Sherborne Old Girls 2026

From THE ALUMNAE MANAGER

Fiona James

WELCOME to the 2025 edition of the Sherborne Old Girls Journal. As ever, it has been a privilege to hear from so many of you and catch up on your news. There is no better testament to the enduring impact of a Sherborne Girls education than the strong bonds that exist among our Old Girls.

Those bonds were on display at events and reunions across the country – and beyond – throughout 2025.

In this issue, we’ve chosen to celebrate the careers of some of our alumnae who have gone on to work in the medical sector and associated professions. I hope you enjoy finding out about their achievements as much as I have.

In last year’s Journal we celebrated the rich and musical tradition that is so much a part of Sherborne Girls and so I am delighted to share with you that we have created an Old Girls choir which will join the current Sherborne Girls choir and sing in Sherborne Abbey on Sunday, 26 April 2026 – our Old Girls

Day. Lunch, tours and afternoon tea will follow the service back at School. You are most welcome to bring your guests and please register to attend via our website. Full details are on page 63. We very much hope many of you will be able to join us.

In September 2026, we will be holding careers events that focus on the media, insurance and property. They will be evening events.

Before I sign off, I’d like to thank our committee members and volunteers for all they do to make our community so vibrant. And thanks to all of you for your continued support. I send you my very best wishes for 2026 and look forward to seeing you soon.

From THE CHAIRMAN

Danielle Grant-Braham E’99

IT HAS been another fantastic year for our Old Girls as Sherborne Girls continues to go from strength to strength. It is a real privilege to be Chairman for such an inspiring community, a commonality in our adventurous determination and energy that we should be proud of. It was wonderful to meet with so many of you at our Old Girls Day this year.

The Abbey was truly uplifted by the magical voices of our combined Old Girls and current girls, followed afterwards by a lunch and guided tours of the School, where everyone had the opportunity to catch up in jovial surroundings. The next Old Girls Day will take place in a similar manner on Sunday, 26 April 2026 and we look forward to welcoming you to this day once more. We have formed an Old Girls choir alongside the current choir. If you wish to register your interest in joining the Old Girls choir and sing at events, please do register via the link sent to you by email.

We have held numerous reunions this year which have been well supported across all age ranges. We are also delighted that Old Girls are joining Business Breakfasts at the School to help support the current girls

with their future careers. I recently attended one of these to offer my insights into the legal industry which I thoroughly enjoyed, and it was a brilliant chance for me to engage with the girls one on one. There is a Women in Leadership event planned for the next academic year which no doubt will be hugely aspirational.

I hope you enjoy reading this year’s Journal, which focuses on Medicine and allied professions. I would like to thank Fiona James, Anna Anthony and Tim Gibson for their continued hard work in putting together this publication. Once again, I very much wish all the Old Girls community well and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible over the course of the coming year.

From THE HEAD

Ruth Sullivan AW’91 President of Sherborne Old Girls

DRAWING ON HER 2025 COMMEMORATION SPEECH, DR RUTH SULLIVAN REFLECTS ON THE THEME “A YEAR OF HOPE IN ACTION”.

THIS year, even as we continue to celebrate the educational achievements and remarkable accomplishments of our pupils old and new, we remain acutely aware of the challenging and complex world around us.

We live in a time of geopolitical and financial turmoil, with daily news reports about war-ravaged countries, human rights violations, environmental catastrophes and trade wars. Furthermore, we endure the intrusive impact of social media, with its attendant pressures and expectations of constant personal curation and the pursuit of unattainable, and unhealthy, ideals.

Given this sobering reality, the choice of faith, hope and love as our theme for the academic year might have seemed optimistic. But our pupils absolutely live up to our vision, embody these virtues as they embrace and overcome challenges, aspire to and achieve success, and, above all, build each other up in love.

You might have seen Shane Gross’s stunning photograph The Swarm of Life, which won the 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award with its powerful underwater image of tadpoles swimming together in Canada.

Like Gross waiting to capture this perfect moment in nature, we at Sherborne Girls demonstrate patience and determination through our faith in our pupils. We watch as our tadpoles learn to be independent and navigate their own journeys, guided by shared values and hope for what they might become.

Hope is the virtue at the heart of our community. It is not passive waiting or wishful thinking, but active engagement with the present moment and the future we are working to create. Hope is decisive: choosing to persist through challenges because we believe in what is possible.

Through the ages, our girls have navigated the challenges of School life, using hope as both navigational compass and canvas, raised high to capture the opportune wind. They draw on it to deal with academic pressures, uncover moments of personal growth, support each other through difficult times, and show resilience in the face of adversity.

The journey each pupil takes at Sherborne Girls is unique and brimming with hope – from families and friends, staff, and the wider community. It also draws on hope from within: the quiet, persistent voice that tells us we can do this, we can grow, we can become.

And the moment that never fails to enthral me, even after several years as a teacher, is when hope transforms to reality, through hard work, determination and self-belief. This may come through excellent results in public examinations, success in the jobs market, attainments in sport, music, drama and other co-curricular pursuits, and personal growth that leads to the development of character.

These achievements and countless more demonstrate what becomes possible when hope consolidates hard work, when dreams engender discipline, and when young women are encouraged to aim high and believe in themselves.

As a school with deep respect for and appreciation of our wider community, we also see hope manifesting in acts of service to others. That could be playing music for local residents in Cheap Street Church or singing Evensong in Salisbury Cathedral. It could be visiting local care homes to bring cheer to residents, or volunteering to help with primary school breakfast clubs.

It could be helping with the local Brownie pack, serving on the Youth Town Council or the GP surgery’s Patient Participation Group, or spending time litter-picking around Sherborne.

In all these ways and more, our pupils show the power of hope in action. They embody their belief in a brighter future, and work to bring it about for the good of others. Their generosity and genuine interest create ripples of positivity that extend

far beyond themselves. Hope shapes the present and the future, as our pupils continue to shine brightly when they are out in the world, living Sherborne’s values in fresh contexts. As the articles and contributions in this volume of the Journal evidence, a Sherborne Girls education lasts a lifetime and makes the wider world in its image.

The result is a bright future, for members of our community past and present, and the people whose lives they touch along the way. Hope in Action: the Sherborne Girls ethos that stays with us for life.

NEW SOG MEMBERS 2025

WELCOME TO THE FOLLOWING “NEW” OLD GIRLS WHO LEFT SCHOOL IN SUMMER 2025

Amaka Agwo

Simone-Denise Antonio

Tamara Ashworth

Mary Baker

Isla Beckly

Eli Benbow

Emilia Berry

Emilia Bird

Isabella Birkett-Eyles

Florence Bloxam

Clementine Bond

Amelia Brown

Alissa Brunwin

Harriet Bulmer

Amadea Butler

Mary Chan

Freya Chen

Hebe Cheung

Jasmine Cheung

Natasha Close

Savannah Collins

Kythe Comstive

Bee Coode

Imogen Coote

Maisie Corbett

Mattie Cormack

Kate Crawford

Tabitha Crawford

Florence Davies

Buhlebetive Dlamini

Tallula Dunford

Israel Ebanks

Alice Evans

Emily Foss-Smith

Astrid Franklin-Stables

Charlotte Fung

Chloe Fung

Isobel Gillespie

Josephine Granger

Bel Guthrie

Mary Guy

Lucy Hancock

Mar Harding-Carvia

Bobby Henderson

Imogen Hodges

Jessica Hodgson

Grace Horton

Clementine Hurrell

Katie Ip

Sasha Jarmolkiewicz

Eva Kellaway

Martha Kennedy

Iris Kimmins

Dariya Kossakova

Rachel Kwan

Emilia Liechtenstein

Amanda Lou

Clemmie Macdonald

Lyla MacInnes

Sachitaa Mahendran

Mabel Martin

Cecily Mason

Isabella Mason

Livs Messervy

Stephanie Ng

Jemima Owen

Penelope Pannu

Chloe Paterson

Lilac Payne

Amelia Pearson

Charlotte Phillips

Breeshey Platt-Ransom

Monii Poositranusorn

Liberty Pope

Zoe Quaite

Maia Reuveny

Isla Rooth

Tilly Smith

Evie Smither

Vaidehi Somani

Alice Stanley-Smith

Rose Stanley-Smith

Eliza Stevenson

Rosie Talbot Rice

Octavia Tennant

Clover Thorpe

Lauren Tsoi

Bella Tylor

Ellie Vedral

Lily Vedral

Robyn Walton

Medina Wang

Sophie Welch

Anna Windle

Hannah Wood

Wizzy Wordsworth

Jenny Wu

Darcey Wyatt

Flora Youens

Sarah Zhu

Felicia Zirps

From Richard Hunt Group Development Director

I joined the team in September 2025, and it has been wonderful to get to know those working in this incredible School and to meet many OGs. There is something very special about Sherborne Girls. It has a down-to-earth approach whilst being ambitious for each of the girls within the community.

One of the key moments that has exemplified the School’s ethos in the last 12 months is Dr Sullivan’s epic 125km run both to raise funds for our Candlelight Bursary Programme and to mark 125 years of the School. It is one thing for the Head to fit this into the end of an incredibly busy year, but quite another thing, when heat exhaustion struck Ruth, for so many girls to pick up the baton metaphorically and physically and between them run the remaining 40km (very nearly a marathon) in relays. This sense of community support doesn’t happen by accident; it is the result of the values lived by the teachers, pupils and support staff in this special place.

Values are the thread that connect us back to our founders with the aim of educating girls to be thoughtful and kind, confident and resourceful. These values are as relevant today as they were in 1900. Whilst our values remain constant, the world for which we are preparing our girls is continuously changing. We need to prepare girls for a working world where they may have many different careers within their lives and quite likely in areas that we cannot imagine in today’s job market. AI, for instance, barely existed outside of academia when the current U6 were in L4.

External factors are also changing the way the School has to run. Ruth Sullivan talked in her Journal article last year about the creation of the Sherborne Schools Group with Sherborne Girls at the heart alongside Sherborne Boys. This partnership gives us opportunities to explore new ways of teaching and a new way of preparing girls for the world they will go on to when they leave this beautiful part of Dorset.

I look forward to sharing with you these new opportunities for the School at reunions and other events over the next 12 months.

Thank you to the many OGs and parents who supported the School’s 125th Anniversary Candlelight Bursary Programme. Our work to give girls from less advantaged backgrounds the opportunity to come to this incredible school continues through your support. Thank you also to the many OGs and Honorary OGs who have included the School in their Wills. These legacies will ensure we can continue to support our bursary programme into the future and make it possible for girls from all walks of life to come and benefit from and enrich Sherborne Girls.

ANNE (ANGELA)

DUDLEY SMITH

T’39

Anne’s niece and goddaughter

Caroline Gill writes:

Anne died peacefully in Chichester on Friday, 7 February 2025, aged 99. She was born to Arthur and Phyllis Dudley Smith at Holm Leigh preparatory school in Buxton, Derbyshire, where her father was Headmaster. Anne’s brother, Timothy (1926 – 2024), was ordained and later became Bishop of Thetford. His hymns, including Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord, are sung throughout the world.

Anne gained an Open Entrance Scholarship to Sherborne School for Girls. Her exceptional aptitude for games led to her qualification as a teacher of Physical Education at Dartford College in 1946. She taught for five years at the Royal School in Bath and back at Sherborne before switching to the administrative work that would enable her to participate in matches at weekends. Anne was appointed PA to Miss Fisher, Headmistress of Wycombe Abbey, in the early 1960s. She trained as a City stockbroker with Messrs Fielding, Newson-Smith & Co.

Anne’s major sporting achievements can be summarised as follows:

• England Lacrosse team: 1947 – 1954 (with USA tour, 1949)

• England Hockey team: 1954 – 1957 (with South African tour, 1954, and Australian tour, 1956)

• County Squash teams, Kent and Bucks

• North-West England Cricket team

Anne is much missed by her family, neighbours and many friends.

The photograph shows Anne as an international sportswoman in her England blazer.

ANN (MORWENNA) SIMPSON (MARKS) W’50

Morwenna’s sister Jill Simpson (Crampton) W’52 writes: 9

Wenna was born in Devon in 1933 and grew up near Bristol where her father was a GP. Attending Sherborne Girls during the War, she was for two years the youngest in Wingfield, so had to recite the House motto before each house match. Her younger sister Jill was also in Wingfield under Bice Crichton-Miller. Among Wenna’s great friends from School were Isobel Donaldson W’51, Mary Robertson W’51 and Shirley Killick W’51. She went on to study occupational therapy at Dorset House, gaining skills she was to use throughout her life.

In 1957, Wenna married John Marks, whose family owned the sweet firm Trebor Sharps. Life in Essex, where they lived, was never dull – with four sons, frequent business trips abroad, and a husband obsessed with classic cars. Wenna quietly conducted a remarkable degree of charitable work, whether with large organisations such as the NSPCC and the National Theatre, or locally, where she supported her church and individuals in the village. One of her greatest delights, which she enjoyed right up until her final weeks, was to sit amid a gathering of her many lovely grandchildren.

PATRICIA BELL (RAWSON)

DH’53

Patricia’s daughter Lucy writes:

Tricia was the eldest of five children and followed in the footsteps of her mother, Hilda Faure DH’28, boarding in Dun Holme from the age of 11. On the train to her Sherborne interview, she met Frances Boas (Bouchier) DH’53 and, together with Alison Lansdown (Copeman) DH’53 and Caroline Baird (Spragge) DH’53, they formed lifelong friendships. Their schooldays are remembered with great affection, not least the unforgettable adventure of hitching a lift in the back of a truck to spend a day at the beach!

Tricia won a place to read French at Oxford but decided that university life was not for her. Instead, she embarked on two years of travel with Frances. They were bridesmaids for Alison in Montreal, worked as chambermaids in Jasper and as secretaries in Calgary and Vancouver, before setting off on an ambitious road trip around America and Mexico in a Morris Minor.

