Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

This is to let all you Hertford pupils out there that Nancy Cordery the former Director of Music at Hertford died on 9 July in Hastings. Her funeral service will take place at St. Laurence Guestling on Friday 24/7/09 at 1.30p.m. followed by committal at 2.45 p.m. at Hastings Crematorium.

The family would welcome information suitable for compiling an obituary about her from any former staff of Hertford or Old Girls. Please post here and I will pass the information on.

She tried to teach me piano. I had 3 years of lessons before CH and a year she taught me at Hertford but after that we gave up, no interest, and definitely no talent. We did see her from time to time around Rye (where I come from), the last time probably 15 years ago when I took my young family to see her when we returned from the US and were living in Fairlight for a short time.

Last seen in 2000, when she came to Hertford for our Reunion, accompanied by Miss Taverner.

totally off topic, but ......... How spooky - I had never heard of Guestling until about a week ago when we had a thankyou card from my recently married niece, and discovered that her new address is in Guestling. I would have called it sort of deja vu, but that doesn't look right without the accents. When I did a Certificate for Secretarial Linguists (?!) some years ago we used converted typewriters for French, where the keyboard was rigged so that you typed the accent first and the carriage did not move on until you had typed the letter under it. I know there is a way of doing it on the computer but frankly I can't be bothered to look it up. Similarly if I need to mention anything Finnish to Maria, I usually just type the letters and say 'add your own dots', although she does know how to convert to a Finnish keyboard.

Anyway, back on topic ...... I remember Miss Cordery although she never taught me personally, but I can picture her face and hear her voice in my head quite clearly - isn't that odd?! I had one year of piano lessons with Miss Barratt, and nearly finished with all of us in tears, myself because I was useless, my parents because they really couldn't afford the lessons, and Miss Barratt probably with sheer frustration because I doubt if she had ever met anyone quite so uncoordinated as me! I had taught myself to play the recorder, so I was reasonably familiar with the treble clef, but never mastered the bass, so my right hand always moved faster then the left!!

Fjgrogan wrote:totally off topic, but ......... How spooky - I had never heard of Guestling until about a week ago when we had a thankyou card from my recently married niece, and discovered that her new address is in Guestling. I would have called it sort of deja vu, but that doesn't look right without the accents. When I did a Certificate for Secretarial Linguists (?!) some years ago we used converted typewriters for French, where the keyboard was rigged so that you typed the accent first and the carriage did not move on until you had typed the letter under it. I know there is a way of doing it on the computer but frankly I can't be bothered to look it up. Similarly if I need to mention anything Finnish to Maria, I usually just type the letters and say 'add your own dots', although she does know how to convert to a Finnish keyboard.

Anyway, back on topic ...... I remember Miss Cordery although she never taught me personally, but I can picture her face and hear her voice in my head quite clearly - isn't that odd?! I had one year of piano lessons with Miss Barratt, and nearly finished with all of us in tears, myself because I was useless, my parents because they really couldn't afford the lessons, and Miss Barratt probably with sheer frustration because I doubt if she had ever met anyone quite so uncoordinated as me! I had taught myself to play the recorder, so I was reasonably familiar with the treble clef, but never mastered the bass, so my right hand always moved faster then the left!!

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is one way to do it.

I also can play the recorder, learned at age of 5 and have never forgotten, but the piano, forget it.

Fjgrogan wrote:totally off topic, but ......... How spooky - I had never heard of Guestling until about a week ago when we had a thankyou card from my recently married niece, and discovered that her new address is in Guestling.

Well, even more spooky is that I'd never heard of it either, before today that is - we went for a drive to Rye and after drove to Hastings, and we drove through Guestling! I was thinking what a lovely place it is, very pretty, and then I come home, turn on the computer, and see this! Very, very spooky

I am extremely jealous of anyone who has the good fortune to live in Guestling - it's beautiful.

How sad! Another Hertford face gone!

And two weeks ago I learned that Miss Pye-Smith, who taught Biology up to about 1963 or thereabouts, had died. The information came from Betty Jukes, and I am jibbing about whether or not I should tell her about Miss Cordery.
Sue (was Evans) did think that she might go to Nancy's funeral but sadly she can't as there is a diary clash. I should be interested to learn if any other OG from Hertford can make it?

Sorry, no, but how is Miss Jukes?

Does anyone know the dates at CH of Miss Cordery or Miss Taverner? I have a complete lack of memory about my music teachers!

I think they are both in 'Who's Blue', Maggie.., but my copy is upstairs and I am currently downstairs. They would have been after your time, in the late 1950's and the 1960's. Maybe tomorrow I can give precise dates. With regard to the question 'How is Betty Jukes' I can answer that she is holding her own, still lives in the house in Woodlands Avenue, Hertford, to which she retired with Margaret Wilson. Betty is now well over 80, is virtually blind and physically disabled having had two hip replacements some years ago. But she is cheerful and keeps on going, supported by a wonderful cleaning lady, helpful neighbours and other CH friends such as Sybil Radley (nee Dolley) who taught French over two periods. Sybil taught me under her maiden name at A level (1966) but came back some years later under her married name and her daughter, Miriam McKay (nee Radley) is also a Hertford Old Blue.

Gosh, I suppose I had assumed that Miss Cordery had died some time ago - I thought she was already heading towards retirement when I was at CH. What age was she, I wonder? I remember her as a gentle soul - she didn't teach me piano (I had Miss Barratt, with similar experiences to Frances's) but she did take our general form music class. I have a feeling she had a breakdown as she disappeared for several terms and came back looking very thin.

Jazzlegs, would the family be willing to share their obituary for me to include in The Old Blue? She should get a mention, and some information over and above anything we collect on here would be useful.

Jo

I have already sent them the OB editor's e-mail address so I guess it will reach you as soon as they have compiled something.

For the rest of you she was on the staff from 1950 to 1982 so that should cover quite a few Old Girls. An obit will need a bit more substance than we have so far though!

I do know she was very good friends with a German teacher Mrs Agulnik and when she retired she bought a bungalow in the same close.