Recently, Dr Jennifer Catto (MES 1999) and retired Junior School teacher Anne Davidson enjoyed tea and shortbread. Jennifer took the time to tell us about her charming lifelong friendship with her P1 teacher. Jennifer said:
“I joined the school in 1986. Miss Davidson - I still call her that - was my P1 and P2 teacher. I absolutely loved her as a teacher, and I still remember a lot of the things we used to do in her class. She would let each pupil take her rabbit, Smokey, home for a weekend to look after him, and once we were invited to play as a class in her lovely big back garden.
“When Miss Davidson retired, I was asked if I would like to say something at her retirement party. I was nine years old, and it was my first experience of public speaking! We have kept in touch ever since, mostly with Christmas cards, but we also used to see each other at the annual carol concerts in St Mary's Cathedral – it was always nice to chat to her.
Jennifer – who is now a senior lecturer in the University of Exeter’s Mathematics Department – continued:
“I left Edinburgh once I’d completed my degree, but my mum was on-hand to maintain a connection with Miss Davidson, visiting her many times and showing her photos of what I'd been up to. When I got married in Edinburgh in 2012, and Miss Davidson came to the evening party.”
Speaking about their recent get-together, Jennifer said: “It was lovely to spend the afternoon with Miss Davidson. We had a great chat and I enjoyed hearing all her latest stories and memories.”
