When looking back, Geraldine said that she loved seeing the time capsules buried, “They keep having to be dug up and re-buried when new buildings are built.” Another highlight was when a former Head Girl, Alice Newton, whose father was a publisher at Bloomsbury Publishing, brought in a manuscript to read, from her father. Alice loved the book so much that she told her father how brilliant it was, and that he must publish it. That book turned out to be Harry Potter. Mr Nigel Newton re-opened our library after its renovation in 2009, accompanied by his two daughters, former Putney Head Girls, Catherine and Alice (pictured right).

Geraldine leaves Putney as the second longest standing member of the staff body, the first being Senior School Art Technician, Karen Howard, although, as Geraldine jokily explained, “Karen came before me, but she only works two days a week, so if you add up our service days, I pip her to the post.”

Putney is very much part of the Dyos family, Geraldine’s husband Patrick being Putney boy born and bred (he was educated at the Elliott school). The pair now live in Staines-Upon-Thames, but Putney remains close to their hearts.

Geraldine will be greatly missed, but her legacy will live on in the meticulous archives and records of the school, which she has spent many years collating. She looks forward to spending her newfound time gardening… and reading? “No, you see, I only read on public transport, and I’ll have no need for that anymore.”
Maybe she will take a bus ride or two just to get her book fix…