Fake News and the Cambridge Analytica Scandal An interview with OC Stephen Colegrave Driving Ambition From Caterham to the White House Founding Footsteps
The magazine for The Caterham School Society Issue 05. 2019
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OMNIA
Issue 05 Spring/Summer 2019
FROM THE EDITOR, ANNIE HEBDEN
CONTRIBUTORS
From Caterham School to the White House, the inside track on fake news and the Cambridge Analytica scandal to social enterprises home and abroad – these are just some of the inspiring stories shared by Caterhamians in this fifth edition of Omnia.
Tom Archer (OC 2004 – 2009) Camilla Bowry (Current Parent) Stephen Colegrave (OC 1978) Lorna Cook (OC 2012 – 2014) Kristina Dimitrova (OC 2005 – 2007) Kate Eighteen (née Davey) (OC 2003) Ben Ellinger (OC 1995 – 2002) Yasuhiro Fujio (OC 2003 – 2004) James Glancy (OC 1996 – 2001) Ollie Gray (Current Pupil) Alex Gregory (OC 2000 – 2007) Joshua Higginson (OC 2010) Michael Jecks (OC 1972 – 1979) Geoffrey Kemp (OC 1949 – 1958) Nicky Law (OC 1995 – 1998) Jess Martin (OC 2007) Lucy May (OC 2005 – 2007) Joe McNeice (OC 2015) Jack Medlock (OC 2009 – 2016) Peter Neaves (OC 1975 – 1980) Rhia Patel (OC 2016) Alex Paul (OC 2012 – 2017) Grahame Penn (OC 1945 – 1953) Charlie Robertson (OC 2015) Lucy Ruddle (OC 2003 – 2008) Ellie Scott-Smith (OC 2012) Connie Shaw (OC 2007 – 2014) Julianne Stewart (OC 1994 – 2001) Emma-Louise Vetriano (née Cross) (OC 2002 – 2006) Paul Weston (OC 1989 – 1997) Philip Wood (OC 1952 – 1962)
It has been an exciting few months with the launch of the new Caterham School Society platform enabling all Caterhamians to network easily, and a variety of events bringing together the whole Caterham School community. I am thoroughly enjoying my new role as alumni officer, in particular hearing about the achievements, news and memories of Old Cats. Thank you to all those who contributed to this edition of Omnia, please keep sending in your updates for future editions. With best wishes Annie Hebden oldcats@caterhamschool.co.uk 01883 335091
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CONTENTS
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Welcomes
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Forthcoming Events
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From the Headmaster, Ceri Jones, President of the OCA, Clive Furness, President of the CSS, Rob Davey and Chair of the PA, Sam Kensey.
Exciting forthcoming events for the whole Caterham School community.
Fake News and Cambridge Analytica
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CSS Events
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Rhia Patel (OC 2016)
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OC Stephen Colegrave on the campaign for truth.
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Driving Ambition OC Charlie Robertson on Le Mans Success.
From Caterham to the White House OC Geoffrey Kemp, a Life in Global Politics.
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A showcase of the variety of events, reunions and sports fixtures for all Caterhamians.
Enacting social change during her university years in Edinburgh and Buenos Aires.
Old Cat News News of Old Caterhamians including awards, book reviews, weddings, an engagement and birth.
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Partnerships Update
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In the Archives
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Why Study...
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Apprenticeships as an alternative to university
Eothen School Legacy Eothen memories in Caterham School today.
Happy Feet Current Parent Camilla Bowry, Founder of Sal’s Shoes.
Recent donations and anecdotes from OCs.
Read about a variety of university courses from OCs who are currently studying.
OC Alex Paul talks about his route to a career at KPMG.
OCs: In Their Own Words Find out from OCs themselves what they’ve been up to since leaving the School.
Update on our partnership project with Clifton School.
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Obituaries
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Support Us
Giving thanks for the lives of members of the Caterham School Society.
Help us open our doors.
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WELCOME FROM THE HEADMASTER
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t has been fantastic to see so many of you back at school, and at the many OC and Caterham School Society (CSS) events held over the past few months. The mutual strength and warmth of the whole community has been ably demonstrated in so many ways of late. A packed cross-generational crowd gathered at UBS’ London Headquarters to learn from the wisdom of the CSS panel of entrepreneurs and investors; many connected to the school gathered to mark 100 years since the armistice at the School’s traditional Remembrance Service; parents, OCs and friends of the School kicked up their heels to celebrate the end of the school year at the Summer Ball, our first as a truly independent school following the move away from United Learning in late 2017. The sense of community and how we can support each other has been tangible. It is an exciting time to be a part of the Caterham School community as we gain the full benefit of being in complete control of our own destiny and able to invest all of our resources and energies into this fantastic school and community, developing an exciting vision for the future. We hope that you will all be a part of Caterham’s future, whether or not you have been actively involved in the life of the School since you left. At the core of our School remains all of those who are part of the Caterham community – pupils, staff, parents, former parents, alumni and anyone who has an interest in seeing this school flourish. That, of course, is what the Caterham School Society is designed to give form and substance to under the leadership of Rob Davey. I hope to see many of you in the coming months as our exciting programme continues to flourish. I hope you enjoy this edition of Omnia. Ceri Jones Headmaster
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WELCOME...
FROM THE OCA PRESIDENT The breadth and range of projects achieved by Old Cats continues to impress, and this edition of Omnia is testament to all that continues to be achieved by our community. From young to old, near and far, the breadth of talent and innovation represented is inspiring. I had the pleasure of meeting Old Cats, Sixth Form pupils and parents at the wonderful CSS Insight Evening at UBS’ Headquarters in September. The enthusiasm and drive across all those at that event was infectious, and shows just what can be achieved when we join together. Since the last edition of Omnia, more and more Old Caterhamians have reconnected and the OCA is determined to ensure that we provide a strong platform for the creativity, innovation, skills, success and determination of our members. Clive Furness OCA President
FROM THE CATERHAM SCHOOL SOCIETY I am delighted to tell you that the Caterham School Society is moving from strength to strength. One particularly successful event was the recent Insight Evening focussing on entrepreneurship in London. The key to recent developments has been the launch of our new online networking platform – caterhamschoolsociety.co.uk It is fast becoming the heart of our operations and I would encourage you to join it and to learn what new opportunities will be available. Please remember that the Caterham School Society is open to all connected with Caterham School – past and present pupils, staff and parents (current and former) as well as Trustees, Foundationers and Friends of the School. Rob Davey President of the Caterham School Society
FROM THE PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION CHAIR As the Chair of the Parents’ Association (PA), the PA is delighted to be invited to be part of Omnia, particularly at such an exciting time for the whole of the Caterham School Society (CSS). Whether you are a staff member, a pupil, a parent, an OC, past parent or even a grandparent there is a plethora of events and opportunities in the life of the Caterham School Society that you can get involved in. From the CSS Book Club, inspirational talks to woodland walks. All of these events will enable you to make new connections, new friends and definitely new ways to enjoy yourselves. The PA is proud to be able to contribute to this sense of community. From organising the Annual Prep School Christmas Fair with an amazing new Santa’s Grotto where the children can visit the ‘main man’ himself. To The Christmas Dinner Dance (for the older ‘children’ among us) or the forthcoming series of Quiz Nights – where we hope all members of the CSS will team up and converge on Humphrey’s Hall for a competitive challenge, pitting our general knowledge against each other. Since Omnia magazine was first published, I have enjoyed reading many of the articles. But especially those written by Old Caterhamians that I know and I look forward one day to perhaps reading a piece by one of my own children or one of their classmates and seeing how Caterhamians continue to venture out into the world beyond Harestone Valley Road and make such an inspirational difference in their very own tomorrow’s world. But whatever the world may look like in years to come – they all know that they will always have the Caterham School Society and all that it represents behind them. Sam Kensey Chair of the Caterham School Parents’ Association
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Forthcoming events Spring/Summer 2019 There are more events in the pipeline, please visit the social media pages and websites below to stay up to date with CSS, OCA and PA Events. For further information, please contact events@caterhamschool.co.uk
Tuesday 26 February 2019
We hope to see you very soon!
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An evening focussing on how individuals and businesses can develop a successful culture by learning to build resilience and take advantage of marginal gains, drawing inspiration from the sporting world.
OCA links
Friday 8 March 2019
oldcaterhamians.com
OCA AGM & Annual Dinner
CSS links
Old Caterhamians Association Old Caterhamians Association @oldcaterhamians @oldcaterhamians
PA links caterhamparents.co.uk
CSS Insight Evening: Building a Culture of Resilience and Success Selhurst Park (Crystal Palace F.C.), London
Drapers’ Hall, London EC2 The OCA is delighted to confirm that their 2019 annual dinner will be held at the majestic Drapers’ Hall located in the heart of the City of London. Built in the 1530s, Drapers’ Hall is steeped in history and its magnificent interiors will be recognisable from films such as The King’s Speech and Goldeneye. We hope you can join us for a sumptuous evening shared with fellow Caterhamians. For more information and to book tickets please contact: oldcats@caterhamschool.co.uk Drapers’ Hall, London
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The Caterham School Society
Sunday 10 March 2019
Friday 22 March 2019
Friday 17 May 2019
OCA Spring Sports Afternoon
St James’s Concert
Caterham School
Piccadilly, London
OCA Over 60s Summer Reunion Lunch
The Old Caterhamians and School sports teams go head to head in football, basketball, netball & hockey. Come along and cheer on the teams!
Enjoy a musical evening from the School’s current musicians in the beautiful setting of Christopher Wren’s St James’s Church.
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Caterham School A chance for lunch in the Wilberforce Hall and to help bring history to life for current Caterham pupils.
Saturday 23 March 2019
OCA Boarders’ Reunion Prince of Wales Feathers, London W1 A chance for all Old Caterhamian boarders to share stories and catch up.
Friday 15 March 2019
Sunday 23 June 2019
CSS Dog Walk
OCA Day: ‘All the Nines’ Reunion Lunch and OCA Summer Sports Afternoon
Caterham School An opportunity to enjoy Old Park Woods with members of the Caterham School community, you don’t need to bring a dog! If you’re interested in joining please contact events@caterhamschool.co.uk
Caterham School
Sunday 27 April 2019
CSS WW1 Battlefields Trip Tuesday 19 March 2019
CSS Lecture: Peace on the Korean Peninsula – do insurmountable obstacles remain? Brigadier John King Caterham School During a long and successful Army career, John was stationed in Seoul and saw first-hand the relationship between North and South and the impact on citizens of both countries. John will give his insights into the recent developments in this region and whether peace might be achievable.
The Somme Are you fed up of pupils heading off on all the interesting and fun school trips? Wish you were back at school and heading off with your chums? Fear not! The Caterham School Society has teamed up with School Trips for Big Kids to arrange a trip just for grown-ups! All parents, friends and alumni are invited to a one day trip to the WW1 Battle of the Somme site. For more details go to caterhamschoolsociety.co.uk
Thursday 16 May 2019
CSS Lecture: From Caterham to the White House OC Geoffrey Kemp Caterham School Geoffrey served as Special Advisor for the Middle East at the White House during the Reagan administration.
A fun-filled day for all Old Cats and their families with a special reunion lunch for all OC Leavers from the years 1959, 1969, 1979, 1989, 1999 and 2009 – we hope you can make it!
Saturday 6 July 2019
Speech Day Caterham School All parents, friends and alumni are welcome to join us for our annual speech day and drinks on the lawn.
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FAKE NEWS and the CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SCANDAL An interview with Stephen Colegrave (OC 1978)
“For every super hero, there is almost always an investigative journalist exposing the villain, shining a spotlight on the truth and exposing buried dark dealings.”
One might easily think Stephen Colegrave OC is just reminiscing his school years as he conjures up images of Superman’s Clark Kent and Lois Lane and Batman’s Vikki Vale and, of course, cub reporter extraordinaire TinTin. But this insight is a sharp, yet typically good humoured, observation of both popular culture, and of Stephen’s work establishing Byline which pioneers and supports free speech and investigative journalism. Through Byline, Stephen and his co-founder have enabled the exposé of the Cambridge Analytica Facebook scandal, one of the defining and still-running stories of our time. Byline worked closely with journalist Carole Cadwalladr, who broke the story...
