WGHS in Touch Magazine 2025

IN TOUCH ISSUE 09 SUMMER 2025

www.wghsintouch.org.uk

FOR ALUMNAE AND FRIENDS OF WAKEFIELD GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL

‘ONCE A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL, ALWAYS A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL’

Contents 19

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HEAD’S WELCOME

04

CLASS OF 2025

06

SCHOOL nEWS

10

EvEnTS

12

GIvInG BACK

14

OG nEWS

24

OG MEMORIES

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LIvES REMEMBERED

25

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Welcome from the Development Team Welcome to this latest issue of the WGHS In Touch Magazine, bringing news from our Old Girl Community. We have both been in post for just over a year now, and have had the pleasure of meeting so many of you at our events and during your visits back to school.

We are honoured to be part of the work that keeps our alumni community connected, informed, and inspired. We see firsthand how your generosity fuels opportunities: from philanthropic support for our bursary fund, to volunteering your time to speak to students though our mentoring and careers programmes, to attending our events and reunions. Your continued support echoes through every corner of the school and beyond.

Whether you're flipping through to catch up with classmates, discover new initiatives, or revisit memories of your time here, we hope you enjoy reading the features and memories in this edition.

12 STAY IN TOUCH Visit the Official WGHS Old Girls’ website for all alumnae profiles, news, events calendar and event booking information.

You can also claim your Old Girl profile and update your information and contact details.

Visit: www.wghsintouch.org.uk or scan the code here to login or register

Thank you for being part of our story.

Abi and Lizzie Abi Cattley Development Director acattley@wgsf.net

Lizzie White Development Officer lwhite@wgsf.net

Wakefield Girls’ High School, Wentworth St, Wakefield, WF1 2QS Tel: 01924 372490

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Join the WGHS Old Girls’ Facebook Group to keep up to date with event and reunion information, WGHS news and memories.

Search for ‘Wakefield Girls’ High School Official Old Girls’ Page Connect and network with fellow WGHS Old Girls on LinkedIn by joining the WGHS Group.

Search for ‘Wakefield Girls’ High School In Touch’

DEAR ALUMnAE: Judith Tingle

Welcome

Students are the focus of everything we do at WGHS and the opportunities for them to find what they enjoy and excel at are endless. Helping and supporting each individual to find their own path is central to everything we do. This year we have seen so much activity, been part of so many amazing things and all with that common thread of a joy of learning and our students being Together, Empowered and Aware.

Students at Wakefield Girls’ High School have a powerful voice at all ages and they have been quick to reflect on what is important to them as we merge with QEGS to become QES in September 2026. They are already focusing on opportunities to come together at mixed events in order to provide a seamless transition, while reminding us passionately about what is important for us to keep from the WGHS heritage and traditions as we merge. It is great to hear that Founders’ Day and the Carol Service are high on their list alongside the Sixth Form Christmas Revue.

life of the school from academic study to co- and super-curricular involvement and by just having genuine fun. They recognise that they are not all the same and so proactively choose to celebrate what each and every member of the community can bring to their school experience.

I am also proud of our alumni and all their continued contributions to our school community - for which I am very grateful. Thank you for supporting our students in so many ways, your support, sage words and advice are always so well received and valued. It was wonderful to see so many of you at the Old Girls Summer reunion. It was a lovely afternoon and a true reminder that the values which bind us remain as strong today as ever.

I want to thank everyone who is part of our community, but especially our Old Girls, for everything they do to make WGHS the wonderful school that it is.

As Associate Head of WGHS, I am so proud of our current students and the way they conduct themselves.

They advocate for themselves and for others in our wider community. They love to get involved in the full

Mrs Judith Tingle Associate Head

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Welcome to the

Class of 2025

CLASS OF 2025

Welcome to the Class of 2025, our newest Old Girls!

We are delighted to welcome the Class of 2025 to our WGHS In Touch alumnae community, which stands at 5,000 strong. As you leave Wakefield Girls’, you become an Old Girl. We are here to help you share your news, welcome you to events and offer advice and help from other Old Girls.

We hope that you will continue to be part of the Old Girl community and return to school to share your own journey beyond Wakefield Girls’. If you haven’t already claimed your record, you can do so at wghsintouch.org.uk Or scan here...

All the best in your life after Wakefield Girls’.

Remember...

“Once a High School girl, always a High School girl” 4

Widad Abubakar Lynne Barber Emelia Batty Claudia Bowen Evie Brown Abigail Burrows Charlotte Clark Molly Clark Róisín Daly Anja De Bruin Madison Ducker Georgina Ellis Henny Gibson Katie Helliwell Grace Homer Imogen Hudson Grace Hyett Elsie Jennings Izzy Jowett Romilly Keen Aisha Khalil Madeeya Khan Sarah Khan Maya Langley Sophie Lister Charlotte Lumb Charlotte Marshall Isobel McAndrew Madison McNair Alice Moore

Alice Morrison Alessia Newman Abbey O'Donnell Elle-Bree Ojomaikre Jemima Otter Amelia Parkin Eve Patel Maddy Patel Sofia Pietrantonio Imogen Preston Molly Robinson Megan Rosendale Kareena Sekhon Annabel Simpson Tilly Smith Thea Speight Vienna Taylor Lily-Anna Thorpe Ellie Tingle Sophia Tolson Leina Tordoff Hana Umer Phoebe Vincent Josie Wagner Lillie Wightman Isobel Wood Jaweria Yaqoob Jae Yim Antoinette Zulu

Head Girl 2025 Review

Ellie Tingle My time at Wakefield Girls’ High School, and in the position of Head Girl, has been truly influential in shaping who I am today and who I will be as I take my next steps beyond Sixth Form. Being Head Girl has been one of the most rewarding and challenging roles of my school life.

From representing our school at events to driving positive change based on student voice, I’ve grown in confidence, resilience and leadership. But most of all, I’ve learned the value of teamwork and community.

The Head Girl team has been an incredible group to lead.

Every member brought something unique, and together we’ve aimed to make a genuine impact. I’m especially grateful to the support my Deputy Head Girl and Senior Prefects have given me as their dedication is the reason our team has thrived.

WGHS is a place that empowers and uplifts, fostering passions and preparing us for the challenges ahead.

I hope every student continues to push boundaries, support one another, and believe in their ability to achieve; I know the next team will continue this legacy, and help to drive change.

Ellie

At WGHS, every student is encouraged to pursue their own individual journey, and it’s been inspiring to see how each person in my year group has embraced the many opportunities this school offers. These experiences have helped us shape our own ambitions and goals. I’m excited to see where life takes us next, knowing that the foundations WGHS provides will empower us to achieve great things and build futures we are excited about.

Ellie Tingle - Head Girl 2024-25

“

From representing our school at events to driving positive change based on student voice, I’ve grown in confidence, resilience and leadership

”

Alice and Ellie

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SCHOOL NEWS TRANSFORMATION UPDATE:

From Royal Charter to Diamond Future

WGHS Through the Benson Gate

In September 2024 Wakefield Grammar School Foundation announced an exciting step forward towards the future for education in Wakefield. From September 2026, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield Girls’ High School, and Wakefield Grammar Pre-Preparatory School will come together to form Queen Elizabeth’s School, Wakefield; a single, co-educational Diamond Model school for pupils aged 3 to 18.

As many of you are aware, this decision followed months of careful consideration, due diligence and collaboration by the governors and senior leadership teams. This forwardthinking model combines the best of co-educational learning environments during the early and later stages of school life, and single-sex academic teaching between the ages of 11 and 16. This approach delivers a balanced, inclusive, and academically rigorous environment that nurtures every child’s potential.

Since that announcement, our journey towards 2026 continues to progress. We have been meeting with current pupils to seek feedback on topics like sports, uniform, school values, and issues around the environment, equality and

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QEGS Main Building in Spring

inclusion – all of which we know are really important for them.

Alongside this, we have been working with pupils, staff, teachers, parents and alumni from all our schools to help build a picture of the school history and traditions important to them.

Our rich history stretches through four and a half centuries of spirited tradition and quietly bold innovation. As we prepare to explore the next chapter, together, as Queen Elizabeth’s, we do so with gratitude for the visionaries who came before us, pride for the scholars who walk our grounds today, and confidence that the best pages of our history are still to be penned.

This is truly an exciting time for our school community.

Every decision we are making is focused on enhancing our student's educational experience and preparing them for future success.Thank you for your continued support as we move forward together.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions by emailing wayahead@wgsf.net

SCHOOL NEWS

Clayton update We are pleased to be able to share with our Old Girls an update regarding the former Clayton Hospital site.

The Foundation purchased the derelict site in 2018, before the financial uncertainties arising firstly from Covid and more recently the imposition of VAT on School - a time that feels very different from now.

Following extensive and protracted discussions with planners, the Foundation was able to demolish the majority of the mid-century buildings on the site leaving the spectacular but dilapidated Pavilion building as the site’s key feature. The Pavilion building was in a very poor state of repair, and completely inaccessible due to health and safety concerns. The structural integrity of the walls and the stability of the roof were a particular concern.

