8 minute read
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.”
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)
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.
