Old Churcherians ISSUE 07 | 2021
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From the Headmaster I can’t believe that it is almost a year since my last foreword to the ‘OC’ magazine caught me quoting Lady Gaga, but this last year has been full of the shockingly new and surprising. That Lady Gaga was a muse for a Churcher’s College Headmaster certainly raised eyebrows from some, but if this last year has taught us anything, it is that inspiration comes from many sources and often unexpected ones as well. The ingenuity shown both inside and outside the classroom at Churcher’s has been remarkable. The speed at which school life had to become online was extraordinary, but the speed at which children and adults alike adapted was equally startling. That COVID has imposed so many restrictions, privations and even tragedy is without doubt, but the success of remote learning here
and, especially, the children’s absolute enthusiasm and energy to make the best of everything is equally evident and impressive. If you want a glimpse of their innovation and inspiration just visit the school website and flick through the ‘Our Stories’ pages. It so impressive what can be achieved: orchestras spread out over many miles performing Pirates of the Caribbean; bedroom singers brought together into online choirs; Carol Services, even more emotional than ever, with imposed year group bubbles and social distancing; hilarious senior plays delivered to audiences via TV cameras; collaborative art projects; COVID-safe sports championships and even The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions still going ahead with extra-special arrangements.
COVID may have slowed down but it hasn’t stopped school life or many of our planned projects. One such project has been the burgundy of ‘Churcher’s College Community’. As I said in the foreword to the website: ‘a basic highway code of education will not be enough nor an education and support network that simply ceases at 18 years old’. I am very grateful indeed to all the Old Churcherians who have signed up, but we want you all. The mutual support that you might give to the children here, that we may be able to give to you as OCs or that you may be able to give each other is predicated on the numbers who are part of the Churcher’s Community…the more the merrier and effective. When caught in the middle of a pandemic it can be difficult to imagine life beyond, but
“The ingenuity shown both inside and outside the classroom at Churcher’s has been remarkable.“
Churcher’s College has continued to flourish through many a global catastrophe over the last, almost 300, years of its existence and that is certainly cause for celebration.
opening performances so dust off those instruments and voices, but there will be many other ways to be involved over the coming year as individuals or as groups…
The academic year 2021-22 is our tercentenary, 300 years from 1722 and our inception. It will be a year of celebration with the opening of a grand new building as a prelude. With the additional 11 classrooms for Maths, Classics and Music; workshops, CAD and CAM suites for Design & Technology; two rehearsal rooms, 15 individual music lesson and practice rooms and a 250-seater auditorium for the performing arts, it will be a huge statement of the journey for the school over the last 300 years and the exciting anticipation for the many more to come. We very much want OCs to be part of the celebrations. We hope to create OC orchestras and choirs for the
Despite a world in turmoil, Churcher’s Community is flourishing and you are a big part of that community. With my very best wishes,
Simon WIlliams Headmaster
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From the Headmaster
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From the Development Office
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Churcherians during COVID
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1722 Society goes online
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The Richard Churcher Foundation
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School news
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The Goodfield Design Centre and New Music School
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Churcher’s turns 300
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OC news
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Announcements
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In memoriam
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My time at Churcher’s: Jean Millard
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My time at Churcher’s : Al Saralis
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From the archive
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Dates for your diary
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From the Development Office Despite our school being in a permanent state of flux in the past year, it has remained as busy as ever, if not busier, and the same has been true of the Development Office. In September, we were delighted to welcome Catherine Massie who has joined the team to support with the administration of the school archive and Churcher’s Community, the online portal for Old Churcherians, which was launched last November. We have been delighted with how the OCs have engaged with Churcher’s Community. At the time of writing, over 750 of you have created an online profile enabling you to connect with one another, read all the latest news from school and your peers, hear first about events you can attend and access all the content available through the website. We will be updating functionality over
the coming months, including mentoring support through our ‘Professional Connections’ initiative, the launch of new OC clubs and a business directory. If you have not already, I urge you to explore the portal and sign up. You will also have noticed the introduction of new branding in our communications, a nod to the Churcher’s uniform colours of yesteryear, which provides the Old Churcherians with its own distinct look and feel. For everyone, COVID has changed how we go about our lives, devastating for some, presenting challenges to all of us and for others, a chance to try new things. Thank you to all of you who have shared your lockdown stories. We hope you enjoy reading some of these.
For our part, this has been a year for rescheduling events – thank you for your patience with this… We did manage to host a virtual gathering for the 1722 Society, comprising of those individuals who have pledged a gift to Churcher’s in their will. I think we have proposed at least four dates for the Golf Day at Petersfield Golf Club during the past 18 months and now have our fingers crossed for 8 October. You can sign up to this and any events through Churcher’s Community. The much anticipated Churcherians’ London Dinner will have to wait until next year now, as will the revamped OC Day, incorporating the reunion lunch and the Eaton trophies. Following the recent absence of opportunity, we do hope that you will want to engage back with these key events in 2022,
a landmark year with the 300th anniversary of Churcher’s College. The Development Office will be keeping you up to date with plans for the tercentenary celebrations through Churcher’s Community and our Connect newsletters. Towards the end of the summer, we will be getting in touch to let you know what is in store and how you can get involved. To that end, thank you to all of you who have responded to the recent “stay in touch” communication to update your contact details and communications preferences. For those of you who missed this or are still yet to respond, please visit Churcher’s Community or contact the Development Office. Our main objective is to give you plenty of opportunities to stay in touch with the school and one
another. So please do keep the ideas and feedback coming. We all have our fingers crossed that things are starting to get back to some kind of normal which will also hopefully mean that we all start to see one another again. With very best wishes,
Nick Smith Head of Development Explore the new portal at Community.ChurchersCollege.com.
“Our main objective is to give you plenty of opportunities to stay in touch with the school and one another.”
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Churcherians during COVID In a year like no other in living history, Old Churcherians from various walks of life share their experiences during a global pandemic…
New job, new rules Alice Ballard (16) graduated in the Summer of 2019 and hadn’t been in her job very long when the pandemic struck… The day I knew that the pandemic was very serious was the day I looked out from my office in March, which looks over Borough Market in London, and the road was empty. There was not a single person grabbing a bite to eat from the market or in line to one of the many coffee shops. This was very unusual for the area and my day got even stranger on the tube home when the carriage was almost empty. As an Interior Architect at Featherstone, specialising in workplace and commercial design, I knew that the job was going to change drastically when the government announced a work from home order. As someone who designs offices for a living, this was scary news! There were a few weeks when I thought that my industry would not exist as I knew it anymore, people initially were enjoying
working from home and removing the commute was very attractive for most. As someone who has studied wellbeing design and has a passion for making people’s working life enjoyable, I knew working from home was not going to be healthy for a lot of people in the long run. Being at the beginning of my career, I could not imagine doing my job without the social and collaborative benefits of working by my team’s side, so we decided to help get workplaces safe again. Featherstone reached out to past, current, and new clients to see how we could help them get staff back in the office with COVID-safe measures implemented. Health and safety were our main concerns and knowing how difficult some people were finding working from home, including myself, was a big incentive to help. We reconfigured spaces, implemented one-way systems and ensured clients were given distance while working. It felt good to be able to adapt our skill set to the current issues and to be able to help where we could.
