Old Girls' Newsletter 2024

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January 2024

newsletter

Francis Holland School, Sloane Square Alumni Association

Old Girls’

Don’t miss the Old Girls’ Birthday Drinks Party on 7th March - book now!

Private lecture and exhibition at V&A South Kensington

celebrating the life and work of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel

www.alumni.fhs-sw1.org.uk

Forthcoming Events

www.alumni.fhs-sw1.org.uk

Best wishes,

Anne Cyron and

Audrey Mitchell,

(née Wiggin)

Co-chairwomen

of Francis Holland

Old Girls' Society

Class of 2017 Reunion

Class of 2017 alumna, Alice Beddows wishes to organise a year

group reunion. She is looking to hold the reunion in a bar or

restaurant fairly close to the School and would love for you to

get in touch! If you would like to attend, please email Alumni

Relations Officer, Claire Brazer at alumni@fhs-sw1. org.uk and

we can get a date and venue set!

If you would like a year group reunion for your 'Class of',

please do get in touch by email at alumni@ fhs-sw1.org.uk

Forthcoming Events..................................

From the Co-chairwomen ........................

From the Head..........................................

Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto........

Alumni Events...........................................

Alumni News............................................

Alumni Careers Speakers.........................

Travel Fund Report 2023..........................

School News.............................................

Business Enterprise Award 2023..............

Development............................................

Obituaries................................................

Committee Members and Keep in Touch

CONTENTS

www.alumni.fhs-sw1.org.uk

From the Co-chairwomen

Audrey Mitchell

Welcome to this 2024 edition of the

Old Girls’ Newsletter. We start the year

by welcoming the new Head of Francis

Holland, Sloane Square, Mrs Alexandra

Haydon. Mrs Haydon is only the eleventh

Head in the School’s 143-year history.

She comes with a glowing reputation

from Millfield School in Somerset and

has arrived with an abundance of

passion and energy. We look forward to

welcoming Mrs Haydon at some of our

events this year and we wish her all the

very best from the alumni community

for her new role.

As Co-chairs of Francis Holland Old

Girls’ Society, our aims are to support

the extended FHS network by helping

our alumni stay connected. We bring

together previous staff and pupils

of the School through networking,

lectures, visits to theatres and other

social and cultural events. We do

this in conjunction with our Alumni

Relations Officer, Claire Brazer, and our

dedicated website, the Alumni Network

Homepage, FHS Sloane Square Alumni

(fhs-sw1.org.uk), which helps all our

members stay in touch with each other

and the School, facilitating a professional

and social network.

Why is this important? Networks are

what open our world to new ideas,

possibilities and connections, as well

as celebrating existing ones. The FHS

alumni community is built on more

than 3000 former pupils and staff,

and growing all the time. Many of

our alumni have enjoyed huge and

varied successes around the world, and

whatever stage of your career you are at,

whatever new interest you want to

pursue, we can guarantee you will find

Anne Cyron

someone in the Network who can help

or who shares your passions. Current

Sixth Formers who are about to embark

on their first career often find mentors

within our network; others who are

embarking on their second, third or

fourth careers can find new contacts

and opportunities. We can all support

each other in some way, no matter

when we left the School - even if it’s just

for reminiscing or hearing news of old

friends.

Our next school birthday celebrations

will be held on Thursday 7th March

at 6.30pm where we will be hosting

our biennial alumni drinks party. As

always, the drinks party will be a nice

opportunity to meet some new friends

as well as old, and to hear about the

School’s plans. We also look forward

to showcasing this year’s Business

Enterprise Award winners at the

birthday drinks.

We hope to inspire more of our alumni

to take those first steps in bringing

business ideas to life as we start the new

year. After the success of our second

Business Enterprise Awards, we will

be inviting applications for our next

round of business start-ups, and we

look forward to seeing more innovative

ventures from our community.