In 1963, Tricia married Sam Rawson and they had two daughters, Lucy and Susanna, followed by five grandchildren. Tricia worked for Withers solicitors for 20 years, giving generously of her time through numerous voluntary roles; a keen rambler, she loved to travel widely.

Tricia lived in Teddington for most of her life, where she had many friends, and is remembered with great fondness for her generosity, independence and enduring friendships. She died on 13 February 2025.

LIBBY (ELISABETH ANN) POWELL (DENNY)

AW’58

Libby’s son Anthony and family write:

Libby was born in Much Hadham, Hertfordshire, and spent most of her childhood in Gloucestershire. Here, she enjoyed the countryside, horses and hunting.

Libby was a very bright person and her time at Sherborne was much loved. She went on from there to a finishing school in Europe, before “doing the season” in London as a deb. Libby married Tim Denny in 1962 and, in 1966, they moved to Gurney’s Manor, Hingham in Norfolk.

Together they ran Margaret Sheridan, a successful interior design business until she retired in 2018 (Tim having died, young and very suddenly, in 1993). Libby remained at Gurney’s Manor until six months before she died.

She is survived by her son, Anthony, and two daughters, Melissa (Mouse) and Katharine, five grandchildren and by an enormous number of friends from many generations. Hingham has a huge church, and it was filled to capacity for her funeral. She loved fishing, travelling, people, beautiful things and laughing. Libby died on 12 June 2024.

BARBARA MAXWELL (ASH)

AE’59

Barbara’s husband Brian writes:

Barbara died on Friday, 3 January 2025 from complications relating to Parkinson’s disease, with which she was diagnosed in 2008. She is survived by her husband, Brian, their children Cavan, Kitty and Michael, and two grandchildren.

Barbara was born in 1943 and raised mainly in Norwich. Her schooling included Norwich High School, Millfield and Sherborne School for Girls.

After graduating with a degree in English Literature from Queen’s University Belfast, Barbara worked for the British Council. She then applied to join the BBC as a secretary, gradually progressing to the role that made her career, as the founding producer of Question Time.

Marshalling the talent of presenters Robin Day then Peter Sissons, Barbara made the programme a staple of the BBC’s political coverage. In its obituary, The Guardian described her as “…smart and sassy, at least as clever as anyone else in the business… one of the seminal behind-the-scenes characters in broadcasting throughout the 1980s.”

In 1990, Barbara left Question Time to run the BBC’s coverage of party-political conferences. She retained that role until her retirement in 1993.

Barbara was known for her wide-ranging interests, including art, literature, the theatre and Norwich City FC, for which she had a season ticket. She met Brian while working at the BBC and they married in 1971.

VIRGINA WARREN (TIDMARSH)

T’60

Virginia’s niece Anna Crawford (Seton Coad) T’79 writes:

Virginia was born in the Second World War in Burnham-on-Sea to an English father and Australian mother. The youngest and bubbliest of four, she blossomed into a talented sportswoman and exceptional tennis player. She was popular at Sherborne and was tennis captain in 1959 and 1960. Virginia stayed in touch with her Sherborne friends and always took part in Old Girls reunions. She was a generous benefactor of School fundraising projects.

Virginia moved with her parents to Bermuda before marrying James Tidmarsh at the age of 24 and having two sons. She and Jay travelled across the Middle East and Africa and lived in Australia for several years as Jay worked in the shoe industry for C & J Clark. They had many adventures together, travelling by train across Afghanistan and later winning the Queen’s Award for Export, selling to 47 different countries. Virginia was an excellent cook and went to the Tante Marie Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy. She loved hosting large gatherings, and her annual Christmas party was legendary.

Virginia and Jay settled in Bristol and developed their interests in local communities, charities and supporting minority groups as well as business. Virginia followed her sister Diana Warren (Crawford) T’55 to Sherborne and her nieces Josie Stock (Misick) A’76, Lottie Stock (Fenton) A’79, Anna and Caroline Crawford (Woollard) T’81 followed in their footsteps.

Virginia brought joy to many people. Described by Rosalind Stock (Gay) A’49 as being like a bottle of bubbly champagne, she was fun, adventurous and kind. The world is distinctly less colourful without her.

SUE PASCOE-JOHNSON

AE’84

Sue’s husband Michael writes:

Our darling Sue passed away on Saturday, 31 May 2025. She died of hospital-acquired pneumonia, just as she was to leave hospital after a stay of four months for other reasons.

Sue and I were married for 22 years. She was a constant support for me as we built Moonlit Sanctuary, our wildlife conservation park, on the Mornington Peninsula.

We never had children, but Sue always had dogs – a total of 16 by my count. She would often adopt older dogs that others would not take on and dreamed of having a home for geriatric dogs. Six of our dogs are still with me.

Sue was a creative, expressed through her work in architecture, urban design, and web design. She painted on and off throughout her life, winning awards especially for her wildlife art. A constant was her love for jazz: she sang professionally in New York and Melbourne, having residencies in wineries on the Mornington Peninsula.

She was an internationalist, living in Hong Kong, London, New York and Singapore for significant portions of her life before returning home to Australia. She loved to travel and share in the cultures of the people she met.

But most of all she was always loving and loyal to her friends and family. She is very much missed by her sisters Ashleigh Pascoe Ogier AE’80 and Kate (Scarlett) Pascoe AE’82, her nieces Poppy, Ruby Rose and Indigo, her great-nephew Jasper, Ashleigh’s and Poppy’s husbands Yves and James, and by me.

MADELEINE SOPHIE TOWNLEY (WICKHAM) AW’87

Madeleine’s husband Henry writes:

Madeleine joined the Sixth Form at Sherborne Girls in 1985. After leaving, she studied at New College, Oxford, firstly reading Music, and then changing to PPE, in which she got a First. She went on to become one of the world’s most successful novelists. Writing as both Madeleine Wickham and then as Sophie Kinsella, she sold more than 50 million copies in over 60 countries and was translated into more than 40 languages.

Born in London in 1969, Maddy (as she was universally known) had a special talent for music: she played the Grieg piano concerto while at Sherborne and later gained an MMus at King’s College London. She met Henry Wickham, a choral scholar, at a music party on her first night at Oxford, and they were married in 1991.

After completing her studies, Maddy took a job writing for Pensions World, a financial magazine, and later moved to Resident Abroad, a financial magazine for ex-pats. But she selfeffacingly professed to know very little about what she wrote, and in her spare time worked on her first novel The Tennis Party (1995).

After seven Madeleine Wickham novels, she couldn’t contain her comedic impulses any longer. In 2000, under the pen name Sophie Kinsella, she published The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, a first-person comedy of a financial journalist who gets hopelessly into debt. An instant hit, it spawned eight sequels and was turned into the 2009 movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, which grossed over $100m.

As Sophie Kinsella, Maddy became a hugely successful novelist but despite her achievements, she remained down-to-earth and

very kind. She maintained a close friendship with several of her Sherborne co-alumnae, as well as with a small group of other novelists, including Jojo Moyes, Jenny Colgan and Lisa Jewell, which lasted through all the ups and downs of work and life.

Maddy and Henry had five children: Freddy, Hugo, Oscar, Rex and Sybella, a current Sherborne Girls pupil.

In November 2022, Maddy was diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer. If anything, this terrible diagnosis brought out the finest qualities in Maddy’s character. She bore the disease with grace and good humour, undertaking the best treatments available (and there aren’t many) until they failed, preparing her family beautifully and lovingly for the inevitable, and continuing writing while she could.

In autumn 2024, she published a novella What Does It Feel Like?, a fictionalised memoir of her illness, full of humour, sadness and warmth. Henry Marsh said: “Of all the books I have read about living with cancer, this is by far the best. Beautifully written, profound and deeply moving.” It was an instant bestseller and listed in the New York Times list of 100 Most Notable Books of 2024.

Appearing on Good Morning America in July 2024, Maddy was asked, as the “Queen of Happy Endings”, what she thought her own happy ending would be. Maddy replied that, after obviously a miracle cure and living for ever, her real happy ending would be for everyone to be OK: her family, her friends and her readers to carry on and enjoy the gift of living. She loved the sounds of living – the family singing or playing board games in an adjoining room –and treasured them until the end.

She died peacefully at home in Dorset on 10 December 2025, two days short of her 56th birthday.

CLEMENTINE BROOK (BIRTLES) W’05

Clementine’s sister Daisy Brook (Poole) W’97 writes:

Clementine was not only my sister; I was lucky enough also to call her my best friend. She died tragically after a short illness on 19 February 2025.

Clemmie thrived during her time at Sherborne Girls. Head of House for Wingfield, she was very clever and excelled at sport. She loved hockey and continued playing until early last year. She was also a huge cricket fan, becoming one of the few female members of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and regularly going to watch Test matches with my parents.

After Sherborne, Clemmie went to Newcastle University to read Politics. She applied to Cambridge, but a robust exchange during her admissions interview perhaps played a role in them choosing not to offer her a place!

After graduating, she worked in Westminster as a parliamentary assistant to Grant Shapps MP. Despite showing huge potential in this role, she left politics upon marrying her husband, Sam, and threw herself into country life. They lived in Gloucestershire, filling their cottage with four lurchers and three beautiful children: Matilda, Ivor and Fergus.

As well as raising her family, Clemmie built a successful career in the property sector, working for Prime Purchase for several years. She remained an enthusiastic huntswoman and loved joining Sam on his stalking and shooting expeditions.

Clemmie was a light in all our lives. Funny and self-deprecating, she did so much for others and had so many friends. Around 500 people, including many SOGs, attended her memorial service in Gloucestershire last March. Matilda sang ABBA and Sam played the bagpipes. I think about her every second of every day and feel so proud of everything she achieved in her short life.

DAVID HORSFALL

Teacher and Head of Geography

(1974

– 1997)

David’s son Tom writes:

David was born on 22 January 1936 into what was then described as a working-class family. His home was Broughton in Lancashire and his parents Wilfred and Edith were shopkeepers.

Upon completing his National Service, David read Geography at Cambridge. He was often humble and surprised he had reached the heights of academia, but this is where his passion for Geography and photography really began.

David taught at Sherborne Girls from 1974 to 1997. He always spoke passionately about the school and revelled in the achievements of former pupils. He spoke regularly to Dr Ruth Sullivan. He talked of her being a strong person with great integrity: a fantastic role model for students, which is what he always tried to be too.

David was a leader in education: he wrote various books during a progressive time in teaching pedagogy. The introduction of the National Curriculum was something that he felt uncertain about at the time.

However, his ability to move with the times both in his working life and personally was admirable. He had a good motto: “Keep it simple.”

David had a passion for new technology and innovation and loved learning. He was an avid reader.

We were so grateful for those who came to David’s funeral or sent cards. So many people said he helped shape their lives through his counsel, wisdom and encouragement.

JEAN ROOM

Assistant Housemistress, Wingfield (1986

– 1993)

Jean’s daughter Sue writes:

Jean was truly a force of nature: beautiful, elegant, independent, loving and kind, she lived life to the fullest.

She left school at 14 to work in a chemist’s shop, but by 1955 she had made her way to London, working as a shop assistant at Windsor & Newton, a well-known art supply company. It was there, surrounded by creativity and even modelling for artists, that her love for art began. She became a talented amateur artist herself, leaving a beautiful collection of paintings. She also had a real eye for fashion and dressed in impeccable style.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Jean and our father lived in Persia (now Iran) and then Greece. By 1970, we’d moved from London to Weymouth, where Jean did up our house all by herself. This proved so successful that, for a time, she made a living painting and decorating other people’s properties, including a five-storey hotel.

Jean’s application didn’t stop there: she was also an accomplished gardener, flower arranger, knitter and seamstress.

Jean was loved by many. She had a beautiful bond with her second husband, Mike, who died in 2017. She was adored by her children and grandchildren, and by the pupils in her care during her time as Assistant Housemistress at Sherborne Girls from 1986 to 1993.

The last few years of Jean’s life were difficult, but she faced them with characteristic bravery and strength. Even during the toughest times, her spirit shone through.

NICK BOMFORD

Governor 1993 – 2010 (Chairman 2005 – 2010)

Nick’s wife Gilly writes:

Nick died peacefully on Saturday, 21 June 2025 after a short illness. He was 86 years of age. Nick was educated at Kelly College and Trinity College, Oxford, where he read History and captained the Oxford University Rifle Club.

He was Headmaster of Harrow between 1991 and 1999, having already served as Headmaster at Monmouth and Uppingham. He became a Governor of Sherborne Girls in 1993 and was made Chairman in 2005.

Our two daughters were at the School in the 1980s and June Taylor was Head when Nick joined the governors. He took on the chairmanship when Geraldine Kerton-Johnson was Head. During this period, several building projects took place, as well as a reorganisation of the Boarding Houses.

Nick was pleased to play a role in Jenny Dwyer’s appointment as Head. He stood down as Chairman in 2010: at the age of 70 and having been out of the school world a while, he felt it was time to hand over to others. His love of Sherborne Girls very much remained.

RUPERT PILKINGTON

Governor 2007 – 2022

Rupert’s wife Hilary and family write:

It was with great sadness that the Sherborne Old Girls community learnt of Rupert Pilkington’s death in a roadtraffic accident in May 2025.

Rupert was a long-serving governor of Sherborne Girls and played a key role in scoping and delivering The Merritt Centre. A quantity surveyor with expertise in project management and budgeting, he was instrumental in bringing the vision for this beautiful building to life. It serves as a legacy to his impact on Sherborne Girls.

Rupert’s connection with Sherborne began when his sons, Freddy and Monty, attended Sherborne School. He was invited to join the Board of Governors of Sherborne Girls in 2007 and worked closely with Jenny Dwyer, with whom he had a strong rapport.

