School - NetworkReeds
Transcription
School - NetworkReeds
THE REEDER 2013 Committee Contents The Old Reedonians Committee 2012/2013 Editorial 3 Letter from the President 4 President Letter from the Headmaster 5 C. Hawkins Andrew Reed 8 Chairman News of Old Reedonians 9 D.W. Jarrett – Headmaster The Girls’ School 28 Treasurer Obituaries 31 A.D. Bott until 31st December 2012 Mrs L. Hurford from 1st January 2013 Reunion Day 2012 38 2012 Old Reedonian Dinner 42 R.M. Garrett Watford and Totnes 44 Alumni Manager Sport 47 Mrs. S. Matthews Happy days at Reed’s 48 Decade Representatives Sixth Form Leavers 49 Staff Leavers 51 School Captains 53 Past Presidents 54 The School Development Director R. Mew – 1950s C. Hawkins – 1960s A. Wotton – 1970s J. Herbert – 1980s T. Worner – 1990s M. Ridsdale – 2000s Editor G.R. Martin [email protected] [email protected] 2 THE REEDER 2 013 Editorial 2012 was the 150th anniversary of the death of Andrew Reed and we are now fast approaching the 200th anniversary of the School’s founding, the celebrations for which will take place in the academic year 2013-14: I hope that you have already received the programme of events. The celebrations of the School’s 150th anniversary took place in May 1963 and some of the details are reproduced below. It is my intention to dig through the archives to unearth some details of the 100th anniversary events in time for the 2014 Reeder. two schoolboys, these included Miss Mills and four other members of the Girls’ Staff, and seven present members of the Boys’ Staff, including Mr. Whittle and his wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Scott. 50 Years ago – 1963 Mr. Bryn Thomas proposed the toast to the President in a short, but witty, speech in which he told us that the President was known at School mainly because he was one of that small band who had a sister. “The School celebrated its 150th Anniversary in May 1963 and Reunion Day was moved to Saturday 25th May 1963 to coincide with those celebrations. The programme of events for that weekend included a full inspection of the CCF by Colonel C.A. la T. Leatham, Regimental Colonel of the Welsh Guards; a production of Bernard Shaw’s ‘Saint Joan’ by the Dramatic Society; Speech Day, with Sir John Wolfenden CBE MA, Vice-Chancellor of Reading University, as Chief Guest; a School Concert, and a Commemoration Service with a sermon by the Bishop of London, the Rev. D.R. MacInnes. The cricket match between the School and the Old Reedonians was played over two days, the 24th and 25th May.” (I know that the match was drawn with the ORs attempting to score 130 runs to win in their second innings in the remaining 65 minutes of play! – Ed.). The annual Reunion Dinner was held on 16th March “at Bucklerbury House in an attractive downstairs suite of rooms with a commodious bar and a large banqueting hall. Over two hundred people sat down to the Dinner, and at least 30 more came along to the Dance. The toast to the School and the Guests was proposed by the President, who quoted several Wildean epigrams, and then gave a brief resume of each guest’s association with the School. The reply was by Mr. Drayson who described the School’s recent successes both academically and on the Sports Field. After the debris of the dinner had been cleared away, the dancing commenced to music provided by the Main Five Dance Band, and with John Laidman acting as occasional Master of Ceremonies. A very enjoyable evening was concluded to the strains of Auld Lang Syne at 11.45 p.m. We congratulate Mike Meadows, both for his arrangements, for his choice of venue, and for managing to fit so many people comfortably into what seemed such a small space. A word must also be said for David Foale whose pupils printed all the place names so attractively.” In a letter to Old Girls Kathleen Mills wrote “In this 150th Anniversary of the Foundation of the School, the tremendously wide scope of Andrew Reed’s influence is brought home to me when I receive letters from all over the world. To you all I send my greetings and very best wishes”. The exceptionally large turnout – over double that of the previous year – was caused by the fact that this is the School’s 150th Anniversary Year and also by the choice of guests. The Committee had dispensed with a Guest of Honour, and had attempted to invite a representative selection of masters, mistresses, and others who had served the School for a long period. Many people invited were unable to attend owing to illness or distance, but a total of 21 guests finally sat down to dinner. Besides Mr. and Mrs. Horton, the Headmaster and Mrs. Drayson, and THE REEDER 2 013 3 Letter from the President Chris Hawkins Welcome to the 2013 edition of The Reeder, as ever we continue to be fortunate to have Geoff Martin as our Editor and a magazine which continues to be one of the best alumni magazines. Last year Geoff, in his editorial slot, made the point that putting the magazine together is no easy task, a comment which I have seen echoed by many of his predecessors. Improvements in technology mean that artwork, layout design and printing can be put together more easily, but any magazine needs copy. And this has to be down to each of you mainly. Electronic communication means that it is simple and not too time consuming to get snippets of news about yourselves to Geoff, and people are interested in you. Equally, technology means that it is possible for members to communicate with each other very simply and I don’t mean Facebook, Twitter or any of the other communications networks. NetWorkReeds is your very own portal to keep in contact with each other and keep up to date with events at the School and matters affecting Old Reedonians. It has taken time to set up but is now available and Sharmaine is rolling out invitations to join on a decade by decade basis. ORs are invited to log on, set their own access name and password. The amount of information you provide and make available is selected by you and this includes contact details. However, the database will only really work if, at the very least, you make your email address known and this has to be positively agreed to when logging in for the first time. This will enable other ORs keep in contact with you and you with them. 4 THE REEDER 2 013 2013 sees the start of the School’s 200th Anniversary celebrations, details have been sent out to you and I hope as many of you as possible have the opportunity to share in these celebrations. Reed’s School has come a long way from its beginnings in 1813, indeed it has changed considerably since I left in 1962. However it remains true to its origins and the Foundation and Foundationers at the School are still an important part of Reed’s life. May I take this opportunity of thanking all those ORs who have supported the School both financially and in other ways. Please continue to do so. The beginning of the year saw the retirement of Alan Bott, the Bursar. The job of a Bursar is no easy position and Alan has been instrumental in managing many of the changes which Reed’s has embraced and which has created the success of the School. I am sure many of you will echo my thanks for all that he has done. Fortunately, we have not lost him yet, as he is very much involved with ensuring the 200th Anniversary Celebrations go off successfully. Finally, in addition to thanking Geoff Martin, may I also thank Sharmaine Mathews and the Development Office team for all they do, along with the Headmaster, Bursar and Development Director and I must not forget the Decade Representatives for their time and involvement in OR matters. My best wishes to you all. Chris Hawkins Letter from the Headmaster David Jarrett The Headmaster with pupils In December 2012 Alan Bott retired from full time work at Reed’s School after fourteen years as Bursar and nine years before that as School Accountant: 23 years in all! Alan was always closely associated with the Foundation at Reed’s, a friend and close support to generations of Foundationers and their parents and in recent years Secretary of the restructured Old Reedonian Committee. Alan will continue to work part-time at Reed’s until July 2014, focussing on the pastoral aspects and selection of new Foundation pupils, acting as Project Manager for the Bicentenary events and helping Governors with the appointment of the new Head of Reed’s School. The latter will be appointed in June 2013 and will take up office in September 2014 when I retire after what will have been 17 years as Head. Meanwhile we have welcomed Mrs Lucy Hurford as the new Bursar and Secretary to the Governors and Lucy has just moved on site as I write this in the February half-term break. In two days’ time I look forward to my annual recruitment trip to Hong Kong when not only do I hope to meet some talented future Reed’s students but I will also have the chance to catch up with increasing numbers of Old Reedonians, including expats such as Simon Hague, Julian Doyle and Dilal Ranasinghe. Following meeting several ORs in America in 2010 and with Sharmaine Mattthews and Geoff Martin hosting Receptions in Australia this year and next, the global gatherings of Old Reedonians are gaining momentum. I do hope that the Bicentenary Programme of Events will be a welcome reason for more and more Old Reedonians to get together in 2013/2014. Of the 16 or so special events I think 11 are open to Old Reedonians. The Programme is published on the website and the initial promotional flyer has been sent to all Old Reedonians for whom we have contact details. There continue to be new developments on site each year and I would encourage all Old Reedonians who can possibly make the trip to return to the School within the next 18 months, so that they can view the new buildings and help celebrate the School’s 200 years of existence in one form or another. I would particularly exhort any ORs who have left Reed’s since 1998 to come and see me before I depart! Besides the FutureTech Building which was spectacularly opened with pyrotechnics and robotics to the fore in October of 2012, the new corridor adjacent to the chapel is a splendid aesthetic and practical addition, as is the enlarged dining hall. The Art and Maths Departments have spread into the old D & T Building with enhanced effects for both Departments and the re-routing of the main drive behind FutureTech and the Music School has made a world of difference in terms of noise and safety. This year will see various other changes including completely refurbished kitchens and, hopefully, an enlarged indoor tennis facility. The last twelve months have been positive for Reed’s in a number of ways: the A Level results in 2012, although a drop from the heights of 2011, were better than expected and kept us in the top 200 Independent Schools in the country. Pleasingly the number of students gaining places in top universities (Russell Group etc) actually rose and half a dozen crossed the pond to ‘colleges’ in America. The AS and GCSE results were strong which bodes well for the next couple of years. Of particular note is the fact that for three years in a row Reed’s musicians and choristers have been awarded scholarships at Oxbridge. Not surprisingly therefore music and singing are particularly strong at THE REEDER 2 013 5 Letter from the Headmaster present, aided by having 60 girls in the Sixth Form. The Consort Choir now sings annually at St Paul’s Cathedral and a full symphony orchestra with over 30 male string players features regularly in concerts, alongside numerous quartets, ensembles and bands of every kind: strings, wind, brass, guitar, jazz and celtic. The CCF Corps of Drums is also gaining a strong reputation and performed in front of thousands at the British Military Tournament. The production of ‘Cabaret’ last March showcased the talents of musicians and actors – with Juliette Inverdale in the lead role – and the Drama Department pulled off a coup of a very different sort in December with a performance of ‘Vernon God Little’, full of technological wizardry. The GCSE, AS and A Level examination pieces are now public performances and senior students direct Close pupils in an innovative festival in the Summer Term called ‘Drama in a Day’. Along with the House Charity Arts Revues, the Junior Production and a regular National Theatre Connections Production, Reed’s students have more opportunities than ever before to perform on stage. Reed’s has maintained its traditional strong presence in sport with the hockey sides all doing well in 2012 and winning county cups at under 16 and under 15 levels; this term the under 16 side remains unbeaten and all age groups have got through the testing first rounds of the cup. The cricket season in 2012 was horribly disrupted by rain but all age groups played well, with the under 15, under 14 and under 12 years looking particularly strong; the under 14 X1 retained the Surrey Cup, beating a strong Cranleigh side in the final. In the Spring Term of 2012 the under 18 sevens side played excitingly to reach the last 16 of the Roslyn Park National Championships; they were just pipped 12-10 by Wellington, the eventual winners. The 2012 fifteen-a-side season was somewhat mixed with the 1st XV falling away after a promising start, but other age groups, particularly at under 16 and under 15 levels, producing strong results. Our academy sports continue to lead the way with our tennis players and skiers dominant at most levels and the golfers ascending the ranks; the under 18 tennis team is off the Australia in April to defend their World Schools title. The host nation are reported to be beefing up their team! Girls’ sport is progressing well in hockey and netball and two former Reed’s girls – Josine Inverdale and Olivia Chilton – represented Great 6 THE REEDER 2 013 Britain Under 21s in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival where the British team secured the bronze medal. Both girls will be hoping to be selected for England U21s in the Junior World Cup later in the year. Other sports such as squash, basketball, swimming, sailing, shooting, athletics and cross country are all thriving. I was pleased to see that the Julian Smith Memorial Rugby Match at Whiteley Village in December was well supported again by current and former students. The Common Room was boosted by high quality new staff in September 2012. Ian Peel left to become Head of Classics at Sir William Perkins’s School and was replaced by Kate Morland and Hannah Watson, the former with a First in Classics from Cambridge and the latter a First in Classics from Oxford! Caroline St-Gallay, Rhiannon Goodrich and Donna Kane have all been on maternity leave for part of the past year and have been replaced by Danny Becker, Hayley Cook and Susy Hashmi-Lewis who have all added to the School in various ways. Ruth Harris, a former Oxford Mathematician and Head of Maths at Tiffin Boys School, has replaced Colette Savage in the Maths Department and Helen Salford, former Head of Department at Harrow, has joined the Modern Languages Department and will be Head of French from next September; she replaced Andy Robinson who has moved to Cranleigh. Rachel Sullivan has been a welcome addition to the Economics and Business Studies Department and Zoe Davison has boosted the Art Department. James Duckworth has added to the ICT/Computing Department but will leave to return to Japan at the end of this year. On the sporting front we are privileged that Brett Garrard, England’s most capped hockey captain, has joined the coaching staff in place of Calum Giles who has moved to Kingston Grammar School. We have also supplemented the Strength and Conditioning Coaching by employing Jason Ellis-Woodley as an assistant to Ben Haining. Four Old Reedonians are in senior pastoral positions in the School: John Allison is Resident Tutor in School House where Malcolm Dunn is the Housemaster; Adrian Blackman is Housemaster of Bristowe and Alex Balls is Housemaster of The Close and Senior Housemaster. Alex’s wife Lucy is now the Matron in The Close having replaced Nancy Savage who held the position for 14 Letter from the Headmaster years. Sheila Hamilton, whose two sons Angus and Alistair were both School Captains at Reed’s in the 1990s, remains as Matron in the Sixth Form House. Gareth Hart, whose splendid photographs adorn The Reedonian magazine, is the new Housemaster of Blathwayt from September 2012. I am confident that the School Governors remain outstanding contributors, that excellent staff are in place for the foreseeable future, that the pupil numbers look good for the next few years so that the School roll will be in excess of the planned 620 and that the facilities at Reed’s are an attraction for pupils and parents. Of course there is always more that can be done, particularly in terms of buildings – and the Governors have a carefully thought out plan for the next 20 years – and the service provided to Old Reedonians; we have moved forward significantly on the latter and we are all indebted to Richard Garrett and Sharmaine Matthews, Chris Hawkins and the OR Committee for this. The Bicentenary Year will give us cause and time to reflect on the past 200 years of Reed’s School’s existence, to think and plan for the future, and to secure the financial safety of the Foundation and the disadvantaged children it supports; this will be the biggest challenge for the future for we need to build up an endowment of some £20 million. The Bicentenary Year is the ideal starting point to launch such a campaign and legacies are a primary means of generating the necessary funds. I shall be altering my will before I leave! David Jarrett February 2013 THE REEDER 2 013 7 Andrew Reed The Founder’s Legacy In 2012 we heard a great deal about “legacy” with specific reference being made to the extremely successful London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In this year of 2013, the start of the School’s Bicentenary celebrations, it seems appropriate to look back at our Founder’s aspirations for the originally named London Orphan Asylum, and see how his legacy is being promoted 200 years later. On 20th April 1815, the first written Constitution of the London Orphan Asylum was set out. It was contained within the School’s first Annual Report and the guiding principles of the School were set down by Andrew Reed thus: “To afford suitable relief to destitute orphans, to rescue them from the walks of vice and profligacy; to provide them clothing and maintenance; to fix the habits of industry and frugality; to train them in the paths of religion and virtue, agreeably for the Formulations of the Church of England; and to place them out in situations where their principles shall not be endangered, and the prospect of an honest livelihood secured.” Further amplification of the School’s guiding principles was set down in the same Annual Report: “Children whose parents have been in respectable circumstances, and children whose parents have lost their lives in the army, navy, or marine and manufacturing services in general, and whose parish settlement cannot be ascertained, will always be esteemed the first claimants on this charity. This being the plan of the charity, it does not appear liable to be assailed, even by objections which have been directed against other excellent institutions. It purposes, most cautiously, to avoid exciting any prejudices against the poor and dependent classes of society; or creating any distaste to the humblest employments of honest industry. While it redeems the objects interested in its exertions from the immoralities of the poor, it teaches them to respect their virtues. While it imparts a portion of instruction, which may form their religious character, and which will certainly make them more serviceable to their future employers; it designs, that the whole course of their education shall convince them, that the lowest department of labour may be rendered honourable by industry and uprightness, and that the highest station in life would be debased by vice and crime.” The language of 1815 may seem rather strange to us in the 21st century, but the meaning and intent of the Reed’s School Foundation are clear enough; learn, work hard, develop respect for others and acquire good habits, and at the end of your period of education go out into the world knowing that you will gain an honest living. The tireless work of the Foundation has continued ever since. Whilst economic necessities and social preferences have brought about a change in the profile of the pupils who attend the School today, there is still a core of Foundationers drawn from all different 8 THE REEDER 2 013 backgrounds within its midst. The Foundation today goes beyond the support given to the Foundationers. Through the work of the Primary and Secondary Forums, which have been developed by the School over the last two years, thousands of disadvantaged children are benefitting from Andrew Reed’s legacy. The Forums both support and develop young people through helping their schools, families and communities. They are helping to raise aspirations and performance levels of young people growing up in some of the most deprived areas of London and the South East. Academic, sporting and creative activities are facilitated and mentored through the Foundation using a combination of Reed’s School facilities and third party specialist groups. Teachers from the primary and secondary schools are provided with the necessary training and, where appropriate, equipment to run their own activities, thereby reaching out to an even wider group of young people. By way of example of how well received the Forum activities have been, here is the feedback from the Head Teacher of a primary school in the London Borough of Merton. It relates a series of events involving around 300 children across a range of sporting and engineering activities. “We have had many great days at Reed’s School over the last several months with the staff loving their Tri-Golf and Primary Engineer training. But as the Primary Forum Fun Olympiad Day demonstrated, it was the kids who are benefitting the most. They loved it, and the coaches from Ad Tennis, Chelsea Football Foundation, Surrey County Cricket Club and the Golf Foundation were outstanding. In several of these areas we have been able to bring the resources back to our own school to continue to encourage and inspire our pupils. Truly wonderful.” This article began with the word “legacy” and so it seems fitting to end on that note. The School has seen many changes in its 200 years; name changes, location changes, all Foundationers to a mix of Foundationers and fee payers, and many more besides. In all those years the unwavering desire to help and support those, who through no fault of their own, have been left destitute and without hope, has been the overriding objective of the School. Today’s Foundation goes beyond the crucial support given to Foundationers and reaches into the locations and communities from which Andrew Reed’s original charitable act was born. Long may his legacy continue. Andy Wotton News of Old Reedonians Frank Anstis (one-time Second Master) reports that he is alive and well and enjoying life in Cornwall – (see piece on page 48). Shahin Baghaei (Capel 2002) writes “Back at school, after ‘lights-out’, we would often stay up for hours telling each other stories. I had such a great time at Reed’s and my experiences at school made me into the man I am today. I am so grateful for all of the opportunities that I was given as a Reed’s Foundationer, opportunities that were beyond my means that have shaped my life. In addition to the education, the sport and the friendships it was also at Reed’s that I met the love of my life. So as if back in my top-bunk after lights-out, here’s the story – ‘When I saw her I fell in love and she smiled because she knew it. I was so nervous. We were seventeen and I had just won the regional debating competition for my speech on why boxing should be banned. We were speaking and I spilt Coke all over her shoes and immediately fell to my knees to wipe them clean. Flash-forward a few years. I have completed a law degree at the University of London, a Training Contract with one of the leading law firms in the world and (ironically) an amateur boxing bout at Oxford University. She has completed a degree in French at King’s College London, a year abroad at the Sorbonne and a Masters in Journalism. We are sitting side by side at a private screening of our favorite movie, Frankie and Johnny. I hadn’t been this nervous since I saw Mary-Ann across that room for the first time. My mind rushing, I suddenly knew what to do. As the credits roll I reach over for my glass of wine and ‘accidently’ drop the glass on the floor. As I reach for a napkin and go down on one knee to wipe her shoe, she reaches down and takes my arm as if to say don’t worry about it with that same reassuring smile. To her surprise I’m looking back at her holding an engagement ring in my hand. She was speechless.’ We got married on 3rd September 2011 and it was the best day of our lives followed by two weeks travelling around the west coast of America. Mary-Ann is now training to be a teacher and I have recently launched my own consultancy firm called Visionlane and it’s all thanks to the opportunities I was given at Reed’s and that fated day I met a 17 year-old girl from Claremont Fan Court School. I still remember calling Mary-Ann a short while after the debating competition to tell her I was elected School Captain and to ask her out on our first date to Esher cinema. It might be more than 10 years ago but it all seems like it happened yesterday. What great memories. Thank you Clappy for making me enter that dreadful debating competition and Reed’s for making me confident enough to do it. It was also great to share my special day with some close friends from school, Alex Van-Holk, Simon Waller, Ben Cooper, Ed Hoadley, I love you guys and am so glad Reed’s brought us together, too.” Alan Barrett (1961) writes “You never know, I may turn up one day at Reed’s. Hudson Crookes & Co seem a million miles off – since then I became a partner in Deloitte Haskins & Sells, then Price Waterhouse and then PWC – and now (since 2000) retirement.” Niall Batson (Blathwayt 1996) Mrs. Batson writes “In the work arena, Niall got promoted to a Director at eASIC, I continued to rid Bay Area residents of their pesky hernias and colon cancers, and Mila, our daughter, focused her efforts on environmental anti-activism, joining the board of an organisation that aims to waste natural resources by engaging in activities such as flushing the toilet unnecessarily and repeatedly. We celebrated Mila’s first birthday in May. She’s grown into a lovely little human with quite a personality. Niall showed the US half marathon in San Francisco who was boss in November, completing it at a personal best time of 1:39! Mila and I had a (lukewarm) beer waiting for him at the finish line and we’ll do the same when he runs the London Marathon in April 2013 for the Reed’s School Foundation.” Robert Beaton (Bristowe 1998) was spotted with his wife in John Lewis in Chichester on New Year’s Eve! THE REEDER 2 013 9 News of Old Reedonians Vicky Beckett (2006) writes “I completed my National Council of Training for Journalists, a post-graduate qualification in journalism in 2010. I’ve been working as a reporter at Captive Review, a niche global financial publication and am moving at the end of this week (early January 2013) to Euromoney, a less niche financial publication. On the side I freelance for Magnify, an ethical women’s magazine. Before this I worked in several places including Shanghai and Sydney and on a local North London newspaper series.” Joe Bennett (Bristowe 2007) writes “I completed a MEng degree in Materials Science two years ago at Oxford. I am currently doing a PhD at Cambridge, however, I am also teaching first year Cambridge natural science materials students. The PhD is around a project in conjunction with Rolls-Royce and EPSRC looking at new titanium alloys for jet engines.” Annabel Bidakowska (2009) achieved a first class degree in psychology at Oxford Brookes University and is now studying for a MPhil in Social and Development Psychology at the University of Cambridge. She hopes to continue to a PhD and examine communication ability in first-degree relatives of individuals with autism spectrum condition. with my business of the last year and a half http://www. digitalleaf.co.uk making children’s books as apps and in printed form too.” Peter Chislett (Blathwayt ) writes “I am still here in Western Australia and have been here now some 28 years this coming June, how time flies! A big G’day to all my ‘old’ school mates, some of whom I still keep in touch with via various social media outlets, anyone wishing to catch up with me I am on Facebook or Linkedin and would love to hear from you. I did catch up with Anthony Stocken a few years ago when he was in Perth for some business but apart from him have not seen any ORs since we were last in the UK about seven years ago. I have been married for 20 years this year with two step sons and one son of our own who will be turning 18 this coming November. Still love my sport and follow the Australian cricket and rugby teams pretty closely, not that that is anything to shout about at the moment but we will rise to dominate again soon! (I understand that Peter’s son Jay is a promising leg-spinner – see photo below. Ed.). Richard Borley (Capel 1951) writes “Being long retired, since 1988, our life is fairly quiet. My wife (Eleonore) and I have had a couple of lengthy periods in Hong Kong, following our pattern of visiting once or twice a year, as I had worked and lived there for a number of years. We also had a very enjoyable visit, led and organised by a very enthusiastic Tony Wiggins, to Totnes last year. In the meantime we have gained two male great grandchildren, one last January and a second in August 2011. It would be nice to see more bodies from the 1951/2 period visiting for the Reunion Day as we do tend to be very few and far between. Surely they cannot all be yet so infirm as to make the effort to attend beyond them. Maybe a ‘swan song’?” Dustin Brooks (Capel 1990) writes “over the recent holidays I caught up with old Reedonians, Alex Mazija, Dan Shepherd, Paul West, Terry Jones and Nick Watkins for our annual Reed’s boys Xmas drinks. I am continuing 10 THE REEDER 2 013 Best wishes to everyone I know and hopefully I will hear from some of you.” Matthew Close (Mullens 1995) is being kept very busy as Head of Sixth Form at the City of London Freemen’s School. Leo Coates (Bristowe 2005) writes “I am settled into our own place now with my girlfriend Becky in Surbiton all grown up with a mortgage! I am still playing rugby for Cobham Seniors along with a few of the current Reed’s teaching staff and Old Reedonians.” News of Old Reedonians Bill Collins (Bristowe 1948) writes “ I would like to report a contact I have recently made with Bob Reece. Bob was at Totnes and was at Cobham for a term as he left in 1946. After all these years he was prompted to get in touch after a visit to the riverside cafe at Totnes. He had mentioned to the proprietor that the cafe had been his classroom during the war and she told him about our annual reunion lunches there.” Tim Corrie (Bristowe 1959) was seen on Celebrity University Challenge representing Bristol University against Leeds. Brian Corke (Mullens 1952) writes “We are still enjoying the Cotswolds where we retired to in 1997 after 25 years in Switzerland. We now have seven grandchildren, five live locally and two in Geneva. We will celebrate our Golden wedding anniversary in September. I have been in touch with Alan Shillum on a regular basis – we discovered both our fathers were commemorated on the Fire Service Memorial across the road from St. Paul’s Cathedral. We are hoping to make Reunion Day this year as well as the special service at St. Paul’s on 20th September.” Gareth Davies (Bristowe 2002) writes “I left Reed’s after completing my GCSE’s and went to College in Eastbourne. Having worked both summer holidays for my father’s estate agency business I moved back to start my estate agency career in 2004 for Grosvenor Billinghurst and over an eight year period have progressed to managing the sales team at our Cobham Office. I’m very active in the Cobham/Oxshott area – particularly land and new homes so I am keen to hear of any new opportunities from other ORs and their friends and families. I bought a flat in Leatherhead in 2007 which is now let out after I managed to buy a house last year, also in Leatherhead, where I now live with my girlfriend Vicky. I’m a keen road-racing cyclist with the Kingston Wheelers which I do socially and competitively and last year I took part in the Cape Argus bike race in South Africa and the Dragon Ride in Wales”. James Eason (Blathwayt 1982) writes “My family and I are now living down in Alton in Hampshire; I married Frances in October 2007, and we have one daughter, Eleanor, who’s just turned three. But, turning the clock back, after leaving Reed’s in 1982, I did spend a few years playing Rugby and Cricket with the ORs down at Whitely village which I thoroughly enjoyed and would certainly recommend to leavers as it provides a superb social and business network, and particularly with ORs of different ages which adds some interesting angles to it all. (Ricks, Hopping and others shared the experiences!). In my early twenties I moved to London and spent an interesting and valuable 20 years there, working originally in the Lloyd’s Insurance Market, where I bumped into Andrew Marsh among many others and re-established long-lasting friendships. In my early thirties, I was posted to Bermuda with Ernst and Young and immersed myself in the world of Risk Management, a career development which soon morphed into the pure security context and, not too long after, was recruited elsewhere where I have worked within counter-espionage, counter-terrorism, and kidnap response and negotiation which is the work that I do now; probably not that surprising to those who remember my skill at negotiating my way out of any tricky situation in which I found myself at school. In respect of pastimes, and apart from about 20 years hockey with various clubs, including: Weybridge, Woking, Wasps (Bermuda) and Battersea Wanderers, I took up the (electric) guitar about five years ago and have enjoyed performing at a handful of gigs! Oh yes, Heavy Rock is THE REEDER 2 013 11 News of Old Reedonians very much alive and kicking! But then again, so is DIY – never mind.” Attila Emam (Bristowe 1988 ) writes “Stork left this (see photo) in our chimney on 29th January 2013. Grandpa Emam and Aunty Mala are over the moon and can’t stop cooing. Just wish Mum was around to see her. Rozaila is doing well, despite having a caesarian. Daddy saw the birth and thanks Edward Harrison for steeling his nerves in biology class all those years ago.” Bill Fillery (Chaplain and Head of RE, 1981-86) writes “We spent five very happy years living in Clover (!) at Reed’s, and of course I then went on to be Vicar of Oxshott for three and a half years before moving to Seale. In 1991 I returned to teaching as Head of RE at Streatham Hill and Clapham High School, where I remained until my retirement in 2002. Six months later I found myself back in full time employment again back in Wales, where I began my ministry, as vicar of three small Welsh speaking country parishes. On retiring for a second time in 2010, we decided to live in nearby Lampeter, where I trained for the ministry 44 years ago. I am now very involved in the University as a member of the governing body, and a committee member of the alumni association. Nigel Fraser Ker (Capel 1978) writes “During my final years at Reed’s I became interested in cars (I’m ashamed to say that I even managed to keep an illicit MG outside my girlfriend’s house in Sandy Lane). My father was an amateur racing driver and for one birthday my parents bought me a week’s course at the Jim Russell motor racing school at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk. I was hooked and rather than go to university I managed to wangle a job working as a mechanic for Bernie Ecclestone at the Brabham Formula One team at Cox Lane in Chessington. This was the era of ‘skirts’ when cars were sucked onto the road by huge aerodynamic forces and our drivers were Nikki Lauda and Nelson Piquet. The team taught me many practical skills such as working with metals and composite materials but as soon as they heard about my interest in electronics they lost no time in putting me in charge of the cars’ electrical systems which meant designing and assembling the wiring looms. This was rather good timing because BMW, whose engines we had started using, were introducing the first telemetry systems for monitoring the cars as they drove around the circuit – the forerunner of what you now see on the screen when you watch a Formula 1 race. I learnt a great deal there that was to be useful later. Our elder son James was also at Reed’s from 1981 to 1986, and is now a very successful hairdresser running his own business in the centre of Prague. We have just returned from one of our very regular visits to Prague, where both James and his younger sister Lucy have lived since the mid 1990s, and we also now have a granddaughter there (Lucy’s daughter Emilia).” Michael Foster Van der Elst (Mullens 2001) writes “I am getting married to Ania in May in Poland and am currently adjutant of 3 RIFLES in Edinburgh. Couldn’t ask for a better posting really. Spent most of 2012 in Afghanistan again, this time as second in command of a Kandak Advisory Team, or KAT, advising the Afghan National Army and trying, with mixed results, to make them better.” 12 THE REEDER 2 013 After a couple of years at Brabham I was persuaded to move to a firm rebuilding classic sports cars. ‘Rebuilding’ is a bit of a euphemism here because normally we built the cars from scratch for customers who owned the rights to cars which had been damaged beyond repair such as one of Jim Clark’s Lotus 25s – a thing of great beauty in my opinion and a privilege to work on. Whilst working during the day on other people’s cars, in the News of Old Reedonians evenings I was working on my own and after a successful couple of seasons in rallying I persuaded myself that I had some talent for driving. I started my own team, got some sponsorship and began competing in the hope of getting a drive with one of the big teams. It was at about this time that my family life took a rather unexpected turn. I had always known that I had been adopted but had never really given my ‘real’ family much thought. However, a friend suggested it might be worth finding out who they were and so I made some enquiries. Many adopted children, particularly of my age, are from unmarried couples who in those days were under a great deal of social pressure to give up their children. However, I found out that in my case the reason was simply that my mother had died and my father who was an Army officer based in Germany couldn’t look after me (I was only three months old) as well as my elder sister and brother. I was therefore given up for adoption and my siblings were placed into boarding school. To cut a long story short, I was reintroduced to them all and now have two wonderful families as well as more relatives than I can remember! The part of this story that still amazes me is that when I spoke to my brother Simon for the very first time it emerged that we were both competing in the National Rally Championship. Of all the activities we could each have chosen we had picked not only the same sport but the same championship. After over ten years in motorsport and around four seasons of rallying I realised that I was not quite as fast as I had originally thought and decided I had better get a ‘proper’ job. But what to do? Well, I don’t know if anyone else remembers Reed’s School’s first foray into computing – it was a teleprinter in the maths lab linked by an acoustic coupler to a mainframe somewhere in London. We used to write programs in BASIC, transfer them onto paper tape and thence on to the remote computer for processing with the results being printed out on the printer…wonderful stuff! I had been fascinated by this new technology and so with my interest undiminished I got a job working for a small computer company in Croydon and then worked successively for WordPerfect, Novell, Lotus and finally IBM. In parallel with my new career and having given up motorsport I was at a bit of a loss to know what to do at the weekends and so on a whim I joined the Territorial Army (now the Army Reserve). Ignoring my miserable A Level results and my complete lack of military knowledge the powers that were decided that I should apply for a commission and before very long I was passing out of Sandhurst as a second lieutenant and had been given a troop of soldiers to look after. There are many hidden benefits in joining the colours but for me the most important one turned out to be that it was where I met my wonderful wife Fenella – at the time our Squadron’s REME Fitter Section Commander – with whom we now have three lovely children Katie (11), Henry (10) and George (three). My civilian and military careers moved along in parallel for many years until I finally retired from the Army in 2001 at which time I began to consider starting my own firm. My military experience had given me some ideas for business opportunities in the defence market and after some soul searching I finally set up the new firm in 2009. We are very small and design specialised equipment for sale to military and security agencies via companies like BAE Systems and Thales. Fenella and I have now lived in Ashtead in Surrey for around seven years and have just applied for planning permission to build our own house so quite apart from business I expect to be kept rather busy over the next year or two. If anyone else is thinking of building their own home and want to see what we did right and wrong please feel free to drop me a line. Over the years it has been a delight to keep in touch with my fellow ORs and have corresponded with several of them including Jeremy Eynon who currently lives in California and came over to stay with us recently. We were both very grateful to Sharmaine Matthews who kindly showed us around the School – a very enjoyable experience and very much appreciated by us both. I’d like to end with an appeal. For many years I have been trying without success to trace Ralph Mellor (Capel 19741976). If anyone can put me in touch with him or knows anything at all about his movements after he left Reed’s I’d be very grateful.” THE REEDER 2 013 13 News of Old Reedonians Ben Geach (Mullens 2001) and Ruth Geach, nee Habershon, (2001) write “In early February 2012, our son Alexander Joseph Geach was born and we have had a fantastic first year with him. We continue to live and work in central London but plan a move to the Surrey suburbs at some point this year! Alex Grell (Blathwayt 1990) writes “Having worked for Ernst & Young’s Australian practice for over 18 months, I relocated together with my family from Sydney, Australia to Hong Kong in October 2011 to take up a regional role with Ernst & Young Asia-Pacific. I now lead the Asia-Pacific Pursuits team, a team that focuses on helping the firm to sell the largest, most complex deals across the Asia-Pacific region. My two boys are now five and three and have already started learning Mandarin and playing rugby, a sport which the locals are obviously fanatical about. By the time this goes to print, I will have seen my eldest play at the world renowned Hong Kong Sevens on the first day of the Sevens put on for the kids. With the boys’ baby/toddler years behind them and with the good fortune of being able to employ a maid at home my wife, Camille, has gone back to work and now works at the school in Discovery Bay on Lantau Island. On a separate note, I have also become reacquainted with one of my old Reed’s class mates, Eddie O’Neill, who coincidentally also lives on the island. We literally bumped into one another on the ferry home one Friday evening and our families have since become close, particularly our eldest boys who are the same age. It is a strange feeling indeed to have played rugby both with and against Eddie at Reed’s only now, 24 years later, to watch our two boys do that exact same thing. We also had the good fortune to spend an evening with another OR of our vintage, Simon Shrager, who came to Hong Kong on a business trip recently. We have Facebook to thank for that and spent a great night with Simon reminding ourselves of all the fun (and not so fun) fun times we had... 2013 holds much promise for the family with two trips back to Europe in planning as well as much travel around Asia Pacific from a professional perspective”. 14 THE REEDER 2 013 Graham Ham (Mullens 1972) writes “I’m currently working for Manns Removals in Dunsfold, near Guildford, as their Operations Manager. We carry out domestic and commercial moves both nationally and internationally. If any Old Reedonian wants a removal I’d be happy to quote and include a discount – contact by email at graham@ mannsremovals.co.uk. I was reminded of Reed’s the other day when I took an enquiry from someone living about 100 metres from the main driveway to Reed’s on Sandy Lane. I hear frequently from Nigel Clark, also a 1972 Mullens leaver. The last time I saw anyone else was a Reunion in 2002 at the School.” Andrew Harman (1993) writes “I am still living in Sydney and am a senior scientist at the Westmead Millennium Institute where I work on HIV and its interactions with dendritic cells. 