The Stonarian 2014

News from Stonar

Spring 2014 www.oldstonarians.com

The Stonarian

2014

Dates for your Diary :

21st June Speech Day

21st June The Stonar Ball

28th June Stonar Jumping

with Style Competition

27th-28th Sept Senior Inter-Schools One Day

Event

27th Sept Stonar Open

Morning

16th Oct Equestrian

Open Morning

8th Nov Stonar Bonfire

Night

12th Dec Carol Service in

Bath Abbey

Sports

Many congratulations to Lucy Brigly who

has been selected to represent England

in their U15 netball team.

Riding

Poppy Blokland and Chelsea Pearce have

both competed at the British National

Pony Championships at Brand Hall.

Welcome to the 2014 edition of The Stonarian and a big thank you to everybody who has

contributed this year. Please let us know if you have any news or announcements that you would like to

share with the Old Stonarians.

Welcoming boys to the Senior

School

In February, Head Toby Nutt

announced that from 2016 boys

will be admitted into Year 7. This

will coincide with the current Year

4 pupils arriving at this point and

co-education will then be extended

through the Senior School.

The change to coeducation from

2016 will offer a pathway for the

boys currently in the Prep School,

whose parents are keen for them

to continue their education with Stonar, as well as providing

another choice for parents of boys

currently attending other schools.

The decision by Stonar’s Directors

and Leadership Team followed a

consultation process with parents,

staff and pupils and a number of

comprehensive market research

projects over the past 2 years.

Planning is now well underway to

prepare facilities and curriculum

enhancements. From this

September, Prep boys will be able

to board.

Overwhelming opinion from our

community affirms that Stonar is a

very special school which provides

a nurturing and supportive

environment, where pupils are

individually supported, can be

themselves and develop the

confidence to succeed both

academically and personally. We

are therefore delighted to extend

this outstanding education to boys

alongside girls throughout the

school.

A global education

Plans are now well underway to

develop a unique European and

global facet to the pupils’ education

that being part of the NACE group

facilitates. Curriculum

collaborations with other schools

in the group, trips and exchanges,

joint ventures and co-curricular

opportunities will be gradually

introduced. In the first of such

trips, a cohort of pupils from Years

5 – 8 recently spent 7 days in

Barcelona, exploring Spanish

language, learning and culture with

pupils at one of our sister schools,

the Agora International in

Barcelona.

It is vital that young people leave

school and university armed with

the confidence to live and work

anywhere in the world; we believe

that Stonar’s unique partnership

with the NACE group of schools

throughout the world will provide

these important first steps in

developing that global perspective.

Future Development at Stonar

Stonarian News

The Stonarian

Old Stonarians’ Prize 2013

The Old Girls Prize for Contribution to

School Life was awarded to Harriet

Martin at Speech Day last June.

Old Stonarians’

Netball Match 2013

This year’s Old Girls’ v Current

First Team netball match on

Speech Day was won by the old

girls—13-11

Georgina Hood (1981-1983)

Founder of Paint Pots Montessori Nursery Schools, London

The Old Stonarians have a range of

clothing and gifts online at :

www.fantasticfreds.com

DVD - ”Stonar Through the Ages”

A photographic history of Stonar

£5.00 plus p+p

Copies of “Stonar Through the Ages” can be purchased from Emelia at Stonar

or online at www.fantasticfreds.com

Georgina Hood, past pupil of Stonar School,

has now been working with young children

and families in London for over 25 years.

Georgina founded Paint Pots Montessori

Schools in 1988, along with creative classes

for children as young as 6 months. Paint

Pots Montessori Nursery Schools are all

fully accredited within the Montessori

community and the UK. Georgina also

founded Picasso House Prep School, which

gives children the opportunity to continue

their Montessori education beyond the age

of 5. She is also the proud mother of 4

children, including twins one of whom has

special needs.

In addition to creating a family of

Montessori Nursery Schools and creative

classes, Georgina has innovated her offerings for children from birth to 11 years

including infant programmes, creative

workshops for young children, parenting

courses and many other projects. She

continues to teach weekly, specialising in

the youngest members of the Paint Pots

community, working with mothers and

babies of

6 – 12 months and 12 – 18 months. These

unique classes use treasure baskets,

heuristic play and music, using guitar and

voice. Alongside this Georgina offers

parenting classes which involve a series of

talks and sessions which give parents the

confidence and knowledge to help

encourage and support their child in the

important early years and in preparation for

school. These classes also enhance their

understanding, knowledge, well-being and

health. With this history in Early Years

Education spanning over two decades, one

of Georgina’s main goals continues to be to

lead by example and inspire teachers and

parents to listen to and follow the child.

Georgina sits on the National Council of

the Montessori Schools Association as the

London Regional Chair. She has hosted the

Annual National Conference since its

conception and due to her involvement

and dedication this conference has grown

from 40 to over 900 teachers attending

annually. Georgina was awarded the UK

Montessorian of the year in 2005.

