I would like to set up an e-mail link with Past Pupils. St. Peter's Past Pupils Association have a very efficient one, which I hope to emulate. It would be so useful to be able to contact members, who have access to E mail, in between the two newsletters a year; perhaps they in turn could pass on information to others who do not have such access. Although I shall need your e-mail addresses it is not necessary to list them all when I send as I can use one contact. Hopefully we would not need it to inform you only of deaths but I am sure that many of you regret not knowing sooner about some of those of which you have just read.

If you would like to be put on to such a list please send me your e-mail addresses.

If I already have them I would await your consent before including them.

My e-mail address is - brooksfm@talk21.com

We have gained new members through the friends reunited website. In case you have not visited it the address is www.friendsreunited.co.uk The school is under both names: The Convent of the Cross and Boscombe Convent and the membership grows daily. One new member found us from Australia.

The other website which contains information and news is - www.rc-churches.net

Glenn Edgeley Long does a great job with news from the parishes and pictures and news of the Boscombe Convent. That section can be found under our name heading.

The notice of the death of Theresa Connolly was on the website quickly, as Mgr. Hishon at St. Thomas More Church keeps Glenn updated all the time. He will put things on to the website for members if you e-mail him at: gel@rc-churches.net. We are grateful to him for the interest he takes and the work he does on our behalf.

NEWS FROM PAST PUPILS
Jane O'Brien (Thurgood) kindly passed on news to us, which she received in her Christmas mail. Genevieve Basto (Bond) wrote: "After our disappointment of not getting to the annual reunion last JulyI went on to have 2 heart operations - in the midst of our gathering of family for our 40th wedding anniversary! All is well now again, thank God, although I lack a bit of stamina . ... . I look forward to trying to get to the Reunion next July! "

Jane hears every year from Hilary Pearson (Edwards/Henbest), and her sister Iris in South Africa.

Jane also had news, via Fr. Mark Hackett in Zimbabwe, of Vivienne Treanor, who was a boarder at the Convent, she has moved,from Harare to Cape Town.

Huguette Rouillard (Monclin) wrote that she was moving to a small neighbouring town where she had everything at hand, church, Post Office, her "medical people, " shops and where she knows quite a few people. We hope that you are happily settled in your new home now.

Helen Watkins (O'Brien) is now living in Poole and she is working in the Cancer Care Centre in Poole Hospital, oncology being her specially. Jane and Jimmy are often able to see Helen, her husband Chris and daughters Charlotte and Natalie, who are both now at St. Mary's School, Poole.

Helen Warrington (Bond), rang from Canada to ask the date of the reunion this year. Helen and Michael are hoping to be in England at that time.

Vanessa Bennett (Larcombe) keeps in touch with Elizabeth ... . (Peet), who is a contemporary of hers.

Elizabeth lives in New Jersey, U.S.A. but came over frequently to see her 85 year old father; just before Christmas she took him back with her for 6 weeks. After that he was going to live with Elizabeth's elder sister Veronica, whose home is in Kansas City, where she is a chaplain in a hospital. Sadly, for Vansessa it means that Elizabeth will no longer be coming over to visit her father.

Diana Dixon (Brownrigg) - wrote to Jean Walsh, when she sent her subscription. She always enjoys the newsletter and often finds reference to people she knew at the Convent. Last July Diana retired from her permanent teaching post in Tonbridge, where she was Head of the Upper School, Designated Child Protection Co-ordinator, and French teacher, which was an extremely busy occupation. Now Diana is teaching part-time in an independent school - only 4 days a week! She says that "Mamselle " would be delighted to know that she often quotes her during the lessons.

Diana and her husband now have a large group of grandchildren; number 6 was born just before Christmas and number 7 is due in August.

Diana still has what she calls her "mad" hobby, showing and judging Bloodhounds, but she also loves writing, gardening and reading. They recently went to see the Pirates of Penzance, in Dartford, and it reminded her of the Convent production, which she feels was really quite spectacular; Miss Gobell was tireless in her efforts to give perfection.