High Times - Truro High School for Girls

September 2014
High Times
After a long summer holiday the girls returned refreshed and ready to take on the challenges and
opportunities of the new school year – read all about what our girls have been up to …
Sixth Form
It has been a busy start to the year in the Sixth Form. The weather was kind for our welcome BBQ in the
first week of term, which provided both Upper and Lower Sixth and new girls with the opportunity to
socialize and get to know each other. Thanks to Mr Mothersole and Mr Ford for cooking and doing such a
fantastic job! We have several new girls who have settled in well and the Upper Sixth’s warm welcome has
enabled the two years to bond well, which has created a very happy and positive atmosphere in the Sixth
Form Centre.
‘A’ level results day this year was a very happy occasion as 94% of our girls were accepted by their first
choice university. It was a day of celebration of their results but also a day of mixed emotions. The girls
were excited about the prospect of going to university but were also sad to see their time at Truro High
come to an end as they had thoroughly enjoyed their two years in the Sixth Form, and for many it was the
end of many years spend in Prep and Senior school.
Some final destinations: Cambridge – Medicine; St Andrew’s – Languages, English Literature; Edinburgh –
Mathematics; Kings – Classics; Bath – Psychology; Leeds – Accountancy; Cardiff – Neuroscience;
University of Arts, London – Textiles(Fashion)
Hayley Chandler and Alice Soutar led a Year 13 assembly on their trip to Nepal in the summer and Year
12’s assembly on feminism made everyone aware that there is still work to be done before equality is
achieved.
The netballers have had a successful start to the season beating Camborne School 27-10 and Wadebridge
School 27-13.
In PSHE the Upper Sixth have been working hard on their UCAS applications whilst the Lower Sixth have
been thinking about their work experience and have also enjoyed a yoga session. In enrichment the girls
have opted for swimming, badminton, art and a number of girls will be entering for the Extended Project
Qualification. The EPQ is now being recognized highly by universities as it helps develop the research and
analytical skills the girls will need at university.
Although everyone is working hard and are very busy they have still found the time to have fun and relax in
the Sixth Form centre, hula–hooping being the flavour of the moment. The Sixth Form is a very lively and
happy place to be!
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September 2014
Senior School
Senior Sports report and results
6th Form Netball Match v Camborne: 17 September
This game was very close in the first half with the ball passing from team to team with very few goals, but in
the second half the girls played more controlled netball and began to score goals. Maddie Sibley played
well in her debut game. Thanks to Iona Middleton and Mia Cockroft for filling in at the last moment due to
illness.
PSP Netball v Truro School: 18 September
Year 7 had a closely contested game but kept their nerve to win 15-14.
Year 8 also had a close game and came from behind to draw 14-14.
Year 9 lost 4-1 in a shortened game but kept trying all through the game.
Year 10 also shortened game lost 18-0 but were without several players. Well done girls for competing the
whole game.
Year 11 had a tight game for three quarters of the game and then pulled away in the second half. Well
done girls in a very hard contested game.
Cross Country at Newquay: 24 September
This was a friendly match prior to the English Schools County Cross Country event on the 6 th October. The
girls ran exceptionally well so early in the term.
Junior team:
Evelyn Robertson 3rd; Felicity Hood 8th; Maddie Babb 9th; Victoria Bradshaw 13th; Martha Ellemann 15th;
Zoe Beckley 17th; Molly Rodda 18th; Nancy Ellemann 20th; Matilda Hastings 21st .
Team A finished 3rd with 20 points total overall; Team B finished 5th with 45 points total overall; Team C
finished with 59 points.
Senior Team:
Emily Williams 2nd; Rosalind Williams 7th; Eliza Hole 12th; Giselle Aguer Martinez 15th. The team finished 3rd
overall.
Hockey: 30 September
U18 7 aside Hockey v Truro School. The U16 team with Ellie Angove in goal played well on pitch, they put
up strong opposition but this did not reflect on the score. Final score THS lost 3-1.
Well done everyone and thank you to all the Senior and Prep parents that came and supported.
Parents please keep us updated on any activity your daughter takes part in outside of school. We
love to hear all about their achievements.