Following a raft of technical design work and many more planning conversations, we have now been able to safeguard and protect the Pavilion building for the future.

The building has been made structurally sound through the installation of an internal steel frame, and completely reroofed in line with conservation standards. When viewed from the front of the Pavilion building, its beauty, grandeur and potential are now revealed, as you can see in the accompanying image. The remaining rear wall of the building was an internal hospital wall and, as such, needs further protection from the elements. Therefore, the building will be wrapped to provide protection and also a more attractive outlook until future plans are developed.

We offer our thanks to the many contractors who have worked so hard with us to complete these works. And we offer thanks, too, to those parents, alumni and other Friends of the Foundation who have supported the Clayton project so far.

Thanks to further support of an alumnus, and through judicious use of our investments, we are now able to take the next step on our journey - transformation of the grounds.

Clayton is a fantastic ‘bridge’ between the current WGHS and QEGS sites. The grounds will be landscaped to provide a secure pathway for our students and staff to travel between what will become the Senior and Preparatory sites of Queen Elizabeth’s School. The pathway will connect Northgate to Wentworth Street and will be surrounded by landscaped areas of grass and wild meadow planting. We will also be allowed to have some limited parking that will help to ease school parking safety concerns.

We will also be working on the boundary wall and fencing.

Works will restore much of the stone boundary walls and these will be topped with railings in keeping with the area.

In areas where there is no wall to restore we will provide a secure boundary to protect our students as they use the grounds. We continue to work closely with Wakefield planning to ensure that the boundary walls meet the high standards of our conservation area, navigate the many protected trees (and their roots) and meet public highway requirements.

Work has commenced and is anticipated to be concluded in late 2025. We look forward to sharing further details of the plans and progress updates on the works in due course. And we look forward to welcoming you onsite in person, when you will be able to see for yourself the Clayton Pavilion standing over the landscaped and wild meadow grounds.

Martin Shevill, BEd MSc FCCT Chair of Governors

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SCHOOL NEWS

Farewell to an inspiring leader Heidi-Jayne Boyes, Head The end of the winter term saw WGHS bid farewell to Ms Heidi-Jayne Boyes, our Head since 2018. Here, she shares her final words of farewell to pupils, staff and alumnae.

As I reflect on my final words to the wonderful Wakefield Girls’ community, I am overwhelmed with pride. The pivotal moments, meaningful relationships, remarkable achievements as well as the hard times that shape who we are, have become part of our shared legacy.

To my dedicated colleagues, thank you for delivering our values daily with commitment and expertise, always putting our students at the heart of all you do. I am not sure there are many workplace communities that offer the camaraderie and understanding that we are lucky to have at Wakefield Girls’.

I count myself truly fortunate to have joined a family of students, parents, staff, and alumnae deeply committed to empowering young women to be whoever and whatever they aspire to be, preparing each for lives of success, on their own terms. Together we have lived and invested in values that have profoundly supported our girls’ growth.

To the Board of Governors, I am grateful for your unwavering support and belief in my leadership and I am confident that the Foundation will continue to flourish, inspire, and lead.

To our alumnae, for your wisdom and devotion to Wakefield Girls’. I wish Dr Brookes and Mrs Gill and Mrs Tingle all the very best in their new roles commencing in January 2025.

During my time at Wakefield Girls’ the world has changed; and so have we. We have grown in our understanding of the critical importance of nurturing students. Our students are culturally competent, aware, and capable of fostering an authentic sense of belonging for all members of our community. This is as a result of increased awareness and the need for justice. By empowering our students and ensuring their voices are heard, they have the opportunity to influence our environment for the better. This can only stand them in good stead for the future and I am proud of each and everyone at Wakefield Girls’ and all we have achieved together. We lean on each other – and into this ethos – this is central to our school’s identity and approach.

Above all, I am thankful to Wakefield Girls’ families for your partnership.

It has been my privilege to serve as your Head and to play a part in everyone’s story.

I will miss our students. I know that wherever life takes them and whatever they do, the people they meet are incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to get to know them. I hope they never lose sight of how fabulous they all are and I look forward to hearing about their continued success.

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Today I leave Wakefield Girls’ and tomorrow I move home, ready for a new and exciting challenge in a new part of the country. Just in time for Christmas. It’s all going to be a whirlwind, probably best in many respects. This was my first headship and I will always be deeply connected to WGHS and the community of the school. Whilst I can’t box up Wakefield Girls’ itself (and just how special it is), I will always have a piece of it with me and I look forward to watching the continued success and growth of the Foundation with affection, from afar.

Thank you all for these unforgettable years and for the honour of being part of this community.

Heidi-Jayne Boyes

Staff farewells This year we also said goodbye to…

Nick Meredith Acting Co-Director of Music Ann Potts Head of History and Assistant Head of Sixth Form Jim Shaw Head of English Kathy Dale Spanish Teacher Dr Liam McNamara English Teacher Clare Richards Latin/Greek Teacher

“

Sue Jenkins Maths Teacher

I count myself truly fortunate to have joined a family of students, parents, staff, and alumnae deeply committed to empowering young women to be whoever and whatever they aspire to be

”

Rob Webster Maths Teacher Sarah Hakin Maths Teacher Jonathan Korosi Biology Teacher Rob Fraser Biology Teacher Kate Fear Junior Section Helen Boughton Director of PE, Junior Section Mel Sykes-Moorhouse Junior Section Marilyn Brooke Junior Section Sally Christie School Nurse Georgina Jackson Partnership Coordinator Jo Dell Head of Marketing Vicky Gardiner Foundation Director of Learning Support Rebecca Arundale Learning Support Teacher Elizabeth Taylor Learning Support Teacher Philip Cresswell School Gardner Kevin Brooke Head Caretaker John Lister Foundation Technical Director Dave Wilson Digital Services George Clay Digital Services

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EvENtS

Looking back...

JOINt BUSINESS NEtWORKING NOvEMBER 2024, LONDON It was wonderful to see Old Savilians and Old Girls from across a range of years get together to grow their personal and professional networks. Huge thanks to Serenity Morley (OG 97), Global Chief Operating Officer for Mount Street Group, for hosting the event.

SEASONAL DRINKS NOvEMBER 2024, JUBILEE HALL It was great to welcome Old Savs, Old Girls and our wider community to mark the start of the Festive Season.

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LONDON LUNCH FEBRUARY 2025, ROYAL OpERA HOUSE The Old Girl’s London lunch took place in February, and was a wonderful day spent reconnecting, reminiscing, and sharing stories over lunch. The highlight was the fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of the Royal Opera House, where we had the unique opportunity to watch rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet.

these photos act as a reminder of the happy times of reminiscing and catching up with old friends over a drink or two

SUMMER REUNION JUNE 2025, WGHS Our annual summer reunion took place in the sunshine on the Quad. With nearly 100 Old Girls and former staff in attendance, it was a great afternoon!

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GIVING BACK

Giving back and celebrating success

By David Eggleston I am often amazed at just how many alumni want to “give back” to school, thereby providing WGHS with an ideal platform in which to showcase and celebrate the successes of former students in what is an increasingly diverse number of occupations and professions.

From guest lectures and Instagram Live to school assemblies and contributions to International Women’s Day, alumni have provided an invaluable insight into the modern day labour market, highlights of their respective “journeys” and vital information on the prerequisites for success and longevity. For any student and parents seeking effective careers guidance, the alumni provide a rich and varied source of information that is “home grown”, inspirational and often pioneering.

Many thanks to all of those below who took time out of their busy lives and schedules to “give something back” to WGHS during the 2024-25 academic year and help make WGHS what it is: a champion of women’s success. Their contributions & achievements serve to highlight the rich variety of talent that continues to flow through the doors of WGHS.

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Our huge thanks go to: Rachel Mann - Data Operations Manager, NHS England Megan Botting - Junior Buyer, Mint Velvet Justine Riccomini - Employment Taxes Writer, LexisNexis Kay Majid - Group General Counsel, Tesco Jess Worth - PR Officer, Victoria Beckham London Sally Preston - Structural Engineer & Director at CTS Bridges Evangeline Charalambous - Norland Nanny, New York Serenity Morley - Global Chief Operating Officer, Mount Street Ltd. Abby Muscroft - Veterinary Surgeon, Calder Vets Louise Bragg - Veterinary Surgeon, Calder Vets Jackie Hockney - Private Client Tax Advisor, HockneyGrey Consulting LLP

