Hereford & Worcester, got engaged to Gareth Boulton and they are excited as they plan their wedding in September.

Hannah Gaylor (St J’s, 2006) and David Wetherill are getting married in May in Christ Church, Reading. Hannah is highly entrepreneurial, working for Royal Caribbean Cruises, and runs her own garden gift shop online. Her sister Emma Gaylor is a full time marketing executive and a talented athlete (Long Jump). She is training at Brunel University with coach Keith Flemming, and hoping to achieve her dream jump for Team GB. Emma writes “I decided to get back into athletics when I was 24 after recovering from injury and I was spotted by a couple of coaches in London who proceeded to get me back in shape! As I started to progress through the UK rankings I started to take it more

Kirsty and Alasdair

seriously every year and now I’m looking for sponsors to help me achieve my dream of representing GB. I’m currently hovering around the 6 metre mark but I really need to get closer to 7 metres to challenge on the international stage.

I currently work full time as a marketing executive and train at Brunel University with my coach Keith Flemming, who is a former GB international long jumper and coach to Commonwealth Games Gold and Silver medallists. The 2017 outdoor season starts in April and the plan is to try and place myself in the top 20 this year.”

Charlie Winter-Taylor (1997) is marrying Rob Jackson in May and Alice Cole, daughter of our much loved Liz Cole, Hatfield Housemistress, will be her bridesmaid.

Saska Ingham (2013) is completing her final year at Worcester University on a full scholarship and - when

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she is not playing top-notch hockey for Worcester - modelling around the world! Don’t miss the beautiful photographs of her in the Spring / Summer 2017 edition of Town and Country; it is gorgeous.

NEWS FROM OLD GIRLS

Charlotte Mason (2010) is in her final year of an MA at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, a world-renowned conservatoire of the Royal Schools of Music. She will graduate this summer to pursue a career as an opera singer. Charlotte came back to MSJ at the beginning of February to perform a recital for current pupils, staff and former staff and to share her passion and talent with current students.

I’m delighted for our very talented former MSJ accompanist, Malcom Forbes-Tucker, who is enjoying being part of the musical cast for An American In Paris at the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End. Malcolm holds the Piano Chair which means that he is a piano concerto part in the pit.

Lynne Lindner at St James’s Dinner

You will see in the next section that the Jenny Lind singers performed at Christmas at Elmslie House; that Charlotte Mason (2010) has been in to perform and mentor; that Old Girl singers got together to perform at the St James’s Dinner in the Summer; and Antonia Ellis (St J’s & A, 1994) performed at the MSJ Christmas Carols. It really is non-stop – but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Jennifer Kirby (2007), already acclaimed for her work in the UK and US with the RSC, has now hit the small screen in the BBC’s prime-time show, Call the Midwife. Jennifer plays Valerie Dyer, the newest midwife to join the team at Nonnatus House.

Jennifer, along with sister Ellie, and her parents, attended the St James’s Dinner last Summer, and we are delighted that Jennifer is our Guest Speaker at Prizegiving this year.

Former Head Girls, Alice Wright (2008) and sister Jess Wright (2010) attended Commemoration in

Charlotte with Emily Noble and Mrs Lynne Lindner

Charlotte spent time with our Year 6 pupil, Emily Noble, whose dream is to become a professional opera singer, as well other MSJ musicians.

She will be married this September to cellist Stephen Laidlaw. It is going to be something of an MSJ affair: she will have Old Girls singing; Becky Fisher and Stephanie Hencher will be bridesmaids; and the vicar will be MSJ’s former chaplain, Rev’d Anne Lanyon-Hogg.

Congratulations and good luck to Charlotte for married life and the start of her fully-fledged professional career.

Alice and Jess Wright

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2016 to wave farewell to outgoing Headmistress, Mrs Trish Woodhouse.

We were delighted to host the girls, along with their parents.

MSJ is enormously grateful to all Old Girls, like Charlotte, who give up their time and share their expertise with current students. If you think you have a similar talent to share – not just musical; it could be anything which fits with school life – please get in touch.

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degree, then work with communities in Western Uganda and fundraise to further their work in the future.

First Aid Africa is funded by constituent societies at UK Universities and through individual contributions and grants. I am fundraising to support the ongoing expansion of this young charity, which recently celebrated its 5th birthday. Please help support First Aid Africa so more people can learn to save lives in emergencies: www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/firstaidafricafundraising

The Jenny Lind Singers

The Jenny Lind Singers gave a fantastic performance to a full house on 23rd December at Elmslie House (formerly Lawnside’s The Grove) in aid of MSJ’s long-standing charity partner, Malvern Special Families (MSF). The Singers are led

by MSJ’s Lynne Lindner and former Deputy Headmistress, Mrs Sarah Musgrave, who is also a Trustee of MSF. Over £1000 was raised for the charity. This went towards the £10,000 which MSJ has pledged to fundraise this year to mark the School’s 10th anniversary.

Nadia Jbilou (2012) wrote to Mrs Jenni Chuck at the end of 2016: “I’ve graduated now in Advertising, with a 2:1 (0.5% off a 1st, but hey it’s a story to tell!). I’m currently working at my university as they have job openings and I thought it would be nice to stay closer to home, and I get to see my friends around which is lovely. I have been taking part in Young Enterprise again, as a Start-Up, importing beautifully hand-crafted items from Morocco. Fast forward to the awards... we won Best Trade Stand 2016, Company of the Year 2016 and I won an individual award as Business Woman of the Year. We had to write a piece about our YE experience and I went into how it all started with Début, at MSJ. I got to meet a business partner of Richard Branson and win a cash prize of £3k.”

Rosie Baker (2012): This year I’m working with a charity, First Aid Africa, which works to provide sustainable first aid equipment and education across Sub-Saharan Africa.

First Aid Africa recruits international volunteers, who are trained at UK universities and join colleagues from across Africa to provide lifesaving skills in the areas where they’re needed the most. The charity aims eventually to not be needed, by using a sustainability model with local community engagement and training at its heart.

