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Newsletters
For the last 10 years POSA has produced an annual
Newsletter which is sent out to all current members. The
Newsletter contains articles from members on a range of
topics under the headings of:
News A-Z; Archives; Memories; Staff Corner; Letters
and E-mails; Obituaries;
History of the School; Where are they Now? and
others.
The annual
newsletters have proved to be a very successful forum
for sharing reminiscences about our school days and a
tool for putting ex-students in touch with long lost
class ‘mates’ through the ‘Where are they Now’? section.
Committee Members
hold some back copies of previous Newsletters and some
of these are available at Reunions, though we must
ensure that some copies are retained for the POSA Archives
Cabinet which stands in the entrance hall of the North
Building of Plashet School.
Sue Foulsham (nee Wingrove) EHGS 1956-63
EHGS Staff 1968-71 and Plashet Staff
1973-2000
Items for the next Newsletter should be
posted to:
Mrs Sue Foulsham
‘Cranbrook’
Rattlesden Road
Drinkstone
Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk
IP30 9TL
or e-mailed to:
suefoulshamster@googlemail.co
(deadline for next edition - Mid November 2009)
On the following
pages you will find a selection of items which
have appeared in previous newsletters.
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Newsletter 2009
Chairman’s Report
2008-2009
In spite of
encountering a few problems this year, I feel that we,
as an association, have had a successful year as we have
made some very significant steps in laying the
foundations for the future of POSA. Since acquiring
Broadband, my wider and more frequent use of the
internet, and in particular the ability to communicate
by email, have certainly meant that I have been able to
carry out my role, both as Chairman and as Newsletter
Editor, in greater depth and hopefully much more
efficiently.
The committee members
continue to work hard on your behalf:
Jill Johnson-Biggs
continues to
carry out a very vital job as Treasurer and first point
of contact for members.
Margaret Edwards
(Membership Sec.)
and I have been in constant touch (at least weekly, and
often much more frequently!) by phone and, more
especially, by email, and I would like to thank her,
both personally and on your behalf, for her ongoing
encouragement, prompting, efficiency and general
all-round support. These qualities have helped to ensure
a smooth path to yet another good year, and a successful
Reunion, for POSA.
Margaret Bell
(Publicity Officer)
has worked hard to
ensure that members have been informed about the
Reunion, through emails and by keeping in touch with the
Friends Reunited website.
Deidre Morris
is my saviour when it comes to
Desk Top publishing
the newsletter which is a skill that I haven’t been able
to master as yet! I think our publication is one of many
that she undertakes during the year and we thank her for
slotting us in to her busy schedule.
Christine Watkinson and Doris Goodchild
are very willing general committee members.
We were extremely
grateful to Ruth Webb
for coming forward and offering her services as catering
manager for the Reunion. And what an absolutely
delicious spread she provided for us!! We have had so
many complimentary comments about it, we are keeping our
fingers crossed that Ruth will be able to repeat the
feast for our Reunion in 2010. Thanks again, Ruth.
The 2008 POSA Reunion
was held on the 28th June in the South Hall
(Grammar School building) of Plashet School (thanks to
the generosity of the present Head, Bushra Nasir
and the support of Senior Teacher, Sue Rosner).
At a rough guess I would estimate that we had 200+
members in attendance, and once again this ensured a
really fantastic atmosphere. It was also an
extra-special occasion as we were able to make three of
our oldest members our guests of honour for the day.
Gladys Read, Kate Northam and Dorothy Parker, attended
our school in the early 30’s, and it was a real
privilege to meet them in person. We felt that it was
very appropriate to ask them to help to present the POSA
Citizen of the Year Awards to the current students
(oldest congratulating the youngest!)
I would like to thank
Jean Pickering (nee Eldred) for purchasing the Microsoft
Front page software that is necessary for updating our
POSA website. I was unable to buy it here as it had been
discontinued but she was able to find it in the USA and
has insisted that she give it to us as a donation.
Unfortunately I have had major problems with accessing
the Website host, which have meant that I have not yet
been able to update it. My apologies to Jean for this
delay after her very kind gesture, however I hope that
by the time that you receive this newsletter I will have
ironed all these problems out. Jean has also suggested
that we set aside some space on the website for
digitalisation of the Esthamian Magazine, and has
offered to pay for this process, initially for the years
when the Eldred girls were at EHGS i.e. 1944-57. Jean
says, “As a writer (and a teacher of writing) for a
living, I would like to read again, and have other POSA
women read, the articles that we wrote”. This sounds
like a great idea, which could be extended to include
all surviving copies, so it would be great to hear from
any of you that have copies.
Those of you that
remember Maureen Laws will be sad to hear that her
husband, Ken, sadly passed away earlier in the year.
Maureen has been in poor health herself and I am sure
that POSA members are thinking of her and wish her well
for 2009.
We look forward to
seeing you all at the next Reunion to be held on the
last Saturday in June 2010.
Sue
Foulsham (nee Wingrove) EHGS 1956-63 . EHGS & Plashet
Staff 1968-2000.
