Padworth Times - Padworth College

Padworth Times
Alumni Newsletter 2013
Issue 2
May 2013
Fond Farewell
Dear All
I cannot believe that yet another year has gone by and it is time
to produce the second Newsletter. This year I thought I would
place more emphasis on current students’ stories and views
about the College rather than past students, as it was last year.
I am getting very excited about the 50th Anniversary Reunion to
be held on Saturday 28th September. It is a relatively formal
affair with different events happening throughout the day.
There will be (I hope anyway!) a few ex students giving speeches
about their Padworth memories. If anyone out there wishes to
volunteer then please let me know. Hopefully the sun will be
shining!
I look forward to meeting many of you for the first time and
others I hope that I can recognize you and vice versa!! I, of
course, haven’t changed a bit!
Jane Joy
Alumni Manager
After seven transformative years at Padworth College, Linde
Melhuish has elected retirement for the very good reasons of
spending more time with her family, re-focusing her priorities on
her personal aims, travelling the world, and being able to hit the
snooze button when the alarm rings in the morning!
Linde’s family’s gain is Padworth’s loss, but we must accept her
personal decision and extend our warm good wishes. And we must
express our appreciation for the enormous progress made in these
seven years. With the contributions of many, Linde’s tenure has
seen great change for the better. Padworth is more robust
financially and has been able to make steady upgrades and
improvements in the fabric of the buildings, with new construction
close to completion. The newly established Education Committee
is a mark of the emphasis given to the academic side; the
inspection reports from ISI and Ofsted are a mark of the wellorganized and disciplined approach to the whole school; the
emphasis on the pastoral side is a mark of Padworth’s values.
And it is in this area where Linde will be especially missed. Her
connection with the individual student, her emphasis on all aspects
of care, her sensitivity to the nuances of students from different
backgrounds and their differing needs, are what mark out Linde’s
distinctive style. As a parent wrote recently: “Linde's ethos has
influenced the school making it a unique environment
where students of all nationalities show respect for each other...
She has created an atmosphere which brings out the all-round best
in all students, making it a very caring international community”.
We shall all miss Linde, but we have much to remember and much
to be grateful for. Linde, thank you for all you have accomplished
for Padworth College and Padworth students and alumni.
With gratitude,
John Crawshaw
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Issue 2
May 2013
College News
A Touch of Romance!
Building Work
This is progressing well, with not only the conversion of the Stables into
more accommodation for boys but also the extension to the Ritz, which
will offer flexible accommodation. We have had some delays because of
continued bad weather in recent months but we expect completion in
time for our special birthday. We look forward to having this completed
and to showing you the developments and other future plans.
Linde Melhuish
Principal
50th
Anniversary Celebrations
There are currently 200 ex students and ex staff attending this event which
is to be held on 28th September. We have booked a marquee and warm, dry
weather so it should be a great day! We look forward to seeing you all
again.
Eduardo and Paula
1997
2013
Little did he know that he would be returning 15
years later to propose to her in the romantic setting of
Padworth lake, unchanged since he shyly asked her to
be his girlfriend in the summer of 1997.
Padworth Alumni Facebook Page
If you wish to view photos from the different decades then please visit the
page - https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Padworth-College-AlumniPage/261059507285445. If you have any photos then please email them
to alumni@padworth.com.
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Issue 2
Staff News
Retirement of Principal
Appointment of New Principal
After seven years of leadership, our Principal, Linde Melhuish, is
retiring from full time headship. I am sure that those of you who
knew her will wish her all the best for her future. Linde writes:
In September, we look forward to welcoming our new Principal, John Aguilar.
It has been a real privilege to lead Padworth over the last seven
years. It has been wonderful to make friends with so many of you
across the globe: we really are lucky to have such a warm , vibrant
international family such as exists here.
Seven years has been a long time to live apart from my family, so
much as I have enjoyed my time here, I am looking forward to
spending much overdue time with them as well as to pursuing some
part-time independent educational consultancy work and also
travelling.