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he problem and the reason I got involved with Byline was really because there is very little investment left in papers for journalism. All that advertising that used to go to papers has now gone to Google or Ebay. So much advertising has disappeared from papers and young people are not really reading papers, which means they are on a decline and cannot afford to invest in investigative stories these days. Losing advertising income, local and national papers can rarely afford to support investigative journalism which takes months, often years, to properly reveal the really important stories.” “That is an immediate issue for newspapers and their reporters, but more fundamentally than that it is an issue for democracy as a whole. For all its faults, a strong press is the check and balance which keeps those in authority on their toes, to everyone’s benefit.”
“We knew about the Cambridge Analytica story in early 2017, soon after the referendum and the Trump inauguration. When Carole approached us with the story, I wanted to think it was probably a conspiracy story. It did not take long to look at the evidence and realise there was something strong there – a story with huge implications for democracy which must be properly and thoroughly investigated.” The story is complex and still evolving on both sides of the Atlantic. During the 2016 US Elections people started to report ‘dark posts’ appearing on their Facebook feeds, reports which were remarkably similar to activity noted during the Brexit campaign. It became clear that Cambridge Analytica had been micro targeting people with contentious posts designed to influence their views on key issues. Data harvested through Facebook identified what subjects were emotive to marginal voters and could be used to alter their voting
It became clear that Cambridge Analytica had been micro targeting people with contentious posts designed to influence their views on key issues
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behaviour. Targeted posts would then appear on individuals’ feeds long enough for them to read, but then disappear when viewers reverted back to check them. Whilst it is near impossible to establish to what extent these actions influenced the outcome of both Brexit and the US 2016 election, it is clear that the activity happened and the impact was potentially significant. “We had worked quite closely with Carole who did the spade work on the story. She brought forward whistleblower Chris Wylie, former Research Director at Cambridge Analytica, who had realised that he could not morally support what he had seen. Carole needed some help. The main bit we did was to support the legal costs and clearances to enable Chris to come forward. What you have to do with a whistleblower is make sure they do not end up in jail before they can speak. We needed to make sure the FBI were not going to arrest Chris when he went to give evidence in the U.S. We also helped other whistleblowers, including from the BeLeave campaign.” “Byline supports whistleblowers because they are safest when you go public, it is just before the story breaks that is most dangerous and when whistleblowers are vulnerable. Whilst Carole herself is a staff reporter now, during the investigative stages of the Cambridge Analytica story she was a freelance reporter working on her own until the story was ready to print.” “Carole gets flack for her views but two of the key whistleblowers on the Cambridge Analytica story were Brexiteers but did not agree with the methods that they had seen being employed. I think it is really important in all this, that this is not just seen as being about whether you are a Remainer or a Brexiteer, it is about democracy. The problem is we do not know if it affected 0.1 per cent or 10 per cent of the vote. But the fact is even if it is a 0.1 per cent chance, it should not have been an influencer and it means you lose all your trust in democracy. Once you lose that trust it opens a door to all
The Caterham School Society
What you have to do with a whistleblower is make sure they do not end up in jail before they can speak.
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sorts of other things. And that’s the whole point of this. This is not about left or right, remain or go, it is about trust and democracy.” The death of old-school ‘superhero’ journalism is intertwined with the rise in fake news, both that which is fake or mistruthful and the term used as a mud-sling to denigrate and throw doubt on genuine stories, which may be uncomfortable for prominent figures. Stephen speaks passionately about educating young people to the dangers of fake news and helping them to develop a radar to guard against it. As an Old Caterhamian, Stephen was encouraged to learn that Fake News lessons are a key part of the timetabled Wellbeing programme at Caterham School. A survey by the Pew Research Center in December 2016 suggests that 23 percent of U.S. adults have shared fake news, knowingly or unknowingly, with friends and others. “I think it is incredibly hard for young people to know what is true and what is not, because in the old days you had a newspaper which was curated by an editor and was legally checked. Although newspapers were not perhaps as true as we thought, they had to think about whether they were going to be sued – but online, people do not really have to think about that. That is why at Byline we want to work with young people and help them become ‘citizen fact checkers’ – to think about where something’s come from and double check it against different sources.” “Of course, the internet and social media are also a source for great things, Byline was built on Twitter, but truth and an ability to identify fake news is crucial.” “Byline has a foundation and there are two main aims of it: the first is to help young people from different walks of life and different communities to become journalists; the second part of our remit is to try and educate people about the news, sources and the truth of news creating online toolkit for schools which looks at Fake News, its
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background and some tips to find true news.”
New Sunday Newspaper
Byline’s next project is to launch Byline Times the first new national newspaper this century, scheduled for March 2019. Summer 2019 will bring the third annual Byline Festival at Pippingford Park, Ashdown Forest, which pioneers free speech with a celebration of music, spoken word and comedy. The second UK festival in August 2018 attracted 5,000 people and the line-up included: John Cleese, Alexei Sayle, Pussy Riot, June Sapong, Gary
Lineker and Badly Drawn Boy. And what of those superheros and their supporting hacks of Marvel vintage? The message Stephen gave at the inaugural Caterham School Society Bonarjee Lecture at the school was loud and clear – don’t wait for a superhero, be part of the push. While Stephen and colleagues at Byline work hard to provide platforms for truth and open debate, we all have our part to play, whether consumers or writers, young or old, to check that what we chose to consume is true, and to ensure that open debate and investigation remain alive.
Carole Cadwalladr at Byline Fest The Byline Festival pioneers free speech with a celebration of music, spoken word and comedy. For more information on this year’s festival visit bylinefestival.com
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For more information about the Caterham School Society Bonarjee Lecture visit caterhamschool.co.uk/whats-on
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STEPHEN COLEGRAVE CAREER PATH After a brief but successful career in the music business, Stephen moved into advertising. First at Leo Burnett as worldwide account director on Procter & Gamble, then 10 years at Saatchi & Saatchi, where he ran business across Central & Eastern Europe, before becoming Marketing Director for Europe, Middle East & Africa.
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Stephen gave the inaugural Caterham School Society Bonarjee Lecture, held at the School. The lecture is dedicated to free speech and democracy and is held in memory of notable former pupil and benefactor Stephen Bonarjee who created Radio 4’s Today programme and From Our Own Correspondent during his time as the ‘father of modern radio’ at the BBC.
After Saatchi & Saatchi, Stephen took a sabbatical to produce movies including Bring Me the Head with Rik Mayall, Jane Horrocks and Danny Aiello. Next, he wrote Punk, A life Apart (published 2001 Cassell), the definitive history of punk that sold more 500,000 copies and went into 26 editions in the US.
❖ Stephen established his own agency and consultancy, creating advertising, large scale events and advising the Government until 2016 when he helped his friend, Peter Jukes, establish Byline.com, the world’s largest crowdfunded site for independent journalism.
❖ The first Byline Festival was launched in 2017 at Pippingford Park, and also in New York. Summer 2019’s festival is scheduled from 23 to 26 August. For tickets and info visit: bylinefestival.com
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AN OC’S GUIDE TO MOTORSPORT
DRIVING AMBITION WITH CHARLIE ROBERTSON (OC 2015)
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harlie Robertson’s drive to succeed has seen him achieve a lifetime ambition at just 21 years old. In summer 2018 Charlie took to the wheel in the top LMP1 category at the legendary Le Mans 24 Hour race as part of the FIA World Endurance Championship, taking the chequered flag. Just three years earlier, at the age of 18, Charlie shared a 420 horsepower LMP3 racing car with Gold Medal Olympian and fellow teammate Chris Hoy.
Charlie’s motor racing ambitions progressed from his time at Caterham Preparatory School right through the Senior School and he became a professional race driver in 2016. With an impressive list of accolades already chalked up, it seems there is no stopping this young talent. Here Charlie shares with us his career successes so far and what he’s hoping to achieve next. How did you discover your driving talents? When I was eight years old, my dad took me to an indoor karting track and I was instantly hooked on the speed and competition. We soon found a second-hand go-kart, started racing at outdoor events around the country and never looked back. Six years later – by then a Third Year pupil at Caterham School – I made my car racing debut at Brands Hatch. Were you involved with go karting or anything similar whilst at Caterham School? Yes, I raced most weekends in national karting championships when I was in the First and Second Year. During term time I also practiced and raced with the Caterham School Karting Club.
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What is the best thing about your career? Winning races and championships are the highlights and taking the chequered flag at Le Mans was a very special moment. But, overall, the best thing is being able to make my living doing something I love. It really is a dream come true. What is the most challenging thing about your career? In terms of driving, ensuring I always put in my best performance every lap of every race can be quite tough – especially when competing overseas where high temperatures and jet-lag increase fatigue. Out of the car there are challenges to overcome too, such as securing competitive racing opportunities and sponsorship. After Caterham School, you went on to Loughborough College. What did you study there and how did you manage to balance study and driving? My sports performance course, which was jointly coordinated by Loughborough College and the Motor Sports Association (the governing body of UK motorsport), was specifically designed for aspiring professional racing drivers - so the competing demands of study and sport were always taken into account. I think they got the balance just right. You have worked with Sir Chris Hoy – what was it like to work with an Olympian? An absolute privilege! We shared a 420 horsepower LMP3 racing car in the 2015 European Le Mans Series. He was relatively new to car racing and determined to turn in competitive lap times from the start. We spent hours analysing data and on-board video footage looking for tiny improvements. At just 18, it felt strange coaching a six-times Olympic gold medallist but he taught me so much about other aspects of preparing for competition. It paid off too. Chris found the pace he was looking for, never made a mistake, and we won the championship with a round to spare.
What does it feel like to be in the driving seat during a race? Intense. Racing cars are designed to be fast, safe and reliable – so comfort is not really a priority. The cockpit is cramped, noisy and hot with a lot of controls and displays to monitor. I mainly compete in endurance events where every driver is flat-out racing wheel to wheel with other cars at more than 200mph in all weathers and sometimes at night. Maintaining concentration for two hours or more is as exhausting as it is exhilarating. Who are the top three people who have enabled you to be where you are now? My parents and Lawrence Tomlinson, the owner of Ginetta Cars. Mum and Dad have guided and supported me through the highs and lows that are an inevitable part of any sporting career. Lawrence, an accomplished racing driver himself, has created a ‘ladder’ of motor racing series where young racing drivers can develop their skills and profiles. Following my success in the Ginetta championships, Lawrence offered me my first professional contract. There are, of course, dozens of others – from engineers to sponsors – working behind the scenes to make every race possible. I actually met my main personal sponsor through Caterham School! Where do you hope to be in 5 years? Racing for wins and the overall title in the FIA World Endurance Championship. What advice would you have for budding drivers? Start in karting, enjoy every race and race as often as you can – practice makes perfect!
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CAREER HIGHLIGHTS THE STORY SO FAR... Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup LMP3 2016 Vice-Champion European Le Mans Series LMP3 2015 Champion Michelin Ginetta GT4 SuperCup 2014 Champion McLaren Autosport BRDC Award 2013 Finalist Ginetta Junior UK 2012 Champion Ginetta Junior UK 2011 Vice-Champion Formula Kart Stars KF3 2010 Vice-Champion MSA British Cadet Kart 2008 Vice-Champion ASKC Scottish Cadet Kart 2007 Champion
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FROM
CATERHAM TO THE
WHITE HOUSE AN INTERVIEW WITH GEOFFREY KEMP (OC 1949 – 1958)
Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Naval War College
Geoffrey Kemp served as Special Advisor for the Middle East at the White House during the Reagan administration. He is now an acclaimed writer and academic and lives in Washington DC. Here he tells us about his journey from Caterham School to the centre of USA politics.
