Floreat 2011

FLOREAT T H E C H E LT O N I A N A S S O C I AT I O N M A G A Z I N E

ISSUE NUMBER FOUR - JANUARY 2011

CHELTONIA

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INTRODUCTION

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You will be aware by now that this has been a time of great change at both the College and the Junior School. Both our headmasters have left. Adrian Morris from the Junior School has been a great supporter of the Cheltonian Association but I would like to pay particular tribute to John Richardson. John has been a driving force behind the setting up of the Association and has worked tirelessly with Lawrence Anderson to reconcile any lingering differences of opinion on the emphasis that the Association should take with respect to all matters concerning Old Cheltonians.

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John has also laid the foundations for the success of bringing together friends and funds for the two schools through the myriad of activities that the Association now undertakes. I know that this will bring great benefits to the schools and that Alex Peterken, as the new Headmaster of College and Scott Bryan Headmaster of the Junior School, will be a force for driving the process forward. Furthermore, we also have a new Development Director. Andrew Harris joined us in August and is looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible.

CONTENTS

Eighteeen months ago we arranged House reunions in London and, as a result of their huge success we repeated this format in January 2011 which included international events. It was great that so many OCs reunited at around the same time.

This edition of Floreat is full of examples of the success that the Association has had with attracting so many of you to various events and functions. I hope that it inspires you to visit the two schools on as many occasions as possible and to make your contribution to the continuing relationship between the schools and those who have an interest in their well being. I would particularly like to thank Rebecca Creed for the unstinting effort she has put in to maintaining the high standards of the activities of the Cheltonian Association.

Peter Brettell (BH ’71) Honorary President

t of I’m not usually keen on this sor t rea publication but thought the Flo and magazine had a great format . was very interesting, thank you Diana Newell (Past Parent)

CHELTENHAM NEWS

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EVENTS

19 - 31

FEATURE ARTICLES

32 - 53

OC SPORTS

54 - 57

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

59 - 60

MERCHANDISE

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Honorary President Peter Brettell (BH ’71) - OC & Past Parent Executive Members Alex Peterken Headmaster Cheltenham College Scott Bryan Headmaster Cheltenham College Junior School Andrew Harris Development Director Rebecca Creed Association Manager & Current Junior School Parent

Non-Executive Co-opted Members Cheltonian Association Steering Group Committee Debbie Anderes – Current Junior School Staff Lawrence Anderson (Th ’59) – OC & President of the Cheltonian Society Peter Badham (Th ’65) – OC & Cheltonian Society Executive Committee Nick Byrd (BH ’71) – OC & Past College Parent Beccy Faulkner – Current Staff Member Bean Chapman (NH ’93) – OC Simon Collyer-Bristow (BH ’77) – OC & Past College Parent Rob Mace (NH ’04) – OC James McWilliam (S ’09) – OC Ian McFarlane (L/NH ’46) – OC

Darren Brown (L ’84) – OC & Cheltonian Society Executive Committee Helen McEvoy – Current Parent Harriet Slator – Current Pupil Lillian Philip – Current Senior School Parent Malcolm Sloan – Hon OC & OC Administrator Julian Snell (L ’76) – OC & Current College Parent Helen Stubbs – Current Junior & Senior School Parent Please see the Association Website www.cheltonianassociation.com for Committee Member contact information.

Printed on recycled paper stocks.

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College 2010 Academic

Introduction It’s been a hugely significant year for College. Both Senior and Junior Schools have new Headmasters and we have also brought into College an injection of fresh ideas from senior managers, newly appointed from Millfield, Haberdashers’ Aske’s and The Cheltenham Ladies’ College. All of this makes for very exciting times; our capacity to improve our provision is significantly enhanced and there is a palpable feeling of enthusiasm and purpose in both schools.

We have also been improving our leadership development programme for pupils. College must do more than just teach; we should both educate and prepare pupils for university and the competitive world of work they face after graduation. We have appointed a specific member of staff with previous experience in the financial services sector and sports management to lead a new leadership and life skills programme based on Sean Covey’s book; ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers’.

It’s proved a huge success and we are now rolling out further leadership development programmes to the younger year groups.

We’ve also introduced a new Apple Mac ICT course into the 3rd Form which is the first ever to be accredited by the British Computer Society and is embedded across the curriculum, meaning core skills are covered in a wide range of different subjects rather than ICT being taught as an isolated subject.

These brief examples of just some of our new ideas demonstrate that within our glorious historical buildings, which say so much about our traditions, we are also offering a cutting edge education. There is a very strong feeling amongst both the school community and amongst prospective parents that College is ‘on the up’, as well as a great deal of wider interest in what we are doing. Let’s hope for another year of innovation, high achievement and, most importantly, fun!

Dr Alex Peterken Headmaster Cheltenham College 3

The departing Upper Sixth in 2010 had certainly earned their summer break by the time that A Level examinations were completed at the end of June. As their 2009 predecessors had found it a severe challenge to take all AS and A2 modules in the space of six summer term weeks, College decided that pupils would sit their AS examinations in January, allowing time to focus on A2 learning before the June A2 papers.

U6 pupils were therefore required to work pretty much flat out from the start of AS revision during the Christmas holiday through to the final A2 module at the end of June. The result was a small increase in A/B grades at A Level, rising to 70%.

College is now following a more conventional exam pattern in the Sixth Form. Pupils sit AS exams in the summer of their L6 and will be given the chance to re-sit papers in January of their U6, so that they have every opportunity to get the high grades needed to access top university courses in an ever toughening marketplace.

The outstanding and unprecedented GCSE results of 2009 were going to be tough to equal, but the 2010 Fifth Form achieved the second best set of results ever for College. Particular mention should go to Philippa Coull who achieved a perfect set of 10 A* grades, and to five pupils who obtained 9 top grades (Philippa Morris, Laura Bevan, James Baker, Elizabeth Jones and David Kayes). No fewer than seven subjects have now adopted the IGCSE qualification, generally accepted to be tougher than the mainstream GCSE and a better preparation for A Level. It was therefore very pleasing to see the English department achieving a remarkable 73% A*/A grades for its Literature IGCSE. Other success included 81% A*/A grades in Spanish and 100% A*/A in Textiles GCSE, where the quality of the candidates’ coursework was described as outstanding by the moderator.

Huge credit should go to all of the 5th Form on the quality of their exam performance, especially when we remember the extraordinary breadth of the sporting and extra-curricular activities in which they continued to excel whilst working on their GCSE courses.

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A highlight on the Drama calendar While pupils perform many wonderful plays throughout the year, it is the annual College Variety Show which has become something of an institution and a real highlight of the Drama schedule.

This year’s show contained a rich array of talent; musical, dancing and comic, with a fire juggler emerging in our midst creating a certain amount of trepidation (as indeed did the First XV’s unique dance at the end - for different reasons however). The show highlights performers who do not always feature in other productions as well as those that do, and it showcases future talent in the drama scene. There is certainly no shortage of volunteers for auditions and the keenness to be part of it is a tribute to the spirit of the event.

We read frequently in the newspapers that the top universities are increasingly looking at candidates’ academic achievements outside the exam hall, and I am proud to report on the number of Cheltonians achieving recognition in national academic competitions.

Lucy Caines achieved the second prize in the prestigious Robson essay prize for History, offered by Trinity College, Cambridge. This is the third successive year that a College Sixth Former has been placed in this competition and Lucy has since taken up a place at Trinity, bringing to four the number of OCs currently studying History at Cambridge. Among the new U6, Tilly King excelled in Economics, being shortlisted as one of 17 finalists (out of 500 entrants) in the Royal Economics Society Essay Competition. James Lambert has made quite a name for himself in the field of Design Technology with his flatpack Christmas tree. He was awarded one of the top five gold CREST awards (Creativity in Science and Technology) and has subsequently been asked to join the CREST National Youth panel in a bid to promote Science and Technology in schools nationally. In addition, James won the South West Young Engineer for Britain competition.

Participation in national competitions helps to showcase our teachers’ determination to stretch pupils beyond the confines of exam specifications, and the achievements of Sixth Formers such as Lucy, Tilly and James provide an example for younger pupils to aspire to.

Duncan Byrne Deputy Head (Academic)

Our directors this year were Peter Wild and Nick Knudsen, with Demelza Leng as Stage Manager. They did a fantastic job bringing it all together - a truly valuable exercise in teamwork, leadership and pupil organisational skills.

A thriving Art department As ever, the Art department attracts over 200 pupils each week through its doors.

In the studios it is always a fine balance between creative freedom and total chaos, yet it is a living and breathing environment which is constantly evolving and one which never fails to impress visitors.

Amongst the stars of last year’s U6 was Guangzhao Yang whose final two terms saw an amazing outpouring of artistic inventiveness with paintings executed in a vibrant Van Goghian palette and gesturally expressive mark making. His theme was the Potala Palace at Lhasa Tibet for which he produced a scale model and a vast series of paintings.

Imogen Clowes also produced some excellent landscape work, citing David Prentice, William Turner and The Victorian romantics in studies involving mixed media and large scale. Harriet Bishop meanwhile studied Pollock and Louis Morris to evolve a highly exciting and experimental style of abstraction all of her own. 40 candidates took GCSE, with 63% achieving A or A*, with some exciting large canvases from Chloe Shelburne Ralph and Lily Haycraft Mee.

As well as being a most enjoyable and beneficial occasion for our school, the show also has a serious purpose, which is to collect money for and highlight College expeditions to Gogar Primary School in Rongai, Kenya. This year we raised nearly £4,000 which will go towards materials and the making of desks for the school, further paving and outdoor furniture as well as, possibly, the start of a new building project.

Emma Taylor Head of Extra-curricular Drama

Bringing out the best in young Designers The Design and Technology department has produced a great range of high quality projects throughout 2010 and this is testament to the skill and dedication of both pupils and staff. At GCSE the department gained its highest ever value added score, with the Resistant Materials groups also gaining their highest ever A/A* percentage at 78%. At A Level the Resistant Materials pupils also led the way, producing an A/B percentage of 88%, with 7 of the 8 pupils achieving ‘A’ grades.

Textiles also gained a highly positive value added score.

This year, the L6 have shown particularly fine potential with 83% A/B grades setting a firm platform for their A2 year where wider experiment will be possible.

We are surrounded by design: everything we interact with has been designed. Britain is home to some of the top designers in the world of fashion, product design, car design and architecture. Our pupils are inspired by this; they see classic products and garments when visiting exhibitions and museums and they make value judgments when visiting our ‘cool wall’. I like to think that we not only teach College pupils how to make products, but how to solve problems successfully; to produce projects that not only give them excellent exam marks, but something of which they can be proud.

Mark Ward Head of Art

Graham Cutts Head of DT 4

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A Packed Year of Concerts

By Fiona Tierney (Current Parent & Chair of Friends of The Junior)

It’s been another superb year of music, from choral concerts through to the everpopular JIG and Big Band extravaganzas.

The Chamber Choir has sung Evensong several times at Oxbridge Colleges as well as Bath Abbey, and also enjoyed the rare privilege of a masterclass with Sir David Willcocks in Cambridge. The Chapel Choir gave a hugely successful concert in Cirencester Parish Church and all choir members went on a most memorable summer tour to Barcelona, where they received a standing ovation in Igualada Cathedral and sang to over 500 people at the Pilgrimage Abbey of Montserrat.

JIG, following their excellent concert in March, performed for the April Fashion Show and Big Band played superbly in the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in May. An annual highlight is always the Charity Concert in the Pittville Pump Room in June and this year was no exception. The Orchestra performed Mozart’s Symphony No.39 and Rossini’s Overture ‘The Italian Girl in Algiers’ beautifully, together with solos from leaving musicians Lucy Caines – Violin, Silas Fuller – Trumpet and Edward Hocken – Tenor.

Finally, mention should be made of William Mason (S ’08) who is now the Organ Scholar at Royal Holloway College, University of London, where Ra Twilley (Xt ’08) is also a Bass Choral Scholar; and Guy James (BH ’09) who is now a Choral Scholar at Trinity College Cambridge.

Gordon Busbridge Director of Music

The role of the ‘Friends of The Junior’ is primarily a social one with the aim to support the school, children and staff by arranging social functions during the year.

The Committee consists of representatives of each year group.

This year has seen a great array of year group events including coffee mornings, lunches, drinks, walks and visits to the Panto and the Lido.

The Fathers’ Golf Society holds regular meetings at various clubs near Cheltenham – the next event is due in June 2011; if you are interested and would like to join in please contact Jeremy Shaw on jshaw@stayatthegeorge.co.uk

Sporting Achievements College continues to enjoy an excellent reputation for sport and sees its sides competing regularly for regional and national honours. A few highlights include: Rackets So far the club has won all but one of their fixtures, including a 4-0 victory over Eton. They are also winners of the Faber Cup and Palmer-Tompkinson Cup! Hockey The girls’ XI claimed the County U18 title and finished 5th in their first appearance at the U18 National Finals. Both the girls’ and boys’ U16 sides were County Champions and a number of players have gone on to play representative hockey, including Flora Peel and Jack Smart. 18 year old Holly Chipman received a call up to England U21s, a fine achievement.

Rugby After a hugely successful tour to Argentina, the rugby club has had an exceptionally strong season. The XV recorded a fine 50-24 win against Radley.

Both they and the Colts have won all but one of their fixtures and special mention

should go to the Junior Colts, who are currently through to Round 5 of the Daily Mail Cup. Cricket The XI played some memorable matches, including a fine win over Haileybury School in a 3 day game. The U15 side made it through to the quarter final of the National Knockout Cup and the U14s continued to dominate the county competition.

Mention should also be made of the Squash Team laying claim to the National U16 Schools’ Trophy for the second consecutive year, the U18 Tennis boys being national finalists in the Glanville Cup for the third year running, the Polo team being SUPA Arena and Outdoor Senior Girls champions, our swimming club participating in the National Finals, our shooting team coming 3rd at the National Schools Asburton event and finally, pupil Angus Boyd being crowned Gloucestershire U25 shooting champion and selected to be part of the Athelings national rifle squad!

Matthew Bull Director of Sport

Military Honours Congratulations to Dr Paul Chipman, (Flt Lt Paul Chipman, OC RAF Section) who was awarded the HM Lord Lieutenant’s Certificate for Meritorious Service in October. This award, only one step below national honours, recognises individuals amongst the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ community whose performance in service is exceptional.

Congratulations also to Will Charlesworth (L6, BH) who was selected for Investiture of HM Lord Lieutenant’s Cadets, becoming an ambassador of his unit and service. Will has also been awarded an army scholarship, giving him a guaranteed place at Sandhurst.

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In the Summer term, the Friends of the Junior held a Treasure Hunt after Chapel which was a great success. Nearly 100 children and their parents searched the grounds of the Junior looking for clues and claiming their chocolate prizes. Many parents, and some children, discovered parts of the school that they never knew existed. Sue Morris sorted out a slightly easier hunt for the youngest children.

Congratulations went to Victoria Edwards for her winning Spring Bonnet and to Mia Hurst for winning the Treasure Hunt poster competition.

At the end of the year over 50 parents, teachers and Friends of The Junior enjoyed Music By the Lake. Although slightly chilly the evening was sunny and dry, the Pimms didn’t flow quite as quickly as it had done during the Treasure Hunt, but the champagne and the music from the Occasionally Big Band kept the worst of the chill away. On behalf of the parents and Friends of The Junior, Adrian Morris was presented with an Ian Weatherhead print of Junior School boys playing rugby outside the Headmaster’s Study.

In the Autumn Term, we held a Cheese and Wine Evening at the end of September; this was a wonderful opportunity for over 100 new and past parents to meet informally at the start of the academic year. A Comedy Night was also organised in association with Howlers Comedy Club; please read the review below.

We look forward to welcoming you to our events in 2011!

Did you hear the one about the cross-eyed teacher?

By Tim Buttress (CCJS Parent) A school dining room, the Headmaster, worried parents and a spot light. None of which, you would think, would lend themselves readily to a night of comedy.

Well that is where you would be wrong!

These very elements combined, with two fantastic acts from the Howlers Comedy Club, gave us two hours of high-class entertainment. The evening was expertly compered by Tiernan Douieb who caused mild panic throughout staff and parents by asking people what they did for a living (note to self, never sit near the front at a comedy evening!) For some reason there were a lot of people called Miles from the jewellery trade in the audience, but maybe they were just adopting pseudonyms.

The headline act, Simon Evans, was excellent. Fresh from his recent appearance on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, he delighted those present with insights into Anglo-Welsh relations, care of the elderly and observations of the Royal family.

All-in-all an excellent night with much laughter and good company. Roll on the next event!

Finally, did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher?

He couldn’t control his pupils!

I know, I’ll get my coat.

Staff members faired little better; Mr Bryan also felt the sharp side of the compere’s tongue!

The first act, James Sherwood, pleased many in the audience with his obsession for grammatically correct music lyrics.

One can imagine the additional success U2 would have had if they had changed their lyrics to “I still haven’t found that for which I am looking…”.

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“Outstanding” A Year as Head Boy

By Ollie Thorley (OJ & BH)

Introduction On behalf of The Junior, I welcome you to this edition of the Cheltonian Association magazine. I am delighted to lead such a happy and vibrant school community and to be able to share with you some of our highlights over the past year. The Junior continues to provide a first-class holistic education for all pupils, from 3 right through to 13. The pursuit of academic excellence is combined with excellent pastoral care, based on our core values of Respect, Kindness, Honesty, Forgiveness, Commitment and Responsibility.

We continue to offer a dynamic and broad extra and co-curricular programme that identifies and encourages all pupils’ talents and interests, whatever they may be. The Junior is truly an exciting place to be and I hope these pages will give you just a small flavour of what we offer.

Enjoy Floreat 2011.

Scott Bryan Headmaster, Cheltenham College Junior School

Top Marks For Junior School Boarding The quality of boarding at The Junior has been deemed as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted in its latest inspection, November 2010.

The inspector found that: ‘The school provides boarders with an outstanding standard of care’, that ‘Boarders are a pleasure to spend time with and a credit to themselves and the school’, and that their behaviour is ‘exceptional’. Junior School House parents Melanie and Jim Walton, were also highly praised, with the inspector finding that ‘there is excellent leadership and management of the boarding provision’, that the house parents were ‘exceptional’ and that they provided ‘outstanding support for the boarding team and boarders.’

The highest possible commendation and truly well deserved.

Junior School Highlights

I started at CCJS in Reception, about 9 years ago, so when you are told that you have been chosen as Head Boy of the school it is a really odd feeling. In part, there is excitement, in part trepidation and in part wondering what it’s all about!

When you then find out that one of the first tasks is to do a reading in Chapel for the whole school and parents, you then wonder what on earth you were so excited about.

I’ll be honest and say I was a bag of nerves doing my first speech but I got through it and think I really benefited from the number of times I had to speak in public. This boosted my confidence and was a great experience to have had.

During my time at CCJS there were a number of memorable events. It was great being part of a brilliant Yr 8, working with my friends, some whom I knew well. A highlight for our year group was the Yr 6 play, Treasure Island, and it was comical seeing everyone in pirate costumes with so much make-up on you could hardly make out their faces. Also, our last trip as a year group to Bude. This really reminded us how close our year group is and was a great way to send us off to the next stage in our lives.

Finally it all came down to the Leavers’ Dinner. A speech this time! A huge number of people to thank, some retiring teachers and a change of Headmaster. Fortunately I had a few anecdotes and was even able to get a laugh out of the audience. I’m not sure how stand-up comedians do it so effortlessly. Finally, on the last day we had our final Parents’ Evening. It was

very emotional leaving and was tearful for many of our year. However, we are all well prepared for the future and whichever schools we are going to, Parents’ Day acted as a lovely reminder of the great times we’ve had at this school and it was a lovely way for the school to say goodbye.

Now at Senior School, it seems a long time ago but the experience was brilliant.

I managed to get over some of the nerves in public speaking and in the end had a wonderful time. The time spent at CCJS is the longest period we will stay anywhere with the same group of people, and now seeing how we are all tackling the next school together really shows the strength of our friendships formed at CCJS. I wish the best of the luck to Archie and Izzy for this year; they too will have a great time.

Finally, I would like to thank all of the fellow pupils and staff at CCJS for making my time there very fulfilling and enjoyable. The academic side of life has been extremely pleasurable, ranging from times tables in Yr 1 to solving simultaneous equations in Yr 8.

The sport aspect has also been incredible; an area in which we all thoroughly enjoyed.

My personal favourites were rugby and athletics. Playing these sports for me was a real highlight of my time here and something I know I will never forget. Cheers

An Unforgettable Geography Trip

Kingfishers (ages 3-7) has enjoyed a busy year both in and out of the classroom. We have attended local events, including the Literature and Science Festivals, where the children have been inspired by all they have seen. Yr 1 children have visited the Toy Museum in Cheltenham to consolidate some topic work they were doing and as a result set up their own classroom museum back at school. Yr 2 had an exciting trip to ‘@ Bristol’ in the Summer term where many Science concepts were brought to life through lots of practical hands-on activities. Our youngest Kingfisher children enjoyed trips to the Post Office, Supermarket and Cafe when they were learning about their environment. A Spring term visit to Cotswold Farm Park was a huge success for the Foundation 2 classes who enjoyed a tractor ride, holding small animals and feeding some larger ones.

Vicky Plenderleith Head of Kingfishers Stop press: Just at the time of printing, Kingfishers was awarded the top grade of ‘Outstanding’ in the 2010 ISI Inspection – congratulations to the whole team.

Roman Highlights As always, it is almost impossible to pick out one highlight from what has been another busy and successful year. The Yr 3 Roman Day certainly lingers in the memory… The children came to school in Roman dress and learned how to make coins, purses and Roman recipes. A mini Olympics included barefoot races, displays of strength, javelin throwing and wrestling, to name but a few. (For the record, one boy managed thirty-five press ups: not bad for Yr 3!) The day culminated with a wonderful feast. The children served the food they had prepared earlier to other children reclining on cushions. Wine (grape juice!), bread, lentil soup and baked doormouse (chicken - it’s rather hard to source doormouse) were all on the menu. The children thoroughly enjoyed the day whilst learning a huge amount about the Romans.

Jonathan Gould Head of Lower School

A Taste of France It is very difficult to pick out particular highlights from the huge amount that we do, but one that does spring to mind is the Yr 6 trip to Normandy with all but one of the year group attending. Based at Ouistreham for five nights, and then Honfleur for two further nights, we obviously expected the children to try to develop their French. We looked at the history of the area - William the Conqueror at Falaise and Bayeux and the D-Day beaches, Pointe du Hoc and Pegasus Bridge; we studied the cliff formations and wave patterns at Etretat, and experienced painting where Monet himself had painted (as well as visiting Giverny). The children were brilliant – they worked hard, they played hard and were great company. Their confidence in speaking French also grew enormously; after initial qualms about whether or not they would be understood, by the end of the week they were buying their lunch from market stalls in French and facing all their challenges with confidence. A great experience for all!

In October, 25 Middle and Upper School pupils departed to Iceland for a 5 day Geography field trip, organised by Mrs Grindle. Eyes were opened to all sorts to sights and experiences, from the famous Blue Lagoon to the historic site of Skaholt.

Every pupil kept a diary and field note book of the trip, recording what they both learnt and felt.

Derek Maddock Head of Middle School

They saw geysers erupt, undertook work in Geo-centres, visited the Eurasian and North American Plate boundaries (and the Rift Valleys between them), saw the site of Iceland’s first Parliament, explored the National Park of Pingvellir, visited churches and museums in Reykjavik, climbed around the massive Seljandsfoss waterfall and even visited Solheimajokull Glacier. The Glacier was particularly interesting as the pupils saw for themselves just how much the glacier had retreated since three years ago and witnessed its covering of black ash from the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in April.

The Yr 8s were a tight-knit group, unafraid to embrace new challenges and happy to venture out of their comfort zones to try new experiences. One example is Burns Night - the fact that 90% of Yr 8 signed up for Scottish dancing (in their free time) at Westonbirt School truly astonished me; the fact that the girls allowed the boys to go amazed me even more! Time and time again, the Yr 8s demonstrated to Mrs Flanagan and myself that they would embrace opportunities presented to them. Therefore to see a CCJS team win the ‘Super Team’ award at Bude came as no surprise. The Upper School pupils were afforded a degree of variety and opportunity across the curriculum including: a tour to Ireland, the Iceland trip, a roller disco, and a morning of jive to name but a few. But the one event that highlighted their commitment was in the way that they organised and ran their own Charity Fayre – raising over £600 in the process for The Sue Ryder Hospice.

A wonderful educational trip, that will remain in the hearts and minds of the children for years to come.

A Close Community

The Yr 7s meanwhile used the London trip early in the year as an opportunity to get out of their comfort zones and mix freely in a different environment, helping the induction process for the new pupils. As a result, the year group became close and entered school productions ‘en masse’ - with literally all 60 pupils involved in the school play!

And that’s just how we promote life in Upper School; a non-threatening and allinclusive environment in which every pupil can enjoy success.

Matthew Dawson Head of Upper School

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It’s been a fantastic year for sport, from the usual suspects of rugby and hockey right through to swimming, cross country and skiing. Here are just a few highlights: Rugby A fantastic last season with the Colts winning all their matches, scoring over 500 points yet conceding only 19. All other teams also upped their games and last term we had the first ever U8 tag rugby festival for boys and girls.

Hockey Girls’ hockey is enjoying the strongest fixture card ever, with the U13s having a phenomenal season culminating in becoming ‘U13 National 7s hockey champions 2010’. Many girls were awarded representative honours. Boys’ hockey is also taking shape, with over 150 boys taking part in 86 matches during the year!

Other highlights include the 1st VII and U10A netball teams only conceding one match in the whole season, 4 pupils being selected for ski race training in Italy, girls playing cricket for the first time at CCJS, 5 pupils qualifying for the IAPS National Athletics Championships, 42 pupils competing in cross country and CCJS hosting the IAPS Swimming final with some excellent CCJS competitors.

Shakespearean Splendour Yr 8 surpassed themselves in drama this year, culminating in their performance of a 30 minute Shakespeare production (The Taming of the Shrew) in Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre - having only had 4 weeks to prepare… Here’s what local MP Martin Horwood and Chris Grace, founder of the Shakespeare Schools Festival, had to say: “Genuinely fantastic for Yr 8. I could hear every word and the production had great charm. The strong acting made it very credible indeed.”

Chris Grace, SSF Founder “Excellent comic timing. Kate was brilliant and powerful while Petruchio had on the most outrageous leather outfit I’ve ever seen!”

Martin Horwood, MP

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By Morwenna Grindle (Head of Athens) There are many highlights of the year, beginning with a phone call from the HM whilst on the school ski trip, to say that Athens had knocked Sparta off the top slot in the termly House competition! This was followed by the House’s success on Sports Day, coming first overall. Our House Dinner was a Medieval Feast, with appropriate food from the time and we all wore costumes from this era.

ATHENS

Sporting Excellence For All

CHELTENHAM NEWS...

“The Sports Day had the best feel to it, because all the House was cheering each other on and we won!!” – Anna Birkett “I loved the House Dinner with all the costumes.” – Lottie Woodall “Athens House dinner food was awesome and we could use our hands.” – Sebi St Johnston “I enjoyed House Rugby. Although we came 4th, it was great how all Athens supported each other.” – Rafa Escario Atucha

By Rupert Woodbridge (Head of Corinth) Highlights of the year included a House outing to Cattle Country near Berkley and Laser Tag in Gloucester. We also made a Christmas pudding in one of our assemblies, and in the Spring term we did extremely well by winning the House singing competition with our song ‘Yo Ho, Yo, Ho, a Pirates Life for Me’. Sports’ wise, we didn’t generally fare well, but both Emily Brooks and Maximillian Pini did manage to win a ski trophy for us, and there were a number of other outstanding winners in the swimming gala (Max Pemberton, Jamie and Oliver Thorley, Thomas Creed, Jack Chisholm, Fernando Capelastegui) and on Sports’ Day (Max Pemberton, Morgan Henry, Oliver, Kieran and Jamie Thorley, and Michali Asproll).

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By Debbie Anderes (Head of Persia) Last year was a mixed bag for the Persians in so many ways. We had an inventive performance of Cruella de Ville, in the House music competition, which saw us in 6th place, but we enjoyed it anyway. We won cross country – yeah! We came mid to top table in many of the other sports. We didn’t do very well in the academic competition – we do need to try harder here! We went to the American Museum in Bath for our House outing in the Autumn Term, it was cool. We had a House BBQ with Rome in the Summer term, where we wore silly costumes and ate fabulous food made by the parents.

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By Sandra Gilmour (Head of Rome) The House Dinner ‘Who’s got talent in Rome?’ was certainly one of the highlights of the year. We had comedy sketches, whistling through a ruler, juggling like a clown and someone standing on their head (for a very long time).