That sense of connection with the School continued once Dr Ruth Sullivan took over as Head, and Rupert was proud of his association with such a vibrant and forward-looking institution. Such was his commitment to the role of governor that he would fly to the UK to attend meetings, even during a career that involved living and working across the globe.

With his wife Hilary, Rupert lived in an array of places, including Malaysia, Qatar, Oman, South Africa, Nigeria, and the US. The family retained a home in Devon, which provided a much-valued base and where Hilary continues to live.

Rupert was known for his calm, positive outlook. He was intellectually agile and could always be relied on – all qualities that made him well-suited to his role as a school governor.

As well as big events like the opening of The Merritt Centre, Rupert took pleasure in the regular rhythms of life at Sherborne Girls. He loved going to Abbey services and was always pleased to attend Commemoration.

His presence will be much missed by the Sherborne Girls community, even as his memory lives on.

Births

Olivia James (Coughtrie) AE’05 and Richard had a daughter, Henrietta, on 6 August 2025, a sister for Camilla and Beatrice

Polly Bradshaw (Winsley) K’06 and Christopher had a daughter, Wilhelmina Santa Florence, on 27 May 2025

Lydia Ashby (Barley) W’07 and Max had a son, Otto, on 27 April 2025

Emily Bueno AE’07 and William Cudmore had a daughter, Mary Helena Beatrice Cudmore, on 18 April 2025

Marriages

Amelia Graham WD’12 married Tom Saxton on 20 September 2025

Laura Manners RH’14 married Will Oakes on 24 May 2025

Helena Barham RH’15 married Piergiuseppe Coppola on 5 July 2025

Deaths

Anne (Angela) Dudley Smith A’43 died on 7 February 2025

Susan Brewis (Ashton) E’47 died on 22 May 2025

Pip Thornton (Donovan) E’48 died on 4 October 2024

Anne Acock (Winstone) T’49 died on 14 October 2024

Ann (Morwenna) Simpson (Marks) W’50 died on 29 January 2025

Patricia Bell (Rawson) DH’53 died on 13 February 2025

Jean Gilley (Partridge) AW’53 died on 21January 2025

Belinda Tracey (Heal) T’54 died on 2 April 2025

Libby (Elisabeth Ann) Powell (Denny) AW’58 died on 12 June 2024

Barbara Maxwell (Ash) AE’59 died on 3 January 2025

Ellie Morris (Chance) W’09 and Andrew had a son, Hector David, on 26 July 2025

Olivia Salbaing W’09 and Edmund Miller had a son, Louis Frank Ronald Chilperic Miller, on 17 June 2025

Millie Fraser (Charlesworth) WD’12 and Will had a son, Freddie, on 2 May 2025

Iram Hasan DH’12 and Mohammad Moinuddin had a son, Zinedine, on 20 January 2025

Alice Storrie K’15 married Liam McKay on 12 July 2025

Beatrice Marchegiani M’17 married Gary David O’Brien on 14 December 2025

Virgina Warren (Tidmarsh) T’60 died on 16 April 2025

Anne Kinnersley (Boyle) K’67 died on 2 July 2025

Carolyn David (Pugh) DH’72 died on 19 March 2025

Sue Pascoe-Johnson AE’84 died on 31 May 2025

Madeleine Sophie Townley (Wickham) AW’87 died on 10 December 2025

Clementine Brook (Birtles) W’05 died on 19 February 2025

David Horsfall died on 16 March 2025 (Head of Geography 1974 – 1997)

Jean Room died on 22 February 2025 (Assistant Housemistress, Wingfield 1986 – 1993)

Nick Bomford died on 21 June 2025 (Chair of Governors 2005 – 2010)

Rupert Pilkington FRICS died on 19 May 2025 (Governor 2007 – 2022)

Todd Ashworth

DAUGHTERS AND GRANDDAUGHTERS

OF OLD GIRLS IN THE SCHOOL

If you know of other mothers and grandmothers with daughters currently at SG, please let us know by sending an email to: oldgirls@sherbornegirls.group

Pix Bennett, Mother

Sophie Turner Imogen Butler, Mother

Theya Dare Bryan

Arabella Guy

Florence Hedderwick

Immy Sunderland

Veronica Goldsworthy, Grandmother

Diana Muriel, Mother

Patricia Donald, Grandmother

Lisa Thorne, Mother

Ottilie Parr

Emilia Robinson

Isabelle Sowerbutts

Poppy Warner

Saskia Andrews

Amy Duignan

Lola Franklin-Adams

Jemima Hodgkinson

Tatty Hodgkinson

Amelia Hodgkinson

Lucy Le Maistre

Daisy MacInnes

Sophia Pearce

Emily Perry

Sophie Perry

Sybella Wickham

Tilly Wright

Cici Ashworth

Amelia Ballard

Lottie Ballard

Lucy Bellew

Amelia Floyd

Martha Floyd

Lucia Garcia Douglas-Pennant

Lemoni Henderson

Florence Hollands

Katy Donald, Mother

Catherine Holme, Mother

Louise Brown, Mother

Georgie Maw, Mother

Fiona Falconer, Mother

Catherine Owens, Mother

Hannah Malpas, Mother

Jessica Smith, Mother

Jessica Smith, Mother

Jessica Smith, Mother

Emma Campbell, Mother

Anna Spence, Mother

Gemma Johnson, Mother

Rebecca Knapman, Mother

Rebecca Knapman, Mother

Madeleine Townley, Mother

Claudia James, Mother

Elisabeth Bowyer, Grandmother

Pix Bennett, Mother

Alexandra White, Mother

Alexandra White, Mother

Alexandra Wilsey, Mother

Katherine Gaillard, Mother

Katherine Gaillard, Mother

Milly Douglas-Pennant, Mother

Kate Gutteridge,Mother

Alison Boswell, Grandmother

5-YEAR REUNION

10-YEAR REUNION

15-YEAR REUNION

20-YEAR REUNION

30-YEAR REUNION

35-YEAR REUNION

40-YEAR REUNION

50-YEAR REUNION

55-YEAR REUNION

YOUNG ALUMNI DRINKS

BRISTOL UNIVERSITY

LEEDS UNIVERSITY

EXETER UNIVERSITY

MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY

NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY

CARE AND COMPASSION

Lilias Lamont K’76

CONSULTANT

PAEDIATRICIAN LILIAS LAMONT KNEW SHE WANTED TO

It is the winter of 1963, and four-year-old Lilias is stranded at home with her family. The icy weather and deep snow surrounding their house are one thing, but the family has something far greater to contend with: everyone has chicken pox, followed by measles.

“I remember our local GP, Dr Coltart, visiting us every day throughout four weeks of illness, despite the snow,” Lilias recounts. “He was a very kind man and even as a young child I was very impressed by his manner, his intelligence and his caring approach.”

This is the moment Lilias decided she would train to become a medic. She wanted to be the person who made a difference to her patients, just like Dr Coltart. It’s a decision that has shaped the rest of her life.

At School, Lilias says she and her fellow pupils were proactive in identifying where they wanted to train. “There was a careers room, but the prospectuses weren’t completely up to date,” she says. “We wrote off for new ones and made our university choices on that basis.”

Lilias says the general atmosphere of Sherborne Girls in that era was important in reinforcing her choice of profession. “The general philosophy of the School was to be charitable and kind. That definitely confirmed my sense that Medicine was a good career to go into.”

So it has proved, with Lilias becoming a consultant paediatrician with specialisms in newborns, cancer management and dermatology.

“I initially worked in anaesthetics as I had enjoyed my surgery house job and the atmosphere in theatre,” she reports. “However, I switched to paediatrics as I missed the patient interaction. You have plenty of that when treating children, dealing with their families as well as the patients directly. I’ve always found that very fulfilling.”

The part of her working life Lilias found especially enjoyable was “neonates” – treating premature babies. “The baby isn’t ‘ill’,” she explains, “just premature. So, rather than correcting pathology, you are aiming to maintain normal

physiology for the baby’s age. That’s a slightly different challenge.”

Lilias ended up as a consultant at Chichester’s District General Hospital because her mother was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and she wanted to be close to her.

“I would have liked to be a neonatologist in a specialist unit, but decided I needed a better work/life balance,” she says.

A particularly fulfilling feature of Lilias’s working life has been mentoring junior medics as they progress through their training pathways. “It has changed a lot since my days as a house doctor,” she reports. “There’s a clearer programme now, with less uncertainty about your longterm prospects.”

Asked for her career highlights, Lilias struggles to pinpoint anything in particular. “It’s always enjoyable to work in a good, well-run unit,” she reflects. “Hospitals with good porters and cleaners make a big difference to morale, because we rely on them so much.

“The part of her working life Lilias found especially enjoyable was “neonates” – treating premature babies.

““There are many challenges to working in Medicine, but I don’t think they’re any more demanding than other professions. The important thing is to stay calm and be honest if something goes wrong – which happens to everyone at some time.”

This speaks of the advice Lilias would give to aspiring doctors: “Be prepared to slog through the mundane. Medicine is fantastically interesting and varied, but, most of the time, life is ordinary.

“Also, when seeing a patient, it is important to think laterally and look for underlying issues that may not be obvious.”

Finally, she adds: “Always be prepared to ask others their opinion if you are uncertain. The vast majority of doctors are decent people who genuinely want to help, whether you are a patient or a colleague asking for advice.”

ONE OF THE GREATEST PRIVILEGES

Louisa Evans DH’86

Dr Louisa Evans says the support of A Level teachers at Sherborne Girls set her on the path to becoming a GP.

“Medicine has given me far more than I ever imagined it could,” says Louisa, reflecting on her career since leaving Sherborne Girls in the late 1980s. “My career has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.”

Given her enthusiasm for her profession, it is perhaps surprising to hear Louisa admit that Medicine wasn’t an obvious path for her to follow.

“My O Level results in Physics and Chemistry were far from ideal, but my A Level teachers chose to believe in me anyway,” she reports. “Their faith planted the seeds of a journey that has shaped every part of who I am.”

Louisa says she owes a particular debt of gratitude to Dr Leggatt and Miss Paris, whose constant encouragement kept her motivated even when self-doubt crept in. “They gave me confidence, direction and – equally important – great memories of my time in the Sixth Form.”

Another fond memory is the laughter she enjoyed with

her fellow aspiring medic, Susi Gregson. “Our late-night Chris de Burgh sessions and hot chocolate in Mulliner were a balm during the most demanding times,” she laughs.

One more teacher lives in Louisa’s memory as having an important influence on her subsequent career. “I’m grateful to Dr Q,” she says, “who made Biology both accessible and enjoyable. In the safety of small classes, I could reveal my ignorance without shame, and from that honesty came understanding.”

So it was that Louisa entered the University of Cardiff in 1992 and began training for the career that would define her.

“At Cardiff, I forged friendships around the dissection table – friendships that deepened during the intensity and camaraderie of the Foundation years,” she says. “Those relationships remain some of the closest I have.”

A further, unforgettable, experience was a medical elective in Malawi, which Louisa says continues to shape her sensibilities in her practice as a GP in Bridgend, South Wales.

“Bridgend is now woven into my identity,” she says. “Medicine is a career like no other: the hours are long, the challenges demanding, and the emotional landscape ever shifting. There are exhilarating highs, moments of joy, devastating tragedies, ethical dilemmas, compromises, and constant learning.

“Through it all, Medicine offers a window into the lives of others. It teaches compassion, humility and resilience. It is endlessly interesting: never still, always evolving.”

Louisa’s passion for Medicine shapes her desire to encourage the next generation into the profession. “To aspiring medics, I offer this: persevere. Apply with intention to universities that suit you. Know that while the financial rewards may not rival other professions, the privilege of being a steady presence in the lives of patients – and the chance to make a genuine difference – is immeasurable. It will stay with you for life, and shape who you become.”

A CAREER IN DENTISTRY

Sarah Hatherell (Wood) A’05

Dentist Sarah Hatherell believes her career choice makes good use of her skills and talents –many of which were nurtured at Sherborne Girls.

Having completed my GCSEs, I was thrilled to be able to give up any subjects that required lots of essay writing or foreign languages and stick to the science-based ones. I particularly loved Chemistry with Miss Nelson and Mrs Clapp: the subject was very logical and all seemed to make sense.

With Chemistry being my favourite A Level subject, I was very close to studying it at university until I realised that I really wanted to apply for a practical, vocational subject. Eliminating Medicine and Physiotherapy, I opted for Dentistry. The decision was made easier as my father was a dentist –although he did try to deter me!I had a brilliant five years at Cardiff University and stayed in South Wales for a further two training years, which gave me experience of the hospital system. I found I preferred general dentistry, getting to know my patients well and providing the best possible service for them.

Dentistry is a fantastic career for being able to work anywhere,

compared with careers where you have to be based in London or another big city. I’ve spent a year in Australia living on the New South Wales coast and am now lucky to be living in East Devon.

For the last 10 years, I have been working in a lovely family practice in Exeter. I get to know my patients really well and see my younger patients growing up.

There are always challenges in Dentistry. Days can be stressful when trying to keep to time and not everything goes to plan. I’ve definitely learned the importance of managing expectations and dealing with failures. Alongside

practical Dentistry, I have had various opportunities to go into nursery and school settings to teach young children about the importance of oral health. This has been very rewarding and seems particularly important currently, when many families struggle to access NHS dentistry for their children.

I would certainly encourage any Sherborne Girl who is keen on the science subjects to consider Dentistry. I love the practical nature of it, while caring for my own list of patients. Work is certainly never boring, and the day often goes too fast!

DEEP HUMAN CONNECTION

Laura Manners RH’14

REFLECTS ON HER CAREER AS A MIDWIFE, FIRST IN THE NHS AND NOW IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA.