Invisibility Lecture
On Thursday 18th September all of Year 10 attended the Institute of Physics (IOP) lecture on Magic
Materials and Invisibility. The talk was a great opportunity to see how Science learned in the classroom is
applied in this exciting research field, and how, by using both our fundamental understanding of Physics
and a close examination of the natural world, the frontiers of our knowledge and capabilities are being
expanded.
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September 2014
The talk explained how butterflies wings get their amazing
properties from their structure and looked at how these properties
are inspiring the production of man-made materials. The new
wonder material graphene was discussed, and girls were
interested to see that we may soon have kindles and mobile
phones that are able to be rolled up and put in your pocket.
Additionally, everyone was fascinated to see how easy it was to
win a Nobel Prize (and £1million) for the discovery of graphene
using sellotape! Parents of year 10 girls can ask their daughters
to explain it to them!
Classics Department trip to the cinema
On the second day of term, the Years 12 and 13 Classical Civilisation sets went to see a live streaming of
the critically acclaimed National Theatre production of the Greek tragedy ‘Medea’. It was a powerful and
moving performance. Year 13 enjoyed the chance to see a contemporary interpretation of a play that they
had studied during the previous year for their AS examinations, while for Year 12 it was a valuable
introduction to their Greek tragedy module. It was an experience that made a great impression on staff and
pupils alike.
European Day of Languages
It was another incredible turnout of creative costumes for the annual European Day of Languages on 26 th
September as the school hall filled with girls dressed in costumes from every country, as well as an
assortment of macaroons, a London bus, pizza slices, the British Royal family, the Mona Lisa (with artist)
and the coliseum!
Prep School
The new school year has got off to a flying start in the Prep School. The extended summer weather has
meant that the girls have been able to stay in their summer dresses for much longer than usual and it has
been lovely that they have still been able to play outside on the field at break times; at the time of writing we
haven’t had any wet playtimes all term, which is unheard of.
The girls are now settled into their new classes and routines and throughout the school there is a sense of
purposeful work and enthusiastic learning. The new Reception girls have slotted straight in school life and
the girls in Prep One are enjoying being ‘big’ girls. They are loving their Outdoor Learning sessions with
Mrs Kingdon and are waiting to see the seeds they have planted in their planters come up in the spring .
Prep Two had an exciting visit to The Great Cornish Food Festival and Prep Four enjoyed their trip back in
time at their Roman workshop at the museum. In Science lessons Prep Three have been carrying out
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Truro High School, Falmouth Road, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2HU
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September 2014
interesting experiments on the preferences of snails and slugs, and Prep Five’s practical work about the
digestive system was certainly not for the faint-hearted!
Altogether a happy and productive start to the year. Mrs Miller, Head of Prep.
Outdoor learning for Prep 2
On Friday 26th September, Prep 2 visited the GREAT CORNISH FOOD FESTIVAL on Lemon Quay as part
of their Outdoor Learning topic. They looked at foods that are made or grown in Cornwall and used their
‘interviewing skills’ to ask some of the stall holders questions about their products!
The girls also managed to find all the harvest fruits and
vegetables on the Harvest Trail. They finished their afternoon
with a visit to the Kelly’s Ice cream stand and were lucky to be
able to choose their favourite flavour!
“I loved seeing the model of the cow, showing us the different
cuts of meat” – Erika
“All the fruits and vegetables were very colourful” – Hannah
“I liked the ice cream!” – Ivy
Prep 4 meet the Romans!
On Tuesday 30th September, Prep Four had a fantastic morning at Royal Cornwall Museum. The girls
attended a workshop about the Romans to support their history curriculum. They travelled back in time to
over 1000 years ago to when the Romans invaded Britain. Prep Four had the experience of handling
genuine artefacts found at an archaeological dig near Camborne in the 1930’s.
The girls examined the evidence and made their own historical
opinions, they dressed up in togas and even made replicas of
Roman oil lamps out of clay. We have yet to test them to see if
they work!
Such ‘hands on’ experiences like this make history real, fun and
exciting.
Prep sports results
Prep 5 & 6 Netball at St Joseph’s Launceston: 24 September
This was a friendly tournament with the aim being to have lots of fun. Both teams played well in the lovely
sunshine, with the Prep 6 team winning 3 out of their 4 games and Prep 5/6 team winning all 3 of their
games. Well done girls excellent Netball - shame about the singing in the bus!!
