Summer 2013 - Downe House

Downe to Business
The Newsletter of Downe House
Downe’s Day of Discovery
)SSUEs*ULY
Broadening horizons
Bab Al-Islam - into the Islamic World
Downe House girls
abandoned their
timetables to take
part in the school’s
fourth biennial whole
school enrichment day.
Girls in the Remove
and Lower Fourth
headed to London
and Portsmouth for
trips while the Upper
Fourth to the Upper
Sixth attended a
selection of lectures,
workshops and
master-classes – over 90 different options were offered
over the course of the day – led by an outstanding array
of visiting speakers, including Downe House alumnae,
current and past parents and members of staff.
We were truly
honoured to
welcome two expert
guest speakers:
Artist Abdulnasser
Gharem, who flew
over from Saudi
Arabia to work on
a mural with the
Downe House and
Radley pupils, and
Rob Gleave who is
currently Director of
the IAIS Centre for
the Study of Islam,
and also President off
the British Institute
for Persian Studies
and Secretary/
Treasurer of the
International Society
for Islamic Legal
Studies.
On Tuesday, 18 June, 2013, the School held a day of
enrichment for our LV (Year 10) pupils and invited
140 Radley pupils to join us. The pupils had the
opportunity to enhance their knowledge and gain
new experiences through a variety of lectures and
workshops from learning Arabic, to belly dancing, as
well as learning about the causes of the Arab Spring,
and socialising in an authentic Bedouin tent over
traditional coffee and dates.
Because of the rich, varied and vibrant heritage and the
fascination of the region, we found it an easy decision
to base our day of enrichment around the Middle East.
Entrepreneur’s Day
Abdulnasser Gharem
recently made
history when his
installation Message/
Messenger sold for
a world record price
at auction in Dubai,
establishing Gharem
as the highest
selling living Gulf
artist. Gharem donated the proceeds of this sale to Edge
of Arabia to foster art education in his native country.
‘Commando’ wins SE Company of theYear 2013
DH LINKS hosted its
inaugural Entrepreneurs Day
for the Upper Fifth girls as
part of their preparation for
Sixth Form. We welcomed
business gurus alongside
four very successful young alumnae entrepreneurs for a
‘Dragons’ Den’ style day. The winning team pitched a website
development idea for Lizzie Fane’s (DH 2004) ‘Third Year
Abroad’ company.
On Thursday, 20 June, after a grilling by judges, it was
our own team Commando who scooped the coveted
top prize of South East Company of the Year 2013.
The company specialised in the developing and selling
of beanie and sports hats. Their innovative, professional
and far-reaching social media strategy helped them to
bag the top award. They will now go on to represent
the region at the National Company of the Year Finals
in London on 1 July.
Florence Dowler, Company Managing Director, said
“We have had an amazing day. The competition was
really tough, and it was a pleasant surprise to have won.
We look forward to the next stage in London.” Link
Teachers Seema Singh and Diana Evans added: “We are
absolutely delighted. The girls have worked very hard to
build their brand, and they have created a real buzz in
the school community.”
Downe to Business
House Dance Competition
Drama
Lower School Production
Everyone has their own favourite
childhood story and in this production
we were treated to seven of the Grimm
Brothers’ most popular tales in a clever
and entertaining performance. Miss
Hannibal, Head of Drama, used oodles of
skilful physical theatre and atmospheric
chorus work to bring Hansel & Gretel,
Little Red Cap, the Hare and the Hedgehog,
The Lady and The Lion, Rumpelstiltskin,
Snow White and Ashputtel to life.
This show was a trip down memory
lane, which brought vividly to life the
brilliant stories of one’s childhood,
leaving the audience revelling in its
accomplished physical theatre and
slick performances. Who could
want more from a production?
The theme fo
for this year’s House Dance Competition was ’Different Cultures, Different
Countries’, which gave the House choreographers plenty of scope for imaginative
interpreta
interpretation.