I’m working with them for the next 6 months+ while I undergo advanced first aid training alongside my medical

Rebecca Evans (2014): I thought that I’d just send in a quick update from Cardiff where I am now in my second year of studying Medicine. The course has been all that I hoped it would be, challenging, rewarding and fascinating in equal measure. There have been a few unexpected tests along the way; being introduced to my cadaver in the second week and struggling to get the smell of formaldehyde out of my hair being amongst them, but I have absolutely no doubt that I am on the right course for me. Cardiff is also a brilliant place to study. This year we have been able to spend more time with patients, studying real-world scenarios and learning from healthcare specialists from many different disciplines. I am so grateful for all of the fantastic teaching that we have received and am very

Becky Evans in Gambia with MSJ in 2013

keen to use my new-found knowledge to good effect. In this light I have managed to secure a place on a trip to Zambia this summer with the charity Students for Kids International Projects to teach women and children about HIV, STIs, contraception and puberty. The aim is to increase awareness within the community in Livingstone, Zambia and to give people the means with which they can protect themselves. Teaching and spreading the word about safe sex is vital to Zambia’s development and, in a country with such a young population, going into schools must be a good place to start. To raise the funds required to go on this trip I

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have set myself the challenge of running the Shakespeare Half Marathon in Stratford upon Avon on 7th May and am currently looking for any donations or sponsorship which can be given through my ‘gofundme’ page: www.gofundme.com/SHZambia Victoria Gawlik (2015) and Anna Baird (2013) gave a personal insight into life at Oxford for MSJ girls visiting the university in January, with Mrs Huntley (History and Politics) and Mrs Hubbard (English). Victoria is at University College and Anna is at Somerville. Thanks to both.

Wan at St James’s Palace

Year 9 with Anna Baird (front row, sheepskin jacket)

As we go to press, we have just received a photo from Wan, who spoke with Prince Philip and was handed her certificate by Joanne Froggatt of Downton Abbey.

India Wilkinson (2016) met up with Chayanit ‘Mook’ Jinnasith (2016) when travelling in Thailand in December.

At University College with Victoria (in yellow coat) and Mrs Hubbard

Several of the 2016 Leavers went to St James’s Palace to receive their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Certificates in March. Alannah Byrne, Wan Mecasuwandamrong, Teresa Hui, Shanya Roberts and Charlaine Yam were joined by 2015 Leaver Katie Barnes. Rosie Baird (2015) has also received an invitation to Buckingham Palace, but it falls in her examination period, so she will be going to a presentation in September.

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India and Mook

Charlee Sherwood (2016) has been working for Line Up Media, where she has been gaining PR experience on a campaign for Reebok. She has also been selected to give a presentation at the British Conference of Undergraduate Researchers on Marxism and Advertising.

malvern ST JAMES

NEWS FROM

HONORARY MEMBERS In March, former Headmistress Mrs Patricia Woodhouse was formally declared at Painters Hall into the Worshipful Company of Educators. Trish is now Head at Surval School in Montreux, Switzerland, and “loving it”. She is also a Vice President of AROPS – the Association of Representatives of Old Pupils’ Societies – with a remit of encouraging more girls’ schools to join the society.

Patricia Woodhouse snowshoeing

Former Deputy Head of MSJ, Mrs Sarah Musgrave, co-hosted a special event for Honorary Members (former staff), with former Headmistress Mrs Ros Hayes and teacher Ms Greer Owen. Sarah writes, “Twenty-one staff who were present at the school during the foundation of Malvern St James in September 2006 but no longer work there were invited to attend and celebrate the 10th anniversary of the school. A collection for Malvern Special Families, the School’s chosen charity for its 10th Anniversary celebrations, raised £365.”

Honorary Members’ MSF Tea

Elisabeth Rambridge, former MGC History teacher, MGC and MSJ Housemistress and OGA Secretary, writes: “Here I am with new friends! – members of the splendid team who have carried out the Restoration Project at St Faith’s Berrow. The work was delayed by nesting swifts, and when one of the channels was being dug for the French drain, there was a clunk – and an amazing tombstone dating from the 1300s was uncovered. I was very honoured to be introduced to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, when he visited the Diocese of Worcester in recognition of the contribution I have made to this rural church. It’s been hard work fulfilling the criteria of the Heritage Lottery Fund, but I’ve learnt such a lot! Andrew wasn’t well last year, and to celebrate his recovery we cruised from New York to Montreal to see the autumn colours in the Fall. Shortly we are off on our first river cruise as I’m very keen to visit Wittenberg in this 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation. I keep up regularly with dear chums – there’s always something to chatter about; and I love reading the news that comes in the Christmas post. I think Andrew sees June Roundhill more often than I do – at the local pub!”

Elisabeth at St Faith’s, Berrow

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

Old Girl interview: Tanith Carey Tanith Carey is an award-winning journalist and author, who writes for a variety of publications across the world, including The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail and The Times, among others. She has also written eight books. With two daughters, aged 11 and 14, she is also one of the UK’s most high-profile parenting authors, writing books which aim to tackle the most pressing challenges for today’s families.

Tanith is a Malvern Girls’ College Old Girl (1984 Leaver) and was our Guest Speaker at last summer’s Prizegiving.

Nia Grainger (Year 7) spent some time with Tanith to find out more about her life as an author and her time at school.

Why did you want to write books?

Because I had something I wanted to say. The world is different from when I was growing up; there’s more media pressure now. I wanted life to be easier for my daughters and for them to grow up stronger.

and showed me the bigger picture.

What other authors did you like while you were growing up?

What is your favourite book from the ones you have written? Why? I’ve written eight books. They are like my children, so I don’t like one more than the other!

I really enjoyed working on Never Kiss a Man in a Canoe.

I spent a lot of time in the library, researching. I loved hearing the voices from the past; they were really vivid. I enjoy understanding history through people.

Taming the Tiger Parent is all about understanding that people are better at different things and we have lots of different talents. I wanted to say, “Parents – please calm down! Children need childhoods”. Children learn through play and they need time alone.

What was it like for you in New York? Was it helpful that you moved?

It was a big shock. I went from a lovely, quiet school to being thrown into busy New York. I got a new perspective (I lived in Surrey before moving). I learnt my strengths and I also learnt that I loved England. Being in New York made me more confident. I was the US correspondent for a national newspaper, so my job gave me a more global view

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I loved Ballet Shoes (by Noel Streatfeild) and other evocative books such as Tom’s Midnight Garden (by Philippa Pearce).

I also enjoyed Sylvia Plath’s work and Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

When you were at school, was there anybody that inspired you?

Mrs Anabel Donald, who was Head of English. She was eccentric, clever, free-spirited and a bit of a maverick. She had a book published when I was at school, at a time when it wasn’t easy to get published. It was called Hannah at 35.

Mrs Donald inspired me to think that I could have a book published too. She went on to become a thriller writer.

What is your favourite memory of being at school?

I was very hard-working at school. At the weekends, we could have the run of the whole school building, so I would take over a classroom for the weekend. There weren’t any electricity sockets in the dorms, so being in a classroom meant I could plug my radio in and listen to the radio chart show on a Sunday night while I worked. I loved it – just me, my books and studying.

ALUMNAE IN FOCUS

Rose Owen

(MSJ 2013)

stopped me in my tracks holding a machete towards my face and asked me for my clothes, my money and my rucksack.