Prep U8 & U9 Hockey v Truro Prep: 30 September
This was a training and coaching match as it was the first match for the U8’s. The girls had a great time
and learnt a lot.
U8’s won 2-0 and the U9’s won 3-2.
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Truro High School, Falmouth Road, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2HU
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September 2014
Boarding
We have welcomed back many familiar faces to boarding this year along with 19 new girls who arrived from
as far afield as Germany, Australia and Russia. We had a fantastic few days with the new girls who arrived
early, where we took trips to local beaches, made smoothies, explored Truro and sorted out uniform for the
younger girls. Now that the school term is well underway, it’s hard to believe that our first half-term holiday
is fast approaching.
Lots of our boarders have enjoyed being part of the school clubs, with Adele Yau, Chloe Wong and Gaby
and Mary Lau taking part in a Green car trip to Castle Combe and many girls attending swimming club as
well as netball and hockey matches. Many girls continue to play the piano beautifully and some have joined
choir and jazz band. Badminton has also been a particularly popular club with the boarders in Dalvenie who
come back very enthusiastic.
During the weekends, there have been a number of trips and activities including surfing, knitting miniature
hats, watching DVDs, a karaoke evening, trips to Falmouth, toasting marshmallows and chocolate bananas
on a barbeque, blackberry picking (and crumble making) and a very British picnic with a Cornish cream tea.
Many of our older boarders are kindly helping with the Open day on Saturday 4th October. Afterwards, some
girls will be painting some new canvases to help decorate our lounge areas well as doing a coastal walk on
Sunday.
A few of the things we’ve been up to -
Awards and achievements
Musical success
Congratulations to the following girls who passed their exams in the summer term:
Olivia Thomas, Grade 6 violin with merit; Amira Ellery, Grade 3 oboe with merit; Nancy Ellemann, Grade 1
flute; Miriam Leyshon, Grade 3 descant recorder; Jenna Dobson, Grade 1 alto saxophone with distinction;
Eugenie Nevin, Grade 5 piano with merit; Eleanor Boyden, Grade 1 singing with distinction; Charlotte
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September 2014
Corbett, Grade 2 singing; Charlotte Oakes, Grade 5 singing with merit; Gabrielle Dawson, Grade 7 singing
with merit; Eleanor Sneesby, Grade 1 music theory with distinction; Eugenie Nevin, Grade 4 music theory
with distinction; Amani Hart, Grade 5 music theory; Naomi Hart, Grade 5 music theory with merit; Chelsea
Stimpson-Thurlby, Grade 5 music theory with merit.
Tour de France French Song competition
Truro High School achieved outstanding results in this competition, organised in honour of the Tour de
Fance. The first prize of £100 was awarded to the song and video entitled ‘Le Maillot Jaune de Jeunes’
entered by Bennath Halse, Abigail Brewer, Rosalind Williams, Eugenie Nevin, Breeze Weller, Molly Nolan
and Lowenna Dobson. Runners up were ‘Le Voyage du Tour de France’ by Sophie Collins, Alanah Wickett,
Olivia Leather, Elodie Laury, Eliza Hole, Melissa Mullen and Isabella Edmond, and also ‘Le Tour de France’
by Chloe White, Elizabeth Howe, Lucy Wallis and Cara Sawyer.
Early success in GCSE Astronomy
Lowenna Penny studied for this GCSE as an extra-curricular activity with Dr Brian Sheen from the Roseland
Observatory whilst in Year 9. She was awarded an A grade and is planning on helping others who are
interested in learning more about the subject, at the Astronomy after-school club, held on Thursdays. Many
congratulations to Lowenna on this fantastic achievement!
Tennis awards
The tennis medals awarded by Coach Steve Luck from the summer term were awarded to Daisy Katz and
Rebecca Winn.
Amani Hart collected the U16 Girls' Champion's Cup at Perran Tennis Club for the 3rd year in a row,
despite suffering an ongoing shoulder problem.
Truro Tennis Club held its annual Club closed competition open to
all junior and adult players at the Club. Daisy Chapman (Prep 5) won
the Ladies Singles and the Ladies Doubles event (with partner Club
Captain Helen Wright) and was delighted to be presented with two
lovely Trophies! Daisy also defended her tennis County title at the
County championships at the end of August - she was the only female
entry and beat all the boys to take the title 3 years running.