ROME

Throughout the year, the Romans worked hard in all aspects of school life and took their roles seriously which helped us to achieve the winning House throughout the year.

“Romans are really supportive of one another and the atmosphere at House events has been brilliant.” Arthur Mills “I enjoyed making the banners for Sports Day and cheering everyone on. It felt good to win two races and I loved being cheered on by the rest of Rome.” Tom Ponting

By Eleanor Kirby (Head of Sparta)

Scholarship Congratulations

11+ Academic Harry Byrne William Hardy Lottie Heynen Ellie Lyburn Jonathan Steenfeldt-Kristensen Alexander Thorpe Music Luke Knudsen Fergus McNeile Sport Joss Edwards

13+ Academic Will Donlan Christian Johnston Sport Francesca Ball Benedict Croft William Henty Flora Peel Oliver Thorley Music Matthew Finan Art Hugo Parnell-Hopkinson

Over 40 other pupils won 11+ and 13+ Exhibitions; a fine showing.

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OPEN MORNINGS Junior School Saturday 12 March 2011 at 9.30am Contact: Mrs Lucinda Roskilly on 01242 522 697 or email: roskilly.lucinda@cheltcoll.gloucs.sch.uk Senior School Saturday 19 March 2011 at 9.30am Contact: Mrs Emma Ryan on 01242 265 680 or email: ryan.emma@cheltcoll.gloucs.sch.uk

By Philip Williams (Head of Troy) It was all change at the beginning of the year with Mr. Dawson, the new Head of Upper School, handing over the Housemaster reins.

The year started with a joint House trip with Corinth to Cattle Country, where we had a fabulous day. We had success on the sports’ field; the girls’ hockey team came third and the two rugby teams triumphed over the rest with a quite outstanding effort.

The House Music Event was the highlight of the Spring term as the whole House contributed well and we finished second. The boys matched their rugby success by winning the hockey.

TROY

A large number of pupils won 11+ scholarships and many more won 13+ scholarships to College. Congratulations to the following scholars:

SPARTA

“House Singing was really fun and we did very well. The Pig Roast was amazing.” Theo Hunt “The House Dinner was brilliant: lovely cuisine, chocolate fountain and the atmosphere was great.”

Duncan Pinchen “House Hockey was great because we all worked for each other and everyone was included.”

Katie Stanton “The House Rugby was a really good tournament. The Pig Roast was a ‘crackling’ event.” Ollie Message “The House Swimming was really fun.” Jemima Rees “I liked the House Dinner because George McDuff sang a song.” Robin Helm “The House Cricket was a fantastic experience and to win it in the Final was a great achievement.” Edward Bryan

In the Summer term we had our House Dinner, a ‘Race Night’ at which Trojans had the opportunity to say goodbye and thank you to Mr Elliott who retired after 34 years at CCJS. We wish him many happy years in his retirement.

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CHELTENHAM NEWS...

CHELTENHAM NEWS...

F L O R E AT ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

N EW A PPO intments Dr Alex Peterken Headmaster Cheltenham College Alex Peterken joined Cheltenham College as Deputy Head in September 2008 and was appointed Headmaster from September 2010, following John Richardson’s retirement.

Alex joined College from Charterhouse where he spent 11 successful years. He held several senior posts, including Head of Theology and Head of Higher Education & Careers Guidance.

His final six years at Charterhouse were spent as Housemaster of Saunderites.

Thought to be one of the youngest ever Headmasters of an HMC school, Alex was born in 1974 and educated at The Prebendal School, Chichester from 7 – 13. During this time he was both Head Chorister and Head Boy. At 13, he moved on to Eton College where he was a Music Exhibitioner and academic prize winner in History and Theology. He then went on to gain a BA in Theology from the University of Durham, an MA in Educational Management (London) and a Doctorate in Education, specialising in School Leadership (Surrey).

A family man, Alex is married to Clare who is a qualified SEN teacher and a former Deputy Head. They have three children: Verity (10), Dorothea (6) and Thomas (3). Dorothea and Thomas are both at Cheltenham College Junior School.

Scott Bryan Headmaster Cheltenham College Junior School Scott Bryan joined Cheltenham College as Deputy Head in September 2009 and was appointed Headmaster of Cheltenham College Junior School from September 2010, succeeding Adrian Morris. Prior to joining CCJS, Scott spent five years as Deputy Head at King’s House, a leading academic day school in West London. Prior to that role, he held several senior management posts at Aiglon College Junior School in Switzerland, including Head of Science, Head of Curriculum and Boarding School tutor. Scott has also worked at Hazlegrove Preparatory School in Somerset as well as Woodridge College and Preparatory School in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

A passionate sportsman as well as an academic, Scott has coached cricket, rugby, hockey and football throughout his career and organised sports tours around the globe. He is also a keen advocate of outdoor education and has both introduced and run several expedition and school trips programmes.

Scott is married to Sophie and they have two daughters: Molly (7) and Lucy (6). Both children are already firmly ensconced in life at the Junior School.

Karen Davies Deputy Head Cheltenham College (Pastoral) Karen Davies joins us as the new Deputy Head (Pastoral) from Millfield School, where she was a Houseparent and teacher of Business, having obtained an MBA from Warwick Business School. Whilst at Millfield, Karen sang in the festival choir and enjoyed being involved in school productions. Prior to this, Karen was the Founding Director of the Centre for Organisational Excellence.

A very keen sportswoman having played, coached or umpired hockey for most of her life as well as managing the U17 Somerset girls’ cricket team and umpiring for a ladies rounders team. She 11

enjoys gardening and reading, particularly detective fiction and Tudor and early 20th century British history, and is joined in Cheltenham by her two children Charlotte and Alexander.

Duncan Byrne Deputy Head Cheltenham College (Academic) Duncan Byrne joins us as the new Deputy Head (Academic) having spent the last four years as Director of Teaching at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School. He is a modern linguist who has taught French and German throughout his career and was previously Head of Modern Languages at Whitgift School.

Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, Duncan was a keen tenor singer in the Trinity choir, is a Qualified Football Association referee and enjoys cycling and running, having completed his 6th London marathon in April of this year.

Duncan is joined by his wife Marie-Claire and their two children, Edward and Thomas.

Dr Mary Plint Director of Learning Dr Mary Plint rejoins College, having left in 2004 for Cheltenham Ladies’ College to take up the role of Head of the Learning Support Department/SENCO. Whilst at College, Mary held the position of Head of Learning Support and now rejoins for the newly created Director of Learning role.

Mary enjoys walking and keeping fit, as well gardening, travel and spending time with family and friends.

Andrew Harris Development Director Andrew Harris joins College to take up the position of Development Director, having previously been Head of Fundraising/Major Gifts at the University of Birmingham for the last 7 years. Prior to this, Andrew was the Senior Account Manager at Target Direct Marketing in Cheltenham and also an Account Manager at WWAV Rapp Collins in Bristol. Aside from fundraising, Andrew is an organist, loves all sport and enjoys playing tennis and football. Andrew is married to Adie and has 2 children, Jacob (8) and Martha (3), and is an avid supporter of Stoke City.

Tim Brewis Head of English Tim studied at King Edward’s School, Bath, before completing a BA in English Literature at the University of Exeter.

Having taught and travelled in India for a year, he then went to RMA Sandhurst and began his professional life as a soldier, subsequently serving as an Officer in 1st Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. On leaving the army, Tim joined the English Department at CLC and this gave him a thorough grounding in teaching before he joined Cheltenham College in September 2007, where he achieved Qualified Teacher Status through post-graduate assessment. Now in his fourth year here, he has been appointed Head of English and Drama, a role he is very much enjoying.

Tim is married to Georgina, has two sons, Oliver and Henry, and a baby daughter, Helena, born 22nd July 2010. Tim is a keen guitarist, runner, mountain biker and performance poet. He is also proud to be the son-in-law of Judge James Stewart, QC, Honorary Recorder of Bradford (Xt ’61).

Dr Georgina Jardim Head of Religious Studies

Louise Davies Junior School Headmaster’s PA

Georgina was born in Zimbabwe where she started her education. She was raised in South Africa where she eventually became interested in world religions and specifically in Islam, and completed her undergraduate studies at the Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg). She married Mario Jardim and finished an honours degree in Islamic Studies. Her daughter, Ellen, and son, Antonio were born in Johannesburg before the family moved to Potchefstroom in North West province of South Africa.

Georgina lectured part-time in Hebrew and Ancient Culture, as well as several modules in Semitic Languages. Mario junior was born in Potchefstroom.

Louise Davies joins the Junior School as Scott Bryan’s (CCJS Headmaster) new PA having previously held PA and Bursar roles in the Army service and the Service Children’s Education in Germany. Louise enjoys running, cycling, swimming, reading and cooking, especially baking, and is a regular fund-raiser for breast cancer charities.

During her time at the Theological Seminary of Potchefstroom University, Georgina completed a Master’s degree in Ethics considering a comparitive view of women’s role and position in Muslim and Christian traditions. Georgina then received a studentship to read a PhD at the University of Gloucestershire. The family relocated to Cheltenham in 2003 and soon settled into their roles in the UK.

Educated at a girls’ school in Bristol, Holly read French and Spanish at Nottingham University before completing a P.G.C.E. at Bristol University. She started her teaching career at Canford School in Wimborne, Dorset, becoming Head of Spanish after two years. She was Resident Tutor and worked in both girls’ boarding houses over the seven years spent at Canford. Holly then had three years teaching languages part-time in a state school in Poole before moving to Cheltenham College in 2007. She has coached girls’ sport.

Georgina was appointed as part-time teacher in 2006 and has been working in this capacity in the Religious Studies department since then. In 2009, she was appointed tutor for international pupils and Head of Department of Religious Studies in 2010.

Georgina enjoys current affairs, historic novels, the outdoors and Portuguese cuisine.

Tom Adams Head of Science Educated at Uppingham School and Oxford University, where he read Physics, Tom Adams worked briefly for the Plessey Company before entering the teaching profession. He taught at Kimbolton School for four years before joining College in 1981. He became Head of Physics in 1986 and Head of Science in 2010. He is also team leader of the Common Entrance Physics panel.

Tom has been tutor in Leconfield throughout his time at College.

He ran the CCF Naval Section for many years. A ‘half blue’ at shooting, he helps coach our highly successful shooting team and has been both Adjutant and Commandant of UK Cadet rifle teams.

Other interests include skiing and golf.

Tom and his wife Jenny have two sons who were both educated at College.

Thomas Lambert Head of Classics Thomas Lambert joins College as the new Head of Classics, having previously been a teacher of Classics at King’s School, Gloucester and Warwick School. Thomas is an avid rugby fan, having captained his College at Cambridge, but now enjoys coaching and playing touch rugby instead.

Aside from sport, Thomas is a keen linguist and is currently learning Russian and Chinese and is also very interested in plays and drama, having been a professional actor as a child.

Louise arrives in Cheltenham with her husband Richard, and their three children; Megan, Jack and Robyn, who together with their tireless English Springer Spaniel, Norris, are looking forward to discovering the Gloucestershire countryside.

Holly Mérigot Chandos Housemistress

David, Holly’s husband, is a French national and works in Asset Management. They have two children, Antony and Miranda, who are both at CCJS. Holly says “I am delighted to have been appointed Housemistress of Chandos. I aim to build on Chandos’ strong sense of community and to promote high standards generally. I look forward to working closely with the girls, parents and staff to help each girl achieve her best.”

Fergus Llewellyn Newick House Housemaster Educated at Sherborne School, followed by a degree in English at London University, Fergus taught for 4 years at Haslemere Prep School and 5 years at King’s Bruton in Somerset before arriving at College in 2005. Since arriving, he has been the resident tutor in Leconfield, before taking up the post of Head of English and Drama. Fergus also coaches rugby and cricket, as well as directing plays, singing with the Chapel Choir, and helping to run the College’s Christian Union.

Fergus is married to Tamsyn, a teacher of French and Latin at the Junior School, and they have recently celebrated the birth of their first child, Thomas.

Fergus says, “Tamsyn and I are honoured to be taking over from the Stovolds. Newick is a fantastic House, and we look forward to maintaining the strong family atmosphere that is so tangible. Our passion is to help boys to thrive and nurture their talents, as well as to grow in confidence and integrity, and we are hugely grateful for this opportunity to join what is such a warm and wonderful community.”

I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the latest edition of the Cheltonian Association magazine, which has just landed on my desk. I think the magazine is superbly and thoughtfully put together – it’s a thoroughly enjoyable read. I also think the obituaries supplement is a very good idea.

Damian Reilly (Xt ’95) 12

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CHELTENHAM NEWS...

CHELTENHAM COLLEGE COUNCIL By John Champion (Bursar & Secretary to Council) There was a time, not so long ago, when little more was expected of many school governors than that they turn up at a meeting once a term and ‘give the nod’ to proposals made by the Head or the Bursar. Perhaps not surprisingly they were often selected because they were the ‘right sort’ (presumably suitably compliant!) rather than because they possessed the right skills or relevant experience.

Thankfully a great deal has changed; the past couple of decades in particular have seen a relentless increase in the amount of regulation facing schools. It’s also been a period during which parents and the public more generally have become increasingly demanding, expecting ever higher standards of those entrusted with the education of their children.

So now, more than ever before, governors play a vital role in the running of schools and that’s as true for Cheltenham College as it is for boards of governors elsewhere. Yet there’s still a slight air of mystery surrounding our board, The Council, and how it operates.

The question that crops more often than any other is ‘who exactly are these Council members anyway, and how did they come to join the board?’

Two factors govern the ‘make-up’ of the Council. Firstly there’s our governing instrument, the Cheltenham College Act of 1894, and then there’s our particular needs, in terms of skills and experience, at any given point in time.

The 1894 Act established the rules for the structure of the Council, and although those rules have seen some amendment during the intervening years, much remains just as it was set out, more than a century ago. For a start, the name’s the same - we still have a Council rather than a board of governors and we still have a President rather than a chairman. We also continue to have seven nominated members of Council - one from each of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, one from another higher education institution and then four further members nominated by the Cheltonian Association, the Cheltonian Society, the Junior Common Room and the Senior Common Room respectively.

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In addition to these seven nominated members the Council has between 10 and 18 co-opted members bringing total membership to anywhere between 17 and 25.

So the 1894 Act set out the basic structure of the Council, but our specific needs in terms of skills and experience are reviewed regularly and we work hard to ensure that we always have the right balance of backgrounds represented on Council.

Current membership includes individuals with long and successful careers in education (covering all age ranges), business, finance, the law and so on.

We maintain a ‘skills matrix’ that allows us to monitor the balance of talents we have on the Council and to recruit new members, according to need, as existing members move toward the end of their terms of office.

Recruitment and selection of new Council members is principally the work of the Nominations Committee - one of three standing Council sub-committees.

The other sub-committees are Finance & General Purposes (F&GP) and of course the Education Committee.

As you might expect, the Education Committee’s remit is to monitor the effectiveness of teaching and learning across the College and to offer advice and guidance where appropriate or necessary. The Education Committee meets once a term and is chaired by Dr Robert Acheson, retired Headmaster of Clifton College Preparatory School.

The F&GP Committee has responsibility for overseeing facilities development, finance, fees, pupil numbers, risk management, health & safety and so on. Chaired by Bill Straker-Nesbitt a businessman, commodity merchant and past parent, this committee meets twice termly. Its members have a wealth of experience in legal matters, business, finance and property.

Being a member of Cheltenham College Council carries a good deal of responsibility. The College is a charity and members of Council are, therefore Charity Trustees. As such, they carry personal liability in the event of a breach of trust, or loss being caused to the College by acting beyond the powers given to them in the ‘governing instrument’ (the 1894 Act and any subsequent amendments). The Council has a legal duty to act with integrity in the best interests of the College ensuring

that the school remains solvent whilst at the same time managing risks, assets and, very importantly, the College’s reputation.

At all times the Council must act within charity law and the requirements of the Charity Commission.

Being a member of the College Council also requires a very significant commitment of time. All members of Council serve an initial term of 5 years, with the option to extend this for a further 5 years. The Council itself meets once a term in November, March and June.

These are two-day meetings and involve departmental visits, meetings with the teaching staff, debate of strategic issues affecting the schools, and consideration of the reports and recommendations from the Headmasters, the Bursar and the sub-committees. The majority of the Council are also members of the three sub-committees; meetings are held in College during the early evening, usually on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Council members also attend Speech Day, the Remembrance Day Services and a number of other functions including plays, concerts and Chapel services.

And finally, who is it that holds the lofty position of President of Council? The current President, in the post for 3 years now, is the Reverend John Horan. John is a past parent and former Assistant Chief Constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary. Now an Anglican minister he works with the NHS specialising in the support of patients living with serious mental health issues.

Mr William Straker-Nesbit (Joined 2006): Past Parent.

Business background.

Commodity Merchant.

Chairman of the Finance and General Purposes Committee.

Dr Robert Acheson (Joined 2008): Education background. Former Headmaster of Clifton College Preparatory School. Chair of the Education Committee.

Mr Christopher Smyth (Joined 2006): Business background - Solicitor. Head of Legal Services and Company Secretary, Cheltenham and Gloucester plc. Member of the Finance and General Purposes Committee, Chairman of the Nominations Committee.

Mr Peter Brettell (Joined 2008): OC BH ’71 and Past Parent. Business background. Honorary President of the Cheltonian Association. Engineer, currently Vice President of Jacobs based in America. Former President of Council (99-03) and former President of the Cheltonian Society (94-97).

Professor Linda la Velle (Joined 2000): Education background. Executive Research Professor, Acting Head of School and Associate Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Plymouth.

Member of the Education Committee.

Mrs Virginia Isaac (Joined 2004): Business/ Marketing background.

Director of Business Development at UCAS. Member of the Board of Cheltenham Festivals. Member of the Finance and General Purposes Committee.

Mr Lynn Rowland (Joined 2006): OC Xt ’62. Education background. Former Headmaster of Richard Pate Preparatory School. Member of the Education Committee.

Mrs Jo Blackburn (Joined 2008): Medical/Charity background. Former Nurse, currently Director of Practice Development for Help the Hospices. Member of the Education Committee.

PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL - Reverend John Horan (Joined 1997): Past Parent.

Community Service background. Former Assistant Chief Constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary.

Currently an Anglican Priest employed by the NHS working in mental health. Elected President 2007.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT Colonel Jackie Smith (Joined 2002): Military background. Army career from 1973 to 2000.

Colonel Lawrence Anderson (Joined 2007): OC Th ’59. Military background. Army career from 1959-2004 - the last 11 as Commander, West Midlands recruiting. President of The Cheltonian Society. Now a charity volunteer.

Mrs Beverley HodsonCottingham (Joined 2004): Business background. Former Managing Director of Boots plc, W H Smith plc and Sears plc.

Midlands Business Woman of the Year 1994, Currently Non-executive Director, Council member University of Gloucestershire, Vice President of Associates, Newnham College Cambridge. Member of the Finance and General Purposes Committee.

Former presidents have included Lady Fiona Mynors, a Reporting ISI Inspector and retired Headteacher, Peter Brettell, currently the President of the Cheltonian Association and nominated member of Council, Nigel Farrow, publisher and Sir Michael McWilliam, banker and civil servant.

The Council is acutely aware of the need to maintain a healthy balance of skills & experience and is especially interested at the moment to hear from individuals with a strong senior-level background in accountancy, education, property or law.

If you match one of these criteria and would like to be considered for inclusion on our list of potential future Council members please write to Chris Smyth, Chairman of the Nominations Committee c/o John Champion, Bursar & Secretary to the Council. You can contact John at champion.john@cheltcoll.gloucs.sch.uk.

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COUNCIL MEMBERS

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ValetEs John Richardson Headmaster Cheltenham College Senior School 2004-2010 John Richardson arrived as Headmaster in 2004, and has invested his extraordinary energies in the taxing and invaluable task of improving, expanding and modernising the College.

He leaves College with high numbers, improved facilities, a strong Association, modern management practices, outstanding sport, a greatly sharpened academic sense (including four years of record exam results), excellent Chapel, strong music, closer links with the Junior, fine inspection reports, and the beginnings of a College-wide ambition for achievement. All of this has been done without undermining College’s superb community and its all-round achievement.

It is a truism that managers work to get things right, and leaders to do the right thing: John has unequivocally led, with determination and devotion, always ready to put himself on the line for what he believes in and actuated by a burning desire to do right by College and its pupils, parents, friends and staff. John’s core of deep Christian values, passion for excellence, determination to raise standards, commitment to service and delight in education and the intellect have been unmistakable in all he has done.

Superbly articulate, he is warm in person, and his meetings with pupils in Houses have been typical of him: open, thoughtful, willing to argue and explain. He has been a rock in crises, especially the inevitable sad major disciplinary actions. He has acted for the good, without fear or favour.

Characteristically, he retires having created a major development plan that will secure College’s future as it unfolds; but it required a Head for the next six or more years, and John was not going to stay so long. Rather than compromise the plan or the College, he decided to leave, and move on to seas, and possibly mountains, new. College is in his debt; he and Ruth have served it with affection and Christian commitment, and we thank them for it.

Adrian Morris Headmaster Cheltenham College Junior School 2008 - 2010

By John Horan (President Cheltenham College Council) Adrian Morris’s decision to stand down, after two years as Headmaster of The Junior, came as a real surprise to everyone who knew him. An experienced and committed Headmaster who has worked within independent boarding schools for 23 15

CHELTENHAM NEWS...

CHELTENHAM NEWS... years and been in a Headmaster role for 10 of those years, he made a real impression on The Junior.

Adrian is a Headmaster of deserved reputation. He introduced a number of initiatives, including a reorganisation of the senior management structure and the launch of The Junior’s Core Values: Respect, Honesty, Commitment, Responsibility, Forgiveness and Kindness. These will be of great benefit to our pupils now and in the years to come. As a professional, his first priority was education and, more specifically, the development of The Junior School and its community for which we are enormously grateful.

We are, of course, also indebted to Sue for the very constructive part she has played in the life of The Junior School, both in providing learning support for pupils and more generally in support of Adrian.

Adrian now takes a well-deserved sabbatical as he explores his career options and we wish him and Sue every possible good wish for the future as we look forward to Hettie continuing her education with us.

Nicholas Lowton Senior Master 1979 – 2010 Nicholas Lowton, who leaves College to take up his parish in Herefordshire, has been one of the great College figures of the last 30 years, since his arrival in September 1979 to teach Classics. Head of Classics from 1979 to 1986, he quickly moved into an outstanding pastoral career: Tutor in Leconfield 1979 to 1983; Assistant Housemaster in Southwood 1983 to 1984; Housemaster of Southwood: 1984 to December 1990; and, most greatly, Housemaster of Hazelwell from January 1991 to 2008. Since 1992 he has been a gifted Assistant Chaplain. He served as Senior Housemaster from 1994 to 2008; and since 1997 has been a member of the Senior Management team, as Director of Marketing from 1997 to 2005 and Senior Master from 2008. In his ‘spare’ time he has written Cheltenham College Chapel (1996), read immensely, and directed a series of flawless plays and musicals. He has convened the School Council and the Charity Committee and produced countless policies and handbooks. A devoted musician, he sang in the Chapel Choir in his early days; Nicholas’ combination of music and oenophilia has produced the remarkable series of annual concerts by the Boyan Ensemble of Kiev.

Nicholas is changeable: there are gusts of laughter and irony, and times of introspection; he is at once bon viveur and in some ways ascetic; he has been one of the bestknown school figures of his day (not least through legendary hospitality and his many dogs) and in other ways a private figure; he is warm and he can be difficult. What does not change is the core of the man: a deep, superbly-articulated, Christian faith;

an unshakeable devotion to the needs of the pupils; a passionate commitment to excellence; a great sense of style; a fascination with people (provided they are not dull); and a razor-sharp intellect. He managed Hazelwell with exemplary style, indeed flamboyance, and with a startling eye for what each boy needed at every moment: from the famous vertical interviews coming through the door on Saturday night, to the well-placed (metaphorical) boot, to the unreserved empathy and sympathy. Nicholas demanded the best from and for his pupils, and he set exceptionally high standards in his many dealings with them. He has been an inspiration to generations of Cheltonians. His devotion to the Chapel, and great contribution to its life, reflected his love of the Church’s ritual and his keen desire to engage pupils with the Christian faith. His pithy sermons in Chapel provided a comprehensive guide to the love of God and the nature of our humanity, and he was a thoroughly active preacher, from junior schools, to prisons, via Bermuda and other exotic locations. He brought distinction to College, as he will to his parish. We wish him every happiness in his new role.

Heather Lawrence Senior Mistress 1995 – 2010 Academic, Earth mother, babushka, child protector (now safeguarder), matchmaker, nononsense arbiter, truth-speaker, peacemaker, universal aunt, redoubtable professional, heart of the College community, Christian love in action: if, to misquote Voltaire, Heather Lawrence had not existed, College would have had to invent her. Heather arrived as Housemistress of Chandos in January 1995; and as the only Housemistress, also filled the role of Senior Housemistress. In 2000 she left Chandos to take up the SMT post of Senior Teacher, which she has occupied with distinction ever since, with central roles in child protection and staff training. Heather has been the immediate first port of call for all questions on pastoral legislation and advice about pupils, colleagues and families.

She is possessed of supreme professional knowledge and skills, an extraordinary experience of humanity in schools and parishes, endless patience, the rare capacity for not being judgemental, the ability to get everyone of all backgrounds to talk to her, a huge sense of humour, and astonishing loyalty and integrity. A pivotal figure in the modern pastoral development of the College, and especially in the College’s variouslydefined embracing of co-education, Heather is the embodiment of tough love: she listens and reflects, but will never compromise her values sentimentally (this does not mean that she doesn’t enjoy a good cry behind the scenes). Pupils face a thorough but utterly fair grilling, and receive exactly the support, or question, or push they need. Staff have found an emotional safety valve, especially in recent changeable times; but her responses

are always considered and often challenging: like the centre of her faith, Heather offers love but not vague sympathy, and real love is surprisingly tough.

Heather loves learning too: and has taught Biology with academic delight and real sense of wonder, never patronising pupils but always raising their aspirations. She has taught Chemistry with efficiency and trepidation.

She retires to scuba diving, and to David, her children and grandchildren, who have been at the heart of her life. She has enlivened meetings, provoked thought, and cared passionately for excellence, for relationships, and for faith: she has kept middle-aged men in hand, and led the young out of their muddles; she has insisted on people taking responsibility: ‘who’s the grown-up?’ The College waters will close over her, as they do over all who leave; but they will seem very deep without her.

Barry Wild Head of Science 1982 – 2010 Barry Wild has been a towering figure in Common Room. He came to College in September 1982 as Head of Chemistry, with responsibility for designing the laboratories in the 1983 Science Block, and was appointed Head of Science in 2001. His rather quiet and reserved nature belies an inner strength, and Barry’s immense breadth and detailed knowledge of Chemistry, and his ability to engage pupils in a generous and unassuming way, are legendary. As a chemist, he has few peers, and many have gone on to study Chemistry and allied sciences very successfully indeed as a direct result of his inspirational teaching. He is much respected by those he teaches, and his wry grin and sense of humour have stood him in good stead in the classroom and in what felt to him like ‘squillions’ of meetings. Barry led the department by inspirational example, and it grew from strength to strength under his leadership, with A level results always amongst the best in College. He made everyone in the department, especially the support staff, feel valued; and there has always been a very positive and productive atmosphere around the place. His roles as an ISI inspector, Common Entrance setter and in the 59 Club of Heads of Science have kept his profile outside the College high.

Barry has been an excellent all-round schoolmaster. He has been a superb tutor in Christowe, serving five Housemasters and hundreds of Boyceites extremely well. He was fully involved in the Boat Club from 19822008: coaching the 1st VIII from 1995-2001, winning two National Schools Gold Medals (J16 4+ and J15 8+), introducing J14 sculling, and mentoring several internationals and a couple of Boat Race Presidents. An Oxford Golf Blue, he was an ideal founding m-i-c of the College Golf Club, which he has run with distinction since 1984. He was Assistant Coach to the GB Independent Schools Golf Team to the US in 1983, 87, 89 and

91, and was President of the Pedagogues (Schoolmasters’ Golf Society) 2005-2008.

Barry is a man of exceptional integrity, and sound judgment; and it came as no surprise when Common Room elected him their President in 2008. He has been a wonderful, calm, wise and professional guide through difficult times. He has served College exceptionally well and we wish him and Fiona every happiness; we are thrilled that he will teach part time from September so that pupils and colleagues alike can still benefit from his expertise.

