What happens when a group of 75 year old former classmates get together after a break of nearly 60 years?

We are thrilled to share with you that a group of alumnae from the 1950s and 1960s have collated their shared memories, experiences and recollections which has resulted in the publishing of their memoirs in a book titled 'Badminton School - Life Experiences Of One Class.'

The book is available to purchase by pre order only. Please place orders by 3pm on Friday 10th June. 

The following text has been written by one of the contributors,  Badminton alumna Harriet Grace, and tells you more about how the book was born and how to purchase a copy... we are very much looking forward to receiving our copy here at school and taking a trip down memory lane!

In April 2020, four weeks into the first lockdown of the Covid 19 pandemic, Hermione Pagoni (née Goddard) contacted the women she knew from her class at Badminton with a request for them to contact anyone else they knew from that class. 

 Within hours, it seemed, an increasing number of us were on a group email sharing memories, photos and sheer amazement that we were all alive and delighted to be in touch again.  This was followed a few months later with a zoom when sixteen of us met up on screen and listened, spellbound, to the stories each one of us had to tell.  And from this came the book: Badminton School 1950-1963 – Life Experiences Of One Class.

Badminton was founded in 1858 and the book opens with an introduction giving a brief history of the school leading up to the world as it was in the 1950s and early 60s: and attempts to show why the school was unusually liberal for its time, internationally focussed and such a special place that has influenced us all in different ways throughout our lives.  Our class was the first group of girls attending Badmintion School to be born immediately after World War II and we have lived through a time of huge change.  We show why we think it was important to record our experiences and the guidelines we used to do so.   This is followed by twenty personal accounts giving the reasons our parents chose Badminton, our time there and our life afterwards.

There are numerous individual photos of us doing all manner of activities, school photos of Junior and Senior School, extracts and pictures from the school magazines of that time, and it is beautifully produced by Hermione’s sister, Diana Aiken (née Goddard), a professional graphic designer.

Cost:  £17 per book + postage. 

All postage will be at cost.  We anticipate Standard UK 1st class postage should be £3.00.

Postage abroad will be at cost, arranged at the time with Diana Aiken.

Orders to be placed directly through Badminton School prior to printing. Please contact Stephanie Daniels on sdaniels@badmintonschool.co.uk if you would like to purchase a copy of the book. 

Payment and Distribution will be directly with Diana Aiken who will make contact with purchasers within a week after the book being printed (24th June)

Diana’s email and contact numbers:

dianamaiken@gmail.com

Landline:01761 434272

Mobile 07976 820655