Newsletter 32

BFES-SCEA-Association

DECEMBER 8, 2015 bfes_scea_newsletter@yahoo.co.uk NEWSLETTER NUMBER 32

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Bob Steele, Mike & Christine Rance

Philip Arrandale & Josephine Dunn

Barbara Arrandale, David and Jane Tull

Val Walker & Sadie Smith

Sheila Morling, John Monkhouse Walter Lewis & Patsy Hope

Ken Jones, Hazel & Ken Page

A warm welcome to new members

Anne (Ollie) Woodcock (née Parrott) taught in St Christopher’s, Gibraltar (1976 – 1979) Hakedahl, Detmold (1979 -1988); Nienburg (1988 – 1991). Anne and Keith now live in Leyland, Lancashire.

Penny Davies (née Nutton) who taught in St Christopher’s, Gibraltar from 1974 - 1978. Penny now lives in Lincoln.

(Dorothy) Anne Austin taught in Wildenrath (1986 – 1989) and Episcopi (1997 – 2000). Anne still lives in Cyprus.

Lorraine Starke (née) Mattey, taught in St Andrews, Malta, and Krefeld First School. Lorraine now lives in Bruton, Somerset.

Jimmy Caldwell taught in six different schools between 1980 – 2015. He enjoyed postings in Cyprus and Germany. Jimmy and Marie now live in Preston.

Mike and Sue Chislett also enjoyed postings in Cyprus and Germany. Sue has now retired but Mike is still working in Bielefeld as an IA.

Sybil Watson taught in Gatow, Berlin (1971 – 1977), Queen’s, Rheindahlen (1978 – 1989), Cornwall, Dortmund (1989 – 1992). Sybil now lives in Crook.

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On the Move

Ann Kennelly has moved from London to Plymouth, Devon.

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Dates for your diary

Friday 8th April 2016 Lunch at Christ’s College, Cambridge (Details and booking form enclosed with this Newsletter)

Saturday 7th May 2016 Lunch at the Beachland’s Hotel, Weston Super Mare

Saturday 4th June 2016 Curry Lunch at the Gurkha Mess, Winchester

Saturday 8th October 2016 AGM & Lunch at the Queens’ Hotel, York

Saturday 19 November 2016 Committee Meeting in London

Moving with the times

Several members have expressed a wish to pay for Association Lunches by Electronic Transfer. If you wish to use this method please remember that your Booking Form – duly completed - will still be required by the event organizer. Please see the instruction on the Event Booking Form.

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Pupils from Charlottenburg First School

Massed Bands

Membership

Membership of the Association costs just £10 per year (£12 for those who live outside the UK and who do not have a BFPO address).

Membership is open to anyone who has served with BFES, SCS(NWE) or SCE or indeed is still teaching in one of the remaining SCE schools.

The membership year runs from 1st January to 31st December and payment can be made by Standing Order or cheque.

A membership application form/membership renewal form is enclosed with this newsletter together with a standing order form should you require one or both.

Completed applications/ renewals for those not already paying by Direct Debit should be sent to:

Membership Secretary, 94 Headcorn Drive, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7TX

AGM at the Royal Society, London

What a venue for our annual October 3rd reunion and AGM! The Wolfson Suite is located in the historic Library of the Royal Society, and is the perfect venue for a range of events. The Royal Society, Carlton House Terrace in London is the world’s oldest scientific academy in continuous existence. Meticulously restored to its ornate condition of the 1890s, it offered views of the Mall, St James’s Park and Waterloo Gardens.

Following an interesting AGM some 55 members were able to mingle and chat over drinks before enjoying a sumptuous lunch in the Wolfson Suite 2.

Association President

For health reasons Mr Nolan Clamp stood down as our President. Members used this opportunity to present him with a pocket watch in recognition of the role he played as President of the Association and to thank him for his tremendous support of schools during his many years as Director of BFES.

Association Committee

We would like to extend our grateful thanks and appreciation to both Mike and Christine Ford for the huge amount of work they put in over the years serving on the committee. Mike, in the roles of Newsletter Editor and, latterly, as Chairman of the Association and Christine, in the role of Events Organiser. They both ensured the Association ran smoothly and that we had the opportunity to enjoy re-unions in some most prestigious venues.

Our best wishes and thoughts are extended to you both during this difficult time of Christine’s illness.

Two other long-serving and hard-working colleagues also retired from the Committee and both will remain as supportive members of the Association. They are Gareth Morgans and Joan Hunt. All members attending the AGM acknowledged unanimously the first-rate contribution which these Committee Members have made to the success of the Association. Our best wishes and thoughts are with them too.

