Here is a delightful photo of former headmistress Ruth Rudge during one of the West Heath Christmas lunches held just before the end of term when you could feel the excitement as pupils and staff prepared to head home to their families for the festive holidays.

Diners would pull their crackers and don the paper hats inside. The kitchen staff would add to the festive atmosphere by decorating their own headgear with tinsel and holly.

Carols by candlelight in the senior common room also played an important part in creating the festive atmosphere. Outside, the fir tree to the right of the front door entrance gates was decorated with lights. When this first happened the lights could be easily strung around the branches, but the tree grew so big that later a ladder was needed when the ground staff put up the lights.

We have only managed to unearth a couple of Christmas lunch photos. If anyone has any of their own we would love to see them and use in the future as a reminder of Christmas at West Heath.