You attended Caterham School as a pupil between 1949 and 1958, what brought you to Caterham School? As my father was a Congregational Minister in the United Reform Church, the school was earmarked for me from when I was born. I almost didn’t make it into the school however! A cancelled train made me late for my entrance exam and I had to start it part way through. Thankfully I was admitted, which was one of the best things that could have happened to me. How would you describe your experience as a pupil at the School? I arrived at Caterham School at the age of 10. At that time the youngest boys slept in a dormitory at Shirley Goss which is now the pre-prep school. The matron in charge was the most wonderful woman called Miss Dawes I have fond memories of her and of my time there. The Headmaster of the Prep School, Percy Soderburg, was famous for being a disciplinarian, great storyteller and linguist. He was also famous for being a world leading expert on cats. His most feared feline was a large and heavy Persian Blue called Pooey. This particular cat would install himself on children’s beds and everyone lived in terror of him! We used to say ‘don’t try to move Pooey or the Headmaster will be after you’. In those days boys spent a year at Beech Hanger when they left the Prep. I think the view that 12-13 year old boys would benefit from a year alone was still prevalent back then. Moving to Beech Hanger provided new experiences and for the first time we were allowed to play rugby –
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I became a member of the Colts right away and loved the game. I have fond memories of my year at Beech Hanger, making camps in the grounds, having catapult fights on the hillside and cycling around the valley. School was tougher in the senior school, but I did fine. The Headmaster, Terry Leathem, eventually became an important mentor to me. He was an extraordinary man, fair and compassionate while at same time strict. He had an educated British way of saying the right words to capture where you were. He wrote on one of my reports when I was 15, ‘I do wish he would show his originality in other ways than dress’. It is fair to say that life in schools in the 1950s involved punishment – it would be totally unacceptable now of course but it was the way schools were back then. Caterham School was very much a boarding school at that time, as there were more boarders than day boys. The boarders formed close friendships and spent a lot of time together. A favourite time was on Saturday evenings when we would be given slices of bread fried in bacon fat and spread with Marmite – everyone loved them. There were no girls at the school of course. And even though Eothen School was close by, we spent more time with girls from Milton Mount College. Each term the 6th form would hold a dance with the girls from Milton Mount College. When it was our turn to host, the event would be held in the Wilberforce Hall. For the boys the whole purpose was to encourage as many congas as possible, allowing us to go into the corridors and make pathetic attempts to speak to the young ladies!
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Cycling provided a welcome escape from studies. I would sign out on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons and quite often go to the Davis Theatre in Croydon or to the Astoria in Purley to watch movies. We had no televisions at school so going to the movies was an important distraction. We also used to venture into Caterham, which we called the 'Vill'. We normally hung out at the public library or at Collards Café which was close to the train station. What are your favourite memories of your time at Caterham School, and why? The end of the Christmas term was always an exciting time with feasts at the school and a carol service down at the United Reform church. At that time of year we would often be playing rugby matches at other schools which involved coach trips and large lunches. On dark afternoons our coach would weave through south London suburbs and we would see coloured Christmas lights and people out shopping. In the 1950s the country was just coming out of austerity and rationing was ending. With regards to achievements, a favourite memory is winning the Darby medal swimming race in 1955. The race was 100 yards in the little swimming pool. Another memory that I will always treasure is receiving a postcard from my mother to say that I had passed all of my GCSE O Levels. Equally hearing that I had a place at St Peter’s College in Oxford was a momentous moment.
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You went on to have a career in US Government politics and academia, and have published books on International Relations. How did your path from Caterham School lead you there? After leaving school I did my National Service. It was a big change but in many ways it was easier for young men like me who had been in boarding school – the food was better and we were used to being away from home! At 21, I started at Oxford where I read for a PPE specialising in international relations. I stayed there for two more years after my BA to do an M Phil as it was called then. I then joined the Institute for Strategic Studies in London and that’s where my international career really started. Two years later I was offered a job at MIT with a green card. Once there, MIT suggested that if I was going to stay in my profession that I should get a PHD. In those days scholarship funding for MIT students was extremely generous – the Sputnik crisis of 1957/8 had terrified the American defence establishment and they had poured millions of dollars in to engineering schools. MIT is predominantly an engineering school but has one of the best social science departments in the world, particularly in economics. So I went there for free, which is incredible compared to today. I moved to the States during the worst period it had faced since World War 2 – there were rampant race riots, a horrible war going on in Vietnam and divisiveness within the political system. But for someone from England it
was actually very exciting, I arrived at the height of Beatles mania with a British accent! I received my PHD in 1971 and took up a teaching position at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. But all the time I lusted after the real world which for me meant Washington DC. I had the Defence Department in mind and got a fellowship to work there for a year. From there I worked in Senate for the Foreign Relations Committee and by the time the 1980 election came around I was one of a number of people who was working with supporters of Ronald Reagan. I was offered a job in the Reagan White House from the get go as their Head of Middle East. After two years I was promoted to Special Assistant and spent four years in the White House basement attending meeting on wars and chaos in the Middle East. Reagan was a gentleman and extremely smart about people and politics. He is best known for being a movie actor but he had also been the President of the Screen Actors Guild and had served as Governor of California for eight years. I got to see a lot of him since his National Security Advisor had no compunction about bringing Special Advisors in every day to brief the President. You had three minutes to pitch the story otherwise you were lost! After my time at the White House I became a writer and academic. Today, I am still working and speaking at conferences but no longer hustle for funds or travel around the world like I used to. Looking back my focus on the Middle East was rather a good career choice.
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I was offered a job in the Reagan White House from the get go as their Head of Middle East. After two years I was promoted to Special Assistant and spent four years in the White House basement attending meeting on wars and chaos in the Middle East.
As someone who has lived on both sides of the Atlantic and has worked in politics, what do you think binds the UK and USA to each other? Clearly there’s been a long history between our countries, going back to Britain’s war with its colonies in 1766! But in a nutshell I think it’s the common language that binds the USA to the UK. Quite simply Americans don’t speak German – they speak English. And from my perspective the relationship between the intelligence services is as strong today as it has ever been, despite the divisiveness nature of politics currently in the USA. The USA has been my home for 51 years now and I have no plans to return to the UK. My wife and I live permanently in the Washington DC area and like the city (but not the politics) very much. Current pupils have a very active interest in politics – both as an academic subject and beyond. What would you say to young people about the importance of engagement with politics? It is essential to engage in the world around you. There is really no excuse for not knowing what’s going on in this age of 24 hour news. When I was at school there was one radio in the prefects’ room, and to make a telephone call we had to go to into Caterham (unless the call was an emergency – for which we would be billed later!). We fought over one newspaper that came in once a day and used to rely on current affairs classes for news.
You were a beneficiary of a URC Minister’s son bursary while you were at Caterham School. A priority for Caterham School is to continue to offer funded places to children through fundraising for bursaries. What do you think your time at Caterham enabled you to achieve? The most important career move I ever made was at the age of 9 when I took the school’s entrance exam. It’s like the poem by Robert Frost ‘The Road Not Taken’ – if I hadn’t come to Caterham I would not have gone to Oxford. The three institutions that made me are Caterham School, Oxford and MIT – and it all started with Caterham School. For this reason I would like other children to be able to benefit from a Caterham School bursary like I did. You attended the ‘All the 8s’ Old Cats reunion at Caterham School last summer, how did you find coming back to the school and did you see many changes? The last time I was invited back to the school was to give a talk in 1966 about American defence policy – so it was some time ago. I had intended to come to the ‘All the 7s’ reunion in 2017 but couldn’t make it, I therefore decided to come this year. I was pleased to see that the fundamentals haven’t changed – the cricket pitch and rugby ground look the same, the pathway up to the View Point is still overgrown and Harestone Road is the same as well – just with more cars!
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ALL THE EIGHTS REUNION, SUNDAY 24 JUNE 2018
CCS EVENTS
We were delighted to welcome back so many OCs at our reunion for Classes from 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988, 1998 and 2008. You can find more photos of the day at oldcaterhamians.com
To see more photos of these events and find out more about forthcoming CSS and OCA events: Visit: caterhamschoolsociety.co.uk oldcaterhamians.com
Follow: Old Caterhamians Association Old Caterhamians Association @oldcaterhamians @oldcaterhamians
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CLASS OF 2017 RETURN FOR UNI DAY TUESDAY 3 JULY 2018 The School welcomed back eight Old Caterhamians (OC 2017) to school in July, to enlighten the Lower Sixth students on what to expect in their first year of university. They gave numerous pearls of wisdom from choosing courses in Sixth Form through to managing the work-life balance at university. Prevailing themes were to choose a subject that you love, keep on top of your work load, be a tolerant yet understanding flatmate and to get involved in the sports and clubs on offer.
OC INSPIRED MAGAZINE LAUNCH THURSDAY 5 JULY 2018 Over 100 pupils were involved with celebrating and exhibiting their wonderful work through the launch of the new arts and humanities magazine Cat Among the Pigeons. The thoughtprovoking and stunning magazine features pieces written by pupils outside of the classroom, alongside some of the very best GCSE and A Level artwork. At the launch, some pupils were invited to read their pieces from the magazine to an enraptured audience, making this a particularly special occasion. The inspiration for the magazine came from an Old Caterhamian, Geoffrey Pidgeon (OC 1936 – 1940), who wished to express gratitude to the school whilst also, as a published writer himself, promoting writing within the school.
Current pupils show their appreciation to OC Geoffrey for his generous gift of the new annual 'Pidgeon Prize for Literature'.
SPEECH DAY SATURDAY 7 JULY 2018 The close of another successful school year was celebrated with Speech Day. Elspeth Finch MBE, engineer and entrepreneur, was the School’s guest of honour and inspired pupils, parents, staff and Old Caterhamians with an engaging speech outlining her admirable achievements before dispatching prizes for a myriad of achievements.
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CSS ENTREPRENEURS INSIGHT EVENING AT UBS FRIDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2018 Experienced and aspiring entrepreneurs and investors from across the Caterham School community gathered at UBS’ London headquarters for a special networking evening, sponsored by the Old Caterhamians’ Association. UBS Economist Dean Turner opened the evening with an insightful speech to an audience keen to hear predictions on the impact of Brexit and current global activity. Our panel of expert investors and entrepreneurs then shared their wealth of experience with the audience of parents, Old Cats and Sixth Form pupils. Amongst the panel of experts were Steve Castle, ABC Investors, social entrepreneur Camilla Bowry, Investor Paul Rix, OCA President Clive Furness and founder of Contago Markets, founding partner of Reins Ltd Stephen May OC, founder of Monty’s Bakehouse Matt Crane and digital start up success Clare Wright. The audience rotated around the room to hear, in turn, from each expert and quizzing them on what
inspired them and the highs and lows. The room was buzzing through the sessions and the open networking which followed. The CSS Insight evening was arranged especially to benefit the entire community, from Sixth Form pupils and senior/prep parents to alumni and former parents. Huge thanks to parent Mr Paul Rix for his support of this event, to our superb panel of experts and to UBS for hosting us, also to the OCA for their support and sponsorship. This event was part of a programme of Caterham School Society Insight Evenings which support and bring together all members (current and former parents, alumni and pupils) across a range of professions and industries.
If you would like to get involved or have a suggestion for an Insight event, please contact events@caterhamschool.co.uk
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Clare Wright
Matt Crane
Clive Furness
Steve Castle
Camilla Bowry
Paul Rix
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HONG KONG OLD CATS DRINKS RECEPTION FRIDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2018 It was wonderful to catch up with so many OCs at the Old Cat reunion in Hong Kong last September. Cathriona Wallace, Stuart Terrell, Daniel Gabriele and Matthew Godfrey hosted an evening of drinks and canapés at the Chop House. It was heart-warming to see old friends being reunited and new connections being made from across the generations of OCs. OCs enjoyed catching up with their old teachers including one of whom, Mr Mark Bishop who was kind enough to join us from Shanghai! We look forward to seeing everybody who attended and more ‘new old faces’ at future HK events. Cathriona Wallace
OCA GOLFING SOCIETY DAY FRIDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2018 The Old Cats Golfing Society Annual Winners trophy was played for by 30 entrants on the Friday of Old Cats weekend at our second Winter Meeting held at Walton Heath Golf Club, following their hosting of the British Masters. The course was very challenging and the competition exposed any flaws in even the most experienced players. We received a warm welcome, played the legendary Old Course and were treated to a sumptuous carvery lunch. Our thanks to the club and to Charlie Waud for his organisation. Congratulations to the winners Patrick May and Sean Tanner who both left the school in 2016. oldcaterhamiansgolfingsociety.com Stephen May
OCA DRINKS AT THE SCHOOL FIREWORKS NIGHT SATURDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2018 Old Cats caught up and enjoyed drinks in the Leathem Room before a first class stunning fireworks display which opened to ‘The Greatest Show’ and ended with a poignant and beautifully choreographed display to Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’. As always the Parents’ Association did a fantastic job on the gates, bar, sweet and glow stalls, as did the maintenance and caretaking teams – a true Caterham School community effort. The wood fired pizzas, gourmet BBQ and churros were a huge help in making sure the rain didn’t dampen spirits. Kat the Fire Goddess fought the somewhat dominant rain gods – but triumphed with a breathtaking show. We can’t wait until next year – hope you can make it!
