TGS 120 Chapter Hazel Barnes nee Jeffreys TGS 1949 to 1956

This is an important year in the life of the school & I do hope it is a successful year.

I have communicated in the past with you speaking about my years at what was then TGGS and how much I appreciated my time at the school.

Unfortunately now all the lovely people I knew at school & kept in contact with have died.

My years at school were from 1949 to 1956 (I think!)

For my last two years I boarded at Kentleys because my parents moved from Tonbridge. Through the kindness & awareness of Eileen Arnold, the headmistress at this time and her realising how important it was for me to complete my education at TGGS, I was enabled to board & then go onto Teacher Training college & enjoy a successful career in teaching.

I have always been so, so grateful for everything I achieved especially in the field of physical education while I was at school & for the confidence it gave me to teach children.

At age 86, I am still very active in my community, I lead a group that meets for ten consecutive Wednesdays in the Autumn & Spring for presentations/ talks on a wide variety of subjects. Normally we expect 30-40 people to attend. During the summer months continuity is maintained with a weekly coffee morning & a monthly outing to a place of interest.

I have managed to maintain my mobility even after a hip replacement last year & still enjoy playing badminton each week- not quite the game it once was ! - but still enjoying life.

I am blessed with a lovely husband, three great children now in their 50’s (a daughter head of P.E in her school) & five grandchildren, & two great grandchildren.

Miss Arnold witnessed to me as someone who lived a Christian life, which I also try to live & I will continue to be thankful to her and I continue to be so thankful to have been a pupil at TGS.

I still have my old tunic with all the badges on it (& the holes that I darned to enable me to continue wearing it until the new uniform came into being.)
I also have some team photos probably for the year 1956-57
I would imagine you probably have these already - if not ask me,

With my best wishes,
Hazel
Billingshurst, W.Sx