Notable Allanians

Fellow of the Royal Society and Director of Research at the Cavendish Laboratory. After leaving school, Russell studied at Cambridge University, where he achieved an MA and PhD in Physics (1990-96). A post as lecturer at Durham University followed before he was made Professor of Nanotechnology at Imperial College London. He has won a number of national and international awards for his work, including the Institute of Physics Paterson Medal and Prize (2008) and an ERC Advanced Investigator Grant from the European Union (2009). He was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society in 2010. Professor Cowburn returned to Cambridge in 2010 as Director of Research at the Cavendish Laboratory. Awarded the Clifford Paterson Medal and Lecture 2016 "for his remarkable academic, technical and commercial achievements in nano-magnetics".

Awarded OBE. Jane campaigned for the awareness and prevention of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) following the death of her partner in 1990. She founded and is now Director of the charity Epilepsy Bereaved and her work was recognised in January 2010 by the award of an OBE. In 2013 Jane's work was recognised internationally by the award of the Social Accomplishment Award in Epilepsy.

President of Unilever Foods. Amanda left Dame Allan's in 1981, obtaining a Masters in Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge University in 1985.  From there she joined Unilever as graduate trainee. She spent 17 years in America, returning to UK in 2010 as Executive Vice President and Chairman, Unilever UK & Ireland. She has represented the company on the Policy Issues Council (PIC) of IGD as well as sitting on the Executive Committee of the Food & Drink Federation, and the Department of Health Responsibility Deal Steering Committee. In 2014 Amanda was promoted to a global post with Unilever as Vice-President (hair products) and has been promoted again to President for global marketing of food products. This last appointment, which she is taking up this autumn, brings a seat on the top Unilever board. She is the first woman to be appointed to this board. https://www.unilever.com/news/our-leadership/amanda-sourry.html

Knight and former NHS CEO. Neil McKay joined the NHS as a trainee administrator in 1970. In 1976 he moved to the St George's Hospital Group in London where he was responsible for commissioning the first phase of the new St George's Hospital, Mental Health and Learning Disability Services. In 1985 he became the first general manager for the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, which he led to become one of the first wave Trust hospitals in England. He was the Regional Director for Trent until 2000 when he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive for the NHS,  later Chief Operating Officer for the Department of Health. He was Acting Chief Executive for the NHI at the time of the publication of the NHS Plan. Chief Executive of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in 2002, appointed as Chief Executive of NHS East of England in 2006. In 2000, Neil was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Sheffield, he was awarded a CB in 2001 and was knighted in the 2009 New Year’s Honours List for his services to the NHS.

Former Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) at Oxford University. Elizabeth was a distinguished French scholar. She produced a number of books in French, probably the most celebrated being the first full-length study of the novels of Simone de Beauvoir in 1988. Elizabeth became the first female fellow of St John’s College Oxford in 1990. A professorship followed in 2002 and she became Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) of the University of Oxford in 2005. Sadly, Elizabeth developed Motor Neurone disease and died in December 2009.

Fellow of the Royal Society and Professor of Physics at Imperial College. Edward achieved both a degree and a doctorate at Oxford University before moving to America to teach at Columbia University. He was Professor of Physics at Yale University before returning to the UK in 1994. He is currently Professor of Physics at Imperial College, London. Edward was made a Fellow of the American Physical Society (1994), Fellow of the Institute of Physics (1996) and Fellow of the Royal Society (2004). He has received a number of honours including the Humboldt Prize (1998), the Thompson Medal (2008), the Rumford Medal (2008) and the Faraday Medal (2013). He is internationally renowned for his work on cold matter.

Fellow of the British Academy (1996) and of the Royal Historical Society (1986) Described by Newcastle University as "arguably the leading living social historian of early modern Britain." Following his time at Dame Allan's he attended Cambridge University, where he earned a BA (1970), and PhD (1974).  He lectured at the University of St Andrews, became Professor of Social History at Cambridge, and since 1999, Randolph W. Townsend Jr. Professor of History at Yale.  He has held Visiting Professorships at the Universities of Toronto, Alberta, Northumbria and Newcastle upon Tyne, and served as James Ford Special Lecturer at Oxford (1993) and as the British Academy’s Raleigh Lecturer in History (2005). He is an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge (2008), and an Honorary Professor of the University of Durham (2008). He maintains close ties with the North East and his work has brought global attention to the historical significance of Newcastle and the North.

