FOCuS Magazine: Edition 15 2017

ISSUE 15 2017

Sporting Stars Open New Facilities

New Pitch Opened London Drinks Headmaster Visits USA Events & Reunions Pop Art Launch

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New Developments Welcome Letters

Letter from the Editor very chilled out event, Roots in the Park 2017, two Speech Days and two London drinks parties, year group reunions for Years of 74, 77, 92, 93, 94 and 2006, plus numerous OC Golf, Hockey, Netball, Tennis and Cricket fixtures as well as two very well attended Remembrance Days, a Nostalgia lunch, Tea for Two and the 90th Anniversary dinner of the FDC.

Welcome to the latest FOCu S magazine. We know how much you value it when we start to receive emails and calls asking “Have I missed it?” and “When’s it coming out?” Admittedly it is a little later than usual. We have had an exceptionally busy time since the last one was published in Spring 2016…

We have had two Operas in the Park, together with a fabulous new and

All that in addition to the official opening

by Tim Henman and Laura Unsworth (see pages 4-5 for more on this) of the superb new Artificial Turf Pitch, in partnership with Bury St Edmunds Hockey Club, and the new seasonally covered tennis courts, together with some 20 individual visits to the school by alumni and a trip to New York for the Headmaster and me to meet up with OCs. We have also been very well supported in our fundraising for The Campaign for Culford and are extremely grateful to something relatively useful and to try to fulfil Thoreau’s observation that one of life’s missions is to ‘affect the quality of the day’.

My Culford career commenced in 1968, but at the beginning of the previous year I started to keep a diary … and it was up-to-date this morning! So that’s now a 50-year, ongoing chronicle.

Its primary purposes, however, are to act as a checklist on doing

That 50-year-span intrigues me. Double it and we are back to the final phase of the First Word War or think of it as 38% of the existence of Culford School from 1881. Matters of reasonable accuracy are assured when I look back over distant aspects of my life. This is not, I hope, a nerdish activity, but the mind does have ways of playing tricks.

The other day I was reading an account of my own school’s history and was disappointed at the inconsistencies which featured. Some teachers were given their forename, some just an initial, while others, who had been

Published since 2000, FOCu S is Culford’s magazine for alumni, parents, friends and staff of Culford and the East Anglian Schools. The Culford Foundation has the twin aims of friendraising and fundraising for the School.

FOCu S ISSUE 15: 2017 Published by Culford School Foundation Culford School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 6TX Email: foundation@culford.co.uk Web: www.culford.co.uk/foundation Tel: +44 (0)1284 385310 Registered Charity No. 1142794 Administered by Methodist Independent Schools Trust Company Registration 7649422

all those who have contributed thus far.

We have now successfully secured in excess of £1.2 million in gifts and pledges, enabling us not only to open our stunning new Library, but it also means we almost have sufficient funds for the redevelopment of the art department.

Now we are seeking to raise £30,000 towards the fitting out of the new main Studio and for landscaping to the front of the building. You can learn more about this on pages 23-26.

It has been a joy to catch up with so many of you during the year. Wherever you are in the world and whatever you are doing now, we love to hear your news! Please do keep in touch and remember that you are very welcome at Culford – just let us know when you plan to visit.

Email: jjm@culford.co.uk natural contributors to our education, were not recalled at all. It reminded me of how important it is for records to be kept and, if possible, archives maintained. [See more about Culford’s plans for its own archives on page 25] All organisations need to be able to review their past with insights and incisiveness. They help complete a portrayal that is balanced, fair and realistic. When the Headmaster reads, on Remembrance Day, the names of those pupils killed in the World Wars, he draws the attention of one advantaged generation to the afflictions of another. Good record-keeping ensures that ‘we shall remember them’.

John Humphries, OC Liaison Officer

Send Us Your News!

The Foundation always enjoys hearing about Old Culfordians or East Anglian Schools alumni.

Even if you haven’t been back to your old school for years, we are always very pleased to welcome you to an event, reunion or for your own personal tour. This edition includes updates from many alumni of different ages and eras who have phoned, written to or emailed us with news. So, please keep in touch and send us your latest news; we look forward to hearing from you soon!

The Culford Foundation makes reasonable efforts to include current and accurate information in FOCuS but makes no warranties or representations as to the accuracy of the published content. News of former pupils and colleagues is always welcome.

Photo credits: Tom Soper (incl. front cover images), Wendy Turner/Red Shed Photography, Warren Page, Shaun Scott, Steven Nicholls/ Poparted Limited and Steven Bond/Honest Photography.

London Drinks

Private Club Hosts London Drinks 9 March 2017 at the East India Club

Year of 1982 Front row L-R: Andrew Williams, Amanda Black née Russell, Sarah Turner née Sewell, Ed Pritchard, Sandra Culling née Dye, Christopher Bolam. Back row L-R: Sarah Stuteley née Sheppard, Mark Robson, Paul Barnes, Gordon Napier, Peter Hazell, Paul Taylor, Fiona Bojan née Siddall, Zamir Borg-Mirza.

David Spark, Max Mason (2007-2012) and Matt St John (2005-2012).

Some 90 Old Culfordians, EAS alumni, friends and teachers attended the 2017 London Drinks held at the East India Club, which is normally only open to members. Everyone enjoyed drinks and canapés in the Club’s grand reception room and we were pleased to see many new faces on the night including Will Mathieson (1968-1973), Guy Kiddy (1967-1975) and Louisiana Ogunfowora (2002-2014). Special mention goes to the Year of 1982, which had a mini-reunion with thirteen from that year present, including Richard Guy (1977-1982) and Sandra Culling (1978-1982) who got her year group together.

The champagne draw was won by Stella Schuck (2007-2008), who came to Culford from Germany for her GCSEs and later went on the study at the University of Oxford.

Hannah Evans (2005-2012), Alex Spark (2003-2014), Aaron Powell (2011-2015), Jamie Gregory and Matt St John (2005-2012).

Mike Schofield, Johnnie Sims (1997-2004), Henry Morton (1996-2004) and Sean Jun (2001-2005).

George Zeleny (1958-1964), Lesley Shaw née Eve (1959-1964), Nigel Clark (1954-1964) and Peter Livock (1959-1964).

Jean Rhodes née Daines (1974-1980), Jonathan Curtis (1974-1982), Richard Guy (1977-1982), John Humphries and Fiona Bojan (1980-1982).

Louisana Ogunfowora (2002-2014), Sean Jun (2001-2005), Charlotte Bell (1996-2005), Lucy Berwick (2007), and Henry Morton (1996-2004).

“Thank you to everyone who came to our reception this year,” said Samantha Salisbury, Foundation Manager, “it was so good to meet up with those who come regularly as well as many new faces and recent leavers. To mention just a few, thanks to Dr Edward Libbey

(1958-1965), Matt St John (2005-2012), Nicholas Greenwood (1958-1965) and George Zeleny (1958-1964).

It was also good to see some families reunited at the event, including David and Alex Spark (2003-2014) and Sophie (2006-2011) and Kate Balding (2006-2014).”

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Hockey and Tennis Opening

Tim Henman and Laura Unsworth at Culford Culford welcomed sporting stars Tim Henman OBE and Laura Unsworth to open its new state-of-the-art sporting facilities on Saturday 10 September 2016.

View of the new hockey pitch with tennis court in the background.

The Old Culfordian girls’ hockey team took to the pitch, led on by Prep pupils, to compete against the First X1 for the first official fixture.

Read a match report on page 42.

On the same afternoon, former Wimbledon semi-finalist and world top ten tennis player, Tim Henman OBE, unveiled two new seasonally covered outdoor tennis courts.

These add to Culford’s excellent tennis facilities, including the Indoor Tennis Centre, built with significant support from the LTA. As well as a masterclass with Culford’s Tennis Scholars, Tim hosted an inspirational question and answer session with pupils and parents who are part of Culford’s renowned high performance programmes.

GB’s Olympic hockey gold medal winner, Laura Unsworth, led a hockey masterclass with Prep School pupils, sharing some of her tips and tricks on how to reach national standard. She then officially opened the new all-weather hockey pitch; a joint project with Culford which was initiated by Bury St Edmunds Hockey Club. The sand-dressed, floodlit pitch with tiered standing for spectators was funded by the Club and its members, England Hockey, the National Hockey Foundation, Sport England and with support from Culford who also provided the site.

The Headmaster, Tim Henman, Patricia Abbott (Governor) and Air Vice Marshal Steven Abbott CBE (Chairman of Governors).

Hockey and Tennis Opening

Prep Pupils leading on the Old Culfordian and School girls’ hockey teams.

Julian Johnson-Munday, Headmaster, hopes that the opening of the new facilities will inspire a generation at Culford. He said: “Our vision at Culford is to have all children involved in sport, whether as elite performers or recreational players, and today we saw more than 400 children playing tennis on the new courts and hockey on this superb all-weather pitch, opened in partnership with Bury St Edmunds Hockey Club. We were delighted to have Tim and Laura with us to inspire our pupils and their support made this a fantastic way to launch our new facilities. We thank them and all those who have helped bring this project to fruition”.

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New York Trip

Culford in New York and New Jersey Lunches and lessons from across the pond

Patrick Moran (2000-2007) and Mary.

Julian Johnson-Munday, Louie Woodall (2007-2009) and Jo Johnson-Munday.

In April, The Headmaster and I were delighted to combine a trip to visit the development offices of seven East Coast private schools with meeting a number of alumni and their partners at some fabulous New York City venues.

First up was a reunion in a roof top cocktail bar in a smart new hotel, The William Vale in Brooklyn. Sadly a couple of no-shows meant that we were a very small party of three with an overload of canapés but we were delighted to catch up with Louie Woodall (2007-2009). Louie graduated from Royal Holloway and, after beginning his journalism career in London, is now working in New York as a Deputy Editor for Risk.net, an industry-leading online news and analysis website covering derivatives, risk management, commodities, and asset management.

The next day saw an early supper with Philip Johnson Laird (1948-1952)

Patrick Moran (2000-2007) and Mary, Philip Truelove (1960-1970), Jo and Julian Johnson-Munday and Howard Weilbacker.

and his wife Mo at The Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca. The hotel is owned

by Robert de Niro and we were lucky enough to share our evening with him, although, admittedly, he was sitting across the room from us with movie friends. It took all of a certain Foundation Director’s self-restraint to dissuade herself from asking for a selfie and an autograph. Philip has now retired from Princeton and you can read more about his life after Culford on the facing page. He and Mo returned to Culford in July and we were delighted to show them and their daughter and son-in-law around the school to see new developments and visit old haunts.

So much wining and dining! On Sunday we steeled ourselves for what turned out to be a delicious brunch in great company at The River Café by the Brooklyn Bridge.

This time we met Philip Truelove (1960-1970) and Patrick Moran (2000-2007) with their partners (pictured above). We are truly grateful to Philip who is the General Manager at The Greenwich, where we also stayed for a few nights. His knowledge and recommendations of places to visit and things to do in the Big Apple were hugely valued and we thoroughly recommend this hotel for a special occasion stay in New York.

New York Trip Patrick is working in Manhattan for a medical tech company called Zocdoc. Travel and adventure feature highly on Pat’s agenda: he hiked Havasupai Falls in Arizona, some of the most gorgeous water in the world he told us, and has since climbed Mt Kilimanjaro and Machu Picchu, with plans for the Himalayas now in progress. He is also helping to grow the sport of Racketlon in the US, a combination sport in which competitors play a sequence of the four most popular racket sports: table tennis, badminton, squash, and tennis. Pat will be competing in the World Racketlon Championships in Zurich in 2018 for Team USA! On our return to the UK, it was great to welcome Pat and his girlfriend, Mary, to Culford at the end of term, when they arrived, along with fellow OC Adam Mortlock (2000-2007), just in time for tea after the Prep School Prizegiving. Adam has been serving as a police officer with Derbyshire Constabulary for 9 years, joining straight after leaving Culford.

He recently became an authorised Firearms Officer, as part of the Armed Response Unit for the force.

Prep School Headmaster, Mike Schofield, Adam Mortlock (2000-2007), Patrick Moran (2000-2007) and Jo Johnson-Munday.

The timing of their arrival was perfect as they were able to catch up with their former Housemaster, Mike Schofield, now Head of the Prep School.

Finally, on the last evening of our stay in New York, we were very glad to have dinner with a long-time supporter of Culford and distinguished Old Culfordian, William R Miller CBE (1940-1946). Bill was Vice-Chairman of Bristol-Myers Squibb until 1990 and is a major benefactor to the school, providing the funds for the William Miller Science building and making a generous gift to Culford’s landmark library which opened in 2015.

Bill Miller (1940-1946), Jo and Julian Johnson-Munday.

Apart from all these wonderful social events, we also had the privilege to visit seven east coast private schools, along with representatives from other UK independent schools, including Blundells, Felsted, Rydal Penrhos and both Sherborne Girls and Sherborne Boys Schools. The American schools we saw were an inspiration and offered a huge opportunity to see how the alumni teams across the pond operate.

It proved a fantastic learning experience for us all.

Jo Johnson-Munday Foundation Director jjm@culford.co.uk

Philip Johnson-Laird (1948-1952) reflects on his time at Culford…

In 1948, I survived an interview with the formidable Dr Skinner, the then Headmaster, and arrived at Culford at the age of eleven, on an evening before everyone else. In an otherwise empty dining room, I ate meatloaf for the first time in my life. Like Proust and his madeleine cake, one taste of it now transports me back to my solitary supper in Cadogan House. The next morning I was taught how to make a bed – my bed – with hospital corners, not the least of the skills that I acquired at school.

Later, my new friends taught me to play ping-pong, and the major athletic triumph of my life was to be the 1949 table tennis champion of Cadogan. My other achievement there was to learn to play the piano, thanks to the gentle patience of the music teacher, ‘Spook’ Wayman.

The move to the main school a couple of years’ later was smooth, but my interests remained outside the classroom – playing fly-half, keeping wicket, improvising Bop on a grand piano in the music practice rooms, and developing a crackpot

theory of musical dissonance.

