The Roedeanian Winter 2019/20

S O C I E T Y

The Roedeanian

Winter 2019/20

Developments at Roedean 2019

Staff Christmas Panto

A Trompe d’Oeil Roman Feast as part of Roedean’s Academic Week

Roedean Parents’ Guild at the Christmas Fair

U12 Netball under brooding Rodean skies

House 2 Celebrating Halloween

Alumnae Events

Former member of staff Brenda Clayton (1977-2004) with her son and grandchildren visit the school

OR Dubai Lunch

OR Shanghai Afternoon Tea

ORs Tara Montgomery and Shanta Sundarason reunion in New York

Introduction It’s 2020 – Happy New Year and Happy New Decade! It is wonderful to see everyone back after the holidays, rested and full of energy for the term ahead.

We started the term with Chapel services in which several girls shared some of their thoughts and intentions for this new term, year and decade. With a new year comes beginnings and fresh starts, and I greatly enjoyed hearing the girls’ reflections.

Life at Roedean continues to be busy and varied. It was a great pleasure to welcome over 50 students from schools in the local area to join some of our Year 10 Students for the Roedean Academy programme for this year. The aim of the Academy is to bring like-minded students from the surrounding area together for a programme of challenging academic enrichment. Every week each student will chose two modules in either STEM, Arts, Humanities or English.

These will be complemented by other modules which are about enrichment for its own sake. Taking these modules is for the joy of learning about something completely new, indulging intellectual curiosity, and thinking deeply about unusual topics.

Congratulations to our Year 13 who are currently receiving offers of places at University. We are delighted and proud that 5 girls have received an offer from Cambridge University and top medical schools – what an outstanding achievement.

The Roedeanian Society aims to keep all Roedeanians in touch with the school and in touch with each other.

There is a huge amount going on in school and even more beyond school in the lives and careers of all our alumnae and former staff. This magazine aims to celebrate and share school and alumnae news, and to enable us to make new connections with each other.

With best wishes for the year ahead, Oliver Blond Headmaster

Contents School Highlights

4-6

OR News

7–9

Feature: Sea Swimming at Roedean

10

Feature: School Residential Trips

11

Obituaries 12-14 Dates for your Diary

14

Roedean through the ages

15

3

School Highlights Alex is Specsavers Young Sports Personality of the Year!

Eden and the Winner of The Voice 2019 We were absolutely delighted to welcome Molly Hocking, who was the winner of BBC’s The Voice 2019, to Roedean last term, to perform with Year 13 student Eden. The School Chapel was packed with excited students and staff, and it was fantastic to hear two incredibly talented musicians performing together so beautifully. Molly and Eden’s collaboration was the result of a chance meeting between their Dads, who started chatting about their daughters’ love of music. As a result they are now working together on collaborations for piano and voice. Molly also shared a little of her story with the girls, and her experience on X Factor two years ago. Molly reached the judges’ houses round but then was not able to perform because there were too many acts. This was a huge blow for her, and she dropped out of school and didn’t want to be involved in music for quite a while. Luckily, her friends convinced her to audition for The Voice last year, which she went on to win! Hearing her talk so frankly about this experience was incredibly powerful for the girls in the audience, and showed how you must follow your passions. We look forward to hearing more of Molly and Eden’s collaboration in the future!

Congratulations to Alex S (Yr8) who won the ‘Specsavers Young Sports Personality of the Year 2019’ category at the Sport Guildford Awards in November. British Olympic and World Champion canoeist Liam Heath MBE presented the award to Alex alongside a senior manager from Specsavers.

Liam brought his three Olympic medals in with him and Alex was in awe holding his Gold medal from the Rio Olympics. We wish Alex all the best for a brilliant SpeedSkating season ahead.

Hustings As the General Election approached in December, political discussions were plentiful at Roedean, and we were delighted to host a hustings of parliamentary candidates for Kemptown. Well over one hundred interested and excited students watched as the candidates answered questions from the School’s Sixth Form Political Scientists, with topics including how to improve the representation of young people, helping rough sleepers, getting to net zero carbon emissions, and of course, Brexit! Many thanks to all involved.