We saw aan eclectic mix of different dance styles, including an African celebration
dance, aan American cheerleading routine, Egyptian dancing and a Haka, to name
but a fe
few. Colour was the order of the day and the girls came up with an
entertai
entertaining variety of costumes to enhance the dance routines. We were very lucky
this year
yea to have two outstanding adjudicators: Suzy Thomas, who is currently the
residen
resident choreographer on Jersey Boys in the West End, and Jason Piper, who is
a lecturer
lectu in Dance at Kingston University. Both have danced professionally for
many years
and the dancers appreciated their helpful critiques. The Best Solo
y
category
catego was won by Charlie Whitehead for Holcombe. Best Choreographer went
Em Lyle for AGS, who also won Best Workshop Group, but it was Holcombe
to Emily
e
who emerged
as the overall winners. All in all it was an outstanding competition.
Cong
Congratulations
to all who took part!
First Place at Chinese Speaking
National Final
Arenike Adebajo (UV) has won first prize in the British
Council and HSBC’s Mandarin Chinese Speaking
Competition – winning a trip to Beijing. After impressing
judges at a regional heat, Arenike yesterday competed at
the Final at the British Museum, and came first.
Geraldine James has Lunch
with her Award Holders
The nationwide competition aims to encourage greater interest
in Chinese language and culture and is aimed at students who
are non-native speakers, who have started learning Mandarin
Chinese recently. Arenike competed in the Advanced Learners’ category and won a trip to
China during the Easter holidays.
Royal Windsor Horse Show Champions
Inaugural outing for the Downe House Show Jumping Team
On 9 May, six Geraldine James Award
Holders were lucky enough to have
lunch with the renowned actress, as
you do!
The girls all really appreciated her jokey
nature and helpful hints and her stories
about her days at school. Her friendly
advice and useful tips about how to get
into the business were really helpful, and
reassured them that it is possible to get
into the acting world and that there are
many pathways which can be explored.
Ella Hockings (UV) commented, “Getting
to know such an influential person
was extraordinary. The Geraldine James
Award has already given me so many
opportunities, but this has definitely been
the best yet and I hope that we will be able
to meet her again soon”.
Alex Somerville-Cotton, Elinor
Fleming, Victoria Fleming and Minnie
Royden took part in the Inter-Schools
Competition at Royal Windsor Horse
Show. This is a very prestigious annual
event, with 38 schools from all over
the country competing for the title.
It was a challenging course at 90cm,
with some tricky turns and related
distances. The team were drawn 36th
so it was a long wait for the girls and their horses. Alex, Victoria and Elinor all rode
beautiful clear rounds in very fast times. As the weather turned, a huge gust of wind
knocked over several jump wings while Minnie was on the course, but she held her
nerve and was unlucky to have a pole. The three clears in the fastest cumulative time of
the day were enough to secure a win for the team, making them Windsor Champions a huge achievement for their first team event.
During the Long Exeat the girls also travelled to Rectory Farm near Cirencester to
compete in another Inter-Schools show. Again this was highly competitive with 30
schools competing in classes at 90cm and 1m. The 90cm performed very well to finish a
respectable 4th. In the 1m Competition Alex Somerville-Cotton had a brilliant and fast
clear round and secured her second win with her Downe House numnah. Minnie Royden
also went clear, and finished 4th.
www.downehouse.net
Music
Music Competitions 2013
Success at the
BerkshireYoung Singer
Competition 2013
On Sunday, 19 May, two of our most promising young singers
took part in the Finals of the Berkshire Young Singer Competition,
contributing to a gala performance given to a packed audience at
the magnificent Reading Town Hall.
Having already progressed through the Preliminary and Semi-Final
rounds, both girls had done extremely well even to reach this stage; they
were among eighteen singers selected from over 300 entries. This is a
huge achievement for both girls, and a wonderful reflection of both their
musicianship and their commitment and dedication to their singing.
Over 130 competitors took part in this year’s
Music Competitions, the finals of which took
place on Sunday, 24 March. We were delighted
to welcome distinguished pianist and organist
Mr Andrew Hansford as our Adjudicator for the
event and our young musicians certainly gave
him plenty to ponder, with a series of really
excellent performances.