CBE, Clinical Director of the All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre. After leaving Dame Allan’s in 1967, he trained in general medicine and clinical pharmacology at the University of Newcastle and in the USA. He is an honorary consultant physician and clinical pharmacologist at the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. Professor Routledge was elected Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of London (FRCP 1986), of Edinburgh (FRCPE 2002), of the British Toxicological Society (FBTS 2006) and the British Pharmacological Society (HonFBPhS 2014). He is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (FLSW 2017) and Emeritus Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at Cardiff University. He is also a President Emeritus of the British Pharmacological Society. He was awarded an OBE in the 2008 New Year's Honours List and a CBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List, both for services to medicine. 

BBC TV and radio presenter. After a brief spell at ITV as one of its first women reporters, Marian Foster became well known nationally as a presenter for BBC Television’s Pebble Mill at One (1972-86). She has also presented numerous gardening and music programmes on BBC Radio 2, Radio 4 and Radio Newcastle.

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and MBE. Eileen Conn, MA (Oxon) FRSA MBE, attended Dame Allan's Girls' School 1950 -  1957. Eileen worked for many years in the Civil Service beginning in Newcastle County Court in 1958, where her quest began to understand how corporate decision making could produce so many perverse results which seemed to be at odds with the desired aims. Moving from  Newcastle  to  London  in 1963, Eileen went to St Hilda’s College Oxford in 1966 as a mature student to read PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics). For many years after Oxford, she worked in Whitehall in central UK Government, as a policy maker on the organisation, management and development of government systems, and after Whitehall in developing systems of business corporate social responsibility. In the 1990s she established ‘Living Systems Research’ as an umbrella for her study of ‘Social Dynamics and Complex Living Systems’, and her work in the field for ‘Sustainable and Cohesive Communities’. As an RSA Fellow she founded the RSA Living Systems Group in 1994 looking at companies and other human social systems as complex living systems. In parallel, she has been an active citizen in  London  community organisations. She was Southwark Citizen of the year in 1998, and in 2008 was Community Activist of the year, Active Citizen of the year, and Southwark Woman of the year. In the  UK ’s New Year’s Honours of 2009 she was awarded the MBE for services to the community. Eileen continues her work to illuminate the need for change in corporate decision making. Her paper on ‘community engagement in the social eco-systems dance’ was published in 2011 and continues to inspire her own work in London and work in community around the world. 

CBE and former Managing Director of BP. Bryan had a distinguished career with BP. His roles included Managing Director and CEO of BP Nutrition, CEO of BP Chemicals and then a main Board Director. In 1992 he was appointed a Managing Director of BP, with Group responsibility for Asia Pacific. He was awarded a CBE for services to industry in 1999. More recently he has been chairman of the Learning and Skills Council (2000-04), chairman of BUPA (2001-06) and has served as a member of the DTI Industrial Development Advisory Board. One of his most challenging appointments was as chairman of Northern Rock (2007-08) following the Government’s intervention. He currently chairs the Low Paid Commission and the Florence Nightingale Foundation. He is the current President of the Allanian Society.

OBE Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of London. Dr Stiasny worked as a Lecturer and a Dean in four universities before becoming Director of Education for the British Council, responsible for their educational programmes all over the world. She then became Associate Director of the Institute of Education, one of the colleges of the University of London, responsible for learning, teaching and international outreach and is now Pro Vice Chancellor of the University. Dr Stiasny was awarded an OBE in 2013 for her services to education.

OBE, TV and film writer and director. Ian la Frenais and his writing partner Dick Clement are among the most highly rated television sitcom writers in the country. They produced such classics as The Likely Lads, Porridge, Lovejoy and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. They have also worked on a number of films including The Commitments, Still Crazy and Goal!. Ian was awarded the OBE for his work in 2007.

Former Major-General in the Royal Signals. Alan Yeoman trained at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst after leaving Dame Allan's in 1952.  He was commissioned into the Royal Signals as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1954.  During his time in the Royal Signals, he served in the UK, Korea, Singapore, Malaya, Cyprus, Germany and Canada, retiring as Major-General in 1988.  He subsequently served as Director of the Army Sport Control Board 1988-1995. Alan was awarded Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 1987.

