The Dragon: Global Connections, Issue 3

Issue 03 | Autumn 2019

L A B O GL

S N O I T C E N N CO

A WORD

OF WELCOME

W

e are delighted to bring you the third edition of ‘The Dragon’, the magazine of the St George’s Foundation.

St George’s roots are deeply embedded in Edinburgh’s history, but we also have a strong tradition of welcoming students from all over the world, and many of our pupils go on to study or work abroad. To celebrate the global reach of St George’s, this edition has an international theme, featuring alumnae who have enjoyed time as boarders, or who have travelled widely with their careers.

Our ‘Network for Life’, powered by the St George’s Foundation online platform, continues to grow, and now has over 500 online members. If you haven’t already done so, we would encourage you to visit the site now and register to keep up to date with news and events across the St George’s community. Also, sign up to NETWORK St G’s, the careers and professional network within the platform, which allows you to CONNECT – with the St George’s community; INTERACT – with the groups most relevant to you; GIVE BACK – request or offer mentoring, work experience, internships or advice at any stage of your career.

2 | Autumn 2019

Last academic year, the Foundation Office launched the online platform, produced the Dragon Magazine, hosted several reunions (including the annual summer lunch – see p.12 for more on this), reconnected numerous alumnae and supported Walker Series events, where inspiring women shared their stories. We are looking forward to extending our activities as the Network grows in the coming year.

at St George’s so is already well known in the St George’s community. Look out for a feature on Mairi in the next edition. Lesley Abbott remains in the Foundation Office as Communications Manager.

Please do continue to keep your feedback and suggestions coming – the Foundation Office always welcomes your input.

The Dragon Editorial Team

The Foundation Office Team We would sincerely like to thank Mel Benson for her efforts as Acting Head of Foundation in the first half of this year. Mel undertook all aspects of this role with her usual energy and enthusiasm, and will no doubt bring the same to her new role as Head of Lower School – congratulations Mel. Meanwhile, we are delighted to welcome Mairi MacNaughton to the Foundation Office as Alumnae Relations Manager. Mairi is a former pupil of St George’s (Class of 1980). She has recently returned to Edinburgh having lived and worked in Hertfordshire for the past 15 years, where she was Senior Mistress and PE teacher at Beechwood Park School. Mairi is also the Holiday Club Leader and helps out in the PE department

Foundation Office Contact Details Tel: 0131 311 8000 email: foundation@stge.org.uk foundation.stge.org.uk

St George’s Alumnae Group @stgealumnae

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

BREATHING FIRE

INTO THE DRAGON

We want to share a snapshot of the team that breathes life (or fire) into The Dragon Magazine. In this edition we feature one of our editors, Kate Forster née Hayward, (Class of 1997).

NAME: Kate Forster CONNECTION TO ST G’S: I was a pupil at St George’s from 1987 to 1997 and my younger sister Emily was a pupil from 1989 to 2002. I remain connected to the school through many of the friends I still have from St George’s and of course in my work with The Dragon.

YOUR ROLE IN BRINGING THE DRAGON TO LIFE: I am an editor of the magazine, developing the overarching themes and approach for the style and content. From the outset the vision was to share stories and news in an engaging format that would bring out memories from across the alumnae community, and also offer advice and insight into future careers and opportunities for pupils and those starting out in the working world. We have been delighted with the response and willingness to share and the feedback so far has been great, which is wonderful.

FAVOURITE SECTION OF THE MAGAZINE: The interview profiles are my favourite. We have been really lucky with those people who have agreed to take part and share their insights and experiences so willingly. The careers, countries and communities that our OGs have experienced is so varied and I think their stories make for really interesting reads as well as stirring up memories of school days gone by!

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contents WORD OF WELCOME

02

BREATHING FIRE INTO THE DRAGON

03

SPARKS TO FLAMES

05

From the Foundation Office Introduction to The Dragon team

Celebrating success and sharing news within the St George’s Community NEW LETTER FROM CONTENTS TO ALEX HEMS COME Alex Hems, Head, observes the importance of the school’s international community

07

THE THROWBACK

08

HEART OF A LIONESS

09

OGA PRESIDENT’S REFLECTIONS AND OGA NEWS

12

COMPETITION TIME

13

REACH FOR THE STARS (AND STRIPES)

14

BOARDING MEMORIES

18

MEMORIES ACROSS THE MILES

20

THIS IS MY DAY

22

BACK TO THE FUTURE

23

OUR PEOPLE

26

KEEP IN TOUCH

28

A look back at some of the school’s international trips Feature interview with alumna Rowena Naile MBE, Former Army Lieutenant Colonel A welcome, news and thanks from the OGA

Get your creative juices going as we look to name the new OGA mascot Profile interview with alumna Heather Barclay, Healthcare Division, Google A reflection on years of boarding from former alumnae Alumna Beth Williams shares her memories from her home in New Zealand NETWORK St G’s asks alumna Noriko Tsang to share insights into her working day in Hong Kong Alumna Sheila Perera looks back at her life and international career Births, marriages, deaths and tributes from the St George’s community Ways to stay in touch including dates for your diary Editors Kate Forster and Lesley Abbott

4 | Autumn 2019

OGA Editorial Liaison Mary Comer

Design & Print The Dragonfly Agency

SPARKS

TO FLAMES

Since the launch of The Dragon, we are so pleased to continue to receive news from old girls within the St George’s community. We have tried to include a number of stories and updates to reflect the achievements and experiences from this powerful and widespread group.

From small sparks come big flames – we want to hear how the fire is burning bright across our St George’s community. We would love to hear from you, wherever you are in the world and whenever you left the school, so do please get in touch with Lesley at The Foundation Office to share news or more general updates.

VENTURING INTO THE

GASTROPUB WORLD Emma Currie (Class of 1983) has set up a gastropub on Dublin Street in Edinburgh called the Little White Pig. The seasonal, locally-sourced menus are inspired by pub classics and are really well complemented by the great wine list.

Of her new venture Emma said: “I wasn’t really expecting to set up a gastropub. I fell into it through a series of chances and a decision to say Yes! to any new opportunities which came my way. More a mindset shift than a carefully thought through plan.

even had Stephen Fry in for lunch during the Festival and he said it was the best meal he’d had in Edinburgh!

The pub is just a few doors down from where I live and, unlike the other investors who had some experience in hospitality, I’ve had to go on a big learning curve. We

This is the third stage in my career: first as an actress; second as a corporate trainer using theatre; and now in the hospitality industry. I’ve found a new stage

and my business partners, the young team and all the guests are effectively the rest of the cast. It is never dull!”

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sparks to flames

POWERING UP

Rachel Steedman (Class of 2013) is no stranger to sporting achievement, having represented the school at the highest level in hockey, lacrosse and tennis. Now a 4th year medical student at the University of Glasgow, she has taken up a new international sport – Powerlifting - and has excelled across national and international levels. Rachel loves this Olympic-recognised sport and the opportunity it gives her to compete.

She finished 3rd at the British Equipped Powerlifting Championships and will represent the University of Glasgow at the World Universities’ Cup this year.

Commenting on this, Rachel said: “I hope that I can show other St George’s girls that it is possible to achieve a high level in sports as well as university degrees.”

BRIGHT STAR Dominique Haig (Class of 2013) appeared in a lead role as ‘Hannah’ in BBC drama The Grey Area set in a drugs underworld in Edinburgh, which was first shown in February 2019. The six-part series was directed by Bafta winner Gary Fraser.

EMPOWERING

WOMEN

Lucinda Shale (Class of 2009) is living in Glasgow, working for a women’s empowerment organisation aiming to further the rights of women and young people in Scotland. She was recently interviewed for the BBC to talk about the effects of social media on young people.

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD Wendy Barrie (Class of 1975) has been awarded the Johnston’s of Elgin Regional Ambassador Award, competing against 640 entrants to be awarded in the Central, East and Tayside category for 2018/19.

Wendy, who is Director of the Scottish Food Guide and Scottish Cheese Trail, has been a chef for 35 years, specialising in food tourism and events with artisanal produce.