Ella Cheetham - Group Managing Director, Europa Engineering Heidi Allen - Strategic Advisor, RSPCA Hilary Carver - Head of Event Delivery, Tottenham Hotspur Anshini Thakur - Medical Student, Imperial College London Natalie Wright - Partner, Forvis Mazars Sangeeta Unnikrishnan - Government Policy, Cabinet Office Kelly Nichol - President & Chair of Council, IOSH Alex Lee - Music Student, Newcastle University Sophie Burrell - Veterinary Student, Liverpool University Eleanor Walmsley - County Court Advocate, LPC Law Georgina Freeman - Barrister, Ministry of Justice UK Charlotte McKinlay - Medicine, Newcastle University Martha Crook - Law Student, Nottingham University Charlotte Greaves - Jimmy Choo School of Design Sarah Ng - St Andrews University Harriet Kirby Brown - Private Client Tax Advisor, ABB Accountants Charlotte Eastwood - Paralegal, Ramsdens Solicitors Romy Jackson - Mechanical Engineer, Atkins Realis Claire Young - Founder, Speakers for Schools Annabel Bond Sampson - West Yorkshire Police Tara Karim - Genetics Student, Sheffield University Eleanor Kaye - Operations Manager, Veolia Sybilla Daley - Events Manager, Huddersfield University Hayley Marsen - Educational Psychologist, Bradford Council Bobby Fida - Optometrist, Newmedica Teena Patel - Senior Clinical pharmacist, Haringey GP Federation Zaina Khan - Content Creator & Presenter, Pen FM, Local Radio Victoria Sugden - Legal Counsel, EY Laura Mosley - Head of MFL, Orleans Park School, Twickenham Hattie Grunwald - Literary Agent, The Blair Partnership Maisie Muir - Technical Lead, HSBC Daisy Ash - Senior Sustainability Consultant, Savills Wendy Popperwell - Executive Director Core Services, Barnsley Council Jo Butterworth - Associate Director, EY Catherine Bennett - Bid Manager, Freedom Group of Companies Fiona Harkin - Director of Foresight, The Future Laboratory Francesca Aproskie - Director, Dance Through The Ages Ltd Georgina Mathery - Operations Manager, Barkley & Co Doggy Day Care Centre

Helen Swift - Professor of Medieval French Literature, University of Oxford Sarah Shah - Medical Student, University of Oxford Sarah Watson Eloise Thatcher - Lead Design Engineer, Northern Powergrid Danielle Kaye - Senior Account Manager, Umpf Leah Wolff-Smethurst - Teaching Assistant, The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts

Laura Everett - Senior Manager, FIEnCON Amarah Ali - Project Manager and Curriculum Coordinator, Equilibria

Mentor Scheme:

Connecting students with experience: Lizzie White In 2024, WGHS proudly launched its Mentor Scheme, a programme designed to connect our Sixth Form students with the wealth of knowledge and experience offered by our alumni community. The initiative aims to build students’ confidence, broaden their horizons, and prepare them for life beyond school by drawing on the strength and generosity of the WGHS network.

In today’s highly competitive job market, the insight and guidance of experienced mentors have never been more valuable. The scheme offers flexibility, from one-off conversations to ongoing mentoring relationships and even work-shadowing opportunities—each tailored to meet the needs of every mentor-mentee pairing.

Meetings can take place virtually or in person, and we are always delighted to welcome Old Girls back to WGHS. We were thrilled by the overwhelmingly positive response, with more than 70 Old Girls volunteering to mentor our Year 12 students. We would especially like to thank Evangeline Charalambous, the first to take part in this exciting new programme, along with Sally Preston, Teena Patel, and Victoria Sugden for their early support.

To all our mentors - thank you. Your generosity, enthusiasm, and commitment have brought this initiative to life and are already making a real difference to our students. We look forward to watching these invaluable connections flourish in the years to come.

If you are an Old Girl willing to share your experience and knowledge, we would love to hear from you.

To sign up as a mentor, please email lwhite@wgsf.net.

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OG NEWS

FROM POOLS TO OLYMPIC PODIUMS When Leah Crisp (OG 2020) walked through the gates of WGHS in as a nervous Year 7 pupil, little did she know she’d one day be representing Great Britain at the Olympic Games in the Marathon Swimming. Her journey from running back from the games field to grab toast at break, to standing on the world stage with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop - is a remarkable story of resilience, ambition, and gratitude.

Throughout my time at WGHS I found all my teachers incredibly understanding and accommodating, especially when I had to spend time away from school for training camps and competitions. There were a couple who definitely had a significant impact on my time there, Mr Hargreaves (classics) was my year 7 form tutor and helped me feel welcome and at ease in the school despite my nerves joining, as I didn’t know anyone else here.

We caught up with Leah when she returned as our guest of honour at this year's Sports Presentation evening, to hear more about her time at WGHS and her journey to the Olympic stage. From her Year 7 form room to the grand stage of the Olympics whilst also studying for her BSc in Economics and Maths at the University of Bath, Leah’s inspiring journey is one of inspiration and determination.

During my A level years my teachers showed genuine care and interest in my sport and were supportive of me pursuing my sporting dreams alongside academic goals. One of which being Mr Eggleston, who encouraged me to do an interview style assembly in front of the whole school which was something I never would’ve had the courage to do otherwise! He also helped me appreciate my achievements whilst helping me to my A* in A level economics!

I was at WGHS from years 7 - 13 and have many fond memories from that time. Some highlights for me would be experiences such as the economics and business New York trip, year 13 christmas review, sports days and the yearly christmas carol service! But I also loved the simple day to day experiences of rushing back from the games field for some toast at break or the excitement of walking to town for a starbucks at lunch when you first start year 11 and getting to share endless laughs and memories with friends each day.

My favourite memory is simply spending your days with your friends, whether it be in the common room, walking between lessons or getting excited over it being chicken pie day for lunch, it was great to have friends to share and create these memories with.

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I got into swimming when my swimming teacher recommended I try a feeder group for the city of Leeds as I had a natural feel for the water. I then joined Rothwell ‘E Group’ and it all spiraled from there.

Moving into the city of Leeds program when I was 8 and making my first trip to John Charles Centre for sport on club night and seeing all the different groups training, from my age all the way up to elite level, really sparked my love for the sport. I knew this was the type of environment I wanted to be in and a sport I wanted to be a part of.

I have always had the dream of wanting to represent Team GB at an Olympic games, but know sport can be brutal and challenging and that not everything goes your way. I like to do each race knowing I’ve done everything I can to be the best I can be and that whatever the result is I’ve put my all into the sport. This would keep me going, knowing that I wanted to race with no regrets and be on the start line full of confidence in the work I’d done.

The process to qualify for marathon swimming is a bit different than most other sports. There are a certain number of people in the race, and you have to qualify your country for a spot on the start line. There were 22 places up for grabs in the 10k, which were decided from the World championships. Up to 2 people per nation could qualify, but there was a long and complicated set of rules as to how these spaces were allocated. This meant after my 17th place finish at the 2024 World championships we were unsure as to if I had managed to qualify or not.

After waiting around for a while after the race I decided to go for lunch with my mum who had flown out to watch. Whilst we were choosing a restaurant I got a text from my team leader telling me it had been confirmed that I had qualified team GB a quota spot in the race and would be going to Paris!

Overwhelmed with emotion I had to sit and have a little cry and it was a wonderful moment to be able to share with my mum.

The actual experience of competing at the Olympics was a real rollercoaster of an experience! To be in the village was incredible and a dream come true for me. However, we were spending our days in the mid summer heat with no air conditioning in the rooms or on the buses! Also the beds were as uncomfortable as everyone said they were. But the mild discomfort was overshadowed by experiences such as switching pins with other nations and experiencing the camaraderie between athletes, no matter their sport or nation.

Stepping out for the race and seeing the Eiffel tower in the backdrop of the course was truly amazing. I am so grateful to have been a part of such an iconic race (even if the water quality was a bit questionable). But ultimately my favourite moment would have to be stepping out into the stadium for the closing ceremony and seeing the stands full of people cheering, in that moment it really felt like I had achieved my dream.

I was so proud to be able to represent Great Britain and to be a part of Team GB. So few people ever get the opportunity to be a part of Team GB at an Olympic games and I am so grateful that I have been able to do so and play my own little part in team GB history.

Although managing intense demands of Olympic training alongside studying for my degree was challenging, I do believe that my time spent competing at junior international meets whilst doing my GCSEs and going through school really helped me with this. In doing so I feel like I was forced to learn how to have great time and energy management, which I carried through into university life. I did find the social side of university to be challenging at times, living a very different life to many of my friends and those around me, but in that I found those who were understanding of this and those closest to me were amazingly supportive.

Since the Olympics, in most ways very little has changed in my day to day life apart from I now have 5 rings tattooed on my wrist! I think the main difference is now being someone younger athletes look up to and being in a position of influence. It’s so easy to get caught up in a high performance sport bubble and forget that you have achieved something many can only dream of achieving, and it's important to remember that and be proud of how far you’ve come and use it to inspire others and try and be a good role model to younger athletes.

I am planning on stepping away from the sport this summer and looking to pursue my professional career! I have achieved all I’ve ever dreamt of within the water and am excited for my next chapter. Maybe I’ll enter a marathon and go from swimming them to running them!

My time at WGHS was instrumental in helping me with my confidence to represent Great Britain. Doing things such as form assemblies and speaking in front of the school in the Christmas assembly helped me become more confident in myself and comfortable with there being eyes on me, which there are plenty of at the games! It was an environment which allowed me to thrive in being myself and helped me be confident in keeping this authenticity whilst competing on the world stage.

