74 November 2016 www.bahrainthismonth.com britaininbahrain LIZ O’REILLY What keeps a woman working during a war and long after Widowhood? Sandy Whitford, MBE, talks about the sense of duty and service that has defined her life and the love she feels for Bahrain and its people. Sandy first came to Bahrain in 1980 when her late husband joined Gulf Air as a pilot. But, as the child of a military family, she had spent much of her life on the move and, prior to Bahrain, had also taught in Oman and Abu Dhabi. On moving to the Kingdom Sandy joined St Christopher’s School and was head teacher there for many years overseeing landmark developments such as taking over the Awali School from Bapco and organising visits of UK royals to the school. One of her abiding memories of those early days is during the first Gulf War. She says: “I remember watching from someone’s balcony as the last [evacuation] aeroplane went out. You think ‘that’s it, it’s fate now’. Anyone who was here will now say it was fun but at the time it was quite scary. I remember Radio Bahrain saying ‘the island is in danger’ which sent shivers down my back.” When her husband took early retirement, the couple bought a sailing boat and he took to the seas while Sandy remained in Bahrain. The idea was that she would eventually join him and the couple would settle in Spain. But his death 13 years ago left Sandy in Bahrain with decisions to make about the future. She says: “I’ve always enjoyed being in Bahrain. I like the climate, apart from July and August, and I like the people – the Bahrainis are very friendly and, once they get to know you, they treat you as family – so I decided to stay.” On retirement from St Chris in 2006, Sandy thought her teaching days were over and took time out to travel the world and catch up with friends and family. But the lure of island life soon drew her back and the opportunity to open her own school presented itself. She explains: “I’d done quite a bit of travelling and I was getting a bit bored when one of the partners [in the school] said ‘What do you think?’ I said it had been lovely doing nothing but it was too good an opportunity to miss. At each step of the way I kept thinking to myself ‘it’s going to fall through’ but it didn’t and here we are. I never thought I could run a business like this but now I think I should have done it years ago.” Over the years, Sandy has been involved with Conservatives Abroad Bahrain branch and has undertaken charitable work through the Royal Society of St George. She also ran voluntary teaching courses through the Ministry of Education for Bahraini teachers wanting to teach English. In 2014, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to education and the British community in Bahrain and she says much of her life has been guided by a sense of duty and encouraging British values. “I think I’m very aware of trying to portray the Best of British and I still have strong connections with the UK. I was brought up in a forces family and there were certain ways of behaving, British values if you like. When I talk to people about that they invariably comment on discipline and fairness and that’s something we instil in the school. “I don’t want to sound goody-goody but that’s just the way I am.” Duty Bound
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