‘I was so glad to see that all the parties were so enthusiastic about addressing the ever-growing problem of our climate emergency and rough sleepers in Brighton.’ Eloise (Yr12)

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‘The hustings was a really exciting and interesting experience. It was nice to see the actual applications of political theories which I have learnt in A Level Politics.’

Annie (Yr13)

A Big ‘Thank You’ from Off The Fence Roedean has been supporting the Brighton based charity Off The Fence, which provides food for the homeless in Brighton, for the past 8 months. Every Thursday the School’s Catering department has been preparing 50 additional meals which are delivered to the charity. We were delighted to recently receive the following thank you from them: ‘It honestly has made such a difference with clients receiving top quality food from Roedean. Not exaggerating, but it has been one of the greatest blessings we have had happen for the clients. In recent months, they have been so happy to receive such great food for the incredibly tough circumstances they are in. Sincerely, thank you so much to all of you.’

We are thrilled to be supporting such a fantastic organisation, and the School is currently looking at how we can develop our partnership with the charity further.

Speech Day Despite the very high winds and driving rain, Speech Day was a truly wonderful day. It was fantastic to congratulate the girls and celebrate their achievements, particularly our returning leavers, who shared stories of their first month at university and life after School.

We also welcomed a most outstanding guest speaker in Rachel Parris, whose address was both humorous and fast-paced, but also pitched perfectly for the girls. Her delivery and timing were brilliant, and it was fantastic to hear her sing her advice to the girls from behind a piano.

Rachel reminded the girls that it’s really okay not to have everything mapped out and set in stone. This was incredibly reassuring for anyone who is feeling that they are lacking a little direction and don’t know exactly where they are heading in life.

The six performances in the ceremony were all very well received, and included four diverse pieces performed by the School Choir and the Senior Singers, as well as House 4’s winning piece from House Drama, and ‘One Day More’ from Les Misérables. It was a wonderful event and we hope to welcome Rachel back to Roedean soon.

The Battle of Hastings comes to Roedean!

Over the October half term the whole of Year 7 were busy making swords and shields in preparation for a final clash between the Saxons and the Normans on the front lawn of the School. Their handiwork was ‘inspected’ and judged by Mr Blond and Mr Chamberlain, and the quality of workmanship and effort that went in to making every single sword and shield was extremely impressive. Well done to everyone for the effort and enthusiasm shown – the fearsome battle-cries and warrior faces were worthy of scaring any army, and the final score was victory to the Normans!

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School Highlights Hockey Experience Day Roedean Sport, along with one of our Sports Ambassadors, Olympic Gold medalist, Kate Richardson-Walsh, hosted a Hockey Experience Day for 92 girls from Prep Schools.

They developed their skills during the day, with the School’s hockey staff providing a carousel of engaging and educational hockey masterclasses on the all-weather pitch. The girls also enjoyed an inspirational presentation given by Kate, hearing about her experiences as a young sportswoman. It was a fantastic day, showcasing the excellent facilities and quality of coaching Roedean has to offer.

The Crucible

Roedean Merchandise We are delighted to announce that the Roedean online Shop has launched! We have also developed a new range of Roedean Merchandise. Based on a gorgeous illustration of the School by popular artist, Katie Cardew, the new range includes a tea towel, cards, and prints of Roedean. Please visit www.roedean.co.uk/shop

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Last term a cast of 20 girls from Year 10 – 13 put on an exciting production of Arthur Miller’s classic play, The Crucible. Written in 1953, The Crucible is a partially fictionalised play based on the Salem Witch Trials of 169293. Staged in the eerie and intimate setting of the School’s beautiful Chapel, the play was performed in the thrust, allowing those audience members who were courageous enough to be right there in the action to sit amongst the cast. Opening with a hauntingly beautiful song, the production was accompanied throughout by atmospheric music and lighting to fit with the play’s ominous themes.

Director and drama teacher Susan Woodbridge, said: “This subject matter has created an engaging rehearsal process. The play allowed our students to discover the range and depth of their acting skills by tackling such an ambitious text. I think they have handled it with great professionalism.”