You can imagine the fear of my poor parents on the other side of the world when I explained these experiences.

Antigua, Martinique, St Marten, St Barts, Grenada, Antibes, Monaco, Porto Cervo, Koh Tao – these are just a handful of the places I have visited since leaving MSJ in 2013.

It seems only yesterday that I was with all my fellow classmates on the last day of Sixth Form. I was full of mixed emotions – excited, nervous and scared all at the same time. After spending so long under the wing of my Housemistresses and tutors, I was finally ready to crawl out and see what the world had to offer outside of Malvern.

I had been accepted into Westminster University at the end of 2013. However, I had a gut feeling this was not the right thing to do. So, I deferred my entry and drove down to the Isle of Wight to do a three week intensive course on sea survival, firefighting and tender driving. A week later, I flew out to Antibes to try and become a Stewardess on a Super Yacht. I dock-walked for weeks trying to find a job.

When I was starting to think that this idea wasn’t going to work, I got a call from a captain in Monaco asking for me to join his crew and start my new role as Junior Stewardess onboard M/Y Lady Marina, 64m.

For friends, family and teachers that have known me since being a young girl, I have always been one for spontaneous ideas. My next adventure was to head to Thailand to do a three month course of scuba diving to become a Dive Master (having never dived before). My mother and father did not think this wise, as I was still naïve about what a third world country actually was. Nevertheless, I sneakily booked my flight to Bangkok. Nothing could have prepared me. Not books, not websites, and not even the wise words of my father “Just don’t do anything stupid”. Within three hours of being in this new world, I had lost my GoPro, my debit card and my flip flops.

Somehow, I made it to Koh Tao and began my course at Crystal Dive Centre. Diving in Thailand has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I cannot explain the feeling of breathing underwater at 30m deep; the most beautiful sea life circling you and all you can hear, is the peaceful sound of bubbles. I met some incredible people in Thailand and I still keep in contact with them and intend to visit them when the next student loan comes in... (cough cough).

After three years of these wonderful, mad adventures, I have now dedicated the following four years to studying BA TV Hons at Bournemouth University, to become the next female Steven Spielberg.

I hope that this small snippet of my time since leaving MSJ might just inspire the girls to not follow the crowd and do what they really want to do, no matter how scary it might be to leave their comfort zones. Just go for it, even when people say you can’t do it, show them you can.

I am happy to say that after all those years at MSJ, I had actually learnt a thing or two. I was on Lady Marina for three months, and then I joined S/Y EOS, 94m - my favourite yacht so far because the crew felt like a large unconventional family. We travelled all over the Caribbean visiting many private islands, paddle boarding through crystal clear waters, witnessing England vs The West Indies cricket and often sailing through winds of up to 51 knots with swell as high as 6/7m.

One story I will never forget is when I was hiking through the rainforests of Grenada. A young boy of either 10 or 11 years

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS Nicola Clift (MSJ 2015) Nicola Clift (MSJ 2015) received an OGA Travel Award towards her gap year project for Raleigh International.

Nicky writes: Raleigh International is a sustainable development charity: ‘We believe that when local communities and young people work side by side to create positive change, it empowers them. And it’s the energy and motivation of empowered people that creates lasting change.’

This is the reason why I went out to join Raleigh International in Borneo for 10 weeks during my gap year. Before going to Exeter University to study Geography, I was given a real insight into issues that are occurring worldwide. I never would have believed how much impact just forty-three 17-21 year olds can make on solving these problems and helping to work towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

PHASE 1 ALPHA 4: The Jungle Trek I was nervous, apprehensive, yet excited. Trekking for 17 days through the heart of the jungle, carrying 10 days’ worth of food, cooking on fires, sleeping in hammocks, carrying bags that were so heavy we’d need help to lift them onto our backs, communicating via radio, only washing every 3-4 days in rivers; I really didn’t know what I had let myself in for. Our local Sabahan guides led the way across risky looking bridges into the rainforest.

flying snakes and spiders bigger than our hands and were taught by the guides the techniques of building fires and making Sabah coffee.

Phase 2 Alpha 1: Community Phase in Sungai Magandai.

After 5 hours in a bumpy 4x4, down roads that would take an hour and a half to cover 1km, we were greeted by little children, at first shy to say hello. We moved all of our bags, food and kit into the community hall in which we were staying for the next 19 days. The first night we were warmly invited to the local school’s religious celebration where we joined in with the Bornean dancing and karaoke songs. On the first day we were all eager to get to work at the site, to carry on the work of the last phase of building a rural electrical workshop. This is a project partnership, where Raleigh is working with other charities to provide Sungai Magandai and surrounding villages with a reliable source of electricity. Grandmothers from Sungai Magana will be taken to India to teach them how to construct, install and repair solar panels that they will eventually be making in their village workshop which the Raleigh venturers have built. The grandmothers will then be able to pass their knowledge and skills on to younger generations and other people within the community to ensure the long term sustainability of the project.

We had plenty of work to do; clearing the pathway and digging steps, varnishing wood, collecting sand and gravel from the river, digging a hole for a septic tank and our

As the trekking days went on, and rest days were in sight, we perfected making and breaking camp, battled with the radio to check in with Fieldbase each day, encountered

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ALUMNAE IN FOCUS our scorching hot campsite. Our camp was in a clearing of the rainforest along with the Rangers’ house and nurseries in which plants were grown from seedlings in polybags ready to be planted into the rainforest. The first few days were spent working on the campsite area where we were finishing off the cement work from the previous phase. This would become the foundation of an office and garage which would be used for research and monitoring of the restoration progress taking place in the surrounding jungle. “favourite” job of cementing, when we had to use shovels and wear dust masks, long trousers and long-sleeved tops in the infernal heat.

Another part of the project included a WASH survey (water, sanitation and hygiene), where we would go into people’s homes to ask them how the gravity-fed water system, which Raleigh had installed 3 years ago, had affected their families and lifestyles. It was very interesting to see the impact it had made on the village, by the hours saved every day from collecting water to the health and wellbeing of the families.

Some days it was too hot to work in the midday heat so we’d often play with the children. Despite knowing little English, they loved being around us. In the evenings, we played football and volleyball, taught the children about how we

were helping their village with the solar panel project, and taught them basic English phases. It was emotional leaving as we had formed such strong relationships.