The winners in the Junior Sections (Remove
and LIV), were Lucy Cunningham, who won both
the Piano and the Instrumental Competition,
and Alexa Wiggin, who took the overall title of
Junior Musician of the Year for her sparkling
performance of Chim Chim Cheree from Mary
Poppins. Natalie Lam (Piano), Rose Galbraith
(Instrumental) and June Eric-Udorie (Vocal)
were the winners from the Middle School
category, with violinist Rose Galbraith emerging
as the Middle School Musician of the Year. In
the Senior Category, Cindy Chang (Piano), held
off strong competition from Holiday Wallis
(Instrumental, Violin) and Emily Gordon Lennox
(Vocal) to be crowned Senior School Musician
of the Year. Congratulations to all the girls who
took part, and particularly to the finalists and
eventual winners.
Janice Kwong
Emily Craig
A Night at the Movies
Lower School Music-Making: Premium Practice
& Minority Instrument Scheme
If you walk past the Music Block on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
or Saturday morning, you will hear the delightfully cacophonous
sound of students practising their instruments.
The orchestras of Downe House came together on Sunday,17
March for an epic cinematic musical experience in a showcase
concert, A Night At The Movies, taking the packed audience
on a voyage through some of the greatest sound tracks in
motion picture history. With a powerful and carefully crafted
visual backdrop, film clips were running concurrently with
the orchestras, and the quiet nibbling of fresh popcorn as the
audience completed the movie music experience!
Premium Practice time: twenty-five minutes in the morning
when instrumental students from the Remove and LIV have been
allocated structured time for practice. There is always at least
one member of the full-time music staff on hand to advise,
accompany on the piano, and generally encourage these keen
musicians. By utilising every corner of available space in the
Music Department (including all the offices!), we have just about
managed to find a slot for all the girls learning an instrument in
the lower two years of Downe.
At the start of the Lent term, a number of girls in Lower School
were offered the unique opportunity to have a series of free
lessons on a number of ‘minority’ instruments. Girls in the
Remove have risen to the challenge of learning the oboe and
bassoon, viola, cello, double bass and harp, and the whole
range of brass instruments in the hope of providing Downe’s
orchestra of the future. If the girls’ enthusiasm, commitment
and initial progress are anything to go by, the future of
orchestral music at Downe House is in good hands!
Newbury Spring Festival
Masterclass with Lucy Parham
Five of our Music Scholars enjoyed an exciting
opportunity on Saturday, 11 May. The occasion
was a masterclass with internationally renowned
pianist, Lucy Parham, an event organised as part
of the Newbury Spring Festival 2013. Ms Parham
commended all the girls on their musical and
stylish playing, and in particular praised Sophia
Elger and Rose Galbraith for playing their pieces
from memory. The girls were able to benefit
from the Ms Parham’s expertise and advice. Mrs
Couser, Mrs Gavric and I were very proud of the
way our girls coped with the demands placed on
them and, in particular, with the challenges of
adopting new ideas in front of an audience.
The Film Symphony Orchestra opened the concert of some 120 girls on
stage in a grand performance of The Dam Busters march that would
rival the original sound track. Big Band, First and Second Orchestra
and the String Quintet all took their turns in taking us through a
spectacular voyage of cinematic history. As if this was not enough, a
number of outstanding solo performances brought another dimension
to the evening.
The evening brought together an eclectic range of musical styles from
classical and jazz, to pop and even folk with an excellently executed
Irish Reel performed by virtually every string player in the School!
All in all, a fantastic evening at the movies where the audience and
performers alike were transported to the greatest scenes of movie
action, enjoying some of the finest pieces of film music ever written in
a breath-taking orchestral showcase!
Downe to Business
Charity
Trips
Spanish Language Trip to Tenerife
AGS Oscar Party for Naomi
House and Jacks Place
The AGS Oscar Party was held on Saturday, 2 February. With great support from
parents, staff and girls alike, together with popcorn in hand, the evening kicked
off with some worthy Oscar-winning performances! It was a fabulous event and
we raised approximately £2,000 for Naomi House and Jacks Place. A big thank
you goes to everybody who came to support; those behind and in front of the
scenes had made the evening a huge success!
On 14 February nine girls and two
members of staff headed to Puerto de la
Cruz in Tenerife for a one-week Spanish
trip. They stayed with host families and
were warmly welcomed.
put on fancy dress for the occasion, so our
girls made and wore Minnie Mouse costumes
before joining the procession. They ended
the evening dancing at the Verbena (street
party) in the main square.