Georgina gives regular workshops and

training sessions for teachers and parents,

both in the UK and abroad. These often

focus on using creative development to

empower parenting. There are classes as

well as private sessions to address deep

parenting issues. Georgina is also a Reiki

Master Reiki Usui Shiki Ryoho Practitioner,

which flows into all areas of her practice

and allows her to be both empathetic and

practical.

In 2012 Georgina also founded Heart

Montessori. The consultancy grew out of

the experience and knowledge that

Georgina gained over two decades of research and practice in Montessori

settings. Heart Montessori incorporates

a hand picked team of education

professionals and other outstanding

consulting associates who are recognized as

experts in their respective specialist fields.

All have a shared passion for making a

sustainable positive impact on children’s

educational opportunities and realities.

Georgina is the joint founder and trustee of

the Kipungani Schools Trust, based in

Kenya. The Trust’s 16 schools now have

places for 14,000 children. The Trust

currently employs 32 full-time primary

school teachers and sponsors 100 children

through secondary school. In addition, the

Trust has achieved great social impact

around the world, establishing a successful

school for disabled children called El Shadai;

constructing a Koran study class for Muslim

children at Azhar, Peketoni; building a small

polytechnic at Adu; and setting up another

much larger one at Marikebuni.

In summary, Georgina has become a

celebrated educationalist, known and

respected in several geographies and fields

of education and parenting. Georgina

distinctively and consistently focuses on the

human value of each child as an individual.

Her child-centred approach achieves an I

deal balance between the academic, social

and the psychological development of the

child. She is an envoy of change and a

ground breaking educational pioneer. She is

the London Regional Chair of the

Montessori Schools Association, the

Founder and Principal of Paint Pots

Montessori Schools, an international

lecturer in early years education, a highly-

trained and experienced teacher in her own

right and mother to four children. Whenever working with children, parents

and teachers, she leaves an imprint of care

and creativity on everyone.

“To catch the reader's attention, place an

interesting sentence or quote from the story

here.”

www.oldstonarians.com

The Green Lady and Titus’

grave;

The Atworth Track;

Hammy House and Rabs:

Bumper Night;

Crime Scene pranks by the

Leavers;

Bonfire Night;

School socials in Buckle Hall;

“Quiet Hour” and letter

writing on Sunday afternoons;

Camel coats, cloaks, blazers,

boaters and “Greens” for

special occasions;

Going to Harrods to buy our

school uniform;

Yellow nylon sheets;

Stable helping;

Squashed fly biscuits!;

Last bites;

Apple pie beds;

Pocket and Trust;

Staying up all night picking

flowers for Founders Day;

Queuing for tuck shop on a

Saturday in Legg Hall;

Singing in the choir in Bath

Abbey;

Whole school supper on a

Friday night wearing long

gowns;

Methuen Smoking Room;

Cross country runs;

Quarter stars;

Blue prefect gowns;

The Stonar Ball;

Brown PE Knickers;

The Secret Passage in the

Library;

Playing elastics - jingle, jangle,

centre, spangle, jingle, jangle, off

…… ;

Cricket Club with Mr Stone;

Pawlett, Beaushin, Hale and

Cottles;

Inter-House Showjumping

competitions;

The Stonar Show;

Playing Sevensies;

V-Weekends.

Do you remember …..

Congratulations to Bee Emck

whose graduate film has

recently won best fiction at

the Royal Televison Awards.

Bee gained a First Class

Degree at University of the

Arts Bournemouth in Film

Production (she specialised in

film directing). Her graduation ceremony was on 28th June

2013.

Bee is trying to raise funds for

her next film - “Bodies”. Bee

writes :-

“Bodies is a film that is very

special and close to my heart.

I've spent over a year working

on it and it was inspired by

my love and respect for my

cast and crew. I can't believe

how lucky I am to work with

so much talent! We are

shooting in Kilkenny Ireland,

which has become

a bit like a second home to me

and it is incredible how

supportive the community has been. I'm a bit like a stray cat

who they gave food and

shelter to one time and now

keeps coming back for more!

The story is about the

fracturing co-dependant

relationship between two

undertakers as they struggle to

stay connected to life. The

message of the film is something I really believe in

and that is the importance of

being present in the moment.

We all carry worries about the

future and regrets about the

past and I think

sometimes - as Winston

Churchill once said - we just

exist rather than actually

living.”

Bee Emck (2004-2007)

Former Stonarian Jemma Brown (née Roberts) (1987-1994) works at the Wiltshire

Air Ambulance, which is this year’s designated Charity at Stonar.

Members of the Stonar community have been fundraising for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance in

memory of one of our Stonar pupils, who

sadly died in August last year.

