Grandmother Goes To Uni

Annie Warner is testimony to the fact that age is no barrier to learning. At 66, she is off to university to study for a degree in fine art.

The grandmother is the oldest among 26 students at Waltham Forest College who are about to complete a one year foundation course in art and design. This intensive course equips them to apply for a BA degree, a foundation degree, or a higher national diploma (HND) in art related subjects.

Annie’s portfolio, which won her an unconditional offer to study at the University of East London (UEL), is on display at an art exhibition held at the college’s main campus in Forest Road, Walthamstow.

A stunning collection of drawings, paintings, sculptures, ceramics and prints produced by more than 100 art and design students at the college are included in the exhibition, with many available for sale. Annie, from Leyton, produced a stunning montage illustrating her life story, from how she was born by the roadside into a gypsy family who dealt in horses and later went to work at Billy Smarts Circus.

She said she has travelled all over the world, but her mother did not value education and she never went to school. It was not until she was 50 that she caught the learning bug.

She has been married four times and has four sons and ten grandchildren. She said it was her fourth, and current, husband who encouraged her to pursue her dreams in education. “As soon as I got the chance to get an education, I grabbed it,” she added. “I have been collecting qualifications ever since and now have enough to paper my walls with.”

She plans to start the degree course at UEL in September which will add to her collection of degrees. She already has an HNC qualification in project management and a BA degree in social enterprise.

The exhibition also features work from students on BTEC first diploma courses which are GCSE equivalent, national diploma course which are A Level equivalent, and NOCN diploma courses for beginners.

Sue Royle, the curriculum manager for art and design, said: “Our courses are designed to prepare our students for a whole host of careers, including product design, fashion, photography, and graphic design. They receive a high level of tuition from practicing artists and the majority of our students go onto university.”

Flaire Maitland, 19, produced a series of Perspex hexagonal sculptures for the exhibition. She has an offer to study architecture at Greenwich University. She said: “This course is suitable for everybody who wants to do something creative but doesn’t know what they want to specialise in, whether it be architecture, photography or fashion.”

Fern Green has a place at the London College of Fashion to study fashion illustration. She said: “This last year has been a voyage of self discovery. The variety of tasks I have performed have given me the experiences that have helped me learn about myself, my interest, my skills and ultimately the direction I want to take.”