The Dragon Magazine Autumn 2020

Issue 05 | Autumn 2020

LIVING THROUGH

LOCKDOWN INSIDE Page 5 Heroes in our Midst Interview with Sarah Sibbald, parent and paramedic

Page 12 Innovation in Motion Interview with Lauren Bissett, User Acquisition Executive for Mallzee

Page 20 Lockdown Projections A Sixth Form perspective

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contents

A WORD OF

02

FROM THE HEAD

04

HEROES IN OUR MIDST

05

OGA PRESIDENT’S REFLECTIONS

08

OGA GRANTS

09

INNOVATION IN MOTION

12

THE DAYS OF LOCKDOWN LIFE

15

A LITERARY LOCKDOWN

18

LOCKDOWN PROJECTIONS

20

WHAT WILL WE COME TO MISS?

23

OUR PEOPLE

24

KEEP IN TOUCH

28

From the Foundation Office

WELCOME

I

WORD OF WELCOME

n March, when we issued the last edition of ‘The Dragon’, there were growing rumours that schools might be closed. Very shortly afterwards we were all told to ‘Stay Home’. Instantly a whole new set of words and expressions entered our daily vocabulary: ‘COVID-19’, ‘Social Distancing’, ‘Lockdown’, ‘Clap for Carers’ and many more.

Some of you have also been in touch with us over these months to share your reflections and experiences of lockdown, and these stories have formed the basis of this magazine. The spirit of St George’s shines through, where people have faced challenges head on, and shown an adaptability they might not have known they had. We hope you enjoy reading this edition of the magazine.

We were really gratified to see how members of the St George’s Community pulled together in support of one another from the outset. There were offers to help anyone who was isolating, perhaps with shopping, collecting prescriptions or to keep in touch with phone calls. We received an array of recipe ideas to try out and links for exercises and many hobbies that could be done online.

Some of you sent us information on companies offering home delivery services, particularly for food, which were very useful. Thank you to everyone who took the time to contact us - it was much appreciated by many in the community.

With best wishes The Foundation Office Please do keep your feedback and suggestions coming – the Foundation Office always welcomes your input.

Alex Hems, Head, reflects on the resilience and spirit of the St G’s community during lockdown and looks ahead to the coming school year

Feature interview with St G’s parent Sarah Sibbald, Scottish Ambulance Service

Welcome and thoughts from the OGA

International community projects supported by OGA grant funding

Feature interview with OG Lauren Bissett, Mallzee

An alumnae perspective

My Lockdown Story by Anne Everest

A Sixth Form perspective

A poem by former teacher and student counsellor Jenny Pearson

Births, deaths and tributes

The Dragon Editorial Team

Ways to stay in touch with the St George’s Community

0131 311 8000

foundation@stge.org.uk foundation.stge.org.uk

St George’s Alumnae Group @stgealumnae

St George’s School for Girls, Edinburgh, alumnae networking group

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Editors Kate Forster and Lesley Abbott

OGA Editorial Liaison Mary Comer

Design & Print The Dragonfly Agency

Autumn 2020 | 3

HEROES

FROM THE

HEAD

IN OUR MIDST

Message from Alex Hems

T

he start of a new school year is always a special time, but never more so than 20th August 2020, five months to the day since we had said goodbye to our students in March. Of course, we have been in close contact with them throughout the intervening period, working to a full timetable of lessons for Remove upwards, and staying in daily contact with our younger pupils through class Microsoft Teams calls and one-to-one conversations.

One of the most powerful lessons of these past five months has been that while Teams, Zoom, and all the other platforms with which we have become so familiar are wonderful tools for work, which have enabled us all to stay in touch with colleagues and friends during lockdown, there is a deep-seated need in all of us for human, face-to-face interactions. It was clear as the staff returned to the school buildings during June and then in August that this was what they too had missed the most.

As I sit in my office now and hear the purposeful murmur of activity from the classrooms around me, it is almost as though the long months of silent, empty classrooms had not happened. It is almost, but not quite, business as usual now. Of course, we are taking nothing for granted; a great deal of time and care has gone into making the return to the school buildings as safe and reassuring as possible for everyone. We have a one-way system in the Upper School that is doing wonders for everyone’s daily step count, and hand sanitiser stations on every corridor. Teachers have a protected ‘teacher zone’ in the classrooms, and we are immensely

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grateful to our hard-working Facilities staff for all the time that they are putting into additional cleaning of the whole site.

Throughout the period of Supported Home Learning, from March to the end of June, we were impressed by the adaptability and resilience of the St George’s community.

Teaching staff relearned their craft for the digital classroom, and many surprised themselves with their technical skills and the confidence that they developed in trying out new techniques. Across Edinburgh and beyond, bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms became offices and teaching bases. The girls missed one another and the daily routines and interactions of school sorely. They had a plentiful supply of work, live lessons, some extremely creative projects, on-line exams, a rich co-curricular programme and even remote Sports Days to be busy with, but the learning that we value at school happens outside the classroom as well as inside, and springs from being with one another, growing up together, learning to flourish both as an individual and as part of a community.

Nonetheless, they remained cheerful and resourceful. Our would-be examination candidates showed great fortitude and made an early and very positive start to their new Higher or Advanced Higher courses. The Leavers, many of whom have endured a terrible rollercoaster journey from

disappointment to relief, via confusion and prolonged waiting, are setting off to start their university courses over the next few weeks. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those members of the wider St George’s community who contributed to the programme that we ran for our Upper Sixth last term, to introduce them to the plethora of recruitment exercises that they may face as they seek work of any kind over the next few years.

It was so heartening to see the responses from parents and alumnae to the appeals that went out from the Foundation Office, both for practical assistance, and also for contributions to the Hardship Fund that we set up to support families who had been affected by the pandemic.

I hope that Miss Walker and our founders would be proud of the spirit shown at St George’s during this period. I like to think that they would recognise and commend the versatility, determination and community spirit that have flourished and kept the school strong in challenging times.

Interview with Sarah Sibbald, parent and paramedic

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e are living through a time in history which will be remembered and recorded for current and future generations. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still unfurling, and for so many all over the world the virus has brought a physical and emotional toll and, for far too many, a loss of life. Its impact on our communities, economies and societal infrastructures has been enormous.

An invisible threat which has wreaked havoc upon almost every country in the world.

There is one sector which has carried the burden of the pandemic, continuing forward without question and collectively putting the well-being of the populations it cares for above its own – the health and care sector.

Across the world, the unwavering and selfless dedication of this sector and its people has been remarkable. For many within health and care, they were simply doing the job for which they had trained, but that in itself does not make it any less remarkable, maybe even more so. We have very rightly been showing collective swells of appreciation and recognition across our communities, locally, nationally and internationally for our healthcare providers. Weekly claps in their honour became a symbol of support across the world. These people are the heroes who will be remembered today and by future generations.

For this special edition we were delighted to have the opportunity to interview Sarah Sibbald, a parent of two young girls who attend the Nursery at St George’s. Sarah is a paramedic by training and recently moved to

oversee and redevelop services run by the Scottish Ambulance Service, which have been absolutely vital across Scotland in the past few months, even more so than normal. Sarah talks openly about her recent experiences of COVID-19 in Scotland, as well as providing insight into her path into her chosen career. Her honest and open reflections highlight how she has handled the challenges, pace and pressure not only of her job, but also balancing family time with her young girls. We are very proud to have her amongst our St George’s community.

My job as a paramedic was adrenaline-fuelled, scary, fun, sometimes shocking and rewarding.

What did you study at University?

Did this directly impact on your career path?

I studied Physiology and Pharmacology at University. I come from a medical family and my degree choice reflected the direction I had always followed, being sciences and mathematics. It incorporated the strengths, knowledge and interests I had grown up with at the time. My degree was a great foundation for the career path I have chosen. My plan had been to continue pursuing a medical degree and, whilst waiting for decisions, I applied for a role in the Scottish Ambulance Service to continue developing my practical experience and knowledge in a healthcare setting and ended up deciding to stay.

Can you tell us a bit about your job as a paramedic before the COVID-19 outbreak?

My job as a paramedic was adrenaline-fuelled, scary, fun, sometimes shocking and rewarding.