Out and about
GHS National Cycling Championships
On 13th September Alanah Wickett took part in the GHS National Cycling
Championships 10 mile Time Trial Final in Derby. 180 boys and girls qualified
for this. She completed the ride in a time of 27 minutes and 33 seconds and
came 7th in her age category nationally. Many congratulations to her on this
fantastic achievement!
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Truro High School, Falmouth Road, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2HU
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September 2014
Rising sailing star
Truro High School prides itself on recognising and being able to support and nurture all pupils’ talents. One
of those is rising star in the sailing world, Chloe Collenette, a Year 11 pupil with high ambitions to match her
abilities. Just two years after learning to sail, Chloe is on the radar for the Laser Association’s prestigious
Transition Squad. If chosen, Chloe will be given special training from former Olympic coaches to ease her
progression to adult classes and boost her chance of representing the UK - her ultimate aim.
To earn that attention, Chloe competed in 10 National Ladder events so successfully last season, she
qualified for the week-long UK Laser National Championships - an open sea event, this year held at Largs,
Scotland. She finished a creditable 25th in terrible
weather.
Her impressive improvement throughout last year
was also noticed by national selectors and
although Chloe was not picked to be a member of
the 12-strong national team at a Youth European
event in Norway, she was invited to compete
alongside the squad to increase her experience.
The demands of competition do sometimes clash
with Chloe’s academic studies but, the school’s
staff are happy to offer flexibility and as much help
as needed.
Culinary conquest
On Friday 12th September, Rebecca Winn took part in the semi-final of the South
West Chef of the Year (Junior Class) at Camborne College. She was cooking
against 5 other Cornish students all trying to get through to the final, representing
Cornwall, to be held at the Ashburton Cookery School in Devon.
In an hour and a half, she created a dish consisting of pan-fried hake, potato
rosti, apple braised leeks and cabbage with a butternut squash puree. The judges
were looking for a seasonal dish using ingredients sourced from the County. Her
dish was tasted and judged by three chefs from Cornwall and was voted the
unanimous winner. She will now be mentored by Stuart Mathieson, Head of
Hospitality at Cornwall College and his team in preparation for the final in
October.
Charity Bike Ride
Charlotte Drew, Year 7, completed the Cornish Way cycle path in
August, with her swimming club. She was part of a team of five 11
year olds to cycle 140 miles over four days: starting in Bude and
finishing at Lands End. They cycled around 30 to 45 miles each
day, but did manage to stop off for a few well-earned ice creams on
route! Each evening she camped with her friends and support staff.
The cycle was in aid of children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent, and
Charlotte managed to raise approximately £700 herself through
sponsorship, for this worthwhile cause.
Dr Moodie, Headmaster said “I am very impressed with Charlotte’s determination and perseverance. It is
fantastic to see Truro High girls making sacrifices during the holidays to benefit others. Congratulations to
Charlotte on her achievement”.
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September 2014
Swimming for charity
On 20th July, Amira Ellery took part in the Padstow to Rock 1 mile open water swim, completing it in 32
minutes (and beating many adults). The swim was in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care and as well as being
one of the youngest competitors, Amira won a prize for raising one of the highest amounts of money (over
£600). Amira would like to thank everyone at school who sponsored her.
Solar Car Challenge Team for Truro High
Towards the end of the summer term several teams from THS attended the Solar Car Challenge at the
Greenpower event . They worked well in their teams and came up with brilliant designs for their cars which
scored very well in all three categories: Design, Drag Race and the Head to Head race, winning first and
second place overall. First prize was awarded to Tilly Lee, Kelly Chow and Amani Hart. Second prize was
won by Lucy Thatcher, Abbie Leigh and Molly Leigh.
Castle Combe event tests Green Goddess
The Castle Combe airfield opened in May 1941. The land which the airfield occupied belonged to the Castle
Combe estate, which was owned by the Gorst family. It operated as RAF Castle Combe for seven years
before being decommissioned in 1948. Castle Combe Circuit opened in 1950, and the first meeting was
staged on July 8 by the Bristol Motorcycle & Light Car Club. Over the next few years, the circuit attracted
star names such as Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn, Roy Salvadori and John Surtees. The Green Power
races are held here as part of the build up to Goodwood. Greenpower is the trading name of a charitable
organization, the Greenpower Education Trust. Their objective is to inspire more young people to become
engineers, by presenting the engineering industry as an interesting and relevant career choice. The main
idea is for teams of students between the ages of 9-25, to build and race their own electric powered race
cars at top racing circuits like Castle Combe and Goodwood.
