Pupil pen pals tell of lives well lived

PUPILS from a school in Henley took part in a letter exchange with residents of a care home.

Twelve children from St Mary’s visited Manor Care Home in Mill Lane to share what they had written.

The Year 6 pupils from the preparatory school in St Andrew’s Road were replying to individual letters that they had been sent.

They read their responses aloud to a group of about
12 residents before meeting and posing for pictures with their counterparts. Annabelle Bardsley, 10, read a letter she had written to resident Christine Wright with her classmate Elle Heath.

In her initial letter to the girls, Ms Wright whose children attended St Mary’s, explained some of the school’s history.

She recounted the story of how the school’s former headmistress Pamela Beggin tried to take out a loan to buy the school from its founder Margaret Bailey in the Sixties but the bank was initially unwilling to approve a loan to a young mother.

The girls wrote back: “We enjoyed reading your letter. It was very interesting to learn the history of St Mary’s (our school). We were surprised the bank manager would not give Pam any money. We are very passionate about equal rights.”

On meeting Annabelle, Ms Wright said that she had sent her three sons to St Mary’s Preparatory School and was delighted now to have a “daughter”.

Johnny Pratt and Jarvis Hogan, both 10, wrote a joint letter to James Duff, aged 103.

The boys talked about their family history, and shared their interests, including their love for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

They wrote: “We would love to meet you in person and it is so cool you have been almost everywhere in the world, such as Pakistan, Portugal and more. We loved your letter and we loved your story about the war (Johnny’s Great Grandad also played a great part like you and so did Jarvis’s).”

Buddy Moore, 10, responded to a letter to resident Myles Carter in which he bonded over Mr Carter’s Scottish background. He wrote: “I really liked your letter. It was really thoughtful. My mum was born in Scotland and I go to Scotland every year.

“I really like sport, especially football. I bet it was really cool that you became the captain of shooting for four years and won a cup. I bet that is a prized possession.”

The home’s general manager Ellie Faramarzian said that it had been a great experience for both parties.

She said: “All we try and do is bring some normality back for our residents, so we chose those who were maybe teachers or those interested in reading and poetry.

”And for the kids, it’s nice for them to feel connected to the community and learn from the elderly residents.”