Phase 3, Alpha 2: Environmental Phase, TRCRC. After an 8 hour coach journey to Merisuli near to Lahad Datu, we were picked up by the ‘Tropical Rainforest Conservation Research Centre’ (TRCRC) Rangers who took us to ‘the surface of the sun’, otherwise known as

The main focus of the project was to reintroduce biodiversity by planting over 600 trees in endangered areas that TRCRC Rangers had identified. Borneo is one of the World’s 12 mega-biodiverse countries due to its rich diversity of ecosystems and the ecological and scientific value of Sabah’s natural resources; however due to the rapid increase in economic growth which has relied upon its forest resources, there has been a 50% depletion of their total coverage of forest area in the past 30 years. This has had detrimental effects on wildlife including the well-known Bornean orangutan, which has been classified as ‘Red List’ for endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature. We drove the plants as close to the planting site as possible, then carried them through the forest, either in cages on our backs or by hand. It took us around 3 days to carry all 600 polybags to the site which was about a 15 minute walk, up and down, through the jungle. The Rangers then marked out the specific locations for each plant type as we were planting them.

On two mornings whilst at TRCRC Camp, we woke up at 4.30, trekked for 20 minutes with only head torches to guide us up to a quarry where we watched the sunrise; mesmerising and beautiful. On the last day of the phase we were told by the Rangers that an orangutan had been spotted near our site. The Rangers themselves had never seen a wild orangutan and certainly never expected to see one in that area, so it was an incredible experience for all of us. It was the perfect end to the phase and proved to us that projects such as ours are making a real impact.

Raleigh has been an experience of a lifetime and ten weeks that I will never forget. This is just a short glimpse into my time with Raleigh, with too many stories to share. I would highly recommend it to any pupils or adults considering volunteering abroad.

I would like to thank everyone who helped to make it happen including Malvern St James Old Girls’ Association and also thank all the people I met on the expedition who made my journey so incredible and memorable. #SustainTheSmallStuff

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HONORARY MEMBERS IN FOCUS English Teacher of Long Standing Still Not Sitting Down...

by Chris Shepherd, Malvern St James and Malvern Girls’ College

Incredible though it may seem, I’m still/back/here/ again!! It depends when you start counting, but though Mr Harris (Chemistry) has been in this building the longest in terms of continuous service, I think I was here before anyone else on the staff at the moment – since 1976. I’m not sure anyone else goes back that far, barring Dr Hutton (Chemistry) who can still be seen occasionally as she flits in to do more coaching.

Some of you might remember me from various bouts of being at MGC. I began in 1976 and went on until 1980 when I went to teach in China. The Girls’ College was obviously very different in feel and ethos – it’s two generations ago – but the main building with its large rooms was here. In 1983 I was back in Malvern doing temporary maternity cover at the School. I seemed to be dipping in and out quite a bit, though I eventually found a job in London working for Christian Aid as Education Advisor which gave me a lifetime’s interest in development and a trip to India. I then returned to Malvern to marry (we held our reception in York Hall) but still did not quite get away. I was asked to cover a maternity leave in the German department, and while doing that, I found I was expecting a baby myself, and I wasn’t the only one at the time; the rumour was, it was all to do with the Modern Languages cupboard!

Chris with two of the Debating team

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In the 1990s I was here on occasions again though the children were quite small, and there were four of them, so I couldn’t go back to do much work, but under Ann Lee and then Linde Melhuish, helped out occasionally in the Department. I then went off to various other schools and returned here at the end of 2012 and no-one has yet kicked me out.

I am in charge of Debating and Public Speaking, have joined the Jazz Band, the Choir whenever needed, and the Orchestra as the only brass player (but will be happy to bow out when other trumpeters join me!) and try to get stuck in wherever possible, conscious that the children have flown the nest and I live 10 minutes’ walk away!

There is always so much going on at MSJ and I enjoy supporting the girls at concerts, plays and productions.

It was great fun being a model at the Fashion Show last year, too.

I enjoy all kinds of reunions these days, as old age makes one sentimental and indulgent, and so try to get to the OGA reunions when they are organised. So far they have clashed with my own school ones! Having come to Malvern in 1976 expecting to stay 2 or 3 years, I am still trying to get away – but it hasn’t happened yet!

IN MEMORIAM We fondly remember the following Old Girls and Honorary Members.

MGC Clare John (Jones, MGC 1966) reported the death of Joyce Eileen Jones (Gibbon, 1931) who passed away peacefully in November 2016, aged 103 years. Joyce was from Cardiff and after the death of her husband in 1991 she continued to live at home with her daughter Helen Elisabeth Jones (MGC 1964). More recently she had moved into a nursing home. She had regularly kept in touch with a longstanding friend from MGC, Kathleen Jefferis, and they exchanged photos of themselves on their 100th birthdays.

Dorothy Moncrieff (Balcon, 1936), in January 2016, aged 95.

Jean Moran (Frame, 1936) in May 2016.

Her daughter, Louise, says that her time at School was “among the happiest of her life. She loved the company of the other girls and teachers at the school, and thrived scholastically. She went to the University of London to study social work and moved to Canberra with her husband. In 1994 she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for her contributions to Canberra’s development.”

Lucy Duncan (Crawford Boyd, 1943) died on 9th May 2016 in Canada, aged 92. Born in Scotland, Lucy graduated from The University of Glasgow Medical School in 1949. She moved to Canada in 1956 with her husband, Dr David Duncan, and went on to become Lambton County’s Medical Officer of Health – a position she held from 1973 until 1988. During her retirement, Lucy was named in the Mayor’s Honour List, as well as being awarded the Queen’s Medal in 2002 for her service to the community.

We are incredibly grateful to Lucy’s daughter, Ann Birch, who has donated a fascinating collection of documents

Patricia Hogan (Russell, 1949) in July 2016. Patricia had recently written to us to say that she still played bridge, and volunteered for gardening, and loved reading the OGA News. Her son, Simon, said she was reading the magazine a few days before she died and was particularly happy to see her god-daughter Angela Hall (Legg) featured.

Jenifer Anderson (Angus, 1949), in December 2016, after a year-long battle with cancer. After leaving Malvern, Jenifer went on to Guildford Law School, and qualified as a solicitor. She was very involved in her local community in Stockton on Tees.

Lucy Duncan

from Lucy’s time at MGC. These include photographs, school reports, letters Lucy wrote home, newspaper clippings and Lucy’s hand written hymn book.

Sheila Bale (English 1944), in Perth, Western Australia, in September 2014.

Dr Una Kroll (Hill, MGC 1940s) in January 2017. The Daily Telegraph reported that she was “the most colourful and outspoken campaigner for the ordination of women to the priesthood of the Church of England; in 1978 she achieved international fame when she disturbed the peace of the General Synod following its decision to refuse ordination to women.” After leaving MGC she went to Girton College, Cambridge and became a doctor.

Jill Page (Strange, 1947) in July 2015, aged 85.

Caroline Gorrie (Mackintosh, 1947) in December 2016.

