Regarding your invitation for memories of the Willows School, Merton.
Patricia Homer (nee Bottomley) joined the Willows in 1949 on a 13-plus scholarship. She remembers the uniform: it included a navy blue beret, a royal blue cardigan or jumper and a tie with orange and white stripes. The badge, worn on the blazer and beret, depicted a willow tree by a lake.
At the time, the headmistress was Miss Deighton, but she was shortly followed by Miss Benham who was a singer and very musical.
Other teachers were Miss Clark (geography), Miss Horne (English), Mrs Drew (French), Miss Woodhams (history), Miss Loveland (maths), Miss Messenger (art) and Miss Pummell (domestic science).
Pat's contemporaries at Willows included Jean Dyer (head girl, 1951 to 1952), Ann Philipson (deputy head girl, 1951 to 1952), Wendy Hermitage, Lynne Macmillan, Jacqueline Pegram, Barbara Headen and Pat Wakely.
A Willows old girl, famous opera soprano and Wagnerian specialist Amy Shuard, came to the school and sang for the girls and Miss Benham took a few music students to the Henry Wood children's concerts several times on Saturday mornings.
Pat also remembers giving concerts with the visiting Rutlish School Orchestra in which she and Ann Philipson sang solos. The only other day out the girls had was to Box Hill to study rock strata.
Pat left the Willows in 1952 with many happy memories of the school.
CHRIS HOMER, via email
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