My career as a midwife has been incredibly rewarding and is the result of persistence, determination and hard work.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by pregnancy and birth.

Growing up on a farm, I spent my childhood watching pigs and sheep give birth and often helped when needed –so Midwifery always felt like a natural path. I went into it because I wanted to build connections with families, those giving birth, and protect and

advocate for both them and their babies during moments of joy as well as sorrow.

Sherborne Girls encouraged me to pursue this passion, even arranging for a midwife to speak with me about the profession and all it entails. I didn’t go straight into Midwifery after School. Instead, I travelled, then studied History of Art at Oxford Brookes during a brief wobble about my career choice. Afterwards, I volunteered in a hospital in Africa and in several hospitals and birth centres across the UK, gaining invaluable experience that helped me secure a place to train at King’s College London.

Midwifery offers excellent opportunities for career progression. Moving into management or leading clinical units are just two options, but for now, I’m enjoying working directly with those giving birth on the labour ward here in Australia. The ability to move abroad to countries that recognise and align with NHS training standards is another

huge advantage. The work itself is almost identical; you just get to travel and see the world at the same time.

One of my career highlights has been caring for the same woman twice: first as a student, and later, after qualifying, when she returned for her second birth. It was a truly special experience for both me and the family, knowing that trust was already there.

My advice to anyone considering Midwifery or a career in healthcare is to gain as much experience as possible, by volunteering on wards, answering phones on reception, observing the work, and reading and learning widely about the subject. The skills that serve midwives best include problemsolving, communication, empathy, and fortitude.

Ultimately, Midwifery has given me a career filled with meaning, challenge, and deep human connection. It is one I’m grateful to have chosen every day.

A PERFECT BALANCE

Alice Storrie K’15

Alice Storrie says that Medicine combines her philosophical and scientific interests in a highly rewarding career.

At Sherborne Girls, Alice was that unusual student: someone who loved disciplines like English Literature and Philosophy just as much as the sciences.

“I enjoyed exploring what makes us human through the humanities subjects, as well as how we function on a molecular level through Biology and Chemistry,” she says. “Medicine has proved the perfect way of bringing these together, offering a career where analytical problem-solving and deep human connection sit side by side.”

It is clear that the seeds of Alice’s professional success were sown at school, where she was encouraged to be an independent thinker and a self-motivated learner. “Mr Wood, my English teacher, always encouraged me to read widely and even join the School quiz team,” she explains. “That has stayed with me: I’m always reading, and always ready for a pub quiz!”

This speaks of the array of interests Alice maintains, despite being in a demanding profession. After Sherborne, she studied Medicine at University College London, then moved to

Manchester for her Foundation Years, gaining hands-on experience as she built her career. She then returned to London to work as an intensive care fellow and is now training as an anaesthetist at the Royal Free Hospital.

“The highlight of my career so far was when I was at UCL,” she says. “I was shortlisted for the University of London Gold Medal Viva, which recognises the top graduate across London medical schools. I was named runner-up, an achievement I am particularly proud of, having completed the final two years of my training during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We faced a huge amount of uncertainty, but I coped by relying on the support of friends and family, focusing on the privilege of training in a profession that mattered so much during that time, and eating a lot of sourdough!”

As an anaesthetist, Alice works with patients across the hospital – from elective operations to urgent and emergency care. “It’s really rewarding to help people feel safe and supported through surgery,” she says. “The work is highly collaborative and combines hands-on skills with a strong grounding in physiology. No two days are the same, there’s always something new to learn.”

While Alice finds the variety and pressure of her role stimulating, she’s realistic about the toll it can take. She advises anyone working in the medical professional to take regular breaks: “I recently took six months off, which meant I felt ready and excited to start my anaesthetics training. It’s really important to look after yourself.”

Alice’s other advice is aimed at people thinking of pursuing Medicine as a career after school. “It’s not an easy job, with years of study and lots of ongoing training,” she reflects. “But it is extremely rewarding. If anyone’s thinking of reading Medicine, I’d recommend doing their research to find the right university for them. Also, make sure you go into the profession for the right reasons as that’s how you stay motivated.”

Alice herself certainly doesn’t want for motivation. She says she always tries to be thoughtful and kind, while acknowledging her personal worth. She wants to continue enjoying her training in anaesthetics and dive into any other professional projects and opportunities that come her way.

“I’m trying to focus on enjoying the day-to-day elements of the job,” she concludes. “I always strive to be the best clinician I can be.”

THE RHYTHM OF LIFE

Ella Pearce K’20

TRAINEE CARDIAC PHYSIOLOGIST ELLA PEARCE DIDN’T SET OUT TO PURSUE HER CURRENT CAREER, BUT SHE’S GLAD SHE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT AROSE.

Asked to explain her journey to becoming a trainee cardiac physiologist, Ella gives a surprising answer:

“My route into the medical profession developed from a series of opportunities rather than a single, defined plan,” she says. “After leaving Sherborne Girls, I went to study Sport and Exercise Science at university, graduating with a First Class BSc (Hons). My initial ambition was to work in strength and conditioning and I gained valuable experience working on placement with the Nottingham Panthers’ head S&C coach.

“Although this proved extremely worthwhile, it made me realise the career didn’t align with my expectations,” she continues. “I was uncertain about what to do next, so spoke with my mum, who is an ex-cardiac specialist nurse. She encouraged me to think about the modules I’d enjoyed most on my course. I realised I was fascinated by the heart, so she encouraged me to pursue cardiac physiology as an option.”

The first step was to gain experience in the field, which Ella did through a three-week

placement at Nottingham City Hospital.

“The experience was eyeopening and drew me in with its blend of problem-solving, patient interaction and the technical skill involved in diagnostic testing,” Ella reports. “It combined complex anatomy with meaningful patient care in a way that felt purposeful and exciting, offering the ideal balance of responsibility without the intensity of being a doctor. I felt this encapsulated what I wanted to do.”

Ella says it is no surprise she was drawn to a job involving caring for people and maintaining a professional attitude.

“Sherborne Girls definitely shaped me to succeed in this sector,” she opines. “The School helped me develop confidence, independence and leadership –all qualities that are crucial in a busy clinical environment.”

“Sherborne Girls also taught me the importance of organisation, punctuality and a good work ethic, all of which are essential in cardiology, where each day brings new patients and new challenges.”

“ “

It is these challenges that inspire Ella in her work. She relishes the autonomy to carry out detailed diagnostic work but appreciates the support and wisdom of colleagues when needed.

Sherborne Girls definitely shaped me to succeed in this sector,” she opines. “The School helped me develop confidence, independence and leadership – all qualities that are crucial in a busy clinical environment.

“No two days are the same,” she says. “Although the hours are structured, I’m constantly meeting new patients and encountering a wide range of conditions. It’s a job that keeps you learning, engaged and never bored.”

Since starting her role, Ella has progressed from a junior position to become a trainee cardiac physiologist. “I now lead diagnostics clinics across two hospitals rather than providing support,” she says. “It’s a normal part of my daily routine to discuss cases with consultants and I’m developing specialist knowledge that informs patient diagnosis and treatment.”

Given Ella’s progress, it is fair to say the unexpected turn in her career has proved worthwhile. “Everything happens for a reason,” she says. “I’d tell people just starting out not to feel pressured into following the same path as everyone else, and don’t

force yourself into something that doesn’t feel right. Be open to new things: I never imagined myself working in a hospital, yet I couldn’t see myself anywhere else now. Stay open to opportunities and make use of the contacts around you.”

When it comes to a career in healthcare, Ella is an advocate for the allied professions. “There are so many paths beyond becoming a doctor or a nurse,” she says. “If you’re interested in a particular area of healthcare but don’t want the responsibilities that come with those roles, explore your options and ask questions. Allied health jobs aren’t always well advertised, but they’re vital. Without the specialist skills of these professionals, many diagnostics and treatments wouldn’t exist.”

She adds: “Don’t be discouraged if one route doesn’t work out. There are always alternative paths. Apprenticeships and on-the-job training are widely available, and many departments prefer to train staff in-house before offering further courses. Look for those opportunities, get involved, and gain any experience you can. You never know when it might lead to a job.”

Congratulations

Nichola Ross Martin (Luck) T’81 was appointed President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT)

Kate Pope (Rock) A’86 was awarded the Women in Agriculture award at the British Farming Awards 2025

Mel Copeland (Exon) A’89 has been appointed Chair of War Child UK

Emma Strachan W’07 was made Head of Partnership Servicing at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club

Lottie Hayton RH’14 was included on the Press Awards & Regional Press Awards list for journalists to watch under the age of 30

Flora Strachan RH’14 was Highly Commended for 2025’s Young Insurance Woman of the Year

Hattie Comer-Calder K’16 graduated from the University of Westminster with a First Class Honours degree in Medical Sciences. Hattie has also just published her first paper on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (Oxford University Press)

Lucy Woodhams RH’21 was awarded a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Kiki (Dominique) Brunwin DH’22 was awarded a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Amelia Hope-Hawkins K’23 was awarded a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Lucy Davies DH’24 was awarded a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Amaka Agwo AE’25 was awarded a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Alissa Brunwin K’25 was awarded a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Emily Foss-Smith WD’25 was awarded a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Cecily Mason K’25 was awarded a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Eliza Stevenson K’25 was awarded a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Octavia Tennant K’25 was awarded a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Sherborne Old Girls Golf

REPORT FROM ALI PRESTON (ALDRED) A’81

In 2025, we had just two SOG golf events.

The first was our annual match against the Old Girls from Cheltenham Ladies College. It was our turn to host the event and eight of us played at Pine Ridge Golf Club in Surrey on Tuesday, 29 April. The sun shone for us, and we had a lovely round of golf followed by sandwiches and chips!

Sadly, we were unable to get a team together for The Tassie this year which is an annual event held at The Berkshire Golf Club in June, but hopefully we might get a team for 2026. I wanted to mention here that sadly one of our team members, Anne Kinnersley (Boyle) K’67, has passed away. She was such a great supporter of our golf association and is very much missed.

At Pine Ridge in April, top photo, from left to right: Barbara Dalrymple (Savill) W’70, Anne Whately-Smith (Agnew) K’70, Ali, Susie Pym (King) DH’68, Katharine Martin (Stringer) DH’78, Jane Small (Castle) AW’85, Hilary Peterkin

(Younger) W’64 and Jane Close (Hon OG).

Our second event of the year was our Autumn Meeting at Sunningdale Heath Golf Club. One of our SOG members, Mary Monro (O’Dwyer) A’59, is a member there and managed to get us a great deal. Eleven of us played on Tuesday, 30 September and we had a great round followed by the most delicious tea!

Jefferson (Shearer) E’68, Sarah Kinnersley (Stonehouse) K’65 and Valerie Worth (Thomas) E’73.

This year we have got a special match against Huntercombe Golf Club as one of our members, Jane Castle, is Lady Captain there this year and invited us to get a team together which is exciting! We also have our annual match against Cheltenham Ladies College,

Sunningdale Heath in September. From left going round the table: Lizzy Hext (Pudner) T’83, Mary O’Dwyer, Candida Harris (Woolley) E’70, Hilary Younger, Rachel Long (Trotman) W’69, Ali Aldred, Jane Close, Susie King, Jane

The Tassie and our Autumn Meeting.

We are always on the lookout for new members, so if any of you out there reading this are golfers, please do get in touch and come and join us!

WE HELD OUR OLD GIRLS DAY ON SUNDAY, 27 APRIL. THE DAY BEGAN WITH A SERVICE IN SHERBORNE ABBEY, AND WE WERE DELIGHTED THAT MANY OLD GIRLS SANG WITH THE CHOIR. DURING LUNCH, WE CELEBRATED THE 125 TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SCHOOL BEFORE GOING ON TOURS AND PLAYING SPORT. IT WAS A REALLY HAPPY DAY AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PHOTOS.

Peer Group News

1933 – 1965

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Daphne MaGuire (Thomson) T’59

This year has been busy as I have been on granny duty in Cambridge while my granddaughter did her mock and real GCSEs. All well.

Then I went to Yellowstone Park with my two daughters and two granddaughters. What an amazing place. It was a fantastic holiday.

My sisters, Sally MaGuire (Judd) T’55 and P’noo (Penelope) MaGuire (Stanley-Smith) T’61 who were both also in Thurstan came north and stayed with my daughter, Tanya, and we had an interesting day in York. My elder sister, Sally, has moved from Brighton to Langport in Somerset to be near her daughter, Alex.

Judith Atkinson (Towill) T’59 came and stayed en route to her home in Cumbria. She is a great traveller and saw Jenny Basset (Holland) T’57 and Mary Bond (Bowman) T’59.

I had a new hip in the autumn which is a great relief. I am still driving, so should be able to plan some visits.

Pictured left to right: Alex Lewis (Sally’s daughter), Jemima Fawcett (my granddaughter, and Tango Fawcett’s daughter), Daphne, Sally, P’noo and Tango Fawcett (my daughter)

Minty Sparrow AW’50

I am 93 and happily still driving (family not anxious!) and enjoying life.

Sally Johnson (Kühl) K’51

My daughter Pippa Kühl (Golling) K’84 and I very much enjoyed the 125th Jubilee at Sherborne last April. It was so interesting to see the latest developments of the School! I was pleased to be mentioned in the Head’s speech as being the oldest Old Girl there (nearly 92).

I now live in Switzerland. On our way to Sherborne, we visited Margaret Ratcliffe (Pollard) K’51 – one of my great friends. Margaret died in July, and I much miss her regular letters and phone calls. We had often spoken about our time at Sherborne.