Peer and former chair of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission. Lord Pilkington was a leading figure in the Church and in Education. Ordained as a Church of England priest in 1959, he taught History at Eton before becoming Master in College in 1964. He became Headmaster of The Kings School Canterbury in 1975 and High Master of St Paul’s School London in 1986. In 1991 Rev Pilkington took early retirement from St Paul’s to become chair of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission. He was created a life peer in 1995.

MBE DL and first woman to achive the position of Chairman of Lincolnshire County Council. Zena was educated at Dame Allan's during the 1940s and went on to graduate in Agriculture at Reading University. She was elected to Lincolnshire County Council in 1981, becoming Vice-chairman in 1985 and Chairman of the council in 1987 - the first woman to do so in the council's history. In this capacity she accompanied the Lincoln Magna Carta during its display at the World Fair held in Brisbane, Australia in 1988. Zena was Deputy Lieutenant of Lincolnshire (appointed in August 1997); Voluntary County Organiser for Lincolnshire South Federation of Women’s Institutes for some years as well as being the Vice Chairman of the Federation. Among her many roles and positions of responsibility in the community, Zena was a founding director and acting chairman of Lincolnshire Air Ambulance, Vice President and board member of the Community Council of Lincolnshire and was awarded the MBE in 2000 for services to the Parish Council and to the local community.

Played Rugby Union for England in the 1950s.  Fenwick Allison left the school around 1950 and played for Northern and Northumberland while studying Metallurgy at King's College in Newcastle.  This was followed by 4 years at Coventry, during which time he won seven international caps with England.  He made his debut for England in 1956 and played in all four Five Nations matches. He led Warwickshire to the 1957-58 County Championship and also represented the Barbarians.  Work commitments then took him to Leeds where he was a pioneering coach with the Roundhay club.

Knight and former Principal of the Royal Academy of Music. Sir David has had a distinguished career in music. Following posts at three Universities, he became fellow and organist at New College, Oxford (1959-76). This was followed by the appointment as Principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (1976-82) and Principal of the Royal Academy of Music, London (1982-93). He was knighted in 1985.

CBE, Fellow of the Royal Society and former Head of the British Antarctic Survey. After 4 years as Head of the Life Sciences division of the British Antarctic Survey Richard Laws succeeded Sir Vivian Fuchs as its Director in 1973 and held the position until 1987. He was also Master of St Edmunds College Cambridge (1985-96) and Secretary of the Zoological Society of London. He was awarded the CBE and was a Fellow of the Royal Society.

LCB and former Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. After obtaining a PhD in Biochemistry in 1950, Arthur Bell began a distinguished career at King’s College, London (1953-68) and then University of Texas, Austin (1968-72) as Professor of Botany. A second spell at King’s College followed (1972-81). Here he was Head of the Department of Plant Sciences and became Dean of Natural Science. In 1981 he was appointed Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where he remained until 1988. At Kew he oversaw major restoration work and new building. He was appointed CB in 1988.

Knight and former Secretary General of the Royal Commonwealth Society. Michael Scott had a distinguished career in the Diplomatic Service. He was Ambassador to Nepal (1974-77), High Commissioner to Malawi (1977-79) and to Bangladesh (1980-82). In 1983 he was appointed Secretary General of the Royal Commonwealth Society.

Former Commodore of the Fleet at Cunard and Captain of the QE2. Douglas Ridley joined Cunard at the age of 26, spending over 36 years with the company. He became captain of the QE2 and rose to become Commodore of the Fleet.

Former dancer and Director at the BBC. Following her training under Ninette de Valois, Margaret joined the Sadlers Wells company where she took the stage name Dale and had a successful career in dancing in the 1940s and early 50s. She appeared with Margot Fontaine in the performance of Sleeping Beauty, which reopened The Royal Opera House in 1947. Margaret left the stage in the early 50s to take up a Director’s post at the BBC. She was a pioneer of bringing dance to the small screen, working with the likes of the Royal Ballet, the Bolshoi and the Kirov Ballet companies. After more than 20 successful years at the BBC, Margaret left in 1976, but continued to lecture and teach all over the world. She was greatly respected in the world of the performing arts and the National Film Theatre held a special retrospective of her work on the South Bank in 2007.

