More from ladies abroad

I have just received your jolly letter about a Woodroffe Madrigal Group reunion on October 15th. What a splendid idea and how hard you must have been working to obtain contact details of all the old members. I am living in Botswana, Africa, and I have been here for the last thirty-four years! Although I usually visit England regularly, I sadly have no plans to visit this October but this could always change. My husband, Mike and I always come across for the Autumn Internationals at Twickenham but there are no matches this year due to the Rugby World Cup being held in New Zealand. I will pencil the date into my diary and let you know if I am able to attend what I know will be a fabulous event. Please feel free to use my E mail address to contact me [available from Adrian]. My postal address is P O BOX 80726, Gaborone, Botswana. Post from Europe can take anything up to a month to reach me! Much love, Sarah Wyatt XXX



What a blast from the past, hearing from you and delving into my old photo albums after all these years! As Jenni said, I shan't be able to attend but please send my good wishes to the Madrigal Group (as was). Also to Brian Manners whom I remember very fondly and to Mr Coates, my former English Lit teacher. As Jenni mentioned, my brother Cliff Broom (aka Basil) was also in the Madrigal Group but not when we went to Yugoslavia. He's a pilot with Virgin Atlantic now (formerly an RAF pilot). My sister, Michele Broom was also in Madrigal much later than us and lives in Bath (she's retrained as a holistic therapist).
…After I left Lyme, I studied for a two-year bilingual secretarial diploma in London and Switzerland and then worked in an international management consultancy in Brussels, the United Nations in Geneva and the European Commission in Brussels until 1993, after which I recycled myself as a freelance translator (French and Spanish) and moved to Catalonia in Spain where I have been working as a freelance ever since. I married (an Englishman) in 1982 and we have one daughter now aged 23 and studying in Salamanca.
…All the very best and I look forward to hearing about the meeting and what everybody is up to. Andi Broom

Ladies of Spain

It was a lovely surprise to hear from you - I can't address a person as a Drain, but must admit that I remembered you by the nickname!
Thanks very much for the invitation- the timing is tricky for a teacher, but I'll look into the possibiility of coming over [from Spain] & if there's any way of doing so, I will. Anyway, I'll let you know later. Best wishes to the group - especially Brian Manners. I've often thought of him, as he was my last piano teacher & I've recently started playing again. Not very well.
I've spoken to Andi Broom (now Collis) who lives in Catalonia. She's unlikely to be able to attend the reunion, but would be interested to hear how everybody's doing. Of course, her brother Cliff (aka Basil, for obvious reasons to those of us who remember Basil Brush) was also in the madrigal group & I think he still lives in the UK. Best wishes, Jenni Jones

Hello from Chris

How very nice to hear from you – and thank you for going to so much trouble in instigating a reunion. I cannot yet promise to attend – we may be abroad that weekend – but appreciate the opportunity to receive the various contact details.
I still visit Lyme from time to time to see my mother, so if nothing else I hope this will be a catalyst to seeing you on such an occasion. Chris Fisher

Survival of Spam Eating Larch

I have been forwarded the Madrigal Reunion info by Sarah Vincent - we see each other quite a lot and caught up at a Golden Wedding party yesterday.
I am a member of the Old Students etc, (I occasionally check Friends Reunited), and have been thinking about the monumental 40 year anniversary, and all that has happened in the intervening years, not only to ourselves, but also to our beloved Dubrovnik! We are all either 60 or perilously close to it - another reason to meet before we all start falling off the other end!
I am still at Darvole Farm, East Coker, Yeovil, Somerset. BA22 9QJ... Anyway, I am very keen to attend a reunion, though that date may not be ideal for me as we look to be away, but that's my problem to sort out! John and I will have been married 35 years in July, no children, but very happy farming and horse racing, which means we work hard and play hard. I still have my poster from the Bishop's Palace, which adorned every college room, and flat once I was teaching (at Sherborne) so it's a bit tatty. Also have my 'spam eating larch'. Kept in touch with Sarah W and Shelagh Patterson. Saw Shelagh last week in Lyme, (but she's not Madrigal Group). Ironically, she teaches at Seaford College where Dave Read taught. Heather Legg

Youngest...and most troublesome!

