Dear Dermot,
  Recognising the names on the printed emails I thought I would add mine.
  Those five years were an education in many ways for me but an ‘O’ Level pass escaped me completely! I just loved sport. The most outrageous event I remember was the night a number of us decided to meet and go for a midnight feast out in the grounds. We hid the door key outside not thinking there could have been a fire, thank goodness there wasn’t. We must have been obsessed with food as a number of our feasts were held in the attic, how did the boys get through the dividing door so easily?
  I was a nanny in California for 14 months knowing I had a student nurse placement waiting for me in Yeovil. Somerset. Nine months into it I gave up knowing I could still not face exams, but I had met Peter as a patient and we were married in 1969. I was encouraged back to the hospital and became an Enrolled Nurse. Lucy was born in 1974, she is a midwife in Southampton , married and expecting their first child in July. Thomas arrived 1976, he is a highway technician in Dorset coming back to Somerset soon. He is engaged, getting married next year. In 1989 I did my conversion and am now a Staff Nurse in a Community Hospital where I have been forever.
  Peter and I take part in three overnight classic motorcycle trials a year, but our love is the bicycle. Our main holiday has been cycling/camping, since Lucy and Thomas were small. The last three years we have been to America, Morocco and Cuba on organised cycling holidays.
  I am running The London Marathon next month (I completed it 2 years ago) for Motor Neurone Disease which my mum had. I always felt I had to do it, it took me 5hrs 3mins, can I get there in 4hrs 59mins? If not I just want to get there! 2001 saw me enter my first Triathalon, a nice piece of Dartington chrystal on the sideboard bears witness that I was best super veteran lady. There was no such prize for setting the hurdles record at Swanage Grammar circa 1964, I still have the programme in a chest with my school hat. I spend much time in our beloved garden, no, not sitting in it, tending to its needs. Thank you for this opportunity,
   I was and still am known as Nic, Nicky or Nicola if I was in trouble as I invariably was.
    Best wishes, Nicky Vaughan [nee Rugg] peter@nicky21.fsnet.co.uk

Hi,
  I was at SGS from Jan 1961 to July 1965 (5th year) and Oldfeld House from Sept 1961 to July 1965. I have just read the letters page on the SGS site, and recognise one or two names, although they appear to be from people in the year after me. My name then was Barbara Chiverton - short, fat, glasses and guess what! still short, fat, glasses although I have become somewhat more loony. I was nearly expelled in the third year for (gasp, horror) skipping the Sunday obligation of church. Why did we have to go? Grob didn't! I also recognise a couple of names from the friendsreunited site, Georgina Clarke (my year) David Jolley (year above) and Gärd (year or two below) but as her name was unusual it was remembered.
   My potted history is:  Worked as secretary, admin or book-keeper for most of working life, got married in 1969 to Graham, had a daughter (Carla) in 1977 and a son (Chris) in 1984. I live in the Medway Towns, Kent and work for chartered surveyors in Islington N1. Carla finally left home (working for a mental charity in Margate Kent) after gaining a degree in Psychology and is married and Chris left school this summer with 10 GCSE, saying 'I've had enough of school'. Graham is a security guard. Most of the ex SGS's seem to have moved abroad and some even report of exciting lives, however I belong to the few who stayed behind to keep the home fires burning. (ah! sad). I am happy for this to be printed on the letters page with my e-mail address.
    Barbara Kennett (nee Chiverton)   e-mail - babsk_1969@hotmail.com

Dermot,
   What a great site!!! I have only recently discovered both friendreuinited and the SGSA web sites and I suddenly lost 36 years of my life!!! The letter from Lesley Halliday (Wright) certainly gave me goosebumps. I was at Oldfeld House with Lesley 1962-65 and I certainly look back with fond memories.
My potted history:
   I left Oldfeld before taking my O Levels and finished my education at Eastleigh College. At that time I really knew what I wanted to do and managed to fulfil my dreams of playing professional football. Unfortunately it was short lived through injury to my knee. After recovery I joined the Army and spent some five years as a Physical Training Instructor. This was followed by some time in managing Sports Centres for local authorities in and around London. In 1973 I married and moved to Chelmsford in Essex and changed my career direction completely, settling on a career in computers. Having gained experience in the City, Commodities Market and the NHS I started working for a company in 1984 called EDS. This is a company which was originally set up by Ross Perot (ex US Presidential candidate), acquired by GM and then set loose. I have held a number of positions in the organisation, all of which have entailed considerable global travel. Currently I am globally responsible for the quality and business improvement of a business group which produces, sells and supports CAD / CAM software. I not only enjoy my work but also the opportunity to work with so many different cultures. In consecutive weeks I have found myself walking along the Great Wall of China, under Niagara Falls and in the middle of Red Square in Moscow, all a far cry from Walrond Road, Swanage. My eldest son, who is 22, is closely following in my footsteps. From the age of 16 he spent four years with a top professional football team, but walked away when the pressure became too great. He is now back at the same club as a coach and enjoying making sure the younger players don't get too carried away with the glamour. I now live back in London and, when in the country, commute to Cambridge for work.
    From the letters I have seen on the web site the names just came flooding back. My peers at Oldfeld were Stephen Matthews, Nigel Bailey (both of whom I have sent emails because of the friendreunited web), Chris Johnson, Nicola Rugg, Sally Hebdon, Josephine Bradbury, all of whom I would love to hear from. I saw a photograph of Sally and Stephen at the 1999 reunion. Also there was Philippa Rayner who was at Oldfeld with us. Again, I would love to hear from Philippa if she sees this letter.
   I could go on and on about the good times at Oldfeld - early morning runs, games on the field, crocodile walks to church on Sunday, Sunday afternoon rambles, Saturday morning gardening, etc. Suffice to say it would be great to hear from anybody.

Bob Mitchell
Manager, Business Management Infrastructure
Tel: +44 (0)1223 371669
Fax: +44 (0)1223 316931
Mobile: 07811289027
eMail: Robert.Mitchell@ugs.com

   
Great web site Dermot,
    Very interesting to look at the old photos even though they were before my time. I was there in the early 70's until the final year of SGS. My kids (the oldest is 12) have been brought up in Canada and have never been subject (for want of a better word) to school uniforms and the stringent rules that we had to endure, so they find it very eye opening when I recount to them about life at SGS.  I will continue to monitor the web site and if you hear of anyone from my era, please be sure to pass on my E-mail address.       
Keep up the good work!
                  Terry Oxland   ( terlin@bserv.com