John was presented with the Bene Merenti Award for his services to the church. He did a great deal for our Catholic Schools, together with the late Leo Donlevy, and Fr. Joseph Murtagh. The establishment of St. Thomas More School, Iford, now integrated with St. Peter's School, was largely due to the efforts of this dedicated group.

The family had moved to Bournemouth in 1927, where John attended Bournemouth School for Boys. It was then that he began as an active member of the parish. On leaving school in 1931 he began as a clerk in Bournemouth Education Office, where he remained until retirement, apart from his war years in the RAF. Always very interested in local history John wrote a booklet about the parish, which was published in 1931.

He was a key member of the Local Studies Group which published a series of pamphlets and booklets about the Bournemouth area. He edited and produced the publications, at first manually with a small number of enthusiasts. He also wrote several of the booklets himself, these were comprehensive studies of various districts including Pokesdown, Southbourne, Victorian Boscombe, Winton and Moordown. His association with Education enabled him to produce an authoritative account of the locally maintained schools of the borough, from Victorian times to 1974.

He also told of the development of the two railways - the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway and the Main Line from Brockenhurst. His final publication for the group was a full analysis and description of the Inclosure Act of 1802, this act was to define the future shape of the town and its ownership.

John has left an invaluable legacy. We send our condolences to THERESA and her husband MIKE and to his grandchildren Michelle, Patsy, Arianna & Derek and to his great grandson Jack, in whose birth John rejoiced, just two weeks before he died.

PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS THOSE WHO ARE SICK AND THE PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR THEM. I MENTION SOME HERE BUT AM AWARE THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE IN NEED.

JOAN REED, who lives in Westbourne, is virtually housebound. THEA TURNER(HORSLEY) is in touch with her. Joan is also in touch with JACQUELINE EID (BREWER), who has two daughters and many grandchildren.

PAT LAURENSON (BEER) is very disabled with painful osteoarthritis. Both BARBARA PUTNAM (FOYLE) and DAPHNE TAVENDER (HOPGOOD) keep in touch with Pat, who lives in Shropshire. NINA MOYES, who taught Physical Education at the Convent, also has mobility difficulties due to spinal problems. Nina is now a widow.

GENEVIEVE BASTO (BOND) was having another bout of treatment in April when she had a very bad reaction which caused her to be taken into the Intensive Care Unit. JANE O'BRIEN keeps in touch with her and sent us this latest news.

"Recently, my husband, Jimmy, and I spent a week in Tavira in the Algarve, a place recommended by Genevieve Basto (Bond). Genevieve and her husband, John, live near Lisbon and they had planned to meet us in Tavira for one night during our holiday.

Most past pupils know that Genevieve has had health problems for the past few years and has been undergoing periods of chemotherapy and other treatment. The week before our holiday, she had a bad experience with her treatment, and had to spend a short time in intensive care, so could not travel to the Algarve as planned.

Genevieve telephoned me at our hotel to say she was feeling better every day and asked me to thank everyone who has been praying for her. She really appreciates all the prayers and messages.

If all goes well, Genevieve hopes to be at the reunion in July and is looking forward to seeing everyone there. In the meantime, she and John have a new grandchild and

THERESA MANNING (DUFFY) has had poor health for the past 5 years, last year she had a mild heart attack and is now due to have a range of tests. Theresa would love to be in contact with some of her old classmates. She lives locally.

MAGGI MORENO DONLEVY has had an operation for the removal of a lung, when she is well enough she will undergo chemotherapy treatment. Maggi lives in Madrid with her 5 children.

JEAN WALSH (HUGHES) & her husband ROBIN are in need of our prayers. Robin is permanently in a Nursing Home in Sidmouth, JEAN has been back in Exeter Hospital, the leg ulcer has not healed, the skin graft was not successful and she has a great deal of pain. Jean is home again with the nurse going in to dress her leg. ANGIE is very good about keeping me informed and looks after her mother so well, despite having her own job. ANGIE'S wrist has improved following the operation.

BARBARA TANNER (BROWNING) suffered a slight stroke in December. Fortunately she has made a good recovery, largely due to determination, hard work and the care of her husband, Nick & the family.

TESSA WELLSTEAD (SIBETH) is very grateful for your prayers; she has completed the course of radiotherapy and is now dealing with some side effects. Please continue to remember her. PAT CONSTANDINOS ( KITCHEN) too was grateful for the request for prayers for her husband Michael and herself. He is still very ill with Alzheimer's Disease; the strain on the families of sufferers is great.

CONGRATULATIONS !

T0 CELESTE DANDEKER - ARNOLD on the award of an OBE in the New Year Honours. I sent her the Congratulations and Best Wishes of the Association. CELESTE sent me a copy of the announcement as it appeared in the newspaper on 31St December 2006.

'DANDEKER - ARNOLD, Mrs Celeste; MBE, Artistic director, CandoCo Dance Company. For service to Dance. New Year Honours in full < httpa news. independent.co.uk / uklpolitics/article 2112580.ece>`

CandoCo is a Dance Company of disabled and able bodied performers.

Celeste goes on to say, " At the moment the company is making 2 new works for the 2007 !'08 season, which is a very exciting time. We will be performing in Poole at The Lighthouse in the Autumn and will let you know the dates. Alternatively, you can check on our website www.candoco.co.uk After 16 years with CandoCo I am retiring as Artistic Director. I have mixed feelings about leaving but I know the company will continue to prosper and I shall remain their biggest fan ! It will be nice to spend more time with my husband and do a bit of travelling !"

Fr. KEITH COLLINS, brother of EILEEN BENDALL (COLLINS) and Sr. MARGARET. - JANE O'BRIEN has sent us this account: "The Golden Jubilee of the Ordination of Father Keith Collins was celebrated at the Church of St Anthony of Padua, Broadstone, where he is the parish priest, on 19 March 2007.

The church was full for the concelebrated Mass with 12 priests and three deacons. Five young people from the parish served on the altar. The homily was preached by Father Terry O'Donovan from Bideford.

Guests included Father Keith's two sisters, Eileen and Margaret, other members of his family and friends. Following Mass, there was a buffet reception in the hall. A poster display showed photographs of Father's ordination in 1957 at St Bernadette's, Ensbury Park, where it is believed he was the first secular priest to be ordained in Dorset since the Reformation.