Huge congratulations to the entire cast and crew for this fantastic production.

OR News Clare Boyd (No.1, 1987-91) Congratulations Clare on the publication of her fourth novel, The Perfect Wife.

The evening ahead of her felt like the start of a long tightrope walk above a raging waterfall, where one misstep could be fatal…

In a house made of glass, lives a woman about to crack.

Everyone in town knows Copper Lodge, that designer home with floor-to-ceiling windows that looms over the small red-brick houses on Connelly Close. And the couple who live there, Elizabeth and Lucas Huxley, with their two blondehaired, cherubic children, are seemingly perfect, plucked right out of a magazine.

But meet Heather, the gardener’s daughter, arriving from the coast in her beat-up little car to spend the summer helping to prepare for the most important night of the Huxleys’ lives: a summer party designed to put Elizabeth’s past trauma behind them and save their family from financial ruin. Heather grew up in the grounds of this magnificent house, she knows its secrets…

A page-turner about the darker side of love and what really goes on under the surface of perfectlooking lives. Clever and unexpected, this book will have you gripped from the very first page until the dramatic final twist. Available from 4 March 2020.

Catherine Archer (No.1, 1986-92) Catherine, Managing Director of premium tea company JING, is delighted to announce the opening of the first JING Store. Located in the heart of London’s West End in the charming streets of St Christopher’s Place, the contemporary new store will take you on a journey to experience the people and places behind JING’s characterful single garden teas. The store hosts engaging Tea Flights for small groups, encouraging exploration, learning and a real connection with the origins of tea. These immersive taste experiences are bookable online and are perfect for those who are just discovering the joy of single garden teas, through to connoisseurs looking to try some of the rarest, most highly-prized JING teas.

For more information see www.jingtea.com

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OR News Emily Townsend (No.3, 2013-18) Congratulations to Emily for running the Bilbao night Marathon in Spain. Emily left Roedean in 2018 and is now studying at Oxford University. ‘It was a really great experience. About 40 university students from all over the country, including a team of 8 from Oxford, ran the Bilbao night marathon in the pouring rain, raising over £50,000 for 4 charities. It was miserable weather, but the atmosphere was great, with live music and supportive crowds shouting “Animo!”. It was pretty plane sailing for the first 30 kilometres, but the last 12 felt like they lasted forever. When I finally crossed the line, I felt completely overwhelmed – it was crazy to think that all of the training from the last year came down to only 4 hours and 25 mins.

After flying back to Oxford, I didn’t have time to relax or celebrate as it was straight into 2 hours of lectures and 5 hours of Chemistry labs the following day! I’d like to thank everyone for donating towards my £1200 target for Action Against Hunger and for all the supportive messages – I can’t wait to plan my next challenge soon!’ What a brilliant achievement for Emily, and a huge amount raised for charity – congratulations!

ORA Christmas Drinks 2019 A review of the ORA Christmas Drinks by now former ORA President Ginny Stephen (de Trense, No.3, 1954-60) As a prelude to Christmas, over 60 ORs enjoyed a very convivial evening of drinks at the Antelope. Hosted by the ORA, this annual event is greatly anticipated and was, once again, a huge success. A large suitcase was under the Christmas Tree for donations to go to St. Mungo’s Charity for the Homeless, organised by OR Izzy Holland (No.4, 200512), and, as ever, ORs gave generously. The true Christmas spirit prevailed as the wine flowed, and the food appeared.

Noise levels rose as ORs met up with old friends, and made new ones.

A great evening. Thanks to everyone who came and made the event such a success. See you again next year!

Sorcha Harris (No.3, 2015-19) Congratulations Sorcha who has been chosen to direct Exeter University’s theatre company’s production “Me, Myself, Myself, Myself, Myself”. Sorcha, who started studying English at Exeter University last term, applied for the role of director in her second week at the University. The play is written by a second year drama student, and is being produced by the University’s theatre company ‘Theatre With Teeth’. The play is a dark comedy dealing with mental health issues and feelings of isolation and loneliness, and is an ensemble physical theatre piece featuring five talented actors. The 8

play goes through waves of emotion with childlike highs and anxious lows. The company will be performing the play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival summer 2020. While at Roedean Sorcha threw herself into Performing Arts at the School, as well as running a children’s theatre in Brighton.

