Yesterday Once More at the Alumnae Reunion

With its playing fields looking more immaculate than ever under the blue skies and its endless parquet lined corridors polished to a mirror finish, LEH threw open its doors to welcome some of our much-treasured former teachers and past pupils as they returned to school.

It was a special day filled with conversation and laughter, but also some tears as sport-loving alumnae took part in the Nicky Budd Memorial Lacrosse Match in honour of our former Director of Sport, who sadly died earlier this year.

The match was attended by Nicky’s husband, George, who is a former LEH Geography teacher, as well as Heather Hanbury, who stepped down as LEH Head Mistress last year. They were joined by current Head Mistress Rowena Cole and PE Teacher Katelyn Leaney (who previously worked with Nicky) as a bench dedicated to her was unveiled overlooking Geard’s Acre.

Mrs Leaney said: “It was so nice to see our alumnae back out on the pitch.  The atmosphere was amazing and everyone who took part really enjoyed it.  It was a bittersweet afternoon, of course. But it was good to share stories about Nicky with others.  And she would have just loved it. Historically many LEH pupils go on to play for England, Wales or Scotland, and we had a fair few of them there on Saturday, so the standard of play was really impressive.  I think it’s a testament to the hard work that Nicky put in over the years and the love of the game that she instilled. We hope to make it an annual fixture.”

The Reunion was the first opportunity for Head Mistress Mrs Cole, who started in September, to meet alumnae. “I am delighted to have an opportunity to meet you,” she told them. “At the first assembly of the year just a few weeks ago, I reminded students that they stand on the shoulders of the thousands of pupils who have gone before them. You are such a vital, valued part of the LEH community and you have blazed a trail for them to follow. We are very grateful that you continue to take an interest and be actively involved in the life of LEH.”

The guests ranged in age from 93 to 22 with every decade in between being well represented. The biggest reunion groups were the Class of 1993, celebrating 30 years since they left school, and the Class of 2003, who graduated 20 years ago. Between them, the past pupils represented an impressive range of careers and professions – from medics to film producers, and from journalists to strategy advisors and so much more.

There were delighted cries of recognition, as alumnae spotted former teachers they hadn’t seen in years and a wonderful buzz as people reconnected and discovered that it all felt like yesterday.

The most senior alumna present was Stella Stephens (nee Buttress) from the Class of 1949, who is also a former Biology teacher at LEH. She said: “I had such a great day.  It was lovely to see some of the current pupils – they are truly impressive.”

While actor Jo Kirkland, from the Class of 1998, spoke for many when she said: “It was so good to have a look around and to see so many old teachers. The school is so impressive, in many ways just the same and then suddenly disorientating in how different it is. A wonderful trip to the past and comforting for it to feel so much a part of my fabric.”

Tours of the school were led by some of our L6 pupils.  Lily-Mae said: "As a current student at the school, I felt excited and intrigued by the stories that came along with each individual I met; tales of laughter and fond memories of past years at LEH across numerous generations, yet all sharing the common connection to our community at the school. Being present at the reunion felt inviting and warm, watching the welcoming of old friendships and the budding of newfound connections, the atmosphere was certainly special!"

While Maddie added: "The alumnae reunion was truly a lovely event. I really enjoyed meeting the previous pupils and learning about how the school has changed and what has stayed the same. It was so interesting to think of the different experiences we have all had at the same school and how we all share this lasting connection with LEH. Seeing the impact LEH has had on everyone and what people have done afterwards was very insightful and I, along with everyone else, really enjoyed the day."

If you want to mark the date of next year’s event in your diary, please pencil in Saturday 5th October 2024.

These are the special graduation anniversaries that we will be celebrating then:-

 Class of 1954 – 70 years

Class of 1959 – 65 years

Class of 1964 – 60 years

Class of 1969 – 55 years

Class of 1974 – 50 years

Class of 1979 – 45 years

Class of 1984 – 40 years

Class of 1989 – 35 years

Class of 1994 – 30 years

Class of 1999 – 25 years

Class of 2004 – 20 years

Class of 2009 – 15 years

Class of 2014 – 10 years

Class of 2019 – 5 years

We are very much looking forward to seeing you there!

A big thank you to five our wonderful L6 Creative Directors - Hattie, Liyana, Lily-Mae, Maddie and Lara - who kindly helped out on the day. If you have activated your Holles Connect account and are logged in, you will be able to see the gallery of photos that they took to record the special day below.