ARCHITECTURAL AWARD WINNER

Maddy Baker (Class of 2018) was the recipient of the first year architecture prize in the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) Award. Maddy studied Art A-level at St George’s.

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TECHNOLOGY IN ART Sarah Ogilvie (Class of 2017) is the recipient of the John Byrne Award 2018/19 for her many pieces, and, in particular, her painting ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ – a photo-realistic presentation of how modern technology is impacting our ‘connected’ society. Sarah also took Art A-level at St George’s.

For more of Sarah’s art please go to www.sarahogilvieart.co.uk

Success to write home about – Alumnae in print Elizabeth Macneal (Class of 2006) has achieved wonderful success with her début novel The Doll Factory, released in 2019 in the UK and the US. It won the 2018 Caledonia Award for an unpublished manuscript and publishing rights were given to Picador.

It will be translated into 28 languages and achieved a Sunday Times bestseller status, was Radio 2 Book Club pick, and a Radio 4 Book at Bedtime.

The book is set in 1850s London and is about a young woman who aspires to be an artist, and the man whose obsession may destroy her world forever. It is a story of painting, collecting, love, obsession and possession.

Elizabeth lives in East London and when she isn’t writing she has a one-woman ceramics business. Her work has featured on Mary Berry’s Britain’s Best Home Cook, has been acquired

by The Museum of London for their permanent collection, and the Evening Standard recently named her as one of ‘five British ceramicists you should know about.’

For more information about Elizabeth and The Doll Factory, visit www.elizabethmacneal.com/ the-doll-factory

from the head

LETTER FROM ALEX HEMS

AN INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK understanding of yourselves, enriched and enlarged by the experience.

O

ne of the school’s greatest strengths is its very strong international outlook. Leafing through the pages of this edition of The Dragon gives an insight into the willingness of St George’s alumnae to embrace careers overseas and one has to wonder whether the travel bug was one that they ‘caught’ while at school. Later this month we will welcome the Robert Burns Scholar, from St Andrew’s College in New Zealand and, in the course of the year, other exchange students from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, USA, Chile and South Africa. These physical exchanges are also complemented with a carefully developed programme of digital exchanges with schools across the globe which are closely linked to our curriculum.

Most recently we have added the School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA) to that list, and I am delighted that our students have the chance to Skype with other young people whose daily lives may be dramatically different from theirs, but whose underlying concerns and interests as young women may well be very similar.

Many of you will remember taking part in those exchanges, or spending time with the visiting students, and will have had your outlook on life, and perhaps your

Just as this term was about to start, we heard the exciting news that St George’s has been successful in bidding for a grant to carry out an Erasmus + project. With the title ‘Community and Culture’, our project will enable us to work with and visit partner schools in Austria and Italy over a two-year period. This sort of international collaboration is so valuable, not only in promoting cross-cultural understanding, but also as a preparation for a working world which will see our students competing on an international platform for future employment. As I write, we have just been hosting a group of visiting Danish students and their teachers in school for the day, and our girls and the visitors engaged in valuable and searching discussion about, among other things, how they would identify Scottish and Danish culture, and their respective nations’ relationship with their immediate neighbours. These discussions seem especially poignant as the United Kingdom struggles to decide its future relationship with Europe and engages in some of the most critical constitutional wrangling that I can recall in my lifetime, which will certainly shape our nation’s future for many years to come.

their careers across the globe. To have the confidence to pack one’s bag and set off to work on another continent will increasingly be an expectation, and how exciting it is for our girls to have those opportunities open to them! Every year a few of our leavers set off to study abroad, this year one to Paris and another to Amsterdam. To learn to embrace the new and unfamiliar, and also to learn to live and work alongside and at close quarters with others, with tolerance and mutual respect, are vital lessons for life. This is of course the very essence of what the best of boarding at school should be about, and you will be glad to know that Houldsworth House continues to play an important role in school life. We welcome students from across the world, to make a home with us in term time, and to make friends here who I am sure will remain with them for life.

While the UK seeks to define or redefine itself, and as national identities are asserted, I hope that spirit of openness to an international perspective, which is at the very heart of St George’s, will stay with all our students throughout their lives.

Whatever the outcome of debates at Westminster and Holyrood, I am certain that many more of our young people today will need to be equipped to pursue

Autumn 2019 | 7

The

THROW

BACK

In each edition, we take a look back through the archives and remember important artefacts from School history to see how the School, its fashions and foundations have fared throughout time.

In this edition, as we celebrate our international alumnae community, we have decided to look at how the school has kept connections and learning opportunities alive with an exciting range of pupil trips throughout its history. From geography and history trips to science and sporting adventures, we have chosen some snapshots from the archives over the years.

If you were part of these trips or have been on others that we haven’t included and would like to see more photos from the archives, please get in touch and we would be happy to see what we can find.

Above: Upper Fours on Toronto Island in 2019

Right: 2017 Trip to NASA, Florida, USA

Below: Programmes for the 1994 and 1997 Trips to Russia

8 | Autumn 2019

The Sound of Music Trip to Switzerland - circa 1980

x2

THE HEART OF A LIONESS The world seems a smaller place every day, with the opportunity to travel internationally being easier than ever before. This ability to live and work outside of the UK has been embraced by generations of St George’s girls, as is highlighted through this edition of The Dragon.

A

n important element of maintaining these international relations is down to peacekeeping and the preserving of our rights to freedom to live and work safely. This role involves our armed forces, of whom we are very proud as amongst the finest in the world. We were therefore delighted to have the chance to interview former Lieutenant Colonel Rowena Naile née Griffiths (Class of 1981) to tell us all about her career and experiences in the Army as she was posted around the world.

Rowena attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) in 1986, having previously been in the University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) in Edinburgh and London, where she was commissioned into the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC).

She has served in a variety of different units such as the King’s Own Scottish Borderers and the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment at many levels from Brigade to the Ministry of Defence. Rowena received an MBE in 2013 and retired from the Army in December 2018 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Since retiring, she has taken up various charity and voluntary roles and sport plays an important part in her life. Last paragraph. Rowena is married to Sean and has a son, Alexander.

Interview with Rowena Naile MBE, Former Army Lieutenant Colonel

YOUR TIME AT ST G’S When were you at St George’s?

I was a boarder from September 1972 until July 1981.

What subjects did you study?

Higher Maths, English, French, Geography, Chemistry, Biology and Physics.

What are your strongest memories from school?

I have lots of memories from being a boarder, from going to Drumsheugh swimming pool on Saturday afternoons when in Melville House and listening to crazy music in the form common rooms in Houldsworth House.

I made a number of very good friends whom I still see - Jane Ironside and Liz Murphy (née Parker) and am in touch with various other OGs. 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 you on the path to your career in the military?

Mrs Anne Gibson, the housemistress of Melville House (the junior boarding house). She educated the boarders in ways that the school lessons didn’t – taking

She [boarding housemistress Anne Gibson] was able to see the whole person and encouraged you to go out and grab the world.

feature Interview us to the theatre, opera and on day trips.

She was able to see the whole person and encouraged you to go out and grab the world.

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

It gave me the confidence to believe that I could achieve things even if I was not the brightest in the class!

ABOUT YOU AND YOUR CAREER Did you always aspire to work in the Armed Forces?

Yes, my father was a career Army officer and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

I only intended to serve for a few years, however, I enjoyed my work and life so decided to stay for a full career.

East Germany. One of my duties was being the Officer commanding the British Military train travelling from Berlin to Braunschweig (and back again), and formally meeting the Russian Military in Magdeburg every time to get documents checked.

In Nepal I did many things that were memorable - from paying pensions in cash to some of the very old pensioners and their wives, through to running the Everest marathon and playing elephant polo in the World Elephant Polo Championships.

In Bosnia I had some very unnerving experiences, from being in a helicopter that was hit by small arms fire, being bricked in Sarajevo, through to meeting wonderful local people and visiting them in their homes.

What route did you take to get into the Army?

I left school and went to Queen Margaret College where I trained as a dietitian. Whilst at College I joined the University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) as recommended by the Army Careers Office to give me an insight into leadership training. I really recommend any student to join the UOTC as it is probably the only ‘club’ that pays and feeds you, and it gives you leadership training and other skills that will help with the job hunt after university! I attended the Regular Commissions Board at Westbury before going to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) on my commissioning course.