2012 was a big year. I got married and had with my wife, Natalie, our son Harrison. Natalie is now pregnant again and our second baby is due in May.” George Harris (Capel 2010) writes “I have been following my passion of riding freestyle motocross in shows around England up until four months ago when I suffered a bad injury from which I am having a final operation this month (January). I was in Spain last year riding with some of the best in the world, teaching me lots and having a great time! But the more ‘sensible’ thing that I have been doing could be that I am now enrolled at Merrist Wood college doing an HND in Horticulture! Much more tame you may say. I started a landscaping business a year after Reed’s where I both redesign gardens and build them. I am just taking this course to get it behind my name and to learn some more within the industry. Back onto the more dangerous side of things, I am training to get qualified as a stunt performer doubling for actors on film sets etc. It’s great fun, but extremely expensive says my wallet! It’s my goal to run my landscaping business alongside being a stunt performer as they are both self employed activities.” News of Old Reedonians Nicholas Hearle (Mullens 1997) writes “Having Jes Isaacs (Bristowe 1973) writes “ My wife and I have been to medical school in Wales and marrying Eve we’ve moved to Cornwall where I’m a doctor. I’m currently completing my speciality training in general practice. Last September our baby daughter Ada Myfanwy was born. Surfing, pilot gig boat rowing and cliff top walks with our daughter keep us busy when not working!” just returned from a trip to Australia where we spent some time with Mike and Susie Jaggard as well as hooking up for an evening with David Stewart who I had not seen for 25 years.” Martyn Hearn (Blathwayt 1963) is hoping to attend this year’s Reunion with Mike Norcock (Capel 1967). Alex Hill (Blathwayt 2003) writes “I have recently moved to Kazakhstan to work as Business Development Executive for a manpower agency for major oil and gas projects throughout Russia and the CIS countries. I am based in Atyrau which is in the west of the country on the Caspian Sea. There is a lot more to do here than I imagined and a large expat community which has made the change very easy. I am learning Kazakh and a bit of Russian as well which is a challenge but one that I enjoy. Kazakhstan is the ninth biggest country in the world and there is a lot to do in the major cities and my job will require me to visit most of them so I will get to see what it has to offer, hunting, ice fishing and skiing near Almaty are at the top of my list. The best part of the job is that I work on rotation so am based in Atyrau for six weeks and then I have two weeks off and my company will fly me wherever I want to go. I plan to be here for at least a few years to save some money and use my time off to see as much of the world as I can, my next trip will be to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia with Ben Peddie and Rory Ambrose for Adam Chalcraft’s wedding in April. I will be back in the UK fairly regularly so hope to catch up at another OR event at some point soon.” John Hughes-Wilson (Mullens 1962) now lives in Turkish North Cyprus. His latest books are two SAS-MI6 thrillers published as e-books under a pseudonym, which are doing ‘very nicely’. He is currently writing the Imperial War Museum’s official book of the First World War for 2014. After 31 years in the Army, mostly in Intelligence, John retired from NATO’s Political staff to become a writer and BBC broadcaster, and the President of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides. Mike Jaggard (Mullens 1972) writes “In the words of Sergeant Pepper. It was 30 years ago today... Yes I landed in Australia to the day! (10th January 2013). Married to a lovely Australian girl I met in London (Susie), we have two daughters 27 and 26. One is a lawyer and the other is a psychologist which makes for very interesting conversations around the table when they are both at home! We live in a lovely part of Sydney on the Lower North Shore and are close to everything .We have seen a few Old Reedonians coming through and with the British Lions coming probably will see a few more as well. I know that Ron Obbard and his wife Angie and son Will are coming because they are staying with us for the Sydney leg of the tour. Through Sharmaine Graham Lambert and I have met up and shared a few beers under an Oak tree in the local pub . Good to catch up after 43 years! I also am in irregular contact with Ian Ward and his wife Judy who are retired in Spain .One day I will make a trip back to the UK and visit the School and enjoy watching a game of something . Last time I attended Old Boys Day Eric Hearle, tried to get me to turn out for the OR’s cricket team. I have played cricket down here in a series called the alternative Ashes, which is a best of seven series, where expats play the Aussies in limited overs games and the ante is upped every game, and ‘special’ players are dropped in to boost either team to get them back into the series. We have had former test players, county players, the works and it all ends up with a huge BBQ and of course a couple of quiet ones... Sharmaine is organising a gathering or OR’s down under in April (2013). Should be interesting to see who makes that one. I know for sure there will be two at least (Graham and me).” Luke Jones (Bristowe 1986) relocated from Hong Kong, to Bjerrome in Western Sweden in September 2012, swapping the hustle and vibrancy of Happy Valley THE REEDER 2 013 15 News of Old Reedonians for a 30 acre farm. During his time in Hong Kong he became reacquainted with Simon Hague (Capel 1986) who is married to Claire with three children and did a brilliant job in helping us settle in when we first arrived in 2006. Within a few weeks of being in Hong Kong, Simon and Luke were representing the Hong Kong Football Club in a rugby match against the People’s Liberation Army, having played their last game together over 20 years ago! Neilson Kite (Capel 1960) writes “A BUPA health- During his time in Hong Kong, Luke started a family (daughter Elsa and son Maximilian) with his Swedish veterinary wife Jenni and oversaw the rapid growth of the home furnishings company Halo, and its high end international brand, Timothy Oulton. He remains one of the owners of this business which opens its first London presence within Harrods in February 2013. Clearly many of us are restless beings. Full of curiosity and highly opinionated, we still want to change the world. If a Pope can blossom in his 70s (and retire at 85) then so can we! The majority of us were ‘Foundationers’ and some of us wonder about the extent to which, having lost our fathers through conflict or illness, this has shaped our lives. A surprising number of us are still working and those who are not seem deeply involved in activities that have a positive influence on others’ lives. Personally, I have had a ‘portfolio’ career – VSO, teaching, electric blankets, IT Simon organised several OR gatherings during his time in Hong Kong, one memorably included Alan Lang (Mullens), James Daly (Mullens 1988), Derek Venn (Mullens 1986), prior to his move to Singapore, Attila Emam (Bristowe 1988), on a flying visit from Kuala Lampur, and Faz Mahmood. Steve Taylor (Mullens), Guy Bradbury (Capel 1988) and Chris Pole (Bristowe 1990) amongst others were called as the night progressed... Ned Kelly (Bristowe 1978) writes “I am still serving as a Chaplain in the Royal Navy (it’s now 20 years ‘before the mast’) and am drawing towards the end of my time as the Chaplain at the Fleet Air Arm in Yeovil. I have been strangely reminiscing about the 70s over the last few months, and by implication been thinking about all those with who I shared my time at Reed’s. Still avoiding the marriage trap myself, I spend lots of Saturdays sending happy couples down the aisle, but never after 13.30 as that’s the latest time I can kick-off a wedding and still get to the kick-off at Yeovil Town football ground for games on a home match day. I think I have now fully regained my Britishness after my posting to the USA Navy (2007-09) and would welcome contact with anyone of my contemporaries. Blessings!” 16 THE REEDER 2 013 check 20 years ago advised, that at 50, I should seriously be considering a slower pace of life. Looking back on it, 50 seems so desperately young. I’m sure that many of my contemporaries at Reed’s feel the same and, judging from the very lively and enduring email forum started by Roger Mew and Hugh Darwen following a lot of OR corralling by Roger Hockey, there’s still a lot of life in a lot of old dogs. industry, consulting, lecturing and writing – liberally laced with singing and rugby, in a hazy kind of way. In reality, I have not yet sorted out what I really want to do. I am constantly exhorting businesses to focus and not dissipate their efforts, but have never done so myself. There are far too many interesting things going on to take my own advice. Like an actor, I keep staring into middle distance. Some of our contemporaries are clearly defined – bankers, financial directors, tax experts, artists, priests, revolutionaries, and gigolos. I don’t know whether that’s preferable or not. For those of us who are not clearly defined, all advice for future career development will be willingly received!” Peter Knight (Bristowe 1955) writes “Old, retired and living in Houtbay, 22 km out of Capetown. I am enjoying life in this beautiful place and still messing with computers and I am trying to support one of our local primary schools.” Peter has also sent the following piece highlighting some aspects of his time at Reed’s. “1947 was one of the coldest winters for a long time. I was seven and shipped off to Reed’s. In those days we had to wear short trousers, only Prefects were allowed longs. I can remember standing outside the Close in a circle and crying because my hands were so cold: instead of football we had organised snowball fights! News of Old Reedonians It wasn’t long before I got my nickname which lasted me until I left, Nellie Knight. I must say I was never the great scholar. Most of the reports said ‘Could do better’, one of them said ‘Fancies himself as a comic’. Johnny Lead the English master said I should try and write down all my thoughts in an essay and not keep substantial amounts in my head. However, due to the fantastic support from the teachers I managed to leave with GCE O Levels. A comment I heard at the next Reunion Day which was apparently made by the Art Master ‘If Knight can pass anybody can pass’. I have many happy memories of my schooldays, so I hope I don’t bore you with tales of things we ‘got up to’. Very shortly after joining I was introduced to scrumping in the orchard that ran down the left hand side of the main driveway. Great apples. Mooney Lee showed me how to get there. He was famous for reading under the bedclothes with a candle. Food was always on our minds. Each season had something – chestnuts, raspberries, blackberries, crab apples. We were always hungry and a favourite at teatime was to wait until the bread had been put out in baskets on the tables, then you could pinch a couple of slices and squeeze them into dough balls. Delicious. In those years not so long after the war food was far from plentiful and we used to get some pretty awful meals. It must have been in my first year at the main school. I was on the first floor in a dormitory with 15 beds in between the two courtyards. One night we decided to raid another dorm way down the passage past the head matron’s room and the main stairs and along to what was then the Infirmary. Donkers (one sock inside another) were the weapons of choice. How we got away with it I do not know. I think we did get some punishment, the raid was discovered after the actual event. I remember a lot of the various crazes that we had over the years – (Please do not be tempted to try any of the following – Ed.). Conkers, thread a conker on a string and take turns in whacking your opponents conker until one smashed. Throwing Darts by wrapping a piece of string around the tail and letting fly. If you wrap a small round stone in the end of a handkerchief, twist if up , hold the stone end behind your back and the other over your shoulder, you get a fantastic sling. We also made darts from pen nibs. You put the nib in the open desk lid and split the top by shutting the lid on it. The nib broke off and by pressing it down on the desk it left two small points. A paper flight and it worked well. Stuck in doors and probably people as well. The desks were also great for marble runs. You took a broomstick and knocked out the wood block at the bottom of the inkwell holder. Then you set up a track inside the desk with books and rulers. Drop the marble down the hole and wait for it to run out at the bottom of a hole in the front of the desk. Rice shooters. Somehow glass tubes were acquired, and then with a mouth full of dried rice you could have a marvellous battle. Outside in the grounds we could dig out dens in the pine woods and light the roots sticking out as candles. The elm trees also had large hollows under their roots. We used to build traps in some areas, great holes covered over with a framework of twigs and suitably disguised. I’m glad to say nobody broke any legs falling in them. Bows and arrows were great, the pavilion on the main rugby pitch had a thatched roof which made great arrows and there were masses of yew hedges for the bow. Water pistols did not last long as they were quickly confiscated, but ink bladders could be pin pricked and then filled on a cold tap. Amazing how large they could become. One of the highlights of the year was 5th November. Throughout the year broken branches were gathered and dragged to the Bomb Crater (The result of a Doodlebug during the war) . On the night we would light this pile and have a great bonfire and let off our couple of bangers. A couple of incidents in the Physics lab still make me smile. By turning on a couple of taps you could lower the water pressure, then at the other end of the lab you removed a curved spout from a tap and turned it on.. Down the other end when the water was turned off and the pressure returned, there would be quite a spectacular fountain. One time we were to have demonstrated how copper was a much better heat conductor than steel. I think Davies got the steel and Baker got the copper. Each put his rod into the Bunsen burner flame. Wait for it! Suddenly THE REEDER 2 013 17 News of Old Reedonians Davies throws away his steel rod, leaving Baker still holding onto the copper. (There was however a groove in his fingers). Easter Molly dancers celebrating Plough Monday (an East Anglian tradition).” I was very lucky to have the only radio in the School. It was a four valve set and ran off a very expensive battery with 72 volt and 1.5 v built in. If I put it in the middle of the dorm and connected a wire from the aerial to a bed it gave good reception. It must have been 1954. We were allowed to listen to the Saturday night play which was often very good. The guys in my dorm helped me to pay for the battery which I think was 7/6d. I used to get £1 per term for tuck shop expenses. “New arrival on 25th Sept 2012 – Ralph George McCall. Mum, dad and Henry all very excited.” It’s great to get the yearly Mag. To see the changes from the 150 pupil school I attended is fantastic. There were just 13 of us in our GCE year. I couldn’t have had a better start in life anywhere else. I suspect Reed’s will continue to go from strength to strength and I wish all those passing through as good or even better time than I had.” Chris Last (1959) writes “2012 saw me actually make my 70th birthday! I still continue as a selfemployed gardener (weather permitting!). Fortunately, I’m still able to travel abroad. Such trips included a visit to Austria (Blackmore Morris Men), and another visit to the Lagushdi, Upper Svaneti in the Republic of Georgia. Flying with Ukrainian International Airlines was an interesting experience! The airline had a seating problem from Tbilisi to Kiy’iv, so I travelled business class, but unfortunately Kiy’iv to London was economy class! Part of this visit included participation in Svan songs and dances on top of a mountain nearly 3,000m high (the group were the first westerners to take part in this particular festival). One day, the temperature reached 41C which is apparently unheard of there. We were told on arrival back in Tbilisi that the temperature had reached 55C. Later in the year, I went to Turkey with a Lithuanian folklore group (Saduto) to participate in a folk festival about 20km from Bodrum. On 7th Jan. 2013, I was one of the musicians for Good 18 THE REEDER 2 013 Tim McCall (Blathwayt 1993) writes Toby Makhzangi (Capel 1993) is teaching at Uppingham School and writes “I have decided that my life mid-life crisis is occurring at the age of 37 and that consequently I am going to give running a marathon one shot! I have entered the Shakespeare Marathon in Stratford on Sunday 28th April. The real reason for running this is to try and raise as much money as possible for the Sanata Orphanage in Gil Gil, Kenya which is, as they say a very good cause, and one that I have a link with going back a few years.” Peter Miles (Blathwayt 1955) writes “2012 has been a momentous year for me with three months in the Philippines, getting married and then having to fight for justice for Jackie’s entry visa, It was a demanding and stressful experience but in the end, a victorious result that overcame prejudice and the woeful standards of the UK Visa agency. It is truly wonderful to once more have somebody to share my life with, and for my daughter to know there is somebody caring for me.” Rick Mecklenburgh (Blathwayt 1957) writes “For a significant number of years we have both been members of Cricket Tasmania, which, needless to say is the Tasmanian arm of Cricket Australia. As members of this august body, we have ‘sat in the members’ at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, watching cricket of every imaginable level and of both genders for a number of years. We would frequently pass the time of day talking about cricket, football, Tasmanian and Australian issues, food, and travel – you name it – we talked about it. Given that average attendance at any match which is not International, or is News of Old Reedonians longer than 40 overs in total attracts crowds in the low hundreds, and of that maybe 60 are in the members’ area, we talked about things frequently. Some short weeks ago we were discussing motor vehicle maintenance, when a mutual friend (unbeknown to be such) walked passed muttering something like ‘How are you pom?’ Well I knew he was talking to me, but had no idea he was talking to ‘us’. From that, the discussion went along the lines of, ‘When did you arrive here?’, ‘What made you come here?’, ‘What did you do in England?’ etc. Having explained that I arrived 55 years ago after finishing GCE O Levels, largely because my mother was intent on marrying an Australian she had met two years earlier, I freely admitted that at the age of five I had commenced boarding school at some place called the Royal Wanstead Asylum or somesuch, and that having passed a curious assessment called the ‘11 plus’ in 1952, I did my senior school years ‘at some school, founded by the same philanthropist as the founder of the Wanstead school.’ Well then (with me thinking it was his turn to tell me his life story) he simply said ‘Shake hands with a fellow Reedonian’! (It was Trevor Welby – Mullens 1971). Our conversations have broadened considerably and the anecdotes are wonderful, and rather consistent given that one of us left in 1957 – the other fourteen years later. It is a standing joke in Tasmania that everyone is related to everyone else and that it is such a small place. Seems the world isn’t that large either!” Andy Myers (Bristowe 1994) writes “I am currently working for ConocoPhillips as Pipeline Manager for the Jasmine Development Project in the UK Sector of the North Sea. Still happily married to Melanie, Juliana our oldest is almost four years old and creating havoc, school is on the horizon! The latest addition to our family, Freya, arrived in April last year.” Alistair Newton (Capel 1991) writes “I left Reed’s in July 1991, to pursue a language course in the Loire Valley for one year! I then went on to live in Germany for two and a half years and since then have been working in London for a number of media publishing houses, conference and expo organisations and at present work for Rocket Fuel in Covent Garden. I was one of the first members of the team when the UK office opened in 2011 and we now have over 30 employees assisting media agency planner/buyers with a multi-channel solution across the display, mobile, video and social space. Most recently I celebrated my tenth wedding anniversary. Sarah and I have three beautiful girls: Poppy, (six), Daisy, (four) and Fleur is 18 months! We have been living in Claygate for the past 12 years . As well as the girls, we have two dogs, a cat and a KTM Adventure (just to keep Daddy sane!) which I recently rode around France, Spain and Portugal!” Frank Nunneley (Blathwayt 1967) The following is an extract from Frank’s website (www.franknunneley. co.uk): “Where did it all start? It’s in the genes with some practical guidance from older members of the family. Later as a pupil at Reed’s School I was lucky enough to meet Howard Pickersgill, a Quaker, who had been an industrial designer but who felt he could make much more of a contribution by becoming a teacher and he certainly made a significant contribution to the education of myself and a number of my contemporaries. It was entirely his fault that I went to St. Martin’s School of Art when I left school. I attended St. Martin’s and then Trent Park College of Education in the 1960s. I taught art for short while but then spent a lifetime working in another field entirely. I returned to my artwork in 2007 and whilst still working on drawing and painting I am concentrating on sculpture and photography. My work is now in private collections in this country, France and the USA.” Ben Peddie (2003) writes “I left Reed’s in June 2003 and decided to turn down places at university as I wasn’t sure which direction I wanted to go in; business or design. I started working full-time with a small local construction firm for which I had previously worked part-time during holidays, weekends etc. I was able to become involved with all elements of construction from ground works to roofing and all internal elements. I decided this route was more suited to me so wrote to all the major house builders and developers asking about training schemes THE REEDER 2 013 19 News of Old Reedonians they offered. After several interviews I took a post with Berkeley Homes (Southern) which is a subsidiary company of the Berkeley Group, in September 2004, as a Trainee Site Manager. I progressed over several years, working as part of a management team on large housing sites all across the south of England from sites in Portsmouth comprising 1,000 houses, to modern blocks of apartments in Brighton and 22-storey tower block refurbishment projects in Basingstoke. After a year of working for Berkeley I was asked if I wished to pursue any further education. Berkeley then sponsored me to study a five-year degree, which included three years HND Construction and two years BSc (Hons) Commercial Management. It was very difficult working full-time and spending all my evenings and weekends with my head in the books for so many years, but in July 2010 I was awarded a 2:1 from London South Bank University. I also now hold Incorporated Membership status for the CIOB and currently working on my portfolio for full MCIOB membership status this year. In 2009/2010 the company split into two, forming Major Projects and Village Collection. The Village Collection was created to concentrate on the smaller sites, with much larger properties of higher value and higher spec. I decided with my Construction Director that this path would be best for progression and was given my own site in Reigate in 2009 with a value of approx £10m, which went extremely well, on-time and on budget. From there I have continued to run projects in Weybridge, Esher, Tadworth and now in Cobham, where I am building four £3m houses in Fairmile Avenue until early 2014. The job comes with huge responsibility and pressure, but having worked for the company for the best part of 10 years, making it through the recession cull, I am in a good position for future prospects and aiming for a director’s position with the possibility of setting up my own construction company in the not too distant future, funds depending! In terms of personal life, I had a little boy named Alfie in July 2011. He’s 18 months old now and a little terror. Enjoying fatherhood, but unfortunately me and his mother 20 THE REEDER 2 013 split up last year so I don’t get to spend as much time with him as I would like. Be interesting to see if he follows my footsteps later on in life! Apart from that, I have a property in West Byfleet and I am looking at moving to Guildford/Merrow later this year. I am still playing a lot of golf and trying to maintain a single figure handicap, although parenthood has interrupted that somewhat! I am still very close friends with Alex Hill (Blathwayt 2003), Rory Ambrose (Capel 2001) and Adam Chalcraft (Blathwayt 2003) and have bumped into several people here and there over the last few years. It would be good to get a reunion organised this year, bearing in mind this year will be our 10 year anniversary from leaving!” Max Reinhardt (Bristowe 2000) writes “I have just changed jobs, going from a Mortgage Broking position to that of a Financial Planner, with one of the big four banks in Australia, Westpac. Other than that my kids are growing up pretty quickly and both will be in full time school as of February this year, a photo of them in their uniforms is attached. Noah is the eldest aged six and Lucas is five. No plans to come back to England anytime soon, it’s been just over eight years now. I think the only thing that would take us back is if one of the kids get scouted by an English football team. Noah in particular loves his football and wants to play for Liverpool when he’s older, his middle name is Gerrard! I coached his football team last season and will continue doing so this year. Lucas hasn’t quite got the attention span just yet, although he might start when our season commences in April. I haven’t been able to play for almost two years myself with a marrow oedema and osteoarthritis in my right knee – must be getting old.” Adrian Ricks (Mullens 1972) writes “Well here goes – my wife is typing as she is very quick (!) – I am still married to Kim, almost 