Now, I believe my job has changed forever. When speaking to clients, it warms my heart to hear how much emphasis is being put on making staff happy. The aim now is to make the office a destination, we understand that some of the ‘head-down’ working can be done at home, but you need somewhere to collaborate and work agilely. I have been working on bringing the luxuries and home-comforts of working from home back to the office. I have educated myself even further on how important happiness is for a successful working environment and how we can push the norms of what design is known for. I think people understand the importance of their environment since working from home, and how a large chapter of our lives is spent in our careers so let’s make it enjoyable! The main thing I’ve learnt is to prioritise your health, both mentally and physically and to reach out to family and friends to see how they are doing too.
“I was honoured to find out the U12s had named a team after me who went on to win the Churcher’s Champions sports festival in the Autumn Term.”
Tackling life Joe Atkinson (10) gives an insight into professional sport during a pandemic… When schools were allowed back in the autumn, the Churcher’s Sport Department wanted to come up with a way to encourage and nurture the competitive talent of the pupils without the opportunities presented through sporting fixtures with other schools. They created an intra-school tournament, Churcher’s Champions Sports Festival, to be held on the last weekend of the first half of term where all pupils would compete within their year group bubbles under the team names of OC sportsmen and women. OC professional rugby player, Joe Atkinson (10), the namesake of the winning group of teams, gave us his account of his year under COVID. At the start of the 2019/2020 season, I made the move from Wasps RFC to Bedford Blues RFC.
At the start of the pandemic, we were two thirds of the way through the season. Our last game was against Newcastle Falcons on Friday 13th March. The next day all of the games were cancelled and the following weekend the season was postponed.. We went into lockdown with hopes that the season would still be completed. To keep myself busy I was helping a local farmer in Bedford during lambing season, this was a great distraction as I couldn’t make my way back to East Meon, Petersfield, to help on the family farm. The farmer in Bedford had a milking sheep flock, which was unusual, so I was able to learn a lot from him. As we came out of the first lockdown my girlfriend, Sofija, and I got engaged and so we have been busy planning our wedding for summer 2022. We welcomed our baby boy Maxwell Joseph Atkinson on 4th May. I have learnt that life throws lots of obstacles at you and being adaptable is a key skill.
Over the past year I have been a rugby player, farmer, landscape gardener and now I am training to be a tree surgeon alongside playing rugby! The 2020/2021 was a shortened season where we have only played each team once, either at home or away. It has been great getting back to playing competitive matches. The highlight being playing against Saracens, although convincingly beaten, it was an amazing experience to play against numerous full international and British and Irish Lions players. I was honoured to find out the U12s had named a team after me who went on to win the Churcher’s Champions Sports Festival in the Autumn Term. During a brief visit to Churcher’s in 2019, Mr Baker had taken me round the grounds to show off the new facilities and planned works since I left in 2010, which are spectacular! Truly pushing #ChurchersLimitlessPotential. I look forward to coming back and catching up at the next Open Day.
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Away from home but not alone Mathilda Billsberry-Grass (19) gives an account of her experiences when she found herself half way through a gap year, stranded in Peru…
luck trying to push our flights earlier, we booked one night in a hotel and would try again in the morning.
When coronavirus arrived in England, I was already in Cusco, Peru, having arrived in early January. I spent the first months of my trip volunteering in a home for teenage mothers, waiting for a visit from my mum in mid-March, when we would tackle Machu Picchu. For the most part, I was blissfully unaware of the havoc caused by coronavirus elsewhere, given that the first recorded case in Peru didn’t arrive until the 6 March.
That night, Peru’s President announced a national lockdown, with absolutely no way in or out of the country from the following evening for the next fortnight, and likely beyond. We set alarms for 5:00 am, to try to get out on the last flights before the lockdown, but four hours of queuing led us to the realisation that we weren’t moving forward because the line was diminishing, it was from the volume of people ahead of us who were giving up and leaving the queue.
After some trouble with flights, Mum arrived on the 13th, having redirected her flight due to border closures to some European countries. While I believed this was the end of our problems, she thought these early closures could develop and we should ditch the mountain for an early return. With flights booked to London from Lima in a few days, we queued for hours in Cusco airport, and finally arrived at our next stop. After no
I was fortunate to be with my mum, who secured us an apartment, where we spent the next two weeks going for daily shop runs, and trying to generate awareness of the thousands of Europeans stuck in South America, until we were finally repatriated by the British military. I also felt lucky in that I had already experienced much of my planned travels, so had some level of competency with
Spanish, meaning I was able to communicate our situation with locals, and more importantly argue with the doorman when he told us we weren’t allowed to even go to the shop! I learnt so much from the entire trip, but this experience made myself and my Mum aware of the incredible amount of support we have. We relied so heavily on people signing petitions and contacting friends in Lima and the news industry, to get us noticed by MPs who could actually help us. It’s a cliché, but we really couldn’t have got home without the actions of our friends, and we spent many evenings sharing the kind messages we received from our friends and family, so I’d like to say thank you for any part anyone had in that. Since being back in England, I spent summer lockdown working in a care home and at a local pizza van, earning to fund my studies of Film at Newcastle University, where I am now enjoying a different lockdown…
Keeping the audience entertained When the pandemic struck, Michael Auger (08), a member of the musical theatre group Collabro, winners of the eighth series of Britain’s Got Talent in 2014, worked hard to find new ways of performing and keeping in touch with the fans… The first lockdown started just a week after my 30th birthday party and I feel very grateful I managed to celebrate it as I know so many people who have had lockdown birthdays! Work wise, Collabro had just performed at ‘Love At The Musicals’ at Cadogan Hall, London alongside Joe McElderry and Sophie Evans. We were looking forward to a summer of outdoor gigs before our 25-date headline UK tour ending at the London Palladium in October 2020. When the first lockdown happened, we quickly had a lot of our summer gigs rescheduled to 2021 and made the decision to also push back our headline UK tour to October 2021. We were so saddened to delay by a whole year but we wanted to be safe. We started an account with Patreon where fans can pay a monthly fee to be able to access exclusive content such as joining in on band meetings, hearing songs from the archive that never made it onto an album and joining in quizzes to virtually interact with us. This was a great way to reach out to the fans.
