Valerie Olsen ATD, NDD
Valerie was born in Chiswick 1926 and lived at Wimbledon Park, also Wimbledon Common for the first 40 years of her life. Aged nine she became a junior exhibitor at the Royal College of Music & studied piano there until 1942 ( becoming an evacuee at the beginning of the war in 1939)
She went to the School of Art at the Polytechnic, Regent Street, then in 1946 to the Institute of Education as a qualified Art Teacher, an ability to make things, she became enthusiastic & energetic member of the Schools Art Departments, particularly enjoying costume designing & prop making for the school play productions.
In the Advertising department of Bayer Pharmaceuticals she was responsible for the art work & exhibition designs for the ethical products, as well as press ads, for home & overseas publications. In due course Valerie moved to a Law publishers, producing similar publicity work & hob-nobbing with the legal profession in Chancery Lane.
In 1968 she left London for St Leonard's on sea, then later to Fairlight where she began making headdresses for Bernard Delfont productions, The Dance Studio. Valerie had her own interior design consultancy producing Hats for
London Fashion Week Catwalk Shows.
The last 15 years of her professional life were at Hastings College, becoming Senior Lecturer & Head of Fashion during which time she established the Annual College Fashion Shows at the De La Warr Pavilion at Bexhill.
Valerie in her earlier years, was keen yachtswoman. With here first husband she often sailed to France & the Channel Islands in there very small boat. Later crewing with different yacht owners seemed more hazarduous than surviving channels gales in her own boat.
Valerie has travelled widely, particularly in France, has ridden the mule trail down the Grand Canyon, painted in Petra & at the Pyramids, been grandmother of the bride groom in Sydney.
Now retired, Valerie paints & exhibits, she has a love hate relationship with a large garden, enjoying the fruits of her labour, but labour becoming more painful these days . . . . .
We would like to thank Valerie for a short glimpse into her life & pleasure to welcome & see her here at Fletchers, your a glamorous gorgeous lady.
Lee & Pete xxxx
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