Bill Bannister (1946-1952), who had taught me Boogie Woogie, persuaded me to join the radio club. We were supposed to build radios, but our biggest success was to build an induction coil to jam the resident teachers’ TV set – the only one in the building.

My personal best was to use the fire-escape harness after lights out to abseil down the back wall of Culford Hall, and to make it back to the second-floor dorm without detection. Nevertheless, I left the school prematurely – not for any such misbehaviour, but to make way for my brother, Andy (1955-1961).

For some years, I managed to keep up with my friends: Bill Crinean (1946-1953), who taught me to do four-wheel drifts, Terry Elms (1948-1953), who became a BBC sound recordist, Bob Fisher (1945-1952), who abandoned accountancy to be The Guardian’s sailing correspondent, and Graham Morland (1945-1953), who also joined the BBC. What did I do in the years AC (After Culford)?

Philip (1948-1952) and Mo Johnson-Laird.

In Nabokovian abbreviation: quantity surveying; playing gigs; marrying Mo; conscientious objecting; hospital portering; bakery working; sitting down with Mo in the middle of Whitehall to block the traffic and to support Bertrand Russell; going to University College London; having a son, Ben; investigating how people think – at UCL, Sussex, a Cambridge MRC unit, and the Institute for Advanced Study; having a daughter, Dorothy; emigrating to Princeton University to be a professor of psychology; and publishing that crackpot theory of dissonance sixty years later.

Culford’s imprint on me was indeed deep, ineffable, and permanent.

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Newsbites Welcome to Newsbites, a round up the latest news from Old Culfordians and East Anglian School alumni.

News updates arrive with us in many different ways: from OC visits and tours, through reunions and events, telephone calls, emails, and feedback on our Facebook page or LinkedIn Group. Please do keep us posted!

L-R: George Hazell (1952-1958), Alan Dures (Staff: 1977-2002) and Martin Hilder (1950-1958).

Peter Foulsham (1937-1944), with son Rick, grandchildren and Jo and Samantha from the Foundation.

Rick Foulsham brought his father, Peter Foulsham (1937-1944), on a trip down memory lane around East Anglia in August, including his first return visit to Culford in over 50 years. Peter recalled many friends of his time here including Sir Edward Cullen (1937-1944), Gordon Cowperthwaite (1938-1942), Tony Stockley (1939-1944), Colin Roberts (1937-1944) who now lives in Tasmania, and Ken Howlett (1938-1944). On leaving Culford, Peter joined the Paras and was commissioned to the Royal Norfolk Regiment and served in Palestine. He finished up as Military Transport Officer for the battalion and then went on to Newcastle University where he gained his BSc and began work for an agro-chemical company, Plant Protection, (eventually owned by ICI), finally becoming the UK Manager. Peter retired at 55 and thus spent 30 years working and has since spent 36 years retired. It clearly has suited him well (see above photograph).

David Knight (1948-1952) met OC Colin Wright (1947-1955) and his wife, Sandra with close friend Christopher Stevens at Richmond Park’s Isabella plantation. He also keeps in touch with the Revd Peter Lemmon (1947-1955) and his wife, Christine. David maintains his family interests in Methodism, but is now a member of Richmond Unitarian Church.

The late Brian Pettet (1945-1953) recalled the ‘Palace Dinner Club’ – an illicit school-activity involving meals after midnight in one of the classrooms on the Alexandra Wing of Culford Hall. It was for House Prefects and set up to compete with the Fifth Dinner Club. His photograph of such an event dates

Brian Pettet (1945-1953) and the Palace Dinner Club.

to 1951 with the presence of Keith Sharp (1950-1952), Bruce Wilson (1943-1953), Terry Gould (1945-1952), Graham Moreland (1945-1953), Robert Fisher (1945-1952) and John Bird (1945-1952). They were discovered on this occasion by Head Boy, Robin Douglas (1946-1952), who kindly agreed to forget about having found them.

Murray Culshaw (1950-1958) continues to live in India. Though well into ‘retirement’ years, he remains active promoting charities, communicating their work to and raising donations from Indian sources.

This philanthropy includes Sense India, helping deaf/blind people and a specialist software group, Mahiti, which produces technological solutions for social enhancement.

Martin Hilder (1950-1958) reports that he and George Hazell (1952-1958), both members of the Hockey 1st XI of ’58, met up with Mitch Brown (1948-1958) and former Head of History, Alan Dures (Staff: 1977-2002), at the European Grand Masters

Tournament in London in August 2015. Martin played for the Dutch Over 75s team, conceding defeats by 3-0 and 1-0 to the England team for which George played.

Alan, normally the goalkeeper, was recovering from an operation and was present as the Assistant Manager of the England Over 70s.

Kong ‘Charlie’ Chan (1960-1964) Google ‘gynecologic and obstetric surgery chan’ and you will discover Charlie’s latest book published

by Wiley-Blackwell. The proceeds raised from this publication are going to a charity called Ammalife.

Peter Storey (1951-1959) with his wife Barbara, son Ben and grandchildren.

On Tuesday 15 August 2017 Peter Storey (1951-1959) made a visit with his wife, son and grandchildren.

Culford was his family home for 20 years when his father Dr Christopher Storey was appointed Headmaster in 1951. Peter, along with his three brothers, attended the School; he reminisced on how privileged he felt to have had Culford as his home. On leaving, Peter went on to become Head of Planning for Buckinghamshire County Council while his older brother Christopher (1951-1967) became Head of Personnel for BBC Radio. His younger brother

Newsbites Mark (1952-1961) became Professor of English at Birmingham University and his youngest brother Michael (1957-1967) joined the Royal Covent Garden Orchestra as a cellist. With the sun shining, Peter enjoyed a picnic overlooking the cricket pavilion and described how his grandchildren had never visited Culford before; they were amazed by where their grandfather had lived.

Peter Marsden-Allan (1956-1965) recently retired after more than 50 years in youth and community work, child protection and family psychotherapy. He, together with Graham Hilder (1955-1965), gained a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award through involvement with the School’s Scout Troop.

John (1957-1962) and Jan Delf (Standing), Andy Johnson-Laird (1955-1961), Kay Kitagawa, August 14 2016.

John Delf (1957-1962) several years ago, shortly after purchasing a second home in Oregon, learned that Andy Johnson-Laird (1955-1961) also lives in Portland, Oregon.

They met and revived memories, including those of former staff members, Charles Frewer and Fred Watson. Andy and his wife, Kay, are the founders of Johnson-Laird Inc., specialist forensic software analysts. John and his wife, Jan, have retired to the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia, but like to spend the summer in Oregon and winter on their sailing boat in the Bahamas.

Martin Chilvers (1965-1973) celebrates 40 years teaching English, History, Politics and Games, among other subjects, in selective and non-selective, single sex and co-ed schools, including four years in the Junior Department, as it then was, at Culford. Outside the classroom, he remains actively involved as a hockey umpire, is Vice Chair of Downham Market Heritage Society, President-Elect of the town’s Rotary Club and belongs to the town’s Methodist Church.

Bury and West Suffolk Tennis Tournament held their 90th Tournament at Culford School at the beginning of August 2017 and celebrated the Anniversary with a drinks party for 80 people, including volunteers who have been involved over the years, past players, sponsors, representatives from the LTA and Borough Council, as well as Jo and Julian Johnson-Munday. Susan Glasswell (1959-1970), who is the Chairman and Organiser, received an Award from the LTA for Regional Winner of 2016 Aegon British Tennis Awards and Highly Commended National Tournament for the Year.

John Courtney (1972-1975).

John Courtney (1972-1975) recently made the Entrepreneurs Top 100 List compiled by City A.M. It is headed by Richard Branson; with John at no.30. Following the sale of his digital marketing business, he has become a Mentor for scale-up businesses with Microsoft Ventures Accelerator and HRH Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace. He lives in Bristol with his wife, Kath, and sons, James (23) and Chris (21), who are at University in Bath and Cardiff.

L-R: Graham Coult, Susan Glasswell (1959-1970) and Mayor of St Edmundsbury, Terry Clements.

Colin Archer (1961-1970) recently retired as Secretary-General of the International Peace Bureau, a Geneva-based organisation with a distinguished history (founded 1891, Nobel Peace Prize 1910). Over the last 26 years he has engaged in a wide range of campaigns and was awarded the annual Sean MacBride Peace Prize in 2016. He recalls his first charity fundraising effort, in 1969, when a sponsored run around Culford Park raised £1,000 for the charity Shelter.

Colin Archer (1961-1970).

Sarah Matthias (1970-1976).

Sarah Matthias (1970-1976) was born in Manchester and grew up in the north of England. After university she worked for the BBC in London as a trainee producer. She left to qualify as a barrister and after her children were born she became a university lecturer in her specialist subject, Land Law and Trusts. On the birth of her fourth child, Sarah decided that writing novels might fit in better with family life. She has written three medieval mystery stories for Catnip Publishing: The Riddle of the Poisoned Monk, Tom Fletcher and the Angel of Death and Tom Fletcher and the Three Wise Men. Sarah’s new book A Berlin Love Song was published in April by Troika books.

Set against the backdrop of the Second World War, it is a love story of passion, unexpected friendship, despair, loss and hope. If you would like to know more about Sarah’s inspiration for A Berlin Love Song please visit her website: http://www.sarahmatthias.co.uk/

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Tim Mares (1969-1977) receiving the Insitute of Public Administration Australia Fellowship award.

Tim Mares (1969-1977) was a recipient of an Institute of Public Administration Australia Fellowship for his work as Director of Strategic Economics at the South Australian Government’s Department of State Development.

Nigel Birrell (1969-1978) runs a small specialist company, Nigel Birrell Fleet Management, founded in 1987, the year his son, Charlie (1995-2005) was born and two years after the birth of his daughter, Samantha (1996-2003). His wife, Sue née Sheppard (1965-1974) also works in the company. Nigel maintains connections with Culford, including through his role as Commercial Chairman for Bury Rugby Club. He recalls participating in a Culford production of Handel’s Messiah directed by Geoff Cousins (Staff: 1965-1972) which was recorded.

Alas, his record was destroyed in a flood and he wonders whether any copies still exist of this choral performance in St Edmundsbury Cathedral? Do let us know!

Charles Warren (1968-1979) looks back over 36 years in full-time journalism. He was first taken on as trainee by the East Anglian Daily Times before Charles Warren moving to (1968-1979).

London to work on business magazines, as a sub-editor, and then as a journalist for The Independent, Today, the Daily Express, and, for the last 20 years, the Daily Mail. He now continues as freelance for the Mail, but is hoping to branch into other forms of writing such as features, fiction and business writing. He has already had a number of short stories published in print and online. Charles married in 1993 to Louise, whom he met while travelling in Australia, and they have lived in Surrey for the past 20 years. They have two children who are both at university.

Philip Wong (1970-1979) took a degree in Graphic Design at the Norwich School of Art and subsequently a Masters at the Royal College of Art. He set up Carter Wong Philip Wong Design in 1984 (1970-1979). with fellow Norwich student, Philip Carter. Over the years they created some well-known work, including the Formula 1 logo and Unilever’s Ice Cream logo (Walls in the UK). He retired last year to spend more time with his partner, Janet.

Violinist Simon Smith (1978-1983) has recently released two exceptionally reviewed recordings with Resonus Classics. He has performed in Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore and China, while continuing to teach and give master-classes worldwide.

Nigel Birrell (1969-1978).

Simon Smith (1978-1983).

Robert (Bill) Baker (1971-1981) with Prince Harry at the Suffolk Show in 2014.

Robert (Bill) Baker (1971-1981) attended Writtle Agricultural College, travelled extensively, returned to the family farm at Elmswell, married Kate and they have five children. During his three-year term as Honorary Show Director, he welcomed HRH Prince Harry to the Suffolk Show in 2014.

He has retired from playing rugby, but still enjoys shooting, fishing and skiing.

Heather Sharkey (1985-1986).

Heather Sharkey (1985-1986), an English-Speaking Union Scholar, is now a professor at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where she teaches Middle Eastern and Islamic history. Her newest book, A History of Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the Middle East, was published by Cambridge University Press in April 2017. She lives in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, with her husband and their two children, aged 15 and 13.

Ruth Taylor née Broadbridge (1981-1989) is Chair of Governors at Trent Church of England Primary School in Cockfosters. Their Ofsted Inspection in November 2016 was Outstanding in all areas, and their SIAMS inspection (which examines the distinctive Christian nature of the school) a week later was also declared Outstanding.

Newsbites

Pete Langman (1984-1984) and Nick Kirby (1983-1986).

Nick Kirby (1983-1986) is committed to fundraising particularly through marathon running. In July he ran the 100km ‘Race to the Stones’ from Oxfordshire to Wiltshire in aid of raising some much needed funds for the Cure Parkinson’s Trust. His friend and old Culfordian Peter Langman (1984-1984) was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s in 2008. Parkinson’s is currently an incurable disease but with research and investment the range of therapies are developing in order to make Parkinson’s easier to live with.

Helen Onions née Bowles (1983-1988) and her husband recently opened Chalet Very Joly for holiday rentals. It is in the snow-sure, micro-climate region of Mont Blanc, in the French Alps.

The couple met 20 years ago while working in Courchevel, have owned three properties to run as holiday accommodation, and now live in Arosa, Swiss Alps with their 12- and 13-year-old children.

An illustration by Anna MacDonald (1997-1998).

Ross Riddleston (1989-1996) with wife Zoe, and daughters India and Myla.

Chalet Very Joly.

Theo Rycroft (1984-1993) returned to the UK in 2014 from working for the UK Mission to the UN in Geneva, moved to Oxfordshire and took up the appointment as the Head of International and EU Law at the Attorney General’s Office. From the end of 2015 until January 2017 he was Legal Adviser to the Prime Minister in 10 Downing St. He is now back in the FCO. He worked with OC Sir Mark Lowcock (1972-1981) as part of his previous role. In 2016, his second daughter, Lydia, was born to join Pandora (6) and Nelson (9).

and became a biomedical scientist with appointments at Poole General Hospital and Addenbrooke’s, Cambridge. She completed an MSc in 2007, specialising in haematology, but has since changed direction and is now qualified to teach Science.