We also tried to rehearse together over Zoom in order to be ready for any gigs when they came in. Lambert Jackson productions offered us opportunities to do live streams where we were able to meet at venues in London when the lockdowns weren’t as strict, and we managed to socially distance perform with no physical audience. We also managed to perform at an outdoor gig where audience members were sat in ‘pods’ with members of the same household which was a very strange experience but so much nicer than performing to no audience at all. Once a week I would run a free exercise class for anyone who wanted one on YouTube which kept me positive and I’ve been told was very helpful to lots of people which is great. I also wrote a Christmas song with Ben Adams (from boy band, A1) called ‘Christmas Is Here’, which became the title of Collabro’s first ever Christmas album, recorded during the summer, going into the studio individually with the producers working their magic to build up the harmonies. We also decided in the weeks leading up to Christmas to give all profits of ‘Christmas Is Here’ to the charity, Help For Heroes, as we’ve worked with some of the veterans before and know how important the support is that they get, especially around Christmas time. Although socially distanced, we managed to record Alan
Titchmarsh ‘Love Your Weekend’, Songs of Praise and also the Britain’s Got Talent Christmas Spectacular where we sang a duet with Amanda Holden at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, the same venue we had our first audition for BGT back in 2014! Amanda kept saying ‘I just want to give you boys a hug’ so I’ve got one waiting for her for when we are all allowed to again! I also volunteered as a co-host on Petersfield’s Shine radio. The team is incredible and I always had such fun presenting. We managed to record the 50th episode of the P-POD at The Petersfield School and I sang ‘Never Enough’ from The Greatest Showman solo in front of a small audience and also hosted the Christmas special of the morning report which was great fun. I am currently still keeping up with my fitness and am about to restart my YouTube classes which I’m looking forward to. Collabro is still going strong with Patreon although, unfortunately, lots of the gigs that were postponed from 2020 to 2021 have had to be postponed again or have even been cancelled. We are keeping everything crossed that our UK tour can still go ahead this October and I hope to see lots of familiar faces in the audience.
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1722 Society goes online Determined not to let COVID disrupt all our plans, the 1722 Society enjoyed a ‘virtual Christmas gathering’ this year...
With lockdown #2 scuttling all plans for Churcher’s to host a Christmas lunch for 1722 Society members, we decided to take Churcher’s to them by taking the event online. Prior to the meeting all members were sent a minihamper of locally made mince pies and brandy butter in lieu of the lunch everyone would have ordinarily experienced. “Churcher’s in the time of COVID” was the theme for the event to give attendees a snippet of the experiences pupils have been having during the pandemic. Simon Williams, Headmaster, welcomed and thanked the 1722 Society membership, highlighting the importance of community and
the Richard Churcher Foundation during challenging times like these. History teacher, Hannah Swindells, took everyone through an example of a remote sixth form enrichment lesson before the Very Reverend Canon Will Hughes, School Chaplain, Vicar of St Peter’s Parish Church in Petersfield and current parent followed with an interesting take on Advent and the Christmas message. The afternoon ended with a mini concert from our pupils demonstrating how, despite the many restrictions in place, music has continued to flourish at Churcher’s.
“What a wonderful surprise! I certainly hadn’t been expecting a parcel and then to find it was from Churcher’s and laden with brandy butter and mince pies was just splendid!” Bill Evershed (55) “A quick note to thank you for entertaining us 1722ers yesterday. Certainly everything seems to be buzzing at Churcher’s. I found a lot of interest in the history lesson – it was different from our ‘read the chapter, make notes, learn the notes for a test’.” Nigel Belchamber (64)
“The visit made such an impression that when I was asked to leave a legacy to the College and to join the 1722 Society, I didn’t hesitate.”
The Richard Churcher Foundation The 1722 Society was established to thank all those who have pledged to leave Churcher’s College a legacy in their will to support the Richard Churcher Foundation and provision of bursaries, or towards a part of College life most meaningful to them. Churcher’s College was established following the original benefaction from Richard Churcher, aimed to provide an education for ten or twelve local boys from Petersfield in the arts of writing, arithmetic and navigation. The Richard Churcher Foundation exists to continue the culture of philanthropy and community established by our founder by providing transformational bursaries to enable children to be educated at Churcher’s. The school currently provides bursary support to over 50 families through funding from the school and philanthropic support from our community.
Leave a legacy to Churcher’s Following in Richard Churcher’s footsteps, we are very grateful to all of you who have pledged a legacy gift to Churcher’s. We are keen to grow the 1722 Society and would be delighted to welcome new members. Every year the school invites members to an annual event and other events at Churcher’s.
In some small way, I hope my contribution to the Richard Churcher Foundation will help someone to have the privilege of an education at Churcher’s.” John Davie (64)
“After 40 years of no contact with Churcher’s and having missed our fortieth reunion, I was invited to have a visit and tour of the College. I confess it was a revelation and an inspiration. I was always proud that Churcher’s was my alma mater, but the College has become so much more than it was when I attended.
...are thinking about making a gift to Churcher’s in your will and would like to talk anything through.
The visit made such an impression that when I was asked to leave a legacy to the College and to join the 1722 Society, I didn’t hesitate. The 1722 lunches are good fun. I enjoy meeting and talking with the senior pupils and it allows me to have some continuing connection with the place.”
Please get in touch with the Development Office if you…
...have pledged a gift to Churcher’s in your will and would like to join the 1722 Society. ...would like us to provide sources of information to help you make a will.
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School news OC sports stars inspire current Churcherians During the Autumn Term, it was not possible to have any sports matches against other schools due to COVID restrictions. To enable the pupils to experience competitive sport, the PE Department established the Churcher’s Champions Festival. The festival was the highlight of the internal sporting programme, with more than 400 Churcher’s pupils taking part in competitive rugby and hockey matches in their year group bubbles with winners’ categories including individual outstanding performers, and team
awards for matches and overall year group achievement. The students competed for teams inspired by Old Churcherian sporting alumni: Calum Chambers (13), current Arsenal FC player, Fiona Pocock (07), former England rugby union international, Joe Atkinson (10), current Bedford Blues rugby union player, Georgina Tuffin (12), the youngest successful swimmer to cross the Channel in 2011, Margaretha Pedder (98), former Olympian and British record holder for both 100m and 200m butterfly, George Cairns (12), former England U16 & U18 hockey
player and Will Cairns (10) former England U18 hockey player and 2014 Varsity Man of the Match. The team representing Joe Atkinson were thrilled when a tweet from the Sport Department announcing their victory was picked up and replied to by Joe. We can safely say he has a few more young fans as a result! Louisa Taylor, Director of Sport, said at the time: “The Churcher’s Champions Festival is a great opportunity for pupils to experience a competitive sporting atmosphere and show off their abilities after a busy term of intra-
school sport. It’s been wonderful to see how many of our pupils have been enjoying competitive team sport each week, with amazing participation numbers and huge smiles highlighting the positive impact sport has on their wellbeing. Go Team Churcher’s!” Vaccination programme Sixth Form volunteers Sixth Form students and aspiring medics, Ben Botham and Ellie Houghton, successfully participated in the Winchester Rural North & East Primary Care Network’s COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. This valuable volunteering opportunity was
seized upon by the students who both have ambitions to become doctors and wished to gain vital hands-on work experience for their chosen medical career paths. Ben and Ellie had to undertake various modules and pass a number of exams, including anaphylaxis training. By the end of January, they had completed three full days volunteering for the vaccination programme and found the work to be both hugely rewarding and exhausting, perhaps affording them a glimpse into the real world of medicine. Undeterred, they are determined to continue volunteering in the vaccination programme.