The latest fundraiser involved two of our

members of staff and a pupil - Charlotte

Bennett, David Wicks and Tilly Thomson

- completing the Neolithic Half Marathon,

raising £700.00 for the charity.

The Stonarian

Emelia asked me to write a few words to tell

you what I've been up to since I left

Stonar.....but that is impossible, I mean the

'few words', so here is the prologue to Act I.

I was three when my Great Aunt Codge, or

Miss Crook as she is known to you, attended

my Christening as God Mother at Atworth

Church.

A period followed and, at not quite nine

years old, my father Cpt. Kenneth Frederick

Benjamin L'Esty and my mother Thalia Kouri

-L'Esty were invited by Aunt Codge to visit

Stonar during the spring break. I remember the dorm we slept in, off to the left on the

mezzanine floor, through a door and up

three(?) little steps......all very mysterious and

a big adventure.

It was 1956 and a long way to drive from our

home in London on non-motorway roads in

'Flue', an old Austin A40 which took us to

Barcelona that summer with my mother

trying to collect the oil that was cascading

not unlike a chocolate fountain from around

the gear-stick. The idea was of course a

taster for me to see what I, the only child of

an artistic father who toiled as an Insurance

Underwriter and put 'author' on his passport

and a glamorous Greek Actress mother,

would make of it all.

My introduction to Stonar included being

photographed holding thee baby fox cubs my

Aunt had rescued while they, more

frightened than I, weed down my front and

Gt Aunt shouted from behind her box

camera " don't worry....it's lucky!" It was

decided I would start that September and my

trunk was packed and the name on the lid up

-dated from Jean to Paula Jeanna. There was

so much to put in that trunk.....the thick

brown knickers have made a lasting

impression on me. Jean of course was my

father's sister and her name was up in gold

lettering as one of Stonar's first Head Girls,

which was extremely daunting.

And so life at Stonar began. My Great Aunt

was one of those amazing unmarried ladies

who lost their betrothed during the Great

War and went on to achieve quite

monumental things; founding Stonar with a

triumvrate of like minded single, indomitable

ladies. She was also very astute, intuitive and

avant garde, allowing me to stage my own

dreadfully under rehearsed productions and

perform them in front of the whole school, finally telling my parents to take me away

and put me in a vocational school, which is

where my story of "what happened after I

left Stonar" begins.

In April 1959, at not quite 12 years old , I

started making the journey to the Arts

Educational School, the only vocational

grammar school at that time, which was

situated at Hyde Park Corner. From our

house at Mill Hill this entailed leaving at 7.30,

crossing the park and catching the 113 bus

to Hendon Central, then underground to

Hyde Park Corner changing lines at

Tottenham Court Road.....impossible now

for a 12 year old alone!

I spent three years at The Arts where half

the day was dance and drama and half the

day academic lessons. It was during that time

while my mother was appearing with Sam

Wannermaker (founder of the new

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, father of

Zoe) in the West End, that she sought his

advice....'to put or not to put her daughter

on the stage....'.? Sam's reply 'what have you

got to lose.....let her try!' was typically

Sam. My parents however added 3

provisos. 1) take my LRAM in Piano; 2)

take a secretarial course; and 3) go to

RADA and nowhere else, with no

professional work until after I

graduate. Two out of three is not bad but I

leave you to guess which one I did not

achieve......

From the Arts Educational I was accepted by

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, at the

age of 16. I fought hard for the privilege of

auditioning underage and did so with

Sophoclese's ANTIGONI, JULIET's Death

Scene, Goldoni's MIRANDOLINA and a

Phoebe from AS YOU LIKE IT complete

with very phoney country accent. I was

told then and there I was accepted. . . and

with the fullhardiness of youth I replied......

'but I need a scholarship! '

My mother who had prepared me for the audition was outside pacing the

pavement. She had been accepted by The

National Theatre School in Athens at 14 (the

first year as an observer ) … a hard act to

follow. In 1963 I graduated from RADA

playing a fiery Lucy Locket in the Begger's

Opera with Richard Wilson of One Foot in

the Grave as my Macheath, a final report

saying 'should be useful in the commercial

theatre' and the nomadic life of a young

actress began.

Jeanna L’Esty (1956-1959)

(Great Niece of Miss Crook, founder of Stonar School)

What Happened Next …...

Jeanna with her son and

daughter-in-law last year Jeanna’s father in Athens

Jeanna with her mother

For Sale - Apartment in Arenal,

Menorca

A former Stonarian is selling a pretty,

ground floor apartment with private garden

overlooking the communal swimming pool,

community grounds and out to sea. The

property offers two bedrooms, shower

room, kitchen and living/dining room. Sold

furnished, a great holiday base just five

minutes walk from the beach. For more

details please contact Emelia at Stonar.

Price: €130.000


Julia Hember was at Stonar from 1979 to 1987 and

I am privileged to have counted her amongst my

best friends.