25 years (Oh my god that long!), four great kids – Georgie (22) finished Leeds University last year and now doing a so called ‘ski season’ in Val d’Isere but seems more like one big party! Harry (20) now reading Economics at Bath University after a gap year News of Old Reedonians which included travelling round the Far East and being chased by Orang Utans; also very involved and captain of the Reeds Weybridge RFC Under 21s – Charlie (17) and Freddie (15) who are both at Cranleigh. It has to be said that two out of the three boys are now taller than me! Freddie 6’ 3” at just 15, a giant in the making. All boys have gone to or are going through Cranleigh School (don’t ask!) but I am delighted to confirm all three feel very much Reedonians when it comes to rugby and are very proud to play for our club at various age levels. My company Commercial Interiors is still going strong, albeit very tough out there, so anyone who wants an office makeover let me know! I am still very much involved with Reeds Weybridge RFC, but more as the spectator these days which is just fine by me! When Jes Isaacs (Bristowe) Simon Bailey (Capel) and I started the mini rugby section about 18 years ago, little did we know just how successful it would be and there are so many ORs’ children down at the club, it’s a fantastic, vibrant place. Very proud achievement. I am still playing squash, running and enjoying the delights of French red wines plus good old London Pride! Very much in touch with lots of ORs: Jes Isaacs, Simon Taylor, Ian Griffin, all the Savills, Andy Shiells, Ed Peters, Jerry Sherwood, Plank & Jones to name but a few and all, it has to be said, a lot younger than me! Am also a Trustee now of a local children’s charity called Oasis, based in Cobham. I’m pleased to say Reed’s School has chosen it as one of the charities to support and much good work is done between the two organisations. Life is hectic, busy, fun and really don’t have anything to complain about!” Howard Rigg (Mullens 1954) writes “Not since I was involved in the OR rugby and cricket sections in the late 50’s and early 60’s have I submitted articles to the Reeder, so I suppose I should again. I have happy memories of my time at school, since starting at The Close. Plenty of sport, plus ‘bowling up’. Specific recollections include visits by the choir to St. George’s Chapel Windsor and Guildford Cathedral, walking in ‘crocodile’ to Esher to see ‘Scott of the Antarctic’, a rugby match at Epsom College, followed by tea and a Hollywood film, Mr. Baugh’s clarinet playing, visit for O Levels to the Old Vic to see ‘Macbeth’. Some are unpleasant; being accidently (?) pushed by the prefects into the gorse going from the Big School to The Close; scrambled eggs (powdered ?) swimming in water... strange how something so trivial stays in the memory; the tragic drowning in Black Pond. Apart from two periods when we were overseas, our family had a strong and active relationship with Reed’s and Old Reedonians for about seven decades. Starting in 1943, my sister Sheila was at Greens Norton and Dogmersfield, brother Tony at Tile House, Totnes as well as Cobham, and both I and son Christopher started at Cobham, although some 30 odd years apart. After leaving, and having started as a broker in the Lloyd’s Insurance market I, as did many of my friends, joined the ORs, playing both rugby on the 12 Acre pitch and cricket on Bigside. In those early years few of us had cars, with much of our travelling for matches by railway/underground. Also my generation had little money, but thanks to the more senior members, Ken Burbidge, John Laidman, Tony Barwell and others, we were looked after. Later Brian Turner was sufficiently wealthy to own a vehicle and carry us around. Rugby training then varied from the Lucas Tooth gym in Tooley Street near London Bridge station, to amongst some others, Hampstead Heath, and Tooting Bec (both Common and Athletic track). All the hard graft eventually paid off on the pitch for the Old Boys and many a pleasant evening spent in the old clubhouse. Memorable highlights include beating the hosts at the Lowestoft & Yarmouth Easter Festival and journeying to a West Country tour, having recruited the then England hooker Steve Richards (and guitar), drafted as a ‘ringer’ – we played him at Second Row of course.. 1968 saw a move to Singapore, where I married Iris in January 1969. A move to Malaysia the following year was the start of a four-year contract to establish a broking company and assist the formation of the National Insurance Company. Over the six years spent in Southeast Asia, in addition to the wonderful birth of Christopher in Kuala Lumpur in 1972, we experienced a most enjoyable social and sporting life. Rugby in Singapore (my only experience of playing against Fijians, thank goodness!), THE REEDER 2 013 21 News of Old Reedonians and Malaysia with tours to Indonesia, and Thailand was a pleasing counter balance to a hectic professional life. We returned to the UK mid 1974 and re-acquainted fulltime with the Old Boys, meeting up with old and making new friends and I continued my rugby playing career at Whiteley Village. Professionally, contact continued with Asia, having responsibility and travelling extensively there. This enabled me to meet up with Alan and Sue Reece who were based in Jakarta, and assist Richmond FC with their Asian tour. Another move overseas, this time in 1982 to Bahrain, was a ‘different’ experience, geographically and culturally, the latter especially. Christopher entered The Close the next year and joined us for holidays. Travelling regularly to and within Saudia Arabia tended to create uncertainties around personal security. Two years later and the decision by the Board to move the office and all staff to Riyadh were sufficient for the family to realise that we would not be comfortable in such an enviroment. We returned to Surrey at the end of 1984. Having moved to Cobham in 1986, after the back injury to Christopher playing against Lord Wandsworth, both Iris and I became fully involved at Whiteley Village. Being so close to the School allowed us to meet and entertain several of Christopher’s friends over the years, some with whom we are still in contact, notably Matt Fradgley and family and Lorenzo Garcia. Christopher started in the print and paper industry after graduating from the London School of Printing, after many an hour spent in the Reed’s print room and has made considerable progress in that profession. Christopher married Susan in 2007 and we now have both a grandson and granddaughter. In the mid eighties the Rugby Club continued to prosper, at one stage running four teams. Personal highlights of my time at Whiteley Village, include playing one match in the same team as Christopher, helping to arrange the first tour to the USA, reaching the semi-final of the RFU Junior Cup – just one game from Twickenham, and being part, with Iris, in the formation of the Mini/Midi Section, along with Simon Bailey, Adie Ricks, Jes Isaacs and others. We stayed with this new section for ten years, living around the corner from the Club and all most enjoyable and 22 THE REEDER 2 013 rewarding. Despite this comfortable lifestyle, we decided to seek a different challenge, and moved to Cornwall in 2003, to refurbish a barn, taking almost nine months to complete the reconstruction and infrastructure. The South West hosts other ORs, and we have met John and Karen Racquet, Roger Metcalf, Harry Ridsdale amongst others. As yet not Chris and Louise Simmonds who are on the Isles of Scilly. Recently we returned to attend the 80th anniversary dinner at the Rugby Club to see just how much has been achieved, especially the expansion off and on the field of the Mini/Midi section with the age levels now including colts. The dinner was a success to the point that several mentioned that such an event should be repeated. The 20th anniversary of the formation of the Mini/Midi section in 2013 will be very appropriate. Cornwall is different, I continue with Mini/ Midi coaching with a local club, but we now look for another challenge and perhaps back to our friends at Whiteley Village, all of whom we have missed”. Tim Robb (Mullens 1985) writes “No major updates from the Robbs. We are still living in Leamington Spa and our eldest is doing his GCSEs this year before hopefully starting his A levels in September. Frightening to think how quickly they are growing up. The three younger children are all on good form and by September of this year, our youngest will have left primary school and all four will be in secondary education. Along with looking after the children and running a small curtains business, Candace has been doing some part time lecturing at Coventry University in pattern cutting for undergraduates doing a degree in Fashion Design. I have been busy with work over the last year and managed to visit Shanghai as part of a development programme I was doing with the IMD in Lausanne. The sheer scale of Shanghai and how they have put new technologies to use was impressive. Outside of work I am still a very News of Old Reedonians keen cyclist and last summer completed a charity bike ride from Llandudno to Shrewley in Warwickshire. Over 40 of us completed the ride in aid of Molly Ollerenshaw who died from cancer in 2011 at the age of eight. Molly’s father is one of the cycling group and hence our desire do something to commemorate the life of a very brave young girl. Over £40,000 was raised and the photo attached shows us upon our return to Warwickshire.” Simon Robey (Capel 1978) The following is an extract from a piece in The Times in late January: “Simon Robey, a renowned rainmaker at Morgan Stanley, is to join the boutique advisory business of Sir Simon Robertson. Mr Robey, who announced plans to leave Morgan Stanley last September, is moving to Simon Robertson Associates, which will be renamed Robertson Robey Associates...” James Roriston (Capel 2005) is now Head of Music in an international school in Sweden. Matthew Rose (Capel 2008) writes “My company, Confugium, which I set up with Chris Markham continues to go from strength to strength. We had a sketch show in Edinburgh (also starring James Thomas) last year and are taking two this year. In recent years we have also made a TV sitcom pilot and a web series. At the moment we are branching out into corporate filming as well to pay for all the fun stuff! We’ve now made a series of staff videos for Wandsworth Council and even filmed in a robot factory. It’s hard to believe that it’s now five years since we left Reed’s and we’re all still working together. Our website is www.confugium.com if anyone is interested in having a look. Chris has been working as a stage manager and recently completed a stint working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. I have just had a short play on in London and am writing a full length play with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre. James recently starred as Bottom in a production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in London.” Peter Saliba (Mullens 1962) was at the 2012 Reunion Day. He is living with Carmen in Malaga and by all accounts is very much enjoying life in southern Europe. Len Scott (1953) writes “On leaving school I worked in London for a firm of Chartered Accountants and after two to three years was joined by another Old Reedonian Maurice Webb. I was best man at his wedding in March 1962 and he was best man at mine some seven months later. I left London in 1961 and moved to Exeter. I still keep in contact with Maurice from time to time. A couple of years ago one of my sister’s daughters was nursing a patient in a nursing home in Woodbridge who I believe was related to a former Head Master of Reed’s School (it was former Second Master, Richard Warnock – Ed.). To cut a long story short she spoke to him and later he gave her a copy of The Reeder 2009. To my surprise the document contained a photo of myself dated July 1945, and one of my sisters Amy Scott (decd) is shown on three other photos in the same document. I have recently received a copy of The Reeder 2011. Having read the 2009 edition I did notice the name of an OR – Don Ford – and his name is also on page 30 of The Reeder 2011. I remember Don Ford well and have often wondered whether he followed his calling and would like to contact him if possible.” Pascal Shaw (Mullens 1984) writes “I live in a small village to the north of Barcelona famous for its flash flooding, Arenys de Munt, where I have been living for the last 16 years. I have three children, who speak, in order of preference: Catalan, English and Spanish. Catalonia is a sports-crazy country and my kids all play roller hockey at the local club. I love mountain biking in the hills behind and going on the road bike as well, but now I’m convalescing after a back operation. I work as an academic coordinator and English teacher at UAB Idiomes Barcelona, a university language school in the centre of BCN, next to the Sagrada Familia, so I have to commute everyday (not something I imagined doing but the benefits of living in a small Catalan village far outweigh the party atmosphere of Barcelona). Bringing up three kids is a lot of work especially when we have to go around Catalonia at the weekend to take them to their hockey matches. Before settling down I lived in Amsterdam and travelled around for a while (South East Asia, Africa and South America). I also completed a degree in PPE, a THE REEDER 2 013 23 News of Old Reedonians Masters in European Studies, Teaching English Certificate and Diploma as well as a Language School Management diploma.” Jeremy Sherwood (Blathwayt 1975) writes “I ‘retired’ last year having run the Head sports business globally for the last five years and am lucky enough to do what I want to do. I sit on the advisory board of a charity called Streetgames which is part of the London Olympic legacy trying to get kids in deprived areas of the country playing some form of sport and also own a children’s nursery school in Guildford – it is the UK’s 4th largest single site nursery in the UK. I also see quite a few ORs and we have a small group of ‘famous’ ex Reed’s cricketers (Jones, Plank, Shiells, Ricks, Taylor, Chuter(?)) playing golf once a month or so. My brother Simon who left Reed’s in 1973 is doing well – he is Chairman of the advertising agency BBH, and also working towards retirement – we both live in the Godalming area.” Tim Smith (Mullens ) writes “As an Old Reedonian, I admit it feels good that Reed’s is part of my history – which somehow seems particularly significant in 2013 as the School celebrates its bicentenary. Probably, like many past pupils, my sense of pride and gratitude have only developed in more recent years as I’ve come to realise how much I owe the School and how those early experiences shaped my life. Initially this realisation prompted me to support some Foundation events and make small donations. But I felt there had to be more I could do – not just for Reed’s but for the wider world. It’s easy to go to a ball or write a cheque, but if I’d really learned the right lessons in my childhood, surely I would be motivated to come up with something more practical and long-term? I started to think about my role as managing director of the Brandon Hire Group and was there some way the business could support the communities within which we operate – more specifically something that could help schools during these financially difficult times. 24 THE REEDER 2 013 It took me a while to get the right answer, as clearly finding a connection between tool hire and schools isn’t obvious. But eventually, I got there and Toolshare was the result. This is a scheme that gives schools and charities across the country the chance to apply for free tool hire to help them complete building and maintenance projects on time and within budget. We didn’t know what to expect, but within the first few weeks we’d received dozens of requests from a wide range of organisations including, playgroups, primary schools, cricket clubs and allotment projects. The response highlighted the fact that many groups were struggling and that our help was needed. With this in mind, we then went on to launch the Brandon Hire Schools’ Card and the Brandon Hire Charity Card. The cards allow schools and charities to hire equipment from any of our branches and enjoy a 50% saving. The development of both Toolshare and the discount cards have made me realise that there is always a way to ‘pass it on’. Indeed, the Foundation is all about giving something back. And, therefore, I would encourage former pupils to continue to support Reed’s in any way they can, but also to take the time to think about what else they can do.” Paul Soltysiak (Mullens 2003) writes “We are expecting our first child in February”. Angela Springett (one time Head of Special Needs) writes “I retired from Reed’s four years ago but as we still live in the same house overlooking 12 Acre, Reed’s is never far away! We see the rugby players, cricketers and athletes practising and competing as the sporting seasons change. Occasionally, if the wind is in the right direction, we can hear the chapel bell. I am enjoying retirement but if I occasionally miss life at Reed’s I still feel the link across the garden fence! Now, no longer tied by school holidays, my husband and I have been able to do far more sailing. We had a wonderful trip sailing for three weeks in the Caribbean and this year we are off to the Balearics. Our summer seasons are spent in Southern Brittany, where we keep a 32ft. sailing yacht. We love this area; there is such a variety of News of Old Reedonians marinas, bays and islands to visit. The sailing is, of course, enhanced by the prospect of eating ashore in a local restaurant or buying fresh fish to cook on board. I have been able to travel more in retirement. I visited my niece in California, where she spent three years at the Naval Academy in Monterey. We explored Monterey and the surrounding coast and spent time in San Francisco. The highlight of the trip was our visit to Yosemite National Park, where we slept in a small tent listening out for bears. I recently returned from my annual trip to Geneva, visiting friends and colleagues from my teaching days there. We stayed in a chalet in the Alps and this year there was plenty of snow and sunshine. Last year I had an unpleasant ski-ing injury so this year I tried snow shoe-ing; it was great fun and very energetic. Retirement has meant that I can indulge in more leisure pursuits. For two years I have been going to water colour painting classes, I really enjoy it although I am not convinced I have any great talent. I also go to French conversation classes – a good way to meet people and keep in practice. I belong to a local tennis club and play ‘social’ tennis. I continue to sing and perform with my local operatic society and enjoy singing classical choral works with a choir based in Esher. Life is busy! I enjoy hearing all the news from Reed’s when I meet up with Christine Kemp for lunch in the school holidays. From time to time I meet ex-colleagues and past Reed’s pupils on Cobham High Street. I still climb over the garden fence to walk up to Reed’s, from time to time, when I come to sing with Charlie Menagh playing his guitar. For many years Reed’s was a hugely important part of our family life. It is wonderful to hear of all the academic, cultural and sporting successes of the School in recent years.” Tim Springett (Bristowe 1995) lives in Esher with his wife Nikki and their new baby, Benjamin. Tim works in the Design Department of a Formula One Racing Team, producing cars for Jenson Button and formerly Lewis Hamilton. Tim has a real passion for yacht racing. Mike Hewett used to run Reed’s sailing and Tim had his first taste of dinghy racing with Mike when he represented Reed’s in Weymouth. Now Tim races regularly in the Solent; two years ago his team won the Commodores Cup. For the past two summers Tim has joined the crew of Jethou, a 60ft racing yacht, in a series of races in the Mediterranean. They were the overall winner of the 2012 Rolex Volcano Race, which included a 300 nautical miles round from Capri through the Aeolian Islands. Alex Springett (Mullens 1998) lives in Surbiton. After many years of working in London he joined a company based in Kingston and is happy that he can now walk along the Thames towpath to work. His job also involves world wide travel, which he enjoys. Alex went on eight ski strips with Mark Vernon in his time at Reed’s. Ski-ing is his passion and he usually hits the slopes twice a season. Ian Stuart (Blathwayt 1972) writes “I am alive and kicking in Tucson Arizona with wife Diane and two sons Matt and Gavin. Working for CBRE, the commercial real estate firm, and still playing tennis – marginally better than I did on the courts Tim Henman played on after me! I know Bill Colbran from my era is up in the San Francisco Bay Area but not sure many other ORs have ventured so far west. My son Matt has just finished up a double masters in Regional Planning and GIS at the University of Arizona and is currently working for a public policy group here called ‘Imagine Greater Tucson’. Wish I could get him to pack his bags and head for Europe as he has dual nationality/passports! My email is [email protected]” Nigel Taunt (Mullens 1971) writes “It’s frightening to say that my class of ‘71 will be reaching 60 this year and I’m already semi-retired, with a reducing portfolio of work that I hope will decline naturally to a very low level. Where did the decades go? Hopefully, there will be more time to play golf and watch cricket, which remains a passionate interest despite the ups and downs of the English game.” Chris Tong (Bristowe 1993) after nearly five years as Head of Sport and Events at Red Bull, recently left to set up his marketing business ‘Yellow5’. To cap off a memorable year he then got married in December in THE REEDER 2 013 25 News of Old Reedonians Bramley, Surrey. On the sports front, he’s now hung up his hockey boots and replaced them with a nice set of golf clubs! Irving Walker (Blathwayt 2001) writes “I have recently set up my own franchise of an entertainment agency (Hireaband) and am running it for the south of England. Aside from that I am playing in a couple of function bands on a regular basis and recently played at a wedding at Claridges. I am very much enjoying running my own business and being an employed musician at the same time. I still live in Sunbury-on-Thames.” Guy Warwick (1968) writes “On leaving Reed’s I started work with Shell-Mex and BP and after four years I joined Powell Duffryn with the aim of working in France for a few years, and I moved to Rouen initially, in November 1972 and have never moved back. I left Powell D. in 1981 and have worked with an American company – Johns Manville – and finally with a subsidiary of the Morgan Crucible group, which bought out J.M. Retirement, in February 2012. I married in 1976 and have three children (two boys and a girl) and two grandchildren with a third on the way. Apart from two years in Rouen, I have lived the rest of the time in the Versailles area. During the few years in the UK after school I played regularly for ORRFC with such well known names as George Spinks, Dave McIlheny, Rex Sinden, Paul Camp, Nick Simmons... After moving to France I helped organise two matches between ORRFC, one in France and one at Whiteley, with my local club in France; we were no match for the ORs both on and off the field! I stopped playing some 25 years ago and now enjoy either the armchair variety or a visit to the Stade de France when I can get tickets.” Jim Williams (Capel 1959) writes “The only moment of difficulty and awkwardness is when the bill arrives and we fight over whose turn it is to pay. ‘This is on me’… ‘No you did it last time’… ‘Yes but you’re on holiday and having to spend foreign currency’… ‘That’s not the point, it’s my turn’… ‘I invited you and you’re my guest in my home town’… etc. etc. 26 THE REEDER 2 013 Two relatively successful and mature business people with wives out for a lunch in one of the world’s capital cities at a ‘top-end-of-the-market’ restaurant. Nothing particularly