Charles Wright Head of Classics 1980 – 2010 Charlie Wright arrived in January 1980 to teach Classics, and has had an exceptionally distinguished College career: Tutor in Wilson 1980-1982 and subsequently in Boyne House 1995-2010; Housemaster of Leconfield 1982-1994; Head of Classics 1994-2010. He has been a key figure in College rowing for 30 years, and master in charge from 1995-2001; and he made a distinguished contribution to CCF from 1980-2003, serving as Commanding Officer from 1981-1984. An integral part of the life of Common Room, he was an excellent President of Common Room from 2005-2008. Charles is thoughtful, witty, erudite and devoted to Classics, to College and to his pupils. He has given endlessly of his time to support those who took an interest in any aspect of Classics, and his successes have been very considerable, with numerous pupils pursuing Classics at university (including Oxford and Cambridge).

He has brought in new Latin courses, and set the highest standards whilst always providing encouragement, latterly with several generations of the Stick of Destiny. His trips abroad and to Oxford have been legendary, and the Classics’ prize evening and dinner of recent years have brought the College’s academic aspect to vibrant life. His pupils are devoted to him.

As master in charge of rowing he was responsible for initiating the Boat Club Dinner, now an established high point of the College social calendar and for the setting up of the Boat Club Trust Fund which has provided a considerable source of funding for equipment and new boats. Tewkesbury regatta, in which rowers of all abilities were given the chance to show what they could do rather than what they couldn’t, was wholly characteristic of Charles’ energy and his determination to give pupils a chance to shine if they wished to. It was a highlight in the rowing year for many schools. His remarkable courtesy (manifested amongst other ways in his myriad letters to colleagues), his unaffected intellectuality, his care for others and his good humour have made him an exceptional schoolmaster and colleague. We wish him and Julie every happiness in what will be a busy and no doubt well-travelled retirement.

F L O R E AT ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1 Helen Smith PA to Cheltenham College Junior School Headmaster 1987 – 2010

By Nigel Archdale (Headmaster CCJS 1992 to 2008) “Cheltenham College Junior School - good morning!”

I wonder how many times Helen Smith’s dulcet voice has cheerfully chirped that salutation over the last 23 years. Helen’s first encounter with the Junior was as a prospective parent when my predecessor’s predecessor Phil Davies interrogated her, not for a post as secretary but with her husband, David, as a potential parent at the Junior.

I met Helen on interview for the Headship of the Junior in 1991. It was my first experience of the warmth of the welcome for which Helen is renowned. Helen’s constancy and concern for all, her attention to detail and her phenomenal memory of parents and their children were traits that made her truly an indispensable Personal Assistant. Helen’s ability to present a completely professional calm voice and presence, whilst being totally au fait with all the stresses and strains that run below the surface in any busy and successful school, was her hallmark.

Helen had begun her administrative career as a personal secretary to Lord Dowty. I was grateful to her having had such an illustrious training ground for the many occasions at the Junior involving the handling of high profile visitors who were all put at ease by the consummate manner in which Helen made them feel at home. These visitors included Sir Colin Cowdrey cricketer, Michael Morpurgo Children’s Author and Laureate, Sir Garfield Sobers legendary West Indian test cricketer and actor Sir Donald Sinden.

Although Helen was appointed as Headmaster’s Secretary this role also encompassed the role of Registrar and it was while Helen held this position that the Junior roll rose to over 500 pupils.

One of the better kept secrets about Helen was her musical stage presence and prior to taking up full time work she was revered in Cheltenham Amateur Operatic circles as one of the best performers. Very occasionally we were treated to a glimpse of that performing presence such as at our CCJS Burns’ Suppers when Helen sang like a skylark under the direction of the late Mair Hughes, who was one of Helen’s closest friends. In Chapel, Helen read at the CCJS Carol Service with such authority and presence that all present will never forget this talented side of Helen’s performance portfolio.

Whilst no one is ever indispensable I think Helen’s knowledge, care and attention and tireless hours of outstanding selfless service to the Junior come pretty close to making her a legend. The Junior owes Helen an enormous debt of gratitude to a remarkable lady who has always gone the extra “marathon” to 16

11 FLOREAT

ValetEs continued ensure that the service we all expect from the Junior has simply been second to none.

Helen, on behalf of the generations of Juniors and their parents, successions of colleagues, eight Presidents of Council, four Heads of College and three Headmasters of the Junior who have all been privileged to have been supported by you as our top flight PA - we say an enormous CCJS thank you very much indeed, Helen! “ Thank you very much for telephoning us - I will pass on your message to the Headmaster and he will call you back as soon as possible.

Good bye ....”

Bob Elliott Head of Classics 1976 – 2010

By Derek Maddock (CCJS Staff) Bob Elliott committed his teaching life to The Junior, arriving from London in 1976 with his wife Gill, to teach the Classics. French teaching was added to his repertoire at a later date and he also coached top teams in hockey (both boys and girls), tennis and squash. Indeed in the staff “league”, if you wanted to be considered a halfway decent squash or tennis player you had to beat Bob, and that was not easy. Pupils were thoroughly prepared for the Common Entrance examinations and were motivated to do well by the obvious professionalism and high standards that were expected. Yet, if one just looks at this, you are only just scratching the surface of Bob’s contribution to the life of The Junior. The longest serving Housemaster, the original Housemaster of Troy, appointed

by David Cassell he looked after generations of children before finally relinquishing the role to David Bywater in the later years of Nigel Archdale’s time as Head; Assistant Head, responsible for discipline through much of the 1990s and the early 21st century, where very clear parameters as to acceptable behaviour were laid down; Assistant Scout leader under Derek Skinner before taking on the reins himself, and hundreds of children have enjoyed the Malvern Challenge or the regular Scout camps in the Brecon Beacons or the Cotswolds; running a Badminton activity, latterly with Helen Grote, which saw teams being entered into the IAPS Tournaments; Editor of the school magazine; class tutor with Upper School pupils; distributor of the produce from the Harvest Festivals to the Salvation Army – the list goes on and on.

If this was not enough, Bob was very active outside school. He played for Cheltenham Hockey Club for years, is a CAMRA supporter (he loves his Real Ale) and both Gill and Bob and their beloved dogs are real country lovers.

Starting with an allotment in the grounds of Boyne (now the site of Ashmead), Bob and Gill graduated to a house outside the school in Andoversford where they could develop their interest in growing their own food. An 17

CHELTENHAM NEWS...

CHELTENHAM NEWS... opportunity came up to buy a smallholding in the Forest of Dean, at which they leapt.

Their gardens are well established now, their chickens are thriving (and are possibly the best fed in the area), and the latest intention is to move into pig rearing. Despite the daily lengthy drive to school, even with detours due to the Foot and Mouth epidemic or when road conditions necessitated a drive down to Chepstow before switching on to the motorway network, Bob was rarely late.

Having struggled recently due to knee and hip problems, Bob finally decided after his latest operation that it was time to retire.

He is a friend and colleague to all in the Common Room and his farewell both here and in Chapel summed up the high esteem in which he is held. He was totally committed to the school and remained the consummate professional. We will miss him.

Molly Abbott Head of English for Foreign Students 1998 – 2010 Molly, who retires this year, arrived at the College in 1998 as a teacher of English for Foreign Students.

Within a year she was Head of Department and has ever since been a moral and professional anchor to the Common Room; a superb ally, teacher, friend and scourge to the international pupils, and a notable proponent of the College’s creative life. She has presided in her eyrie over the tuck-shop in great style, organising and teaching academic support lessons for the international pupils, and helping them to develop and expand the academic linguistic skills that have enabled them to achieve excellent results.

Tough, funny, warm and challenging, she has provided a subtle mix of goad and hug to produce the very best.

Her assessment of pupils applying to the College has been faultless, and her feelings about ’her’ pupils strong. She has tutored very effectively; her Lower College pupils being in Chandos and (briefly) Hazelwell. In her ‘spare’ time she has been at the centre of the College’s artistic life: a considerable ceramic artist herself, she has fostered art exhibitions, co-produced a film, and been ‘stage manager’ and co-producer of numerous plays. For Molly, the full life is lived with the mind and the imagination (knees can be circumvented, although in more flexible days she taught staff aerobics). In recent years she has taken full charge of the programme for inducting new teachers (the NQTs) and overseen the teachertraining students when they have worked at the College. Molly has been one of the great spirits of Common Room; it will be a very different place without her.

Rachel Lowe CCJS Lower School Teacher 1998 – 2010

By Vicky Plenderleith (Current CCJS Staff) Rachel joined The Junior in 1998 from Wycliffe School as Miss Hibberd. She began working in Kingfishers, which had been established a few years prior to her arrival, and she was a welcome addition to the Kingfishers’ team and the Common Room.

Rachel was a natural in the classroom and the children adored her. This has remained throughout her time here. Her teaching was excellent and her humour shared and enjoyed by all staff and children. She was an asset to Kingfishers for many years, during which time she had her first child Immy and then returned part time subsequently to have her second child Maddie. Her return part time was welcomed by Kingfishers but short lived as she then made the transition from Kingfishers to Lower School to teach a Year 3 class.

Rachel will be missed by many at The Junior for many reasons; her bubbly personality, impeccable style and stunning smile to name a few. The Common Room will be a quieter and less glamorous place without her.

We wish her every enjoyment with her family as her children continue to grow.

Barbara Bateman Christowe Matron 1984 - 2010

By Nick Nelson (Christowe Housemaster) Barbara was appointed as a matron in Christowe in 1984 by Malcolm and Cathy Sloan and very quickly became a key part of the House, fitting in extremely well. She immediately proved to be very reliable, trustworthy, and totally flexible, standing in when anyone was ill even if it clashed with prior arrangements. In the words of Malcolm, her first of four Housemasters under whom she worked: ‘her loyalty to ourselves, our family, to the House and the boys was unfailing’.

Barbara always took a keen interest in all the boys in the House and they really respected her, as indeed did the parents. She was fully supported by her husband Robert, who came to all House events. In many ways she always extended her brief here, and will always be regarded more as a second mother to the boys in Christowe rather than simply a Matron. Her culinary skills are second to none, and her cakes are stuff of legends. Even though I have only worked with Barbara for a term and a half, I have known her for nearly fifteen years.

She simply gave unstintingly of her time in the House and is in effect the person that knows the House best, having been a part of the fabric here for over 25 years. I am also personally grateful to her for how much time she has given in terms of seeing in our new resident matron Nina Warren, and indeed Jenni Hyde our new day matron.

It was very hard for Barbara to pass on the mantle to anyone else in Christowe, and I know how hard she found it to say goodbye.

However, both she and Robert are most welcome to return to Christowe at any time, and I hope they will stay in touch. We wish them both a very happy and relaxing retirement.

Pete Seabrook Member of Estates Staff 1995 – 2010

By Andy Banks (current staff) Pete joined the College Works Department, as it was then known, as a gardener in 1995. The role involved looking after the Boarding House gardens and those at the front of College. He was later promoted to Head Gardener in charge of a small team.

to him and his staff and this was universally acknowledged by everyone, both academic and support staff.

He was a keen rugby player in his younger days and took a keen interest in watching most sports. He also very much enjoyed his many and varied holidays with his wife Dorothy.

Pete is a keen family man and is looking forward to being able to spend more quality time with his children and grandchildren.

Pete’s experience, genuine friendliness and jovial nature will be sorely missed by all of his colleagues and friends at the College and we all wish him a very happy retirement.

Ken Holbrow Member of Estates Staff Sub Contractor 1975 –1999 College Staff 1999 – 2010

He was always a very well liked member of the Estates team, with an excellent sense of humour and was well known for his large repertoire of jokes.

Pete was always extremely hard working and the excellent display of colour in the gardens throughout the year was a testament

By Andy Banks (Current Staff) Ken joined the Works Department, as it was then known, as an electrician in April 1999.

Farewell Newick House

By Tom Hughes (NH ’97) & Rob Mace (NH ’04) On Friday 6th August, 2010, over 300 friends of Newick House and the Stovold family gathered in a marquee at the County Cricket Festival to celebrate Martin Stovold’s 18 years as Housemaster of Newick House. Every Muglistonite generation that has benefited from Martin’s leadership in Newick, as well as his tireless efforts to re-energise the Muglistonite gatherings and the OC cricket scene, was represented, with Upper 6th formers in 1992 in attendance alongside some 3rd form of 2010.

Mrs Ford, Mrs Knight-Adams, Mrs Townley and Major Stephen Clark (the College Adjutant) all contributed to the success of the evening, and Kyle Stovold was an expert Master of Ceremonies.

Guests travelled from all over the country and, in some cases, across continents, to join in the celebrations. Amusing anecdotes were recalled by Keith Richardson (Headmaster and representing Wynberg Boys High School in Cape Town), Nigel Archdale (ex Cheltenham Junior School Headmaster and parent), Tom Hughes (first 3rd Form intake 1992 representing the Muglistonites) and Rob Mace, (former Head of College 2004 and Muglistonite) on behalf of all those grateful for his tenure in Newick. Martin’s reply emphasised good humour, commitment to high standards and pride in Newick House as common themes throughout his tenure.

In his reply, ‘Stov’ recalled some of his experiences from the 18 years he has spent as Housemaster of Newick House.

Listening to Martin recall his time, it became clear that the stories would have been less colourful, the anecdotes less amusing and the achievements less significant without Martin in charge. A standing ovation completed the more formal part of the evening as the celebrations carried on to the early hours!

Martin has played a central role in the direction and development of so many boys that have passed through Newick – we’ve been lucky to have a teacher, role model and friend without peer.

F L O R E AT ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1 He had previously been employed as an electrician for R. Lewis and Co who were electrical contractors for the College, so he came to the job with an already extensive knowledge.

Ken has been an extremely able and hardworking member of the Estates team, highly regarded by both academics and his colleagues within the Department.

In addition, during his time at the College Ken was an enthusiastic member of the Pensions Committee, always happy to advise members of the Estates staff with any pension related issues.

Ken has thoroughly enjoyed his time at College, but he now plans to spend more time with his family. Also, he will have more time to dedicate to his charity work and his many hobbies including tending his allotment, bee keeping and train spotting. He will also be able to spend more time in his idyllic cottage in the Orkneys.

We wish Ken all the best in his retirement and we will remember him with great affection.

His incredible sense of humour and the good times that he shared with us will never be forgotten.

Farewell Sarah Ramsay

By Heather Lawrence (Past Staff) A typical summer BBQ with sun and showers on Sunday 16th May provided the ideal opportunity for many to say farewell to Sarah Ramsay after 8 years as Housemistress of Chandos.

Despite the showers, there was much warmth and laughter as past pupils and parents and house staff huddled in the Common Room reminiscing and exchanging anecdotes. Parents expressed their thanks for the care and dedication that Sarah had given to their daughters while they went through College always knowing that she provided the care and security that their daughters needed.

There was great fun as some pupils confessed to their ‘naughty deeds’ and there was much affection for Sarah as she had obviously stood by ‘her girls’ through thick and thin. There was no doubting Sarah’s love and care for those in her charge; she always put them first and was proud of all that they achieved.

Her stewardship of Chandos provided a time of stability which allowed the girls to achieve their best academically and on the wider College stage. As one girl said as she left ‘Once a Ramsay Chandos girl, always a Ramsay Chandos girl’. Sarah has left a rich legacy to many.

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House Reunions 2011 The Girls’ House Reunion – Grace Bar, 44 Windmill Street

By Anna Cutts (Ashmead Housemistress) The Milk Bar, Grace Bar was the venue for the girls’ House reunions this year and with polished chrome, booth seating and mirrored walls it was the antithesis of The Arts’ Club two years’ ago. Not the easiest venue to find (map reading never was my forte - or as I discovered, Mrs Mérigot’s!), gradually a few familiar faces appeared and by 8.30pm a good representation across Houses and year groups was in evidence. Two years seem to have frighteningly passed in a flash and those who were talking of their time at University a couple of years previously were now fully fledged tax payers as lawyers or researchers or working in Westminster for an MP, or as PA to the Duchess of Gloucester!

At 9.00pm we moved to join other Houses at Tiger Tiger and old friendships were reforged and in the spirit of co-education, the girls (ladies!) soon made their presence felt and their voices heard! A good night, a fun night - here’s to 2014!

By Holly Mérigot (Chandos Housemistress) There was quality rather than quantity in terms of the OC girls this year but it was an interesting and fun evening. I was delighted to meet Proctorites who left College sixteen years ago as well as those who I knew from when I started here in 2007. It was fascinating hearing about their memories of Chandos, College staff and their time in Cheltenham. The range of careers was broad including those working in law, fashion journalism, teaching, accountancy and several present were of course still engaged in degree courses. Many liked the idea of coming back to College for a reunion as it would give them the opportunity to explore and see how College has changed. I look forward to the next reunion and thank more recent leavers for their insight into the current girls in Chandos!

Boyne House Reunion – The Travellers Club, Pall Mall

By Sebastian Bullock (Current Housemaster) The Brooksmithite Gathering was again held at The Travellers Club (a former watering hole of the current Housemaster). Although numbers were slightly lower than expected due to ‘flu’ and City pressures, it was a most convivial evening. As well as Mr Hugh Wright (Housemaster 1971 - 1979) and several Heads of House, there were many generations of Brooksmithites present, which made for a very successful reunion.

Cheltondale House Reunion – The Velvet Area, Jewel Bar, Piccadilly

By Duncan Byrne (Deputy Head – Academic) On 6th January, twenty Owenites assembled in the Jewel Bar, only a stone’s throw from the neon lights of Piccadilly Circus for the Cheltondale reunion. In the absence of a past Housemaster, I presided.

A range of vintages was present from 1943 to 1980, one of the last cohorts before Cheltondale’s sad closure, and it was noticeable how old rivalries persist; the Hazelwell and Leconfield reunions in the same venue were met with a jocular hostility barely diminished by the passage of time. Conversation focused on absent friends and particularly on the Housemasters and House Tutors, whose influence had shaped countless lives. The Owenites moved on to the whole College reunion and resolved to coax old classmates out for the next Cheltondale event.

Hazelwell House Reunion – The Velvet Room, Jewel Bar, Piccadilly

By Simon Conner (Current Housemaster) Another successful Greenite event saw many Old Boys gather in The Velvet Room of the Jewel Bar in Piccadilly Circus. The turn-out was particularly impressive with leavers represented from as far back as 1940. The wine flowed along with many tales of misdemeanours committed during their tenures in Hazelwell, but for most it was an opportunity to discuss their achievements and travels since leaving College. It was clear that a good time was had by all as there was no sign of people leaving until late into the night. I would just like to thank so many for making the effort to come to the reunion.

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Leconfield House Reunion – The Ruby Room, Jewel Bar, Piccadilly

By Chris Reid (Current Housemaster) The Porcherite reception was held in the Ruby Room of the Jewel Bar in Piccadilly and was a great success.

Around 70 Porcherites, spanning over 40 years, gathered to reminisce and catch up with old friendships. It is a testament to the affection and regard that people have for Leconfield that we were joined by my immediate three predecessors; Guy Dodd, Charles Wright and Karl Cook.

Many of the assembled crowd then made their way to Tiger Tiger where they met up with their contemporaries from other Houses.

Newick House Reunion, Tiger Tiger, 28-29 Haymarket

By Fergus Llewellyn (Current Housemaster) A warm and successful reunion of Old Muglistonites was held at Tiger Tiger on 6th January. Around 50 Muglistonites made it to this lively central venue, including five old boys who left in the 1940s. As a new Housemaster, it was a privilege to meet so many generations of Newick boys, to learn more of its past and traditions, as well as hear of some unusual and daring escapades. The atmosphere was lively and congenial throughout, and as Old Cheltonians joined us from other venues, typical Cheltonian conviviality was to the fore. I briefly spoke about the House, outlining recent events and achievements, and encouraged all Old Boys to feel free to visit Newick whenever they are in Cheltenham.

Christowe House Reunion – Waxy O’Connors, Piccadilly

By Nick Nelson (Current Housemaster) On Thursday 6th January 2011 approximately 40 Boyceites congregated at Waxy O’Connors, an Irish bar on Rupert Street in London for the Christowe House Reunion. They were joined by myself, Mr & Mrs Nick Arkell and the Sloan family. It was great to reminisce with OCs; some of whom left many years ago, including Mr John Taylor who left College in 1940. We also met with those who had left more recently, and in general it was a good chance to catch up with all of their news. I took the opportunity to talk to the assembled group about how College is thriving with its recent changes and developments. I also informed all Boyceites about recent achievements of current Christowe boys as well as developments made in terms of the fabric of the house. All Boyceites were encouraged to return to visit the House in the near future, and I made a plea for anyone to come back to hold a careers’ evening or to offer work experience. As a group we then moved on to Tiger Tiger to join all of the other OCs to hear the Headmaster’s address and to reminisce some more. All in all it was an excellent occasion, and I very much look forward to the next one!

Southwood, Thirlestaine, Wilson & Day Boys House Reunion – Tiger Tiger, 28-29 Haymarket

By Barry Lambert (Current Housemaster) “Tiger, tiger burning bright” as the saying goes; well things were certainly burning well into the night at the recent reunion held in London. With OCs in attendance who only left last year, to some day boys who had not seen each other for over forty years, it was great to see so many supporting the event. It really was nice to learn what many had been up to since leaving: pilots, brokers, designers and company executives to name but a few. Many ties were also being worn with the recipients proud to reminisce of their achievements and exploits. Lots of stories about old times and members of staff were also shared along with some excellent accounts of trips overseas. It is clear to see that College still means a great deal to so many. I feel there is enough material out there to make a great book one day, but not a job for me!

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International Reunions

College Reunion Tim Sketchley (Th ’69) - Just a brief word of congratulations for organising the gathering in London, which was extremely enjoyable. With only five of us from the ‘original Day Boys’ House (Thirlestaine)’ and with most of us not having seen each other for about 40 years, it was amazing how shared experiences still meant so much. A great evening and once again thank you for taking the initiative to organise it.

Victoria Bishop (Cha ’94) – Looking forward to the next one.

I’ll try and get some more old timers along!

Sydney – 19th October 2010

By Sholto Douglas (L ’68) After decades of neglect towards my educational heritage, I suddenly got the idea to organise an OC reunion in Sydney. Rebecca at the Association kindly furnished some details of last known contacts, that was the easy bit. The real test came with several weeks of email tennis in the face of the apathy and inertia these events always generate, trying to rustle up a semi-respectable quorum.

I finally snared four others to meet at my favourite watering hole in Crows Nest, which dispenses a very drinkable range of Czech pilseners and dark ales on tap.

It was a cheery evening, despite none of us knowing each other. The rather tame photo does us an injustice; we only remembered to take it at the end of the evening when everyone had moved on to coffee. We agreed to organise a more formal, and hopefully better attended, reunion in March – watch this space!

Anthony Jones (DB ’59) – Much better venue and organisation than last time.

Michael Morgan (L ’56) – Hugely enjoyable.

Alice Early (Q ’06) – Fab. Love it, thanks so much. Great to see everyone.

New York – 6th January 2011

By Robert Prescott-Walker (NH ’78) We all had a very nice chat and drink at the Roof on the Strand bar, with a particularly good view of the Empire State building behind us. All the remarkable was the fact that there were four very different generations, 1966, 1977, 1990 and 1999. One OC remembered being taught maths by Peter Gale, who was later to become my Housemaster at Newick. For some reason or other, we all seemed to remember the Montpellier Wine Bar, can’t think why, must have been the Day Boys!

Lots of discussion about houses and old teachers was had, and none of us could remember exactly where the rifle range was although we were pretty sure we had all been there. There was also plenty of talk about changes to the grounds, such as the transition from the cinder running track to the high tech track that I used to run on by the Junior School.

Leckhampton Hill was remembered fondly, although I can’t think why. All I remember was flogging about the cross country in loads of mud and then trying to persuade young boys to keep climbing when they got frozen to the climbing slab. A very enjoyable evening.

Neil Burns-Thomson (DB ’59) – Great, when is the next one?

Toronto – 6th January 2011

By Jeremy Wiggett (H ’91) On a cold and snowy evening, a few intrepid OCs made their way to the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto for a wonderful evening. Cocktails were followed by an intimate dinner and the sharing of multi-generational experiences of College. The Cheltonian spirit is alive and well in Canada!

John Donald (Xt ‘55) – Thank you for arranging and hosting the excellent reunion in January. It was good to hear the positive news about Christowe and to hear that the House and College are thriving. It is also good that the reunions are continued; and I certainly enjoyed seeing familiar faces again, and meeting new ones.

Paddy Gardiner (L ’51) made perhaps one of the longest treks to an OC gathering, making the journey from Kuujjuac, Quebec in the Arctic Circle, over 1,000 miles from Toronto.

Also in attendance were Bob Charlton (Ch ’57), Hugh Wilkinson (L ’60), Tony Wilkinson (L ’62), Bob McMullan (L ’41), William Nichols (BH ’45) and myself.

While relatively small, the reunion sparked interest in organising a larger event in the warmer months with OCs across Canada and those in the USA close to the Toronto area.

Thank you to Bob Charlton and his wife Diane for hosting us at this splendid venue.

Lexi Straker-Nesbit (A ’02) – Thank you for organising such a great event. I really enjoyed it, and it was so good to catch up with people and also meet new old boys and girls. Really looking forward to the next one!

Tim Pearce (Past Staff Member) – I greatly enjoyed the parties on Thursday and was pleased to see a good number of OCs I had not met for some years.

George Kay (L ’71) – Excellent.

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Hong Kong – 7th January 2011

By Billy Wong (NH ’00) Around 20 OCs and their families turned up for the first ever OC reunion gathering in Hong Kong on 7th January.

It went well and we had OCs ranging from those who left the College in the 1960s to recent leavers.

We played a prerecorded speech by the Headmaster on an ipad when the gathering was in full swing, it was great to hear the news from College and to have had that contact from the HM. 22

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EVENTS...

EVENTS....

Ladies’ Day At The Races

Photography by Andy Banks.

ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

IRELAND REUNION

By Gaye Mitchell (Past & Current Parent) On Thursday 18 March 2010, a group of 120 people met in a Cheltonian Association marquee at Cheltenham races for “ladies day” of the Festival. The gathering consisted of OCs both young and old, and past and current parents of both the Senior and Junior Schools. The day started with great excitement when Mr Dimmer, from Martins jewellers, brought in the Gold Cup which we were able to pass around and drink champagne from. Peter Scudamore, a past College parent, also visited our marquee so spirits were running high from the off!

F L O R E AT

husbands seemed oblivious and not the least bit concerned about the plastic being thrashed!

We were incredibly fortunate with the weather as it was a warm 14 degrees and it only rained right at the end of the day, unlike in 2008 when the whole event was cancelled because of gale force winds.

The atmosphere around the paddock, in the stands and in the Guinness tent was superb with the Irish out in full force.

The Cheltonian Association marquee was the most perfect base to enjoy the whole racing experience. One could eat, drink and be merry there and the nearest Tote for betting was just opposite our marquee so people were constantly diving off to make their fortune from a £3 each way bet on a 100-1 outsider (which probably shared a name with someone’s auntie or uncle) and which promptly fell at the first fence! One could choose to watch the races on the television screen inside the marquee or go out to the paddock, the track or the stands as it was all so easily accessible. There was a lot of laughter throughout the day and one lovely lady (who shall remain nameless) even managed to smuggle chips into the marquee in her handbag to be washed down by champagne!

Some people were extremely lucky with their bets – although the majority of us were not. (The bookies had record takings over the entire festival as only four favourites won across all the races.) However, this did not stop several “girls” buying fur coats, boots and leather skirts. The

It was altogether a fabulous day enjoyed by all – whether regular race goers or not.

I am sure that everyone will agree with me in saying it was an overwhelming success and we really hope that the Cheltonian Association will repeat this event in future years.

Warwickshire & West Midlands Dinner

By Ian McFarlane (NH/L ’46) An enjoyable time was had at the Leamington Tennis Court Club on 29 April 2010 when a total of 38 ladies and gentlemen, including 18 OCs, met to watch an exhibition of Real Tennis given by the Club’s two professionals and to wine and dine using the Club’s splendid facilities.

I was in the Chair. Grace was said by Michael Wyldbore-Smith (L ’62) and the Toast to Cheltenham College was proposed

by Bryan Harrison (H ’57) to which Karl Cook, Master in Charge of Rackets, gave a highly entertaining response. Malcolm and Cathy Sloan were also present, as was Lawrence Anderson (Th ’59), the President of the Cheltonian Society.

Allan Brownlee (BH ’91)

The first Irish OC gathering for a number of years took place in Dublin city centre on Saturday 29th May at One Pico restaurant. The event was organised by Malcolm Sloan, who must be given great credit for the extensive investigatory work he carried out to track down as many OCs as he did.