Lovely to hear from you - and what a nice idea! I have a few photos from our Yugoslavia trip and like you I can't believe that it's 40 years ago. I have forwarded the letter to Bob [Dave] and I'm sure he would like to come as well if he can. He spends a lot of time in Dorset now as he has bought a holiday/retirement home on Portland, where our mother still lives. I am still in touch with Sarah Vincent and she reminded me that we were the youngest on the trip - as I recall also the most troublesome! Hope to hear from you soon. Deb Shilling

News from California

Thanks to all of you who have replied to my e-mail, who at the time of writing are Dave Read, Julia Tomes , Gilly Warr, William Pedley and Alistair Kennaugh. Hopefully more of you will connect in due course. Also, thank you very much Adrian for setting the ball rolling. It was truly wonderful to hear from you and brought back fond memories of you all and the Woodroffe School. I have updated (somewhat!) my Facebook page. For those of you who would like to “friend me”, please do so on http://www.facebook.com/. There are two David Ls on Facebook – my son who is at Duke, and me (pictured at the top of Pikes Peak). Make sure you ask to friend me and not my son – he’ll get very upset with me if a bunch of late 50 year olds start to try friending him! Steve – my youngest son has a page also, but he won’t even friend me, let alone you!… A little more history of my life after Woodroffe School. After leaving Woodroffe I went to Swansea University and graduated with a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 1973. I then went on to do a PhD in Physics at the Royal Military College of Science in Swindon. After several years each at Every Ready in Abingdon and Plessey in Towcester I had the chance to come to a job in Los Angeles, Southern California in 1983. That didn’t work out but in 1984 I joined Spectrolab, a subsidiary of Hughes Aircraft which then became part of Boeing in 2000. I have been at Spectrolab and living in the LA area ever since. After several false starts I married my current wife Linda in 1989. We have two boys David and Steve who you can see on my Facebook page. David is a freshman at Duke, Steve is a sophomore at high school. Steve is very focused on a career in the U.S Air Force (hence the recent trip to the Air Force Academy on spring break). Several of you have asked if I continued my tennis. Yes Alistair - I remember the times we played on sand on our neighbour's court. I did continue tennis for a while. When I was single I played every day (what better place to play tennis than in Southern CA!), but as the children came along, together with more job responsibilities, I haven’t played for many years. I still like outdoor activities, especially hiking in the mountains. In fact I am going on a 4 day hike into the Yosemite wilderness in northern CA with Steve in August. I haven’t kept in touch with many from Woodroffe. I was in contact with Sarah H for a while; Steve M and his wife visited us in CA about 25 years ago; Peter R, his wife Karen and their daughters visited us about 10 years ago; and I exchange Christmas cards with David F each year. Oh - Julia T I remember meeting you by chance on the Tube in London in the late 1970s. That’s about it. I really hope to be able to stay in touch with you all, better than in the past. I usually come to Europe (Germany, France, Netherlands…) once a year on business so could take a detour to visit. And definitely I will try to get to a reunion in October if it materializes. Gilly - you had asked if I could write a short update for your newsletter, please feel free to use any or all of this for that purpose, and feel free to forward my contact information. It’s an open book on the internet these days anyway! Take care everyone! Best Regards Dave Lillington

Extracts from Correspondence

Yes, I would love to come! Best Wishes, Viv Bishop

How lovely to see all those names again! I do hope to be there. I don’t think I’m a member of the Association, I guess I would know if I was! Can I still come to that meeting? I can also probably offer accommodation for someone. It’s fantastic to hear from folks after all this time. The only person I’m in contact with is Drain. I’m in Cambridge working as a counsellor and also for VSO occasionally in London. Still singing plus lots of other music. I am certainly planning to come to the reunion and very much looking forward to meeting up with everyone and, like you, would also love to hear from anyone...or indeed meet up if Cambridge or London is where you are...California might be pushing it! With best wishes to all of you, The Lady Julia (Tomes)

Best wishes from Hilary Giles

Great to hear from you and to know of this plan. Of course I shall come! Also would be delighted to hear direct from anyone else meanwhile. Glad to hear Brian Manners has recovered from his illness and that Mr Coates will be there too. Hi Julia, Dave, Adrain and everyone else too! Fancy Dave you going to California…still, it goes with your image – as I recall a kind of Rod Laver style. Speaking of which, did you keep up your tennis? You had real talent there. I played a little at University (UEA), but got sucked into the cricket so comprehensively I had to abandon the tennis. Still wielding the bat occasionally, but the muscles seize up very quickly these days. The Lady Julia…viola(?) player par excellence I seem to recall. I am in London daily, so could meet anyone there quite easily. The memories that Dave Read (scooter crashes), Bill Gooderham (beer in Bremen!), Helen Snook (piggy back fights with Bob Pitfield, I think?) inspire….! It would be great to meet everyone again. Unfortunately I had to miss the only previous reunion because of pressure of work. I now realise that work should definitely come second to an occasion like this as it is likely to be our last opportunity before we all start dropping off the twig. Am working in education, as I have all my life, and living in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire with my two children Sofie, aged 13 and Robin, aged 9. Settled down v late in life! William Pedley