extraordinary about that although 50 plus years ago, this situation could never have taken place. Circumstances, financial capacity, and the fact that being two years age difference between us would have been an absolute taboo. Apart from being in similar rough-end businesses (mining related); Simon Holden (1950 to 1957) and Jim Williams (1955 to 1959) their common denominator is their fatherless upbringing and their Reed’s School connection. Naturally when we do get together here in Johannesburg (my home town) and Simon and Wendy are on their way through from Luanshya, Zambia to UK or Mauritius, it’s invariably over lunch somewhere and the topic inevitably reverts to our school days, reminiscing, with the inevitable ‘I wonder whatever happened to so-and-so’ component. Our lives, our businesses, health and our kids’ futures are always in the discussion mix but the bond and the underlying connection is Cobham, albeit that if we had met each other without this tie, we would probably still have been mates, simply because Simon is just such a good bloke. Rewind the clock 50 odd years or more and see two young schoolboys one 13 years old in the 3rd form and another 15 years old in Upper 1V and any form of relationship would have been scorned upon by the then God-fearing headmaster who dished out all sorts of ‘Thou shalt not’ puritanical absolutes as maxims by which we should live our lives. I am not for one moment suggesting that these mores were not well considered, especially as our headmaster had had a wartime experience in the Royal Navy (another monastic environment). The question that I think needs posing is were the disciplines and restrictions that were imposed on these fatherless boys, who were totally dependent on others for guidance and finances, the appropriate norms in this phase of their lives, trying to bridge the gap from kids to young men? I for one was quite comfortable with the situation and the disciplines imposed but know of many ‘unhealthy relationships’ (in the words of our headmaster) that existed while guys’ hormones were running riot with them. The News of Old Reedonians tragedy of this ‘natural/unnatural’ phase was that some boys were either sacked or severely reprimanded for ‘queer’ behaviour. In fact frequent discussions that I’ve had with ORs over the years has usually put interaction with girls as a major problem high on their readjustment programme after leaving school. Compare this style of regime with the current Reed’s set up. A co-educational arrangement where I experienced (on my last visit) a pub, interaction at almost all levels, tremendous freedoms and liberal attitudes and then ask ourselves which one is the better system? Amazing as it may seem, and seen from the perspective of today’s privileged pupils/learners/students something of a conundrum but I still think that I revere the old tough, ‘survival of the fittest’ ‘shack’ institution and for whatever I may have missed out on, I’m eternally grateful for this opportunity in my life, no matter how tough and apparently stifling it was then. Without realising it at the time though, perhaps the biggest ‘missing’ component of our 50/60s education was, the what is referred to today as, Personal Development training. Compliance, discipline, grades, academic achievement from chalk and talk teachers, all the things that most schools need to aspire to were there in abundance and yet specific Leadership Training; GoalSetting; Communication; Attitude Control; Problem Solving; Risk Taking; Flexibility/Creativity; Decision Making; Human Relations and Interactivity were from my experience never taught as subject matters and to which I didn’t feel that we were given any exposure. Quite naturally enough when leaving the confines of this monastic institution this put enormous pressure of any number of guys to somehow try and adapt ‘outside’, many just not having sufficient self-confidence to be even able to sell themselves into a job. being able to regurgitate this at year end to prove how clever or dumb I was? Lastly, so much of my education actually came from my peers, both directly and indirectly. There are instances where I can remember clearly one of my friends or indeed the class boffin, of a particular subject explaining or unpacking something for me which had sailed completely over my head during the class/period time. Having, I’m sure what is today commonly known as, ADD but then just called being a ‘disruptive influence’ coupled with being a very tactile, visual, and experiential type of learner, my style of absorbing information was totally unsuited to sitting still and concentrating for 40 minutes while being talked at and remaining focused on the subject at hand. Busty mowing ‘Big Side’ or Don Weller fixing something in/on the pavilion was far more interesting than Archimedes’ Principle. Perhaps only the Almighty has got the final answer to my ‘status’ as to how I qualified and became eligible for this life changing and for me an ever grateful experience to attend this ‘institution’. For most people losing a father would have been the lowest point in their life and yet it proved to be the starting point for a whole turn-around and new opportunity to develop – I wonder how many other guys think or feel that?” Peter Woollard (Blathwayt1980) writes “Having spent the past ten years in the south of France with the family, we have given up sun, sea and wine for the rolling hills of Somerset. The weather takes some getting used to, though the girls (Imogen and Phoebe) have settled into English school very well. I am in the process of setting up a company that specialises in recyclable products for the sports and entertainment industry, so 2013 is going to be a very busy year.” Selling myself, my ideas, promoting concepts, establishing goals, projecting a ‘can do’ approach to life have all been exceedingly difficult learning experiences which I have, post Reed’s, subsequently had to develop and perfect in this increasingly tough old world of ours. How much more valuable would these traits have been to me if taught at Cobham, rather than knowing what an ‘isobar’ was and THE REEDER 2 013 27 The Girls’ School Katherine Elizabeth Hatten Mills Headmistress of Reed’s School for Girls Born: 25th April 1893 Died: 31st December 1974 I have received several requests from Old Reedonians who were at Dogmersfield for more information about the Headmistress, Miss Kathleen Mills. Ann Adam, better known to her contemporaries as Beryl (Wheaton) Adam, has carried out some research from her distant base in Canada and I am also grateful to Andy Wotton for the help he has given. Miss Mills was born in Lewisham and attended school locally and entered teaching in 1913 at Stockwell Church of England School but soon moved to Holy Trinity Church of England School in Tulse Hill where she stayed until 1920. She then taught at East Street Council School, Farnham until 1934 and then at Hale Council Infants’ School, Farnham and is thought to have stayed there until she joined the staff at Watford in 1942. Ann has written the following: “Miss Mills was the perfect person to carry out Andrew Reed’s mission of helping those of us who could have become vulnerable, due to the loss of our fathers. What a privilege it has been to be under the care of Miss Mills, and 28 THE REEDER 2 013 experience her kindness, compassion and understanding. I have spent some time trying to find out where she is buried (Ann and Andy have subsequently discovered that Miss Mills was cremated at Aldershot Crematorium and her ashes were buried there – Ed.) – but the important thing is that she lived. She lived, and I believe, she lives in many of us today, through the example she set and values she taught us. Furthermore, I think we have been able to pass on many of those values to our own children – so she lives in them, too. She started teaching at the School in Watford in 1921 and then moved with the School when it was evacuated during the War. When the Girls’ School moved yet again after the War, this time to Dogmersfield, of course, Miss Mills went too. She stayed there until she retired in 1955 and, unfortunately that is the year the Girls’ School was closed. I had the privilege of going to Reed’s in 1949 and I also stayed until 1955. It was a very happy place and there was no need for any of us to rebel or even misbehave beyond the smallest misdemeanour. Miss Mills had a team of dedicated teachers, who I believe were guided by the example she, herself, portrayed. Although she set herself sufficiently apart from the staff and the girls, she was also very concerned with every one of us. For example, my friend, Mary (Westley) The Girls’ School Moore (with whom I am still in touch) was coughing badly one winter night while in bed. Miss Mills, whose suite was just at the far end of the corridor, came in to see if she could help – and help she did. One of the privileges I clearly remember used to take place on Sunday evenings. In Form Vb we did not have the luxury of a radio, but Miss Mills, of course, did. Each Sunday evening, the BBC broadcast a serialised version of a classic, for example, Oliver Twist, The Forsyte Saga, etc. Miss Mills invited us to join her in her sitting room to listen to, and to appreciate the richness of the English language. We loved going there, and I think she enjoyed having us with her to enhance her own enjoyment of the classics. Another privilege Mary and I enjoyed was being allowed to take Miss Mills’ dog, Sally, out for a walk. The School rule was that, after a certain age, the girls could go for walks in threes – but if we took Sally she could count as number three! Thus far, I have not mentioned our academic education! Almost, needless to say, it was equally as good as all the life skills that we learned. Miss Mills, as you can well believe, taught Scripture to all of us. I think there was only one person who did not pass GCE in Scripture. I know who it was – but will not give her away. (It wasn’t me!). Teaching English was a luxury for Miss Mills and she only afforded herself one class – again Vb, the ones invited to the Sunday evening plays. Many happy memories and a great preparation for life. I am truly grateful to Miss Mills and to the School for the privilege of being able to say “I am an Old Reedonian”. I believe Andrew Reed would second my thoughts on Miss Mills by saying to her, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”... for indeed she lived and fulfilled her calling. On behalf of the girls from Reed’s, I would like to add, “Thank you, Miss Mills. We will always remember you.” Miss Mills’ obituary appeared in the 1975 Reeder written by Philip Horton, one time Secretary to the Governors, and is reproduced below: “Miss Kathleen Mills Headmistress 1942-1955 Everyone who came into contact with the Girls’ School will have heard last January, with the greatest regret, of the death of Miss Kathleen Mills, for she was much more than a Headmistress, and the very fine school which Reed’s ran until 1955 was in so many ways her personal creation. Miss Mills had been a member of the teaching staff when the School was at Watford. Here, in spite of the efforts of a THE REEDER 2 013 29 The Girls’ School dedicated staff, the rather depressing buildings made it hard to bring about the transformation which everyone desired, and the first opportunity to break with an institutional past came when, in 1940, the girls were evacuated to Northamptonshire. The Headmistress at that time was Miss Orsborn and, when she died in 1942, Miss Mills was invited to take her place. It can never be easy to take over such a position at very short notice, but the special circumstances must have made it particularly difficult for the girls had had to be accommodated in three different houses. Miss Mills was helped by a number of first-rate colleagues and among them Reedonians will specially remember Miss Bourton and Miss Mortlock. It was necessary for Miss Mills to make the girls feel that although not in one building they all belonged to one school. To do this they had to drive from one house to another and to plan occasions when the girls could be brought together. There is no doubt that she performed her task with singular success, and those who were at the School at that time have often paid tribute to all she was It was a sad time when, in 1955, the Governors had to decide to close the Girls’ School. The reason – inflation – was perhaps not so fully understood as it would have been today. For Miss Mills, herself, it must have been a personal tragedy for she would not otherwise have retired at that time and would, no doubt, have looked forward to handing on a lively and successful school to a successor. But she understood the reasons and accepted the situation nobly. She took the greatest care in dealing with the arrangements for the continued education of those who were leaving before their time, and for many years maintained a regular correspondence with those she had known. She was always a welcome visitor at school functions and was always to be seen at the School’s Annual Dinner in London. To the end her interest in Reed’s remained unabated and a few weeks before her death she was still anxious to hear as much as possible about affairs at Cobham. Reed’s was very fortunate in having her services at periods when many difficult problems were being presented, and she will long able to accomplish. be remembered and appreciated by all who knew her.” In 1945, when the war was over, the Governors purchased Dogmersfield Park in Hampshire, a large house with extensive grounds where it would be possible to continue the improvements for which evacuation had provided the opportunity. All who visited Dogmersfield appreciated its lovely surroundings, but it had been a private house and much had to be done to adapt the buildings for use as a school at a time when building licences had to be obtained for every improvement which was to be made. Miss Mills took a great part in planning the changes and in creating the very wonderful school which Reed’s was then able to bring into being. The somewhat remote situation made it impossible for the Governors to go there as often as they would have liked, and everyone was very happy to know that Dogmersfield was in such good hands and were delighted to see the great progress which was being made. Hers was, without doubt, a very happy school and Miss Mills took the greatest personal interest in the girls and in their problems. Reed’s was, indeed, very fortunate to have a Headmistress with such high standards, and with the happy disposition to ensure the complete co-operation of her staff. 30 THE REEDER 2 013 Obituaries Alan Bates DFM MBE (1938) The news of Alan’s death reached me at the beginning of 2013. John Castley one-time Bursar and Secretary to the Governors died on 19th July 2012. The School was represented at his funeral held at Sandbanks, Dorset, on Friday 27th July. Bernard Parsons Child (1936) died on 1st April 2012. Rachel Drayson the widow of one time Headmaster Bob Drayson, died in June 2012. John Gander (Bristowe 1963). John Gander (born 6th February 1945) entered Reed’s School as a Foundationer in 1957 and after a struggle with the difficulties associated with Parkinson’s disease he died on 10th May 2012. On rummaging through the 1959-1963 editions of The Reedonian, John’s name is found to appear time and again and for a wide variety of activities, particularly those associated with his sporting prowess. Without doubt sport was one measure of his success at Reed’s but he was also popular as well as being an able scholar. Now the reason that he was mentioned so often is because The Reedonian – The Magazine of Reed’s School during the 1950s and 60s – was intended to be: “...a chronicle and appraisal of school events that, to some extent, reflect the mood and spirit of the School which, in later years, it is hoped will provide the occasional pleasure of reminiscence. It is also an official record of achievements in which most of its readers have played some part; but, moreover, how frequently the names of boys appear in The Reedonian depends on their own efforts and talents.” John Gander was one such talented individual and much more. John’s very considerable athletic ability was demonstrated early in his career at Reed’s when, in the 1958-59 season it was reported that, in U14 Rugby, Gander, “whether at full-back or fly-half, was outstanding for his handling, kicking and tackling”. And on Sports Day J.A.J. Gander won every single one of the five under 14 Athletics events – 100, 220, 440 yards, long and high jump – furthermore, he won the 100 yards in a record time of 11.3 seconds and gained his Junior School Colours. At the same time John’s academic ability was noted in the Bristowe House Report where John was identified as one of the five most prominent members of the House that had “consistently gained points for individual good work”. In the 1959-60 sports season, John, who was slim, well muscled and a strong runner, represented the School in several sports: firstly the U15 Rugby team which was “a big and powerful side in which Gander was a very competent fly-half”; for U15 Hockey “the record of this team speaks for itself – it was unbeaten in all 9 matches – and much of the credit for this success can be ascribed to the leadership and play of Gander; his pace, stick work, accurate passing and powerful shooting showed a considerable development from last season”; and quite exceptionally the squash team, where he was a notable member because, notwithstanding his young age, 14 years, he was regularly picked to represent the School senior squash team which normally comprised 17-18 year olds. These U14 and U15 reports of John’s talent presaged a stunning sporting future at the School, such that by the 1960-61 sports season he represented the School 1st XV rugby team and was awarded full colours; he also represented the School 1st XI hockey team and again played in the School senior squash team; on Sports Day he won the Open long jump with a jump of 20ft. 0½ins, was placed in the Triple Jump, and achieved fourth place in the Victor Ludorum. THE REEDER 2 013 31 Obituaries By the 1961-62 sports season John was a permanent fixture in the School 1st team for Rugby, “Gander at fly-half was a tower of strength in defence with his accurate kicking and determined covering, while when playing at centre he showed resource and determination in attack”, but he also played in the 1st teams for Hockey, Athletics and Squash. In Athletics, this year, he showed his considerable ability when he won the Long Jump at the District Sports at Motspur Park and was chosen to represent the District in the Surrey Sports. The 1963 Triangular Athletics match between Reed’s School, Ottershaw School and Lord Wandsworth College, “was probably one of the most enjoyable and exciting matches in which the School has taken part. In the Long Jump, J.A.J. Gander beat the old School record by almost a foot but, had, nevertheless, to be content with second place by a margin of half an inch”. In 1961 John had been appointed as one of the five Bristowe House Prefects but in his final school year, 196263, he was appointed a School Prefect as well as Captain of the School Squash team and Vice-Captain of the 1st XV Rugby team. Now although Tennis at Reed’s in the 1960s was not the sport that it is at the School today, John, from 1960 through to 1963, was also a member of the School Tennis team which he captained in 1963. returned to the side”. As Captain of the Squash team John was able to write in the year-end report, in his typically understated way, that “this year the Squash team was a strong one and the standard of play rose throughout the season. All the members of the team had played matches in previous seasons and this experience certainly helped us: in fact we suffered only one defeat in the first team, being beaten by the Headmaster’s team”. But of all the sporting success that John had realised across several sports during his years at the School, his final year of Athletics was possibly his greatest achievement. Firstly the 1963 School Sports Day; “J.A.J. Gander won three events – the 440 yards in a time of 55.5secs., the long jump with a jump of 20ft. 6ins. and the discus with a throw of 114ft. 11ins”. The result of this success “left the officials with a difficult problem of deciding who would be Victor Ludorum since both Tyrrell as well as Gander had won all the events in which they had competed and as a result both had gained the maximum number of points possible on Sports Day, but also both had gained the maximum number of standard points available prior to Sports Day. However, with their customary generosity the Old Reedonians who provided the prizes solved the problem by declaring that the Victor Ludorum had been jointly won and by awarding a prize each to both Tyrrell and Gander”. For the first half of the 1962 Rugby season the School 1st XV had played reasonably well but during this time John was injured and was unable to play but after half term “the three-quarter line was noticeably better when Gander 32 THE REEDER 2 013 Secondly, “Tyrrell, Gander, Moore, Levy, Hansell and Beaugeard constituted the skeleton team which won third place at the area sports at Motspur Park and these six competitors also went on to compete in the Surrey Obituaries Sports. Later Gander and Levy were chosen to represent the County in a match against Kent and Middlesex where both Gander and Levy bettered their own records in the Long Jump and High Jump respectively”. We were both extremely proud of representing the county and of using the occasion to further improve our School records. As might be expected John acquired, during his time at Reed’s, both House and School colours at junior and senior levels for squash as well as in all the major sports, save cricket. In spite of his sporting accomplishments he remained a relatively quiet, modest young man, and for that reason was very popular both within the House and the School. As with many boys at school they are known by a nickname and John Gander’s would always have been easily predictable; yes, it was ‘Goose’. John, who studied science in the VIth form and acquired two good GCE A level results, also enjoyed his time in the CCF – the Combined Cadet Force – where in the Army section he successfully completed his Proficiency Test after which he transferred to the newly formed RAF section in which he passed his Advanced Proficiency with distinction, was promoted to sergeant and involved himself in helping to organise a number of exercises for the RAF cadets as well as flying expeditions to the RAF base at White Waltham. As School Prefects we became a very close team of good friends during the 1962-63 school year and had much fun and many laughs while at the high table during school meal times; perhaps rather too much raucous laughter emanated from our top table, even at breakfast time; but we also had plenty of good, serious and responsible time together. John was a very straightforward, undemanding, person and possibly more straight-laced than the rest of us and this is well revealed by one amusing anecdote that concerned John and a young French girl, a certain Mademoiselle Lattès, that Les (sic) Breadon had recruited to help with French teaching and oral lessons in his department; Les Breadon was the School French and Spanish senior master as well as John’s Bristowe House master. Mademoiselle Lattès was a very attractive young lady who took an instant shine to John and to whom, it is said, she made certain advances in unambiguous English! Much to the amazement of his peers, he turned her down...this was typical John, never one to improperly exploit a situation which most others could only wish for. After leaving Reed’s John seems to have been somewhat unsure about the career path to follow. He began as an apprentice vehicle mechanic but after one year he changed jobs and became an electrical engineering technician. Clearly this was not altogether satisfactory and nearly two years later he took up a position as a laboratory technician concerned with quality control and testing of THE REEDER 2 013 33 Obituaries surgical and