The experience of working on the front line within an emergency service is difficult to put into words. For myself, based in Edinburgh City, it is fast paced, with long hours and a job that does not stop from the moment you start until the very end of your shift.

Every day is different, and every job is different, creating a very dynamic, fluid environment to be part of.

How did your job change as a result of it?

About seven months prior to COVID-19, I took on a new role away from front line operations to oversee and redevelop existing practices for the legal and legislative obligations required by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

COVID-19 increased my workload for many reasons during the initial phase, with many members of staff in new roles and with increased responsibilities incorporated into their

I cannot say a bigger thank you to all the [St George’s] Nursery staff for the care and support that they have provided to me and my family during this challenging time.

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F E AT U R E I N T E R V I E W

existing roles to accommodate a very quickly evolving situation. My clinical background allowed me to provide a wider range of support. For the first few weeks, I also had the added pressure and uncertainty of what and where my role was going to be, and whether or not I was part of the tier to be called back into operational duties in some capacity, which was a challenging time for me and my family.

The biggest challenge [is] the feeling of not having enough hours in a day to accommodate all the demands needed.

Can you tell us more about some of the other work that you have taken on to support colleagues and patients over the past few months?

My role at present is managing information under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002.

This involves all enquiries received from, but not limited to, internal staff, members of the public, patients, partner NHS bodies and Police Scotland. COVID-19 has brought an increased demand of new and challenging questions and considerations about new procedures, which has required my support to lots of different departments and staff.

What are you most proud of in the work you do?

I am so proud of being able to help others. I have helped patients and members of the public directly in a clinical setting and am now realising that there is the same importance in helping others in every role fulfilled.

F E AT U R E I N T E R V I E W

What has been the biggest challenge for you over the past months?

The biggest challenge has been managing my work and family life, with two girls aged four and three, and the feeling of not having enough hours in a day to accommodate all the demands.

The outpouring of support for the NHS and other key workers was quite rightly massive. How important is it that we maintain that support and recognition for those in these roles?

I would agree that it is incredibly important to maintain the recognition for all NHS staff and every key worker and not underestimate the importance of the roles and positions individuals have chosen to fulfil for their careers to support life and the functions of our society.

Thinking about young people leaving school or graduating now, what would you say to them about considering a role in the health and care sector?

I would say go for it and explore all options that are available. There are so many new roles and specialities being created as the world adapts and changes. I have always wanted to work in the health and care sector as it is something that was always known and comfortable to me. I have found it a hugely rewarding experience and all my colleagues and family would agree, albeit through a lot of hard work.

How would you say this experience has changed you or made you think differently?

This experience and its outcome is unique to every person. I have realised that I am not afraid of any challenge presented to me but that I need to be as caring to myself as I strive to provide for everyone else.

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When you get time away from work what are you happiest doing?

I am happiest with my family and spending time exercising; with a paintbrush, a pack of seeds or a hammer in my hand, gardening, painting and creating new things out of old things.

Where is your favourite place on the planet? (When you are allowed to go there again!)

My favourite place is Caye Caulker, Belize. I spent some time there after university gaining my PADI Diving qualifications. What I loved most was the island’s motto of “Go Slow” which was significant for me when compared to the normal hectic daily schedule.

I have learned that I am not afraid of any challenge presented to me, but I need to be caring to myself as I strive to provide for everyone else.

How long have been a St George’s parent?

Since May 2019.

What has been your experience of the school community overall?

I have found St George’s to be very welcoming, friendly and a supportive environment. All the staff have been very helpful and I cannot say a bigger thank you to all the Nursery staff for the care and support that they have provided to me and my family during this challenging time.

What support have you had from the school during the current pandemic crisis?

My husband and I are both key workers, who were suddenly thrown into a societal situation of increased demands and pressures.

We found the Nursery staff to be extremely informed, supportive and understanding of the situation that we were in and had open communication throughout. We were fortunate to have our two girls attend their emergency (key worker) places for a few weeks towards the end of the school year and they have continued to receive care through the Holiday Club over the summer. We have had full confidence and reassurance in the care and kindness provided to them.

to push myself to lead rather than to follow. I was not given the option to resolve some of those challenges growing up but, from experience and as an adult, I welcome the challenges and have a confidence in doing the best that I can with every new one I face.

I welcome the challenges and have a confidence in doing the best that I can with every new one I face.

What were your own experiences and memories of your school?

Growing up, I moved about between various countries due to my parents’ careers and consequently changed schools more often than most. I found it hard moving and having to adapt to a new country and a completely different education system each time. It was hard establishing new friendships and adapting to the different local behaviours and practices. Saying that, I enjoyed my school years and all the experiences I undertook and faced.

What sort of influence did school have on you as you look back now?

COVID-19 has allowed me a time of reflection and, even as I write this, it has been an exercise of consideration of many things. Looking back, my experiences of school have given me the strength and confidence to deal with new challenges and the ability

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OGA GRANTS PRESIDENT’S REFLECTIONS Welcome to the new edition of ‘The Dragon’, which aims to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our OG community and, of course, the wider world, while also looking ahead to consider what ’normal life’ might look like in future.

W

e have all been affected by this pandemic, to a greater or lesser extent, and will no doubt continue to be for quite some time. From schools shutting down, the joys of home schooling and multiple Zoom calls, through to panic buying, cancelled holidays and not being able to see our friends and family, COVID-19 has infiltrated every aspect of our lives. Not to mention the suffering of those who have contracted the virus or lost loved ones to it, and the extraordinary debt we owe care workers and the NHS. We are honoured to feature a member of the School community who works for the NHS in this edition of the magazine and we know there are many more within our community out there doing the same, all of whom are equally deserving of our gratitude.

Lockdown was an enormous challenge for the School itself, but it transitioned incredibly quickly to the effective provision of remote teaching and pastoral support. My fellow Committee Members and I have been hugely impressed by how the School responded, and continues to adapt, to the fast-changing requirements of this pandemic.

In a ground-breaking adaptation of our own, we held what we think must be the OGA’s first ever virtual AGM in June.

We were delighted to welcome a small number of guests to join us for it, although we were obviously sad not to be able

to conduct the meeting in person at School and be joined by all our usual loyal supporters. It was also a great shame that we had to cancel the Summer Lunch which usually follows our AGM and which, for many of us, is the highlight of the OGA calendar.

At the time of writing, we do not know if, or when, we will be able to reschedule this event but please rest assured that your Committee will continue to meet (virtually) on a regular basis and that we remain as committed as ever to supporting the OG community and the School throughout this most challenging of times.

I wish you all the best for the coming months and hope that it is not too long before we are able to meet in person again.

Best wishes in the meantime,

Mary Comer née MacKenzie (Class of 1997)

Every academic year, the OGA makes grants of up to £500 available to current pupils and alumnae to support them in undertaking a project to assist and benefit a community, either in the UK or internationally.

In 2019/2020, two grants were awarded to recent alumnae and the projects began very successfully. We were delighted to hear from Annis Archer and Gemma Bole, both of whom participated in projects in South Africa. The COVID-19 situation brought these activities to a premature conclusion, but not before a positive impact was made by these two young women in their respective projects.

COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE A SOUTH AFRICAN SNAPSHOT

T

eam South Africa! Everyone was so welcoming when we arrived, and I couldn’t wait to spend a year with them all.

For our first experience together in South Africa, we headed to Soweto (a deprived township near Johannesburg) which was a real eye-opener for us all.

On our second day, we had orientation and shared a meal with our country representatives, Ian and Yvonne.

Soon after, I travelled to Zithulele (the village I was volunteering in) with the other five girls I would be living with for the year. I was working for a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) called Jabulani with my project partner Zoë. The other four girls worked for different NGOs in the village, called

By Annis Archer (Class of 2019)

Axium and the Zithulele Independent School.

Our accommodation for the year was built around two typical African circular huts called Rondavels.

However, this was modernised with a kitchen, dining / living area, two bathrooms and three bedrooms for the six of us to sleep in. The host for Axium lived next door to us with her three children, who all made us feel at home. I volunteered for Jabulani Rural Health Foundation and worked on its antiretroviral (ARV) programme, which supplies life-saving medication for those with HIV. The programme alone supports over 4,000 patients in the surrounding area.

