Janet Haffner was born in Tolworth, Surrey, the daughter of Albert Edward Haffner, a chemical engineer and Elizabeth Ellen Crossley, a teacher. Educated at Putney High School, she came to Girton in 1957 to study English. As a student, she was particularly active in drama, appearing in many plays at a number of venues, including the following: productions at the ADC; performances of Shakespeare for the Marlowe Society, for BATS (Queens’ College) and for the Pembroke Players; and revues for St John’s College and Pembroke College. She acted alongside some who later became outstanding professional actors. Janet went on to take a PGCE in Oxford, 1960-1961 and was an Assistant Mistress at North London Collegiate School, 1961-64. This was followed by successive posts in publishing (Chatto & Windus, Hamlyn’s, Paul Elek, and the Open University), 1964-76, before becoming a freelance editor. She married Peter Hammond (St John’s College, Cambridge 1956) in 1975. Janet undertook a Diploma in Social Administration at LSE in 1978. Then followed ten years at home with children. This period ended when she took a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work in London in 1988. After working for two London boroughs she became a freelance social worker specialising in domestic and overseas adoption. In 1998 she retired to Lewes. Still active in retirement, she took an MA in Decorative Arts and Design at the University of Brighton in 2001 and gave lectures in art history for her local U3A for twenty years. [Notes drawn from Girton College Register Vol. II and from information supplied by Janet Hammond.]