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Letters/News/E-mails
Norah Anderson (nee Drew) EHGS
1933-39
The last newsletter had interesting articles in it, as
usual, including those of Gladys Read, Dorothy Davey and
Kathleen Steele from my era. I have the long photograph
of EHGS staff and pupils in 1934. I am 17th
from the right in the front row, cross-legged. It is a
treasured possession. Following on after Kathleen Quinn,
I was also successful in the gymnastic competition and
won my colours in gymnastics, netball, athletics, tennis
and swimming. Hard to think now of what my body could do
then! As for Miss Rosalind Bennett, Games Mistress, she
certainly presented an imposing figure in her brown
tunic – I believe she came from Bedford College. We also
had two other games teachers – Peggy Turner and Dorothy
Way – I believe? Best wishes to you all.
Beverly Baptiste (Joseph)
Plashet Comp. 1990 -91
It is with much gratitude that I write to thank the
members of POSA for their kindness for giving me a grant
from the POSA Memorial Award Fund, which I was able to
use to attend a Music Technology Course in Logic 5
Studio Recording. After experiencing a long period of
ill-health, the Logic 5 Course has proven to be very
helpful in my healing, creativity and growth. I feel
that can now look forward with enthusiasm to recording
and distributing my own material and to encouraging
others to embrace their talents. I will never forget
this charitable act and, once again, I would like to
thank all members of the association for their
understanding and their moral and financial support.
Elsie Bedford (nee Walker)
EHGS 1943-48
I have finally got round to joining the Old Students
Association. The last two Newsletters were fascinating –
evoking memories galore. The mention of my being Mrs
Malaprop in The Rivals production has revived many happy
memories of various escapades at that time and later. I
look forward to attending the Reunion and hope that
someone will recognise me!!
Christine Brand (nee Langley)
Monega/PCSS 1953-57
Keep up the good work. I really enjoy the Reunions.
Ethel Buvyer EHGS 1931-39
Please place the enclosed (black & white) photo into the
POSA Archives. It was taken at a Sports Day in about
1933/4. It was of a wheelbarrow race in which my sister
Joan Buvyer (now Mrs Jackson) and I took part. The gym
costumes were probably green in colour and the
gymnastics teacher was Miss Bennett, who I remember as
being very tall.
Our thanks to Ethel for
contributing to the Archives – Ed.
Valerie Clark EHGS 1959-63
I have stayed in contact with
Doris Quraishi (my English Teacher 1959-63) through the
years. At one time we lived close to each other so I saw
her quite a lot and she asked me to read a poem at her
husband’s funeral. I now realise how inspirational she
(and all the other female staff) was to me in my teenage
years.
Penelope Farries (nee Gadsby)
EHGS 1932-39
Although I am now nearly 87, I
still do a lot of teaching – 4 days a week mainly with
Pakistani, Bangladeshi and West Indian people. I hope to
attend the Reunion on June 28th.
Joyce Fletcher (nee Perrett)
EHGS 1942-48
The arrival of the 2008
Newsletter caused quite a stir in our house. I had
opened the envelope and the back cover was visible when
I was distracted and left it lying on the table. My
husband, Ron Fletcher (EHGS for boys- 1943-50), caught
sight of the item “Boy’s Stories: Historical (or should
it be Hysterical?) Come Dancing”! As he was a
contemporary of John Bradbury, he enjoyed the various
contributions about the classes run by Mrs Waggett(?),
which started in 1948.
We are thankful to say that we
are still together and this summer we hope to celebrate
our 55th wedding anniversary. I wonder if the
Mrs Waggett realised what she had sparked off?
Georgina Galpin (nee Seager)
Plashet County Secondary School 1957-1961
It was such a surprise to receive
a communication from Margaret Edwards (Heudebourck),
who, I later found out, was informed by another school
friend that I was Mayor of Havering. It really was a
weird feeling. After leaving school, I really only kept
in touch with Diane Hedger now Thompson, and then at the
reunion to catch up with other school chums was
just great. I still get an excited feeling when thinking
about it.
I married Brian who I actually met when I was 12 years
old, we began going steady 5 years later, and at 21 were
married, we remained in East Ham for 8 years then moved
onto Gidea Park with our three children later to be
joined by another two. Now I am lucky to have five
wonderful grandchildren, who I love so much.
For many years I was just wife and mother, getting
involved in jumbles and odd community events, then when
the children were off hand, giving me more time, my
community work involvements got busier and I was
encouraged to get involved in politics, not national,
but local - eventually became an elected councillor and
then last year Mayor of Havering - what an achievement,
what an honour - something really special.
The term of office in London Boroughs runs for a year,
and mine ended 21st May 2008, but life does
not seem to have got easier, I do find it difficult to
say no, I have a responsible role as Chairman of
Licensing, a controversial area, in fact the only woman
in the elected council area who has a responsible role.
The Leader's post is held by a man, the nine cabinet
posts are also held by males, Chairman of Regulatory
services that is planning again held by a man, and then
me as Chairman of Licensing. Not an easy world for women
in general, but in politics very difficult to get
anywhere, as women we need to be 10 times better than
any man to be even recognised.