At school, I believe the then Art teacher, Peter

Rigby, described Julia as having ‘some talent’ but

she didn’t just have ‘some’, she had an abundance,

however this was sadly cut short by her untimely

death from Leukaemia at the age of just 33.

From Stonar, Julia took an Arts Foundation course

at Trowbridge College and thence went onto

Hornsea College of Art where she completed a

degree in Fine Art. Julia then chose photography

as a means of earning a living and did courses in

printing and also in stained glass. She had a great

interest in printing on glass and revived an old

process in order to do this herself.

2013 marked the 10 year anniversary of Julia’s

passing and her family decided it fitting to present

a memorial exhibition of her photography at St

Bart’s Hospital, where Julia was treated. This was

held in the impressive Great Hall and I am sure

Julia would have appreciated the surroundings and

all the hard work, especially by her parents, three

brothers and close friends, in putting the show

together.

Julia’s work was greatly varied, she drew

inspiration from nature, the sea, urban and city

scenes, fashion…..in fact, it could be safe to say

that everything was seen with an artist's eye

through a photographic lens. She was also unusual

in that she produced her own prints, repeating

them many times until she got the colour just

right.

Julia also photographed some well-known clientele,

including Bill Oddie, Louis Theroux, Sir Patrick

Moore, Jeffrey Bernard (whose portrait is held in

the National Gallery), Alex James and many shots

of the singer P J Harvey.

There are two photographs from Julia’s exhibition

which have a special meaning for me. The first is of

‘Jasper’, Julia’s pale blue Morris Minor, who

accompanied my grey Austin A35 (‘Phipps’) to

school when we were both in the 6th form,

bringing back happy memories of our beloved ‘old bangers’.

The other is from an advertising campaign Julia did

for Channel 4 – a billboard poster entitled

‘Go on Jump’ to promote a documentary about

base jumping. I was staying with Julia the morning

she went to take this photograph on the top of a

tall building and she came back understandably

shaken!

If you are interested in finding out more about

Julia’s extensive work, please contact Mary

Hember ([email protected]) – she has prints and

postcards for sale, as well as a dvd from the

exhibition last year.

You may also be interested to know that Julia as a

rare variety of apple tree named after her – Julia’s

Late Golden, and the Queen actually has one

growing in the orchard at Windsor Great Park.

Any monies from the sale of prints / trees, etc, will

go directly to the Bart’s Charity to raise money for

the continuation of their research into the

treatment and care of Leukaemia.

Melissa Fletcher (1983-1988)

Memorial Photography

Exhibition at St Bart’s

Hospital

In memory of Julia

Hember

1970 - 2003

(Stonar : 1979-1988)

Open Mornings at Stonar

Open Morning :

Saturday 27th September,

10.30am - 12.30pm

Equestrian Open Morning :

Thursday 16th October,

10.00am - 2.00pm

For more details contact Karen Ibbott,

Stonar School, Cottles Park, Atworth,

Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 8NT

[email protected]/01225 701740

Stonar Through the Ages

Fire drills in the 1950s …….

mailto:[email protected]

Reunions

The Stonarian

After a number of requests from those who are unable to make

Sunday, this year’s Open Day broke with its short tradition and

was held on a Saturday.

It was great to welcome everyone back to Stonar including a

group of 70s girls, some of whom had not been back since they

left.

I was also joined by a number of regular guests, including in

particular Verity Brayshaw (née Windle) and Kirsty Tomlinson-

Leah, both of whom have attended every reunion.

…… and now

The London Reunion 2014

This year’s London Reunion was held once again at Julie’s

Restaurant in Holland Park and was attended by a group of regulars

from the 1970s. From left to right, Sophie Petros, Kathryn Riley

(nee Beard), Ann (Pannie) Vickery (nee Wardrop), Thorda Abbott-

Watt, Haleema Hawkins (nee Ahmed), Penny Osborne (nee

Houghton-Brown), Susan Waldrum and Diana Jones

Year of ‘78 Reunion at Stonar’s ISODE

May 2014

Then …...

Old Stonarians’ Open Day 2013

Fancy a reunion at Stonar?

Do you want to organise a reunion for your year group, but not sure where to

meet? Well why not come back to Stonar! We can organise a reunion tailored

to suit you - how about a BBQ, afternoon tea or just a tour of the school.

Contact Emelia at Stonar for more details - [email protected]

www.oldstonarians.com Stonar Revisited

Former Stonarian returns to Present Prizes at Stonar’s Inter-Schools One Day Event

We were delighted to be joined by

former Stonarian Angela Yeoman MBE

(née Newall) to present the prizes at this

September’s ISODE.

Angela left Stonar in 1947 and returned

to become a Governor in the 1990s,

under Mrs Hopkinson’s leadership.

