Trips abroad were surely my favourite aspect of teaching, but also my biggest nightmare – a girl without a passport, homesickness; and yet, the wonderful nocturnal cruises on the River Seine, the roller-skating café in Futuroscope and hot chocolate in the gardens of Versailles.

In humility, we languages teachers know that a language is best acquired in the native culture, best of all in a family. We arranged numerous exchanges to our partner-school in Lyon, and the girls returned to England eager to express themselves, having broken through a linguistic barrier.

Then came Mandarin in the new millennium, and this brought a whole new dimension to the Department, with tea-ceremonies, chop-stick skills and the possibility of cooking with a wok in lessons (soon forbidden by Health and Safety). We were quick to find a partner school in Beijing, and the following year, I led a trip with 14 girls to stay in the Old Town of Shanghai. Water-cities, water-chestnuts, eye-exercises in school, a grotto for meditation in the school-grounds. All so different.

By now I had tackled several jobs at Putney. I became Senior Teacher in the 90s, playing a key role in Senior Management. I particularly loved delivering assemblies and a highlight came when the Head, Mrs Merchant, had me acting out the side-kick’s role in Mission Impossible to gales of laughter as I struggled with my outmoded trainers. I also loved the Staff Christmas Panto.

An event at which I did not excel was the Staff Fashion Parade. I had to model a gold-sequined evening gown and cape and was coached in how to do a twirl, swinging my cape casually over my shoulder. To my horror, the lady who coached us was present, which made me nervous and, of course, my casual pivot nearly made me tumble off the catwalk.