Winifred Anne Hilditch (Drummond, 1947) in December 2015.

Jill Wedgwood (Garood, 1948) in May 2015.

Stirrat,

Janice Chell (Pretty, 1951) in August 2015.

Lesley Gates (Grey, 1951) died in the Summer of 2016. Lesley’s husband, Michael, told us that Lesley spoke fondly of her time at MGC. Alison Margaret Owen (Forrest, 1951) suddenly in February 2016, aged 82.

“She and other Old Girls continued to meet regularly until the end of her life, particularly at the RHS’s garden at Wisley. Much loved wife of John, mother of Nicola and Christopher, and grandmother of Ottilie. She is greatly missed by her family and many friends.”

Rosemary Speirs (Holme, 1952) died on 20th July 2016. Rosemary’s nieces, Catherine Hammond (Maddens, MGC 1984) and Rosemary Chandler (Maddens, MGC 1985) attended Rosemary’s funeral, as well as Tricia Wilkinson (MGC 1956) and Jill Gladstone (Vernon, MGC 1958). Tricia wrote, “Rosemary had a hunting accident 11 years ago which left her in a wheelchair but she never complained and was always positive.

In the last couple of years her memory was failing but she fought a brave fight and was looked after at home by her

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IN MEMORIAM

husband, who died 3 years ago, and then by a wonderful team of carers.”

Ayleen Jackson (Buck, MGC 1955) in January 2016.

Jacqui Akhurst (Wandless, 1956/7) in October 2016.

Sarah Tillet (Cassey, 1956/7) in April 2016.

Sue Kelly (Pridmore, 1957/8) in May 2016.

Jane Johnson (Wynne, 1957/8) in July 2015.

Helen Lewis (Morgan, 1958) in October 2016.

Merilyn Hywel-Jones (Booker, MGC 1959) in October 2016. A full obituary of Merilyn has been written by her friend from MGC days, Kay Ashton (Watkins, 1961), and also a second, written by Rosie Llewellyn Jones of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs (RSAA).

Both will be held in the OGA Archive and are available on request. Merilyn was closely involved with the RSAA for over thirty years, through her voluntary work in the Library and her extensive knowledge of the Middle East and Iran, where she spent her early married life. In 2000, Merilyn was appointed Honorary Secretary to the Society, a post held until her death. She was a meticulous cataloguer and archivist, not just for the RSAA, but also for the National Archives at Kew, The National Army Museum, the National Maritime Museum and the British Library. In her memory, the RSAA has renamed part of its Archives as the Merilyn HywelJones Collection of Slides.

Merilyn Hywel-Jones

It is with great sadness that we report the death of the OGA’s long-standing auditor and latterly Treasurer, Margaret Wood (1960), on 23rd June 2016. Margaret gave a great deal of her time to the OGA. Tricia Wilkinson writes: “Maggie had a love of sport, especially riding and tennis. She was involved in a racing syndicate with MGC friends Penny Avison (Beck, 1957), Liz Ticehurst (Major, 1966) and Lucy Pilkington (an Old Lawnsidian).

She had a flat in Spain which she enjoyed visiting and was involved in the Blenheim Horse Trials and Mirfield Show. Margaret’s funeral was well attended and was a real celebration of her life – well lived. Margaret was always positive, even in the face of her illness. She came home and died in her own home. Her little dog Stitch was by her side and also in church for her service. She will be missed.”

Audrey Haygarth Jackson in October 2016, aged 88, “always had fond memories of her time at Lawnside.”

St James’s Shirley, Marchioness of Anglesea (Elizabeth Shirley Vaughan Morgan), in January 2017, aged 92. She was prominently involved in public life, Head of the Women’s Institute and went on to chair the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.

The Marchioness was created a CBE, then DBE and a finally a LVO. Rosalind Mary Leney (St J’s 1941) in April 2016.

St James’s/ MSJ Laura Walker (Kerrigan, 2006) passed away peacefully with her family at her side at St Richard’s Hospice, Worcester on December 26th 2016, aged 27. “Beloved and devoted wife of Jon, much loved daughter to Gloria and Mark, and loving elder sister to Alice”.

Margaret Wood

Clare Pattihis (Kong, 1970) died in January 2017 after a short illness.

Olivia Alderson (Millington, MGC 1991) in July 2016 after a seven year battle with breast cancer.

The Abbey Carole Linton (Hoare, 1960) in February 2016 after a brave fight with cancer.

Marilyn Way (Baker, 1960) died in December 2016 from cancer.

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Lawnside

Honorary Members Di Galloway (Busby), Biology teacher at MGC c1970-76, passed away in April 2016. This was the new era of post-Nuffield Biology and team teaching with Margaret Jago. Diane skilfully fitted into the expanding Science department, and stayed for a time at the staff house, ‘Goodrest’.

Daphne Moffat, PE teacher in the 1950s.

Jocelyn Bailey, former German teacher at MGC, House Tutor and keeper of the archive, died suddenly but peacefully in August 2016. Joc was suffering from Parkinsons and diabetes.

EVENTS London Networking Drinks at the Houses of Parliament is taking place on 29th March (just coming up as we go to press). Thanks to Victoria Prentis (Boswell, 1989) who has kindly offered us The Jubilee Room to host the event and will lead the Guest Speakers.

Thanks also to our full line-up of Guest Speakers who are Angelina Ma (MGC 2000 – co-founder of ASI Data Science), Tamsin Barber (MGC 1998 – award-winning broadcast journalist and producer), Rachel Hawkins (Moon, MGC 2001 – counsel for O’Melveny), Anthea Cheung (MSJ 2011 – management consultant at Bain & Co) and Catharine Wozniak (Parliamentary Office and Research Manager). We are also delighted to be joined by Guests of Honour – Lynne Lindner, from the Music departments of MSJ and St James’s, and former Housemistresses, Suki Pallett and Liz Prophet. See the OGA Facebook and Twitter feeds for a write-up after the event. The evening’s proceedings will be led by OGA Vice-Chair, Penny Smith.

MSJ in Hong Kong

Left: Mr Kwok, Mrs Vivenne Tsao, Mrs Abbie Li. Right from front: Pippi Kwok, Registrar Emily Harris, Mrs Olivera Raraty, Georgie Kwok.

MSJ’s new Headmistress, Mrs Olivera Raraty, visited Hong Kong in December and hosted a reception for families currently at the School, Old Girls and their families, and those coming, or thinking about coming to MSJ in the future. The Renaissance Harbour View Hotel was the venue for the evening and Olivera was delighted to meet Amie Cheung, Vanessa Chan, Caroline Burlison, Denise Wong, Janet Chung, Jessica So, Jade Wong, Mr and Mrs Gannon and the Lam family including Old Girls Sabrina and Cindy. Olivera also had supper with former Head Girl Georgiana Kwok, sister Philippa Kwok, and their parents – the girls’ mother Vivienne Tsao is also an Old Girl (MGC 1981). They were joined by Abbie Li, a friend of Vivienne from MGC days. Olivera also enjoyed lunch with Mr and Mrs Lam and daughter Cindy. The visit was a very successful one and Olivera was delighted to be immersed in the different eras of the school .