She married Daniel in 2001 and they have a daughter and two sons.

Morwenna returned to Culford in 2016 to give a talk as part of the West Suffolk Women’s Institute Science Day at Culford.

Ross Riddleston (1989-1996) took time out with his wife, Zoe, and daughter, India, to visit Australia where his daughter Myla was born on 16 September, 2016. Since then he has set up operations for the specialist head-hunters, Anson McCade Ltd in Sydney. As director of the Asia/Pacific region he will be building a team in other countries, complementing his work in London, Belfast and Paris.

Anna MacDonald (1997-1998) graduated from Dartmouth College and the Maryland Institute College of Art, practised sculpture in Berlin on a Fulbright Scholarship and worked with her husband, Rich, to document an archaeological dig in Albania. She taught 3-D Design at Seattle Pacific University, now teaches at the Stony Brook School in New York and has led art study trips through central Europe.

Recently she became the illustrator for a children’s book, authored by Cara Dixon, The Adventures of Big Tree; Little Leaf Let’s Go. Proceeds from this emerging three-book series help provide counselling for families affected by gun violence.

Her children are Hugo (8) and Sylas (5).

Francis Young (1992-1999) is married to Rachel, a vicar in the Church of England, and they live in Peterborough. Their first child, Abigail Sophia Anastasia, was

Morwenna Degnan (1992-1996).

Theo Rycroft (1984-1993) with wife Emily, and daughters Pandora and Lydia.

Morwenna Degnan (1992-1996) had an interest in medicine from schooldays, studied Biomedical Science at the University of Hull,

Frances Young (1992-1999).

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Newsbites born in March 2016. Francis was appointed Volumes Editor of the Catholic Record Society in 2015 and his recent books include a History of Roman Catholicism in East Anglia, The Gages of Hengrave and Suffolk Catholicism (2015), Rookwood Family Papers (2016), A History of Exorcism in Catholic Christianity (2016) and The Abbey of Bury St Edmunds: History, Legacy and Discovery (2016).

industry for three years, he found himself following a different career path, within the British Army. He is currently serving in the Royal Engineers as a Design Draughtsman and lives in Ipswich.

James Sawyer (2001-2002) on Come Dine With Me.

Photo credit: Nico Morgan.

James Sawyer (2001-2002) is an estate agent with Whatley Lane’s Bury St Edmunds office. He took time off from selling dream homes to prepare a dream dinner for Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me and also found time to run the London Marathon. His university studies included a History of Art degree at UEA and an MSc in International Real Estate at the University of Singapore. He has worked as an analyst for an Islamic finance investment bank and in sales for Rolls Royce and Jaguar, as well as for Moet & Chandon in France.

Nick Higgs (1997-2004) pictured right.

Olivia Russell (2003-2005) discovered ‘speed flat-mating’ when looking for accommodation in London. Some months later, after settling into her new job at Monsoon Accessorize, she was asked advice about ‘speed flat-mating’ by a new colleague. They then discovered some links – coming from the same area of Suffolk, having grandmothers in the same residential home and … that Olivia’s new colleague Emily Miles (1999-2006), five years her senior, was a former pupil at Culford.

Nick Higgs (1997-2004) studied Marine Biology at Southampton University followed by a PhD at Leeds and the Natural History Museum and is now Deputy Director of the Marine Institute at Plymouth University. He appeared in the ITV documentary, Britain’s Sharks, is married to Emma and they have two young children.

Giles Dixon (1999-2007) graduated from Durham University in 2010 and then worked in London as a management consultant in the financial services industry. He has moved to Toronto to undertake a two-year secondment with Grant Thornton to develop their advisory business.

Simon Grieve (1995-2000) at the Badminton Horse Trials riding Cornacrew.

Simon Grieve (1995-2000) took a BSc degree in Business before focusing on his true love, horses.

He now has a business with around 18 horses in training and competes across Europe, in places including Badminton, Burghley and Pau in the Pyrenees. He also writes for Horse and Hound.

Olivia Russell (2003-2005) and Emily Miles (1999-2006).

Mark Beauchamp (1999-2003) became a heating engineer after attending Lincoln College. After seven years in this business, as well as dabbling in the modelling June Peck (1996-2001) with husband Brian.

Former Culford librarian June Peck (1996-2001) returned this summer after a round the world trip with husband, Brian. They had a stimulating time visiting New York, Los Angeles, Fiji, Brisbane, Tasmania, Singapore and Dubai. Since coming home they have settled back into routines until their next excursion.

Fiona (2002-2007) and Stuart Place (2006-2011) at Stuart’s graduation.

Mark Beauchamp (1999-2003).

Since leaving Culford, siblings Fiona (2002-2007) and Stuart Place (2006-2011) both decided to go down a career path in medicine.

Fiona has recently qualified as a GP whilst Stuart has just passed his finals meaning that they are now both known as Dr Place!

Newsbites Wendy Huynh (2006-2007) graduated in Fashion Communication with Promotion from Central Saint Martin’s in July 2016. She is now working as a freelance photographer between Paris and London. She recently launched a small print magazine www.arcadesmagazine.com and the second issue focuses on London, its suburbs and countryside.

Lauren Postlethwaite (2002-2010).

Lauren Postlethwaite (2002-2010) studied French and Mandarin at Manchester University; followed her pursuit of blogging; became director of her own company blog brand, Freya Farrington; has 25,000 followers; and works with public relations teams for such companies as Aintree Racecourse, Unilever and Chanel.

Lauren met OC friends in Manchester this June, pictured below. From left to right: Leigh Taylor née Mitchell (2003-2010), Lauren, Marcella Parry née McPherson (2003-2010), with son Henry who was born on 6 October 2016, and Jenny Abbott (2000-2010).

L-R: Leigh Mitchell (2003-2010), Lauren Postlethwaite (2002-2010), Marcella Parry (2003-2010), with son Henry and Jenny Abbott (2000-2010).

Ben Shepperson’s (2005-2010) cricketing promise while at school truly came to fruition when he scored his maiden century for Suffolk this summer. His parents were watching his splendid 129 from the boundary. Ben made his debut for Suffolk in 2012, and now aims to establish his place in the team.

an exhibition organised by current parent, Anthony Yannaghas, at Great Thurlow entitled Excellence of Youth, together with that of fellow OC Katie Hargreaves (2006-2014) and current pupil Ophelia Yannaghas, see also page 28.

Oliver Ferrari (2001-2009) courtesy of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association.

Oliver Ferrari (2001-2009) was named by The British Insurance Brokers’ Association as its national Young Broker of the Year for 2017.

The award was presented at the BIBA Conference by Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and the Chairman, Lord Hunt of Wirral, said: “Oliver is a truly impressive candidate and a deserving winner of the Young Broker award… a positive start to a bright future.”

Oliver, who works at Marsh, said, “I truly feel like I owe so much to my time at Culford and just wanted to say thank you to everyone”.

Jessica Zhong (2009-2011).

Jessica Zhong (2009-2011) felt that she grew in confidence during her two years in the Sixth Form, particularly when her A-Level grades took her to Royal Holloway College to read Economics. After achieving a first-class degree she gained a postgraduate place to study Management at the London School of Economics. Jessica has embarked on a career in international business.

Clementina Galli Zugaro (2008-2010) with her father.

Clementina Galli-Zugaro (2008-2010) has written a book, in collaboration with her father, on the challenges faced by a contemporary leader.

Clementina’s observations derive from her Psychology and Organisational Psychology studies (which were first inspired by Dr Butler at Culford). In the book she reflects on discussions that she has had with her peers and draws conclusions from her personal work experiences. Besides exploring topics such as motivation, the power of information and the role purpose of work in the eyes of a millennial job-entrant, she also engages in a “reverse mentoring” with the co-author, to provide a model for inter-generational exchange.

Rosie Childs (2004-2011) went from a foundation course at the Colchester Institute to study Fine Art at Loughborough University and developed her own style of abstract photography which she calls ‘time-stacking’. This involves layering and merging images of different landscapes. Her work featured in

The Culford Oxbridge Forum for Sixth Formers in March included presentations by Tom Hargreaves (2003-2011), Jessica Ferrari-Wells (née Ferrari) (2003-2011) and Eloy Torres Ramon (2013-2015).

Their insights helped demystify the Oxbridge admission and interview procedures. Tom is now a doctor at the West Suffolk Hospital; Jess is a lawyer at international law firm, Allen & Overy LLP; and Eloy is reading Engineering at Oxford. Recent leaver Max McCrea (2006-2017) is the latest Culfordian to secure a place at Oxford; Max will read Chemistry at St Anne’s College starting this academic year.

Tom Hargreaves, Jessica Ferrari-Wells (née Ferrari) and Eloy Torres Ramon.

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14 Newsbites

John Motson (1956-1961) and Freddy Preston (2007-2012).

Kate Balding (2006-2014), a third-year student at University College London, has studied ‘The History and Philosophy of Science’ and is pursuing her ambition to work in documentary/natural history film making. She recently completed an internship, creating three short science communication videos for a charity called Evidence Based Medicine Plus (EBM+). When looking for ideas on modern conservation trends in Britain, she wrote to Sir David Attenborough who agreed to be interviewed by her at his Richmond home. She felt that her first assignment of this kind was both remarkable and successful.

Freddy Preston (2007-2012) was working at the Cheltenham Gold Cup when he spied fellow OC and sports commentator John Motson (1956-1961). ‘Motty’ was very pleased to be hailed and they had a good chat. John has since announced that he will be calling time on his impressive 50 year career with the BBC after the conclusion of the current football season.

Matt St John (2005-2012) had lunch with Stephen Shen (1976-1981), in Chinatown. They discussed their business careers, spoke about property and swapped stories about their times at Culford. Matt is about to start work with a property developer as a Graduate Land Buyer.

Bradley Timmins (2004-2013).

Bradley Timmins (2004-2013) has gained one of the six West Atlantic Scholarships, from 2,500 applicants, to acquire a fully-funded pilot scholarship to learn to fly BAE ATP aircraft, transporting cargo such as Royal Mail.

Kieran D’Lima (2008-2016).

Sir David Attenborough and Kate Balding (2006-2014).

Kieran D’Lima (2008-2016) has successfully completed Initial Officer Training at RAF College Cranwell and has graduated as a Flying Officer.

He looks forward to completing his pilot training and earning his ‘wings’.

Anastasiya Chabanova (2009-2013).

Anastasiya Chabanova (2009-2013) originates from Ukraine, grew up in Crimea, and joined the International School at Rossall before coming to Culford. Higher education in London led to a BA in Filmmaking and to a legal qualification in Kiev in order to become a media lawyer for film and television productions. Other projects have involved making an extensive range of short films in Ukraine, Russia and the USA. She is now at the Westminster Business School and looking forward to pursuing a career in advertising.

Tom Fisher (2013-2015), Henry Patten (2012-2015) and Toby Cutting (2009-2015).

Henry Patten (2012-2015) is now at UNC Asheville, North Carolina and nationally ranked in US men’s tennis, going undefeated in 19 matches throughout the regular season. Henry is pictured above with fellow OCs Tom Fisher and Toby Cutting on a recent return visit to Culford from the USA, where they are all tennis scholars at different American universities.

Newsbites Phoebe Howe (2011-2016) has enjoyed many opportunities, including filming with More than Media at the World Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi. She looks forward to studying film-production at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Ross McKenzie (2005-2015).

Ross McKenzie (2005-2015). After leaving school, Ross went to work for a film production company based in the Cotswolds. His work included: creating school promotional videos and international documentaries, as well as business development with international stakeholders. Currently studying for a qualification with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ross recently founded his own digital marketing business, developing client relationships around the globe.

Sebastian Woods (2010-2016) has started on the first phase of a sporting career, as an apprentice jockey with trainer Richard Fahey in Malton, North Yorkshire. Sebastian has now ridden six winners in total at racecourses including Doncaster, York, Brighton, Pontefract and Beverley.

Fred Mann (2012-2017).

Phoebe Howe (2011-2016).

Sebastian Woods (2010-2016).

Recent leaver Fred Mann (2012-2017) was selected to join the charity Bhubesi Pride Foundation as a Pride Coach and fundraised £2,800 in one year to enable him to go.

Bhubesi Pride assembles teams of committed volunteers to carry out annual rugby coaching expeditions, using the game as a tool for education and development in Africa. Fred flew to Botswana where he coached in many townships and refereed in the charity’s rugby tournaments. He has also been white water rafting, camped out under African skies and has seen much African wildlife whilst travelling through Botswana and Zambia.

Matt Buckingham (2007-2011) popped in to see us and Sgt Roach on his return from Brunei where he has been a Company Medic attached to Royal Gurkha Rifles for three years. His next tour starts in December. Matt hopes to help the Culford CCF with some training weekends and share his experience with the recruits.

Lizzie Burge (2013-2015), Tom Guntrip (2005-2016), Samantha Salisbury, Jessica Glover and Catherine Turner.

Lizzie Burge (2013-2015) joined the Foundation team for the third year to help out over the summer months. She assisted with the organisation of both the Opera and Roots in the Park events as well as helping with this magazine, gaining plenty of communications, event management and database experience while here. Lizzie has now returned to the University of Sussex where she is reading English and Art History. Tom Guntrip (2005-2016) also joined the Foundation team this summer to work on our events and to help keep our OC contacts up to date. Foundation team members Jessica Glover and Catherine Turner recently moved on to pastures new and we wish them well with their careers. Special thanks go to Jessica for her editorial work on this magazine before she departed.

Matt Buckingham (2007-2011).

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16 Gap Years

Gap Years with a Difference Sophie Jamil (2009-2016) “After leaving Culford, I decided to take a year out before going to University by volunteering as a primary school teacher in Honduras with the charity Project Trust.