I am looking forward to returning in September for the birthday
celebrations – and to seeing those of you who are planning to return
for that.
May 2013
John has had three years’ experience as a headmaster at St Clare’s School in Wales and
comes to us with a wealth of experience. He attended the University of Bristol where he
studied Hispanic and Latin American Studies, going on to gain his Post Graduate Certificate
in Education, majoring in Modern Languages (French & Spanish) with Games as his
subsidiary subject. He lists his wider interests as playing the guitar and singing, even
having appeared on TV in 1983! Other interests are travel, sport and cooking.
I know I will be leaving Padworth in very good hands and hope you will have the
opportunity of meeting him. John is looking forward to meeting all of you who will be
attending the 50th birthday celebrations, when I will also have the opportunity of catching
up with you.
Linde Melhuish
Principal
I wish you all the very best for the future and look forward to keeping
up to date with news of Padworth in the future!
Warm regards
Linde
Pastures Greener
The following staff will also be leaving us this year:David Benedict – EFL Teacher
Ian Hamilton – ICT and Sports Teacher
Sally Jeans – EFL Teacher and Librarian
Izzy Formisano – Assistant Housemistress
Gareth Roberts – Assistant Housemaster
Sad News
For those of you who remember Sylvia Rogers who taught Secretarial Studies in the
70s and 80s, we recently learnt that she passed away in November 2011.
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Issue 2
Staff Reflections
First Impressions by Sue McClaughry Maths Teacher
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a teacher in possession of a good
position, must be in want of a change.
Working as an engineer in the oil industry had kept me busy for the better part
of fifteen years before I found myself rather unexpectedly teaching in a pleasant
girls school in Sussex. This was followed by a mixed grammar school in
Buckinghamshire and a sixth form college in Oxfordshire; then I became
restless. I had a good job teaching Further Maths and Geology to enthusiastic
and intelligent students, but I needed a change and before I knew it I had landed
at Padworth.
It was a fairly dismal autumn, and as such the trek from the main house to the
teaching block was often rather wet; there were a lot of students moaning about
the weather in foreign languages: I was sure they’re supposed to speak English.
I was wandering across one morning when I encountered Heather beneath a
bright red brollie. “On a grey day you need all the colour you can muster,” she
said. “A red umbrella reflects light onto your face making you seem much
brighter.” How right she was; I had never really thought of it before! I rarely
wear red, and in fact I don’t own any red clothes. Maybe it was time to be
adventurous; perhaps I should consider buying a red umbrella…
May 2013
The term continued. I had joined the choir – a fine mixture of students and staff – we
practised with enthusiasm preparing for the Christmas concerts. The songs were merry,
the company fun but at the last minute Jeanne raised the question of what to wear. Should
it be black or red? No, surely not red – I don’t own anything red! It was settled: black with
a splash of red. That shouldn’t be too difficult, it was after all Christmas. No time left for
mail order but a quick run round the shops at Calcot should produce a scarf or shawl, but
not so! At Christmas it seems there is no chance of buying “a splash of red”. Maybe I could
borrow Heather’s red umbrella? Or maybe not; I searched high and low until finally I
found it! A single red fabric flower, a garnish for a black coat – it would have to do.
The New Year brought some snow, lots of ice, even more rain, a lunch time spent trying to
herd dogs out of the school and of course the building work. Too many students still
talking Chinese, I seemed to spend all my time saying “In English!” But the end of term
treat was to be Red Nose Day – fun, cakes, dressing up and so on. But suddenly the threat
was there again – Carol suggested it would be a good idea for the staff to wear red. Oh no!
The red flower would not do this time, but I had some warning, so I acquired a red
pashmina scarf. It didn’t match any of my clothes but it was red.
