School days catch up for former Sheffield Girls’ pupils

Forty former pupils of Sheffield High School for Girls stepped back down memory lane as they reminisced at a classroom catch up in the capital.

Alumnae including doctors, dentists, civil servants, poets, nurses and engineers talked about their school days at the third London-based alumnae drinks reception. Guests included Clare Hopkins, entrepreneur and founder of BalanceMe, who left the school in 1989; Jean Hornbuckle, 1964 leaver who recently retired as an opera singer; recent Leeds University graduate Guneet Kohli who is now working as an engineer in London, and Mollika Chakravorty who works in clinical research in geriatrics at Guys and St Thomas’s hospital.

The event gave new head Nina Gunson the opportunity to get together with former pupils and relay the latest goings on at the region’s leading independent school for girls from nursery to sixth form. She said: “Lots of our alumni are now living in London and this annual drinks reception is a great opportunity to reconnect with them, make new connections and seek other opportunities for alumnae to get involved with activities back at school.”

Now in its third year, our past events have seen alumnae from the ages of 18 to 92 joining us, with some people who hadn’t seen each other since they were at school over 20 years ago. This year we're sad to be without 92-year-old Barbara Blossom, a beloved alumna and regular face at our London events, who passed away earlier this year.

Recently retired head Valerie Dunsford also attended this year’s event, her first event as part of the alumnae network. Current teachers at the school also attending the event included Sheffield Girls’ Assistant Head, Kathryn Boulton-Pratt and maths teacher Simon Mozley, Amy Bouchier and Alison Gardner.