Seniors' Supplement 2021

Supplement

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Contents

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Welcome

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Events

Page 12

The Interview

Page 22

FeatureS

Page 26

PHILANTHROPY AT WYCOMBE ABBEY

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Circle News

Page 64

Obituaries

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Directory

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Contents

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Welcome

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Welcome

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From the Headmistress W

e are delighted to share with you the 2021 edition of the Wycombe Abbey Seniors’ Supplement, which highlights the activities of both the School and Seniors during 2020-2021.

Ongoing restrictions due to the pandemic presented new opportunities to offer virtual activities for Seniors and their families. The Seniors’ Office hosted a number of such events, including a classical music concert; a Zoom-hosted cook-a-long with the School’s Executive Head Chef; virtual Seniors’ Day and the ever-popular annual Seniors’ Carol Service.

We have been delighted that the new Seniors Mentoring Programme has been so well-received, connecting Seniors with current Wycombe Abbey pupils to give advice and experiences of higher education and the workplace. This has been an invaluable programme for our pupils, and we are extremely grateful to all those who have supported this initiative by volunteering their time and expertise as mentors.

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I know many Seniors have also supported pupils by speaking at university application advice sessions, the Management Conference and Career Spotlight talks.

I am thrilled that the Seniors community remains an integral part of School life in this way.

In 2021-2022 we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the School by Dame Frances Dove in 1896. I look forward to seeing many of you at one of School’s celebratory events marking this special anniversary year. More information can be found on page 9.

Jo Duncan MA (St Andrews), PGCE (Cantab)

Welcome

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Meet the Team The Development and External Relations team at Wycombe Abbey acts as the main point of contact between the School and Wycombe Abbey Seniors (alumnae) and supporters. Our Development team is responsible for preserving the legacy of the School through stewarding donations to support its strategic fundraising priorities. These are currently the Wycombe Abbey Bursary Fund and a future-focused site development plan to maintain and enhance the School’s impressive 170-acre grade-listed site.

The Seniors’ Office looks after the 4000-strong network of alumnae across the globe, connecting Seniors with each other and with School via a full programme of events and activities. We are delighted that Seniors support Wycombe Abbey in a myriad of ways, from contributing to the Bursary Fund and other fundraising priorities, to volunteering at

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events, appearing as guest speakers and offering mentorship and work experience opportunities to other Seniors and current pupils. If you would like to support School, or become more involved, please read more on page 56 or contact seniors@wycombeabbey.com.

Clare Flynn-Scarcelli Director of Development and External Relations flynnscarcellic@wycombeabbey.com

Katie Tyler Seniors’ Officer tylerk@wycombeabbey.com

Yael Marwah International Executive Coordinator marwahy@wycombeabbey.com

Sally Brooks Development Manager (Individual Giving) brookss@wycombeabbey.com

Welcome

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Welcome from the Seniors’ Consultative Committee

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am delighted to introduce myself as the Interim Chair of the Seniors’ Consultative Committee (SCC), having taken up post in March 2021.

The Wycombe Abbey Seniors’ Consultative Committee is the central group of Seniors who support the School in providing a channel of communication between the broader cohort of Seniors and the School.

In March 2021, Amanda Gibbon (Owen, Class of 1982, Cloister, C149) resigned her position as Chair of the SCC, and we are delighted that she has taken a seat on the School Council. I described her amazing service to the School and to all of us on Seniors’ Day in June. We will always remain so grateful to Amanda for her years of gracious dedication for over 10 years as our Chair.

We have also to thank other retiring members of the SCC. In particular, I should like to thank Anne Walton (Felkin, Class of 1952, Butler, C79) for her years of service to Wycombe Abbey. We have benefited hugely from Anne’s experience, from her days as a post-war “re-opener”, and the generous sharing of her store of wisdom, acquired thereafter.

Please read more about Anne’s contributions to the School on page 37.

Suze Stevens-Wood (Honorary Senior, Housemistress) will also be greatly missed, for her annual work

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on the Seniors Travel Award and for her invariable kindness and cheerfulness on the committee.

We will also miss Looby Crean (Rowsell, Class of 1978, Barry, C138) for continually challenging our thinking and demonstrating her inspired creativity. Finally, Fiona Robinson (Johnston, Class of 1980, Barry, C145) brought her great knowledge of the education sector to the mix. Her sharp mind, clarity of expression and strategic sense of direction enlivened the meetings she attended.

We look forward to meeting many more of you throughout the upcoming year.

Since Amanda’s departure, I have served as Interim Chair in order to oversee what has proved a very useful transition period for all of us.

We have elected a new Chair, Fizz Conway (Harris, Class of 1986, Wendover, C160) whom we expect to take over formally in the New Year.

Together with the Development and Seniors’ Office, we have found and co-opted new members onto the SCC, which brings us new skills, experience and ideas for the

future shape of our group and the international body of Seniors, of all ages and stages, whom we aim to represent. The SCC meetings have been able to take on a hybrid format during the period of the pandemic, and have allowed us to appoint members internationally, and meet regularly both online and at School.

This has allowed the SCC to become truly representative of our Seniors; regardless of location, work schedules, and the countless other responsibilities and events that fill our lives.

I do hope that as many of us as possible will be able to attend the fantastic 125 events that are planned for us this year, and that you’ll notice SCC members and other Seniors in our new hosting and stewarding roles. We look forward to meeting many more of you throughout the upcoming year.

To conclude, enjoy this edition of the Seniors’ Supplement! Please support those Seniors whose products and services appear in the Directory, and thank you to everyone who has contributed this year, as we continue to catch up with old friends and discover new ones.

Jane Gould Smith (Morris, Class of 1974, Butler, C127) Interim Chair of the Seniors’ Consultative Committee

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Who’s Who? Seniors’ Consultative Committee Interim Chair: • Jane Gould Smith (Morris, Class of 1974, Butler, C127) Committee Members: • Caroline Ames (Buttle, Class of 1979, Barry, C141) • Tracy Bjelland (Class of 2004, Campbell, C235) • Sue Cameron (Class of 1961, Barry, C100) • Felicity Conway (Harris, Class of 1986, Wendover, C160) • Caroline Griffiths (Newman, Class of 1974, Airlie, C127) • Sue Jenkins (Honorary Senior, Shelburne Housemistress) • Clare Middleton (Campbell Golding, Class of 1988, Barry, C166) • Katrin Roskelly (Turner, Class of 1982, Pitt, C151) • Susannah Saary (Class of 1989, Butler, C170) • Azura Safiyuddeen (Class of 2003, Campbell, C233)

University Ambassadors We are delighted to introduce the role of University Ambassador for Seniors currently studying in higher education. Our Ambassadors take on the role of welcoming recent School leavers as they arrive as university freshers, and connect Seniors in all other year groups at university/college by organising occasional gatherings throughout the year. If you are interested in becoming a University Ambassador, or would like to be put in touch with other Wycombe Seniors at your university or college, please email seniors@wycombeabbey.com.

Current Ambassadors: • University of Oxford: Mia Cameron (Class of 2019, Butler, C322) • University of Cambridge: Francesca Rix (Class of 2019, Campbell, C323) • Durham University: Eleanor Krefting (Class of 2020, Campbell, C332) and Izzy Evett (Class of 2019, Campbell, C323) • University of St Andrews: Isabella Rees-Evans (Class of 2019, Wendover, C328)

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Wycombe Abbey 125 Anniversary Events

Events Programme

We are delighted to invite Seniors to mark this special anniversary by joining us for a number of celebratory events that reflect on our history and values and bring together the Wycombe Abbey community.

Next year we celebrate 125 years since our founding by Dame Frances Dove. We are excited to 125 Anniversary Concert Seniors Making a Difference Panel mark this anniversary with a number of events that Thursday 10 February 2022 18 March reflect on our history and values, Friday bring together the2022 Seniors are invited to a rousing concert thrilled to invite Wycombe Abbey community,We andare look forward to a panel performed by Wycombe Abbey musicians Seniors the nextof125 years.to share their stories of ‘Making a held at St Mary’s Church in Marylebone, Difference’ at this special event. Panel London. Pupils will perform pieces showcasing members include Clarissa Ward, CNN’s Chief our talented soloists and group performers.

International Correspondent; Sophie Daud, The 125 Anniversary Concert will also debut CEO of Youth Leaders Network and the first performance of the newly Charlotte Willis, Board Member of the commissioned School anthem.

MedicAlert Foundation.

Book your ticket here: bit.ly/WA125Concert

Book your ticket here: bit.ly/WA125SeniorsPanel

Seniors’ Day Grand Reunion Saturday 11 June 2022

Inviting Seniors and their families back on site for the culmination of the School’s 125th anniversary year celebrations at this special reunion.

RSVP Here: bit.ly/WA125SeniorsDay

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Welcome

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Seniors Connect Stay up to date with friends on the Seniors’ website – Seniors Connect.

A great to keep in touch and network with fellow alumnae of Wycombe Abbey.

Here are some of the ways that Seniors Connect can help you stay connected: Careers • Find a mentor • Post a job vacancy • Search for positions • Meet other people in your sector • Support other Seniors and pupils as a mentor Events • Register for upcoming events • Share and view photos Connect • Search the directory for old friends • Connect and message other Seniors • Create and view a dedicated group area for your Circle • Create and view group areas for your region Sign up for an account here:

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Welcome

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Council Appointments W

e are pleased to announce that two Seniors, Amanda Gibbon (Owen, Class of 1982, Cloister, C149) and Nikki Emerson (Class of 2006, Rubens, C249), have been appointed to the Governing Council of the School.

Amanda Gibbon joined in January 2021 and Nikki Emerson joined in September 2021. Amanda is Chair of our Safeguarding, Pastoral and Boarding Committee, and sits on the Finance and General Purposes Committee, and Risk Committee. She is also a Trustee of the Wycombe Abbey School Foundation. Nikki sits on the Safeguarding, Pastoral and Boarding Committee, and on the Human Resources and Remuneration Committee.

Amanda read PPE at Magdalen College, Oxford before training as an accountant with Coopers & Lybrand and spending a period as a corporate financier at Morgan Grenfell.

She has strong links to the School being a Senior herself and the mother of two Seniors as well as the grand-daughter and great niece of three other former pupils. Amanda chaired the Wycombe Abbey Seniors Association for many years, was Chair of the Seniors’ Consultative Committee until 2021 and was a Trustee of The Dove Bowerman Trust. Beyond School, Amanda has a wide portfolio of roles covering a range of interests with a particular focus on healthcare. In addition to being involved in organ donation and biobanking, she is a Non-Executive Director at Whittington Health NHS Trust, a Member of the Human Tissue Authority and Chair of RareCan, a start-up company which aims to increase access to research for people with rare cancers.

Nikki read Neuroscience and Psychology at Magdalen College, Oxford, before gaining an MSc in International Relations and Modern Languages from the University of Loughborough, and an MBA from Imperial College London. Nikki is currently Head of Business Development at England Rugby. She has also represented Great Britain and England in Athletics at World Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Nikki is passionate about the importance of mental health in young adults, and volunteers as a Family Liaison Officer at University College London Hospital whilst working towards her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

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Welcome

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Events

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Events

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Talks

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n November as part of the School’s Career Spotlight talks, we were fortunate to hear from Lucy Burrows-Smith (Baker, Class of 2006, Cloister, C246) as she talked to pupils about her career in the charity sector and working as Volunteer Journey Manager at Raleigh International.

Lucy spoke to us about the work experience that she took part in throughout and after her time at university, which provided her with many skills applicable to her future career. An important message that we all will take away from this talk.

After setting up a small family charity sending food packages to army troops and then interning at another charity, Lucy chanced upon an opportunity with Blue Dot World where she worked for two years before volunteering with Raleigh International as team leader on a water and sanitation project in Costa Rica. She described the experience as being very fulfilling, so much so that she decided to stay in Costa Rica and Nicaragua taking on various roles such as Logistical Manager and Adventure Challenge Coordinator.

On return to the UK, Lucy worked in the Marketing and Recruitment Office for Raleigh International. Despite her passion for what Raleigh International does, she decided to make a change to gain a broader experience of the

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sector. During this time, she worked as Staffing Manager with The Challenge, a charity focussed on building a more integrated society, and organised the National Citizen Service (NCS). Eventually, she elected to return to Raleigh where she was offered the new role of Volunteer Journey Manager. In this position, she has the opportunity to not only recruit new volunteer leaders but to also support and train them before they go abroad.

Lucy’s talk gave us a real insight into working in the charity sector. She showed how you can build up a portfolio of different jobs and work experience to develop your skills and work out what career you really want. It was really inspiring to hear her talk about how important it is to take every opportunity given to you.

She also highlighted how to make opportunities happen for yourself which will help to make sure that the job you do every day is a rewarding one.

Phoebe, LVI

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Working on the Mars Rover with Scarlett Koller (Class of 2012, Barry, C281)

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carlett became a Systems Testbed Engineer within the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA in 2019, and for the last two years has been working on the Mars 2020 Mission Systems Testbed, acting as one of the ‘stunt doubles’ on Earth. After leaving Wycombe Abbey, Scarlett moved to the US to study Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Prior to her role at NASA, Scarlett previously worked on the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and was involved in testing to ensure the capsule was safe for astronauts to travel into space.

This year, we welcomed Scarlett to give a talk to current pupils on ‘How I got to work on the Mars Rover’, which was part of our ongoing Computer Science projects this year focussing on the launch of the Mars Rover.

She began the talk by describing her time at School and the career choices she had made before she got to work on the Mars 2020 ‘Perseverance’ Rover. She was in Barry House and her time was memorable; however, she noted that Computer Science was not offered at School when she was there and that she wished that she had been given the opportunity to take the subject.

At MIT, Scarlett was able to take many courses ranging from systems engineering to software development.

After university, Scarlett went on to work at SpaceX on the Crew Dragon capsule – a spacecraft designed to carry up to seven humans and cargo into space. Having listened to her talk about her two years of working at SpaceX, she then went on to tell us about her experience working at NASA JPL as a test-bed engineer for ‘Perseverance’, the rover that landed

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on Mars in February. It was amazing to hear about her experience learning on the job and working as part of a team with thousands of people. We all learnt more about what it means to be working as a test-bed engineer, as well as the balance between the challenges of working on systems and with people.

It was interesting to learn how important basic computer and coding skills have been for her career and her motivation behind studying and working in engineering was inspiring.

She also let us know about her next project which involves working on a rover due to land on the metal asteroid ‘Psyche’.

Overall, Scarlett’s talk motivated us all to want to move into an engineering career that would shape the future. All her experiences and future aspirations astounded us and made us realise the broad potential of STEM careers that we hadn’t previously considered. She was a captivating speaker to listen to and we were all so grateful to her for taking the time to address us.

Thank you!

Alison and Grace, LVI

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“All her experiences and future aspirations astounded us and made us realise the broad potential of STEM careers that we hadn’t previously considered.”

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Events

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Memorials Memorial Service for Marjorie Pattle (Miss Whitter) Head of Classics and Assistant Housemistress 1952 – 1965

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elatives, friends and Seniors gathered for a Memorial Service in Wycombe Abbey’s Chapel on 16 October 2021 to honour the life of Miss Whitter, who had been Head of Classics from 1952 to 1965 before moving on to Headships at two other schools. Those who were unable to attend in person were able to join us electronically by virtual link via the Seniors’ website.

It will have gladdened Marjorie’s heart to have been celebrated in the Chapel of the school she loved, hearing her favourite hymns and readings, appreciated by many who benefitted so much for her teaching, her example and her many acts of kindness.

Her obituary can be read on page 80.

Revd Molly Fletcher (Tresna Russell, Class of 1960, Rubens, C97)

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Seniors Events Virtual Cook-a-long O

n Monday 5 July 2021, Seniors and their families were invited to join our Executive Head Chef, Youcef Kaidi, and Head Pastry Chef, Jerome Bruno, for a virtual cook-a-long from the School’s kitchens.

Guests joined from their homes across the country for an evening of entertainment to cook a recipe in real time with Youcef and Jerome, whilst reminiscing about their own memories of the food at Wycombe Abbey.

The menu for the evening was Moroccan meatball and olive tagine with harissa couscous and a ‘Wycombe Abbey Tidy’ for dessert (our take on Eton Mess!). The evening also included wine pairings plus explanation for each dish.

We were delighted to be able to include a live Q&A prompting our skilled chefs to share their top tips gleaned from working in Michelin-star establishments.

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Virtual Seniors’ Carol Service 2020 O

n Sunday 20 December, the Seniors’ Office hosted the first ever virtual Seniors’ Carol Service.

Due to ongoing lockdown restrictions, the School was unable to host alumnae on site for this long-standing festive tradition.

Staff and pupils worked hard to produce an authentic video production of the Carol Service, whilst complying with social distancing rules and regulations, aiming to make the whole Wycombe Abbey community feel as if they were sitting in Chapel watching the service in person.

The School Choir had the opportunity to be professionally recorded to produce a magical Carol Service for pupils, staff, parents and Seniors. Despite the disappointment of a lack of a face-to-face Christmas service, the pupils were excited to experience what it was like to be involved in the creation of the professional video.

Over 600 alumnae and their families with welcome speeches from the Headmistress, the Chair of the Seniors’ Consultative Committee, the Director of Music and the Director of Development.

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A prize draw was held alongside the event, with over 150 winners receiving either a box of mince pies or a Wycombe Abbey gift set to enjoy during the service. Many Seniors shared photographs of themselves and family watching the service remotely, with mince pies and cups of tea in hand!

At the end of the service, Seniors were treated to a special recorded and edited rendition of the Charterhouse Carol sung by both Seniors and current pupils dressed in their festive outfits. The recording of this famous Carol was self-filmed by pupils and Seniors from across the globe and edited together by the School to produce a seamless remote ‘performance’. Thank you everyone who sent in their clips!

“Performing our repertoire in Chapel in front of cameras was definitely a change, but the festive mood shared by singers, staff and a camera crew still remained high. It was amazing to witness how the film crew created the incredible atmosphere in the final copy of the virtual service by using smoke machines, lighting and decorations accompanying us in Chapel. The determination and perseverance before, during and after the filming process truly encompassed what it means to believe that the show must indeed go on!”

Sophie, LVI

We are grateful to all Seniors who were able to attend and make this first virtual event such a wonderful success and pleased to have continued with this festive tradition in an unusual year. We were touched by the positive feedback and look forward to hosting more virtual events for our global Seniors’ community in the future.

