Angeline Dowler nee Abbott H99

It can’t really be 21 years ago since I left Charterhouse can it?! I don’t feel old enough for that to be true. I am lucky enough to have so many fabulous and vivid memories of my time there…..

 The aroma of burnt toast each day at quarter. The running to catch the last bus back to Stainers or Nelsons girl’s digs and then chats (and Banco) late into the night. The dressing up for Founders Feast and coming up with new and inventive ways to conceal your contraband. Scottish and country dancing; the lethal combination of a newly polished hall floor and novice dancers - a sure-fire way to incur magnificent bruising! The 50-mile walk; such an adventure and camaraderie, then proudly hobbling into Chapel the next day with your new tie. Geography field trips; fancy dress in Bowness and impromptu piano concerts at the local pub in Bakewell. Girls’ cricket drawing a crowd of spectators (or was that my mum’s picnic?) The joy of a stroll to Crack and subsequent sugar high. Knowing, to the minute, how long it took to walk to Chapel or hash from House and making sure you left no earlier than absolutely necessary. Club with the flock wallpaper, sticky carpet, stale beer stench and perilous fire escape staircase after “two pints” served to you by your mates working behind the bar. Limitless access to amazing facilities, with friends and activities on tap - oh what a luxury! 

Last I heard was that the School leavers’ yearbook is still going and that warmed my cockles as (I believe) Christian Kramer (Head of House for Girdlestoneites) and I started that little tradition back in 1999. I still have mine to look back and cringe at!

As for life after Charterhouse; I studied Geography and Archaeology at Manchester University - I’ve always loved a field trip! Then Law at Chester and Guildford Law Schools, before returning to the North-West for a few years to work at Halliwells and then Addleshaws.

I was always a little disappointed that life as a lawyer wasn't how it was portrayed in Ally McBeal so 11.5 years ago I went in search of some glamour as an in-house lawyer at Sky. I'm still here, specialising in consumer and regulatory law and still searching for that glamour!
Five years ago I crossed to the dark side and married an Old Cranleighan, James. We live in Molesey in Surrey but love to travel and managed to sneak off for an eight month around the world trip a few years ago. Since having our two little sleep-thief darling daughters Marina (4) and Darcey (2) we have still managed a few trips to some far flung destinations but there’s slightly more focus on finding playgrounds with the best view from a swing these days. We are hoping we can keep up the adventures still once we are outnumbered when baby number three arrives in December and COVID has eased. 

I’m lucky enough to keep in contact with a fair few OCs and we always have a lot of fun when we get to see or speak to each other.  It’s sadly not as often as I’d like as it tends to be a bit more effort than nipping up a single flight of stairs or a two-minute cycle (oh yes the joy of being one of the privileged few of being allowed a bike) across Green……oh those were the days!