Leah Crisp (OG 2020)

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OG NEWS

Old Girls reunite in Paris

Kelly meets the King We're incredibly proud of the diverse paths our alumnae take and were thrilled to see Kelly Nicoll (OG 2003), incoming President of IOSH, meet King Charles at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa this year.

This past March, I reunited with two fellow Old Girls, Wendy Popplewell (OG 1999) and Serenity Morley (OG 1997), for a trip to Paris. Wendy, myself, and Serenity’s younger sister Sayward were all in the same form during our time at Wakefield Girls’—and through that, we naturally became close to Serenity too, who was two years our senior.

Kelly shared insights on IOSH's role in driving sustainable growth across the Commonwealth, including impactful projects that improve health and safety for women in the gig economy in Ghana and Kenya. As incoming president of IOSH Kelly represents 50,000 health and safety professionals across over 150 different countries.

Kelly Nicoll (OG 2003)

As our lives changed and grew, our bonds remained.

I hadn’t spoken to Serenity for nearly 20 years since leaving school, but Wendy reconnected us - and within a month they both flew out to Paris to help me celebrate the launch of a new business I’m now part of, Oli’s Lab, where I’m proud to serve as Brand and Commercial Director. Being part of building such a unique beauty business model over the past six months has been both rewarding and challenging, and to have two school friends show up so wholeheartedly to support it meant the world. It reminded me just how powerful those early connections can be.

We also managed to celebrate Wendy’s birthday while we were there, alongside plenty of laughter, stories from the old days, and more than a few glasses raised at the launch event.

Time may pass, but the bond of the Old Girls will always remain.

Congratulations to Kate Offord who has been promoted to Vice President at JPMorganChase!

Suzanne Laverack (OG 1999)

Kate Offord (OG 2016)

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News from the Sunshine State!

In 1990 I joined an organization called "Daughters of the British Empire" which is a wonderful philanthropic group that welcomes women whose ancestry is British or who are married to someone of British ancestry. This includes ladies from any of the Commonwealth of Nations countries.

The DBE was founded in 1909 and its purpose was to take care of elderly people who had worked in service in the USA but had now retired and had nobody to help them with expenses should they need to move into a Home. To that end, the DBE opened four Retirement Homes which were located in New York State, Illinois, California and Texas.

There are DBE chapters all over the USA and our fund raising efforts are many and varied. Although we have only two of the Retirement Homes left, our main aim remains the support of the elderly.

My chapter in Central Florida supports a non profit program called Lovextension, which delivers food and other supplies once a week to the elderly who prefer to live in their own homes. Every item is donated, everyone is a volunteer and the service delivers to 1700 people per month. We also donate to a program which pays for mammograms for uninsured women and a new project which offers support to young people who leave the foster care system and have nowhere to go.

A local community has built ten cottages in which they live and volunteers help them to find jobs or go on to higher education.

Amy Thornton Since leaving WGHS in 2006, Amy Thornton (née Wray) has gone onto great things working in education.

She kindly shared the update below with us: Amy graduated from York University in 2009 with a BA(Hons) degree in Music. From here she went on to study for a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education at the University of Huddersfield.

Amy then taught Music at Silcoates School, Wakefield for 4 years, before becoming the Head of Music at The C of E Academy in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. For the last 8 years, Amy has been a senior leader at Abbotsholme School, Derbyshire; initially as Deputy Headteacher and most recently as Headteacher. In 2022 she completed an MBA at Coventry University.

Amy lives in Derby with her husband Nick (OS, 2006) and their two children, Harry and Emily.

Amy Thornton (née Wray) (OG 2006)

I have the honour of serving as the DBE Florida State President at present and really enjoy meeting such interesting ladies from all walks of life. In the past our members included Janet Shipton, who was the daughter of Clement Attlee. She was a real character and told me off for misspelling his name. I guess that is why I did so abysmally at History O Level!

The DBE has a great website and you can read more about us on dbenational.org We also have a Facebook page....DBEFlorida So, if you know of any ladies living in the USA who might be interested in joining us, you will find details of how to proceed on the website.

Claire Fairclough (OG 1970)

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OG NEWS

Old Girls united by music Elizabeth Wood (née Saunders 1969-1976) was not born when Mary Bonsor (née Hargreaves 1946-1956) left the High School to begin her teacher training, but sixty years later in March 2016 they met in Edinburgh at a WGSF reunion organised by Lizzie Hulme. The two ‘old girls’ soon found they had much in common; both Huddersfield born, both at school when Miss Knott was Headmistress, both living in the Scottish Borders, and more importantly, they discovered that music, in different ways, was a unifying bond.

Mary always had a great interest in music but, because there was no piano at home and no chance to learn, she was unable to study music at school. Instead, having heard local primary school children enthusiastically playing recorders at a bus stop she decided to save her 3d a week pocket money to buy a 12/6d recorder and a 2/6d tutor book. Roughly about the same time - 1950? Carl Dolmetsch and Joseph Saxby gave a recital in the Jubilee Hall and Mary realised that the recorder was a serious instrument and that proved to be the ‘spark’. (Little did she know that in her later career she would be on first name terms with these eminent musicians, even visiting Carl at his home in Haslemere!). Later, 1951/2? after much home practice, Mary was one of the two recorder players in the school production of Twelfth Night.

After qualifying Mary attended night school classes and weekend courses and became proficient at both playing and teaching the various members of the recorder family. Her school groups in West Riding enjoyed an enviable reputation which led to her being appointed in 1964 to the Peripatetic Music staff where she was not only teaching in primary and secondary schools, but also heavily involved with teachers’ courses and participating in regular school concerts. Keen to further her technique and widen the repertoire she attended the International Summer School in Roehampton where she got to know the lively Latin-American inspired compositions of Brian Bonsor, a well known and much respected Scottish composer/ teacher. And, significantly it was here that a mutual friend, Layton Ring, harpsichordist with the Northern Sinfonia, introduced Brian to Mary! A year later, in 1966, they were married and Mary left Yorkshire to live in Hawick, Roxburghshire where Brian was Principal Teacher of Music and later Music Adviser for Scottish Borders Council.

They quickly became a team and were asked to be regular tutors on several prestigious recorder courses including Orff Schulwerk and the International Recorder in Education Summer School. Brian was a guest tutor on courses held in the UK, USA, Ireland, Australia, and, with Mary in New Zealand. After retiring he continued to compose and arrange music and set up his own successful publishing business until his death in 2011.

Elizabeth’s story follows a very different path, having a mother as a piano teacher and organist, it was perhaps inevitable that she would be taught how to play which began at a very young age.

Her ability led to the start of weekly lessons with the renowned piano teacher Fanny Waterman. When Elizabeth became a High School girl Miss Knott very kindly allowed her to attend piano lessons in Leeds during school hours. Elizabeth played regularly in morning prayers and school concerts, taking A level music and performing as a piano soloist in concerts and recitals outside school. She also began to give piano lessons to young pupils at home before going on to study music at Durham University.

Her next move was to take a post graduate course at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester followed shortly afterwards by joining the staff at the Huddersfield Technical College School of Music. This proved to be a valuable experience which lasted for nearly twenty years and it was here that Elizabeth honed her skills as an accompanist and all round teacher. She was fortunate to teach many students who went on to make a name for themselves in the music profession and to perform with many eminent musicians.

A move to Scotland due to her husband’s work took Elizabeth and family to Aberdeen where she taught in schools and higher education. In 2005 another move brought them to the Scottish Borders from where she also taught in Edinburgh. Latterly Elizabeth’s working week was split between Bellhaven School in Dunbar, and Durham and Sheffield Universities.

Having become good friends Elizabeth and Mary often meet for lunch and enjoy reminiscing about their times at WGHS and together they attended the reunion at school in July 2019.

Unfortunately the pandemic prevented many planned activities but in September 2023, they came together professionally at an official ‘Bonsor Day’ celebrating Brian’s life and work. A large group of amateur and professional players from all parts of Scotland down to the East Midlands attended the highly successful Playing Day, conducted by Mary and supported by Elizabeth enjoying Brian’s magnificent accompaniments.

Doubtless Miss Knott would have been very surprised and pleased at this unusual collaboration of two ‘old girls’; but it couldn’t have happened without Lizzie organising the reunion in Edinburgh.

Elizabeth Wood (OG 1976)

Editor’s note: We were delighted to welcome Elizabeth back to WGHS this August, along with Jane Flynn (née Howarth) and Daphne Toombs (née Horsfield), also from the Class of 1976. Daphne was visiting all the way from Tasmania!

18

OG NEWS

Then and now: A Foundation in Wakefield 10 years on...

Ten years ago, Old Girls and Old Savs generously shared their stories as part of our A Foundation in Wakefield project, helping us celebrate the achievements of our former pupils and to inspire the next generation.

Now, as we approach the ten-year anniversary of the book’s release, we are delighted to share with you some updates from those who starred in the original publication on what the past decade has brought. Our thanks go to those who have shared these updates, we look forward to seeing what the next 10 years brings!

Charlotte Wheeler (née Lamb) (OG 2001) After successfully completing her A Levels, Charlotte went to Oxford University where she graduated in 2004 with a BA in Law. A seven year career as a Solicitor for well-known firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in London followed.