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OCA DAY – REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY SUNDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2018 MARKING 100 YEARS For five days the senior cadets were busy selling poppies around the school, and on Thursday they made their own personal tribute to the Old Boys who fell in the Great War, planting named crosses on the Headmaster’s lawn. Sunday 11 November was, of course, the main event in our acts of Remembrance as a very large congregation of pupils, parents, staff and OCs gathered under grey skies. To mark the 100 years, a special guard of honour slow marched onto parade and bowed their heads as the Head Boy, Sgt Haynes, read out the school’s Roll of Honour. Then, to the evocative strains of Tipperary, a 150-strong parade of cadets marched on under the command of CSgt Jack Palmer to pay their respects. After words from the Padre and the Headmaster
and a poem beautifully read by FSgt Charlotte Cross, silence fell across the country and thoughts turned to terrible and humbling sacrifices made for our peace and freedom. At the Last Post, played beautifully by cadets under Mr Brian Hill, CWO Emma Knight lowered the CCF Banner in tribute, before the Reveille brought it up again as a symbol of the new life so dearly paid for. This year more than ever, the service was a sobering reminder of the destruction of warfare and a statement of the gratitude of the living for the sacrifices of the dead. All the cadets and bandsmen who took part deserve great credit for their efforts, on Sunday and throughout the week, to honour and remember their forefathers. Lt Mathew Owen
RECITAL OF REMEMBRANCE Our chapel choir (ETS) and Chamber Choir once again performed an annual ‘Recital of Reflection and Contemplation’ following the Remembrance Service. The recital, held in the Wilberforce Hall, continued the annual tradition of a short, poignant performance where powerful texts are chosen to further commemorate the day. As always, both ETS and Chamber Choir gave
polished performances of sacred pieces which included old and modern settings. Parents, Old Caterhamians and staff were moved by the recital and congratulations must go to all of the singers for their continued dedication to their role in providing excellent music for whole-school occasions. Adam Assen
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OCA SPORTS AFTERNOON SUNDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2018 LACROSSE Lacrosse OCs 5 v School 8 After a wonderful Remembrance service, the current 1st XII and former #laxcats took to the pitch for the annual Old Cats’ lacrosse match. A very competitive match throughout, however the trophy returned to the current school girls with a final score of 8-5. Thank you again to all the current, and former pupils and parents who made it another successful Old Cats Day! Already looking forward to next year! Jen Simpson
RUGBY Rugby OCs 34 v School 10 A tremendous day was had by all on Sunday with two fiercely competitive matches of rugby for Old Cats on Remembrance Day. The matches were played in tremendous rugby spirit with all players showing passion, respect and ultimately enjoyment as they squared off for winter bragging rights with the 1st XV and Old Cats taking the honours in their respective games. Both the Recent Leavers and Presidents XV showed the spirit of rugby is well and truly thriving at Caterham. I can’t thank everyone involved enough for making it such a memorable occasion. Special mention to the 1st and 2nd XV players involved who backed up from the tough fixtures the day before at Sutton Valence. We can’t wait to make next season bigger and better than ever! Wade Kelly
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OLD CATERHAMIANS RFC V PRESIDENT’S XV MATCH REPORT It’s worth recalling on this significant Remembrance Day that the winners of the match between the Recent Leavers and the School are presented with the Rignall Cup in memory of Paul Rignall, OC who died following injury in his first season at OCRFC. Similarly, the winners of the match between OCRFC and the President’s XV receive the Jackson Memorial Cup in memory of Simon Jackson, OC, who, like his father and brother, also played for OCRFC. Simon lost his life in a tragic accident at an early age and he is remembered during a few moments silence when the players line up each year for the kick off. Traditionally, the OCRFC team comprises players from throughout the club, irrespective of the side for which they normally play on a Saturday, and the OCA President’s XV is made up of players who have an association with the School, such as former club members who no longer live locally, those who have moved on to play elsewhere and members of staff, both current and former.
Without league or cup status at stake in this fixture, players feel able to take more risks and innovate to a degree that prudence normally forbids. The 2018 match certainly followed this uninhibited approach from the start with the club pouncing on a President’s XV mistake to take an early lead. It was particularly pleasing to see a number of younger players who had come up through the club’s junior sides acquitting themselves with confidence at senior level. Both teams played throughout in the spirit of the occasion, eschewing shots at goal and running the ball at every opportunity with the club maintaining its early lead throughout to finish with a 38:10 win, reversing the result of the previous year when the President’s XV ran out 32:12 winners. Bill Broadhead
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Enacting social change my during university years in Edinburgh and Buenos Aires BY RHIA PATEL (OC 2016)
T
he time spent at university undoubtedly plays a huge role in defining oneself; be it in social groups, with work ethic, career prospects, the list goes on. Whilst it’s very easy (and also acceptable) to find yourself caught up in all or any of the aforementioned, in the past two and a half years, I’ve found the most fulfilment outside the four walls of a lecture hall or a nightclub. My real, university-‘eureka’ moments came from working for FreshSight, a student-led consultancy offering services and solutions to socially-conscious organisations in Scotland and beyond (freshsight.com). For two years, it provided me with the challenge, drive and ambition that a literature-based degree didn’t; from solving solutions faced by dementia organisations, to aiding the business development of a children’s charity. I was made to feel like a big fish in a small pond; a feeling sometimes difficult to find in a university with 30,000 students.
My work here pushed me to continue like-minded activity on my year abroad, which I’m lucky enough to be on now. And after countless applications to organisations in South America (as part of my Spanish degree), I was accepted by a small social enterprise in Buenos Aires, who took a great interest in my previous work for FreshSight. From August to December, I worked for Delicias de Alicia, a social enterprise running educational and cooking workshops for underprivileged children in Buenos Aires, entirely financed by a vegetarian pop-up restaurant and catering service. The real beauty of it, is that it aims to combat countless social issues faced by Argentinian society. The main objective is of course to nourish the young minds of less fortunate children, who aren’t really exposed to a diet of more than chocolate milk and bread. But it also does more; it sets an example in a country where red-meat consumption is part of their mantra, showing how dietary
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Rhia in one of the cooking lessons with children from the villas of Buenos Aires
Children are given workbooks to engage them in the value of nutrition
Delicias de Alicia also host closed door restaurant events in aid of their work
changes can positively affect the environment and of course, physical and mental wellbeing. And it also sure did teach me that a diet of steak, wine and churros probably isn’t sustainable for my own well-being whilst I was there. The organisation is small, yet brims with a team of big minds and bigger passion. In three years, it’s successfully impacted 300 children in six different communities in Buenos Aires. Every Saturday, they travel out to these low-income areas (often referred to as ‘villas’) to run a morning cooking workshop, focussing on a different food group every time. The reality of the poor living conditions of the villas in which they live, mean that a balanced diet is essential in building the children’s immune system and protecting them from disease. These areas often don’t even have suitable sanitation systems or sufficiently insulated houses. So, by focussing their work here, Delicias de Alicia is really reaching the most vulnerable children in the city.
If you’re interested in supporting the cause, visit the website: deliciasdealicia.org Or you can go straight to our crowdfunding page at gofundme.com/please-help-fundour-new-kitchen&rcid Alternatively, chat to me directly via the platform: caterhamschoolsociety.co.uk
children in Buenos Aires have benefitted from the work of Delicias de Alicia in the past three years
But this is only just a drop in the ocean; there’s always more to be done. In a few years’ time, it’s hoping to expand into more schools, in order to permanently implement diets of healthy and balanced eating amongst all children. But that’s only if it continues to grow and raise the funds that it needs; costs of catering equipment, teaching space and the rental of a professional kitchen are high. We’re often spoken to about the trade-off between society prospering financially versus environmentally, and the idea of acting selfishly or selflessly. But I believe that it is possible to do both, especially at university. Unlike what is often thought, fuelling your mind doesn’t just come from reading a library book. And social investment, be it with your money or simply your time, is powerful and life-affirming.
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OLD CAT NEWS
DR PHILIP WOOD (OC 1952 – 1962) Philip and his wife Nancy returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo in December to encourage their former students in a difficult situation and help in a number of teaching areas. Philip’s book, ‘In Praise of Simplicity’ which calls itself ‘A memoir of Christian Service in times of peace and war in Congo’ has received some touching reviews on Amazon, such as “a great book of a true story of someone giving their life to God and others instead of self, plus great commentary on how one should use one’s life”. “The world needs more Philip Woods. As a Cambridge trained surgeon, he had the opportunity for a life of high income and reality ease. But motivated by a desire for Christian service, he chose to serve the neediest in Africa. He has written In Praise of Simplicity as his memoirs of Christian service in times of peace
EMMA-LOUISE VETRIANO (NÉE CROSS) (OC 2002 – 2006) Congratulations for being presented as a Sport Industry NextGen Leader for 2019. A highly coveted award for any professional aged 30 or under working in the UK sports industry.
and war in Africa. It is his personal story, along with his equally trained and motivated Canadian wife Nancy, but his clear desire is to teach that fulfilment does not need to be found in material riches. On their graduation from medical school, Philip and Nancy immediately set out to serve in Africa as medical missionaries. In Praise of Simplicity tells their story with many insightful vignettes, notably that we need to trust and to marvel in God who will provide. From the early days in Nyankunde, eastern Congo, political upheaval and war were always nearby. They were serving in Liberia when strongman Charles Taylor was advancing into the capital. When Liberia was no longer safe, Philip found himself part of the Nyankunde massacre where an estimate 1,500 were massacred, the hospital demolished and the Woods lost all of their earthly possessions. Yet there is never a hint of complaint from Philip. Philip and Nancy made an incredible positive and tangible impact on many thousands of people both physically and spiritually. The book is the recording of a great man’s life that should be honoured, although of course Philip would never put it that way. We need to celebrate and honour such unselfishness.”
Philip’s book ‘In Praise of Simplicity’ has received some touching reviews on Amazon.
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OC JOE COMMITS TWILIGHT ROBBERY (OC 2015) Class of 2015 drama star Joe McNeice has staged his self-penned show, Twilight Robbery at the Barn Theatre Oxted and was interviewed about the production by the BBC’s digital output who have shown a strong interest in his work. Joe’s show is an entirely original musical about a group of OAPs who carry out a diamond heist to save their retirement home from closure. Joe graduated from the University of York in 2018 having studied Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance. Twilight Robbery follows the story of Joyce, an elderly woman who has been left at a retirement home by her grown up children. When she learns that the home is going to be bought by property developers and demolished, she gathers the other residents together and hatches a plan to carry out a diamond heist to prevent them from being kicked out and left on the streets. Despite chiefly being a musical farce, Twilight Robbery confronts a number of social issues affecting modern Britain, including the loneliness epidemic faced by many of the UK’s elderly. This all-singing all-dancing production, about growing old and refusing to let age or self-doubt stop you from achieving incredible feats, is hilarious and heart-warming in equal measure. Joe’s cast for the show featured a number of notable rising stars, including Em Barrett (Welsh Young Musical Theatre Singer of the Year 2018), Josh Benson (Original cast, Gary Barlow’s The Girls, West End) and Martha Pothen (2018 Revival cast, Privates on Parade, Union Theatre).
ELLIE SCOTT-SMITH (OC 2012) Congratulations for being shortlisted for PR Week’s ‘30 Under 30 2018’. Known at FleishmanHillard Fishburn as ‘queen of disruption’, her ideas have pushed boundaries; from her work for the Poundland Valentine’s meal campaign, to helping make Crocs cool. Her approach seems to be working – she has helped bring in more than £400k of new business to the London office this year so far.
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OC TOM LAND INSPIRES SIXTH FORM TO CHECK FOR CANCER Tom Land (OC 2001 – 2016), currently studying zoology at the University of Southampton, returned to school to explain to the Sixth Form the importance of checking for testicular cancer as well as being very much aware of your intimate health, whether you are male or female. He gave an inspiring and informative talk, sharing his own experiences of how he beat cancer over the last year. He particularly stressed the importance of Movember. You can find links to recommended sites on the news section of the OCA website: oldcaterhamians.com/ news-events/news/
JAMES GLANCY (OC 1996 – 2001) James Glancy (OC 2001) and Paul de Gelder spent two days and nights swimming with sharks in the open ocean for what the Discovery TV network described as ‘the most dangerous experiment ever attempted on Shark Week’. As conservationists, they wanted to dispel the myth that the oceanic whitetip sharks are dangerous, rather graceful and cautious wild animals. As part of the setup for ‘Sharkwrecked,’ a pyrotechnics team blew up the small boat that brought Mr. Glancy and Mr. de Gelder out to sea so that they were left to face the elements and the sharks alone. They demonstrated that the elements were a much greater threat than the sharks, with 100 degree Fahrenheit sun, dehydration and lightning strikes.
