Dear friends,

Bousfield is unique. Educationally, architecturally and historically.

But have you ever wondered where the name Bousfield comes from? What did the place look like when Beatrix Potter lived there, and even before her…? Why is this prefabricated, modernist, school listed by National Heritage? What does Bousfield School and the Barbican have in common? Why is there a giant yellow lollipop in the playground? What does it mean to be a Bousfield pupil? Which students found fame after attending the school?

All will be revealed soon, but we need a little help from the Bousfield community.

We’ve been researching and writing a book on the history of Bousfield School. The idea is to create an interesting, immersive, great-looking publication, available for everybody who has an interest in the school: past and present parents & pupils, educationalists, historians and the many architecture students who regularly ask for information and visit the school.

Our work on the book has already taken hundreds of hours in research in archives and libraries, as well as in interviewing past pupils, parents and staff. We have collated an amazing wealth of stories and interesting facts with fascinating drawings and photographs going back over a century. The novelist and journalist Marius Brill, who attended the school himself in the early 70s, is kindly editing our contributions, together with former Bousfield teacher Ms Jane Lawrence. The graphic designer, Denis Kakazu, a former Bousfield parent is working on the graphic design; and photographer, Ana Luiza Rodrigues, also a former Bousfield parent, has taken new pictures of the school and various archival documents.

All proceeds will go to the school, making the book a charitable publication.

We aim to get the book gorgeously designed, in a style fitting to the school. Because colour is so essential to the school, integral to the building - the blue, yellow and green facade, the exposed steel beams in black and the white bands of glazed brick – we’re aiming to have the book colour printed. Using a professional printer, quotes are in excess of £1300 (for 200 copies).

We do hope you find this project interesting. It's not only a wonderful piece of local history, but also the history of a remarkable school and an exceptional post-war building which has inspired architects around the world.

Your support will make it reality, in the best possible way.

Thank you!

Love from,

Stina and Juliette