First impressions? Padworth is friendly and welcoming, full of personable and enthusiastic
students. But the staff seem to have this strange obsession with the colour red. I was in
town the other day; I nearly told a complete stranger to speak in English and I saw a red
dress in the sales ………
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Issue 2
My First Few Years by Janetta Taylor
Not long after we were married, when I had no immediate prospect of a fulltime job, I had a phone call from a man I had never heard of. He had been
contacted by Professor Armstrong from Hull University, where I had been a
lecturer before I married; he was apparently on the board of a local college and
knew it was looking for a tutor in English – he also knew I might be interested.
The man who had called invited us to dine on Sunday – “black tie” - and that
was our first acquaintance with Peter Fison and Padworth College.
Nothing as vulgar as employment was mentioned and we left simply thinking it
was one of the most bizarre evenings we had experienced and expecting to
hear no more. But a few days later an offer was made and shortly I began what
turned out to be a long-term career at the College although at the time I
thought it might last a few months at best.
Peter Fison was a very odd and eccentric character. He was suffering from
Hodgkins disease, then a death-sentence, and was fond of announcing in a very
loud bombastic manner “You know I’m dying”. It was the reason that he had
been able to set up what he saw as his own version of a small Oxbridge college
– he was a friend of Jonathan Guinness, son of Diana Mosley, nee Mitford and
ex-wife of Brian Guinness, and Jonathan, sympathetic to his situation, provided,
as a gift, a sum of money sufficient to underpin the foundation of Padworth.
The house itself belonged to Lady Holcroft, divorced wife of the Earl of Bandon.
His daughter Lady Jennifer, knew Peter and knew also that her mother’s
scheme for renting it as flats was not succeeding. The house, which is 18th
century with some older parts, is not quite a stately home, being too small, too
shabby in those days and too isolated to attract tenants. Lady Holcroft and her
daughter kept part of the ground floor as a private residence.
Peter’s concept was that girls of sixth-form age might be taught by tutors in
much the same way as Oxford undergraduates. He had a brilliant idea which
made this financially viable. Instead of hiring school-teachers he would employ
post-graduates. They were to be paid very little, but receive in kind complete
bed and board 365 days a year, with a guarantee of one full day off during the
week for their own work, and some use of a college car. For an impoverished
post-graduate it was a very good deal, enhanced by plenty of good wine and
excellent meals, particularly as very little admin was required beyond setting
and marking essays. Although I didn’t fit this profile, I had a similar contract
and we made good use of the perks such as free laundry and lavish dinners.
May 2013
The food was also an attraction. Peter had hired a young man called Ian
Thomson Picken, always known as Spats, who had given up his studies as a
medical student and joined the Merchant navy for a time where he trained as a
chef. Spats cooked for the love of it I think – his stay at Padworth wasn’t much
of a career move – but Peter’s love of good food gave him scope and a budget to
push the boat out every Sunday. The Sunday lecture was often given by
someone famous – Peter had a wide range of contacts and was absolutely
shameless in exploiting them. I think some ,guests agreed to come simply to
stop him from pestering them. They were however, recompensed with Spats’
superb meals with wines to match. Later students found it hard to credit the
stories of whole sucking-pig and ice-cream bombes; catering standards
declined steadily over the years. First, individual cooks of varying ability took
over, including an ex-army chef who would have been quite good if he had
stayed sober, and a young man discovered to have a nice little racket going with
a local green-grocer , buying up rotten vegetables and splitting the proceeds.
Finally a catering company was hired and food became dull and institutional
but probably more hygienic.
The students, then numbering about 40, were quite a mixed bag. Some were
fugitives from the kind of girls’ boarding-school which still had gym-slips and
compulsory hockey, others were Europeans learning English. Some came from
grand families -Peter was a shocking snob and loved a few titles. At that date
not many were from very far afield, something which changed radically later –
there was one very anglicised Arab girl and Peter was delighted when he
managed to recruit his first black girl. She was South African and a refugee and
I remember that Special Branch came to check up on her.