The following members were nominated, seconded and unanimously elected to the new Committee to serve for the next twelve months. Chairman/Website Manager - Glyn Pascoe, Secretary - Lynn Marshall; Treasurer - Janet Bradley, Events Coordinator - Sue Adams, Archivist - Walter Lewis. New to the Committee are Mike Chislett, Tom Nielsen-Marsh and Jane Tull.

At the first meeting of the new committee, following the A.G.M. Jane Tull agreed to be Vice Chairman of the committee; Tom Nielsen-Marsh agreed to be the new Editor of the Newsletter and Hugh & Christine Ritchie were co-opted onto the committee to be joint membership secretaries.

Posted

Shown overleaf is a photograph of the sculpture made in the spring of 2013 by pupils of ARK School JHQ with the help of an artist-blacksmith in residence, Melissa Coles. The sculpture is destined for the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in Staffordshire. It represents our children's experience in BFG, but equally applies to all those ex-pupils world-wide, and is currently located in the Teachers' Centre in

Bielefeld. The Birds were designed and made mainly by the children, as well as by parents and staff.
The idea is of the birds dispersing and finding someone they know in the next flock - what an excellent initiative. The post box came from JHQ. There is a possibility of the memorial being enlarged with a special song incorporated triggered by a proximity sensor.

A related theme – “A Drop in the Ocean” - has been recorded by all five closing schools in Hohne / Fallingbostel.

The National Memorial Arboretum requires a small endowment (approx. £5,000) to keep the memorial displayed in perpetuity which has been very generously donated by closing Mess accounts in Hohne and Fallingbostel.

Shown above is James Shawcross, NMA curator, in front of the SCE site.

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News from our Foreign Correspondents

SCE is now the overseas schools’ arm of the Directorate of Children and Young People (DCYP) - to be found on the gov.uk website. DCYP is based at Upavon and is responsible for SCE schools and Queen Victoria School, Dunblane (QVS).

Remaining SCE schools are:

Four EJSU (NATO) Locations – SHAPE, AFNORTH, St David’s (Ramstein) and Naples

Six in Cyprus - Episkopi, Akrotiri, Dhekelia, Ayios Nikolaos, St Johns and King Richard.

Eight in Germany (BFG) - Haig, Blankenhagen, Kings, John Buchan, William Wordsworth & Robert Browning, Bishopspark & Bielefeld. (Note St David’s is not BFG & does not close when BFG does; all remaining BFG schools close in 2019 except Blankenhagen which closes in July 2016.)

Two “Rest of World” schools – Mount Pleasant in the Falklands and Hornbill in Brunei.
SCE also has an EYFS unit in Gibraltar with 2 teachers, and a teacher placed in Ralston School, Alberta, Canada supporting families posted to BATUS.

Leaving this December – Kathryn Forsyth OBE (Director of Education) and Doug Munro (SAEO, Cyprus). Some of their functions will be covered by a new post (Senior Principal, MoD Schools) based in Upavon.

Colin Fleetwood, previously headteacher at Haig School, Gütersloh takes this post from January 2016.

Ben Turner is appointed executive headteacher of Blankenhagen and Haig Schools wef 01 January 2016.

Alex Thorp (previously Lister and MPS) was appointed executive headteacher of William Wordsworth & Robert Browning Schools from Easter 2015.

Dan Browning was appointed executive headteacher of St John’s and Kind Richard Schools in September 2014.

Val Cook (St David’s) retired summer 2015 (to Outwell, West Norfolk); her place was taken by John Redman (previously Hornbill School).

Ceri Tacey left Mount Pleasant School (for a headship in Lincolnshire) and Gary Margerison (previously Oxford School and SCE’s School Improvement Team) is now headteacher.

Rachel Thomas left Dhekelia (for a headship Rutland) and will be replaced by Helen Futcher wef 01 January 2016. Corinna Sutton is currently acting HT.

Sam Daniels moved from Bishopspark in July 2015 to a headship in South Wales;

Brenda Titley (Inspector Adviser) has been acting headteacher.

Gavin Hayman (previously SHAPE and currently HT in Hampshire takes over wef 01 January 2016.

Schools that closed summer 2015:

Bruggen – headteacher Annwen Parry left SCE and retired to Anglesey. Former deputy headteacher Jimmy Caldwell left SCE and has moved to Lancashire.

Slim – headteacher Maddie Matthews – moved to a headship in Athens, deputy headteacher Audra Burton has moved to Abergavenny

Montgomery - headteacher Lynn Eckersley has retired to the Yorkshire Dales.

Heide – headteacher Alex Thorp was appointed executive headteacher of William Wordsworth & Robert Browning Schools from Easter 2015. Deputy headteacher Jennie Ramsey (nee Lloyd) has moved to Fife.

Gloucester – headteacher Michelle Strong is now headteacher of a secondary school in Gt Yarmouth.

Shackleton – headteacher Jo Cornelius is now a headteacher in W Yorkshire.