The other 42 elected councillors are back-benchers. I
did hold a cabinet post for the two years preceding my
deputy mayor year, and I really do believe that was to
side line me, but like everything in life I made the
most of my move, became Mayor and showed them all what I
was made of - I had two exceptionally successful years -
my goal is now to return to the Cabinet. In Havering we
have 52% of the people who are females, yet no
representation
within the Cabinet with views for the women. Watch this
space.
Enough about me. I really had a good time at the
reunion, and it made me sit and think about my early
days, my schooling, my aspirations which were nothing
like they are today, I wanted an easy life, but as we
mature our outlook on life changes. It was a surprise to
learn that so many of the old girls live in Havering,
with so many residents of our borough who moved down the
line from my birth-place East Ham. East Ham is my
birth-place, my roots which I will never forget and
Havering is my home.
It was an experience to walk over the old school - in
the eyes of an 11 year old the building was large and
daunting, and sometimes intimidating, but how things
have changed. In schools now it is more friendly, more
inclusive for parents, staff, and parents and governors
are on first name terms - I like these changes, but am
not so happy about the deterioration of discipline and
respect in many areas.
I hope to write about my period of Mayor there is so
much to tell, my
experiences and knowledge to share - I have memories to
last me a life-time.
Thank you for the donation towards my charity Age
Concern Havering, and I learnt that I raised £20,500
over the year and I am working with the organisation to
open a 5 day a week centre in two places in the borough
where more housebound and lonely people will be able to
join each other, perhaps to get computer skills, share
their skills in other arts and crafts,
just chat and have a cup of tea, widen their horizon.
Age concern in our borough have over 250 volunteers so
the centre will be run by volunteers that will save lots
of money, our arts department are only too happy to get
involved. It is an exciting time. None of us know what
is around the corner, and many of us will probably need
the help of the organisation in some form during our
later years, independence and a quality of life is so
important as we get older.
I will most certainly be at the next reunion in 2010 but
hope that many of my year will not have to wait that
long, we need to catch up before that time, it will be
good to share our experiences and good times. I cannot
wait to get to know old school chums once again.
Margaret Gilchrist (nee
Clarke) EHGS 1960-66
Thank you for producing the
Newsletter with so many interesting articles and fond
memories, of what was surely the best possible
education, from so many wonderful, gifted Tutors, all
excelling in their knowledge and gift to teach! Let’s
hope that the next Reunion on June 28th is
well attended and will be a marvellous afternoon for
all. Thanks again!
Elizabeth Hasler (nee Joynes)
EHGS 1950-57
A belated correction to an
article on page 5 of the 2004 Newsletter. The prayer of
dedication was offered by the Rev. Sir James Roll Bt.
Please note that ‘Bart.’ was not his surname but his
title – he was a baronet. His preferred address was
‘Father Roll’.
Jean Hubbard (nee Clark) EHGS
1943-49
I remember Pearl Tuszynski very
well and she mentioned Jean Budgeon who was in my form.
I also remember her very great friend, Elsie Walker – is
there any news of her? (I have put Jean and Elsie in
touch with each other and they met up at the Reunion
this year-Ed.) I am amazed that there are so many
references to teachers and girls that I knew over 60
years ago. Elsie Walker was Henry VIII in a play once
and waved a scroll around and inadvertently wiped off
half of her beard! The school collapsed in laughter but
Miss Mitchell was definitely not amused!!
Elizabeth Mehta (Liz Hurst)
EHGS 1958-63
I settled in India after
graduating with a BSc. in Psychology from the University
of Leeds and have been involved in education in India
for 40 years. In 2003 I set up a project – ‘Muktangen’ –
training young women from slum communities to teach
their own children. We are currently running 7 schools
and I am about to set up Training of Trainers Centre in
which we will train trainers in our specialized
methodology (see website:
www.muktangenedu.org)
Kathleen Parker (now Davey)
EHSS & EHGS 1929-35
(written on June 29th
2008)
Dear Everybody,
Yesterday I went to the Old
Student’s Reunion. There were three of us there who had
been pupils of the old East Ham Secondary School and
EHGS from 1929-35. We were treated as special guests –
shaking the hands of the present pupils who were
receiving awards. There was a large turn out and it was
a beautiful day. I must congratulate the committee for
the splendid refreshments that were provided. Hoping to
be at the next Reunion in 2010!
Margaret Pedge (nee Hill) EHGS
1953-57
I find the Newsletter very
interesting and would appreciate it being sent to me
every year. Hopefully I may be able to attend the
Reunion on 28th June.
Gladys Read (nee Anderson)
EHSS & EHGS 1929-35
We so enjoyed the Reunion and
meeting the faces to go with the names. The special
welcome to the ‘90’s’ was wonderful. So a very big
‘thank you’ to the committee and all the other
contributors to a ‘Grand Do’!
Pat Self (nee Allvey) EHGS
1946-52
No news I’m afraid, although it
would be lovely to hear news of other girls in my year.
