Old Princethorpians

Also married this summer was Old Princethorpian Paul Fuller and his new wife Nicola. The wedding took place on Saturday 18 May at the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon where Nicola is originally from and the reception was at the nearby Menzies Welcombe Hotel. 

Paul and Nicola met in November 2002 in Leamington Spa and endured a long distance relationship for eight years.  At it's worst Paul lived in Norwich and Nicola lived in Bristol.  They got engaged in October 2010 at Fawsley Park near Daventry in Northamptonshire and then got a flat together in Bristol in early 2011.

We wish Paul and Nicola every happiness together.

Paul remembers his time at Princethorpe here...

I was at Princethorpe from September 1995 to June 2002.  I loved my time at Princethorpe and have many fond memories of the school; from Father McManus wondering around with his dog, knowing every pupil's name, Father Whelan who at the time was the Headmaster and would also lurk around the corridors during lesson time interrogating any pupil who was stood outside a classroom.  I also remember Max the Groundkeeper (everyone would say "howdo Max!" whenever we saw him! The teachers were wonderful and I remember great lessons with Mike Taylor in Geography and him taking us down to Swanage with Mick Kitterick on our Geography field trip.  The only rocks I remember now are Upper Purbeck, Lower Purbeck and the Wealden group!  Simon Peaple, probably still there.  he's the only man I ever knew that could make politics interesting and I remember him going on about Newt Gingrich.  It brought a smile to my face when this American Politician was in the press recently as I recalled my Govt & Politics lessons.  However my thanks very much go to the man who made me love English and who had the most wonderful sense of humour; he was of course Ralph Moore.  The man was a legend!

My first form tutor was Sarah Stewart who taught me French and I was in 7S.  I was in Benet as well. I completed a law degree and went on to pass the LPC and practiced family law in both Reading and Norwich but took a career change and began working with juvenile offenders.  I was a Prison Officer at HMP & YOI Ashfield for a while before joining the internal Youth Offending Team.  I now work as a YOT Practitioner for Oxfordshire County Council.  

I have always been very fond of Princethorpe and am very proud to be an Old Princethorpian.  I love the school and have the utmost respect for all of the teachers who worked there when I was a student.  They helped me become the person who I am today and it makes me very proud to see a dear friend from my school days at Princethorpe, Matthew Parsons go on to teach the young Princethorpians of today.  He was at my wedding and we will always remain friends.

Old Princethorpian Amy Davenport very sadly passed away on 7 June 2013. A thanksgiving service was held for her at the College on 28 June attended by family, friends and teaching staff.

Here Head of Sixth Form, Margaret Robinson, remembers Amy.

Amy was a lovely, kind and hardworking pupil while she was here with us at Princethorpe.

I think I can safely say that Amy was one of the gentlest, genuinely nice students we have welcomed. She enjoyed an unblemished record of behaviour and she was an absolute joy to teach. I have spoken to several of Amy’s teachers and we all concur; Amy was quite simply delightful.

I was privileged to teach Amy French during her Sixth Form years and so enjoyed her company for many lessons.  I can’t remember a single moment when Amy didn’t try hard; and she was polite enough to appear very interested in all aspects of the subject.  She spoke French very well, and clearly loved communicating.  She was kind and patient with others in the group, open to advice and ambitious to do well.

And I know her excellent work ethic was reflected in all three of her A-level subjects.

Amy was a quiet student: she enjoyed the company of a small group of close friends and, along with these friends, she happily joined in with social activities and was full of fun.  I would say that, in Sixth Form, she exuded maturity and appeared quite often to her teachers as “Little Miss Sensible”, but we also saw the giggling, silly Amy messing around and having fun with her mates.  For instance at Cranedale on the Geography field trip and at Marle Hall for the Sixth Form Induction.

At college Amy was a Year 7 form patron, organising events and trips for younger pupils.  She was a fine musician and achieved Gold DofE, overcoming the challenges inevitably thrown up with her customary resilience and determination.  She was very well travelled and I wonder whether having lived abroad contributed to her maturity and her interest in the wider world.  But most of all I would say that Amy cared most about other people, about her friends and her family and cared for her teachers.

Whether quietly smiling and working during her A-level classes, giggling with her friends, looking glamorous and happy at the Leavers’ Ball, our memories of Amy are sweet and lasting.  I was so pleased that Amy went on to study at university in Leeds, to make friends there and to continue sharing fun and happiness.  I am happy that Amy enjoyed the love of her fiance, and her family and her many friends.

It has been an honour to write about Amy at Princethorpe.  She was, simply, a beautiful person and we will cherish her memory forever.

Fr Mike Serrage officiated at the wedding of Old Princethorpian, Kathleen O'Keeffe to fellow teacher, Michael McCann, on Tuesday 28 May at Holy Cross R.C. Church, Llangollen.

The reception was held at the nearby Chainbridge Hotel, Berwyn, run by Kathleen's brother, Seamus, and his wife, Elizabeth. It was a very happy day!

Many congratulations to the happy couple and best wishes for their future life together.