The Green Goddess team set off from Truro High School at 2:30pm on Saturday 27th September and
headed for Chippenham near to Castle Combe, where we stopped overnight. The weather on the Sunday
was really very good and we got to the track at about 7:30am and set up our tent. We then got the car ready
for her MOT before she was allowed on the track, we also had to go to a briefing where the course manager
told us what we had to do. From 9:30- 11.00am we were allowed to
practice on the circuit and iron out any issues. Our first race began at
11:30am and lasted an hour and a half. The idea is that you travel as
far as you can in that time on only two 12V batteries to power your
electric motor. Both the batteries and the motor are supplied by the
Greenpower project and cannot be modified. There are strict building
rules for the construction of the car too.
Our first race was good but we were 15 minutes short of our target
and had to be recovered and brought back to the pits. Our drivers
Mary, Lexie and Gaby all did their best but the competition at this level
is fierce and schools and colleges from as far Poland attend this event. We decided to use some better
tactics and arranged our driving order so that we could get maximum efficiency from our vehicle.
Unfortunately we just fell short of our target again. However, we have achieved a personal best and feel
that with support and sponsorship we can achieve our goal and reach the top 100 and the Goodwood Final.
Mr Dean, Head of Science and the Green Goddess team.
PTA
Thank you to all our parents who have volunteered to be parent class representatives. We hope that this
will increase parent-to-parent contact within your year groups, and we have heard that some reps are
already planning some informal get-togethers. We will meet all reps and see how we can best support you
in this role. The parent directories for each year group have now been updated and circulated.
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Truro High School, Falmouth Road, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2HU
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September 2014
We were delighted that Dr Moodie attended
our first monthly meeting and joined us to see
the newly refurbished changing rooms at the
swimming pool. The PTA donated £1,000
from monies raised through fundraising to
support this project.
Please join us
We welcome all parents to our monthly informal meetings (held in Rashleigh boarding lounge). Our next
meeting is on Thursday 6 November. All details of events and times are posted on the PTA website
page and in the weekly Bulletin. If you have any questions about PTA please email them to
pta@trurohigh.co.uk.
Fundraising
This month we have undertaken a variety of fundraising events to support different charities.
At Dr Moodie’s suggestion, 17 members of staff joined him in dressing up and received a dousing of
freezing cold water as part of the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise money for Water Aid (£159.17) and Motor
Neurone Disease Association (£168.36).
Later in the month we hosted a coffee morning and raised £267.43 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Congratulations to Mrs Radford who correctly guessed the number of 100s and 1000s on the poster cake!
Many thanks as always to the girls, parents and staff for generously supporting these fundraising activities.
Old Girls’ Association news
Reunion Reminder – Saturday 8th November 2014
If you left between 1955 and 1965 this reunion is for you and your peers. This also includes anyone who
left in 1953 or 1954 from the 5th Year and Lower 6th. The lunch will be held in the Rashleigh/Dalvenie
Dining room at 1 pm and the cost of the buffet lunch followed by dessert will be just £10. The plan is to start
the day with tours of the school at 11 am. Please pass on this information to anyone else from your year.
If you have not already put your name down for the Reunion please note that we would like names by
Friday 24th October and the payment of £10 to be received by Friday 31st October. Details of dietary
requirements would also be appreciated. Cheques should be written out to THSOGA and posted to
Marianne Inskip at 19 Tara Vale, Crantock, Newquay, Cornwall TR8 5SR.
Marianne can also be contacted on 01637-830092 or by e-mailing oldgirls@trurohigh.co.uk Parking for the
event will be in the Daniell Road parking area and if you would like details of where this is situated please
contact Marianne.
