WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

SOME OF THE 31 WONDERFUL NEW ENTRANTS FROM 2001

HELENA AHMED

After RGS, I completed my BSc. Neuroscience and worked in Biotech for several years, before changing course into early years education. Currently residing in Cambridgeshire with my husband, and focusing on home educating my three children.

HARRIET BAKER

Since graduating from the University of Edinburgh, my career has been in arts marketing: at Bonhams Auctioneers, National Galleries of Scotland and now at Creative Scotland, the national funding body for arts, screen and creative industries. I also volunteer for Comann nam Pàrant (the national advocacy group for Gaelic Medium Education), enjoy drawing and painting, and spend a lot of time playing football with my son Hamish.

SARAH (BRUMBY) VARGERSON

After studying Fashion and Design and Technology, I worked as a clothes designer for 15 years and am now setting up my own retail business supplying sustainably packaged groceries, whilst living in London with my husband and two children.

BETHAN (GHOLKAR) HARRISON

I studied Medicine at Bristol University and qualified as a doctor in 2009. I am now working as a GP and Occupational Physician in the South West. I enjoy the variety of my work and in particular my work in supporting employees with their health and wellbeing in the workplace. I married my husband, John, in 2014 and we have two children called Isabella (five years) and Hugo (three years). We have recently moved rurally and are enjoying living on a smallholding. I usually visit the North East regularly (when we are not in a pandemic) and I have made firm friends as a result of my time at RGS. I have fond memories of my time at the school.

CHARLOTTE (GIBBS) KIDD

A lot has passed since I left school! I studied English Literature MA at Edinburgh, then completed a PGCE at Durham and started teaching straight after that. I’m currently Deputy Head of English at St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Benton, although I also have pastoral experience as a Head of Year. I absolutely love my job and there’s no doubt that my experience at RGS has helped me to become the teacher that I am today. I hope to climb the career ladder further once my children are a little more self-sufficient.

I live in Holystone with my partner, Chris and I am currently on maternity leave. I have a son and daughter; Arlo who is four, and Annie who is five months. They keep me very busy but they really are my world. We have a really happy household and I am very lucky indeed. I can’t help thinking that I dodged a bullet by not teaching in school this year, but having a baby in a pandemic has not exactly been easy, either! It’s been really lovely to get out and about with Annie over the last few weeks and to meet with other mums.

JONATHAN LIND

After leaving RGS, I went on to read Genetics at Leeds University, then Law at Newcastle University, followed by a Master’s in Medical Ethics and Law at King’s College London. I am currently living in Islington, London, and working at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

SAM LOWERSON

Following my undergraduate degree I completed the GDL and LPC and worked as a solicitor in private practice before taking a break from the Law. During this period I worked in the charity sector, primarily for a charity which aims to advance social mobility in the UK by supporting young people from lowincome backgrounds into universities and a range of professions.

CATHERINE McKIE

I enjoyed completing my A Levels at RGS Sixth Form, alongside my twin brother Christopher. I went on to study Dentistry at Newcastle Dental School and qualified in 2008. I now work as a dentist in the North East. My partner and I have a beautiful three year old daughter Holly, whomwe enjoy spending our spare time with.

LUCY MILNER

I studied Medicine at Newcastle University and stayed in the region for junior doctor training, before working in Australia for two years in Emergency Medicine, which is where I met my husband.

After some debate with my Australian husband we moved back to the UK and I completed GP training and now work as a GP in Edinburgh. There are definitely some advantages in being so far from the in-laws! We live in East Lothian with our 3 children, Toby 4, Archie 3 and Poppy 10 months, and love having the country and beach lifestyle while being so close to the city of Edinburgh.

CLARE (PEARSON) BERGERSON

I studied Law at Leeds University and am now a solicitor specialising in commercial litigation, living and working in Leeds. I am married to Simon, and we have a little boy, Theo.

HARRIET PEARSON

My undergraduate degree was in the History of Art at Leeds University, and my postgrad was in the Conservation of Easel Paintings at The Courtauld Institute of Art. I now work as a Paintings Conservator at Tate where I focus on the examination and treatment of paintings being acquired into the collection. I also work as an independent conservator for commercial galleries and private clients.

TARA (PITMAN) PENFOLD

Following RGS I studied Medicine at the University of Glasgow. After qualifying I moved back to the North East to complete my junior doctor training and am now working as a General Practitioner at a busy practice in Newcastle. I am very happily married and live with my husband and our two sons (age 1 and 3) in the Tyne Valley.

I look back on my time at RGS fondly and hope to send my boys there when the time comes!

NICOLA ROBINSON

I studied Medicine at Edinburgh University and then returned to the region for my postgraduate training, including a year working in New Zealand. James (93-03) and I married after a long friendship; you can’t predict at 18 who you will marry! We recently moved to Cullercoats with our two sons, Joshua 3 and Matthew 1 and are loving costal living, especially paddleboarding in the bay!

I have been appointed as a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist specialising in laparoscopic surgery at South Tyneside and Sunderland Foundation Trust. It’s amazing how much of the local NHS is staffed by old-Novos!

HELENA STRETTLE-DAVIES

Having been at CNHS in an all-girl environment from the age of four, moving to RGS was a daunting but exciting prospect. I knew in myself I needed a change and a challenge to get me through A Levels and I certainly found that at RGS. The natural competition with the boys coupled with the strong encouragement and opportunity at RGS meant that I was able to get the best out of myself and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

After finishing my A Levels, I went on to study Economics at Homerton College, Cambridge. After three fantastic years there, I moved to London and gained my Chartered Accountancy qualification (ACA) in Audit with KPMG. After the best part of ten years at KPMG and a brief Management Accountant role at De Beers Diamonds, I moved to AB Bernstein in Mayfair to work in Equity Research, covering the European Food & HPC stocks and still work for them now, on a parttime/Consultancy basis.

In the meantime, after a number of years of friendship stemming from our time together at RGS, I married Jeff Davis (9703) in Spain in 2012. We now live together in Islington with two sons, Charlie (4) and Alfred (2). Jeff’s work (Partner at a Hedge Fund) keeps us in London for the time being, but we look forward to relocating back to Newcastle one day!

I have very fond memories of my time at RGS and made friends (and met a husband!) for life.

ANNSLEY WARD

I am now an intellectual property litigator, specialising in patent and trade secret litigation, living in London, but working across Europe, the United States and Asia.

Sadly, we have not been able to contact all 22 girls and 9 boys from 2001, whilst some of them wish to remain private. However, one of them has allowed us to print this comment:

I want to take the time to thank all the teachers at RGS for making those two years some of the best education I ever had. At RGS I was taught to think critically and learn for the pleasure of learning and debate. It was scary at first, but I’m so glad that I had that experience as I’ve carried it with me all through my adult life’.