NEWS OF OLD CROYDONIANS

Catherine Penn 2004 having gained a 2.1 in Sports Science at the University of Portsmouth is now studying for a PGCE in Primary Education at Southampton University.

Carol Byrne (Gillman) 1998 is living in York and has a baby daughter, Grace, born in April 2007

Helena Palmer (Morriss) 1995 was married in 2005 and now lives in Berkhamsted. She is working as a paediatric physiotherapist and is also studying part time for an M.Sc in paediatric neurology at University College London, which she hoped to complete in 2007

Rachel Mirfattahi (Leong) 1993 has been working as a consultant for Redsley for the last seven years. Initially she was based in the Midlands but now works from home in Edinburgh. She got married in July 2007.

Rachel White (Crafer) 1991 and former Head of the Music Department at CHS, is now married, and is Director of Music at Ranby House School, Retford.

Caroline Laughton (Reay- Jones) 1990 married Neil in 2006 and has a baby son Oscar born in March 2007 and is living in Putney.

Judy Gowans (Stebbings) 1977 met up with Carol Smeeth and Lynda Smith (Lout) at the Summer Lunch Party in June. “The lunch was excellent and afterwards, Lorna Ogilvie gave us a most interesting tour of the school. It was particularly fascinating to see the new developments in the gym complex and the computer suite. We all wished that more of our year had been there - where are you all?! Carol, Lynda and I can all be contacted by email on the Friends Reunited website, so let's hope more of us can get together in 2017, if not before!”

Deborah Jenkins (Barker) 1973 is now living in Sydney, Australia and would like to hear from any of her year who remember her deb.jenkins@bigpond.com.

Gill Ellis (ex Chemistry staff and former Head of Streatham High) writes “I retired in 2002 after a year when I was in hospital 3 times, and the distinct feeling that someone was trying to tell me something. So I decided enough was enough and hung up my gown a year early. I wanted to move away from Streatham so found myself living in the heart of Canterbury. I love it here, and am having a whale of a time - when I am in residence that is! I wanted to travel and that I have been doing - the Galapagos and Ecuador, Chile and Argentina ( never ever thought I would sail round Cape Horn!) Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and just a few weeks ago, India, where I was on the trail of the tigers before they finally become poached out of existence. It nearly killed me and has taught me that one needs to have a little more respect for one's age! However undaunted I am off to the Antarctic in January, also the Falklands (again) and South Georgia; I will be away for nearly a month most of which time will be spent on a Russian ice breaker. I have also fitted in various short trips to Europe , (Canterbury is exceptionally well placed for such things) . Next trip is Borneo, hopefully followed by South Africa again and Madagascar) In between times I have done some research on for a book that Chris Darwin (yes, great great grandson of Charles) is writing and done a course at the Cathedral to become a guide. I had
forgotten what intensive study was like and the exam at the end nearly killed me, but I passed, which I felt was an extraordinary fluke!

Recently I caught up with Nicky Ragge who has done terribly well following her scholarship to Kings, Cambridge in 1978. She is now a Senior Research Fellow at St John's, Oxford and holds an American Academy of Sciences Award. Her field is paediatric Ophthalmology, and she consults one day a week each at Moorfields and Birmingham as well as running a very
high powered lab in Oxford.” Gill is happy to be contacted by e mail gmellis@onetel.com ” if anyone would like to get in
touch/visit (Canterbury is so lovely and now that I have passed my Cathedral exam I can do a passable guided tour….)

Susan Harrison (Pearce) 1963 graduated from King’s College London in French and German in 1967 and then gained a MA in French. She taught in London and South Wales taking early retirement in 1999 to become a school inspector until 2005. She has two children from her first marriage and remarried in 1994. She is now “taking life easy being a member of
Friends of the Earth and Soroptomists International, travelling, dabbling in antiques (specialising in 19th century marble and bronze sculpture); family tree research; and a bit of writing. How did I ever find time to go to work?”

Christine (Chris) Janssens (Martin) 1962 writes “After working a few years in London, I moved to Paris to work for NATO for a year, until Charles de Gaulle kicked the Organisation out to Brussels. I was then engaged to Michel, and moved to Montpellier, where I worked firstly for IBM and then for a further education college for students from underdeveloped
countries doing post-graduate studies on agriculture and farm management. I then moved to Paris and spent the next 27 years working at the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) as an administrative officer, looking after recruitment, budget, maintenance, etc. Divorced from Michel, I then married Louis, who is English despite his name, and who eventually became Head of the English Translation Service at OECD. After retirement we moved to Normandy, 30Km south of Cherbourg. Sadly Louis was diagnosed with a form of dementia and now lives in the old people’s home just up the road from our house. He is going on 88 but was still playing golf at 82, so had a very happy retirement.
I am very involved in the French equivalent of Hospice Work and am organising our contribution to this year’s Voices for Hospices event in October. We have a team of volunteers who are selected and trained to accompany dying people and at the moment work in Valognes hospital. We have hopes of being accepted into Cherbourg, but it is difficult. Otherwise, we may form a team to do home visits. Other than that I am Treasurer of our local Association Franco-Britannique, I play golf, look after my dog, belong to a philosophical society…. So generally keep pretty busy.”

Margaret Collins (Short) 1957 writes: “Malcolm and I have now been living happily in South West France for over six years. We are currently moving from our country home to a medieval town nearby, where we have bought a very old house, much of which requires restoration. We enjoy many visits from our five grandchildren and manage to get to England
regularly. We both belong to an English speaking drama group where Malcolm is able to use his graphic design skills doing the publicity, while I am trying my hand at some crafts which I never had time to do when working. Summers here are hot and reliable; though full of tourists who come to enjoy the beauty of the area, as well as the food and wine. I try to get
back to the reunions every five years - my next visit should be in 2010.”

WHERE IS MAGGIE?

Pauline (Gibson) Beeton, Margaret (Longhurst )Hood and Judith (Proudfoot) Wilsher are searching for Maggie, Margaret (Hartley )Pemberton, who left school in 1959, lived in Oxted, studied Geography and was married in Dulwich College Chapel. Where are you now? Anyone who knows please contact jmwilsher@aol.com

THE ASSOCIATION OF REPRESENTATIVES OF OLD PUPILS SOCIETIES (AROPS)

The Annual General Meeting of AROPS was held on Tuesday 9th October 2007 at Westminster School. During the Annual General Meeting Margaret Carter-Pegg (OldCrohamian) was elected President of the Association and Bill Gillen (Old Arnoldian) took over from Roger Moulton (Old Pauline) as Chairman. Discussion that followed the AGM included a report from the survey of merged societies and the threat to many of our schools from the legislation involving charitable status. Several schools reported that their associations were now working more closely with their schools to the benefit of all
concerned. Tim Wood, the Chairman of the Elizabethan Club, gave us a potted history of the Club and talked of the value of their effective web-site for keeping in touch with former pupils. He commented that the ages of their committee ranged from 24 to 70!! This was followed by an excellent supper.
Ann D Stranack (Wagstaff)