Rhubarb October 2022

ST EDWARD’S

It was tricky at the beginning, but Pat’s hand was a steady one on the rudder. She was balanced and perceptive, and experienced with her own daughters.These girls were pioneers. It gives me great pleasure to see the flourishing, happy, natural, fully co-educational school St Edward’s is now, the complete integration in the Quad, and on the pitches, in the classroom, in drama, music and dance. A good number of the pioneers came back in September 2017. Some spoke publicly about their experiences. Of course, things weren’t perfect (how could they be?) but the atmosphere was overwhelmingly positive, and constructively critical, and some spoke of it as a valuable experience for later life in their chosen professions. I think the word resilience featured more than once.

I enjoyed the pastoral work in the classroom and outside it. I was House Tutor in Segar’s for many years, working alongside DavidWippell and then AndrewWright. I got to know the parents too, and still see some of them. I still see, and hear from, ex-pupils, which is a continuing pleasure.I made true friends for life in the Common Room which is full of totally committed professionals with a great sense of humour.

What have you been up to since leaving Teddies?

INTERVIEW

I have missed the classroom, but I am often invited back to School for pleasurable and beautifully run events. For years after my retirement, I didn’t leave the classroom, at least in my dreams. I often taught cogent lessons in my sleep; one I particularly remember was on Pericles’ Funeral Oration.

What did you most enjoy working at Teddies? Any memorable highlights? I never tired of teaching the infinite variety of my subject. I have called the classroom an arena (there was no bloodshed!) and I thoroughly enjoyed owning that space, and sparking interest and questions and opinions.There was really nothing

I have always travelled, to Italy in particular, but also to many other Greco-Roman sites around the world. Sadly, I think I may have left it too late to go on my pilgrimage to see Schliemann’s stunning gold fromTroy in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. I have four grandchildren who are obviously the light of my life.They have patiently endured my constant references to word derivations and thoroughly enjoyed running up and down Greek theatres on holiday. I frequently went to visit my mother in Aberdare until she died in 2019 at the great age of 99. I integrated back again into my hometown in the ex-mining Valleys, renewing acquaintance with old friends, and then in lockdown, finally learning my native language properly. And guess what I discovered? There is a great deal of Latin inWelsh especially in the realm of education; after all the Romans occupiedWales for 400 years.What have the Romans ever done for us?

that did not come up in lessons, no holds barred.We had a lot of fun and got out of the classroom whenever possible.We had quick trips with small Greek sets, down on the bus to the Ashmolean and back all within the lesson time, having made contact with the Minoans and seen Classical Greek statues and wondrous pots, as well as an annual charabanc outing for Sixth Formers to the British Museum to see the Elgin Marbles and savour their complex messages and have contact with the fifth-century BC Athenians.There were also biennial trips to Greece, Italy,Turkey (I got toTroy!), mainly with Upper School Hellenists and Ancient Historians.We taught on site. Imagine teaching/being taught the battle of Pylos and Sphacteria (Thucydides Book 4) while sitting in the harbour at Pylos; there is a photograph somewhere of me doing just that and a

horseshoe of boys apparently listening intently. The Department worked hard on those trips, and they were tailored to the A Levels.

I must finish with expressing gratitude to Mark Taylor and the Classics Department for naming the Classical Society

‘Lyne Society’ after me. I am invited to the

meetings as eponymous hero and generally feted, and I get to meet the present pupils who are very impressive.The talks are wide-ranging, by experts in the field, often topical, and the meetings are full of energy and articulate discussion.

Overseas trips to Greece, Athens in 1991and Epidaurus in 1996.

What an honour and a pleasure!

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