THEN 2015

Whilst in London, Charlotte saw a gap in the market for perfect yet practical on-trend ladies’ handbags that didn’t break the bank. Calling on her manufacturing family heritage Charlotte set about designing her first collection and so ‘Lamb 1887’ was born. Charlotte’s bags are made from the softest leathers sourced from the highest quality tanneries around the world. Her designs are inspired by the glamour icons of the past including Sophia Loren, and Jackie O. Charlotte brings a wealth of knowledge to the brand from her family’s footwear and accessories business established by her grandfather in 1887.

‘Lamb 1887’ was launched in 2011 and already has a myriad of celebrity fans including Pippa Middleton, Fearne Cotton and Cheryl FernandezVersini. Charlotte continues to direct her own brand and has also taken over as Accessories and Brands Director of her family’s firm, William Lamb Group.

After training and working as a lawyer in London for 7 years, Charlotte took on a new venture in 2013 launching her own handbag brand ‘Lamb 1887’ which became a favourite of Pippa Middleton, Millie Mackintosh, Holly Willoughby, Laura Whitmore, Nicole Scherzinger and Cheryl Cole.

NOW 2025

Following the birth of her first child, Charlotte decided to return to the law and has been working in the City of London as a restructuring lawyer for the last 6 years where she is a partner at US law firm, Kirkland & Ellis.

Charlotte works part-time and strives to fit in as much as possible into her schedule, not only as lawyer and as mum to Oliver and Annabel, but also as a Non-Executive Director of the family business (which is based in Wakefield and makes footwear, bags and accessories) and through various sports and socialising.

She has recently rekindled her love of tennis (which she hasn’t played since her school days), and is learning padel as well. She also tries to occasionally join her husband and parents on the golf course, and squeeze in a session of paddleboarding with friends along the Thames near Henley and Marlow in Berkshire, where she lives with her family.

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Laura Siddall (OG 1999) After finishing her A Levels in 1999 Laura took Gap Year Commission as a Second THEN aLieutenant, in the Royal Electrical and 2015 Mechanical Engineers, attached to the Royal Artillery High Velocity Missile Air Defence unit in Germany, managing the Regiment’s Central Workshop.

Laura then attended the University of Nottingham graduating in 2004 with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

A career with Shell UK Oil Products Ltd as a Production Unit Mechanical Engineer followed, leading to a move to Australia with Shell Refining (Australia) Pty Ltd as a Project Engineer. Moving on from Shell, Laura became a Senior Associate with management consulting firm Third Horizon, working with businesses to find and capture improvement opportunities as well as mergers and acquisitions. Laura then joined Leighton Contractors, a global construction company, where she led continuous improvement, productivity and efficiency programmes.

Laura always had a love of sport and represented England in Athletics and Netball before her move to Australia, but it is whilst she was in Australia that she discovered the sport of Triathlon. Laura very quickly began to thrive in this sport and advanced through the amateur ranks winning four World Championship Titles as an Amateur; Beijing 2011 (Sprint distance), Auckland 2012 (Olympic distance), London 2013 (Olympic distance), Las Vegas 2013 (Half Ironman distance). After achieving this level of success, Laura made the decision to resign from the corporate world, sell up and move to San Francisco where she now lives and trains as a Professional Triathlete with world renowned coach Matt Dixon and his Purplepatch squad.

Laura continues her training in the USA where she is focusing on gaining more experience racing as a Professional Triathlete, and moving up to the full iron distance. (This involves a 2.4mile swim, 112mile cycle, 26.2mile run.) Her ultimate goal is to be one of the best in the world, however more importantly her drive to be the very best she can be, and to continue to learn, develop, improve and keep getting stronger and faster over the swim, bike and run. Laura is a strong advocate for women in sport and is an Athlete Ambassador for the Women’s Sports Trust as well as a regular contributor to Women In Triathlon website www.witsup.com 20

In the last update, Laura had recently left the corporate world to train and race as a Professional Triathlete. Ten years on from that and she has just completed her last race as a Professional, and so closed that chapter and is looking forward to the next.

NOW 2025

Laura's Professional Triathlon career started in San Francisco, with then coach Matt Dixon. Dixon coached Laura from 20142019 taking her from a new professional to a 5xIron distance Champion. Laura won IRONMAN Australia three consecutive years 2017, 2018, and 2019, and IRONMAN New Zealand in 2018, becoming the first British athlete (female or male) to do so.

She also won the European Triathlon Long Distance Championships in 2018, as well as other podium results.

During this time she moved from San Francisco to Christchurch, New Zealand, and then also to Girona, Spain. In 2019 Laura changed coaches to work with Julie Dibens and in 2023 moved to Boulder.

Colorado, USA to be with Julie and the squad based there.

Laura then had some of her greatest years in the sport working with Dibens. In 2021 Siddall was a reserve guide for British Paratriathletes at the Tokyo Paralympics, and then finished 2nd at Challenge Roth, running her fastest marathon to date, 2:55 at the age of 41. In 2022 Laura achieved a finishing with two top 10s finishes at the IRONMAN World Championships – 7th 2021 IRONMAN World Championships (postponed to 2022 due to covid) and then 10th at the 2022 IRONMAN World Championships. Laura was defying age and preconceptions in getting better and better.

In May 2023, at probably one of her fittest, she was hit by a car during the bike leg at IRONMAN Brazil and was knocked unconscious suffering a brain bleed. She was able to get back to racing for the IRONMAN World Championships in October where she finished an impressive 16th considering the injury, and in her fastest time ever at the World Champs. She went on to win Patagonman Xtreme Triathlon in December, being 2nd overall over the line, only behind the male winner.

After battling with ongoing symptoms from the TBI, Laura decided that 2025 was her final year of racing as a Professional, and finished out her career at Challenge Roth.

A new chapter awaits. During this period Laura has been a strong advocate for women in sport, and sits on the Athlete Board of the Professional Triathlete Organisation. She’s a Trustee of Women in Tri UK. She was part of the Women Sports Trust UNLOCKED programme in 2022. Laura is also a commentator and presenter, and writer for many endurance publications. As well as a coach, and public speaker.

OG NEWS

Nichi Hodgson (OG 2002) Having achieved four straight As at A Level, Nichi Hodgson read English and Related Literature at the University of York, specialising in feminist history, literary censorship, newPlatonism and Petrarchan love poetry. She graduated in 2006 with a First Class Degree. Further study followed at Harlow College and the Universita Degli Studio di Milano in Italy.

THEN 2015

Having established herself as a journalist and author in the international media in her 20s, Nichi Hodgson published her second book, 'The Curious History of Dating: From Jane Austen to Tinder' in 2016 and then spent the following years working as a dating history expert and dating industry consultant. She has now pivoted to writing and speaking mainly about Current Affairs and mental health, and now primarily works on her Substack 'Psychotopia' while continuing to work as a commentator and news reviewer across the international media. Nichi is currently working on her third book, a memoir about her experiences of psychosis.

She has a miniature sausage dog called Herbie and two-yearold daughter called Perla, and resides in London.

NOW 2025

Nichi’s career has seen her writing for the New Statesman, (where she also interned), The Times, The Observer, The Law Society and Standpoint Magazine. Nichi has become a leading journalistic voice on the topic of civil liberties and censorship issues, sex and the law and gender politics and regularly contributes to The Guardian, New Statesman and The Telegraph on these issues. She also writes for US women’s magazine Bustle.com on US politics, social policy and health, and Vice magazine.

Nichi was one of the first British journalists to court-report via Twitter, and is cited in Wikipedia for her coverage of the 2012 obscenity trial, R v Peacock. Nichi is a regular commentator on BBC Radio 2, and BBC Radio 5 as well as debating in various TV documentaries. She has recently researched, written and presented her first documentary for Radio 4. Her first book was published in 2012. Nichi continues her freelance writing as well as being a political commentator and newspaper reviewer for Sky News.

Caroline Gorton (née Atkinson) (OG 1997) For Caroline Atkinson, a career in the financial services sector seemed an obvious choice after obtaining an Economics degree from the University of Newcastle in 2000. Caroline has worked for several blue chip businesses, including PricewaterhouseCoopers where she gained her ACA qualification before moving onto Carclo Plc as a Project Accountant. She then moved to Deloitte as a Director in their Corporate Finance Advisory business. She currently works at HSBC where she is instrumental in providing international funding and financial service solutions, supporting large corporates (turnover £350m+ in a variety of industry sectors all over the world. She has experience in accounting, financial analysis, mergers and acquisitions, funding and business planning.

THEN 2015

NOW 2025

Over the past 10 years, after having my daughter Tilly (who is now entering Year 6 in the WGHS Junior Section as Head Girl - very proud!) my career has taken me into strategy and leading & building high performing teams. Now as a Managing Director in HSBC UK, I am responsible for a team of bankers & functions who support large global corporate clients based outside of London as well as leading various initiatives on behalf of the business around diversity and transformation, including encouraging more females to come into banking.

