LIVES REMEMBERED

BY TREVOR SWETTENHAM

Barry Richard Swettenham 1941 - 1946

My father was born in October 1929. He always spoke very highly of Chigwell School and knew that the five years he attended had stood him in good stead for life. He would talk endlessly about his form masters, boxing and enhancing his stories with newspaper cuttings showing him in a faded image running, rifle in hand, in his Junior Training Corp uniform; he was immensely proud of that. He still had the original bills for his fees and the ‘metal’ blazer badge.

Although educated in Greek and Latin, being the very practical man he was, he chose his hands as his way forward. He married Valerie in Chigwell Church in 1954. They had three boys, Trevor, Nigel, and Nick. They lived in Sussex, Somerset, Essex and Hertfordshire over the course of a lifetime.

My father would also keep his ties with Chigwell School and for several years running - he attended the annual OC meal. He also donated to the new Drama Centre in 2003 and has his name proudly displayed on the wall as a patron.

Father died on the 16th December, 2020 at the age of 91. He had a very full life which he enjoyed immensely and leaves his wife of 66 years, Val, three sons, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

BY ROSS ALBROW (1971-1975)

Donald White 1938-1945

Donald was born in 1927 in Gants Hill, Ilford. He started at Chigwell in 1938 (when the fees were £33 for a boarder) but left in 1939 when World War II broke out. After spells in Swindon and Torquay he returned to Chigwell in 1942. He admitted that academia wasn’t his strength, but he greatly enjoyed football and athletics. He played for the 1st XI football team and one season scored in every match.

Donald was proud to be an Old Chigwellian. He was part of a school that he claimed really suited him-one that he loved and remained connected to throughout his life. Donald’s work ethic was astonishing, so much so that he continued to navigate the family property business, working a four-day week at a grand age of 93.

Donald was a wonderful husband to Audrey, father to Kim and stepfather to me. He especially enjoyed the role of Grandfather to nine grandchildren. Donald was a very special man and shall always be remembered for his energy, chirpiness, thoughtfulness and kindness by all who knew him with great affection.

Donald and Audrey

BY KATHRYN RAMSEY

James B. Ramsey 1949-1955

James B. Ramsey, 83, died on March 31st, 2021, of complications due to Parkinson’s. He retired in 2013 as Professor Emeritus of Economics at New York University. James was born in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1937.

He spent several formative years at Chigwell School. He received his BA in Mathematics and Economics from the University of British Columbia in 1963 and his MA and PhD in Economics from the University of WisconsinMadison in 1968. He became Professor of Economics at Michigan State University. He then joined the Economics faculty at New York University and was Chair of the Economics Department from 1978-1987.

James was an active member and Vestry member at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in New York City. An avid sailor, he crossed the Atlantic in his sailboat “Strange Attractor” in 2003 and sailed the English Coast and the Mediterranean. He is survived by his devoted wife, Kay, his stepdaughter Ginger Lewis and three step-grandchildren. He is also survived by his former wife, Diana Ramsey, and their three children Geoffrey and Christopher Ramsey and Shannon West and nine grandchildren.

BY PHILIP PEARSON (1966 – 1973)

Jeremy King 1965 – 1973

Jerry started his education at Chigwell School aged 10 in 1965. His impressive achievements included 14 O-levels, 4 A-levels and the Physics and Music prizes. However, he was also a sportsman, playing in the basketball, athletics and football teams. He was a Sergeant in the C.C.F, a member of the shooting ‘eight’, and was the bass drummer in the Corps of Drums. He also sang in the chapel choir and served as a praefect. Perhaps the greatest contribution that Chigwell made to his life was to give him the opportunity to learn to play the organ.

Jerry left Chigwell in 1973 to read Music and Physics at Reading University. On graduating he joined Lloyds Bank. He married Eleanor in April 1987 and they had two daughters, Sarah and Hannah.

He took early retirement from the bank in 2005 which enabled him to indulge his passion for music, particularly church music. Encouraging others in music making was an important part of his life. Jerry was very active in the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) that sings in cathedrals and major churches across the West of England. In tribute to his contribution, he received a Certificate of Special Service from the RSCM in 2018.

