NEWSLETTER 2017
36 members attended the 2017 Re-union:
Sister Anne Marie Crowley, Tessa Harrison (Reeves), Jean Tennant
(Atkin), Rona McKechnie (Penrose), Susan Lynch (Jagger), Anne French
(Nicholls), Jacinta Dudding (Speight), Jean McGill (Lewington), Margaret
Devonshire, Sue Skitt (Ross), Angela Normandale (Hawkswell), Christine Hayes
(Scott), Paula Boyes (Kilner), Marilyn Douglas (Crossfield), Jane Cockerill
(Leather), Mary Outhwaite (Maplesden), Sheila Jenkinson, Barbara Hudghton
(Marshall), Ann Reed (Baxter), Jenny Toogood (Holt), Rosie Palmer (Holt),
Pauline Randall (Holt), Sue Christie (Wood), Susan Cowburn (Read), Marjorie
Hawkins (Marshall), Christine Whitehead (Wilkes), Sandra Lee (Scruton), Pat
Smithson (Hutchcroft), Pat Richardson (Flather), Margaret Good (Hood), Val
Lakin (Johnstone), Liz Greenwell (Wilkes), Pam Shaw Johnston (Shaw), Judith
Atkinson (Botterill), Liz Fenby (Dyson), Johanna Albin. We were also pleased to welcome Sue Skitt’s
daughter, Lauren, and Jean Tennant’s friend, Pat.
The following people were unable to be at the Reunion but sent their
best wishes: Ruth Simpson (Atkinson)
Sheila Pearce (Allan); Susan
Richardson; Clare Smith; June Marriott (Lovell); Lynda Perkins (Smith); Pam Barrett (Heath); Anne Geraghty (Moore); Valerie Swallow (Steer); Elaine Andrews (Akroyd); Pat Collier;
Charlotte Gledhill (Link); Monica
Richardson; Josephine Goss (Hutchinson);
Mary Norman
(Beardsley) would have loved to be with us but she says as she lives in the Isles
of Scilly it is just too difficult and expensive to get to Filey. It’s Mary’s youngest daughter’s Silver
Wedding in July and the family are all meeting up in St Mawes, which is a lot
easier to get to without too much trouble. For the third year running she went
to Barbados for Christmas and New Year which, Mary says, was such fun. ‘Father Christmas comes on his motor bike –
all dressed up properly in the proper outfit, which must be terribly hot while
we await him in flimsy sarongs’. She
hopes we have a wonderful weekend meeting with all the ‘Old Girls’, will think
of us all, and says she does look at her photographs sometimes for a bit of
nostalgia.
From Greer Montgomery:
‘Unfortunately I will not be able to attend this annual event. I hope
you all have a great time and the Old Girls are enjoying life and having plenty
of fun. Wishing you a great weekend.’
From Val Hewins (nee Mortimer)
‘Sorry I will be unable to attend, as I have already booked golf at
Breadsall Priory; I will be thinking of
you all.’
From Sheila Lupton (Plews):
‘Just to let you know I will not be attending the re-union once
again. I am expecting to move house at any time within the next
fortnight. Please give my apologies and my regards to anyone who
remembers me way back between 1945 and 1949. At the moment I am staying
with my son which so far has been for 3 months. The downsize has appeared
to take forever having sold my house very quickly.’
Jennifer Carr (nee Stockdill) wrote: ‘Thank you for sending me the Re-union invitation, I left it as late as I could to reply, in case I could make it. But as usual it is near my husband’s birthday (actually the 23rd) so we now have plans for that weekend. I do hope you all have a lovely weekend and look forward to receiving the news letter in due course.’
Sally Brown (nee Wilson) wrote: ‘Sadly I think that I will have to miss the
Re-union this year, I have my two young Grandchildren on the Thursday and
Friday before the weekend, followed by a meeting up at Scotch Corner on the Saturday
rushing back for my Granddaughter’s birthday tea, so by Sunday I think that a
one hundred and twenty mile round trip to Filey will be tiring especially as I
have the Grandchildren on the Monday due to a teachers training day. I do hope that you all have a lovely time and
send my best wishes to all who remember me.’
