THOGA Newsletter TALBOT HEA TH OL D GIRL S A SSOCIATION
July 2011
Celebrating
Years of Excellence in Education
Old girls, governors, staff, pupils and parents came together on Friday 1st April for a day of celebration, thanksgiving and remembrance as Talbot Heath marked its 125th Birthday. Former pupil Baroness Shirley Williams gave a birthday address, echoing our motto – Honour Before Honours – as she explained the need ‘to look beyond one’s own self interests and think about how we can best serve our community’. The Baroness officially opened the newlyrefurbished air-raid shelter, remembering her own experiences of the war. Pilot Officer Cecil Henry Hight, a New Zealander in the Royal Air Force, was specifically remembered. On 15th August 1940, he deliberately piloted his stricken plane away from the built up area of the town to crash on the corner of Leven Avenue and Walsford Road, near to the school. Afternoon celebrations included a 125 years fashion show of TH uniforms and period costumes; period hockey and tennis matches; war time recipes and cookery demonstrations; an extensive display of archive material and performances of “The Mischling”. Ex-pupil Louise Garcia’s play is based on the true story of Jewish children who were evacuated from Nazi Germany and came to Talbot Heath. A number of our audience members were themselves evacuees on Kindertransport trains. In the evening a champagne reception and musical concert included present and former pupils. Our new Head, Mrs Holloway, was touched that the “whole community, aged 3 to well beyond 93, has come together to share its experiences and memories of a school which holds 125 years of rich history.”
Scenes from Talbot Heath’s special day