Proffessor David Stafford graduated from Cambridge with a First-Class degree (Part Two Tripos) in History and since then has written several highly-praised books about Churchill, the Second World War, and intelligence history, beginning with Britain and European Resistance 1940-1945, the first archive-based study of the wartime Special Operations Executive. Subsequently, his Churchill and Secret Service book was praised in the New York Times Book Review  as ‘a thoroughly engaging book of exceptional interest,’ while his Roosevelt and Churchill book: Men of Secrets was a Main selection Book of the Month choice in the USA. Ten Days to D-Day  was described in The Times Literary Supplement as ‘a double triumph of gripping story and sensitive celebration,’ and Spies Beneath Berlin is the only authoritative account of the legendary Cold War CIA/SIS Berlin spy tunnel. Endgame 1945:Victory, Retribution, Liberation received plaudits on both sides of the Atlantic, with the Toronto Globe and Mail describing it as ‘a gripping story of a dark time, powerfully told.’ Dr. Noble Frankland, former Director of the Imperial War Museum, wrote in The Spectator that the narrative was ‘of almost Tolstoyan proportions’ and that the author was ‘to be congratulated on his even-handed treatment of a subject which, in the depths of its almost incredible inhumanity, brutality, violence and scale, beggars the imagination and which only a writer of the first caliber, strongest nerve, and monumental intelligence could tackle.’ The Independent declared that ‘the last century’s great drama yields another great book… Stafford’s epic narrative is illuminated with telling detail.’ The author is also an acknowledged expert on Britain’s wartime Special Operations Executive (SOE), and in 2007 he was commissioned by the Cabinet Office to write the official history of SOE in Italy 1943-1945, which was published as Mission Accomplished: SOE and Italy 1943-1945 by The Bodley Head and in Italian translation by Mursia, Milan. His Secret Agent: Britain’s Wartime Secret Service was written to accompany the BBC2 TV series of the same title broadcast in the summer of 2000. The Spectator declared that it was ‘as good an introduction to this thrilling and moving subject as we are likely to get.’ Professor Stafford has held several distinguished positions over the years. He has been Professor of History at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Senior Associate Member of St. Antony’s College, Oxford, Executive Director of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs, Toronto, and Project Director at the Centre for Second World War Studies at the University of Edinburgh, during which time he was also a Leverhulme Emeritus professor. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Victoria.  During the Michaelmas term 2016 he was a Bye-Fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge.

Olivia Grant left Dame Allan’s in 1964 to study History at Leicester University. On completion of her degree Olivia worked in the North West where she worked in various roles after training for the Youth Employment Service. In 1979 she returned to the Newcastle and worked as Principal Careers Officer then Assistant Director of Education in local government.  In 1989 she was appointed CEO of Tyneside TEC, the company responsible for the provision of enterprise support to Tyneside businesses and for the funding of post 16 training and employment support. During this time she worked with central government departments and Ministers leading discussions about economic development and post 14 education and training. In 1994 Olivia was recognised for her Services to Training with an OBE. Olivia went on to hold a number of government and public roles including Chair of the Learning and Skills Council, County Durham; Board member of the Port of Tyne Authority; Regional Chair of Culture North East; Vice-Chair of SUSTAINE (responsible for the creation and oversight of the regional sustainable development strategy). From 2002 to 2011 Olivia was Chair of Council and Pro-Chancellor at Newcastle University and was a Board member then Vice Chair of Newcastle Building Society between 1995 and 2008. In 2002 she was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, a voluntary position appointed by the Crown to assist the Lord Lieutenant.  Between 2012 and 2017 she was responsible for overseeing and Chairing many National Public Appointments. Olivia sat on the governing body for Dame Allan’s Schools from 2003 to 2014. In 2014 Olivia was named Chair of Your Homes Newcastle, the company responsible for managing council homes for Newcastle City Council. In recognition for all of her work for Newcastle City and the wider region, in 2016 Olivia was awarded the Freedom of the City, the city’s highest honour. The city cited Olivia’s work in coaxing international companies to do business in the North East, often after face-to-face negotiations, and persuading businesses to pledge money to retrain the local workforce as some of the reasons she was awarded the honour. They called her an ‘inspirational advocate for Newcastle.’