Angela and her family are involved in

many aspects of the equestrian world,

including racing and polo.

Angela is the District Commissioner for

the Wylye Valley Pony Club, and runs

her own international horse trials at

Nunney.

Jo Price (née Poynder) 1948-1951

A big thank you to Jo Price for returning to Stonar recently to help the Lower Sixth

take assembly. Jo took part in a Question and Answer session, in front of the whole

school, about Stonar and changes. Both staff and pupils were fascinated to hear Jo’s

honest and thought-provoking comments.

Thank you once again.

Georgie Spence (2000-2005)

We were pleased to welcome former

Stonarian Georgie Spence to be our Guest

Speaker at our annual Sports and Riding

Awards Dinner in March.

Georgie is an international event rider

who has represented GB at a Junior and

Young Rider level, winning two gold, and

one silver.

Georgie joined Stonar in Year 7 and

represented the school in ISODE and

show jumping competitions, her team

winning at Hickstead where she also won

“Most Stylish Rider”.

Her competition career started with show

jumping when she represented England in

many BS National home pony teams,

winning three gold medals.

Stonar introduced Georgie to eventing

through ISODE and it took over whilst

Georgie was still on ponies. She was

selected as reserve for Pony FEI Teams,

then representing GB at Junior

International following her win in the

Under 18 Championship.

Georgie then went on to represent Team GB at Young Rider level for the following

three years. In 2008, Georgie was the

first teenager for over a decade to

complete Badminton and Burghley with

clear cross country rounds. Georgie has

completed twelve 4* competitions

including Badminton four times, Burghley,

Pau and Luhmuhlen and she is still only 25

years old!

Georgie Spence competing at Badminton Horse Trials with Running Brook

The Stonarian

Georgina joined Stonar School at the tender

age of four, spending most of her time as

what she terms “a very quiet, shy, dyslexic,

average student; initially in bottom group for

most things”. However, it was a joyful

revelation to her to discover how ‘easy’ it

could be to learn when encouraged and

supported by a host of inspirational teachers

at Stonar, including Mrs. Schrimshaw, Mr.

Peter Stone, Mr. Graham Billing and Mrs.

Vivien McEwen.

With A levels in English, Drama, Social

Biology, and Geology, Georgina went on to

Bath Spa University, where she gained a BSc

Hons in English & Sociology.

She landed a prestigious job as a

communications consultant working in

London, Paris & Brussels on issues of

equality and human rights. For over ten

years, she directed change management

projects, for clients including The British

Army, Home Office, L’Oreal and Logica.

These included marketing & communication

projects; training & coaching projects and

equality audits all with the aim of driving

change within equality. Surrounded by

notable Lords, Dames’, Major Generals and

Government Ministers, she embraced the

opportunity of being coached by such

successful thought leaders.

Whilst in full time employment, Georgina

gained her Masters in Strategic Management

for Professionals in 2006 from Bristol

University, sponsored throughout by Focus

Consultancy Ltd. Her final dissertation was

on gender within business, discussing

whether coaching is an enabler for successful

women in business. This work allowed her to interview and build personal relationships

with some of the leading female CEO’s in the

UK. Her continued interest in gender within

business resulted in her writing for the

European Parliament on gender equality and

coaching young women into business.

After more than ten years in this wonderful

and privileged environment, she yearned for

more creativity and joined a design &

marketing agency as a project director and

communications consultant. Clients included

Russell Group universities such as

Southampton and Warwick.

In late 2012, it was obvious to Georgina that

the digital world was becoming more and

more relevant in marketing &

communications, so committed to a digital

future, she started up her own agency as a

creative technologist; clients included Wells

Cathedral and Boson Media. By March 2013,

Georgina was working full time for Boson –

www.bosonmedia.net - as their marketing &

relationship director, helping clients ‘put the

web to work’.

In her spare time, she contributes to her

husbands’ creative underwater agency Bardo

-

www.bardophotographic.com - supporting

his underwater photography projects with

marketing and web-based

technologies.

Although Boson takes up most of her time,

Georgina is keen to bring together her

passion for gender equality in business,

coaching and creative technology. So she is

setting up Bardo Digital, not only to support

her husband’s agency, but also as a longer-

term endeavor aiming to promote the

diversity of innovative careers that come out of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering

and Maths) subjects and the digital world.

With fewer women studying computer

science than ever, despite the booming

market, Georgina is keen to help buck this

current trend.

Georgina recently returned to Stonar to

present at their careers fair, ‘The future of

technology and your role in IT’, a

presentation that has since been requested

by other local schools.

Georgina’s personal story highlights the

importance of persistence; diligence and

finding work that fits with your

personal values that you enjoy. She has found

happiness through combining her passion for

creativity and technology with her own

philosophy of equality in the work place.

Combine that with a family guesthouse and

Boxer dog to run, the future is looking busy -

watch this space!