Signing up for a whole year away seemed like a really daunting thing at first, but now, looking back, the time just flew by!

Sophie Jamil.

Honduras is the second poorest country in Latin America and faces a lot of issues including social inequality. Compared to the UK, it has been a real eye-opener.

I worked in a bilingual school in a small city called Tela which is on the Caribbean coastline of Honduras.

I lived opposite the school and was just 10 minutes away from a beautiful beach, something that I miss incredibly! I was the Form Tutor for Fourth graders aged 8 to 10 and taught them every subject in English.

Although challenging at times, I grew very close to my students and enjoyed watching them develop academically and putting on small plays and concerts with them.

I discovered that I absolutely love Latin American culture, including loud music always playing in the streets and the wonderful food.

I was able to dramatically improve my conversational Spanish as well as learning how to be more independent.

Eve Holder and Sophie Jamil.

In addition to teaching, I explored other cities and beautiful mountain towns and when we finished teaching in mid-June we also had the chance to travel around Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua and Costa Rica for just over six weeks.

I fully recommend signing up with Project Trust to people who are thinking of having a year out as, although it does sound clichéd, I have had the most life changing, fun experience and am truly grateful for things I didn’t even recognise as luxuries before.”

Eve Holder (2011-2016) “I signed up for a gap year with Project Trust like Sophie Jamil and, after fundraising during our Upper Sixth year, expected to travel to a project in the Dominican Republic.

However, unfortunately the school I was going to was deemed unfit due to hurricane proofing ordered by their government. So, after two months there I was reassigned to Honduras, just down the road from Sophie!

I taught English lessons to children aged from 6 to 7 and 10 to 12 years in a quiet little school in San Juan Pueblo, a rural town with very basic living conditions. Not only have I been able to discover my love for working with children, but I have also been able to learn Spanish, make amazing friends and become a pro at making tasty Honduras baleadas!

I also had the opportunity to do some wonderful travelling around Honduras; visiting Guatamala, Belize and Punta Sal. This something I never thought I would have the chance or courage to do at the age of 18.

There have also been challenges along the way; I had to learn to live in very basic conditions on a very small salary; it was hard to be away from my family for 12 months; and the language barrier was also difficult at first. Nevertheless, I have developed amazing relationships with my students and made some lifelong friends and memories, all because Culford School allowed an organisation called Project Trust to make a presentation to Sixth Formers.”

Eve Holder.

Gap Years/Remember When?

Austin Hall (2005-2015) “After leaving Culford in the summer of 2015 I moved back home to start my flying training at RAF Halton to become a private pilot, the first stage in fulfilling my dream to becoming a commercial pilot. I passed in October after taking a skills test and a solo cross-country flight which included flying to Gloucester, Leicester and back to Halton.

qualified to represent Great Britain Age Group Team at the European Championships next year.

I am also part of the East Midlands Universities Air Squadron enabling me to fly and learn low level,

formation and aerobatic flying all for free! As well as this I take part in adventure training such as climbing in Malta and skiing.

I look forward now to representing Old Culfordians in Hockey and Cricket in the future.”

In the summer of 2016 I went travelling for a month to Australia with stopovers in Singapore and Dubai for a few days at a time. This was an incredible experience and I can’t wait to go back in the future and maybe even have a flying career over there.

September 2016 soon came around and I turned my attention on University where I was accepted to study Air Transport Management at Loughborough. Along with studying for my degree, I am a member of the triathlon team and recently

Austin Hall.

Remember When?

David Hubery (1958-1965) wrote to us after the last FOCu S magazine was published, filling us in on some missing names for a picture we published of the Scouts at Culford and enclosing some fabulous archive photographs, including the one below of a school production of The Mikado from 1965.

Following his recent visit to Culford, Peter Foulsham (1937-1944) recently sent in several images, including this photograph of the East Anglian School for Girls’ Prefects c1943.

EASG Prefects c1943; Peter’s sister Joan (1939-1943) is seated on far right of front row.

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18

We Celebrate

We Celebrate Marriages

We are pleased to announce the following engagements, weddings, anniversaries and new babies. Please do get in touch to include your announcement in the next issue of FOCu S by emailing foundation@culford.co.uk

Paul Horner (1970-1977) married Viktoria at St Mary’s Church, Culford on 5 August 2017. Their reception was held in Culford Hall and among the guests were fellow Culfordians John Dunning (1967-1977), Douglas Rood (1970-1977), David Kell (1970-1977), Oliver Hall (1970-1977) and Roderick Johnstone (1967-1977).

After taking their A Levels in June 1977, the OCs remain close friends 40 years later.

Emily Herbert (1999-2004) and Lieutenant Jack Herbert.

Old Culfordian Emily Knowles (1999-2004) married Lieutenant Jack Herbert, in April 2017 at the Royal Navy base, HMS Drake in Plymouth.

David Miller (1996-2001) and Victoria.

Lucy Seletto (1989-1997) and husband Nick.

Lucy Seletto née Heseltine (1989-1997) married her fiancé Nick on 20 August 2016 at St Andrew’s Church in Belchamp St Paul. Old Culfordian Scarlet Simmons (2011-2016) sang Schubert’s Ave Maria during the signing of the register. The reception was held in a marquee at Lucy’s parents’ home in Pentlow. Lucy said: “Nick and I had a wonderful day with all our friends and family, it really was the best day ever!”

David Miller (1996-2001) married his partner Victoria at St Mary’s Church in Buxhall, Suffolk before their reception at Copinger Hall next to the church.

OC guests included the best man and groom’s brother, Benjamin Miller (1993-2000), usher Sam Cobbold (2002-2003) and the groom’s sisters Helen (1985-1992) and Suzanne (1985-1994). Victoria’s Grandfather Thomas Gooding (1937-1946), a fellow Old Culfordian, was also present. David and Victoria live in Dubai and it seems the weather followed them as it was a scorching 28˚C on their wedding day!

Fenella Blyth née Morton (2002-2004) married James Blyth, an Old Framlinghamian, on Saturday 25 June 2016.

She married within thirteen weeks of her sister Olivia Morton (2003-2005) who wed OC Charles O’Reilly (1999-2002) after meeting over a decade earlier through mutual friends from Culford. Fenella and Olivia were bridesmaids for each other, along with their sister Karina.

The sisters married in traditional style at the beautiful church of St Mary’s in Badley, followed by a marquee reception at the nearby family home. All three sisters are now based in Suffolk and work in the family businesses, MorVend Vending Services and MorBeans Coffee Company.

Fenella and Olivia also work within their husbands’ companies: Friday Street & Goslings farm shops, Ore Valley Holiday Cottages and Burnt Mill Brewery.

Fenella Morton (2002-2004) and James Blyth.

Paul Horner (1970-1977) with John Dunning (1967-1977), Douglas Rood (1970-1977), David Kell (1970-1977), Oliver Hall (1970-1977) and Roderick Johnstone (1967-1977).

Olivia Morton (2003-2005) and Charles O’Reilly (1999-2002).

Stephanie Mills (1997-2004) and Ben Mills.

John Crooks (1990-1995) married Clare Lovegrove on 25 September at St Peter’s Church in Cockfield. Many OCs were present and an FDC tie was even spotted among the guests!

Stephanie Mills née Crack (1997-2004) married Ben Mills on 4 June 2016.

Her sister Michaela and Annalise Smith née Pask (1999-2004) were bridesmaids and fellow OCs Melissa McNeil (1993-2004), Lucy Berwick (1997-2004), Edward Dakin (19902004), Henry Morton (1996-2004) and Sarah Fance (1999-2007) also attended.

John Crooks (1990-1995) and Clare Lovegrove.

We Celebrate

L-R: Catherine-Ellen Shepperson, Molly McPherson, Rebecca Jones, Bridget Black, Lara Allen, Becky Kelly, Jessica Ferrari-Wells, Lizzie Ellis, Lizzie Sims and Sara Ferguson.

Photo credit: Justine Ferrari Photography.

Aaron Fletcher (1996-2006) and Kate Eastell (2001-2006) first met in Upper 4 in the Senior School. They had started seeing each other by the time they were in Sixth Form and have been together ever since. They were married on 8 April 2017 at St Mary’s Church, Culford by the Reverend Silvia Bareham, followed by a reception at Haughley Park Barn.

The wedding party included best man Jon Adams (1996-2006), usher James Lennard (1996-2009) and Oliver Gibbs (1996-2004), all of whom Aaron had been friends with since Culford Prep.

Aaron Fletcher (1996-2006) and Kate Eastell (2001-2006) courtesy of Justine Ferrari.

Becky Kelly née Mortlock (1997-2006) married David Kelly at St Mary’s Church, Culford on 17 December 2016. Following the ceremony, champagne and canapés were enjoyed in the Red Room and the reception took place in a stunning marquee within Centenary Hall. Becky’s bridesmaids included Catherine-Ellen Shepperson (2002-2006), Molly McPherson (2001-2006), Jessica Ferrari-Wells née Ferrari (2000-2006) and Lara Allen née Bone (1995-2006). The wedding was also attended by Rebecca Jones (1999-2006), Bridget Black (1999-2006), Lizzie Ellis (2000-2006), Lizzie Sims (1996-2004), and Sara Ferguson (2001-2006).

Radek Lusticky (2008-2012) married Anicka Zdrahalovas on 1 September 2017. Their wedding took place in a South Moravian Winery in the Czech Republic. Radek visited Culford last May to show Anicka what he described as a very important part of his past.

Jessica Ferrari (2000-2006) and Matthew Wells married last year on a beautiful summer’s day, both becoming Ferrari-Wells. Bringing a little piece of Italy to Suffolk, a place very close to their hearts, their day was complete with a vintage Fiat 500, olive trees aplenty, limoncello and tiramisu! Brothers Oliver (2001-2009) and Jack (2000-2014) were ushers.

Wedding Anniversaries Pat Legerton (EASG 1951-1959) celebrated her Golden Wedding anniversary with husband Sam in July 2017.

They have two married daughters and five grandchildren.

Brother Gerald is married to Diana (née Crisp) who was also a pupil at EASG (1955-1964). Gerald married in the same church as his sister in Thetford, June 1968.

Pat is still in touch with fellow EASG pupils Marion Plume (1952-1959), Sylvia Hogsbjerg (1960-1966), Pam Hitchcock (1954-1959), Diana Edwards (1953-1959), and Ann Underwood (1953-1959). They meet up twice a year and are all grandmothers now!

Jessica and Matthew Ferrari-Wells.

Photo credit: Anna Rosell.

Births

Paul Swanson (1996-2003) with wife, Daniella and children, Freddie and Elora.

Pat (EASG 1951-1959) and Sam Legerton with one of their granddaughters.

Elora Robyn Forest Swanson was born on 6 July 2016 and is a welcome addition to Paul Swanson (1996-2003) and his family. Elder son Freddie is as pleased as punch with his little sister and can often be heard saying she is his “best friend”.

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Lest We Forget…

20 War Years

This feature marks the centenary of the First World War and seeks to recognise all those Culfordians and others connected with the School and the estate during the two great wars.

Contributed by Ellissa Chilley.

We have drawn on photographs and first-hand accounts from past pupils and staff, as well as accounts published in Culford School: The First Hundred Years (1881-1981), written in the 1980s by former History teacher Fred Watson (1936-1976) who died in 1991.

WORLD WAR ONE With the commencement of the First World War, East Anglian School Headmaster, Samuel Leigh, had difficulties not just with short staffing, but threats of danger from the sky. On April 30, 1915 the School,

then located in Bury St Edmunds, was nearly hit by bombs from a Zeppelin. An account was published in the school magazine, The East Anglian Record, later that year, which explains the commotion:

The sound of falling bombs roused the whole school into sudden wakefulness and within a minute or two everyone was downstairs. Under the guidance of Masters and prefects all were speedily ensconced in places of comparative safety under the hedges bordering the playfield whence they had an admirable view of the Zeppelin as it crossed over the railway valley after its attempts on the military barracks. […]

One bomb undoubtedly intended for the school, fell in the Avenue about 80 yards distance, where it did no other damage than uproot a tree and shatter the windows of the nearest houses. The awful possibilities were, however, shown by the huge crater caused by the explosion. Before it was trodden in this was 7 feet deep and 20 feet in diameter. It is a matter for devout thankfulness that although 50 bombs were dropped upon the town not a single man, woman or child were injured.

Air raids occurred most frequently at night, and as such it was necessary for the EAS boys to follow a strict bedtime routine. One Old Boy recalls: “We had to make up our clothes in bundles on going to bed so that in the event of a warning during the night we could pick them up quickly and take them downstairs where we all assembled in a corridor which was considered to be the safest part of the building. On one occasion a boy in the Long Dormitory slept through the proceedings and was discovered in bed when all was over.”

The First Tanks at Culford Some of the earliest forms of military tanks were tested in August 1916 on the sandy soils of the Culford and Elveden estates. The tanks were brought by rail to Bury St Edmunds and then along a specially constructed spur line to Elveden. From there they were driven to the testing grounds through the village streets at 3am, much to the alarm of residents.

At one point there were some 2,000 troops stationed in the area expressly for the task of digging out two rings of defensive earthworks.

An inner and outer ring of troops stood guard night and day at the trenches surrounding this very sensitive testing area.

A poem about doodlebugs written on the cellar walls.

It is also understood that King George V even came to see the manoeuvres in action within the secure area, but although testing reportedly went well, the local soils proved vastly different to the soggy, airless clay of French battlefields. As a result, many of these early tanks did not perform as well as hoped, and were frequently bogged down and entirely unable to move in the quagmire they faced.

War Years WORLD WAR TWO

Junker Plane Crash which was shot down on the site of Culford – Thursday 19 September 1940.

During the Second World War, by which time the East Anglian School for Boys had moved to Culford, the staff worked hard to maintain the usual structure of school life, but accommodating air raid plans had a big impact on the daily routines. The first challenge was finding designated safe places at a moment’s notice. At night, the dining hall at Cadogan House was a refuge for the boys who slept there, and Culford Hall had a long range of cellars which were available for all who slept in the main building. Evidence of the boys who sheltered there may be seen to this day by the drawings and poems which remain etched on the walls (see facing page).