Ben, who is studying Chemistry, Biology and Psychology at A Level, commented: ‘It has been an incredible opportunity to be involved in the Covid-19 vaccination programme and I’m really glad to be of help. I think I will always look back on this experience as one I can be proud of in the fight against the virus.” Ellie, who is studying Chemistry, Biology and Physics at A Level, added: “It feels really good to have such a positive impact on people’s lives and to help them see their loved ones again.”
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Remembrance Day (with social distancing and year group bubbles…) On 11 November 2020 the College commemorated Remembrance and Armistice Day with a special service, followed by a procession through the war memorial whilst the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) of Army, Navy and RAF cadets stood in COVID-safe formation beside the memorial. Due to restrictions in place at the
time and to keep the integrity of year group bubbles, First Years attended the service in person, whilst it was live streamed to the rest of the pupils and teachers in individual classrooms. The Headmaster and the Very Reverend Will Hughes, School Chaplain and Vicar of Petersfield, led the service with readings and prayers accompanied by the Last Post and Reveille played by three Lower Sixth music students.
After the service, the banner party and wreath bearers led the procession to the School’s war memorial, built to honour the Old Churcherians who fought in the First and Second World Wars. Poppy wreaths were laid and saluted, with the First Year pupils and CCF following behind to walk the, now traditional, route through the memorial to remember those lost. The procession was accompanied by the Lower Sixth Brass group all seated at a safe
distance from each other and the Lower Sixth Cadets lining the route. Andy Rowley, CCF Contingent Commander, said after the service: “It was testament to the importance of this day for all members of the CCF that they worked hard to create a COVID-safe parade which still enabled them to pay their respects to those OCs who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
“It was testament to the importance of this day for all members of the CCF that they worked hard to create a COVIDsafe parade which still enabled them to pay their respects to those OCs who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
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Arabian Nights The 2021 Lower school production was a triumph of determination through remote rehearsals online, socially distanced acting, and terrible weather for one of the outdoor performances! Featuring bright jewel colours, harem trousers and multiple scarves to set the Middle East scene, nearly 70 pupils (and a puppet) took us on a journey to Arabia offering a chance to escape and feel transported to a different time and place through the seven magical short stories performed.
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Art during lockdown During the initial lockdown the First, Second and Third Year artists were busy creating art at home. They were asked to create their own surreal photographs without the aid of photo manipulation software but relying solely on using the art of concealment, rotation, viewpoint and proximity which leaves the viewers baffled, intrigued and amused by the fantastical camera trickery. The project was such a success that a lasting record of their ‘lockdown’ creativity has been captured in an outside mural at the end of the Library wall close to the Pavilion.
“It was wonderful to see the Petersfield community coming together to help others at their time of need.”
Catering for the community A true team effort as the College Caterers joined forces with local charities to provide meals for the vulnerable during the pandemic… During the first lockdown and continuing throughout the summer and then onto the last lockdown, the College Caterers, Sodexo (sponsors of the Churcher’s Golf Day) provided up to 1,200 meals to local residents in need, in partnership with several local charities: Age Concern, Home-Start Butser and The King’s Arms. The catering staff volunteered their time and the College provided the facilities and much of the food (that was
not going to be used for school lunches due to the school closure). Robert Ingram, former Churcher’s parent and Home-Start Butser volunteer said: “It was wonderful to see the Petersfield community coming together to help others at their time of need. It truly was a team effort and the catering team at Churcher’s College played a big part in providing hot meals for hundreds every week”. Accompanied with the meals to the Petersfield Age Concern Lunch Club was a newsletter produced by a Sixth Form student who was volunteering for her Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The newsletter, called ‘The Lunch
Box’, kept members in touch and enabled them to share stories with one another.
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“In these days of highly prescriptive syllabi, of detailed adherence to exam mark schemes, it is easy to lose creativity but, in the workplace, one talent we cannot do without is creative thinking.”
The Goodfield Design Centre and new Music School When the pupils returned to school in March, they were able to use the new Goodfield Design & Technology Centre. Not only does it incorporate CAD and CAM workshops and design studios on the ground floor, the new building also accommodates new classrooms for Mathematics and Classics on the first floor. Phase 2 of the capital building project is scheduled for completion in the summer, ready for the start of the next academic year in September 2021. This will extend the Music Department and locate all its facilities in one central location. This will include an auditorium seating over 200 people – an acoustically
engineered performance, assembly and exhibition space – orchestral rehearsal rooms, 15 new musical instrument lesson and practice rooms, plus GCSE and A Level Music classrooms. Simon Williams, commented: “In these days of highly prescriptive syllabi, of detailed adherence to exam mark schemes, it is easy to lose creativity but, in the workplace, one talent we cannot do without is creative thinking. This stunning, huge new building will inspire and enthuse the children and develop talents and interests which will stand them in such good stead for the rest of their working and leisure lives.”
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Churcher’s turns 300 In 2022, Churcher’s will be celebrating an extraordinary milestone – three hundred years since Richard Churcher signed his will including the instruction to provide an education for ten or twelve local boys from Petersfield in the arts of writing, arithmetic and navigation.
community with the celebrations of the 300th anniversary of the initiation of Churcher’s College, respecting the past, where it is today and taking inspiration for the future.
Our primary objective will be to engage the whole school
Keep an eye out for updates as we go…
We would like as many of you as possible to get involved and hope it will be a lot of fun!
“We today may cherish a hope...celebrate the three-hundredth anniversary of the College.”
Churcher’s turns 300 in 2022 The Churcherian from 1922
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OC news Churcher’s crest at home on a boat Following the launch of Churcher’s Community, Ray Martin (49) made contact to tell us about his inspirational use of a blazer badge once owned by his uncle, Harold Martin (15). Sadly, Harold died in 1918 in the First World War and Ray never knew him, but the hallmarked sterling silver blazer badge (orginally it would have been sewn onto the blazer by pin holes top and bottom) was passed to Ray, who has made sure it has always had a home on on his sailboats, currently ‘Tantivy of Hayling’. Ray commissioned a local jeweller in West Vancouver, British Columbia to make up a scroll with ‘Credita Coelo’ - the original spelling of the College motto. For Ray, ‘being entrusted to heaven’ was a “comforting feeling” during voyages around the North and South Pacific, the last of which was from Vancouver to Cape Horn via Mexico, the Galapagos Islands and Chile, returning via Robinson Crusoe Island, Pitcairn Island, the Marquesas Islands, Hawaii and back home to Vancouver. Communicating during COVID In February 2020 I celebrated my 80th birthday, oblivious to the risks and restrictions that the COVID pandemic would deliver shortly afterwards. From my wife, a surprise cake themed my lifelong interest in newspapers. During the successive lockdowns I have
re-engaged with my campaigning and journalism activities, have contributed press and magazine features, given quotes to national media, been interviewed by Nick Ferrari on LBC on my area of expertise - access to banking services - and necessarily learned the intricacies of communicating by Zoom and Microsoft Teams for the first time! I remain well and virus free and, having had the first vaccine, am beginning to look forward to real life visits to Churcher’s and my many more local interests in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire later in the year. Recently I caught up with Peter Culf (58), my coorganiser of Year of 58 reunions, and am pleased to report that he and his wife continue to manage challenging health issues but have not succumbed to COVID. Derek French (58) A new award During the country’s initial lockdown, Old Churcherian and long-standing supporter of the school, Commander William (Bill) Evershed (55), contacted the Headmaster to offer his OCC blazer badge to the school archive. As a reflection of Bill’s continued support and his service in the Royal Navy, it was decided to incorporate the badge into the new ‘Commander Bill Evershed Award’ with Churcher’s Design and Technology Department crafting the final trophy. The award was presented before ‘lockdown 2’ during a
regular Tuesday afternoon CCF parade. The new annual award will be presented to a senior Cadet of the Royal Naval section of the Churcher’s College Combined Cadet Force each year in recognition of the time and commitment they have given to the CCF and the role model they are for the lower ranks. Congratulations to Josiah Wilson for becoming the first recipient of the award. Remembering school OC architect, Howard Johnson (52), included a chapter on his time at Churcher’s College in his memoirs, published by Westwood Books Publishing. At that time, Mr Hoggarth was Headmaster and Mr Cottle was Housemaster at Mount House. Howard’s older brother, Malcolm Johnson (49), also attended the school. Howard wrote: “I am retired now after a 63year career in architecture and had my own practice in San Francisco for 23 years, contributing one high-rise to the city’s skyline. I am glad to see the school is progressing so well into the future. It left an indelible impression on me for the rest of my life and I’m now in my late 80s.”