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Virtual Music Concert O

n Friday 21 May 2021, the Seniors’ Office was delighted to host alumnae, staff and parents for our first-ever virtual music concert – a collaboration between pupils in Wycombe Abbey and Wycombe Abbey School Changzhou, China.

The last two years of covid restrictions have offered new ways to connect the global Wycombe Abbey community. After the success of uniting the voices of current pupils and Seniors in a virtual choral rendition of the Charterhouse Carol, our next project was to arrange our first musical collaboration between Wycombe Abbey School Changzhou and Wycombe Abbey in the UK.

This collaboration took the form of a virtual concert featuring pupils from both schools performing a variety of solos as well as a duet. Eleven pupils from UIII to Sixth Form participated in the event preparing a wide-ranging programme including unaccompanied Bach, and music by Franck, Chopin, movements from Beethoven’s Pathétique and ‘Tempest’ Sonatas as well as Bloch’s Nigun. Each performance was preceded by a short interview where the pupils - despite being 9000 kilometres apart - were able to learn more about each other’s musical experience, interests and repertoire choices.

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Because of the challenges of time zones and software platforms, the event was pre-recorded and broadcast with a live introduction at appropriate times in both the UK and China. The UK showing of the concert took place in May 2021 and all of us watching were impressed by the musical performances and commitment from pupils of both schools. The concert was a team effort, recorded in-house at each school with our Development and External Relations team in High Wycombe editing the final video and the Changzhou team adding subtitles in Mandarin.

Ashley Garfitt - the Director of Music in Changzhou - and I have enjoyed working on the project and are looking forward to our next piece of work. This concert showed us that, out of the difficulties of the last two years, we have discovered exciting new ways to connect musicians around the world.

Mr Stephen Reid Director of Music

View the Virtual Music Concert here: bit.ly/WAVirtualConcert

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Seniors’ Day 2021 O

n 12 June 2021, the Seniors’ Office hosted the first ever virtual Seniors’ Day which included a programme of pre-recorded and live events to share throughout the afternoon.

Jo Duncan (Headmistress) welcomed guests, followed by Jane Gould Smith introducing herself as the new interim Chair of the Seniors’ Consultative Committee. Seniors were then invited to join a virtual Chapel Service led by School Chaplain, Reverend Penny Nash. The Service included traditional School prayers, hymns, including alumnae favourites Lead us Heavenly Father, Lead Us and In Fide Vade as well as performances by the School Choirs.

Seniors were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour by Executive Head Chef, Youcef Khaidi, who explained how the catering team organise thousands of meals for the whole School community each term.

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Senior Deputy Head, James Mercer-Kelly, hosted a live Wycombe Abbey-themed quiz, in which Seniors submitted their answers to win a goody bag. Quiz questions included a Historical Picture round, a Chapel round and a Music round with Honorary Seniors and Former Staff making cameo appearances to pose questions!

We were delighted that we were able to bring so many Seniors and former staff together virtually despite the restrictions posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. We look forward to hosting alumnae back on site and in person for the Seniors’ Day Grand Reunion on 12 June 2022.

View the full recording of Seniors’ Day 2021 on our Wycombe Abbey YouTube channel: bit.ly/WASeniorsDay21

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The Interview

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rofessor Springman attended Wycombe Abbey from 1970-1974 in Rubens and then Clarence, going on to read Engineering Sciences at Girton College, Cambridge. After five years working on civil engineering projects around the world, including building a dam in Fiji, she returned to Cambridge to read an MPhil (St Catharine’s) and a PhD (Magdalene) in Soil Mechanics. Sarah was the first female Research Fellow at Magdalene College, Cambridge, before going on to become a university lecturer in 1990. Sarah served on the Governing Council at Wycombe Abbey from 1993-1996 before moving to ETH Zurich, Switzerland in 1997. She became the first female Professor of Geotechnical Engineering in Western Europe and the first female Professor of Civil Engineering in Switzerland. Her expertise lies in soil-structure-interaction and geotechnical aspects of natural hazards.

Alongside a fulfilling career in engineering, Professor Springman was also a high-performance athlete, representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland in triathlon from 1983-1993. During this time, she competed in the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand and won 21 European Triathlon Union Championship

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The Interview

medals in both triathlon and duathlon.

In 1992, she was elected VicePresident of World Triathlon, serving until 1996, where she lobbied for triathlon to become a recognised sport in both the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, and wrote the women’s action plan for Triathlon: ‘to achieve equality of opportunity, recognition and reward’. For her work

in sport, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sky Sports Sportswoman of the Year Awards in 2013.

Sarah is currently Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and Rector at ETH Zurich. In February 2022, she will take up the role as Principal of St Hilda’s College, Oxford.

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Professor Sarah Springman CBE FREng (C128) What does Wycombe Abbey mean to you?

Wycombe Abbey was an important and formative period of my life and I was enormously lucky to have had this opportunity. My parents combined savings and made financial sacrifices to pay for my School fees, alongside educating my three brothers too. They chose the School because of the Headmistress, Miss Fisher, who had previously been my mother’s Headmistress at St George’s, Ascot. Miss Fisher had a keen interest in the development of every girl.

She decided that I should go into Rubens House, since the girls were traditionally fashionably disinterested in Sport at the time. Perhaps she had faith in me to kick them into action?

My father was made redundant during my time at the School, which created significant financial strain. Miss Fisher upgraded my Exhibition to a Scholarship and told my parents “don’t you dare take her away”. I don’t know if I would have attended Cambridge had I left Wycombe Abbey, so Miss Fisher helped shape this path for me.

I recall being the only girl in the School who was taller than her.

Were there inspirational influences at Wycombe Abbey?

Both Miss Fisher and Miss Lancaster were entirely different, and they were wonderful role models and leaders.

Miss Fisher painted a bold and dynamic picture of life, in keeping with

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her larger-than-life personage. Miss Lancaster seemed to concentrate on the individual and how to help each girl to flourish, be happy and achieve at the same time. I was also very fond of, and greatly respected, my Housemistress, Miss Shepherd.

I remember her encouraging me to combine sport and academic work.

Wycombe Abbey was an important and formative period of my life and I was enormously lucky to have had this opportunity.

What were your passions and interests as a pupil?

I spent a lot of time playing sport and looked forward to these “oxygenproviders and green spaces”. In my day, it was lacrosse in winter and tennis in summer – I was the only one to win the School Colours three terms in a row in my final year. Sport provided an escape for me during the difficulties I experienced through being bumped up a year academically at the very beginning, playing academic catch-up, trying to fit in and make friends.

Having outdoor spaces has always been very important to me. I remember during my final year in Clarence, when many of my peers would be working industriously in the afternoon in the library, I would spend the afternoon playing tennis (as School Tennis Captain). Timemanagement was essential and it worked for me; I joined two others in achieving the second-best A level results in the School, whilst still being able to pursue my other interests and passions. Sport provided great relief from exams.

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I have kept in touch with some of my teachers over the years and I have remembered what they stood for at key times throughout my career.

What role did your school education play in preparing you for your future?

Where have your sources of inspiration come from in your life?

The very Britishness of Wycombe Abbey, combined with the sprinkling of overseas pupils and regular talks from impressive women, who had achieved something in their lives, opened up the world to us. It was very inspiring. We were being extremely well educated, our ‘soft skills’ were being developed and we were well looked after pastorally too.

It was very helpful to have stable routines, we knew what was going on and the structure and quality of teaching was excellent. I have kept in touch with some of my teachers over the years and I have remembered what they stood for at key times throughout my career.

Throughout my life, I have had a variety of mentors and sources of inspiration that have helped me to choose my direction when I have reached a crossroads. Whilst studying at Cambridge and thereafter, I had a few mentors; often they were grey-haired male engineers in their 50s, but I was very fortunate that they were so very encouraging and supportive. They would offer me projects and explain what they were doing and why they wanted to achieve it – I thought that was interesting and thoroughly enjoyed learning from them. They helped confirm for me what I wanted to do with my career, and why.

Would you say there are linking values and ethos among Wycombe Abbey women?

Yes, indeed. There were many amazing role models and peers. The message was that our education enabled us to make our contribution, wherever we wanted to; it was largely our choice and we should be able to be independent for the rest of our lives. Wycombe Abbey provides girls with the ability to have options about what they want to do with their lives.

What links any generation of Wycombe women through time is their common experiences and values. I am still in touch with some of my former classmates and we exchange Christmas cards.

Sometimes, we share stories about the old days. It would be lovely to come to a reunion following my return to England.

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During my time at university, I joined the Officer Training Corps and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. Following post-graduation travels to Australia and New Zealand, I was contacted by Peter Blaker, who was then the Lieutenant Colonel, and was invited to become Officer Commanding of the Royal Engineers Wing, after the Sergeant Major who remembered me as an undergraduate persuaded him it was a good idea! He had to get permission for me to become the first woman to lead men in the Royal Engineers, which was hysterically funny at the time. Peter is still a dear friend today and I consulted him about my appointment at St Hilda’s College, Oxford. Apart from my family, he is one of the few people who has known me continuously for over four decades and I really value this.

My parents have been enormously influential and then the most important person in my life has been my long-time partner and wife, Rosie.

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We’ve been together 25 years, and in the early days it was very difficult to talk about our relationship because it would have been detrimental for both of our careers. Society has become much more open and we made it very clear in the press release for my appointment at St Hilda’s that there will be two women living in the Principal’s Lodge. I’ve been lucky throughout my working career that I have been surrounded by extremely supportive people.

You have achieved a great deal – from what have you taken most pleasure during your career?

I take great pleasure from the lives and successes of my students. As Rector, it is my job to make sure that 24,000 of them have the chance to achieve their potential. More specifically, meeting my former civil engineering students after graduation is usually accompanied by memories and raucous laughter about various events. Each of my doctoral students has followed a special journey that I witness almost first-hand: experiencing the intellectual interaction, discussing their results and analyses and then that rite of passage when they graduate. I have found it very rewarding.

I also took great pleasure in creating the Women’s Triathlon Action Plan and lobbying for programme recognition for our athletes in major games. Looking at other Olympic Sport Federations, World Triathlon is light-years ahead in terms of inclusion of women at all levels, having had a female President since 2008, with half of the elected members of the board being women as well. Having access to the Olympic, Commonwealth and Paralympic Games has meant that triathletes from many countries

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around the world have had more chances to compete on the top sporting stages.

What does success mean to you?

When I was young and unsure, I desperately wanted to be the best at something. I was absolutely driven by that and experienced this whilst playing sport. I loved winning the titles and awards because I worked very hard for them. Whilst it’s jolly nice being recognised for some achievements, I find it is much more rewarding to focus on doing things for other people. I am often a small part of the process and it is much more important that others carry on and build on the foundations. That is true success.

How would you characterise the future in engineering for women?

Bright! I think that the pandemic has shown that engineering is an absolutely fantastic profession that offers so many different, compelling and rewarding career paths. If we explain the profession in language that speaks to the desire to contribute to sustainability, inclusion, creating opportunities for others to benefit from engineering, then we will attract more female students.

This probably needs to start at primary school. Some schools deliver Design and Technology lessons, which is crucial for providing opportunities to think and link, make and break, show and connect. We also need to take away the fear of having to do physics for pupils who later want to study engineering. We should try to attract and enable those who are interested in this as a career, who come from all types of schools, and especially those within

deprived areas. It can be very creative, entrepreneurial and exciting.

What advice would you have given your younger self?

My advice to the current pupils would be to encourage them to decide what is important to them, where their passion lies, and to practise, deliberately. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes and do learn from them! This is what helps you to do something well.

During Lower Sixth, I would have told myself to be more confident and to trust in myself. Keep on working and focus on setting and reaching a goal one step at a time. Not every day is a gold medal-winning day, you have to work very hard to experience a eureka moment and there are many more ‘boring’ moments alongside.

Understand that you can’t do everything. You are not the finished article when you are in your teens, have confidence that you will grow into your skin and find your place.

Be ambitious and optimistic, work hard, use your talents and explore what you can achieve. Go out there, ask questions, be curious and build bridges.

It’s been an interesting journey and it hasn’t ended yet!

We are delighted to congratulate Sarah upon being named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2022 New Year Honours List.

The Interview

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One Year On I

t has been a really special year and it is lovely to continue to maintain my relationship with Wycombe Abbey. It was sad to leave so abruptly at the end of the Spring Term 2020.

I have some happy memories of my last actual day in School which strangely coincided with my 18th birthday, being able to say goodbye with prosecco, pizza and cake to all those still in School.

After leaving Wycombe, I spent the summer volunteering at the YMCA hostel in Watford and Welwyn Garden City, which involved cleaning and then being promoted to baking cookies and chatting to the residents.

I spent a lot of time trying to see all my friends before we went our separate ways and, as many people did during lockdown, there was a lot of watching Netflix, long walks with family and friends and anticipating the start of a new chapter.

I was so excited to start university and it was just as good as I had hoped, despite all of the setbacks.

All nerves disappeared when I realised how much Wycombe Abbey had prepared me for university life (unfortunately that’s not true of some of my contemporaries who are still living off pasta and ketchup).

I began studying Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford in October 2020. The anticipation was so overwhelming that I actually started one week early to join lacrosse pre-season, which was a total shock to the system, as I hadn’t picked up my stick for three years.

Although I didn’t have the ‘normal’ fresher’s experience, I absolutely loved it.

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Drama has always been a passion of mine and developed tremendously whilst at Wycombe with the incredible performances and supportive team there. While at university I am lucky to have been a part of various plays, podcasts and music videos, both performing and working behind the scenes as a producer. There are so many exciting opportunities at university (as there are at Wycombe), which I would enormously recommend to anyone during their first year.

Breaking away from the Wycombe Abbey bubble has been so exciting, meeting lots of new people and experiencing new things. However, I am indebted to the School for setting me up so well for this year and years to come. The skills and experiences that you gain from Wycombe are invaluable and I urge anyone to treasure and make the most of their time there.

What has been so special this year has been the way we have all kept in touch. Despite not being physically close, it has been so lovely to hear about everyone’s different experiences, whether that’s lifechanging gap years or isolating in universities across the world; the bonds created at Wycombe are everlasting. Time apart hasn’t changed anything, and it is so nice to meet up with friends after months and still be able to reminisce over our special time at School.

Looking back over the last year with a different perspective, after the difficulties faced, it has been refreshing to find a new appreciation for the support of family and friends and a large part of that is Wycombe Abbey. Making the most of your time at School, knowing that there is a supportive community around you and remembering you are not alone is vital. University has been an amazing experience so far and I am truly grateful for how Wycombe Abbey has prepared me for this stage of my life.

Charlotte Baxendale (Class of 2020, Airlie, C329) Head of School 2019/2020

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A Moment with Brighton Gin Kathryn Caton (White, Class of 1992, Barry, C179) Founder and Managing Director of Brighton Gin

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athy Caton studied Drama and Education at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, later developing a career in broadcasting at the BBC in various roles at the World Service, moving to Radio 4. She can now be found presenting a weekly specialist show on BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey. She is a founder of Brighton’s RadioReverb and a regular podcaster as host of the drinks-based The Sipping Forecast. In 2012, Kathy founded Brighton Gin, made in the city’s first distillery. The gin went on to win multiple awards including the IWSC Gold Medal and was named the UK’s best gin. It is also the UK’s first craft gin to be certified as 100% vegan.

Tell us about the history behind Brighton Gin. I’ve always loved gin - it’s always been my go-to drink of choice, even in the dark days of it being so desperately unfashionable when I was at university in the 90s. The inspiration to start Brighton Gin came in a genuine lightbulb moment for me - I was going for a seafront run the day after a very late night on the gins, and it absolutely hit me - if I had been drinking anything but gin I wouldn’t be off my sofa, let alone going for a run. Gin is the one

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drink that lets you get away with it, Brighton is a place that needs to get away with it on a frequent basis - and that was it. Brighton needed its own gin!

Where did your passion for developing a distillery begin and how did you begin developing this into a business?

Looking back, I can’t believe that it’s now ten years or so that I’ve been working on Brighton Gin. I was coming from a position of being a

passionate/knowledgeable consumer and being very clear and confident about what I was looking for in a gin.

After university I started a pub theatre company and also ran pubs for a while; when I moved to Brighton I was involved in setting up a restaurant and founding the radio station RadioReverb. It helped having a very clear vision from day one that I was going to make Brighton Gin or make nothing; that it would be founded on ethical and sustainable principles, and using the absolute best ingredients.

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For a drama student who battled through Mr Cahill’s chemistry lessons, I’m delighted that I’ve learnt so much about distilling and craft spirits production - it’s a wonderfully creative world to work in.

What are your proudest professional achievements?

Less than 1% of distilleries are female founded, owned and lead, and I’m really proud to have done that with Brighton Gin. It’s always very exciting when we gain a significant new listing, for example, with Waitrose or Marks & Spencer, or when we find a new export opportunity and distribution partners to work with - as a team it’s always so exciting to send pallets of gin off to a new market on the other side of the world! Being named the UK’s Best Gin was a pretty good week, and there have been some fun things including going to 10 Downing Street to talk about gin and giving talks to international audiences about our journey. I’m probably most proud of that fact that Brighton Gin was

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created through a bootstrapped business, and I’m inordinately proud of the team that we’ve built.

What were the biggest struggles you faced throughout your time founding the business?

I’m tremendously proud that we’ve built an international business with no external investment - but it is very challenging on a cashflow front.

Recruiting and building the team has brought many challenges but we do now have a fabulous set up. As a food and drink manufacturer, Brexit issues continue to grind us down and once you throw in the Covid-19 curve-ball, it’s no wonder how grey I’ve gone!

What are your favourite parts of owning a business?

I am incredibly proud to have taken something from an idea to an internationally trading business, with a lot of growth still to come. There’s always a buzz whenever I go into a new restaurant or bar and see Brighton Gin on the shelves, or when

someone on social media gets in touch to say they’re drinking Brighton Gin in Greece or Japan or Taiwan. I also love that I’ve started an entirely new type of business for Brighton, and that’s bringing something brilliant to the town I love so much. The science and art that goes into distilling each batch and the pleasure on people’s faces when they have a Brighton G&T, is definitely a buzz. I also love that I can see the direct difference that my effort makes every day - I’ve done many jobs where it’s hard to gauge the value of one’s input, but with my own business I can absolutely see it.