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Congratulations to the following OCs…
Weddings q Jess Martin (OC 2007) who married Ste Malpas on Saturday 1 September 2018. Jess wrote to tell us “We met seven years ago when I was at uni in Bournemouth on a Saturday night out (he was visiting Bournemouth from Manchester for the weekend). We got married at Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron in Shropshire. We live in Manchester, as my family are still down south, we chose somewhere that both families had to travel to. We had the most amazing wedding day and really got lucky with the weather. I now have an 11 year old stepdaughter, Eva, and she even did a little speech at the wedding”.
p Nicky Law (OC 1995 – 1998) married Jonathan Barker, after ten years, on 21 April 2018 at the Kingston Estate in South Devon. It was a magical day made extra special by having so many Old Cats and Old Eothians there including The Lanes, The Turneys, Jacko, Katie Cox, Lulu Martin and their Headmaster Rob Davey with Ann. Nicky and Jonathan are now expecting their first baby, a little girl, in the Spring. q Alex Gregory (OC 2000 – 2007) who married Georgie on 18 August 2018.
q Kristina Dimitrova (OC 2005 – 2007) who married Filip Stoichkov (so now Kristina Stoichkova) on Saturday 1 September 2018 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Engagements t Tom Archer (OC 2004 – 2009) and Lucy Ruddle (OC 2003 – 2008) who met at Caterham School 11 years ago. This summer, on holiday in Thailand, Tom popped the question and they are now engaged!
Births t Kate Eighteen (née Davey) (OC 2003) who welcomed Sienna Rose Eighteen on 9 December 2017.
t Lucy May (OC 2005) and Joshua Higginson (OC 2010) welcomed Cecelia Alexandra Higginson on 18 April 2018 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. They will be getting married this summer so watch this space for more pictures!
OCs: IN THEIR OWN WORDS
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MICHAEL JECKS (OC 1972 – 1979) When I left Caterham, I went to City University to study Actuarial Science. At the time I didn’t know that the definition of an actuary was “someone who finds accountancy too exciting”. Soon I changed direction and moved into the computer industry, working mainly in office automation and information technologies. The recession of the early 1990s had a devastating impact on the industry, and in 1994 I decided to take a gamble: I had been writing for pleasure for some years, and I took time off to see if I could finish a novel. My first story, The Last Templar, was published in 1995, and launched my Templar medieval crime series, which now numbers some 32 books. I’ve also written a trilogy of the Hundred Years War, a modern day spy thriller, a new Tudor series, and collaborated on ten other novels – about 50 books in total, with Headline, HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster and other publishers. My early books were all set in Devon, and in 1998 my wife and I decided to move to
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Dartmoor. The moors are a constant inspiration, and my morning walks help me think up new scenes and plots, although much of my work is spent researching actual events, crimes and court records. Writing is a strange, contemplative occupation – and a lonely one. However it does have benefits. I have been fortunate to make many friends in the Crime Writers’ Association and Detection Club – especially with experts such as forensic pathologists who can give insights into the more efficient methods of killing people, or the less pleasant aspects of decomposition. The conversations over dinner can be enormously interesting, if sometimes appetite-reducing, and we do occasionally get strange looks when chatting on the train... As Terry Pratchett used to say, it has the advantage of being “An indoor job with no heavy lifting”.
His latest novel ‘Pilgrim’s War’ has received rave reviews such as Lee Child’s: “An instant classic British Spy novel – mature, thoughtful, and intelligent… but also raw enough for our modern time. Highly recommended.”
BEN ELLINGER (OC 1995 – 2002) By way of update, Andrea and I moved to the USA just over 12 months ago when I was re-posted by Swires from Mainland China. We spent three years in China and adored our time there – Andrea took full advantage and became quite fluent in Mandarin, I got by! In the USA, I am a Director of a local Aerospace Company in North Carolina (a subsidiary of HAECO Group which Swires has a majority shareholding in). Andrea is flourishing: she recently signed with a North American Acting Agency out of Atlanta (fingers crossed for that HBO series before long!), she is co-writing a film script (my retirement) and has recently re-started drawing illustrations, collaborating on a number of creative projects (hard to keep up!).
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PETER NEAVES (OC 1975 – 1980) I came to Caterham School in September of 1975, as a First Year. It was so exciting to be independent at 11 years of age! Or at least it felt like it. I was an army kid, my father being an officer in the RAMC, so I had to travel all over the world to get home – quite an adventure for a youngster. In 1977 I moved up to Main School and lived at Beech Hanger (which I believe is now the female boarding house). These were the years when it was boys only of course. I left Caterham in December 1980 as my parents were posted to Hong Kong and I chose to live there full time. I’m glad I did – my schooling suffered, of that there is no doubt, but I learnt many other aspects of life.
I returned to the UK in 1982 when we were posted to Catterick Garrison in Yorkshire and from there moved to Burnley in Lancashire in 1984. I started nurse training in January 1985, qualifying as a Registered General Nurse three years later and in October 1990 took another career path and joined the Lancashire Constabulary as a Crime Scene Investigator. I was married in 1988 to Gill, another nurse with whom I trained. We had two lovely children; Adam, born in 1992, and Jessica, born in 1994. Unfortunately, as is all too common these days, my marriage broke down. Shortly thereafter, my first girlfriend, Katie, who I met in Hong Kong in 1980, got in touch. At the time we first met I was 16 and she was 15. We met up again in 2011 when she came from her native Australia to visit me in the UK. The following year I moved to Perth to commence a new life with Katie and started work as a Mediation Officer for the Victim-offender Mediation Unit, here in Perth. I also act and have had parts in numerous theatre productions as well as in TV and film. I cannot believe it has been so long since I last walked down Harestone Valley Road to the station to start my journey to catch my flight to Hong Kong! So much has happened and so much has changed! But I owe a lot of who I am to my days at Caterham. It was there that the urge to constantly better oneself, while caring for others, was instilled in me. I will be forever grateful for my years there!!
JULIANNE STEWART (NÉE COLVILL) (OC 1994 – 2001) I really enjoy receiving the Omnia magazine and other school and Old Cats news. By way of update, at the moment, I am taking a career break from my teaching career in order to look after my children (Camilla is four in October and Harry is two in November). I qualified as a lawyer in the City back in 2008, and after practising for three years, I decided to pursue a career in teaching. A year as a teaching assistant in a London prep school confirmed my passion for teaching and I went on to do a PGCE at Kingston University (2013 – 14). My daughter was born in October 2014, so I deferred the start of my NQT year to September 2015. I joined Ibstock Place School as a Year 3 teacher and was there for 3 years (during which I had my son Harry in November 2016) – my employment officially finishes at the end of this month. I adore teaching but want to spend more time with my own children whilst they are still so young. I will certainly be going back into teaching in the not too distant future!
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YASUHIRO FUJIO (OC 2003 – 2004) I have been receiving the Caterham school magazine and reading them reminds me of good old days at Caterham. I cannot believe it has been 15 years since I was there. After leaving Caterham School I went to University of Bath and graduated from American University of Paris with a degree in BS Business Admin. After that I changed my career to become a chef, specialised in French cuisine and since then I have been working in France and in Japan. In May in 2018 I participated in the biggest international cooking competition for chefs under 30 years old and I won the world champion title among more than 3,000 participants. I know my career isn’t quite the typical one for a Caterham graduate but I thought it would be interesting to share. Also I wanted to thank you because I would not be here if I didn’t spend time in Caterham. Congratulations to Yasu for winning the ‘San Pellegrino Young Chef 2018’ award.
LORNA COOK (OC 2012 – 2014) After Caterham, I did a Foundation course at University of the Arts in London. It was during this year that I found my interest in Costume. I have just finished my degree in Costume for Performance with a 2:1 and have been lucky enough to have worked on many exciting projects, including jobs for the National Theatre, Odeon Cinema and most recently wardrobe assistant for a new Ikea advert. It is thanks to my art teacher who encouraged me to do a foundation course that I am doing what I do today. A special mention goes to Marilyn Kyle, Amelia Wallace and Charlotte Bell.
The OCA would love to hear news from Old Caterhamians. Please do contact the Alumni Office, email: oldcats@caterhamschool.co.uk tel: 01883 335091) to share your news and memories of your time at the School.
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Eothen School legacy lives on Article taken from the EOGA Newsletter, Autumn 2017 written by Vivien Parson (OE 1964 – 1978)
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here are reminders of Eothen around the Caterham School campus, from the Pye Sixth Form Centre to the Eothen Building which has been built on the site of the old swimming pool – scene of many a frozen toe being dipped into the freezing water! Ridgefield is also the name for one of the Houses at Caterham. In the Bonarjee Room, which is the committee room for the senior management, the photos of the Eothen Headmistresses have joined the Caterham Headmasters in looking down on their successors, whilst elsewhere the Eothen Honours Boards are stored, always re-emerging for our Reunions.
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Founding Footsteps Caterham parent Camilla Bowry, founder of Sal’s Shoes, tells us of her unexpected journey into the charity sector...
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SHOES
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Progressing through the school years and pairs of shoes seem somehow a natural pairing. The ‘back to school’ September deadline is marked by millions with a trip to the shoe shop to be duly measured and kitted out in the shiniest pair of black shoes – not to mention the new trainers and rugby or lacrosse boots which accompany the necessary ‘sensible’ school shoes. Despite this ritual, all too familiar to many, there are an estimated 300 million barefoot children worldwide and an estimated 58 million children of primary school age who do not benefit from a school education. Of those outside of education, around 29 million are there because they do not have the means to access school education and in many countries not owning or wearing a pair of shoes means that you cannot go to school.
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or Caterham parent Camilla Bowry, it was an outgrown yet barely worn pair of her own child’s shoes that started a remarkable journey. A journey which has seen her shortlisted for 2015 Asian Women of Achievements Awards, 2015 Stylist Magazine Entrepreneur Award nominee, 2017 Daily Mail Inspirational Women of the Year Award and crucially has enabled her to repurpose over a million pairs of children’s shoes. Says Camilla: “Five years ago, when faced with a collection of our son Sal’s outgrown shoes, I sought out charities who could donate them to those most in need. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a single organisation that could tell me where Sal’s pre-loved shoes would actually end up. I decided to cut out the middle man. Having grown up in Africa, and with a network of family and friends scattered all over the world, I decided that if no one was willing to tell me where exactly Sal’s shoes would end up walking again, I would deliver them there myself. A parcel was sent to a friend overseas, who distributed them on a children’s oncology ward and sent back a photograph of a child wearing Sal’s first pair of shoes; Sal’s pair of shoes had become another’s. After initially collecting more outgrown children’s shoes from family and friends, word spread and soon I was inundated with pairs of barely worn shoes; ‘Sal’s Shoes’ had been born.” In the first year of Sal’s Shoes, Camilla and her growing team collected 4,805 pairs of shoes and distributed them in eight countries, including the UK. Fast forward five years and the charity has now found new feet for over a million pairs of pre-loved children’s shoes in 38 countries around the world. What is a simple provision for many is making a real difference to so many children. “Having a pair of shoes for these children is life changing. For those for whom walking with shoes is a rarity, they are extremely vulnerable to infection by parasites, such as hookworm; while injuries to the feet and ankles can lead to ulcers and other conditions which are almost always left untreated.” Whilst the beginning of Sal’s Shoes was organic, born from a moment familiar to so many parents, Camilla has approached the charity’s growth with a specific strategy and local knowledge. “One of the very reasons I set up Sal’s Shoes, after contacting charities that do similar, was so that I (and all shoe donors) could try and ensure that I know exactly where and how the shoes are being distributed. Yes, shoes being shipped in by the tonne in containers could mean local shoe makers are being put out of business, but I do also believe that shoes sent in smaller numbers to those children desperately in need (which includes here in the UK) may just mean those children now have a pair of shoes to go to school in, and receive an education and grow up and gain full-time employment and help to make their country self-sufficient. This is the reason I chose to study Social Anthropology alongside Development Studies. As a Social Development Consultant I have spent a lot of time working alongside, for example, civil engineers building roads in the developing world to ensure development work was carried out in a sustainable manner: site offices were built as permanent structures so that they could be left behind once the works were complete as clinics and classrooms; irrigation works were set up to ensure drainage to farm land and not as waste matter.”
In the first five years, Sal’s Shoes collected and distributed more than one million pairs of shoes to 38 countries around the world.
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What have been your greatest challenges, and your greatest successes so far?
Given some of the journeys that Sal’s Shoes set off on, our greatest challenge is always logistics. Thankfully, in turn, our greatest success has been that all our consignments have always found their new feet where we intended them to. What would you like Sal’s Shoes to achieve during the next five years?