Congratulations Sorcha!

OR News Roxana Vilk (No.4, 1985-89) Congratulations Roxana on the release of her single ‘Just Disappeared’ by her band Vilk Collective ahead of their full album release this year.

‘The song is inspired by our relationship with nature, and how breath taking it can be to be fully immersed in a natural landscape. After a day of walking along the beaches of East Lothian in Scotland, I had this overwhelming feeling that as humans we are really just small dots in a vast canvas of sea and sky. On my return home, I sat down to the piano and wrote the lyrics and outline melody of the song. For the Music Video/ Art Film for the track I wanted to create a piece of art work that expressed this overwhelming feeling of being

enveloped by the natural world, but through the medium of dance. I asked dancer / choreographer Skye Reynolds, who I have made theatre and film work with in the past, to listen to the track and create a sequence of movements that she could perform along a wall by the sea. I then wanted to contrast Skye’s movements with extra footage I had from my last film shoot in Iran. Women are banned from dancing in Iran in public and I had filmed an Iranian actress standing stock still in the Persian Gulf. To my surprise, the Art Film went on to win a couple of awards - 2eme Prix Du Jury At Cannes Art Film Festival and Winner Best Artist Film at London Renaissance Film Festival and has screened at other festivals.’

You can watch and hear Just Disappeared on Roxana’s website: http://roxanavilk.com/-just-disappeared

Nichola Hinton (Birch, No.4, 1990-97) Nichola founded her business, Apothenie, in 2018 with her Canadian sister in law, Stephanie. They bonded over the mutual belief that living a clean, pure and healthy lifestyle as possible was the way they wanted to live out both their own and their family’s lives. After many years of sharing stories, recipes, ideas and products that lend themselves to this, it dawned on them that it would make sense to collaborate and create a product together that not only matched their lifestyle and health beliefs; but also nurtured their creative sides. Out of the discovery that many of the candle products currently available to us contain synthetically derived and potentially harmful ingredients, the idea to try to produce a safer and cleaner burning product was born!

Their range of carefully curated scented candles uses only EcoSoya non GM vegetable based wax, a clean burning cotton wick and 100% natural essential oils, all presented in a luxury glass jar, which can either be refilled or repurposed in any number of ways.

All of their candles are free from paraffin wax, palm wax, lead, chemical fragrance oils and dyes.

For more information and to order a candle please see Apothenie’s website www.apothenie.co.uk 9

Sea Swimming at Roedean

Sea swimming has been reintrouduced at Roedean!

We are delighted that sea swimming is becoming popular at Roedean again. When the School first opened on this site, it went to great lengths to help girls to swim in the sea. Before the tunnel existed, girls went to Rottingdean and climbed into covered wagons which were then drawn by horses into the sea. From there, the girls would step out into the water with a rope tied around them to make sure they were not dragged away with the tide. In the 1898 edition of the School magazine, there is an article on sea swimming which shows the true Roedean spirit!

‘More than once this term, despite the unseasonable weather, we have braved the elements with enjoyment! On Half-Term Saturday, in half a gale of wind, and something of a breaking sea, some half-dozen eager spirits allowed themselves to be roped to their machines, and not one of them regretted their temerity, but returned to School much refreshed.’

The tunnel was built in 1910, and there was great excitement at the School at its opening. Games Mistresses Madams Rowbotham and Peskett wrote in the School magazine how 113 girls successfully trained to be able to swim a quarter of a mile (about 400 metres) in order to be allowed to swim in the Bathing at Rottingdean c1900 sea in the summer term when the tunnel opened.

when the tunnel should be completed… The beginners have, in most cases, shown pluck and perseverance.’

Sea swimming started again at Roedean in May last year.

To celebrate this, and reconnect the School with the spirit of the sea, the longer-term aim is to compete in the annual CrossChannel relay in June 2020.