pharmaceutical products by chemical and biological assay. Evidently by 1968 his mind was made up his career was to be in yet another, although somewhat related, direction and he signed up to study for a three year Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering at Silsoe College, The National College of Agricultural Engineering at Silsoe in Bedfordshire, which subsequently became a part of Cranfield University. At college he specialised as a Tropical Agricultural Engineer and this was to lead to his working all over the world and especially in Africa – Nigeria, Malawi and Zambia – and Asia – Indonesia, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India – but also in Jordan and the Caribbean – St. Vincent, the Leeward and Windward Islands – as well as within Europe. As a result of his travels John learnt to speak French, Dutch and Indonesian – known as Bahasia Indonesia, the national language spoken throughout the Indonesian archipelago. John met his first wife Thea, who was a Dutch national, at college and with whom he travelled the world; his son Mark was born in 1974 in Malawi whilst he was working there and his daughter Julie was born on a flat wooden bed in a Salvation Army Hospital in Zambia in 1977 while he was working on a project in that country. John became a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, a Member of the European Society of Agricultural Engineers and a Member of the Tropical Agriculture Association and his career activities ranged widely across the fields of soil and water survey and conservation, irrigation, land husbandry and use, coastal zone management, forestry, agronomy, agricultural resource and project planning, together with field engineering, mechanisation on large and small scale farms, project management and advice. After 2000 John was particularly involved with recommendations to prevent and mitigate flooding in the UK, the distribution of health products derived from aloe vera and as a specialist ground team advisor. As can be seen, just as John’s athletic talent ranged over many sports, so his agricultural engineering skills found and developed many outlets. Much of John’s work abroad took him to relatively remote places to assist and improve the conditions of the local population. For the most part he and his family lived ‘in the sticks’, in small towns or villages in lightly populated areas 34 THE REEDER 2 013 and as a result he contracted but overcame many different tropical diseases. John’s family remains very proud of the advances achieved by the numerous different projects he worked on while abroad and especially many of the projects that he started and which have continued to this day in Africa and several other countries. John working on a project in the Unnao District of Uttar Pradesh state in Northern India 1996 John and Thea divorced in 1985 and he married his second wife Heleen, another Dutch lady, with whom he bought a farm in 1995 in the east of the Netherlands, near the German border, but unfortunately this marriage was also not to last. However, John’s daughter Julie followed in her father’s footsteps, training and specialising in Wildlife Management, Policy & Communication and was later able to work on a WWF project alongside him during his last assignment in India. One of John’s particular skills was persistency and an ability to find a solution to most problems whether for his work projects or for the handyman type of jobs that he liked to do, whether it was around the home or repairing and maintaining cars, trucks and agricultural machinery. John was a good story teller and related to his family many stories of his sometimes dangerous encounters and adventures in inaccessible and out-of-the-way places and of his bush hikes, foot patrols and life in sparsely inhabited regions. After his well travelled life John ended his days at Hailsham, in East Sussex. Even though John had led a fascinating, engaging, wideranging and satisfying work life Julie, his daughter with whom he was very close, has told me that his time at Silsoe College was considered by her father to be one Obituaries of the happiest times of his life; it was the realisation of a dream, an ambition, and a period of great contentment even as his athletic achievements remained the highlight of his time at Reed’s School. Patrick Butcher, a colleague of John’s from his Silsoe College days, whose path’s had frequently crossed in later life and most notably in Nigeria, had remained in touch with each other throughout John’s life; together with his wife Lydia, Patrick has arranged through The Woodland Trust for the planting of two trees to commemorate John’s life. The trees are to be planted at Brede High Woods, Sedlescombe, East Sussex, which is close to Hailsham where John passed the last years of his life. John was a charming person with a great sense of humour and who would go out of his way to help others wherever he could. Not only did John work in some of the poorest areas of the world but the results of his work have touched countless local communities where his achievements remain a lasting legacy. John will be greatly missed, not only by his family and friends but also by many of his colleagues and associates in far flung reaches around the world. Geoffrey Levy (Mullens 1964) David Mellors (Capel 1945) died on 8th March 2013. Ron Sheppard (Capel 1945), a long term friend, said “David was a contemporary of mine at Watford and Totnes. I knew how he valued the stability and good start in life that Reed’s gave him. He had a long career with Barclays Bank and amongst his interests was a lifelong pleasure in choral singing which I think stemmed from his early days in the School choir.” Derek Osman (1948) Derek, or Oz, as most of us later affectionately called him, attended Reed’s School with his twin brother Gordon and elder brother Alec. He left Reed’s in 1948 and joined the RAF for his National Service duty. Because he was colour blind, he was shunted into vehicle engine maintenance. Thus his love of motor vehicles was born! I left Reed’s in 1959 and first came across Oz on the rugby field playing for the Old Boys. His knees appeared to be held together by knackered elastic knee-supports but, as with everything else he undertook, he contributed to the best of his ability. I got to know him really well in the cricket season that followed. He was very keen on his cricket and performed consistently well for the Old Boys as opening batsman and wicket-keeper. He lived in Acton with his dear Ma and brother Gordon and for the next four cricket years, he would collect me from Acton Town Station on Saturday and Sunday mornings and proceed to the match locations. I referred earlier to his enthusiasm for motor vehicles. A journey to and from matches with him was like being in a race. He worked for Babycham and was driving his company Morris 1000 Traveller Estate (Reg. KOO 823.) His aim was A to B in minimum time, without breaking the law and without taking chances. Very exhilarating for a non-driver! His own car was a Jaguar E type and he once took me from Piccadilly to Southall in 12 minutes! In the late 1960s he shared a flat in Streatham with OR Brian Turner. Whilst there he took up ice skating at Streatham Ice Rink and horse riding in Richmond Park. It was whilst riding he came across the lovely Celia and a new and serious enthusiasm and challenge was born. Over two to three years he brought all guns to bear on Celia and she accepted his proposal of marriage. They were married at Berkhampstead on 26th of June 1970 and I was delighted to be his Best Man. The reception was held at Celia’s parents’ home. Celia looked absolutely super and Oz looked like the cat who’d got the cream! Oz and C lived in married bliss in a flat in Streatham for some years until he decided he would abandon the liquor industry and start a water sports business in Famagusta, Cyprus with a fellow Old Reedonian, Nick Simmons. Unfortunately they knew little of Cypriot politics. They started up in April 1974 and Turkey invaded in July 1974! They were forced to flee back to England, leaving everything they owned behind. Oz turned to the liquor industry again, joining Distillers, later to be taken over by Diageo, and he and Celia settled THE REEDER 2 013 35 Obituaries in Datchet, where they lived for over 10 years. During that time Oz and C stumbled on archery shooting in Windsor Great Park and were asked if they would like to try it. They did and Oz signed them up as “Robin and Marion”. Oz eventually shot for Berkshire. He also took up shooting clays. In due course, they moved to Ascot where, but for a short break, they lived ever since. that not only had he followed in Big Brer’s footsteps by becoming a Victor Ludorum, but he’d run all his events a lot faster. My reply was the food was better to train on in 1957 than when I was awarded the honour in 1950. Which was true, although Keith was indeed physically the better athlete, and there is no argument from me that he was certainly the better scholar. In the brief time we were at home together post-Reed’s, I called him The Boff in recognition of this. The short break came about as a result of Oz being invited to help sail a vessel back from the Mediterranean to the UK. The experience led him to believe he should retire and become a sailor. He started swallowing books on how to sail and then persuaded Celia that the Isle of Wight was where they should live in order to have easy access to the English Channel. Sadly for him, his enthusiasm and the reality did not quite match up and they were soon back in Berkshire. Never one to sit still, he then became a volunteer at Ascot Police Station, and a volunteer at Wentworth Golf Club. He also played “wandering cricket” with a keen bunch of Ascot cricketers and was a regular supporter of rugby at Richmond. From all the above, you will have gathered that Oz did not see life as a dress rehearsal. Moreover, his glass was always half full. These facts, and his boundless enthusiasm and great sense of fun made him a super chum to spend a day or days with, even after his tough cancer treatments. Oz was a loving, caring, polite, dependable, considerate and helpful man. We miss him greatly. Ernie Preece (Bristowe 1959) Keith Shillum 17th October1940 – 15th January.2013 (1957) To Keith Reed’s was “home”. From his early days at The Close to his leaving day in the summer of 1957 it was where he was happy, writes his brother Alan Shillum. When he died in hospital in Germany, Malcolm Macdonald’s print of the School and grounds hung over his bed, as it had done for the 18 months since Malcolm kindly sent it to him. In later life, Keith’s emails to me invariable carried references to a past occasion at “The Shack” or to jazz or the whereabouts of some old school friend. A first class athlete, he never ceased to rub in 36 THE REEDER 2 013 At the time of his leaving school I was on deferred National Service, and he lived at home with our mother and sister, Raye, and attempted to make a new start. But, away from Reed’s he couldn’t settle. His horizons were set wider than life in an east London suburb and he soon decided to emigrate to Australia under the “£10 Pom” scheme. He never returned for any length of time. When he did so – invariably unheralded – he’d talk of his “adventures” Down Under before disappearing again. Time makes these tales hazy now, but I do seem to recollect a chicken farm that burned away in a bush fire and a sports centre he ran, all mixed in with a good job in Sydney at some time as a lecturer in languages. Obituaries There was talk, too, of his doing something to assist with Aborigine children’s education. But one thing I am sure of: he had a slot as a late-night jazz DJ on an Aussie radio station. He’d send me occasional tapes of his programme, on which he talked about our family, his Brer’s (my) jazz record collection and, invariably, his time as a schoolboy at Reed’s. By the late 1980s he’d moved to Germany and settled down in the medieval town of Schwerin where he was popular as a more than competent language teacher and translator. From then on he maintained regular contact with Raye and me. Some six years ago he learned he had Parkinson’s disease. Initially, he carried on as normal but as the condition worsened he was forced to give up first his work and then his recreational activities. Bob Stephens (Capel 1961) Bob sadly died in November last following a long battle with cancer. Bob must have been one of the early fee-paying students to arrive at Reed’s, joining in 1956. Academia was not his forte though and he left after the Fifth Form to take up a career in the wine industry. He became an experienced wine taster and worked for a number of years for Deinhards, the German wine producer, spending some time in Koblenz (Deinhards’ headquarters) before returning to their London offices. He met and married Mandy and in due course they produced two sons. Working from home, Mandy started a bookkeeping, tax advisory service which eventually expanded to such an extent that Bob retired from the wine trade and became a business partner with Mandy, a business that they ran for 30 odd years from South Wales. In the early days after leaving Reed’s Bob was an active member of the fledgling OR’s hockey side that played regularly on Sundays, as well as being an active player at Guildford HC. My wife and I spent a few days with Bob and Mandy earlier in the year, and it was quite in keeping with his character that Bob made light of his illness. He was a lovely, kind man, full of fun and self-deprecation and a joy to be with, who will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Alan Barrett 1961 THE REEDER 2 013 37 REUNION DAY – Sunday 1st July 2012 The following ORs were at the Reunion Day Lunch: Table 1 Table 9 Mr Roy Wyatt – 1940: Mr John Nethercleft – 1942: Mrs Margaret Nethercleft: Mr Ralph Wyatt – 1942: Mr Gordon Denholm – 1943: Mrs Christine Denholm: Mr Derek Weston – 1945: Mrs Eileen Weston: Mr John Rogers – 1946: Ms Megan Fitzgerald Mr John Allison – 2001: Mr Ed Swain – 2002: Ms Kristi Arlidge – 2002: Mr Jeremy Barlow – 2002: Miss Christina Harris: Mr Kevin Liu – 2002: Mr Ben Cooper – 2002: Mr Rob Erskine – 2002: Mr Jonathan Wilkinson – 2003: Miss Hilda Veenstra – 2003: Mr James Roriston – 2005 Table 2 Mr Tony Wiggins – 1947: Mrs Angela Wiggins: Mr Stephen Beamish – 1948: Mrs Sara Beamish: Mr William Collins – 1948: Miss Clare Collins: Mr Richard Raymont – 1949: Mr John Blake: Mrs Molly Blake: Mr Norman Morris – 1949 Table 3 Mr Richard Borley – 1951: Mrs Eleonore Borley: Mr Peter Rogers – 1951: Mrs Brenda Rogers: Mr Keith Miller – 1951: Mrs Heather Miller: Mr John Prytherch – 1952: Mr Robin Prytherch: Mr Brian Miles – 1952: Mrs Anne Miles: Mr George Spinks – 1953: Mr George Parker – 1954 Table 4 Mr Clive Holgate – 1958: Mr Frank Parker – 1958: Mrs Freda Parker: Mr Roger Mew – 1959: Mr Neilson Kite – 1960: Mr Roger Hockey – 1960: Mr John Leeman – 1961: Ms Lesley Houfe: Mr George Cavill – 1962: Mrs Kate Cavill Mrs Maureen Savage: Mrs Ann-Marie Wakefield: Miss Josie Wakefield: Miss Maddie Wakefield: Miss Ella Wakefield: Mrs Christine Kemp: Mr Paul Kemp: Father Alan Clarke: Mr Gareth Hart: Mrs Jennifer Hart: Miss Cerys Hart Table 11 Mr Graham Spawforth: Mrs Sara Spawforth: Miss Pippi Spawforth: Mr Keith Medlycott: Mrs MJ Medlycott: Mrs June Medlycott: Master Baz Medlycott: Mr Malcolm Dunn – 1982: Mrs Kate Dunn: Master Maxwell Dunn: Master Sebastian Dunn Table 12 – Dylan Paris XI Mr David Pafford – 1965: Mrs Margaret Pafford: Mr Timothy Poole – 1965: Mrs Jill Poole: Mr Nigel Savage – 1967: Mrs Cori Savage: Mr Donald Taylor – 1967: Mrs Lesley Taylor: Mr Stuart Popham – 1972: Mrs Sharmaine Matthews Mrs Lynne Paris: Ms Sophie Paris: Mr Christian Gore – 1987: Mrs Gore: Mr Andrew Shiells – 1984: Mrs Debbie Smith: Mr Alastair Coomes – 1985: Mrs Aletta Coomes: Master George Coomes: Master Fred Coomes: Mr David Keyes – 1985: Mrs Sarah Keyes: Mr Angus Darroch-Warren – 1986: Miss Belinda Shearer: Mr Simon Stokoe – 1986: Mr Richard Thompson – 1991: Mr Jason Foster – 1995: Mrs Sophie Foster: Mrs Joan Foster: Master Sam Foster: Mr Simon Foster: Master Edward Foster: Mr Paul Challinor: Mrs Della Challinor: Miss Bronnie Challinor: Master Alex Challinor: Mr Phil Slocombe: Mrs Victoria Cripps – 1987: Mr Paul Cripps: Master George Cripps: Miss Cecilia Cripps: Mr Jamie Gordon – 1988: Mrs Katharine Hamilton: Master Felix Hamilton Table 7 Table 13 – OR Cricket Team Mr David Jarrett: Mrs Anne Jarrett: Mr Alan Bott: Mrs Jane Bott: Mr Geoff Martin: Mrs Judith Martin: Mrs Lucy Hurford: Mr Alan Hickman: Mrs Linda Hickman: Mr Richard Warnock Mr Angus Hamilton – 1997: Mr Jonathan Hedges – 1999: Mr David Coates – 2001: Miss Polly Martin: Mr Jack Raimondo – 2007: Mr Sam Brandon – 2008: Mr George Kershaw – 2008: Mr William Clapp – 2009: Mr Robert Davis – 2010: Mr Simon Sweeney – 2011: Mr Harry Kershaw – 2011: Mr Matt Jones – 2011 Table 5 Mr Christopher Hawkins – 1962: Mr Ian Chate – 1962: Mr Peter Saliba – 1962: Mrs Carmen Revuelto-Lara: Mr John Burton – 1963: Mrs Alison Burton: Mr Geoffrey Levy – 1964: Mrs Charlotte Levy: Mr Tony Turnbull – 1964: Mrs Helen Liddell: Mr David Crookenden – 1965 Table 6 Table 8 Mr Richard Garrett: Mr Justyn Herbert – 1983: Mrs Ann Herbert: Master Thomas Herber: Mr Tom Hardiment –1984: Mr Ben Ebdon – 1992: Mrs Sarah Ebdon: Miss Layla Ebdon: Mrs Sarah Hammond: Mrs Jackie Waller: Mrs Kathryn Hamlet 38 Table 10 THE REEDER 2 013 Table 14 – School 1st XI Team Umpires School 1st XI Cricket x11 Reunion Day Dylan Paris XI v School 2nd XI OR’s Day just seems to be getting bigger and bigger year on year and every year the Dylan Paris XI manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and so I can report more of the bloody same! I secretly knew this event was getting out of control when the table assigned to the DP Team numbered 32 seats. Quite frankly the WAGs and FOCers (Freeloading Offspring of Cricketers) is just too high and our preparation is beginning to lack professionalism. Next year the team will be seated away from the madding crowd, mobiles will be handed in during the pre-match jog and Sir Alex Ferguson will be invited to give the “hair dryer” treatment before we start. It’s not as if the team looked very hungry either, for those of you who were there you couldn’t help but notice that Messrs Keyes, Darroch-Warren, Coomes and Gore hadn’t exactly pushed hard for a place on the front cover of “Men’s Health” lately and that was before they got stuck into the all you can eat buffet provided by the School. If we had ducked the cricket and entered the tug of war instead, we would have been a strong contender for the Olympics (heavyweight division of course). As every year I nonchalantly told the Master in Charge of the School team that they could bat first in a 30 over game and we’d “knock ‘em off in time to watch Spain beat Italy!” So one out of two isn’t bad! Once at 12/ Five Acre it then started to rain quite heavily and the really strange thing was that of the 32 of the squad at lunch only about eight had turned up to field! Within the next few minutes once Angus Darroch Warren had opened his chilly bin, this tempted the remaining players to make an appearance and we took to the field. We opened up with the Foster brothers in tandem and funnily enough the School also sent in their opening bowlers too, which showed how much they “feared us”. In retrospect when Richard (what no microphone) Garrett asked if we didn’t mind going up last for lunch I should have smelled a rat. By the time the team got to the food, the banana and beetroot smoothies had all gone, the protein bars were replaced by Mars Bars and the Lucozade by Chardonnay, although the last two did taste the same. Then when the rain came, the boys didn’t seem to be in much of a rush to head down to 12/ Five Acre either, but as the Headmaster got up to speak, this seemed to galvanise the troops who filled their pockets with chocolate mousse and lemon tarts and proceeded to drive the 800 yards to the ground. Several team members remarked that we should use the cricket pitch opposite the Bursar’s house as it was “picturesque” and a “good track” and nothing to do with the fact that it was smaller and closer for the long walk/ drive back to tea which was clearly on some of their minds (not to mention waistlines). Foster senior was soon on a line and length as was Foster junior, just a shame it wasn’t a good one! To be honest I don’t really remember much of the School’s innings and it’s largely irrelevant to my match report these days anyway. I am from the George Spinks school of journalism where watching the game isn’t a prerequisite to sending the match report to the Cobham News & Mail. So other things that happened included Simon Slowcoe dropping a sitter off the Captain’s bowling, but the aforementioned bowling did lead to 22 runs off three overs which could have been a lot worse as the first two balls THE REEDER 2 013 39 Reunion Day went for 10! Andy Shiells bowled to his usual tidy self but did look like he reined it in a bit when his son came to the wicket. Richard Thompson looked useful in his couple of overs which only goes to show how deceptive looks can be. My decision to drop Marcus (the cat) Viner for allegedly refusing to play in all forms of the game initially looked the wrong one as Dave (the barrel) Keyes could barely see his toes let alone touch them. But as he warmed up his keeping improved too and he was soon into the groove and Angus’s chilly bin and thoroughly deserved his tea come 4.30pm. Not sure he should have had Marcus’s, both Fosters’s and certainly not Angus’s nor mine as well, but let him without sin and an ample waistline cast the first stone, which he would have probably eaten too anyway. Sorry, back to the game, Challinor (who incidentally ever since he’s been picked we have never won this fixture) came off his short run up but nevertheless bowled quite well and I am sure picked up a wicket as did each Foster, Shiells and apologies to anyone else who took a wicket. Phil (keeps improving) Slocombe was ever alert in the field and last year’s nickname of Teflon has now gone, which doesn’t mean he caught anything mind you, but he certainly didn’t drop anything while Coomes junior shouted “catch it” in his (one good) ear this year. Angus DW did some fine slow motion fielding and when asked to come in and “put pressure” on the batsman successfully blocked out what little sun we saw. When swapped with Coomes in the field he wasn’t sure if he should be offended or flattered and to be fair neither was Coomes, so no harm done. At the end of the 30 overs the School seemed to have got about 172 which we all agreed was eminently gettable as we drove, walked and limped back to the marquee for tea. One of the school boys also made 98 which would also explain why he was so keen to face my last over! Anyway 40 THE REEDER 2 013 here lies my next and crucial mistake as Simon Slowcoe who was pestering anyone with XX chromosomes, pleaded with me to open the innings (again) with Richard Thompson. As the rest of the team were elbow deep in scones, jam and cream I agreed, I mean how bad could it be?! Maybe I should have explained that 173 meant we needed to score about five or six an over to these fine two men of Mullens, or maybe I should have got a message to Simon sooner that Sarah Coomes was on the boundary and quite single. As it happened Simon Slowcoe proceeded to play and miss, miss, leave, block, pad, and avoid the ball for the next five or six overs whilst not troubling the scorers much if at all. Richard Thompson on the other hand (who was making his debut) was keen to get some runs but also struggled a little with the School’s pacey and accurate bowling attack. As the run rate crept up and up, I had that feeling of déjà vu I always get when picking Slowcoe and next year trust me a lot of money will need to change hands before he opens again unless of course we play a five-day test. Reunion Day the pressure and he could also see out of his one good eye that Slowcoe was now heading in Debbie’s direction so he also holed out. Thompson who was clearly embarrassed with the Boycottlike run rate started to take more risks (and I don’t mean