You have lived all over the world. Can you share some of the locations where you were stationed and some of your most memorable experiences from these places?

I have been very lucky to serve outside the UK at frequent intervals – on operations in Bosnia, Germany (four separate times), Nepal and Norway.

My first posting to Germany was in Berlin back in 1987, when the Wall was still up and Berlin was a divided city in

10 | Autumn 2019

Capt Griffiths and team Bosnia, April 1994 In Norway I saw the midnight sun and the northern lights, climbed on a glacier, visited the Russian border and attended a Remembrance Sunday Parade amongst Commonwealth War Graves of soldiers killed in World War II, reminding us of the sacrifices that those who have gone before us have made.

Can you share some of the challenges that you have faced throughout your career?

One of the biggest challenges has to have been being a woman in a very masculine world, to which many members of the OGA can no doubt relate. In my first job I was the only female amongst 700 men.

That took a little adjusting to having been

at St G’s, then straight to an almost allfemale course at Queen Margaret College and following that an all-female intake at RMAS. The Army was then a very chauvinistic society and, as a female, many positions and roles were not open to me. During my early years in the Army I encountered a number of men who felt that women should not be in the Army – despite women first being recruited in 1917! I was one of the first women to be able to have a child and stay in the Army, in fact the rules had changed not that long before I joined, allowing women to stay in the Army on marriage. The atmosphere has changed and women now have the same training and careers as the men, enabling them to be promoted to the higher ranks.

What skills and attributes do you identify as important for those looking to enter a military career?

Whilst the military will provide training in any skills that you may require to carry out your particular job as an officer, there are a number of attributes that help to indicate if you have the necessary leadership potential. The attributes that I see as being needed include integrity, intelligence, being a team player, honesty, a caring attitude, a willingness to work hard, determination, robustness and, most importantly, a sense of humour!

How important is technological innovation in the day to day lives of military personnel?

Many of the technological advances we now take for granted were initially developed for military use, e.g., the world wide web and LED technology. This shows that dealing with technological innovation is part and parcel of life in the military. Unfortunately, as a government body, the military acquisition process is cumbersome and often slow so civilian workplaces will frequently have more upto-date technology.

feature Interview You are involved with the Women’s Royal Army Corps Association. What is the role of this charitable organisation and can you tell us a bit more about its ambitions as it celebrates its centenary this year?

St George’s has offered pupils the chance to join the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) for the past 15 years. How important are these programmes in offering an early military experience to young people, especially women?

It is a charity providing benevolence and comradeship to anybody who served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service or the Women’s Royal Army Corps, either in the Regular Army or in the Territorial Army.

We were originally the Queen Mary’s Auxiliary Army Corps Old Comrades and now, in our centenary year, we are keen to increase awareness of the benevolence we can provide to those in need of financial support and to encourage more of the eligible women to join so that they can enjoy the comradeship. We organise events nationally to provide camaraderie but also there are local branches where groups of women of a similar mindset can gather for a coffee or glass of wine and enjoy socialising with friends. For the Centenary we have had various events and the National Army Museum has hosted an exhibition ‘The Rise of the Lionesses’ in our honour (the women of the WRAC were known as Lionesses because of the lioness in the cap badge).

The CCF provides an excellent insight into the military and also provides youngsters with life skills such as self-discipline, selfconfidence and building team spirit.

Has the military, both in the UK and globally, evolved enough in its approach to diversify those whom it attracts and retains throughout their careers?

The military has to reflect the society it recruits from and it has made great strides to become more diverse. The changes made to include those from the LGBT community have certainly enabled the military to recruit and retain excellent officers and soldiers who previously had to be excluded if their sexuality was known. However, the Army is an organisation that goes to war and therefore personnel need to be both medically and physically fit enough to cope with the rigours of an operational environment. As a result, those recruited cannot be absolutely as diverse as the civilian population.

What advice would you share with young women considering a career in the military in the future?

Diamond Jubilee Parade and security duty during the London 2012 Olympics.

To say I was working out of my comfort zone is an understatement but the award of the MBE shows that I must have got at least most of it right! To be awarded the MBE for this work was a real honour.

I was both the first female and the first in my branch of the Army to do the job and I was very relieved that it went as well as it did!

Go ahead and join and grab life with both hands. The Armed Forces, whether the Regular or Reserves, will give you plenty of challenges and develop your leadership skills so that you are prepared for whatever life throws at you. I suggest the first step is to get a degree and join the UOTC whilst being a student, to get a better idea of what the military has to offer.

Congratulations on receiving your MBE. Can you tell us a bit about what this award means to you?

I received the MBE for my work during the deployment of 20 Armoured Brigade to Afghanistan for 6 months in 2011/12.

I was the Chief of Staff Rear Operations Group and was stationed at the Brigade’s home base in Germany. This role was in addition to the job I had as a planning officer. My team and I had to provide approximately 300 battle casualty replacements (for those soldiers killed or injured during the operation) and, in addition, we had to ensure that the Brigade had all the necessary vehicles and ammunition for the following two years of training following their return. I also had to organise training for military fuel tanker drivers to cover strikes in the UK and provide soldiers for the Queen’s

Autumn 2019 | 11

PRESIDENT’S REFLECTIONS Welcome to the new edition of ‘The Dragon’, which celebrates the achievements of Old Girls around the world. The international aspirations of St George’s girls have long been supported by the OGA through the sponsorship of charitable activities by current or former pupils, many of which take them to other countries to assist with various development projects. This year, we were delighted to award two U6 girls £500 each for their gap years with Project Trust in South Africa and we look forward to featuring their stories in a future edition of ‘The Dragon’ on their return.

June was a busy month for the OGA, with our London Reunion held at the Caledonian Club for Old Girls ranging in age from 22 to 70. It was a lovely, sunny evening and it was great to hear the memories and stories of all the OGs there, as well as catching up with what they’re all doing now. Many of the OGs shared tales of their time spent abroad, whether on gap years or during careers ranging from the military to banking and the law. Global dragons indeed!

Soon afterwards were our AGM and Summer Lunch, at which we were fortunate to welcome Jackie Waring as our guest speaker, who gave us a fascinating glimpse into the world of entrepreneurship, Investing Women and the AccelerateHer initiative. Elise Newcomer, the School’s student archivist, had displayed certain items

from the School’s extensive collection for us to enjoy, including old detention books in which some attendees were able to find their own names and a record of their past misdemeanours.

After five years of service, Dr Patricia Donald (Class of 1971) has stepped down from the OGA Committee.

We are very grateful for Tricia’s wisdom and good cheer throughout her years on the Committee and she will be much missed. We wish her all the best for the future. (See OGA Tribute opposite).

Having been a terrific Acting Head of the Foundation Office, Mel Benson has now become Head of the Lower School, but we are very pleased that she will remain on our Committee as Staff Representative. The new Alumnae Relations Manager is, fittingly, another OG: Mairi MacNaughton née Macdonald (Class of 1980). We look forward to getting to know Mairi and working with both her and Lesley Abbott to further enhance the activities of the OGA and Network St G’s.

With this in mind, we are now in active recruitment mode for new OGA Committee Members. We meet once a term and it’s a great opportunity to have a say in what your Association does and how we do it.

There is also Miss Imlah’s baking to be enjoyed at our meetings! If you would like further information about joining the Committee, please reach out to us via the Foundation Office – we would be delighted to hear from you.

Best wishes Mary Comer née MacKenzie (Class of 1997) President

12 | Autumn 2019

OGA TRIBUTE Dr Patricia Donald OGA Committee Member 2014 - 2019 We would like to thank Tricia Donald for her five years as a Member of the OGA Committee. Always a positive presence on the Committee, Tricia was hugely supportive of the creation of the Foundation Office as a better, more modern way of engaging with OGs and she encouraged the Committee to think creatively about how OGs can give back to the School.