Alison Lansdown (Copeman) DH’53

Thanks to my daughter contacting Fiona, I had the most wonderful visit back to Sherborne Girls. Fiona kindly met me and showed me some of the new buildings since my last visit for the Centenary. We then walked over to Dun Holme, where Fiona had organised tea. It was so exciting to sit in the old junior common room. The Deputy Headmistress, the Chaplain and the Head of House all came to talk to me and answer all my questions. I was so interested to hear about the things that had changed and how many other things were still the same. I felt very honoured that the Deputy Headmistress and the Chaplain kindly gave up so much of their busy day to me.

During that time, several girls walked through and I admired their different sports uniforms and the present-day uniform. Dun Holme’s Housemaster also came in with his very friendly dog. He told me he and his young family lived in a new extension of Dun Holme. It was a very exciting and most memorable visit back to my old school.

On a sadder note, two of my closest Dun Holme friends, Caroline Baird (Spragge) DH’53 and Patricia Bell (Rawson) DH’54, both died this year. There were four of us who all started in Dun Holme on the same day and thanks to Patricia, we all gathered together whenever I was in London. Caroline used to come all the way from the Isle of Wight.

I was so pleased I was able to catch up with Frances Boas (Bouchier) DH’53 when I was in London in June. It was comforting to reminisce together about our old friends.

I now have 17 great-grandchildren! I have just been to Hong Kong, where my grandson lives, to meet the new baby, so I am very blessed with all my family.

Jane Pople (Adley) A’54 I’m fishing the Isla in Perthshire next April. I’ve had a really lovely busy year and am all booked up for another in 2026.

With the Historic Rose Group, I’m off to Germany: Sangerhausen and private gardens near Berlin. The garden we visited in the ambassador’s residence in Rome became the background for King Charles’s Christmas card. Good choice. Lots of eventing, fishing and fairly gentle walking, except I did hoof it up both 420-metre Eildons near Melrose… slowly! Helen Kalis E’63 and I revisited Orkney/Westray to watch the puffins.

Rosemary Hoysted (Fraser) A’56 and Sara Stephens (Morton) A’56 We had so many memories crowding in as we walked around School when we came for a visit. Here are a few:

• In 1950, a lot of food was still rationed. We had individual butter dishes with a small portion on each, which was our weekly allowance. These dishes sat on a large windowsill and the butter soon went rancid, so the best plan was to eat it all at once!

• We had weekly hair wash and in order to dry it, we lay on our backs by the fire in the sitting room and weren’t allowed to stay for long!

Peer Group News

• For crossing the Quad to School, we wore warm green cloaks, with the House colour in the hood. If you saw anyone walking alone, you were obliged to catch up and join them, including a member of staff.

• If you were a House Prefect, in the summer term, we were allowed permission to take our beds down to the house tennis court and “sleep out” if the weather was good. I think that must have been once exams were over. I can’t remember how we got the beds down!

• The Quad between Aylmar and the school wasn’t built on then. We had a carpentry shed, where some of us took carpentry lessons. I made a toboggan! That same Quad had a netball court – we played a lot of netball.

• Much went on in the study on the ground floor, including daily House prayers and Notices after lunch. We all had a locker where we kept personal bits and pieces and large tables to work on. We had to write home letters every Sunday before going for walks. There was a small upright piano and on Saturday evening we had “dancing”.

• If an Old Girl did particularly well at university etc., she was allowed to ask that we should be given a day’s holiday. Rumours used to go around when we felt there might be one coming up. They were great days; we sometimes went in a bus to Lulworth Cove, accompanied by our Housemistress and the Matron, or took ourselves up to West Hill for a picnic.

• We weren’t allowed into the town until we were Prefects, and there was no meeting up with the boys’ school, except tennis matches, and on the rare occasion when it snowed, tobogganing on West Hill!

• We played games after lunch, then back to School after tea until supper time, when we were allowed to wear our own clothes.

• I started my lifelong love of sunbathing on the back lawn of Aylmar which was much bigger then.

• On Sundays, Kirby the cook managed to serve whipped cream with the fruit pies we always had for pudding.

• My first term I slept in a four-bedded room right opposite where we had our temperatures taken first thing in the morning for the first three weeks of term.

• We made jellies in the bathrooms for parties.

• There were no soft furnishings in the study, and the floor was hard boards with just lockers, tables and chairs.

• If it was too wet for games, we had to go for a walk. We have dreaded memories of grey flannel shorts and cream jumpers going up Plum Pudding in the drizzle.

• We also remember the day our Housemistress, Miss Kershaw, assembled us all in the dining room for lunch and told us the King had died. It was a terrible shock to everyone.

Valerie Holman (Bolton) DH’57

I have an annual holiday with Anne Kiggell (Spence) DH’57 this year to northern Romania; last year we went to Albania. See also the news from Jacqui Rose DH’64

Caroline Wilson (Manson) AE’58

We’ve just sold Green Cottage on Loch Awe in Argyll after 49 years and are trying to fit our things into a two-bedroom bungalow in Dunblane. Not easy. It is a huge change of lifestyle. I was very active in our community and will miss that very much.

I keep in regular touch by FaceTime with Rosia Pasteur A’57 in Australia. I also see my sister Philippa Wilson (Nalder) AE’60 from time to time and my granddaughters Olivia DH’17 and Portia Manson WD’19 who are now both working in London. Pip lost her husband in 2019. I also keep in touch with my cousin, Sally Weatherill (Fisher) W’69, who has moved out of London to Wiltshire. Susan Lloyd AE’59 and Romy Cairns (de Gelsey) AE’59 spent a day with me at Green Cottage in the summer. I keep in touch with Rose Ellison K’58

Robert and I celebrated our diamond wedding anniversary with our heads in packing cases. Not what was planned. I play golf, curl and love my garden, which feels very small after the Argyll one.

And I’m trying to learn Italian.

Julia Peel AE’61

I visited the Rockies for two weeks and went on the Rocky Mountaineer train, which was an amazing experience.

Jacqui Rose DH’64

Last year my sister Suzanne Rose (Bartlett) DH’70 and I went on a long-planned visit to the Rockies and Vancouver Island, Canada, where our grandfather had been the art master at Shawnigan Lake School, and our father a pupil. We were welcomed at the school royally and it was altogether an amazing trip.

This year, we made a much sadder visit to Porthcawl in Wales for the burial of the ashes of our three David cousins: Rosemary David (Buffle) DH’59, Jamie, and Carolyn David (Pugh) DH’72

After the service, at which Rosie’s son spoke so movingly, and the internment in the family grave, we enjoyed a lunch hosted by other David cousins. It was quite a gathering of Sherborne OGs: Valerie Holman (Bolton) DH’57, Julia Holman (Hall) DH’66, Suzanne and me. Sadly, Sonia David (Pether) AW’64 could not be with us.

In September, I was thrilled to meet up with Margaret Powell (Taylor) DH’64 who was over

from Botswana for a reunion of family and friends. Also, there were her sisters, Janet Powell (Elisita) K’66 and Clare Powell (Garside) T’72.

Left to right: Julia, Valerie, Jacqui (standing) and Suzanne, at the David memorial service at Porthcawl in July 2025

Peer Group News

1966 – 1970

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Anne Whately-Smith K’70

This year has been memorable for many of us as we celebrated the School’s 125th Anniversary and my own 55 years since leaving. The Abbey service was a wonderful occasion, and it was good to go with Joan Drew (Bond) K’69 and Libby Drew (Tidswell) K’70. This was followed by a very good lunch in The Merritt Centre and then we were able to revisit Kenelm, which brought back vivid recollections. So much has changed, yet the spirit of the place remains remarkably the same.

Then, in June, a group of us gathered once again – this time in London at The Clarence – to celebrate 55 years since we left School. Despite the grey hair and creaking bones, it was heartening to see how easily the old camaraderie returned: we might all be in our 70s but in our heads we were teenagers again!

I have been so lucky this year, visiting Menorca, Jersey, Scotland, cruising down The Douro, a wedding in Uzès, and a great family holiday in Port Isaac. The photo is of Polzeath beach with two lively six-year-olds! I still keep up with so many School friends – too many to mention here!

Judy Currie (Ross) AW’68

I am happy to report absolutely no achievements of note whatsoever, bar a very blessed marriage of nearly 50 years, two daughters, Lucinda Ross (Bryers) A’96 and Annabel Ross (Makin) A’98 who went to Sherborne Girls and are happy and cheerful with five wonderful children between them, a few extremely irritating medical problems, and a long and interesting life. I am extremely blessed. One of my very greatest friends is Jackie Barlow (Elton) AW’68

Anne Walsh (Colquhoun) E’69

I have met up with Anne Bond (Kendrick) E’69 recently and see Christine Cree (Gabarelli) K’68 quite often.

Susie Ingram (Penrose) DH’70

Dun Holme took on Kenelm for a casual, enjoyable afternoon of online bridge.

Angie Neale (Mathers) DH’70 (1) and Susie (2) played against Anne Whately-Smith (Agnew) K’70 (3) and Vicky Vaughan-Lee (Scarborough) K’70 (4)

1971 – 1975

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Jocelyn Passey (Humfrey) K’73

Another busy year here in Norfolk, although my work has often been further afield to Gloucestershire, Sussex and Kent. One thing about life in Norfolk is how, by its very geography, it is not a place people just pass through on their way to somewhere else. However, friends abound and visitors (particularly those who are based in the USA) do not seem to be put off I am glad to say.

There is the most glorious unspoilt countryside, and I walk at the coast and inland for many miles. The other great treat is the fresh fish we can buy up here, particularly crab. However, it is less simple if you want a quick visit to London for a drinks party, which is a shame in some ways, but not in others!

It is funny how SOGs turn up in the most unexpected places. On the Norfolk home patch, I have met up with Gillie Bryson (Scoular) E’73 and Victoria Cook (Keith) AE’74, then further afield I bumped into Jane Digby (Auer) AW’80 in Gloucestershire. So nice to have a chance to catch up with them all.

Being part of a large family of ex-Sherborne Girls means I hear about sisters Gay Passey (Cheyne) K’70, Miranda Passey (Chalk) K’77 and Jill Passey (Eyre) K’80 and often see their friends from School and how very nice it is.

Perhaps we should all be aiming for another get-together as we approach our later years? I think we should.

Celia Macpherson (Hill) W’72

Life continues to be happily busy with two grandsons living nearby. Jory is three and Robin is six months as of September 2025. I am very thankful for improved health after treatment in Vancouver on a clinical trial for multiple myeloma. Having been very active all my life, it isn’t easy to accept a collapsed vertebra and compromised lower spine. I can still swim – local lakes, pools and my swim spa (endless pool) provide lots of variety. I also fundraise with my church every September for new immigrant families to Canada. Instead of riding my bike as I used to, I walk 5km. I am thankful for family and the many blessings we have in life.

Peer Group News

Anthea Church E’75

In the last three years, I’ve had another novel published: Liftman, about a child who is taken to live in an Indian ashram. This draws on my own experience of being sucked into living in a cult shortly after I left Oxford. It was an amazing experience but one I was ultimately glad to be free of.

In May 2025, I had the first part of my memoir, A Child of the Air, published, in which many references are made to my years spent at Sherborne in the mid-70s. I always read the OG magazine with great interest, as well as keeping abreast of current developments. Sherborne must be a fabulous school to attend now. In my day, it was fun, but it had its challenges, some of which are detailed with a humorous touch in A Child of the Air. I think current students might find it amusing and certainly former students would.

You can find both Liftman and A Child of the Air on Amazon – if you google Anthea Church books, then all that I have written will appear. In late 2025, my book about living in a cult was published, entitled Out of this World

1981 – 1985

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Emma Burrows AE’83

Nichola Ross Martin (Luck) T’81

On 29 May 2025, I was appointed President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT). I hold this post for one year. The CIOT is a tax educational charity and the professional body for the Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) qualification. We work in scrutinising proposed tax legislation to ensure that the rules work as intended, providing commentary to government and HMRC. I am also a trustee of the CIOT, a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA Fellow) and a Chartered Accountant (FCA). The professional achievement that I am most proud of

is that I created the highly successful tax website www.rossmartin.co.uk. This is now owned by 2020 Innovation Training, and I still work with them providing tax consulting services.

Pippa Kühl (Golling) K’84

We had a most wonderful time at the 125th Jubilee last April.

My old School friend Frannie Drewett (Hewitt) W’84 and I sang in the choir in the Abbey. We had not seen each other for over 40 years!

I also caught up with Kate Macdonald (Saker) K’84, one of my good friends in Kenelm! I have invited both Kate and Frannie to visit us in the mountains of Switzerland.

Scarlett Philips (Tice) AE’83

I live in County Wicklow, Ireland. I am now a grandmother of two, with two more on their way! I continue to work for my sister in her horse business. This was the year of 60th birthdays: I attended the birthdays of Vanessa Howe Jones AE’83, Jane French (Sykes) T’83, Helen Dutfield T’84 and Camille Green (Greacen) T’84! Amazing to have kept up such good friendships after all these years.

Dawn Bouch AW’85

I joined my year for our 40-Year Reunion which was held at The Clarence, Dover Street, London. It was wonderful to see so many people –especially Isla Macneal AW’85 and Mary Brackenbury (Stansfeld) K’85 from Mulliner.

1986 – 1990

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Antonia Foster (Plant) AE’91

Jane Cray (Clayton) A’86

I have been back in the UK for nine years and stay in touch with Lucie Agnew (Patrick) E’87 as our husbands worked together in Switzerland and our children rode in France together. I also keep in touch with Lizzie Hobbs (Mehta) E’86, Jane Wilkinson K’86 and Anna Tory (Hobbs) E’90

Please get in touch with me via the SOG Office if you would like to join us next summer for a lunch at Hawksworth!

Kate Pope (Rock) A’86

I was pleased to receive the “Women in Agriculture” award at the British Farming Awards 2025 (see picture).

In addition to my work in agriculture, I was Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Autism. In November 2025, we published a report with recommendations to Government: Time to Deliver: The Autism Act and the new Autism Strategy.

