Daryl Rennolds: a stalwart of the Green Room Club and the Jersey Eisteddfod

DRAMA teacher and actress Daryl Rennolds died this week, aged 95.

Mrs Rennolds (née Quérée) had been a vice-president of the Jersey Eisteddfod since 1986 and was a former chairman of its English speech and drama section for 13 years.

She was also a former president of the Jersey Green Room Club – handing over the reins only at the age of 92, after 75 years as a member of the club.

Mrs Rennolds taught speech and drama to Islanders, both privately and in schools, for many decades and until very recently still took some students. She also performed on stage from a young age and her latest performance was just a couple of years ago.

Mrs Rennolds died peacefully in her sleep on Monday. She had been a widow for many years,following the death of her husband, Donald.

Over her long life she taught hundreds of Islanders and was an enthusiastic supporter of the Jersey Eisteddfod. She was chairman of the festival’s English speech and drama section from 1984 until 1997 and attended all its gala evenings, including last year’s event.

Mrs Rennolds was the daughter of Adolphus and Ada (née Goubert) Quérée and had two sisters, Irene Quérée, who died during the Second World War, and Betty Missip de Turville. The three sisters performed together in an open-air Green Room Club production of Twelfth Night at Samarès Manor in 1936.

She married Donald in 1939. Three weeks later war broke out and he was called up to serve in the RAF. During the war she was evacuated to Donald’s home in Bristol. The BBC’s headquarters were also moved there during that period and Mrs Rennolds featured in many of the company’s radio productions. She was reunited with her husband in 1945 and the pair stayed in Bristol for a number of years before returning to Jersey.

Mrs Rennolds was president of the Jersey Green Room from 1999 to 2006, having previously served for 14 years as vice-president.

She was a strong public speaker all her life and friends and family fondly recall a speech she made when she celebrated her 90th birthday. It was made without her referring to any notes or making a deviation.

The JEP extends its sympathy to Mrs Rennolds’ friends and family.