Having previously been on the School Council for ten years, Tricia has shown great commitment to St George’s, even securing the Royal College of General Practitioners in Euston Square as the venue for our London Reunion in September 2017!

participating in various ways to promote the well-being of St George’s and she wishes the School all the best for the future.

As a Committee, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to Tricia for all her hard work, enthusiasm and unwavering support.

Tricia is now enjoying the challenges of being a NonExecutive Director of NHS Lothian as well as making time for the arts, walking and skiing. She has enjoyed

As ever, we ask that if any OGs have stories, memories, questions or comments to share please do get in touch (contact details on page 28). For 125 years, it is this community that has kept the connections so strong between the school and alumnae and we want to continue that for generations to come.

COMPETITION

TIME!

The OGA Membership package now (somewhat appropriately) includes a very cute Dragon mascot which will be presented to all OGA members when they leave school to bring them luck on their travels. The mascot needs a name and we’d like to open it up to our readers – please email the Foundation Office with your suggestions by the end of November 2019.

Also, take a fun selfie of you with your Dragon and send it to us for our new photo gallery! foundation@stge.org.uk

Autumn 2019 | 13

REACH FOR THE STARS

(AND STRIPES)

Heather Barclay (Class of 1997), lives in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. She joined St George’s in 1991 from Zimbabwe where she was born and lived until she was 11. She left St George’s at the end of Upper Six in 1997 and moved to the United States after university. Heather has worked in the technology sector for almost 18 years in sales and, two years ago, was offered a position at Google, one of the world’s biggest brands, in their healthcare division.

Heather has two sons and a daughter and, in her travels around the globe, does manage to come back to the UK to visit friends and family and keep the connections alive.

We are really pleased to be able to share Heather’s story through this interview and highlight the opportunities that exist for those looking to work in genuinely world-leading and innovative environments like Google. Heather’s career achievements demonstrate what being bold, having self-belief and the ability to look beyond your own borders (personally and geographically) can help you to achieve.

When were you at St George’s?

1991 - 1997 What subjects did you study?

I took Highers in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths and English Do you think the subjects you studied have impacted your career choices?

I chose them in the hope of going to medical school, but I didn't get good enough grades. Instead I went to the University of Strathclyde to study Economics which took me on a completely different path.

What activities or clubs were you involved in at school?

Tennis, Hockey, Lacrosse and Squash 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?

Miss Lancaster believed in me and was a big inspiration growing up. I did really well in English, which is a miracle as I often joke that I am barely literate now. The one thing

14 | Autumn 2019

Interview with Heather Barclay, Strategic Account Executive, Healthcare Division, Google

interview

I can do well is talk, which I am sure my teachers would agree with!

My choice of career wasn't ever really ‘made’ until I had finished university and it just seemed to ‘happen’.

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

In hindsight, what shaped me the most from St George’s was my time on the sports fields. My career has predominantly been in sales and knowing the thrill of scoring a goal or winning a tennis match is what drove me in wanting to win deals. Knowing that even if the odds are against me, it's still possible to win.

I was lucky to have a great group of friends who all worked hard, played sports and musical instruments. High achievement was more of a status symbol in our group and any pressure to rebel was pretty minimal and relatively innocent when I compare to the high school experiences of my American peers.

What are your strongest memories from school?

I was quite naughty earlier on at school which did land me in the Headmistress’ office, but I think that was also the making of me in some ways - and my goodness did I learn from it.

My favourite memories are of an undefeated last season in the First XI hockey team and winning the tennis championship in my final year, after losing 10-8 in the final set the previous year.

I ended up having a fairly decent hockey run but, more so, being on the hockey team, learning and leveraging teammates’ strengths and weaknesses, winning and losing as a team and being together on and off the field are all things that have significantly contributed to my success.

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

The standard at St. G's on a global scale is extremely high and I was the beneficiary of being amongst people who were shooting for the moon, which made me dream much bigger than if it had been left up to me. I was not exactly

an independent learner, a good student or self-motivated. The framework of my family, teachers and friends combined with knowing what a privilege it was to attend a school of that calibre enabled me to do as well as I possibly could have academically, based on my natural talent and intellectual apparatus.

The fact that it was an all girls’ school shielded me to a degree from the notion that there was any difference in the expectations of and opportunities available to women in the workforce. The notion that there were any limitations whatsoever for working women was all but invisible to me based on what surrounded me: a powerful female leader of the school in Judith McClure; bold and ambitious friends; a female Prime Minister; and a father who was a huge advocate for women's equality and believed in me wholeheartedly. I am eternally grateful that I was blissfully ignorant to the "glass ceiling" as I have summarily disregarded its very existence throughout my career.

ABOUT YOU AND YOUR CAREER Have you always worked outside the UK? Yes. Why did you choose to go and live and work in the USA? I did a year-long exchange at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

I met a boy whom I dated long-distance when I came back to Scotland. After leaving Strathclyde University I came back to America to be with him, with no plan, no job, no money and, in hindsight, even less sense. However, it turns out that taking this chance has given me so much opportunity and helped shaped my life and career to date.

What would you describe as the biggest challenges and pleasures of living and working internationally?

The part of America I have come to admire the most is the corporate world.

I have met some extraordinarily talented people, who are not only supremely intelligent, but also hard working, ethical and incredibly humble.

The part that is the most challenging is fitting into the social culture, which is dramatically different to the UK. Navigating my kids’ schooling and sports activities, never having been to school here has been a steep learning curve.

How did you start your career in the technology industry?

I was selling photocopiers on straight commission which was pretty tough. While I was doing that I cold-called an office building that happened to be a datacentre - which in 2001 was fairly rare. The guy I met happened to be the Head of Sales for Inflow, a company that owned the tertiary datacentre market footprint.

He asked me “Are you educated?” and I ran through my education, which fortunately sounded impressive and he said “With that accent, you will be memorable and, honestly, if you can do that, you can do anything”. With that, he brought me on as his salesperson with my own office and a salary!

Over the last 20 years, I have had the privilege of being at the epicentre of the technological lifecycle of datacentres in Atlanta and have become one of the experts in the space, and certainly one of the longest standing, most experienced representatives in the US for datacentre migrations and transformations. I have transacted billions of USD in business and taken more companies to the next level of their technology continuum than any other rep in the US, because I didn’t go into management as most salespeople do.

It is the most change-driven and disruptive sector that we have arguably ever seen (certainly since the industrial revolution). How do you continue to stay apace with the level of change?

Staying relevant is key and knowing the technology is only a small part of the puzzle. It’s more important to stay current with the challenges your customers are facing in their industry and know what gives them a competitive advantage.

Taking this a step further, what separates good from great is the ability to put a figure on solving a customer’s problem whether it be the revenue your solution will generate, the time-to-market advantage or the cost savings of your solution, and

Autumn 2019 | 15

interview build a business case that demonstrates operational, cultural, financial and technology alignment.

similar cases and outcomes to the critical point of diagnosis and formulation of a treatment plan.

How? It’s like the old adage if you want to catch a fish, you have to think like a fish.

If you are selling to a hospital, understand the patient experience, or a day in the life of a doctor in the hospital. If you are selling to a retailer, buy something from them. Develop a point of view and, when you bring ideas to your customer and show them how you can solve their problems, the technology you use to do it becomes a checkbox.

Our goal is to inform these decisions, not to make them and certainly not to replace doctors, but to make the doctors more informed and accurate, enabling them to spend more time caring for and talking to the patient rather than poring through data. Talking to a patient about their health is never something that computers will be able to do, nor should it.

Healthcare is an area applicable to every human on the planet. How are companies like Google shaping this agenda both in the US and the UK? The US and the UK health systems are inherently different, but both are moving towards healthcare consumerism or personalisation - empowering patients to make more informed decisions about their health.

I often get asked if we use search data in my area, so some fun Google facts!

1 in 5 Google searches are healthcare related, and we do use that data to inform a hospital about the cases we think will make it through the door that day, based on search data in that area, for capacity planning purposes.

Another way in which we leverage the search data is if multiple people in a localised area search the symptoms of food poisoning, we can trace back the

I compete with them every day and have done for many years, but I take my hat off to them - the money-making part of the Amazon organisation is Amazon Web Services - reselling the underlying infrastructure they developed to sell books to organisations, and Google replicated their strategy. Amazon showed how important and effective a bottom-up approach can be.

