Through the Lens of a Memory

The LEH school archives are a delightful treasure trove of stories, artefacts, and photographs – a rich chronicle of school life spanning generations. I had only just begun to explore them when I came across a captivating collection of images capturing an array of LEH events from the 1960s. 

Over the past few months, I’ve dedicated our 'Throwback' posts on Facebook and Instagram to this remarkable era, which featured many memorable occasions – from the celebration of LEH’s 250th anniversary to visits from distinguished guests, including HRH Princess Margaret. It has been such a joy to glimpse the evolving uniforms and hairstyles of the time, offering a vivid window into the past. 

One recent highlight was sharing a photo of Sir David Attenborough at Prize Giving in 1961. The heartfelt responses from alumnae, especially on Facebook, have been truly touching. It reminded Cathy Morton, Class of 1977, of her time at the school. Cathy vividly recalls being at LEH for Prize Giving in 1971, which also featured Sir Richard Attenborough. 

Cathy, was born in America and then moved to Europe when her father began working in the UK, and when she became an LEH student and to this day she still takes great pride in the skills she gained during her years at LEH. 

“LEH gave me an excellent education.  I learned how to study independently and write exams under time pressure, which put me way ahead of my Canadian contemporaries (in fact in Canada, I graduated in 1976). My favourite subjects were English and languages, and I went on to have a 30-year career as a lawyer. I am now retired and live outside Vancouver with my husband, a retired judge.” 

Education wasn’t the only facet of school life Cathy benefitted from, her passion for Games is as strong in her today as it was as a child. She recounts:

“I also fondly remember running 800 metre races on the track and learning to play tennis on the beautiful grass courts. I still run and play tennis, thanks to these beginnings.” 

Friendships always ebb and flow, and after fifty years it brings me great joy to share that Cathy made friends that stood strong through the decades:

“the friendships forged have endured for over fifty years!”.  

Isn’t it wonderful how one photo that would’ve been simply a few seconds of documented time still means so very much now? If you have a special LEH moment you’d like to share with us at alumnae@lehs.org.uk then please do email me. I’d love to hear more experiences just like Cathy’s. Please look at the gallery below to see how Cathy looked at school and the old Prize Giving brochure.