During the day, when boys and staff were scattered across the estate, more inventive safe places had to be established. It was believed that several of the great trees in the grounds, with their vast branches, would provide sufficient cover were bombs to drop. Accordingly, a number of ‘suitable’ trees had large numbers painted on their trunks and everyone was allocated a number so that they knew which tree to run for in the event of an

air raid. Some of these numbers remained visible 40 years later.

EAS Girls Evacuated to Culford Another change came when the East Anglian School for Girls was evacuated to Culford, making the school briefly co-educational 30 years before they would make the permanent move. In June 1940, 20 girls and three teachers moved into the Culford Sanatorium so that the girls could complete their School Certificate examinations. While there, they were apparently informed of impending air raids by telephone from the main school. After the alert had reached them, they then had to make their way to the shelter of the cellars in the main Hall. Fred Watson wrote: ‘to ensure that no one was lost en route, a curious mode of procession was devised. A length of stout rope was acquired, and with one Mistress at the head and one at the rear, the girls moved along clinging to the rope. It is not revealed what speed was obtained by this cortege, but no

doubt high morale was maintained, through the laughter caused by this novel method of proceeding.’

When the new term began in September 1940, the rest of the girls were evacuated to Culford and took over Cadogan House, while the young boys who normally boarded there were squeezed into the main school.

It was not until 1972-1974 that the EAS for Girls permanently merged with the boys and moved to Culford.

Junkers 88A1 Crash, 1940 On September 19, 1940, Culford witnessed the crash of a German Junkers 88A1 bomber class plane which was shot down over the school grounds by two Hurricane pilots. The plane crashed on the south side of the lake in Culford Park, and although the Headmaster, Dr Skinner, had ordered that nobody was to inspect the wreckage, the next day there were scores of boys salvaging for scraps. Fred Watson gives a more sensational account of the incident in his book, Culford School: The First Hundred Years:

21

22 War The Campaign Years for Culford As the boys came out of the school to cheer, the pilot of the Hurricane waved to them and did a Victory Roll. The boys, of course, visited the crashed plane for souvenirs, and when, a few days later, the Head Master [Dr Skinner] asked at Assembly for a show of hands of all boys who had pieces of the plane, almost every hand shot up. Legend has it that Dr Skinner then turned to Mr Fretter and said that it seemed they were the only persons without a piece.

Indeed several of these aeroplane pieces have since been donated to the school archive, the most impressive of which includes an oxygen gas bottle, and a length of rope cut from one of the pilot’s parachutes.

They are now on display in the Workman Library.

We Will Remember Them On Armistice Day each year, on 11 November, Culford holds an Act of Remembrance Service. The School’s Combined Cadet Force, current pupils, staff, Old Culfordians, parents, and friends of the school, all assemble on the North Front outside Culford Hall to hear the Headmaster read out the 145 names of all the fallen known to us. Prayers are offered by the Chaplain, before wreaths are laid by the Headmaster, the Head Boy and Head Girl, an OC

representative, and the Head Groundsman, to honour each of the staff, pupils and estate workers who lost their lives.

The Culford War Dead – Can you help us?

With the expert help of several interested OCs, the school began work on a research project to build a detailed biography for each of the 145 names we know. This project

is part of our wider archive plan which seeks to make the history of Culford School and its alumni more accessible by digitalising printed materials and photographs from our archives (see page 25).

We are especially grateful to Tony Pringle (1949-1955) who has invested considerable time and effort in researching Culford’s war dead. He has produced a booklet titled War Memorials of the East Anglian School and Culford School.

However, to move this project forward we really do need more help from any historians or relations, who are knowledgeable about and interested in this period, to help us accurately record the personal histories of the Culford War Dead.

Ultimately, our aim is to add each person’s story to our planned online archive, which is fully searchable, so that we can ensure that the fallen can be remembered in this new virtual space forever. If you are interested in helping us to take this project forward, please do contact Jo or Samantha in the Foundation team.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

Laurence Binyon

Display of items from ‘The War Years’ in the Workman Library including: medals; badges; original photos; a pair of WW2 aviator goggles; a length of rope cut from one of the pilot’s parachutes and an actual piece of the Junker Plane and its seating.

The Campaign for Culford 23

What’s next for The Campaign for Culford ?

Campaign Update To date the Foundation has raised more than £1.2million towards projects within The Campaign for Culford, with some £750,000 going towards Culford’s landmark Library which opened in 2015.

In Phase II we aim to raise funds for four key areas: ■ Redevelopment of the Art facilities pictured here ■ Upgrade the Ashby Dining Room and teaching facilities in Hastings & Skinner ■ Refurbishment of Big Hartley as an Archive and Heritage Lounge ■ Creation of a £2.5million Bursaries Fund

The main art studio scheduled for redevelopment.

A New Art Studio We are now close to reaching our £350,000 target towards the proposed £650,000 redevelopment of the main Art Studio above, with just £30,000 left to raise. This huge space has little changed since the 1950s and now requires structural improvements as well as a new roof. Once complete, it will offer a stunning new studio space, filled with light from a glass frontage with sliding doors to an outside space, echoing the design of the new Library.

How £100 Can Help One of the fundraising initiatives launched to help achieve the balance of funds we need is the chance to buy a Pop Art Portrait of yourself or a family member for

£100. These fun canvases will go on display at different locations around the School and each portrait will be returned to the purchaser at the end of a year.

Please see the back cover for more details; we hope that many OCs, EASGs, former staff and other friends will help us reach our target by buying their own Pop Art Portrait.

A brochure setting out the detail of all the projects within Phase II of The Campaign for Culford is now available. If you would like us to send you a copy, please email us: foundation@culford.co.uk or telephone us on 01284 385310.

24

Acknowledgements and Thanks The Culford Foundation wishes to thank all those individuals, families, Funds and Trusts whose help through donations and other gifts enables the School to thrive. We are, and continue to be, grateful for all the support we receive. We would also like to express our special thanks to anonymous donors, to those who have made pledges for the future through legacies and other means, and to all our supporters who give their time and friendship to Culford.

Our sincere thanks also goes to everyone who made a donation to The Campaign for Culford when purchasing their event tickets. Thank you too to all those who have made valuable contributions to our archive.

Names in italics indicate a legacy or a gift from a donor who has since passed away.

Recent OC and OEA Donors (April 2016 to August 2017) 1940s

1970s

The Dawson family

Mr Ken Green (1938-1945)

Mr Paul Adams (1964-1971)

Mr and Mrs Lawrence Dodd

Mr Anthony Griggs (1942-1947)

Mr Richard Baldry (1967-1977)

Dr Jane French

Mr Michael Platten (1941-1947)

Mr James Bridges (1974-1976)

Mr and Mrs William Goodsall

Mr Irwin Warrell (1942-1947)

Prof Stephen Challacombe (1958-1964)

Mrs Celia Gordon

1950s

Mr John Darby (1967-1976)

The Holzmann family

Mr John Cumming (1945-1952)

Mrs Ann Dunne née Bolton (1960-1972)

Mrs Jo Johnson-Munday

Dr Doug Gunary (1945-1950)

Mrs Jane Franses née Hewetson (1968-1977)

Mr Julian Johnson-Munday

Mrs Melanie Lesser née Veale (1975-1977)

Mr Matthias Kroschel

Mr Guy Hatten (1949-1955) Mr Robert Jacklin (1943-1953) Lt Col John Mitchell (1953-1954) Miss Janet Mole (1944-1956)

Mr Ian Newton (1945-1953) Mr Roger Pearce (1949-1956)

Mr Brian Pettet (1945-1953) Mrs Rosemary Pickworth née Parr (1952-1957) Mrs Judith Sadler née Stokes (1950-1959)

Mr Will Mathieson (1968-1975) Mr Stephen Musgrave (1964-1972) Mr David Thorne (1963-1973) 1980s onwards Mrs Joanne Anderton née Broadbridge (1981-1988) Mr William Hooper (1972-1982)

Mr Peter Scates (1945-1951)

Mr Hyung Jun (2001-2005)

Mrs Daphne Ten Hove née Nokes (1954-1959)

Mr Richard Poole (1974-1981) Mr Ed Prichard (1974-1983)

The Herd family

Mr and Mrs Smart Kemiki Miss Gill McGivern Major and Mrs Ian Mosedale Mr S K Asiama and Mrs Okuneye-Asiama Dr Ishaku and Dr Janet Pam Mrs Lesley Robinson The Rynsard family Mrs Samantha Salisbury Group Captain Jason Sutton and Mrs Nana Sutton Mrs Karine Alexander-Tatossian Mr and Mrs James Tyler

Miss Stella Schuck (2007-2008) 1960s

Mrs Renate Wetherall**

Mr David Sims (1997-2004)

Mr Jonathan Bond (1957-1966)

Mr and Mrs Young

Mr David Tarrant (1987-1996)

The Suffolk Association of Agricultural Value

Mr Robert Cullen (1963-1969) Mr Chris Finch (1958-1964) Mr Robert Green (1960-1965)

Staff, Governors, Parents and Friends*

Mr Peter Marsden-Allen (1956-1965)

Mrs Gintare Blaziene

Mr John Nash (1961-1965)

Mr and Mrs John Bridges

Dr Colin Osborne (1958-1965)

Mr and Mrs N H Cope

Mr Christopher Rowland (1953-1960)

Mr and Mrs Brian Daniels

Special thanks to: Anonymous Family Trust All anonymous donors *Who are not alumni **Legacy

The OCA We thank all former pupils who continue to donate to the School’s Old Culfordian Association fund which sponsors Speech Day School prizes and supports other important projects.

Culford Archives 25

The Culford Archive & Heritage Lounge Preserving Memories Our archives stretch back through generations of pupils from Culford and the East Anglian Schools, encompassing the history of Culford Hall and its parkland estate.

Decades of school photographs, commemorative cups and trophies, old school uniforms, volumes of school magazines and journals – our collection constitutes a unique and fascinating resource.

For many years it has been stored away in our cellars, inaccessible to alumni, pupils and local historians. Now we plan to bring it to life by transforming an historic room in the East Wing of the Hall into the Culford Archive and Heritage Lounge, where prized items will be on display.

We also aim to make some material accessible online as we begin to digitise the entire archive into a searchable resource.

What is the Archive and Heritage Lounge?

We plan to refurbish Big Hartley, once a boys’ dormitory, into an exhibition and display space where our historic materials and digital archive will be available to visitors. It will also host reunions and other events.

The Digital Archive Project We have begun to scan archive materials and will eventually make them available online. This will include old school magazines, photographs and other memorabilia. Eventually, we aim to produce a fully searchable and comprehensive online resource covering the history of the schools and the historic estate. Each page costs £1 to scan. With copies of The Culfordian averaging 50 pages, the cost of digitising all the archives quickly mounts up. Year group photographs require gentle and time-consuming handling and cost, on average, £20 each to scan.

This stunning room needs major structural work before we can begin its transformation and we estimate a total project cost of £350,000 for the building work.

How can I help with this project?

You can help by donating from just £20 to pay for 20 pages of a publication or for a year group photograph. Every gift counts and you can request digitisation of material relevant to you.

Find out more at www.culford.co.uk/archiveproject

Estimated Project Cost: £350,000 to restore and refurbish Big Hartley, including a new roof plus £50,000 to digitise the archives and create the Archive & Heritage Lounge.

26 The Social Campaign Calendarfor Culford

FAQs about the Campaign

Our aim is to meet the needs of future generations of Culfordians, sowing the seeds of their success and sending them into the world with a passion for learning. Planned developments will ensure that the school continues to be one of which our community and alumni can be proud. This page seeks to answer some of the questions you may have.

Why do we need financial help with these projects?

Culford is not a wealthy school and, unlike some of our competitors, does not have a large, historical endowment. Although we are a strong, well-managed institution, our modest operating surplus does not provide us with the level of capital or the funding for bursaries that we need.

Prudent financial management and the support of donors have allowed us to invest more than £10m in the many development projects undertaken during the last decade.

While we are committed to continued investment in our facilities, we seek help from donors to help to bridge the gap and to realise our ambitions for our pupils’ benefit.

performance tennis, golf and swimming programmes, attracting pupils not only from all over the UK but also from across the world.

The best schools do not stand still.

Every gift counts, whatever its value.

Why does Culford need these new facilities?

We have invested significantly over the past ten years and now offer state-of-the-art facilities to match much bigger schools across the country. We now compete on a national basis with our high

Culford employs outstanding people to teach and develop young people. But our teachers need the best resources, and pupils need outstanding facilities in which to learn and grow, to develop existing talents and to discover new ones.

Our ambitions for our pupils have never been higher. Now we need to ensure we have the facilities to match them for generations to come.

How Can I Help?

If you are prepared to help, there are many ways to give – from sponsoring one of our fundraising initiatives, such as the Pop Art Portraits (see page 44) or the Oak Donor Tree, or by making a regular monthly donation, through to large gifts and endowments with appropriate opportunities for recognition. For a copy of our Campaign information pack, please email us: foundation@culford.co.uk or telephone us on 01284 385310.

If you would like to help but cannot donate now, you might consider leaving Culford a legacy in your will.

If you would like more information about this, please do contact Jo or Samantha in the Foundation Office.

Social Calendar 27

Social Calendar Planning a Reunion? planning meetings for the Year of 1968 with a confirmed event date of 22 September 2018 while Year of 1988 will be confirmed soon.

Samantha Salisbury.

We are always delighted to hear from alumni who would like to organise a reunion for their year group. Experience tells us that these events are usually most successful when we have a few OCs or OEAs championing the cause. The only problem is that requests tend to come in like buses, with two or three arriving at once!

We have therefore put together an outline programme, initially focusing on 25, 40 and 50 year reunions which means there will be one each term. We have already had initial

All OCs are very welcome, indeed you are warmly encouraged, to attend the Christmas Drinks at the Farmers Club in Bury St Edmunds, a new event this year, taking place on Friday 15 December from 18.00 and the London Drinks which usually takes place in March/April; next year’s London event details will also be confirmed soon.