What advice or considerations would you suggest to a young woman from St George’s thinking about a career for a technology or data company?

You don’t have to be a developer or a coder to work in technology: start with the end-user experience and follow the money to understand their business, develop a point of view and come to work every day for the customer, not the company that pays you.

It’s not about having the right answers, it’s about asking the right questions. Don’t simply take no for an answer, there is a way to yes in many scenarios, but don’t kill yourself to get there. Know when to put up a fight and know when to walk away.

Early on in your career, try to overcome your weaknesses to some degree and become renowned for your strengths.

The next evolution is to address the weaknesses and turn them into strengths.

If you can be fair, consistent, methodical and predictable you will earn the trust of those around you.

Healthcare and outcomes are largely pattern matching, and Machine Learning (or Artificial Intelligence) is also simple pattern detection. In the past, scientists used to have a hypothesis: find some candidates for a trial and observe whether that hypothesis was true or not. Today, you have the ability to look at an outcome shared by many and then trace back what each of the patients had in common across many data sources. This is helping to identify diseases and illnesses with increasing regularity and certainty, which will ultimately help with prevention of many of them.

Google will be a major player in bringing the most relevant data (from many sources) to a doctor about their patient their symptoms, their environment, other

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restaurant all those people recently ate at through maps data and isolate where the outbreak occurred! Interestingly, it’s rarely the last place they ate, but the one before that - yes Americans eat out a lot!

You work for the biggest brand in the world – are there other brands or people particularly that you admire and why?

Coke, because I absolutely love it and I live in Atlanta!

Seriously though, I admire Amazon.

They were a company that sold books online and their strategy was to target developers, not decision makers or people with a technology budget: no-one had ever done that before.

Finally, I think it is important to remember that luck plays a role in success and anyone that doesn’t acknowledge that is not being honest with themselves.

What would you describe as your biggest achievement to date both in your career and personally?

Personally, my greatest achievement are the three dreamers I have the privilege of being a mother to.

I tell them that I believe true contentment can almost be guaranteed if you go to bed at night knowing that you have impacted the lives of others in a positive way, and my hope is that I have laid a foundation for them to do something that will change the world in a small, but significant way.

interview I have made it my priority to expose my children first hand to problems that they are empowered to affect in their lifetime.

I am most proud, personally, that my son has his own conservation charity at the age of 13 and that they are all kind, compassionate and selfless humans who want to leave a positive imprint on this world.

Which country do you call home?

In my professional career it’s very difficult to pinpoint one achievement of which I am most proud but, as I get older and look back on the last 20 years, there are a couple of examples which stand out.

The place where my feet are at the time.

I was born in Zimbabwe and when you have Africa in your blood, you never get it out. So I always consider Zimbabwe home.

Where is your favourite place on the planet?

I got a call from someone about a year ago, his name was vaguely familiar and I didn’t remember this story when he called, but he did. He said that 10 years ago he was fired from the company we worked for (I only knew him in passing and didn’t know the reason for his departure at the time). He said getting fired was one of a catalogue of catastrophes that had happened in short order at that time and he was at the lowest point in his life.

When he left, they gave me an account he had been working on and I did immediately recall that the deal closed the day after I was given it; I had done nothing but was paid the commission. At the time, I was in my early 20s and I am sure I could have found a way to spend that money ;-), but he reminded me that I asked him for his address and sent him a cheque for the exact amount of the commission with a note that simply said “you earned this”. He said at that time in his life, he needed that. That call meant more to me than winning a deal or any award.

Recently, I got a call from my assistant last year who got paid a bonus based on my sales performance and she said that because of the year we had together, she was able to pay off all of her student loans... she was crying when she told me what that meant to her. That call made the fact that I had worked through Christmas (spending Christmas Day in Nashville waiting to resume work on a contract the next day) and through midnight on New Year’s Eve all worth it!

Above: Heather sharing her knowledge and representing women at Google Right: A fantastic achievement Heather has her pilot licence

These examples prove that when you look back, it’s not the big deals, it’s not the awards and trips: it is truly the people you help on the way up from which you derive inner contentment and satisfaction.

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school memories

BOARDING MEMORIES FROM THE EDITORS: Those familiar with The Dragon may realise that we have not included our ‘Letters from the Attic’ feature in this Edition. The reason for that is because the School Archives have been moved from the ‘attic’ area of the school to make way for the development of the new Sixth Form Suite and teaching areas. With the help of our wonderful volunteer archivist Elise Newcomer, we have transferred all Archive materials to a new home on the ground floor of the school. We have had limited access to it during this transition period so we will resume with an archive-specific feature in our next edition, however, we may need a new title!

As this is an international issue, one of the areas that we really wanted to focus on was the boarding houses and those pupils who made their ‘homes’ in term time in Melville, Lansdowne or Houldsworth.

We have asked for reflections from two boarders who spent a number of years boarding while their parents worked and lived abroad. We are delighted that they have been willing and happy to share their memories with us.

Liz Carnie née Neill (Class of 1958) and her sister were both boarders at Melville House in the post-World War Two period.

Their housemistress was Miss McGregor.

Liz has shared some wonderful memories of her time at St George’s.

Descriptions of the boarding house in the 1950s and possessions that boarders were allowed highlighted the still relatively stark living environment in a post-war period. Personal possessions were not encouraged and, in many cases, extra money was not considered necessary to spend on such personal items.

“In our dorms we had an iron bed, a bedside table, a couple of drawers and I presume some hanging space. You were allowed a photo frame and a brush on the bedside table.”

The prudent approach was also taken with the water supply, as was presumably necessary at that point. Liz shares a fond, but somewhat chilly, memory of bath time in the boarding house.

“A bath a week shared with another!

The bigger the other person the higher the water level. Bigger friends were in demand as you were only allowed a couple or so inches!”

It is Scotland after all and it does get cold and Liz’s memories continue in that vein with memories of walks to church on a Sunday: “Sunday morning walk from Ravelston Park to Palmerston Place Church in a long crocodile, in our Sunday

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best – hats and tweed coats – two abreast in all weathers.”

However, the cold weather was eased by the arrival of sweeties – the beginning of a life-long love for Liz! She remembers: “My sister and friends used to meet a lovely couple of parishioners after church and they got sweeties. Eventually I was included in this group. It was heaven.

I think deprivation in my childhood has made me a chocolate addict in my 80s!”

However, sweets were rationed, and treasured even more when they were allowed: “Sweets were still rationed and it was such a treat to be allowed out to go down to Roseburn to the sweetie shop and spend the coupons.”

Liz’s memories are full of fun and fond memories, with a little bit of mischief thrown in: “Lights were out early and we were frequently caught reading by torch light under the blanket.”

And finally, and most relatable for all young girls, even today, was the ‘midnight feast’. A delightful memory from Liz (even if it did end up with being found out) which sounds fun and daring in equal measure: “Midnight feasts on the last night of term were always fun and how eight people in the phone box

thought that they would not be found was quite naïve! It was fun collecting tins of food such as sardines, pineapple, evaporated milk etc. for the ‘picnic’ and hiding them until the big night. I presume we must have had to smuggle plates and spoons too.”

We also talked to Niva Shrestha (Class of 1997) who was a boarder from 1991 to 1997 at Lansdowne and then Houldsworth House. Her

school memories housemistresses were Mrs Peckham and Mrs Haston respectively. Niva has travelled extensively since leaving school, working and living in Canada, Indonesia, Yemen, Doha and now Qatar. She has worked in communications with the UN, Canadian Foreign Office and Olympic and Paralympic committees in Doha and Canada. She now lives in Qatar where she works for global communications consultancy Hill + Knowlton, working at strategy level on Olympic sporting accounts.

The love of sweets and sugar seemed to have lasted into the 1990s, even without rationing, as Niva suggests. “I loved going to Roseburn on Saturday mornings with 20p to buy sweeties from the sweet shop.

I have ended up with a sweet tooth and will always choose cake or pudding over savoury food. I love chocolate cake and eclairs.”