The staff at the hospital are utterly dedicated to saving lives day in, day out; it was truly inspirational that I was able to be part of their work. I had the opportunity to shadow doctors during my time here. I saw a Caesarean section and visited the wards and the outpatient department. It was always non-stop at the hospital with deliveries and the construction of a wheelchair ramp in progress during my time there.

We had clinics on Monday and Thursday for children, and on Wednesday for people with tuberculosis. Zoë and I worked This was one of the consulting rooms for the anti-retroviral (ARV) unit.

President arrived Taken just as we after in Johannesburg an 11 hour flight.

Entrance to the Jabulani Ru ral Health Founda tion Hospital.

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This was our ion in Zithulele. accommodat

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OGA GRANTS

together in the ARV unit, sorting out medication for patients to collect at the 12 satellite clinics in the hospital’s surrounding area. I was responsible for three of these clinics.

In December, Zoë and I were involved in volunteering at an event called Rolling Hills, which is for children with disabilities. This was hosted at another hospital called Madwaleni, about two hours away from where we lived. I painted faces for some of the children who have cerebral palsy and managed to get covered in glitter in the process! There was a wheelchair parade and running races as well as a 4km wheelchair race for the adults.

It was a truly inspiring day and one which I will never, ever forget.

Donating blood was another new experience for me when I was abroad.

The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) regularly visits Zithulele Hospital for donations. Whilst I was in South Africa, I donated twice and it was definitely not as painful as I originally thought it would be! I found out that one unit of blood can save up to three lives - amazing and incredibly worthwhile.

TEACHING, LEARNING AND GROWING

World AIDS Day was another important date in the calendar for me and Zoë. To celebrate, we headed to one of our satellite clinics called Nzulwini - a clinic for which I packed.

It was an incredible event and all spoken in Xhosa (the local language).

There were many speakers, doctors talking, dancing, a football team taking part and lots of Xhosa people.

It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

I’m so disappointed to have had to leave my Zithulele family five months early.

Zithulele taught me so much about myself and I am extremely grateful for the seven months I spent there, and all the experiences and opportunities I was given.

I have made friends for life and definitely plan to return in the future.

A SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERIENCE

F Donating blood at Zithulele Hospital

rom August 2019 to March 2020, I was living in the city of Polokwane in the northern province of Limpopo in South Africa. I was based at a school called Mitchell House, which had a centre for children with disabilities called the Enrichment Centre. The Centre has three classes - the Junior class for children aged 4 to 9, the Senior class for children aged 9 to 14 and the Life Skills class for children aged 14 to 18. We rotated around each class on a monthly basis, spending a week in each and then a week as a teaching assistant at the nursery class for 4 to 5-year olds.

At the Enrichment Centre, the children had a range of different disabilities including Autism, Down Syndrome, Rett Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy. At the Centre, I assisted with teaching the children life skills including cooking, cleaning, art, music, gardening, exercise, Maths and English. At first it was quite challenging; some of the children had behavioural issues and there was a very wide range of abilities. However, as time went on, I was better able to manage and adapt the activities so that there was something to suit every level of ability. The work was hard, yet very rewarding.

At the nursery school, we led the children through lots of activities that developed both their fine and gross motor skills, including art and drawing activities, ball games and story reading with fantasy play.

to highlight Event held IDS Day A ld or W

Annis a nd Zoë a Zithule le Hosp t ital

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OGA GRANTS

Annis and a child enjoying the Rolling Hills ev ent

By Gemma Bole (Class of 2019)

Club for the mainstream secondary school, teaching the girls new skills and practices.

I also became involved in the local community. I started playing hockey for a local team with some of the teachers and, having run in some of the local Polokwane races, I was about to join the running club but then we were sent home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Over Christmas we were fortunate enough to spend time travelling around South Africa. We drove from Polokwane to Cape Town, stopping off at the Drakensberg Mountains, Durban and three different coastal towns. Having time to explore South Africa was incredible. It is such a breathtakingly beautiful and diverse country. I tried surfing, hiked up to the Tugela falls – one of the highest waterfalls in the world – explored the beautiful Kirstenbosch gardens, hiked up Table Mountain three times and visited Robben Island.

Those seven months were definitely some of the most exciting months of my life; it was a once in a lifetime experience that I will certainly never forget. Thank you for making this opportunity possible for me with the support of the OGA Grant - I sincerely appreciate it.

We worked at either the nursery or the Enrichment Centre from 7am until 12:30pm every day. In the afternoon, before Christmas, we assisted with after-care. I taught them lots of games and activities to keep them occupied and I also assisted at Netball

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INNOVATION

IN MOTION Interview with Lauren Bissett, User Acquisition Executive for Mallzee is an online shopping experience, designed to allow people to browse and buy from multiple brands through a mobile application. Established in 2013 by a young founding team, it has received global recognition for its forward-thinking approach.

T

he retail world has felt major impacts arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has also been an example of innovation and commitment to its communities, both in everyday life and online. The reliance on retail, particularly for food and sustenance is unavoidable and this has presented retailers with opportunities and the necessity to evolve, but it has also encouraged many of them to think more broadly and consider supply chains, ethics and the environment more than ever before. While there have been revelations of some retailers and suppliers stepping back from responsibilities in their working communities there are also (thankfully) more wonderful stories of innovation, support and a commitment to sustainability in the long term from many retail-led organisations.

One innovative young company, based in Edinburgh, is an example of that commitment to being a purposeful and ethical retail business. Mallzee

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A key part of this innovative young team is Lauren Bissett (Class of 2011) and we are so pleased to welcome her to this edition of ‘The Dragon’.

With an impressive academic record, Lauren chose not to follow a more traditional route into employment and instead focused on finding a company that she could feel passionate about, which matched her own sense of purpose and commitment to delivering good. Lauren is responsible for driving Mallzee’s ‘Lost Stock’ initiative – conceived and launched with great success during the lockdown period to support factory workers in Bangladesh who have faced a sudden and dramatic reduction, or complete cancellation, of orders. The impact of this is the difference between life and death for many of these workers, who rely on the income to feed themselves and their families. Lauren’s passion for this campaign is clear and reflects the positive outcomes that can be achieved with determination, collaboration and an ingrained sense of fairness and equality.

My own experience has taught me that graduates cannot wait for opportunities to be presented to them, they have to be proactive.

We were really pleased that Lauren was happy to be interviewed and appear in this edition. We have very much enjoyed hearing about the important work that she is doing to support deprived communities in Bangladesh during this hugely challenging time.

When were you at St George’s?

I started in the nursery at St George’s in 1997 and was there until leaving Upper Six in 2011. I am the proud owner of a platinum badge!

What subjects did you study?

By Sixth Form, I spent most of my time in the languages corridor studying Spanish and French to Advanced Higher. Outside of languages, I kept a wide spread of subjects including Geography, Maths, English and Business Management.

What activities or clubs were you involved in at school?

What are your strongest memories from school?

I was not very sporty at all at school.

My extra-curricular activities mostly involved being in groups, like Duke of Edinburgh or Young Enterprise, which were all really fun and good lessons in teamwork.

Far too many to even count. My favourite memories mostly involve the nonsense conversations we would have in the common room or sat on our form room floor on a Monday morning, talking about the weekend. We were a really close year group; I’ll never forget the day we thought we had been so sneaky, organising a lunchtime water fight, to be met with a row of teachers on our way in confiscating water pistols. We always had a laugh together.

Was there a teacher, mentor or fellow pupil within the school who particularly helped or inspired you to recognise and/or follow your dreams and set out on your current career path?

I received a lot of support from all the teachers at school, particularly my Spanish teachers Mrs Campbell and Dr Dorward. In Sixth Form, I was given the opportunity to go to Madrid twice to gain work experience in teaching, but primarily to practice my Spanish.

Not only did I fall head over heels for Madrid as a city (where I later spent my third year of university abroad), but these opportunities definitely helped me to stand out from others with similar grades when applying to university and for jobs.

[St G’s] was a really safe place, a secure and stable environment to grow up in.

Do you think the subjects you studied have impacted your career choices?

What stood out for you most about the education experience at St George’s?