Mr and Mrs Lam and Cindy, with Mrs Raraty and Emily Harris

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SUMMER REUNION 2016 We had a great day with over 160 of you attending. Here is a snapshot …

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THE FOUNDERS’ AWARDS

T

he Old Girls’ Association and individual Old Girls have contributed significantly to bursary funding over the years, which has enabled MSJ to help deserving students and their families by way of fee remissions and financial assistance for appropriate academic enrichment activities.

The Founders’ Awards are a new bursary initiative, launched in 2015. The Award is actually a scholarship – the School’s most prestigious; recognising academic excellence, extracurricular commitment and community leadership. This scholarship is awarded in conjunction with a means-tested bursary and, unlike any other scholarship the School offers, it has an open fee remission, meaning it can exceed the usual maximum 40% cap. The Awards are specifically targeted at the Sixth Form, although we hope, in time, to extend them to the Senior School (Years 7-11). The School will launch a fundraising appeal very soon to increase the number of awards we can make to bright and talented girls.

Girls apply for the Award in Year 11. Some applicants are girls who are currently at school elsewhere and wish to come to MSJ for the Sixth Form, whilst others are at MSJ already, but either need financial assistance to complete Sixth Form, or who would benefit from becoming boarders rather than day girls. The latter allows them more access to the School’s facilities in the evenings and at weekends, and brings them the full boarding school experience, encouraging independence, and characteristic ‘grit and determination’.

The first Founders’ Awards were bestowed at Prizegiving in Summer 2016, to two exceptional students, Chloe Parker and Coco Chernel, who moved into Sixth Form in September.

Coco Chernel (right) as a STEM Club Mentor

Coco Chernel is studying Maths, Physics and Geography for A Level and is undertaking an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) where she is developing a toy to enhance the cognitive development of 9-18 month olds. She is involved with the school Charities Committee, writes for the students’ magazine, The Chronicle, plays lacrosse for the County, is a STEM Club mentor (helping younger girls with their projects), is about to complete her Duke of Edinburgh Gold

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Chloe Parker in the DT lab

Award, participates in Model United Nations, and is currently working on her Speech & Drama Grade 8.

Before receiving her Founders’ Award, Coco was a Day Girl.

She says, “My Award has allowed me to become a boarder and this means that my work ethic has gone through the roof. The environment has really helped me focus on my grades, but also socially I have made friends with so many more girls in my boarding house. I’m thinking about my future, and my plan is to study Engineering at Bristol or one of the top Russell Group universities. I have always been interested in the way things work and how we can improve upon them. Ultimately, I think I would like to specialise in Aeronautical or Aerospace engineering.”

Chloe, too, has benefited from boarding as a result of her Founders’ Award. She says, “I’m really enjoying Sixth Form so much more because boarding allows me the opportunity to be far more sociable, to enjoy more evening events such as lectures or the ability to stay in the DT Lab till late, as well as really getting involved with boarding house life.”

Chloe is studying Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Product Design and working on her EPQ which involves making a Victorian dress. Looking ahead, she intends to study Physics at University and she is interested in specialising in nuclear physics at a later stage. “Everyone in my Maths class is a boarder, and discussions about our curriculum and extension work often goes on in the house, so it’s great to be a part of that. Our Physics teacher also lives in the house (he is the husband of Housemistress Ms Pardoe) so he regularly helps out with some of our bigger scientific problems. He has also brought in Oxford tutors to help us practise interview questions. It has all been really useful, and brings another dimension to our learning.”

Chloe is the youngest MSJ student to receive her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. She is also part of the Charities Committee, a Subject Mentor for Design & Technology, a mentor for the Junior STEM Club, and plays lacrosse and netball.

We are very grateful to everyone who has already contributed to the Founders’ Awards. Gifts of all sizes are gratefully received, and all have an impact. Our ability to give amazing opportunities to amazing girls is dependent on your generosity. Please help us create transformational experiences for more girls now and in the future.

For further information please email or call the OGA Office 01684 892288 or oga@malvernstjames.co.uk

The OGA & MSJ

HEADMISTRESS’ REPORT I am delighted to be writing my first welcome to you in the OGA magazine as the new Headmistress at Malvern St James. Nearing the end of my second term in post, I am constantly delighted by the buzz and vibrancy of MSJ life: the enthusiasm of the girls for their learning, their friendships with one another and their evident enjoyment of the rich and diverse opportunities that the School provides. MSJ today still combines traditional values with a modern and forward looking approach to education that we know equips our girls well for life. It still has an ethos that will be familiar to you: a commitment to the joy of learning and scholarship, kindness, respect and generosity to one another, pride in the School’s heritage, and a belief in every girl’s future and helping her to flourish.

I have very much enjoyed meeting some of you at events held so far this year, and sharing with you current girls’ successes. They sparkle in all fields: five girls are holding Oxbridge offers this year in a range of degree subjects; thirty-two girls are holding offers from other UK universities ranked in the top 10; Lucy, our joint Head Girl, is currently ranked 6th following the World Faldo Golf Championships and has also played for the Under 17 England Women’s Hockey team; our Sixth Form Mathematicians reached the UK Maths Challenge final in London last month, while our Prep girls performed magically at the Be Epic Ball in aid of the charity Young Epilepsy. I also hugely enjoyed my trip to Hong Kong in December when I was fortunate to meet several Old Girls and their families, some of whom now have daughters at the school. My thanks in particular to the Kwok, Li, Gannon and Lam families for their generous hospitality. It was wonderful to hear of the deep affection and special place that Malvern has in their memories and hearts.

Among the many highlights so far this year, has been seeing so many Old Girls come back to talk to current girls about their interesting lives and their career journeys.

Caroline Lucas MP, and Gay Haines, who are both in The Sunday Times/Debrett’s 500 Most Influential Britons list, gave superb talks as part of our OGA Lecture series to students in the Senior school. Robyn Annetts also gave a great and informative talk at the Sixth Form Experience.

Meanwhile, thanks to Victoria Prentis MP for hosting an OGA event at the Houses of Parliament, which was attended by some of our students. And thanks to all those Old Girls who have helped with interview coaching for university admission. All of this is a wonderful example of Old Girls supporting current girls and shows the power of this fantastic network of over 4000 alumnae. We are hosting our Careers Evening in the Autumn Term and would encourage those of you who are able, to come along to talk to current pupils and each other!