During the week they took part in numerous
different activities, including experiencing
Spanish culture by being lucky enough to see
the 2013 Carnival procession. Local people
They visited Laguna, the historic capital of
Tenerife, where they learned about the old
town and went on a short hike through the
mountains near the town.
UV Italian Tour to Florence
Willis Runners take on the
Green Park Challenge
Fifteen Willis girls together with
Mrs Stimson, Mrs Caiger-Smith
and Mr Long braved cold and wet
conditions to participate in the
annual Green Park Challenge Run
on 17 March.
Felicity Burton finished in 32nd
position out of over 1,200 runners
with Rosie Tapner and Tiffany Aldrich
coming soon after. Strong finishes
from these three girls and the rest of the team meant that we were the best performing
senior girls’ school on the day.
Special mention should be made of the outstanding fundraising efforts of Tiffany Aldrich,
Felicity Burton and Amelia Wright (pictured) who raised over £7,000 for Leukaemia and
Lymphoma Research through their race. Congratulations are also due to Poppy BarrettFish who completed the 21 kilometre Reading half marathon held after the Green Park
Challenge in a very impressive debut time of 2 hours 10 minutes.
London Nightride
Eleven UV and two members of staff spent
an amazing five days in Florence during the
Lent Long Exeat. It was a packed programme
including all of the key cultural sights in
Florence and some intensive language
learning.
Their base was the ‘Hotel of Hope’ on ‘Hell
Street’, a charming Italian Pensione. During
their stay they climbed the Duomo (467
steps – each way); visited Santa Croce and
S Miniato; saw David at the Academia and
the frescos in the Brancacci and Gozzoli
Chapels, as well as having an unforgettable
tour of the Uffizi with expert Marcello Bellini.
Language lessons at the British Institute
involved games and conversation. For many,
one of the highlights was the food, from
making pasta and pana cotta in an evening
cookery class to eating ice cream from
Venchi, perhaps the best Chocolate Shop in
the world! Finally, they all stroked the nose
of the Porcellino (see photo) to make sure
that we get to return to Florence!
Four teaching staff: AnneMarie Gane (PE), Tony Riddle
(PE), Christina Pugsley
(Biology) and Corinne Marsh
(Music), took part in the
London Nightride, cycling
100kms from Crystal Palace
from 11.15pm.
It took them 7 hours 20
minutes to complete the
challenge. So far, Corinne
has raised over £600 for
the Motor Neurone Disease
Association and Anne-Marie
has raised over £300 for
Breast Cancer.
www.downehouse.net
Sailing Regatta
Four UIV girls represented Downe House in a Sailing Regatta on
Saturday, 18 May, at Berkshire Sail Training Centre, Sulhamstead,
near Reading.
The idea was to race several times around the circuit they had provided.
They were coached on sailing technique as they went round. It was a
dry day, but not ideal for sailing as it could have been windier. The girls
found it quite challenging, but they persevered and at times they were in
the lead!
All girls did very well and took a 2nd and 4th place which was a great
achievement as they were the only girls!
The girls attending were: Rose Galbraith/Celine Harborne and Iona Jardine/
Georgiana Ward
Enrichment
Code Breaking with the Enigma Code Machine
On Sunday 3 March, the LIV were pushed back into
the time of codes and ciphers, leading up to a once
in a lifetime experience: to type on a real Enigma
Machine from World War II.
With a good deal of interest and excitement
for the world of espionage and codes, the girls
were first told of how the Government Code and
Cypher School first made its home at Bletchley
Stock Market Challenge / Academy Conference Day
Ski Races Gold
for Emma
Downe House took six girls to Flaine
to ski in the British Schoolgirls’ Races
in January. A Team Emma Poole (Capt),
Katarina Huth, Araminta Robertson and
B Team Catherine Yung (Capt), Lara
Kary, Alix Archambeau.
Last year’s bronze medallist, Emma
Poole, who has trained hard
throughout the year in Verbier,
managed to ski to victory. She
skied her first run in the Giant
Slalom in a time of 1.03.36
and improved this in her
second run of 1.01.52
giving a combined
time of 2.05.28
with which
she secured a
gold medal in
the U14/U16
section for the
unregistered
skiers.
Well done Emma.