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Did you need to adapt during lockdown? How did the pandemic affect Brighton Gin? When hospitality was closed in March 2020, we estimate that about 90% of our business ceased overnight. After all of the challenges we’ve been through over the many years, it looked like it was going to be a global pandemic that was going to finish us off. The biggest shift for the company - and certainly the one that was never in any business plan - was to adapt operations virtually overnight to enable us to make and deliver the best quality hand sanitisers, to support the community. An early decision was that these hand sanitisers would not be for profit, but rather we would set up a “spray (rather than pay) it forward” scheme. Every hand sanitiser sold through the website has meant that two more have been donated to front line workers - everything from the NHS, care homes, food banks, to mental health workers and delivery drivers. Eighteen months later, we’re still making them and they’re still not for profit, and we’ve been able to donate thousands of bottles of hand sanitiser. We also pivoted the business to change our focus to direct customer sales via the website, with my amazing team jumping on their Brighton Gin pushbikes to make socially-distanced direct doorstep deliveries to customers.

round the world, it would be great to hear what you’re up to.

What advice would you give to aspiring business owners, in particular in the food/beverages industry?

It’s an absolutely fantastic industry to work in, with loads of space for creativity and being able to really get out there with your ideas - but definitely go into it with your eyes open. The hours can be brutal, margins can be tight, and in the spirits industry it’s pretty competitive with some very well-resourced big players.

My industry is (currently) very male dominated, but that is changing slowly and there’s real opportunity to get out there and do interesting things.

One of the great things about craft/ artisanal food and drink production is that most producers are absolutely passionate about what they do, and they’re really happy to share information or talk about ideas.

So, have a clear idea of what you want to do, do some serious research (especially about licensing), talk to people about it and get as much advice and help as you can (but don’t give away any trade secrets) - and then, go for it!

What is next for the future of Brighton Gin? Despite everything Covid and Brexit-shaped, I’m more committed than ever to the mission of taking the Spirit of Brighton to the world, literally and figuratively. There are some serious growth plans for 2022 and 2023 and as our exports continue to grow into new countries there are very exciting times ahead. I’d love to hear from any Seniors working in the drinks industry whether in the UK or

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Seniors Speak at the Wycombe Management Conference 2021

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he Wycombe Management Conference has been a staple of the Wycombe Abbey Sixth Form experience for the last 30 years. In collaboration with the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, and now nicknamed ManCon, its aim has always been to provide an experiential learning opportunity to develop commercial awareness, leadership and teamwork, creativity, and project management.

This year, Wycombe Abbey was proud to deliver a virtual conference for almost 200 delegates, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout the two-day conference, delegates from both schools worked in small teams to set up and run a coffee shop using a virtual simulation typically employed by major corporations and business schools. The delegates needed to make decisions on branding, location, staffing, products, pricing, advertising, and dealing with a changing market. They were guided in their decision making by expert mentors, and we were hugely grateful to all the Seniors and parents who gave up their time to take on this role.

The delegates needed to make decisions on branding, location, staffing, products, pricing, advertising, and dealing with a changing market.

We were delighted to feature three keynote speakers including Senior, Jo Hilditch (Green, Class of 1981, Airlie, C147), Managing Director of White Heron Drinks, who spoke to pupils about her personal experience in business.

The overriding messages were that it is okay to make mistakes and that you must follow your passion.

“The Conference gave all of the Wycombe Abbey pupils such a unique opportunity to develop new skills of analytical thinking, problem solving and teamwork. Although the global pandemic halted some social aspects of the conference, it was still incredibly enjoyable to discuss the project with RGS pupils and to make new friends with our neighbours just up the hill. Hearing the keynote speakers and mentors talk was a real highlight for me personally, as I loved learning about all the different aspects of entrepreneurship and business and gaining knowledge about a full range of different careers. Additionally, the mentors were gracious in fielding a range of questions from pupils, giving us a real insight into the world of work, which we may not have fully understood beforehand.”

Charlotte, LVI

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Dame Frances Dove: A Wycombe Abbey History

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ame Jane Frances Dove DBE, JP was an English women’s campaigner and pioneer for female education, founding both Wycombe Abbey and Godstowe School.

“She was born to be a pioneer and had the real pioneering spirit as well as some of the faults that so often go with it. She was absolutely certain of what she wanted to do, how she wanted to do it, and of the faith and convictions that inspired her.” – Ursula Farewell, The First Head of School at Wycombe Abbey.

Born in France, at the time when women’s education was minimal, the eldest of ten children, Frances Dove’s education began at home in London, where she was taught by her father alongside her two brothers. Her education continued when she received news that Girton College, Cambridge was opening its doors to women and in 1871, at 24 years old, she began her university career reading Natural Sciences. She attained the standard of the ordinary degree as at the time, the university’s policy prevented awarding degrees to women. She was able to convert to an MA in 1905 when Trinity College, Dublin offered suitably qualified women quasi ad eundem degrees.

In 1877 Frances Dove became Assistant Mistress at Cheltenham Ladies College, and then Headmistress of St Leonards School in St Andrews,

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Scotland. She later resigned to form the Girls’ Education Company in 1896 detailing that “The proposed system of education aims at doing for girls, with suitable modifications, what the existing great Public Schools do for boys.” The funds from the Girls’ Educational Company were used to purchase Wycombe Abbey from Lord Carrington for £20,000 and here Frances Dove became the School’s first Headmistress.

The School became the realisation of Frances Dove’s educational ideals, brought about largely by her own energy and organisational ability. Miss Dove persuaded four 16-year-olds from St Leonards to accompany her to High Wycombe and act as the Heads of the four Houses; Green, Blue, Yellow and Red (soon to be known as Cloister, Clarence, Pitt and Rubens) into which the Abbey, though under one roof, was divided.

The School opened with 40 girls, with numbers rising to 230 by Frances Dove’s retirement as Headmistress in 1910. Frances Dove engaged staff who were young and enthusiastic enough to risk their careers in her new venture. Her success also inspired the foundation of Benenden School in 1923, which was founded by three former Wycombe Abbey pupils, making Frances Dove an important figure in circulating the model for girls’ boarding schools.

Frances Dove argued that women should be taught corporate virtues, and that to be good citizens it was essential to have wide interests, a sense of discipline and esprit de corps. She applied these principles at Wycombe Abbey, believing that the best place to encourage ideals of citizenship was the School. She regarded team games as the best medium for developing character, and introduced cricket, hockey, and lacrosse as compulsory activities.

The curriculum at Wycombe Abbey included gardening, carpentry and Swedish gymnastics as well as more conventional academic subjects.

Frances Dove was a devoted highchurch Anglican and ensured that the religious life of the School was centred on the parish church at High Wycombe. Her aim was to establish a new type of school which would produce girls with a good education plus a sense of public responsibility and public spirit. They would be equipped, like their brothers, to participate in all spheres outside the home. She wanted all women to be able to participate in and contribute to the wider society.

Upon Frances Dove’s departure in 1910, she endowed a scholarship at the School, contributing further to the future of girls’ education. Dame Frances Dove’s legacy lives on today and we are proud to honour her this year.

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Her aim was to establish a new type of school which would produce girls with a good education plus a sense of public responsibility and public spirit.

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Seniors Mentoring Programme

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he second year of the successful Seniors Mentoring Programme was launched on Friday 12 November 2021 with pupils from the Upper Sixth connecting with Seniors around the world via Zoom. This year we are delighted to welcome on to the programme mentors living in the UK, Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland and the USA. The Seniors Mentoring Programme takes place during timetabled sessions within the Carrington Award, our award-winning Sixth Form enrichment programme designed to help pupils prepare for the broader challenges of life and work beyond School.

The programme has grown in participation from last year, with this years’ cohort matching 38 pupils and 30 Seniors across a range of interests, industries and fields including Business, Finance, Law, Medicine, Engineering and Politics. Mentors with their mentees meet five times throughout the year to identify and implement several goals throughout the pupils’ final year at School. Mentors share advice and their own experiences on entering higher education and the workplace.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor and sharing your experience and skills, please register your interest on the Seniors website by selecting the ‘Offering Mentoring’ check box: https://wycombeabbeyseniors.com/mentoring/settings.

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Wycombe Abbey Seniors Support Award-winning Tycoon Enterprise Competition Teams

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he Tycoon Enterprise Competition is run by the Peter Jones Foundation and is a national competition where pupils form a small team to write a business plan, pitch for funding and start their own business trading over two terms. Teams compete against other student companies through the Tycoon kick-starter platform.

Last academic year, we were delighted that six Wycombe Abbey teams (consisting of 23 LVI girls) secured start-up funding amounting to £1,227. The Tycoon teams, were supported by Wycombe Abbey Seniors, also business experts, who mentored the groups throughout the process. The teams produced an innovative range of products including sweatshirts (LineUp Clothing), tracksuits (Track On), caps (Panache), stickers (Earth Stickers) and a class ring (EmpowerRing), as well as a service customising and revitalising old shoes by hand painting them (Re-Soul). Their imagination, enthusiasm and energy were particularly inspiring during such a challenging year where reaching their audience was made much more difficult due to social distancing and year-group bubbles.

Seniors, Katharine Redshaw (Barton, Class of 1999, Shelburne, C210) and Jemma Withers (Class of 1999, Shelburne, C210), mentored the Re-Soul team to the national final of the competition at Hampton Court Palace in September 2021. Re-Soul were named the overall winners in their age group.

Many thanks to all the Senior mentors who inspired our pupils throughout this process: • Panache mentored by Holly McComb (Peryer, Class of 1993, Rubens, C183) and Jane Liu (Class of 1997, Butler, C204) • Re-Soul mentored by Katharine Redshaw (Barton, Class of 1999, Shelburne, C210) and Jemma Withers (Class of 1999, Shelburne, C210) • E(ART)H Stickers mentored by Monique Tollgard (de Villiers, Class of 1994, Pitt, C187) • EmpowerRing mentored by Charlotte Gentry (Wilson, Class of 1993, Barry, C185) and Kate Thompson (Edwards, Class of 2022, Campbell, C224) • Hygennia mentored by Jo Hilditch (Green, Class of 1981, Airlie, C147) and Sarah Shepherd (Gestetner, Class of 1990, Pitt, C171) • LineUp Clothing mentored by Pippa Blakemore (Mason, Class of 1969, Pitt, C117) • Track On mentored by Rowena Pullan (Flux, Class of 1981, Pitt, C146) and Nikki Emerson (Class of 2006, Rubens, C249)

The Tycoon teams, for the first time, were supported by Wycombe Abbey Seniors, also business experts, who mentored the groups throughout the process.

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Farewell to Class of 2021 Upper Sixth Leavers

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t the end of May 2021, we were delighted to give our Upper Sixth pupils a send-off they would remember at the annual Clarence Leavers’ Ceremony.

The girls attended a special service with speeches from Mrs Jo Duncan (Headmistress), Dr Neal Carrier (Director of Sixth Form) and Reverend Penny Nash (Deputy Head of Sixth Form and Clarence Housemistress). The ceremony featured a special message from Wycombe Abbey Senior, Nikki Emerson (Class of 2006, Rubens, C249) where she spoke about her time at School, giving insights into her life and her experience of becoming a professional athlete. The Head Girl Team then gave a farewell speech, followed by a special film created by staff sharing their memories and anecdotes over the last seven years. After the ceremony, pupils and staff enjoyed champagne and canapés in the Courtyard before sitting down to a formal dinner together to mark the end of their time at School.

Belonging to the Wycombe Abbey Seniors’ community entitles pupils to access a range of networking and career development opportunities after leaving School. We look forward to our Clarence leavers of 2021 returning to School in the near future.

We are immensely proud of our 2021 leavers, especially for their resilience over this last year amid the pandemic.

However, it is not goodbye, as they remain part of the Wycombe Abbey community as members of the Seniors network. Clarence leavers were officially welcomed into their Circle with a special Seniors teddy.

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A Wycombe Abbey Family Anne Walton (Felkin, Class of 1952, Butler C79) joined Wycombe Abbey in September 1948.

At the end of a Seniors Consultative Committee (SCC) meeting in March 2021, 73 years after she had first entered Wycombe Abbey, Anne told members that she had decided the time had come ‘to hang up her boots’ and retire from the Committee. She also told us of the fascinating family she had married into and outlined their connections with School from its foundation: Edward Dommett Shaw was Vicar of High Wycombe from 1894 to 1910.

In February 1896, Wycombe Abbey was sold by Lord Carrington to the Girls’ Education Company, set up in England by Miss Frances Dove who had been Headmistress of St Leonards in St Andrews for 14 years.

Miss Dove organised her new school with “the infectious combination of zeal and zest which brought her immediate support”. One of those supporters was Edward Shaw. He and Frances Dove had much in

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common: they both valued good organisation, they shared similar views on education and from the beginning, the School regarded itself as Church of England. As the prospectus stated, “the new school, being situated in England, will be a Church of England School… The girls

Miss Dove organised her new school with “the infectious combination of zeal and zest which brought her immediate support”.

will attend the Parish Church of High Wycombe.” Edward Shaw prepared the girls for Confirmation and welcomed the School to Matins on Sunday, the older girls to Evensong and those who had been confirmed to the 08:00 service.

The Revd Shaw was also a renowned cricketer, playing for England, and

Wycombe Abbey girls benefited from his coaching in the Summer Term. Miss Dove became a family friend, and he became more involved in the School at the same time as Miss Dove became more involved with the life of the parish. In 1910 he became Archdeacon of Buckingham and from 1913 to 1921 was the first Bishop of Buckingham, suffragan to the Bishop of Oxford. After 1921 his role was redefined; he became Archdeacon of Oxford and Assistant Bishop of Oxford as well as residentiary canon of Christ Church.

Throughout, he retained his close links with Wycombe Abbey. In 1922 he became Chairman of the Council and remained so until shortly before his death. He was very involved with the planning and building of the Chapel, completed in 1928 (the same year as Frances Dove, retired since 1910, became a Dame). After his death in 1937 Miss Crosthwaite wrote: “it is difficult to think of Wycombe without Bishop Shaw… he knew the School from its foundation and it is true to say that he loved Wycombe and Wycombe loved him”.

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The Gilliat Family Tree Algernon Gilliat 1866-1952

Douggie Patrick Barbara 1907-2002 1910-2002 1911-1936

m. 1936

Noreen Shaw 1913-1990

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Nancy 1914-2000

Jean 1916-2013

Chris 1919-1943

Peter 1938 Janet 1941 Rachel 1947

As many clergy of the time did, Edward Shaw took God’s words, “Be fruitful and multiply” literally. He had ten children: the first three were boys who were killed in the First World War. A fourth son lived into his 90s. The six girls were all pupils at Wycombe Abbey. Mary, the eldest, left Wycombe in 1912. She was her father’s secretary/chauffeur, worked for subsequent bishops and, after his first wife died, married Robert Hay, the third Bishop of Buckingham (1944 to 1960). Mary was a keen gardener and used to judge the Wycombe girls’ gardens each year. Vera, the second daughter, was Dame Frances Dove’s goddaughter. She left School in 1916 and went on to St Mary’s Hospital medical school where she met and married Philip Boobbyer. Margaret left School in 1919 and married Bill Alsop, a doctor in Oxford. Ruth and Ruby were twins who left in 1924.

Ruby married Tony Gilkes who was Head of Dean Close and later High Master of St Paul’s School (19531962). Noreen was Edward’s youngest daughter. She left Wycombe in 1931 and in 1936

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Marjory Duke 1885-1975

married Patrick (always known as Pat) Gilliat. Thus, the Shaws and Gilliats were linked. Pat’s mother, Marjory Duke, had been one of the first pupils at Wycombe Abbey. She married Algernon Gilliat; their three daughters, Barbara, Nancy and Jean went to Wycombe, leaving in 1929, 1931 and 1933 respectively. Pat and

Mary was a keen gardener and used to judge the Wycombe girls’ gardens each year. Vera, the second daughter, was Dame Frances Dove’s goddaughter.

Noreen’s two daughters, Janet and Rachel also went to Wycombe. Their grandfather on their mother’s side was Edward Shaw, so they were connected to all the Shaws and their grandmother on their father’s side was Marjory (Duke) Gilliat. Edward Shaw died in 1937 but the family

connections with Wycombe Abbey continued. Ruby and Tony Gilkes’ two elder sons, David and Robin were at Christ Church Oxford with Anne’s brother and had a party in December 1958 where Anne Felkin (as she was then) met and in 1959 married Vera’s son Philip Boobbyer (Edward Shaw’s eldest grandson). Margaret’s younger daughter, Patricia (Alsop) was a contemporary of Anne’s at Wycombe Abbey and was one of her bridesmaids (she married Rev. Robin Ferguson who was Pat Gilliat’s curate at Holy Trinity Brompton). Anne and Philip’s daughter Joanna went to Wycombe Abbey, as did four of Ruby Gilkes’ granddaughters and daughters of David Gilkes: Astrid, Sylvia and Sandra, and Hannah daughter of Patrick Gilkes.

Philip Boobbyer was an accountant with his own business, and, after their marriage, Anne did his typing and various other things to help him.

In the 70s she did an accountancy course so that she could be more involved, and when Wycombe Abbey advertised for someone to audit

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The shaw Family Tree Edward Dommett Shaw

m. 1891 Agnes Gilbey

1860-1937

1867-1944

Edward

Bernard

Arthur

Mary

Vera

Robert

Margaret

Ruth

Ruby

Noreen

1892-1916

1893-1914

1895-1915

1896-1995

1898-1996

1900-1995

1902-1993

1905-1964

1905-1981

1913-1990

m.

m.

m.

m. 1936

Robert Hay Philip Boobbyer

m. 1960

Bill Alsop

Tony Gilkes

Pat Gilliat

Patricia

David Patrick

Peter

Philip Boobbyer

1924-1984 m. 1959

m. Robin Ferguson

Janet Rachel

Anne Felkin-Joanna

m. 1986 Vivian Walters

Astrid Hannah

Sylvia

David Sandra

Eleanor Walton

Circle accounts, she took that on and remained a loyal and valuable member of the Seniors Executive and Bursary Committees.

In 1981 it was decided that life membership should be introduced to replace the increasingly cumbersome system of annual subscriptions collected by Circle Secretaries.