Dawn Fixter (Howell) wrote: ‘Just a quickie to wish you a "Happy
Reunion" at the week-end. I hope
that the sun keeps shining even if it is very cold !’ Dawn said that she had hoped to pop in to see
everyone but unfortunately she would not be able to come as the Chemotherapy
she is undergoing is taking up all her time these days and several side effects
have now taken hold. Best wishes, Dawn,
from all your friends, and many thanks for your persistence and hard work in finding
out how to set up the blog and post things on the internet for us.
Sister Monica regrets not being able to come
to the Reunion; she hopes all goes well
with the meetings and meal, and says we will be in her thoughts and prayers, as
we all are each day. She is still living
at Holywood House in Manchester, with Sister Angela and Sister Anne Marie and
Sister Pauline, who all spent time in Filey.
She works now at the Alexian Brothers care house. She sends her love to everyone.
Jennifer Simpson (Milner) is recovering from illness and
is not able to join us; she sends her
best wishes for a good reunion.
Pauline Barber (Evans) is unable to attend; she sends love to everyone she
remembers. Pauline was in the year with
Sandra Scruton and Charlotte Link as a day pupil and travelled on the Bridlington bus with the likes of the Roden
twins, Cherry and Paddy and Susan Hartley.
‘Happy days’, she says!
I’m sorry to report that the following Old Girls have died. Their names will be entered in the Book of
Remembrance for deceased members, Sisters and teachers which is kept in St
Mary’s Church, Filey, and Johanna Albin turns the pages each week and lights a
candle; Mass is also said for them on the Sunday of the Re-union
each year, Theona
Harrop (Edwards) died on 12th
May 2016; Susan Aridor (Addis) died in September 2016; Vivienne
Carr (teacher) died on 18th September 2016; Sylvia Crowther died in September 2016;
Patricia Haxby died in August
2016. Molly Shepherd (Law) died on 9th January 2017. Molly’s daughter Mary wrote that Molly had
been doing well, but over Christmas and New Year she became weaker and was
refusing to eat. She wasn’t in pain and
died peacefully in the care home where she had been for two and a half
years. Her funeral took place on 23rd
January. Mary said it was a pity she
didn’t make it to 100. Her ashes were
scattered in the garden of St Mary’s Church, Filey. Father Smith carried out a simple but lovely
service. It was Molly’s wish to have her ashes scattered there, and shows how
much her days in Filey meant to her.
Diana Freeborn (Majdalaney) can’t attend, and hopes we all have a wonderful weekend,
sends good wishes to the Sisters and anyone else who remembers her and looks
forward to the newsletter. Last August
she fell backwards down an escalator in St Pancras Station. It left her severely battered and bruised and
traumatised, but she’s lived to tell the tale.
Diana says she keeps pretty busy and is very blessed in her friends.
Eunice
Moore (Waring)
wishes us all a wonderful time full of fun and very happy memories – she sends
very best wishes to all and hopes the sun shines all weekend!
Sister
Mary Angela
is unable to be with us as she will be at home for her great-niece and nephew’s
confirmation. She hopes everything goes
well and sends love to all.
Pam
Jones (Winship)
sent her best wishes and wrote: “Thank
you so much for the information about the next Old Girls’ Reunion. I am afraid that I am just about at the end
of these events. I have just had a knee
replacement but the main point is that on Easter Monday I shall be 90 years
old. That seems a long time since my
first meeting as the Old Girls’ Secretary.
The knee operation has of course held me up but I do want to keep in
touch with the Association! I hope that
all goes well for the weekend”.
Barbara
Bateman (Bleasdale)
was at school 1943-1949; She wrote: “It makes me shudder when I remember how many
years the organisation has been going. I
managed to come in the early days and was there for the first reunion. As time progressed doing my physiotherapy
training in Bath – meeting my husband to be, marrying and having the family,
Filey seemed to be a million miles away.
