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| Whatever happened to Miss Hepworth? |
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Patrick Morley posed the question, and eventually Barry Muir came up
with answers! Here is Barry's material. (August 22, 2007) Note that
although she taught at Central School for a short while she was at
Bemrose for far longer. Miss
Hepworth as her pupils knew her. Polly to family and friends. IN recent years there have been several letters and photographs of Bemrose boys and anecdotes of school days.
Eileen was brought up in Peterborough and, being my father's cousin, was also Aunty Eileen. On leaving Peterborough County School for girls when she was 18, she went to the University College of Nottingham. From here in 1934, she obtained her teaching qualification and, in 1936, her degree in maths. Whilst at college, she was involved in the tennis scene and drama activities. Both interests continued keenly during her teaching career. Another interest was marksmanship and she was the first woman to compete in the intervarsity contest for the Wakefield miniature rifle trophy. With much of her family living in the Derby area, Eileen decided to teach in the town and started at St Paul's School in 1934. After spells at Homelands and The Central School, she moved to Bemrose in 1944 where she taught maths for 28 years until she retired in 1972. In all, Eileen was teaching in Derby for 38 and a half years. The School Dramatic Society was a special interest and she was always fully involved in numerous productions: the Macbeths, Julius Caesar. Becket and Love's Labour's Lost, to name but a few. In the tribute to her in the 1974 Bemrosian, it was said that "everything she did was undertaken with determination, thoroughness and order."
Reading some of the old form magazines, written by the boys, during her early days at Bemrose, helps show the wide understanding of events that she must have had besides the main subjects she taught. She was, despite her love for order. also humorous and very caring. We have lots of very fond memories of her. Richard Marfleet.
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As
it is now almost a year since Miss Eileen Hepworth (Polly) passed away
at the age of 87 on December 18, 1999, I feel a short tribute to her
might be of interest, particularly to those who knew and were taught by
her. 
Our
family can testify to this as for many Christmases, Eileen would insist
on total concentration during Trivial Pursuits and puzzle games. She
loved doing crosswords and jigsaws and, especially during the summer
months, enjoyed tending her neat and tidy garden.