Many thanks to Sue Foulsham, and all the committee
members, for keeping POSA going. Looking forward to the
Reunion on June 28th.
Rita Taylor (nee Potts) PCSS
1959-63
I have a letter, dated 25th
June 1944, of my late mother’s from a friend who lived
at 231 Plashet Grove. Mum told me that shortly after
this letter was written, her friend + her sister and
mother, were killed when a bomb was dropped on this site
in July 1944.
Christine Tilley - EHGS 1958-65
(1G – Mrs. Glading)
(Upper 6th – Miss Cruttenden)
has published 'Florence’s
Diary’ in Sardinia
Benjamin Piercy, a
Welsh engineer, was responsible for the project and
construction of the first railways in Sardinia in the
1860s. A true Victorian pioneer, he decided to take his
wife and nine children to live in a beautiful villa he
built for them in the woods at Baddesalighes in the
centre of the island. ‘Florence’s Diary’ is an
interesting account of the family’s life in Cagliari in
1872-73, written by Florence Piercy, the third child
born in 1859. I transcribed the original manuscript and
translated it, together with a friend, Maria Manca, and
an English Italian version was published locally in 2006
by Editrice Taphros.
Looking back on my
years at EHGS Miss Frost stands out as one of my
favourite teachers; she was a lovely person and not
apparently aware of how good her teaching methods were.
Not knowing what I wanted to do in life, I remember
thinking touch-typing would always be useful, and it
certainly has been. It later enabled me to type my own
degree thesis and was fundamental for translation work.
After ‘A’ levels (French and Geography) in 1965, I
worked as a secretary for the Bunzl Group and - with the
City of London College nearby - did a French shorthand
course in the lunch-hour and Italian one evening a week.
I then got a secretarial job in Paris in 1967, which was
my dream, but Bunzl contacted me after a few months and
offered me a better job in Brussels, so I spent a year
there. I returned to London and worked for a director of
Horizon Holidays, using French and Italian, which soon
gave me the wanderlust again and in 1970 I asked
to work for a summer season in Sardinia as a Horizon
representative. And there I stayed. I met my husband, an
art teacher in Alghero, and we married in 1971. By 1976
we had a daughter and two sons and I decided to enrol at
Sassari University to combat winter boredom! This was
quite a challenge as although my EHGS French and German
were still latent (what great school exchanges we had
with Paris and Mannheim!), there was also plenty of
Italian and English literature to study, not to mention
general subjects like cultural anthropology, philology
and linguistics, all in Italian. I then worked in the
English department at the University for a couple of
years, while studying for teaching certificates. This
meant that in 1987, at the age of 40, I was able to
become a grammar school teacher of English language and
literature in Alghero, teaching up to (and examining
for) ‘A’ level English. Later, in the nineties, I
studied, partly as a distance learner, for a Master in
Education at Sheffield University and this led to
further work in teacher training.
I have always done
translations locally but decided to prepare for
retirement by doing a course in translation for
medicine/pharmacology in Milan, and this has now become
my main activity. I became a member of the Institute of
Linguists in 2000. I also translate textbooks for the
Architecture Faculty at Sassari University, published by
Springer Verlag. My interest in ‘Florence’s Diary’ was
stimulated initially by the sadly-decaying state of the
Piercy Villa, which has recently been restored, thanks
to E.U. funding.
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Where Are They Now??
Sheila Burry (nee Carr) EHGS
1959-64
I am still in touch with friends
that I made at EHGS. Jacqueline Burford (nee Dorey) is
now living in Queen Adelaide near Ely. Margaret
Eggington (nee Oxlade) is in Leigh on Sea. Carol Range
(nee Simpson) now lives in the USA and we are cruising
to Alaska with her this summer. Carol Flower (nee
Whiting) has been working in Tenerife for a few years
and is now back living in Cornwall. I also hear from
Carol Hay (nee Elton) now living in Australia, Margarte
Clarke (nee Gilchrist) in Collier Row and Margaret
Cockerton (nee Patterson) in East Ham. Not bad after
nearly 50 years of friendship!
Jeanne Farrance (1959)
Would like to trace Irene (1960)
(no surname given) and Gloria Grey.
Ann Gordon (nee Squibb) EHGS
1953-61
Does anyone have any details for
Diana Harrison (nee Asater) EHGS 1953-61)? Her last
contact details were in Longfield, Kent, I think, but
the phone number that I have is no longer recognised.
Inez Knight (nee Smithson)
PCSS 1962-66/7
Would like to contact the
following former school friends: Shirley Shears, Heather
Yearwood and Christine Johnson.
Brenda Newhouse (nee Squibb)
EHGS 1953-58
Is anybody there? Come on my
year group where are you?? – June Williams, Doreen
Everitt, Valerie Leach, Nicky Heagren, Dorothy Munn to
name but a few. Do you remember when…..?
Irene Poole (EHGS) 1934-39
I plan to attend the 2008 reunion
in the hope that I will find somebody from my year
there! This has yet to happen!