The School will form a squad of sea-swimmers, from which 6-8 girls will be selected. In order to qualify, the girls have to complete a 2-hour swim, and will build up to be swimming regularly for over an hour. Training in the sea stopped at the end of October half-term, and will start again at the start of the summer term.

Imagine the incredible sense Beach 1928 of achievement if you were part of this relay swim to France!

‘With regard to general swimming at the School, great efforts have been made to increase the number of those who have done their 19 lengths (a quarter mile) – the incentive being the hint that was thrown out that probably only ‘quarter-milers’ would be allowed to bathe in the sea 10

Beach c1914

School Residential Trips

Sixth Form On the last two days before the autumn half term, 499 girls from Years 7-10 and the Sixth Form, along with 68 members of staff, left School to go on various residential trips. These trips are always an excellent way to take time out of the busy school routine, and spend time getting to know each other better.

Girls from Year 7 and Year 10 spent 2 days at Blacklands Farm in Sussex, and the trips were certainly ones to remember, as was the weather! Rain, mud, a little sunshine, more rain and more mud! There were plenty of exciting activities for the girls to get involved in including challenging tree-top activities, and everyone had a fantastic time.

Meanwhile, Year 8 had travelled to the Isle of Wight for 3 days of activities, fun, and again, lots of mud!

Roma Year 8 : ‘All in all I think it is fair to say that we all had a fantastic time on the Isle of Wight, making new friends, spending time with old friends, overcoming our fears, and trying out new things. We would like to say a huge thank you to all of our tutors and teachers who accompanied us on the trip and for looking after us.’

Year 10 German trenches at Bayenwald and of course, the obligatory stocking up at Ypres’ famous chocolate shop! The enormity of soldiers’ sacrifice was at times very personal for some of the girls, with both Maria V and Izzy B able to visit the gravestones and commemorative plaque of their own relatives who fought - a sobering moment and cause for reflection for the whole year group.

And finally, the Sixth Form headed up to the Peak District for a ‘digital detox’ residential. Highlights included abseiling, capture the flag, crochet, eating S’mores, sing-a-longs and never knowing what the time was without a phone! The girls really enjoyed sharing these experiences.

The trips were a great opportunity for everyone to reconnect with each other, as well as getting to know a wider crosssection of peers and staff. We are delighted that everyone came away having challenged themselves, and learnt something new.

Year 9 travelled to Belgium to view the Battlefields, which was an excellent opportunity to engage with the history of the First World War and also coincided with their History topic last term. Over two and half days the girls visited various sites of significance; remembering the fallen at the Menin Gate in Ypres, walking the fields of the Battle of the Somme at Newfoundland Park and Thiepval, exploring Year 7

Year 9

Year 8

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Obituary Ilse Stern Meckaurer (Stern, No.2, 1939-40)

Ilse Stern Meckauer (1922-2019) was saved from the atrocities of Nazi Germany due to the caring of a Quaker minister and the generosity of Roedean to offer her a full scholarship. Ilse appreciated the exceptional education she received at Roedean throughout Ilse and her father the rest of her life, and practiced that love of learning and thinking to the end of her days. She was an early enthusiast of technology and was amazingly computer literate for her generation. Ilse worked as a financial executive for a charitable foundation supporting education, practicing the generosity she had experienced. Ilse spoke warmly of her phenomenal experience at Roedean, and enjoyed a visit back to the school in 1997. In her final days, she received some lovely letters from the School that she cherished. Though my mother was admired greatly for her intellect, her greatest success was as a doting and inspirational mother and grandmother.

Susan Corkett

Ilse and Anna at War Children’s Author Helen Peters tells us how a letter received at the School from Ilse Stern Meckaurer helped inspire her latest book ‘Anna at War’.

In the autumn of 2017, I had started to plan a children’s book set in the Second World War when my husband, Oliver Blond, met a woman in her nineties after the School’s Founders’ Day service. She had travelled from America to express her gratitude to the school that had taken her in as a Jewish refugee from Nazi-occupied Europe on the eve of World War Two. She told Oliver that her father, just before he put her on the train, had cut off her long plaits, hoping that if she could pass as a boy she might be safer on the journey.

“I travelled all the way to England,” she said, “with my pigtails in my pockets.”