Park during the war and learned the vital nature
of the work being done there. Starting with simple
Caesar Ciphers, they moved on to more difficult
and complicated groupings, eventually creating
their own ideas of how it could be done. The
fascination and history of the Enigma sparked a
great deal of imagination and interest, and will
certainly be remembered!
Southampton. The challenge consisted of constantly
buying and selling shares in companies in order
to gain profits. The day aimed to give the girls
an insight into a career in business and helped to
improve their decision-making, communication and
teamwork skills. It was a great success and they all
thoroughly enjoyed it.
In March a group of five girls
took part in the Stock Market
Challenge at the University of
Also in March, a group of nine girls attended an
Academy Conference in Twickenham. The day
consisted of four lectures and a debate on topics
ranging from the physics behind rock music and
the ph
philosophy of the embryo to whether or not
a snail has consciousness.
consci
The lectures were full
of interesting facts and ideas and the speakers
encouraged the participants to make links
link to their
academic subjects and to wider issues. It was an
instructive and educational day and an excellent
way to extend learning beyond a classroom.
Linguatrivia Winner
Recently the Remove took part in a
national language trivia quiz run by
Linguatrivia.com. There were over
5,000 entrants and Lucy Cunningham
came in the top 55 in the country. She
successfully navigated her way through
50 multiple choice questions with
answers designed to trick and confuse.
Fortunately Lucy knew her “oignons”
and got the bulk of the questions right,
winning herself a year’s subscription to
some French magazines and a French
dictionary. Bien jouée Lucy!
Downe to Business
Sports Round-up
U12 and U13 South West Lacrosse Champions
On Saturday, 19 March, the Downe House
U12A and U13A teams travelled to St
Swithun’s to take part in the South West
Lacrosse Tournament.
The U12 girls qualified for the Premiership
Division when they played four more
games, all of which were very close, apart
from the game that was lost to QAS 1-4!
But the defeat motivated the girls to
work harder and fight for the ball. They
had to beat St Mary’s, Calne, to win the
tournament, and this they did, 2-1.
Squash
have never lost this tournament since it
started in 2005! )
Tom Daley pays
surprise visit
The U13 team started off well but then
their chances of being in the Premiership
Division seemed slim as they lost to
Godolphin. Luckily they went through as
best runner-up and after that it was a
different story. The girls played their hearts
out and were dominating the field. They
had not lost a game going into their last
match against a team in the same position,
Queen Anne’s. They managed to beat them
3-1 meaning that they were Champions!
This is the first time they had won in six
years so it was an excellent achievement!
Mention must go to Tash SomervilleCotton, Isabelle Brown, Lara Bracher and
Evie Graham who played outstandingly.
On Tuesday, 12 March,
the U19 1st Squash V
Team went to Plymouth
College to play in the
quarter finals of the
National Schools Trophy
competition where
they were greeted by a
surprise personality.
The girls were both surprised and thrilled to meet Olympic diver, Tom Daley, who spent
some time chatting and having photos taken with them. The matches went well for the
team who won 5-0 and this took them into the semi-finals of the competition which
were being held in Manchester on the following Tuesday.
Squash Triumph at the National Schools Trophy Finals
Following their convincing win at Plymouth College, the team travelled to Manchester to
play in the semi finals on Tuesday, 19 March.
They played Wycombe Abbey in the morning and won 5-0, not dropping a game. In
the finals, they played Newcastle Central and won 4-1. The Trophy competition was
introduced in 2009 as a way of expanding the event and giving additional competition
for the schools and colleges that did not make it through to the second stage of the
main championships. In the five years the trophy has been running, Downe House has
now won it three times.
Special mention goes to Zara Karoly, Alexa
Wiggin and Catharina Benigni, but all the
girls are to be commended on their gritty
determination and overall performance. It
was a fantastic result. (NB Downe House
GISGA Competition
South Regional
Netball Tournament
Hockey Success
for Molly!
Molly Robinson
(UV) has been
a regular and
dedicated member
of the Berkshire
County Hockey
side for the past
two years.
Lucy Grace, Isabel Eversfield, Georgina Fenn, Octavia Leahy,
Sophie Manners, Hebe Meredith. Melissa McAlpine, Jasmine
Coulson, Camilla Farrell, Georgina Ford
On Saturday, 2 February, the U14 netball squad
set off to the Regionals at High Wycombe. It
was the first time Downe House had qualified
for the event in which the top two schools
from Berkshire, Guernsey, Hampshire, the Isle
of Wight, North Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire,
South Buckinghamshire and Sussex compete
for two places in the National Finals.