Lister – headteacher Emma Scarisbrick moved to a headship in Kings Lynn. Former deputy headteacher Andy Chapman had moved to SHAPE at Easter 2015.

Brenda Titley and Mike Chislett remain the last (and only) two Inspector Advisers.

A Day to Remember
Wednesday 24th May 1978.

Precision and panache were the words used by Her Majesty the Queen to describe the Queen’s Birthday Parade at the Maifeld in West Berlin – a fitting tribute to such a glorious day. It was indeed a day to remember – a day that will linger in the memories of everyone present in Berlin for years to come.

The parade itself was the finest ever seen in the city. Even the weather stayed fine in honour of Her Majesty.

HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at RAF Gatow on the morning of Wednesday 24th May in an Andover of the Queen’s Flight. There to meet them were the GOC Maj Gen RF Richardson and his wife and Station Commander RAF Gatow, Gp Capt TE Benson along with the British Minister, Mr RF MacGinnis and his wife. Also there were the Commandant US Sector – Maj Gen JC Mc Donough and his wife and the Commandant French Sector General de Division B d’Astorg and his wife and the Governing Mayor of Berlin Herr Dieter Stobbe and his wife.

Nearly 30,000 people packed into the Maifeld on a warm slightly overcast morning. Children from the Berlin Schools were present to see the Queen – many of them waving Union Jacks.

Quote of the day came from the Field Force Commander Brig Charles Grey - “It isn’t my Parade. It is equally the Parade of every man taking part and all who have worked in preparation for it … and I am very proud of what they have achieved … and very grateful.”

Were you there – do you have memories to share with us? If so please get in touch.

Christ’s College Cambridge Lunch
Friday 8th April 2016

Following on from last year’s success, once again you have an amazing opportunity to dine in the fabulous setting of Christ’s College, Cambridge.
We have been fortunate enough to secure the use of ‘The Hall,’ which is one of the finest amongst the Cambridge Colleges: dating back to 1857 with its fine stained glass panels it provides a unique historical setting for this year’s lunch. The arrangements for the day are:

Morning Coffee & Pre Lunch Drinks will be served from 11.30 in the Buttery Bar. (NB this will be a Cash Bar.) Lunch will be served at 13.00, starting with French Onion Soup with Parmesan Crisp, followed by Supreme of Guinea Fowl in Red wine Sauce with Game Chips or Portobello Mushroom and Blue Cheese Mille-Feuilles (vegetarian option) both accompanied by a selection of seasonal vegetables, Apple & Blackberry Pie with Cream or Ice Cream for dessert and rounded off with Coffee and Mints. (The Hall is booked until 5pm so why not stay on and catchup with friends and colleagues)

This event proved to be very popular last year and was oversubscribed. To secure your place(s) please return your booking form ASAP and by March 21st at the latest. Confirmation of your booking and travel directions will be sent to you upon receipt of your booking form by email or by post on receipt of a self- addressed envelope with appropriate postage attached.

Accommodation is available on site; details can be found at www.speedybooker.com or www.university-rooms.com Please note that this is your own arrangements.
Cost £45 members/£48 guests. We look forward to seeing you there.

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Weston-super-Mare Lunch

Saturday 7th May 2016

Your Committee is keen that all members have opportunities to meet up with friends and colleagues each year and hope that arranging reunion lunches at various prices and in very different venues will assist.

This is your opportunity to attend a Saturday Luncheon Reunion in sunny Weston-super-Mare! The Beachlands Hotel is one of the best in this seaside resort and dining there is a pleasure.

The arrangements for the day are:

Morning Coffee & Pre Lunch Drinks will be served from 11.30 in the Lounge. (NB this will be a Cash Bar.)

Lunch will be served at 13.00 starting with a choice (to be made at the time of booking) from:

* Homemade cream of broccoli soup with parmesan croutons
* Salad of mango, spring onion, fried haloumi, with chili & mint dressing,
* Crispy Brie wedges served with rocket salad & red onion chutney
* Smoked salmon & prawn parcels with lime crème fraiche

Followed by a Main Course choice (served with seasonal vegetables) of:

* Roast Loin of pork with pear & sage stuffing, apple sauce & gravy
* Supreme of chicken baked with sherry & cream sauce
* Fillet of plaice cooked with cherry tomatoes, mussels & olive oil
* Homemade asparagus tempura with a honey, soya & ginger sauce

For Dessert the choice is from:

* Homemade fresh strawberry shortcakes with raspberry puree
* Homemade chocolate profiteroles filled with cream
* Selection of cheese with biscuits & grapes
* Homemade cherry pie served warm with clotted cream

All rounded off with Coffee/tea & mints

A Booking Form, with meal selection and details of possible accommodation, together with directions will be available in the Spring Newsletter in March. We have provisionally booked for between 30 and 60 members and the cost will be £27 members/£29 guests.