As part of the Old Girls’ Lecture series,

we were excited to host alumna, Sarah

Esdaile who pursued her passion for

theatre, which she developed at FHS,

and has achieved great success as a

director both in theatre and of popular

TV programmes such as EastEnders. Her

inspirational story touched everyone

who attended, and we all learnt

something new from her career and

personal journey. We also enjoyed a

theatre trip to see Rebecca the Musical

and welcomed over 100 alumni and

guests at our second ever Private

View at V&A South Kensington of the

Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto

exhibition. We enjoyed seeing this

without the crowds and the morning

included a lecture which really brought

the extraordinary story of Gabrielle

Chanel and her designs to life.

Finally, we would like to welcome

our Honorary member, Former

Headmistress, Mrs Lucy Elphinstone, and

we can’t wait to see her at some of our

upcoming events and lectures.

We wish both the school and all our

alumni a successful and happy 2024.

Best wishes,

Anne Cyron and Audrey Mitchell (née

Wiggin)

Co-chairwomen of Francis Holland Old

Girls' Society

Below: the Old School House was

full to the rafters at the Alumni

Association Party for Mrs Banks and

Mrs Elphinstone.

The Class of 1992 enjoyed reuniting

recently at the recent Chanel event

www.alumni.fhs-sw1.org.uk

From the Head

Having been appointed back in April

last year, I could not be more excited

to be finally taking up the Headship of

this very special school and, in turn, the

presidency of the Alumni Association.

It has been lovely to meet some old girl

parents at open days, school pick-ups and

the amazing Private View of the Chanel

Exhibition on 12th January, and to hear

about past times at FHS. I look forward

to meeting more of you at the 143rd

Birthday Drinks Party and AGM on 7th

March.

Since the first time I came to the School

last Spring, I have been struck by the

wonderful sense of community at

FHS. In my visits last term, my chats at

breaktimes and lunchtimes with the girls

and my conversations with the teachers,

it is community that is the word that

everyone uses to describe what is so

exceptional about the school – and at this

time, what could be more important. It is

the lived embodiment of our values - love,

compassion, humility, courage, hope and

thankfulness – that makes this school tick.

Under Mrs Elphinstone’s leadership came

a clear understanding that children who

feel loved, cared for and supported are

freed to achieve extraordinary things, and

in turn support and inspire others to do so

too. They have the confidence to be that

invaluable 10% braver. That is the magic

here and I am delighted that the torch has

been passed to me.

And achieve extraordinary things they do!

The GCSE and A Level results are superb

by any measure, with value-added that

is exceptionally strong. Girls are leaving

Francis Holland to go to a wide range of

excellent universities in the UK, US and

across the globe to do a very wide range

of courses: Mechatronics and Robotics,

International Relations, Classics

Philosophy… the list goes on. Their

interests and passions are fired during

their time here at FHS through the clubs,

trips, expeditions, partnerships and

outreach, the double national award-

winning Creative Enterprise programme,

the brilliant TIPS (Thinking Innovatively

and Problem Solving) Week, and more.

Today it is not uncommon for many

of our students to have hundreds or

thousands of friends online, but these

are often not authentic relationships.

FHS is a busy, rich and complex

environment, but many of the most

important experiences will not be found

in the event calendar. When you speak

to the girls here, they describe how they

feel known – known by their teachers,

known by their peers -and, crucially,

how the school has supported them to

know themselves. And when girls feel

truly known, they gain the ability to fly.

At FHS there is a unique sense of

‘together we can’ that you can feel

tangibly as you walk around the

School. As a community, we do not

underestimate the calamitous state

of children’s mental health and the

inextricable relationship between

wellbeing and learning. It is therefore

so important that, if you were to walk

among us down the corridors now,

attend a lesson or sit in an assembly,

listen to the conversations in the Staff

Room, share in the joy and laughter,

you would see, hear and feel the deep

culture of joy and belonging. Every

student, from Reception to Year 13, is

involved in a wide-ranging co-curricular

programme – the School excels in

music, drama, the arts, sports, STEAM,

trips and clubs – all things that we

know increase connection, happiness

and the feeling of belonging. Our

religious services create a powerful

sense of togetherness and we prioritise

high levels of person to person social

interaction. Humans never evolved to be

successful as individuals – we evolved

to be successful in the plural; as groups.