We had a total of 21 who sat down to lunch, with some travelling from as far north as Belfast and others travelling from as far south as Cork to attend.

at College. It was clear that despite the range in age groups attending as OCs we had much in common, and it was wonderful to catch up with familiar faces from my College days.

I would like to thank Malcolm for organising the event, and I look forward to the next gathering of the Irish OCs and hope that we will be able to muster an even larger number next time.

There was a significant range of age groups represented and, having left College in 1991, I was the youngest OC attending. I was privileged to be sitting opposite the oldest OC in attendance, Colonel Robin Charley who left College in 1942. It was fascinating to hear of life at College in the 1940s, with stories of the move of all boys to Shrewsbury in 1939/40, through to the attire worn by the boys in those days, and the privileges bestowed on College Prefects.

Malcolm Sloan, despite heckles from the rowdy element who left College in the mid-late 1970s, managed to give a comprehensive update on current life

The Devon Lunch 22 May 2010

By Lawrence Anderson (Th ’59 & President of the Cheltonian Society) A total of 14 OCs and their ladies gathered for the annual Devon Lunch on 22 May 2010. We were most grateful to Alex Peterken, the then Deputy Headmaster (Headmaster from September 2010), for taking time out from his busy Saturday programme to journey to Lympston to meet us and report on College activities. We do thank Ian Moody (Ch ’46) for hosting another most enjoyable ‘Bring a Plate’ lunch. We hope that OCs and other Association Members living in Devon will come to next year’s lunch. It is enormous fun!

THE HAMPSHIRE LUNCHEON

By Tony Elliott (Xt ’51) The Hampshire division of the Old Cheltonians had met for their annual lunch at the South Lawns Hotel in Milford for many years but as a venue it had been greeted with polite apathy for quite a while and in 2009 I expressed the view that it would not be difficult to find a more exciting venue. This had the predictable result and I was asked to find one. Hence this year we met on Saturday 18th September at Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club with a round of golf an optional extra in the morning.

Apart from the M4 being closed that Saturday morning, which delayed Malcolm Sloan’s arrival by an hour or so, even before he got lost in Brockenhurst (difficult but obviously not impossible) it was a great success for the few (17) who attended and enjoyed good food and wine with exceptional views. It is hoped that next year more people will come for both the lunch (£23) and for the golf at the bargain price of £25.

Next year will be a repeat fixture so if you are interested make a note in your diary now for 27th August 2011.

The evening was a great success and it is hoped to organise another event like this, perhaps in two years’ time.

Thanks are also due to Rebecca Creed and the Cheltonian Association for the support and encouragement given to a very happy occasion.

I enjoyed reading the latest edition of Floreat. Well done – keep it up. )

Malte Janzarick (Xt ’98

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Polo Invitation Day 2010 FLOREAT

By Rebecca Faskin (née Goodrich) (Cha ’90)

This year, for the third year in a row, it was a gloriously sunny day. It’s hard to beat watching polo in the sunshine with good friends and a glass of Pimm’s in the stunning setting of Cirencester Park. For those of you that haven’t been before, it is well worth going to as it’s a day that all ages enjoy and always has a happy relaxed atmosphere. You can choose from different ticket options – Matches, Matches and Tea, or the Champagne Reception. Many people bring their own picnics and set up base with other friends alongside the polo field to enjoy both the polo and the socialising.

I have noticed a definite improvement over the years in the calibre of picnics – this year there were even some gazebos and two camper vans! From a personal perspective, my sister’s picnic is always so good I can never decide whether to accidentally back my car into it so she doesn’t show me up, or to park next to her so I can pretend it’s mine (or at the very least eat most of it). I usually come to my senses and choose the latter option!

During the afternoon children run around freely having fun and in my case, bring over “lost dogs” (who weren’t really lost but were just very cute and so needed picking up). The rest of us can alternate between watching the well played matches, enjoying the picnics or Champagne Reception, and of course, browsing in the shopping tent.

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This year saw a huge range of exhibitors offering some fabulous shopping. You could revamp your entire wardrobe from the beautiful handbags, shoes, jewellery, jackets/dresses, polo belts and accessories available, including a very welcome blast from the past in the form of some stunning shoe jewellery. There was even a Portrait Photographer, so you could book a photo shoot of the new glamorous you. There were also delicious food stalls ranging from Asian deli products, to ice creams for the children. And of course there was the all-important Pimm’s tent where you could either pre-order jugs of Pimm’s or purchase them on the day.

This year there were about 800 attendees, with a good mix of families and staff from both Senior and Junior schools.

As usual, two matches were played: Cheltenham v Eton and Old Marlburians v Old Cheltonians. The teams included some new players this year, and all played very well. Sadly though, Cheltenham suffered a rare defeat in both matches, and the results were Eton 7 and Cheltenham 2.5; Old Marlburians 3.5 and Cheltenham 1.

Having tried polo once at pony club many years ago, I’m always amazed at how skilful on so many levels the players have to be.

It really is so much harder than it looks!

There was a handy idiot’s guide to Polo in the programme, but in summary: there are 4 players on each team, and matches are split into four chukkas. Each chukka is timed to last 7 minutes at the end of which a bell is rung although the game goes on until the ball goes out of play or for another 30 seconds, when the bell is rung again.

Goal posts are at each end, and ends are changed every time a goal is scored

(which massively confused me originally).

I won’t go on as you can read the guide next time – suffice to say that it is a fast, exhilarating sport to watch. Peter Morris, the commentator, did some very cheery and informative commentating. He very helpfully explained what was happening for the more confused of us, as well as ably dealing with minor hiccups such as a small (lost?) dog trying to join in! It was lovely to watch the matches and to take the children onto the pitch to “tread in” all the divots at half time.

Thank you to the Association for putting on another wonderful day which was well organised, well attended and definitely very much enjoyed.

In fact it was probably my favourite year yet, apart from a moment of feeling very old when after chatting to some current 6th form girls I realised it was 20 years ago since I left College and I was in their eyes a middle aged mummy. How depressing. Oh, and another alarming moment when I was hit smack in the face by a rugby ball (my fault I hasten to add!). Sitting afterwards holding an ice pack to my face someone informed me that Polo is often referred to as “rugby on horseback”. I have no idea how accurate this is but if it is, it made me think even more how fearless one must be to play Polo!

Rebecca Creed tells me that next year will be even better as it will be the 10th Anniversary and all the stops are being pulled out. It would be great to see even more people attend on 4th June 2011 to celebrate this, so do come and enjoy the fun.

Photography by Andy Banks.

This is always a firm date in my family’s calendar – we have been every year since it started 9 years ago except one, and always look forward to it. My three siblings and I were all at College and so we usually bump into old school friends as well as seeing new friends we’ve made from staying in touch through events like this.

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EVENTS...

ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

Cheltenham Cricket Festival

Rugby Day & Class of 1985 Reunion - 11th September 2010

By John McCulloch (Current Parent)

By Colin Wilson (W ’85) The Cheltonian Association held its annual event at the Gloucestershire Cricket Festival on Sunday the 8th August and after last year’s ‘wash out’ it was a pleasure to sit outside the marquee in the glorious sun and enjoy a glass of Pimm’s before lunch. The event was very well supported by OCs, parents and former parents and during lunch there was a full house in the marquee to enjoy the food and conversation.

A fabulous afternoon of Cheltenham weather welcomed the Class of ’85 back to College. The school was looking immaculate, well manicured and in pristine condition. A smaller contingent than the class of ’84 attended this year’s event but it was no less enjoyable not least given the tremendous hospitality that was afforded from the outset.

It was marvellous to meet up with old friends and make new acquaintances and over lunch we had lots to talk about; we all commented on how the year has flashed by so quickly! In fact our table was so deep in conversation, it was only the cheers from outside the marquee that alerted us to the fact that the match had started.

The afternoon started with the Junior 1st XV playing on the main pitch against Blundells (“an honour never afforded in my day” – something I came to say quite a lot in the next few hours!) and despite a fairly comprehensive victory for Blundells, it was a perfect curtain raiser to the main game for the senior XVs of the two schools. By this stage a number of us had gathered pitch side and despite what appeared to be a very entertaining game (which College won 15 - 5) attention soon turned to the job in hand – reuniting! Many of the faces looked remarkably familiar despite advancing years and receding hairlines. The positive energy created by old friends getting back together again after so many years was very special; only in a couple of instances were there double takes, followed by “No...... it can’t be!”.

The food was again delicious and included lobster, crab, beef, salmon and ham, together with various salads, followed by strawberries and cream and a cheese board. There was also an excellent selection of beverages although the hot weather resulted in the beer running out during the afternoon, but this was soon rectified.

Following on from the match, some continued to chat and make the most of the bar facilities, while others took the opportunity to visit their former houses or certain parts of College not seen for nearly 25 years. Spartan dorms now replaced by hotel deluxe and CCTV were the talking points for many although it was heartening that a few of the traditional and original landmarks like the Chapel still looked as splendid as they had to us all those years ago.

The formal proceedings commenced with a champagne reception in the Library which even after 25 years looked remarkably similar to how we all remembered it.

One thing of course had changed for this particular evening - we were allowed to talk in the Library and no one held back! The catching up process reached fever pitch as one or two late arrivals joined the crowd. Life histories were exchanged in a matter of seconds. There were one or two brave partners who had the dubious pleasure of hearing about the short, but action packed chapter in our lives. It was remarkable how quickly the familiarity returned – nick names re-emerging after years of lying dormant. Who could forget Paddy, Cambo, Spam and Lippy – all names that seemed very logical when their owners were “re-christened” back in the early days of College life? We were privileged to hear a short address from the new Headmaster who brought us up to speed with current activities at College and the overall aims and ambitions of the school. Another modern development though – headmasters, like policeman, now look much younger!

It was a brilliant day with excellent weather, food, drink, company and of course cricket and well worth the £40 cost of the day. Congratulations to the Cheltonian Association who organised the event and we will be returning next year, but this time as former parents.

OC 50th Reunion – Sunday 14th November 2010 round from my seat and saw a plaque dedicated to those OCs who were killed in Afghanistan in the 19th Century, a poignant reminder of the present conflict.

We gathered in the College Library (Big Modern in my day) for coffee. The initial reserve, or maybe the shock of seeing some of your contemporaries after 50 years, were soon dispelled. Very quickly we were back in the 60s. Some looked a little older, some were bald and some were grey and some were bald and grey. I wondered was this going to be a “do you remember this day, do you remember that (do you remember this/that)”.

The Headmaster welcomed and spoke to us before the Remembrance Service and he referred to the plaques round the Chapel as our War Memorial. In Chapel, I looked 27

My thanks and the thanks of all those present are due to the two Headmasters and all those involved for giving us such a wonderful welcome and a wonderful day on our return visit to College. I am sure that we will all remember this day, and I strongly recommend it to the class of ’61 next year!

Dinner in the staff common room was a splendid affair and we were delighted to be joined by several former members of staff including Malcolm Mennie, Tim Pearce, Trevor and Anne Davis and of course our host, Malcolm Sloan and his wife Cathy. A carefully structured table plan with some selective mid-course movement ensured that the banter continued not just on reminiscing, (to the relief of the other halves), but also in hearing tales of what everyone had been up to in the intervening 25 years. An eclectic mix of bankers, doctors, surgeons, surveyors, restaurant owners, farmers, teachers and even a deep sea driller sounds like a shocking mix but not so when you add the geographies travelled, adventures encountered and achievements made. It was humbling to hear how much had been packed in. It was fitting too for Malcolm to remember absent friends and to also relay messages from others who were unable to attend for business or family reasons.

After Chapel, we headed to the Junior School where we had pre-lunch drinks and an address by the Headmaster of the Junior. The volume of sound seemed to increase, tongues were loosened maybe with alcohol. An excellent lunch was served (our thanks go to the Junior School Catering team), the volume of sound seemed to increase even more. It must have been the wine!

After lunch, there was the walk across the College Field to our respective houses.

For me it was down College Road to Leconfield, where we were shown round by two senior boys. What a transformation from the 50s. Gone were the two long dormitories, the gym, and the sweat room was now half the size. The house internally was unrecognisable. Memories came flooding back of running up the lane to reach the Dining Hall before the doors were shut at 7.40am for breakfast.

In spite of the splendid hospitality offered to us by the College it was still necessary for many of us to move on into the night. Somehow we forced ourselves onward to the Bee Hive (a familiar illicit drinking hole for some) and then on to various other establishments around Cheltenham - the final stragglers making their way to bed in the early hours, (4.30 the best recorded so far).

Photography by Stephen Clark.

As I arrived at College my feelings were one of apprehension of what the day would have in store. Who was going to be there? Would they recognise me? Would I recognise them? How have they changed?

How had I changed or how could they forget me? These were fellow OCs, some of whom I had not seen for 50 years and for some their first visit to College since they left. My fears were dispelled when getting out of the taxi at College two Porcherites recognised me immediately!

It was wonderful to hear the Harrison organ again so beautifully played by the organist, Alex Ffinch, as we awaited the start of the service. The playing of the Last Post and Reveille, the singing of the choir and the powerful sermon brought back memories of past Remembrance Day Services. It is and was an emotional service for many.

By John Maxwell (L ’60)

It was a tremendous occasion, magnificently orchestrated by Malcolm Sloan and his team from the Cheltonian Association. On behalf of all those who attended, thank you Malcolm. To the Class of ’86 I would encourage you all to cast aside any misplaced nerves or apathy about attending and make every effort to come along as it will no doubt be another great event next year.

Cheltenham College, for many, evokes numerous happy memories and we should be proud to have been a part of its past. Having the opportunity to indulge ourselves in an evening to reminisce and meet up was very special and many of us left hoping that we would not have to wait until we were 68 to meet again.

Photography by Andy Banks.

Photography by Andy Banks.

As for the cricket, Gloucestershire was playing Middlesex in a limited 40 over match and it turned out to be one of the most exciting matches I have ever seen. Over 600 runs were scored during the day and the pavilion took a battering from numerous sixes and even the scoreboard took a hit! Tension was rising towards the end of the match as Gloucestershire seemed to have an uphill struggle and wickets were tumbling but they secured victory with a six off the penultimate ball. The atmosphere was incredible and when Jon Lewis the Gloucestershire fast bowler hit the winning runs, this brought us all to our feet to applaud – even a lifelong Kent supporter like me! This was a dramatic and fitting end to the final day of the festival.

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Leavers’ Tie Presentation & Ball 3rd July 2010

By Nikolaus Evers (BH ’10)

What a relief! After all those exams finished, the 3rd of July was the day we were all looking forward to. All started out with splendid weather in the morning and the day proved to be a memorable one.

The Leavers’ Tie and Scarf presentation by the Headmaster on our last day at College was the symbolic start of life as an OC. We all immediately changed ties or put on scarfs before our last time in chapel as a pupil.

Chapel was followed by a glass of wine, the occasion for us to take leave from many of our teachers who have helped us so much during the Sixth Form and especially in preparation for our exams.

The Ball in the evening was most certainly the highlight of the day. It started with a champagne reception and then the adjutant called us all in for dinner in his best regimental order voice. The food and drink was excellent with a superb three course meal. Afterwards, a wide range of entertainment was available which included a casino, a magician and a very talented live band. It was highly enjoyed by pupils and parents equally, many of us dancing rather wildly on the dancefloor up to 1 am in the morning. It was certainly rather emotional to say good-bye to all our friends and their parents.

After the official end of the evening many of us went into the town centre of Cheltenham to continue celebrating. It was reported that a “last men standing” photo was taken at 6am the following morning in front of College.

Overall, it was indeed a highly memorable day for all of us, which we will never forget. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved, and especially Mrs. Creed, who organised everything for making this day so special.

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Photography by Andy Banks, Stephen Clark and Bentley Photographic.

The Leavers’ chapel service with an impressive sermon by Father Reynaud and the hymns we enjoyed singing was greatly appreciated.

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FEATURE ARTICLES...

EVENTS...

Friday 10th December

By Anne McWilliam (Past Parent)

Have you ever noticed, and wondered why the coat of arms on the Accounts Lodge is different to that above the west door of Chapel or above the main door into the New/Centenary Block?

Although first mooted through correspondence in The Cheltonian in 1867, it was Douglas Sladen, senior prefect, and editor of The Cheltenham College Magazine (1874-75), who revived the debate, designing a College coat of arms, and pushing for its acceptance. College Council finally gave approval for those unofficial arms, which remained in use from 1874 until 1896.

It began at 2.30pm with Alex Ffinch playing the organ superbly. The service consisted of the 7 traditional carols and readings, read by a number of College pupils.

Despite Gordon Busbridge’s initial apologies for what he feared would be a rather quiet Choir, due to a number of illnesses at College over the term, the Choir sang superbly with no audible drop in sound at all.

2011 Calendar of Events

Images supplied by Archives.

1874 unofficial arms (as on Accounts Lodge)

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Cheltenham College is one of the very few schools legally entitled to a crest and supporters. In a communication from the College of Arms:

Two fleur-de-lis (taken from the arms of Rev. W. Dobson, Principal of College, 1845-1859) were added. Sadly, the book (representing learning) was lost.

In the 1960s the Cheltonian Society sought to get a crest and supporters, which they achieved in 1965. Both the 1896 shield and the full armorial bearings are properly described on page 2 of the Winter 1966 edition of The Cheltonian.

1896 arms (as above the west door of Chapel, and main entrance to the New/ Centenary Block)

Armorial bearings, 1965

Following the final reading, given by the Headmaster Alex Peterken, we were all warmly invited to the dining hall for mulled wine and mince pies and a chance for a bit of early Christmas shopping, courtesy of the Association merchandise stall. A great start to Christmas!

26th February OC Hockey Day Girls’ and Boys’ matches during the day, dinner in the evening.

All OC Hockey Players, Spectators welcome.

RSVP: Gwyn Williams, Williams.gwyn@cheltcoll. gloucs.sch.uk or 07974 145262.

Caroline Park, park.caroline@ cheltcoll.gloucs.sch.uk or 07775 538569.

J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

By Christine Leighton (Current Staff)

The Carol Service this year was held in the magnificent College Chapel as always. It was very well attended by OCs and parents alike and represented the perfect start to the festive period as well as being a unique opportunity to meet with friends and enjoy the traditional service together.

4th February UAE Reunion - Bahrain For details please contact John Dunkerley, dunkerley@ apachecapital.co.uk

ISSUE FOUR

Cheltenham College Coat of Arms College Buildings with two Arms

ASSOCIATION CAROL SERVICE

4th - 5th February Germany Reunion For details please contact Patrick Jung, Patrick.jung@gmx.net

F L O R E AT

11th March Melbourne OC Reunion Lunch Venue: The Kelvin Club, Melbourne Place, Melbourne Time: 12.30pm Price: $40 per person RSVP: Henry Gordon-Clark, hgordonclark@impaq.net.au or Tel: 98984351 11th – 13th March OC Rackets Weekend (Rackets Dinner Sat 12th) All OC Racket Players, spectators welcome.

RSVP: Karl Cook, cook.karl@ cheltcoll.gloucs.sch.uk or 07771 988935 17th March St Patrick’s Day At The National Hunt Festival Cheltenham Racecourse All Association Members To book tickets contact Rebecca Creed on 01242 265694 or email creed. rebecca@cheltcoll.gloucs. sch.uk

7th May Devon Luncheon Association Members living in Devon. Invitations to follow.

Contact: Ian Moody, ian@moody2.eclipse.co.uk 14th May Hugh Reeve’s Legacy Society Lunch All Legacy Society Members Invitations to follow.

4th June Polo Invitation Day Cirencester Park Polo Club.

All Association Members.

Invitations to follow.

July – TBC (20th July - 31st July Festival Dates) The Gloucestershire County Cricket Festival All Association members tickets limited.

Invitations to follow.

27th August Hampshire Luncheon Members living in the South West.

Invitations to follow.

Sept/Oct TBC Association Rugby Afternoon & OC Touch Rugby Tournament All Association members Invitations to follow.

Sept/Oct TBC Class of 1986 25th Anniversary Reunion 1986 year group OCs & OJs Invitations to follow.

Sept/Oct TBC AGM of the Cheltonian Society 13th November Class of 1961 50th Anniversary Reunion 1961 Year Group OCs & OJs. Invitations to follow.

9th December Association Carol Service All Association Members.

Invitations to follow.

The crossed keys are the arms of the see of Gloucester and signify that College is in that diocese; the book represents learning; the fasces is typical of the Classical Department, and the crossed swords of the Military and Civil Department. The star above the cross swords is from the crest of Rev. Southwood, honouring his 36 years as Headmaster of the Military & Civil Department (1843-79). A proper heraldic description can be found on page 23 of the 1889 Cheltenham College Register.

Following the incorporation of College in 1894, the Cheltonian Society thought College should have a legal grant of arms, “the existing coat of arms never having been registered & having been assumed without license [sic] or authority”. College Council responded “although the College have no desire to see any alteration made in the College Arms, yet they give their sanction to the Cheltonian Society applying to the Heralds’ College for a grant of armorial bearings ...the expense to be borne entirely by the Cheltonian Society”.

Thus, on 7 August 1896, at a cost of £36 2s 3d, the “President and Council of Cheltenham College” were granted the right to a shield.

The fasces and the two swords were retained, as was Southwood’s mullet (star).

The crest has associations with both Cheltenham and Gloucestershire. The fleury cross formed part of the shield of Edward the Confessor, to whom belonged the manor of Cheltenham, and thus the Borough Council also have a fleury cross on their shield. The boar’s head was one of the badges of Richard III who, before becoming king, was duke of Gloucester. A boar’s head also featured on the crests of Baron Redesdale (2nd President of College, 1862-86) and Lord James of Hereford (one of the first boys at College and later 3rd President, 18861911).

The wolf supporters are taken from the arms of Lord Sherborne, by consent of the 7th Baron (the 3rd Baron Sherborne, James Henry Legge, was the 1st President of the College, 1841-62). The crossed keys returned, by permission of the bishop of Gloucester (the bishops having been Visitors of College since 1862).

“Grants of Supporters to schools are very rare. A grant of Arms, Crest and Supporters was made to East India College in 1807; the college closed in about 1858 and later became Haileybury College, although Haileybury was not granted supporters so far as I know...” I have not found any other example of a school being granted supporters. No doubt there are schools using supporters, but this is done without authority.

Unfortunately the records of grants and confirmations of Arms before 1673 are very complex and difficult to use. It would be an immensely time-consuming task to survey all of these to see whether any school could be found to be receiving a grant of supporters. I would think it very unlikely that such a grant would have been made.

Thus, in modern times, Cheltenham College was the first school to obtain such a grant.

Incidentally, in the haste to get the crest and supporters onto the cover of the then next edition of The Cheltonian (Winter 1966) there was an error in the colouring of the staff and mantle, an error which continued on the covers from Winter 1966 until 1971.

• The staves should be gold, not silver • The twisted wreath on the crest should be alternate gold and black, not gold and blue Errors in the colouring can also be seen in other places (eg the quad gates, Junior School Hall).

Sadly, the two framed parchment letters patent with pendant seals from the College of Arms, 1896 and 1965, went missing after they were removed from the wall of the Cadbury Room when it was refurbished and incorporated into the Library in 2002.

The 1896 one was found recently, but if anyone knows of the whereabouts of the 1965 one, please contact the Archivist.

Sources: Cheltenham College Register, 1889 The Cheltonian, Feb.1867, page 65 The Cheltonian, June 1867, page 234 The Cheltenham College Magazine, Oct. 1873, page 284 The Cheltenham College Magazine, Mar. 1874, page 124 The Cheltenham College Magazine, June 1874, pages 239-40 The Cheltenham College Magazine, July 1874, page 267 The Cheltenham College Magazine, Aug. 1874, pages 298-99 The Cheltonian, Winter 1966, pages 2-3 Correspondence, and copy of the patent, in Accession 1702 in the Coat of Arms box Cheltonian Society Minute Book [meetings 19/3/1895 (page 411), 243/1896 (page 420); also pp419, 436, 440] Gloucestershire Echo, letters to the editor, 27/8/1935 32

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FEATURE ARTICLES...

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4: ON STRANGER TIDES

OCs flying in the Battle of Britain

By Gp Capt Chris Granville-White, CBE, RAF (ret’d). (BH ’59) Today, 70 years after the Battle of Britain, it is easy to say ‘Of course we won the war’. But it wasn’t like that in those dark days of 1940.

Britain had been humiliated at Dunkirk during May 1940, and it was remarkable that around 300,000 men of the British Expeditionary Force were rescued from the beaches to fight another day.

By Sue Jenkins (Current CCJS Parent)

Robert Jeff

Rupert Leigh

Claude Goldsmith

Robert Lister

Philip Sanders

Richard Milne

So who were the ‘Few’, and how did they prevent Britain being invaded for the first time since 1066?

The Battle of Britain lasted from 10th July to 31st October 1940, although the main air fighting ended on 15th September when the German air offensive against RAF airfields petered out. Then followed the dreadful Blitz, when Luftwaffe aircraft attacked our cities and industrial complexes.

Images supplied by Archives.

But following the fall of Poland and Czechoslovakia in 1939, and of Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, and France by Jun 1940, it could have been Britain’s fate next. During May 1940 Churchill remarked ‘The Battle of France is over, the Battle of Britain is about to begin’. And so it was.

Hitler’s Operation Sea Lion for the invasion of Britain was planned for Autumn 1940, but first he ‘just’ needed to defeat the RAF so that the skies over the Channel would be clear of our aircraft while the invasion by sea took place. But Hitler under-estimated the British resolve, and the resolve of the RAF, when against dreadful odds the ‘Few’ prevented the destruction of the RAF, so that by late September 1940 Hitler’s invasion plan was put on hold indefinitely – and eventually abandoned.

Hugh Beazley

In July 1940, the RAF had 640 fighters to defend Britain against the Luftwaffe’s 2,600 bombers and escort fighters. But in the weeks which followed, after heavy losses on both sides, British factories turned out replacement aircraft at nearly double the German rate. A period of bad weather prevented air activity for a few crucial days, which gave the RAF some respite, during which more aircraft and pilots were delivered to Fighter Command.

During the Battle of Britain, over 500 of our aircrew were killed as they fought to destroy the Luftwaffe bombers, which were frequently escorted by ME 109 fighters. Fighter Command pilots flew from dawn to dusk during those long summer days. They faced attacking formations often in hundreds of enemy aircraft. It was a close-run thing.

Old Cheltonians who flew in the Battle of Britain Sqn Ldr Richard Edgar Barnett, MBE, RAF (d1970) (OJ & Day Boy ’29) RAF College Cranwell 1930. Pre-War 54 Sqn Hornchurch, 6 Sqn Ismailia Egypt. Palestine (MBE 1937). Battle of Britain CO 234 Sqn Spitfires.

Worked in Kenya post war.

Sqn Ldr Hugh J R Beazley, DFC, RAF (born 1916) (BH ’35) Head of House, UO OTC, Debating Society Committee. Pembroke College Oxford 1935-38.

RAF 1936. Battle of Britain 249 Sqn Hurricanes, shot down some enemy aircraft and was shot down himself Sep 40 and baled out, later wounded. Then Spitfires Malta, Western Desert, Far East. Retired as Wg Cdr. Colonial Service 1947-57, Chartered Accountant 1961-81. Now living Wormley, Herts.

Flt Lt Donald Ballantine Hardy McHardy, RAF (1913-1967) (NH ’32)

Army TA 1937, RAF 1938. Battle of Britain 229 Sqn Hurricanes. Shot down a HE111, but was shot down himself 26 Oct 1940 off French coast after attacking enemy aircraft then POW. Retired RAF 1946, then RAFVR.

Fg Off Charles David Peel, RAF (1919-1940) (L ’37) House cricket & prefect. Battle of Britain 603 Sqn Spitfires, reported missing over North Sea 17 Jul 1940.

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When the opportunity rose for Dillon and Millie Jenkins (Current CCJS Pupils) to be extras in Pirates of the Caribbean they were very keen to do it! Crew member’s children and close family friends are given the chance to be extras and as Millie’s Godmother was working in the Costume Department they were able to participate – after a slew of paperwork it was sorted.

As we commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the ‘Few’ are even fewer. With the youngest now aged 89, these men were mostly in their early 20s when they fought in the Battle of Britain. Daily they flew, fought for their country, and many died. But still they flew and fought, facing fear and death, to save our country from the Nazi regime.

Today in our peaceful countryside, villages and towns, it is difficult to imagine what life would be like if these young men had not succeeded. This is the safety and security for which they fought, and we have enjoyed for so many years since. How fortunate we are.

It is therefore right that we never forget how close we came to the abyss, and how these young pilots saved us.

