Former Girls’ Grammar School students reunited 50 years on
A GROUP of former Guernsey Girls’ Grammar School pupils got together to mark 50 years since they left secondary education with a reunion lunch.
The afternoon event at the Fleur du Jardin, organised by Debbie Dorey, was for those who left the school in 1973.
About 40 people attended and there was a buffet and old pictures on display.
Among the group were a handful who live off-island in countries including Singapore, France and Australia.
Mandy Barrett, who now lives in Australia, had not returned to Guernsey since 2019 and was happy to see her classmates again.
‘There’s a group of six of us who meet up regularly but it’s amazing to be able to trade memories with everyone else, it’s so interesting because we all remember different things so there’s loads to talk about,’ she said.
France resident Angela Dorey, who had also not been back to the island since pre-Covid, said it was the first time seeing some of her classmates since she left the school.
‘I keep in contact with quite a few online but it was really nice to chat in person and see everyone’s faces.’
Julie Mosley lives in Singapore but travels back to Guernsey at least once a year to see family and attend key events such as weddings.
‘It’s been great to see everyone all in one place and it’s been such a friendly atmosphere – it’s
like nothing has changed,’ she said.
‘I’ve been told that I used to want to go live in Iceland, which I do not remember, but it’s weird considering where I live now.’
The school was first opened as the Girls’ Secondary School at Granville House in 1895, with just 23 students.
It was renamed the Intermediate School in 1902 and numbers steadily grew. By 1918 numbers had reached 157, and the school was situated in the British Legion Hall in Victoria Road.
In 1923 the girls moved to Vauvert, prior to a switch to Rosaire Avenue in 1928, when numbers hit 250.
In 1950 the Intermediate Schools were given permission to retain students to the age of 18.
It became known as a grammar school from 1955.
It merged with the Boys’ Grammar School at sixth form level in 1972, with the amalgamation of the two schools completed in all years in 1983.
They moved to the current Grammar School site at Les Varendes in 1985.