Social life was interesting. The summer ball was an annual event on a scale to
rival an Oxford Commem. It went on all night and ended with croquet on the
lawn at dawn. And a young American called Charlotte Scully, whose father was
reputed to own much of Nebraska, threw a dance for her twenty-first birthday
at the Dorchester to which the entire college, staff and students, was invited.
The range of subjects in those days was quite narrow – English, English as a
Foreign language, French, History, Ancient History and British Constitution. Art
and Art History were added soon after. Since there was no lab, there was no
Science and Mathematics didn’t feature either. Classes were very small and
mainly taught as tutorials in true Oxbridge style. Peter tended to have a rather
unrealistic view of the students’ abilities but there were certainly some able
girls and they got a good, if somewhat unconventional, education.
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Issue 2
May 2013
Michael Laizans 2008+
This is my fifth year at Padworth teaching A Level Economics as well as Access Finance and Accounts. I must be enjoying the experience
because time seems to have flown past since I arrived. Teaching students from all over the world is a great privilege and it has helped to
broaden my own perspectives on global economics, business issues and world events. I have found that College debates, as well as discussions
in lessons and in the Economics Club meetings, have invariably revealed unexpected viewpoints and contrasting personal experiences. The
sharing of ideas is, in my view, one of the strengths of the College.
Last September the Economics Room was transferred from the Stables Block to one of three very large and bright portable cabin classrooms
positioned by the side of the football field. The other two classrooms became home to Arthur’s Access Studies Group and to Jane’s Accounting
and Business Studies classes.
With Economics, Business Studies, Accounting, Finance and Law being taught in close proximity, the portable cabin classrooms have become a
powerhouse of learning for the social studies students. Everyone appreciates the generous room space which is now available for these subjects.
I enjoyed designing the new Economics Room. To mark the occasion, I penned the following poem: ‘The Padworth Villas’.
The Padworth Villas
by Michael Laizans (Economics Teacher)
The Padworth Villas mean the world to me,
with their wooden steps and potted bay tree.
We call them ‘The Villas’ because they look so cool,
surrounded by lawns near the outdoor pool.
Recently repainted in pale ivy green,
they complement the splendour of our sylvan scene.
To enjoy Economics and Business affairs,
or to learn the special skills of dealing in shares,
just climb the wooden steps to the potted bay tree:
The Padworth Villas are the place to be!
April 2013
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Issue 2
Ex Student Reflections
May 2013
To me Padworth was a VERY special place which chiselled my personality during the pivotal years of my
adolescence. Every house holds its own fond memories. Mortimer Hall gave me the amazing opportunity
to form strong bonds with people from a plethora of different backgrounds and Elsie Kerr-Liddell (then
housemistress) set the foundations so I'd become organised and more regimented. The year that followed
in Great Auclum was the time I'd started proving myself and maximising my potential. The final year in
Padworth saw me leaving with a distinction in BTEC National Diploma in Business and Finance which
opened the door to a Bsc in Computer Science and an International career later on.
There were the nights we would do the Ouija board and get frightened out of our wits, ending up sleeping
in each others' rooms, sometimes 10 of us in a small space. The Christmas and Summer Balls were iconic.
I also strongly remember thoroughly enjoying running the "Cafe Bec" for our Cross Modular Assignment
where we were split into groups and each group had to come up with innovative ideas because "highest
profit gets an A" as per Kevin. Elizabeth taught me French which although rudimentary and not used for
some time, still very useful and something I can pick up quickly when I find myself in Switzerland or
France. Belinda taught me "People and Communications", Aka English and Business English and, although
a challenge to start with given my foreign background, I have been a very strong writer of documents
throughout my career; I'm currently successfully passing my knowledge to my children, pinpointing the
difference between reports, creative writing, friendly/business letters etc.
Eoli Halatsas 1983-1986
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Issue 2
May 2013
Mother and Daughter Team!
Julie and I seem to be the only mother daughter team to both have gone to Padworth.
