We send our prayers and sympathy to the following people and to all former pupils and members of staff whose dear ones have died. May the deceased rest in peace and may all who mourn be comforted.

The husband of MARIE CLARKE (HAYWOOD) died in July. MARIE keeps in touch with (PAULINE BROWNING).

The father of LESLEY JOHNS died in June 2005.

IRENE KOLLMER (WUYTACK) died in Dublin on 4th September, after a short illness, aged 64.

PATRICIA KIMBER (COOMBES) died on 22nd October. We send our sympathies to her daughter HILLARYIVEY (KIMBER) and her family, to Pat's son David and his family and to her sister,

SISTER KATE (KITTY) COOMBES. Sr. Kate had been staying in Pat's flat, preparing it for her return from hospital, sadly Pat died before getting home. Last year Kitty had cared for the youngest sister JENNIFER before she died.

It was good to catch up with KITTY again after so many years. She is living as a Hermit in a cottage at a Monastery in Lancashire. Although Pat had not been a pupil at the Convent in Boscombe she had attended Holy Cross School and many knew her through the Girl Guides, The 1st Bournemouth South Corpus Christ! Troop, which JOSEPHINE DALY had started at the request of MOTHER McEVOY.

After Josephine retired as Guider, Pat took over from her. Pat taught at Brockenhurst School, where she met her husband John, who sadly died last year. Pat & Josephine kept in touch throughout the years, as did LAURA LOFTING (TEMPLAR).

JOSEPHINE DALY, PAULINE BROWNING, TOMMY BROWNING & MARY BROOKS (BROWNING) attended the Requiem Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, New Milton.

PHILLIP HUGHES, died suddenly in September. We send our sympathy to his sister EILEEN & brother JOHN.

We ask for your prayers for all who are ill and for those who care for them. May they receive the strength and help they need.

BERNARD COX and his wife Mary have returned to Southbourne from their former home in France. The journeys to and from the Hospital there for treatment were too difficult Here they have been fortunate to find a suitable flat in Fisherman's Walk, not far from their son Mark and his family. Bernard has seen the local cancer doctor, who has taken things in hand.

DEIRDRE FOSTER (CRICK) is awaiting a knee replacement operation, as soon as her health permits.

DOROTHEA KLYNNE is unwell and would appreciate your prayers.

BARBARA KEAY thanks us for our prayers and thoughts.

ROWENA INGRAM (DIRKS), for whom we asked for prayers in May, finished her chemotherapy in September, has just completed the radiotherapy and is doing very well. She too thanks us for remembering her.

CONGRATULATIONS

In July SISTER RUTH MARY BROWN sent an account of a celebration, to which she had been invited.

" A few weeks ago, I was invited to the Golden Wedding celebration of ANN SWINBURNE (WYATT), in Hambledon Village Hall. ANN WYATT was a boarder at Boscombe in the 1940s, around the same time I was.

Ten years later her sister, Jean, was there for several years and was my pupil. Then, when I moved to Waterlooville, Ann was Chair of Governors at Oaklands School. Her four children were pupils at Oaklands and I taught them all. It was a lovely party. All the family were there, including Ann's grandchildren, it was obvious that there was a happy relationship between them."

Congratulations to Ann and her husband from us.

Another Golden Wedding Anniversary took place early in October, that of MICHAEL and HELEN WARRINGTON (BOND). HELEN wrote in late June to say that they were holding the celebration at the end of July, as October weather in Canada could be difficult.

They were expecting family and friends; ANNE & GENEVIEVE told me at the reunion that they were going and that GABRIELLE, who also lives in Canada, would be there, so all 4 sisters would be united. GENEVIEVE has kindly written an account for us.

"After attending our son's wedding in Cannes in mid July, in a heat wave, we flew off to Vancouver for Helen and Michael's Golden Wedding celebration. The whole family, together with Helen and Michael, went to a lot of trouble to organize the event in their own home. All of their eight children and partners were there, together with all twelve grandchildren.

It was an excellent party of about sixty people in, again, a heat wave, which did not prevent hours of reminiscing between friends and family, some of whom had not seen each other for many years.

It was interesting that, together with the bride and groom, the best man, (from Vancouver) the two bridesmaids, (Gen from Portugal, the 2nd from U.K. ),the flower girl,(who came all the way from Australia) were again all together - fifty years on.

The four of us, Anne, Gabrielle, Helen and Genevieve enjoyed being together, our three brothers being unable to fly to Canada."

We are glad that you had a wonderful celebration and reunion with family and friends. And we look forward to seeing you at Reunion 2006, when I will display the larger photo of the 4 Bond girls.

GAY DONLEVY (BROWNING), born 4 days before VJ Day, had a surprise 60th birthday party organised by her daughter and 3 sons and their spouses.

CHRISTINE THACKRAY (BROWNING) flew out to Australia for a few weeks and was able to attend the party, which really had been kept a secret!

Past pupil DOROTHY SAWTELL (BROOKS) and her husband Jack were there with many other old friends, and Gay and John's excited 6 grandchildren. Their son, Tim, has been in New Zealand twice as part of the filming team for the new films of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, filmed in the Southern Alps in the Christchurch area, and King Kong, filmed in the Wellington region.

DOROTHY went to Australia in January 1947 as a war bride; a book was recently compiled recounting their early experiences. Dorothy keeps in touch with MARY McGINNIS (DREW), who lives in Canada, but always visits Dorothy when Mary goes to see her daughter in New Zealand and brother Cyril in Melbourne.

GERALDINE NICHOLLS (MAHY) also corresponds with Dorothy. Of course her family here, MARY BUDDEN (BROOKS), THERESA NICOL (BROOKS) & brothers FRANK & ANTHONY are in constant contact.

Mary McGinnis also keeps in touch with PAULINE BROWNING. Christine had spent a week with her sister PAT BARR (BROWNING) in Western Australia before journeying on to New South Wales. TOMMY & ANNA BROWNING (MURRAY) are happy to welcome a new grandson, Samson, born to Daniel and Lisa in October, the 6th grandchild.