Headings give rank and decorations achieved during the War

Sqn Ldr Charles David Evelyn Skinner, RAF (1916-?) (L ’34) RAF 1938. Battle of Britain 604 Sqn Blenheims & Beaufighters Wg Cdr, appointed Legion of Merit, Degree of Legionnaire Oct 1945. Post War worked for Rotax & Lucas.

Flt Lt Peter Desmond Pool, RAF (19161942) (NH ’34)

RAF 1937. Battle of Britain 266 & 72 Sqns Spitfires.

Shot down wounded Oct 1940.

Shot down over Channel and killed 19 Aug 1942.

Sqn Ldr Humphrey Trench Gilbert, DFC, RAF (1919-1942) (Xt ’37)

College Boat 1937. RAF 1937. 73 & 504 Sqns.

Battle of Britain 601 Sqn. Shot down four German aircraft. Was shot down twice and parachuted from Hurricane. 71 sqn 1941. Commanded 222 Sqn 1941 & 65 Sqn 1941/2 Spitfires, destroyed two more enemy aircraft. Died 2 May 1942 taking off in Spitfire from Great Sampford, Essex, with controller on his lap going to party at White Waltham. Buried Safron Waldon.

Wg Cdr Robert Charles Franklin Lister, DFC, RAF (1913-1998) (H ’32)

RAF College Cranwell 1932. 13 & 20 Sqns. MiD & DFC Waziristan 1938. Crashed on take off 1939, off duty nine months. Battle of Britain CO 41 Sqn & 92 Sqn Spitfires during Sep 1940. Was shot down

During the Battle of Britain, 14 Old Cheltonians flew during the dramatic and historic events through the Summer of 1940.

Some of them lost their lives, others later during the war. It is therefore so important that we remember them always, to thank and salute them, each in our own individual way.

twice. Wounded Sep 1940 over Maidstone, landed but unfit flying so became Ops Controller. Retired Gp Capt 1954

Fg Off Claude Walker Goldsmith, RAF (1917-1940) (Ch ’35)

Born South Africa. College Prefect, 1st XV, Ladies’ Prize Sports Day 1935, held half mile record for many years. Imperial College, and London University Air Squadron 1936. Battle of Britain 603 & 54 Sqns Spitfires. Died from injuries the day after being shot down South of Maidstone 27 Oct 1940. Buried Hornchurch, Essex.

Wg Cdr Rupert Henry Archibald Leigh, RAF (1912-1991) (H ’29)

RAF College Cranwell Rugby, Tennis, Squash & Hockey teams. 57 Sqn RAF & 810 Sqn RN. As flying instructor tested Douglas Bader’s suitability to return to flying after losing legs.

Battle of Britain CO 66 Sqn Spitfires Duxford. Shot down 2 German bombers. Later CO 23 Sqn. MiD 1941, 43, 44, & 45. Retired Air Cdre 1954.

Flt Lt Robert Voase Jeff, DFC & bar, RAF (1913-1940) (Ch ’30)

RAF 1936. France 1940. Croix de Guerre for destroying first enemy aircraft over France. Battle of Britain 87 Sqn Hurricanes. Shot down 5 enemy aircraft, but missing 11 Aug 1940. Last seen diving to attack enemy aircraft off Portland Bill. His body was never found.

Arriving at Pinewood Studios early on a foggy Monday in November was an experience in itself! Out of the mists emerged hoards of Spanish Pirates in cocked hats and coat tails, several Johnny Depp lookalikes dressed as Jack Sparrow (one the stuntman and one a double) various zombies and a motley crowd of buxom 18th century wenches and beggars, high class gents and ladies. In the massive wardrobe and makeup tent, Dillon and Millie were dressed as ragamuffin children with dirt stained faces. After a short wait they were called on set which was an incredible mock up of an 18th century English courtroom with galleries and candlelit chandeliers. Dillon was told to stick his head through the gallery posts and peer down at the crowd below. Millie was given a little stick with a straw puppet of Pirate Jack Sparrow hanging from a noose and was perched on the top of the gallery and told to wave the puppet as the hoards booed and hissed the pirate prisoner. This scene was shot and rehearsed about a dozen times before the Director was happy with it.

After filming all the children (9 in total) were taken to a room for tutoring with 2 teachers. There was a lot of hanging around in between shots but the children soon became friends and a lot of giggling and fun was had. Dillon and Millie really enjoyed the two days and don’t seem at all worried that they may end up on the cutting room floor! It was a great experience and one I don’t think they will ever forget!

Sqn Ldr Philip James Sanders, DFC, RAF (1911-1989) (Xt ’30)

Pre-War 1 Sqn, then CO 92 Sqn Spitfires May 1940. Fought above Dunkirk and Battle of Britain.

Destroyed 8 enemy aircraft and awarded DFC. On 20 Sep 1940 landed after combat with aircraft damaged, and lit cigarette when clothes soaked with petrol, suffering severe burns. When recovered, CO 264 Sqn Jun 41, then early 1942 test pilot at Dayton Ohio USA. Retired Air Cdre 1962.

Wg Cdr Richard Maxwell Milne, DFC*, RAF (1919-?) (OJ & Day Boy ’35)

RAF 1937. 151 Sqn Hurricanes in France May 1940. Battle of Britain. Destroyed 8 enemy aircraft, awarded DFC. CO 92 Sqn & 222 Sqn Spitfires and shot down 7 more enemy aircraft, awarded bar to DFC. Wing leader Biggin Hill, was shot down 14 Mar 1943 then POW. Retired Wg Cdr 1946.

Wg Cdr Desmond Annesley Peter McMullen, DFC**, RAF (1917-1985) (OJ ’31)

RAF 1937. Battle of Britain 54 Sqn Spitfires, one of highest scoring RAF pilots during B of B, destroying 14 German aircraft, damaging 6, further 8 probable.

Awarded DFCs Oct 40, Mar 41 & Dec 41. Destroyed or damaged 13 more enemy aircraft Nov 1940 to Aug 1942. Also 151 Sqn Defiants, 266, 124 & 64 Sqns Spitfires, CO 65 Sqn Spitfires Jul 42, & 324 Wg North Africa Nov 42 then staff appt. Retired Wg Cdr 1957.

The Power of the Old School Tie Article From Floreat 2010 This photograph has been printed in apology to John Kennett (Ch ’65) following receipt of the comments below.

“I was pleased to see that Mike Muller’s article about three OCs in India appeared in the recent edition of Floreat (2010). However I was deeply hurt that the editor had seen fit to cut me out of the group photo round the car. Quite honestly it has taken me 45 years to get over not being made a prefect and this is a further blow to my selfesteem. I thought at first that the day boys had pulled a fast one as I am far better looking than either of them but they assure me that it was an editorial decision!”

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FEATURE ARTICLES...

JACK DAVENPORT (BH ’91) FROM BIG C TO BIG SCREEN

By James McWilliam (S ’09)

What are your memories of Cheltenham College - best and worst?

Worst memories would probably involve one or two absurdly over-zealous house prefects when I was a third former, who seemed to live for the opportunity to send us on three mile runs at four in the morning or write out thirty sides of school rules… all for the heinous crime of whispering after lights out. I guess a seventeen year old with a microscopic helping of authority can be a dangerous thing.

My best memory is more of a general hindsight thing. I had a pretty happy time at College, and the friendships I made were amazingly important to me. As we’ve got older, keeping in touch has become quite difficult, but I do treasure those relationships. Also, one or two members of staff, such as Tim Pearce and Nicholas Lowton were very influential to me. They were the best kind of teacher, who did much of their most important work outside the classroom.

What is your favourite character played to date and why?

Blimey, that’s trickey - mainly because I seem to specialise in some fairly flawed and unpleasant people! I’m quite fond of the character I played in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, mainly because he went through so many extreme changes, from man of authority, to homeless drunkard and back again.

Was it your parents acting career or your acting experiences at College that influenced your career the most? Was it in fact something else?

In truth, my parents did everything they could to discourage me from pursuing an acting career, and rightly so. It’s the most insecure and cruel of professions, but also amazingly good fun if you are lucky enough to get some decent work. I did love doing plays at College (I did a lot, as I recall), and I got to play huge parts, like Hamlet. Honestly though, I wanted to be an actor because I was surrounded by them at home as a child, and they are the most fun sort of people when you’re a kid, because they are in the business of being playful. So embarrassingly, I became an actor because I enjoyed their company. Dreadful, really…

Is there any family rivalry between you and your parents?

You must be kidding. How on earth could I hope to compete with their incredibly long and distinguished careers?

You are probably most well known by our audience for your role in Pirates of the Caribbean. How did you get that part?

The usual way. It all started in a dingy room off the Fulham Road with a casting director, some script pages and a camera.

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Was there a good relationship amongst the cast members (Depp, Knightly, Bloom etc.)?

Absolutely. It was the happiest time. Frankly if you can’t get on and enjoy yourselves dashing about the Caribbean dressed as a pirate, then there’s truly no hope for you.

How long did it take to make each film. Were you there for the entire duration of the filming?

All three films took almost 2 ½ years to shoot, but there was a big gap between part one and the last two. I was there pretty much the entire time, but occasionally got paroled back to Britain for good behaviour.

You’ve worked with some major actors; Depp, Damon, Bloom etc. – who was your favourite and why?

It would be invidious to pick a favourite, but I am a huge admirer of the weird and wonderful array of characters Johnny Depp has created throughout his career. We’ve worked together on four films and on a couple of other side projects, so he’s become a great friend over the years.

Was Kiera Knightly a good kisser (apologies, had to be asked!)?

I couldn’t possibly comment. But considering she was seventeen when we made the first film, for her, the experience must have been akin to being mauled by a rather seedy elderly uncle.

You alternate between starring in TV series and big films, do you have a preference for one or the other?

Maria Aitken & Nigel Davenport

Not really, although making films can be incredibly slow. In television you have the advantage of working much faster, and you also have the chance to get to know a particular character much more intimately over a longer period of time.

What advice would you give budding actors now?

Do something else, it’s a jungle out there! Honestly, I would just encourage people to do anything they can to get that first job.

Acting really doesn’t lend itself to theorising, it’s a strangely practical pursuit.

Where do you live now – are you married with children?

I live in Los Angeles with my wife and son.

What are your next big prospects?

I’m about to do a movie in France based on a wonderful Booker Prize shortlisted novel. As ever, we’ll have to wait and see how it all works out.

What was the last film you went and saw?

Inception. Utter tosh, but extremely glossy and enjoyable tosh.

What did you think of Malcolm Sloan’s chemistry lessons?

Chemistry was one of the more bewildering subjects I failed miserably at during my time at College. My complete lack of understanding acted as quite a provocation to Dr Sloan’s relatively short temper. I’m sure, like all of us, he’s mellowed with age.

Images supplied by Archives and Hamilton Hodell.

Whilst working in the Association Office over the summer holidays, James McWilliam took the time to interview actor and OC Jack Davenport. Jack is the son of Nigel Davenport (BH ’46 & Past Parent) and Maria Aitken. Jack is perhaps most well known for his role in Pirates of the Caribbean as Commander Norrington, but has had a number of other leading film and TV roles including playing Dominic Twat in “The Boat that Rocked” and Miles Stewart in the hit TV show “This Life”. The following interview gave us an insight into Jack’s experiences at College and also contains some useful advice for any budding actors…

JB Roach (Day Boy ’42) & AN Davenport (BH ’46) in a College Play.

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FEATURE ARTICLES...

Plane Speaking

The Swan at Southrop

Professor Robert Cocks (Past & Current Parent) outlines his job as an aviation doctor and the journey he travelled to reach it.

By Jerry Hibbert (Past Parent)

My five years at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine in London flew by, and in 1981 I qualified as a doctor. One of the first things that I did during my houseman year was to call BAMS, the British Airways Medical Service, to ask about a career in Aviation Medicine. When I was told that the first step would be to embark on a six-month full-time Diploma course at my own expense, I thought that this goal might have to wait for a while. In fact, it waited 21 years!

During our final year of medical school, we were allowed to go abroad for ten weeks for an “elective period” to experience medical practice overseas. I opted to go to Sabah, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo.

In 1980, the longest stretch of tarmac road in Sabah was only 16km. long, the rest mainly dirt track. Landslides blocking these tracks were frequent, particularly on the steep roads winding around the majestic Mount Kinabalu. I divided my time between General Surgery and Orthopaedics and became fascinated by the treatment of injuries in a setting where there were limited resources. Because of the remoteness of some villages, a local charity named the Sabah Foundation funded a helicopter service and I was able to spend a week as a flying doctor (well, almost a doctor!). This elective shaped my subsequent career, and I decided to train in Accident and Emergency Medicine (A&E).

Following three years of general professional training, I obtained a Registrar post at the Royal Free Hospital and passed my final FRCS examinations at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and in 1986 was lucky enough to secure a Lecturer position in A&E Medicine at Manchester University. Although working in a very practical specialty, my path led me further into a clinical academic career when I obtained my first Consultant post as Senior Lecturer at the Hammersmith Hospital and Royal Postgraduate Medical School in 1990. After five years immersed in busy clinical work, teaching and research, I received an offer in 1995 to move to Hong Kong as the founding Professor and Director of a new A&E Medicine Academic Unit at Prince of Wales Hospital, the teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. A busy career in A&E had brought me some success and a lot of personal fulfillment, but I still carried a small flame for Aviation Medicine - what happened next rekindled this.

Hong Kong is a mountainous territory with many inhabited islands surrounded by the South China Sea. Anyone lost or injured at sea or up in the hills, or who suffers an emergency while living on the islands, relies on the helicopters of the Government Flying Service (GFS) to rescue them. In 2000, I was one of the founder members of a new GFS Auxiliary Medical Section, which aimed to provide A&E trained flying doctors and nurses for the helicopter medical service. At last, my two interests could be combined! Not content with even this happy situation, I returned to the UK and embarked on my long-awaited Diploma in Aviation Medicine course in January 2002.

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ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

Winner of ‘The Best Restaurant in the UK 2010’ award from the Good Food Guide

My interest in Aviation has its roots in my schooldays at Boston Grammar School, where I joined the Royal Air Force section of the Combined Cadet Force. The first annual camp was held at the RAF College at Cranwell in my home county of Lincolnshire, I flew in an aeroplane for the first time. Waddling out to the De Havilland Chipmunk in my parachute (which also served as the seat cushion) and cloth helmet, I recall feeling rather nervous. The fact that the Chipmunk engine was started with something akin to a blank shotgun cartridge did make me wonder what I was climbing into, but I will never forget the exhilaration of that first flight. I continued in the cadets until the sixth form, indulging my other passion of full-bore rifle shooting in the school team and finally reaching the rank of Cadet Sergeant.

Academic achievements as a biologist and chemist were modest, and my Headmaster was not confident of my chances of securing a place at medical school after A-Levels, and indeed my physics performance let me down. I took a gap year and re-sat my physics A-level – in a travesty of justice scoring an A-grade without any further serious revision. The reason for my laid-back attitude was that another medical school had offered me an unconditional place based on my earlier results! Probably not something particularly common these days!

F L O R E AT

I am not a restauranter; my wife Caryn, although the finest possible cook at home is not a chef, and my (now ex) Cheltonian boys and daughter (at Marlborough) are happy with whatever food is put in front of them. So why, you may ask yourself, did we buy a restaurant? Having bought it, I have asked myself that question many times. However, back in 2005, there was a reason.

This 6-month full-time Diploma course was, without exaggeration, exhilarating for a doctor interested in aviation. The course was attended by a mix of military and civilian doctors, and the philosophy was that we should experience all of the physiological stresses that pilots had to go through, and that included fighter pilots! So, as doctors we had to be spun around at 8G (eight times the force of gravity) in the Human Centrifuge, experience the oxygen deprivation found at 25,000 feet altitude, and learn to escape from an upturned helicopter cabin submerged in six feet of water (in the dark). In a cold February, we travelled to RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall for a week at the RAF School of Combat Survival. We spent a night in a forest at the edge of Bodmin Moor, learning to survive with a waterproof poncho and the small survival axe (carried in all RAF ejection seats along with a few glucose tablets) and how to make fire and collect drinking water. Later in the week we were dropped into the cold sea off Fowey, to survive the morning in individual life rafts, before being rescued by RAF Sea King Helicopter.

Unexpectedly, Hong Kong called once again with the offer of a sixmonth commission to teach paramedic skills to the Aircrewman Officers of the Government Flying Service, and I was back in the Far East by the beginning of 2003. While undertaking this task, Cathay Pacific Airways approached me.

I continued to practice airborne emergency medicine with the GFS helicopters until 2008 as an auxiliary Air Medical Officer. In my current role I care for pilots who have suffered injuries and serious illnesses, preparing them for a return to flying. Apart from the other major task of medically recertifying pilots each year, my job as Cathay Pacific’s Senior Medical Officer involves planning facilities for in-flight emergencies among passengers. There are about 2000 such emergencies each year among the 19 million passengers travelling with the airline, and all aircraft carry a doctor’s kit and a defibrillator. Cabin Crew are trained to make an initial assessment, and are supported by satellite telephone with advice from a trained emergency physician at MedLink, based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Cheltenham College has produced a well-known Aviation Medicine doctor – Dr John Fowler. John was educated at College from 1951-56 (Leconfield) and became an aviation doctor in the Royal Air Force before moving to Hong Kong to establish Cathay Pacific’s medical department.

John was elected by his peers to receive the George J. Kidera Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Aviation Medicine in 1999, and still continues to practice part-time in the specialty in his mid-seventies.

Clearly this is a field of work that just won’t let us retire!

21 years was worth the wait to combine my two interests, and if there is a message here, I think it may be that no matter how far you have progressed with a chosen career, it is always worth making a leap of faith to take it a stage further, even if the final destination is not immediately clear.

Professor Robert Cocks is Senior Medical Officer in Aviation Medicine at Cathay Pacific Airways in Hong Kong and Honorary Professor of Accident and Emergency Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

We live in Southrop, just south of Burford, and modestly consider ourselves to some extent a ‘foodie’ family. I work in the animation industry in London, eat in restaurants every day, and was beginning to wonder what business might interest me if and when I ever went into semiretirement. My wife Caryn loves cooking and has dreamt of having a food school one day, and even our son Charles (BH ’07) showed an interest in cookery as a teenager. So when our village pub came onto the market with Chef, Bob Parkinson, and front of house, Graham Williams, in place, temptation reared its head.

Everyone said “Don’t do it!” “Restaurants are hell!” “You’ll never make any money.”

But we did it anyway.

And all went well to start with. The food was great, the service excellent, and the restaurant was full. But then one day in 2007 disaster struck; the chef and front of house resigned to go their separate ways (to ‘Made by Bob’ in Cirencester, and ‘The Cafe Anglais’ in London). So we tried to put our own staff in to run it. Oh dear. All those people that said “Restaurants are hell!” are

wrong. Restaurants are much worse than hell when they go wrong. It was a terrible time. I calculated it would have been cheaper to stand outside the door with a basket of £20 notes and hand one to every customer who turned up, telling him to go to the next village and eat there instead.

Meanwhile in London, Sebastian Snow (of ‘Snows on the Green’), his wife Lana and new baby were looking for an opportunity to change their lives, and the Cotswolds was their favoured destination. A friend made the introduction, and the Snows moved lock, stock and barrel to Southrop, and suddenly everything was great again.

So great in fact, that this year The Swan won the Good Food Guide’s award: ‘Best Restaurant in the UK 2010’: no mean achievement. Now of course, we can hardly get a table ourselves.

Following on from the Swan’s revival, Caryn has opened her Food School, ‘Thyme at Southrop’, www.thymeatsouthrop.co.uk, and guests to that and the Swan are now able to stay in the recently refurbished cottages: www.southropmanorestate.co.uk

A Greenite Gathering I, G. Harry McLaughlin, PhD (pictured extreme right) attended a conference in Rome with Beverley Hills psychiatrist Eleanor Lavretsky, MD (standing, centre) in March 2010. On my way home to Los Angeles I gave a lunch at the London Chancery Court Hotel for some Greenite contemporaries: Peter Beauchamp (standing next to me), Brian Denney (standing left), Anthony Taylor (seated left) and John Lawrie (seated right).

Also in the picture are my cousin Mrs. Brigid Reeve (standing) who attended Cheltenham Ladies’ College, and Egyptologist Mrs. Cheryl Hart for whom I did research at the Getty Museum Library.

But it has been a journey, and there are some lessons here for all those young Cheltonians thinking about going into the restaurant business: 1) Running a restaurant isn’t a job: it’s a lifestyle. And you need to be prepared to live it.

2) The work is grinding. It is not possible to stop for a couple of hours, and pick it up later if you’re tired. Customers want their lunch at lunchtime after all.

3) Be prepared for your social life to take a knock: your busiest working hours will be when everyone else is out having fun.

4) Dealing directly with the public is a challenge in itself.

On the other hand, the food and drink business must be one of the most pleasurable. It is entrepreneurial, creative, hands-on, hugely rewarding when you get it right, and a life of giving pleasure to others can’t be all bad.

Don’t listen to the people who’ll tell it’s hell; it really doesn’t have to be.

By Harry McLaughlin (H’46)

the BBC and the Foreign Office in the Far East. Anthony, a solicitor, has homes in London and Portugal. John, who had not seen me for 64 years, was a Coates cotton executive in many parts of the world.

Ten days after the lunch I had a heart valve replacement. I am now more active than ever!

All five Greenites are globe trotters.

I, a retired psychology professor, and Peter, an international business consultant, have both visited more than 100 countries. Brian worked for

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FEATURE ARTICLES...

FEATURE ARTICLES...

BENJAMIN SHINE OC (Obsessive Creative)

My

By Benjamin Shine (OJ & S ’96)

I have always watched the X Factor; however, I never thought I would end up entering the competition! Last year, I decided to apply and audition, as I had nothing to lose. I was so excited; I was actually going to the auditions instead of just watching them at home and wishing I was there. The process is much more complicated than we see on television, the judges only see about 50 acts from each city they visit compared to the 10,000 that audition at all the different venues. There are three rounds you have to successfully get through before you get to meet the four celebrity judges. This was a shock as I thought everyone had an audition in front of them. When I got to Birmingham I realised how impossible that would have been as there were thousands queuing up.

By Georgia Pemberton (Westal)

History, Geography, Maths, Science and Sport were not my forte at College. English and French I could handle, but it was Art and CDT (Design) that were my saving grace – and I’ve relied on them ever since leaving College, throughout my career as an artist and designer.

I joined CCJS at age 10, along with my younger brother Jonathan in 1988. It was a world away from the North London life and school we had moved from – the Junior School was 100 times bigger and I felt 100 times smaller!

I remember, in an effort to put myself on the map, I asked Mr Dunn, my wonderful art teacher, if I could create an art competition for the school. With his permission it was announced during school assembly that whomever could colour in my drawings of Roger Rabbit the best, would win a Mars Bar! I don’t remember how it panned out, but from that point on I was known for being ‘an artist’ and it was a great feeling.

In 1991, I won an art scholarship to College and my interest in art and design became increasingly serious, nevertheless, I was apprehensive about choosing ‘artist’ as a career. Following a surprisingly successful work experience stint at a small fashion label, where a couple of my shirt designs were added to the range, I decided fashion design fitted the bill.

In 2000, I graduated from the Surrey Institute of Art and Design with a 1st BA Hons degree in Fashion Design and an unconditional offer to St Martins to study on the MA course. During my MA studies, my interest in fashion began to wain in favour of new creative challenges and I started working on a collection of art and sculptural pieces using various techniques and ideas developed from my fashion studies.

My first exhibition of mixed-media artworks took place in London in 2003. At the same time, I had designed a commercial patented apparel product – The Skoody. The three in one scarf / hoody / reversible jacket attracted a host of corporate clients and even became official merchandise at Arsenal FC. The experience of setting up a business and bringing a product to market was a steep learning curve, but very rewarding and topped off by winning the Enterprising Young Brit Award 2004 from Gordon Brown.

Since then my work in art, fashion and product design has continued to grow. Recent projects include ‘Doodleez’, a children’s reusable drawing activity which won the Red Dot Design Award 2009; designing the new Eurostar Train Manager’s bag - created from decommissioned train seating and staff uniforms, which was exhibited at The Sustainable Futures Exhibition at the Design Museum this year, and most recently designing a couple of Elephant sculptures for London’s Elephant Parade. My ‘Taxi Elephant’, with its solar-powered taxi light, became the signature piece of the parade and helped raise over 4 million pounds for the endangered Asian Elephant.

My core works revolve around developing new ideas and techniques for artworks, installations and commissioned mixedmedia portraits. Recent portraits have included some notable figures such as Baroness Thatcher, Sir Edmund Hillary and Prince Albert II of Monaco. My portrait of President Obama, created from the torn lengths of an American flag was unveiled at The Museum of Arts and Design in New York on Inauguration Day 2009

Factor Journey

and became the official commemorative image on products sold throughout Barnes and Noble stores in the US. For the past 4 years, I have been living in Australia with my partner Danielle, and through the miracles of the web and Skype my creative business has managed to grow internationally.

I am now looking forward to becoming an Australian citizen later this year.

It’s been fun to think back to my time at College and in particular the enormous encouragement of my art teachers, especially Mr Dunn and Mr Ward, to whom I owe a great deal of thanks.

However, I feel I owe the biggest thank you and apology to Mr Durston as he unquestionably put the most time and effort in – but sadly to no avail – I was just completely hopeless at Biology. www.benjaminshine.com

In order to get a good spot in the queue, my mum and I got there for 7:00 am; we were told we would probably be queuing outside the NEC for 3 hours – 10.5 hours later I went into my audition at 17.30! During the wait, the crowd had to do a lot of jumping and dancing around for the recording staff as they needed shots of Birmingham shouting ‘We’ve got the X Factor’ and I did have plenty of time to practise. It was so much fun being there with everyone and knowing that someone in that crowd could be the winner! We also got to meet Dermot O’Leary.

Inside the arena, there were twelve black box rooms where a professional judge listened to you. All the people in front of me were coming out with no’s, I could hear them singing and was surprised how many were turned down. I wasn’t feeling very hopeful, but I was just entering for fun and the experience; some people were auditioning with “this is the most important day of my life” attitude. I walked into the room and a fairly friendly man asked me a couple of questions and then asked me to sing. About a minute into my song he asked me to sing another one, so I sang ‘ She will be loved’ followed by another two songs! On the spot I had to think of a song that could either put me through or out of the competition! I was given a gold slip that said Congratulations - I was over the moon, I didn’t think I would feel that passionate about it at the time but I did. The atmosphere was incredible, all the people that came running out with gold slips got massive cheers from the crowds waiting in line. It felt surreal.

I had to go back for a second audition and there were now only a few hundred of us left. This time things were more serious; there were interviews as well as an audition in front of three judges. Whilst waiting, I met Liam Payne and Cher Lloyd, if you watched the show you may recognise the names. I sang ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Love Story’. I was much more nervous as I knew that not many would get past this stage. They told me I was “ sailing through”, I couldn’t believe it. I ran out screaming and jumped on Philly (Philippa Morris, Westal) who came with me.

The last stage before filming was to sing in a recording room for two executive judges. I wasn’t given a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the day but told I would hear in the next month if I was going through to sing to the celebrity judges and filmed auditions. Sadly, I didn’t get to that stage. However, I got further than I ever would have expected; it was an amazing experience and was a dream to have had the opportunity. Hopefully next year things will be different… I am not giving up that easily!

F L O R E AT ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

MARATHONS

By Christina Conner (Current Staff) I have taught at Cheltenham College Junior School for eight years and I am presently Head of Religious Studies at the Junior. I met Simon Conner, Housemaster of Hazelwell, in my first term at College in the Common Room Bar and we got married in Chapel in 2004. Our daughter, Autumn, was born whilst Simon was resident tutor in Hazelwell and she is now in Kingfishers.

Ten years ago, whilst at University I suffered from glandular fever, which developed into ME and forced me to leave University. I was bedridden for two years, living upstairs in my parent’s house.

Looking back over the diaries my mother kept, for eight months I couldn’t even wash my hair – that’s how bad it was – because I couldn’t bend over the sink due to extreme muscle pain.

ME causes chronic fatigue and muscle pain as well as impairing the immune system. Recovery can be very slow and there are often a series of relapses, where the sufferer can end up worse than before. It took me five years to recover completely after which I was able to return to University and qualify as a teacher.

After I fully recovered, I wanted to give some hope to other sufferers, so I decided to run both the London and Paris Marathons. Setting myself a difficult challenge, I decided to try and do the two marathons in two weeks in order to raise money for Action for ME. I took up running about five years ago but had never run further than a half marathon. Therefore, I had to spend the cold, snowy, winter training and it was often very difficult to run because of the ice and I used to do many boring hours on a treadmill.