When I was at school, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career, so I purposefully avoided narrowing down my subjects into one area of focus. I enjoyed all the subjects I studied in Upper Six, so I applied to university to study Spanish, Management and French. I took both Spanish and Management to Honours level. The decision to keep my options open throughout my education encouraged me to learn about lots of different careers, try some out and see what I enjoyed doing most.

I honestly really enjoyed school, realising when I was at university that it is not a given that you do enjoy it. I was strong academically and worked very hard to achieve the grades that I got. There was always a good balance of doing what was necessary in order to be in the best position to succeed academically, and also going beyond the coursework to learn other skills that we would go on to need.

Languages were taught very well at St George’s - I still think I was more fluent in Spanish on leaving school than I was after my Spanish degree!

What sort of influence did St George’s have on you as you look back now?

St George’s had a huge influence on me. Most of my best friends today are people I met at St George’s, girls I’ve known since I was four years old. It was a really safe place, a secure and stable environment to grow up in, for which I’m grateful.

What did you study at University?

Did this directly impact on your career path?

I studied Spanish, French and Management at the University of St Andrews. The Management course had the strongest impact on my career path, as it was varied enough that I could learn about a lot of different areas of a business and work out what I was and wasn’t suited to. In my final semester I took an International Marketing class which I loved, and I knew that that was the area I wanted to focus on to start my career.

Can you tell us a bit about your job and the responsibility you have at Mallzee?

At Mallzee, I am the Head Marketer for our clothes shopping app. My goal is to find new users for the app through digital adverts and our social media presence, then optimise the shoppers’ experience when they download and use the app to make them want to continue to use it.

I joined the team as an intern during university, so my role has changed a lot over the course of four years, which has been great. As we’re still a relatively new start-up company, I’ve grown with the company and learned as it does, which has been fantastic.

Can you tell us how the company has adapted or innovated in response to the pandemic?

At the start of lockdown, we found out that high street retailers had cancelled $2bn worth of stock orders with their factories in countries like Bangladesh, leading to over 1.8 million garment workers losing their jobs. We read a quote from a factory owner on the BBC who said: ‘if my workers don’t die from Coronavirus, they’ll die of starvation’, which made us stop and think about how we could help.

As a team, we came up with the idea of ‘Lost Stock’, a £35 box of clothes from this cancelled high street stock, which prevents the clothing from potentially going to waste, and supports a garment worker and their family for a week through our NGO partner, SAJIDA Foundation. It’s been an entirely new venture for us, and a fast learning curve, but we managed to sell over 100,000 boxes in the first few weeks, which is more than we had hoped to sell in the first year!

How many other businesses or organisations have supported the Lost Stock initiative?

We have been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from other businesses and professionals, offering their time, knowledge and connecting us to even more people who could help us.

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Do you plan to continue this support or look at other initiatives in the future?

At the time of writing (July 2020), we’re just a few weeks into this initiative but we are thinking long term. The situation has highlighted a need for change in the retail industry, and it is exciting to be part of this change.

[there is] a need for change in the retail industry and it is exciting to be part of this change.

You are a fairly young team at Mallzee – do you think this creates a more innovative and adaptable environment?

I think it’s partly due to our age, but mostly the type of people we are. We are a very driven group, and to work in a start-up you need to intrinsically believe in the company goals. If something isn’t working, we’re quick to make changes and improvements, with both our users and our mission to make retail better - in mind. We’re encouraged to try things, with the awareness that some ideas will fail. As long as we learn from the failures, we continue to try new things. I also have some incredibly talented colleagues, so we continuously learn from each other.

Are there any other businesses or sectors that you admire as to how they have responded to the pandemic and in an approach to help others?

The pandemic has definitely highlighted the businesses and sectors that are ready and able to be innovative. I’ve particularly noticed how the food industry has had a positive impact on peoples’ lockdown experiences. For example, restaurants like Six by Nico in Edinburgh transforming their staple six-course tasting menu experience to at-home dining created an event that feels as special as going to the restaurant.

Even smaller local cafés revealing their well-honed recipes so that

14 | Autumn 2020

customers can make them at home and continue to feel involved in the business has made people even more fond of their businesses and ensures customers will be lining up when they re-open. These small events have given such a welcome break to the stress of the unknown.

better, so I’d encourage any graduate to try new things and expand their knowledge of what they are interested in outside of their studies.

In retail, as in all other sectors, there are big changes ahead – what do you think this will mean for Mallzee and the way you work?

As a team, we’ve adapted really well.

We’re a very close team so the most difficult part has just been missing out on the fun side of our work: Monday team meetings and getting together on a Friday after work to showcase the fun things we’ve been working on.

Although we’ve always been flexible with options to work from home when needed, I’ve always been one to be in the office so it’s quite new for me. I’ve enjoyed the slower daily pace, gaining some hours back in the morning to exercise or read instead of rushing to get ready, but I’m looking forward to being able to reunite in the office in the future because some tasks are just better done face-to-face.

It’s a very difficult time in the retail industry. Our company has always championed using data to make better retail decisions, which I think will become even more crucial going forward so the need for companies like ours will continue to rise. We’ve always been quick to adapt, so changes like working from home or flexible working are not as big a change for us as it can be for other companies. I think we’ll just continue to roll with the punches and see what the future throws at us!

Thinking about young people leaving school or graduating now, do you think there are enough companies offering opportunities for graduate placements, or do you think there is going to be a shift in the type of work graduates need to think about for a while?

My own experience has taught me that graduates cannot wait for opportunities to be presented to them, they have to be proactive. When graduating from St Andrews, the thought of not applying to corporate graduate schemes was alarming to some, but I knew it wasn’t for me.

Instead, I did my research, found companies who I wanted to work for based on their goals and team ethic, and got in touch even if they didn’t advertise any open positions or have a formal graduate scheme.

If a company is able, and they can see how your skills and enthusiasm will be an asset to them, they will find a way to get you involved. That might be a week’s work experience or an internship, but these can lead to bigger opportunities in future. The more experience a graduate has, the

How has the Mallzee team adapted to lockdown life? How have you adapted?

As long as we learn from the failures, we continue to try new things.

In your free time what are you happiest doing?

THE DAYS OF

LOCKDOWN LIFE

I

n our previous editions, we have asked one member of our St George’s community to provide a glimpse of their working day, sharing openly an insight into their career choices and living locations for their fellow alumnae. In this unprecedented time, we realise that working days are changed (at least in the short term) for the majority of people and very few look the same as they did even six months previously.

We therefore decided to open our feature to more of the community and invited them to share their experiences, thoughts and observations about how working life has evolved for them, wherever they are in the world. We asked them to share insights into how daily life has changed, what they have missed, what they have welcomed and what they have learned or adapted to. With reflections from around the globe, and from differing generations, we have been so interested to hear how our community has responded and found glimmers of hope and positivity from this situation. sophisticated and wealthy nations just haven’t got it right. But it’s interesting how some nations run by women have been successful. So I reflect: are women better managers of society?

In my free time, I love cooking and baking, going for a coffee and a walk with a friend, reading, just relaxing!

I am lucky that my family lives very close by and I love just hanging out at my house with them and my dog.

Where is your favourite place on the planet? (when you are allowed to go there again!)

My favourite place on the planet is Madrid, where I spent my third year abroad. It has the excitement of a capital city, whilst maintaining the chilled out, relaxed vibe for which Spain is known. It’s not daunting in the way that London or Barcelona can feel; I automatically felt at home.

I absolutely love the sun, the food is incredible and the people are lovely. I can’t recommend it more!

Eileen Wallis (née Wight, Class of 1962) Having lived in Brazil for 45 years, the devastating news about Brazil recently made me realise the need to explain another side to life here during the pandemic. It’s important to understand that we are extremely fortunate to live outside Sao Paulo in a park, a life very different from most of the population.

We are shocked that some

Living in lockdown in Brazil, the BBC became essential in separating false from reliable information about the virus and international news. There was a surge in sharing information by friends, neighbours and acquaintances through Zoom, Skype and WhatsApp. Friends and neighbours started to interact on the internet.

What was great was, because of home working, the daily two-hour commute was eradicated, road deaths dropped, and everything was quieter. There was less pollution and more birds.

