Is there still a School hymn? And it is sung on the School Birthday? It was part of the most important celebration of the whole year, and woe betide anyone who could not sing it by heart, because we sang it in the dark.

There would have been a Communion Service in the morning and then a netball match – Old Girls Vs Present Girls. The playground then being in the angle at the back of the school building. (I took part only for a few after leaving but was already so unfit that I thought I was going to die on the pitch, and wondered if this would be A First.) Later on there was a General Knowledge Quiz and entertainment, but the culmination of the day’s proceedings was the Torch Ceremony.

The present school lined up in the body of the Hall and the Old Girls formed a circle right round the edge – in order of age. In front of the platform stood the Oldest Old Girl, and when all the lights were put out, she held up a great iron torch – the Torch of Learning – (with a bulb in its middle) and declared “Hane lampada mihi primo datem, nunc tibi trado” * and turned to the person on her left. As it was passed from hand to hand round the huge circle, the school hymn was sung: “Father in Heaven who lovest all.” It finally came round to the present Head Girl, standing next to the oldest one, who cried: “ Hane lampada mitu traditam fideliter custodiam.”

In my first years, the oldest old girl was Lady Parry, then in her 70’s, who remembers walking to school on the day it was founded in 1878, hand in hand with Canon Francis Holland.

*This torch first handed to me, I now pass on to you! This torch, passed onto me, I will guard faithfully..”
By our day, the frosted glass has been broken, and replaced, rather inadequately, with yellow cellophane.