Our first match against rivals Wycombe Abbey,
finished with a draw. This was followed by two
good wins. We were defeated, by Portsmouth
Grammar, the team that later went on to win
the tournament. Our last match was against St
Helen and St Katherine, and we secured a win
by two goals.
It was an extremely successful day with
Downe House achieving 6th place overall,
unfortunately not qualifying for the Nationals
but still gaining a great deal of experience and
everyone playing their best.
She has attended weekly training
sessions and has performed well in the
county matches. From this hard work
she has been selected to move forward
to the Junior Regional Performance
Centre (JRPC). This is a huge
achievement for Molly and one
that she thoroughly deserves!
At the JRPC, Molly will have high
level coaching and competition,
and input from England Hockey
contracted coaches. If she is
successful at this stage, we could
see Molly represent her country
in years to come!
Schools’ Biathlon
Championships
On Sunday, 24 March, Charlotte
Clover (UIV) competed in the
National Finals of the Schools’
Biathlon Championships (running and
swimming). Charlotte finished a very
creditable 27th in the whole country
for her age group, with her 1000m run
being 11th fastest on the day.
On Sunday, 3 March, the Senior Gymnastics
Team competed at the annual (Girls’
Independent Schools Gymnastics Association)
GISGA competition at Kent College.
The two outstanding performances of the day go
to Adetoun Karunwi who scored 9.2 on Vault to
finish 12th out of 70 gymnasts and Emily Lyle on
Floor with a score of 8.8 who finished 27th.
Gymnastics at Downe House is showing great
promise for the future….well done girls!
Newbury and Berkshire Cross
Country Champions
Newbury Schools Cross Country took place on 30 January at the Newbury
Rugby Club. Both U13 and U17 teams won. Best placed in the U13 was
Lettice Cornell who came 4th. Charlotte Clover came 1st in the U15 age
ggroup, Annabel Clover came 2nd in the U17 and Felicity Burton won the
U19 Newbury Schools. The U15 and U19 teams were placed 2nd in the
U
Newbury Schools.
Ne
The Berkshire Schools took place on Saturday, 2 February, at Wellington
College. The U13 team were victorious again, winning the Berkshire
Schools Cross Country. The best placed was Lettice Cornell (5th) and Lucy
Cunningham (6th).
Four girls were selected to represent Berkshire in the English Schools
Championships which took place in March (Charlotte Clover (U15),
Annabel Clover, Georgina Revell (U17) and Felicity Burton (U19).
www.downehouse.net
From the Foundation
“We don’t live alone. We are members of one body.
We are responsible for each other.” J.B. Priestley
Alumnae in the Spotlight
DH alumna wins top
prize for her zoology
work in Kenya
Downe House has
always prided itself
on the strength of
its community spirit
and the value that
each and every
member of Downe
places on being a
part of that community.
Downe House whole school photograph, 1922
Our founder, Olive Willis, firmly believed that the School belonged to all – the pupils, the parents
and the staff. Miss Willis felt that as each new member joined Downe House, they gave something
to its life, in the present and forever.
As we say goodbye to the Year of 2013 and look forward to welcoming the new girls and their
families in September, one common thread that we hope will be shared between them all is the
feeling that they have become members of the wonderful Downe House community for life.
Michelle Scott
Director of the Foundation
Award-winning Year for Clare
Broadcaster and journalist Clare Balding
(DH 1988) has been awarded an OBE
in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List,
just a few weeks after she collected a
special BAFTA award to recognise her
on-screen contributions to the Olympic
and Paralympic Games.
Born into a horse training family, she
became an amateur flat jockey. She
joined BBC Radio in 1994 and made her
TV debut the following year, becoming
a familiar face in horse racing coverage.
When she collected her special award
from BAFTA, Balding said that it was
important to stick to “the things
that make your heart sing. Don’t do
something because you think it’ll make
you famous, do it because you love it.”
News and Events
Downe House around the world
Connecting with our international community continues to
be a high priority for the Downe House Foundation. We have
recently held reunions and events for parents in New Zealand,
Singapore and Hong Kong.