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OG NEWS

Holly Walters (OG 2006) After completing her A Levels in 2006, Holly decided to take a year out and spent some time travelling in America.

It was whilst travelling that she fell in love with the vast continent and hoped that one day she would return in a work setting. This happened in 2015 when her current employer Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, for whom she was working in London, advertised a post in their New York Office. Holly applied, was successful and moved over to New York full-time in February 2015.

Moving to NYC was my dream and I didn’t really anticipate any career moves for a while, but in late 2016 I was very unexpectedly approached by Netflix for a position on their Operations team.

So in 2017 I moved to Los Angeles and started working as a Title Operations Project Manager on the Series team.

A TPM is essentially the air traffic controller helping the show get from greenlight to launch; ensuring everything needed for the title (ie. playable files, subtitles, dubbing assets, artwork on service etc.) is ready for launch day.

In that job I had a really great birdseye view of the ecosystem of a show & Netflix itself, and so in doing this I realised my love of Post Production. In 2019 I reached out to the Post team to see if they had any open positions on their team - they did, and I have worked in Post ever since!

NOW 2025

THEN 2015

Deluxe is a global entertainment company involved in everything from production to distribution. Holly works in physical and digital distribution as an Account Manager producing DVDs & BlueRays for HBO and BBC America. Holly also co-ordinates platform deliveries to Netflix, iTunes, Hulu, GooglePlay and Amazon Prime.

Deluxe won NPV of the Year 2014 from Netflix which means Holly’s office is Netflix’s number one preferred vendor globally.

Holly has also worked for VTR North and Technicolour. Holly recently flew back to England to attend WGHS Grand Reunion and whilst revisiting school commented on how, when she was a student at the school, she never imagined she’d be working in the entertainment industry in New York and living in Brooklyn.

“

My current role at Netflix is a Post Production Associate Manager on the Studio-Speciality team for Series. A Post AM’s job is to work alongside the Post Executives and oversee everything in post production, from budget to vendors to dailies to schedules right up to final delivery. Titles my team & I have worked on include Stranger Things, Bridgerton, The Madness, The Decameron, and The Fall of The House of Usher.

I am the lead Post Executive for Ryan Murphy’s Monster series (Dahmer, Menendez Brothers, and upcoming Ed Gein) so I run those shows solo. It’s hard, but really exciting and fun work.

I would never have expected 10 years ago that I would be where I am now - being directly involved in the creation of television, and living & working (literally!) in Hollywood was beyond my wildest dreams for myself.

Moving to NYC was my dream and I didn’t really anticipate any career moves for a while, but in late 2016 I was very unexpectedly approached by Netflix for a position on their Operations team

”

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OG MEMORIES

The Power of Bursaries...

Financial assistance plays a crucial role in opening doors for talented students from all backgrounds, ensuring that financial circumstances never stand in the way of an outstanding education.

Earlier this year we reached out to our Old Girl Community, asking those who had received financial assistance to attend WGHS, whether through a Bursary, an Assisted Place or through the Direct Grant scheme, to share the story of how this impacted their lives. We received a great response and are pleased to share some of those stories here…

Anna Woolley (OG 1962) I got a West Riding scholarship at 11+. Although I lived in Wakefield who also gave scholarships, I was eligible to be considered for both because my father was an Area Planning Officer with the West Riding County Council. There were a lot of residents of Wakefield whose parents worked for the West Riding because Wakefield was the headquarters of it. County Hall was one of the largest employers in Wakefield. I was lucky. I am going to boast now. I was told I’d come second in the West Riding list.

Although my father had a reasonably high salary, I had a brother who needed schooling. I went to a private infant and primary school called “Mrs Tat’s”, because its owner and headmistress was Mrs. Tattersfield. My brother eventually did too and then he went to Silcoates. He was not very academic when at school and my parents understood he would not have thrived at QEGS. My mother didn’t have paid employment. If I hadn’t got a scholarship it would have been a struggle. When I got to university, I got a grant not a

loan, for the fees and a small grant towards living expenses from Wakefield as you did in those days when education was valued. I then got a small grant from Wakefield towards the cost of studying for the Bar exams but my father had to pay for my living expenses in London where the course was. By then my mother had a part time job.

I don’t think it would have been so feasible if they had had to pay for the High School. My friend Margaret Taylor who lived about 5 doors away from me on Dewsbury Road, got a Milne Gaskell scholarship to WGHS. I do give now annually to your scholarship fund.

Laura Buckley (OG 2009) When I first looked around WGHS, it felt impossible that I could ever be one of the 'High School Girls'. Being in receipt of a bursary, however, was just the opportunity that I needed to integrate myself into the school community: people to whom I still credit my successes to, today.

UK in all union matters. And with such wonderful teachers, I could not escape a love of teaching, and now guest lecture in universities, teach on local pharmacist courses, travel the UK to symposia and conferences to teach, and regularly attend local primary schools to teach their children.

I am currently an Advanced Clinical Pharmacist and Independent Prescriber in General Practice. However, the teaching did not limit my self-belief, nor confine me to expect to follow the norms of society, but gave me the confidence to take up a writing career alongside my professional work as a pharmacist, and I became the 'Medical Journalists' Association Blogger of the Year' in 2020, and in the years that followed since, I have published two fiction novels, reaching 'Best Seller' status on Amazon for the genre. I continued writing and have since written for research journals, and my work has been used to develop modules for teaching.

My time as part of the WGSF community built a strong sense of self-belief, determination, and instilled a lifelong love of learning which I believe has shaped who I am and thus the path I have taken in life to reach a very fortunate position. I will always be grateful to the bursary system for the opportunity it gave me to be forever a High School Girl, and proud of who I have grown to be.

Keen to challenge status quo, a trait instilled throughout my time as a High School Girl - I became the first Chair of Primary Care for the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists and now represent pharmacists in general practice across the

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OG MEMORIES

Kathryn R Davis (OG 1983) I received financial assistance when I was at WGHS, I joined in 1976 in what would now be Year 7 (IV Lower) from a state junior school. Direct Grant had just been abolished and I think I had a government assisted place but it may have just been a bursary, it was means tested and covered the vast majority of my fees (otherwise I would not have been able to attend).

I was then given a governors’ bursary to allow me to stay on to do my A levels in 1981, after getting 9 ‘A’ grades (then the top grade achievable) in my O levels in 1981.

I was the first person in my family to do A levels (I had 5

siblings all of whom were state school educated) and the only one to go to university (I went to Oxford to study Jurisprudence).

I went on to become a partner in a Magic Circle Law firm (Slaughter and May).

Helen Butcher (née Orton) (OG 1968-75) In 1968 I gained a West Riding Scholarship under the Direct Grant Scheme. My parents rewarded me with a family holiday in Switzerland, our first holiday abroad.

Starting at WGHS was a big change, many classmates knew more than I and had already studied subjects like French.

I knew that I had to work hard to retain the scholarship and be successful within WGHS. This work ethic has stayed with me throughout University and my entire working life.

In the early 1970’s I was inspired by a BBC programme ‘Restless Earth’, about Plate Tectonics. Later my Physics teacher gave me Tarling’s book on Continental Drift. The fact that you can put Southern America and Africa together like jigsaw pieces was simply amazing. I needed to know more!

If this theory worked for the rest of the world could it be used to predict rocks types and structural frameworks?

So off to University, Geophysical Sciences BSc followed by an MSc at UCL. My first job was working the North Sea with Mobil, the ‘token’ female Geophysicist. As I moved on through my career I gained experience in many different branches of geoscience, including seismic data processing, micropaleontology, chromatography etc. Working field development also gave me an excellent understanding of drilling practices.

“

I knew that I had to work hard to retain the scholarship and be successful within WGHS. This work ethic has stayed with me throughout University and my entire working life

”

24

The highlight of my working career was, with the support of my team, to drive Statoil’s re-entry into deepwater Gulf of Mexico and manage the companies Gulf of Mexico Exploration Department and Portfolio.

The company remains one of the leading companies in the area 10 years later.

My story is that I entered a male dominated industry in 1979 and rose to a very senior management position. At the same time, my husband and I, raised 2 children (who also went on to gain BSc and MSc degrees and have fulfilling careers). Throughout my career I have tried to encourage more women into the business, but with limited success.

I would like to see the new QEGS empowering more female pupils to succeed in male dominated industries.

Nichi Hodgson (OG 2002) Yes! I had an assisted place, I wouldn’t have been able to attend otherwise. I went on to thrive, getting 4 A-levels at A grade, going on to York uni where I got a 1st in English, and am now a published author and TV journalist.

Cecilia Conwaye-Wright (née Elsie Smith) (OG 1949) My name at the High School was Elsie Mary Smith and my years 1942-1949. Yes I did receive financial support through the Eleven Plus Scholarship offered in those days.

I had attended a 'Council School' --- Sandal Council School and of course it was in the middle of the war.

I trotted off to sit for the scholarship along with my classmates...I certainly walked with destiny that day.

Clothes were rationed... We had clothing coupons and had to buy the uniform.