After much actuarial research and consultation by Anne and Susan Wilcock, an actuary and member of the Council, the new system was adopted. Anne remained a member of the Seniors’ Bursary Committee until May 2011. For various reasons, Wycombe Abbey Seniors had resolved to dissolve the Association as a separate registered charity and become part of the School charity.

The bulk of their funds were given to the Wycombe Abbey Foundation where they would be used exclusively to fund bursaries. The Seniors’ Consultative Committee was set up at this time to maintain regular links between the School and Seniors, to ensure that traditions and original aims of the Seniors Association were

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preserved and to plan events at which Seniors can meet each other and support the present School in various ways. Anne and Caroline Ames took their expertise from the Seniors Bursary Committee to the Seniors’ Consultative Committee and helped to develop the procedure for awarding bursaries boosted by the extra funds the Seniors had provided.

Vivian Walton and his wife Janetta lived in Stansted near the Boobbyers and the two families were good friends. Anne’s husband Philip sadly died in 1984 and Janetta Walton, having gone to the same doctor at Guy’s, died the following year. Old friends, Vivian and Anne, married in 1986. Thus, another link with Wycombe Abbey was formed.

Vivian’s son David was a doctor in High Wycombe and his daughter Eleanor, now Anne’s stepgranddaughter, became a music scholar at Wycombe Abbey from 2009 to 2016. Having received a First from the Royal Academy of Music, she is now at the Guildhall School of Music studying for a Masters in

Performance. She supports her studies by teaching, having completed Suzuki violin teacher training alongside her undergraduate degree.

Many thanks to Anne Walton and Janet Rainsford Hannay (Gilliat) for providing the details of this fascinating family saga.

Sue Cameron (Class of 1961, Barry, C100)

If you would like to share your story with the School, please let the Seniors’ Office know: seniors@wycombeabbey.com

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Spotlight on:

Laura Weeks

(Class of 1993, Rubens, C183)

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aura Weeks is a professional fundraiser who in 2008 founded the Asia Pacific Growth Strategy for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Laura read Geography at the University of Oxford, going on to study for a Postgraduate Certificate in Cross Sector Partnerships at the University of Cambridge. Whilst living in Hong Kong (2007 – 2019) she was a board member of the Royal Geographical Society, and a Founding Trustee of the Wycombe Abbey Hong Kong Foundation. Now in Japan, Laura is a Trustee for The British School in Tokyo, an establishment providing an outstanding British education to the international community in Tokyo.

Tell us about your role as Director of the Asia Pacific Growth Strategy at WWF. WWF operates in over 100 countries worldwide, raising funds and awareness to deliver our mission which is to build a future in which humans and nature thrive.

Traditionally, WWF has raised funds in Europe and America, and sent these funds around the world to tackle some of the most pressing conservation challenges. However, with the rise of the Asia Pacific’s economies, it became apparent that we should raise funds from within our region for our conservation priorities. As the Director of the Asia Pacific Growth Strategy, my role is to

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advise the WWF CEOs and Boards in 25 countries in the region (from UAE to New Zealand, Korea to India), on how to build financially sustainable offices which can raise funds from within their own markets (individual donors, wealthy families, companies and governments) to enhance the conservation projects that we deliver in the region – a sustainable Asia Pacific for a sustainable planet.

When and what made you first realise the need for conservation?

I think it has always been something that I have been aware of, but my passion and commitment have grown over the years. I was brought up in

Rome, in the world of international development, and as my father was in agricultural development (he’s now a beef farmer), he always inspired us to look at the detail in the natural world around us – how crops were growing and how some were stunted or yellowing and others were flourishing, the types of snow in the mountains and whether they were stable or could turn into an avalanche, the nature of waves and what they meant about currents etc.

I always loved geography and sciences at Wycombe Abbey, but I think when I was young, I wanted to work towards poverty alleviation and gender-based solutions in

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development. I left School not really knowing that I could have a career that was also my passion, but the foundations that were laid at School led me to study geography at university during which time it became clearer that my real passions were for the natural world, wildlife and conservation.

Who were the sources of inspiration in your life and how have these people affected your career choices?

I think many of us would say that Sir David Attenborough was one of our sources of inspiration, and he was indeed mine too. I spent hours as a child watching his wildlife programmes (and I still do), and I was lucky enough to work very closely with him when I was Director of Development at the Natural History Museum in London. When I moved to Hong Kong in 2007, my CEO at the time (Eric Bohm) told me that my job should be to “walk on water and perform matinees on Sundays” (which I translated to mean “work miracles and always go the extra mile”) – and his trust in me motivated me to do just that. In my day to day work I am lucky enough to stand on the shoulders of giants – inspiring and visionary women and men who are

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finding, unlocking or facilitating the solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

What has been your proudest professional accomplishment?

I will never forget standing at Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour on 31 March 2007 and watching Sydney’s lights go out. I was the project manager for the first Earth Hour – run by WWF Australia in partnership with Leo Burnett and Fairfax Media and with the support of Sydney Mayor Clover Moore. Little did we know then that Earth Hour would grow into what it is today – the world’s largest grassroots movement. Every year since 2007, the movement has got bigger, and in 2020 hundreds of millions of people from 192 countries and territories came together to show they care for the future of our planet through active participation in Earth Hour.

What has been the most rewarding thing about working in conservation?

Being with my community – in my natural habitat. I am inspired by the people I work with every day, from such varied and fascinating cultures and backgrounds, whilst also knowing that what I am doing is making a

difference to the future of our planet.

I have loved the travel that has come with my work – not only living and working in London, Sydney, Hong Kong and now Tokyo (not something I ever foresaw when I left School), but also the opportunities to track tigers in Nepal, plant mangroves in Indonesia, and explore the concept of being net carbon positive in Bhutan – the only country who has done so.

You volunteered to become a Senior Mentor for Wycombe Abbey pupils.

Why is this important to you?

My family and I now live in Tokyo, and a couple of years ago I learnt of the concept of ‘ikigai’ – the Japanese concept to do with work, passion and purpose. It doesn’t quite translate into English, but it is about finding profound meaning in living a life you can be happy and proud of. As Wycombe Abbey girls start looking to life beyond School, and potentially beyond university, the opportunities are boundless, but they may also be overwhelming. I have been lucky enough to find a career where my passion, purpose, and pay-cheque are aligned, and I would love to be able to help others to find theirs.

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#WycombeWomen Dame Mary Cartwright

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onorary Senior, Dame Mary Cartwright (1900-1998) was a British mathematician and pioneer of the Chaos Theory. Cartwright was the first woman to receive the Sylvester Medal, to serve on the Council of the Royal Society, to be President of the Mathematical Association, and President of the London Mathematical Society.

Mary read mathematics at St Hugh’s College, Oxford, graduating in 1923 and becoming the first woman to attain the final degree lectures and to obtain a first. She later went on to teach at Wycombe Abbey before

returning to Oxford in 1928 to read for her DPhil. In 1930, she was awarded a Yarrow Research Fellowship and attended the University of Cambridge to continue working on her doctoral thesis.

Her mathematical theorem, ‘Cartwright’s Theorem’ gave an estimate for the maximum modulus of an analytic function that takes the same value no more than p times in the unit disc. To prove this theorem, Mary used a new approach by applying a technique introduced by Laws Ahlfors for conformal mappings.

In 1968, Mary received the De Morgan Medal of the Society and was elected an Honorary Fellow of The Royal Society of Edinburgh. In 1969, she also received the distinction of being honoured by the Queen, becoming Dame Mary Cartwright, Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

We are proud that Mary Cartwright taught at Wycombe Abbey, a female leader in her field, she passed down her legacy to a generation of Wycombe Abbey pupils.

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#WycombeWomen The #WycombeWomen series on social media was established to celebrate the contributions of Wycombe Abbey Seniors.

You can read more articles from the series by following us on Twitter @WycombeSeniors.

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Spotlight on:

A Life in the Sciences: Cecily Cannan Selby C

ecily Cannan Selby attended Wycombe Abbey, aged 11, in 1938 for one year only due to the Second World War. She arrived from the USA where her Father, a distinguished biochemist, was Professor of Chemistry at New York University Grossman School of Medicine. She returned to New York on the last civilian trip of RMS Aquitania.

Cecily chooses to open her book, Opening Science for All: A Continuing Quest by telling the story of her brief year at Wycombe Abbey, because the School was so instrumental in growing her curiosity and passion for learning, having cultivated her first scientific question in a lesson about plants. Cecily’s memories of the School’s beauty, admiration of its intellectual and societal values, and happy and rewarding friendships, led to her choosing to return for a visit in the 1970s to meet with the Headmistress.

What does Wycombe Abbey mean to you?

I am honoured to feel that I am a Wycombe Girl. I have memories of the School being a beautiful place; I loved the hills and views and have done my whole life. I was born in England in 1927 and emigrated to the States due to my father’s role.

On my way home to New York from Wycombe Abbey, I travelled alone on the last trip of RMS Aquitania before

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it became a troop ship. And my parents were of course at the dock at New York. I was one of the youngest in the School, I was only 11 and was called an American, while in New York I was called English. I could have felt very alone, but the people in Butler House, in particular Enid Hawley Foxall who took me under her wing, were very kind. Wycombe Abbey is a place with very happy, fond memories, very much tied up to the Anglophilic culture in my home.

What were your passions and interests at School and as a young adult?

I recall a vivid story and it tells a lot – I was on a field trip in the gardens with my classmates at Wycombe.

There was a teacher who showed us the flowers and explained how they seduce water to rise up the stem to fertilise the growth of the flower.

I remember asking “how can the water get up the stem when it’s working against gravity?” I don’t know how I thought of that brilliant question, I don’t know how I even managed to ask a question of a teacher. I don’t think I was precocious that way – but I called out my first scientific question. The teacher mentioned osmotic pressure, but it was quite a few years before I really understood how osmosis enabled the water to rise. It was several years later that I finally fully understood the question I asked and it was here, at this early age, that I first began

expressing interest in this topic and asking scientific questions.

What role did your school education play in preparing you for your future?

I was brought up within a very academic culture at home – my parents had met at university. My mother had gone into classics, but my father was a first-class scientist and our family friends were all mostly scientists from around the world.

So, I’m attributing my comfort in the academic world and my delight with academic worlds very much to my upbringing. I never even considered any other profession. One special place that Wycombe played in that ambition was that you could see on Honours Boards the names of girls ahead of you that had graduated from Oxford or Cambridge. I was impressed that the School honoured the academic tracks of this class. This is when I thought maybe I could get there too. That was where my ambitions became focussed.

Where have your sources of inspiration come from in your life?

I went to Harvard rather young because my other Canadian school set me above – I was pushed ahead by my mother too. I entered college two years younger than most students so wasn’t really sophisticated when I was busy majoring in Physics.

I was reading a wonderful book, sent to me by my English grandparents

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called The Restless Universe by Max Born, it was he who discovered a lot of the tiny particles in Physics.

It’s the first sentence that I love: “Funny that in the English language there is a word for something that doesn’t exist; rest. Nothing in nature is ever at rest, particles are always moving…” That was the kind of thing that turned me on to it; I got so fascinated by it all. As a 14-15-yearold I didn’t go to a school where they were Saturday dancing and playing football. I went to another boarding school that was not unlike Wycombe, it was in Toronto. I felt sorry for my fellow students who were studying something old when I could be studying something so new such as an electron!

What does success mean to you?

Has this always been the same?

I think you could say success for me meant becoming a professor, but my personal successes also include my five wonderful grandchildren. Each one bought a house this year, each one has a wonderful partner and has work that they love. Delight in such successes lasts to your dying day.

From what have you taken most pleasure during your career?

I try to outline the pleasures in my book. There’s a chapter where I outline the pleasures of discovery, even when you’re so young in the field. I did electron microscopy when I finished my PhD, and we were seeing things no one had ever seen before. I took pictures in my postWWII microscope and I saw images of viruses inside cells that no one had seen before. Luckily, I was in the stage of science where I was able to see what no one else had seen.

Those were the thrills; everything was so new. The Nobel prize was beyond where we were. These were the discoveries of youth.

Professionally, to have opened up science for myself and for others is a success. When you get to be 94, what I have achieved is happily fading away in history. There is an agency here that tracks your papers and tells you how many people have read or cited your papers, and I get great thrills seeing this continue onwards.

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Wycombe Abbey is a place with very happy, fond memories, very much tied up to the Anglophilic culture in my home.

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

Please stay curious. Always ask questions all your life. At 18, Cambridge, England would have been my dream. I would have also loved to have gone to the Himalayas. I didn’t make it to the Himalayas, but I had plenty of good travel. And I didn’t

make it to Cambridge, but I got to Harvard and MIT. Finding the right boyfriend was terribly serious; a good marriage was as equal as going to Cambridge University if not more!

What does the future look like for the teaching of science?

In my book I said that I hope science education would move from the classroom to the home. Reading gets into the home, why not get some chemistry in the home? Science teaching had really improved in the US before the pandemic. My hope is that current attention on Climate change will introduce more hands-on physics and attention to crafts will develop in schools. I don’t hear about this in the States, unfortunately. And now we have a wonderful chance to open science to all.

Opening Science For All: A Continuing Quest by Cecily Cannan Selby is available on eBook and paperback on Amazon.com.

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Spotlight on:

Samantha Stein

(Class of 2004, Pitt, C237)

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amantha Stein was diagnosed with autism at the age of 33 and is now running a successful YouTube channel (Yo Samdy Sam) where she inspires and talks to her 97,000 subscribers about autism and neurodiversity, with a collective view count of over 5.5 million views.

What were your interests and passions as a pupil at Wycombe Abbey?

Looking back, I had an awful lot of diverse extras going on - I was in the gymnastics team, as well as doing dance and ballet. I’ve always been into computers - I was the ICT Officer and still remember getting a special ‘mouse’ badge for that - and during my time at Wycombe I had several personal websites on the go.

I was involved in Young Enterprise, flute lessons, Speech and Drama - I’m getting tired just thinking about it!

I still have diverse interests and the School really allowed me to explore these and take them further as an adult. I’m always looking to learn something new.

What have you been up to since leaving Wycombe Abbey?

After graduating from the University of York with a degree in Psychology, I suffered a head injury which deeply affected me at the time and graduating during the 2008 financial crisis felt like a very hopeless time to find a job. So, I did what many people

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did at the time - started a Masters, which I did part time while working on the side.

After graduating from Kings College London, I attempted to put my Masters to use but was unsuccessful at getting into any career. I felt simultaneously over-and-underqualified for everything and I struggled to know which direction to go in. I was extremely burnt out and suffered from depression and anxiety for many years.

In 2013, my partner and I moved to the Netherlands, as we were desperate to get out of London and the culture of high stress living. Being based in the Amsterdam area meant my husband could find plenty of work opportunities in English, while still being close enough to friends and family in the UK. We married in 2018 and have two children together, our son (four) and our daughter who was born this summer.

What inspired you to set up a YouTube channel?

I’d long been fascinated by the concept of creating content and being paid for it - a model that no other social media platform has managed to do in the same way. I’ve always loved the creative challenge of making and editing video, and YouTube seemed like a good fit for me.

After my son was born, I started to come across various channels focussing on mental health and psychology, and thought that would be an ideal way to put my psychology degree to good use, while still having control over my own working hours, something that was obviously important to me as a mum of young children.

I had no desire to return to any sort of office life, and YouTube allowed me flexibility, creativity, and the ability to potentially reach a lot of people (although I had no idea at the time that it would grow so much).

What have been the biggest struggles that you have faced professionally?

Despite always ‘achieving’, I struggled to get into a career during my 20s.

In hindsight, I see that this was entirely related to my then undiagnosed autism and/or ADHD the unsaid expectations surrounding employment, interviews, and the ‘rules’ that everyone else seemed to follow but no one thought to tell me about.

What have been your proudest professional moments and the most rewarding?

The response I have got from the autistic community since starting my channel has definitely been the most rewarding - and the reason I carry on. Hearing from people day after

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I still have diverse interests and the School really allowed me to explore these and take them further as an adult.

day that they relate to my story, and that me being open about my experience has helped them accept themselves better is honestly the best feeling.

What is next for you and your channel?

Since starting my channel it has become clear to me that most people have a very vague or basic understanding of autism, ADHD, and neurodiversity in general. Most people see autism as something like in Rain Man, and they often see people with ADHD as making up excuses for their laziness. They look at me and think “well, she doesn’t look autistic” because I drive, am married with kids, and have earned degrees. From the outside, I live a pretty normal life. There is a long way to go in terms of acceptance, understanding and fighting stigma.

for us, we certainly can find our place, even if we have to make it ourselves.

You will have to define success for yourself - it can be tempting to compare yourself to your peers, but try to focus on your own path.

And please stop calling yourself “lazy” when you try so hard.

Throughout school, I developed this belief that I was lazy because I could never organise my workload and get work in on time. It turns out that the part of the brain that plans, organises and otherwise keeps it all together just works differently if you are autistic or have ADHD. Giving myself grace and learning about ways I can ‘hack my brain has been life changing.

Find solutions that work for you!

I don’t necessarily see myself as an activist here, but as an educator.

I feel like I’ve found my talent in taking complex concepts and making them easy to understand and (hopefully) entertaining for the public.

What advice would you give to current pupils at Wycombe Abbey facing similar struggles that you experienced?

If you are neurodivergent (or think you might be) know that you’re not alone, you’re not broken, and that even though the world is not made

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Spotlight on:

Sarah Abdoo

(Class of 2012, Campbell, C283)

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arah Abdoo became the Founder and Manager at Adelante Mujer in February 2019, a not-for-profit supporting survivors of gender violence in Bolivia. Following her time at Wycombe Abbey, Sarah read Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Oxford and worked in London before taking the opportunity to travel without a return ticket.

During her time in Bolivia, Sarah witnessed the plight of women experiencing a cycle of domestic violence. Sarah decided to create an initiative to support women who wanted to break the cycle. Now, three years later, Sarah runs her own registered non-profit in Cochabamba, Bolivia, supporting women to take ownership of their lives and find independence and a sense of value that allows them to create better lives for themselves and for their children.

What were your interests and passions as a pupil at Wycombe Abbey? Did you have any inspiring teachers that have had an impact on your current professional

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accomplishments?

At Wycombe I loved acting and also Religious Studies (RS). Philosophy and deep thinking has always been stimulating for me, and I loved that challenging the status quo was the whole idea! Mr Franks was our RS teacher and his enthusiasm and energy was always really fun to be around.

I think any subject can be stimulating when you sense that the teacher themselves is excited by it!