Dr Lucy King (DH 1995) won this
year’s St Andrews Prize for the
Environment. This environmental
initiative by the University of
St Andrews attracts scholars of
international repute.
Lucy leads the Elephants and Bees
Project under the umbrella of Save
the Elephants and as an Associate
Researcher with the Department of
Zoology at Oxford University. She
has study sites within Kenya next to
Samburu and Tsavo National Parks
where they are running further tests
on the efficiency on the beehive
fences with an aim of increasing the
honey production.
At a ceremony in the University of
St Andrews earlier this year, Dr Lucy
Georgina rides to raise funds for the Forces
In August 2013 Georgina Johnston (DH 2008) and her brother James will be
competing in the Mongol Derby in aid of the Armed Forces Fund.
Inspired by the loss in Afghanistan of two Old
Radleians, the Armed Forces was established to
provide educational bursaries for sons and daughters
of killed and wounded Service men and women of all
ranks, with boys being given the opportunity for a
funded education at Radley and girls at Downe House
or St Mary’s, Calne. The Mongol Derby is the world’s longest horse race - 35 riders
racing self-guided on semi-wild ponies for 1000km across the Mongolian steppes!
So please support them along the way by digging deep and donating now to
this extremely worthwhile charity: www.justgiving.com/MongolDerby2013ArmedForcesFund
Year of 2003 – ten year reunion
Family Golf Day
Alumnae from the Year of 2003 met together for their tenyear reunion at the Lansdowne Club, London on Thursday, 9
May, 2013. We were delighted to welcome over 60 alumnae
to the event to hear first-hand about their wide-ranging
careers and the interesting experiences they have had over
the past ten years. Many of the firm bonds they made at
Downe continue to thrive and others were rekindled at this
event. We are very grateful that so many of the Year of 2003
have offered their guidance and support though the DH
LINKS careers initiative. It is clear that there is an abundance
of expertise and advice available through the alumnae
network for our current girls.
The Donnington Valley
Country Club played host to
the second Downe House
Family and Friends Armed
Forces Fund Golf Day. With
5 teams competing for the
coveted title, it was the
Downe House staff team
that stormed home to claim
the trophy. The team from
St Mary’s Calne took two
prizes (Best Individual and
Best Lady) with our two
Downe House parent teams
putting in some winning
performances in the drive and
putting competitions. Our
thanks to Tedworth Assistant
Housemaster Ian Vallance for
his enthusiastic organisation
of the event and to the
generosity of our players and
sponsors who have enabled us
to raise over £1,000 for the Armed Forces Fund. We hope that
many more will join us for next year’s event on Friday June,
13th, 2014!
The Downe House Alumnae Community
Most recently Mrs McKendrick and Mrs Scott spent three days
in Hong Kong. Over the course of their visit they were
delighted to meet with many current, past and future
community members.
We look forward to more trips to the East and beyond.
King was presented with the winning
prize of US$100,000. Lucy said, “The
recognition and financial support
will enable us to expand our vital
research work and protect many more
rural farming families from elephant
invasions.”
We look forward to staying connected and hearing of their
continued happiness and success!
Downe to Business
www.downehouse.net
DHSA News
Founder’s Weekend
DHSA Magazine 2013 – Have
you received your copy?
The magazine was published in February 2013. Any
member who did not receive one should contact the
DHSA administrator (Tel 01635 204719 or email dhsa@
downehouse.net)
DHSA Annual General
Meeting
The AGM was held on Saturday, 18 May, at Woolton
Hill, Hampshire. The minutes of the meeting may be found on the DHSA section
of the School website.
Reunions in October 2013 for Old Seniors
who left between 1990 and 2000
Blessed with sunny skies, warm temperatures and a wonderful mix of people from the Downe
House community, the backdrop for Founder’s Weekend 2013 could not have been more
perfect.
Over the weekend we were treated to an array of wonderful displays, showcases, events and
demonstrations. All who attended marvelled at the work of our current girls, enjoyed delicious
hospitality and the opportunity to explore Downe House as it is today – a vibrant, happy and
thriving school.