Family members could share their clothing coupons to make this possible. I well remember that the summer uniform of pale blue cotton dresses...if unavailable, could be supplemented by our coming to school in any 'simple' cotton frock. But we seemed to manage well enough.

It was policy to buy a blazer in that first year and to buy one that would still fit for a couple of years and so all of us little Four Lowers turned up in rather oversized blazers... But we were High School Girls (!!) and proud of it.

We did not seem to have a lot of Air Raids in 1942 in Wakefield at least and so if we lived fairly locally we could catch a bus back home for our lunch times. But as the war got closer there was the fear that an air raid might occur over a lunch time. The school was responsible for our safety all day, even when we might have gone home for lunch. So as things got more dangerous we were recommended to stay to school lunches rather than risk being off school during an air raid. We could either take our own packed lunches to eat, or stay to school dinners.

All this must sound very oddly old by now but in my memory it is still fresh.

School soldiered on.

Some younger women teachers had husbands at war.

But the backbone of school was the solid core of lifetime teachers who were married to their jobs and to school bless them all.

As a student I was never a very high flyer. I never got a Form Prize and I was never a Prefect. My academic achievements were sufficient to pass most tests but I have to remember that I was studying piano and that meant many hours of practice every week. So I had to fit in all the normal homework around the piano prac. Looking back, I didn't fail at much...only Latin at School Certificate!

A later financial benefit that I got was when I was in the lower sixth. Must have been 1948. A piano scholarship was offered. I was having piano lessons at school, paid

for by my father. The Senior Piano Scholarship was offered. I do remember another girl who entered. She was Celia Cotes... A very good pianist. We tied for the top marks and it was decided that Celia would wear the medal and I would get the year's fees. Then in Six Upper in1949 I entered the Senior Piano Scholarship again and won both the year's tuition fees and the medal.

I have old photographs of myself in school uniform wearing the medal on my tie.

Here is a strange story... When I and my husband and children had been in Australia for 50 years, somehow one of my daughters informed the High school and to my surprise and delight the staff wished me well and sent me a whole lot of school memorabilia including photocopies of exam results and achievements. Sure enough there it all was EXCEPT no mention of the Senior Piano Scholarship.

But I won them and I wore the medal for a year.

So I and Celia Cotes (amazing how one remembers names) are on the records somewhere.

So my High School piano lessons were funded for my final two years via the scholarship. I went on to train as a school teacher at Whitelands College in Putney, London and as I understand it, those fees were funded from the Higher School Certificate Results...out of Wakefield City Rates.

There was some meansCecilia at school around 1949 testing and my father had to support some of my time at Whitelands. Looking back I wonder how we funded our school dinners. I don't know if we paid for them or not. Must have had to pay for them, one supposes.

Food rationing was very strict. The kitchens must have worked miracles to feed a school full of hungry girls. We always gave the food unflattering names, but we cleaned our plates and we grew lovely and gifted to serve our country, our world and our God.

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SUPPORT US

Help us to change lives with a gift to our Bursary Fund its history Wakefield Grammar “ Throughout School Foundation has had a tradition of supporting pupils of limited means to attend our schools. As a bursary recipient myself, I know just how important that tradition is, has been, and how important it is that we continue to offer that kind of support going forwards

”

Dr Richard Brookes WGSF Executive Head For generations, Wakefield Grammar School Foundation has been empowering exceptional young people, who are determined to make a meaningful impact on the world, to achieve their full potential.

With your support, we can continue to provide talented students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives with the opportunity to receive an outstanding education, regardless of their financial circumstances.

Our ambition is to ensure that no student is excluded due to financial need – but we need your support.

By donating to the WGSF Bursary Fund, you can help us provide access to a diverse, inclusive learning community where young people, with the potential to make a difference, can thrive.

Join our community of supporters today and together we can empower the next generation.

A gift that makes a difference!

It costs nearly £140,000 to support one pupil throughout the whole of their senior school education. It only takes a small number of people making a donation every month for a year to fund a full bursary place for a year.

Scan the QR code below or visit https://wgsf.org.uk/make-agift/ to find out more about how you can support us.

If you would like to make your donation by cheque, please make cheques payable to Wakefield Grammar School Foundation and send them to: Development Office, Wakefield Grammar School Foundation, 154 Northgate, Wakefield, WF1 3QX

26

SUPPORT US

LASTING LEGACIES Leave a legacy that will help to inspire the next generation.

Remembering Wakefield Grammar School Foundation in your Will is one of the most personal and significant ways you can support us. Any gift, large or small, plays a vital role in our work and will make a real difference to the lives of young people within the Foundation.

There are several ways you can choose to remember WGSF in your Will: n

n

n

Residuary legacy: once family and friends have been provided for, the remainder of a percentage of your estate is donated.

Pecuniary legacy: a fixed sum of money.

Specific: a specific or in-kind bequest (for instance, property, stocks and shares, works of art or antiques).

However you decide to remember WGSF, we will endeavour to follow your wishes and intentions wherever possible.

If you would like to discuss remembering WGSF in your Will, please contact the Development Office on 01924 663 733 or OG@wgsf.net We always recommend that you take professional advice from a solicitor to ensure the legacy meets your personal circumstances.

LEAvING AN IMpAC T 1878 Legacy Society Members Members of the 1878 Legacy Society have all left a gift to WGHS in their Will.

We are grateful to all members of the society for their support of the School.

Members Enid Barron OG 1963

Jennifer Dudney OG 1963

Alison Farmer OG 1968

Judith Heaton OG 1978

Barbara Hunt OG 1969

John McLeod Former Chair of Governors

Penelope Plumpton OG 1976

Alison Tetley OG 1978

Shirley Wigglesworth Former Staff Old Girls who wish to remain annonymous

Old Girl OG 1980 Old Girl OG 1985 Former Staff

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LIVES REMEMBERED NANCY LOCKWOOD (OG 1945)

MILDRED CLARK (OG 1951) Mildred Diana Clark attended WGHS between 1942 and 1951: she died just 2 weeks short of her 90th birthday.

Born in the village of Overton, she spent her whole life in the area with the exception of 2 years in teacher training at Avery Hill College, SE London.

Mildred’s teaching career took her from class teacher to Deputy Head at Overthorpe Infant School and, ultimately, to the Headship of Shaw Cross Infant and Nursery School, Dewsbury, from which position she retired in September 1987. She dedicated her whole life to the children and staff in her care. Former members of staff who worked with her have expressed great admiration, respect and fondness for her as a leader and colleague.

We regret to inform you that Nancy Lockwood peacefully passed away on Saturday 30th December 2023.

Aged 97 years, Nancy was a caring Aunt to John, Brian and Hilary and a family figurehead to her many great and great great nephews and nieces. She was the last of three Lockwood sisters born in Wakefield, her midwifery nursing career ended as a Sister Tutor at Gloucester Maternity Unit.

Mildred very much appreciated the education she received at WGHS. Her photographs and letters reveal the delight she took in the travel opportunities afforded by the school and, during her teaching career, continued travelling, both in the UK as well as Europe, relishing the varieties of landscape, people, customs and culinary temptations! She had a wonderful memory and could vividly recount her experiences.

Friendships formed at WGHS thrived throughout Mildred’s life. A love of music and cricket - a dedicated Yorkshire CC supporter, of course - most probably initiated at school, also continued. In retirement, she took on the organist role at her local church remaining active in church life until mobility problems prevented that involvement.

Mildred generously supported charities, both local and national, benefiting children, adults and animals alike wherever there was need. Indeed, she has left a legacy gift to the school in recognition of the lifetime benefit she received from her WGHS education.

Friendships formed at WGHS “ thrived throughout Mildred’s life

”

HAZEL FULLER née Davies (OG 1951) Hazel Marina Fuller (nee Davies) died peacefully in her sleep on Monday 3rd June aged 90. WGHS was a very important part of her life and talked about it often. Our thoughts go to Hazel's family and friends at this time.

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SUSAN NORTON (OG 1976) We are deeply saddened to hear the passing of Susan Norton who passed away on Thursday 29th May 2024 after a cancer diagnosis.

LIVES REMEMBERED JUNE FARRAR

MARGARET ANDRASSY

former staff member

former WGHS Staff

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of June Farrar, a well-known and much respected member of staff across the foundation.

June worked in the QEGS office from January 1997 until her retirement in 2014 due to ill health. During her many years of service, she made a lasting impact on colleagues and students alike and she will be fondly remembered by all who knew her.

Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this difficult time.

HAZEL WAY née Burgess OG and former Secretary of Old Girls’ Association

Hazel joined WGHS in 1944, towards the end of the Second World War, aged 11. Her daughter Adele Guest (nee Way), heard many stories from her mum about her time at the school, and particularly remembers that she was miffed that Miss Benson, the gym mistress, would never give her a posture stripe!

Hazel left school aged 16 and held various office jobs until Adele’s birth in 1963 when she became a full time mother.

She returned to the world of business in 1970 and started the first of many businesses providing admin support for quantity surveyors, diversifying in later years to running a law and commercial stationers in Wakefield and, finally, a fancy dress hire business.