How did you become involved with the non-profit sector?

It definitely was not a sector that interested me as I was finishing university. I thought I would be going into the field of advertising! It was

travelling through South America that I realised how un-tapped the concept of social tourism was. I craved connection with locals, to talk to them, cook with them, live with them. And though often I would put myself out there and get stuck in, I noticed that other travellers felt uncomfortable doing so. I started dreaming about running a project in which locals in difficult socio-economic conditions could share their culture with tourists, authentically and intimately, in a way in which tourists could better understand the reality of the country, creating less separation and stigma between both groups.

I then started learning more about gender inequality and the severity of domestic violence in Bolivia.

I wondered whether if the people who taught these workshops were victims of domestic violence, how this could empower them. In our society, we put so much emphasis on gaining more and more knowledge. The more we know the more value we feel we have. But actually, one of the most effective ways of seeing our value is by sharing what we already know, what we are already good at. So, I put this theory to the test with local Bolivian cooking workshops for tourists, guided by women victims of violence!

And it was just magical. The way these women would light up upon sharing

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their culture with others was incredible - and though there was always a language barrier, there was such a soul to soul connection between the tourists and the women.

I realised that this was my calling - to be a bridge between these two worlds, in a way that served both.

What inspired you to set up a non-for-profit?

The plan never was to set up a non-profit! When we started doing the workshops and I got to meet these incredible women and heard their stories, I realised that the support Adelante Mujer gave could go deeper than their teaching in our workshops. I dreamed of having a space where we could hold all of our workshops, run events, fairs, therapy sessions, empowerment and skills workshops for the women who we worked with. Little by little, these dreams started becoming reality.

And the next thing I knew we were fundraising to rent a space which now serves exactly these functions! It’s amazing that the women feel like they

have a safe space and a second home where they can come, meet with their friends, work (because of the pandemic we started selling daily lunches!) and participate in our programmes and therapy sessions.

The experience has been and continues to be one of the most incredible learning opportunities.

It’s absolutely incredible navigating challenges together and seeing them grow and gain more confidence in themselves and their capabilities.

Tell us about Adelante Mujer – what does this non-for-profit offer to support women?

Adelante Mujer provides support on many levels for women who have been through gender violence. The women who arrive at the doors of the ‘Warmi Wasi’ (our house!) project normally don’t have a solid support network who understand them and what they have been through or are going through. We focus on providing a community of people who are there for them. We have a therapist who is committed to giving them intensive one to one support, coaches who each get assigned one woman to work with as their mentor, and we run an empowerment programme called ‘Sumak Kausay’ (meaning ‘To Live Well’ in Quechua, the indigenous language of Cochabamba).

Sumak Kausay focuses on helping the women identify what patterns of thought and behaviour have blocked them from moving towards their potential and goals, and helps them with the support of professional mentors and therapists move through these challenges and start taking action towards their dreams. Many of the women have serious problems with self-value and self-belief so most of our work focuses on helping them to overcome these negative ideas about their own capabilities and giving

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them the tools (both in emotional self-regulation and practical skills that allow them to achieve their career goals).

In the last phases of Sumak Kausay, we focus on helping them find work that aligns with their goals and life plans, and for those who want to set up their own businesses, we give them support to do this. We use our network to support those who already have small businesses, helping them to sell their products and find different contacts and points of sale.

Alongside this intensive eight month programme we run a restaurant and healthy catering service where the women can work, giving them the opportunity to learn key skills and earn an income whilst they are getting on their feet.

Last but not least, we host workshops that the women teach with the skills they have learned or already have!

We open these to the public and the income we generate is fed back into our programmes. We have done loads of traditional Bolivian cooking workshops and vegan cooking workshops.

What is next for you and Adelante Mujer?

Gosh, it’s an exciting time for Adelante Mujer. We are blessed to have had two consultancies fall into our lap so we are going through a deep structuring process which involves me, the board of directors and the professional team focusing on creating a three year strategic plan. It is really inspiring how many people have joined us on our mission, both in Bolivia and internationally, and it is evidently time to take things to the next level. This means for me, putting on what I call my ‘big girl trousers’ and starting to move my leadership to the next level. I am learning to think

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differently and grow the project in a sustainable way. Lots and lots of opportunities are coming our way but it is now about thinking: ‘What is the priority right now?’. Sometimes I get very excited and try to do it ALL NOW! I am realising that this project is evolving in its own time and that I do not need to rush its growth.

Soon we will be finishing our first pilot version of Sumak Kausay so we will be looking at recruiting new women and evaluating the success of this version, to polish and improve the next. We will be growing the non-profit to different areas of Bolivia hopefully in the next couple of years. And we are building a sustainable business model to sell the artisanal products the women make and design internationally. There are exciting things on the horizon all the time.

What advice would you give to current pupils at Wycombe Abbey wanting to get involved in the non-profit sector?

I think it is a fab thing to give to others, to help others less fortunate than ourselves. But I think it is easy to fall into the role of ‘saviour’ without realising. Nobody is anybody’s saviour.

If we create that belief system we are actually removing opportunities from

people to tap into and discover their own resources. I believe that humility is key in this kind of work.

Understanding that we, as the charity givers, do not always know what is best for those we are helping, is crucial and to always maintain an attitude of curiosity and openness. The women I work with have opened my eyes in a very profound way to different ways of life and different attitudes, practical skills, and different forms of communication. They have reflected in me my own shadows and emotional instability, and have given me opportunities to work these through.

Working with people in troubling situations is a gift that allows us to work on ourselves in a very deep way.

This is a privilege (though it may not always feel like one!)

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Memories of a Lifetime: Post War Reopening at Wycombe Abbey

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dith Cunningham (MacDermott, Class of 1948, Pitt, C73) and Maureen Strain (Ireland, Class of 1948, Campbell, C73) joined Wycombe Abbey in April 1946, shortly after the end of the Second World War, and have been best friends ever since. During the war, Wycombe Abbey was requisitioned as the Headquarters of the American Air Force, and all existing pupils were sent to other schools across the country to continue their education.

After four long years, the School reopened on 9 May 1946 with only six of the former pupils returning, all into the Sixth Form. Edith and Maureen were amongst the 162 new pupils eager to return to normal education. However, the remnants of the war served as a daily reminder of their experiences. Here they share with us the difficulties of post-war life

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and the value of friendships created during their time at Wycombe Abbey: “On my first day at Wycombe Abbey”, Edith recalls, “I met Maureen Ireland, who was already organising and directing as though she had been there for weeks, but probably only a few hours before me. She also came from Belfast and soon we were good friends. Maureen was also in Pitt House, but was on the arts side, whereas I was studying science, having expressed my wish for a career in medicine.” A variety of pupils joined Wycombe Abbey in the first year of reopening, hailing from all backgrounds with their own unique experiences; “There were pupils who had their education disrupted by evacuation, whilst others had spent years in Japanese prisoner of war camps”.

Both Edith and Maureen recalled the daily alterations and lifestyle changes

that constantly reminded them that they were living in the post-war years.

“Each term we brought with us our ration books, clothing coupons, sweet coupons and milk registration cards”, Maureen remembers. “We were allowed sweets on Wednesdays and Sundays only, and on Sunday we wrote home – there was no possibility of phone calls.” Food was an important issue, Edith explains, “as there was still rationing, I am sure it was challenging to feed us all. Our 2oz weekly butter allowance, in individually named dishes, were kept in our House and when they were finished, we just had to wait until the next week for them to be filled once again. Needless to say, as we were always hungry, marmite and peanut butter were very much in demand.”

School uniform followed the famous ‘make do and mend’ British wartime attitude, with most pupils adapting

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Both Edith and Maureen recalled the daily alterations and lifestyle changes that constantly reminded them that they were living in the post-war years.

their previous uniforms and dyeing their clothes with limited access to clothing coupons. As a result, a proper school uniform was unable to be enforced. Edith’s white blouses were made from parachute silk by her mother, and Maureen’s were made from surplus Wrens scarves. “My suit was made from a brown woollen suit of my mother’s that was dyed navy,” said Edith, “I think we did have blazers, and anyone who had managed to get a cloak was the envy of all.”

The lasting presence of the US Airforce was felt throughout the School, and during their first year, Edith and Maureen toured the underground bunker built in the grounds. Maureen recalls, “We saw all the map rooms, planning rooms, kitchens, cafeteria. The operations room was vast with one whole wall taken up with a map of Europe. It

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was fascinating.” The Chapel had to be reconsecrated as the soldiers had used the space for other purposes including a murder trial and courtmartial. During the reconsecration “the Bishop walked around purging with hyssop”, Maureen said. “Edith and I were seated at the end of a row and sprinkled with water, hardly suppressing our giggles - a couple of Presbyterians being purged!”

On Saturday 8 June 1946, the pupils celebrated VE Day by meeting in Big School and listening to the broadcast of the London processions. A special lunch was laid out, with Maureen describing in her diary “What a lunch!

Cold beef and tongue, new roast potatoes, salad, then gorgeous and colossal helpings of apple pie after.”

That evening, the Bomber Command Squad held a firework display for High Wycombe from the School grounds, watched avidly by the girls.

After their first summer holidays, Maureen and Edith returned to find that the number of pupils had almost doubled: “Two of the Outhouses had been reopened and a further two Houses at Daws Hill. Maureen and I found that we had been moved from Pitt House in the Abbey to Campbell House with Miss Baillie, still our Housemistress. We felt very fortunate that we were still together but were sad to leave behind many of our new friends that we had made in the Abbey. The Outhouses had much more independence, and the ethos of each House was closely related to the personality of the Housemistress.

We were fortunate to have Miss Baillie; she also headed the Chemistry

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Department. Although she demanded high standards of order and behaviour, Miss Baillie was also kind and concerned for the welfare and happiness of the girls in her care.

Maureen and I, now 16, were made Monitors, so we had the luxury and freedom of the pokey little ‘Mons’ room above Miss Baillie’s Study.”

Maureen and Edith shared a garden beyond the lake, where LAC/PAC now sits. Wednesday afternoons were scheduled for pupils to be able to pursue their hobbies, and both Maureen and Edith shared a passion for gardening. Apart from a Sunday walk after Chapel, pupils were not allowed outside the School grounds.

Edith recalls a petition, which was eventually granted, for Upper School pupils to attend a suitable matinee performance in town on a Wednesday. Entertainment for the pupils came in the form of concerts and speakers, and on these occasions, Big School would be filled with girls seated on the tiers at the sides of the hall, and “staff at the back keeping a close eye on our behaviour!”

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Edith vividly recalls 1948, an important year filled with exams: “Maureen became Head of House that year and she excelled. With her orderly mind and gift for organising she was busy with lists and House Orders. She was also very concerned about some of the younger girls who were homesick or just unhappy and spent a lot of precious time encouraging and comforting them.

Maureen was exceptionally talented at music, creating a music society. At the turn of the century, the Lancaster and Performing Arts Centre was built, and Maureen generously donated towards sponsoring a music practice room: The Ireland Room.

The room holds a framed plaque that reads: “This room commemorates the composer John Ireland 18791962. He was kinsman of Maureen Ireland who was the first School Pianist following the re-opening in 1946.”

Despite attending Wycombe Abbey for only two and a half years, the School and their experiences have

made a lifelong lasting impression on Edith and Maureen. “Although we took great pleasure in flinging our School hats out of the Liverpool ferry into the Irish Sea on our way home after the Summer Term in 1948”, chuckles Edith, “Maureen and I both look back on those two terms with gratitude. For my part, if I had not had the opportunity to go to Wycombe Abbey, I doubt if I would have ever made it to university, I would not have become a GP, and my life would have been much less interesting. I owe so much to the dedication and patience of those teachers who willed me to succeed.”

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Do you have an inspiring story to share?

If you have an interesting story to share about your life since Wycombe Abbey, we would love to hear from you.

Seniors’-Spotlights are featured in a range of School and alumnae publications, and across our social media channels, covering a range of topics such as interesting and diverse careers, charity initiatives, achievements and awards, overcoming challenges, staying resilient and much more – if you would like to feature in the next Seniors Spotlight please do get in touch with the Seniors’ Office.

We would also love to hear from Seniors who would be willing to speak at one of our events, with backgrounds in sustainability, technology, engineering, entrepreneurship, diversity, equality and inclusion, creative arts, and media.

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Philanthropy at Wycombe Abbey

We are delighted to count Seniors among School’s most valued benefactors. It is with their support that we can secure the long-term vision of the School and offer a breadth of opportunities to current pupils, increase our bursary provision and develop our magnificent 170-acre conservation-listed site. Thank you to all our supporters for your help this year.

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Built on 125 years’ experience educating young women, Wycombe Abbey seeks to prepare girls to be successful leaders of themselves and others, through an exceptional school experience. The School’s values of mutual respect, encouragement and trust underpin everything we do.

Our plans for academic, recreational and pastoral advancement can only be achieved with the financial support of our community of Seniors, parents and friends.

The continued support of our valued donors will ensure that future generations of Wycombe Abbey pupils also experience a world class and ever-improving school.

Any institutional success requires strong foundations.

Our vision is predicated upon the need to maintain and enhance the very substantial infrastructure the School has developed throughout its history. Philanthropy has played a continued role in the development of the School throughout the last 125 years and will help us to secure our long-term vision.

The School’s current strategic priorities are raising the level of support for means-tested bursaries and creating a transformational site development plan. Over the next period of time, we are investing in new, world class facilities that will transform our School site for the benefit of every pupil at Wycombe Abbey.

Jo Duncan, Headmistress, says “We offer every girl a relevant and rounded experience within a flexible system which provides a plethora of different options and activities. The happiness and fulfilment of all our pupils is of the utmost importance to us. On behalf of Wycombe Abbey, thank you for your interest in giving and your generous support. I look forward to meeting you in person, and to share our common interests in providing young women with exceptional educational opportunities.”

Pupil Bursaries

It is our aim that Wycombe Abbey provides a physical, social and cultural environment responsible to the dynamic times in which our pupils live. Our aim is to provide a world class education for all, not only academically, but also in the development of skills of communication, creativity, emotional intelligence, teamwork and leadership, which are so important in 21st century life.

Every girl is empowered to make the most of her own personal abilities, no matter her family’s financial circumstances, in preparation for the exciting opportunities that her future holds. The Wycombe Abbey Bursary Fund allows us to offer talented young women the opportunity to thrive at the School.

The School currently commits c.£1m per year to funding pupil bursaries. Overall, the School has seen an increase of 30% in bursary applications over the past three years.

This increase reinforces the need for bursarial support at Wycombe Abbey. Dr Neal Carrier, Director of Sixth Form and Head of Partnerships and Bursaries, is leading a steering group for the development of the bursary programme at Wycombe Abbey.

We collaborate with a wide range of local primary schools through our Partnerships Programme. This includes regular visits, networking events and activities for prospective pupils and parents. We are looking at ways of promoting our bursary provision, potentially via appropriate partner schools in the maintained sector.

We envisage relationships being at the heart of a successful bursary provision and we look forward to building these with key stakeholders.

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“We believe it is so important to make Wycombe Abbey accessible to the largest number of people as possible, regardless of their background. Hence, we are keen to get involved in projects surrounding bursary development. We hope bringing attention to this matter will help bursaries support the greatest number of pupils at School in a sensitive, effective manner.”

Catrina, Carys and Alyssa, Head Girl Team 2021

Capital Development

Over the next decade, we are committed to investing in the transformation of our School site to provide world class, contemporary facilities for the immediate and direct benefit of every pupil at Wycombe Abbey.

Fit for purpose and built to last, these new facilities will ensure that the Wycombe Abbey experience will be preserved for future generations to come.

Over recent years, many areas of the School have been improved and refurbished. This includes new cookery classrooms, a Chinese Learning Centre, a refurbishment of the Health and Wellbeing Centre and Main Dining Room, as well as Big School and the Pitt and Rubens Houses, which both received significant philanthropic support.

How to Support Us You can now make a one-off donation or set up a regular direct debit by scanning the QR code below or online at bit.ly/WASupportUs.

1896 Society

The support of donors, who invest in Wycombe Abbey’s future at the leadership level, and who inspire others to give, is critical to the success of the School.

We are delighted to invite our most loyal and generous supporters to join the 1896 Society. Members of this group are invited to events and gatherings at the invitation of the Headmistress and Chair of Council.

You can also make a donation via bank transfer, credit or debit card, or cheque.

Tax-efficient giving from Overseas

The Wycombe Abbey Hong Kong Foundation has charitable status in Hong Kong. Donations made to this account are eligible for tax deductions subject to normal restrictions.

To discuss your gift to Wycombe Abbey, please do not hesitate to contact Clare Flynn-Scarcelli, Director of Development and External Relations, at development@wycombeabbey.com

If you live in the USA, you can give tax-effectively to the School via CAF America and British Schools and Universities Foundation (BSUF).

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The Dove-Bowerman Society - A gift in your will Our benefactors help to secure the long-term vision of the School.

By remembering Wycombe Abbey in your will with either a lump sum or all or part of your estate, you have the capability to support the School’s ambitious plans as they evolve over time.

In recognition of two remarkable women, the School created the DoveBowerman Society in 2017 to recognise and thank all those who indicate an intention to leave a legacy to the School.

Every year, members of the Society and their partners are invited to a lunch in recognition of their special contribution towards Wycombe Abbey’s future. Thank you for helping Wycombe Abbey continue to nurture the next generation of pioneering women.

If you would like a confidential discussion about legacy giving, please contact Clare Flynn-Scarcelli, Director of Development and External Relations, at development@wycombeabbey.com or 01494 895552.

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The Gift of an Education – Stephanie Fernandez (Banister, Class of 1981, Butler, C148)

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have enormous gratitude for Wycombe Abbey as it changed my life. I was extremely lucky to win a 100% scholarship, being the very last of the grant scheme which offered bursaries to underprivileged girls.

My mother was a single mum and struggled to buy the uniform for me, even when most of it was second-hand.

Had I not gone to Wycombe Abbey, I’m not sure what path I might have taken but I’m sure it would have been a very different one.

were asking for the business and decided we wanted it.

To us it was a no brainer - instead of backpacking we thought we could run the business and stay in Ecuador for a year then travel around the rest of South America for a further six months. We returned to London, gave notice on our jobs, rented our house out, put our belongings into storage, sold our car and returned to Ecuador. Did we know anything about the laws there? No. Did we have experience running a café or B&B before? No. Could we speak Spanish? No. Our family thought us mad.