The cold in Edinburgh, particularly for someone who had grown up in warmer climates for many years, is also a recurring theme: “I really remember the rain - I will never forget always being cold to the bone! I literally thought I could feel the clouds it was so cold. I think it is why I have always ended up living in warmer climates.”

Romance was at times high on the agenda, especially as the queues for the phone box or the postman (seemingly archaic these days) were fervent after a Merchiston social event.

Friendships were absolutely paramount as well as trust and respect for and from housemistresses. Niva’s admiration for her housemistress is clear: “Mrs Haston was great. I have no idea how she managed to stay sane taking care of so many hormonal girls!”

“I remember studying a lot! I wasn’t Oxford/ Cambridge material but I do remember wanting to be the UN Secretary General just like Boutros Boutros-Ghali. I have ended up doing OK with a BA, MA and MSc and also dabbled in law school for a bit and decided it wasn’t for me.”

Niva developed her love of sport at school, but it was in the boarding house that she found a love for Manchester United football team. It was therefore a career high when she ended up managing them as an account in London, commenting: “I have never smiled so

like a school girl every time I had to go to Old Trafford for ‘work’ and of course meeting the players was always a bonus!”

Despite being so far away from home and family, Niva summarises what made her boarding experiences for the most part very happy. “The highlight for sure was having such good friends and a network of support all the time. You rarely felt alone and there was always someone to watch telly with, play tennis or go for a walk with and that for me was what boarding was all about.”

Friendships made in the boarding houses are so often some of the strongest.

Memories shared when living together create bonds that will last lifetimes. This was beautifully demonstrated when we received a photo from Debbie Birrell née Yule (Class of 1977) with five of her friends who all boarded together in the 1970s, celebrating their 60th birthdays together in Spain.

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school memories

MEMORIES

ACROSS THE MILES Reflections of my St George’s education and experience – Beth Williams Reconnecting with alumnae has been a wonderful result of The Dragon and we have been delighted and honoured to hear such enthusiastic and passionate stories from Old Girls from across the decades and continents!

University, was in New Zealand to start a new government department studying and managing freshwater fish in the many lovely lakes and rivers of the Rotorua area. This area was also partly covered by beautiful forests that New Zealanders call bush.

We were so pleased to hear from Beth Williams née Dunstall (Class of 1949) who has been living over 11,000 miles away from Edinburgh in Rotorua, New Zealand for the past 64 years. Beth has very generously shared her reflections on life and education at St George’s from 1943 to 1949. A talented musician, she enjoyed school and learning and went on to become a music teacher herself.

Having moved to the opposite side of the globe, it is clear that Beth still recalls fondly her memories of St George’s and the part the school played in encouraging her love of music and the confidence to go out and share this passion with others as a teacher.

I had been a pupil at St George’s from 1943 to 1949. In my first year, the army were occupying the school. I came from generations of musicians and mathematicians. I begged to be taught piano like my older sister but wasn’t allowed to start until I was seven.

At lunchtime, we sat at our house tables and would take turns to sit at the ‘high’ table with the headmistress, Miss

We put a deposit for a home to be built on previous farmland several miles from the centre of Rotorua, which left us with no money.

Kennedy. Once I was sitting at the high table and swept some peas from my plate onto the floor – there was a deadly hush. Nothing was said, but this left such an impression on me that my daughter and I still have a private joke called “Miss Kennedy’s peas!”

Our bed was a mattress on the floor, with newspapers as curtains. We had two wooden boxes for chairs, with planks laid across to use as a table - but our floors were made of beautiful native wood.

We had to scythe and then hand mow long grass to flatten out the bumps. We planted some fruit trees and started a vegetable patch.

Rotorua - two main streets, no tar-sealed roads, only pumice – a sandy material produced by previous volcanic activity.

What a contrast to Scotland!

I have special memories of Mrs Couling, who taught me piano. She would invite me to stay at their country cottage during the holidays to enjoy the company of her daughter Vivian. Another music teacher, Miss Worthington, took me to concerts.

I became a music teacher, spending three years at St Leonard’s School for Girls. Prior to teaching, I had studied for three years at the Royal College of Music, London, graduating with ARCM and GRSM.

We had bought a good piano from Wellington and I advertised for students – I got 23 replies and taught them all. The students had to work hard for an exam centre to be set up the following year.

We are very grateful to Beth for taking the time to share her reflections so willingly.

1955 - The smell of sulphur, boiling hot mud pools and steaming geysers; the bridge over the steaming terraces last seen in a lantern slide show in Miss Crawford’s geography class…..I never imagined I would be living in this area!

Rotorua, situated by a lake in the centre of New Zealand’s north island, was to be our home. My husband Derek, a post graduate student at St Andrews

20 | Autumn 2019

school memories Unfortunately, Derek was killed while cycling to work in a road accident in 1958, but I stayed in Rotorua.

Everybody in our new locality was so friendly, we babysat for each other and borrowed food - a real community.

Eventually we got a weekly bus service into town and all the cane plunket prams hung from the outside back of the bus.

All mail had to be collected from Rotorua Post Office, and two trucks delivered groceries twice a week. There were no phones: I had to phone parents of students from the one phone box at the end of the road, keeping the door half open with my foot so our baby wouldn’t think I had vanished like Doctor Who! Phones finally arrived but it took a long time because the sulphur would have corroded the telephone lines, so they had to build a special relay station out of Rotorua where the lines were protected.

This was a first in New Zealand: no other town’s lines were so affected by sulphur.

My four children brought home many slang words from school. I was a nice, well brought up girl from Edinburgh but quickly learned the true meaning of the slang. It was all quite an education for me!

I was soon asked to cover all the Rotorua high schools, and this quickly led to a Music Itinerant position covering a large geographical area. I would set off at 7.30 in the morning driving through the mist with the logging trucks to make it to morning assemblies. All the schools I visited developed groups of players. It is greatly disappointing that at present there are no school orchestras and Itinerant Teachers have vanished.

I was also on the National Royal Schools Examinations Advisory Panel and the Australian Examinations Board. I examined and adjudicated in New Zealand and Australia for many years and started exams in Western Samoa.

I enjoyed playing chamber music as a pianist, especially one regular quartet consisting of a flautist and violinist from The Hallé Orchestra and a fine cellist. We played for many national conferences.

When I retired from high school teaching, I taught piano. Unfortunately, I contracted Primary Orthostatic Tremor in 1980 but continued to teach up until 2013 in my own studio. I am delighted that many

of these students are now professional teachers and performers themselves.

I was very fortunate to have had such a good education at St George’s with a range of inspiring teachers, and that I have been able to pass on my love of music to future generations ‘across the miles’.

Beth Williams, New Zealand, August 2019

I would love to hear from any contemporaries or Old Girls of St George’s! Please email me at bethwilliamsorchid2@gmail.com

In 1956, the standard of music teaching was very low. I was invited to many national meetings to develop the standard of music in schools. I was elected to the National Board of Private Music Teachers. When I was Vice President, we had discussions with the government to pass the Music Teachers Act 1981, which recognised the role of private music teachers.

Rotorua Girls’ High School asked me to teach string instruments and start an orchestra. I set up lunchtime orchestral practice with three girls. This was the start of the Rotorua Girls’ High School Junior and Senior orchestras. Soon the addition of players from other schools led to a Youth Orchestra. When players left school, they had no group in which to play - guess what? It was up to me to start an adult orchestra so they could continue playing together. I had to develop a Community College Orchestra so they could continue playing. Several times the youth orchestra travelled to Whangarei (Northland) to join with their orchestra in workshops and a public concert.

Autumn 2019 | 21

NETWORK St G’s is a networking group for alumnae and parents to share or receive professional and careers-based knowledge, guidance and information.

THIS IS MY DAY

NORIKO TSANG A key part of our Network St G’s programme is to encourage more professional networking amongst members of our alumnae, both together and with pupils. Our community is strong and very talented, and we really would like to develop the forum for current and former pupils to be able to offer support, share experiences, and learn from each other.

