A wonderful Historical Evening

Yesterday’s Historical Evening was a great success, drawing a full chapel for another inspiring talk by Alex Dijkhuis. Despite the cold and rain, we were delighted to welcome an enthusiastic crowd of alumnae, history enthusiasts, friends, and even a lively gaggle of nuns from neighbouring Nazareth House (to quote Mother Josephine!). We are truly grateful to everyone who joined us and to all who supported the event by purchasing tickets. Our school continues to thrive thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of our community.

Following Alex’s talk in the Chapel, guests were invited to explore the site using their maps, pausing to marvel at our beautifully restored double‑height cloister painting and to journey through the exhibition in the Reception Room. Others were captivated by the variety of items in our archival display, browsing magazines and photographs dating back hundreds of years. Many also enjoyed our Sacred Heart merchandise stand, where a best‑seller of the evening was The Nunnery at Hammersmith- a book offering further detail about the history and stories Alex discussed earlier. It was such a joy to witness new connections forming across our community, as well as to see former classmates reunited, some for the first time in decades since leaving the school!

Thanks to your incredible support, our preliminary fundraising total stands at around £3,000 for Stage 3 of our cloister painting restoration, an extraordinary amount to raise in just one evening! We cannot thank you enough for your kindness and contributions.

As both Alex and our Headteacher, Mrs O’Donovan, emphasised last night, our school building is steeped in centuries of history. It is a privilege to celebrate and preserve it, along with the remarkable figures who have sustained it as a place of education, safety, and community for nearly 400 years. And, to quote one of our guests: “Long may it be here!!” (Alumnae 1988–93).