14th October

Esme Henry – a lifelong Morley student

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Esme Henry tells her fascinating story for this month’s episode of the Morley Radio Student Stories Podcast. Esme came to live in South London in 1964 from Jamaica. She worked as machinist in Soho, creating luxury women’s coats for Burberry and also made clothes from home. Throughout her life she’s designed her own stylish clothes.

Thirty years ago, Esme enrolled at Morley on a cookery course and loved the classes. Her passion for learning was recognised with a Morley Student of the Year Award and she was later hired by Morley to support the course.

A few years later Esme proudly worked as a receptionist at the House of Commons. In retirement Esme had stayed busy, taking up Morley acting classes with course tutor Tim Taylor. For the past decade she has attended Dance Stretch each week. Tim teaches the class which he describes as “an energetic dance class which combines fitness training with the pleasure of dance”.

Esme says “I’ve always enjoyed coming to Morley. I look forward to my dance class. We do all different types of dance. Once we get to learn the steps, we have a big performance at the end of term.”

“I’ve got friends in the class. Mr Tim chooses the music, he puts on a laptop so we can practice from home during the week. The class can be hard at first, but you get used to the steps as the class goes on. The whole point in coming is to learn! I enjoy everything about the class – and I’ll carry on doing it for as long as I am able to!”

Listen to Esme’s story on Morley Radio!