Unfortunately there is always likely to be barefoot children in the world, thankfully there will always likely be shoes that are outgrown before they are outworn and we’d like to significantly reduce the number of children for whom a pair of shoes is a luxury. How has social media helped the success of Sal’s Shoes?
When harnessed for good, for all its flaws, social media can be amazing. In the first year of our Toe to Toe school shoes initiative one post on our Facebook page about one school piloting the scheme went on to be shared over 88,000 times. The following year, over 600 schools across the UK approached us wanting to roll out Toe to Toe at the end of the academic year. What was your own path from school through studying/career and what key points do you think have helped you with all that you have achieved?
I went to Croydon High School and then onto the School of Oriental and African Studies for my BA(Hons) and MA. Without a doubt the seven years spent at the senior school I had the privilege of attending and all the skills I learnt there have had the most impact on my life going forwards. I spent my twenties working my way through a succession of different jobs, which in hindsight was a decade spent gaining experience that would stand me in good stead for what I have gone on to achieve with Sal’s Shoes. What was it like taking part in the first Caterham School Society Entrepreneurs evening at UBS? (We were delighted to have you there!)
I was honoured to have been asked and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The format wasn’t one I’m familiar with, which had the speakers rotating round the tables of attendees, but it worked incredibly well and the calibre of questions from the students in particular was impressive. Who supports you?
For more information about Sal’s Shoes visit salsshoes.com or follow on Facebook or Twitter
A small army of unsung heroes. I’m very aware of my limitations and perhaps fortunate in that I never have a problem asking for help. I think the more direct an opportunity you give people to help, the more likely they are to. This includes a group of Caterham parents who volunteer weekly at our warehouse helping to sort and pack Sal’s Shoes.
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WIDER CIRCLES CATERHAM SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS
Clifton Hill Partnerships are part of core school life at Caterham with pupils actively involved in volunteering, charity work and collaborative projects. Our young people work with local, regional and global partners to offer long term support and mutual learning outcomes. Our pupils gain perspective and begin to define their societal responsibilities, and gain as much from such long standing partners as those we aim to support. Caterham Lower Sixth Form pupils plan and deliver the weekly games and social programme for Clifton Hill School. Each Friday, Key Stage 4 pupils from Clifton Hill come to Caterham to take part in sports and social activities which are devised and delivered by Caterham pupils. As the academic year comes to an end, the programme is handed from one Lower Sixth year group to the upcoming year group (the Fifth Year shadow the ‘old hands’ during each Summer Term). In addition to weekly sessions, which run throughout the year, Sixth Form pupils plan and deliver two sports days annually which are held at Caterham School. These days are a wonderful, shared community occasion and a celebration for all the pupils involved from both schools.
Caterham’s 12-year partnership with Clifton Hill School (a local school for young people with severe learning difficulties and autism) was the brainchild of Old Caterhamian Amy Lovell who suggested and kick started the project during her Sixth Form in 2006. In the early days, the partnership with Clifton Hill was heavily supported by teachers, but in 2019 is now both thriving and almost entirely run by the Lower Sixth Form.
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“ The self-esteem of Clifton Hill students is greatly enhanced. Learning and being able to put into practice socially acceptable behaviours in a community setting are a huge benefit.” Teacher, Clifton Hill
The partnership with Clifton Hill has grown exponentially since Amy’s inspired beginnings in 2006 and the highest ever number of Caterham pupils engaged in the project in 2018. Currently, 70 Caterham Sixth Formers actively take part each week. Such is the enduring and positive nature of the partnership between the two schools that Caterham’s director of partnerships, Tony Fahey, has been appointed a governor of Clifton Hill. The long standing relationship helps both schools: Clifton Hill achieve their set goals in social integration for pupils and the provision of a sports offer in addition to their pupils enjoying the extra space/facilities to run around in and enjoy. Caterham pupils gain leadership skills and experience from their interactions with young people with disabilities. Each group of up to 20 Caterham pupils has two leaders – trained up by the previous year’s leaders. Much more than these defined outcomes, both schools are firm friends with shared time, established trust between each other, established relationships and a bond that will endure for another 12 years – and well beyond.
“ I have never worked with disabled children before, it was new and challenging yet extremely rewarding.” Sixth Form pupil
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IN THE ARCHIVES Grahame has also donated some OC photos after 65 years in his care and remembers in particular two of his OC peers featured in the Prefects 1953 photo (see opposite).
Thank you to GRAHAME PENN (OC 1945 – 1953) for his donation of an original Sir William Crookes X-Ray tube of the early 1900s to the School’s Physics department where it will be displayed for the interest of today’s students as an example of the development of the cathode ray tube and the subsequent discovery of X-Rays by Whilhelm Rontgen. After finishing his university degree, in 1960, Grahame worked for Crookes Laboratories Ltd at Park Royal in North West London in their pharmacology department and was given this as it was of particular interest to his wife who was a radiographer.
“John Browne was a good friend of mine. In 1953, knowing that we would be required to do National Service when we left at the end of the summer term, we decided we would like to do it in the Royal Navy. To this end, we jointed the RNVR and used to drive to London once per week, after school, to carry out our initial training on HMS President, moored on the Thames Embankment. In the August of that year, we did four weeks further training on the aircraft carrier HMS Indefatigable based at Portland. In October we were called up to do our National Service and did more training at Victoria Barracks at Portsmouth before returning to HMS Indefatigable. After completion of all our training, we were drafted to join the RN Fishery Protection Fleet. This consisted of a flotilla of five WWII Algerine Class minesweepers based at various ports around the UK. I served on HMS Welcome based at Invergordon, in Scotland and John served on HMS Coquette, based at Devonport in Devon. We spent the next 18 months patrolling the coastal water of the British Isles. It was the time coming up to the ‘Cod War’ with Iceland, over fishing rights, so we were kept busy.”
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GRAHAME PENN
“At the end of our National Service John embarked on a career in the agricultural industry, eventually becoming a manager for one of Pfizer’s farms. I embarked on a career in the pharmaceutical industry. Sadly, John died suddenly just as he was about to retire.” “In 1953, I shared a study with Roger Jacob as we prepared for our A levels. He was studying music, whilst I was studying sciences. Whenever I had the opportunity, I used to listen to him practising on the organ of the
Congregational Church in Harestone Valley Road. It was this that sparked off my lifelong interest in church organ music. Over the last 65 years I have amassed a large collection of LPs and CDs covering the period from the Baroque to the 20th Century. I would never have had the talent to play the organ, but I have derived much pleasure from listening to my recordings.” “I have many happy memories of my days at Caterham School”.
If you would like to submit something to the archive and/or share your own memories, please contact Annie Hebden, Alumni Officer on 01883 335091 or email: oldcats@caterhamschool.co.uk
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IN THE ARCHIVES Walter, 1936 in Merano, Italy
WALTER SONDHELM Thank you to the family of WALTER SONDHELM (OC 1935 – 1936) for their donation of Walter’s extensive collection of Caterham School magazines, annual reports and memorabilia. It includes a complete collection of ‘The Caterham School Magazine’ and subsequent ‘The Caterhamian’ from 1935 through to 2000, amongst other journals and reports. Walter was only 17 years old when he left Caterham as he had talked himself into Manchester University in 1936, where in 1939 he won the major research scholarship and became his professor’s research student. It is noted in the Old Caterhamian magazine of summer 2005 that “based upon so short an association with the School you have shown astonishing loyalty”. Walter’s reply was “The quick answer to this question would be because it changed my life…” “When Hitler came to power my father said, “the man is no good”. I was the only Jewish boy in my year and on the next school day I found myself surrounded by boys in Hitler Youth uniforms. It was not always easy… In spring 1935 my father brought me to England – officially for one year to learn English. Early in 1938 my parents abandoned everything they had in Germany and joined me here.
As soon as I came to Caterham I realised I had come into a different world. At Caterham boys were taught to think and question rather than learn facts which had not to be questioned. Here master accepted that they were fallible whilst if you dared to question an obvious mistake in Germany it was considered a criminal act. The German curriculum contained many more subjects but the teaching had little breadth and dept. Our way of doing it was to my liking and within weeks I felt totally at home here…” “…The subjects I enjoyed most were taught by Mr Maddock (Physics) and Mr Foister (Mathematics) but the master to whom I shall always be grateful, and to whom I owe most at school or university, is Mr DaviesJones. He taught me to communicate. Without an ability to communicate you can achieve nothing.”
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Read about a variety of university courses from OCs who are currently studying
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ENGLISH LITERATURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF YORK By Connie Shaw (OC 2007 – 2014)
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STUDY ENGLISH LITERATURE? Simply put, I’ve always loved books. I was early to read and wrote poems and stories when I was younger. It was between History and English and I chose to do just English rather than a joint honours because I didn’t want to dilute the academic side by studying two subjects. I also just preferred the creative side of the writing and discussion involved in English as opposed to more formulaic style of history essays. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE UNIVERSITY OF YORK? After visiting a number of universities, it was ultimately the course in English at York that really stood out. I loved that there was an obligation to study foreign literature and this led me to pursue modules in Spanish poetry in my second year and take an additional Spanish language course which I really enjoyed. York is also a really beautiful city and on visiting it felt like the right size for me! It’s a city full of history so quite an inspiring place to study. WHAT, IF ANY, CLUBS/SOCIETIES ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, AND WHY? I was a member of York Lacrosse Club for all three of my years at university and did a bit for the committee in my second and third years. It was such an easy way to make friends who had similar interests as me and given I played so much sport at school I always knew it would be something I’d want to try at university level. I found joining a club or society provided a good structure to the week – what with having to fit trainings and matches around degree work. It was also such a good stress release when the work piled up. I’m still in contact with all my friends from the lacrosse club in York, despite graduating and moving to London and like to think I’ll stay in touch for years to come!
WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE FOR OTHERS HOPING TO GO TO UNIVERSITY? Examine the course thoroughly and make sure it’s something you are genuinely interested in. Ultimately, the majority of your life at university centres around your degree (as much as people don’t like to admit it), in short, the academic stuff should be the reason you apply. Make sure university is the right option for you – there are other avenues out there (work apprenticeships etc) and the lifestyle doesn’t suit everyone. Having said that, when you arrive do try to be yourself and follow your own passions, that way you are more likely to meet like-minded people and make friends for life. WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AFTER YOUR DEGREE? I’m currently doing the Graduate Diploma in Law and hope to become a solicitor. Following several interviews etc I managed to secure a training contract with a law firm called Macfarlanes while still at York and now I’ve got a two year conversion course to complete at BPP law school. Following these two years I’ll begin my training contract at Macfarlanes. Whilst a degree in English certainly gave me some pretty essential core skills that I’ll definitely be able to transfer into the legal world, I’d say that ultimately it doesn’t matter what subject you do at university as long as it’s something you’re really passionate about. The most important thing to remember is to pick a subject you think you’ll enjoy and will be motivated by for three years (or more). I hadn’t even considered law before university, it was just an idea that arose organically. Don’t panic about life after university but do take advantage of the networking opportunities and career advice available. I found the career support at university invaluable.
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POLITICS & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BATH By Jack Medlock (OC 2009 – 2016)
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WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STUDY POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS? Simply because it is what interested me most! I have always had a keen interest in politics and followed it closely, having been drawn in by its relevance in drastically shaping both our lives and society in general. I wanted to gain a better understanding of how and why political events and crisies that shape our lives in such critical ways happen. As well as this, I had not previously had the chance to study International Relations at school, so was excited to take on something new! WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE UNIVERSITY OF BATH? Primarily because of the course, which is what I focused on in my uni search. Bath was highly recommended to me by my politics teacher, Mr Cooper, who suggested Bath as a university with an excellent politics course and one that would be well suited to me and my interests. I trusted him and followed his advice, and felt like Bath was the right place for me when I went to look round! Bath is also a beautiful city to live in and is very safe and friendly, but these are added bonuses on top of a great course! WHAT CLUBS/SOCIETIES HAVE YOU JOINED? I have used my spare time at university to become an active volunteer in the Students Union, helping fellow students to get the most out of university. In particular, I spend a lot of time as a Peer Assisted Learning Leader, running workshops and help sessions for First Year Students struggling with the politics course, which has been both highly enjoyable and extremely rewarding. Helping a Spanish student who could not speak English was my biggest challenge, but helping her to achieve strong marks down the line was a great experience. WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE FOR OTHERS HOPING TO GO TO UNIVERSITY? Get used to learning independently, as this is a really crucial skill! From my experience, Caterham does a great job of doing this already, but I would definitely suggest practicing reading further round your interests and being proactive in doing this. So much of studying politics in particular relies on you reading up on your own interests and informing your own ideas and opinions, so this is a great habit to get into as early as possible.
