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The Stopfordian 2011–2012
KIM BRIDGES
Kim Bridges started
teaching at Stockport
Grammar School in
1981. During her 31
year tenure at school
she has contributed
hugely in a myriad
ways. As a biologist,
Kim is an outstanding
teacher with a great
knowledge and
enthusiasm for her
subject. She has always
had the ability to inspire
pupils and encourage
them to give of their
best. Kim was often to
be found in a laboratory
sitting quietly with a pupil helping them with any areas of
misunderstanding that they may have. Her classes’ results
were always outstanding – a testament to the support she gave
to all of her pupils.
As Head of Middle School Kim was a tremendous team leader.
She cared deeply about the staff with whom she worked and the
pupils they supported through the pastoral system. As a member
of the Senior Management Team, Kim was instrumental in
developing our present reporting system. She was also very
involved in supporting staff when the new information system
database (iSAMS) was introduced. I am certain that SMT have
been grateful for her wisdom over the years.
Kim also provided opportunities for pupils in the Sixth Form
to travel extensively through the World Challenge expeditions
she organised. She organised trips to both Africa and Asia.
Kim also supported the Grasmere activities holidays for the
Second Year pupils and the Wasdale camps that preceded
them. Kim has also been on innumerable Biology field trips
and I would estimate that she has now spent a whole year on
the rocky shores of the Island of Anglesey teaching Ecology to
our Sixth Form pupils. Kim now moves on to a new and
exciting period of her life, retirement. I am sure she will be as
busy in her retirement as she has been with us. We do hope
very much that Kim will come back and visit us often; she will
always be very welcome indeed.
P. Grant
GILL LOCKWOOD
Dedicated, reliable, always willing to help, highly intelligent
and knowledgeable, enormous capacity for hard work,
organised, fun sense of humour and lovely to have in the
department; Gill Lockwood was very much an asset to the
school from her first day in 1986.
She was soon involved in numerous aspects of the school.
Gill’s dedication to sport has always been apparent.
Throughout her 26 years at SGS, she has stayed committed to
the Third Year hockey team and many girls have benefitted
greatly from her expertise, developing in to well drilled and
skilful sides. She has encouraged many pupils to further their
involvement in hockey by playing for clubs as well as for the
school teams. Gill has
also been committed to
the Climbing Club for
many years.
Being a good climber
was helpful in another
major role of Gill’s;
through stage lighting,
she has illuminated
numerous productions
and concerts for many
years. Countless Sixth
Form pupils have been
trained and I suspect
many have gone on to
find their skills of use for
university productions.
The school’s work experience programme was both devised
and then managed by Gill. This has certainly kept her on her
toes for more than a decade. Although it has been very
demanding and time-consuming, I know that Gill enjoyed the
jigsaw of matching pupil with both type of work and location.
Gill was House mistress of Arden for 10 years. She organised
and ran in the traditional final event of Sports day, the staff
relay, and rumour has it they were undefeated. I am told that
she was involved in Arden putting on a ‘drama’ production
loosely based on the TV program ‘Allo! ‘Allo’ called ‘Bonjour!
Bonjour!’ In it Gill played the role of René’s wife, who you
might remember, was always suspicious of his shenanigans.
When Gill came on to act her part and accused him of having
an affair –having Gill on the receiving end the classic line ‘You
stupid woman!’ brought the house down.
Gill accompanied 22 ski trips, organising quite a few of those
herself. On one trip to France the staff had issued instructions
saying that no pupils were allowed out on the balconies of
their rooms. Gill was walking down the street after skiing one
day and spotted some SGS pupils out on their balcony. She
bellowed down the street ‘get off that balcony!’. Children on
every balcony of every hotel in the whole street cleared in 10
seconds flat!
There have been many more trips including Oxford trips,
Grasmere and Wasdale. In true “Gill style”, even after the end
of the Summer Term, she took part in two more trips over the
next 10 days before finally retiring, one of which was my
CERN trip: thank you very much!
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