Old Girls' Association - Malvern St James

14
2002
Samantha Morris has a MA in music and lives in
Birmingham. Julia Charnock is studying for a Graduate
Diploma in Law at Birmingham University after reading
English at Oxford and taking a Post Graduate Music Degree
from the Birmingham Conservatoire.
2003
Aidan Parker completed her BA(Hons)/MSci in Natural
Sciences from Cambridge, gaining a First. She specialised
in geological sciences and studied rare mantle rocks from
the Antarctic Peninsula (in conjunction with the British
Antarctic Survey) for her master’s project. In October
she was starting a PhD jointly between the Natural
History Museum and University College London studying
meteorites, specifi cally ureilites.
Antonia Cooper is getting married to Robert Cooke and
has an NVQ in childcare. Julia Leonard is in her third year
at Exeter University studying English and looking forward
to a career in journalism. Gemma Vandome has graduated
from Southampton University with a BA (Hons) in Music
and is thoroughly enjoying teaching at St Anne’s Girls
School in Southampton.
2004
Alison Walker says ‘somewhere along the way I caught the
“bug” that made me want to pursue music and songwriting
in particular’. She has been working with a number of labels
and had a tour in South Africa and Botswana where she
sang at quite a big festival. She is hoping to have an album
released this year. She also works as a part-time project
manager for a multi-media education company based in SE
London. They work mainly with underprivileged or ‘at risk’
youth who have fallen out of the education system. ‘The
courses are generally great fun as they are very creative …
and it is a project I believe in’.
2005
Emma White is a Project Offi cer and Trainee Business
Analyst within the Children Services at Worcestershire
County Council. She is also studying for a Local Government
Foundation Degree. Felicity Houlbrook graduated with
a BA in English Literature from the University of Sheffi eld
and is now studying for a year’s Post Graduate Diploma in
Acting at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London.
2006
Jessica Smith is at Bristol University where she has become
good friends with Charlotte Allan. Alice Bendall has a full
scholarship for the Musical Theatre course at the Arts
Educational Professional School in London. She worked with
the girls at MSJ by choreographing their production of ‘High
School Musical Hatfi eld Style’, which was a great success.
Her most recent London role has been as Martha Cox in a
production of ‘High School Musical’ and she has performed in
‘A Chorus Line’, ‘The Gypsy King’ and ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’.
2008
Alice Wright took part in the Prime Minister’s Global
Fellowship, a pilot project run by the British Council,
designed to send 100 school leavers to India, China or Brazil
for six weeks. She went to China and returned ‘with 40 close
friends and a broader personal understanding of global
citizenship’. Since then she has been involved in sharing her
experiences with communities and schools; the Fellows’
experiences have also been gathered into a book and she
was one of those who went to Downing Street to present a
copy to the Prime Minister.
Also heard from
1930: Joyce Craufurd-Stuart. 1942: Ann Helliwell (Barnes).
1947: Jean Beasley (Latchford). 1954: Mary Boughey
(Davies). 1975: Helen Clough. 1984: Georgina Brown. 1986:
Morag Raine (Renton). 1991: Olivia Alderson (Millington).
1992: Charlotte Lobb (Elstub). 1993: Virginia Temple (Walls).
1998: Camilla Gregory. Leonie Hart (Osborne)
OVERSEAS
AUSTRALIA
1950
Diana Rowntree (Butters) would love to have news of any
classmates, especially if they live in Australia.
1992
Helena Mooney (Johnson) is married with a baby daughter
and living in New South Wales.
BRUNEI
2000
Zakiah Abidin graduated from Dundee Medical School
in 2005 and is working as a medical offi cer in internal
medicine at RIPAS hospital in Brunei, and working towards
completing her postgraduate membership exams.
FRANCE
1946
Denise Smith (Quarmby) and her husband spent 6 weeks
in the Philippines, visiting their son who has a boatbuilding
business. At the age of 78 they both enjoyed starting to
learn to sail and dive. They still enjoy life in France and
their workload, maintaining gardens and swimming pools,
seems to increase despite trying to cut down. (Editor’s
apologies for including this news last year under Denise’s
middle rather than maiden name!)
JAPAN
1959
Elizabeth Oliver is still running ARK, with an offi ce in Tokyo
and hoping to build a sanctuary in the Kansai ‘so little hope
of retirement’. She is in regular contact with Louise Wright
and Christine Thornton (Chappell).