The beauty of the Malvern Hills that inspired Elgar, still inspires

our Expressive Arts at MSJ. Charlotte Mason (MSJ 2010) came in to School to give a concert and ran a masterclass for our choral students. Musical life at MSJ is as vibrant as ever and the School still has strong connections with the Malvern Concert Club. The highlight of this term’s concerts was the Schubert Die Schöne Müllerin, when our girls got to meet Roderick Williams, Baritone and Singer of the Year in the 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards (and married to Old Girl Miranda Clasen, MGC 1984). Our MSJ Singers have spent many rehearsals practising Mozart’s Requiem along with other music by Mendelssohn, for the MSJ and Malvern College Choral Society Concert. Drama is also at a high level with performances at the Shakespeare Festival and stunning LAMDA examination results. Acclaimed RSC actress and St James’s/ MSJ Old Girl Jennifer Kirby will be our Guest Speaker at Prizegiving this year. We are happy that the Arts at MSJ continue to offer girls such outstanding opportunities, so vital at a time of cuts to Arts budgets elsewhere, and I very much hope that you will come back to visit the School and enjoy the girls’ performances in some of our many programmes.

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COMMEMORATION & PRIZEGIVING

W

e were delighted to have Tanith Carey (MGC, 1984) as Guest Speaker at Prizegiving last Summer. Tanith loved English at School, and is now an award-winning journalist for UK and international newspapers and magazines. She also writes, particularly books on parenting girls. Taming the Tiger Parent and Girls Uninterrupted: Steps for Building Stronger Girls in a Challenging World are both hers.

She encouraged girls to look for their ‘inner spark’; the thing that they love, that will form a life-long passion, and – as for Tanith – a remarkably successful career.

We really enjoyed having so many Old Girls and their families join us for Commemoration, Lunch and Prizegiving.

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COMMEMORATION & PRIZEGIVING

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The OGA & MSJ Model United Nations

Old Girls in Medicine Thanks to Old Girls - vet Tamsin Learoyd-Hill (Fordham, 1995), and doctors Emma Jenkinson (MGC 1998), and Samuela Tang (MSJ 2007) who have helped or volunteered to help current MSJ Year 13 girls with their application to Medical schools. Very recently, Sophia Rowett (Johnston, 2003), who is a dentist practising in Stroud, Gloucestershire, has offered to help with forthcoming applications.

Psychology Society Liberty Wilkinson, a Year 12 student at MSJ, is setting up a new Psychology Society for fellow students at Malvern St James. Girls are strongly encouraged to create and lead societies and clubs where none exists already and where they have a keen interest.

The Society would like to invite a Guest Speaker to talk to them one evening after school and Liberty has asked whether there are any Old Girls out there who are either practising Psychologists or are undergraduates/ graduates of a Psychology degree.

There is a possibility that we could do this as a webinar if coming to Malvern is difficult (we’ve not done this before, but webinars seem like a good facilitating technology and with the help of our IT team should be straightforward).

Please do get in touch with the OGA office if you are in a position to help. oga@malvernstjames.co.uk

Oxford and Cambridge University Entry Thanks, too, to Old Girls who have offered to help with Oxbridge mock interviews. This year we have five girls holding offers. Three are for Oxford: History and Politics at St John’s, Engineering at St Anne’s and an open offer for Biomedical Sciences.

Two are for Cambridge: Modern and Mediaeval Languages at Gonville and Caius, and Mathematics at Trinity.

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Thanks to all Old Girls who contributed messages and video footage to the MUN Conference held at MSJ on November 19th 2016. In particular, Jenny Avdoi (2015), Hannah Storm (MGC 1995), Elizabeth Rees (2014), Sophy CoombesRoberts (2012) and Leanna Beesley-Peck (2012).

The Old Girls’ words of encouragement were used at the beginning of the morning to focus the minds of over 200 delegates attending from schools around the region.

Hannah Storm’s message was particularly poignant as she filmed a piece from Georgia where she was working with the government and journalists on issues of gender and political conflict resolution. Her work there was being partfunded by the United Nations. Meanwhile Sophy (2012) was able to film her piece from the high-tech comfort of the Sky Sports studios where she works.

Wherever you filmed or sent your messages from, thanks so much to these Old Girls for supporting the next generation of MUN students, fired up with a passion for listening, for understanding, and for bringing about tolerance in a divided world.

Sixth Form Experience with Robyn Annetts Robyn Annetts (MSJ 2013) came back to MSJ to be Guest Speaker at the Sixth Form Experience Supper in October.

This is an event for Year 11s – internal and external – thinking about what they want to study for A Levels and gearing up for the transition to Sixth form and its greater independence.

Robyn studied Law with Humanities at Warwick University and is now working on a 12 month contract for London law firm Baker & McKenzie as a paralegal in the Intellectual Property department, before taking some time off to travel. She will return to university in two years’ time to do a final year studying the Legal Practice Course and do a Masters in International Business alongside it; and then spend two further years working at a firm and training. As she puts it, “Three years down, three to go!”

We are very grateful to Robyn for her time and knowledge; her speech and time spent talking to the girls informally about her experiences were incredibly useful. Robyn has volunteered to talk to girls who are applying for Law and to come back in a few years’ time to talk about the next stage of her career path.

OGA Prefect Lucinda Hobden has an offer from Cambridge

If any other Old Girls are interested in coming to talk to current students about their university experience, we would be delighted to host you. The Sixth Form Experience is one platform, and we will be introducing a new OGA Drinks Reception for Sixth Form in September, where girls can learn more about the Association and how its network of Old Girls can help with university applications advice, mock interview practice, careers advice and more. We are always happy to schedule in workshops at other times of the year to suit Old Girls.

The OGA & MSJ Careers and Connecting If you are interested in connecting with other Old Girls for professional networking and social purposes, take a look at MSJ Connect, a new networking hub provided by market specialists, Graduway.

This provides an area for Old Girls to offer help – for example work experience/ interview coaching/ CV reviews – as well as to link with other Old Girls in their career sector or in a sector they are looking to get into.

It is a forum to promote yourself and your business, and advance your personal and professional goals.

We launched the site in February, and we encourage you to get on board. The more Old Girls we have, the better and more useful MSJ Connect becomes.

You can use it for socialising too. It will pull together all the girls from the same year group, so you can see what people are up to now, chat and share events. www.msj-oga.co.uk

Venues for OGA Events

The MSJ Careers Fair

You will have read on previous pages about our very successful professional networking event at the Houses of Parliament. Tickets sold out in just 48 hours, which meant we had lots of disappointed Old Girls who were unable to come.