BY HIS SON, ED HUTCHINGS

Major John Edward Hutchings

1945-1953

John was born in Loughton on 7th November 1934. He joined Chigwell with its strong classical tradition in 1945. When Colonel TA Martin’s history ‘The Essex Regiment 1929-1950’ was published in 1952, John soon borrowed it from the school library and read it from cover to cover. The exploits of the 2nd Battalion in Northwest Europe really gripped him. He had little idea that one day he would meet all the company commanders, Majors Barrass, Browne, Holme and Filby, and serve with some of them too. John was asked to review it for the school magazine ‘The Mitre’.

John joined the CCF at the earliest opportunity. What appealed to him was the uniform, the drill, the small- and full-bore rifle shooting, the field days and annual camps. At one of these, in Cheshire, they were inspected by Field Marshall Montgomery. Following his time at Chigwell, John attended Sandhurst.

John will be remembered as a true gentleman. He loved nothing more than being surrounded by family. He leaves behind his wife Heather, a son Edward and a daughter Laura and his grandchildren of whom he took much pride.

BY MARK STAPLETON (1988 – 1995)

Mark Stuart 1986 – 1995

On 16th October 2020, one of life’s true characters was taken from us. Mark tragically suffered a devastating brain aneurysm. Mark was born in Bishop’s Stortford on 21st October 1976 and joined Chigwell in Upper Two. He was bright, vocal, and mature. His prowess of running the 400m faster than anyone else lasted for years. His other sporting achievements resulted in receiving the prestigious Sports Day ‘Victor Ludorum’. During his senior school years, he formed legendary Caswalls’ rock band: The Black Mambas.

After university Mark followed a career in the media business and had many successful years in advertising. He found the meaning of true love when he met his future wife, Sharon. Later in life he passed electrical qualifications and became a successful business owner. This career change embodied the Chigwell spirit of ‘Aut Viam Invenium Aut Facium‘.

An avid West Ham fan all his life, he ran marathons, fundraised for multiple charities and in his later years competed in gruelling triathlons.

Mark lived life to the full. We are lucky to have known him and he will be sorely missed.

BY HIS SON, CHARLES RANDALL

Michael Randall 1940-1950

Michael Randall was born in Ilford in 1931 and in 1940 he joined Chigwell School, which his cousins David and John Scrivener attended. He overlapped with his future brother-in-law, Roger Usherwood, who married his sister June.

Although not an academic star he was a good all-rounder, performing in plays, a praefect, an NCO in the cadets, he played in the soccer 2nd XI and the cricket 1st XI. He was in the orchestra and in his final year won the Mrs. Thompson Prize for Music and the Rex and Esmond Allpass Prize “for endeavour”.

Michael joined the army and was commissioned into the Essex Regiment. He reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and ended his career with six years as commandant of the Infantry Trials and Development Unit in Warminster. He had a second career as a freelance photographer and specialised in restoring antique photographs. He married Daphne Kelly in 1956. Together they raised eight children, with sixteen grand-children and six great-grand-children following in due course.

Michael died peacefully at home in 2021 a few days short of his 90th birthday, surrounded by family.

Michael and Daphne Randall

BY HIS DAUGHTER, MRS ANDREE MOTTASHED

Prof. Arthur Philip Cracknell 1951 - 1958

Arthur was born in Ilford on May 18th, 1940. He was awarded a scholarship to attend Chigwell and went on to study Physics at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He subsequently moved to The Queen’s College, Oxford to undertake his postgraduate studies. A life of academia beckoned with posts at the Universities of Singapore, Essex and Dundee. On retirement from Dundee, he was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor, in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the University.

His research concerned the electronic band structures of metals and band theory. His 1972 book with Dr C. J. Bradley “The Mathematical Theory of Symmetry in Solids”, was reprinted in 2010 as part of the Oxford Classic Texts in the Physical Sciences. Later research concerned Remote Sensing. He made significant contributions to the study of imagery from the Advanced Very-High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), a remote sensing instrument on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) series of satellites. His 1997 book on AVHRR sensors and their associated data remains the definitive work on this topic. Arthur was awarded the Remote Sensing Society Medal in 1989, the Schwidefsky Medal of the German Photogrammetric Society/ISPRS in 1996, the Remote Sensing Society President’s Award in 1996 and was twice awarded the Medal of the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society. In 2011, he was granted an honorary doctorate from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

BY ROGER HOWARD

Thomas Weaver Howard 1940-1948

Thomas Weaver Howard, who died on 17 January 2021 at the age of 91, was at Chigwell School from 1941 until 1948. His time at the school meant a great deal to him. He made a good number of lifelong friends there, particularly amongst his fellow classicists, who were taught by a legendary figure of the day, Dr James.