We have a whole school curriculum for

Life Skills and emotional wellbeing that

addresses themes of collaboration and

working together. Presently our Junior

School students are completing their

Friendology course, and learning new

ways to articulate and resolve the ups and

downs of the playground. All this is so

important.

I know that many of you will have fond

memories of our Junior School, and we

are delighted that, from September 2024,

it will be relocated to an iconic Victorian

Grade II listed building, just 15 minutes’

walk up the King’s Road. The brief was

extremely tight; we needed a location

that offered a real transformation in terms

of facilities and space and would allow us

to have two forms per year, but to remain

as a small school and in a location close

enough to maintain the strong familial

connections with FHS Sloane Square.

The building, which dates back to 1890,

features impressive facilities including

the old Chelsea library, a spacious School

Hall with staging, a specialist science lab,

an art room and an extensive outdoor

play area. The move will create so many

opportunities, and to reflect this, the

Junior School will become Francis Holland

Preparatory School from next September.

As you all know, our Francis Holland

community is a family, so if you’re on

the lookout for a Prep School for your

daughters, granddaughters, nieces or

friends’ daughters, please do get in touch

with our Admissions Department at

registrar@fhs-sw1.org.uk!

I am delighted that Suzy Dixon, our

current Head of the Junior School,

will be continuing as Head of Francis

Holland Prep. I will be maintaining

overall leadership and look forward to

exciting times ahead. So much will stay

the same: the values of the school, the

depth of nurturing relationships, even

the uniform. Specialist Senior School

staff will continue to advise and teach in

both, and we know the Senior School will

continue to attract pupils from the Prep

at 11+. However, the move will allow the

Prep to increase in stature and show the

world what junior girls’ education can

look like. The skills required for success

in the 2030 workplace are different from

those in 2020, and we are delighted that

the transition will also provide a huge

opportunity for the Senior School, giving

us much needed space to innovate and

create a campus that does our curriculum

justice.

I look forward to meeting you and best

wishes for 2024.

Alexandra Haydon, Head

www.alumni.fhs-sw1.org.uk

entirely to Chanel were undoubtedly the dozens of iconic

bouclé suits arranged in a spectacular rainbow-coloured

arc. An optic-white room showcased Chanel’s quintessential

perfume, Chanel No 5 with perfect simplicity, while by

contrast an array of dazzling sequin trouser suits, feather-

trimmed capelets and sumptuous gold embroidered coats

closed the exhibition - a truly fascinating celebration of the life

and work of Gabrielle Chanel.

Many thanks to Alumni Association Co-chairs, Anne Cyron and

Audrey Mitchell, who introduced Anne Haworth, thanked our

guests and welcomed Head, Alexandra Haydon to her first

ever FHS alumni event.

And, of course, a huge thank you to all those who attended

the biggest ever event hosted by Francis Holland’s Alumni

Association.

2024 began auspiciously when almost 100 alumni, guests and

parents enjoyed a stunning collection of Chanel's timeless

elegance at January's exclusive event, held at V&A South

Kensington.

Guests marvelled at the collection, displayed both

chronologically and thematically, with styles grouped together,

accompanied by striking and characteristically minimal

displays. The exhibition itself was supported by a fascinating

exploration of the life of Gabrielle Chanel by lecturer, scholar

and historian, Anne Haworth. Her captivating talk in the

museum’s Hochhauser auditorium layered further context to

the many visual nuances of the collection, revealing a powerful

insight into the life of Chanel, bringing the collection yet more

to life.