Georgina Brown (1979-1993)

returns to Stonar for STEM

Careers Evening

Developing a digital mindset - in

conversation with Georgina

Brown

www.oldstonarians.com Business Matters

Victoria Lapage-Norris (1995-2000)

From school to business owner

Having left Stonar in 2000 I went on to

Winchester University where I gained a 2:1

in Archaeology, tourism and heritage management. Once I left university I

discovered there were no permanent jobs in

archaeology, so after some soul searching I

spent 5 years as an art dealer in

Southampton. Whilst I loved my time there I

decided to move on, so I retrained as a

horticulturalist and started my own business

called Secret Garden.

Secret Garden stocks high grade stainless

steel garden tools and gifts for gardeners. All

of the products are manufactured in the UK.

Now in our 6th year of trading we are

wholesale supplier to Amazon as well as

numerous retail outlets. It is mainly an

internet business which means I get to

spend some time being mummy as well as

trying to take on the big boys in John Lewis!

We spent the first few years going to plant

and craft fairs getting the name out there

and gaining an idea of what customers really

want. The business is going from strength to

strength with us taking on Europe this year.

You can find us at

www.secretgarden.uk.com please do check

us out and support the UK manufacturing

industry, as well as an old girl!

In the time it has taken me to get the

business to pay for itself I have married and

had two wonderful girls (well mostly

wonderful)! As well as moving house back

to Wiltshire to a sweet little village. I am involved in the local community and have

take on the roles of parish councillor and

treasurer for the local nursery school.

Plenty to do!

Erika Sweet (née Schafer) (1978-1990). After getting married in Africa

followed by a self-drive Honeymoon in

Tanzania, Erika and her husband Paul took

the plunge, packed their bags and started a

new life together in Africa. They now own

and manage Shaw Safaris and Twiga Lodge

providing guests with a personalised luxury

safari holiday including a choice of luxury

accommodation, first class camps and the

freedom of utilising their self-drive safari

camp equipment, or a combination of both.

www.shawsafaris.com

Jo Brookes (Former Staff)

Buses to bouquets!

After 5 gloriously challenging years as the

Stonar Travel Secretary, I'm now running my

own floristry business called Wiltshire

Flowers, based locally in Melksham. I'm

delighted to announce that the business has

reached its first anniversary and growing

month by month! Bookings for weddings

and events are on the increase and the launch

of the website and online shop has proved

very successful providing the opportunity to

order exquisite bouquets and beautiful gift

arrangements both conveniently and securely.

I love speaking to customers so it's never a

problem for those that prefer to deal with a

real person rather than a machine! I'm really

enjoying the challenge and the creativity of

running my own floristry business and pleased

to have maintained an important link to

Stonar School, my favourite business client!

Jo Brookes

Wiltshire Flowers

www.wiltshireflowers.org.uk

[email protected]

Tel: 01225 790313

Natalie Froud (1980-1991) has her own

accountancy business in the Frome and

Trowbridge areas.

www.fromeaccountant.co.uk

Charlotte Boulton (1998-2002), after

graduating from the Royal Academy of

Dance, is now the Principal of Centre Stage

Academy of Dance in Devizes. Charlotte

has also recently qualified as a Zumba and

Zumbatomic instructor. www.centrestageacademyofdance.co.uk

Deborah Fensome (née Maslyn) (1980-

1985) undertakes commissions for

engraving pictures or "Art on Glass". They

are all unique, which makes them unusual

gifts. Deborah’s work can be viewed

through her Facebook group or she can be

contacted via Stonar.

Alexandra Drewitt (1978-1992) runs

her own graphic design company, A

Drewitt Design, specialising in high-end

brands for the auction, antiques and art

market and for travel and property

companies. Through strong design we

will improve the impact of your brand,

giving your marketing a consistency so

that it becomes recognisable. A Drewitt

Design works closely with clients, from

the initial brief and throughout the design

process, to print and publication. Clients

range from large international companies

and charities to small local businesses

and individuals including auction houses,

photographers, artists, art and antiques

dealers, travel and property companies

such as Wilton House, The Good Safari

Guide, Imagine Africa, Cushman and

Wakefield, DTZ and Sotheby’s.

www.adrewittdesign.com

Nicky Wragg (née Martin)

(1974-1978) owns an award winning

pub in Market Lavington called The

Green Dragon offering cask-marque

ales, good food and bed and breakfast.

www.greendragonlavington.co.uk

Lucy Ward-Smith (née Tebbs) (1977-

1982) has been creating handmade cards and gifts for friends and family over the years, and

has now decided to make it a business.