He kept in touch with some of these old friends, such as Robert Wise and Colin Tait, until the very end. Amongst his many school friends was an academic star (Professor) Bernard Williams, with whom my father set up and ran a musical appreciation society. He also very fondly remembered his time in the school cadet force and his experiences as a praefect, one of the youngest (16) that the school had at that time ever appointed.

BY RICHARD ROSSER OC (1955-62)

Keith Mitchell (1957-1962)

Keith was born on the 23rd February 1944 and grew up in Woodford Green, where he attended St. Aubyn’s until the age of 13, after which he joined the same class as me at Chigwell in the autumn of 1957. Mitchell – what a great surname to have, I thought, reminiscent of adventure and a certain mystery.

There was no mystery however about how he came to pass his Latin A Level. He was encouraged by the Classics Master, Peter Croft, who wouldn’t accept second-rate work and kept Keith’s nose to the grindstone. After passing Latin, Keith studied English law at Bristol University, where he befriended a whole raft of aspiring lawyers, known affectionately as “the Bristolians”.

Many of these Bristolians came to London after graduating, establishing themselves between Swiss Cottage and Belsize Park in bedsits, one of which was in Daleham Gardens, where King Keith held sway, and where, for several years, an unforgettable series of New Year’s Eve parties took place, followed by a curry lunch at the local Tandoori on New Year’s day - not an event for the faint-hearted.

Keith was always a keen sportsman. After his return to London to train with a firm of solicitors, Keith joined the OC Football Club and was an active member for the rest of his life, firstly on the pitch and subsequently as an administrator, during which time he played a major role in that great adventure, when the footballers sought and found a new venue for their activities on fields next to the School.

Apart from his sporting prowess, Keith was an exceptionally talented after-dinner speaker, whose skills were much appreciated by the Bristolians and the OCFC. He will be sorely missed by all those friends he so joyfully entertained with his witty speeches for so many years.

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Sporting Corporate Days & Family Days at Chigwell School

The Chigwell School site extends to onehundred acres and includes a number of grass pitches, a running track, tennis and netball courts, an Astroturf pitch, a sports hall and an outdoor swimming pool. If you are looking for a venue for a team-building day, staff reward day or family fun day, then please contact us. We can provide facilities for a whole or part day. We have a fully licensed bar at our clubhouse and can arrange drinks, a BBQ or hog roast to end your day.

We have availability for corporate sports days on the following dates in 2022:

• Saturday 28th May to Sunday 5th June • Thursday 14th and Friday 56th June • Saturday 20th August to Saturday 27th August Prices will depend on numbers, timings and facilities hired; we will build a price around your exact requirements.

For details please contact Mrs Tina Page 020 8501 5711 or email tpage@chigwell-school.org

Weddings at Chigwell School

When not in use during term-time, the School is proud to share the excellent facilities and private rooms with Old Chigwellians and the community.

Set in the heart of Chigwell Village, only seven miles from central London and close to Epping and Hainault Forests, the School enjoys its own beautiful grounds of nearly 100 acres and offers a private, unique and historical venue, which can be tailored to specific individual requirements for celebrating important events.

Dining Hall – The Dining Hall can cater for sit-down luncheons for up to 150 guests. The School in-house caterers offer bespoke menus and our highly experienced staff will discuss your requirements and advise on options for your special day. The Chapel Quad provides an attractive setting for a drinks reception and a beautiful backdrop for photographs. The Swallow Room is also available for hire.

New Hall – A stunning wood panelled hall with a stage area for your band or DJ, again with a stunning vista over the School playing fields.

The Old Chigwellians’ Club – The Old Chigwellians’ Club boasts magnificent private grounds and a fully licenced bar which is ideal for a variety of events and available for hire.

For details please contact Mrs Tina Page 020 8501 5711 or email tpage@chigwell-school.org

THE SPORTS CENTRE CAMPAIGN IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPACT THE LIVES OF OUR COMMUNITY

Would you like to be part of our team?

Come and see for yourself or take a virtual walk through the site at www.chigwell-school.org/support-us/welcome-to-development/new-sports-centre

or scan here

@chigwellschool @OldChigwellians @chigwell_school /ChigwellSchool1629

+44 (0) 20 8501 5700 philanthropy@chigwell-school.org www.chigwell-school.org