Peer Group News

Mané Shahbenderian (Zaffaroni) AW’86

There is not much to write about this year, except that we are enjoying our new home here on Lake Como tremendously!

I am busy with finishing the interior of the villa as well as an apartment below. The pace of life is rather nice; it is, however, good to have Como and Milan nearby. Please do not hesitate to get in touch via the SOG Office if you are in this part of the world. Similarly, having had so much experience in property over the years, I would be happy to help anyone who is looking to buy and do up a home in the north of Italy.

Catherine Smithson AE’86

After 35 years of living in Germany, I am moving to Lanzarote and plan to open a retreat facility together with my partner Cornelia in Summer 2026.

1991 – 1995

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Holly Joint (Bishop) AE’94

Nina-Maria Potts AE’91

I am Chief Operating Officer for an international broadcast news agency, Feature Story News. Before my appointment in July 2025, I was Director of Global News Coverage, overseeing the company’s daily editorial output for multiple broadcasting and digital networks worldwide. I’ve been based in Sydney, Beijing, Brussels, London, and Washington.

Carmen Wong DH’92

I still teach the piano privately at home.

I met up with Laura Taylor DH’92 in Sydney two years ago, Jenny Morgan (Burton) DH’92 in Edinburgh last year, and then accidently reconnected with Alex Dickson Leach K’92 through the gym that we both go to in Hong Kong!

Katherine Bond (Lissauer) K’92 visited Hong Kong in December, and it was so lovely to see her and to reminisce about our times at Sherborne!

Dorset-based event & party caterers

hello@russet.catering

Charlotte Dalton (Cowley) K’93

It was lovely to have all our “big” birthdays punctuating the year with lots of catch-ups. I celebrated my 50th with a girls’ dinner including Sherborne friends Bethia Bradley (Nickols) A’93, Eva Hamann (Heap) K’93, Pippa Milton (Lightbown) K’93 and Wendy McCance AW’93 With my birthday being right in the middle of the

summer holidays, sadly Cookie (Victoria Cook (Kingston) AE’93 wasn’t able to make it, but it was great that the others could. Lots of fun was had by all.

From the left: Eva, Bethia, Wendy, Pippa and Charlotte

Wendy McCance AW’93

In this fantastic year of 50th birthdays, Victoria Cook (Kingston) AE’93 had a fabulous party in County Cork attended by many friends and family, including Emily Stone (Shovelton) DH’93 and me. Unfortunately, Charlotte Dalton (Cowley) K’93 couldn’t join us. Victoria is a curator, and mother to Constance and Rory; I am a humanitarian manager and have recently returned to London after four and a half years living in Bangladesh; and Emily, an art historian, now runs tours in India, and is also mother to Jasper, Lydia, Daniel and Ivo.

Lara Piercy (Bateman) AW’94

It’s been quite a while since I last wrote in, but after spending many years as a mum raising my two kids in Tring, they are now grown up and I’ve been enjoying getting back out there! I spent a wonderful Old Girls’ weekend in Sherborne rekindling old friendships with some of my peer group. We had such a fun couple of days, talking, reminiscing and laughing a lot. It was really lovely to spend time with Belinda Venning A’94, Jessica Anderson E’94, Cressida Taylor (Mizen) A’94, Fay Bagshaw K’94, Ali Ebdon (Nurton) K’94, Odette Cann (Ovies) T’94, Annarella Clay (Prime) W’94 as well as bumping into current SG parents after the Abbey service, Pixie Bennett (Ashworth) K’94 and Kate Gutteridge (Henderson) A’94. They have all achieved such amazing things since I last saw them and it was fantastic to hear their news in person.

I recently walked the Jurassic Coast with a couple of friends. Plenty of A Level Geography memories came flooding back!

Not content with just walking and wanting something more energetic, I began running again and set a challenge to run an official 10K+ race every month in my 49th year. It has been the best fun and taken me all over the South East, as well as being physically and mentally challenging, from running the hilliest Dorset trail race in a heatwave and another in torrential downpour, to being one of 25,000 people running along the streets of London. My last was the Remembrance Day Half Marathon along the River Thames on a beautiful

Peer Group News

morning. It was a race built around an official two-minute, mid-race freeze for all runners: an incredibly moving experience that I shall never ever forget. Who knows what’s next but I’m looking forward to some hiking in the Sinai Desert and the Pyrenees.

1996 – 2000

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Imogen Rimington (Howat) W’00

Hannah Sandling AW’95

I left school convinced I would become an artist, and instead life surprised me in the best possible way. After working as a television presenter for ITV and the BBC, I followed an unexpected path that led me to Uruguay, where I am now a co-founder of The Garzón School. What began as a bold idea has grown into a not-for-profit school now ranked number one nationally; it is a transformative learning community where ethics, innovation and a deep connection to nature sit at the heart of everything we do. Set on a wild 38-hectare campus, education at Garzón comes alive through exploration, joyful learning and a strong sense of belonging. Rooted in diversity, inclusion and wellbeing, and guided by research-driven teaching, we empower students to take risks, act with integrity, lead with compassion and create real change. The Garzón School goes beyond education – it’s a way of being – and it has taught me that the paths we don’t plan often lead us exactly where we’re meant to be!

https://www.thegarzonschool.edu.uy/

It was genuinely lovely to see the School in such good shape when I visited for the 125th Anniversary celebration. We all came away with such a warm feeling. Everyone was so welcoming, and several of us commented on what a perfect balance the School has now, looking fresh and modern while still keeping some of those comforting familiar corners, especially the art block and sports hall!

After the tour we had a really nice lunch at the Cross Keys. Some of us headed home afterwards while others stayed on together, and the whole day felt like such a special opportunity for us to reconnect. I think it will encourage more of the group to get involved with the Old Girls’ activities.

A couple of parents are now curious to learn more about the School for their children too...

Natasha Tommis (Houareau) W’00, Joanna West (Pengelley) W’00, Katie Mieville (VaughanSmales) W’00, Elizabeth Ryan (Grieve) W’00 and Claire Bence W’00 all came with me when I visited Sherborne Girls again on Saturday, 8 November 2025.

Emma Thomas (Scullion) DH’96

I have been writing since I left Sherborne and always dreamed of being a novelist. That dream came true in 2020 when my debut novel, Intruders, was published. The Times called it “immensely entertaining”, and its sequel, Evaders, another

Latin-American-based thriller, was published the following year. (I am still trying to finish the third book in the trilogy!)

In 2022, I made the switch to contemporary romance novels, which have had a resurgence in popularity in recent years, writing as Emma Rae. Love Game, a love story between a professional tennis player and his personal chef, was published in 2024, followed by I Knew You Were Trouble, about a documentary filmmaker sent to make a film about a band on their world tour. 2025 saw my latest romance novel, Off Limits, published, with the book launch taking place at Paper Moon Books in Guildford.

My next novel, Love at First Ride, will be published in June 2026. Both Off Limits and Love Game will be published in the USA in 2026, and I continue to write romance novels in my spare time. I also work for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London, and am married with two children.

Ruth Rogers W’97

I was delighted to take part in the Sherborne Old Girls 125 concert – it was a wonderful occasion. I am loving life as a professional violinist – I am lucky enough to be the leader of several orchestras including the London Mozart Players and have performed at concert halls all over the world including Carnegie Hall, New York and the Berlin Philharmonie. As a soloist I have performed at the Acropolis in Athens, the Pyramids in Cairo and the Royal Albert Hall alongside Andrea Bocelli. As a chamber musician I perform

regularly at the Wigmore Hall and have made numerous recordings. The variety of opportunities is incredible – from playing at Abbey Road Studios for a Harry Potter or Star Wars film soundtrack to performing in orphanages and refugee camps on the Thailand-Burma border.

I am passionate about music for young people and lead the Chipping Campden Festival Academy Orchestra which gives opportunities to talented musicians from conservatoires to sit next to seasoned professionals.

I live in London with my husband and two sons but still have roots in Dorset. I run the Shaftesbury Chamber Music Series and am Artistic Advisor for the Sherborne Abbey Festival – I love coming back to perform in Sherborne Abbey and at Sherborne Girls.

Caroline Ash (McGinnity) W’00

Are you an Old Girl living in the Middle East? A handful of us are currently based across the region, and we would love to connect. If you are based in the region and interested in joining a group of Old Girls for occasional in-person meetups or dinners, please do get in touch with me via Fiona in the SOG Office.

Peer Group News

2001 – 2005

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Vacant

Christina Chow (Leung) AW’01

I began my professional journey as a registered nurse in critical care and emergency medicine in California, where I dedicated herself to caring for others at their most vulnerable moments.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I stepped away from the front lines to care for my young children – a period that unexpectedly sparked a new chapter in my life. Through heartfelt stories I shared on Facebook, I found my voice as a storyteller, one that soon captured media attention and led to interviews with Viu TV and magazine in Hong Kong.

Around the same time, an opportunity arose at KTSF Channel 26 in San Francisco. I embraced the challenge, joining as a news reporter and writer before transitioning into the marketing department and becoming the host of Music Express, airing every Saturday at 5pm.

My passion for medicine and media ultimately converged in my most meaningful work yet: hosting, producing, and directing the medical television series Health Matters

Drawing on my clinical expertise and compassion as a nurse, I collaborated with a local hospital to create powerful episodes that shed light on a wide range of diseases and medical conditions, often brought to life through dramatised re-enactments. Since its premiere in September 2025, the series

has earned widespread acclaim, including “Best Health Television Series” from the San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival, “Best Producer” from the Chicago Women Film Festival, “Best Director” from the Paris Women Film Festival, and “Best TV Series” from the California Women Film Festival.

Since last year, I have served as an event organiser for the Sherborne Alumni San Francisco Chapter, and I have greatly enjoyed reconnecting with fellow Old Shirburnians and Sherborne Old Girls.

Alice Dodge A’01

I am currently working as a freelance television producer. This year I have produced the following programmes for broadcast:

• The Traitors – BBC

• Love is Blind – Netflix

• The Inheritance –Channel 4

• Stranded on Honeymoon Island –BBC

• Geordie Shore – MTV

• The Only Way Is Essex – ITVBe

• At Home with Katrina Ryan – Expectation TV

I live just outside Bath and I’m married with two gorgeous children.

Lindsay Lamb (Taylor) AW’02

I live in Somerset with my husband and three daughters. I create bespoke commissions, using ink and watercolour illustration. They can range from writing out poems, wedding stationery, place cards, readings, prayers and speeches in a modern calligraphy style. The options are endless! More recently I have painted illustrated family trees,

house illustrations and also illustrated montages celebrating anniversaries or big birthdays.

Starting from an email or chat through the brief, I will keep you updated with sketches and drafts and update you through the process so you are happy with the end piece.

With each commission being individual, the prices can vary, but I can provide a quotation from an initial brief and talk you through any printing costs.

Family Trees start from £400 on A2 or A3 depending on how complicated the branches are. House illustrations start from £250 on A4 and £400 on A3. Illustrated montages with approximately 8 to 10 elements, a border and some writing, start from £350 on A3. All pieces are unframed and I’m happy to meet you for local collection or P&P is approximately £10 – £20.

I’m in the process of creating a website, but you can see previous commissions on my Instagram page @tminkandillustration

If you have something in mind, please do get in touch as I’d love to chat it through with you.

My email address is: taylormadecalligraphy@ gmail.com

Nicola Saunders T’03

I continue to work as a barrister, specialising in public and EU law. I live in Dorset with my husband, Ben, who has an events catering business, Russet. We have two daughters, Beatrix and Paloma.

Clemmy Stopford (Perlmutter) AW’04

I’m currently working in the communications team at the technology firm Cisco. I live in Manningtree, Essex, with my husband, two-year-old daughter and lurcher.

Cat Laine A/RH’05

After 10 years of living in London and working as an assistant director on big film productions such as Star Wars and Wonder Woman, I moved to Cornwall in 2019 just before Covid. I met my fiancé Olly at the wedding of Old Girl Millie Kerr (Cameron) DH’05, which was in Cornwall where she lives, hence my relocation there. I started working on local productions such as Doc Martin series 9 and 10. When my first daughter Emily was born in 2021, she was cast as

Peer Group News

Mary Elizabeth Ellingham, the doc’s baby in the Christmas episode (and final ever episode of Doc Martin). When Doc Martin finished, I moved on to Beyond Paradise in a production role where I have worked on series two, three and currently four.

I have since had another daughter called Daisy and she was cast last year as Lily Wakefield in the reboot of Bergerac, filmed in Devon and Jersey (where my parents still live). My parents actually met on a plane to Jersey in the 1980s due to being fans of the original Bergerac, so it feels like a very special production to be part of. Between being a mother and working on these shows, I have my own production company to produce independent projects. I have a horror feature film coming out this year called The Cull. My previous horror, entitled Brackenmore, is available on Amazon Prime.

I work closely with Screen Cornwall, a charity that supports the local screen industry. I run skills and training programmes throughout the year for locals to amplify their opportunities within the industry. I am also on the board of trustees at The Silkworth Group, which is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Jersey that my father, Frank Laine MBE, set up over 20 years ago. I keep in touch with many Old Girls and had a lovely time at our 20-Year Reunion in the summer. I am godmother to Hector, the son of Georgie MuirMackenzie A’05 and Millie’s son Dougal. Georgie and Millie are also godmothers to my daughters.

2006 – 2010

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Alex Pentolfe DH’06

I really enjoy my role, working with the elderly, supporting their health and wellbeing. I am based in Sherborne, which I also love. Our class of 2006 will be marking 20 years since we left school with a reunion in London on Wednesday, 16 September 2026. The bond between us is quite amazing with Old Girls all over the world still connected in some way or another. We have overwhelming gratitude for Sherborne Girls’ staff and everyone who made our time at School so memorable. I’m really looking forward to catching up with ladies from my year and hope lots of you can make it.

