Anna Wilson nee Hankey shares her TGS 120 Chapter

I was at TGS from 1981-1986. My mother, Gillian Hankey (nee Davies) was there in the 1950s and taught Latin there after graduating from Cambridge in the 1960s before having me and my sister, Carrie Lazell (nee Hankey) who also went to TGS from 1983-1988.

My muddled, distant memories include pre-fab classrooms, wooden desks with initials carved all over them, huge green gym knickers, arguing over whether George Michael was better looking than Andrew Ridgely, being made to swim in a freezing outdoor swimming pool on the hill full of flies and leaves, playing hockey badly, singing "School on the Hilltop" lustily in assembly, laughing at the teachers in their twinsets and pearls sitting on the stage, wetting myself while skipping in sub-zero temperatures and having to run inside to get changed, the smell of the Animal House, passing notes in class, hanging around the bus stop hoping Tonbridge School or Judd boys would notice us, and lots and lots of laughter.

My clearest memories are of the friends I made at the school: Helen Cazalet in particular! She and I are still good friends and she is godmother to my daughter while I am godmother to her youngest son. We matured a lot later than some of our peers and were known for annoying the other girls, who had graduated to applying mascara at breaktime, by running around playing "it" and giggling like infants. (Sorry, Wendy and Sam...) We used to call Fridays "Mad Fridays" which gave us licence to be generally idiotic. I don't think I would like myself if I went back in time...

On a more serious note I remember the incredible and formidable Madame Williams who instilled in me a life-long love of French which I went on to read at Cambridge together with German which I was taught by the diligent Miss Stock. I did a wonderful German/Music exchange through TGS with a school in Heusenstamm and I am still in contact with Kirsten, the penfriend I stayed with. We went on to organise our own private exchanges and have seen each other through many big life changes. I owe it to her that I can still just about write in German although my spoken skills have faded. 

I also owe TGS a huge debt of gratitude for my lifelong love of music. Mr Jakes (Jaques? I have forgotten the spelling!) was a wonderful mentor and shining example of what could be achieved through lots and lots of practice. I adored singing in the many choirs and groups and will never forget singing Alto (with Helen Cazalet next to me!) in a joint-schools' performance of David Fanshawe's African Sanctus at Tonbridge School. I also loved playing Alto Sax in The Moonlighters which gave me my love of Big Band music. Thanks to the music teaching I went on to play sax in the Kent Schools Symphonic Windband as it was then known (Kent Youth Wind Orchestra) and went on two international tours with them which were the best fun I had in all my time at school.

My career has been in writing. I have been a published author for over 25 years, publishing over 60 titles for children and adults including novels, picture books, poems, essays and a memoir. People never believe that I did not read English at university - in fact, I gave up English after O Level which, sorry to say, I did not enjoy at TGS. However, I always wrote in diaries and notebooks and after working in publishing as an editor for Macmillan and HarperCollins I decided to go freelance to give myself time to write. Many of my books have been translated into several languages including both traditional and modern Chinese. My memoir: A Place for Everything – my mother, autism and me, was reviewed as “a seminal work in this area” by the world expert in autism in women, Professor Tony Attwood and featured on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour (thanks to Helen and another TGS friend Catherine Hills writing in on my behalf!). As well as writing, I teach creative writing workshops in schools and to adults. I was an Associate Lecturer at Bath Spa University for many years and was the Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at Exeter Penryn from 2021-2023. I now work for the Royal Literary Fund running essay skills workshops in sixth forms in Cornwall where I have made my home.

I have one awful photo of me laughing with my German class buddy Catriona (attached). A terrible attempt at a "Lady Di" hairstyle. That was the 80s for you! (Current pic also attached.)

All the best

Anna Wilson

www.annawilson.co.uk

Coach for London Writers' Salon

Tutor for the Arvon Foundation

Royal Literary Fund Fellow

rep'd by Cathryn Summerhayes and Davinia Andrew-Lynch, Curtis Brown

A Story of the Seasons - pre-order now! - illustrated by Carolina Rabei

Grandpa and the Kingfisher - illustrated by Sarah Massini - on JAMES WAINWRIGHT nature prize shortlist

See my essay on "Voice and Point of View" in The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook

"Shine Like the Stars" - illustrated by Harry Woodgate

"A Place for Everything - my mother, autism and me"