“I am glad to see the school is progressing so well into the future. It left an indelible impression on me for the rest of my life...”
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A different perspective Diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2019, Jon Brooks (74) wrote ‘Flint Wave’ during 2020/21, a book of poetry with photographs reflecting on the specificity of time and mood, rooted in the landforms and history of the South Downs. An ancient landscape is imagined, connecting with human traces among hill paths, barrows, woodland, shoreline and sea. Past and present interweave in quiet reflection, evoking the ebb and flow of memory of old ways walked. Now published, a donation will be made from each sale of the book to the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Mentoring in a virtual world After leaving Churcher’s Sebastian Pont (09) went on to study for a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering at Loughborough University, followed by a PhD in Solar Energy at Imperial College. Recently Sebastian joined the energy division of the management consultancy company Baringa. He soon discovered that the Partner he worked for, Duncan Sinclair, has children at Churcher’s. Both were keen to support the College’s Careers programme. Although coronavirus tried to intervene, the ‘Career Bites’ presentation was delivered virtually via Microsoft Teams in October. Over 50 students and parents attended and there was a lively and informative Q&A session too. Dr Kirsty Verney, Head of Careers and HE said, “Huge thanks to both Sebastian and Duncan for such a brilliant presentation. We hope to host Sebastian back at the school as soon as we enter more normal times”. If anyone is interested in giving a careers talk to current pupils please do get in touch via connections@churcherscollege.com.
Desert Island Discs Professor Sir Jeremy Farrar OBE (80), former Captain of College, was the castaway on BBC Radio 4’s long running radio programme... Old Churcherian and Director of the Wellcome Trust, Sir Jeremy Farrar OBE (80), revealed his views on the importance of giving people a second chance in education during an interview on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Desert Island Discs’ on Sunday 6 December 2020. As the director of the Wellcome Trust and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) advising government ministers on COVID-19, Jeremy Farrar is used to operating under pressure. However, he revealed that his A Levels had to be retaken before going on to obtain two degrees from University College London Medical School and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford. With Desert Island Discs host Lauren Laverne, he shared his hope that as a world we can still let people have a second chance in education despite the enormous pressures of today, that he believed it is possible to have a bad day. Jeremy hopes that his story will help anxious students, providing inspiration to those who do not get the results they want to have the courage and resilience to move forward. Class of 2020 leavers packs It was with great regret that our most recent cohort of Old Churcherians, the Class of 2020, missed out on all the usual rites of passage upon leaving school as well as the inaugural event as an OC in the form of the annual Heath Harrison Drinks in September. As a small gesture, at the end of the Autumn Term,
the Development Office packed a total of 141 parcels to each leaver including a copy of last year’s ‘OC’ magazine, the new editions of the ‘Churcherian’ and ‘Ink’, an invitation to the ‘Class of 2020 Return to Ramshill’, a tie for the boys and a bangle for the girls. “It was such a wonderful parting gift to finish off my time at Churcher’s.” “It was a complete but welcome surprise.” “A lovely keepsake that I can keep for the rest of my life.” OC volunteers for vaccine trial “I have been shielding for the duration of the pandemic having successfully completed chemotherapy and immunotherapy for low grade B cell lymphoma. My story though is about me volunteering to go into the vaccine trials. I taught at Carisbrooke High School on the Isle of Wight in the 1980s and one of my ‘successes’ was Richard Cornall, who is now the Nuffield Director of Medicine for Oxford University. They were looking for volunteers in May, so I emailed him thinking he would be pleased to have a vulnerable body to try things on. Swiftly came the reply: “Not you, thanks! We want the young and fit!” However, I was accepted onto Janssen trials based at Addenbrookes last December. On 9th January 2021 I was jabbed but I do not know if I have the vaccine or the placebo. When I get called for my Oxford jab I have to contact them, as I will be released from the trial to get the vaccine if I only had the placebo. Phew! I think it is a win-win and for me having been a PhD organic chemist it is fascinating to be involved in research again.” Colin McCarty (64)
Jon Brooks (74)
Sir Jeremy Farrar OBE (80)
Sebastian Pont (09)
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Recent Netflix film, ‘The Dig’, is based upon the true story of the excavation of an Anglo Saxon burial mound at Sutton Hoo in 1939. The film uses dramatic licence in its telling of the story but Stuart Piggott (27) was involved in the excavation along with his wife Peggy, another renowned archaeologist. Stuart’s connection with Churcher’s wasn’t just as an OC, his father was an English master at the College from 1906 until his retirement in 1936, he was appointed Deputy Head in 1914 and was in charge of the Officers’ Training Corps. Stuart lived in Sheet whilst at school where Piggott Place is named after him. On leaving school in 1927, Piggott took up a post as assistant at Reading Museum, where he developed an expertise in Neolithic pottery. In 1928 he joined the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and spent the next five years producing a revolutionary study of the site of Butser Hill, south of Petersfield. He also worked on excavations at The Trundle, a causewayed enclosure near Goodwood, West Sussex. Despite no formal qualifications in Archaeology he was appointed Professor of Archaeology at Edinburgh University after WWII and he is credited with helping the department becoming one of world renown. Stuart died in 1996 at the age of 86 in Devizes, Wiltshire.
Announcements
Jennie Kelham (07), née Atkinson, married Tom Kelham August 2019 and now live in Woodford Green, London.
Year of 2011 engagements Two Churcherian couples, Ellie Kehoe (11) and Ross Kerr (11), Sophie Leigh (11) and Harry Hedges (11) got engaged in November 2020, with both weddings planned for June 2022.
Emily Sacco (09) gave birth to twin girls, Sofia and Daisy, on 04 February 2020, only five weeks old when the country entered lockdown for the first time.
