"There were only three alumnae from my year at the Reunion on Saturday 1st October.  However, we made a little group of five with two non-LEH visitors:  Trish White’s husband Alan and my son Joshua.  Trish came with Alan since they were going on to the reunion at his school that same weekend. 

Joshua came out of filial duty, to drive me, and perhaps privately expected to have a tedious day being polite to my old classmates and showing interest in my fond memories of which rooms we had which lessons in.  I had not said much but of course I had been quietly hopeful of the impression the School would make on him.   Sure enough, as we left for home he was wholeheartedly full of enthusiasm and admiration. 

We enjoyed a good tasty lunch and shared the photos that had been left for us at each place setting – an excellent idea.  It was during this meal that Trish White’s keen brain was making calculations and she declared that I, Madeline Appleby, year of 55, two days off being 86, must be the oldest alumna present.  There had been a hope that Sheila Hallas, class of 1948, would attend, renowned for wing walking last year shortly before her 90th birthday (as featured in Holles Connect for Spring 2022) but in her absence the “oldest” title was mine.  An honour I had never achieved before!

We oldies spend much time looking back and remarking on how things have changed. I will use one area of the School to show how this applies: the art department.  I loved art and still call myself an artist.  My son too is an artist, though on a much grander scale.  So it was the magnificent modern suite of art rooms that I wanted him to see.  He had already marvelled at the work displayed around the building.

I could recall the one art room and one art teacher of our day.  Did we feel hard done by?  Of course not. For its time, soon after the war, LEH was well off and its facilities were fine. In that basic E shaped building we were given sound foundations for life.  And while the school continues to expand and to develop an ever-growing range of activities, I think the underlying spirit has not changed and this is what brings us alumnae back again."   

 If you are logged into your Holles Connect account, you will be able to see some more pictures of the Alumnae Reunion, taken on the day by Emma, one of our Sixth Form Creative Directors.