Angela Rose (nee Parker) EHGS
1960-67
Would like to contact Susan Alexander and Lesley Raby
both EHGS 1960-67
Indu Sashi (nee Pandya) EHGS
& Plashet Comp. 1969-74
I would like news of Lyn Isles,
Linda Beechey, Pauline Levingbird, Eileen Parker,
Gillian Case/Cose?) and anyone else who remembers her.
Janice Yeadon (nee Dutnall) &
Anne Johnson (nee Bowyer) EHGS 1952-59
We would like to contact any
former pupils of Salisbury Junior Mixed School – Mr
Walden;s and Mr MacMillan’s classes 1948-52, many of
whom went on to attend EHGS and Plashet.
Pearl Weisbaum (nee Tuszynski)
EHGS 1944-49
The 2008 Newsletter was an
interesting read that once again took me down memory
lane! Many thanks for including another of my write-ups!
Where are my classmates of 1944-49?
Pamela Gower – married Alan
Purdam (Boy’s Grammar)
Patricia Russell – lived on
Clements Road
The Tilmer twins – Margaret &
Dorothy
Doreen Shipman – great artist
Ann Sheridan – worked for
Hartnell
Gladys (Rusty) – danced on the
London stage.
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Obituaries
Sheila Bensilum (nee Halls) EHGS 1953-60
Sadly Sheila died last September (2007). Five of her
contemporaries attended her funeral.
Reported by Barbara Coker EHGS 1953-60.
Beryl Bunker (nee Wood) EHGS 1933-38
I
have heard the sad news of the death of Beryl Bunker who
was not a member of POSA but maybe some of her friends
are. She married John Bunker who was at the Boys Grammar
School at the same time. John died in 2007 and Beryl
died on 6th July 2008. They had moved to
Sherborne, Dorset a few years ago, to be nearer their
son. I’m sure that some members will remember her.
Reported by Joan Mackinnon (nee Wiseman) EHGS 1933-37
Sylvia Chester PCSS 1959-63
My
sister Sylvia (Chester) PCSS 1959-1963, died on 26th
January 2008. She is remembered for her musical gifts
especially her beautiful singing voice and she was also
a talented hairdresser. Sylvia had lived in Australia
for many years and leaves 4 children. She was a loving,
caring, giving person and I am proud to be her sister.
My
grateful thanks must go to the 'Plashet Girls' who
managed to trace Sylvia's school friend Stephanie Madden
who made contact with Sylvia just before her passing.
Reported by Christine Crease (nee Chester) Plashet
County Secondary School 1955-1959.
Freda Cain (nee Wheeler) Monega
& PCSS 1950-54
Sadly I have to inform you that my sister Freda passed
away in the Isle of Man on 16th December
2007. She normally enjoyed good health but was suddenly
diagnosed with several cancer tumours in July 2007 and
passed away peacefully in the hospice just 5 months
later. Her husband Cliff had died suddenly six years
previously. Freda went to live in the Isle of Man when
she married Cliff, who was her second husband, in 1971.
She had no children of her own but, with her marriage to
Cliff, she had 3 step-sons and a step-daughter who
between them had 8 children. This meant that Freda had 8
step-grandchildren and she thought the world of them
all. Apart from myself, Freda had two brothers, David
and Roy.
Freda joined Monega School in September 1951 and
transferred to the new building of Plashet School in
September 1954. I do not know all of Freda’s friends but
I do know that she was in touch with Valerie Powell and
Ann Cartwright. She had also mentioned being friends
with Ann Freshwater, Connie Hanson, Angela Dyer and
Coral Wilmot but had not been in touch with them for
some years.
I
do have a photo taken of Freda’s class at Monega School,
which was Miss Elliot’s class 2B, in 1953. On the back
Freda lists the following names:
Pamela Dyer, Frances Baines,
Beryl Prendergast, Davina Thompson, Pat Robinson, Ann
Cartwright, Rita Bowden, Connie Hanson, Joyce Veals,
Jean Mead, Maureen Williams, Valerie Harris, Ann Merry,
Diane Thorpe, Yvonne Murray, Christine Gill, Carol
Williams & Sybil Thorpe.
Freda often spoke fondly of her memories of Monega and
Plashet and of the many friends she had made there. She
left Plashet School at Christmas 1954.
Reported by Margaret Bell (nee Wheeler) PCSS 1957-61
Pat
Gwillim (nee Gordon) PCSS 1957-59
Pat
died in June 2008. She is especially remembered by
school friends for her splendid needlework skills.
Reported by Margaret Edwards (Nee Heudebourck) PCSS
1957-63
Daphne Smith (nee Martin) EHGS 1952-57
I
would like to inform POSA members of the sad death of
Daphne Smith (nee Martin) who regularly received POSA
Newsletters. Daphne was 67 years of age and passed away
suddenly on Saturday 19th July 2008 in
Australia. She had been very ill fighting Leukaemia but
managed to conquer the disease only to die suddenly of a
stroke.