Simon also decided to support me and signed up for the Paris Marathon. At 6’ 4” and nearly 17 stone, Simon is designed more for rugby than running. In the past he has described his running ability as being more reminiscent of a Land Rover than a Porche.

The boys in Hazelwell generously bought Simon a walking stick just in case he needed a bit of help at the end. Simon ran the Paris Marathon in aid of Get Kids Going, which is a charity that provides wheelchairs for children so that they can participate in sport.

After all this training probably the fittest member of the family was our dog, Jack. He often had to do back-to-back runs perhaps clocking up over sixty miles a week. It was a shame that he could not have entered because he could have probably given the world record a run for its money.

The Paris marathon was on April 11th. It was a beautiful day and the route was magnificent, starting and finishing on the Champs Elysees and passing the Eiffel Tower. The whole route was made much easier by the numerous red wine stops and for those who were really struggling there was even an Armagnac stand. It was a great weekend but the walking stick did prove very useful for Simon afterwards.

London was just two weeks later and the energy reserves were still low. The cold, biting rain at the start was a definite shock to the system and made the first few miles difficult. The crowds were amazing though, offering a constant supply of sweets and chocolate. However, the highlight of the day had to be the finish line, not only because it signified the end of the challenge and many months of hard work but also because I crossed the line next to Princess Beatrice making it a really Royal occasion.

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AFGHANISTAN – AN OCs TOUR

F L O R E AT ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

SERVE TO LEAD By Major Stephen Clark MBE (Adjutant) On Friday 13th August 2010, I had the pleasure to attend the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where two OCs were to obtain their commissions into Her Majesty’s Armed Forces. The Sovereign’s Representative was The Prime Minister, The Rt Hon David Gareth Crossley, Major Clark, Henry Smith Cameron MP; also present were the President of Yemen and the King of Swaziland.

View of FOB Jackson.

My recovered Mastiff back in FOB Jackson.

Taking time out for a break.

Lt Will Dixon (Xt ’02) deployed as a Platoon Commander to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Jackson in Sangin, Helmand in September 2009 with 3 RIFLES battle Group. Here he gives a brief snapshot of his tour.

The threat of Improvised Explosive Devices has been well documented but what has certainly been less published is the individual riflemen (private soldiers) that face up to this danger daily. The ‘Vallon’ men, named after the metal detecting equipment used, continually sweep the ground at the head of the patrol, weighed down heavily with the knowledge that if they miss something for any number of reasons they, or even worse, one of their ‘muckers’ will cop it. One such man was Rfn Vetanibua; during the course of the tour this affable Fijian found and confirmed 40 devices. It is worth pointing out that simply getting a tone on the vallon is not confirmation of a device, the next stage involves lying front-on inches away from the suspected device and delicately brushing away the earth until an edge of some foreign material (plastic, wood, metal) is discovered, confirming that something untoward is there.

‘Everyone else OK?’ I shouted into the back where several other troops were, including my gunner, Rfn Parrack, who had been standing up through the hatch in the back. The reply came back positive.

Conditions within FOB Jackson were as you would expect…basic. But to simply leave it at that would do an injustice to the hard work, mostly by Royal Engineers, that went into making the camp more comfortable. We had showers and occasionally they were hot, 5 internet terminals that were painfully slow but a huge source of comfort and morale, 5 telephones with 20 minutes of talk-time allocated to each soldier; however, the allocation of these 20 minutes could prove highly divisive as many a love sick girlfriend would lose out to the long-suffering mums and occasionally vice-versa.

Being tasked with bringing security to Sangin meant getting out of the confines and relative security of the FOB. It was not uncommon to conduct two patrols a day and each patrol could last anything from 2 to 72 hours. Although both physically and mentally demanding, this level of day to day activity allowed us to show high visibility to the locals, as well as getting to know both the area and the people well; we placed an emphasis on the latter. Every patrol had at least one interpreter attached and they were invaluable in building up an idea of the aspirations and fears of the locals; this information was then fed directly into planning future operations and community stabilisation projects.

Although walking amongst the people carried an inherent risk (we suffered three fatalities in two separate suicide attacks), it was the only way to engage with the locals and gain their trust whilst disrupting their day to day life as little as possible. Sweets, stickers and crayons that our loved ones sent out to us proved highly popular with the children; when asked what they wanted most, almost without exception, it was the opportunity to go to school. By the time we left, 40 new schools had opened in the town, educating more than 2000 children.

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One day in December, my platoon set out in Mastiff armoured vehicles west along the 611, the main road connecting Sangin to the rest of Helmand. It was a particularly eventful day as the Taliban were making things as difficult as possible due to two new platoon patrol bases occupying an area in which they had previously moved freely. During the day, numerous fire-fights ensued and one of my Mastiff vehicles was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). A huge explosion caused the 24 tonne vehicle to lift off the floor and engulfing it in dust. This vehicle was directly in front of mine and I remember my stomach being in knots as we piled out to go and check for casualties. Fortunately the crew were ok, just suitably shaken.

Not long after this, as darkness was beginning to fall, my Mastiff was struck by an IED. I can remember it like it was yesterday, the deafening bang, the thud as the vehicle landed back down on its wheels and the familiar smell of engine fuel mixed with the more alien stench of homemade explosive. I immediately turned to ‘Ginge’ Middleton, my driver, who was sat next to me. ‘You OK, Ginge?’ A very dazed scouse voice replied ‘Think so Boss, aye, I’m alright’.

‘Right, I’m not.’ I remember saying.

The blast had shattered my left foot and fractured my right heel. The boys were incredible as all their training on ‘dealing with a casualty’ kicked in. Within 45 minutes I was bandaged, morphined up to the eyeballs and on board an American Black Hawk helicopter cutting through the air back to the main hospital in Camp Bastion.

The doctors in Bastion could not save my foot and so it was amputated there and then before I flew back to Sellyoak Hospital, 24 hours later.

The immediate reaction in the aftermath of my injury was just being grateful to be alive; this has not really changed. I still consider myself one of the lucky ones. Crucially, I have kept my left knee, which enabled me to be walking less than 3 months after the blast. In Headley Court, where the Army’s injured go to rehabilitate, my injury is regularly referred to as a scratch by those with more severe amputations; I happily concede this to them.

Over the last three years, The Rifles have lost 53 men killed in action, with over 290 seriously wounded. The struggle will be a long one for many of these casualties and in particular the families and loved ones of those whose lives were lost. In response to this, The Rifles has launched its own benevolence charity, Care for Casualties.

Their aim is to help support and rebuild the lives of those worst affected in order to ensure a secure future.

If you would like to know more about our charity, and find out ways you can support it, please visit the website,

www.careforcasualties.org.uk

There is a Rifles Charity ball being held at College on Friday 1st July 2011. To book tickets or for further information, please contact, Mrs Jilly Dixon, jillydixon@hotmail.com or on 01242 870544.

A ‘Valon’ man leading a patrol.

Officer Cadets Alex Gerald (H ’04) and Henry Bailey (NH ’03) were both on parade. Alex is due to take up his appointment in the Royal Artillery and will join his unit within two weeks. Whilst at College, he was in the Army Section and rose to the rank of Cadet Colour Sergeant; he was also awarded the Millennium Trophy during Speech Day 2004. Henry was in Newick House up until 2003 where he then moved to Clayesmore School in Dorset to finish off his studies. During his time in the CCF he also reached the rank of Cadet Colour Sergeant. At Edinburgh University, he joined 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment and completed the gruelling Parachute Course (P Company with jumps). Henry has joined the Royal Engineers as a Troop Leader.

Over 700 Officer Cadets attend the Commissioning Course each year, and the Academy is thus proud to be the spiritual home of the Officer Corps of the British Army.

On Friday 17th December, I returned to the Academy to support two OCs who were to be commissioned into the Rifles. General Sir Nick Parker KCB CBE ADC (Colonel Commandant The Rifles) represented Her Majesty. Officer Cadets Henry Smith (S ’05) and Gareth Crossley (L ’06) were both on parade. They both held the position of Head of Corps within the College CCF in the rank of Regimental Sergeant Major and both were awarded the RGBW Sword of Honour and the coveted CCF Speech Day Prize, the Leadership Trophy.

Henry (who studied at Exeter University) will join 3rd Battalion The Rifles in Edinburgh as a Platoon Commander. Gareth (who studied at Cardiff University) will join 5th Battalion The Rifles (5 Rifles) as Platoon Commander in Germany. At the Sovereigns Parade, Henry was supported by his father, a past College Bursar, and Gareth, by his brother, Major Jeremy Crossley (S ’96), who was awarded the Military Cross last year for his bravery in Iraq.

Henry Bailey and Alex Gerald

By The Skin of Our Teeth

By Katie Locker (Westal) Channel 4’s Skins program has been described as a ‘cult hit’, so when the chance to audition for the brand-new series came up we couldn’t miss it. A group of us including Danielle Glencairn-Campbell (Queen’s), Jess Shepherd (Queen’s) and myself all travelled to Bristol Grammar School for the open auditions in April. Upon arriving we were greeted by 8,000 other applicants, which meant that we ended up queuing for 5 hours just to get in! We learnt that Jane Ripley, the Casting Director of the past four series of Skins, would be auditioning us and we would be subdivided into groups of 4.

Danielle and I were in the same group and given the scenario that two of us had passed our A-Levels with good results by cheating and the other two had failed despite revising. This open audition only lasted minutes, at the end of which Jane said that only two numbers would be called for the next round. As we collected our jackets and waited for our friends, our numbers were called out. Everyone in the room started looking at their own, and then Danielle and I both noticed they had called us! We were really excited and gave them our details and they gave us our scripts for the following day. We spent the majority of the night learning the script and attempting to make it sound natural, before getting up at dawn the next day to get the train back down to Bristol again.

Our scenario this time was about two girls waiting at a bus stop, with Danielle playing a disapproving friend who was trying to talk her friend out of a bad decision, whilst I read the part of a student who liked her male teacher and followed him home after school. Upon arriving we were ushered into the 2nd audition room, where Jane and two cameramen were waiting. They told us that the 2nd round of auditions was down to 500 and that we should run through the script once before they filmed it. Somehow we stayed calm and tried to make it sound like a normal conversation and we got some laughs, which drove our confidence on. They complimented us at the end, which made us feel a little less nervous and said that if we got through they would contact us by phone. A number of weeks passed and to be honest we both forgot about it, until I received a voicemail message in a drama

lesson, which I attempted to listen to discreetly before screaming out loud as I realised that both Danielle and I had got another call back!

Once again Danielle and I made our separate trips down to Bristol, this time going to the Skins Head Office. Upon arriving at the location the sign above the entrance read “PYSCHO SUPPORT”, which all really added to the surreal feeling of the day. As I went in, there were photos all over the walls of the past cast members as well as lots of odd props from the show lying around the office. I was told that I was down to the final 50 from a total of 16,000 auditionees from London and Bristol combined. I was therefore terrified as I walked into an interview involving yet another up close camera, before going into another room, where Jane and the main Director of the series sat. My script this time was to read the part of a girl who had problems with her boyfriend. However, I did not feel that this went terribly well and fortunately they also thought the same, so later on in the day I was called back to read the part of a girl who was deeply in love with another girl; a part they felt would suit my personality better!

Weeks later both Danielle and I received emails saying that we made it to the final 50 but that we didn’t make it to the cast. I can honestly say that despite not getting a part we had an incredible time, got an amazing insight into what life is like on a TV series set and were truly thankful for the opportunities. Good luck to anyone else with future auditions!

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ASHMEAD Ashmead’s opening ten years ago

by HRH The Princess Royal on 13th October 2000, marked a significant shift towards College becoming a fully fledged co-educational school and the fact that it lies between two of the Boy’s Houses is symbolic of this. Indeed, the first occupants were in fact boys as Leconfield was also in the throes of being renovated and hence boys were housed here whilst works were being completed.

J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

By Anna Cutts (Housemistress)

Tracey Johnson Housemistress 2000 - 2007

of this girl’s painstakingly executed A level Geography coursework. Another time Finn, our youngest, was returned to us complete with his baby curls in bunches and his nails painted livid red.

Our children do consider themselves very lucky however. They tell their friends they live in a house with over thirty bedrooms and they do miss the girls terribly in the holidays and are inconsolable when they leave and move on. I like the fact that when they walk around the corridors of the House they point at the photographs and say their names: they have grown up with them.

Nearly two hundred girls have now resided in Ashmead since it was built, and presently it is at its 62 occupancy capacity. Living with 62 teenage girls sometimes has its challenges and many of my friends think we must be mad.

Every so often there is what I call ‘full moon night’, when for no apparent reason, the emotional barometer swings into overdrive. Our first year here was certainly a bit of a roller coaster.

At the time Graham and I had three children under the age of four and I vividly remember chasing the children round the House panic stricken as they emerged from rooms wearing a girl’s shoes or jewellery. Once I found Imogen, then three, sitting colouring at a girl’s desk; she told me she was drawing a picture for her but on closer inspection I saw that ‘drawing’ was all over the back

ISSUE FOUR

Anna Cutts Housemistress 2007 - To Date

last year in sport and we managed (quite how I am still not sure) to win House singing. Team spirit is important and like all houses, Ashmead girls are just as competitive and just as loyal. What I can say for certain is that it is people that make Houses, not buildings and I feel really fortunate and privileged to be a part of their lives at such a formative time. One former Housemaster told me just after I had accepted the job that “You will have the best of times, and the worst of times but there is no better job in the world”. I agree with him.

Graham and I are now in our 4th year here and time has flown. Many parents ask me what characterises Ashmead and that is a really difficult question to answer. We had a really successful year

Photographs by Andy Banks and Archives.

Given the period splendour of some of the other boarding Houses, Ashmead would hardly win first prize in a beauty competition: the modern brickwork metal roof and front carpark create a striking resemblance to a ‘Trust House Forte’’ hotel, but it is a fabulous House to run in that it is purpose built

for boarding. We don’t have the high ceilinged capacious rooms that you find in the boys’ houses, but it is light, airy, modern and very secure. Mr Bullock still laments the loss of his orchard, and frequently reminds me that Boyne still has official rights over the back garden and tennis court! The House emblem the apple, acknowledges its birthright and indeed its name is taken from a famous Gloucestershire apple, the celebrated Ashmead Kernel.This apple was first introduced by William Ashmead, freeman of the city of Gloucester. He raised the first tree near Clarence Street in Gloucester in the early 18th Century.

The tree stood for over a hundred years until, ironically, it fell prey to developers.

Two Ashmead kernel trees were planted in the grounds when it was built.

F L O R E AT

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Hot and Bothered

The ‘race’ was originally the dream of Patrick Bauer, a French photographer, who 25 years ago made a traverse of the Moroccan Sahara in pursuit of photographic paradise, after which he decided to start an annual race covering that very terrain. Over the years, the event has become more popular and, with other ultra distance races being set to try to usurp the ‘toughest race’ headline, Mr Bauer continues to inject new challenges each year to maintain the credibility of the MdS. April 2010 had seemed a long way off when I signed up for the challenge 2 years previously. One baby daughter and a 2 mile commute to work at that time transformed to another baby daughter, a toddler and a 50 mile commute to work (and a very tolerant wife) in the build up to the race. Training in the 9 months beforehand consisted of roughly 40 miles a week of running to improve basic fitness with longer and longer runs at weekends, culminating in a 45 mile plod along the Ridgeway one sunny February Saturday, to build up stamina. As well as fitness, diet, heat acclimatisation and mental robustness would need to be addressed in equal measure prior to and during the race. I upped my calorific intake (yet still lost 10kg in 6 months), drank filthy but wholesome nutrient drinks (to boost my immune system) and spent the week before the race running each day in a heat chamber. Being a Ginger is not ideal for time in the desert and I was uncharacteristically apprehensive before leaving for Morocco. I had torn a calf muscle 3 weeks before the start of the race and was undergoing intensive massage treatments but I was worried and I didn’t sleep much. Once on my way it was a beast of a journey to the start point. A 7 hour bus journey took us to our desert camp where for two days there was everything from map issue to pre-race medical and kit checks, before the international field of over 1000 athletes who had all prepared for over a year could get to the start line.

Finally, under scorching Easter Sunday sunshine, off we ventured into the unknown! Load carrying 12kg over rocky and sandy terrain in the heat was harder than any training that I’d done. A gentle ‘liaison’ stage of 25km took a little over 4 hours to finish in the top half of the field with a 5km stretch of dunes to test the torn calf - but thankfully many of us found that injuries sustained and painful in the cold UK winter were not felt in the heat.

‘Camp‘ was a berber shelter with 7 other runners - we were a group all running in support of the charity Mencap - where blisters were treated and food was cooked at the end of the stage. It was then time to get as much rest before the start of the next stage. Sleep was at best intermittent with the wind and sand blowing, the heat still searing and the anxiety of what the following day had in store. Stage lengths steadily increased with occasional surprises along the way; stage 2 had a 300 metre dune and rock ascent to complete with fixed ropes at the summit, followed by 5 km of undulating dunes to finish; stage 3 had over 20 km of crossing a salt flat where the sun beat down, the air was heavy and still and the ground radiated fiercely. I wilted and faded and had to take shade by a medical support vehicle and take a time penalty for extra water that I poured over my hot head. I struggled on to the finish to get rehydrated before stage 4, the infamous double marathon day!! I took a very mediocre 24 hours to complete this epic as unfortunately I was laid low with diarrhoea for the duration (I’ll spare you the details). Fortunately the 14km of the hardest dunes in the race were traversed in the dark, had I seen them, the very sight might have broken me. Once completed, a stage 5 marathon seemed a breeze. Stage 6 was a 21km race to the finish line - my mid race blues had subsided and I felt as good as ever as I crossed the famous dunes of Merzouga to be greeted by hundreds of locals, the race support teams and finished runners to receive my medal and more importantly, some fresh food and a 7 hour bus journey back to a shower!!

A couple of days later we went Piranha fishing on the Rio Negro. We had a rod and some meat and had to be extremely patient but, luckily someone had brought drinks to keep us occupied. Eventually our patience paid off and my sister, Frances, caught one, but was petrified to touch it. The guide, who had no fear, took it off, had a quick photo then let us touch it before chucking it in the river.

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Giles Marriage (BH ’90) and Toby Sykes (NH ’85), who both now live in the New Forest, have teamed up through their sons to coach New Milton U8’s, who have just enjoyed a successful season. The side’s highlights included being runners-up at the Hants Counties Festival and finishing in the top four of the Etihad Cup competition, run by Harlequins and involving some 50 teams from across the South. From 50 matches over the course of season, the team notched up 43 wins, 3 draws and only 4 defeats, with Thomas Sykes and Henry Marriage running in some 89 tries between them as the team’s leading try scorers. Both Giles and Toby still have vivid memories of being coached by Mr (Bernie) Levin during their times at College, but the “Pretoria Gallop” move has yet to be implemented at New Milton U8’s!

Giles and Toby got to know each other through their children, firstly via Hordle Walhampton Prep School and latterly via New Milton RFC without ever realising that they had both attended College.

A subsequent chance meeting and conversation on the train from London, lead to the first coincidence, when it was discovered that Toby’s boss (John Strachan) was a great friend of Giles’s father. It was only when Toby subsequently mentioned Giles’s name in the office to John that he exclaimed “weren’t you both at Cheltenham together?!” As it turned out we missed each other by one term, but an eventual discovery of our OC status was potentially still possible without this amazing coincidence - as both of us possess and sadly still wear old college kit at rugby training!

Giles is currently an Associate Director for Thesis Asset Management plc, an investment management company and has

Reflecting on the race that took me a little over 50 hours to complete (the winner took 20 and last man in took 80!), I am still amazed by the ability of the human body to cope and adapt to such a fierce environment. Were I to do its like again (and I can safely say I won’t!), I’d train differently, eat different foods and take a relaxed frame of mind as the other ‘mad dogs’ who have run this race repeatedly. Personal and professional development? - certainly, though there might have been less aggressive ways of pursuing this, but I’m proud to have completed it and in the process raised over £6000 so far for the charity Mencap.

www.justgiving.com/harveypynn www.junglemoon.co.uk/mds2010

BRAZIL By Arthur Mills (CCJS Pupil) Over the summer holidays I went to Brazil for two weeks. We started in Rio De Janeiro, then we went to Iguazu falls, Salvador, and then Amazonia. We stayed in a hotel in the middle of the rainforest, which was really exciting! On our first night, we went out in the dark on a boat trip on the Rio Negro, which is 26 miles wide! We could only see about two kilometers of the river because there were lots of big islands. It took us half an hour to get to a small gap in the islands. We were looking for crocodiles and snakes. Our guide had a light, which he said would catch crocodile and snake eyes giving a red reflection.

We saw a few crocodiles and even got about a meter away from one.

The atmosphere was very scary because you could not see anything.

We then saw a snake with a rat in its mouth. We watched it until the tail got sucked in just like cartoons. You could even see the rat passing though the snakes body. We were very lucky because the guide had not seen anything like this for five years.

ISSUE FOUR

OCs team up to coach New Milton RFC Minis

The Marathon des Sables (MdS) 2010 by Harvey Pynn (Xt ’93) An early mid-life crisis? Utter stupidity? Or was my latest venture simply for the purpose of personal and professional development? In April, I ran the ‘toughest footrace on earth’, a 250 kilometre stage ‘race’ across the Moroccan Sahara whilst remaining self sufficient for the duration (other than water that is rationed at checkpoints along the way). In simple terms, it was a marathon a day for 6 days in ridiculous heat.

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F L O R E AT

By Charles Clarke (L ’10) Four OCs, namely Alice Beckley (OJ & Q ’10), Callum Locker (OJ & S ’10), Joe Dowley (L ’10), and I have set up a theatre company, having only just finished our A-Levels in the Summer. The idea came during rehearsals for our last performance at College in a show called ‘Comedy Time’, a 2-night comedy event for pupils only, put together in 2 rehearsals.

been based in Lymington since 2002. Giles is married to Penny and they have two sons, Henry (8) and Hugo (5) and live in Bartonon-Sea. Previously Giles was with Cazenove Capital Management in London on the emerging markets team. Prior to that, Giles met Penny studying Psychology at London Metropolitan University.

Toby is a Chartered Surveyor and Partner with Cushman Wakefield, specialising in the commercial property retail sector. He is married to Dominique and they have three children, Emily (13), Ben (11) and Thomas (8). After many years of having a holiday home in Lymington, they moved down to the New Forest permanently three years ago, although Toby still commutes to London four days a week. Toby graduated from Oxford Brookes University in Estate Management in 1989.

Both Toby and Giles have separately undertaken various charity events in recent years, which have included Toby cycling from Lands End to John O’ Groats and Giles taking part in a dog sledding expedition within the Arctic Circle.

If there are any OCs in the area that would like to get in touch please email: gdmarriage@hotmail.com or toby.sykes@eur.cushwake.com

The first, considerably large hurdle, was to agree on a name. After various ideas, including a rather scathing suggestion of ‘Who The Hell Is Alice?’ by our drama teacher, as well as a more respectable suggestion of ‘Just4Laughs’ by the same individual, we settled on ‘Jesters Comedy Quartet’.

The business is in its early stages; however, in the short time since finishing at College, we have managed to design and publish our website, www.jesterscomedyquartet. co.uk, as well as collect material ready for putting together a show, not to mention setting up the business bank account for all our hard earned cash, we hope! The website has been a great success, with all four of us having individual actor profiles, as well as show and booking information,

a shop and a blog, so all you readers can keep up with all things Jesters!

We plan to fund all our exploits ourselves, but in these early stages we are relying on shop sales to help us through and so if you are in need of a present, look no further, as the ‘Jesters Teddy Bear’ is all that anybody would need! If you can’t see anything you want then no worries, as the ‘Jesters’ are also looking for donations towards the company, and so if you can spare £1 or £100, everything we receive is very helpful, much appreciated and will be put to very good use.

Lastly, if anyone is interested in booking the Jesters for an event or you know of somewhere we could perform, whether it be your local theatre or your Town Hall, then please contact us as we would love to hear from you.

Later we drove less than 100 meters from the fishing site and took off our t-shirts and jumped in. Frightened that I might kick a piranha I swam slowly and cowardly. It was very warm for such a huge river.

Eventually though we got used to the river and started doing back flips and jumping in the river off the boat, drenching everyone who hadn’t taken the plunge. It was only whilst we were swimming, that the guide, who had a really good sense of humor, said that he thought he’d seen a crocodile!

He told me to go underwater and not to move. In the meantime I was practically in tears! I felt something grab my leg and I screamed for help only to see the guide looking at me laughing. He had pulled my leg! In the middle of the Amazon, in a river with crocodiles, he had played a joke on me - I didn’t see the funny side!

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Fighting Somali Pirates

By Lt Jeremy Brettell RN (BH ’97) I deployed twice to the Gulf of Aden as Navigating Officer of the Type 22 Frigate HMS CUMBERLAND in 2008/09 and conducted counter piracy patrols off the Somali coast.

Deploying with the ship is what I joined the Navy for but it is always hard leaving behind family and friends, and especially so when my second daughter was only 5 days old! We sailed from our home port in Devonport in September 2008, down through the Mediterranean, where we met the rest of the NATO task force we were to be working with for the next 3½ months, and on through Suez and the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden (GOA) where pirates were becoming big news.

NATO had been tasked with protecting World Food Programme (WFP) ships from the pirates as they delivered food aid from Nairobi to the main Somali ports of Mogadishu and Boosasso. Some warships started escorting convoys of WFP vessels while we remained in the GOA to try to intercept groups of pirates and reassure Merchantmen transiting one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world.

When we first started our patrol, the SW Monsoon was just coming to an end so the sea was still rough and we didn’t get much trade as the pirates small skiffs can’t cope with the rough seas. As soon as the sea died down, we started hearing reports of attacks and much of my job became one of reassuring panicky Captains of Merchantmen that we were there and that the small skiffs that they were seeing coming towards them were only Yemeni fishermen out for the daily tuna catch. We could never be complacent though, as one of those calls could well have been a genuine attack.

By the end of October 2008, we had our first interaction with pirates when a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) operating out of Djibouti spotted a suspicious skiff. On boarding the vessel, AK47’s and Rocket Propelled Grenades as well as other small arms, ladders and mobile phones were found, indicating that they were pirates. Once any pirate paraphernalia had been destroyed they were sent safely on their way. Releasing people that have been so obviously involved in piracy was always hard but, not having been caught in the act, there was not enough evidence to take them to a court for a trial.

On the 11th November 2008, a group of pirates that had just attempted to pirate a Danish merchant vessel failed to stop when the ship approached and then fired small arms at the 2 boats that we had launched to board them. In the ensuing fire fight 2 Somali

pirates and 1 Yemeni fisherman who had been onboard the pirate’s vessel were killed with, fortunately, no injuries to RN/RM personnel.

On investigation 9 Somali pirates had hijacked a Yemeni fishing vessel and were using it as a base to conduct their attacks. The 8 Yemeni’s were released and sent back to Yemen whilst the 7 surviving pirates were transferred to our support tanker, RFA WAVE KNIGHT, who took them to Mombassa where they were convicted of piracy in a Kenyan court.

During our time in the Gulf of Aden we intercepted 5 separate groups of pirates and destroyed their weapons, skiffs, ladders and any other pirate paraphernalia. Crucial to all of this was our Lynx helicopter which was sent off on search missions to find suspect vessels and extended our range. Just mentioning that we had launched it was often enough to deter would be pirates and force them to break off an attack on a Merchantman.

We returned home in December 2008, my daughters (the youngest now 3 months old) and my wife met us on the jetty for a traditional Naval homecoming. But time at home was short lived; in May 2009 we deployed again, this time as a single ship on National tasking back to the Gulf of Aden for a 7 month deployment conducting counter terrorism patrols as well as counter piracy, and it was just as successful. 12.4 tonnes of cannabis resin was intercepted that was destined to fund terrorism in the Middle East in one operation alone and a further 4 groups of pirates were dealt with.

Life in the Navy is never dull and being Navigating Officer of HMS CUMBERLAND was no exception. I am now back home and as of September 2010 took Command of Liverpool University Royal Naval Unit and HMS CHARGER, a P2000 class patrol boat, in which we introduce University students to life in the Navy.

Baroness Eaton of Cottingley

By Malcolm Sloan (OC Administrator) Margaret Eaton, mother of Yorke (Xt ’95), was elevated to the House of Lords on Thursday 22nd July 2010 in recognition of her service to local government. Margaret, who already has an OBE and was made a Dame Commander in the 2010 New Year Honours List, was included on a 56-strong list of new Peers announced by Downing Street in the Dissolution Honours List at the end of the last Parliament.

During the ceremony, Baroness Eaton was led through the main doors of the House of Lords by Black Rod and the Garter Principal King of Arms. A letter sent by the Queen was then read out before Baroness Eaton took the Oath of Allegiance.