asking Slowcoe to run two) and was soon back in the pavilion (if there was one). Cometh the hour, cometh the man and Challinor strode out manfully (having only just stopped whingeing about last years’ l.b.w. decision) and confident that there was a new umpire and that lightening never strikes twice. He settled in and the scoreboard started to tick over. Then yes you guessed it, one big step down the wicket, followed by a “Howzat (dad)?” and a “That’s out! (son)” decision and Paul was also suffering from déjà vu and on his way back in. Slowcoe hadn’t even noticed the lack of runs or loss of wickets, but he did spot Miss Coomes and so forgetting his average was out soon after having made 0.6 runs per over for about 15 overs. Al Coomes then went in promising to right some wrongs, slay some demons and hopefully make some runs, which as it turned out prediction-wise he was nought for three, which is exactly how many runs he made, zero! Phil Slocombe with new pads, new bat, new gloves and a new sports car by the way, made his way to the wicket and soon showed his class and he was joined by Andy Shiells who proceeded to bring down the run rate down from the astronomical rate Slowcoe had left it. It came down from 12 to circa eight an over quite quickly and the School were starting to worry. Alas Phil was out and all hope now rested with Shiells. Even Andy was starting to feel Angus (never a man for quick running) was joined by Dave Keyes who still had half an eye on what was for dinner and the run rate crept up again. Dave was soon out and for the first time in four years Gore faced the daunting prospect of batting. Two runs off two balls, but the run rate was now 37 off the last over. If only the School had let ME bowl that last over we might have stood a chance! As it was first ball Angus hit a single, next ball Gore was out slogging fairly near the boundary and in went Foster senior but the game was gone and the recriminations were abound. Next year there will be a root and branch change to the team, the format, the pitch, the WAG’s and little FOC’ers, the l.b.w. law and above all Simon Slowcoe will not be opening. Thanks to everyone who supported the team (for lunch and tea at least) and I look forward to next year already. As ever “It’s been emotional”. Skipper. PS please pass this on to anyone not very busy at work or simply an OR or indeed both. THE REEDER 2 013 41 2012 Old Reedonian Dinner The following attended the Annual Dinner on Thursday 15 November: Table 1 Mr John Rogers – Bristowe 1946: Mrs Daphne Rogers Mr William Pickering – Blathwayt 1947 Mr William Collins – Bristowe 1948 Mr William Crawforth – Blathwayt 1948 Mr Barrie Tyler –Blathwayt 1954 Mrs Jacqui Tyler Mr Roger Mew – Bristowe 1959 Mr Chris Hawkins – Blathwayt 1962 Mr Ian Driver – Blathwayt 1965 Mrs Diane Driver Table 2 Mr Andy Wotton – Mullens 1975 Mr Mark Snelling – Blathwayt 1979 Mr Ed Peters – Bristowe 1979 Mr George Peters – Bristowe 2012 Mr Tim Smith – Mullens 1979 Mr Jeremy Savill – Mullens 1979 Mr Rob Simmons – Mullens 1979 Mr Nick Woollard – Blathwayt 1980 Mr Nigel Kiernan – Mullens 1981 Mr Graeme Parkes – Mullens 1981 Mr Matthew Huckin – Mullens 1981 Table 3 Mr Adrian Ricks – Mullens 1972 Mr David Edwards – Blathwayt 1982 Mr Andrew Glass – Mullens 1984 Mr Andy Shiells – Bristowe 1984 Mr Mark Finch – Bristowe 1984 Mr Benn Shepherd – Blathwayt 1986 Mr Nick Richmond-Smith – Capel 1986 Mr Alex Balls – Blathwayt 1988 Mr Graham Spawforth Mr Richard Garrett Mrs Alison Atkins Table 4 Mr Ross Webster – Mullens 1995 Mr Ed Wears – Capel 1995 Mr Nigel Mitchell – Mullens 1997 Mr Richard Wilson – Blathwayt 2001 Ms Olivia Navratil – Bristowe 2002 42 THE REEDER 2 013 Ms Francesca Buckle – Bristowe 2002 Miss Sarah Raffio – Bristowe 2002 Mr Chris Elphick – Capel 2003 Mr Luke Michael Ms Alison Johnson Mr David Atkins Table 5 Mr Rob Pearson – Mullens 2008 Miss Jerry Ross – Mullens 2008 Mr Alistair Rowley – Bristowe 2008 Mr Charles Broadbent – Mullens 2008 Ms Katie Skilton – Mullens 2008 Mr Thomas Vickers – Mullens 2008 Mrs Lucy Hurford Mrs Christine Kemp Mr Paul Kemp Mrs Sharmaine Matthews Table 6 Mr Russell Martin – Mullens 2005 Ms Candice Williams Mr Leo Coates – Bristowe 2005 Mr Simon Cole – Mullens 2005 Mr Lucas Macdonald – Mullens 2006 Mr Harry Cosgrave – Blathwayt 2006 Mr Nicholas Muir-Little – Blathwayt 2006 Mr Oliver Wilson – Blathwayt 2006 Ms Sophie Thomas – Bristowe 2006 Mr Ben Edwards Mr Lukas Pytel Table 7 Mr Shahin Baghaei – Capel 2002 Mr Alex Van Holk – Blathwayt 2002 Mr Andrew Shone – Blathwayt 2002 Mrs Laura Shone Mr Kevin Liu – Blathwayt 2002 Mr Luke Morgan-Rowe – Mullens 2002 Mr David Jarrett Mrs Anne Jarrett Mr Alan Bott Mrs Jane Bott 2012 Old Reedonian Dinner THE REEDER 2 013 43 Watford and Totnes Peter Mettam’s ‘Recollections of life at Watford in 1939.’ I read Peter Mettam’s recollections about Reed’s at Watford in the 2012 Reeder with great interest as I must have been a fellow “new crow” at the same time as he in September 1939. However, I was much younger than he and was incarcerated in Norbury House until we were in Totnes. I recognise and remember most of the points he raises about life in Norbury and Watford without comment. Just a few things remain in my memory just a little differently. Firstly the marching we had to do to get to meals, to chapel and to lessons. I think he underestimates the skill and smartness we achieved in a very short time. For example we lined up in two rows. Having been brought to order we were ordered to “form fours” by first numbering and on a second command alternate boys took a step back and then we moved up to make four rows. On the command left or right turn we were ready to march off. Quite a complicated manoeuvre for seven and eight year olds to achieve I think. The white line drill I also clearly remember but, I do also remember singing “Ten Green Bottles” as we marched along just to keep our spirits up. Then fire alarms at night. Getting up under a the faint blue light, putting on cold outdoor shoes without socks, a blue raincoat over pyjamas and out to the underground air raid shelters. The ominous clang of the heavy door finally shutting remains as a poignant memory of those fateful days. I am surprised that Peter does not mention the visit to the School by the Queen to open a library in the Girls’ School. I clearly remember being lined up in rows in age order (Norbury at the front) in the dining hall, boys one side of the hall and girls opposite. We were carefully schooled in what to do and what to say if Her Majesty should stop to speak to us. I clearly remember the fright I had when Her Majesty walked purposely towards what I thought was me. However it was the boy next to me, one Michael Ward, she spoke to. Finally on that auspicious day lining up along the drive to wave as the party left. Instead of a wave she got a wail from me as an officious prefect had just stepped on my toes. And a final point that would have irked that inspirational geography teacher we had at Totnes, Miss Page Jones. The River Colne did indeed pass close to Reed’s School Watford but, it did and still does, reach the River Thames near Staines having passed Colnbrook near Heathrow on its way there. Navvies on the line! In spite of having retired from regular work many years ago I am still brought out of that happy state to work on the local preserved railway each December. My role, Father Christmas, established in my own grotto in a goods Van which has the name of “The Elephant Van” as it was used to transport elephants for circuses when they used the railway to move from one pitch to another (anyone remember the circus being set up near to our Totnes location?). I digress but while there this December, I saw displayed a fine picture of a GWR passenger train passing a group of workers on the track. Now, we while at Totnes thoroughly enjoyed the journey home for holidays also by GWR passenger train towards Paddington. We were issued with a packed lunch that inevitably included a large but, not very appetising Cornish pasty. It was a ritual that someone kept a look out (even if only to look for oncoming locomotives to cross off our Ian 44 THE REEDER 2 013 Allen loco numbering books) but, also to warn of workers on the track. This precipitated a shout of “Navvies on the Line” and resulted in one or more Cornish pasties being shied at them. How did we exist for six years at Totnes without our holiday going excitement leading to some serious accident I cannot think. An Oldie goes back – two encounters with Reed’s during 2012 After more than five decades without actually visiting, I was twice with Reed’s School last year. My impressions might interest ORs, especially those of around my generation – 1942-1949. In early September Anne and I joined the annual “Totnesian” pilgrimage to our wartime home. Tony Wiggins has arranged this event for some years. Reading reports of past occasions, and seeing who had attended, it seemed like a great idea for a late summer outing. And great it proved to be. Happily, we were able to travel by train direct from home in Leeds to Totnes. Taking Tony’s advice, we had booked in the B&B in Bridgetown where he stays, and mine host collected us from the station. Free time in the afternoon allowed us to walk right up Fore Street, through Eastgate to the Butterwalk, the Castle and then to the Parish Church – all places remarkably unchanged from the 1940s, though a notable absence was the Grammar School, no longer half way up the hill. Anne’s patience endured the inevitable reminiscences, while we both noted the preponderance of the coffee places and modern ‘hippyish’ shops which characterise the town in the 2010s. That evening the party assembled in the Seven Stars Hotel for “hello” drinks and then a nice supper at the Steam Packet, down by the river next to the place where they used to build minesweepers. Much catching up. There was no one there who I had known well – a few last-minute withdrawals – but the School was so small that we all knew slightly of each other or those with whom we were buddies. Associating with the nine or so ORs and wives present was easy. Following Tony’s programme, we assembled next morning on “the island”, the peninsula running downstream from the bridge opposite our former home, the Seymour Hotel that was. It was understandable though sad that we couldn’t visit that building where we all spent three or four years before 1945 – it would have been interesting to see how the conversion to apartments had been managed. After the group photograph in bright sun, we took a small cruiser down the Dart to Sharpham – there wasn’t time to visit the house, though coinciding with a rally of 14 Aston Martins was an added plus. On return our Captain dropped us off at “the kiosks”, for a sun-washed lunch. Watford and Totnes All so far very predictable and comfortable, but then came what to me was a huge shock. In the afternoon some of us went to St John’s, the Bridgetown Church – after the hotel, the most central building in our lives, a place where we had a service once every day whenever we were in Totnes, so a well-remembered site of great significance. Outside it looked as ever, but pass through the door and all expectations were swept away. Instead of oak pews and a screen, the place is a huge white-walled chamber full of folding chairs! A small altar, no pulpit – nothing in fact of what was there in our day, and a very modern (attractive, colourful) style of window at the east end. The 1976 fire (news to me) had been very thorough, all inside was gutted, and the new flexible community-space format couldn’t have been more different from what we knew. A real have-to-sit-down-for-a-moment shock! Now with limited expectations, my “free time” afternoon walk was to trace old ground. The main destination was the Totnes Weir – on Saturdays in 1944 and 1945 a group of us would buy a small loaf at bottom Edhouse, take it up there and quickly devour it – 6¼ d I think it cost. Comforting to find it still there, and the nearby Grammar School sports field that we occasionally used. Tracing the Leat – the offtake stream from the weir – it was difficult to pinpoint the stretch where we had learned to swim, but the track brought one back past the old Dawes Creamery (now derelict) to what was once the Harris Bacon Factory, partly converted to a fashionable Estate Agents, the rest half of a big Sainsbury’s, but the old building preserved. The second evening followed the same pattern – drinks in the Seven Stars (with some new arrivals, including the current ORs President, not a Totnesian) and then another nice dinner. By then the wives had taken their fill of 70-year-old reminiscences, so they sensibly sat on one wing of our table and left us Old Boys – and we are all old – to it. In the train home next morning we agreed that it had been a really good outing for a couple of days, a chance for Anne to understand better what my life was like in those formative years, and Totnes is a really nice place to visit – and probably so even when there isn’t non-stop sunshine like we had. Tony does a wonderful job getting it all together – all Totnesians who haven’t already been are strongly recommended! The second contact was very different – an afternoon at the present-day Reed’s at Cobham. The lead up begins with an email from my brother Leslie (1936-1942), living in Ottawa. He had been contacted by the assiduous fund-raising team to consider buying an engraved brick in a new technology building – the latest extension to the facilities on the Sandy Lane site. He suggested a joint subscription to have bricks with the names of the three of us, including our late sister Catherine (19391948). Through many emails and a cheque this was arranged. Part of the deal was that we would be invited to the opening. And so we came to be there on a wet afternoon in mid-October. I didn’t know what to expect, except that things would be very different from when I was there 1946-1949. How right I was. The School collected us from Oxshott station, poured champagne and seated us in the raked fold-away auditorium/gym. A Professor from Surrey University said his piece and inaugurated the FutureTech Building. Sixth formers then marshalled us around the most impressive new facility, where pupils showed us their advanced skills, before the 80 or so invitees (two of whom had been in the Totnes party in September) mingled again. After some time, I asked if we could look around the rest, so two 6th formers were detailed to show Anne and me the works – interestingly they were a Swedish girl and a Dutch boy. In whistle-stop style we visited the large number of peripheral buildings behind and to the side of the original Sandroyd building, which still dominates but is almost all that there was in my day. Clearly the School has been able to attract or earn considerable sums to afford such modern investment, together with modifications to the original building – enlarged Chapel, bigger Dining Hall and covering in for new uses of some of the courtyards between, as at the British Museum. All round there was a confident, relaxed air. Clearly a good place to spend the best years! Additional to seeing it all, the big interest was chatting to other invitees. Many snippets arose and I got to understand why the Girls’ School was closed: seemingly with widespread comprehensive schooling the demand for Foundation places declined (sic). The only thing to continue with Reed’s was to go partly fee-paying, so the proceeds from Dogmersfield paid for a new boarding block at Cobham, a price was set and numbers doubled very quickly. Expansion occurred, with day pupils added (now the majority) and then sixth form girls, to reach the present state. All of which seemed rational and understandable. Another interesting talk was with someone (not an Old Reedonian) who, as a couple, completely funded two Foundation places – a fascinating form of long-term support. However, chatting with a member of the Foundation management body, one came to appreciate the delicacy needed nowadays to select beneficiaries who could cope with living in a community where the vast majority of students came from feepaying situations – not a thing that we met, when almost all of us were from similar backgrounds. These talks and more were most revealing, allowing a good picture of the present day Reed’s – as anticipated, almost unrecognisable from the institution that the three MacArthurs attended all those years ago. Before we left, there was time for an unexpected laugh to lighten a grey wet day. Anne waited in a kind of Archive Room. There she spotted some historic tomes that caused great mirth. One contained each boy’s medical record 1940-1948 – ho, ho, have a look: yes I did have mumps, like half the school in Totnes, but I don’t remember dysentery in 1945! But that’s what it said! Then, with greater delight, she found the old caning book. In the 1940s there was a lot of it going on, but I never knew that every offence was recorded by Attenborough and Axton, date, crime, who reported it, number of strokes. I fear that my name was there at least four times! But so was my brother’s – he never told us about that! Anne didn’t know previously that we were miscreants! (Beware, can you be sure what bits of your past are not written down somewhere?) The final thing was to look for the bricks – the cause of our being there in the first place. We could find none in FutureTech, where we had expected a wall. In fact, they turned out to be ceramic tiles of several bright colours, about 100, fixed in groups on a wall beside the main entrance way. Naively perhaps, we thought that, as we had bought a package to cover three of us, ours would be together, but Leslie was in a high group far away from Catherine and I in the lowest group. Not what we expected, so I asked that we might be relocated to be all in one place. Is going back a good idea? Probably. Totnes was largely as I remembered it, and learning what Reed’s has now become was an instructive insight into changes in education over 60-odd years. John MacArthur (1949) Totnes Reunion 2012 Before writing some copy about the 2012 I thought it best to see what I wrote in 2011. On reading that I realised that by changing a few names and locations it would do for 2012. I suppose continuity is appropriate THE REEDER 2 013 45 Watford and Totnes for a reunion but, not very interesting to others. Particularly Old Reedonians who were not at Totnes and might wonder where it is and its relevance to Reed’s School in 2013. So I thought a few words about the evacuation of the School in 1939 to Totnes in south Devon where it stayed until 1946 and its role as a pivotal point in the developments of the School from a very Victorian institution catering only for disadvantaged children might be of interest. By 1946 it was well on the way to the position where it could attract a wide range of pupils whose parents can afford to pay for their children’s education as well, of course, to a considerable number of Foundationers. I feel qualified for that role as I was one of a limited number who attended Reed’s in Watford, Totnes and Cobham and have followed the fortunes of the School ever since 1947. My father died in 1938 leaving my mother with four children, three under seven years of age and the realisation that World War Two was imminent. So a decision was made that I, the older of the three, would be sent to what was then The London Orphan School in Watford. In September 1939, just a short time after war had been declared, a shy and very frightened small boy was delivered to those austere and forbidding premises. It took a while to settle but, after a few weeks all us “New Crows” got to together if only to offer common support and a front against a not at all sympathetic House Matron and Form One teacher. However the Queen had heard of our situation and came down to see how we were. Whilst at the School I believe she opened a new library in a forbidden part of the complex, the Girls’ School! By the beginning of the summer term we were well established and were intrigued to know that the decision had been made to evacuate the Boys’ School to a somewhere distant place called Totnes. It all happened very smoothly from a first year pupil’s point of view. After breakfast (a very meagre meal at Watford) we went with our cases to a row of yellow coaches parked in the road outside the school gates. A most exciting journey and I can still remember passing Virginia Water, Salisbury and a stop to eat our packed lunch somewhere on Salisbury Plain. I can remember that there was a hard-boiled egg included that, when we took the shell, off appeared to be blue. We were assured that that was normal. Many hours later we arrived at the back of a large yellow, riverside building The Seymour Hotel. The next thing I remember was going into tea. The dining room was set up with the usual long tables and benches. A much better tea than we used to have in Watford was served but, sadly, the improvement to the catering was short lived. 46 THE REEDER 2 013 Then up to bed. No longer a long dark forbidding dormitory but, a small room with but six beds and a window overlooking the bridge across the river into Totnes. All together the phrase “it’s Totnes not heaven we have come to” sums it all up. Later as we got older it was into the former ballroom with rows of bunk beds to put up with. For six years it was a school with glass walls, one in the centre of so many interesting things going on not least the preparations for D Day, the building of minesweepers to look at from the classroom windows and much, much more. A school with little or no facilities but, staff dedicated to learning in the real meaning of that word not just passing exams. It was helped with a change of teaching staff not least some young women teachers to replace male colleagues off to join the forces. The School developed a camaraderie and confidence as it refused to allow us to feel disadvantaged. The School, in spite of its meagre numbers, could easily hold it’s own in sport and art activities (your author won a local art competition and was not even anywhere near top of art in the School). For the first summer holiday the Battle of Britain and severe bombing raids meant that few of us left Totnes, but we were entertained and indeed educated in all sorts of non academic ways. In 1945 peace was declared but it was not until nearly a year later that the School left Totnes to a site in Cobham where it has stayed until today. When you walk around the well kept grounds and playing fields don’t forget the few of us at Reed’s Cobham in 1946 all contributed to getting them into order. So not only did we enjoy our years at Totnes but many have revisited that town ever since. For the last four or five years it has been a listed OR event. Reed’s and Totnes have received much publicity in the press and even a short programme on ITV. Not least in 2012 and remember we left Totnes nearly 70 years ago, where we all seemed to enjoy the rail journey to Totnes (rerunning those journeys of the 1940s). We enjoyed legal trips on the river (out of bounds when we were at school) and the catering for our more formal dinners inconceivable when compared to school lunches. We often meet up with locals we knew all those years ago not least Vic Morgan who was at the former Totnes Grammar School who came up from Cornwall to join in. Look out for the date of a reunion in 2013 and even if you were not at Totnes come and join us. I am sure you will find it fun, interesting and quite a surprise. Tony Wiggins 1947 Sport Julian Smith Memorial Match Hockey Reed’s Weybridge XV 5 pts Reed’s School XV 34pts OR Girls v Reed’s Girls Julian Smith, who captained the Reed’s Weybridge 1st XV in 1985, died in tragic circumstances in November 2010. He was a much loved character at the Club and his many friends and contemporaries and Reed’s School decided that it would be appropriate to hold a memorial rugby game to help raise funds for the Oasis Charity in which Julian had a particular interest. Tom Murdoch the Kiwi Reed’s School teacher captained a powerful School XV, including ORs Josh Brown, Will Clapp and Leo Coates, that eventually ran out winners by six tries to one. The real problem for the home side was trying to retain the ball under intense back row pressure; indeed it was the School geography master John Douthwaite who deservedly collected one of the match awards for spearheading so many damaging raids into the Club side territory. Reed’s Weybridge had the slope in the first half and they knew that they had to take the benefit from that advantage, they collected one try when James Clark, the fly half, crossed from short range, however a stream of quality possession gave the visitors a three try lead to one at the break. Perhaps the best of those was initiated by Murdoch the centre who fired out a huge miss-pass that was collected by winger Jason Woodward who had the pace to touch down by the flag. The outstanding player for Reed’s Weybridge was unquestionably their veteran forward Jonathan Bower, he was involved in the gritty forward work and it was his power in the loose rucks and mauls that gave the Club side good clean possession. OR Will Isaacs also had an excellent game for Reed’s Weybridge as did captain Charlie Smith, Hunch’s eldest son. Young Harry Ricks, the second row, had an excellent day in the line-out for the club side but overall the forward battle was won by the visitors, three more tries in the second half ensured that the trophy remains at Reed’s School. Julian Smith was a keen supporter of the Cobham based Oasis Child Care Charity and an auction and raffle after the game raised funds for the organisation. 