This story and that image really struck me. I started to think about creating a character who travels to England as a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany. I began to research the Kindertransport, the coordinated rescue effort that brought ten thousand children out of Nazi-occupied Europe just before the outbreak of war. Then, in January 2018, Oliver received a wonderful letter from Ilse Stern Meckauer. Ilse had been given a full scholarship to Roedean as a German Jewish refugee in 1939. Then ninety-five, she wrote to Oliver 12

so that Roedean would have a record of ‘the great service it had extended to me during a time when the world was so bleak’. Mrs Meckauer wrote of how the ‘remarkable’ Headmistress, Emmeline Tanner, ‘showed such concern for the terrorized young innocent girl who arrived in Brighton…

The opportunity offered to me by Roedean not only saved my life, but afforded me the ability to make the transition to a new culture and environment.’ When I finished writing Anna at War, I realised how inspirational the stories of these two remarkable women had been, showing as they did such courage, capacity for hard work and determination to make the best of a difficult situation, and also testifying to the truly transformative power of kindness, thoughtfulness and generosity to those in need.

Helen Peters For more details on Helen and her books see www.nosycrow.com

Obituary Lily Claire Reitlinger (Brach, No.1, 1943-51)

Lily was born in Vienna, Austria in 1933. On 24th September 1938, five days before her 5th birthday, her family escaped Vienna. They were amongst the last of the Jewish families to leave with an exit visa for the UK. Life was difficult for the family, having had to leave behind family, possessions, property and the family business and learning a new language. Lily’s father was interred on the Isle of Man, and Lily’s mother was advised by her interred husband that many Jewish refugees were moving to Keswick in the Lake District. Lily and her family relocated, finding digs in Keswick. Lily’s mother, desperate for employment with her husband away in a POW camp, found that she could utilise her skills as an accomplished pianist. She found herself being hired as the piano accompanyist for the ballet and dance classes at a girl’s school which had also been evacuated from the coast to Keswick…Roedean School.

Lily continued her primary school education in Keswick at the similarly evacuated Newcastle High School for girls. However when the school returned to Newcastle, Lily had no place locally at a school she could attend. Her mother reluctantly informed Roedean that she would have to quit her job as the piano accompanyist as she needed to move somewhere her daughter could attend school. Roedean did not want to lose their pianist, and so came to an agreement with her - Lily could continue her education at Roedean even though there were no boarding spaces left due to a lack of beds, and she would have to return home to her mother’s every night… effectively making her one of Roedean’s first ever ‘day girls’ in 1943 at the age of 9.

When Roedean returned to Brighton, Lily and her family also moved back to Hove, and Lily became a full boarder.

Her mother continued to play piano at the School and the ballet mistress, Joan Baron, became a lifelong friend.

Lily at School

Lily loved her time at Roedean and had many happy memories and stories of her time at School which she told often. After A levels at Roedean in 1951, Lily continued her studies at Bedford College, London, where she read French and German. Armed with her degree she returned to Vienna in 1955 where she started working for the family business Brach & Lessing.

In June 1963 Lily married Teddy Reitlinger, a childhood friend of her older brother’s and the nephew of Old Roedeanian Nellie Reitlinger (No.1, 1906-1909). Lily starting working alongside her husband in 1972 to help rebuild ‘Firma Jos. Heiser’.

Lily and Teddy were sadly never blessed with their own children and took great delight in having their only niece and nephew (myself and my brother) stay with them at their house in the beautiful Austrian mountains. Lily and Teddy both loved the mountains and trees, the views and the streams and would take great pleasure in walking in the mountains with their beloved succession of multiple rescue dogs.

My bond to my only aunt was strengthened when I too became a Roedeanian, joining House 1 in 1985. Lily brought me to my interviews, attended parent’s evenings and came to my speech days.

Lily took a great interest in all things Roedean and was supportive and delighted when I joined the Council of Trustees at Roedean in 2016. She was overjoyed when my daughter Tilly was accepted at Roedean in February 2019, with an Art and Sport Scholarship to boot, but sadly she was never to see Tilly in her Roedean uniform with her green and navy House 1 tie…joining the ranks of the House 1 Roedeanians in the family.