Contact us

Chair
Glyn Pascoe
07813 643601 glyn@pascoe.co

Secretary
Lynn Marshall
0118 3274128 lynnmarsh6@aol.com

Archivist
Walter Lewis
01934 645759

Treasurer Janet Bradley 01788 891850

Membership Secretary Hugh and Christine Ritchie, 01227470763, bfes.scememb@gmail.com

Newsletter Editor
Tom Nielsen-Marsh bfes_scea_newsletter@yahoo.co.uk

We’re on the Web!

http://www.bfes-scea-association.org/

Find us on Facebook

Log on to Facebook and type in “British families education service association”

Memories of Empire

The First British Army of the Rhine

Formed in 1840 to teach the children of soldiers serving overseas in garrison schools throughout a world, which in their time and to them was “The Empire” the Queen’s Army Schoolmistresses (QAS) was effectively disbanded in 1947 when the last teachers were recruited. One lady and former president of the (now defunct) QAS Association, was 20 in 1927 when she went to teach the children of the first British Army on the Rhine, then, in 1930, going on to teach in a garrison town on the North West Frontier. She said (in an interview in 1989 when the QAS Association was disbanded) that, “In wartime there were often no books or materials, and there are plenty of stories about QAS teachers holding classes in caves. But I had a quiet war in India, we had plenty of books and the children were never unduly worried about what was going on”.
Another, married to a RASC officer, was sent to Singapore three days before the Japanese invasion of the colony. Her ship – the coaster Mata Hari - was captured and she was interned by the Japanese for three-and-a half years in various camps where she always managed to set up a schoolroom for the children and got the Japanese to give her slates: reduced to Dickensian teaching methods. In one camp she took under her wing an orphaned boy whose mother had died after five day’s internment. She taught him English and brought him to England in 1945 where he was taken into care by the Red Cross. Thirty-seven years later she was reunited with him (now living in California) where he professed no memory of the internment camps.

From an article by Jenny Rees

Departed Friends

Hylton Thomas OBE who was a Deputy Head at King's School from 1976 – 1982 sadly died on the 9th October, aged 74, after a short illness. From 1982 to 1986 Hylton was Headteacher at Gloucester School, Hohne and from then until retirement he was Headteacher at Wootton Bassett Comprehensive School. Following great success in his last post he was awarded the OBE.

Frances Mason sadly died suddenly on September 16th at home in Hounslow, aged 67. Frances, a member of the association for several years, used to attend the Winchester Curry Lunches. She taught in Cyprus at Ayios Nikolaos and Dhekelia Primary Schools from 1972-1975 and in Hong Kong (St Andrew's) from 1975-1978.
Freda Rose sadly died after a long illness. Freda (and husband Fred who survives her) served with BFES in Osnabrück and Gütersloh between 1966 and 1972. Freda was later headteacher of Renhold Lower School in Bedford from 1974 to 1987.

Last but not least

Dave Parish is a “lost member” – if anyone has a forwarding address could they please pass it to the membership secretary. Thank you.

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British Families' Education Service
Service Children's Education Association

STANDING ORDER FORM

To .................................................................................................................................................................................... Your Bank

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Account Name ...................................................................................................................................................

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Please pay

National Westminster Bank (Sort Code 60-67-01)

For the credit of the BFES/SCEA ASSOCIATION (Account Number 38024373)

The sum of £.......................................................................................... on ...................................................................and thereafter on 1st January each year until further notice and debit my/our account accordingly.

Please quote my/our name on the payee's statement.

Signed ........................................................................................................................................

Dared ...........................................................................................................................................

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Please send this form together with your application/renewal (See Membership Page on this site) form to:-

The Membership Secretary
94 Headroom Drive
Canterbury
Kent
CT2 7TX

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BFES SCEA ASSOCIATION

Christ's College Cambridge Friday 8th April 2016

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If you of not have an e-mail address and require conformation and final arrangements to be sent by post you must enclose a stamped addressed envelope (with appropriate postage please). Thank you.

Meal(s)

I wish to book the following places for lunch and have indicated those who require the vegetarian option or have special dietary requirements.

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I enclose a cheque payable to BFES-SCEA Association for the sum of

£ ...................................... Bank Details .............................................................................................................................

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NB. If you wish to pay by electronic Bank Transfer the Association Bank details are:_

Lloyds Bank PLC
Account Number 01403653
Sort Code 30-92-69
Reference is always the function venue and date.

Send you completed booking form to:-

Paul Macardle
3 Owen Court
St. Andrews Park
Norwich
NR7 0GS

NO REFUNDS FOR CANCELLATION ARE POSSIBLR AFTER 21st MARCH 2016

Please don't forget you e-mail address or Stamped Addressed Envelope