Reported by Irene Sheath (nee Harrison) EHGS 1953-60
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| |
Newsletter
2006/7
Chairperson’s Report 2006/7
I find it difficult to
believe that this is the seventh edition of the
Newsletter that I have edited. Each year I worry
that there will not be enough material for the
next edition but somehow you always seem to come
up trumps with your letters, e-mails and
comments from membership forms. As it is the
newsletter that keeps us all in touch it is
vital that your contributions keep coming – so
keep up the good work!
This year was a Reunion
Year and it was great to see such an excellent
turnout yet again, with, in excess of, 150
members attending. Once again we must thank Mrs
Nasir, Plashet’s present Head, for her active
support for our association and for giving us
the run of both the Grammar School and Plashet
buildings for the day. (We must also
congratulate her for being awarded an Honorary
Doctorate by The University of East London). The
Reunion was due to be based in the Grammar
School Hall but had to be re-sited into the
Plashet building due to the exhibition of GCSE
Art work which has to be displayed for the
examiners at this time of year. This may mean
that the date of our next Reunion, which will be
in 2008, may have to be moved from it’s
traditional last Saturday in June, in order to
ensure that we are able to use the Grammar
School Hall as our base. We will not know if a
change of date will be necessary until the
autumn term of 2007 when the school will receive
its examination schedules – but hopefully this
will give us plenty of time to inform members in
the next Newsletter.
Our Archives cabinet is now
in situ – and a group of committee members spent
some time at Plashet in early October sorting
through all the memorabilia, photographs, etc.
and displaying them, along with the old trophies
from East Ham Secondary School days, to the best
possible effect. If any of you have any further
items that you would like to donate please get
in touch. A key to the cabinet is being kept in
the nearby school office and is available to
members if they wish to visit to view the
archives. However you are requested to sign the
visitors book and not to remove any items from
the premises.
We have had quite a few
problems with keeping track of ex-students
through the Friends Reunited website recently
and would like to ensure that, in future, we are
able as an association, to contact members
directly by e-mail. So please make sure that, in
any contact that you have with any members of
the committee, and especially on your membership
form each year, you quote your up-to-date e-mail
address, if you have one. We are delighted that
Margaret Bell has offered to join the
committee to take over the task of dealing with
contacting members through Friends Reunited /
e-mail and hope that keeping this information
updated will assist her with this task.
We are very grateful to
Plashet School for giving us some pages on their
new school website to promote our association. I
have e-mailed them all of the items included in
our newsletters during the last few years and
they have included excerpts from these in our
section and also under school ‘history’. The
POSA pages will also give you news and the date
of the next Reunion, once it has been decided.
You can access this website at:
www.plashet.newham.sch.uk . Our long-term
aim is to set up our own website which would
give us a place to display some of our archives,
news, etc. This could also then be linked to
the Plashet School website and, if they are
agreeable, to the excellent Boys Grammar School
website, which has been running for some years.
It may also be possible to display all the past
copies of our newsletters.
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So, even though 2007 will
be ‘Reunionless’, as you can see it will be
quite a busy one for all the committee members
if we are to catch up with all the latest
developments in communications.
At the last reunion, I
chatted to an old student of Monega Secondary
School who had come along with her sister, and
we feel that, as the forerunner of Plashet
County Sec. School, it should become part of our
‘family’ of related schools. We look forward to
hearing from ex-students and perhaps publishing
articles about the ‘move’ from Monega to Plashet.
Finally I would like to
thank all committee members for their continued
hard work and commitment to POSA. Our special
thanks must go to Jill Dyer who has
played an active part in POSA affairs since the
very early days of our existence and who now
feels it is time for her to step down, in her
words, “in favour of younger members”. So where
are you ‘younger members’? We would be delighted
to welcome any new volunteers. We also send our
best wishes to Jenny Fink who is
temporarily standing down as Membership
Secretary, due to ill health. We wish her a
speedy recovery.
In the meantime,
Margaret Edwards, our Press officer, will
stand in as Membership Secretary, until Jenny is
ready to return. Margaret can be contacted at:
9 Doubleday Drive, Bapchild, Sittingbourne,
Kent, ME9 9PJ.
e-mail:
Margaret@masedwards.fsnet.co.uk
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Letters/News/E-mails (2007)
E-Mail From Pearl Hannah
Weisbaum (nee Tuszynski) EHGS 1944-49
I was delighted to connect with the EHGS Website
and then in turn to receive the POSA newsletter
for 2005. In her e-mail to me Sue said that my
name had been mentioned in it several times. I
was truly amazed that after so many years anyone
would remember me!
As I look back over the years I realize that my
days at EHGS had a profound effect on my life.
At that time Miss Mitchell was Headmistress. I
remember the first assembly after the holidays.
It always began with a record of ‘Jesu Joy of
Mans Desiring’ followed by the hymn ‘I vow to
thee my country’ and the lesson was always on
consideration towards others. We all knew what
was coming and bowed our heads so that we could
not see one another’s faces. Little did I
realize that her messages would find a permanent
place in my thinking.