What is particularly challenging is the

inability to travel and meet up with our grandchildren in the UK. Our diet has become limited due to food delivery online and not being able to supermarket shop. Of course, not eating out or going to cafés with friends is also irritating and browsing in bookshops is sadly missed. Watching films has filled many hours.

In our life here, the car has become less essential, the internet more essential, home food deliveries will continue, clothes will be chosen for their comfort and we’ll put more emphasis on exercise, diet and keeping in touch through Zoom, Skype and so on.

In resumo, we are lucky here, and merely have to wait patiently for a vaccine to partly restore our previous way of life, but we won’t go back to living the way we were before COVID-19.

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Jessica Howard-Johnston (Class of 2011) As a live news producer living in Paris, I experienced the lockdown under the particularly strict rules enforced in the French capital. No exercise outdoors between 10am-8pm, every time you left the house you had to fill out a form and we experienced regular police patrols. It was a bizarre period, but I had three saving graces which kept me sane: 1. The golden ticket of having an “essential worker” form meant I could go beyond the 1km perimeter within which most French people were confined, albeit just to go into work!

Being able to go into the newsroom and change locations on a daily basis was liberating. It was also rewarding - as a producer of global live news, I felt like I was doing my bit (albeit as a small cog) to help the world see and understand the pandemic and the effect it was having on all corners of the globe. The pandemic threw up all kinds of new challenges for us as an international news agency. With travel limited, news outlets were even more reliant on us and our thousands of journalists around the world. The images we were handling were at times unbelievable - the Champs Elysées deserted of traffic and people; world leaders meeting via Zoom; military patrols enforcing lockdown in Johannesburg; makeshift hospitals being set up in Central Park; and ice rinks being used as morgues in Madrid.

2. The nightly claps for healthcare workers. Paris is a largely apartmentdwelling city, and from across your courtyard or street, through the tall Haussmannian windows, there were the silhouettes of equally confined neighbours. Every evening at 8pm, Parisians came to their windows and

16 | Autumn 2020

balconies to join in a round of applause for medical staff working on the front line. A nightly opportunity to exchange smiles, 'bonsoirs' and gentle 'we're all in this together' nods with the strangers you didn't realise were neighbours, making confinement feel less lonely.

3. My St George’s girls! My school friends were my rocks - we’re now all over the place (Australia, Canada, UK, France) but this didn’t stop our thriceweekly Zoom calls - doing exercise classes, quizzes and Friday night ‘pub’ drinks....!

Ellen Geddes (Class of 2019) I have just finished the first year of my nursing degree at the University of Edinburgh, alongside which I work as a waitress for a golf club and also volunteer at St Columba’s Hospice. I came home from halls on 15 March and stayed at home during lockdown with my family.

Prior to lockdown, I was getting ready to begin a twelve-week placement in both the community and hospital setting for my degree but, due to coronavirus, it was decided that first year students would not go on placement. This has left me and my fellow students with 450 hours

of placement to catch up on before we graduate in three years’ time! It currently looks like we will be aiming to get through most of these hours in year two, to minimise disruption to our Honours years. To help prevent a second spike in the virus, our lectures, tutorials and clinical skills will be online and they will try to get us into hospital to practice these skills before we go out on placement in smaller groups, to comply with government guidelines.

Last year I was part of the youth pilot volunteer scheme at St Columba’s which aimed to bring more young people into the hospice and for them to help out in their various teams (myself and another alumna Laura Cameron were the first to participate).

After that finished, I planned to go back to St Columba’s to start training to be a patient support volunteer but, due to lockdown, I couldn’t do the training. I hope that this will resume at some point.

When lockdown was eased, I felt that I could help more than by staying at home – because of my age and good health I started looking at options and applied to care homes to help as a care assistant. However, by chance, I received a call from a lady I babysit for asking if I would be able to look after her three young children for a few days a week so that she and her husband could work normal hours. I have been doing this since childcare was allowed in homes – I have become a nanny 9am-5pm for two or three days a week.

Lockdown has shown me how happy I am in my life. I love my course and the people on it, I love the new friends I have made at university. I like my job and the people I get to work with and the feeling I get from volunteering cannot be compared to anything.

When I am living my ‘normal life’, I often get caught up in the busy-ness of it and don’t stop to enjoy it, however I realise I do enjoy that busy pace and part of me does miss it.

I have enjoyed being home and spending more time with my family.

I love being with them and that has been my highlight of quarantine, a time when we can all be together and not

have to think about ‘what’s next’.

It was not long since my school friends and I all went off in different directions to start a new chapter of our lives, and we were all so excited for the times when we could come back together and share stories, spend time together and create more memories. Sadly, lockdown and coronavirus prevented that. Zoom calls could only do so much. I was annoyed that finally we were all back together in the same place, but we couldn’t even see each other. Those friendships mean so much to me and I had missed the girls so much, so I was excited to get together in the garden (socially distanced) and be with them all in person. Several socially-distanced walks and picnics later, I am still anxiously waiting for the day when we can see each other again without the restrictions.

With the Wi-Fi unable to cope with all of us at home, I have spent much less time on my phone and laptop and rediscovered time for reading. Without the distractions, I have made my way through over 40 books since 23 March – a lovely respite from a busy daily life.

Marion Fairweather (Class of 1983) In 2019, I worked as the French Global Fundraising Manager for The World's Big Sleep Out run by Social Bite. I was very proud to be part of a global scale project working for an organisation recognised by Meghan and Harry, Leonardo di Caprio and George Clooney.

During this time, I had the opportunity to discover many new things about the world and myself, meet new people

and learn a lot work-wise. One of the best memories was attending a dinner at the EICC to hear Malala Yousafzai, the famous Pakistani activist for female education, being interviewed by Jon Snow.

I knew that 2020 would be different, but never could I have imagined it like this. I was planning to pursue literary translation studies and had been picked by Stafford House to work as a TEFL teacher at Napier University’s Craiglockhart Campus. Never mind a couple of holidays thrown in there.

It was a new laptop which became a lifeline in March 2020. Whilst civilisation seemed to be collapsing all around me, thanks to technology I was able to use social media networks and recruitment sites freely and, eventually, after weeks if not months of seeking new employment, I found a dream translation job.

For the last few weeks, I have been working as a French translator for a think tank called Global Virtual Village, translating articles for the blog section of their website, and helping them by translating for other sides of their business to recruit prospective new employees, programmes for podcasts on social issues and interviews with podcast hosts and guests. I have been able to continue French Literary Translation Studies with the French Institute by taking the online translation course delivered on Zoom.

This has not only ensured academic continuity but kept me in touch with the outside world. It also ensured that I didn't miss out on the knowledge and skills I needed to launch a career as a translator.

Eventually I developed a new routine, working for Global Virtual Village online, online translation studies twice a week and a daily walk. This time has helped me reassess what I really want from life. I already knew the basics – that I would like to work in music or literary translation, perhaps live in France one day – but, apart from that, I have always wished that I had more time to enjoy life.

It has been great to have time to think about healthy eating, enjoying the simple things and the importance of regular exercise and fresh air. It has given me time to relax which was also unexpected and a chance to rethink what is important to me. I've been working in business development for a few years and it has been an invaluable experience, creating opportunities to use my languages both to earn money and for good causes but, somehow, I have never quite felt that it was the right career for me. So, having had time to re-evaluate, I will probably continue translating and / or become more involved with TEFL teaching after the restrictions have been lifted, as well as continuing to be involved in music in some shape or form.

The Edinburgh Music Club, of which I am a member and a past Chairman, has had to cancel all its meetings. I had become accustomed to performing there regularly, as well as listening to the other members every month, and that, as well as the cancellation of all choir activities, has left an emptiness in my life which has been hard to replace. The Music Club discussed potential concerts on Zoom, either live or recorded, but we haven't gone down that route yet. My Sports Club cancelled tennis, which I would usually have been playing from March to August, and it has been difficult to adjust to not using this skill over this period and not seeing my friends at the Club. However, hopefully we are starting to see some return to a new kind of normality with these activities and that is very welcome.