“I would like to invite you to take part in the next Careers Fair which will take place in the Autumn Term at MSJ. The date is still to be confirmed, and we will email you to confirm as soon as we can.

We want to do more of these events, but finding venues that are suitable and cost-effective is a real head-ache, particularly in London. If your company is located in central London and has a large meeting room/ conference room/ lecture theatre/ large atrium area which you could offer for free, please let us know. Without this kind of help, we are very restricted.

We want to do more of these events (at least one per year, ideally in March/ November) and we like to keep ticket cost to a minimum so that they are accessible to all. oga@malvernstjames.co.uk

There would be no need to give a formal presentation, the format for the Fair is informal, but we would be very grateful if are in a position to staff a stand and share with the girls your career path and experiences is there anything that you yourself wish you had been aware of back when you were starting out?

Girls from Years 9-13 will attend the Fair and this is a wonderful opportunity for them to talk to women who were once in their shoes. To gain an understanding of the breadth of opportunities open to them both in terms of education and employment.

This is an exciting time for the girls and we hope to inspire and motivate them to think ahead and plan for a fulfilling and rewarding future. I do hope that you will be able to join us and we look forward to welcoming you back to the School. Thank you.”

Samantha Marfleet, Head of Careers

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NOTICEBOARD Old Girls in the South of France

Your data and the OGA

Bridget Cowper-Coles (Elliott, MGC 1970): “I just thought I might go into any list you might have for Old Girls living abroad. I spend most of my time at my house which is between Avignon and Nîmes in the south of France. I would be delighted to hear from anyone in the region or who might want advice about moving into the region.”

Your contact details are currently held on our database.

The information you share with us will be held securely on this system and used by the OGA. It can also be shared, where appropriate, and with the approval of the data administrators, with other relevant departments within the School, such as Careers. Your data will never be disclosed to third party organisations for commercial purposes without your express consent.

Email If you are on email, but you are not registered with us, please send us your details. It is a far more immediate and efficient way of us communicating with you, particularly for invitations to events and ad hoc updates. oga@malvernstjames.co.uk

Social Media

If you are a Facebook user, find us at Facebook/msjoga for the most up-to-date information on upcoming events and regular postings about the schools, the archives and Old Girls.

MSJ_OGA

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The School may wish to process your personal information in connection with a variety of public relations activities which may include sending communications to you.

Examples of these communications include invitations to events, email updates of school news, invitations to speak at or participate in school events, and fundraising information.

As some of you may be aware, new data regulations mean that, in common with all other charities and businesses, the way that we are allowed to communicate with you may change with regulation expected in the first half of 2018.

We will be contacting you as soon as we have definitive information so that we remain compliant with UK and European law, and ensure best practice.

In the meantime if you would like to unsubscribe from OGA or School information, please do contact us at oga@malvernstjames.co.uk/ Tel: 01684 892288/ OGA Office, Malvern St James, 15 Avenue Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR14 3BA.

The OGA & MSJ

DIARY DATES Friday 28th April 10th Anniversary Supper for MSJ Head Girls and Deputy Head Girls and their parents Saturday 17th June 2017 OGA Summer Reunion Lawnside Reunion 10 Years of MSJ Reunion Evening Picnic and Music for MSJ’s 10th Anniversary, on the MSJ Sports Field.

Friday 7th July Commemoration at Malvern Priory and Prizegiving at MSJ. Sunday 22nd October 2017 Hockey Alumnae Sixes at Dean Close School, Cheltenham.

Can we raise an OGA team?

Friday 8th December 2017 Carol Service, Malvern Priory Saturday 16th June 2018 Special 125th Celebration of the Founding of MGC – Reunion and Dinner The Abbey School Reunion Lunch at MSJ - 40 Years On since the last whole school Reunion

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EDITOR’S NOTE Putting together the OGA News is a task which inspires waves of different emotions in me: often the first is feeling overawed by the task ahead (!), but as I start sifting and assimilating the news you have sent in, I always end up with a sense of wonderment at the energy in this network of over 4000 women.

It has been particularly good to see so many Old Girls reaching down the careers ladder and pulling up the generations below them: whether this be undergraduates sharing their experience of university so far, relatively recent graduates sharing the experience of getting their first step on the ladder, or women who are very firmly established, and can share a couple of decades’ or more experience on what has worked (and, just as importantly, what hasn’t) for them.

To help facilitate more professional networking events, I am asking all Old Girls who work in central London to think about whether they have a space (meeting room, conference centre, atrium or similar) which they could offer for such an event.

This year we launched our new social and networking hub, MSJ Connect, at www.msj-oga.co.uk. This provides a hub for news, events, reunions, posting what’s on your mind, sharing photos, and connecting with other people in the careers sector you are in or interested in. Many of those signed up have already offered to help by way of CV reviews, interview coaching or work experience placements. Please make the most of this – the more people who sign up, the more effective the network becomes.

It’s great to read about how so many of you – some several decades on from leaving School – are still as close as ever to school friends, and meet up when you can, even if you are scattered around the globe. Last Summer we had an amazing Reunion day and Dinner for St James’s and St James’s & The Abbey Old Girls.

The former was attended by over 160 Old Girls and the latter by over 100 Old Girls, staff and parents. As I write, I’m looking forward to the 2017 Summer Reunion, which will incorporate a special reunion for Lawnside Old Girls as well as the 10th Anniversary of MSJ for all girls who left in the last ten years. Next year – 2018 – will see the 125th anniversary of the founding of MGC, with a special reunion and Dinner planned, and also a Forty Years On Reunion and Lunch for Abbey Old Girls.

See the Diary Dates section at the end of the magazine for more information. If you are interested in either of these and have not yet registered your email with the OGA, please do so: oga@malvernstjames.co.uk.

If you have comments about the OGA, and what it offers you, please let us know.

With very best wishes,

Fiona Meredith

Northern Region Gathering 2017 Lunch at the Angel in Corbridge, Friday 9th June at 12 noon for Lunch at 1pm. Jill Gladstone (Vernon, MGC 1958) writes: “I do hope that you will be able to join us for lunch at the Angel. Old Girls of Malvern Girls’ College, The Abbey, St James’s and Lawnside are all welcome. These are always friendly, informal and quite small gatherings so please come and join us, and encourage others too. You will be most welcome. Please let me know by June 6th if you are coming so I can inform the Angel.”

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Some of the 1950s group who met up in October 2016

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@MSJ_OGA

MSJOGA

MSJ Connect www.msj-oga.co.uk

Call 01684 892288 oga@malvernstjames.co.uk www.malvernstjames.co.uk Malvern St James, 15 Avenue Road, Great Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 3BA