Yorkshire Teacher On Visit To Christchurch

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29908, 23 August 1962, Page 2

Yorkshire Teacher On Visit To Christchurch

Duncombe Park, a Church of England preparatory school for girls in Yorkshire and the former home of Lord Feversham, is still the centre of Helmsley village life, said Miss Kathleen Gimson. a teacher on the staff, in Christchurch yesterday.

“There is a wonderful community spirit in the old world village.” she said. “The people rally round the school in every way and the pupils take part in much of the village life, including attending its church.” The fine old early Georgian home, built in 1718. is set in a park as big as Hagley Park, where the pupils hold pony gymkhanas and pony camps.

The school has 100 pupils, all boarders, including two young cousins of the Duchess of Kent.

“When Miss Katharine Worsley married the Duke of Kent, all the pupils and staff were invited over to nearby Hovingham Hall to see the wedding procession,” she said. Miss Gimson teaches general subjects to new entrants to the school and also manages the household. She is a former secretary of the Middlesbrough branch of the National Council of Women Her brother. Sir Franklyn Gimson. is a former Gover-nor-General of Singapore. When Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong early in the Second World War, he was

taken prisoner by the Japanese and owed his life to the Red Cross Society. In retirement he now devotes his full time to the society and is county director of the North Riding of Yorkshire Red Cross, she said. Miss Gimson is in New Zealand on her summer vacation from school to visit an old friend. Miss Margaret Bowen, of Park terrace, who is a former headmistress of Duncombe Park. Next year the present headmistress. New Zealand-born Miss M. H. Grant, will visit Miss Bowen.