Thursday, 10 October, 2013 for leavers from 1990-1995
Thursday, 17 October, 2013 for leavers from 1995-2000
Invitations will be sent in due course to those eligible. Please make sure the
School has your current contact details.
Can you help to trace any
of the following?
TUESDAY, 27 AUGUST
Pre-1980s Inverness Alumnae Reunion
Culloden House Hotel,
Inverness
THURSDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER
Year of 1988 – 25th Year Reunion
Lansdowne Club, London
25 and 26 SEPTEMBER
Creative Arts Showcase
Downe House
THURSDAY, 3 OCTOBER
Inaugural Past Parents’ Society Dinner
Lansdowne Club, London
SATURDAY, 19 OCTOBER
Gift Fair
Downe House
Keep in touch
E: foundation@downehouse.net
01635 204719
The Foundation section of the Downe House website provides
excellent avenues to share and receive alumnae news, keep in touch with the School, network and
advertise, seek careers advice and support, and much more.
Come and have a browse - www.downehouse.net/foundation
The Foundation Office Team
The Foundation Office aims to encourage life-long connections with our alumnae and their families by
providing memorable experiences and opportunities that inspire continued support of Downe House.
The DHSA would like to get in touch with the following Old Seniors (or their
relations/descendants):
Heather Barling, née Craigmile (1942)
Angela Hepburn, née Guthrie (1955)
Sonia Lindsay (1952)
Heather Galbraith (1947)
Margaret Lane, née Ford (1937)
Sarah Soames (1960)
We would be most grateful for any information. Please contact Mrs J Kingsland at
School, Tel 01635 204774, email kingslandj@downehouse.net
An invitation for
our past parents
The Inaugural Downe House Past Parents’ Society Dinner
Thursday, October 3rd, 2013
7.00pm for 7.30pm
The Ballroom, The Lansdowne Club, Mayfair, London W1J 5JD
Tickets: £90 each (includes a 3 course dinner and wine).
Tables of 10 and 12 are available.
Dress code: Black Tie
DIRECTOR OF THE FOUNDATION: Mrs Michelle Scott
FOUNDATION OFFICE MANAGER: Mrs Alexandra Barlow
HEAD OF ALUMNAE RELATIONS: Ms Anna Renton-Green
FOUNDATION OFFICE ASSISTANT: Miss Mia Bolt-Lawrence
Due to restricted numbers we anticipate that the event will sell out quickly.
To reserve your ticket or table please email foundation@downehouse.net.
An event booking form will be sent to you. Tickets will be confirmed on receipt
of payment.
Supported by:
All proceeds from the event will be in support of DH LINKS – the Downe House
networking initiative connecting current girls, alumnae and parents to support
career and employment opportunities.
Mrs Laura Ogilvie-Jones – Head of Careers and DH LINKS co-ordinator
Mrs Jennifer Kingsland - School Archivist
Stay connected
Join us on Facebook – ‘Downe House Alumnae’
FOLLOW US ON
Follow us on Twitter – ‘DH LINKS’
Connect with us on LinkedIn – ‘DH LINKS’ group
www.downehouse.net/foundation
The Foundation Office
Building the future together
Our thanks to the Downe House Past Parents’ Society (DHPPS) Committee for
their assistance in co-ordinating this event:
Chair: Philippa Armitage (DHPP 2009/2012/2014)
Members: Emma Atkins (DHPP 2011/2013), Angela Enoch (DHPP 2013),
Jane Carnegie-Brown (DHPP 2012), Judith Gilpin-Jones (DHPP 2008), Lucy
Hanbury (DHPP 2011), Shirley Ingham (DHPP 2008), Didi Nicholson (DHPP
2009/2012), Camilla Ritchie (DHPP 2005/2010), Jo Walker (DHPP 2013), Sara
Walker (DHPP 2010).
To contact your year group representative please email
foundation@downehouse.net
DOWNE HOUSE, COLD ASH, THATCHAM, BERKSHIRE RG18 9JJ TELEPHONE: 01635 200286 FACSIMILE: 01635 202026 CORRESPONDENCE@DOWNEHOUSE.NET WWW.DOWNEHOUSE.NET
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Dates for the Diary 2013
T:
Two reunion parties for Old Seniors who left between 1990 and 2000 will be held
at the Troubadour Club, London SW5 9JA in October 2013