Miss Galloway is one of the teachers that I
fondly remember. She organised class visits to
the Robert Mayer Children’s Concerts, conducted
by Sir Boyd Neal. The Queen, then Princess
Elizabeth, and her sister Princess Margaret,
attended one of the concerts. The EHGS school
choir, of which I was a member, performed on the
BBC Children’s Hour as well at the East Ham
Central Hall. I sang in the ‘Stabat Mater’. Miss
Galloway was an enthusiastic teacher and gave
freely of her time. She nurtured my love for
music.
Miss Robinson came onto staff around 1946. She
also taught music and raised our level of
awareness as she dared to wear makeup and nail
polish! Her fine hair was bleached and she wore
low cut red dresses. Her appearance was not in
keeping with the school’s dress code, but it
certainly made all of us sit up and take notice
in her singing classes.
Miss Catherwood taught art and encouraged me to
her utmost but my attempts to please her were
pathetic. However, I must confess that she
finally succeeded but sadly, only to her
satisfaction. In the Form 4 final examination I
chose to paint a scarecrow in an empty field! I
didn’t believe my classmates when they said I
had passed the exam and my name was at the top
of the class list with a B+! From then on I was
constantly teased about my artistic ability! Sad
to say I never progressed beyond that exercise!
Miss Broan was my Form 5 home room teacher. She
was a kindly soul, deeply concerned about ‘her
girls’ and passionate about History especially
the ‘Unification of Germany and Italy’. At the
beginning of every lesson she would call on me
to read from our history text. I was always
amused at the way she would pronounce my name. “PERLE”!
I wish that my history marks had been more to
her liking. Today I enjoy everything of a
historical nature.
Miss Nathan comes to mind. She taught French.
She was an excellent teacher and organised a
student exchange programme to Paris as well as
well as inviting Monsieur Transpar to visit the
school as a French assistant, hoping he would
encourage conversation. His presence created a
lot of chatter and giggles!
I loved acting. ‘Thank you’ to Mrs Huddlestone
for her kind comments in the Newsletter 2005,
concerning my rendition of Shylock’s soliloquy.
I am a Jew! In Shaw’s ‘St.Joan’ I played the
part of Bluebeard. Miss Harper, who taught
English, played the part of the Dauphin. It was
an exciting production because of staff
involvement. The wardrobe mistress did an
amazing job. During my family research, I
discovered that a cousin established the
Tuszynski Theatre in Amsterdam and other family
members around the world are involved in the
Arts. Today my eldest son is a film and TV
Producer and in 2005 one of his productions was
shown at the Toronto International Film
Festival. So any acting ability I may have
demonstrated must stem from my genes! Following
my performance a s ‘Shylock’ it was suggested
that I audition for the Old Vic but my mother
did not agree and felt that an acting career
would not provide a
reliable source of income. So on the advice of
Miss Mitchell I decided to enter the teaching
profession. Although I did not follow my hearts
desire to act, my love for the theatre has
endured.
I left EHGS in May 1949 and taught as a student
teacher for two months in East Ham before
attending Bingley Training College in Yorkshire.
Miss Duncan was the Principal and had been
headmistress of EHGS prior to her appointment at
Bingley. I was the first student from EHGS to
attend Bingley. Miss Mitchell continued to be
supportive and interested in my progress. I
needed a second instrument for my two- year
music course and she generously offered to lend
me her cello. I would visit with her during my
college breaks and share my experiences, and she
expressed the hope that other students from EHGS
would follow in my footsteps. (It was at BTC
that I met Shirley Draffen whose name was
mentioned in the 2005 newsletter)
The values I was exposed to at EHGS have stayed
with me. Not only did they influence my life and
work performance, but in turn have influenced
the lives of my children. I would be amiss if I
failed to share their accomplishments at this
time. My eldest son Melvin is a Film and TV
Producer and also works for the British
Columbian Film Commission.
My daughter Karen is a perpetual student with a
B.A., B.Mus. a lawyer and has a doctorate in
Bioethics. In 1997 she received a Lieutenant
Governor General award for her contribution as
Chair and President of the World’s first Breast
Cancer Conference. 750 breast cancer survivors
from N. America were present as well as reps.
from 56 countries.
Simon, my youngest son, is a Mechanical Engineer
with a Masters in Science and also in Business
Administration and presently works for
Intel/Japan.
I taught in Essex and East Ham from 1951 to
1958. In 1955 I married David Weisbaum/Weston
who had attended EHGS for Boys under the
Headship of Dr. Whitely. We emigrated to Canada
in 1958 where David interned at the University
Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta and I had a teaching
post waiting for me. We then moved to Ontario in
1959. In 1969 my marriage came to an end and I
was divorced in 1974. Like many other women I
found myself in the challenging position of a
single parent. My children were 12, 8 and 5
years of age at the time. Circumstances required
me to return to the workplace in order to
support the family; and eventually I returned to
the classroom in 1989 and taught English as a
Second Language to new Canadians, until retiring
in 1996.
Maybe I learned more at EHGS than I realized!
PS. Many thanks for sending the POSA newsletter,
2005. I really enjoyed reading it. It must have
been my last name which gave me the endearing
nickname of ‘Stinky’!