Like the French Institute, universities and educational organisations have been able to reinvent themselves online, and I was one of over 1,000 people to tune into the Sebald Lecture on Translation (founded in 1989) and watch David Bellos deliver this online.

Finally, like a phoenix rising from the fire, I was directed by the University of East Anglia to consider enrolling in an online translation teachers’ workshop held in Rome. Not perhaps the foreign holidays I'd planned - but certainly a silver lining in the clouds!

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LI TERA RY LOC KD OWN

A LITERARY LOCKDOWN

My Lockdown Story by Anne Everest (Head of St George’s 2010-2016)

S

hortly after I retired from my role as Head of St George’s, I was handed the manuscript of a novel. The story of Grace and Xavier had been written by my older sister, Helen, who had died in 2006. Her partner had asked me if I would prepare it for publication. To my shame, it took the lockdown to force me into action, largely because I had only a printed copy to work from: I had to type out 300 + pages, while adapting and editing the story, and - with two-fingered typing - it was going to take a long time! At the start of lockdown, I had typed up only 50 pages; by the beginning of May, just before what would have been Helen’s 75th birthday, I had submitted the novel for publication.

My half-sister, Helen Flanagan, was born the day after VE Day, and so was 11 years older than me. The central character of her novel, Grace, is even older. What binds us is that we all seem to have gone to the same secondary school. When I arrived at St Mary’s Grammar School for Girls in Hull in September 1968, I was constantly reminded that my sister Helen had been an outstanding scholar there: not only were the nuns (Sisters of Mercy) always prompting me to work hard like my big sister, but every morning at assembly the wooden Honours Board mounted in the school hall prompted me to remember that Helen had been awarded a State Scholarship (a prestigious financial award made to those who had demonstrated academic excellence) in 1962.

Helen went to university when she was only just 17 and went on to graduate in Russian and French in

18 | Autumn 2020

1966 from Liverpool University (having refused to return for an extra term at school to sit the Oxbridge entrance examinations). She sat her Finals the month after our father died, when she was just 21 and I was nine.

Although I was the child of my father’s second marriage, I regarded Helen as my proper older sister, and she was a huge influence on my early life. I went into teaching as she had done, though I was a stay-at-home mum for almost a decade, and Helen had no children. Before her early retirement on medical grounds, she had been Deputy Head of Alderman Peel’s School in Norfolk. Unlike me, Helen was dogged by ill health through much of her adult life. Her own mother had died young and she had inherited some of her mother’s health issues. At 50 she had open heart surgery and a triple by-pass operation. She died at the age of 61.

I had known about the existence of her novel, though Helen had never shown it to me (I think she thought me too judgemental on literary matters). I finally got to read it in the first weeks of my retirement from St George’s.

What immediately struck me was that

As I became intimately involved with this novel, not least from typing out every single word (and not all of them accurately), I was reminded of many family anecdotes that Helen had adapted to suit her plot. She had also plundered family sayings, and I recognised things that my own children had said and done in front of their Auntie Helen (like the precocious five-year old child who claims to be eight!) I seemed to have been included too, or I think I am: Grace’s niece, Julia, certainly shares some of my own childhood character traits.

It was with some trepidation that I submitted the novel for publication in May 2020: this was my family’s story.

And holding the finished book in my hands was an intensely emotional experience. ‘Grace and Xavier’ by Helen Flanagan is now available from Amazon. It is, I hope, an entertaining and moving story.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE ON

Working on this book was, of course, a labour of love, but it was also a rewarding and timely reminder of the family from which I had come. My father’s family is far more remote from me than my maternal relatives. My father had been the youngest of seven children and he was almost fifty when I was born; my paternal cousins were all adults when I was a small child and, though I went to the same school as Grace, it was in a modern (sixties) building by the time I attended, and Hopwood Street is no more.

SYNOPSIS - GRACE AND XAVIER BY HELEN V. FLANAGAN

this ‘novel’ was a thinly disguised account of our paternal relatives’ lives, going back to the beginning of the twentieth century, and to Hopwood Street in Hull, where they had once lived. Our father, Charles, had been the youngest son of Patrick Flanagan.

Patrick was a founder member of the local Labour Party and was a leader of the first national Bricklayers’ Union; by the time he died, in 1921, he was a Justice of the Peace and a member of Hull’s City Council. He was renowned for introducing the first Council houses to the city in 1919. In Helen’s story the patriarchal character, ‘Red’ Jack Brennan, is firmly based on Patrick Flanagan, our grandfather.

H

elen’s novel is the story of Grace Brennan – told by Grace, in her own words. She documents her hopes, her aspirations, and her fears, as she grows up and becomes an independent woman during the early part of the twentieth century. Born into a large, sprawling Irish Catholic family in Hull, East Yorkshire, Grace is the only daughter of Jack Brennan, a local Labour politician with strong socialist principles. His early death is the first of many sorrows Grace encounters in her life. Although she grows up in relative poverty, she is alive to the comedy in the everyday life she lives, secure in the love of her immediate family.

Clever and eager to learn, though also naïve and unworldly, Grace shines at her convent school and makes a lifelong but difficult friendship with a more middle-class girl, Kit Morrissey. The story follows their interwoven lives as they grow up in what is still very much a man’s world, and they both face the sadness and confusion of their unsatisfactory marriages.

Grace’s school-days and her fateful meeting with the charming but unreliable Xavier are described in detail, evoking the social mores, romance, and dangers of the pre-second world war period. Grace’s career as a teacher is also a focus of the novel, and there are many light-hearted moments arising from her classroom experience.

She is successful in her professional life - though she must pretend to be a single woman to keep her job - but she endures an unconventional marriage with her ’part-time’ husband. Ironically, the years of the second world war prove the most stable and happy of times for Grace, despite the experience of being bombed. Immediately after the war, however, she copes with work and motherhood largely alone. Finally, supported by her mother and her favourite brother, Vinnie, Grace learns to cope and thrive amid the challenges and losses she faces.

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LOCKDOWN PROJECTIONS

A Sixth Form perspective

A

s we write this edition, the world is only beginning to grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects felt across communities locally, nationally and internationally are substantial, setting in motion a so-called ‘new normal’ for so many. With millions of people impacted across the world, the media has been fully focused on this and the consequences have been significant and substantive.

period, right across the school community. In Sixth Form, the pupils have greater flexibility and independent spaces within the school, but also the responsibility to engage and lead younger students – through house captaincies, sporting events, clubs, musical and dramatic groups – which required continued dedication and creativity. They rose to this challenge and came up with ideas and ways to keep in touch with each other and more junior members of the school. A ‘COVID Competition’ was conceived to encourage students to express what the situation meant to them through many different avenues of composition.

For young people across the world, many of whom are setting out upon or considering their futures, life has been turned upside down even more. The approach of exam time is always a daunting experience for all those students sitting national qualifications. However, 2020 was a year unlike any other, and these young people had a very serious complication thrust upon them.

St George’s staff and pupils rose to the challenges faced by lockdown. Given that the school was founded by women who were always looking for a way to create opportunity, to strive for accessibility and the right to build a bright and rewarding future, the essence of innovation is embedded in our community. This was reflected in the comments and responses we received from Sixth Form pupils – both those leaving school and others about to begin their final year. We have shared some of their thoughts and experiences as they reflect upon lockdown and look into their futures with optimism and bright spirit.

Online learning was embraced across the school in the wake of lockdown and meant that, for many at St George’s, the interruption to many areas of learning was minimal. With students and teachers all committed to making the most of the experience, there was substantial training around resources and the online platforms being used before the girls were no longer permitted to attend school. This continuity of learning was a hugely important focus for the staff and provided many of those we talked to with a “great sense of relief from the worry and stress of the time”.

providing an opportunity to remain connected and still collaborate and compete (it is St G’s, after all) in interesting and new ways. Learning to use new online platforms such as Teams meant learning new ‘classroom etiquette’, where students had to use ‘hands up’ functions and learn to create better opportunities for all to speak. The new approach and efforts put into this by staff to make it as seamless as possible were “really impressive”, “motivating” and brought “real focus” for students, with the “quality and intensity of classes definitely remaining.”

