WE HOPE YOU ENJOY READING ANOTHER BIO.

THIS ONE IS FROM DI SUMMERHAYES.

I have just read the most interesting bios on the blog and feel I must have early onset Alzeimers – all the things people remember about school, the teachers, fellow pupils, goings on behind bike sheds, and I have very few memories.  Some of the things I do remember are:

·         Watching Helen Andrews do cartwheels or some other amazing gymnastic feats across the school oval.  Also Vicky Glass and some other purple dressed people on the school oval

·         Doing everyone’s sewing (cross stitch) in 3^rd year sewing as part of the final test – when it came to the results, everyone passed – me included

·         Behind the sheds at the tennis courts in Reid where we were playing sport – I think we were smoking but what the heck!

·         And reading “Poo Lorn of the Elephants” with our English teacher Mrs Pridmore

·         And pinning rude messages on Mr Wigney’s sports jacket and saying at the beginning of each class “Bonjour M de Vigne (his French surname)”

·         And the list could go on but at the  risk of  total boredom I  won’t continue

Post TPHS:

·         On leaving TPHS, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do (definitely not university) so worked in the Public Service for 6 months before starting nursing training at the Canberra Community Hospital in mid1963 together Sue Geach and Penny Palmer from TPHS. After a couple of years I went back to the ”service”.

·         Went overseas in 1968 – to England for the next 2 years.  Had some interesting jobs in Harrods and the UK Foreign Office until I returned to Australia in 1970.

·         I worked with my dear late mother in 1970 at Metropolitan Business College in Canberra before going to the John Curtin School of Medical Research, working for the Professor of Immunology.

·         In 1975 I went to Paris for 2 years where my (then) husband worked as a post-doctoral  medical researcher at the University of Southern Paris.  I worked in the OECD and we had many interesting travels, both in France and also in England, Ireland ,Scandinavia, East Africa.  We came back to Canberra in 1976 where our son, Andrew, was born in 1977.

·         Following my divorce, I returned with my son to live in Canberra in 1980 where I went back to the Metropolitan Business College to work, and continued there, as Director, for the next 20 years.  It was a fascinating time to work in the training sector, one that I enjoyed immensely.

·         In 1999 I made a career change from the private sector and moved to the public sector for the last 10 years of my working life.  I retired in March 2010 from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.  

·         From my time living in France I developed a great love for French textiles and home furnishings.  For the last 8-10 years I have enjoyed this hobby and my many French friends have indulged me in my love of speaking French.  Other hobbies are movies, reading, sewing, patchwork, and volunteering for Bosom Buddies, a Canberra support group for those of us who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

·         Another great love is travel and I have been to France many times over the past 10-15 years pursuing my hobby.  I have just returned from a trip to Boston to spend Christmas with my son Andrew who has worked there for the past 6 years as a post-doctoral medical researcher. 

All in all, when I read what I have written, I realise I am lucky to have had an enjoyable life and  I look forward to meeting all of you who are able to come to the reunion – I hope you will recognise me and that I am able to recognise you!

THANKS DI. NOW WHERE ARE ALL THE OTHER BIOS?