Hazel served on the Old Girls’ Committee during the leaderships of both Miss Hand and Mrs Langham, and was always very involved in helping to organise the Annual Autumn Craft Fair, together with a large fundraising event at Rooftop Gardens.

It is with deep sadness that school wishes to inform you of the passing of Margaret Andrassy.

Margaret was a long standing, highly respected and much loved member of the Food & Textiles Departments and the wider school community and a truly great ambassador for WGHS. Margaret passed away peacefully on Thursday 16th January 2025 with family around. Loving wife of the late Richard and devoted mum to Michael and James. A loving nana to Ben, Jake and Archie.

Our condolences go to her many friends and family.

ELIZABETH WENDY COLLEY former music teacher

We are deeply saddened to hear the passing of Wendy Colley who passed away peacefully on 5th October 2024 at Kirkwood Hospice aged 87 years. Dearly loved wife of late Francis, much loved mum of Alison, Pip and Pete, dear Mother-in-Law of Chris, Simon and Gina, loving Granny of Jonathan, Katherine, Joe, Amy, Ben and Natasha and a dear Sister of Ros and the late David.

Wendy was a music teacher at WGHS between 1977 and 1992, who kept in touch with many of her pupils after her time at the High School.

Both Adele and her daughter Chloe also attended WGHS, so Hazel had a long and very dear connection with the school.

Unfortunately Hazel suffered a life limiting stroke aged 79, but continued to live in her own home for a further 11 years until her death in August 2024 aged 90.

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LIVES REMEMBERED ANN GRAY M.A Oxon, OBE former Head of English, Senior Mistress and Acting Headmistress of WGHS

Ann Gray, most remarkable lady, lived in Bentley, Doncaster, her entire life. She attended Percy Jackson Grammar School, winning a place at Somerville College, Oxford, to read English Literature, going up in 1953. Her association with and loyalty to her college was to last all her life. For some time she served on their Senior Members Committee and was delighted when Jackie Watson, her onetime WGHS pupil and then dear friend, went on to Somerville and is now their Alumni Relations officer. The college is to commemorate Ann at their service in June 2024.

After graduating, Ann undertook her teacher training at St Hughes College, Cambridge.Then came her first teaching post at Wakefield Girls’ High School. Now as Miss Gray to pupils and most colleagues alike, she dedicated her whole teaching career to the school! Miss Gray became inextricably woven with the entire fabric and ethos of Wakefield Girls.

First and foremost Ann’s service was to the many generations of students she taught. There has been a huge outpouring of love and gratitude over the period of Ann’s illness and death from old girls of the school right back from the 1960s to the late 1990s, all unanimous in declaring that Miss Gray inspired them with a lifelong appreciation and love of literature. What better accolade can an English teacher have? Many have written also of her kindness and supportiveness to them personally, one of whom is Baroness Usha Prashar speaking of when she joined the school in 1964. Usha also recalls how Ann kept in touch with the unfailing Xmas card every year.

How many former pupils, colleagues and friends, have been grateful for that faithful annual point of contact and how it will now be missed!

Many, many of Ann’s students went on to study English literature at University; Some followed her into teaching whether in schools or university. Katy Mullin, another of Ann’s WGHS pupils and Somervillian, and very recently appointed as Professor of Literature and Culture at Leeds University speaks of her as a model of how to teach with rigour and kindness. Some of Ann’s pupils went on to become her colleagues in the English department at Wakefield and thence to become lifelong friends. All of Ann’s colleagues in the English Dept and across the entire school unanimously respected her. The one abiding image we all share of Ann is of her daily determined walk up to school from Westgate station, carrying two large shopping bags, one on each arm, full of heavy piles of marked English exercise books.

Typically, Ann’s service to Wakefield Girls was not just in teaching. Not only was she Head of a large and thriving English Department, but she also served as Second or Senior Mistress and indeed for a time as Acting Headmistress of the Senior school. Ann was also asked to represent her teaching colleagues by becoming their Union

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Rep. She filled this role with tact, diplomacy, wisdom, dedication and indeed courage as she quietly but steadfastly took up her colleagues’ cause. Those of us who were or still are at Wakefield Girls have much to thank her for.

However, Ann’s service as a Union Rep was not at merely local level: it was not long before Ann was on the National Executive of the Assistant Mistresses Association. She then became its last National President before going on to become the second National President of the now much larger joint Assistant Masters and Mistresses Association, AMMA (later to become ATL). This was a huge National and public role. Ann specialised in debates about curriculum and examination development and served on the Government bodies monitoring the standards and comparability of the various Exam Boards especially at A Level. Some of us will recall seeing her interviewed by the BBC for the six o clock news giving the Union’s standpoint on one such contemporary debate on the curriculum. Ann needed to be prepared to dash from school down to London to attend the plethora of debates and meetings. One colleague recalls the 13 outfits of clothing Ann had amassed in the staff cloakroom for such forays!

In view of such extraordinary ability, commitment and involvement Ann was awarded the OBE for services to Education - a great and hugely deserved honour that we at school and all her colleagues in the Union Nationally and locally rejoiced in.

Somehow Ann managed to keep up with her many friends, regularly going to the theatre and to many classical concerts with them - a habit she continued into her retirement almost to the end. She was so vibrantly and intelligently interested in not just the Arts, but in travel and other countries and cultures and can name trips to such diverse places as Brazil and Greenland.

LIVES REMEMBERED Somehow Ann managed to keep up with her many friends, regularly going to the theatre and to many classical concerts with them - a habit she continued into her retirement almost to the end. She was so vibrantly and intelligently interested in not just the Arts, but in travel and other countries and cultures and can name trips to such diverse places as Brazil and Greenland.

When Ann resigned from the High School and retired from teaching, her energy, ability and enormous drive for public service was undiminished. Ann served as Chair and then as church representative on bodies supporting the local community where all noted her empathy and deep concern for those in greatest need. She also served on Doncaster Civic Trust from 2001-2022 with a special interest in helping students through bursaries, She is remembered by all for her wise and cheery advice.

The underlying mainspring of Ann’s being and the dynamo enabling and powering her ceaseless energy and concern for others was undoubtedly her deep Christian faith. She served with wisdom and humility on the PCC of her local church, was lay chair of the Deanery Synod and served also on the Diocesan Synod and was described by the Bishop as a “great stalwart”.

Many with WGHS connections will miss this remarkable lady. However Ann’s constant wish in her final days was to go “home”. That wish coupled with her faith, firm to the end, is most beautifully expressed in Tennyson’s poem, “Crossing The Bar” spoken as the closing words of tribute at her funeral service: Glenys Woods (nee Lloyd) Former pupil, colleague and friend

Crossing The Bar

LINDSEY MARY CAMPBELL (OG 1949) Lindsey was born in Joppa, Edinburgh, where she spent her early childhood during the war years. She moved to Wakefield when she was eight, attending Wakefield Girls High School and writing a novel, Horse of Air, when she was 15.

She attended St Hugh’s College, Oxford on a scholarship to study English Literature and went on to become a teacher of English, working at a number of schools south of the border. In 1971 she married Bob Nesbitt in Reykjavik and had three sons, then moved back to Scotland and ran the Ben Lawers Hotel for a few years before moving to a farm along the loch-side. She retired to Stag Cottage in Glen Lochay where she spent over twenty years enjoying the peace of the glen and working occasionally as a healer and general wise woman, and even held a few drama classes at Killin Primary. She enjoyed tending her garden, avidly reading whodunnits, and keeping animals, having had everything from stick insects to horses and most things in-between.

She passed away on the 10th January 2022 after a relatively short illness and is survived by her sons, Stefan, Mark and Sean, and her two grandchildren Ameilia and Sterling. Ever young at heart, with a ready wit, she always had time for people, a gentle listening ear and will be greatly missed by many.

poem by Alfred Tennyson Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea, But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For, tho’ from out our bourne of time and place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face, When I have crost the bar.

The Troubadour

by Linsey Mary Capbell Once I was a troubadour Upon the dusty road.

Ragged was the robe I wore And little was my load.

Rough vagabonds my trusted friends, Companions of the ways and waves.

Men strung us up to feed the crows, We danced upon our graves.

The times are gone, the tune abide; Love-longing is the horse I ride.

The friends I lost will live again, Laughing in the wind and rain And I shall be a troubadour Upon the roads for evermore. wghsIntouch.org.uk 31

UPCOMING EVENTS We are very excited to announce a great programme of events.

Book your place online at www.wghsintouch.org.uk

An Evening with Pat Langham 6th November 2025 Jubilee Hall, WGHS, Wakefield

Seasonal Drinks Reception 27th November 2025 Jubilee Hall, WGHS, Wakefield

Northern Social 11th March 2026 Leeds - venue to be announced

London Social 22nd April 2026 Central London - venue to be announced

London Old Girls Lunch 23rd April 2026 Central London - venue to be announced

Cambridge Dinner 16th May 2026 Cambridge - venue to be announced

Summer Reunion 20th June 2026 Jubilee Hall and Quad, WGHS, Wakefield

WGHS Development Office, WGHS Wentworth Street, Wakefield, WF1 2QS

OG@wgsf.net