Lessons took place across all academic disciplines, as well as art, music, business, drama and sport,

For many of the students, this learning experience, which was already coming at a pressured time

20 | Autumn 2020

of year, brought new challenges with greater organisational skills and self-motivation required. However, with no complaints and an ability to see the positive in the situation, it was recognised by a Lower Six pupil as a “great skill which will undoubtedly help with further education at university and beyond.”

Make sure you try your very best as you never know – they may be the ones that really count!

Keeping in touch was of the utmost importance throughout this whole

‘Tik Tok’ routines were mastered, fun and brain-twisting task master challenges (putting on a jumper upside down or dusting the house on a pogo stick) were undertaken with zeal and, of course, no lockdown was complete without a ‘Zoom’ quiz or two. For the Sixth Form, this was no different, with an Upper Six-led student quiz described as “very competitive, but great fun” and even the mandatory dress-up code was welcomed!

Miss Lancaster set up a weekly book club, where students took turns reading parts, which made them feel “like they really were there in the room together.” Other clubs such as FilmSoc were embraced and proved hugely popular for pupils to hear about film techniques and direction. In groups like these, it was the “contact

(We had) a safe space to speak about how we were coping with lockdown and our online schooling experience. with friendship groups and the wider school community which was extremely important” for so many. The continuation of form class calls each week were hugely welcomed and highlighted as being “fun, but also a safe space to speak about how we were coping with lockdown and our online schooling experience.”

The virtual Sports Day was considered a huge success, with a chance to get everyone moving.

‘Lockdown long jump’, ‘household hurdles’ and ‘homemade high jump’ were some of the innovative new additions to the schedule and it generated much enthusiasm and the good old house competitiveness that so many alumnae will recall!

Some lessons proved more challenging than others, with music lessons at times presenting playback issues on audio, but that didn’t stop many students from moving forward with lessons and thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to maintain a ‘normal’ part of their school lives.

For the Upper Six students, this was a very strange time to be a leaver, but the school and staff were determined to make it as special and significant as possible, with a leaver’s fortnight which involved a wide range of activities from baking together, colouring in sessions and online games. The Upper Six Review (a staple calendar entry for many decades) was conducted virtually and still managed to achieve amusement, reflection and tears.

Climate change is also an emergency and, although not such an immediate threat as a pandemic, it does make me wonder why governments and leaders are not treating climate change with the same urgency.

For those returning to school for their final year, there is considerable excitement to see friends, classmates and (even) teachers again. There is some trepidation over rules and restrictions and what this might mean as school life resumes under a new order of normal. Return to a solid routine is being welcomed amid the knowledge that a strong support system exists. While online learning was delivered successfully, the strong desire for, and positive emphasis on, face-to-face learning was clear in all

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Grab opportunities, as you just never know what’s around the corner. the students and the opportunity to get back to this is hugely welcomed.

The need to continue to work hard throughout the whole year has been emphasised, with one leaver offering advice about mock exams –“Make sure you try your very best as you never know – they may be the ones that really count!”

For many, a break in a packed schedule and busy life has been a chance to have some more downtime, and the opportunity to relax more regularly with a focus on slower paced activities was welcomed. One student talked about how she had taken on more responsibility in her community to help out in the village shop (a job that she had anyway) for a few extra hours per week.

While this change of pace was recognised in a positive light, the lack of face-to-face contact, physical closeness to friends and the school environment was very apparent in our conversations. The chance to keep in touch through social media and online video platforms was vital for so many, with a strong sense of selfawareness around mental health and different approaches being taken to preserve and enhance that. One pupil established her own podcast to create and share happiness – music, happy news stories and generally positive reflections. With listeners from all over

22 | Autumn 2020

WHAT WILL WE COME TO MISS? Lockdown life has put a different spin on the everyday for many people. Former teacher and pastoral counsellor Jenny Pearson has shared her own personal experiences through poetry, prompting us to think about our own experiences; the good, the bad and those things that we might actually come to miss about lockdown.

the world, this was a very interesting and uplifting approach to remaining as upbeat as possible and thinking about a wider community.

For those leaving school, there is a recognition that university will not be the usual experience of previous years gone by, and that it will require some shifting of expectation. There will be a greater emphasis on virtual learning, fewer first year or ‘fresher’ activities and, for some, a requirement to live in tutor groups, rather than more cross-courses and disciplines.

With the recognition that this time has taught students to think twice about “overrunning ourselves”, there is also a desire to “grab opportunities, as you just never know what’s around the corner.” There is definitely still wider ambition and one pupil was clear to share her own advice: “Aim to do things and travel to broaden your horizons, however don’t over analyse or over think, as it could all change!”

It is in the context of wider life that the greatest lessons or reflections have been made. A level of flexibility, adaptability and capacity for change is an overwhelming theme in all the conversations we had and one that is so positively communicated by our future generations of alumnae. The students we spoke to talked about a greater sense that they “could cope with change and new circumstances” more than they may have previously realised; the chance to “reconnect with people and get really close to family”.

The appreciation for school and all that it offers was very clear, “not only from an educational perspective, but how it allows [students] to make connections and support one another.”

(The) quality and intensity of classes definitely (remained) with the online schooling.

The Virus as I see it Jenny Pearson 22/04/20

The dogs keep running The cats keep purring The f lowers keep blooming They know nothing of the officious notices spoiling the park benches They know nothing of the daily deaths The children keep riding The scooter and bike brigades are herded ‘that distance’ away from all

The lasting thoughts from this strong and resilient community of Sixth Formers were about looking beyond their own lives and considering far wider issues in the world. Beyond COVID-19, to consider the global and lasting impact of climate change and the need for greater recognition and response to issues such as Black Lives Matter. One student summed it up well: “Climate change is also an emergency and, although not such an immediate threat as a pandemic, it does make me wonder why governments and leaders are not treating climate change with the same urgency.”

With grateful thanks to Hannah Monk, Amelia Norbury, Naomi Scott, Sahiba Jutley, April Hall, Eilidh Page and Sarah Cooper for their very thoughtful contributions.

We will sit on the benches in parks once more We will be allowed to pause To hear the burn f lowing The applause will fade The rubber gloves will be removed The masks will no longer cover both smiles and tears Our new heroes will go on The buses will fill up We will breathe differently

That measurement that will forever signal required separation

We will be less fearful less wary

The virtual hug, the socially distanced smile

We will miss our community or will we sustain our precious connections?

Yet the rainbows keep coming Their colours shine from windows and pavements The children keep laughing The music keeps playing There are some givens in this uncertain world The sun keeps rising The sun keeps setting The The The The

gardens are tidied jigsaws completed fences mended gates painted

How will it all appear when we look back at this time?

The chalk gifts on driveways in front of cleared out garages The spring-cleaned homes in the warmth of April The The The The

blossom comes daffs go birds sing f ledglings arrive

The The The The The

shared clapping lone pipers neon window signs classical music bells ringing

How will Thursday nights be?

How noticed will those delivery drivers be?

How welcome will the Royal Mail become?

How will the refuse collectors be treated?

Will those with the initials NHS on their uniforms disappear from our conscious psyche?

Will we remember who to honour?

Will we thank those who we no longer take for granted?

Will the video and artistic creativity ebb away?

As the speed picks up As the days fill in different ways As we live on, beyond the end of the rainbows As the new beginning unfolds As we ref lect on what was, What came to be and Where they join “Stay safe, stay well, stay home” Where will they come to belong?

In history or in the future?

In the past or in the now?

The before, the after The hugs will feel new The kisses like gold The planet will wonder what might have been The The The The

dogs keep running cats keep purring f lowers keep blooming butterf lies will keep landing

The tadpoles will leave The window-sill bears will hibernate once more The schools will reopen to a grateful generation The rainbows will disappear from windows, but never from the sky Those of us who were spared must carry “lest we forget” forever within our souls Our onward journey will be different – the route the speed the destination, the news The meaning of “key”, the definition of “essential” But the dogs will keep running The cats will keep purring The f lowers will keep blooming.

What will we then come to miss?

Autumn 2020 | 23

OUR PEOPLE

OUR PEOPLE

DECEASED STAFF

DECEASED OGs

Across our communities, wherever we live, there have been considerable changes and sacrifices made. For many, there has been the sadness of serious illness and death and, for others, the disappointment of cancelled celebrations such as weddings. Thankfully, there continues to be the joyful news of birth and we want to take the time to recognise and remember those within our own community.