After my education at Wycombe Abbey, I obtained Wycombe Abbey gave me confidence, independence and a degree in Economics and gained my first job as a a spirit of ‘can do’. So, we did.

Graduate Account Trainee at Young & Rubicam - one of the top ten London advertising We quickly learnt Spanish (well the agencies. I later moved to the agency basics anyway), the ropes of the WCRS as an Account Manager and Had I not gone to business and how (roughly) to survive by the age of 26 was an Account Wycombe Abbey, I’m not in a ‘Third World’, corrupt country.

Director. sure what path I might One year became two, became five, became ten. A decade of my life living However, I couldn’t picture myself have taken but I’m sure it through many highs and lows, and a continuing in a career of Account would have been plethora of truly extraordinary Management; what I really wanted a very different one. experiences that I shall never forget. was to work in the film industry.

Our original small business expanded My agency wanted me to stay, and to the capital of Quito to become persuaded me by offering a role as the country’s first, and later top, boutique hotel. My assistant to the Head of TV production where I learnt the ex-business partner is still running the company that we trade. I later progressed to TV Producer within the same created to this day: www.culturamanor.com agency.

Fate then played a hand. I was wanting to make my move from TV advertising into film and my husband at the time was also wanting to make a career move. We both hadn’t taken a GAP year and considered taking a year out to travel while we had the opportunity to do so. By chance, we went to Ecuador on a holiday whilst making plans, and due to a booking error ended up staying in a small boutique B&B which we would later buy!

There are too many stories to relate but I was very fortunate to also put my production experiences to good use in Ecuador. I worked as producer on a series of TV commercials for a major bank then later as location manager on a BBC2 documentary with Michael Woods, Los Conquistadores. After this I worked as location manager for a Castle Rock Production feature film: Proof of Life, with Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan.

The Danish owners were selling up and heading back to Denmark for family reasons. We asked how much they

After a decade in South America I felt I’d accomplished and had enough, and returned to Blighty single, with my

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son, Gabriel, aged five, ready to start again. Life as a single parent doesn’t allow for a career in TV or film production and it was time to consider a new career path with more flexibility and less hours.

Some 20 years on, amongst other things I have taught Spanish, worked as a manager for a senior executive coaching company, set up and managed my own sports fashion brand and now own and manage a company of serviced offices with my husband: www.onestpeters.co.uk.

The Headmistress at Wycombe Abbey during my time was Patricia Lancaster and I was chuffed to be mentioned in her obituary; not by name directly, but I was the girl mentioned who dyed her hair green and presented her with a challenge. This was over 40 years ago so it was a first for the School. I am also proud of the fact that I persuaded her to allow a pop group to perform at the School rather than always having classical concerts. Believe it or not, it was meant to be Duran Duran (I was friends with Simon le Bon at the time) but due to the bands commitments they had to cancel at the last minute and it ended up being a group called ‘VoxPop’.

Life has never been dull for me that’s for sure. Wycombe Abbey gave me a thirst for knowledge and the drive to always do the best I could; I believe I have achieved that, and for that I am grateful.

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The Seniors’ Travel Award

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his Award was established by Senior, Vera Gordon, and applications are available to all Seniors and current pupils in Clarence.

The travel must include some charitable activities, and the applicant must be proactive about raising most of the money herself. The award is usually in the order of a few hundred pounds.

To apply, applicants must complete the Travel Award form, providing full details of their plans, including a breakdown of costs. This will be followed by an

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interview with members of the Seniors’ Consultative Committee.

Successful applicants will be expected to write a report of their travels, including photographs, for the next Seniors’ Supplement and Wycombe Abbey’s annual magazine, The Gazette.

For an application form or for further information, please email the Seniors’ Office at seniors@wycombeabbey.com.

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Humans of Wycombe Abbey

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umans of Wycombe Abbey celebrates 125 years since the foundation of the School.

Pupils have produced a wonderful publication to celebrate all those within the wider Wycombe Abbey community, celebrating a diverse range of experiences and memories throughout the generations of pupils, staff and Seniors.

All proceeds from this publication will be donated to the School’s Bursary Fund, enabling more girls to benefit from the same opportunities and memories experienced at Wycombe Abbey.

HU MA NS OF WY CO MBE ABB EY Cele brat ing 125 Year

humansofwycombeabbey.co.uk

Celebrating 125 Ye ars

EY

s

“We wanted to create this book as a time capsule of sorts, one that pays homage to Wycombe Abbey as the School celebrates its 125th anniversary, and speaks to the community of individuals who have breathed life into the halls. What makes Wycombe so special is the way in which such a diverse cohort of people can draw together to create a vibrant mosaic - we wanted to share just a snippet of our dynamic community with you.”

HUMANS OF W YCO M B E A B B

VOLUME 2

You can purchase a copy of Humans of Wycombe Abbey at:

Wycombe Abbey, High Wycombe Buck inghamshire, HP11 1PE enquiries@wycombea bbey.com +44 (0)1494 520 381

wycombeabbey.co

m

Isabel Sobowale Humans of Wycombe Abbey Volume 2 Coordinator Registe red Charity

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No. 310638

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Circle News

Please note that the publication of content in the following sections does not constitute an endorsement by Wycombe Abbey of any of the products, services or opinions of the individual.

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Circle 77 Gill Foster (Fletcher, Class of 1951, Shelburne) Like most people I don’t have much news, but luckily, I moved up to a village near Cambridge before Covid and I am only 200 yards from one of my sons, so when we had bubbles, it was easy. I was glad to be out of South London.

I did manage to go for a holiday in Devon and Cornwall for a week with Meryl Brand (Class of 1951, Shelburne, C78) in September, which was good.

Circle 79 Margaret Hopkinson-Woolley (Twining, Class of 1952, Pitt) One thing that I regret very much was that I never got into a choir. Everyone can sing and I think singing should have been encouraged. I had singing once a week with Mr Leeds with a large group of pupils. I had tried for the Chapel Choir and was very disappointed to be turned down! There, I have made my point and hope the School takes note. I play the ukulele and sing with great pleasure with a group once a week and have made some wonderful friends. I love singing with my ukulele and friends.

Our four children are now in their 50s! All are enjoying their work which is wonderful. The eldest son is in finance in the City, the second is an orthopaedic surgeon at Addenbrooke’s, Cambridge. The third a lawyer in the City and the fourth, a daughter, teaches at the Dragon School in Oxford.

My husband has written another book on St John’s Gospel, smaller and easier to read than the first. It should be out by March. He writes as Alexander Woolley.

I have written memoirs for the family in which Wycombe features!

Best wishes to you all.

Anne Walton (Felkin, Class of 1952, Butler) I moved house a couple of years ago, following my husband’s death, having lived in his house for 33 years – longer than any other place in my life. I am only a mile away from the farm, but am still searching for possessions,

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and have a garage full of things only required when large numbers of family appear. My normal very busy life has been severely curtailed during the pandemic – luckily, I managed to keep a large supply of books, so have been able to read many of the ones I had not yet managed to get around to.

I wondered what news I could think of – and then I was invited, with my family, to a book launch by a historian – Helen Fry – which was taking place at Latimer House, near Amersham, on 14 November 2021. Helen has written a series of books about the Intelligence Service during the war. While Bletchley Park and Enigma have been in the news for many years now, the work of the Intelligence Service has only been in the public domain for the last 20 years or so. Helen got in touch with me about my father’s work a few years ago – hence the invitation.

My father, who had fought in WWI in all three services, was in the RAFVR, and was called up at the beginning of WWII. He was head of a unit dealing with the interrogation of all enemy air crew who had been taken prisoner. He started work in the Tower of London, and they needed more room and eventually took over various large country houses, including Latimer House, where they housed the prisoners. They bugged their rooms and had large numbers of German Jewish refugees who listened to their conversations with their roommates after their interrogation, and reported anything of significance.

My father spoke fluent German, having spent seven years in Berlin after WWI, and he occasionally took German officers to dine at the Ritz (much to Churchill’s disapproval!) where he would treat them in a civilised way, show that England was by no means defeated, and discover all sorts of things. He found out about the rockets V1 and V2, and about a system of beams which the German planes used to identify their bombing targets – and they were sometimes able to deflect these beams so that the targets were protected.

One of the people working for my father was Joan Halfhead (Davis, C63). She used to go back to Wycombe and talk to her Housemistress, Miss Partridge, about her boss – and vice versa. After the war, at the end of 1947, my father was sent to work in Paris and had to find a boarding school for me for the following term. So, he got in touch with Miss Partridge – and the rest is history.

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Catherine Archer (Overton, Class of 1952, Barry) Catherine’s news was received prior to her recent passing on 29 November 2021. An obituary for Catherine can be found on page 83.

I am very lucky that apart from 1959-1970 when we married, bought a house in Essex, much cheaper than Hertfordshire, went to Bombay for five years and then bought what is now the house next door. Sixteen years ago, I had a 21st century upside down house built for me. The architect was the same age as my second son.

I have a stunning view and still have a seven-acre field, where we used to keep horses and ponies, and now is a wild flower meadow with apparently 30 different plants including a mass of cowslips in May, ox-eye daisies and pyramid orchids which increase every year. The meadow is often visited by fallow deer, foxes, buzzards and red kites.

Like many of our age group I have been working on my memoirs which of course cover my time at Wycombe. Covid has altered everybody’s life a lot. I am part of my sister’s (Sarah Baker, Class of 1956, Barry, C87) and her husband’s “social bubble”. I go to them one weekend for supper and the next weekend they come to me. In August they had a party for Helen Green (Class of 1994, Cloister, C191), their elder daughter, who has moved to Colorado with her husband for four or five years. My middle sister Elizabeth Cripwell (Class of 1954, Barry, C83) came down for that with her husband Peter from Herefordshire and they stayed with me. We talk regularly on the phone. Sarah’s younger daughter Hannah Jarvie (C203) was down this weekend from Scotland with her lurcher bitch and three puppies, two of which have now gone to local homes. None of the puppies were house trained, so the mess was pretty awful.

My mind is stimulated by a local WEA course. This term the theme has been ‘Women of Valour’. I did a short piece on my mother Kathleen Overton (Ward, C33).

Several people on the course remember her! I have certainly thought a lot about my education at Wycombe a lot. My recent connection is a wonderful YouTube relay of the recent Archer Concert at the School.

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Circle 98 Stephanie Prosser (Patmore, Class of 1960, Rubens) Like almost everyone else of our generation, over the last 18 months or so, we have had to be careful about our way of life. Thankfully, Rhys and I have come through these difficult months unscathed. Two of my granddaughters had the virus, but it was not passed on to others in their immediate family. Because of taking life carefully I don’t feel I have done very much but having said that time has gone so quickly (Is that a real sign of age?!!). The parish in which I worship went into an interregnum October 2020 and till spring of this year, there were no services of course. Then when the church was able to open to a congregation again, I was very privileged to be the first woman priest to celebrate in the parish church of Bexhill, since it began 1250 years ago. I have also celebrated in the sister church, again the first woman, but that is a mere 90 years old. Though it was with a bit of apprehension, the ministry of women has been accepted by the majority of the congregation. So, we now look forward to a new rector, and hope that women’s ministry will be encouraged for years to come. As I say I feel very privileged and feel all those from Wycombe Abbey who paved the way for women all those years ago in all careers, helped me at this time.

Of course, with this new variant around as I write, and there may well have been several more once you read this, life is still uncertain. But I wish you all well and hope you will be able to stay safe and hopefully Covid free. But if you do become ill, I obviously hope it is a mild form and you recover quickly. Best wishes to you all.

Circle 100 Sue Cameron (Class of 1961, Barry) In December 2019, I moved from my spacious flat on the top floor of Minterne House to a more compact flat in Sherborne. I had to make an instant decision to get this flat so I moved lock, stock and barrel just before Christmas. Of course the accumulation of my possessions, a lifetime’s ‘treasures’, overflowed the available space.

Since then I have had to gird my loins and get rid of stuff of all sorts. The lethargy brought on by lockdown hasn’t helped. There are still unemptied boxes here and there.

During lockdown, our Scribblers group continued to write

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on a given theme once a month but exchanged our efforts by email instead of reading and discussing them in person.

This year we have produced a book of a selection of our work.

During the summer, a local professional musician arranged a series of concerts in the garden of a small hotel which was lovely. Imagine a suitably distanced audience with glasses in their hands, the sun gradually setting behind wonderful ancient trees, the ‘stage’ in a gazebo for the musicians who competed with birds who wanted to join in and even the squawks of a rooster, a helicopter overhead, a passing tractor, or a peal of bells calling the villagers to church. A great informal atmosphere in which the audience much appreciated the musicians and the musicians said how lovely it was to give a live performance.

Our grandchildren at university have had a rotten time.

One reading economics has only three live lectures a week, one reading music has had a terrible time and one reading law now has most lectures live. Our eldest grandson was at Durham and missed all the end of term fun and had no graduation ceremony but is now at Sandhurst and loving it.

We managed to make our annual supply of cider at our Herefordshire farm in October in spite of a very poor apple crop this year. It will be ready next May. We hope to have our water mill running and producing whole meal flour again for National Mills Open Day in May. If anyone is interested it’s all on the website under Olchon House Mill.

We give the flour away and ask for donations for the local church at Llanveynoe.

When I was going through some old photographs I found this one (see below), which brought back many happy memories. Jenny Macrory (Booth, Class of 1958, Campbell, C90) in goal, Deborah Taylor (Darby, Class of 1959, Campbell, C82) and Sara Stewart (Nalder, Class of 1957, Barry, C90) in the background and me tackling Janet Rainsford Hannay (Gilliat, Class of 1959, Rubens, C94).

Those were the days; not any more… Earlier this year I tripped and dislocated my hip. I had to go to hospital to have it put back (on the third attempt). The up-side of that was that they gave me every test you can think of, a real MOT, and everything was fine. The down-side is that I am still rather unbalanced and certainly cannot do any leaping...

My husband Brian is not as active as he was due to back problems, but he loves his workshop where he produces lots of wonderful wooden items, door stops, bread baskets, boot removers, table lamp bases etc, which our church will be selling for Christmas.

Mary Dixon (Colman, Class of 1961, Barry) We have avoided Covid so far and are triple jabbed so longing to get on with more normal life! We feel we are the lucky ones as we have a garden, a dog and beautiful Sutton Park to walk in every day.

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I am still in charge of flowers at church. We had a rush of weddings when restrictions were eased but things are quieter again now. I’m also a commissioned Pastoral Visitor for the church which sounds grand but isn’t really.

I have recently had to do a safeguarding course which took quite a lot of time.

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Norma Reid (Class of 1961, Clarence) I have just checked on the last news I sent in and it seems to be in 2017. Happy to report that I have weathered the past four years pretty well and no direct encounters with Covid (apart from one pinging the App in August that forced me to self-isolate for a few days). I have kept up with several school friends and really value that contact forget 40 now 60 years on! It was lovely to be invited to a family birthday meal for Leon, husband of Trish Goldstone (Wiseman, Class of 1961, Clarence, C100) in early August at the Rick Stein restaurant in Barnes. It was such a happy occasion with lots of cheerful chatter and Dover Sole to die for! I’m in regular touch with Josie Taylor (Pitt) and in September we finally were able to meet up in person at The Beetle and Wedge, at Moulsford, South Oxfordshire, said to be “steeped in literature history, from the Wind in the Willows, to Three Men in a Boat and not forgetting HG Wells’ Mr Polly”. The sun shone and we were able to sit outside on its lovely riverside terrace.

I enjoyed a few days with Jennie Lubbock (Class of 1960, Shelburne) in Norfolk last October and she is coming down to London for a short stay with me in early December when we are looking forward to taking in the Fabergé Exhibition. I have also kept in touch with Bridget Andrews (Steed, Class of 1961, Clarence, C99) through telephone chats and we hope to be able to get together in 2022.

Apart from keeping up with old friends, I am still doing my Silver Swans ballet at the Royal Academy of Dance in Battersea once a week and now have three ballet skirts (not tutus) to mix and match with colour-coordinated T-shirts from the Dance School shop and two pairs of ballet shoes, black and pink to suit the season. During lockdown, our teacher put together great Zoom classes which are still going strong and are especially useful for those of us unable to get to the studio for a variety of reasons, not least a nervousness of travel on public transport where masks have recently been increasingly less in evidence.

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I ventured further afield in August to celebrate my birthday in Inverness with my oldest school friend pre-Wycombe days. We went to Ullapool for my actual birthday, a day not blessed with great weather but happily filled with shopping (some tempting small boutiques), langoustines to die for at The Seafood Shack followed by a boat ride in a catamaran to see dolphins (lots of those jumping alongside the boat), basking seals and even a Minky whale or two from afar. We ended up with fish and chips on the waterfront.

Two holidays have been moved on twice since they were originally planned for 2020; one The Silk Road (no new date yet fixed) and the other a Mediterranean cruise, now scheduled for September 2022. It would be nice to escape overseas again as I still have a sense of adventure but I have been fortunate with my travels in the past through my job with the FCO (now FCDO) so I am content to be UKbased for the time being.

I have had two cataract operations since March and did not have the easy ride I had expected. The result being that I am still trying to get used to what I was told should be only temporary discomfort having been assured that the actual procedure has been a success.

Being confined to home-based pursuits during lockdown and in between, I decided I wanted to start piano lessons again. I found a teacher who was teaching a neighbour and started lessons with her on Zoom during lockdown. Sadly, she was unable to continue due to a health problem, so I had to find someone else. Thinking that my piano tuner must have a wide range of contacts, I asked him and he came up with a really wonderful suggestion “I’ve heard that he’s very good and he makes lessons fun”. It turned out he comes from Glasgow, my hometown, and was prepared to take me on after a trial lesson in September of last year. I was all for a longer lesson every other week, but he persuaded me that a half hour once a week would be much better. So, it has turned out, as it keeps me practicing on a far more regular basis and there is less time for mistakes to take root in between lessons. In July, we went piano shopping and I cannot believe the massive difference, for the better, that my new second-hand piano - an Englishbuilt Kemble to replace my elderly 1905 Bechstein upright - has made to my playing. I am currently working on resurrecting Debussy’s Dr Gradus ad Parnassum which, under punctilious tuition of the sometimes-fierce Miss Mary McKendrick, I remember performing at my last school concert in 1961. I am using the original copy of the music (for some strange reason it is rather like having a security blanket!) with Miss McKendrick’s notes and fingering all over

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it. I have even managed to learn four new pieces by heart something I thought I could never do again. Getting back to the piano is the best thing I have done in a long time and I’m really looking forward to continuing to improve.