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In memoriam Since the last edition of OC, we have been advised of the recent deaths of the following Old Chucherians. We have included a few words and reflections which have been sent to us by family and friends. More details can be found at Community.ChurchersCollege. com. Lesley Archer (47). One of Britain’s most successful motocross riders Les Archer Junior passed away on December 18, 2019 aged 90 in Spain, where he had lived since his retirement. Les was born into motorcycling royalty - both his grandfather and father raced successfully and established a thriving motorcycle business (Archers of Aldershot) in the 1930s which continued after the war. In 1947, Les Senior and Junior both competed in the Isle of Man TT - dad on a 250 New Imperial in the Lightweight TT and young Les in the Clubman’s class on a 250 Velocette where he finished a fine third. The father and son team also competed in the 1948 TT on Velocettes. Although he was enjoying a successful time in road racing, young Les’ interests shifted to scrambles where he really shone, especially after the head mechanic at the business, Ron Hankins, put together a very special Manx Norton scrambler, a machine that was to achieve legendary status. In fact, there was a series of the Manz special, each one more refined, and Les and his traveling companion Eric Cheney scored countless successes on
the motocross version of the Continental Circus in the 1950s. In 1956, Les and the Norton won the European Championship forerunner of the 500cc World Motocross Championship which began in 1957. He scored ten Grand Prix wins during his career which continued into the 1960s. Taken from Australian Motocross magazine and submitted by Richard Elliott (50) Simon Battinson (63) always spoke very warmly of his time at Churcher’s. He was a keen member of the Navy CCF and went to Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, upon leaving Churcher’s, where he graduated as a mid-shipman and specialised in Navigation. In his early days in the Navy his ship was sent to the Far East to join the forces involved in the Malayan Peninsula Crisis and was awarded a campaign medal for his actions. He retired from the Navy at the age of 28 when diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes – he was never going to get his own ship because of that. However, he went on to lead a full and fascinating life working for Racal Decca and being involved in the installation of radar in a wide variety of locations across the world including Heathrow, the Straits of Dover and an oil terminal in Scotland. At Churcher’s, he participated in all school sports and enjoyed returning to the College to watch his youngest son play rugby
against Churcher’s (he was at Hurstpierpoint College). He immersed himself in College drama productions, particularly those with singing involved, and carried this on into the Navy, at one time producing a play for HMS Dryad, where Prince Charles was also amongst his pupils for a short time. Simon leaves a wife Susan, three sons and four grandchildren. William John Caine (55), always known as John, attended Churcher’s from 1948 to 1954 after passing the 11+, “aged 10” as he always liked to say. He always spoke very fondly of his time at Churcher’s and still had the photograph cutting of his long jump record from when he was at school. He sadly passed away on 2nd February 2021 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in early December. He will be sadly missed by his two daughters and his granddaughter. Bernard Chiswell (59), otherwise known as ‘Bernie’ or ’Chis’, joined Churcher’s College as a boarder in 1956 when his father was posted to Malta by the RAF. After leaving school, where he experienced the thrill of flying a Tiger Moth whilst in the Sixth Form, he ended up training in retail management. He met his wife, Christine, at an RAF Ball and they, together with their son Simon, went to work in Zambia where their daughter Yvette was born. Then moving to Southern Rhodesia, Bernie was called up into the Rhodesian
Air Force, until, one morning, the family left for South Africa taking all they could carry in a suitcase and leaving everything else behind. Still in supermarket retail management Bernie worked in both Johannesburg and Durban until Christine’s failing health led them back to the UK where he joined Sainsbury’s as a store manager. Sadly, after 23 years of marriage Christine passed away in 2000. Bernie married Carin in 2004 and joined BOCH where he remained until he retired, when two activities gave him tremendous pleasure; music and flying. He had a good bass voice and relished the challenging demands of singing without instrumental support. He also had a “man shed” outside his back door where he built large radio-controlled model aeroplanes, which he flew at the nearby flying club. ‘Chis’ enjoyed life to the full, was always popular, always friendly, always the entertaining raconteur. He will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him. Submitted by John Hawkins (59) Donald (Don) Eades (53) has died aged 84 at a Horndean care home where he spent his final years after being diagnosed with dementia. His wife, Liz, of more than 57 years whom he had met at a dance in the Petersfield Festival Hall, died in July 2019 after caring for his declining health. He leaves their son David (88) with partner Lisa and grandchildren
Rosie, Lucy, Emily and Jamie, and daughter Sandra Campbell (a former member of staff) with husband Ian and their daughter, Emma (14) and son, Jack (18)
Capt. Colin Robinson RN (45) Rodney
Leslie Harfield (47) joined the school during the Second World War in 1941. Having done well in both his School Certificate and the Higher School Certificate he remained on for a third year in the Sixth Form to study for and achieve a Major County Scholarship. During this time, he was, for the last two terms, Captain of College. He was very grateful to the school for preparing him to apply, successfully, to Cambridge and for the opportunities it afforded him both academically and in other regards, in particular music and sport.
David Reginald Hutchings (48) Drake
His son Myles, said: “I can remember watching him play cricket for the Old Boys at the school and so he must have maintained that active connection into the late 60s if not the early 70s. His love of music, in particular choral music, which started at Churcher’s stood him in good stead when applying, again successfully, for a Choral Exhibition at Gonville and Caius. It stayed with him for life and he derived much enjoyment from it both as a participant and as a listener.”