We always learn a great deal from your reunions, including the occasional hair-raising tale, but most of all we enjoy seeing you enjoying yourselves and picking up old friendships from where you left off.

However many years you have been apart, you all continue to have one thing in common: Culford!

I look forward to meeting you at an event soon.

Samantha Salisbury, Foundation Manager

Do We Have your Email?

Please be sure to complete and return the enclosed contact form that should arrive with this magazine. Alternatively, please send your email address to: foundation@culford.co.uk or, ideally, login/ register for Culford Online at www.culford.co.uk/ culfordonline. Changes or additions made online are automatically added to our database.

If we have your email address, you can receive our monthly enewsletter, Hartley News, which contains details of all sporting and social events, as well as invitations to other special occasions and news from alumni and the school.

Please do also send us your news!

Richard Baldry, Jane Franses née Hewetson, Simon Ryde, Susan Coverdale, Helen Fail, Robert Bowtell, Andrew Towers, Christopher Aldous, Melanie Lesser née Veale, Alison Poore née Boughton, Anne Hutchinson née Sewell, Hazel Williams née Bourne, Sarah Bush née Butterell and Peter Last. Visit the website for more event photographs.

40 Years Later: Year of 1977 Returns!

On Saturday 23 September, we were delighted to welcome back some 40 OCs and former teachers for a year of 1977 reunion.

The morning began with a tour including a look at the new facilities, visiting the £2.2 million Library, the championship standard Indoor Tennis Centre and new hockey pitch, as well as the art building

which is scheduled for redevelopment in 2018.

Guests then had a chance to catch up on a warm and sunny South Front over a glass of prosecco before lunch. Furthest travelled for the occasion were Robert Bowtell and Tim Cooper who now live in America and Peter Newman who travelled all the way from Australia.

Former Housemaster and Head of English, John Humphries, easily took up the reins as schoolmaster once more and oversaw the Culford quiz after lunch. The afternoon finished with coffee and more catching up in another new Culford facility: the Paddy and Scott’s café, located in the Sports Centre.

Special thanks go to Sarah Bush and Peter Last for helping us to organise the event.

28 Social Calendar Trip Down Memory Lane

Guests enjoyed a welcome drink and a short tour of the school which ended with a special showing of a recently discovered film of Culford School Sports Day from 1947 in the Studio Theatre. A three-course lunch included an address by the Headmaster, Julian Johnson-Munday, who was delighted to welcome back former pupils to what, in his words, remains “your school”.

More than 40 guests came for Culford’s Nostalgia Lunch on Saturday 30 April 2016, some of whom had not been back to the school for 50 years or more and were thrilled to meet up with former classmates.

Special mentions to Ken Green (1938-1945) and Dr Jack Bungard (1935-1939), who were presented with a small gift to recognise their return – more than 70 years since joining. Thanks also go to Judith Scott (1960-1969) and Raymond Maskill (1950-1957), who both gave readings at the service of thanksgiving, and to Rev Dr John Barrett (1951-1961) for saying grace at lunch.

90th Anniversary for FDC The Fifth Dinner Club celebrated their 90th anniversary with a reunion dinner at Bedford Lodge, Newmarket, on Saturday 3 September 2016. More than forty former head boys and prefects attended and many old friends enjoyed the chance to catch up.

One recent leaver commented that it was “great to be able to mix and chat with OCs who left Culford decades ago: we actually had lots in common!”

The dinner was preceded by an optional tour of Culford Hall where FDC members and their partners got to explore old haunts and were introduced to new developments such as the library, which certainly impressed.

Simon Babes (1985-1992) organised this event and thanked the Foundation Office for their help and the FDC members for making the reunion such an enjoyable one.

Rosie Childs at her exhibition in the Foundation Gallery.

OC Exhibition in Foundation Gallery

Fifth Dinner Club, 90th Anniversary Dinner.

In February 2017, Old Culfordian artist Rosie Childs (2004-2011) returned to exhibit some of her outstanding photo-montage artwork of Culford Hall and park, as well as other landscapes and cityscapes, in the Foundation Gallery.

Social Calendar 29 Marking 25 Years Since Leaving On Saturday 6 May, the Foundation held a ‘25 Years On’ reunion for Old Culfordians from the years of 1992, 1993 and 1994. We were delighted to welcome over 100 people, including OCs and their families as well as current and former Culford

teachers who had taught these year groups. Some OCs travelled from as far away as Dubai, Switzerland and France to be part of this event.

After an optional tour, the sun even came out for a few moments as OCs greeted former classmates on

Kathryn Baird and Abigayle Quick.

Katharine Moore (née Long) and Rebecca Richardson (née Boulter) with their children.

the South Front, some of whom had not been seen since their last day at school. After a glass of Prosecco, everyone enjoyed a picnic style buffet on the South Front lawns.

While the children spent the afternoon playing with lawn games,

their parents swapped stories and old photographs. Mrs Brenda Hunt, Head of Art, even presented some of her former students with pictures of their school art projects. Sincere thanks go to Melanie Mills née Child (1985-1992) for her hard work in helping to organise the reunion.

L-R Back row: John Humphries, James Colson, Tony Nunn, Keith Kintrea, Martin Le Grice, Andrew Crawford. Middle row: Chris Martin, Roger Pearson. Front row: Jon Nichols, Grant Bage, Phil Pryke, Roger Arbon, Steve Ward, Tim Jarvis.

Reunion Lunch for Year of 1974 On Saturday 10 June 2017 Culford hosted a small reunion for the year of 1974, organised by Old Culfordian Martin Le Grice (1967-1974). Martin is based in Australia and used his time in England over the summer to get together with some of his contemporaries from Culford. His

son, Jono (2014-2017), a talented photographer, completed his A Levels at Culford this summer.

Martin said, “It was an absolute blast meeting up with so many of our year group for a lunch at Culford.

While most of us had not seen each

other in more than 40 years, the friendships, the laughter, the shared memories were very much alive and well. But it was not just about a nostalgic reminiscence – it was also an opportunity for making new friendships with a truly diverse group of individuals who are all continuing to achieve great things with their lives.

We should definitely do it again!”

30 Social Calendar Next Crop of Old Culfordians

Year of 2016

Welcome to the Years of 2016 and 2017 who have joined the OC community since our last magazine. Both year groups marked the end of their time at Culford with a Leavers Ball at the end of the summer term. We wish them all the best for the future and hope to hear their news and see them at events and reunions over the coming years.

Year of 2017

Charming Teatime Concert Around 80 Old Culfordians and former pupils at the East Anglian School for Girls, parents and teachers were thrilled to watch talented Culford Prep and Senior School pupils play and sing during the annual Tea for Two Concert on Thursday 11 May 2017.

Fourteen Prep and Senior School pupils performed, accompanied by

Mr Peter Burge, Director of Music, and Mr Stephen Clay, Head of Music in the Prep School. There were flautists, singers, pianists and cellists, to name a few. After the excellent music, the whole audience rose for renditions of the East Anglian School for Girls’ school song and Estote Fortes.

Elizabeth Pyke née Hawkins (1950-1956), Raymond Maskell (1950-1957), Carol Maskell (1955-1962).

Act of Remembrance

Remembering the Fallen

Captain Sarah Schofield with Kieran D’Lima (2008-2016).

Peter Scates (1945-1951) with Samantha Salisbury.

On Friday 11 November 2016, more than 700 people including Culford’s Combined Cadet Force, pupils, staff, Old Culfordians, parents and friends assembled on the North front outside Culford Hall to hear the Headmaster read out the 145 names of the former pupils, staff and Estate workers who died in conflict.

A two-minute silence was then observed after a trumpet salute.

Prayers were offered by the chaplain, Rev Crompton-Battersby, and wreaths were laid by the Headmaster, the Head Boy and Head Girl and former Culford pupil, Keith Flack (1943-1951) who remains a neighbour to the school at Home Farm. Head Groundsman Tom Atkinson also laid

Headmaster, James Barley (2008-2017), Natasha Day (2015-2017), Holly Reynolds, Dean Hafferman, Keith Flack (1943-1951) with Tom Atkinson (Head Groundsman).

a wreath in memory of the Estate workers who died as a result of war.

Afterwards, guests made their way to the Garden of Remembrance, bathed

in beautiful autumn sunshine, where guests were able to pay their respects and place their own cross in memory of a loved one.

31

32 Opera Social Calendar and Roots in the Park

Outdoor Events Bring in the Crowds Opera and Roots in the Park 2017 Culford was thrilled to welcome 900 guests through its gates for both Opera and the new Roots in the Park event on 17 and 18 June 2017. On the hottest weekend of the year, everyone enjoyed the brilliant weather, beautiful location and fantastic music over both nights on the South Front Stage.

The fourth Opera in the Park saw London Festival Opera performing Madame Butterfly and other operatic favourites. Culford were again thrilled to welcome back talented former pupils Florence Taylor (1997-2011) and Joseph Dodd (2004-2011), who sang with the company. There was also a charitable purpose to the evening, with generous opera goers donating over £900 to a raffle for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice (EACH) and any profits from the event going to the projects within The Campaign for Culford.

Florence Taylor and Joseph Dodd.

Opera and Roots in the Park 33

Ken Green (1938-1945) with Jo Johnson-Munday at Roots in the Park.

Winter Mountain.

There was a mellow vibe on Sunday afternoon for Culford’s first ever Roots in the Park with chilled out sounds from artists Winter Mountain, Robert Vincent and The Delta Bell.

The audience were also wowed by the talent of pupils who took to the stage for a set before the party ended with Norfolk-based The Vagaband turning

up the volume as the sun set and everyone got dancing.

Foundation Director, Jo JohnsonMunday, said: “This was a fabulous weekend of music with something to suit all tastes. We were also delighted to welcome many new visitors to Culford and share two stunning summer days with everyone, from

toddlers and their parents to our oldest ‘Old Culfordian’ who left the school in 1945! We are very grateful to everyone who supported the events and are already looking forward to next year.”

The events have raised more than £20,000 for The Campaign for Culford since they began four years ago.

34 We Remember

We Remember It is with great sadness that we bring you the following obituaries of former pupils and members of staff.

Arthur Diaper (1962-1970).

Arthur Diaper (1952-2017) joined Culford from Hillcroft School in 1962 and settled into school-life which he enjoyed immensely. He had that

knack of taking part in a variety of activities and was a natural choice as a prefect. Arthur never forgot these formative educational experiences and repaid them with a lifetime of involvement as a member of the OCA, including serving as OCA President from 2007. After A Levels in 1970, he travelled widely, taking in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia, including such countries as Iraq and Afghanistan.

On returning to England, he studied business and business law in London, had a short stint in a building society, but decided to become permanently associated with the family poultry business at Haughley New Street. Here he worked hard with his brothers, John (1961-1968) and David, and enjoyed playing vigorously for Stowmarket Rugby Club. In 1979 he married Moira, whom he had first met at the Banham Cider House.

Arthur Diaper (1962-1970) with his son, James, at London Drinks 2015.

Their sons, James (1990-1998) and Oliver (1990-2000) completed this branch of the Diaper family.

He took much delight in their achievements as well as those of their friends, and was renowned for his help and advice together with conversations of both a humorous and serious nature. When he set up Jackson Meat Ltd, which traded widely, there was a play on words in the company name, for he was the son of Jack Diaper. St Mary’s Church, Bury St Edmunds, was packed for his memorial service – for he was a man who cherished connections, responded with friendship and gave willingly of his time and talents to the causes that he appreciated.

project. Retirement came in 1987, but consultancy and voluntary-work as well as courier-driving kept him active. He had married Sylvia and they had one son together. His visits to Culford continued for many years, latterly accompanied by his son, Charlie. In later life, his portable, power-assisted scooter, enabled him to be mobile and at the hub of events. He was a regular attendee at Culford Speech Day and Remembrance Day, right up until the last year of his life.

Dr Jack Bungard (1935-1939) pictured right at 75 Years in the Park.

Dr Jack Bungard (1922-2017) started senior schooling in 1935, retained keen memories of his fellow-boarders, then migrated into wartime RAF service, to work in the newly-developed radar division.

This took him all over the country and on to military activities in Egypt, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia, where he learnt to fly. This was a prelude to action in the Fleet Air Arm. At the end of the War,

he became a salesman in his father’s shoe business and then diversified with his own companies, one of which financially managed celebrities, including Humphrey Lyttelton.

He became an advisor to Dame Stephanie Shirley and, subsequently, a director on the board of her original business ventures. In the mid-60s he went to Watford College and founded the West Herts Management College, an innovative

Mary Willis née Skinner (1922-2016) was the eldest daughter of EAS and Culford School Headmaster, Dr John Skinner, and his wife Marjorie. She was Head Girl of her school, Hunmanby Hall, and went on to complete a science degree at London University of Education.

After becoming a qualified teacher, Mary taught at Sudbury High School and the East Anglian School for Girls, and married Henry Willis (1933-1941), a Culford teacher and OC, in 1951 at Culford Church. They had two daughters in Bury, Julia and Rosamund, before the family moved to Belfast in 1957 for Mary and Henry to take up teaching posts.

We Remember 35 Chairman of the Suffolk Agricultural Association from 1981-1990 and President of the Suffolk Show in 2003.

Service as an Independent on the Mid-Suffolk Council featured as did his commitment to family-life. Claire (1969-1975), Ruth (1970-1975), Robert (1971-1979) and Jane (1972-1980) are the offspring of his marriage to Anne née Farrow (EAS 1945-1952).

He leaves his wife, Angela, and ten grandchildren.

Mary Willis (centre) with her sister, Wendy Spencer (left) and Jo Johnson-Munday.

