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PAST PUPILS' ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE - 1963, Page three



Marguerite Fetterman (Court) sent Christmas wishes and a message to say that she was having a Mass said for all at the Convent. Barbara Green (Withington) in Montreal had the same very kind thought. Audrey Watson (Newman) sent a letter from Ottawa: "I am the only `Brit' in the house - my husband and two little daughters, Jennifer, Jay and Hilary, are Canadian citizens."

And so on to Australia! Carol Horn (Boyd) from New South Wales says: "My husband is very happy at his work on the farm - orange and lemon beds to supervise, as well as 5,000 laying hens and 7,000 broilers. I am beginning to hate the sight of eggs!" Judith Ventham described her journey to Sydney and told how she was trying to adjust herself to a different educational system. Margaret Parker has settled in the area near Brisbane and the family seem very happy in their new environment.

Let us return to the Home Country! From Buckfast, Barbara Carus wrote to thank us for her copy of the Magazine.

Tradesmen were at the time fighting their way through the ice to bring supplies, but Barbara remarks that after 2:5 years at Buckfast they have not a single regret at having settled there. Angela Rickard, living at Wallington, mentioned that she is teaching at Reigate. She had been to Italy for a holiday and had hoped to see Marie-Antoinette Gilles at Marseilles on her return journey, but it was not possible. Angela added: "I have not seen Susan Donnelly (Winsey) since John was born, but I believe he is an excellent baby." He certainly was good and bonny when Susan brought him to the Convent last year.

From Uxbridge, Jean Webster wrote telling of a reunion of several of her friends in London and a party to the show "The Sound of Music".

Nilo Yiannaki recalls the pleasure this section of the Magazine gives her, as she has lost touch with her contemporaries except Jane Daykin. Thelma Kalyvides is living with Nilo. "Thelma keeps in touch with Anne Fordham and Anne Mallaley, who have married brothers. During her visits home, Caroline Shaway (Orton) contacts Thelma. She is now in America with her husband and baby son. Clodagh has also gone to America.

Merilyn Wingent (Stone) frequently writes to Thelma. She has a little girl, Katherine Louise .... It must be eight years since I last saw the Convent. My goodness, how the years fly! Those were certainly happy days, although we did not realise at the time how very happy and carefree they were."

Judith Jones is working at Wembley and was awaiting her 25th birthday to be eligible for promotion, as she was then doing work two grades higher than her own. She hears from Susan Fusher at Christmas. Paddy Ryan also mentioned having met Susan in London. Anne White, writing from Beckenham, mentions: "I have heard from Angela Trew. She is still on the staff of the Bulawayo Hospital but is at present visiting Barbara in Borneo, and then she is going to Daphne in Tasmania. She met Paddy Browning recently in Rhodesia."

Nancy Place (Brewer), who lives in Bradford, says: "Adrian and Angela are very interested in my old school. It is a pity they cannot come to the `Convent'. Margaret, her husband and two children are still living just outside Philadelphia. Of course, we miss them very much and plan to spend a holiday with them in the not too distant future."

Sybil Gray is matron at the Perse School, Cambridge. She had the wonderful experience of a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land during the Easter holidays of the previous year and spent Holy Week in Jerusalem. Yvonne Warren (Cobb) wrote early in the year. Her sister Pat had just celebrated her 21st birthday. Margaret Greenstock writes regularly to Form VI. She is enjoying her work at the Art College. The family are living near Rochester and Frances is working in London.

Veronica Burton, in a Feast Day letter to Mother Briggs, gave a good wordpicture of the doings of her group of friends. "Last night we attended Wendy Norrington's 21st birthday party and she had just become engaged. All the female guests were from the Convent." We certainly stick together. Susan Watton is busy with her modelling jobs. Diana Heaps works in the bank still and is in great demand by friends who want her to do "lettering" for them. Pat Warren has left Bournemouth for a hospital in the North, where she is training to be a physiotherapist.

Jeanette Colbeck is in window display at Brights. Josephine Harland is working very hard to qualify as a solicitor. Rosemary McQuade (Beveridge) visited us at Christmas. Maureen Costigan became engaged a few months ago. Pauline Hamblin continues to work in a hairdressing salon, while Felicity Quinton finds the Civil Service a very interesting career.

Vivienne Stasi (Pelosi) writes regularly from Naples. Her letters are full of descriptions of Vesuvius, Pompeii, Capri, and all the talk of sunshine and blue skies makes us envious. "As for myself, I am housekeeping for my fatherand endeavouring to improve my cooking." Cynthia Eveleigh-Smith is continuing her training for Child Nursing at Mill Hill. Avalon Eastman (Hutchings) wrote to make sure of receiving the 1963 Magazine.

Past Pupils obviously wish to renew contacts with one another, and we hope that as many as possible will attend a meeting arranged for that purpose. Please come, and let your friends know, so that there may be a representative gathering at the Convent on Sunday, December 29th, at 3 p.m. Kindly fill in and return the slip of paper enclosed so that we may have an idea of numbers.

We conclude this section with thanks to all who so promptly sent their 5s. P.O. to cover the cost of the Magazine. Any information suitable for the next issue will be welcomed. Good wishes to you all from Reverend Mother, the Community and Staff. May your Christmas be a happy one and the New Year bring many blessings to you all!

STOP PRESS

Presentation of Crosses at the Sacred Heart Church, Bournemouth

On Sunday, December 1st, a "historic" ceremony took place at the Sacred Heart Church, Bournemouth.

Reverend Father E. Basset, S.J., watching the demolition of a house in Yelverton Road, had discovered that it was the old St. Walburga's School and managed to carry away a piece of the timber of the roof.

By a kind thought, Father Basset decided to have three Crucifixes made from the wood and to present one to the Convent of the Cross, whose nuns had first taught at that school, one to the Sisters of Mercy, who took over when our nuns moved to Boscombe, and one to the transferred St. Walburga's School.

Reverend Mother, Sister Mary Agnes and Sister Ruth Mary, a past pupil of St. Walburga's, were present at the blessing and received the Crucifix. We shall be proud to keep it as a reminder of our associations with the pioneer work of Catholic education in the town.

May we take this opportunity of thanking Father Basset and of saying how much all of us value the very beautiful gift.

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