Change for the better
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AFTER YOUR DEGREE? The dream next step for me would be to secure a job in the Civil Service, either as a researcher or a policy maker. After so long studying politics I am keen to work in the political sphere in the ‘real world’, and am passionate about making a difference to peoples’ lives, and think a Civil Service job could be an excellent opportunity to marry those two ambitions.
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ARCHITECTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER By Paul Weston (OC 1989 – 1997)
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STUDY BSC ARCHITECTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER? When I was selecting a university to attend one of my main considerations was that I wanted to live in London after graduating. I was looking for a city environment that was far enough away from the capital to have it’s own character and vibrancy. The course that was offered has a distinct blend of the academic and artistic that appealed to me. Manchester will always be a special place for me with close friendships that remain to this day.
WHAT ONE PIECE OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN DO YOU LIKE THE MOST? The most incredible project to me are the thermal baths designed by Peter Zumthor in Vals, Switzerland. The building featured in many architectural journals when I started in Manchester and I was captivated. The modernist design consisting of a series of hot and cold pools seem to be carved from the mountains themselves with carefully controlled views of the surrounding peaks and pastures. For me it exemplifies the core architectural principles of Strength, Utility and Beauty – I try and visit every year.
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HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DESIGN STYLE? My training in Manchester centred around the concept of ‘Continuity in Architecture’ which look at analysing and understanding the context, environment and community in which buildings sit to help develop new elements – it is a contextual approach that enables me to design flexibly. WHY DID YOU DECIDE, IN 2000, TO SET UP YOUR OWN ARCHITECTURE BUSINESS, WESTON ARCHITECTS? I was working for a practice in London when my father, also an Architect, spoke to me about my aspirations for the future. Over the years I had watched my father at work and knew that my future lay in leading a practice – the opportunity to learn from him at such an early stage in my career was a real driver. I was also struck by the opportunities that we had to work in Healthcare & Wellbeing – work that I specialise in and feel passionate about. Over the years our work has transitioned and last year we merged with MEB Design, of which I am a shareholder director, bringing health and wellbeing expertise to their track record in education and church projects. HOW DID CATERHAM SCHOOL INFLUENCE YOU? The major influence of Caterham has been the experience of being part of a nurturing community that encourages participation. Teamwork, leadership and responsibility are key skills that have helped me in both my personal and business life. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FELLOW CATERHAMIANS HOPING TO GO DOWN A SIMILAR CAREER PATH TO YOU? Architects, in order to succeed, need to have a real understanding of how design can address the needs of people and communities and how to communicate this. I would suggest that anyone looking to become an
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Architect work on both these aspects, design and communication in equal measure – this includes skills in sales and marketing. A skilful architect cannot be successful unless they can convince clients to commission them, obtain approval and buy-in of their design and effectively communicate their design in order for others to build the design YOU ARE TRYING TO FOSTER PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS PARTICULARLY IN NORTH AMERICA – WHY PARTICULARLY THERE? My husband, John, is American and I having travelled over the years to visit friends and family I have seen how the major cities, especially Dallas have expanded at a massive rate. The work that I do, centred around building communities, is starting to become more relevant as is the changing role of healthcare within the development and expansion of cities – our shared language. HOW DOES THE PRACTICE OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN IN THE UK DIFFER FROM THAT IN THE US? Regulation of architectural practice in the USA varies on a state by state basis and his highly restrictive even for US architects wanting to move between States – understandably in some cases in regard to local factors such as earthquakes and hurricanes. Architects also have more protection of title and function than we do in the UK.
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Alex Paul was a pupil at Caterham School from 2012 to 2017. After A Levels he decided to apply for an apprenticeship and was successfully accepted at KPMG where he is now well into his first year.
WHY AN APPRENTICESHIP WAS THE WAY AHEAD FOR
Alex Paul Why did I choose an apprenticeship over university? I knew pretty early on that university wasn’t for me. I spoke to a lot of mates from previous years that went to Caterham about their experiences at uni. The only area that got me genuinely excited was the whole social aspect – meeting new people, partying with mates and joining socials and sports clubs. I had already taken a gap year, so had experienced all of these social benefits of going to university. But when I had researched more about apprenticeship schemes and spoke to the parents of family friends, I got a pretty good idea of the stature of an apprenticeship scheme. Not only this, but I get to experience all of the benefits that university has to offer… and some! Now this got me really excited to take the apprenticeship route. At the age of 19, I’d have clients. A real full time job. Earning a monthly salary. Late office nights in London (which, oddly excites me). Dinner parties, holiday parties, team lunches and team drinks – what’s not to like?
What did the selection process involve? The process is different for every single company, for every type of apprenticeship scheme. Having started with KPMG already, I found out that there are easier routes to get a place as a KPMG360 apprentice. My process involved five separate and very different steps. Step 1 was a series of 10, simple essay questions about real life examples of what KPMG, call their character attributes. Such as; Resilience, self-improvement and honesty. Step 2 was then an online downloadable game that measured my level of risk taking. Step 3 entailed verbal and mathematical reasoning. Step 4 was a stand out for me. I had to answer two questions, record a voice note and email the recording back. The questions asked were; What would you do differently with something that you’re involved in at the moment? and Why did you choose KPMG? The final step involved an assessment centre day, up in their London office in Canary Wharf. That day we had group assessment (to see how well you worked in a team), an individual assessment and a 45 minute interview, where I managed to hold what was more of a discussion, with the head of recruiting for KPMG UK, which ended up lasting around an hour and a half.
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Why KPMG? If I’m honest, I didn’t set out specifically for KPMG. I applied to all of The Big Four firms. As the application process continued on from step 2 to 3, I had realised that I seriously wanted KPMG. This is purely due to the type of people at the company. I had been told by many people that the people that work with KPMG, know the difference between working very hard and long hours, but also understand the importance of enjoying your free time. I had also messaged a few apprentices on LinkedIn about the firm, who gave an enthusiastic and happy response. I’m sure you are all aware of the bad press that KPMG has faced in the past year. Reading this in the papers, I wanted to be part of the solution, and was glad that I wasn’t part of the cause. I see it as a challenge, when done right, it can positively affect lots of people. Has the experience so far been what you expected? Since I started, there have been two clearly separated periods of work. The first period was my time of induction. I knew that there was going to be an induction week, but I was not expecting to be staying in the largest hotel West of London, with every single apprentice that was joining for the 2018 year. Fully expensed, this induction week was amazing. I networked with 207 other apprentices across the UK, making some really good mates who I try and see on the weekends when I have time. I was not expecting the pace at which we flew through our Advanced Bookkeeping and Financial Accounts Preparations content at college. And I was not expecting to be sat in a classroom again. Following on from these two weeks at college was a week spent in Watford, also unexpected. I guess the whole induction period was not quite what I had anticipated. The second period of work, I was leaving the office around 7:30pm, at the earliest, with three to four 8:30pm finishes a week. I had expected this because I knew audit wasn’t going to be easy, or any full time job for that matter. This time of the year isn’t even busy season! What’s your advice for others considering an apprenticeship? Dig deep into the companies you’re applying for. Everything from newspaper articles to YouTube videos. Know what you’re applying for! And be prepared for a bumpy journey, because nothing has been easy, and it won’t be easy. But that’s part of the fun of it all. Make sure you can take the truth and deal with constructive criticism. If you get through to an interview, be sure to answer some tricky questions. Just for a bit of food-for-
thought, I volunteered to do some public speaking at my induction day. Nothing could’ve prepared me for what I had to answer… Why are unicorns real? Finally, I know it’s a generic answer, but BE YOURSELF! One of KPMG’s motto is “bring your whole self to work”, whatever that self is. What’s next, once you’ve completed your apprenticeship? The only thing I know, is that I want to do a secondment in Australia, preferably Perth, so I can experience the office lifestyle out there. If all goes smoothly, I’ll happily transfer out there.
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OMNIA
Issue 05 Spring/Summer 2019
OBITUARIES ALUN HUW MATHIAS (OC 1929 – 1938)
Born on July 1st 1919 at Aber Farm near Talybont-on Usk in Wales Alun was the middle child to parents Evan and Muriel, with an older brother Roland (who also went to Caterham) and younger sister Dilys. Their father was a Congregational Chaplin, and Alun’s early years were spent in Germany where his father served as a Chaplin with the British Occupation Forces after the First World War. He returned with his family and settled for a time in Salisbury before being posted to Catterick and living in Richmond North Yorkshire. Alun’s was a happy childhood together with his siblings. At Caterham he excelled at sport and played regularly for the school’s first rugby team as well as in hockey and in 1936 was also a Prefect. Alun also did well at academic work because after leaving school he went to Jesus College, Oxford to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics but the outbreak of World War II meant that he did not take his finals. Although asked to go back after the war to take them he declined because by that time he had moved into agriculture. Alun began working for Harry Hawes on his farm where he also met Harry’s daughter Dorothy who was to become his wife of 64 years. They were married by Alun’s father in 1943 in a small ceremony in Moreton-in-Marsh. Alun always maintained that his time at Caterham School was better than University. Rugby Union was
his true sport and after leaving school continued to play the game until his late thirties and became a renowned player and captain at the local Stow Rugby Club. Upon retiring from the game he continued to avidly watch matches, until nearly the end, on both television and in person. Farming was his life and he became well respected by his contemporaries as both a practitioner and ambassador. He was always greeted with warmth at market and local shows and was often invited to judge the horses and cattle as well as successfully competing himself. In his late forties he was the Warwickshire County NFU Chairman, a reflection of his success and respect in the industry at a time of great change. A stalwart in the community Alun was also a popular local councillor in Shipston during the 1960’s before resigning after refusing to join a political party as required when Shipston merged with Stratford Council. Alun moved to a smaller farm at Northleigh, near Oxford, before finally retiring to a bungalow in Stonesfield, where he cared for his wife in her declining years. Following her death he moved to Awre and lived with his youngest daughter in an annex to their house. Alun died peacefully on May 13th 2018 (which incidentally is the birthday of his late father in law). At his brother’s funeral he turned and said “I did not realise that I was related to someone who was so successful”. Although he was in a different profession he was probably as successful as his brother. He will be cross to have been bowled out just over a month from his 99th birthday and for not making his century. ■
DR JOHN ROLAND SHAKESHAFT (OC 1939 – 1947)
We are sad to announce that Dr John Shakeshaft died on Monday 6 July 2015. Following his years at Caterham, John completed his undergraduate degree, PhD, and Research Fellowship in Electrical Engineering at St John’s College, Cambridge, before being elected to the St Catharine’s Fellowship in 1961 as one of around sixteen Fellows. He specialised in radio astronomy and was one of the key researchers working in this field, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s. As well as his professional career as a radio astronomer, John was an avid collector of pottery, especially 20th century Studio pottery, of which he bequeathed his sizeable collection to the Fitzwilliam Museum. His philanthropic spirit led him to support a number of charities with which he was associated. Caterham School is grateful to Dr John Shakeshaft for his generous bequest to the school. ■
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LT. COL. JOHN PHILIP CHUTTER, MBE (OC 1935 – 1936)
John was born in Vancouver BC in 1929, but his father, Thomas was the second of four brothers: born in South London but went to Canada before WWI, and returned to fight in the war, and received the Military Cross for his efforts at Passchendaele. Later he was severely wounded by shrapnel in his shoulder and was sent to the Canadian Army Hospital in Bramshott (England) where he met Clover, his future wife. After the war Thomas returned to Canada and hence John was born there. He was named John (and nicknamed ‘Johnny’) after his mother, Clover, who was nicknamed ‘Johnny’ after the whiskey ‘Johnny Walker’. His middle name, Philip, was after his late Uncle Philip (3rd brother), who was killed in action on the Italian Front in June 1918. Incidentally the 4th brother James Bernard, born 1905, also went to Caterham. He grew up in British Columbia, but when the great depression hit the family hard they returned to England in 1934 and settled in Sanderstead and ran ‘Boro Farm’ (a riding stable). Hence, John came to Caterham for only a couple of years. John then joined the Civil Service in London. However, in advance of WWII, and before Johnny was 19 years old, both Johnny and Tommy had signed up with the British Army, as the Canadian Army would not form in England for another year, and neither wanted to wait.. After Officer Training School he joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (Monty’s Regiment), Battalion 1. During the early part of the war he was a Sapper – part of the bomb brigade, responsible for defusing unexploded V1s, V2s
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and other bombs. During this time he met Winston Churchill who attended an army training event and even participated in firing the weapons being fired by dad’s troops. To the end he belonged to the Churchill Society; and recounted that Churchill was the best leader of all time, and that they don’t make leaders like that anymore. Johnny married his first wife Betty before being sent to India to train and prepare the Indian Army and Gurkhas to fight the Japanese. At one time, he spoke pretty good Urdu, and loved a good hot curry all his life. In India he had to arrest both Nehru and Gandhi on different political occasions. After the war both Johnny and his father, Tommy (as Town Mayor) were stationed in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. Johnny was billeted at the local British Army Hotel, mostly for soldiers on leave, run by a young German woman who was assigned by the army to assist him in getting familiar with the area, as she spoke fluent German, English French and Russian. Her name was Ellen Hentschel. Both fun seeking their relationship almost didn’t work out when Ellen found out that Johnny was already married. They eventually married in 1951. Johnny graduated from Camberley Staff College in 1953. He then went to Egypt to help oversee the operation of the Suez Canal. The family moved six times while stationed in Egypt, and four more times to Cypress, twice within Northern Ireland (Omagh & Ballykinlar); and then, briefly, back to England. He was then posted to Hong Kong in 1958 and seconded to 48th Gurkha brigade. In late 1960, Johnny broke his leg very badly and returned to England to convalesce. He was then seconded to Nigerian Army and in 1963 returned to England to work at the Ministry of Defence. In 1965 he was again posted to Hong Kong. While there, in 1966, Johnny retired from the army and became Chief Staff Officer of the Hong Kong Government’s Civil Aid Service, which was responsible for emergency preparedness and actions for damage caused by typhoons and other disasters. In 1972 after 38 years he returned
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to live in Vancouver and bought his very first house, and took the job of Manager (Secretary) of the elite gentleman’s club, ‘The Vancouver Club’. Johnny married his 3rd wife in 1976, and after finally retiring from the Club in 1986 he became active in the Churchill Society, Burma Star, ran Bridge clubs, and did a lot of stamp collecting, gardening and piano playing. After many years of marriage his 3rd wife suddenly died in 1995. His first wife in England was still alive until 2015, and his second wife died in 2005. John played A Level squash throughout his adult life, representing Hong Kong, and well into his 70’s at B Level.. His Bridge playing lasted until he was 95. He took over a stamp collection (started by his grandfather) from his father as he felt that his father wasn’t very good at it and was trading valuable old stamps for ‘pretty’ ones. John collected the entire British Commonwealth plus the USA. He had copies of every stamp ever issued by England up to 2000 and also virtually every different version of each stamp listed in the Stanley Gibbons catalogue (e.g., he has several pages of penny reds and penny blacks, each with subtle differences in dyes, perforations, corner coding, water marks, etc). John received an MBE from the Queen’s hand, in 1964, at Buckingham Palace. He also received the Burma Star. His aim was to become the oldest living member of the Chutter family and live to 103 so as to overtake his eldest Uncle Gordon who made 102 years and 10 months. He didn’t make it as he died on September 13th, 2018, aged 98. ■ Written by Peter D Chutter (3rd Generation OC 1953 – 1960) Note: It was mentioned in Omnia issue 4 that John M Halstead was the oldest living Caterhamian. This might not be true in light of the above.
