ISSUE 31 | AUTUMN 2020
From the Head In March, I wrote a sombre letter to our parents. King Edward’s was closing its doors for the first time since the end of the Second World War. Little did we know that they would not open again to all students until September. Of course, we were not alone in this calamity – every school across the country faced the same stark reality. Every family and community in the United Kingdom and across the world was forced into emergency measures; into fundamental, seismic change. Nonetheless, whilst we had no control over the situation we faced, we still retained the power to shape our response. Under these most trying of circumstances, we were presented with an opportunity, individually and collectively, to demonstrate the strength and fortitude of our school. I truly believe that thanks to the wonderful professionalism of my colleagues, the resilience and commitment of our students, and the loyalty and support of our parents, King Edward’s not only coped with this unprecedented adversity… but flourished in this most challenging of times. In a matter of days, KES moved online. Academic lessons, clubs and activities, pastoral support and day-to-day operations all became virtual, but continued unabated. Our driving ambition throughout the lockdown period was that our pupils would not be held back in their learning, and would not be isolated from their friends and teachers. Our ongoing commitment upon our return is that a KES education should remain challenging, enriching and fun, whatever temporary restrictions and limitations are imposed upon us. But, although KES is geographically situated in central Southampton, we are also proudly a part of the wider city and Hampshire. From the start, we therefore sought to help those around us in need – offering shopping delivery services to local vulnerable residents, and setting up a production line of PPE equipment for health workers, ultimately making hundreds of visors and surgical scrubs
for local hospitals and healthcare settings unable to source this vital equipment through official channels. Why? Simply because it was the right thing to do, and it is a fundamental part of our beliefs as a school to seek to do what is right. As I read through this edition of The Edwardian, it is so apparent to me that our alumni are equally dedicated to doing what is right, even when it is not always what is easy. Thank you to those featured here, and also to those many unsung OEs who do not appear in these pages, but who similarly offered a hand or an ear to those in need. Thank you. When will this end? We do not yet know. But when it does, we are determined to rededicate ourselves to the idea of doing ‘right’ by our community. Having seen the lifechanging benefits of attendance at KES, highlighted all the more clearly by the pandemic, we want to place a yet greater focus on building bursary funding so as to offer those who would benefit from a place at KES, but cannot afford to take up that place, the opportunity to become a KES student. If you feel that you can support this ambition, or if you would like to offer to talk about your career, life or experience to our current generation of students, please contact Ms Hooper, our Development officer. With my warmest good wishes, Neal Parker Head
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News from the School
KES welcomes substantial donation to its bursary fund Last year, the school was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Anthony (Tony) Hall who attended King Edward’s from 1950-1955. Tony, along with his wife, Catherine, returned to King Edward’s for the first time in many decades in 2009 and was delighted to see the changes made to the school since the 1950s and revisit the Classics Department – a subject close to his heart. Tony had always felt a deep sense of gratitude to the school as he maintained that the course of his life had been undeniably altered by the actions of the then Head Master Dr Stroud and his former Classics Master, Mr Thompson. In July 1955, despite his wish to continue with his education, Tony moved with his family to Ndola, Northern Rhodesia, where his stepfather had accepted a job with the Colonial Service, and his mother had found him an entry-level job in an insurance broker’s office writing cover notes for car insurance. Aware of the situation, and unbeknown to Tony, Dr Stroud and Mr Thompson applied for the Jagger Scholarship in Classics at the University of Cape Town on his behalf, so that he could continue with his studies. They were successful with the application and, in January 1956, Tony took up this opportunity, graduating in 1958 at the top of his class with a Bachelor of Commerce. Subsequently, Tony went on to have a very successful and illustrious professional career within the finance sector, moving from Africa to New York with his post at Pfizer in the late 1960s, then joining Bristol-Myers in 1971, where he later became Vice President of their International Division (1974), Assistant to the Vice President-Finance (1977), Assistant Treasurer and Head of the newly formed Fiduciary and Risk Management Department (1980) and finally, in 1984, he was elected Vice President and Controller of Bristol-Myers International.