I, Odette Buyse-Nepper (then only Nepper), spent a year at Padworth learning English. It was 1975-76, Guy Wilson and his wife Angela were headteachers. The title officially only
went to Guy but they were such a team that everyone thought of them as the headteachers. The owner of the manor, Lady Jennifer - we called her Lady Jen - was our "social organizer".
Back then, there were two types of students - only girls! - at Padworth: English speaking girls from all over the world taking their A-levels and non-Anglophones learning English.
I arrived at Padworth full of illusions, looking forward to meeting girls from all over the world, capable of explaining to me the end of the Shah regime in Iran and the role of the secret
police, the conflict in the middle east, the dictatorships in Latin America... And encountered girls interested only in how to keep their hair from frizzing in the English climate... At least
that motivated me to learn hard, take every possible exam, and end up with a B in Cambridge Proficiency and qualify for my goal which was going from first to third year at University
of Geneva Translation School. (I am now a freelance conference interpreter, with a vast international experience).
Thank goodness there was Pamela Smith, my roommate ( we had a large room at the stables), Andrea from Beirut as well as Ruby, Toshe, Audrey, Maysoon, Gina and some great
teachers: Biddy, Marilyn, Peter, John...
On weekends Lady Jen took us to Royal Premieres at the movies or ballet, to royal tea parties at Ascot, to the museums in London or simply shopping... Her coat was too small, her
socks had holes and her trousers stains from the horses but she had class! And a big heart. I remember us coming back from one of our excursions, it was late, cold and we were
hungry. Lady Jen opened up the kitchen for us and cooked us breakfast. We had a ball!
But I also remember the damp sheets, the draught everywhere, the poor quality of the food, lack of fruit... But all in all it was a positive experience for me. I reached my goal.
Padworth was meant as a transition year for me: after my baccalauréat I did not quite feel ready for the big wide world of university so spending a year at Padworth was exactly what I
needed. So much so that when my daughter Julie was going through a rough time in High school I suggested she take a break, go to Padworth to learn English and think about what
she wanted to do in life
I, Julie, was at Padworth 2008/2009. It was also a transition year for me. I didn't like the school system in Luxembourg and couldn’t find a curriculum that suited my interests so I had
decided to come to England and study Animal Management but I didn' t know enough English for that and didn't have the required GCSE's. So I was very grateful that Padworth gave
me the opportunity to do both. I worked hard and reached my goal. It was not always easy. It was my first time away from my family, friends and the comforts of home. Thanks to the
support of Belinda Sumner, Heather, Sally Jeans and Linde Melhuish and my guardian, Dawn Davis, I didn't give up. I'm still in contact with Andjela Vucinic, Vita Vetrova, Akemi
Komori, Virgil Alexandre, Charlotte Arkle and Dawn. I now hold a degree in Animal Management and landed my first job as a zookeeper in Luxembourg.
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Issue 2
CURRENT STUDENT REFLECTIONS
NEW-ISH SCHOOL – to start again!
No-one has the option to not attend school. Having been out of school for over a year, I
had to get back into going, somehow. This was, unfortunately, easier said than done in
my situation. That’s where Padworth came in. Now I can tell the truth and safely say I
have been at my new-ish school for around four months, and am re-learning the joys of
education – most of the time.
Padworth isn’t like most schools. It’s different, but in a good way. Smaller classes means
there’s no escaping work. Forget cowering at the very back of the room hoping you’ll go
un-noticed! You’ll have to have some involvement, no matter what. But the lessons are
approached in a way that almost makes learning fun (yes, it is possible).
May 2013
My name is Jenny, I am studying in A-level right now. At the beginning of the
term, I really didn’ t like Padworth College and I always used Padworth to
compare with my last school, the boarding house isn’t good…etc . But the
first day I arrived at Padworth, I saw my house staff from my last school, I
was so pleased to see her again, I was quite happy because she really helped
me a lot to go through the tough stage in Padworth. Since then, I have made
a lot of new friends, they always make me happy. The teachers are teaching
us very hard and give us lots of past papers to do, but actually it is good for
us to practise for the real exam. They give us advice and I am trying to get
as good a mark as I can. Nowadays, the time passes so fast, I start to miss
the past we had in Padworth. I hope next year could be the memorable year
for me in Padworth.