I certainly applaud those of you who have kept things going. Who would have imagined in the late 40s that
the Convent would have gone and all the Sisters left. I do keep in contact with Pat Collier and
Eunice Moore (Waring). I was so sad to read in the last Newsletter of
all those senior girls in my day that had passed on. I am a ‘computer peasant’ and consequently
still write and communicate with a pen – not quite a quill one!! Have a wonderful reunion, lots of laughter
and “do you remember” and the icing on the cake, lots of brilliant sunshine.”
Pamela
Shaw Johnston (Shaw)
sent the following notes for the Newsletter:
“The ‘FOGIES’ (myself, Judith Powell, Jacky Willis, Louise Pinkney, Pat
Brown, Maureen Megginson and Lesley Percival) still meet regularly for lunch at
each other’s homes. In March we went to
Edinburgh on a city break to celebrate our mutual 70th
birthdays. It’s lovely to share such
occasions with life-long friends! On a
personal front, my younger son, Simon, and I have appeared on two TV shows, yet
to be “aired”. The first, “Masterpiece”
on Channel 4, and recently we were contestants on “Bargain Hunt” for BBC2. It was great fun and a lovely experience,
especially as I was able to share it with my son. I still have my charity work and two
voluntary jobs and in my ‘spare’ time I love singing, gardening and my camper
van.”
Susan Leedham has been having health problems that affect her balance; she has been in Hull Royal Infirmary several
times and has spent several months in respite care in a Bridlington Care Home; Susan
says she has improved ‘somewhat’ and hopes to be able to attend next year’s Reunion. She sends good wishes to all in Filey.
Sandra Gardner (Mortimer) hopes we have a wonderful
weekend. She lost her husband last year
and is not settled yet. Her eldest son
and family are coming to live at the farm and she is having a barn converted
for her own accommodation. Sandra hopes
we have a wonderful weekend.
Pamela Stephenson (Temple) has had to decide not to come this year, as
since she broke her hip she is finding it difficult to walk any distance. Luckily she can drive, but driving both ways
on the day would be too exhausting. Pam hopes
that the weather is good for us – she loves Filey, but especially when the sun
shines!
Bunty
(Vera) Collicott (Jeffery) wrote from the Isle of Wight: “It has been a very traumatic year for both
my sister Wendy and myself, each of us having had falls. Old age of course, but physio can work
wonders! Unfortunately I’ve outlived my
school friends, but am still in contact with three of my old “Shipmates” from
my Wren days. Wendy, who had to finish in
the Kindergarten when our family moved south in 1945, visited the Convent about
10 years ago when on holiday in the area with her late husband, and said the
only part of the building inside which she remembered was the Gym! Wendy and I will be thinking of you all on
that particular weekend, wishing we were there in ‘our’ lovely garden, enjoying
the view and basking in sunshine. My
garden is at present also very warm and sunny and a treat to look out on. Have a lovely weekend and God bless you all.”
Rosalie
Maddy (Askew)
sent her good wishes and wrote:
“Unfortunately I am unable to attend.
I just wish I lived closer to Filey.
I envy those who do! Please give
my good wishes to everyone and I hope you have an enjoyable reunion with sunny
weather. Make the most of those
views! I have recently returned from
Switzerland where my granddaughter had her first birthday. She is beginning to respond to both Swiss
German and English and repeating words in both languages. My other grandchild, Louise’s little boy, is
now 2 years old and very chatty. We are
very lucky to live just a few miles away.
I continue to be very busy with ecumenical commitments as Secretary of
Churches Together in Porthcawl as well as taking services in the Bridgend
Methodist/URC United area. I am also
still in the Cowbridge am dram. My
latest part was the old lady in J M Barrie’s ‘The Old Lady Shows Her Medals’,
which we put on for the Royal British Legion last November. For that part I had to adopt a Scottish
accent – it took some doing especially as my own accent is a cross between
Yorkshire and Welsh!”
Thanks to everyone who wrote and sent
items for this Newsletter.