This feature continues to look at many different careers, work models, roles and choices that St George’s pupils have made when entering a workplace after school. Our focus for this edition has been on those working internationally and we hope that this offers an insight to the opportunities out there.

In this edition, we have asked Noriko Tsang (Class of 2008) to share a snapshot of a day in her life in her home city of Hong Kong. Noriko’s passion and enthusiasm for her working life is so clear as she reflects on what she gained from her time as a boarder at St George’s to take her into the career she has today.

Where in the world do you work?

I am now working in my home city – the busy Hong Kong.

If you were asked to describe your job in under 50 words what would you say?

As the Guest Relations Manager of an international chain hotel in Hong Kong, my main duty is to create a memorable and personalised stay experience for our guests and to look after the daily operations of the Executive Lounge. I also make sure our Elite members and VIPs are having a problem-free stay and that their loyalty is recognised and appreciated.

Where is your office or working space?

My “office” is mostly the hotel lobby or Executive Lounge, where I greet guests and make sure everything is going well.

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How and when do you start your day?

I normally start my day with a big breakfast as you never know when lunch might be! Operations is unpredictable and you can’t walk away in the middle of waiting for VIPs. I start my shift by reading through the on-day guests and VIP arrival list, making sure their rooms will be ready before their arrival. I then do a walk-through of the Executive Lounge. I will spend some time talking to the guests and, if Operations gets busy, I might need to run around clearing plates, making omelettes, making coffee or checking guests in and out... basically I need to take care of everything that happens in the Lounge.

Do you have a typical day or is every day different?

No single day is the same as another. I meet different guests every day and experience different requests and enquires regarding their trip in Hong Kong. So I have a lot of variety, which makes it very exciting.

What makes you smile at work?

My happiness at work comes from the satisfaction of the guests. I smile when I see the guests smiling and enjoying their time with us in the hotel.

What would you rather avoid doing?

Nothing really. I try my best to go above and beyond to make my guests happy.

What was your favourite subject at school?

Health & Food Technology was my all-time favourite. I loved the little walk from the main school campus to the little hut behind Lower School. And, of course, the cooking part was always the best, and turned me into the best cook in my family!

What are your best memories from boarding?

I loved every moment in the boarding house. From the first time I stepped into Lansdowne House when I first started in St. George’s in Lower 4, to my final year at Upper 6 as Head of Boarding in Houldsworth. I enjoyed our weekend outings to places like Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh Castle or Christmas Shopping to Glasgow, etc. Every weekend we sat in the Common Room eating popcorn and

watching videos together, and the best memory has to be the Christmas Lunch we used to have together in the green room.

How did St George’s prepare you for the world of work?

Growing up in a diverse environment at St. George’s has prepared me to be a confident and independent woman in the hospitality industry. Throughout the time in St George’s, my English skills improved a great deal, which has given me an advantage in the workplace. I am able to communicate well with guests, which has allowed me to advance in the industry more easily.

Where did you study after school?

I moved back to Hong Kong and continued my degree education in a university in Hong Kong.

How did you pick your career, or did it pick you?

It’s a bit of both. I am a very outgoing person and love to meet people so I had been thinking what sort of career would allow me to meet different people. Then I saw the news that Hong Kong Disneyland would be opening which I thought would be a great boost for tourism in Hong Kong, so I decided to go for hotel management at university.

Is there anything you would have done differently when setting out in the world of work?

Nothing at all! I have enjoyed my work ever since I graduated and started my first job over 10 years ago as Guest Relations Officer. I love my career and would certainly follow the same path if I had to start from the beginning again.

What piece of advice would you share when encouraging others to think about a future job and career?

Always go for something you love and enjoy, then you will have the passion to do your best at work!

In this feature, two sixth form pupils have interviewed a member of the St George’s alumnae body to hear about her school experience and, in this case, how it set her up for her globe-trotting life after school. We hope this chance to delve into the past will offer interesting perspectives for our pupils, newer alumnae and their parents, and hopefully bring back a few memories for some too.

In this edition, alumna and former OGA President Sheila Perera (née Garden, Class of 1967) was interviewed by Upper Six pupils Joanna de Ville and Grace Toner.

When were you a pupil at St George’s?

I joined in the last term of Upper III, in 1960. We lived in Dunfermline, so the daily commute was quite challenging - two buses, a train and a walk. These early starts formed a lifelong habit for me!

What are your strongest memories of St George’s?

Sheila Perera at Khyber Inter-Continental, Peshawar

It was such a lovely environment: safe, caring, the teachers made us feel valued and we were happy. When I arrived this morning, it was so nice to see the girls coming back from break – they have their arms around each other, they’re laughing and jumping, and that’s basically how we were. We all got on so well, and the teachers cared so much about us. It was great.

If there was something you could have changed about the school, what would it have been?

The toilets could have been better! [laughter]. There wasn’t much more than that. I loved everything about the school I was really happy.

What were your favourite subjects?

And which teachers do you remember most?

French, Geography, Biology and Latin.

Miss Reilly taught French and made it really fun to learn. I don’t know if it was the rhymes she gave us but she made it easy to grasp. I can still make myself understood and understand what is being said in French. Once I was speaking at an Accommodation Management

Staff party at Pegasus Reef, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Interview with Sheila Perera

by Joanna de Ville (left) and Grace Toner (right)

Autumn 2019 | 23

interview conference in Monte Carlo and was asked the evening before to do it in French!

Well, I didn’t sleep much that night, but I did deliver it the next day and I think they understood me. Miss Reilly was wonderful - I can still visualise myself in the classroom; that’s the impact that she had on me.

Miss Barbara Stewart was the geography teacher. I think she’d lived in South America previously. I loved learning about the world. How you learn now with modern technology, you think you’re there just by looking at a screen. But she made lessons so colourful, all the countries, how people live and the climate; I was fascinated from day one. She was so passionate about her subject she made it real for us. I loved it…. and I got an ‘A’!

Miss Drever taught Latin, she was quite strict and a great teacher. I now realise Latin has helped so much with Italian, Spanish, and the derivation of English words. It’s amazing when you do crosswords or quizzes and you can see the origin of a word. I’m Catholic and there are lots of prayers, some in Latin, which makes me think back to school and that’s lovely too.

Miss Kennedy was the headmistress when I went for the interview, then Mrs Lindsay when I came to school. She was very supportive indeed.

What influences would you say St George’s has had on your career path?

Getting on with people, teamwork, sharing, leadership – in all aspects of my life, not just work. It’s important that you have people working together: a single vision. You have to listen and together you get stronger and work as a team.

Did you know what job you wanted to do when you were at school?

I really didn’t. I thought about sports and PE, but my mother influenced me into hospitality. It was actually a neighbour who directed me to apply to the Scottish Hotel School (later part of Strathclyde University). At that point, I had no idea that I would be travelling; it wasn’t on the agenda.

You’ve travelled a lot in your career and worked in many different countries, is this something you planned to do or did it just happen?

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It just evolved as I went through the degree and grew when I joined Trusthouse Forte Hotels.

At University my first summer placement was in the Cotswolds. The next two summers were my first ventures working abroad. We have relations in San Antonio, Texas and I was lucky enough to get a placement at the Palacio del Rio in San Antonio. The first year I was on the front desk, which was a great introduction.

The second year, I was in food and beverage. I did a bit of travelling in the States when I was there but I still didn’t think I’d be travelling all over the world.

When I graduated I joined Trusthouse Forte Hotels. I started working in Devon and Somerset and loved seeing different parts of the country, hearing different accents, seeing beautiful old buildings and so on. From there, I had stints in Leicester and Dundee and then took up my first Assistant Manager post at the St George’s Hotel (appropriately enough!) in Liverpool, taking responsibility for Personnel and Training.

I then went to the Dublin International Airport Hotel as part of the start-up team.

That was very exciting. Every place you went was a bit of an adventure - you’d go and see the city and find out about it.

In 1973, I came to the Grosvenor House in London, to get immersed in high quality Accommodation / Housekeeping Management. This is when I realised that housekeeping is the hidden heart of the hotel – it touches every area, but nobody really sees it.

After that I had my first adventure overseas at the Jamaica Pegasus, a new 5 star hotel. I had some lovely adventures when I was over there and great trips seeing the island.