Highlights of the first retrospective UK exhibition dedicated

Gabrielle Chanel.

fashion Manifesto

Lecture and Private View for alumni at V&A South Kensington

www.alumni.fhs-sw1.org.uk

Former Upper Sixth pupils, Tess Vogels and Palmer

Newsome, performed 'Marry the Man Today'

Above, bouclé suits arranged in a rainbow arc. Below, the

iconic No.5 perfume and, left, Chanel's later career saw

her move away from simple, clean lines to something far

sparklier!

www.alumni.fhs-sw1.org.uk

Alumni Events 2023

Old Girls' Birthday Lunch 2023

On Saturday 4th March, our inspirational alumni community

came together once again to celebrate the School’s 142nd

Birthday with a convivial drinks reception and lunch – the first

Old Girls’ Lunch hosted since before the pandemic!

The event began with the AGM, leading swiftly on to a drinks

reception before heading to the Senior Hall for a rendition

of ‘Marry the Man Today’ from Guys and Dolls, performed

by (now former) Sixth Form pupils, Tess Vogels and Palmer

Newson (pictured top right), our accomplished lead roles in

the School’s production of the musical. An impressive two-

course lunch followed, with many commenting on the much-

improved quality of school lunches since their time at FHS!

From alumni who left as recently as 2018, to our ‘old girls’

who departed FHS in the 1960s, all welcomed seeing familiar

faces, and enjoyed looking through archive materials, as well

as embarking on a guided tour of the School’s impressive Sixth

Form Centre, the Old School House. We were also delighted to

welcome back many former staff members, who were keen to

reconnect with alumnae they taught.

Alumni Association Co-chair, Anne Cyron and former

Headmistress, Lucy Elphinstone thanked guests, with Lucy

commenting on the wonderful family atmosphere the School

still enjoys; a key factor in its popularity.

Alumna Sarah Maxwell commented, ‘What a lot of thought

and effort went into giving us such a wonderful visit to

celebrate the School Birthday! We were entertained so well,

not only with tempting canapés and a delicious lunch, but also

with the performance from Guys and Dolls and the tour to see

the Old School House. The PowerPoint photos and the items

on display from the Archive were fascinating and I think you

must have chosen them specially for the era of the guests - the

file of "Autobiographies" was particularly appreciated.’

A huge thank you to our alumni community of former pupils

and staff who returned to Francis Holland for the Old Girls’

Lunch and Drinks Reception.

Class of 1986 Reunite!

When alumna Stephanie Longworth reached out to help

arrange a reunion for her peers from the Class of 1986

(and thereabouts), we were delighted to oblige! Stephanie,

alongside her fellow classmate Anjali Ranchandani, flew in

from the US for a short visit, with the idea of bringing together

as many former classmates as possible (especially so for those

who exclusively attended the Junior School), many of whom

hadn’t seen one another since they left the Junior School

at the age of 11! As a result, ten alumnae arrived in March

to meet former Headmistress, Mrs Elphinstone and tour

both the Senior and Junior School, including the Old School

House, before heading out for dinner locally. The group were

impressed at the phenomenal amount of change the School

has undergone since their time as pupils at FHS.

Thanks go to the following Old Girls who came to visit:

Stephanie Longworth, Susannah Grant, Kate Ewart-Biggs,

Emily Turner (née Scott), Anjali Melwani (née Ranchandani),

Clare Evans, Caroline Villamizar Duque (née Gorman), Guitty

Kooros, Venetia Powell-Brett and Candia Marsland (née Carr).

If you would like to arrange a reunion for your year group,

please contact alumni@fhs-sw1.org.uk.

www.alumni.fhs-sw1.org.uk

Alumni Events 2023

Old Girls' Lecture with alumna,

Theatre and Television Director

Sarah Esdaile

Although not her first visit to Francis Holland in recent years,

Sarah felt ‘pretty overwhelmed’ as she addressed her audience

at 2023's Old Girls' Lecture, many of whom were old friends

and teachers she hadn’t seen since her school days. Especially

moving was her reacquaintance with former English and

Drama Teacher, Patricia Metham.

Speaking with warmth and humour, Sarah described how

Francis Holland encouraged tenacity, risk and resilience,

qualities that she honed and solidified during her school years

which have stood her in immensely good stead to forge a

career in the competitive and cut-throat creative industries.

