Rhubarb 2017

22 ST EDWARD’S r h u b a r b

few female teachers. Her successor, Pat Phillips, ‘an accomplished Modern Linguist’, also taught and helped with music tuition as well as providing pastoral care and accommodation for the first female pupils. Jo Martin served as Bursar Hubert Beales’ Secretary 1955-1975, Mrs Barnes, the wife of the former School Porter, held the title of ‘Lodge Manageress’ for over 39 years retiring in 1970. Leila Hill was a member of the domestic service team at Sing’s and Field House for over 52 years from 1949 to 2001 and Peggy Mutter the OSE Secretary from 1946 to 1989. They were all, in their time, well known to all or most of the School and OSE. A succession of School and House Nurses will never be forgotten by those who turned to their tender care in times of need; they also often provided mentoring and a kind word as well as administering all manner of potions and bandages. Miss Bishop, or ‘Popper’ to the boys, was a much-admired School Matron from 1886 to 1912, whose duties included dispensing not only medications but also clean collars (every Wednesday) to the whole School. Sister Phillips, known as the ‘Reluctant

manner of administering injections, were unforgettable, as was Sister Murphy ‘whose brusqueness and intolerance for the malingerer, concealed a surprisingly soft heart’ (Malcolm Oxley). Elsie Matthews was the Nurse at Tilly’s and Macnamara’s for 25 years from 1941 to 1966, Kay Puxley was another stalwart House Nurse for Cowell’s and Segar’s from 1949 to 1970, a war widow with a young son. She was succeeded by Violet Davies who then stayed on for another 22 years until 2001. Other long serving House Nurses included Di Bushnell from 1971 to 2002 at Tilly’s and Jane Haddock from 1973 to 1997 (also parent of four boys at the School) at both Tilly’s and Macnamara’s, overseeing the change from boys to girls at the latter. In 1947 Joan Greswell, House Nurse of Field House married Roger Northcote- Green, Housemaster of Macnamara’s, the first ever such union in the School’s history, causing all sorts of ripples in the bachelor-dominated Common Room. Later in the School’s history four wives of Housemasters also served as House Nurses including Yvonne Evans, Josie Church, Ann Arkell and Sheilah Peregrine.

A R C H I V E S

Sister Phillips in 1939

Dragon’ between the wars, and Monica Grimwade from 1950 to1968, known as ‘Bloody Mary’ due to her highly individual

'Annies and Johns’ in 1876. Mrs. Edwards, one of the first school matrons is seated far left