A. Simon Battison (63) Drake
Lesley Archer (47) Rodney Leslie Harfield (47) Nelson Alan Cowdrey (48) Drake John Evans (49) Drake John Bowen (50) Grenville Peter Luscombe (51) Rodney Donald Eades (53) Grenville David Glazier (54) Nelson William John Caine (55) Nelson Prof.essor John Laver (55) Rodney Tony Hayter (56) Grenville Bernard Chiswell (59) Nelson Stephen Hedges (59) Grenville Leonard Hill (59) Rodney Anthony Hall (62) Grenville Richard Walker (63) Drake Tom Fortune (65) Grenville David Buckett (68) Drake Alex Smith (70) Grenville Edward Holland (73) Nelson David Harbottle (75) Grenville John Gresham (76) Drake Luke Lipscombe (14) Collingwood Former staff Elliot Glyn Hollis (76-93) (known as Glyn) Geography
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Due to his age and underlying health conditions, David Glazier (54) tragically died on 4th July 2020 from COVID-19 in San Salvador, El Salvador. David wrote to the Development Office earlier in 2020 informing us that he left the UK after National Service in the Royal Navy and worked for Lloyds Bank in Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, the Bahamas, New York, Ecuador and Spain. He left the UK for El Salvador a couple of years ago, the birthplace of his wife to whom he was married for over 50 years. His daughter, Constance, said that he often spoke warmly of his time at Churcher’s. Edward Holland (73) or ‘Eddie’, as he was known at school, had already spent a year at Churcher’s when his classmates-to-be started in the autumn of 1966; few of us knew this at the time. Being a little taller than average, and as the only one who owned an Afghan coat, Eddie was a distinctive figure around the school in the late 60s. Eddie’s love of music was already well established and many will remember him with a couple of LPs under his arm, ready to swap with anyone wanting to tap into his eclectic mix of bands. After Churcher’s, Eddie studied computer science at Portsmouth Polytechnic and joined Logica where he was involved in real-time systems work. He moved with Logica to Rotterdam in 1982 and later joined Cisco Systems. Eddie stayed with Cisco for about ten years where he was involved in pre-sales engineering and got to know the Far East through a number of assignments in China, Korea, Japan and Singapore. He left Cisco and moved to Bangkok in 2002 and set up an ITrelated business. In Eddie’s own words: “Thailand is my favourite country of all time.” Having never lost his enthusiasm for music, he also ran a production venture in
the electronic music industry. He was instrumental in tracking down former pupils from the Class of 73 when they held their reunions at the School in 2011 and again in 2013, although it was with great regret that he was unable to attend either event to meet up with former colleagues again. Eddie is survived by his wife Tum and his daughter Natalie. Submitted by Bob Hunt (73) and Martin Kidd (73) David Hutchings (48) was born in Southsea and when his family evacuated inland to Liss in 1940, he joined Churcher’s. He was a keen member of the Junior Training Corps and was in the College team for the Ashburton Competition in 1947 carrying the big bass drum. In those days the College provided various extra-curricular courses, among which David undertook ‘Railway Operating’ while completing his Cambridge School Certificate. David’s strength and upright bearing displayed from those days in the JTC at Churcher’s remained with him until he had to retire from his weekly tennis matches at the age of 88! David married Barbara Fiander in 1958. She survives him together with their daughter and two sons, eight grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. After leaving Churcher’s, John Laver (55) first went to Cranwell, leaving after a year, going on to the University of Edinburgh. Though his undergraduate degree was unexceptional, he returned to study phonetics at postgraduate level, and from then on his academic career took off. He gained first his PhD, then a D.Litt. from Edinburgh and was promoted to a Personal Chair as Professor of Phonetics. He was also awarded four Honorary degrees, from De Montfort, Sheffield and Queen Margaret Universities and Trinity College, Dublin. Whilst still at
Edinburgh he was instrumental in setting up the Centre for Speech Technology Research, and he served for three years as VicePrincipal for Research. He moved to Queen Margaret University in 2001 as Research Professor for Speech Sciences and VicePrincipal. A staunch advocate of the economic, social and cultural benefits of the Humanities and of interdisciplinary research, he was the founding Chairman of the Humanities Research Board of the British Academy and played a key role in making the case for the establishment of the Arts and Humanities Research Council. In 1999 he was awarded the CBE for services to Phonetics and the Humanities.
Service and joined the parachute regiment. “Knees together, slightly bent, feet together, arms tight” was his mantra.
Peter Luscombe (51) It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Peter Luscombe who was a Governor at Churcher’s College for 27 years. Peter was born on 22 July 1932 in Isleworth and was brought up by his mother whilst his father was away at war. Having evacuated to Cornwall his mother found it far too quiet there, so they moved back to London in the height of the war. Peter was educated at Churcher’s College and it was here that his love of sport, especially rugby, grew. Not long after leaving school he was called up for National
He met his wife, Kathleen, in 1956 in the dance halls of Winchester and would visit Kathleen in London after her move there. They would frequently be found in the Troubador at Earls Court listening to the skiffle groups playing there. They married in Kings Somborne in 1958 and moved to Hayling Island at the start of their married life. From Hayling Island, they moved to Woodmancote (they lived in the same house in Woodmancote for 59 years) and started a family, having three children Simon, Sally and Michael. In addition to their three children, Peter adored his daughter-in-law Tilly and two grandchildren Mimi and Nico. Peter joined the Forestry Commission and this was the start of his love of nature and farming. From here he went on to work at Scats and was with them until his retirement 30 years later, working his way
up through the company to become a Director. Sport was a huge part of Peter’s life. He played rugby for over 40 years and only stopped when he broke his leg in his 50s, playing for the undefeated Chichester Taverners team. He played squash well into his sixties – happily beating men a third of his age – and finally moved onto golf. Peter was always more than a participant in everything he did. From being a School Governor to rugby Club Chairman to his involvement at both Westbourne and Woodmancote Churches. He was a Sidesman at Westbourne throughout the 70s and 80s and played a key role in the life of Woodmancote. Peter and Kathleen were happily married for more than 60 years and enjoyed a fantastic retirement together, which included frequent visits back to Churcher’s for cricket matches and prize givings – he loved going back to his old school and catching up with his old classmates.
“Knees together, slightly bent, feet together, arms tight” was his mantra.
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My time at Churcher’s Jean Millard (1987 - 2020)
It is Thursday, December 17th 2020. My last day had started and I am with the Headmaster to bid farewell. On his desk sits an iconic, shiny Churcher’s College mug along with its accompanying sharp pencil. The traditional, highly coveted and essential piece of departing kit. I knew my time was up! At the end of that school day, I would drive out through the College gates after 33 years of teaching, but not before the Science Faculty had treated me to a wonderful lunch. In these historic COVID times, we kept our 2 metre distance in one of the large labs. The table was decorated with conical flasks encasing beautiful fairy lights. The scene was set and it was an emotional and special occasion. Speeches were made and goodbyes shared. I first drove in through those gates, way back in September 1987. Rick Astley was No. 1 in the pop charts and mobile phones and the Internet were pure fantasy. I moved from having taught in a large state school to what was, at the time, a smaller boys’ independent school with a mixture of boarding and day pupils. I joined but three fulltime female staff and together
we had to tolerate (respectfully) the traditions of the Masters’ Common Room. It was a somewhat dingy, ‘fuggy’ room with burgeoning pigeon-holes, dark musty curtains draping the full length of the walls and a long wooden table bearing full ashtrays. The masters donned chalk-covered academic gowns and I was in awe. I won’t mention the state of the toilets! How times have changed… for the better, I hasten to add… Staff briefing was held every morning at 8.25am. All of us gathered in the Common Room, paper notepads at the ready. Tutors jotted down relevant notices, called out in a haphazard and random order. I remember a time, somewhat early in my initiation, a senior member of staff proclaiming: “Masters! Note this for your boys.” My pen was poised ready to write furiously. To my horror a female colleague placed her firm hand on mine, beckoning me to halt! She caught the eye of the announcer, and there was silence. She perked up with: “Should this be noted by the female members of staff, too?”. The ‘vintage’ member of staff puffed up and spoke: “Hmm… Masters and MISTRESSES (he boomed) note this…”I just wanted the ground to open up. I surely was not to be called a MISTRESS!