Fiona Shannon (Christiansen-Walley, Class of 1961, Wendover) Both my husband David and I have been horribly unwell with a beastly attack of Covid. We had just come back from a lovely week in Greece and were feeling extremely fit and healthy. On the very day I had the booster jab I began to cough. Luckily, we didn’t have to go to hospital.

We are getting better, but we don’t feel completely well yet, are terribly tired and I’m still dealing with a ‘foggy brain’.

Every day we thank our lucky stars that we are alive. Now we are focusing on 2025 when we shall celebrate 60 years of a very happy marriage, despite the trials and tribulations.

Circle 101 Bridget Blackburn (Collett, Class of 1961, Rubens) These photos (see below) were taken on 1 August 2021 for our family Christmas card. This is the first time our family has been able to get together post Covid-19 restrictions. We are still cautious, but now have both our booster shot and the flu jab.

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Circle 102 Rosemary Harley (Carroll, Class of 1962, Cloister) One thing I started in lockdown, at the beginning of this year, was each day to read about that particular day from my five-year diary that I wrote from aged 14 in 1968 to 1972. Wonderful and often amusing memories of Wycombe Abbey days and people!

Elizabeth Barrs (Mitchell, Class of 1962, Airlie) I write with the news of the marriage of my son, Michael, to Rashmi Swamy in Michigan, USA in August. It was a small and informal ceremony with many more people watching it on Zoom around the world than actually present. All rather surreal!

Circle 116 Christina Thomson Jones (Thomson, Class of 1969, Cloister) So, 2021! And the pandemic. All my work was cancelled, except for one Zoom piano lesson per week, and that was enough! I hate the Zoom.

Much of the early months were taken up walking as my younger son was on gardening leave between jobs and wanted to do something. He asked me if I would like to do a 12-day circular walk with him around the southern Yorkshire Dales. And that meant serious training. I trained around Ripon, he trained in Epping Forest and round London. I was so excited.

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We decided to go at the start of May, so we stepped out from my front door with our rucksacks on our backs, and walked a carefully planned individual route, staying at Airbnb’s on the way as there were no pubs or hotels open. Occasionally the village/town we were in had an open-air pub/restaurant, otherwise we had to plan food in advance and he cooked.

It was really amazing. Strenuous, in that we did 190 miles in 12 days, with some very varied landscape and through some awful weather. We had expected it to be warmer and brighter, but we had torrential rain, sleet, snow, hail, then towards the end, a little sunshine!

We stayed in some unusual places, drank a lot of Yorkshire ale and had a local pork pie competition, trying as many different homemade pies as we could, going halves on each if the butcher sold two flavours. Neither of us wanted to see another pork pie by the end of the trip!

We were friends all the way, and it really was such a great experience, especially as he is now a married man, the wedding having just been in October.

Since then, work has opened up again. A new ABRSM music exam called a Performance Grade is now in place by video link, as well as the face to face examining which is just beginning to open up again here, and we are hoping for international work again next year.

I have been away to visit friends and family, and have had quite a few visitors here also. Everyone is trying to make up for lost time, so it’s very busy!

Let’s hope life returns to normal soon.

Anne Smart (Noble, Class of 1969, Barry) Our news is that Richard and I were approved as relief foster carers in July. We’re linked to a brother and sister aged 11 and six, who stay with us one weekend a month.

They are full of energy, so their main foster carer appreciates the breaks! Last time, we took them to a big firework display in Oxford; they’d never seen fireworks before and kept saying “wow”! There were huge crowds so we had to keep a careful eye on them. When we got home, it was past their bedtime and we were all tired; the little girl still wanted to read me How to grow radishes, before she settled down. We have also looked after a 15 year old lad who stays in his room nearly all the time, but does play cards with us each day. We can recommend

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weekend fostering; the assessment took six months and there’s training to do, but so far, the most stressful thing has been listening to Richard changing the bathroom door handle to one you can open from the outside. It wasn’t a success, so we’ve put the old one back, and now have little pull-across catches.

Gill Rushton (Class of 1969, Wendover) 2021 has been a year of two halves for me on account of the pandemic restrictions, and as for many others, I expect. I was lucky to remain well throughout and probably due to my isolation, but I quite enjoyed the lockdown because I had time to savour various pleasures which I have often taken for granted in the past particularly walks in the beautiful local countryside. I also enjoyed lengthy conversations (albeit on the phone) with my friends and family so never felt lonely although I live alone, and I got on with pastimes such as sewing, family history, decorating and gardening. One project I took on was summarising my ‘page a day’ diaries dating back to 1961 when I was at Godstowe and that work (still ongoing!) has brought back many happy memories of my time at Wycombe, although sometimes I didn’t recall any of the events I described, and it felt like reading the exploits of a child I’d never met before!

The second half of the year has not yet been quite ‘normal’ as such, but more akin to it and I have enjoyed seeing friends and family in person, going back to volunteering at Winchester Cathedral and for a local almshouse charity, and enjoying a little bit of theatre and the various society activities which had operated on Zoom for much of the previous 18 months. I have only left home for one night since Christmas 2019, but I am hoping to resume my travels in 2022 – maybe! Luckily, living in Winchester, I have been a ‘stop-off’ for various friends travelling from London and the south east for their holidays in the west country, so I saw many of them as they arrived for breakfast, coffee, tea or supper and that has continued even into the winter months. My one night away took me to delightful Malmesbury for the celebration of a friend’s success at the Tokyo Paralympics. It was very exciting to try on her medals (how heavy they were!) and great to be able to congratulate her in person as well as see many other friends and family members on the same occasion.

Here’s to a more ‘normal’ 2022 whatever that may bring.

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was a wonderful party. A week in July in Norfolk with friends and then a couple of weeks in Crete in September - extremely difficult paperwork to get in and out of the country!

It is good that I am back singing in a fun choir and Art History has started live again, although Zoom was a saviour in lockdown.

Let’s hope for a safer and much better 2022.

Anne Hutchinson (King, Class of 1969, Rubens) This is a photo taken for Christmas 2020 before the six lockdowns we have had to endure in Melbourne! Luckily two of my grandchildren live with me (the youngest Charlotte was born in September 2019) and the other three live close by. I retired at the end of 2020 after 45 years of teaching in England, Germany, New Zealand and Australia. The last 22 years were at the most wonderful girls’ school and I can truly say I loved nearly every minute.

However, nearly two terms of remote teaching were enough for me and I saw the writing on the wall for 2021!

So instead of remote teaching French to senior girls, I have been teaching Joshua who started at school this year and the twins who are in year one. I now know why I never became a primary school teacher!

For us, lockdowns have been tolerable as in our 5km limit we have been able to get to the beach and also various parks.

I was delighted to be able to “attend” the Carol Service and also the recent Seniors’ Day – the only advantage of lockdowns has been the use of Zoom for us Seniors who live overseas! Somehow, I managed to answer quite a few questions on the Seniors’ Day Quiz and was delighted to receive a prize.

Marcia Neill (Seymour-Smith, Class of 1969, Barry) What a strange time we have all endured these last 20 months. Living in the beautiful Chilterns, Peter and I have been very blessed with beautiful countryside on our door step.

A fun trip to Cornwall with the family at half term was great to spend quality time with my two granddaughters, and then Peter, Caroline (daughter), James (son) had arranged a party for my 70th. At the beginning of June, I was allowed maximum 30 people in James’ garden and it

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Circle 117 Elizabeth Breeze (Class of 1969, Rubens) Our Circle has been quiet this year… people have been coping with the pandemic as best they can. Some have managed to get together with families, others not. Some have experienced sadness. However, long-term friendships have been a godsend for many too.

Liz Landers (Denlegh-Maxwell, Class of 1969, Cloister) Of course, the pandemic has created a different world, with changed priorities. In our case, we find ourselves drawn inwards more. From no longer attending busy events to flying to exotic places, our lives are simpler.

We have not experienced the mega complications of working from home whilst home schooling children, whose needs have become infinitely more complex, and time consuming, as their own world has gone topsy-turvey. It will take time for that impact to soften.

We are also trying to lead more responsible lives as we think of the planet our grandchildren will inherit. There is a sense of returning to the natural rhythms of life as I dig out The Readers Digest Cook Book of the Year and hilariously get excited about which veg are now in season!

Cornwall has been our retreat from our small London flat, blessed though we are with magical Thames views. We have been to Rock four times and launched a new boat.

We even hit wonderful weather in October when we had the absolute joy of having a house party over two weeks, with 15 friends each staying for three nights. With detailed ‘lesson planning’ (I am a teacher through and through!), we had four course meals every evening with minimal fuss and maximum fun. And we remained Covid sensitive. Amazing what can be achieved with brilliant friends.

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Brian, being a land lubber, was not so excited about launching the boat! However, far more creatively, he has launched Coincidence of Spies and Exodus of Spies in this past year. Another, Quiver of Spies, is with the publisher.

He may seem prolific (four, almost five, books in two years) but the first two were written some time ago, although published last year. His aim has been to have a series. Each book takes almost a year to craft. As he explains, writing fiction does take one’s mind off the problems of the world - as does reading fiction!

Circle 119 Jenny Garland (Class of 1970, Barry) There is really little to report on another year without foreign holidays! I have at least recently had a UK holiday, in north Norfolk, where I was extremely lucky with the weather and had an excellent warm, sunny week visiting country houses, with the odd other attraction as well. I – like everyone else - am hoping for better things next year.

Jane Orchard (Griggs, Class of 1970, Rubens) As with most of us, little has been happening in the last 18 months. No trips away. I have been working hard continuing to assess patients medically for benefits. We really appreciate having our two children and their families here in Jersey and are lucky to see them quite often.

It was our ruby wedding anniversary last year and we were lucky there was a relaxation in regulations for Covid last September, so we were able to enjoy celebrations with family and friends.

Our youngest grandson, Hugo, now almost 11 months old, has already had open heart surgery in Southampton just before last Christmas. They have now found his skull has fused too early so may need surgery for that. Poor little mite. Worrying for parents and grandparents.

We are looking forward to our first trip off the island in two years this coming week. We are driving around France. I had forgotten how exciting it is to anticipate such a holiday.

Catriona Brown (MacLeod, Class of 1970, Wendover) This has been another quiet year, but the good news is that so far Robert and I have kept well and avoided Covid.

This summer, just when we were beginning to relax our guard a little, our next-door neighbours went down with it. They are in their early 60s, double vaccinated and had been very careful, so it was a bit of a shock especially as we had been chatting with them outside the house only a couple of days before. Luckily, they recovered quite quickly and all our tests were negative, but it was a sobering experience.

During the year we have had a couple of short selfcatering breaks in Scotland, getting used to using mobile phones and QR codes to report where we are. We have also been delighted to welcome some friends to stay here in Stirling, especially Angela Fielding (Stokes) and her husband Stephen. It is great to be able to catch up face to face after such a long time.

Our main activities continue to be a bit of golf (which has been a life-saver during the pandemic) and our Spanish classes. I am not sure when we will venture abroad again to enjoy the Spanish sunshine, but for the moment the classes are keeping our little grey cells working and are giving the weeks some structure. At a minimum the homework creates deadlines, so we have to know which day of the week it is!

Circle 120 Penny Kent (Class of 1971, Butler) We had a great Zoom with five of us from Butler who left 50 years ago. But honestly, it did not seem like 50 years since we caught up and we all slotted in as if it was last year!

This photo (see next page) is from our Gypsy Caravan holiday to Cork, Ireland which four of us had in 1971.

We had amazing memories of that holiday - mostly getting completely drenched on our first day, the beautiful horse falling over on a hill and the same (recovered) horse disappearing from the field overnight!

Also, some photos of our Zoom call that took place.

I thought everyone looked just like they did at School!

Sarah even had her beautiful long golden locks. I had not

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seen Mish, Michelle Jarvie (Green) for many years as she emigrated to Canada in the 70s.

Ottilie remembered that she came to visit me at my home in Bengeo, Hertford when she passed her driving test. And I think I visited her when I was first driving, but not since then. I had not seen Sarah Holt or Judy Nicholson since 1971 so it was surreal! We have decided to definitely keep in touch now and are planning a trip to London in the autumn.

It was a very successful Zoom catch up!

Strained the weak heart and the wavering knee, Never the battle raged hottest, but in it.

Neither the last nor the faintest, were we!

Follow up! etc....

Oh the great days. in the distance enchanted, Days of fresh air, in the rain and the sun, How we rejoiced as we struggled and panted – Hardly believable, forty years on!

How we discoursed of them, one with another, Auguring triumph, or balancing fate, Loved the ally with the heart of a brother, Hated the foe with a playing at hate!

Follow up etc.

Forty years on, growing older and older, Shorter in wind, as in memory long, Feeble of foot, and rheumatic of shoulder, What will it help you that once you were strong?

God give us bases to guard or beleaguer, Games to play out, whether earnest or fun; Fights for the fearless, and goals for the eager, Twenty, and thirty, and forty years on!

Follow up etc.

A poem written by Ottilie Lefever to celebrate the Class of 1971 anniversary reunion.

Written by Edward Ernest Bowen and John Farmer in 1872

The Original

Fifty Years On

Forty years on, when afar and asunder Parted are those who are singing today, When you look back, and forgetfully wonder What you were like in your work and your play, Then, it may be, there will often come o’er you, Glimpses of notes like the catch of a song – Visions of boyhood shall float them before you, Echoes of dreamland shall bear them along.

Fifty years on when afar and asunder Parted are those who are Zooming today When we look back and forgetfully wonder What we were like in our work and our play, Then it may be there will often come o’er us Glimpses of notes like the catch of a songVisions of girlhood will float then before us, Sweet dreams or nightmares will bear them along.

Follow up! Follow up! Follow up Till the field ring again and again, With the tramp of the twenty-two men.

Follow up! Follow up!

[No chorus – the original is beyond parody!]

Routs and discomfitures, rushes and rallies, Bases attempted, and rescued, and won, Strife without anger and art without malice, – How will it seem to you, forty years on?

Then, you will say, not a feverish minute

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Weekly hair washing, just 3 or 4 bath days Limited home clothes and limited sweets, Skirts all to knee length and “good” books on Sundays, Letters home censored and dorms with no heat.

Handwashing undies and prep in the evenings, Awful school food which we starvingly ate, Stick practice, boaters and freezing cold swimming – These are the things we would rather forget.

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Then there were days in the distance enchanted, Picnics on Wednesdays in warm summer sun, Dance in the booter to Stones or the Beatles, Earnest discussions with points lost and won.

Butler was best, yes even the orange!

Our halfway house between Abbey and Hill.

Friendships were forged in the good times and bad times, Mutual support – we remember it still.

Fifty years on, growing older – or younger – Toned by Pilates or jogging, or none Reasonably fit, though a little bit creaky, Sixty-odd outside, but inside still young.

Cherished our families, friendships and neighbours, Hobbies and jobs, whether earnest or fun, Targets to aim for and life still to relish, Thirty and forty and fifty years on!

I think I’m one of the oldest cottages on the block, a possible dwelling having been on this site in 1649 and this particular house since 1738. I’m no longer phased by the standing water in the cellar; it has been collecting on every rainy day for centuries. A sump pump sorts it out. And I’m happy here too, though I still feel rather anchorless on a Sunday morning; belonging to a gathered bunch is important. I am newly in awe of all retired people who get on and do things. For the moment, it’s ‘catch your breath’ time and an opportunity to re-visit being a musician, playing a poor second violin in the local orchestra and continuing to write music mainly for choral ensembles.

I love setting words.

Ottilie Lefever, aka Sefton, 2021 Barbara Steadman-Allen (Class of 1971, Shelburne) It’s been a while since I shared anything with other Seniors, but since this is the 50th anniversary of leaving, I want to say that I was very happy at School. Reading my reports in retrospect (yes, I still have them as I do my moth-eaten boater, cloak and book bag) I was probably and quite seriously on some kind of ‘spectrum’. So much about learning styles and ways of viewing the world has been discussed and discovered since the staff and House members of Shelburne had to cope with me and Wycombe did such a lot for me with its accountability, structured and patient discipline and wide-open outdoor spaces. Whatever I was to Wycombe, the School did a lot for me. I attribute my favourite scenario - loving being among people and not having to talk to any of them - to House study life.

Maybe that explains why, in retirement from full-time ordained Anglican ministry at the end of August this year, when I moved from a four-bedroomed Vicarage with a back garden that was just a little short of needing a ride-on mower - I chose to live in a small cottage in Dorking, taking a very long run-up to moving by downsizing for two years. I am in the middle of town, with supermarkets, coffee shops and take-aways on my doorstep and in the midst of a small group of other cottages, all old. Yet I can also shut the front door on the world outside and access the Surrey Hills easily enough on foot with Barley and Mr J S ‘Elijah’ Holmes, two long suffering border terriers who must be missing the Vicarage back garden and its resident squirrels.

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January this year was my online graduation from York Uni with an MA in early church music, my final ‘thesis’ being a portfolio of composition at the end of a two-year course.

Thanks to lockdown in March 2020, I turned in a huge portfolio which included a cantata for Holy Week, based on the chapters of the story. Because the course had been about church music, it seemed appropriate to offer a choral piece written for every season of the liturgical year.

The cantata became my personal pilgrimage through Lent, Holy Week and Easter. There promises to be an in-person graduation next year. The lockdown also kick-started a weekly 18’ video to keep the congregational troops together (as it did for many church leaders) - recording a simple reflection on a single Bible reading with some music to think by and posting it to YouTube. That’s something I haven’t put down and I continue to post, channel: Revd BSA, and value the discipline of the weekly deadline.

For me, back in 1965, class of 1971, Wycombe was an unexpected and life-changing experience. Thank you, WA, for all the doors you have opened for me since then and who knows what’s next?!

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Philippa Moreton (Somerville, Class of 1970, Campbell) I retired from general practice in Wendover, Bucks a few years ago. Since then I have set up a specialist nursing service to help the elderly remain independent in their own home. While doing that I realised that people with a diagnosis of dementia had very little support, so three years ago I started a charity Wendover Dementia Support: www.wendoverds.org.uk. We run a home visiting service, a weekly Monday Club Café and a family support group for sons and daughters. We are currently supporting more than 45 families and we won a community award for our work during the lockdown.