Baroness Eaton is chairman of the Local Government Association and is a former chairman of the Conservative Councillors’ Association. She led Bradford Council from 2000 to 2006 and still represents the Bingley Rural ward as a Conservative councillor.

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All pictures are: Royal Navy/Crown Copyright.

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F L O R E AT

Working in David Cameron’s office

By Alice Perry (A ’07) After leaving College, I read Politics at Bristol University. As I had not studied Politics at A level, it was a risk but I was well prepared by College and so ready to accept the challenge. An interest for British politics and the Conservative party slowly began to emerge. It was after my second year that I decided I would like to do work experience within the Conservative Party. I emailed my CV to every Shadow Cabinet member. Despite a lot of rejections, I received one positive email from David Cameron’s office. I attended a tricky interview, but luckily for me I had read up on Conservative policies and was able to answer the questions. I was then invited to intern in his private office from the 1st June - 3rd July 2009. As you can imagine I was ecstatic!

It was a nerve-wracking experience walking into Portcullis House on my first day, but everyone was really lovely and they made me feel part of the team. My job was to work within the correspondence unit in Norman Shaw South in Portcullis House (this is now home to Harriet Harman’s team). My main job was to open all of the post and sort it into topic categories and then file it. At the end of each week, I compiled a one-page brief, which included a pie chart depicting topics that had been raised. I worked in a team of 7 within the correspondence unit, but also helped out the speechwriting, constituency office and policy teams. I joined the team right in the middle of the expenses scandal, so instead of the usual 80-100 letters we were receiving around 400-500 daily!

I was also on standby tea making duty when David Cameron was having meetings. A real life Martine McCutcheon! This does not sound difficult but the pressure was on not to spill anything when taking refreshments into high profile meetings! I also served biscuits at the Shadow Cabinet meetings every Tuesday. It was a surreal feeling to look out of the window of the House of Commons and see the other side of the view that I was so used to looking at. It was amazing to come face to face with the Shadow Cabinet, especially William Hague who became my favourite, as every week he exclaimed: “Ooooh choccy biccies!” Ken Clarke also has a real passion for jammy dodgers!

Meeting the man himself was awesome. We were introduced at a drinks reception which he held for MPs in his office. What really sticks in my mind was how approachable, friendly and truly passionate he was. A funny moment was when he asked me what University I went to; his response was “Aaaah Brizzle,” which made me laugh.

When asked what I got out of working in Parliament, I have a range of answers. I received a pass when I worked there, so I was able to roam Parliament without being accompanied. It was an amazing feeling to walk through and pass figures who I had learned about and had seen on television, as well as frequent the many bars that the House of Commons and Lords have to offer. One of my favourite experiences was being able to go to Prime Minister’s Questions joining MPs in the audience. I also attended a David Cameron press conference. I got a real feel for Westminster, and the buzz from working in Parliament is like no other. It was amazing to see the real workings of this office. This experience has led to me hoping to pursue a career in politics, and I have managed to gain a 6-month internship with my local MP. My message to others is that I did not obtain this internship through contacts, I knew I had nothing to lose so I went for it. Whether your interest is in politics, banking, fashion or business, you have nothing to lose by just being brave and enquiring. I had the most eye opening experience, and one I will never forget.

RIDING HIGH By Charlie Hutton (S ’05) Since leaving College I have become an International Grand Prix Dressage Rider. Being part of the equestrian world is fantastic. I am the 4th generation of a family run riding school, The Talland School of Equitation, based in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. I always hated riding until the age of 14 but then I started to take things more seriously and have been part of The Junior and Young Rider teams for 5 consecutive years. One of the bonuses of being a Dressage rider is I get to travel a great deal. I have been to some fabulous places including Sydney (for the Youth Olympic festival 2009, where I won a Team Gold and the Individual Silver medal) Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and Holland.

Being an elite athlete in any sport takes great dedication and requires great support. I am based at home with my 8 competition horses and I train with my mother Pammy Hutton. I also have help from Erik Thielgaard and Jonny Hilberath. When I train with Jonny I travel over to Germany and stay for intense training. Aside from my training, I also have to have sponsors. Dressage is a very expensive sport and the price of top horses can be huge, and I am lucky that I have people who support me by buying the horses for me.

Programme took me on after my success at Junior Level and I was the youngest on the programme. The World Class Development Programme has been set up by the government to help elite athletes across all sports and disciplines. This is funded by lottery money which is put towards enhancing performance. Being on this programme allows me to have access to the best Sport Psychologist, Veterinary, Nutritional specialists, strength and conditioning coach, and the best sports physiotherapist; and the list goes on. They give full support to both horse and rider.

Blue Chip Feed LTD sponsor me with their Blue Chip Pro Feed Balancer, which without my horses would not be in such good competition fitness. Albion Saddle Makers supply me and my horses with tack and other equipment. I have been using their tack from day one so we have a close relationship. Then in 2010 Premier Equine came on board and have generously sponsored me with their competition rugs and exercise boots for both competition and training. In 2006 The World Class Development

Due to my success as a rider, I am a British Horse Society Assistant Instructor which enables me to teach both nationally and internationally. In dressage there is not a huge amount of prize money until you get to the Senior European Championships, so I use the money which I earn from teaching to help fund entry into the competitions. This is a great opportunity to meet new people and to build up a network of contacts to enable me to have an access to various markets within the industry.

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AN AMERICAN AT CHELTENHAM

By Stephen Christy (Ch ’67)

Imagine my surprise when, as a senior at The Hill School in Pennsylvania, I learned that I had won an English-Speaking Union (E-SU) scholarship to attend Cheltenham College for a year!

the rest of us stuck to the standard get-up. “Tardy Books” and other forms of discipline (but none corporal) were routinely administered to slackers and ne’er-do-wells. I somehow avoided most of this.

It can’t be that much different, I thought, we wear coats and ties at The Hill. We go to Chapel. We’re big on sports, and good at academics. We live in dorms, so why not give it a try?

Virtually every moment of every day was structured. I was used to that, having come from a similar school background. On weekends we were allowed downtown, but only in certain areas to avoid temptations and vice. There were also plays and other events with the Cheltenham Ladies’ College — a rare opportunity to see the fair sex, but always under the watchful eyes of dowagers and schoolmistresses.

September of 1966 found me boarding a B.O.A.C. jet to London. I was decked out in a seersucker suit and boater to appear proper to my new British hosts. All my other belongings, packed in a large trunk, had left for Cheltenham months before by steamship.

We were given a quick pep talk by the E-SU at Heathrow and then dispersed to various rail stations for the start of our yearlong sojourn.

On disembarking at Cheltenham, I was greeted by F.G. WallaceHadrill, Housemaster of Cheltondale, my new home. I marvelled at his car, a Humber Super Snipe, after of course trying to get in on the wrong side!

My transition to College life was quick as Mr. Wallace-Hadrill immediately whisked me into Chapel — a lone boy in a white suit amidst hundreds of olive-drab jackets. The building seemed like a cathedral to me.

Our next stop was Cheltondale; my trunk had not yet arrived (It did so a few days later, the lock having been picked en route but, teenagers’ underwear and the like having little interest to thieves, nothing had been stolen). I was turned over to Matron, whom I came to love and respect for her multiple duties of maintaining the health and cleanliness of 60 boys as well as supervising their living quarters. I was relieved of my suit and outfitted in black trousers, the requisite blazer, white shirt and a black tie, all borrowed from somewhere. Even my brown shoes had to go!

The living arrangements were all new to me. There was no room mate or private room, but rather a long dormitory with each bed separated from the other by a partition. Matron inspected our tiny cells daily to ensure cleanliness and orderliness. Once in an effort to jump-start the day I made my bed before breakfast. On returning I found that Matron had torn it up because we were supposed to let our beds “air out” for a while in the morning!

The next few weeks were a blur as I gradually adapted to the College routine. I was not much for sports Stateside and that trait followed me across the Atlantic. I enjoyed rugby, never got the hang of cricket, but I did do cross-country in the Spring of 1967 and came in first for my House.

The food at College fascinated me; having been to private schools before I had learned to eat, and usually enjoy, pretty much everything. Fried bread and marmite were new treats. Some dishes were questionable but the only one lacking any redeemable qualities was the cauliflower and cheese casserole, served some Sunday evenings.

Cheltondale and the other houses were all arranged in a military-like order, with head prefects, lieutenants under them, and then the sea of enlisted men. The head boys were allowed fancy jackets at times — vibrant colors with stripes and patterns setting off their rank — but

Thank you so much for sen ding me the Obituary Supplem ent. I much appreciate it and am very glad John was included in it.

Carol Challis (Widow of John Challis NH ’46)

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F L O R E AT ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

TEAM AVILTON WINNERS OF THE

POLAR

The studies overwhelmed me. I thought I was an American hotshot but four months on the English Civil War showed me the new meaning of research and detail. The teachers were among the finest I have ever had, and certainly better than those I’d seen to date in the U.S. Gordon Wallace-Hadrill and William Simpson stand out in History, Jack Ralphs in English. Despite their best efforts I was not terribly successful with my “A”-level exams. But I found upon entering university that fall — Kenyon College in rural Ohio, started by your Lords Kenyon and Gambier in 1824 — that I was way ahead of my peers.

CHALLENGE 2010 Rupert Nicholson (L ’01)

So many people befriended me! Several remain friends today. A treat was to go home with them on holiday. The Cheltenham Spa Express, with its clubby dining car, was always the way to reach London. In fact you could get anywhere on a bus or a train, and I marveled at this compared to skeletal public transit systems in the States.

A glorious Spring soon arrived and, yes, everything folks say about England in the Spring is true. I had, in strict violation of school policy, purchased a motorcycle and used it to enjoy the countryside. The inevitable always happens however: Mr. Wallace-Hadrill somehow found out and impounded it until the end of the school year.

I started a College newspaper while at Cheltenham, called simply Coll. For some reason the College had never had one — a necessity in any American school, and one of my passions while at The Hill. This was a great success and many boys pitched in as they discovered new talent in writing and reporting. Of course we had to pass heavy censorship by none other than Headmaster David Ashcroft himself. This was a man who defined the term “gimlet eye” when reviewing our material.

Gordon Wallace-Hadrill was unfailingly kind and supportive to me throughout the year and I found him a remarkable man both at Cheltondale and in the classroom. He really did a fine job with his many responsibilities, and his wit and wry humor were legendary.

The end of the year approached rapidly and it was time to say goodbye to so many new friends. I missed the end-of-school event where Headmaster Ashcroft himself wished me well before the entire school body. I was out selling my motorcycle! That choice of action remains one of my few regrets about an outstanding year at Cheltenham. What I learned from all of you during those 12 months has shaped much of my later life, and I will always be grateful to Cheltenham College for that.

The race was without a doubt the hardest and best thing I have ever done. It was an incredibly tough experience in one of the most beautiful and unforgiving environments.

There were lots of motivating factors behind my decision to enter the Polar Challenge Race. Initially for me it was all about completing the race and reaching the pole. However, as my team mates (Steph and Tom) and I got more involved with the training, we all got very competitive and began to take the ‘race’ aspect more seriously. I was also incredibly motivated by the fact that we had set ourselves a fundraising target of £50,000 for Mencap.

This gave us something to focus on and inspired us to keep up our training.

It worked and we are now just shy of our target. If you would like to donate to Mencap you can do so through our justgiving website www.justgiving.com/ teamdarkhorse2010.

I learnt a huge amount in the training and the race itself. Team work and self belief were key. In the final push to the finish line we walked 52 hours without any sleep, covering 85 miles. We had to endure winds of up to 70mph and temperatures

of -40ºC for the last 20 miles which was pretty intense. We finished the race in a real physical mess, Tom and I had both lost 2 stone in 10 days and we had nothing else to give. It was all worth it as we won the race by over 24 hours and just missed out on the record time by 2 and half hours.

I really enjoyed the training and I miss it now. We were in the gym 4 or 5 times during the week. At the weekends we got out of London and went walking in places like the Brecon Beacons, Dartmoor and Hadrian’s Wall which took me back to my Duke of Edinburgh days with Sebastian Bullock.

We organised over 15 charity events in the lead up to the race, from football tournaments featuring ex Manchester United and England star Lee Sharpe to clay pigeon shoots in Devon, dog training days and luncheons. However, our most successful event was a White Collar Boxing night. There were 14 fights in total, an auction with ballots including tickets to see Coldplay and a day’s shooting. We had 450 people attend and we raised almost £20,000 for Mencap.

me; he has beaten me up on numerous occasions over the years and this was no different. It was a hard fought battle and one which we both thoroughly enjoyed. I would like to say it was an even fight, but over the three rounds Toby would have won on points. However, if the fight had been a few rounds longer I hope my fitness would have got the better of him, but maybe that is wishful thinking.

Jon Goodale (L ’01) also fought and was up against Jez ‘the punch bag’ Mercer, a work colleague. Jon was also punching well above his weight, but he more than held his own and showed some nifty foot work in the ring.

All in all it was the most incredible experience and I would recommend doing the Polar Challenge and other similar races to anyone who has a love for the outdoors and a challenge. You can find out more about my team on our website

www.thedarkesthorse.co.uk.

The fights however were 3 rounds of 2 minutes, which doesn’t sound long, but trust me it is seriously tough! For some reason I decided to fight my brother Toby (H ’99) who is at least 10kgs heavier than 50

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ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

Royal Visits To Ch eltenham ColleGE

By Jill Barlow (Current Staff)

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In November 1942, rumours were going round College that “Something Was Going To Happen” and more imaginative suggestions included amalgamation with the Ladies’ College.

(The Cheltonian November 1942). There was no amalgamation but an informal visit by Queen Mary who was staying at Badminton. College had only 24 hours notice of her arrival so Her Majesty was able to see normal activities as she toured the Museum, Art School, Chapel, Dining Hall, kitchens, tuck shop, New Block and Engineering shop. Peter Gautier-Smith, who met her in the tuck shop, remembered her as ‘a statelylooking woman, very upright and wearing an ankle-length coat and one of her famous toques.’ He was struck by her deep voice and pronounced German accent. She was entertained to tea by Mr and Mrs Elliott-Smith in College House (now Southwood) after which the boys

assembled outside and gave her three cheers in gratitude for the whole day’s holiday they were given in her honour.

Princess Elizabeth visited College on 15 March 1951. Her visit was delayed for a week because she had flu but she managed to come just before flying to Malta to rejoin Prince Philip. The Headmaster, Mr Elliott-Smith, welcomed her in College House and escorted her across Thirlestaine Road to the Engineering Offices to see an exhibition of the boys’ engineering drawings.

She inspected the Gymnasium and Natural History Museum before going to the Dining Hall where everyone had the same ‘simple but rather special’ menu of braised tongue with cauliflower and mashed potato followed by fruit salad and shortbread. After coffee in Big Modern the prefects took her on a comprehensive tour: Chapel, kitchens, Biological Laboratories (in Old Junior), the new auditorium in Big Classical, Centenary Block, and Thirlestaine House where she was most interested in the display of aeroplanes made by the Aeromodellers Club.

Her car then drove her to the Junior School where three senior boys took her to see a model engine working in

Princess Anne visited College in October 2000 to open Ashmead, the purpose built girls’ House, and to present new colours to the CCF. In the morning, the Housemistress, Dr Tracy Johnson, showed her round the ground floor of Ashmead. The Princess then unveiled a plaque to commemorate the occasion.

After a finger buffet lunch she changed into naval uniform and was driven to Southwood lawn. Over 1000 guests watched as the old colours were marched off the parade ground and Her Royal Highness presented the new Queen’s Colour to Cadet Colour Sergeant William Dixon and the College Colour to Cadet Colour Sergeant Owen Oxlade. After the ceremony, there was another quick change of outfit in College House before she left by car for Cheltenham Racecourse.

R O YA L V I S I T S T O C H E L TENHAM COLLEGE

R O YA L V I S I T S T O C H E L TENHAM COLLEGE

Images supplied by Archives.

I mages have been supplied

by A rchives .

gave the royal salute, the Town Band played the National Anthem, a small boy presented a bouquet and Dr Kynaston, the principal, led the royal party into the Great Hall. The Duchess of Teck presented the prizes and to enthusiastic cheers Prince Francis carried off two, including the prize for German composition.

Queen Elizabeth returned in 1991 at the end of College’s 150 year celebrations.

She was escorted round College by two prefects, Christian Gibbs and Lucy Holt, visiting many classes, the tuck shop and the Library where, sitting under the portrait which commemorated her visit 40 years before, she signed the visitors’ book. At the Junior School she listened to a concert of songs from the musical ‘Cats’. The lunch menu was a little different from her previous visit: salmon, lamb in basil and tomato sauce with mangetout and baby sweetcorn followed by brandysnap baskets with wild berry coulis. As she left, the cheering boys in the Quad were joined by the 55 6th form girls.

I mages have been supplied

by A rchives .

the model railway hut, watch the scouts busy in their club room and meet a hamster in the nature hut. Finally, in the carpentry hut, John Bristol presented her with a wooden jigsaw made for Prince Charles. She left by car through the College grounds and the Quad lined with cheering boys.

On Speech Day, 28 June 1886, Princess Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes came with her parents to visit the school where her brother Prince Francis was being educated. The future Queen Mary was the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Teck and, as The Cheltonian reported, ‘lines of carriages with their occupants and a large gathering of pedestrians’ waited to catch a glimpse of the royal party while ‘upon the greensward on the other side of the carriage way many ladies and gentlemen had congregated.’

The boys were there too, and the principal masters in their academic gowns and hoods. The College Cadets

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By Malcolm Sloan (OC Administrator)

He was appointed a Magistrate in 1981, becoming Forest of Dean Bench Chairman for five years, Chairman of Gloucestershire Magistrates Courts Committee for six years and the first Chairman of the newly formed

The Office of High Sheriff is at least 1,000 years old, having roots in Saxon times. It is the oldest continuous Office under the Crown. The High Sheriff is the Sovereign’s representative in the County for matters relating to the Judiciary and maintenance of law and order. They are responsible for duties conferred by the Crown which include: attendance at Royal visits to the County; the well being and the protection of the Her Majesty’s High Court Judges when on Circuit

in the County, and attending them in court during the legal terms; acting as the Returning Officer for Parliamentary Elections in County constituencies; responsibility for the proclamation of the accession of a new Sovereign; and the maintenance of the loyalty of subjects to the Crown.

The selection of new High Sheriffs is made annually in a meeting of the Privy Council by the Sovereign when the custom of ‘pricking’ the appointee’s name with a bodkin is perpetuated.

NIGEL ROWLEY (W ’76) Amber Ahluwalia (Ashmead) interviews Nigel Rowley an OC; Nigel was a pupil at Cheltenham College from 1972 to 1976, received colours for rugby and cricket and was the first Head of Wilson House. A well-known face around College and a formidable careers advisor, Nigel Rowley reveals how he got to where he is today…

AA: Nigel, you recently gave careers advice to the Lower 6th.

Describe where your career path has taken you.

NR: I was sponsored through university by ICI Petrochemicals and then joined Mobil Oil in their Industrial Marketing Department.

Thereafter, I joined the family manufacturing business in Cheltenham and developed the business into a protective headware market. We made 1.5 million cycle helmets for Halfords, produced helmets for the England Cricket team and supplied beat helmets and riot gear for half of the UK’s Police Services.

AA: You recently cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats for charity. What compelled you to do such a thing at your age?!

AA: You did a degree in chemical engineering. However, you are now a property developer. In your opinion, how relevant is your University degree in relation to what you may end up doing later on in life?

NR: IT MADE ME FEEL ALIVE! AA: You’ve been known to describe yourself as ‘unacademic’ while at College. What were your strengths at school and in what way have they influenced your chosen career path?

NR: A University degree prepares you for life, and my engineering qualification opened many doors since employers knew I was a logical thinker and was prepared to work hard.

NR: I left the local grammar school and was going nowhere so my parents sent me to Cheltenham College as a last resort. It was the best decision they ever made. It changed my life. I loved the school, enjoyed the sports and whatever talent I had was developed and I grew in confidence. I am not an intellectual but I understood the value of hard work – that’s what the school motto is all about – and I still demonstrate that principle today. My strengths are my enthusiasm and persistence in difficult times.

AA: A project on such a grand scale as your Medina Palms property development in Kenya is bound to present many challenges. What is your approach to problem solving and overcoming such challenges?

NR: Try to find all the facts before making a decision, then once you have prepared carefully, set your sights on something. Be relentless – never quit.

AA: Obviously in the current economic climate, competition in the job market has never been stiffer. How can 6th formers give themselves the best possible chance for when they enter the job market later on in life?

NR: I am working on a Business Skills Workshop with Cheltenham College to help equip students with those skills.

ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

By Simon Collyer-Bristow (BH ’77 Current & Past Parent)

High Sheriff of Gloucestershire 2010-11 Gloucestershire Bench in 2004. His appointment as a Deputy Lieutenant for Gloucestershire came in 2000.

OC SPORTS...

OC GOLF SOCIETY

Ceri Thomas Evans JP DL Ceri Evans, a former parent (Ben Xt ’87 and Sam Xt ’89), has been appointed High Sheriff of Gloucestershire 20102011. Ceri, born and educated in Wales, worked in the brick industry, settling in Blaisdon, in the Forest of Dean, until retiring as Chairman and Managing Director of a group of brick manufacturers.

F L O R E AT

Open to all golfing abilities, the OC Golf Society is the largest and most active of the OC Sports Clubs with over 100 members.

We play some of the best courses in the country; in fact our fixture list for 2010 took us to 6 of the top 100 courses in GB! We boast a membership from recent leavers to those with seven decades of experience.

Most of the Society’s fixtures are open to all members and the Society offers an excellent opportunity to meet other OCs. For those single figure handicappers, the Society enter teams to represent College at all of the major meetings of the Public Schools’ Golfing Society and the Public Schools’ Old Boys Golf Association, including the Halford Hewitt, the Grafton Morrish, the G.L. Mellin Salvers, the Edward Harris Cup and the Alba Trophy.

We have six matches against other Public School Golf Societies and have an annual match against College; the Society also has an internal Summer match and an Autumn meeting that give us the opportunity to dual against each other for some marvellous and historic silverware. New fixtures for 2011 include the Midland Public Schools’ Open and a match against Brecon Old Boys. Details can be found on the OCGS pages on website. 2010 has been a successful year both on and off the course, continuing the Renaissance begun in 2009 when Charlie Elliott (H ’89) became Hon Secretary. We have had over 70 OCs representing the Society this season. In terms of recruitment our numbers continue to grow at a steady rate and with the help of Mike Todd (Current Staff) and Simon Collyer-Bristow (BH ’77) we have tried hard to target the 2010 College leavers and attract them to the Society - we are now in contact with about 25 from this group and are confident that we can continue to attract significant numbers of leavers in the future as the Society becomes more youthful.

The OCGS elite side easily lost their annual match against the Old Radleians back in

March but promptly followed that, with an excellent 6.5 - 1.5 win against Lorreto (both very strong golf schools). At the Halford Hewitt the team lost in the first round to Fettes but then had a good run to the last 8 in the Plate competition. During the summer teams represented OCGS in the G.L.Mellin Salver, the Peter Burles, the Bunny Millard and the Alba Trophy but failed to emulate 2009’s successes. GK Elliott (Xt ’47) and AS Elliott (Xt ’51) failed on count back to make the final 4 of the Bunny Millard. PE Richards (Xt ’88) and Ed Kennedy (S ’07) finished in the top half of the Alba’s scratch foursomes event. In May at Denham GC the OCGS qualified as seeds in the Grafton Morrish but in October’s Finals, held at Royal West Norfolk, the elite foursomes team unfortunately lost 2.5 – 0.5 to the Old Wellingtonians in the first round.

In the friendly matches and festivals there were some excellent results and all the days were much enjoyed by those who partook. OCGS beat College 4-2 in the annual Sunday match against an improving school team. The OCGS beat the Old Marlburians 3-1 to win the Peter Gale Salver in an enjoyable afternoon match at Woking GC followed by dinner. For the first time in 5 years OCGS beat the Old Shirburnians 7.5 - 2.5 in fine weather at Hamptworth GC and carried off the Peter Currie Cup. Both these long-standing matches were very well organised by Henry Rees (Xt ’59) (who actually lost both his matches!). The match against The Medical Golfing Society at Denham GC was another great success with the OCGS winning 3-1. In the last match of the season OCGS halved 2-2 against Old Decanians at Walton Heath with excellent golf from both sides. This left the combined elite/friendly 2010 match record reading: Played 7, Won 5, Drew 1, Lost 1.

The internal Summer Meeting between the Evergreens v the Braves at Worplesdon GC was won by the Braves (Under 39’s)

who carried off the Harry Rees Memorial Trophy. Special mention must be made of Mike Gallimore’s (NH ’66) hole-in-one. The Autumn Meeting was again held at Denham Golf Club with the President’s Scratch and Captain’s prize both won by James Ashbridge (BH ’98), the Lysaght and Young Cups both won by Charlie Elliott, whilst Ed Kennedy won the Keene Cup. The Founder’s Cups were won by Mike Gallimore and Hugo Smith (NH ’94), who also won the Jumbo Trophy for best overall golfer. The Prospect prize was won

by James Meyrick (Current Pupil) from the College. The season finished with the OCGS team coming highly commended runner-up from the 14 teams entered in the Welsh Public Schools’ Championship for the Edward Harris Cup at Castle Combe GC. OCGS were narrowly pipped to the post by the Old Monmothians.

Any OC interested in joining either the elite or fun Golf Society is encouraged to contact one of the Committee below:College Contact: Mike Todd Tel: 01242 265627 Mob: 07702 420071 Email: todd.mike@cheltcoll.gloucs.sch.uk OC Contact: Simon Collyer-Bristow Tel: 01285 760228 Email: scb@crfc.co.uk OCGS Secretary: Charlie Elliott Tel: 01451 870995 Mob: 07971 818158 Email: celliott@elliott-t-l.co.uk

AA: In what ways did Cheltenham College shape you?

NR: It gave me the life skills to compete. That is why I am happy to do my careers work at College to help the new generation get the most out of themselves.

AA: Finally, if you could go back in time and change one thing what would it be?

NR: That is not my way…I have no regrets and would not change a thing!

Thank you for sending me the obituary supplement. I was touched and delighted to see such a good summary of my husband’s life, which is so well done and true to him.

Mary Foote Widow of The Reverend J B Foote (L ’36) 53

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Old Cheltonian Cricket Club 2010 Season

By Martin Stovold (Current Staff) As the 2010 cricket season comes to a close amidst claims of ‘spot fixing’ and ‘match fixing’ on an international level, I am pleased to report that the ‘Old Cheltonians’ have not been involved despite a season of fluctuating results.

The season began with a drive to increase the profile of the ‘Club’ through increasing the number of fixtures, to use ‘facebook’ as a means of communication and to play more games at College.

All have happened and the responses have been very positive.

The first new fixture initiative took place on the Sunday following Speech Day. This involved two complete sides of ‘Old Cheltonians’ playing against each other. It was a tremendous day and great to see a wide range of ages and ability playing competitively whilst also enjoying a return to the ground of former glories.

Mark Briers World XI 234-6 Richard Howell 55, Chris Sandbach 63, John Mills 65.

Simon Cowley XI (L ’98) 221-9 Simon Cowley 53.

An excellent day.

The first round of the Cricketer Cup Competition was at College against Felsted Robins and we were able to select a very strong side, captained

by Mike Cawdron (W ’93). On winning the toss, we elected to bat and set a challenging target of 298 for 4. Chris Sandbach (NH ’04) played magnificently for his 148 and was well supported by Charles Wootton (NH ’09), 90, with a second wicket partnership of 208 which must be some sort of College record! The final few overs were explosive and included some superb striking from John Mills (NH ’06) who scored 20 in five balls.

In reply, Felsted were never out of the game on a flat wicket. Despite losing wickets, they managed to score at the required rate. However, some tight seam bowling from James Shackleton (NH ’07), (3 for 21) and Charlie Hall (NH ’06) (3 for 44), supported by some 55

fortuitous spin from Harry Johnston (Xt ’06), enabled us to record an important victory by 9 runs.

drawn to play away against Haileybury Hermits in the first round of the competition next year.

A week later the annual fixture against the College XI took place. Richard Howell (NH ’00) top scored with 53, supported

by Chris Butlin (NH ’09) 37, Charlie Hall 29 and Max Delamain (L ’09) 25 in a total of 210.

The continued initiative of more fixtures at College was completed with two mid week fixtures on consecutive days against the Old Malverians and the Free Foresters. Tom Hughes (NH ’97) did a great job in producing a mixed ability OC side, who chased down a target of 283 and recorded a 5 wicket victory over the Old Malverians.