www.wscreations.moonfruit.com

The Stonarian

COMPETITION LIVERY SPACES AT BOOMERANG STABLES

From October 2013, Amber Woodhouse Equestrian will have a few livery spaces available. I have huge experience in training and producing young horses, and have ridden up to Intermediate level eventing/Medium level dressage/1.30m show jumping with many wins and placings on horses I’ve produced from youngsters. Winner in Hickstead’s international arena and selected for the Junior

British Squad in eventing 2 years running. Excellent facilities and knowledgeable, caring staff providing top class individual care for each horse. Lovely yard at Boomerang Stables, Hungerford. Extensive facilities including access to a number of arenas (indoor and outdoor), excellent on and off road hacking, a cross country course, gallops

within hacking distance, all year round, well maintained turnout and hot and cold water wash bay. Full or competition livery preferred, but hunter and sales livery also available. Please contact for price list. Mainly eventers and show jumpers, but also horses in for producing in all disciplines. I am also experienced riding/schooling racehorses.

References available.

07533 007073

[email protected]

www.amberwoodhouse.com

Amanda Page (1980-1987) produces blank Christmas and Birthday card designs, wrapping

paper, and a variety of colourful, cartoon t-shirts which sell throughout Botswana, Southern

Africa and Namibia. Amanda also produces design and marketing concepts for corporate and

private clients and provides counselling for individuals based in Botswana.

www.passion-monkey.com

If you would like your

business to be listed

in the Business

Section please contact

Emelia at Stonar.

Births, Deaths and Marriages

A Eulogy to Nicola Tomlinson (Née Dodds)(Stonar : 1990-

1998) by Robert Gary Dodds

In Memory of Nicola - August 9th 1979 - November 18th

2013 A celebration of her life given on December 6th 2013

Today as she wished, we celebrate our

daughter Nicola’s life.

As we do, a number of Masses are being

held overseas dedicated to Nicola: At

Convents, Churches and Monasteries in

Jamaica, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, UK,

Florida, Houston and at Stonar’s annual

carol service in Bath Abbey.

At different times and places in the world

throughout her life, Nicola has clearly left an

indelible imprint on countless peoples’

memories.

She was born in Westminster, London,

raised there and moved to Bahrain with us

where her sister Becky was born (also an

Old Stonarian), and she spent more years in

Hong Kong where her brother Alex was

born; summers being mainly spent in Jamaica

with her adored Grandma and Grandpa. She

went off to Stonar School in England for 8

very happy years and forged wonderful

lifetime friendships.

Mary and I can never forget the first letter

we received from Nicola, which was around

two weeks after she commenced at Stonar.

She wrote to us in Hong Kong and enclosed

a penciled drawing of her and her rabbit,

Dusty who started school with her.

Dusty and Nicola were both drawn with

tears dropping into a pool of tears and she

had written, “Daddy, Daddy please forgive

me for whatever I have done, and please let

me come home to Hong Kong”. Of course,

Daddy was a little distressed and rang the

Head, Sue Hopkinson who all the Stonar

girls present will recall - to be told, “Well,

I’m not sure about that Mr. Dodds, but right

now she is having a whale of a time playing

on the lawns with her new friends and

getting on famously with all”.

That sums up in part Nikki’s character

really, because no matter what adversity or

situation she faced in her life, she bounced

back and made the best of it.

Gaining her Bachelors and Masters degrees first class at Leicester University, and win all

4 national Geology awards that year, she

went on to have a successful career as a

Geologist with Halliburton Oil. She later

married James and had two lovely daughters,

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.amberwoodhouse.com


Isabel and Chloe, achieving her happiest

goals in Life.

Nicola touched countless lives over her 34-years with us, and in the last few months of

her life, her fight and determination, her

courage and bravery touched all of her family

and friends globally, and scores of people she

met for the very first time.

However, her life should not be measured

by its last 3-months or even its last decade,

nor its first; it is measured by her lifetime

experiences, of learning, family, friendships,

love and fun.

There were so many different lengths of

time within Nicola’s life, and 34 all too short

but extraordinary years.

Someone once wrote, that we have to ask

how long is a person’s life, finally? And, what

do we mean when we say, they are 'gone

forever'.

Adrift in such thoughts’ we, and many of you

sought answers as to why Nicola had to

leave us so early. She herself so desperately

wanted to live and raise her adored children.

We fret, and ask so many questions, then it

comes to us, the answer is quite simple.

A person lives for as long as we carry them

inside us, and for as long as we carry the

collection of their hopes and dreams with us;

and for as long as we ourselves live. Holding

memories in common; a person has not

died, but lives in us.

Loved ones will remember Nicola’s embrace,

her happiness and their conversations; Isabel

and Chloe will carry in their hearts and

genes, their Mummy’s love for them.

Isabel will tell you of the invisible string

through which Chloe and she can touch

Mummy, and they can blow her kisses,

knowing that Mummy will catch them in

heaven.

One friend will carry their shared memory

of a funny event, another an inspiring moment Nicola gave them.