OGA AGM 2014
The AGM for the Old Girls’ Association was held on Tuesday 23rd September. The Chairman and
Treasurer gave brief reports and our President, Dr Glenn Moodie, gave a short introduction about himself,
after which the officers for 2014/2015 were appointed:
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Truro High School, Falmouth Road, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2HU
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September 2014
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Treasurer
Meetings Secretary
Database Secretary
Sue Dowding (nee Webb )
Helen Corrigan (nee Fogarty)
Clare Harris
Bridget Cook (nee Waters)
Marianne Inskip (nee Petersen)
Archives
Daphne Ruddiman (nee Stearn) and Liesel Polkinghorne (nee Cocks)
Amy Key Co-ordinator Harriet Andrew (nee Hancock)
The rest of the committee are Janet Bell (nee Reed), Angela Brock (nee Crabb), Jo Camerer-Cuss (nee
Wise), Sarah Hall (nee Haynes), Judith Hancock (nee Pike), Michaela Harris (nee Birt), Sue Holman (nee
Betty), Diana Smeath (nee Langdon) and Jo West (nee Sly)
Jo West joined the committee in early 2014 and Michaela Harris joined at the AGM. We are always on the
look-out for younger members to join our ranks.
OGA events during the year include the Amy Key lecture/dinner, the June Summer Evening, the Back to
School Day and a reunion for leavers each November from a selected 5 or 10 year block. This year our
reunion is for those who left between 1955 and 1965 and takes place on Saturday 8 th November. We also
have a stall at the THS Christmas Fayre on Friday 5th December.
Obituaries:
Judith Chudleigh nee Carpenter (THS 1959-1962) – Died 18 January 2014
We recently received the following obituary for Judith Chudleigh (nee Carpenter) from her sister Jill Taylor
nee Carpenter (THS 1957-1963).
My sister, Judith died of pancreatic cancer in January at the age of 68. Whilst at Truro High School, Judith
boarded at Tregolls from 1959 to 1962. She loved sports, struggled with maths and I benefitted from
her cookery classes. On leaving THS she attended Hosters Secretarial College in South Kensington and
had a less than illustrious office career. Her heart was never in the city, so she spent a year as an au pair
in Switzerland before marrying Anthony Chudleigh (ex-Truro School) in 1966. On leaving school Anthony
had joined his father's agricultural business in Lawhitton and life as a farmer's wife suited Judith down to the
ground. Although for a number of years she was the proprietress of M Hart & Son, general drapers, in
Launceston. Judith's pride and joy were their three children (Liz, Vicky and Mark) and four grandchildren.
Her son Mark played rugby for England up to the U-23 squad.
A keen photographer, gardener, skier and knitter, and also a frustrated adventurer, Judith managed trips to
India, Australia, Africa and Canada as well as Europe. In her local community, Judith was known as the
'go-to' person when you wanted help with a fund raiser or anything else for that matter. She and Anthony
opened their large garden annually to raise money for cancer research. They shared a love of rugby and
Judith became well known in County circles for her involvement with youth rugby. The hundreds of
people who came from far and wide to her memorial service were a testament to the mark she made. I
miss her terribly.
Diana Stephens (nee Butson) (THS 1948 - 1960) – Died 27th June 2014
Diana died after a brave but short struggle against cancer on 27 th June 2014. At the end of last year Diana
reached her 70th birthday and in January, this year, Diana and her husband Renfree celebrated their golden
wedding. They had 2 sons and 4 grand-daughters - a wonderful example of a close and happy family.
Diana played a large part in the life of Ladock, where she had been the WI president for 19 years, retiring
as recently as March this year. She was a great supporter of the Church, a trustee of the Community Hall
and on the committee of the Old Cornwall Society. If a job needed doing in Ladock Diana was at the top of
the list of people to ask for help. She led a very full and busy life as real pillar of the community right up to
her first admission into hospital during the last week in April.
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September 2014
Cricket was a great part of Diana's life and she and Renfree travelled far and wide watching County
matches and spent many hours watching Truro play. She was a Vice President of Cornwall and Truro
Cricket Clubs.
Most of all Diana loved her family and her big aim in life was to see that they were all happy, doing well at
school or work and enjoying themselves. Their lovely home at Hillside was often buzzing with children
playing games or on the piano.
Diana was a wonderful person – her life made a difference to so many – a marvellous friend and neighbour.
Jean Wilks – English Teacher at THS 1939-1943 – Died 15 July 2014
Jean Wilks was a distinguished headmistress of King
Edward VI High School for Girls in Birmingham and
began her illustrious teaching career at Truro High
School for Girls during the war. Jean Wilks recalled
that a surprising amount of education could take place
with a bible, stub of pencil and scraps of paper in
shelters during air raids.