In 1985 I visited Plashet School, took photos
and enquired about the possibility of an ‘old
girls association’ At that time nothing had been
established. So the waiting has been worthwhile
and I will look through my albums and send you
photos that could be included in the archives.
Many thanks for the work you are doing.
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Memories
(2007)
East Ham Technical College
The Girls Department 1922-32
By Grace Furby
(from the EHGS for Boys
Website)
In 1922, the East Ham Technical College – as it
was then called, was quite unlike the Grammar
School for Boys, which has developed from it. It
was a dual school, the Pricipal, Mr W. Barker,
being the Head of the whole school, the second
mistress, Miss Cross, in charge of the girls,
but with full responsibility.
The
Curriculum
To understand a school of those times one must
realise that education was vastly different from
that of the present day. Pupils entered the
school at the age of 12+, studied for four
years, took the Oxford General Certificate
Examination, aiming at matriculation exemption
and were, on the whole, intending teachers. Some
were allowed a five-year course and a few others
took a Civil Service examination. There was, in
consequence, a certain rigidity about the
curriculum and general school life as compared
to the elasticity of our present day
organisation.
What was that rigid school life? Uninterrupted
work from 9.30am to 4pm, with 15 minutes break
in the morning for recreation and approximately
one and a half hours for dinner. Apart from the
fact that Miss Cross acted as intermediary for
the Women Staff and girls, the organisation and
administration were in the capable hands of Mr
Barker.
Segregation
of the Sexes
The girls occupied the rooms on the south side
of the building and went to special rooms for
Housecraft, Gymnastics, Art and Geography, while
the Sixth Form was usually taught in the
corridor. Both girls and boys walked in twos
from basement to ground floor or from upstairs
down and were hardly allowed to look at each
other, in fact, it was with an air of boldness
and abandon that we planned mixed parties for
Christmas in the Town Hall.
Such rules as were made were strictly kept, but
they were few and were, on the whole, connected
with creating a suitable atmosphere for work.
Each girl began the day with a definite number
of good conduct marks which she strove to keep.
Staff were united in seeing these rules were
kept, all complaints going to the Form Mistress,
who not only reprimanded, but encouraged and
took a deep personal interest in her girls. It
was she, also, who dealt with the more serious
faults of behaviour, which were never corrected
by rule but by personal contact. This made for a
very happy relationship between pupil and
teacher and laid down a definite line of action
for all. It seemed a perfect combination of
authority and friendliness.
There were prizes too, and cups for Houses and
for sport. Each pupil kept a diary in which she
made a note of all weekly marks, including
conduct marks. These diaries were signed each
week by parents and Form Mistresses and the
marks counted towards end of term positions and
finally prizes. Good work was praised and
encouraged and although bad work was deplored,
each girl knew that in her form
sympathy she could always rely upon.
It might be appropriate here to mention a few
other differences in school routine:
1)
First day of the school year. All school
books were in the hall, office staff were in
attendance and during the morning subject
mistresses distributed text books throughout the
school. The afternoon was a holiday.
2)
Break during morning. All pupils were
obliged to go out in the air, winter and summer,
except on rainy days, while the school was
thoroughly ventilated.
3)
End of day. The mistress in charge stood
at the exit to see that coats were buttoned and
hat and gloves were on, and to say good
afternoon to each pupil. All were out of the
school within 15 minutes.
4)
Unusually wet weather. A torrential
downpour and heavy rain were anything but
depressing, especially over the weekend, for, on
arrival on Monday morning, the basement was
occasionally flooded. This meant drying out, and
cleaning and a days holiday for the school,
welcomed by pupils and staff alike, however
addicted they were to uninterrupted work.
5)
Behaviour in the streets. To walk two
abreast was the rule. If three girls wished to
walk together, one must always be on the alert
to drop behind, should anyone be coming in the
opposite direction, a rule as unusual now
perhaps as the enforced wearing of gloves.
For the rest of school life, in terms of the
present day, it was largely negative. There were
no interruptions of school work, except for a
play at Prize Giving. There were no clubs, no
school dinners, no free milk, no parents
meetings, no medical service or dental treatment
and very few Staff Meetings. In fact, the latter
was an event, held only to discuss some special
or unusual arrangements, the Staff sitting in a
semi-circle in order of seniority, men on one
side and women on the other.
What activities were there and how were health
difficulties met?
One hour a week was given up to sports, run on a
house system, immediately after school, one day
a week. There was tennis in the summer on the
site of the Girls Grammar School, hockey in the
winter on the Barking Recreation Field, swimming
in the baths, usually in the dinner hour and
athletics at the end of the year on the Hay’s
Wharf ground. All these events counted towards
the winning of a House Cup, to which was added
literary efforts, general deportment and
cleanliness.Music was always a strong point. Mr Day Winter
and his son did most unusual work, not only in
training choirs which competed with great
success at the Stratford Musical festival, but
in the ordinary class lessons, inspired as they
were by their own enthusiasm and love for music.
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