My first and foremost passion was inspiring pupils in the subject of Biology, fulfilling the dream my own biology teacher inspired me to follow all those years ago. I soon became Head of Lifeskills, as it was called back then, and designed a brand-new curriculum to be delivered by form tutors. The user-friendly books and activities I devised were the start of something new and the college was well on the path to becoming a fully co-educational day school. I coached and umpired boys’ hockey and have many fond memories of the tours. The Guernsey jaunts were a particular highlight, and I’ll never forget taking an U15 squad to Leicester and meals of endless curries! I was even allowed to participate in the annual Masters vs Boys hockey match. Our boots were polished by a first-year pupil ready for the onslaught, Monty Python style! The residential biology field trips to Juniper Hall were held every summer. Driving along the narrow lanes had its moments. I have to admit a low point was when I pranged a minibus, fortunately hired, into another minibus, unfortunately College owned, and then proceeded to scrape the wing mirror along its entire length! Which idiot parked it there, anyway?
“Every single day teaching at the school has brought me joy.”
Back in those distant days, the Science Faculty was dispersed across the campus. The Biology and Chemistry labs were where the ART/IT block is now, and Physics was a little walk away where the new library is. I taught in Lab 63. There were three huge fixed wooden tables with sinks and gas taps with enough space for 18 boys. The cupboards were filled with many pickled animals (at least I think they were animals) and I even found a box of deer heads. These were soon re-instated into the hall of the junior boarding house, Mount House, much to the delight of the housemaster. In time, I was promoted to Head of Biology and then Head of Science. The faculty continued to thrive and grow. I had the enormous privilege of overseeing the build of the new science block and when the number of A Level scientists increased we were fortunate to be able to have yet another floor added. The facilities are second to none. I thoroughly enjoyed taking the Fifth Year under my wing as their Pastoral Co-ordinator. It was important for the pupils to have a base and so the pavilion was refurbished for the pupils to use as their common room. I established the Annual Dinner and Awards
Evening which was a celebration of their time in school before many returned as our Sixth Form. When I became part of the Senior Management Team I was very proud to work amongst such a dynamic bunch having the opportunity to contribute to and cast my beady eye over the whole school ethos. I organised events such as Speech Day and Lower School Prize Giving. For two years I ensured the school arrived en-masse to Guildford Cathedral for the Carol Service. This was a major logistical endeavour but an impressive day, and I recall opening the doors at the end of the service and gasping as before me snow was falling thick and fast. An appropriate end to term with a great view from the city’s majestic cathedral. What an occasion. When I told my fabulous GCSE class that I was leaving the clutches of Churcher’s their jaws dropped and when they found out how long I’d been at the school, one pupil exclaimed “33 years! Miss, that’s insane!” I guess that’s true… But if being ‘insane’ meant I remained at Churcher’s then so be it. Every single day teaching at the school has brought me joy.
Certainly, in the lead up to my last day at school I started to think about how much the College had altered and developed. The school has changed and progressed in a direction that is sought after by parents far afield and from the very start of my time here I have been delighted with the developments and opportunities. The Churcher’s community has never let me down both professionally and personally. I am sure you can understand that the decision to finally stop was a seriously difficult one to make. I know that after these unique and historical times, one thing will stand firm, and that is Churcher’s College, it’s team and its pupils past and present. Finally, and before you all ask – NO! The cup and pencil will not be made available on eBay for bidding! “Never gonna give you them up...”
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My time at Churcher’s Al Saralis (1997 - 2020)
I joined Churcher’s as Head of Art & Design during Easter 1997 after leaving Eggar’s School. I was looking for a change and a new ‘project’. Churcher’s was just that. The Art Department at the time was small and was situated in the old music block. The facilities were basic. There was one room upstairs and one ceramics room downstairs and the staffing consisted of me and one other. I remember that there was only one student doing Art in the U6 and he was not timetabled, but came in when he could. I realised then that this needed changing a lot and that the Dept desperately needed a higher profile within the College. I remember just after I first joined, being invited by Bedales’ HOD to look around the Dept there. I was
impressed but also felt a sense of envy. It was a Tuesday afternoon and I remember coming back to my room at Churcher’s and deciding then and there that I was eventually going to, at least, match the quality of work and sense of achievement that they had established there. It was one of those ‘moments’ that I have never forgotten. When the new Science block was built a few years later I had the opportunity to move the Dept to the current block that it now occupies, which was previously the old Science block. This provided the additional space that I needed to advance the Dept and improve the facilities. The main difference I found from teaching
in the state school was that there was more money available if one could justify it. As results improved and numbers doing Art increased there was certainly a need for better facilities and more space. After Simon Williams became Headmaster, he sanctioned an extension to the block with what is now the U6 studio. Simon has always been supportive and shown a real interest in what the students in the Art Dept were doing. The Dept went from strength to strength and as the quality of work increased so did the numbers opting to do it. With this increase we were able to also increase the members of staff and when I left the Dept in 2020 I had a talented
“I feel privileged to have been able to contribute something to all those students’ memories of their education at Churcher’s College.”
and committed Art staff consisting of myself alongside Gwen Roff, Gemma Heath, Juliette Wakeland and David Heath. A great team. By now the student numbers had increased dramatically with totals of 25 A level and 82 GCSE students over the two years. A few years ago, a parent said something to me that gave me a smug smile. She said that Art was the most important subject for her daughter and having looked around Bedales and Churcher’s, she had decided to opt for Churcher’s as it was ‘better’. You can imagine what memory that brought back for me. These days I can be found in my own studio. I have always had a dual role in a sense that, as well
as my profession as a teacher, I have continued my work as a professional artist. I had always kept the two activities separate as this has been, for me, the beneficial way to manage both professions. Now that I no longer teach, I have been able to spend all of my working energy as an artist. I currently show at a number of galleries in the UK including Clarendon Fine Art who take the majority of my work. I loved my role at Churcher’s. What I will remember most are two things. First is the one to one conversations with the older students; grappling with their work and creative concepts being explored and secondly the annual exhibitions of exam work and
the Private View evenings. The tangible feeling of achievement that the students showed and the absolute amazement and pride on the face of the parents are unforgettable. I feel privileged to have been able to contribute something to all those students’ memories of their education at Churcher’s College.
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From the archive “Compared with today’s students, I feel my effort was pretty amateur but I remember the feeling of pride which my parents enjoyed when the first copies were delivered… my first (and almost) last time in print.”
David Cosham (77) was prompted to write after reading the last edition of the OC. It had reminded him that he had had the privilege of creating the cover for the Churcherian magazine for the 250th Anniversary.
David said: “Compared with today’s students, I feel my effort was pretty amateur but I remember the feeling of pride which my parents enjoyed when the first copies were delivered…my first (and almost) last time in print.”
Dates for your diary
Heath Harrison House Drinks Wednesday 8 September 2021 Tercentenary Drinks Thursday 30 September 2021 Churcher’s Golf Day Friday 8 October 2021 1722 Society Christmas Lunch Tuesday 30 November 2021 OC Day Saturday 26 March 2022
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the school is closely monitoring Government advice and may have to change, postpone or cancel events at short notice.
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Contact the Development Office Nick Smith Head of Development nsmith@churcherscollege.com 01730 236 846 Vanessa Johnson Development Officer vjohnson@churcherscollege.com 01370 236 833 Catherine Massie Sport & Development Administrator cmassie@churcherscollege.com 01730 236 831
Community.ChurchersCollege.com @ChurchersAlumni Churcher's College, a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with company number 10813349 and registered charity number 1173833.