Polly Bradshaw (Winsley) K’06

Wilhelmina Santa Florence Winsley was born on 27 May 2025. She is already rather naughty and loves hanging out with her mummy’s old Sherborne friends’ babies! I am on maternity leave but will be returning to Knight Frank in 2026 to head up the Placemaking Department. Our team oversees the brand, place strategy and creative direction of many estates and redevelopment projects in the UK, including parts of Covent Garden, the City of London and The Pollen Estate – home of Savile Row and Cork Street.

Emily Bueno AE’07

I am a Managing Associate at the law firm Mishcon de Reya, specialising in Private Wealth

disputes. I live in Barnes, South West London, with my husband (also a lawyer), daughter and miniature wirehaired dachshund.

Alice Cave W’07

Walking the Length of Britain in Memory of Dad

On 1 August 2025, I set off from home in East Devon and walked 850 miles to the Scottish Highlands in memory of my dad, John Cave, who died at the age of 59, and in honour of everyone else we’ve lost too soon.

Averaging 20 miles a day, I reached Glen Etive by the end of September. My Duke of Edinburgh days proved invaluable on the rugged footpaths north, and I was fortunate to be joined for various stages by eight fellow Sherborne Girls. I raised £66,500, including Gift Aid, for charities close to both my dad’s heart and mine: Sidmouth Hospice at Home, Devon Mind, RABI (supporting the farming community), National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and the Royal British Legion.

Emma Strachan W’07

When I left Sherborne Girls in 2007, I had no idea where my career would lead. Throughout School and beyond, my love of sport was constant –something that was shaped and cultivated during my time at Sherborne, on the hockey pitches and tennis courts. I was therefore determined to find a career that was somehow linked to sport, and I began to explore the many different opportunities that are available within the industry.

I was fortunate enough to be offered an internship with the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals), working on the ATP World Tour Finals at The O2. This experience was a turning point, as it opened my eyes to the world of sports sponsorship and partnership management, and helped me realise that sponsorship is a career that mixes a passion for sport with building strong and longterm relationships with many people across the industry.

From there, I joined a sports sponsorship agency, working across mainly tennis and sailing and gaining the opportunity to work at some of the world’s biggest sporting events, including Wimbledon and the US Open and Australian Open. I later moved to one of the world’s biggest sports agencies, working with major brands on their football and Formula One sponsorships.

While I loved the global nature of the work, football was where I felt my passion really lay: the sense of community, tradition and meaning it holds for fans globally made it a sport I was naturally drawn to.

I now work as Head of Partnership Servicing at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club – a role I am extremely proud of. I oversee more than 50 global partners and along with my team help manage their sponsorships of Tottenham Hotspur. It has been both challenging and rewarding and reaching this point has taken hard work and perseverance, particularly in a male-dominated industry. But I absolutely love my work and feel incredibly fortunate to have found a career that combines my passion for sport with the opportunity to work closely with amazing people in such a dynamic environment.

Peer Group News

Ellie Morris (Chance) W’09

My husband Andrew and I welcomed our first child, Hector David Chance, on 26 July 2025. This was just a few weeks after Olivia Salbaing W’09 and her fiancé Edmund Miller welcomed their first child Louis Frank Ronald Chilperic Miller on 17 June 2025. Olivia is godmother to Hector and I am godmother to Louis.

I have been living in Zambia since 2022 on my husband’s family farm. I am still working as a lawyer but moved from private practice to now working in-house for an energy company (Africa GreenCo) that focuses on bringing renewable energy to Southern Africa.

Olivia is based between London and Gascony and runs her own business, organising and hosting private events at various venues in the South of France.

Emily Palmer (Palmer Ramus) RH’09

I am very fortunate to do a job I love: working for our family business, Palmers Brewery in Bridport, which has been brewing beer since 1794. I am the

CEO and it’s been great to be so involved with future plans for the brewery. I recently came to Sherborne Business Breakfast to talk to members of the Sixth Form about my role and the brewing industry. It was great to be back and hear their thoughts about possible future career plans.

Julia Leung K’10

Most recently, I joined Alcentra in September 2022 as a Vice President within the Fund Finance and Operations Team, focusing on multi-strategy and special situation fund accounting, performance measurement, and investor reporting.

Prior to Alcentra, I worked as a Fund Accountant at Tyrus Capital. I began my career as an Auditor at PwC and EY Hong Kong, specialising in financial services, private equity, and real estate.

I recently relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and am now pursuing a career in nutrition as I have always been passionate about nutrition and wellness. Fun fact, I am a yoga teacher outside of my 9 to 5!

2011 – 2015

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Louise Moseley K’11

Laura Jardine Paterson WD’11

I am currently managing a large-scale project in Beirut at UNRWA, training Palestinian developers and matching them to remote companies. If you are interested in my work, please get in touch: l.paterson@unrwa.org. I’d love to hear from you.

I am also looking for some funding for my CONCAT Academy NGO in Syria. We are about to start training Syrian youth to become developers and AI experts and then link them to remote employment, bringing employment opportunities to some of the world’s most marginalised women.

Millie Fraser (Charlesworth) WD’12

My husband Will Charlesworth and I had our son, Freddie, in May 2025.

I work in a secondary school in charge of special educational needs and mental health provision, and Will is a major in the Household Cavalry. I still keep up with lots of Sherborne Girls.

Amelia Graham WD’12

Tom Saxton and I married in London on 20 September 2025. There were many Sherborne Girls in attendance with a strong Wingfield Digby contingent. Bridesmaids included Lucy Howarth (Segrave) RH’12, Ellie Carter RH’12, Amelia Daniel (Cairns) WD’12, Katharine Norman WD’12, Amelia Corbett WD’12 and Sophie Michalowska-Cummings DH’12

I’m currently working as an associate director at Vested, a financial services communications and marketing consultancy where we help brands navigate markets, shape perception, and amplify success.

Peer Group News

Iram Hasan DH’12

I recently qualified as a GP in North London and am currently on maternity leave. Alongside clinical work, I am involved in teaching and mentoring medical students at UCL and the Arab American University of Palestine.

JJ Carey WD’14

I currently own two businesses: a yacht company and a jewellery brand.

My yacht company is Armada Yachts https:// armada.yachts. Armada delivers a yachting experience defined by expertise, integrity, and bespoke luxury. With years of industry experience and a strong understanding of high-net-worth clientele, we provide complete confidence through transparency and first-hand yacht inspection.

Beyond the vessel itself, we curate every aspect of the journey, from private aviation to luxury villas and fivestar hotels, ensuring a seamless, tailor-made experience.

My jewellery company is Tisan Jewellery (https://tisanjewellery.com/). Tisan is defined by timeless design, exceptional craftsmanship, and meticulous attention to detail. Working closely with trusted designers and suppliers, we create jewellery in sterling silver, pearls, vermeil, gold, and semi-precious stones to the highest standards.

After leaving school in 2014, I went to the University of St Andrews, where I did a lot of sailing, socialising – and some studying! I had a student radio show and wrote for the student paper, so I knew I wanted to do journalism. Then, at a Sherborne media careers event, an Old Girl advised me to go into broadcast rather than written journalism – and that’s what I did.

When I graduated, I started working at the BBC in Oxford as a journalist. I quickly realised that I loved the adrenaline of live journalism, and that passion has since grown.

After a range of jobs including producing the BBC Oxford Breakfast Show and Woman’s Hour, I am now a producer for Today on BBC Radio 4. It’s a fantastic job and I love every day, even though it can be very challenging at times. Interviews with people ranging from Hugh Bonneville (an old Shirburnian!) to President Trump (not an old Shirburnian...) mean that no two days are ever the same, and I feel very proud to work for the BBC.

I live in London with my housemate and my border terrier, Tigger. It’s great still to be in touch with lots of girls from Wingfield Digby, all of whom are doing fabulously. I pity anyone else in the pub when we meet for a catch-up!

Lottie Hayton RH’14

After living in London for 10 years, I recently bought a house in the countryside, where I’m now based. I still play tennis whenever I get a free moment and occasionally fit in some coaching, having gained my coaching qualification in 2021.

I joined The Sunday Times as a general news reporter in August. Previously, I was a reporter on The Times grad scheme, which I joined after a five-year stint as an operations consultant at Deloitte. I cover stories from the UK and across the world, investigating everything from failures in

the coroner’s inquest system to the impacts of the rise of autocracy. I was very fortunate to be included in the Press Awards and Regional Press Awards list of journalists under the age of 30 and am so grateful to all those who trusted me to tell their stories and the editors and reporters who have guided me along the way.

Laura Manners RH’14

I am working in London as a midwife – a job I love. I married Will Oakes on 24 May 2025.

In attendance were Sophie Shardlow RH’14, Katie Cammack RH’14, Kate Sopwith AE’14, Lottie Hayton RH’14, Tatiana Guinness RH’14, Fenella Houlton RH’14, Imogen Horn AE’14, Rosa Von Zumbusch WD’14, as well as Old Shirburnians Fergus Bracher and Shiv Singh.

Ella Mountbatten WD’14

I recently got engaged and am in the midst of moving into our first home with my fiancé, Fergus. For the past four years I have been at The Peninsula London, joining the project pre-opening when the team was just 20 people working

from temporary offices and helping to build the hotel’s brand partnerships and experiences as it grew into a fully operational property of more than 750 colleagues. My work has focused on creating partnerships with luxury brands, cultural institutions and creative partners to bring the brand to life beyond the traditional hotel setting. Shortly, I will be moving into a new role leading EU partnerships for a private aviation company, marking an exciting next chapter.

Flora Strachan RH’14

I work in the insurance industry as an International Liability Underwriter at Sompo. Previously, I was an Underwriter at AXA XL, in both Liability and Product Recall, and started my career as a Product Recall Broker at Howden. I have worked in insurance for six years and am committed to increasing diversity and inclusion within the industry. In 2024, I completed my Advanced Insurance Diploma and was awarded the Insurance Corporate Management Prize for Exceptional Achievement from the Chartered Insurance Institute. I was Highly Commended for 2025’s Young Insurance Woman of the Year at the Women in Insurance Awards. I was nominated for my commitment to mentoring and training upand-coming brokers.

Helena Barham RH’15 I married Piergiuseppe on a breezy 5 July 2025 in Kent, with a handful of Sherborne Old Girls in attendance: Connie Cater AE’15, Lucinda Sewell RH’15 (bridesmaid), Antonia Blanchard K’15 and Alice Martyr RH’15. I run my own nutritional therapy practice on Harley Street, Nourish&Be, focusing on women’s health and fertility.

Peer Group News

2016 – 2020

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Imogen Andrews WD’16

I have been walking in New Zealand with my sister, Olivia Andrews WD’18. The photos below show us on the Kepler Track in the Fiordland of the South Island, New Zealand. I took an 18-month period out from the NHS, where I work as a physiotherapist, so I’ve been having an amazing time.

Hattie Comer-Calder K’16

Nearly 10 years after leaving Sherborne, and after working internationally as a fashion model, I moved back into academia, recently graduating with a First-Class degree with Distinction in Medical Sciences and publishing my first paper in a medical journal. Last year I was delighted to be accepted into medical school, a dream I held on to long after leaving School, and I am now working towards a career in obstetrics and gynaecology. I wanted to say a big thank you to the teachers who supported my long-standing ambition to become a doctor during my time at School. I would particularly like to pay tribute to Dr Hopper, who inspired my love of human sciences all those years ago.

Jialin (Teresa) Feng AE’16

For a while I thought last year was quiet... until I looked back and realised it was anything but!

At the start of the year I was buried in experiments during my last stretch in the lab, and deep in triathlon training. The theme, honestly, was endurance... in the lab and outside it.

In May, I completed my first middle-distance triathlon: a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and then a half marathon!

In the summer, I travelled to share my research at conferences, and I had the opportunity to give an oral presentation at the 22nd SFRRI-SFRR-E Biennial Meeting. I always leave conferences feeling energised by the people I meet and the ideas I hear.

Then came a few months of gruelling thesis writing and final edits... and in November I successfully defended my PhD thesis!

What a year: science, sport, and a lot of moments that stretched me in the best way.

I look forward to 2026, an exciting year ahead where I hope to build more, learn lots, and keep exploring across science, tech, and everything inbetween. Next challenge? The London Marathon!

Victoria Haydn-Taylor WD’16

I’m currently working in a clinic in London for people with eating disorders managing patient care as a Case Manager. I’m also doing a part-time master’s in Psychotherapy.

Beatrice Marchegiani M’17

I married Dr Gary David O’Brien in Rome on 14 December 2025. I am currently working as an engineer in Google and Deepmind and at the same time pursuing graduate studies at the University of Oxford, focusing on AI Ethics.

Ella Cunningham RH’18

I have been working at Bonas MacFarlane for the last year and a half and have really enjoyed being involved with the education sector again. Not only are we based in a great location – our office is in Battersea Power Station – but I also work with a brilliant team who are really committed to our pupils. From recruiting tutors and internal candidates and meeting our families to attending leading education events and running our “Bonas Book Clubs” initiative, I have had some great opportunities in the last year or so. I have also been entrusted to lead our charity partnership with “Tutor the Nation”. I was pleased to represent Bonas MacFarlane at the Independent Schools Show, which both Sherborne Girls and Sherborne School attend.

Tammy Miller DH’18

I rode for DASHutchinson in the 2025 Tour of Britain. They are the top British Women’s team and have raced every edition of the Tour of Britain since 2021. I’ve been racing across the UK and Europe since 2024, since finishing university. I’m now combining my cycling commitments with a master’s degree. DAS-Hutchinson had a successful 2025, winning the UK National Road and Circuit Series and finishing the year as the leading British team in the UCI rankings. Personally, I won the final round,

the Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix. We’re now looking ahead to secure funding for the 2027 season, which is a huge year for cycling in the UK, with the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes having their Grands Départs in the UK.