Next I went to the holiday village in Sardinia, and then to the President Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. We used ‘Train the Trainer’ methods to establish processes for heads of department to train their supervisors who would then train the teams. It was the most enjoyable training I ever did. The local Bantu boys were such fun - there were no girls, it was all boys. They came in from Soweto, a very poor area, and they were the most receptive trainees I’ve ever had. It was so motivating and rewarding, really gratifying. The building was fascinating too, you could look down from the top into the centre, as if it was a gold mine, of

course a major industry in South Africa.

We visited Lesotho and Swaziland, driving around in a camper van, which was very exciting. On another trip, we went to what is now Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia), crossed over to the Kruger National Park, and down the east coast. I was so lucky to be able to do these things – and at very little expense, as we were in the country anyway!

Then I was sent to the Pegasus Reef in Sri Lanka to do the same thing – and that’s where I met my husband! The Pierre Hotel in New York followed. The Housekeeping department was in a mess, so I had to sort it out. If South Africa was the most rewarding, then New York was the most challenging training I ever did!

It was a lovely situation though, right at Central Park by 5th Avenue.

In November 1976, I took extended leave to join my husband-to-be in Afghanistan.

He was a musician whose group were at the InterContinental in Kabul. Within about two weeks they were moved to the InterContinental at Peshawar by the Khyber Pass. We got married in January 1977 in a Catholic Church, with the ‘band boys’ as witnesses. The night before, I stayed overnight in a convent and two little girls from the school came dressed up as bridesmaids. It was just lovely.

Afterwards we went in a Tuk Tuk to a Chinese restaurant – talk about doing it simply!

After six months’ leave, we returned to the UK, where I had a job as Training Manager waiting for me at the Hyde Park Hotel in London. Three years later I moved to the Westbury Hotel in Mayfair as Executive Housekeeper, looking after all aspects of Accommodation Management, day and night.

Now with two children, I moved to Gleneagles in 1983, where I spent 20 years as Executive Housekeeper. I was given the opportunity to develop from scratch the Glenmor operation of 53 luxury homes, which was an absolute joy - I loved every minute. I left on the day they achieved 90 per cent sales of all the brand new homes. I went up to see them recently and they’re still doing brilliantly.

How did these experiences shape you as a person?

Working with different types of people, in a number of countries, with different ways

interview of living can make you more sensitive.

Especially when I came back to the UK, having a better understanding of where people came from gave me that sensitivity and better comprehension.

It strengthened me and my love for motivation and training, and what I did later, especially at Gleneagles. I became very passionate about leadership.

I used to attend conferences in the USA, and the speakers were wonderful on motivation and leadership. That all goes right back to the values that I learned at St George’s. It planted a seed and I was able to make it grow. I still enjoy it very much now I’m retired and am involved with the Inner Wheel, SWI, local volunteering, junior golf and the Perth Choral Society.

Going back to school days, what were you happy or less happy to see on the school lunch menu?

I don’t tend to dwell on negative things!

My favourite things were steak pie, mince and tatties and fish and chips. For desserts, crumbles with whatever was the seasonal fruit. We used to eat on the top floor, where the Library is now. I just ate what I was given, I wasn’t fussy!

The support from the Head, from the teachers, the way they worked with us and supported us with any challenges.

We had our friendships and we were allowed to have fun while being well behaved. It encouraged me so much how they encouraged us. It’s so important to recognise someone when they have achieved something, no matter what their ability. I’ve tried to do that throughout my career, and with my family.

Who do you still keep in touch with from your years at St George’s?

As former president of the OGA you’ve helped to keep people connected to the school’s history and heritage. Why do you think this is important?

Closing remarks

St George’s has been a leading light in women’s education right from its inception in 1888, and it’s constantly improved and become a true pinnacle of excellence. I can’t believe the curriculum now and all the extra activities you do!

The opportunities open to you ladies are wonderful. They’re so creative with the things they know will extend you. And again, whatever your ability, there’s something for everyone. I think that’s just so important, because everybody matters – every pupil matters. It gives you a foundation for life and opportunities for your futures. It’s brilliant.

Anne Paton (Elder), Liz Donald (McNeil), Anne Walker (Watt), Sheila Mottram (Band) and Libby Jeffrey (Storrar). Some of us had a lovely reunion in February this year for our 70th birthdays at Loch Leven - Sheila came over from France, where she lives. Liz and I play golf together occasionally.

I’ve been so lucky with my career, all the places I’ve visited and been able to see. Now I’m retired, I do some volunteering, and I still travel. I look after my grandchildren on a Wednesday – I absolutely love it.

How do you think St George’s shaped your character or attitude to life?

Gleneagles, Luxury Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort in Scotland

Glenmor, Gleneagles

The President Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa

Autumn 2019 | 25

OUR

PEOPLE When we hear news of former peers, colleagues, new and old friends that is what keeps many of us connected and reminds us of our days at St George’s. This includes happy celebratory news such as weddings and births and the reminder that life is precious and finite when we hear of people’s deaths.

This news is very important to our whole community and we are very grateful to those who take the time to share it. We warmly encourage many others to share their news of pupils and staff and will endeavour to include it all in further editions.

BIRTHS

Colquhoun

A son, Archibald Frederick Alexander, born to Sheelagh (née Harwell, Class of 2004) and Ramsay on 3 June 2019.

Vandore-Mackay

A daughter, Skye, born to Sara (née Vandore, Class of 1995) and Luke on 13 November 2018. A little sister for Murdo and Sula.

MacDonald

A son, Arlo Jack Harris, born to Corinna Benson (Class of 2008) and Kenny on 30 June 2019.

Low

A daughter, Etta Olivia Georgina, born to Rachel (née Lobban, Class of 2010) and Ross on 6 July 2019.

A little sister for Ivy who has just started P1 at St George’s!

26 | Autumn 2019

our people

DECEASED

MARRIAGES BLACKBOURN AND McFARLINE Connie (Class of 2002) and Daniel were married at Orocco Pier, South Queensferry on 8 June 2019. Flowers were provided by St George’s very own Tricia Lancaster!

Lysbeth Bevan (née Flint )

Class of 1947 Died 15 October 2018, aged 90

Una Downs (née McCallum) Class of 1952 Died 2014, aged 80

Elizabeth (Betty) Dodd (née Gardner)

Class of 1947 Died 20 April October 2019, aged 90

STAFF MEMBERS Diana Henderson

Former Staff Member (Development Director) Died 10 April 2019, aged 72

Audrey Miller, Dr

Former staff member (teacher of Physics) Died 1 March 2018, aged 94

Remembering a friend On 20 June 2019 we planted a tree in the school grounds to commemorate the life of our friend and Old Girl Griselda Fyfe. A lifelong supporter of the school and the OGA, the planting of a tree in her memory continues her legacy for many more years to come. The tree planting ceremony was attended by her friends and other OGs including her sister Muriel Walker née Fyfe (Class of 1943) and former deputy headmistress Eileen Mackintosh (Class of 1948) as well as current Head Alex Hems.

Autumn 2019 | 27

PLEASE SAVE THE DATES FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL EVENTS: Please email foundation@stge.org.uk if you would like to attend.

19 October 2019

FOUNDATION OFFICE KEEP IN TOUCH If any alumnae, current pupils, staff or parents have news or general updates, article ideas, tributes or pictures they would like to share then please do get in touch.

We would love to hear from you!

Foundation Office Contact details: Tel: 0131 311 8000 email: foundation@stge.org.uk

foundation.stge.org.uk/homepage

St George’s Alumnae Group

@stgealumnae

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

Hong Kong Drinks Reception (Mrs Alex Hems) Sheraton Hotel, Kowloon

20 November 2019

Young Singer of St George’s Final RMC

26 November 2019

Young Musician of St George’s Final RMC

3 - 5 December 2019

Upper School Drama Production: Little Women Upper School Hall

18 December 2019

Upper School Carol Service St Giles’ Cathedral For more information on these events or to sign up please visit https://foundation.stge.org.uk/events

ST GEORGE’S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

28 | Autumn 2019

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