My husband and I also have six grandchildren under the age of seven so we are kept fairly busy! I have fond memories of my time at Wycombe Abbey and look forward to hearing about everyone I knew there.

Carrie Kent (Freeth, Class of 1970, Cloister) I am still living in a 14/15th century old house in north Staffordshire. Still married to Peter and still have a golden retriever (though I think it’s probably a different one now).

I have had some serious health issues over the past few years but fingers crossed, hopefully have it under

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control. We got through “lockdown” unscathed thank goodness and now starting to venture out again! My hobbies are gardening (which takes up most of my time), walking the dog, cooking, embroidery and reading. I got my PPL (private pilot’s license) but unfortunately no longer fly - too expensive!

Rachel Cunynghame (Baines, Class of 1971, Butler) Apart from being thoroughly disgusted with Brexit (I cannot even send a parcel to our son in Mallorca without him being charged duty) and the government - at least I can hold my head up high and say I did not vote for either - life is rolling along.

There is always something to keep us busy here so no complaints.

My sister Julie-Anne was over from Dublin in the summer and whilst having a little holiday in Cornwall we visited Annie Lindo’s (de Boos) vineyard (photo attached Camel Valley). They were very busy with the harvest and wine making.

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Circle 121 Alison Gore-Randall (While, Class of 1971, Wendover) I continue to enjoy being the Chair of the Council of Queen’s College, London and supporting the College and Prep School delivering all girls’ education online and/or in person during the Covid-19 pandemic. I also continue my editorial work with two journals and various voluntary efforts alongside keeping in touch with friends, resuming visits to museums etc and being granny to four grandchildren. Like other Novavax Covid-19 vaccine trial participants, I have been unable to travel overseas; we gained NHS vaccine certification eventually but we still await the vaccine’s regulatory approval in the UK, and in other jurisdictions including WHO approval. My contemporary, Revd. Barbara Steadman-Allen (C120) with whom I lived and other Clarence girls in the flat under Butler, has shared weekly YouTube services and reflections of RevdBSA since the first lockdown. Barbara retired from her South Holmwood parish at the end of August having extended her stay by working part-time for the last two years and moved to Dorking. My twin sister, Caroline Banszky (While, C121) and I walk together regularly and play tennis when weather permits, and we see our older sister Margaret Hill (While, C103) for sister gatherings.

Caroline Banszky (While, Class of 1971, Airlie) Although I retired from my executive role in the City in 2017, I have been ‘working’ as a non-executive director and Chair of the Audit Committee of three listed companies (a FTSE100, a FTSE 250 and an All Share) ever since. They run a private equity portfolio, own a financial platform (Transact £45bn assets on the platform) and a portfolio of battery storage facilities respectively. It has been a challenging year but also interesting as we have had unique issues and challenges but had to deliver to our stakeholders. I am also a trustee of the Allchurches Trust Limited which is a large grant giving Christian charity: huge difficulties are facing communities and churches throughout the UK as a result of lockdowns. In the summer, I stood down from being a director of The Caledonian Club after six years. I am still a member and frequently visit. It has been a real struggle having had to close the club house to members and corporates as membership fees represent less than 50% of revenue. We had to ensure that the club survived. It is now open and thriving. If anyone would like to become a member, I am more than happy to introduce them.

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I see my twin sister Alison Gore-Randall (While, Class of 1971, Wendover, C121) quite a lot: we still play tennis together as we did at Wycombe. I keep in touch with Barbara Steadman-Allen (Class of 1971, Shelburne, C120) and she supplies me with weekly services on YouTube.

Circle 208 Sarah Roberts (Crawshaw, Class of 1998, Campbell) After taking a year out to set up my travel business, I am now back teaching Maths A level part-time and running accordingtothelist.com quietly in the background. I’m loving being back at work and getting to see colleagues and students in real life!

Circle 254 Harriet Bick (Class of 2007, Cloister) I am excited to share the birth of my baby boy Prax.

We asked fellow WA alumna Anna-Marie Barns (Class of 2007, Cloister, C253) to be his godparent, although due to travel restrictions she has not been able to meet him in person yet. Our family has also moved to Hong Kong from Singapore, and we look forward to exploring the peaks and trying all the dim sum! For the past year and a half I have been working with Anna-Marie on sales and marketing for The Natural Growth Company, and will continue to expand her Thai-grown organic produce worldwide.

Anna-Marie Barns (Class of 2007, Cloister) This year has been a busy one at the helm of The Natural Growth Company - a company my parents founded over 20 years ago. We export organic rice and sugar from Thailand to a variety of distributors and manufacturers globally. Aside from navigating the increasingly colourful and rocky landscape, I have also been building a new factory to support our expansion. The new machinery will ensure new learning curves and also some of the highest organic food standards. But one of the most exciting developments is becoming Prax’s godmother (see above).

I can’t wait to meet him, spoil him and introduce him to organic farming and Thai culture.

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Obituaries

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In Memoriam Sheila Kayll (Morrison) Circle 66, Class of 1940 Airlie 10 July 1923 – 9 January 2020 Mary Miranda Russell (Gough) Circle 104, Class of 1964 Campbell 8 August 1946 – 24 January 2020 Sylvia Barr-Hamilton (Webb) Circle 101, Class of 1961 Campbell 22 September 1944 – 28 June 2020 Elizabeth Jill Ohlson (Thain) Circle 70, Class of 1944 Butler 24 May 1927 – 17 December 2020

Pamela Davies Circle 71, Class of 1939 Rubens 17 April 1922 – 10 February 2021 Elizabeth Heath (Taylor) Circle 76, Class of 1950 Cloister 16 January 1931 – 22 February 2021 Cecilia Robinson Circle 86, Class of 1942 Barry 22 May 1924 – 8 November 2021 Carol Foster (Hewitt) Circle 101, Class of 1961 Rubens 1943 – 2021

Joyce Wood Honorary Senior, Wycombe Abbey Matron 1971 – 1985 1922 – 2021 At the start of the Second World War, Joyce responded to the need for nurses and started her training at Manchester Royal Infirmary. By the end of the war, she had risen to the role of Theatre Sister. Joyce had become a Christian during her training and knew God was calling her to be a missionary. She went to London to expand her horizons where she worked as a Community Midwife in the East End - yes, just like the TV programme complete with bicycle! In 1949 she commenced her journey to Kenya and arrived in Mombasa on her 27th birthday.

She loved her work in a bush hospital where she stayed for 22 years, eventually as Matron. Unfortunately, she badly injured her back and had to return to the UK,

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where she responded to an advertisement for a Matron at Wycombe Abbey. She stayed from 1971 until past her retirement age at 63, which underlines just how much she loved her time at the School.

Once retired Joyce returned to her family home in Greater Manchester and enjoyed walking, travelling round the UK to visit friends and was a very active member of her church.

Valerie Binsted Executor

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Marjorie Pattle (Whitter) Honorary Senior, Head of Classics and Assistant Housemistress 1952 – 1965 1923 – 2020

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any Seniors will remember being taught by Miss Whitter, Head of Classics at Wycombe Abbey from 1952 – 1965. Always cheerful and kind, she was a wonderful help to those of us new to the classics when we joined the School, who found Latin difficult.

At Sixth Form level, according to many, she was not only a ‘brilliant teacher’, but was always willing to go the extra mile to help and encourage. She took pains to help those of us who found certain aspects of Latin sentence construction endlessly challenging with her good humour and patience.

As Miss Whitter, she left Wycombe Abbey to take up Headships at two other girls’ schools – Gardenhurst and St Monica’s, Clacton. Subsequently, she retired and resorted to her role as Marjorie Pattle. But she never gave up her love of education as she invested in the personal and family lives of many of us after we had left school, married and had young families. She was generous to a fault with educational advice, giving us constant, supportive encouragement.

Marjorie was an only child. She could read from the age of three, and would lose herself in a good book. Her enjoyment of reading developed into an overall love of learning: not just of the Classics, but also of Music and the Arts. She grew up in London where her father worked and won a scholarship to St Paul’s from there she was evacuated to Wycombe Abbey during her time in the Sixth Form, when the London blitz was at its height.

In addition, her flair for mathematics meant she was recruited from her degree studies at Somerville College, Oxford, to work at Bletchley Park during the war. Her puzzle-solving gifts extended to additional responsibilities

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at School, since she devised and oversaw internal and external exam timetables with faultless precision, in days long before the existence of calculators or helpful technology.

Marjorie married Richard Pattle in December 1947.

They had known each other since their teens and were at Oxford together where ‘Dick’ had studied both Physics and Greats. He spent a life-long career at Porton Down working on the lung surfactant, before his early death in August 1980. Although Marjorie and Dick had no children of their own, they were immensely interested in, and helpful to, many of Marjorie’s pupils’ families. This took various forms: suggesting relevant contacts, offering advice, lending books, and generous giving for a plethora of extra-mural activities for the children of many of us who were what she always called her ‘former pupils’.

In retirement, and after Dick’s death, Marjorie made many new friends who enjoyed her warmth, her educational encouragement, her sense of humour and her gentle grace. She was diligent in keeping contact with friends scattered around the country, and around the world, as well as helping youngsters of new friends and neighbours.

Her warm heart, her kind and generous nature, will be missed by many – not least the literally hundreds of pupils whose educational experience she greatly enhanced.

Many of us who she taught owe her gratitude. Many others benefitted from her generosity and wisdom.

She will be greatly missed by all of us.

Revd Molly Fletcher (Tresna Russell, Class of 1960, Rubens, C97)

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Jean Gwendolen Alderman (Blake) Class of 1951, Barry, Circle 79 1935 – 2020

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ean was born on 1 March 1935 in Bangalore, India, where her father worked for British American Tobacco. She enjoyed her childhood playing with the family’s spaniels and tiny donkey Nelly, and developing a lifelong love of spicy curries.

She journeyed to the UK, with her mother and brother in 1944, aboard a Second World War troop ship, with the family settling in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. Their house was situated next to playing fields, and through to Harpenden Lawn Tennis Club, where she and her brother, Marcus, played and won many tournaments. She was a fabulous tennis player who, as well as county tennis, played at Junior Wimbledon.

The greatest love of all her childhood however was her school, Wycombe Abbey, where she made lifelong friends as well as excelling in tennis and lacrosse. She loved getting up early for games, and unlike her best friend Philippa Fraser (Fox, Class of 1952, Barry, C80), didn’t mind the freezing cold dormitories. At this time there was no central heating in the School and the long cloaks worn were a warm necessity.

Leaving School she attended secretarial college in London, then gaining a job at the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators. A friend started to suggest that they too should travel and eventually she and her great friend Wendy set off to America. Some of the first backpackers, they travelled by Greyhound buses making and meeting up with friends along the way, travelling from New York across to San Francisco and up to Canada, where she had a season working and skiing in Mont-Tremblant.

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She then quit the snow for the Caribbean and a job at Half Moon Hotel, Montego Bay, Jamaica. Here she met, fell in love with and married fellow Brit, John Alderman, who was managing a nearby hotel.

They then continued to work and travel together with stints in Gibraltar and Barbados before settling into a more routine life back in the UK. Whilst John was managing Gleddoch Golf and Country Club near Glasgow, she brought up her three children, Max, Jenny and Alison, and took up golf. After the family moved to Dorset she joined Broadstone Golf Club, where she was finally persuaded to become Ladies Captain.

Jean was devoted to her four grandchildren; Stephanie, Daniel, Indy and Pippa, and had seemingly limitless time to hear of their achievements or otherwise.

Throughout her life she kept a close connection to Wycombe Abbey, staying in touch with former classmates as well as pouring over the latest Wycombe Abbey communications and magazines, and returning to the School for carol concerts and attending old girl meetings. She was impressed and amazed by how the School has grown since her time there and was proud of all its achievements.

Jean died in August 2020 after losing her brave fight with breast cancer. She was 85.

Alison Bowles Daughter

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Natalie McCallum (Jeune) Class of 1996, Shelburne 1979 – 2021

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hilst Natalie was at Ashdown House Preparatory School, it was her greatest wish to continue her education at Wycombe Abbey which she attended from 1991 to 1996, firstly in Shelburne House and then Clarence House. She loved her time at Wycombe Abbey, especially being a member of the choir, and she made many lifelong friends. She went on to study at the University of Leeds.

During her gap year she attended Leipzig University followed by a year at the Universite de Provence in Aix-en-Provence. She was a brilliant linguist and spoke fluent French and German. When she returned from France, she decided that Leeds was not for her and came to live with me on Exmoor and accepted a place at the University of Bristol from where she graduated with a 2.1 degree in French and German. Whilst living with me on Exmoor she took up riding very seriously, hunting with

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The Devon and Somerset Staghounds and competing in eventing. Natalie then took a job running a luxury chalet in Val-d’Isere where she ended up being an excellent chef and a seriously good skier. After France, she moved to London and worked very successfully in public relations until she was married in April 2008 to Julian McCallum by whom she had two sons, Gabriel and Lucas. They moved to a lovely house in Surrey, but latterly she became mentally stressed, a condition much exacerbated by the restrictions imposed by Covid-19, and unexpectedly and very sadly took her own life on 20 January 2021.

She will be sadly missed by all whose lives she touched.

“She was one of those rare ones, so effortlessly herself and the world loved her for it.”

Hugo Jeune Father

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Catherine Archer (Overton) Vice President of Council Class of 1952, Barry, Circle 79 1934 – 2021

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atherine was a much-loved Senior and longstanding supporter of Wycombe Abbey. As a former Member of Council and Vice President of Council, Catherine remained involved with School right up to the last. Catherine’s lengthy association with Wycombe Abbey started as the daughter of a Senior, before becoming a pupil herself, leaving School in 1952, and going on to become the mother and aunt of pupils and Seniors.

Mrs Archer and her late husband, Mr Ronnie Archer, were supporters of music, and through their generosity, Wycombe Abbey was able to build the Archer Recital Hall which opened in 1996. Countless performances have taken place at the School’s annual Archer Concert, which was named in their honour.

We would ask anyone who would like to contribute to a tribute to Catherine to contact the Seniors’ Office at seniors@wycombeabbey.com.

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Services

Online Hypnotherapy Could I Access Support from the Comfort of Home?

Georgina Mathew (Class of 2008, Airlie, C257) Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and teacher Georgina is offering online hypnotherapy services to take place wherever the client feels most comfortable - cutting out any stressful waits and unnecessary travel time. Georgina works with clients of all walks of life to help them reframe any debilitating behaviours or thoughts in a more effective way than traditional talking therapy.

Hypnotherapy is a proven technique, backed by the NHS, that helps the body relax. Through different techniques specified to the particular issues, it can help the brain walk through the paths that it finds challenging to reshape and reconfigure future responses. She works with many differing issues ranging from anxiety, trauma and habit cessation to fears, phobias and pain management.

Please do get in contact for a free 20-minute consultation so that I can answer any questions you may have at hello@theonlinehypno.com Website: theonlinehypno.com Instagram: @theonlinehypno

Chisholm Design We believe passionately that the kitchen is the most important part of your home and that through great design and personal service we can help you transform how you and your family live.

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Whether you are looking for some initial help with a kitchen design or need someone to help you fully design, source and manage the kitchen element of a major renovation project, we are here to help.

Based in Farnham, Surrey, we’ve designed and delivered projects across Surrey, Hampshire, East and West Sussex, Kent, Berkshire, Wiltshire and London and even as far as Dunnet Head, at the northernmost tip of Scotland.

From ‘I don’t know where to begin’, to design, delivery, and finally that delighted feeling you welcome friends and family into your newly transformed space, we’re here to help you every step of the way through our highly personalised service, which we will tailor to your needs.

For more information, or to arrange a free, on-site consultation, please visit our website or get in touch: www.chisholmdesign.co.uk hello@chisholmdesign.co.uk 07765 881192 Katherine Amin (Bailey, Class of 1999, Campbell, C214)

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FASHION

eden & zoe is a clothing brand for women and children.

Visit our online shop for beautiful clothes and accessories in classic yet modern designs.

Contact: Melissa Wang (C190) Website: www.edenandzoe.com Email: melissa@edenandzoe.com

CHARITY

‘Adelante Mujer’ ‘Adelante Mujer’ (or ‘Onwards Women’) is dedicated to supporting women who have been through difficulties, in most cases domestic violence, helping them move forward with their lives and take charge of their future. The women of this non-profit, run by one of our very own Seniors, Sarah Abdoo (Class of 2012, Campbell, C283), have been trained to make these handmade and high-quality products, which make perfect gifts for your loved ones. Every penny goes directly towards the programmes designed to help the women on their journey to breaking the cycle of violence and owning their lives on all levels.

The range includes oven gloves, aprons, wallets, hair accessories, bags, greeting cards, tablecloths and place mat and napkin sets.

To view the full catalogue and for any enquiries, please contact Sarah personally at: sarahabdoo@hotmail.com

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HOLIDAY COTTAGES

Family Ski Chalet in France ‘Le Barn’ is a beautiful house situated in St Martin de Belleville’s quaint satellite village of Béranger. It is located just 4km from the ski lifts giving you direct and speedy access to the vast Three Valleys ski area. This property sleeps eight guests and features four spacious bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large open plan living room, a modern kitchen/dining area and a laundry room. It is a great place for a family skiing holiday with easy access in a car to the local shops, cafés and restaurants in St Martin de Belleville.

Stunning scenery for mountain walking and cycling in the summer too.

Reasonable rates on request.

Visit https://www.lebarn.co.uk or email info@lebarn.co.uk.

Caroline Gleave (Class of 1982, Wendover/Campbell, C150) Photograph by Free Spirit Alpine https://www.freespiritalpine.com

HOLIDAY COTTAGES

Croatian Villa Beside the Sea This villa boasts glorious sea, island and mountain views of the Peljesac peninsula, just one hour north of Dubrovnik.

The property sleeps eight people with en-suite bedrooms and modern kitchen facilities.

Its location is a good base for day trips to Mostar and Korcula and other interesting tourist sites, with plenty of nearby walking tracks and swimming coves. http://www.kremena-villa.com/index.html Tel: 07792 527521 Juliet Blackburn (Lebon, Class of 1961, Butler, C100)

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Wycombe Abbey High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP11 1PE seniors@wycombeabbey.com wycombeabbey.com Registered Charity No. 310638

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