A LOW-FLYING RAF Tornado roared past St James's School last Friday morning - a fitting, if unintended, fly-past to mark the school's last day in West Malvern after 104 years.
Its final Commemoration Day began with a service of thanksgiving in St James's Church, followed in the afternoon by speeches and prize-giving in a marquee on the top terrace. It ended with a ball and fireworks display in the evening.
Chairman of governors, The Rev. Tim Wright said that all concerned with the school should be proud and celebrate as it contemplated the merger with Malvern Girls' College in the autumn.
Headmistress Ros Hayes took up the theme. Many tears had been shed at the prospect of leaving West Malvern, she said, but the staff and girls had shown resilience in their response to necessary change, and turned what had appeared to be a threat into an opportunity.
Mrs Hayes recalled that when she had come to Malvern in 1975, there had been five established girls' schools in Malvern - Ellerslie, Lawnside, The Abbey, Malvern Girls' College and St James's.
Since then, Ellerslie had joined up with MGC, and Lawnside and The Abbey had merged with St James's. The formation of the new Malvern St James was the final stage in a process which would preserve the best traditions of all the schools on a financially secure basis into the future.
She explained that despite the beauty of the West Malvern site, the restrictions on development had created problems for St James's. In particular, despite excellent sports results in the past year, the lack of a sports hall had presented marketing difficulties for the school which would be overcome with the move to Great Malvern.
Mrs Hayes also paid tribute to three long-serving teachers who would not be moving with the school to the new school: deputy head Mike Tebbitt, taking early retirement after 14 years, head of science Margaret Panter, retiring after 19 years, and sixth-form head Angie Fearnside (25 years), who was taking up a post at Camden Girls' School in London.
She also made special mention of school cook Angela Aldridge, who has been at St James's for no less than 34 years under seven different headmistresses!
Footnote: Not many people know that St James's School came within an ace of leaving West Malvern 82 years ago!
A school history compiled in 1986 records that after renting St James's House and estate for 20 years, founder headmistress Miss Alice Baird decided that the rent being asked by the owners, the Ballard family of Colwall, was too high.
Negotiations with Lord Rothermere about a property in Kent were well advanced when, only three days before the decision was to be made, she was offered the chance to buy the West Malvern estate outright. She accepted the offer - and paid £20,000. Today the school's West Malvern properties are valued around £4 million!
A reminder of this weekend's two local events. First, tomorrow (Saturday) evening from 7.30pm, the cricket club's 'Jazz at the Court' with the Trevor Emery Big Band. Bring your own picnic to Mathon Court Gardens. Free parking, bar and barbecue.
Tickets £10 in advance by phoning 01684 564893 or from the Brewers Arms, or £11 at the gate.
On Sunday morning, the Royal British Legion car boot sale on the upper playing field from 10am. Admission free, booters £5. Contact: Richard Hammond on 893951.
There will be a fundraising evening for the August Bank Holiday West Fest at the Lamb Inn on Friday, July 28.
Food and music will be available from 6pm to be followed later in the evening by a race night. West Fest T-shirts - expected soon to become collectors' items - will also be on sale.
Incidentally, full details of the event can now be found on Jonathan Penley's West Malvern website, which can be found at www.west malvern.org.uk.
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