We’re always delighted to hear from our alumni community and to share the stories that celebrate the lasting friendships and connections made at Edge Hill. Our sincere thanks go to Jenny Jones (née Croston), who recently got in touch with a wonderful reflection on a friendship that began nearly seventy years ago and continues to this day.
In her article, The Letter 1958–2024, Jenny recounts how, in September 1956, six young women met for the first time in the Common Room of John Dalton at Edge Hill Training College for Teachers:
Margaret Buckle (Saunders), Jennifer Croston (Jones), Kathleen Green (Woods), Margaret Hands (Bevington), Dorothy Howarth (Leatherbarrow), and Enid Martin (Simpkin).
Each had arrived at Edge Hill full of anticipation for their new life as trainee teachers, welcomed by a letter from a “college mother” a second-year student offering friendship and guidance. This nurturing tradition helped to ease the transition from school to college life and sparked the beginnings of a special bond among the group.
When their time at Edge Hill came to an end, the friends found it impossible to say goodbye. Determined to stay connected, they created The Letter, a shared correspondence passed between them in rotation for decades. Each would add their own news before sending it on, keeping their connection alive through every stage of life: teaching careers, marriages, family, and moves across the country. The Letter continued to circulate faithfully, later giving way to phone calls, reunions, and, most recently, monthly Zoom chats.
In 2008, the group returned to Edge Hill to mark 50 years since their time as students, revisiting the familiar spaces of their college years and reflecting on how much the University had grown. Today, three members, Dorothy, Margaret, and Jenny, continue to meet virtually, maintaining the friendship that began in Ormskirk almost seven decades ago.
Jenny’s story is a wonderful reminder of the lifelong connections and community that define the Edge Hill experience, a legacy of friendship and shared history.
Read The LetterNovember 3, 2025
