Isobelle Ray May at Ninety
Well known Kilmington resident and local teacher, Isobelle Ray celebrated her 90th birthday on 8th October 2009. She told Brian Lavender that she was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, of Scottish parents, Doctor Robert and Jean Ray.
Her father served in German West Africa during the first World War at a prison camp for Germans where he developed a great interest in Africa and its people. On return to Aberdeen he studied medicine and pharmacy at the University where he met Jean whom he married and they emigrated to Johannesburg where he became a district surgeon. Isobelle was one of three children, the eldest was Bruce and her sister Margaret the youngest. They were all educated in Johannesburg but she remembers that home was also her father’s surgery and it was always thronged with patients with her mother doing the bandaging.
At the age of 18, Isobelle and her brother returned to Scotland where Bruce completed medical training at Edinburgh University but tragically he was lost at sea in a sailing accident shortly afterwards. Her sister married and remained in South Africa and so Isobelle has nieces there who sometimes visit her. After teacher training, Isobelle took up a post at a school in Solihull meeting her lifelong friend Jane Halliday. Jane’s father was General Sir Lewis Halliday who was decorated with the Victoria Cross as a result of his actions as a Royal Marine at the Boxer Rising in China during 1900. Isobelle used to spend holidays with the family in Plymouth which led to her and Jane taking up teaching posts in Pippins School, Axminster, located in a house by the Guildhall. The school eventually moved up the Lyme Regis road near the site of the present Flamingo swimming pool. Isobelle describes the school as like a zoo at times with rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and a donkey! When she identified a mulberry tree in the grounds, she wrote to Lady Hart-Dyke who was dressmaker to the Queen to ask for silk worm eggs as silk worms thrive on mulberry leaves. The children then sent the cream coloured silk wound from the cocoons to the dressmaker which were used in the Queen’s Coronation robe. Isobelle taught children from many families including the Beckingsales, Parkinsons, Papes, and she even taught ex- Vet and Axminster Town Mayor Graham Godbeer.
After a few years Isobelle felt like a change and she joined the Shell Oil Company which had schools for its employees children all over the world. She spent a year in Trinidad and then went to teach at a school on the Orinoco River in Venezuela. She recalls being flown over the jungle in a Percival Prince by Douglas Bader, the legendary World War II fighter pilot who lost his legs while training, who became Head of the Shell Aviation Company. Returning to Axminster in the 1950’s she was lucky to find her dream house on the village green in Kilmington, built by Charlie Parsons for his mother who died before it was finished. Isobelle worked for the Somerset Education Committee undertaking remedial work in Chard until her retirement. Since then she has lived happily in the village enjoying membership of the Honiton Golf Club, acting and helping with the Kilmington Players and for several years driving patients to hospital. She still drives her own car and I am sure that everyone will wish to join me in congratulating her on a remarkable life.
Her father served in German West Africa during the first World War at a prison camp for Germans where he developed a great interest in Africa and its people. On return to Aberdeen he studied medicine and pharmacy at the University where he met Jean whom he married and they emigrated to Johannesburg where he became a district surgeon. Isobelle was one of three children, the eldest was Bruce and her sister Margaret the youngest. They were all educated in Johannesburg but she remembers that home was also her father’s surgery and it was always thronged with patients with her mother doing the bandaging.
At the age of 18, Isobelle and her brother returned to Scotland where Bruce completed medical training at Edinburgh University but tragically he was lost at sea in a sailing accident shortly afterwards. Her sister married and remained in South Africa and so Isobelle has nieces there who sometimes visit her. After teacher training, Isobelle took up a post at a school in Solihull meeting her lifelong friend Jane Halliday. Jane’s father was General Sir Lewis Halliday who was decorated with the Victoria Cross as a result of his actions as a Royal Marine at the Boxer Rising in China during 1900. Isobelle used to spend holidays with the family in Plymouth which led to her and Jane taking up teaching posts in Pippins School, Axminster, located in a house by the Guildhall. The school eventually moved up the Lyme Regis road near the site of the present Flamingo swimming pool. Isobelle describes the school as like a zoo at times with rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and a donkey! When she identified a mulberry tree in the grounds, she wrote to Lady Hart-Dyke who was dressmaker to the Queen to ask for silk worm eggs as silk worms thrive on mulberry leaves. The children then sent the cream coloured silk wound from the cocoons to the dressmaker which were used in the Queen’s Coronation robe. Isobelle taught children from many families including the Beckingsales, Parkinsons, Papes, and she even taught ex- Vet and Axminster Town Mayor Graham Godbeer.
After a few years Isobelle felt like a change and she joined the Shell Oil Company which had schools for its employees children all over the world. She spent a year in Trinidad and then went to teach at a school on the Orinoco River in Venezuela. She recalls being flown over the jungle in a Percival Prince by Douglas Bader, the legendary World War II fighter pilot who lost his legs while training, who became Head of the Shell Aviation Company. Returning to Axminster in the 1950’s she was lucky to find her dream house on the village green in Kilmington, built by Charlie Parsons for his mother who died before it was finished. Isobelle worked for the Somerset Education Committee undertaking remedial work in Chard until her retirement. Since then she has lived happily in the village enjoying membership of the Honiton Golf Club, acting and helping with the Kilmington Players and for several years driving patients to hospital. She still drives her own car and I am sure that everyone will wish to join me in congratulating her on a remarkable life.
Brian Lavender
