THERE will no doubt be plenty of sadness when the ‘old girls’ meet for the last time.

Former pupils and staff at Oxford Central Girls’ School and Cheney Girls’ Grammar School have held annual reunions for more than 40 years.

But the Old Girls’ Association committee has decided to say farewell after this year’s get-together.

Committee member Marilyn Oakey tells me: “Over the years, the association has brought together groups of mixed ages with much interest and amusement, but numbers have declined.

“Therefore, with waning numbers and the inability of many of the ageing ‘mistresses’ to attend, it was decided at the last committee meeting that the reunion on June 4 would be the last.”

Former pupils are expected to be joined by at least two retired teachers (or mistresses) – Ann Smith and Jean Spurge – and school secretary Mrs Perry.

Cheney Girls’ Grammar School at Headington was established after the closure of the 150-year-old Central Girls School in New Inn Hall Street in the city centre.

There was already a school called Cheney at Headington – the Cheney Secondary Technical School, for boys and girls, had opened in Cheney Lane in 1954, specialising in technology, commerce and art.

It replaced the Secondary Technical School, which was based mainly in St Ebbe’s but, at one time, operated on 19 sites across the city.

The £120,000 Cheney Girls’ Grammar School, in Gipsy Lane was officially opened in March 1960, after lengthy arguments over what it should be called.

One idea was that the Technical School should become a boys’ school called Cheney 1 and that a new girls’ school should be built and called Cheney 2.

Former Central girls entered the argument, some calling for the Central name to be retained and others wanting it to be named after Louisa Chadwick, headmistress of the Central School for 36 years.

The Oxford city education committee rejected all the suggestions and plumped for Cheney Girls’ Grammar School. The two schools eventually merged in 1972.

The final reunion for the ‘old girls’ will be held at Cheney School on Friday, June 4, at 7pm for 7.30pm.

All former pupils and staff of the two schools are welcome to attend the event.