Charlie Hall took 7 for 53. Alex Kirkby (L ’08) scored 88, Guy Pearson-Gregory (L ’08) 54, Jack Boone 31, Tim Lacey (S ’96) 24. A very entertaining 41 not out from Richard Wand (NH ’06) helped complete the win. Mrs Howell produced an excellent lunch which was enjoyed by all.

The boys replied in a very positive manner through Guy Mitchell (Newick House) 57 and George Sandbach (Newick House) 87 before Alex Mason (Haxelwell) and Alex Ross (Christowe) finishing matters to record an eight wicket victory.

Another strong side was selected for the 2nd Round of the Cricketer Cup Competition with one change being made to the first round side. Spirits were high and a good performance was hoped for against the highly successful Oundle Rovers. Unfortunately, things did not go to plan and we soon found ourselves at 15 for 4 on a good wicket. The middle order of John Mills (NH ’06), Dom Hewson (S ’93), James Shackleton and particularly Tom Richardson (Xt ’98) 46 not out and George Brooksbank (L ’99) 33 not out made the target of 193 respectable, but well under par. The Rovers replied in the expected confident manner with their opener controlling the game to lead them to a 7 wicket victory. They were eventual finalists.

This was a disappointing result for us all but the quality and number of players capable of playing at this strong level of cricket is improving and increasing. It is certainly not social cricket and players need to be playing a high club level regularly if we are to compete successfully. We have been

F L O R E AT

Sadly, the Free Foresters fixture was cancelled as they could not get sufficient players for the day.

It is intended to extend this ‘Mini Cricket Week’ next year to three fixtures during the first week of the school holidays.

The final fixture against the Gloucestershire Gipsies took place at Stowell Park during their Cricket Week. The opposition contained several young OC players which was good to see and emphasised how many are encouragingly playing social cricket. A target of 251 proved just too many in a positive run chase led by Will Sandbach (NH ’07). The OCs finished 25 runs short but another enjoyable day for everyone.

It has been a very positive summer for the Club. Please make contact through the ‘Old Cheltonian Cricket Club’ facebook page.

ISSUE FOUR J A N U A RY 2 0 1 1

OC Hockey Weekend 6th & 7th February 2010 The Boys

The Girls

There were high hopes this year for the 1st XI to retain the trophy after prizing it off the OCs last year. With rumours of the OCs turning out in great numbers this seemed unlikely, as they were still smarting from the defeat last year. However, when the day arrived, the OCs were looking a little light on numbers but they turned up highly charged as always after the ‘Team meeting’ and ‘tactics talk’ the night before!

This is only the second year that we have played an OC Girls’ hockey fixture and it was a great success with more and more girls getting involved. Girls travelled from all over the country; this shows just how important an event like this is and for some girls the only opportunity they get to play hockey. We put out a strong team but were unlucky to come away with a 5-3 defeat to a College 1st team who were playing to a very high standard.

So with the bare eleven, the OCs took the field against the 2nd XI and a fabulous game ensued. Both sides played fast flowing hockey and created numerous chances, but it was the OCs who struck first with a well taken goal by Alex Kirkby (L ’08). Once in the lead the OCs took control and, although oxygen was needed at half time for some players, they ran out 4-1 winners. Alex Kirkby scored a fabulous hat-trick! Tired, but enthused, the OCs went straight in to the final game against the College 1st XI and the good quality of hockey continued. Some lovely inter play down the left wing between the Snell brothers, Joey (L ’07), Oli (L ’04) and Ben (L ’02), led to a short corner from which Alex Kirby scored again. There were some fantastic performances from the OCs and a special mention for Anthony Kay (Xt ‘08), who was a defensive trojan at the back and James Wright (Xt ‘08), whose mesmeric foot work and hard tackling was a sight to behold. Final score was 3-1 to the OCs and the trophy returned to its rightful owners!

There were some great moments from the like of Natacha Kay (A ’07), Pip Mitchell (A ’08) and Carys Lewis (Q ’08); we thought we could be in with a chance but the class of the 1st team was too much to handle, even with our secret weapon in goal – big thanks to Oli Adams (S ’10)!

By Tom Richardson (Xt ’98 & Current Staff)

By Caroline Abendanon (Q ’07)

A weekend like this brings back great memories, a chance to catch up with old friends, see the changes that are happening around College and play a bit of hockey. On behalf of all the girls I would like to say thank you to Mrs Park for organising this event. I think next year will be even better and you never know we may even win!

Great effort by all those that attended, lets try and increase numbers substantially next year!

llent and Thank you for the exce 3 and the interesting Floreat No st wishes to Obituary Supplement. Be 10. the Association for 20 Dick William (S ’40)

The Cheltenham Caterpillars Boat Club

By James McWilliam (S ’09) The annual College Regatta and Boat Club Dinner which took place on 12th June 2010 saw a healthy turn out of around 15 OCs from a variety of generations The Old Boys’ race in the afternoon saw an OC and current masters’ quad composite beat the OC VIII by a margin of half a length on the College Regatta course.

The dinner later that evening saw the famous white jacket donned for what has become, for some, its annual outing. A great meal provided by the catering staff, followed by some amusing speeches and drinks afterwards in the Common Room, made sure that this remains the premier rowing event for OC rowers. It is hoped that this year we will be able to put out two or three eights, with a view to taking on the current 1st VIII.

Please contact a member of the Provisional Committee below.

James McWilliam (S ’09) Richard Watton (H ’08)

Rod Jaques (H ’78)

Malcolm Mennie (Hon OC & past staff) Richard Besse (B/Ch ’84) Tony Stevens (L ’59) Barry Wild (Hon OC & current staff) Patrick Weir (Current staff)

mcwilliam_jf@yahoo.co.uk rich_3@hotmail.co.uk rod@jaqueshome.co.uk mmennie@waitrose.com RBesse@oceansafety.com astevens@blenheimpalace.com wild.barry@cheltcoll.gloucs.sch.uk weir.patrick@cheltcoll.gloucs.sch.uk

MEMBERSHIP One off joining fee - £20 (waivered for under 21s) Annual direct debit payment of £10 Joining entitles members to purchase: •

MEN: Caterpillars Silk Tie

•

WOMEN: Silk Scarf

•

Invitations to the various Caterpillar events throughout the year

Please call Rebecca Creed on 01242 265694 to arrange payment or email info@cheltcoll.gloucs.sch.uk 56

11 FLOREAT

ANNOUNCEMENTS...

OC SPORTS...

OC Rackets Weekend 12th, 13th & 14th march By Karl Cook (Master in Charge of Rackets) A most successful 10th Old Cheltonian Rackets weekend took place over the weekend prior to race week, and a host of top class players produced a spectacle to savour. James Rock OC (NH ’06) and Alex Titchener-Barrett – current world no. 2 – kept a spirited Dicken Green and world champion, Jamie Stout OC (H ’02) at bay to secure the Cheltenham Gold Racquet, 16-15, 17-15, 15-6.

The event involved 16 pairs: OCs partner up with a non-OC and both a Plate and Main Doubles competition takes place. Among the 32 competitors, six previous College captains graced the court, and throughout the Saturday some excellent – and close – matches took place: of particular note was the quarter final between the Alex Coldicott (BH ’02) /Tom Stephens pairing and Ben Snell (L ’02)/Richard Spender which went to 5 exhilarating games – the latter squeezing through 3-2. The final match on the Saturday finished at 9.15pm, testimony to an excellent rallying court and close contests (and not poor timekeeping!) The OCs very own world number one, Jamie Stout, and Green progressed through to the final, knocking out a strong duo of Nick James (BH ’06)/James Coyne at the semi final stage.

As a curtain raiser for the Final on Sunday afternoon, the final of the Plate Competition took place where Andrew Stout (H ’06) and Charles Wootton (NH ’09) emerged as comfortable winners over Tom Floyd (Xt ’05) and Horatio Cary.

The Old Cheltonian Rackets Black Tie Dinner held at the College on Saturday night attracted some fifty guests. Of special note, we were delighted to welcome James Walton, Chief Executive of the T&RA, Lawrence Anderson, President of the OC Society, Malcolm Sloan, OC Administrator and Alex Peterken, the then Deputy Head of Cheltenham College. Charles Liverton, OC Rackets Sec. (BH/S ’92) spoke warmly of the club’s continuing growth, and celebrated our successes over the course of the last 10 years which included 15 titles both sides of the Atlantic, 7 rackets fellows who have served NARA , and a world number 1. Alex Coldicott received the OC Racket for his contribution to OC rackets over the year. Thanks also went to Karl Cook, Master i/c and Mark Briers, professional: the OCs presented four crystal cut glasses to each in recognition of their work in ensuring that the school remains a force within the rackets community, both as current and Old Cheltonians. There was also a brief sojourn to Cheltenham for a mild dabble in its nightlife.

This competition is firmly established in the national rackets calendar with the British Open this year doing its best to avoid clashes of personnel(!); Charlie Liverton can be justly proud of his achievements. All but two clubs and schools in the UK were represented at this year’s competition – perhaps a full set might be next year’s target. Predictably, talk of an OC tour to the States remains rife as an ever-increasing number of OCs keep their eye in, in the Black Room.

A tremendous 48 hours…

Old Cheltonians’ Touch Rugby Tournament

By Tom Richardson (Xt ’98) & Edward Richardson (Xt ’03) The good weather held firm again for the 2nd year of the Old Cheltonians touch rugby tournament. There was a slightly larger turn out this year with some new faces appearing in amongst those involved from last year. Last year the OCs decided to meet the night before to discuss tactics and reminisce about times gone by. This trend continued this year well into the early hours and so on game day the time was shortened to five minutes each way, in a

round-robin format, much to everyone’s relief.

Everybody played with great enthusiasm and flare, those involved in heavy 21st birthday celebrations the night before surprisingly showed the way with mesmeric foot work and slight of hand! There were moments of magic from the younger OCs that led to some scintillating play and fantastic scores.

Needless to say it was a fantastic day and thoroughly enjoyed by all. I would like to take this opportunity to mention Matt Coley our Director of Rugby, who put in huge amounts of time and effort to get this idea up and running, and also refereed all the matches on the day. I would also like to thank all who attended, players and supporters alike helped make this a very successful day.

Ann Witt (Past Staff) married the Reverend Godgrey Simpson on 29th January 2010 in St Mary’s, Lower Slaughter. The Reverend Nicholas Lowton took the service.

Toby Smith (NH ’00) married Georgina I’Anson on 21st August 2010 in Balbeggie, Perthshire.

Sam Allen (S/Xt ’99) married Sally Ellaway on 4th September 2010 in College Chapel.

Tarka L’Herpiniere (BH ’00) married Katie-Jane Cooper on 6th March 2010 on the top of a mountain in the French Alps.

Georgina Gough (Cha ’95) married Anthony Moon on 11th September 2010 in All Saints Church, Trysull.

Jamie McCulloch (L ’99) married Kate Naylor at Adel Church, Yorkshire, on 10th April 2010.

Alex Hills (S ’99) married Fiona Johnson on 18th September in Warehorne Church, nr Hamstreet, Kent.

Oliver Walsh (NH ’00) married Jessica Andrews on 9th May in Christ Church, Kensington.

Emma Harper (Ch ’97) married Will Edwards on 25th September in Stanton, near Broadway James Norcott (S ’99) married Cari Sowden-Taylor on 22nd May at St Catwg’s Church in Cardiff.

John Richards (Xt ’98) married Eve Coen on 9th October 2010 in St Mary’s Church, Enniskerry, Souhern Ireland.

Seb Buckley (S ’00) married Amanda Watts (Cha ’00) on 5th June in the Church of St Michael and All Angels in Lambourn.

James Blakeway (S ’98) married Sarah Ward (Cha ’01) on 16th October 2010 in Holy Trinity Church, Badgeworth.

Natasha Edmondson (Cha ’94) married Christian Millard at St Peter’s Church in Stratton on 12th June 2010.

Niall Rhys Evans (OJ & S ’79) married Katherine Louise Hammond on 2nd July at the Vale Church in Guernsey.

Rachel Clarke (Cha ’98) married Brian McGuinn on 10th April in College Chapel.

Mark Dyer (H ’84) married Amanda Kilne on 3rd July in St Edmund’s Church, Abergavenny.

Ed Shaw (L ’00) married Kelly Jenkins on 10th September in St John the Baptist Church in Eastnor, Ledbury.

Russell Butland married Hannah Quincey on 21st August 2010 in College Chapel.

William Blackburn (L ’89) married Julita Kierach in Sopot, Poland on 11th September 2010.

Fiona Hacker (Current CCJS Parent) married Richard Tierney on 17th July in a Humanist ceremony in their garden at Willersey.

Giles Chamberlain (L ’97) married Emma Drury (Cha ’95) in College Chapel on 9th October 2010.

Harry Manners (NH ’03) married Margaux Robinson on 9th October 2010 in St Mary’s Church, Longcot.

2010 Births Mark Wotherspoon (W ’89) and his partner Emily are pleased to announce the birth of twins, Oliver and Matilda, born on 24th August 2009.

Mike Debenham (Current Staff) and his wife Donna are pleased to announce the birth of Stephanie, born on 13th July 2010, a sister to Phoebe (CCJS).

Paul Mourton (S ’89) and his wife Melanie are pleased to announce the birth of Olivia Sophie, born on 9th January 2010.

Fergus Llewellyn (Current Staff) and his wife Tamsin (Current Staff) are pleased to announce the birth of their son Thomas Simon, born on 16th July 2010.

Damian Phillips (Xt ’89) and his wife Carina are pleased to announce the birth of Mali Susan, born on 13th June, a younger sister for Harry.

William Molesworth (H ’78) and his wife Natalia are pleased to announce the birth of their son James, born on 5th July 2010.

James is named in memory of William’s uncle James Molesworth (H ’35) who died in the Second World War.

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2010 Marriages

Tim Brewis (Current Staff) and his wife Georgina are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter Helena, born on 22nd July 2010, a sister to Oliver and Henry.

Emily Brown (Current CCJS Staff) and her husband Stephen are pleased to announce the birth of their son Arthur, born on 25th August.

Matt Dawson (Current CCJS Staff) and his wife Nathalie are pleased to announce the

birth of Mathilda, born on 24th June 2010, a sister for Harry.

Helen Grote (Current CCJS Staff) and her husband Ashley are pleased to announce the arrival of Emily Elizabeth, born on 20th September 2010.

Dominic Faulkner (Current Staff) and his wife Beccy (Current Staff) are pleased to announce the arrival of Emily Jane, born on 19th October 2010.

Hugo Smith (NH ’94) and his wife Alice are pleased to announce the birth of their son Ned, born on 2nd November 2010.

Amy Chapman (Current Staff) and her husband Damien are pleased to announce the arrival of Harry Robert, born on 18th November 2010.

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CHELTONIAN SOCIETY...

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

Cheltonian Society Executive Committee L J C Anderson (Th ’59) A P Arengo-Jones (BH ’62) P F D Badham (Th ’65) D P Brown (L ’84) P S Hammerson (L ’62) T A O Hughes (NH ’97) J F Mc William (S ’09) I C H Moody (Ch ’46) C N Peace (H ’60) E L Rowland (Xt ’62) M G P Swiney (NH ’69) A M Wilkinson (L ’62) M Sloan (OC Administrator) Ex-officio Members A Harris (Development Director), Mrs R Creed (Cheltonian Association Manager) Cheltonian Endowment Trust Committee Trustees: Paul Arengo-Jones (BH ’62) Chairman Peter Badham (Th ’65) Rob Davidson (BH ’67) Patrick McCanlis (BH ’66) Graham Prain (CH ’59) Lynn Rowland (Xt ’62)

I wholeheartedly endorse Peter Brettell’s ‘Introduction’. 2010 has been a busy and most enjoyable year with many Old Cheltonian sporting events and other gatherings, when it has been enormous fun meeting so many of you, and sharing your recollections and news. On your behalf, I thank all the organisers, in particular Rebecca Creed and Malcolm Sloan, for their work arranging and running events. I am grateful to those of you who were able to attend The Society’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday 11 September 2010. We were delighted to welcome the two new Headmasters, Alex Peterken and Scott Bryan and then to hear their most enthusiastic reports on College and the Junior School. They also expressed their determination to maintain and foster excellent relations with OCs and their wish to be much more involved in OC events. Looking forward, I do hope that you will make every effort to attend next year’s AGM (Date to be confirmed) when we will be reviewing the past three years and considering the future. I will be circulating details of this with the AGM’s convening notice in May 2011.

I close with my annual exhortation: keep in touch or make contact with Malcolm Sloan, the OC Administrator, Executive Committee members or me. There are many ways in which you are able to support College and the Junior School.

L J C Anderson (Th ’59) Awards The Society, in conjunction with the Trustees of the Cheltonian Endowment Trust, were pleased to make Travel Scholarship Awards (to the L6th) to enable: N Moothanakitpinyo (W) to tour Europe, L Craig (Cha) to gain work experience in a Malaysian Hospital, J Kirkpatrick (Lec) and T McCulloch (Lec) to study nuclear power in France and visit the WW1 trenches & the WW2 beaches, N Knudsen (NH) to attend the Global Young Leaders’ Conference in the USA, A Ringrose (A) and H Slator (A) to work in a day centre and orphanage in Tanzania, J Phillips (Cha) to work on the MACRO Aids project in Uganda, H Topping (Q) to work in an orphanage in South Africa, B Crush (Cha) to work in the Raphael Centre which supports AIDS/HIV victims in Grahamstown, S.A.

Cheltonian Endowment Trust

The Cheltonian Endowment Trust (CET) is an independent trust run by a board of Old Cheltonians.

The CET (formerly the Cheltonian Trust Endowment Fund) was formed under Trust Deed in 1917 for the purpose of acquiring donations, subscriptions or legacies and applying this income for the benefit of Cheltenham College. In April 2005 the Trust merged with the Cheltonian Society Fund, and the Sir John Dill Fund, to create a larger and more effective charitable fund.

The primary task of the CET is to give financial assistance to families who, without our support, would otherwise have to withdraw their children from College. In these difficult times this is becoming an increasingly important task. The CET also funds a number of Travel Awards for L6th pupils and a number of prizes.

If you would like to know more, or to contribute, please get in touch with me through the Old Cheltonian Administrator, Malcolm Sloan.

Paul Arengo-Jones (BH ’62)

GLOBAL YOUNG LEADERS’ CONFERENCE (GYLC)

By Nick Knudsen (Head Boy, Newick House) The GYLC, held in Washington D.C. and New York, opened up opportunities for me and for other 16-18 year olds from all over the world to experience and learn about international relations, a variety of cultures, peacekeeping methods and global economics on a whole new level. With around 320 of us on the conference, I met new people and made new friends every day; and it was talking to, learning from and becoming so close to these people from a myriad of countries that made the trip so special for me. We were by far each other’s greatest resource.

As we arrived, we were split up into groups of about 25. Our group was assigned a country from the UN Security Council (we were given Russia) to learn about, and to represent, in the various debates that were simulated throughout the two weeks. This group of people effectively became my class over this time and a typical day consisted of three or four group meetings, where we would not only prepare for these debates, but also chat about anything from alleviating poverty in developing countries, to our lives in our home town. During the two weeks, we also had the opportunity to hear and question world-renowned speakers and experts on topics such as, the running of the UN, and negotiating peace with rebel leaders in The Congo. Being based in Washington, we had the opportunity to visit famous landmarks, such as The Lincoln Memorial and The National World War II Memorial. Visiting sites such as these was a great opportunity to increase my awareness of historical events from an American perspective. Aside from the academic aspects, we were given a good amount of free time that allowed us to shop in Times Square, have lunch in Georgetown and see a Broadway Show.

Overall, the GYLC has been an experience of a lifetime, not only through the rigorous academic programme it provides but also by exposing me to people from all corners of the globe. It was this interaction with people of my age from a variety of different cultures that made the trip so special, and provided memories which will stay with me for a very long time. I am very grateful for the award I was given by the Cheltonian Endowment Trust.

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WORK EXPERIENCE IN MALAYSIAN HOSPITALS

By Lauren Craig (Chandos) My first placement was at Gombrak Hospital, which is twelve miles from Kuala Lumpur and is the only hospital specifically for the Orang-Asli, the indigenous minority in Peninsular Malaysia.

On arrival, I was given a talk on the history of the Orang-Asli and gained an insight into the persecution they suffered from other Malays, who resented the good relationship they formed with Chinese communist insurgents in 1948. I then attended ward rounds on the paediatric ward and helped to administer medicines.

Attending ward rounds for four days taught me a lot, especially about the social differences between the Orang-Asli and those from the nearby city of Kuala Lumpur. Ailments encountered ranged from severe malnutrition to malaria (the incidence of which has been dramatically reduced thanks to the hospital’s malaria project), and one child was in for surgery to correct a foot deformity. The family unit is of great importance to the OrangAsli, so on this ward the beds also accommodated parents and as many of their other children as possible, as well as the patients. If even more beds were needed, the rest of the family had to sleep in the hostel where I was staying.

The biggest surprise was when the doctor explained to me how they get the patients to hospital, and what can happen if they don’t. About twice a week, the hospital arranges trips to the villages in the jungle by boat, helicopter or jeep. Teams go in to the villages, find those with ailments severe enough to require hospital treatment, and then transport whole families back to the hospital; each trip may involve transporting over 100 people! Unfortunately, if they do not reach villages in time, the mothers of children who are under-nourished will not take them to hospital and many die.

Even when transport to hospital is available, some of those who are ill refuse to leave their villages for fear of ‘angering the spirits’.

I was lucky enough to go on one of these trips and to see at first hand the benefits the hospital staff bring to the Orang-Asli.

I also participated in the rounds of the leprosy and tuberculosis ward. Usually, patients treated for tuberculosis would be given their medication (a six-month course of treatment) and then be sent away to take it as instructed. The patients in Gombrak Hospital, however, must remain in hospital for six months in order to ensure that the medication is properly administered. During their stay, all medication, food and other daily needs are met free of charge by the government as part of its efforts to integrate the Orang-Asli more fully into Malay society.

My other placement was in the university hospital in Kuala Lumpur, which turned out to be an interesting contrast to Gombrak. While there, I attended a microsurgery course for two days. This was meant to be for registrars and future surgeons, but one student did not appear, so I was provided with a spare rat and took part! As I had less knowledge of anatomy, one of the professors dissected for me while I performed anastomoses. I very much enjoyed this course and it taught me a lot about the skills required for surgery. On the third day of my placement, I attended a clinic in the morning, and in the afternoon was able to go to the operating theatre and observe an anastomosis on a person who had been in a knife fight. The fourth and final day was spent in lectures with medical students and attending a rehab clinic.

This experience allowed me to witness at first hand a completely different culture and to contrast two very diverse socio-economic groups within it. I really enjoyed every aspect of my placements and it confirmed my desire to enter the medical profession. I am very grateful for the grant awarded by the Cheltonian Endowment Trust that gave me this opportunity of a lifetime.

WORKING IN THE RAPHAEL CENTRE

By Briony Crush (Chandos) The Raphael Centre is in Grahamstown, South Africa, and supports HIV/AIDS victims. My time there consisted of helping in many different ways, such as organising paper work and filing, or joining the counsellors when they drove into the nearby township to either collect people who would spend their day at the centre, or going to local schools on out-reach programmes. There were lots of tasks that needed doing throughout the day such as helping plant vegetables, cooking lunch for everyone at the centre, which sadly for a lot of the people there is their only meal of the day, helping look after the children there and even decorating the outside of the building with them this got a little messy at times! While I was there, they had a couple of days where children from all over the local area, all positive for HIV/AIDS, came to the centre and spent the day learning English and generally doing what every child deserves, having fun. We painted, and played in the garden, and when they went home the centre provided them with a “goody” bag with essentials like their own toothpaste, toothbrush and soap as well as some food for supper.

While I was there, I stayed at the Director of the Centre’s house, Annalie. This was a very different accommodation to where the clients lived and it was strange seeing such a vast difference in housing and surroundings within a twenty-minute car journey. Where I was staying just appeared like any other town, with the high street a mere two-minute walk from the house. However, the majority of the clients lived in the nearby township; here a lot of the houses had corrugated iron roofs and a mix of mud, cement, and brick walls. Due to the poverty, a lot of people are crammed in to one house and the only shop is a small outlet.

I had an amazing time, and learnt a lot about the community and HIV/AIDS. Everyone was so friendly and I feel that I have had the opportunity to make some really good friends. I realised people weren’t at all prejudiced, like they can sometimes be here, and maybe this is because it is on such a larger scale there, so they have learnt to accept it. Everyone was so willing to help the needy and support one another. This trip has inspired me to do as much volunteering as possible and I definitely want to return to the Raphael Centre next summer and stay for a lot longer.

What I enjoyed most about the whole experience was that it wasn’t at all sad. Before I went there, a lot of people thought I would see a lot of death and it would be very upsetting, especially as the centre works with a lot of young babies and children. However, whilst there, all I saw was hope in everyone; the centre not only provides the medical side of what these clients need, but also the emotional side, which is in a way more important and everyday brings joy and happiness to those who may have been discriminated against at home, or sometimes even abandoned by families and friends. I am grateful that the Cheltonian Endowment Trust award gave me this opportunity and I am very proud that College supported such an amazing charity in 2009.

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MERCHANDISE...

FLOREAT

Track Pants £20 Men’s 30”, 32” & 34”, Navy, Grey, & Black (White Print) Ladies’ 26”, 28” & 34”, Navy & Black (White Print) & Grey (Pink Print)

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Ladies’ Umbrella £20 College Cards £1.90 each College Cards pack of 6 £10

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Sheaffer Fountain Pen & Pencil Full Set £35 Fountain Pen only, £25 Paperweight £10 Then and Now by Tim Pearce £10 Then and Now + Celebr08! £25 Cheltenham College Chapel

by Nicholas Lowton £10 Who’s Who 5th Edition 2003, edited by J F L Bowes £20 Celebr08! Book by Tim Pearce £20 College Chapel Choir, 2007 CD £2.50 College Chapel Choir, 1999 CD £2.50 Jig 2006 CD £2.50 Coeperunt Loqui Chamber Choir CD 2009 £10 Cheltenham College Barbershop Boys CD £5 Proceeds to Cheltenham College’s Chosen Charity Salve Puerule CD £10 Pewter Trinket-box £10 Pewter Tankard £12

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By Phone: Please call Rebecca Creed in the Association Office on 01242 265694.

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• All rooms feature ‘posture friendly’ Hypnos beds • Satellite television with Sky Sports, in-room safe, hairdryer complimentary hospitality tray and quality toiletries • Free Wi-Fi access

56 Shurdington Rd, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53 0JE Telephone: +44 (0)1242 223311 www.bhhotel.co.uk (with secure on-line booking facility) Email: reservations@bhhotel.co.uk

I have just read edition three of Floreat and may I congratulate you on a most interesting and informative magazine. It appears that College is flourishing and it never ceases to amaze me at the number of sports and activities that are open to College pupils. Congratulations on an excellent magazine!

Very good,well balanced, You meaty, and wide coverage.h it; should be well pleased wit . congratulations are in order The Late Adrian Owen

(Ch ’58)

Henry Rees (Xt ’59)

Cheltonian Association Cheltenham College Bath Road nt elle exc an for Thank you Cheltenham eat Flor of e thre ion edit Gloucestershire 10. It is really high quality.

GL53 7LD Jeremy Warren (BH ’62)

Contact Details: Angela Wheeler (Widow of John Wheeler, former staff member) Tel: 01242 265694 Fax: 01242 265630 Email: info@cheltonianassociation.com www.cheltonianassociation.com Most interested to re ad about the evacua

tio n to Shrewsbury and Stow ell Park. I remember Editor: Ian McKay well but I am very int erested to read that Rebecca Creed, Association Manager he

Thank you very much for the copies of the Obituary Supplement of the Floreat 10. I have sent copies on to members of the family and I know that they too will be impressed by the fine tribute to John. This will be treasured along with the many cards and letters that we have received.

thought the Admiralty had comm andeered College Bu ildings while Derek Maddock sugg ests that it was the wh ole Parliament!

I always understood that, as we were class ed as a school which produced recr uits for the army, it wa s actually the War Office who co mmandeered us. I kn ow that the Admiralty settled do wn during and after the war in Bath and I never heard me ntion of Parliament wh ile at Stowell Park or at Coll in Ch eltenham later.

Angus Yeaman (BH ’46

)

for Thank you very much indeed a copy of elf mys and e wif my sending plement.

Sup ry the Floreat 10 Obitua everybody and , you ate tul gra May I con and n tio cep involved, on the con and le uab val a of n productio ticular we admirable document. In par sensitive the for ul tef gra are very th of our dea the way you have treated w. son Matthe B H K Willoughby (Past Parent)