The Pocklingtonian 2017/2018 | Page 35

BOARDING// FAIRCOTE HOUSE The year was 1988… A first class stamp cost 12p; a new royal baby - Princess Beatrice of York - was born in August; This Morning aired on TV for the first time with Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan; and BBC Red Nose Day raised £15 million in its first year… This was also the year girls began boarding at Pocklington School in the newly repurposed Faircote House. The house itself has a rich history: In 1867, the Fairweather family lived in and it was used as the town’s doctor’s surgery before it became part of Pocklington School properties. Robert Peel was the first housemaster to welcome new boarders and in the 30 years that have followed, Faircote House has undergone many changes, hundreds of girls have passed through our doors, and we have seen many staff come and go. This year in particular, we have said goodbye to Glenda Smith, who retired at Christmas after working in Faircote for 8 years – 4 as a non-res tutor, and 4 as our day matron. Stepping into her incredibly snazzy shoes as day matron, Jill Dowson – affectionately known to the girls as ‘Jilly D’ – joined the Faircote team after 19 years working in other areas of the Foundation. She has brought with her an abundance of energy and character, and has quickly become a well-loved member of our house. We also waved our final bon voyage to Eliza Burg and her family at Easter, as they returned to Australia to await the arrival of baby number two and begin a new chapter of their lives together. Alex Chenery, also head of the EAL Department, is our new resident house tutor, and is the most positive and hard working person we have ever met! It is always with a tinge of sadness that have to say goodbye to our leavers, and this year is no different. We would like to wish the best of luck to our 13 inspiring Upper Sixth boarders and 4 hardworking Fifth Year girls, who move on to pastures new in July. We have equipped them with as many life lessons as we could, and are proud of the well-rounded young ladies they have become. It goes without saying that you all have a standing invitation to come back and visit often! A thank you must go out to this year’s House Prefects – you have done a wonderful job! Looking forward to next year, Emma Falkingham will be our Head of House, and will be joined by a team of deputy heads: Oniro Ibani, Abby Chen, Erin He, Nikita Roy and Rita Ni. As in years previous, these girls have been selected to represent Faircote as they are great role models for our boarders, and we look forward to seeing them excel in their roles throughout the year. As we look forward to the next 30 years, we encourage all who may have a passing interest in boarding to give it a go. In the words of one of our U6 THE POCKLINGTONIAN 33