Ana Barklam RH’20

I graduated with a First-Class MA (Hons) in International Business from the University of Edinburgh, which included an exchange year at Bocconi University in Milan. My dissertation, which received a First-Class mark (78%), focused on human rights violations in cobalt mining for electric vehicles and deepened my interest in sustainability and business ethics.

At the moment, I am exploring opportunities in both consulting and marketing. I am particularly interested in roles that allow me to combine my business knowledge with my passion for fashion and beauty. My aspiration is to join a commercial graduate scheme at L’Oréal, though I am also applying to consulting firms such as PwC, Deloitte, and McKinsey, as well as more boutique consulting firms.

Given the competitive market, I am open to internships and other opportunities that would provide valuable experience, and I would love to connect with alumnae who may have insights into careers at L’Oréal, LVMH, or similar organisations, as well as any consulting firms.

I am fluent in Spanish and eager to work with international companies, as I greatly enjoy travel and engaging with new cultures. Outside of work, my interests include reading and running.

Kelly Kwong DH’20

I attended the Sherborne law careers networking event and found it really useful. Everyone was so easy to talk to and genuinely wanted to know more about us, and it’s always nice to catch up with some friends as well. The opportunity to talk directly to Old Girls and Boys with years of industry experience is particularly rare, even at university events. Having the chance to chat with them made me more interested in a career in law.

Peer Group News

2021 – 2025

Peer Group Co-ordinator

Alice McCormick K’21

I graduated from Cambridge in July 2025 and spent a glorious month soaking up the city for one last time as I prepared for a choir tour to Copenhagen and we managed to cram in all the Cambridge experiences that don’t quite fit into term time! I had a wonderful, unemployed, summer, with plenty of time for catching up with friends. Now, I am settling into a very different life in London. I am currently halfway through an internship in philanthropy and have moved into a very friendly house share in Clapham. It has been a varied and busy year, but I am really enjoying seeing where adult life takes me!

Nicole Appleby RH’21

I’m currently looking to gain experience in Public Relations, particularly within the creative and cultural sectors. I’m interested in assisting with tasks such as:

• Drafting press releases and media pitches

• Supporting brand communications and campaign planning

• Helping with social media strategy and content creation

• Liaising with journalists and working on press events

• Contributing to research, copywriting and general comms support

I’m keen to learn from professionals in the field and to contribute wherever I can. Please contact me via Fiona James in the Sherborne Old Girls Office if you have any opportunities.

Flora Brewster RH’21

I left Sherborne Girls in 2021 and have since graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2.1 in Health and Human Sciences, while securing a First in my dissertation on neglected tropical diseases, specifically the transmission and treatment of lymphatic filariasis. I completed a

summer internship with Response Med in Nairobi, and I am very committed to pursuing a career in this field.

I am currently based in London and looking for an internship within the health sector. If any Sherborne Old Girls can help me, I’d be so pleased. Fiona James in the SOG Office can provide my contact details.

Arabella Lambeth AE’22

I am in my third year studying Medicine at the University of Birmingham, having taken a gap year after leaving school. I was fortunate to return to Sherborne in January, to take part in the University Forum organised by the current prefects and enjoyed catching up with friends from School. I also came back to SG to talk about being in Sixth Form and life at university.

Lizza Ashford AE’23

I am in my third year at the University at Exeter, studying Marketing and Management with a year in industry. This year, I am working in the UK, Europe, and Central Asia sales team at RollsRoyce Motor Cars, supporting the performance of 24 dealers across the region.

Over the past eight months, I have had the opportunity to represent Rolls-Royce at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and have enjoyed hosting customers from as far afield as Turkey at events in the New Forest. I start my final year at Exeter in September 2026.

Amélie Crozier-Jobber WD’23

I am training to run a half-marathon in September 2026 in aid of the British Heart Foundation – a charity that means a great deal to me after my own heart surgery as a baby. My sponsorship page is still open, and I’d be so grateful for any donations: https://www.justgiving.com/page/ amelie-crozier-jobber-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_ source=CL

Amelia Hope-Hawkins K’23

I am currently training to take on the World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic, in December 2026. I will be part of a team of five from Oxford UOTC, as the official army team, Force Atlantic. We will be rowing unsupported 3,000 miles from La Gomera to Antigua, and raising money for Pancreatic Cancer UK, Big Moose, Head Up, and REACT. So far, our training has been mostly physical, with five PT sessions a week meaning we’ve been getting to know the ergs fairly well. In addition, we have completed almost all our mandatory courses (VHF, First Aid at Sea, Sea Survival, and Essential Nav). We have also been working on mental preparation, and team building, and can’t wait to start training on the water in April with Rosie (our ocean rowing boat), after she has finished this year’s crossing!

In December, we were lucky enough to see the start in La Gomera, which has really brought home the scale of this challenge, and the absolutely inspiring community around it all. I have loved the experience so far, and the opportunity to take on this once-in-a-lifetime challenge, and hopefully inspire others in the process!

Here is the fundraising link for our charities, if anyone feels able to support: https://gvwhl.com/ LZBHE

Cora Barclay RH’24

I am studying a Combined Honours in Social Sciences course at Durham University. Having started in September last year, I have now done a term and have thoroughly enjoyed the new friendships, sports and extra-curricular activities that Durham has to offer. Luckily, I have had a few Sherborne Old Girls here with me which always adds an element of homeliness in a new place and this has been a wonderful support to get settled. I look forward to netball and hockey matches this term as well as essays due in my Business, Geography and Economics modules and a fun summer ahead.

Peer Group News

Phoebe Coote AE’24

I was fortunate to spend the first half of my gap year as an intern for Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) at the US Senate in Washington, DC. It was an incredible experience which included meeting government officials, visiting the White House and attending a briefing on the Senate Floor (with the chairman’s approval). I also assisted the Senator and his team with day-to-day tasks including communicating with Nebraskan constituents, providing guided tours of the Capitol Building and compiling legislative memos.

One of the highlights was when I prepared a briefing memo for the Senator on research into electric vehicle mandates in the United States –policies that could negatively affect Nebraska due to their cold winters. This research contributed to Senator Ricketts’s decision to sponsor a bill opposing the California Electric Vehicle Mandate. It may sound odd to oppose an environmental issue, but Senator Ricketts’s decision focused on protecting Nebraska’s lower income families and many agricultural communities who could not afford new electric vehicles. President Trump has since signed the bill into law.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Senate and hope to return during a university holiday, or later in my career. Following my family’s subsequent move to Tampa, FL, I completed a two-month internship for Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), where I gained insight into the operations of State district offices and how they coordinate with their constituents and their Federal offices

in Washington, DC. I have also spent some time working for the city’s mayor.

In September 2025, I started my degree course at Oxford Brookes where I am studying International Relations and Politics – subjects which I find deeply fascinating. Post university, I plan to apply for a career in the Civil Service, potentially after more government internships.

My passion for the subject developed in my A Level Politics classes with Mr Barnes, whose enthusiasm and encouragement gave me the confidence to pursue internships and study my dream course at university.

Bee Coode K’25

After travelling around Italy over the summer, I started at Regent’s Park College in Oxford: a small, humanities-focused college with a great English course. I’ve loved being in a smaller college for multiple reasons: it was super easy to settle in and get to know everyone, yet at the same time it pushes you to explore the rest of the university – meaning I have made friends all over Oxford.

Coming from a family of rowers I felt slightly obliged to join the college boat club! I hadn’t done any rowing before, but it is now an absolute highlight of my week.

Otherwise, although the workload is full-on, I am enjoying my degree so much and particularly looking forward to a forthcoming module on 20th century literature.

Imogen Coote AE’25

I was awarded an Army Officer Scholarship during Sixth Form, which means I have a place to train at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst after university.

The scholarship application process requires attending AOSB (Army Officer Selection Board), which includes three days of mental, physical and psychological testing. The entire process was extensive and demanding, but I could not be prouder of myself for persevering through it and being successful.

I am now studying Philosophy and Theology at the University of Edinburgh, where I am a member of the UOTC (University Officer Training Corps). The UOTC is an incredible opportunity to meet like-minded people through developing military skills and putting them to practice on adventuretraining exercises. I look forward to the next four years in the UOTC, and how it will set me up for Sandhurst and a career in the Armed Forces.

Alice Evans WD’25

My gap year has been incredible, and I have learned so much. I started off my six months of work on a potato farm, working long hours seven days a week. I began to love my job learning how to communicate with my colleagues who spoke little English and learning the importance of attention to detail on the grader. This was followed by a seasonal job at Fortnum & Mason as a tea and coffee sales associate, where I gained valuable knowledge about different types of tea. After this, I travelled to India, where I have been volunteering in pop-up medical camps throughout

Delhi and Faridabad. We carry out procedures including diabetes testing, blood pressure monitoring, haemoglobin counts and dressing wounds. I have learnt so much here with trips on the weekends to local animal shelters providing homes for stray dogs and cats that have been injured.

I was lucky enough to be awarded the Pilkington travel grant which made this opportunity possible. I thank Sherborne Girls for the valuable life skills it taught me.

Mabel Martin AE’25

I am on my gap year and, at the time of writing, I’m in the middle of a month’s trip to India. Next, I’m going to Sri Lanka for two weeks. Sherborne Girls helped me with my confidence, especially through its encouragement of my cricketing abilities. I was co-captain of the 1st team and captain of the U15As, which really helped build my sense of self-worth.

Bench Presentation

Honorary Old Girl Wendy Laid, German & Cultural Studies Teacher (1975 – 2007) sadly passed away on 6 April 2024. A tribute to Wendy was included in last year’s Journal. As a cherished memory of Wendy, Sherborne Girls was presented with a bench, which sits in a newly created wildlife garden just beside the modern languages department. It is a lovely quiet location for all the community to use.

Careers Events

THIS YEAR WE HELD TWO CAREERS NETWORKING EVENTS IN SEPTEMBER.

The first focused on the City and Finance held at Sarasin and Partners, London, and the second focused on Law and was held at Hill Dickinson LLP, The Broadgate Tower, London. We are always so grateful to our alumni for hosting and supporting these events.

Sinali Liyanaarachchi DH’24 attended the Law careers event and writes:

Even though I have left Sherborne Girls, I have been provided with further opportunities such as the Law careers event hosted and run by Sherborne Old Girls, where there were various speakers who reinforced the strong bond that exists between the School and its alumni. This has allowed me to take up opportunities resulting from such good connections and I felt that I was well placed to make decisions about my career through the advice and encouragement I received at the event.

LEICESTERSHIRE, RUTLAND, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AND LINCOLNSHIRE

Secretary: Jane Cray (Clayton) A’86

We had a lovely day at The Duck at Woolsthorpe in November. We meet once a year in different locations for a relaxed and informal lunch. If you have moved into our area, please do get in touch with Fiona in the Old Girls Office as we would love to welcome you.

from left to

Abbey Service lunch and Tours

Sunday, 26 April 2026

11.30am – 5pm

We would be delighted if you could join us in Sherborne Abbey for a Eucharist service at 11.30am. Old Girls who would like to join our choir and sing with the current girls are most welcome to do so. Please let us know when registering. Lunch will follow the service back at School. After lunch there will be an opportunity to go on a tour before ending the day with afternoon tea. The AGM will be held at 5pm.

Your guests are most welcome, and you can book your place either via our website or by calling the Old Girls Office on: 01935 818329.

PRESIDENT

Ruth Sullivan

PRESIDENTS EMERITAE

Mrs Geraldine Kerton-Johnson

Mrs Jenny Dwyer

VICE-PRESIDENTS

Mrs Patricia Barker

Miss Augusta Miller

Mr John Jenkins

Executive Committee

CHAIRMAN

Danielle Grant-Braham

TREASURER

Lindsay Taylor

ALUMNAE MANAGER

Fiona James

CIRCLE SECRETARIES’ CO-ORDINATOR

Jane Nicholson oldgirls@sherbornegirls.group

OLD GIRLS AMBASSADOR

Alice Richardson

UNDER 30 REPRESENTATIVE

Zainab Kyari

SHERBORNE GIRLS HEAD

Ruth Sullivan head@sherbornegirls.group

SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM REPRESENTATIVE

Katherine Massey

Katherine.Massey@sherborneschools.group

Peer Group Co-ordinators

1933 – 1965 Daphne MaGuire (Thomson)

1966 – 1970 Anne Whately-Smith (Agnew)

1971 – 1975 Jocelyn Passey (Humfrey)

1976 – 1980 Jane Digby (Auer)

1981 – 1985 Emma Burrows

1986 – 1990 Antonia Foster (Plant)

1991 – 1995 Holly Joint (Bishop)

1996 – 2000 Imogen Rimington (Howat)

2001 – 2005 Vacant

2006 – 2010 Alex Pentolfe

2011 – 2015 Louise Moseley

2016 – 2020 Imogen Andrews

2021 – 2025 Alice McCormick

Trustees

of Sherborne Old Girls Bursary Fund

Joanna Gornall (Mrs Wright)

Helen McLuskie (Mrs Garton)

All correspondence should be addressed to:

Miss Ghislaine Fluck

16 Conifer Drive

Meopham

Gravesend

Kent DA13 0TL ghislaine.fluck@btinternet.com

DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

Laura Windsor

development@sherbornegirls.group

Sherborne Old Girls Office

Bradford Road

Sherborne

Dorset DT9 3QN

Tel: 01935 818329

Main school tel: 01935 812245

Email: office@sherbornegirls.group

Sherborne Girls Alumnae

Sherborne Girls

SherborneOldGirls

www.sherbornegirls.group/sherborne-old-girls