6th September 2012 It was great to see some well known faces from the former Reed’s girls’ teams come back to play against the current School 1st XI. Expertly captained by Jerry Ross (Mullens 2008), the OR team went on to win 2-1, all helped by the supporters who came down to cheer the girls on. Let’s hope we can get another girls’ team together for the Stephen Shiells Memorial Tournament on 21st March 2013. Golf Grafton Morrish Tournament 5th-6th October 2012 This year Reed’s once again entered a team for the Grafton Morrish Public Schools’ Golf tournament. The tournament consists of a qualifying event in which each school enters a team of six old boys who play in pairs. The format of the golf is Stableford Foursomes, in which each pair play alternate shots on each hole and points are awarded for the score on each hole. The aggregate of the three pairs’ Stableford score is then used to rank each school and the top five schools in each region progress to the grand final played on the beautiful links courses, Hunstanton and Brancaster on the north Norfolk coast. Reed’s managed to come in the top five in our region and so progressed to the finals which were held in October. We had an excellent weekend in the sunshine up at Hunstanton and Brancaster. Our first round match was played against King’s Bruton, and remarkably all three of our matches went to the last hole. Harry Pakenham and Stuart Robinson and Ed Job and James Davey halved their matches and George Kershaw and Harry Kershaw were unlucky to lose their match on the final green. This meant Reed’s was entered into the Plate competition at Brancaster golf club where we had a respectable top 10 finish. We all really enjoyed it again this year and we look forward to progressing further in future. Stuart Robinson (Captain) George Spinks THE REEDER 2 013 47 Some happy days at Reed’s frankly reported Reminiscences of one’s school days tend to make interesting and often amusing reading. They do, however, sometimes raise doubts about their authenticity. Just as past summers were always sunny in the minds of the elderly so one’s schooldays are often “remembered with advantages”. Were our exploits quite so daring/effective/funny/remarkable as we remember? Were our teachers, our contemporaries or, indeed, we ourselves actually as eccentric/unkind/dishevelled/illprepared as we recall? And was the food really that dreadful? Thinking back over the years, I would like to nominate a list of incidents – none, I hope, too much embroidered by the telling and retelling – that continue to amuse. Many of these brief anecdotes may strike a chord with readers of a certain vintage. Names have been omitted to protect the innocent, but I expect that a number of readers will recognise themselves in one or more of the following: 1. Driving into Kingston one morning during term time, a master overtook a small boy in uniform “escaping” from The Close. The master and his wife took the fugitive into their car and continued their trip to Bentalls in Kingston where the young boy’s chance of resuming his escape was reduced by their asking him to push their two-year old’s pram. Shopping done, the boy was returned to The Close and went on some years later to become a school captain. 2. One summer afternoon, I filmed the Esher fire engines in attendance at a fire in the Croft Woods. After several minutes of non-descript footage, two smoky little boys were caught on film as they emerged sheepishly from the blaze. An unlikely duo of malefactors having their first smoke? 3. Another pupil initially pleaded “not guilty” to making late night visits to a local girls’ school, but had to change his plea when it was pointed out that his name was sewn into the school cap found in one of the dormitories there. 4. On the day of the assassination of the American president, who was it that raced with the news to the Sister on duty with the cry “Kennedy has been shot!” only to see her grab her emergency bag and dash off in the direction of the rugby field? 5. Who chiselled the graffiti that encouraged Rodney Exton to change the words “Sack Exton” to “Back Exton”. (“Sack” is in fact a bowdlerisation of the Anglo Saxon used in the original). 6. Who, when the entire school was gated for a misdemeanour to which no one would own up, went to the Headmaster and said “I didn’t do it sir, but if I own up will the school be let off the gating?” 7. Which OR, for whom his housemaster was constantly writing notes to an optician explaining that he had broken yet another pair of spectacles, returned as a young businessman to a sixth form symposium at the school, blaming his late arrival on the fact that he had got out of bed at his hotel and stepped on his spectacles? 8. Who, when he knocked on the Headmaster’s door during one of blackouts common in the post-war years received the 48 THE REEDER 2 013 reply “Go away – I have a boy with me at the moment” and then reported the incident to his housemaster with the comment “He’s a fine one to talk”? 9. Which former pupil, passing his housemaster whilst driving along Chelsea High Street, wound down his car window and cried “ I’ve just delivered my first baby”? 10. Who, when taken to a theatre in London by two members of staff, and having been warned to avoid the bar nearest the booked seats, entered the forbidden bar anyway? (The two masters tried to show their nonchalance by asking what he would like to drink. They were trumped by his super nonchalant response “I’d like a Noilly Prat, please”). 11. Who ever bettered the response of a sixth former reported by his Assistant Housemaster for coming back to school in the early hours (after an illicit fishing trip) responded by saying to his housemaster next morning “Sir, you should ask Mr X who he had in his room at that time of night.“ 12. Does anyone remember being sent money from overseas by his parents to buy a new pair of shoes and returning from London, money spent, with nothing to show for it but a secondhand, red military jacket from Carnaby Street? 13. Who rather inadvisedly placed sodium on his bare arm to demonstrate his power of endurance? 14. Who, when told to stand up in class whilst speaking to the Headmaster, replied “But I am standing up, Sir”. 15. Who took his housemaster’s young child for a first swim in the school pool and startled the father by doing a length under water with the precious child precariously perched on his shoulders? 16. Who were the two boys who, as a penance for some minor offence, were told to spend a Sunday afternoon watching a World Wild Life Fund promotional film about game reserves in Africa? As well as watching the film, they had to write an essay giving their thoughts about the film. The punishment had a happy ending: the essay was submitted to the organisers and won them an expenses-paid trip to the Serengeti Game Reserve in East Africa. 17. Finally, there is the surely apocryphal story of a master, who having arrived late to his class, apologised and said “I’ve forgotten your books but will go back and fetch them”. He turned on his heel and was never seen again. Frank Anstis Destination of 2011 Sixth Form Leavers who took a Gap Year Joyce Chow Jessica Hall Luke Hourigan Rebecca Lunt Daniel Absalom Michael Loizias Patrick Oldreive Sebastian Huff Karan Kapoor JESUS COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE BRISTOL LEEDS EXETER LOUGHBOROUGH LONDON SOUTHBANK (part time) and working as commercial manager BOURNEMOUTH NOTTINGHAM BRIGHTON Law History Biological Sciences Geography Civil Engineering Quantity Surveying Sports Management Electrical Engineering Accounting & Finance Destination of 2012 Sixth Form Leavers Aaron Aujla BRISTOL Classics Zach Baker WORCESTER Archaeology & Heritage Studies Zoravar Bakshi Alice Barnes Jack Barry Lucas Barry Beatrice Berry Kirsten Blom Edward Brierley Alexandra Buchanan Colin Bugler Charlotte Buijs Francesca Burchill William Burchill IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON BOURNEMOUTH NOTTINGHAM BUWE BOURNEMOUTH OXFORD BROOKES LIVERPOOL BRIGHTON EXETER OXFORD OXFORD BROOKES SHEFFIELD Harry Burley BATH Lucinda Butler Kong Yau (Annie) Chan Sze Long () Chan Olivia Chilton Chung Hin Chow Andrew Clarke Harry Coates Valentijn Cobben Ethan Copeland Jonathan Cornish Nathan Crabtree Alex Croker James Crosbie Fraser Dawe Rafe Delaney Mollie Dendle Joseph Dipre Martha Dixon Duncan Edser Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Ellis Sam Galvin Edward Gladigau Guy Grant Thomas Gray Emily Grove Olivia Hajialexandrou Joonhee Han Daniel Harris Andrew Hertzell Isabelle Higgs MANCHESTER UCL BATH BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, SUFFOLK KENT NOTTINGHAM Mathematics and Computer Science Business Studies Mathematics Business Studies Events Management Business and Marketing Management Marine Biology with Oceanography Sport Journalism English Law Planning and Property Development Business Management Sport and Exercise Science (with study abroad/industry/ combined) Drama Economics Mechanical Engineering Sport and Exercise Sciences Diagnostic Radiotherapy Social Anthropology History Study in Holland Study in USA Study in USA Sports Development Study in USA Mechanical Engineering Geography Geography Psychology Mathematics and Sports Science Medical Science Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Experience Mechanical Engineering (Automotive) Economics Pharmacology with Study in Industry Biology French and Spanish (4 years) Gap year and apply 2013 Early Childhood Studies English and History Biomedical Engineering Gap year and apply 2013 History Business Administration (Sandwich) PORTSMOUTH EXETER BUWE KINGS COLLEGE LONDON BRISTOL BIRMINGHAM NEWCASTLE EXETER BIRMINGHAM EDINBURGH BRISTOL NOTTINGHAM NOTTINGHAM TRENT OXFORD BROOKES NOTTINGHAM STUDY IN KOREA BRISTOL BATH THE REEDER 2 013 49 Joshua Hill Yeuk Hin (Naomi) Ho Thomas Hunt Alex Huskisson Juliette Inverdale William Isaacs Daniel Jay Kyeong Beom (Harry) Jo Edward Kennedy Adam Lawson Joshua Lawson Charlie Leake Thomas Leatham Vincent Leung Neil MacKenzie Joseph Malthouse Eva Mathers 50 LOUGHBOROUGH IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON BOURNEMOUTH DURHAM BIRMINGHAM LONDON SOUTH BANK BATH LANCASTER BUWE MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN SURREY MANCHESTER Kishen Patel EXETER George Peters Sasha Philbert Sophie Pierce Elena Pocock Oliver Rastall Alexander Redmayne Jamie Roberts James Roughneen Aleksander Rula Francesca Sharp-Paul Oliver Sleeman James Snowden Nicolas Solomon Jamie Sones Stephanie Stanley Samuel Stephens Roy Steudle Benjamin Stokes Matthew Stokes Grayson Stuckey James Sukiennik Chengzhe (Oliver) Sun Amelia Tangney Gurjot Thind Jack Thorpe UCL BUCKINGHAMSHIRE NEW UNIVERSITY YORK BATH QUEEN MARY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON OXFORD BROOKES CAMBRIDGE IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON QUEEN MARY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON ABERDEEN FALMOUTH BUWE KINGSTON EXETER BATH SPA CARDIFF UWIC Christian Throm-Jones BATH Naomi Verbeke Sophie Vos Jessica Weedon SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA PORTSMOUTH BOURNEMOUTH Jorge Wilton EXETER Rory Woolston NOTTINGHAM THE REEDER 2 013 LOUGHBOROUGH ROEHAMPTON SUSSEX EXETER DURHAM EDINBURGH BRISTOL Geography and Sports Management Biomedical Engineering Gap year and re-apply 2013 Sports Management Geography Business Management (Year in Industry – 4 years) Media and Cultural Studies applying 2013 Biochemistry Marketing Re-applying 2013 Audio and Music Technology Dental Technology Accounting and Finance Re-applying 2013 Applyinging 2013 Psychology Accounting and Finance with Industrial Experience (4 years) Geology Sports Psychology Environmental Geography Sport and Exercise Science Global Change: Environment, Economy & Development Business and Marketing Management Engineering (4 years) Physics Medicine Religious Studies Graphic Design Biological Sciences Business Management Economics and Finance Creative Writing/English Literature Sport and Exercise Science Skiing Criminology and Social Policy Classical Civilisation Biomedical Science Business Economics with Industrial Experience (4 years) Accounting and Finance Applying 2013 History Chemistry International Management and Modern Languages – German Cooking Course Combined Modern Languages Hospitality Management Management with Marketing with Industrial Experience (4 years) Politics Staff Leavers 2012 Alan Bott Dutch. She has done an outstanding job both in helping the pupils through their exams and in coordinating our link with Rijnlands Lyceum. During her time here there are three things in particular that have stood out about Carmen: 1. Her unerring professionalism – with very few readymade Dutch resources available, Carmen has had to spend a huge amount of time preparing her own materials and has even gone as far as translating past GCSE French papers into Dutch in order to give her pupils invaluable exam practice! She has always spent as much time preparing and marking the work of her small number of pupils as those of us teaching classes 10 times the size! 2. Her consideration for others – on the recent Activities Week trip that she accompanied, not only did Carmen provide edible treats for the rest of the staff to enjoy, she also lent money to pupils, provided them with trivia cards to keep them entertained and bought a card and present for a boy celebrating his birthday, all off her own bat. Alan Bott, Secretary to the Governors, Bursar and Old Reedonians Treasurer retired in December 2012. Alan joined Reed’s in 1989 as the School Accountant and became Bursar in 1998 and amongst many other things was responsible for managing the Foundation and thus arranging the finances to support a large number of Reedonians. Gareth Davies Gareth Davies is part of the Davies family dynasty who work in various roles at Reed’s. Gareth, who has been at Reed’s since 2002 and a stalwart of the grounds staff for the last seven years, is moving to Ireland to follow his heart. Calum Giles Calum Giles, with over 200 International Caps worth of experience, has been an inspiring hockey coach for the last couple of years and will be a great loss. Carmen Lams Carmen has enjoyed an association with Reed’s over these past few years, as a parent and as a teacher of 3. Her unfailing good humour – Carmen’s colourful clothing is an outward expression of her own cheerful character. She is always smiling and always ready to get stuck in. She is essentially a combination of all that one could hope for in a colleague, a team-mate, a sister and a mother, all rolled into one! We will miss seeing Carmen regularly but we are glad that she has agreed to return if further Dutch teaching is needed in the future. Andy Robinson Andy leaves Reed’s after six years of teaching French and Spanish (including two years as second in the French department), working as a boarding tutor and coaching junior rugby. He has always been a very talented and popular teacher who has achieved excellent results with classes at both ends of the ability range. He has been an invaluable presence in many areas of departmental life: leading the installation of the digital language lab and the associated staff training and support; heading up Key Stage 3 French and the relevant entrance exams; engaging the pupils during activities such as French Games Club, French Gifted THE REEDER 2 013 51 Staff Leavers 2012 and Talented, MFL poetry competitions and visiting MFL theatre productions. His participation in Activities Week trips to France has been greatly appreciated and he has carved out a quite reputation for himself as a sporting champion amongst the staff – proving almost untouchable in the niche sports of crazy golf, ‘boules’ and animal croquet! Andy moves on to take up a position at Cranleigh School. We wish him and Laura all the best and hope that he will be very happy in his new school. We look forward to collaborating on new MFL projects together in the future. Ian Peel Nancy was always interested in our family life and often a great support – not just in turning up my trousers! As our children were growing up she shared in the trials, tribulations and joys which go hand in hand with raising children; inevitably she attended our daughter’s wedding at Reed’s in July 2010. When we retired from the Close Nancy was a great help to Alex and Lucy Balls during their settling in for the first two years of their tenure. A larger than life character, Ian Peel, is leaving the Classics Department after just three years, to become Head of Department at Sir William Perkins’s School. He will be missed by the pupils and we wish him much luck. The various inspections all commented on the wonderful homely atmosphere and this was in no small part due to Nancy and her carefully constructed photo displays, nicely framed and mounted on the walls – one example of her contributions to this end. Nancy Savage The Close, the School and the other matrons will certainly miss her and all would wish her and Ken all the very best in retirement which will soon see the birth of their first grandchild. Nancy began her Reed’s life in January 1998 as Matron on the middle floor of what was then the Middle School Boarding House, later to become School House. In September 1998 she moved with us to The Close where she stayed throughout our 12 years and then had two years with Alex and Lucy Balls until she retired in July 2012 after very nearly 15 years of dedicated service. Nancy was always very organised but then she had to be with Close boarding numbers reaching 30 and always being in the mid-twenties for the first half of her life in The Close. When the boarding numbers began to drop she then took on looking after the washing of the three GAP students who moved onto the top floor, even managing to keep her temper when their personal washing took over her drying room! Even the misfortune of a tree branch falling on her car down at The Close did not deter her! Nancy introduced a tuck shop for the pupils, thereby giving them a real taste of the penny chews of times long passed and ensuring the day pupils got to see the boarding accommodation and to mix with the boarders within their own environment. She always bought Christmas presents for the boarders, joined in the annual Secret Santa and gave each boarder an Easter egg. Nancy and 52 her husband Ken were annual contributors to the Bonfire and Fireworks display where, in the early days, both could be seen carrying heavy saucepans full of mulled wine through a dormitory, trying desperately not to spill any of the contents on the bedroom carpet! THE REEDER 2 013 Colette Savage Colette joined Reed’s in April 2009 as Head of Academic ICT and was really thrown in at the deep end since a full school inspection was looming! This successfully negotiated she then began sorting out the various schemes of work before making the decision to concentrate on her doctorate and moving to a part-time contract. Later she was to return to full-time work but not as Head of Department; she then added the teaching of Mathematics to her repertoire. During this time she also started up a ‘Values Club’ in The Close and established this as an excellent new activity which grew in strength because of her dedication and knowledge. Lots of money was raised for various charities through many fun projects. Colette leaves to dedicate more time to her PhD and to lecture in London and possibly New York. School Captains 1943/44 J. Marsh 1983/84 A.M.J. Glass 1944/45 M. Meadows 1984/85 P.M.J. Edmondson 1945/46 G. Ballard 1985/86 A.D.I. Darroch-Warren 1946/47 R. Lewis 1986/87 A. Emam 1947/48 R. Lewis 1987/88 1948/49 E. Bowman G. Pakenham I.J. Locke 1949/50 J. Phipp 1988/89 J.C.S. Rowlands J.H. Sugden 1950/51 N. Wadley 1989/90 A.M. Noakes 1951/52 N. Wadley 1990/91 D.S. Faulkner 1952/53 P. Murton 1991/92 A.J. Blackman 1953/54 P. Murton 1992/93 P.A. Knight 1954/55 G.T. Kennedy 1993/94 M.D. Elliott 1955/56 G.S.C. Wills 1994/95 R.J. Webster 1956/57 W.G. Eckford 1995/96 C.M. Bilmes 1957/58 V.B. Whitmarsh 1996/97 A. Hamilton 1958/59 R.D. Pingree 1997/98 1959/60 P.N. Kite 1960/61 P.C.C. Bint J.A. Salmassian T. Worner A.D. Edwards 1961/62 R.W. Sinden 1998/99 A.O. Dosaj 1962/63 K.H. Tyrrell 1999/00 A.J. Hamilton 1963/64 G.M. Levy 2000/01 D.B. Coates 1964/65 E.D. Pafford 2001/02 S. Baghaei 1965/66 P.H. Hollins 2002/03 W.F. Bulman 1966/67 H.V. Myles D.G. Taylor 2003/04 D.L. Westley 2004/05 1967/68 W.A. Clermont P.G.R. Williamson J.D. Stephens P.S. Duterloo 2005/06 1968/69 K.A. Boulter S.A. Burrow N.M. Muir-Little 1969/70 J.F. Robson 2006/07 1970/71 T.R. Simmons M.J. Dover J.A. Houlgrave A.J. Watkins 2007/08 M.I. Rose C.J. Brooks 2008/09 A.R. Miller 2009/10 T. Sharp I. Aspelling-Jones 2010/11 A. Hedges E. Forder 1971/72 P.G. Bolton 1972/73 R.McL. Newman 1973/74 A.W. Cairns R.J. Moffatt 1974/75 C.G. Fuller 1975/76 I.R.H. Myles M.C. Burwell 2011/12 B. Stokes J. Inverdale 1976/77 A.W. Kidd 2012/13 1977/78 A.W. Buchan P.J. Chicken J.L. Chandler 1978/79 T.D. Legg 1979/80 C.J. Michel 1980/81 A.M. Huckin 1981/82 A.M. Huckin A.G.B. Robbins 1982/83 J.M.A. Price To date the following School Captains of the Girls’ School at Dogmersfield have been identified: 1945 Kathleen Elphick 1949 Helen Barnwell 1950 Betty Rollestone I hope the list will be completed soon. Ed. THE REEDER 2 013 53 PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE OLD REEDONIAN ASSOCIATION Samuel Lowry 1875-1877 G. H. McLaughlin 1878-1882 W. Nottage 1883-1884 G. Bedford 1885-1893 G. Berry 1894-1902 G. H. Judd 1903-1904 G. R. Hutchings 1905-1906 Samuel Miller 1907 H. T. Walker 1908 C. Comley 1909 G. R. Hutchings 1910 W. G. Emery 1911-1919 H. Reeder Clarke 1920-1921 H. S. Rounce 1922-1923 W. G. Emery 1924 A. L. Kennedy 1925 Miss M. C. Bowie 1926 W. G. Emery 1927-1930 W. E. Pollard 1931 H. Sedgwick 1932-1936 G. Pearmain 1937-1939 H. S. Rounce 1940-1947 Eric H. S. Banyard 1947-1949 Edwin D. Griffiths FRIBA 1950-1951 Joe H. Harrison 1951-1952 Mrs. M. Naomi Davidson 1953-1954 S. Harold Gilbert 1955-1958 Geoff P. Maddison MBE 1959-1961 Douglas E. Parker 1962-1966 Peter J. Daffey 1966-1967 Brin R. Thomas 1967-1969 Peter J. Daffey 1970-1973 Michael P. Meadows 1974-1977 John S. H. Laidman 1978-1986 John B. Rogers 1987-2002 Christopher Hawkins succeeded John Rogers in 2002 54 THE REEDER 2 013 Discover No.11 Cadogan Gardens Uncover a luxury urban hideaway, discreetly situated in the heart of Knightsbridge, only moments away from prestigious Sloane Street (OHJDQW5RRPVDQG6XLWHV5HVWDXUDQW&RFNWDLO%DU'UDZLQJ5RRP*\PQDVLXP2XWVLGH7HUUDFH For more information or to make a reservation, please call reservations on 020 7730 7000 or email [email protected] www.no11cadogangardens.com No.11 Cadogan Gardens, Knightsbridge, London, SW3 2RJ