Here they had another daughter, Anthea. The family moved to Liverpool in 1966, where they stayed until Henry’s death in 1975, after which Mary moved back to Suffolk to be nearer her sisters, Wendy and Barbara, and other family and friends. Mary always remained close to the School and many of its alumni, and her 70th and 80th birthday parties were very happily celebrated at Culford. She will be remembered for her many attributes, including love of family, friends, music, church and good company.

The whole family returned to Culford in August 2017 to lay Mary’s ashes in the garden which now surrounds the fountain and pond by the Headmaster’s Lodge where, of course, Mary, Barbara and Wendy once lived as children.

David Carr (1924-2017) forged life-long friendships at Culford. He joined the Volunteer Reserve and attended Durham University while attached to the RAF. His war-time service was with Flight Training Command. After being posted for further training in South Africa, he fell ill and stayed in England. In 1945 he went to Canada, received his ‘wings’ and celebrated VE Day by

David Carr (1937-1942) at 75 Years in the Park.

throwing toilet rolls over Toronto from his plane. David then spent time with old school-friend Peter Newton (1935-1942) at the family farm in Nordelph, near Downham Market. Here he learnt about agriculture, formed great affection for Norfolk and in 1948 he joined the agricultural staff of the British Sugar Corporation and moved to Fakenham. Through his friendship with Peter he met Ruth Mason. They married in Cambridge in 1955, had two children, Martyn (1968-1975) and Hilary, and became immersed in Fakenham community life until well after retirement. David served on the Town Council and became Mayor in 1989. He outlived Ruth, who died in 2011, until his peaceful death in June 2017. He leaves Martyn and daughter-in-law, Sara, his daughter, Hilary, and grandson, Jonathan.

Dennis Dyball (1924-2016) was born in Oxborough, Norfolk, before his parents moved to a 75-acre smallholding in Elmswell. His liking for hockey, cricket and country pursuits were evident throughout his schooldays (1936-1942) after which he focused on expanding Willow Farm to some 650 acres. He was

Peter Mercer MRVS (1924-2017) joined Culford in 1935, specialised in the Sciences and started at the Royal Veterinary College at Reading in 1941. He interrupted his studies to join the Royal Navy, survived the sinking of his ship, HMS Fratton and was involved in the D Day landings.

After qualification he practised in Peterborough and Leicester. An active retirement followed, close to the Tamar at Gunnislake. His wife, Diana, predeceased him. He leaves a son, two daughters and his sister, Jean (EAS 1941-1946), who lives in Plymouth.

Lawrence Bannister (1927-2017) was born near Oulton Broad and, while at Culford (1941-1944) showed innovative, business tendencies in collecting and selling moleskins. He went on to run five farms covering almost 1,000 acres in the Beccles area and was a founding member and long-serving chairman of Anglian Produce Ltd, among the largest of the UK’s potato producers. He took up an interesting challenge in retirement – restoring the Compton organ eventually played by Nigel Ogden of the BBC’s The Organist Entertains.

A fellow-evacuee he lodged with in Bath during the War was his namesake, Roger, who in 1953 broke the four-minute mile barrier. Laurie’s wife, Mary, died in 2004. He leaves their four sons Stephen (1961-1966), Owen (1964-1971), Robert (1964-1971) and Roger (1968-1976).

Janet Hartley née Doubleday (1929-2017) was the daughter of a local preacher in the Fenland Outwell and Manea Circuit. She boarded at the EAS from 1945-1948, trained as a Froebel teacher at Roehampton, taught near Downham Market, but after marrying David Hartley moved to Biddestone, Wiltshire. They had four children, Sally, Amanda, John and Kate. Her death followed a valiant battle with Parkinson’s disease.

36 We Remember Robert Vine (1930-2016) came from Stoke Ferry, in West Norfolk, as a boarder from 1945-1947, passed his School Certificate and returned home to farm with his father. He joined in the life Robert Vine of the school, (1945-1947). with amusing performances in concerts and with assisting ‘Dad’ Lock in his final difficult year. He married Maureen in 1962 and they raised two daughters. In 1955 he was best man at the wedding of Michael Platten (1941-1947) and made a speech at his 50th wedding anniversary.

Edmund Finch (1935-2016) attended as a day pupil from his home in Bury.

Ted excelled at rugby and hockey, and following National Service in the RAF he trained as a science teacher Edmund A Finch before taking (1946-1954) up posts in pictured here Ipswich and as captain of a Hockey team.

Bodmin (where he played hockey for Cornwall). For the last 20 years of his career he was at the City of Norwich School and lived at Eaton. He leaves his widow Dawn, four sons and eight grandchildren.

Michael Bloom (1933-2016) was a boarder from 1945-1950 and a member of a great horse-riding dynasty. He was the national point-to-point champion jockey of 1969 and the first amateur to ride a hundred winners in both these and National Hunt races. His father, Jack, had been a Grand National jockey and his son, Nigel, also achieved the national point-to-point title, making it a father-and-son achievement.

Michael, who leaves a widow, Jenny, and children, Nigel and Caroline, died at his home, Kimberley Home Farm, Wymondham.

Ian Newton (1937-2017) was a pupil from the age of eight (1945-1953).

He grew to love the School and its ethos, maintaining a lifelong interest in them. He Ian Newton (1945-1953). left at the age of 16 and studied A Levels in Worthing before joining the RAF National Service. He joined the Civil Service as an Immigration Officer at Gatwick Airport. This led to Home Office appointments in the Northern Ireland Office, the Gaming Board and, finally, the Parole Board.

His quiet disposition and gentle ways were much appreciated in his life, work and in many church activities. He leaves his wife, Yvonne, their children and grandchildren.

Ruth Runyan née Lemmon (1935-2017) came from King’s Lynn and loved living on her grandparents farm at Downham Market during the War. After Ruth Runyan (1946-1953). boarding at the EAS from 1946-1953, she trained as a nurse and midwife at the Middlesex Hospital, but then embarked on a career as an air-hostess with British United Airways, specialising in flights to India, Kenya, Rhodesia and South America. She married Harold Runyan, an American, settled in California and had two sons, Adrian and Stephen. Each year she returned to the UK for two months to meet old friends.

Bernard Culshaw (1941-2017) joined Culford with his brother Murray (1950-1958) and left after O Levels to go to art school, later joining the Slade School of Fine Art. He became an accomplished set and costume designer for serious theatre and opera. His many productions included a National Theatre mobile production of Measure for Measure directed by Jonathan Miller and Another Country with the young Rupert Everett and Kenneth Branagh, as well as working with the acclaimed actor, Sir Alec Guinness.

Many of his original designs are held in the V&A.

Robin Wells (1943-2016) boarded from the age of eight in 1951, took to cricket and hockey, excelled at the piano, encouraged

by Henry Willis and Tom Wigley, and played the organ at church Robin Wells services. His (1951-1960). love of Gilbert and Sullivan opera stems from those days, as did his appreciation of fine art through his teacher, David Mathers. In 1960 he entered the Royal College of Music, took a degree at Reading University and undertook a period of study of the organ in Paris with Marcel Dupré.

In 1965 he joined Charterhouse School and was its Director of Music from 1987 until retirement in 2003. This was a most fulfilling and productive period – involving musical accomplishments and family life. He was married to Stephanie and has two daughters, Rebecca and Ali. He was the Director of the Farnham and Bourne Choral Society, also Godalming Operatic Society for 47 years, a trustee of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society and a composer of a variety of musical works as well as a dedicated examiner, a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

Carl Hotchkin (1945-2016) was a pupil from 1953-1962 along with his brother Philip (1950-1959). He returned home to Lincolnshire to complete two years practical work before studying Horticulture Carl Hotchkin (1953-1962). at Writtle Agricultural College. Employment took him to Butterfields Rose Nursery in the Lea Valley, then to Rochfords growing geraniums and finally to L&K in Lincoln before a partnership owning Art Nursery in North Weald.

He travelled extensively on business and pleasure. He leaves a widow, Helen, two children, Richard and Michelle, and five grandchildren.

We Remember 37 Angela Rushen (1946-2017) grew up on the family farm at Hawstead and attended the EASG from the kindergarten to the Upper Sixth (1951-1964). She studied Geography at Reading University, was a research assistant at Newcastle and taught at a convent school for girls and then at the London Oratory School for Boys. She became a Head of House at Thurston and undertook supply work which brought her to Culford on the death of Chris Crawford in 1988. She soon became full-time, teaching Geography, History and Religious Studies for two years, displaying a commanding presence and a thorough approach to the subjects, before moving to a post at The Perse School for Girls, Cambridge. In 2011 she was elected Conservative Councillor for the Chedburgh Ward of St Edmundsbury Council, where her academic and local knowledge served the community admirably. She leaves Terence, her husband, and sons, Giles (1987-1994) and Jason (1989-1996) and their families.

Nicholas Coates (1947-2016) attended Bramdean School, Exeter, and joined Culford as a boarder from 1960-1966. He became Head Boy, left to attend Sandhurst, but decided against an Army career, although retaining a lifelong interest in military history. From the University of Edinburgh, he took up teaching appointments at Cargilfield Preparatory School, Edinburgh, and then at Glenalmond College, Perth. He moved south to become Headmaster of Wallop School, Weybridge, and then of The Hall School, Hampstead.

On retirement he read for an MBA, lived at Warsash, Southampton, and with his partner of many years, Penny Mitchell, in London. He had a commanding presence, a generous nature, a genial sense of humour and a group of friends with whom he lunched and dined separately once a month. They were convivial occasions, much enjoyed.

Nicholas Coates (1960-1966).

George Fearnley (1958-2017) was a pupil for eleven years from 1966, went to Askham Bryan Agricultural College, York, and returned to work on the Little Saxham family farm. He was an active member of the George Fearnley Bury St Edmunds (1966-1977).

Young Farmers’ Club where he met his wife, Sally.

His later interests were with the Tenant Farmers’ Association of which he became Eastern Region Chairman. While continuing to manage the farm during illness, he maintained his sense of humour and ready smile. He leaves his wife and two daughters, Kimberley (23) and Nathalie (21).

Oscar Clark (1996-2017) joined Culford in 2007 from Fairstead House when he was 11, representing the school in 2nd XI cricket and hockey teams and enjoying memorable trips Oscar Clark (2007-2012). to Ironbridge and the Ardeche.

He continued his passion for the guitar and scuba diving at Senior School and formed lifelong, close friendships here. His love for adventure and worldwide travel grew on trips to New York and Morocco. After learning to barter in

Marrakesh and riding up the Atlas Mountains he was the first to alight from the coach home at midnight, followed by a retinue wearing djellabas from head to toe, making Culford resemble a scene from the Arabian Nights! Oscar formed a wonderful friendship with Chai Wu staying with his family in Hong Kong and Singapore, learning how to carve a duck, eat snake soup and enjoy other unusual delicacies.

After Culford Oscar studied for a BTec in Public Services at West Suffolk College, then attended UKSA in Cowes for the Professional Offshore Skipper yachtsman qualification. In a literal baptism of fire, training on day two required him to form a human chain through a burning building in unimaginable heat. Oscar’s first trip to sea culminated in sailing through the Needles in the eye of a storm, the water so deep that the lights in his life jacket activated. A far more enjoyable highlight was watching dolphins interact with the yacht at dawn.

Oscar loved his school, his family, home and friends, and was a sensitive, thoughtful, caring and popular young man. Condolence letters from his wide circle of friends summed up how loved he was: ‘One of the most loved characters I have ever known’; ‘Forever more concerned with how others were doing, their stories, their travels’; and ‘Never afraid to be himself… always bringing smiles and happiness to people’s lives’.

Oscar was the much loved and adored youngest of three sons to Kate and John Clark; Christian his eldest brother and Louis Clark (2004-2010), his middle brother.

38 We News Remember from the School Former Common Room Members, Colleagues & Friends Fred Rynsard (1918-2016) was father to five Culford and EAS alumni: Gary (1963-1970); Paul (1966-1970); Gaye (1966-1972); Gregory (19641973); and Larry Fred Rynsard.

(1965-1975).

He was also a loving grandfather to Lucy (1997-2005), Hugo, Louis (2001-2010), William and Oliver.

When his children were pupils he was a regular presence on the touch-line during rugby matches, and his support of all aspects of the school continued long after they had left. A memorial service was held for him at St Mary’s Church, Culford, in November 2016.

Joyce Withers (1924-2016), a daughter of the Methodist manse was accustomed to moving house.

The longest spell of schooling she experienced was at Colston’s School, Bristol. She took a painting and drawing course at Goldsmith’s, London, qualified as a teacher at Bingley Training College, Yorkshire, and had her first appointments in that county.

She became Art Mistress at the EAGS in 1959 and lived-in until caring for her parents at their Highbury Road home, Bury St Edmunds. This was where she settled on her retirement in 1983. There was an innate sense of activity and an enthusiasm to engage which characterised Joyce.

She was a gifted artist, a skilled embroiderer and an accomplished illustrator as well as a room warden for the National Trust, a member of several local choirs and a devotee of the Three Choirs Festival. Her final years were not easy, but with characteristic fortitude and determination she remained in the house to which she had applied decorative and gardening skills before her final move to the St Nicholas’ Hospice in Bury.

Jean Trussell (1926-2017) died on 5 February in Cambridge. She was the widow of the late John Trussell, Warden of the Junior School and in charge of Cadogan House from 1961-1972. During their time in residence at Culford, she was of great assistance in running the boarding House. Her commitment, during retirement at Fornham St Martin, to Trinity Methodist Church was much appreciated by both ministers and fellow-members. She leaves Shirley and Andrew (1961-1972) and their children.

Derek Troth (1939-2016), widower of Valerie, was the son of a Derbyshire miner. He worked initially as a chemical analyst for the National Coal Derek Troth.

Board, then trained as a teacher, specialising in biology, at Matlock Teacher Training College, where he met his wife. They married in 1962 and soon secured appointments at the Silver Jubilee Schools for Boys and Girls, very much separate institutions in Bury St Edmunds. On the reorganisation of education he became Deputy Head at County Upper where he enjoyed an illustrious career that was cut short by ill-health. His involvement in education continued, however, for he lived by then in Jocelyn House and soon became School Counsellor. He and Val enjoyed a decade of joint-retirement at their Great Barton home and in extensive travels until her death in 2010.

