Recollections of de Winton

Even the most superficial dip into our story of co-education reveals the opening of the first House for girls in 1987.

But accommodating girls in the school wasn’t simply building a House and opening classroom doors. It meant rethinking all aspects of school life: pastoral care, sport, activities and the day-to-day routine that define a school community. The opening of de Winton and subsequent increase in numbers of girls marked a major shift in school life as well as in the history of Christ College.  

Jon Reece (Staff 1986-90) and Liz Reece (Staff 1987-1990) were appointed as Housemaster and House Matron to establish de Winton House for its opening. They ran the house for its first three years. We’re delighted to share reflections from Liz (now Liz Reece Harris) who recalls the early days of de Winton and its very first girls.

Just the novelty of a new House and its new occupants presented challenges for everyone, including the girls themselves, but under Jon and Liz’s leadership and with the support of de Winton House Tutor, Alison Hembrow (Staff 1987-1999), a House spirit quickly emerged – a spirit that had been at the heart of the boys’ houses for more than a century.

Writing about Sports Day 1988 in The Breconian at the time, Anne-Marie James described how the girls’ enthusiasm and willingness to get involved in everything made all the difference. 

For Sports Day, the de Winton "All Pull Together" resurfaced. We entered everything possible, even the triple jump and the relay (which had three members!). Although we were running against the middle boys . . . , we came last in every event. In spite of this we had a brilliant time. After all, it's the participation not the winning that counts!

Written within a year of the opening of de Winton, Anne-Marie's words are a powerful reminder of just how quickly the residents of de Winton shaped the distinctive character of the new House. Despite constant scrutiny in those early days and facing a huge discrepancy in numbers when compared to the population of boys, the de Winton girls encouraged one another to participate in everything with determination and an enormous sense of fun. Always supported by Liz and Jon Reece and Alison Hembrow, it's no exaggeration to say they laid the foundation for the de Winton we know today. 

We’re very grateful to Liz for bringing to life the beginnings of de Winton by offering us a window into the story of those early years. 

Under construction - de Winton 1986/87. 

I remember loving the location of Christ College when I first visited with my then fiancé, Jonathan, in 1986. I was very impressed by the feel of the school and the buildings, and we were warmly welcomed by the Headmaster, Stuart Hockey, and his wife, Mary.

I moved to Brecon in January 1987, having just completed my master’s in careers guidance in London and married Jonathan the month before. Our first home was in Orchard Gardens, next to the Kleisers who were so friendly and kind. We loved being able to hear Colin’s impressive piano-playing and we also loved being near Orchard House with the Cousins family on our doorstep. We could not have asked for more delightful and supportive neighbours.

Soon after arriving at CCB, we were asked to set up and run the new girls’ house, to be called ‘de Winton House’.

Liz Reece. August 1990. 

My role as Housemaster’s wife was very secondary to Jonathan’s role as a Housemaster. Like other ‘House Matrons’ – as Housemasters’ wives were known at the time, I received only a token stipend payment. Though we worked as a partnership within the House, I had to work full-time outside school.

I had been one of the first girls attending a boys’ school for my Sixth Form, so I had some personal insight into the experience of these pioneering girls. Even so, looking back after nearly 40 years, my biggest surprise is that we were asked to take on this role at all, given our relative inexperience and ages.

It was important to both Jonathan and me to provide support, a safe home and both pastoral and academic guidance to the girls. We knew that while so new, they felt under scrutiny across the school. I have built my own career on supporting and guiding others, so I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the de Winton girls – young women. This included formal and informal occasions, whether having groups of girls to dinner in our side of the house or chatting in the common rooms or kitchens or at night.

Life as a girl in the late 1980s was challenging. These enterprising, tenacious, resilient and impressive young women had to trail-blaze and create opportunities and prove their abilities, whether in sport, music, study or extracurricular activities. The staff and boys were mostly accepting of the changes in the school, but new systems had to evolve as girls settled in. It was also hard for the girls to be in a house where corridors were alarmed and checked at night – this must have been stressful for them at the time, despite best intentions to provide security and safety.

Our Heads of House and Prefects took their responsibilities seriously and contributed a huge amount to the running of the school and house. Discussing with them what they had to overcome at the time, I was acutely aware that they were always under scrutiny for what they said, did or looked like.

There was so much musical, dramatic and artistic talent in the house. The small number of girls in de Winton showed great commitment in forming the first Christ College girls’ teams to represent the school in several sports, magnificently set up and led by Alison Hembrow and other sports staff. They competed successfully with other schools’ girls’ teams and soon made their mark in inter-House events, whether on Sports Day or in the House Music Competition.

Change is often hard for the establishment to accept, but the girls’ characters and resilience led to very positive outcomes in so many areas of school life.

Resilient, characterful and impressive are the words I would choose to describe the girls in de Winton when I was there.

The girls we knew were all remarkable. Not all of them were supremely confident, but each one found her area of brilliance – whether in study, music, sport, art or extracurricular activities. I can only hope that none felt knocked back by entrenched views. I remember that at times there were tears and challenges, but they overcame these and showed their mettle, demonstrating resilience and determination.

Looking back almost 40 years, I hope they remember their time in de Winton with fondness – and are all still blazing a trail wherever they are.

Girls' Hockey Tour to Somerset. Easter 1990. 

If you are one of the de Winton pioneers, share a sentence or two with Huw or Felicity, or send us your story. Current pupils would love to hear from you.

If you'd like to reach out to Liz Reece Harris directly, you can message her directly via her Hub profile. 

Photo credits: AMH Collection, Christ College Archive.