Personally, I love it. Three science rooms plus an amazing library and computer suite.
You are treated as family. Almost in a great big family home – a sitting room, dining
room, forget grotty school canteens that serve up rubbish you are expected to call food.
It’s just like being in a restaurant. Three courses as well as extras. What’s not to like?
Padworth is the best place I could have gone to. They have made a new start for me as
easy as it was ever going to get, and nowhere else could have done that.
My parents’ decision to send me to Padworth has been one of the best for me. Ever
since I started here I have grown from a small unicorn to an oak. I believe that the
small number of students here has helped me get more comfortable in the
environment. There are people from so many different nationalities, it has
successfully widened my horizon. The teachers are so understanding and are very
conscientious and help us in any manner they can.
Over the last terms I have improved tremendously in academics. The house staff
have helped me with personal matters, before I didn't have any confidence but
after coming to Padworth that changed, and last term I co-hosted the International
evening. All in all I think Padworth College was a massive blessing!
Keiko
I have been studying in Padworth for about three years and I am now doing my last
year for my A Level course.
The first impression that Padworth gave me was it was not as large as I was
expecting! But amazingly I settled down very quickly with the help of all the staff in
the College and gradually started to love this small but warm environment.
Everyone in here gets on well with each other and there is absolutely no
discrimination, which happens almost everywhere else.
Thanks to the help of the College and my schoolmates, I have made huge progress,
compared to my first month in the UK. It was a really pleasing thing to study and
live here.
Yasir
Yasir 2013
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Issue 2
May 2013
I’m a current student, studying A2 Psychology, English Language and Literature and Geography. Being a male
day student, I’m probably the least typical Padworth student there is, yet, I’ve been here for just over five
years and I love it – I genuinely don’t think that there is another school like it. I have got so many fabulous
memories of my time here, and trying to sum them up in a paragraph is an impossible task!
When I first arrived, Padworth was such a culture shock from my last school – a large state comprehensive
with nearly 1,500 students – and I had no idea of just how different Padworth would be. In fact, nearly every
day something happens which could only ever occur inside the Padworth bubble. But,I soon felt comfortable;
everybody was unbelievably welcoming and friendly. All of the teachers have been so supportive of me, both
academically and pastorally.
This year I have been given the responsibility of being the student council leader, where I have been chairing
meetings, writing the minutes and liaising with staff and students. This has really improved not only my
personal statement to get into university and my CV, but also my confidence and people skills.
Another highlight was doing a drama play last year and performing in front of the school. I was so nervous
that I was shaking, but it was great to see the group effort come together and was a fantastic experience that I
would do all over again if I had a chance.
But, I have to say, one of my absolutely favourite memories of Padworth is losing myself in the comfy chairs
in the library, reading a good book, staring out over the gorgeous view below of the valley; the cherry tree in
the grounds, the rolling fields, the river gently flowing and the trees – spectacular in Autumn – and
appreciating how lucky I am to be here.
Karl Spires
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Issue 2
May 2013
Paintings
Our thanks go to the following student
who kindly produced the work of art
for the Newsletter,
Front cover – Raphael Chang
We hope that you have enjoyed reading this second edition. We intend to
continue to produce a newsletter on an annual basis and would be very grateful
for any of your news. If you have any comments to make or questions to ask
then please contact us alumni@padworth.com
We would like to say thank you to all staff and students, both past and present,
who have contributed articles to this Newsletter and would very much
appreciate receiving more for next year’s.
Padworth College
Padworth
READING
Berkshire
RG7 4NR
www.padworth.com
+441189 832644
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