Vascular dementia was diagnosed in 2014. His funeral took place at Oakfield Wood, Culford, attended by his daughters, Helen (1977-1985) and Ros (1977-1987) and their families.

The address was given by Ian Hobley (Common Room: 1973-2008).

Reverend Stuart Roebuck (1939-2016) who was School Chaplain from 1982-2001 was ‘a loyal devotee of all that he undertook’ and that amounted to a great deal.

He was a native of Huddersfield, educated at Almondbury Grammar School and worked for the Royal Insurance Company for 20 years.

While in Leicester he became a Methodist lay preacher, felt a call to the ministry, read for a Bachelor of Divinity degree and trained at Wesley College, Bristol. His first circuit was in Cranleigh, Surrey, before his move to Culford. He and his wife, Joan, a much-loved boarding House matron, became fully involved with school life which was a part of the education of their children Helen (1982-1986) and Graham (1982-1989). Together they compiled The Happiest Days, a book about Culford Hall and School through the years. He will long be recalled for his assemblies, services, teaching, authorship, Hengrave Conference input, charity committee work, Christ and the Cosmos Initiative, Adult Christian Education and Chaplaincy to the National Methodist Youth Brass Band which played at his funeral at Hall Bower Sunday School, Huddersfield.

Stuart Roebuck at the Royal Opera House, Madrid, Spring 2016.

We also remember the following alumni and friends who died since the last FOCuS magazine was published. Obituaries from 1935 onwards are available to view through Culford Online, which can be found here: www.culfordonline.co.uk Rex Stevens (1934-1938)

Michael Wright (1944-1950)

John Bull (1983-1986)

Arthur Wray (1936-1942)

Brian Pettet (1945-1953)

David Caruth (1940-1948)

Jonathan Webber (1966-1971)

Robin Allum-Cornforth (2000-2003)

News from the School 39

Common Room Comings and Goings Goings

We wish the following members of staff, who moved on to new pastures in 2016/17, all the best in their retirement or in their future careers.

English as an Additional Language as well as English, Italian and Art History and was Housemistress of Fitzgerald when it was a day House. Her support of girls and of international pupils was superb; pastoral care runs through Caroline like letters through a stick of rock.

We will miss her as she retires but look forward to see her return to do some part-time teaching.

Pip Kirby-Smith.

Old Culfordian Pip Kirby-Smith (2005-2010) leaves us after three years in the Common Room, during which time she undertook teacher training and went through her newly qualified teacher’s year. She moves on to gain wider experience and to develop her career. Pip was a central part of the language department and a stalwart member of the Jocelyn House team. She will be much missed.

Brenda Hunt.

Brenda Hunt retired as Head of Art in summer 2017 after 33 years, excepting a short time away after her son Sam (1992-2007) was born.

She has always been a passionate and creative force, knowing the pupils well and getting the best from them through careful nurturing of their individual talents.

In 2004 she was asked to become Housemistress of Fitzgerald and the individual care she gave pupils in the art department had an obvious translation into her relations with girls in the House. Brenda will return for some part time teaching in the coming year.

Caroline Byrne joined Culford 23 years ago in September 1994 and quickly became a central part of Culford. She taught numerous pupils

Hannah Mayhew.

Hannah Mayhew moves on from our geography department after six years. Hannah arrived as a newly qualified teacher and joined her Head of Department, Mark Barber, in driving geography forward to become a highly successful subject at both GCSE and A Level. Hannah is a popular and well-respected teacher and contributed hugely to boarding life as an Assistant Housemistress in Fitzgerald. She moves to develop her career further and we wish her well as she leaves to join Ipswich School.

Rowenna Gallifant helped to provide cover in the biology department over the past year and she leaves to retire to Portugal where we wish her well.

Comings

Caroline Byrne.

We are pleased to welcome the following new members of Common Room to Culford in autumn 2017: Sara English (Physics); Hannah Frampton (Biology); Giselle Nind (Geography); Tessa Rankin (Head

Kerry McCarthy is not leaving entirely, but having been a wonderful Head of Spanish at the Senior School over the past two years, now moves to lead developments in our Prep School as we introduce Spanish throughout the school.

Kerry McCarthy.

of Art); Emma Thornbury (Head of Hockey); Cristina Escriva Beltran (Modern Languages); and Ryan McAlister (Head of Prep School Geography). We are also delighted to welcome Jack Beaumont (20052014) back to Culford, this time as a member of the PE department.

40 News from the School

News from the School Visit to Cape Town and Charitable Visit to Malawi on 11 August. They enjoyed a drink and the fantastic views of the waterfront in the Stonebreakers Bar at the Protea Hotel.

Ben Nel, Gavin Reynolds and James Murray.

Richard Tuffs and Gavin Reynolds.

We were delighted that Gavin Reynolds, Assistant Head, and his family were able to meet Old Culfordians Ben Nel (2015), James Murray (2014-15) and Richard Tuffs (1960-1967) in Cape Town

Prior to arrival in Cape Town, the Reynolds family were part of Culford’s annual expedition to Malawi alongside Lower Sixth pupils. The group spent time with prisoners at Nsanje Prison, looking at their living conditions, sharing songs and playing sports. They also engaged in brick-making and building at the Good News Orphanage to help re-construct their hall, as well as laying the foundations for a new library at Culford’s link school in Nankhufi.

A week of teaching followed at Nankhufi, where the Culfordians taught a programme on gender equality, rights and responsibilities for family planning.

Speech Day 2017

Julian Johnson-Munday with Air Marshal Sir David Walker.

Beth Keswick (2007-2017) and Jemma Andrews (2005-2017) spotted eating strawberries and cream at Speech Day.

Culford held it’s annual Speech Day in May, celebrating Senior School pupils’ achievements and showcasing their work. Guest of Honour, Air Marshal Sir David Walker KCVO OBE, Director at Alexander Mann Solutions and Auticon presented the prizes.

Headmaster Julian Johnson-Munday reflected in his report upon the

speed of change and “a future that we can not imagine.” He said: “From Donald Trump to Brexit, change is all around and there is no sign of things slowing down. We believe that our values of flexibility, innovation, dynamism and resilience will deliver robust, happy, balanced people fit to embrace the modern age.”

News from the School 41 We Will Rock You

A sell-out production of the musical We Will Rock You was performed in March 2017 with great success, with more than 300 people coming to watch it. The Drama, Dance and Music departments collaborated to work tirelessly with the pupil strong cast of 33, organising everything from choreography to professional sound and lighting. The live band were the perfect accompaniment for the musical numbers on the night, including Queen classics such as I Want to Break Free and We are the Champions.

Culford is Top Co-Ed for Tennis in 2016 Culford’s Tennis Academy topped an extremely successful year with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) ranking it the top co-educational school in the UK for 2016. Notable achievements include the U18

boys Joe Tyler, Will Davies, Oscar Cutting, Harry Wendelken and Ed Pudney winning the LTA National Schools Championships title for the first time. Culford also made history as the first UK School to

Excellent GCSE and A Level Results

Culford pupils on A Level results day.

Culford celebrated another excellent set of GCSE results this year, with 45% of all grades at A* or A grade. A Levels should also be celebrated with 51% of all

grades at A*-B grade and 79% at A*-C. Following an excellent set of results, Max McCrea (2006-2017) has taken up a place at St Anne’s College, Oxford to read Chemistry.

have four teams in the finals. The School also enjoyed additional successes on centre court, having secured two national titles at the 2017 Independent Schools Tennis Championships held at Eton.

Golf Swing Studio Opens Culford’s new, on-site, custombuilt golf swing studio opened in 2017. The studio boasting cutting edge technology, as used by the world’s top players and coaches.

Sports Centre members and Golf Academy pupils now have access to state of the art tools, including the Trackman 4 launch monitor that uses dual radar technology to track golf club performance as well as ball flight. Golfers also benefit from the new Boditrak system that assesses balance and weight distribution during the golf swing.

We are showcasing these new facilities to OCs at various events in 2017/18. Do join us.

42 OC Sport

Old Culfordian Sporting News We are thrilled to have such an active and vibrant OC sporting community. Many former pupils return again and again to play against the school’s teams and we are also delighted to support the OC Golf Society meetings in the calendar. If you are interested in playing at any forthcoming events we would be very pleased to hear from you.

Please email foundation@culford.co.uk or telephone 01284 385310. was nearest the pin and also won the longest drive for travelling down from Harrogate to join the OC team!

Grafton Morrish Qualifers.

In 2016, Jeremy Nunn (1967-1977) got together an OC golf team who qualified for the Grafton Morrish finals, the major trophy of the Public Schools Old Boys’ Golf Association and this was the first time Culford qualified for the finals.

The OC Golf Society On Thursday 13 October 2016, Old Culfordian golfers took on current Culford Golf Academy pupils at Flempton for their Autumn Meeting.

Tim Bonnett (1966-1973) organised the day and said: “The progress of the school’s Golf Academy was evident in the quality of the players from the school. With 30 pupils now on the programme, the school was able to pick a strong team. Handicaps

ranged from +1 to 24 but half the team were single figure handicaps.

The same could not be said of the Old Culfordians but we did our best!”

Sue Edwards (1969-1973) came away with first place and the Edwards Cup with 41 points, followed by Prep School Headmaster, Mike Schofield, and Sue’s husband John in third. Steve Brennan (1971-1979)

The school team at OC Golf Autumn Meeting 2016.

Girls’ Hockey 2017

On Wednesday 28 June 2017, Old Culfordian golfers saddled up for the Summer Meeting at the Newmarket Links. Sadly, the weather was a bit of a ‘mare and Culford umbrellas were suitable prizes. The format was Stableford; won at a canter by David Slater (1954-1961) and the nearest the pin by Sue Edwards. Two Sixth Formers, Ed Pomeroy and Joe Beasant, also came along to play alongside the OCs.

The OC team at OC Golf Autumn Meeting 2016.

A selection of OC girls returned to Culford on 9 September to play the current 1st XI girls’ hockey team. It was an exciting game and the OCs secured the trophy with a 5-3 win – the first OC girls’ win in several years, albeit with a few places being filled by the school.

Last season’s Captain, Ella Dowling (2006-2017), collected the trophy from the new Head of Hockey, Emma Thornbury.

A great day for players and supporters – we look forward to next year’s match!

OC Sport 43 Cricket

An all new T20 Bash rejuvenated the OC fixture on Friday 30 July 2017.

Fielding arguably their strongest XI of all time the OCs were pre-match favourites and started play with a determination to win. Dom Corbett (2009-2016) and Freddy Preston

130 all out in the 19th over. Tristan Long was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 36.

(2007-2012) saw them to 64 off the first 6 overs for the loss of just one, the big hitting Kieran Pask (2013-2015). Things settled for the school with the introduction of spin and the OCs eventually ended on a disappointing, yet challenging,

The School then proceeded to make light work of the total and surpassed it 6 down with Matt Mitchum (2004-2017) scoring 33 and Arran Dhesi (2012-2017) 48.

The School XI were triumphant once again making that 9 wins in a row and 10 out of the last 11 fixtures.

The format has definitely made a big impact to the longevity of this superb event; short, sharp and action packed, finished with a well-supported BBQ. Sincere thanks go to Andy Northcote (Head of Senior Sport and Cricket) and former Deputy Head, Andrew Morgan (wicket-keeper) and all those who turned up to play. Final score: Old Culfordians 130, Culford School 1st XI 131 for 6 (17.3 overs).

Boys’ Hockey 2017 There was a great turnout for OC Boys’ Hockey on Saturday 7 January on the new pitch in the walled garden and the match started well with early goals for the OC side. However, unfortunately the match had to be stopped twenty minutes in owing to an accident involving one of the school players. Thankfully no lasting damage was done but the decision was made to call a halt to the game.

This did mean that the players and spectators were able to enjoy refreshments at Paddy and Scott’s café and the Foundation team caught up with recent leavers, including US tennis scholars Tom Fisher (2013-2015), Henry Patten (2012-2015) and Toby Cutting (2009-2015).

Anyone for OC Tennis?

time at the school and it was great to see them all again at the OC Tennis match on Saturday 17 June 2017.

In baking weather, the fitness of both sides was put to the test. The fixture was very well matched with the Culford team taking an early lead in the singles matches and the OCs having a late surge at the end.

However, the school team won back the trophy with a 34-25 game win.

OCs Toby Cutting (2009-2015), Ewan Evans (2010-2015), Marco Mitev-Will (2006-2011), Joe Matta

(2008-2013) and Maria Andrews (2011-2013) all competed regularly for the Tennis teams during their

Thanks go to James Swanson (2001-2008) for organising the OCs team from where he lives, in America! Although unable to be here this year, James is determined to return in 2018 to win back the trophy for the OCs.

Join Culford’s very own Wall of Fame In the past few months, colourful pop art portraits of current and former pupils and staff – and even their beloved dogs – have begun to appear on the wall outside the Headmaster’s study at Culford and we would like to invite you to join them. For a donation of £100 you too can have your portrait transformed into a Warhol style POP ART masterpiece and raise funds for the art department project, part of The Campaign for Culford.

There are 200 spaces available on our Wall of Fame and we want everyone to get involved: it would be fantastic to see lots of Old Culfordians and East Anglian School for Girls’ alumni’s pictures up on the wall alongside those of current pupils and teachers.

Your portrait will be digitally transformed into a POP ART canvas displayed outside the Headmaster’s study, or at other pop-up locations around the school. After you portrait has been on display for a year you will be able to take it home.

As portrait places are limited, please reserve your POP ART portrait by completing the online donation form found at www.culford.co.uk/popart email foundation@culford.co.uk or telephone 01284 385310.

Connect with the Foundation We have a thriving Facebook page and LinkedIn Group where we post the latest news and photographs from events, reunions and other OC news. Just search ‘Culford School Alumni’ on LinkedIn and request to join or like the page ‘Culford School OCs’ on Facebook.

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