It was during Sarah’s years at FHS that she first fell in love with

the idea of telling stories for a living. Two particular occasions

had a profound effect on her: the school play competition,

affording Sarah her first real attempt at directing, and a school

trip to see a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Young Vic.

“The seeds of that passion were sown in this very building, and

I am also grateful for that and for the privilege of working out

- by the time I was 18 - what I wanted to do with my life”, she

commented.

Sarah spoke candidly about her career, eruditely discussing

how pushing out of her comfort zone and making bold and

courageous decisions had gifted her the most rewarding

life experiences. She generated laughter from her audience

by telling stories from her days as Director on the set of

EastEnders and spoke of her prescient decision to move from

directing theatre to television, just before the emergence

of Covid-19. Sarah revealed the struggles she has faced as

a female director and, before taking questions from her

audience, her future aspirations as a film director and novelist

(preferably while living by the sea!).

Our heartfelt thanks go to Sarah for engaging our alumni,

parent, and pupil communities with such an inspirational talk.

Sarah (second from right) photographed alongside her

former classmates and former teacher, Anne Margetson

(centre)

Alumna, Dame Rose Tremain

engaged staff and pupils as special

guest of the Sixth Form Speaker

Programme

In April 2023, we were honoured to welcome Dame Rose

Tremain to our Speaker Programme. Upper Sixth pupil, Sofia G

wrote this account of the event:

“Rose spoke to the Sixth Form girls about her life and her

inspirations for her widely acclaimed novels. It was inspiring

to hear from an old FHS girl how her life at our school shaped

the person she is today. In particular, Rose emphasised the

encouragement she received at FHS to write, to channel her

young creativity and energy into stories. Rose told us all about

her process in writing historical fiction, how she writes so

descriptively and accurately about different settings, through

research and travel, and how she creates such compelling

characters. We were even lucky enough to hear the world

premiere of her book, ‘Absolutely and Forever,’ to come out

later this year. In asking many insightful questions, the Sixth

Formers received some hugely helpful tips for writing both

short stories and novels.

We are so grateful to Dame Tremain for imparting her wisdom

on us.”

The Dame Rose Tremain Short

Story Prize

Dame Rose returned to Francis Holland in July, having

previously agreed to sponsor a writing prize at FHS. Launched

in November 2022, ‘The Dame Rose Tremain Short Story

Competition' offered a £500 prize and drew entries from

across the Senior School. These were shortlisted, and the

winner and runner up chosen by Rose, who presented the

award in person at July’s Prize-Giving Ceremony.

www.alumni.fhs-sw1.org.uk

Alumni Events 2023

Prior to the reception, on the previous evening, the School

held a legendary event in the FHS calendar: the annual

Leavers’ Dinner.

The excitement was palpable as the Class of 2023 and staff

gathered in the playground, donned in a fabulous array of

black tie finery, before making their way into the Senior Hall

for the dinner.

All enjoyed a fantastic speech from Head Girl, Carolina and

Deputy Head Girl, Isabella in which they discussed fond (and

often hilarious) memories of their year group’s seven years

at FHS. Class of 2023 alumnae, Sabrina and Bianca also took

to the stage for a brilliant speech about the many weird and

wonderful happenings during their time at FHS,

This was followed by a hugely poignant speech by former Joint

Heads of Sixth, Mrs Banks (her last ever, after 21 years at the

School) and Mrs Wilkes, in which they shared their fondest

memories of each girl in the Upper Sixth and shared words

of advice for the world beyond School from each member of

staff present. We were then treated to a surprise interlude

by Mrs Floyd, Mr Mercer and Miss Vickery with an acapella

performance of 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life',

matched later in the evening by an equally glorious rendition

of 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' by Mr Croft.

Next came Mrs Banks’ speech, and there wasn’t a dry eye in

the room as she looked back over her time at FHS, followed by

an equally emotive speech by Mrs Elphinstone.

