Remembering Waverley
9 August 2013
Alumni Sheila Harvey (nee Brown) and Mary Christsen (nee Hartshorne) returned to Waverley recently – for the first time in almost 50 years!
What made the trip even more special was that Mary was on a visit back to the UK from her home in Australia. Although the ladies remain close friends, it had been six years since they last met up.
Alumni Relations Officer, Clare Oswin, showed them around the building. They shared their stories of their student days and said how the building had changed over the years with a theatre costume design studio where the Students’ Union refectory and common room used to be, and the Waverley Theatre in place of the old library.
Mary (Fashion Design 1964) took interest in some of the costumes in the studio. She said: “I remember creating work for my end of year fashion show, although back then we modelled our own clothes!”
Sheila (Fine Art 1965) said: “I felt quite emotional when I stepped back into my old Fine Art teaching room. It brought back a lot of wonderful memories”.
Mary worked for a children’s clothing manufacturer for a number of years and now enjoys life with her husband in Brisbane, Australia. Sheila enjoys teaching and still exhibits her work. You can see her latest collection of beautiful paintings at the Opus Gallery in Ashbourne in September 2013.
If you are interested in taking a tour of any of our campus buildings then please get in touch. Email alumni@ntu.ac.uk
Black and white photograph shows Sheila (front) with classmates Thirza Archbell and Barbara Butler on the steps of Waverley building circa 1965.