Mrs. Ralph's modest and charming personality could easily divert one's attention from the great contribution she made to the life of Drayton Manor, both inside and outside the school.

I am personally extremely grateful to her for her success in teaching German and Spanish and for the enthusiasm she inspired for those subjects. Her success derived not only from her outstanding qualities as a teacher but also from the tremendous efforts she made to arrange exchange visits to Germany for parties of our pupils. This involved hours of work on her part, most of which was done after school and during the holidays.

Apart from her work in her own department, Mrs. Ralph also played a considerable role in the work of the Dramatic Society, not only as an actress but as a "behind-the-scenes" seamstress.

Last but not least, I should like to mention that Mrs. Ralph followed the old tradition (established by myself twenty-eight years ago) of the Modern Languages Department and married one of her former pupils. And that, indirectly, is the reason for her much lamented departure. She is expecting a baby later in the year.

We all hope, "Lis", that you will bring the baby along to see us as soon as he/ she is strong enough to stand the journey.

F.R.J.R.