We wish the Class of 2023 the best of luck with everything life

must hold and look forward to welcoming them back as our

youngest alumnae cohort in years to come. We would also like

to thank Mrs Banks for being such a pillar of our community

and brilliant Head of Sixth, and wish her the best of luck in her

next adventures.

Class of 2023 Leavers' Reception

and Dinner

On Friday 12th May, our Class of 2023 leavers gathered for

an incredibly poignant final Leavers’ Service, marking the

end of their time at FHS and their transition into treasured

members of our Alumni Association. The service, held at St

Mary’s Church, Bourne Street, celebrated the achievements,

memories, and aspirations of our Class of 2023, as they

prepared to embark on the next chapter of their lives.

The service commenced with two beautiful performances:

Grace Wharton and Caley Collins singing Taylor Swift’s moving

tune ‘Never Grow Up’, and Teresa De Oliveira De Munoz De La

Espada and Eloise Burkey performing Randy Newman’s ‘You’ve

Got a Friend in Me’ on the cello and piano, respectively.

Following an impassioned rendition of the School Anthem,

‘Except the Lord Build the House’, the service featured

readings by former Heads of Sixth, Mrs Wilkes and Mrs Banks,

the outgoing Head Girl, and Deputy Head Girls, Carolina and

Bella, and former Headmistress Mrs Elphinstone. Girls were

then invited to receive a lit candle from their Sixth Form tutors

as a sign of love and commitment to them as they embarked

on their lives beyond FHS, which also symbolised welcoming

them into our Alumni Association.

Following the service, the Class of 2023 and their families

gathered in the Senior Hall for one final drinks reception to

celebrate their final days at FHS.

www.alumni.fhs-sw1.org.uk

Alumni Events 2023

Lucy Elphinstone and Julia Banks'

Alumni Leaving Party

On a warm June evening, we held a very special leaving party

for former Headmistress, Lucy Elphinstone, and former Joint

Head of Sixth Form, Julia Banks, who both left Francis Holland

at the end of the Summer Term after an incredible 11 and 21

years’ respectively.

The event packed the Old School House Common Room with

an impressive guest list of 90 former pupils and staff, including

former Headmistress, Stephanie Pattenden, alumna and

Governor, Julia Woodham-Smith and very many recent leavers,

plus current staff, keen to offer their thanks and good wishes.

Alumni Association Co-chairs, Audrey Mitchell and Anne Cyron,

spoke of Mrs Elphinstone’s dramatic impact on the School

during her tenure, noting its progression and change more

than at any other time in its history.

After a moving introduction from former Joint Head of Sixth

Form (now Director of Futures and Innovation), Caroline

Wilkes, Julia Banks spoke with visible emotion and warmth of

her time at Francis Holland, as her husband and son looked on.

We welcome Mrs Banks to the alumni community and Mrs

Elphinstone as an Honorary Member of the Old Girls’ Society

now they are officially Francis Holland alumnae!

Below left, Lucy Elphinstone, and right, Julia Banks

Alumni enjoy 'Rebecca' at the

Charing Cross Theatre

20 former pupils and staff, photographed above, braved

September's stormy conditions to watch the musical

production of ‘Rebecca’ at the Charing Cross Theatre. Based

on the novel by Daphe du Maurier, the production, featuring

22 original songs, opened on 4th September. The thriller tells

the story of Rebecca, newly married to the wealthy Maxim

de Winter, who brings his wife home to his estate Manderley,

where Rebecca is confronted by the malevolent Mrs Danvers…

'Rebecca' marks the third theatre production that alumni

have attended as part of the Alumni Association’s ongoing

programme of exclusive events for the School’s community of

former pupils and former staff.

We greatly appreciated the support of everyone who came

to watch 'Rebecca' - the show was met with enthusiasm from

alumni of all ages.

Above, (L-R) Eileen and Marina Gallagher, Anne Margetson,

Audrey Mitchell (née Wiggin), Jane Orr (née Dorman),

Christine Elliot, Katherine Howard-Cairns (née Josselyn) and

Felicity Josselyn.

Above: Julia Banks, right, and Audrey Mitchell

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