Alison Edwards (née White) Former teacher of German Died 2 August 2020, age 74

Joan Aitchison Class of 1952 Died 22 January 2020, age 85

Anne Gibson (née Clark) Former Senior Housemistress Died 1 June 2020, age 85

Doreen Davidson (née Scott) Class of 1944 Died 8 March 2020, age 94

This news is very important and we are grateful to those who take the time to share it. We warmly encourage many others to share their news of pupils and staff and we do hope that in our upcoming editions we will have many more stories and pictures to include.

Jean McCarthy (née Drummond) Former teacher of Physical Education Died 25 May 2020, age 63

Elizabeth Margaret Matheson (née Salmon) Class of 1956 Died 26 March 2020, age 82

Roderick Mackenzie Slater Former teacher of Modern Languages Died in France on 7 August 2020, aged 72

Lady Sheila Miskin (née Scott) Class of 1946 Died 2 May 2020, age 91 Frances (Frankie) Smith (née Paterson) Class of 1956 Died 14 February 2020, age 81 Valerie Walker (also known as O’Farrell and Sykes) Class of 1970 Died 21 March 2020, age 77

BIRTHS

WILSON Baby William Robert Wilson - A son, William Robert, born to Vicky (née Grant Class of 2006) and Mark on 4 May 2020.

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Autumn 2020 | 25

TRIBUTES

TRIBUTES Jean McCarthy (née Drummond) As one of her former pupils wrote to me this summer on hearing of Jean’s untimely death: “We all thought she was fab.”

Jean Drummond was fab. Fab as a person, fab as a teacher, and fab as a colleague. The girls from Primary 1 to Upper Six, who were lucky enough to have been taught by her in the few years that she was a member of the PE Department, will remember the joy that she exuded. She was deeply committed to her subject and her pupils, although she would have been the first to admit that she was much more at home on a lacrosse pitch than in a dance studio.

was the first to write to me offering her congratulations. We went on to share a flat while we were both at college, and it was during that time that Jean made the decision to apply for the position at St G’s. I knew she would love the school and that the school would love her. I was right on both counts! It was in that same flat that the PE Department rehearsed the memorable “Captain Beaky and his Band”. We had agreed to do a ‘turn’ to help our friends (and rivals for the girls’ time!) in the Music Department to raise funds to buy timpani. A whole generation of girls and staff will recall Jean leading us up the steps to the platform in the Assembly Hall wearing rubber flippers, a naval blazer and cap and sporting a large yellow beak!

As another colleague wrote to me, “it doesn’t seem possible” that Jean is no longer with us. She was so full of life and contributed hugely to so many of our lives, in so many ways, always bringing fun. She was a rare combination of utter professionalism and glorious silliness. She made her pupils and colleagues alike feel special and valued and took the deepest care of every aspect of their well-being. When I came out of the church after her wedding, I was not surprised to see several of her 1st Lacrosse XII waiting outside for her to appear. They quite simply adored her.

Joan Clanchy, the Head at the time, appreciated it so much she asked for a repeat performance at the end of term assembly! Jean led us on that occasion with her infectious energy and the utter delight she brought to everything she did. She was in her element!

I first met Jean while I was still at St G’s when, as a fifth year, I was selected to play for the Scottish Schoolgirls’ Lacrosse Team, and she was my mentor from the Senior Squad. For me, she was quite simply a goddess and, when I was made Captain in my final year at school, she

Jenny Pearson - July 2020

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We have lost a treasure too soon and my heart goes out to her husband, her three sons to whom she was devoted, and their wives, the members of her family to whom she was “Auntie Jean”, and her most special grandson, all of whom, like me, miss her terribly.

Anne Gibson – ‘Gibbi’ What do you think of? Warm, friendly, comforting, a sort of refuge from the pressures of an ambitious school? She meant those things to me and I was supposed to be in charge. Going back to the house after school was entering another world: was it the fresh flowers, the cake for tea? Those were only the outward signs: it was the real warmth of her smile and the love she had for all of her charges, especially those who were worried.

Anne Gibson (née Clark) Anne was a very special housemistress. I often thought that the real Anne would have made a marvellous housemistress in the fictional works of Angela Brazil or Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. On reflection, she was perhaps just too good at her job to be credible in such works.

She always knew exactly what was going on in her house. If any boarder felt she had 'got away' with something, it was only because Anne deemed it right to turn a blind eye. She knew instinctively when to slacken the reins and when to pull them tight. Her boarders particularly remember the 'Gibbi Cocktail': if you could swallow it, you were really ill and could stay off school. It was a privilege and a pleasure, such a short time ago, to be at her 80th birthday party, organised by some of her former boarders. Anne was her usual eloquent, elegant, immaculate self, still deeply interested in her former charges. They all showed the same love and respect, tinged with awe, which we, her teaching colleagues, also felt for her.

Nigel Shepley 2020 Anne Gibson always seemed to me the ideal housemistress, her warm and caring personality creating such a happy atmosphere in the Boarding Houses. Also a strict disciplinarian, 'Gibbi' expected and obtained high standards of work and behaviour. But if any girl was unhappy and facing difficult problems at school or from home, she knew about it and gave that girl her total understanding and support.

In my home, we call a jam spoon a ‘Gibbi spoon’. Shortly after I started at St. George’s, Mrs. Gibson told me, with a sigh, that many children nowadays didn’t use jam spoons.

I think I tutted, but went home, produced two jam spoons, and stopped my children sticking their knives straight into the marmalade.

When we had both retired, we used to have some long chats on the phone.

She always remembered every detail about my grandchildren, as if they really mattered to her. But they did.

Everyone really mattered to Gibbi.

Joan Clanchy, August 2020 Lady Sheila Miskin (née Scott) When I was Acting Head, I might have felt anxious about the extra responsibilities in the Boarding Houses, but I did not: Anne could sort out any problems there far better than I could. When Anne first came to St George's, she taught Home Economics and was herself a superb cook. Lucky boarders always benefited from delicious meals planned and / or prepared by their housemistress. I remember once looking in at Lansdowne House and found them having tinned spaghetti in tomato sauce for supper. Anne had been away for the day and, on her return, was horrified and said so!

Anne had a genius for flower arranging. St George's has always been famous for ‘giving a good party' and none used to be complete without Anne's magnificent arrangements in the Hall and dining rooms.

A housemistress fills a very special and very different role in a school.

Gibbi's enthusiasm and dedication made it seem almost easy and certainly immensely worthwhile and great fun. Her boarders were truly lucky people.

Eileen Mackintosh – July 2020

Lady Sheila Miskin joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and, at the age of 21, was posted to Moscow where she met my father, David Collett. They married in 1951 and were then posted to Athens, Istanbul and Aden before returning to the UK in late 1960. She was widowed in November 1962. She loved travel, particularly in Africa, and also took up salmon fishing in Scotland. In 1980, she married Sir James Miskin, Recorder of the City of London. From 2000-2013, she was the first female President of the Hurlingham Club.

She retired to Chichester in 2014.

Joanna Bowen (née Collett) - July 2020

Autumn 2020 | 27

FOUNDATION OFFICE KEEP IN TOUCH Foundation Office Contact details: 0131 311 8000 foundation@stge.org.uk foundation.stge.org.uk/homepage St George’s Alumnae Group

Our community thrives through communication.

Old and new connections, we like to keep in touch, celebrate success and happy news and support each other during sad and challenging times. To keep our community connected, we warmly invite you to share your news and those of other alumnae.

Please do also share tributes to those friends, peers or colleagues who are sadly no longer with us. This recognition of lives lived is a hugely important part of the OG philosophy and we want to remember and recognise all those that we can.

@stgealumnae St George’s School for Girls, Edinburgh, alumnae networking group For whole school news please visit www.stge.org.uk

Reunion events are on hold at the time of writing but please visit the Foundation Network to keep up to date with news of school and virtual events. https://foundation.stge.org.uk/events

ST GEORGE’S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

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Garscube Terrace, Murrayfield, Edinburgh, EH12 6BG www.stge.org.uk Registered Charity No SC012632