Pippa at 13: The 'tough' sports star with a winning smile

By Jo Macfarlane

Last updated at 10:01 PM on 23rd July 2011


Fresh-faced and long-limbed,a young Pippa Middleton smiles proudly for the camera in the green kit of her school netball team.

The 13-year-old, already a star on the sports field, according to her former teachers at St Andrew's School in Berkshire – is shown sitting alongside her team-mates as they giggle and pose for the photograph.

Another previously unseen shot reveals the Duchess of Cambridge's sister in her smart school uniform, relaxing with friends in her housemaster's flat.

Gifted: Pippa Middleton was the star of the school's netball team

With her shoulder-length hair already tied in what looks like an early version of Kate's wedding demi-chignon, she looks like any other carefree schoolgirl .

The pictures were taken by Kevin Allford, who was housemaster to Pippa and Kate at the £13,000-a-year preparatory school in the Nineties.

Mr Allford, who now lives in Carmarthen, said: 'Pippa was like her sister and did everything at 100mph. They both loved sport, but Pippa was particularly talented.

Sociable: Pippa, centre, and friends in their housemaster's flat

'She always smiled and was forever winning medals and trophies. The reason everyone thinks she's got a wonderful figure is because of the amount of time she's spent playing sport in her lifetime. With Pippa, it was hours and hours a day.'

Pippa, now 27, is two years younger than Kate, who had already left the school when these photo-graphs were taken.

The sisters were sent to the all-girls school as day pupils when they were eight. They stayed at St Andrew's until they were 13, ¬boarding for their final two years.

SPORTY: Pippa, far right, with the school netball team

The girls were both known for their bright personalities and sporting talent but they did differ, according to Mr Allford.

'Pippa was tough, not like Catherine. She never seemed anything other than bright and ¬bubbly. If she fell down, she picked herself up and just got on with it.

'She knew exactly who she was and was a delight. There were never arguments with the other girls, never a piece of lost kit or grumbling.'

Runner: At 27, Pippa is still sporty and ran a triathlon last month

Pippa participated in a range of sports at the school, including hockey, netball, rounders, tennis and swimming, and was also an excellent long-distance runner.

The netball team, for which Pippa played goal defence, won a series of prizes while she was captain.

One coach at the school, who did not want to be named, remembered how gifted she was at rounders.

The coach said: 'Most girls tried really hard just to hit the ball. But with Pippa, wherever I asked her to hit it, she'd do it first time.

When she was batting, she could always be expected to score a “rounder”.

'We would win most of our matches against other schools, mainly because of having her on the team.

But she wasn't a bad loser and would always rally the girls' spirits afterwards.'

In the evenings, after a long day of lessons and sports followed by homework, the pupils were allowed to relax. Pippa and her friends would often visit Mr Allford's flat, where he lived with his wife Denise – also a teacher at the school – and their toddler daughter Angharad.

There they would sip hot-chocolate, eat biscuits and play with Angharad.

'Pippa was very sociable so it was always nice to have her there,' said Mr Allford. 'They were all great with Angharad and Pippa was always polite – no trouble at all.

'All of the Middletons were lovely and it's great to look back at these photographs. I'm very proud of them.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018076/Pippa-13-The-tough-sports-star-winning-smile.html#ixzz1SyhZElij