Lily passed away on May 24th 2019 in Mallorca, Spain after a short illness whilst on holiday at her beloved Palma apartment. She fought bravely to the end in the true spirit of a Roedeanian.

Lily Claire Reitlinger (Brach) 29th September 1933 - 24th May 2019.

Lily’s full obituary will be published in the 2019 ORA magazine.

Teresa Outhwaite (Brach, No.1, 1985-91)

June 1944 – The Cast of Junior House play ‘Princess Mirabell and the Swineherd’

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Obituaries Sue Tappin

John Hilton

Academic Secretary 1971-2000 Sue Tappin came to Roedean in 1971 to take up the position of Secretary to John Hunt, the recently appointed first Headmaster of the School. She settled in Ovingdean, this being a short walk across the Downs to Roedean, and for years lived alone until joined by her mother. Roedean became her life and she made a number of lifelong friends here. She later became the Academic Secretary and continued in this role until retirement in 2000, having completed 30 years of service at the School.

Sue had high standards and expected these of others. She quickly became very knowledgeable about all the procedures in place and was thoroughly efficient and systematic in her work, being a reliable colleague who always had the best interests of Roedean at heart. As Academic Secretary she dealt with a wide range of tasks, including all the office work for the Director of Studies and Academic Deputy Head. Teachers came to realise that she could be very helpful to them and had a good sense of humour, so there was a steady flow of people through her office, which gave her a useful insight into staff issues.

Sue was an avid reader and also a keen meteorologist, having monitoring equipment set up in her garden and keeping meticulous daily records over many years such that she could spot weather patterns and make predictions. Sue served the School well in so many ways and will be remembered with affection.

John Farmer – Former Senior Deputy Head

Financial Bursar 1986-2001 John was born in Sydney, Australia in 1936 where he lived through out his childhood before he and his parents moved back to England. In 1955 John joined the Royal Air Force as part of his national service which he served in West Germany as a telephone operator. For many years he worked as an accountant for a timber yard in Shoreham before coming to work for Roedean School in the bursary department as the Assistant Bursar. He worked at Roedean for many years before he retired in 2001. During his time at Roedean he became an invaluable member of the bursary department, helping the School in the finance of new projects and in the day to day running of the bursary.

He will be remembered as a reliable and conscientious member of the administration staff who was approachable, and willing to help anyone with their financial inquiries.

Andre Hilton

Dates for your Diary Friday 3 April 2020 6.30 – 9.30 pm

ORA Reception for Recent Leavers The Ferus Suite, DoubleTree by Hilton, 7 Pepys Street, London, EC3N 4AF. RSVP to president@oldroedeanians.co.uk

Friday 24 April 2020 2 – 5 pm

OR Afternoon Tea The Bailey’s Hotel, Kensington

Wednesday 6 May 2020 6 pm

Governors’ Annual General Meeting The Caledonian Club, 9 Halkin Street, London, SW1X 7DR

Saturday 20 June 2020

Roedean Day Our annual reunion day.

For more information and booking, please contact Grace glc@roedean.co.uk

Thursday 10 September 2020 12 – 3pm

OR London Lunch 2020 The Sloane Club, 52 Lower Sloane Street, Chelsea, London, SWW 8BS

Friday 18 September 2020 5.30 – 9pm

Young Roedeanian’s Networking Drinks The Phoenix, Victoria If you would like to represent your career sector at this event, please email alumnae@roedean.co.uk

For more information and booking, please contact us on alumnae@roedean.co.uk. You can also call us on 01273 667398 14

Roedean through the ages

Girls having a snow ball fight - 2018

Sundial in the snow - 1948

School in the snow - 2018

Girls on skiing trip - 1977

Chapel in the snow - 2018

Playing in the snow - 1916

Girls ice skating - 1977

Ski trip - 1977

Sledging in the snow - 1948

School - 1947

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JH/Keswick House in the snow

roedean.co.uk The Roedeanian Society, Roedean School, Roedean Way, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 5RQ Tel: +44(0)1273 667398 • Registered Charity 307063