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OMNIA
Issue 05 Spring/Summer 2019
THE REV’D CANON PETER CLIVE EDWARDS (TEACHER 1976 – 1983)
Peter Edwards taught at Caterham School between 1976 and 1983. He was an extremely active member of staff as an English teacher, the first Head of General Studies which he successfully established in the Sixth Form Curriculum, and Assistant Headmaster of Lewisham. Outside the classroom, he was fondly remembered for his imagination and enthusiasm in the drama department producing many school plays and revues in his time at Caterham. In 1983 he began ordination training at St Stephen’s House and was ordained deacon in 1985 and priest in 1986 in the Diocese of Southwark. Peter served his title at St Augustine’s, Lee in Grove Park before moving to Christ the King, Salfords where he was vicar from 1990 – 1997. In 1997 he moved to St Mary’s, Newington before moving to Spain in 2003. After a short sabbatical rest, he took up a post in 2004 as chaplain in the team in the Parish of the Holy Spirit, Costa Blanca, and became senior chaplain in 2009. In 2012 Peter was made a canon of Gibraltar Cathedral. He retired in 2015. The chaplaincy team writes: “Under his proficient pastoral oversight as Senior Chaplain he nurtured a warm, open, accommodating and gently Catholic expression of Church life across the eight congregations of the chaplaincy. With this he combined gifts of meticulous pastoral care, a sense of humour and a confident, no nonsense approach to Church life. He was warmly accepted and appreciated as a colleague by the local Roman Catholic clergy and did much to deepen ecumenical relations in Costa Blanca.” Peter had many
friends around the world and will be remembered both as a caring and loving person who sought out the vulnerable and weak, and also as a strong-minded person who was a great advocate for catholic teaching and order. He was committed to bringing people to a personal faith in Christ and was the Spiritual Director of Southwark Anglican Cursillo from 2000 – 2004 and was equally committed to the ordination of women to the priesthood, being involved in the early 90’s with the founding of the Society of Catholic Priests. He will be remembered by his friends and family as a loyal friend, an entertaining colleague and a faithful priest of many years. His embrace of modern technology did not dissuade him from regular hour-long telephone calls during which he was able to recount stories and happenings in the most entertaining and sometimes extraordinarily detailed way – he was a master of the English language and a great storyteller. Peter was much loved by his stepmother Shirley, with whom he had an easy, happy and companionable relationship and his cousin Mary and his nephews and nieces and his life-partner Ian with whom he lived in Spain. Peter died on Friday 4th May 2018 aged 68. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. ■ This obituary incorporates the announcement featured in The Telegraph.
IN MEMORIAM David Bennett (OC 1968 – 1974) Tim Healy (OC 1977 – 1984) Malcolm Naysmith (OC 1948 – 1955) Ronald Saltmarsh (OC 1943 – 1948)
DAVID OWENS (OC 1942 – 1948)
David Owens 29th November 1930 – 20th October 2018 David recalled happy memories of school particularly a day in early June 1944 when the Harestone Valley Road was filled with American vehicles waiting to cross the channel for D-Day when he gratefully received some drinking chocolate powder from a generous American soldier. Chocolate was rationed then so it was something which always stuck in his mind! Interested in radio at school he made a one valve receiver and after national service with the RAF, he joined the BBC. With the advent of commercial television he joined Southern Television in Southampton as a Sound Supervisor in their outside broadcast department and then continued with TVS television retiring in 1990. One special moment of retirement was crossing the English Channel in his 10 foot long speedboat Apollo arriving into Calais harbour waving an orange duster shouting ‘nothing to declare’. He was an active member of The Hovercraft Museum in Lee On The Solent, the local Scout group and the Gosport United Reformed Church. His funeral was well attended with over 200 people and the wake was held at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport. This photo was taken at the museum during the wake featuring the submarine Alliance with David’s speedboat in the foreground. ■
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JIM UNDERWOOD (OC 1950 – 1958)
Jim Underwood, who has died aged 78, was a varied, thoughtful and intelligent translator, whose work was published under the name JA Underwood. From the early 1970s until his death, he was one of the key figures in bringing to a wide audience many remarkable works of French and German literature. I was lucky enough to commission two of his translations for Penguin Classics: Walter Benjamin’s One-Way Street and Other Writings, and Grimmelshausen’s novel Simplicissimus, the latter a mass of 17th-century military argot, puns and violent slapstick, all of which he handled with aplomb. He lived just long enough to enjoy his translation’s marvellous reviews.
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Jim was born in Catford, SouthEast London, the son of James Underwood, a Canon of Southwark Cathedral, and his wife. Aagot (née Borge), who was Norwegian. He attended Mottingham County Primary, then Caterham School, in Surrey, and took a history and English Literature degree at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Jim worked for the publishers Constable & Co and Calder and Boyars in the 60s as an assistant editor. He already spoke French, but deepened his knowledge through living in Paris for two years. He became a freelance translator, and, living for a time in Switzerland, learned German at evening classes. He also learned to speak fluent Swiss German dialect. Returning to the UK in 1976, he continued to make a living from translation, based at his home in Winchelsea Beach, then Pett Level and Fairlight, East Sussex. He worked with many of the leading publishers who Transmitted European literature into a sometimes baffled Englishspeaking world, including Marion Boyars, Berg and Overlook Press. His Kafta translations were widely praised and he won the Schlegel-Tieck prize in 1998 for The Castle. He was the translator of Elias Canetti’s Voices
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of Marrakesh and Julian Green’s Paris. He also translated two volumes in the New Penguin Freud. He was exasperated at The Interpretation of Dreams – in his view a wholly botched rendering of what he called interpreting Dreams. He once wrote: “A translator’s rule of thumb might be to seek to carry as much of the original across to the reader of then target language as is compatible with an equivalent level of readability. Try to carry too much and the vessel founders;jettison too much and you are cheating the consignee.” Jim’s love of history, art, music and literature flowed into his work, including many art books, as well as a biography of Bismarck and an edition of Gabriel Fauré’s letters. One of his first was Jawlensky: Heads, Faces, Meditations (1971), co-translated with his first wife, Edith Küstner, whom he married in 1969. They divorced in 1980. He is survived by his second wife, Annie Soudain, an artist, whom he married in 1981, his children from his first marriage, Evelyn, Julian and Oliver, his stepchildren, Sara, Jo and Zac, and seven grandchildren. ■ Written by Simon Winder, The Guardian
DAVID C. PECK
GILLIAN HARRIS
(OC 1943 – 1951) David sadly passed away on Wednesday 20 June 2018 in Salisbury Hospital, he was 85 years old. He enjoyed his school years at Caterham School immensely and remained a proud Old Caterhamian. He excelled in English and languages, which proved useful in later life as he managed Rubber Plantations in Malaysia; but after returning to England in 1964, he worked in horticulture as an apple and soft fruit grower and arable farmer. David was a keen cricket player and was rather good, he played for the School as well as for his village club at Woldingham where his parents’ farm was located and cricket would remain a lifelong passion. In memory of David, his family have planted a Native Hornbeam tree by the school cricket pitch. ■
(OE 1963) Gillian sadly passed away on 1 June 2018 after a long illness, a form of dementia which led to gradual deterioration over the past six years. As Gillian DaviesJones she had been Head Girl of Eothen. She was sister of Clare Davies-Jones (married name Gaustad), and daughter of Arthur DaviesJones, Deputy Head of Caterham School in the 1960s. She had been an excellent teacher in both the secondary and primary phases, most recently giving imaginative support to pupils at risk of dropping out of secondary school. For about 10 years in the 1990s she had been the Advisor for Teacher In-Service Training in north-west Kent. Her mission was to teach children and adults to learn and to develop ideas creatively together and everyone agrees that she did that very well. ■
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inspiring education
“ Great indeed are our opportunities, great also is our responsibility” William Wilberforce Founding Benefactor, Caterham School
An outstanding education has the power to transform lives – the lives of the individual child and of their family and wider community. We all benefit from this. Members of our own community know how truly unique a Caterham School education is. Caterhamians achieve a bright future through outstanding academic and co-curricular success gained at school. Beyond these measurable
outcomes though, Caterhamians share a set of values and a common purpose which runs through the generations – built on self-confidence, self-awareness, resilience and strength, and a belief in the power of community. Most of us could never afford to support a full bursary singlehandedly, but as a community we can. If you share our vision of making a difference through outstanding education, please consider making a donation, at any level, to the Caterham School Transformational Bursary Fund. Ceri Jones Headmaster
The Caterham School Transformational Bursaries Appeal
Caterham School is a registered charity (no. 1109508)
Caterham School would not exist without the vision and generosity of its first benefactors. They believed that all children should be able to reach their potential no matter what their background.
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Having a bursary at Caterham School has opened a wide range of doors for me, some of which would have never been possible without help. I can experience things I would not have dreamed of experiencing, and more importantly, I can look forward to a future where I will have the same opportunities as others. Without Caterham and the help they have provided for myself and my family, I would be living a very different life compared to the one I am now. I cannot express my gratitude enough. Pupil in Sixth Form
If you would like more information, to make a donation or to discuss other ways to help the School, please contact Emma Collings, Development Manager: development@caterhamschool.co.uk 01883 335111
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