And the days will pass, then the weeks; then

the months; then the years; and then there

will be a day when no question is asked, and

the knots of grief will loosen in our hearts.

And on that day Nicola will not have ceased,

but will have ceased to be separated by

death as part of her remains in us. So how

long does a person live, finally?

The reality is that a person lives so many

different lengths of time; and Nicola lived all

too short a time amongst us; but she gave

unconditional love and total loyalty to family

and friends.

She loved life, loved the finer things in life,

and loved the simple things in life too; but

she loved, and she inspired.

You may remember that well-known saying,

that life is not about the hand of cards God

deals you, but how you play that hand.

Well, Nicola played that hand as brilliantly as

she could right to the very end.

Like her first days at school, writing to us

with an emotional drawing of her and Dusty

in tears; after every blow which she was

dealt, week after week this last 3 months,

Nicola bounced back the next day,

determined to make the best of the hand of

cards she was holding. She showed

extraordinary and inspirational bravery.

This spirit to live for her little family inspired

hundreds globally, and we must not forget

the person who stayed with her day and

night without a break throughout her illness,

and was her inspiration and motivator every

single day of that 3-months – her Mummy.

Dearest Nicola, you lit up our lives, sweet

child, you taught us about love and life, that

pain and joy are often not far separated; that

with much wisdom is sometimes much

sorrow.

We smile through our tears as we celebrate

your life today, and will grow through our

pain, taking solace in the knowledge of our

coming reunion in a joyous heaven one day.

Let me share the words my Mummy sent to

me when we lost Becky’s twin sister in

Bahrain, back in 1983, which helped me

enormously at the time. Words, which I

have shared with friends over the years

when they have lost, loved ones.

It does not matter, this distance between us,

for we can close our eyes, hold your hands,

and be with you always.

Let me end by thanking God for allowing us

all to tell Nicola how much we loved her this

last 3 months, for the funny or endearing

stories she wanted to hear about her very

early childhood which made us both laugh,

and the chance God gave us to say goodbye.

We love you dearly Nicola and know that

when the Angels raised you to heaven, God

welcomed you with open arms.

Robert Gary Dodds

Hazel Mary Savage (1936-1941) died

peacefully at her home on Thursday 21st

November at the age of 89. Mary often

spoke with affection of her school days

and kept in touch with several of her

contemporaries.

We are very sad to hear of the deaths of

Susanna Gaskell (1981-1985) on 14th

February 2014 and Geraldine Macleod

(1978-1984) on 26th May 2014, both of

cancer. Suzi and Gerry were both in the

same year at Stonar.

Stonar School

Cottles Park

Atworth

Wiltshire

SN12 8NT

01225 701740

[email protected]


www.stonarschool.com

The Old Stonarians

Sincerity Honour and Service

Academic Awards Evening 2013

The Stonar community came together on Thursday 12th September to celebrate high achievers at Stonar's

first Academic Awards Evening. Awards were presented to Senior School pupils for Academic Excellence in

2012/13.

Prizes were presented by Kate Bellingham, an engineer best known as the former presenter of BBC's

Tomorrow's World. Kate is also National STEM Careers Coordinator, and gave a fascinating keynote speech,

involving pupils to illustrate how they can combine their passions to build a rich and fulfilling career.

Matilda Thomson, Year 13 and Deputy Head Girl commented, “Kate inspired me and my peers to be pro-

active and seize every opportunity that life gives us; to make the most of and enjoy them. At the same time,

we should push ourselves as individuals to achieve far more than we ever thought we could. It was a very

interactive speech and Kate also talked to me personally at the end, regarding my passion for drama and

working with children.”

Dr Sally Divall, Deputy Head, Academic, commented, “At Stonar, every pupil is an individual and as well as

stretching high fliers, we nurture and support those who need it to get the very best out of them. The

Academic Awards recognise not only students who have achieved exceptionally high marks, but also those

who have strived to achieve more than they expected.”

Congratulations to all pupils who achieved Academic Excellence in 2012-13.

Felicity Birkett India Hedley Alice Sheppard

Poppy Blokland Connie Holmes Laura Sheppard

Hilary Casey Olivia Humphrey Georgiana Snelling

Sharon Chau Candy Lin Cecilia Su

Abigail Collis-Smith Katie Lui Matilda Thomson

Lucy Constantine-Hoyle Holly Newman Amy Tokel

Emily Cooper Rosie Paines Sera Wacokecoke

Olivia Crouch Georgia Pickford Isabel Watson

Emma Double Eliza Plunkett Ellie Webster

Nina Fowler Abigail Raybould Geraldine Winchcombe

Lucy Hall Dominica Rogan-Pfaff Camille Wilson-Jenkins

Bethaney Harrington Pandora Ross

Leavers 2013

The Stonarian 2014

Documents

Transcript of The Stonarian 2014