THS STAFF HOCKEY TEAM 1943 – Front row left Miss
Wilks
Jean Wilks died in July aged 97 and was one of the
great educators of her generation. Jean was born in
Essex in 1917, and her background included
freethinkers and nonconformist clerics. As a teenager
Jean was a convinced atheist, although she embraced Christianity at University. Jean read English at
Somerville College, Oxford.
Jean Wilks believed that able girls from any background should enjoy the privilege of a top class education.
Although self-contained, scholarly and seemingly austere, Jean Wilks was approachable, enlightened and
personally generous. Jean Wilks was a governor and adviser to the School’ Council in the 1970s and
served on the education committee of the Royal College of Nursing. She also served as president of the
Association of Headmistresses (1972-74) and as Pro-Vice Chancellor of Birmingham University. On her
retirement in 1977 she was appointed CBE. In 1978 she was elected a Fellow of the College of
Preceptors, the only honour specifically awarded for teaching. (Obituary abridged from The Daily
Telegraph.)
Millicent Clarke– Music Teacher (1958-1963) – Died Sept 2014
We recently heard that Millicent Clarke a music teacher at Truro High School died at the end of Sept 2014.
Millicent had been in a residential home in Essex for many years following a severe stroke. After leaving
the High School, Millicent taught at schools in Warwickshire and in Essex. She was always heavily involved
with music not only singing but also playing music. As most of Millicent’s family live in the USA and
Canada, she will have a quiet funeral, followed by a memorial service in Essex in the Spring.
Staying in touch
If your address or e-mail has changed please remember to inform us of the new details. Please contact
Marianne Inskip by email: oldgirls@trurohigh.co.uk or write to: The Secretary, THSOGA c/o19 Tara Vale,
Crantock, Newquay, Cornwall TR8 5SR or Tel: 01637-830092. The OGA would love to hear news from any
of our Old Girls, including marriages, births or deaths… Please encourage your friends to register on line –
it’s so easy at www.trurohigh.co.uk/oldgirls/register.
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Truro High School, Falmouth Road, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2HU
T 01872 272830 E development@trurohigh.co.uk W trurohigh.co.uk
September 2014
Pula or Bust
Jo Olivey (nee Harris) wanted to share with you her way of marking an important forthcoming birthday…
OK, so I wanted to do something positive for my 50th, which is next year, as well as have a challenge. Last
year I went to the Cornwall VW owners club Jamboree and met a lady who was doing a Banger Rally called
Rome or Bust. We talked and she told me that they would be leaving from the Cornwall Spa Hotel at the
end of Sept. So I went along to that to see all the cars and the costumes and to get more information. The
rally helps to raise money for local charities, so there was my worthwhile cause, and to drive that far in a
banger would certainly be a challenge.
I decided that I would do next year's Rally. However slight problem, I discovered in June that they weren't
doing one in 2015. They suggested I bring it forward a year, so instead of having 16 months to prepare I
had 4 months! Despite the shortened timescale, I signed up for the Pula or Bust Banger Rally Challenge
(Pula is in Croatia).
I gathered a team of three local friends, and looked around for
a suitable "Banger." I couldn't find a banger, but had my 1966
VW splitty in the garage, so I asked if I would be allowed to do
the rally in her, which was agreed. We set about organising a
couple of events to start our fundraising. We planned a Barn
Dance in St Merryn, a Bridge Hold up on Treworrnan Bridge at
Wadebridge and a Wine Tasting evening at The Shop Trevone
Farm.
We have to travel through 7 countries in 5 days, and it all kicks
off on Thurs 2nd Oct at the Cornwall Spa Hotel.
We have also set up a justgiving page, at www.justgiving.com/teams/BLB where, if you would like to
donate, you can choose from one of the following charities: Cornwall Air Ambulance, Children's Hospice
SW, Cornwall Hospice Care, Bosom Buddies, Merlin MS Centre and Marie Curie Cancer Care. For more
information about the event go to www.bangerrallychallenge.co.uk
12
Truro High School, Falmouth Road, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2HU
T 01872 272830 E development@trurohigh.co.uk W trurohigh.co.uk