Many thanks for the mail regarding the impending "get together". I am in contact with Deb Shilling quite regularly so will see if she is able to come from Nottingham. We usually meet up in Lyme for our year reunion in the summer - I guess she would be the youngest one on the list - we were certainly the youngest ones to sing in Dubrovnik! Best wishes, Sarah Vincent

What a pleasant surprise to receive an e mail from you. I recall coming along as an honorary member to the last Madrigal Group reunion, and I enjoyed it very much, so I should really like to come along to this one. …Since John and Peter have both gone to university our house seems very empty; such a contrast with a year ago when their friends often met at our house. Also, Pat now works in Stoke on Trent and comes home alternate week-ends. Oh well, I have guinea pigs for company!… This sounds like it really will be fun. I will certainly come along. I don’t know at this stage whether Pat will be able to join us; we’ll have to see how that fits in with her work pattern later. Also I don’t have any contact details for the people you are trying to trace; most I have not seen since we left the school. If any of your invitees (is that a real word? Mr Coates would know!) are in need of transport from the Southampton area I will be glad to give a lift. I did have two cats called H…. and G…. many years ago; the two guinea pigs I now have are Dougal (he looks like the dog in The Magic Roundabout which I am sure you remember) and Willow (because of his colouring.) Steve Evemy

Hello there. Thanks very much for the information on the reunion. I hope that I can make it. Regards to you. Tich Searl

William has now forwarded me your e-mail to the Berlin and Yugoslavia 'madrigalers'. As you will have gathered I am no longer working at Surrey Heath (they gave me early retirement as part of ongoing restructuring). William has told me of your hopes for another reunion. I very much hope that this succeeds. The last one was a real success. Judith Pedley

I look forward to hearing more about the planned reunion. Regards, Malcolm Broom

How lovely to hear from you. Yes, Alastair and I will be delighted to come to the reunion. I can’t believe that such a long time has passed since the last one! Best wishes, Belinda Taylor

Lovely to hear from you. Yes,as far as I know, I can come to the reunion and I may even bring my husband! It will be great to catch up on everyone's news. I am in a choir called Chromata in London and will be very sad not to sing in it after July (when I stop my part time teaching job in London). Nice to read all those familiar names, I hope that we will recognize each other! Kind Regards, Jane Greenshields

Thank you for your Email. Greetings! Sorry to be a bit slow in replying, but I wanted to check my availability for Oct 15th and it looks like I can make it. With Best Regards, Alastair Kennaugh

It was great to hear from you. Feel free to forward my e-mail address to others from school. I emigrated to the U.S in 1983, and have lived in California for the last 28 years. Don't have much contact with anyone back in the U.K anymore, except an annual Christmas card from the Reverend David F. I will really try to get to the reunion in October. I would love to hear from you all. (a good reason to update my Facebook page!) Best Wishes, Dave Lillington

Thanks for your letter about the Woodroffe Madrigal Reunion on October 15th 2011. I would like to come. John Lillington

It's Go for 15th October 2.00

Dear Woodroffe Madrigal Groupie I wonder if you have realised it is 40 years this summer since the Woodroffe Madrigal Group visit to Yugoslavia? When some of us last convened to remember this event in 1996 we decided to do so again this year. I would like to invite members of that 1971 tour and of the tour to Berlin in 1969 to join together for an afternoon of reminiscence and singing this October. The date will be Saturday October 15th 2011 most probably at Woodroffe School - it is the same day as the main Woodroffe Association Reunion which will take place that evening so you can go to both events if you wish!Loose plans at the moment are to chat and share photos and memories over a cup of tea before a good session of singing some of the tour repertoires (music will be provided although I bet many of us remember at least some of the parts!). I am inviting Brian Manners, of course, and David Coates as an honorary member! Once again I hope we can project the cine film Ernest Wellings made. Partners are of course most welcome too. I'll be in touch again with an update soon.