We are sorry to have inform you that Margaret Flashman, the wife of Basil Flashman, the much respected and fondly remembered Headmaster of the Habs Preparatory School, passed away on 8 May 2020. She was 91 years old.

Having spent the War years as pupil at the Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls, Margaret re-joined the School at Acton in 1968 proving to be a popular and inspirational teacher of Domestic Science, as well as an appreciated and approachable colleague. For a number of years, she also taught the joint Boys’ and Girls’ Schools Sixth Form General Studies (now termed ‘Enhancement and Enrichment’) Domestic Science course. After twenty years’ sterling service to the Girls’ School, Margaret retired in 1988.  

Basil, meanwhile, had been made Headmaster of the Boys’ Prep School in 1966 and, as the Head’s wife, Margaret was in her element. She maintained a great enthusiasm for meeting people, hosting School occasions and making new Prep parents feel welcome via newly initiated cheese and wine parties and coffee mornings with mothers – all vital to the building of the Prep School’s reputation as a caring and sociable institution.  Margaret was a wonderful ambassadress for the School and was known as such throughout the Habs community. Such was the affection for the Flashmans that when Basil retired in 1989 the Prep, parents gave them a superb evening reception, which they were driven to and from in a specially provided Rolls Royce.

Basil died in March 2014. Margaret is survived by her son David and daughter Geraldine (both of whom were educated at Elstree) and ten grandchildren.