Following his visit in 2009, Tony established the Anthony Hall Prize for Classics and over the course of the next decade he and Catherine returned to KES on several occasions to attend the annual Thanksgiving Service and Prizegiving events, always enjoying the opportunity to meet and talk with the winners of the Classics prize. In the belief that his path in life had been changed irrevocably, and for the better, by the actions of Dr Stroud, and in recognition and gratitude for the opportunities that his actions had afforded him, Tony very generously bequeathed the sum of £500,000 to the King Edward VI Foundation in his Will as well as a further £12,000 to ensure the continuation of his Classics award. King Edward’s will now be able to use his very substantial bequest, along with those of other benefactors, to continue to fund means-tested bursaries for the children of Southampton so that they too can benefit from the very many opportunities and experiences that a King Edward’s education can provide and that they would, otherwise, not be able to afford. Our William Capon Club has been established to recognise those of you who have chosen to support the Foundation, either by leaving bequests in your will or by making regular or one-off donations. Members are invited to join us at school events and dinners so that we may recognise this generosity. Please consider joining with others to ensure that we can make a difference to other children. If you would like to make a one-off donation, set up a regular payment or include the Foundation in your Will, please contact the Development Office on edwardians@kes. hants.sch.uk, ring 02380 799212 or visit our website. Every contribution regardless of the amount can help us shape a child’s life story.
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Our COVID Heroes! In these unprecedented times, so many members of our OE community have been performing key worker duties or working within other roles essential to ensuring that the country can stay operational and we can all stay safe. Alumni have been tirelessly providing NHS services and treatment (some graduating early to join the NHS workforce), teaching our young people, maintaining food supply and PPE distribution chains, ensuring the ongoing provision of emergency services, working in government, researching infectious disease models and so much more. Here are just a few stories of what some of them have been up to over the past months. Thank you to you all!
Chris Castle (KES 90-97) Chris is now a GP and has been working in a ‘hot hub’ during the pandemic. He also won a COVID specific government investment grant to further develop an app that he created called GPEP (GP Exercise Prescriptions). It is for people with muscle and joint complaints and provides rehab advice. It has been in
the app stores for a little while and has recently featured in The Times and Waitrose Weekend magazine and has resulted in his inclusion in the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme. The investment will enable virtual physio rehab during the COVID crisis.
Vikas Gupta (KES 84-91) Vikas is currently working in Bangalore as a teacher. Along with his team, he is currently managing the building of a new school. During lockdown, they were able to continue with construction by enabling all the local labourers, construction workers, plumbers and electricians to live on site, thus forming
Anna Carter (née Clark) (KES 05-12)
a safe bubble. All the classrooms (from kindergarten to Class 8) are more or less ready and they are now moving on to Phase 2 consisting of the High School and lab.
Natalie Fairhurst (KES 06-13)
Anna has been working as an Intensive Care doctor throughout the pandemic including being on shift on VE day when this photo was taken.
Natalie and her friends hosted a fake graduation (wearing scrubs instead of gowns) as they had to graduate in absentia and begin working as doctors sooner than originally planned in order that they could contribute to the NHS effort against COVID.
Chris Sanders (KES 05-07) Chris and his family business Sanders Sails converted their sail production line during the lockdown period in order to manufacture PPE for use by the NHS and other care sectors. They produced many thousands of items including scrubs, gowns, scrub bags, face visors and sanitisers that were essential in keeping workers safe. As
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things returned to the new ‘normal’ the company continued to produce PPE including ‘cuddle curtains’ for care homes so that residents and their families could enjoy a much needed and long-awaited hug.
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Neal Baker (KES Operations Director) Neal ensured the KES DT Department’s laser cutter was put to good use throughout the lockdown, manufacturing hundreds of visors and pieces of PPE for NHS workers at several locations including: Southampton Children’s Hospital, Royal South Hants Hospital, and University
Hospital Southampton and various Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust Practices. A team of eleven volunteers also took to their sewing machines, at school and home, to produce surgical gowns and scrubs for use by our doctors and nurses within the local care sector.
Serena Flavell (KES 04-09) Sapphira Flavell (KES 05-09) Serena and Sapphira and their family are heavily involved with local Southampton charity Leukaemia Busters where their parents are Scientific Directors. For several months they were unable to conduct their life saving research in their labs due to the pandemic. Instead, in April, they launched a campaign
to supply every resident in Hampshire and Dorset with their own personal reusable mask and persuade government not just to recommend face mask use in the community but to make it compulsory. They sent face masks to the entire cabinet, shadow cabinet and health select committee.
Ali Mehrkar (KES 01-08) Ali and his partner, who is a graphic designer, designed and manufactured a series of NHS supporting football scarves emblazoned with “SOCIAL DISTANCING” and “WASH YOUR HANDS” during lockdown. The designs come in a blue and white colour palette in support of NHS key workers and all profits from the sale of the scarves will help support local businesses in feeding key workers at hospitals across the London boroughs,
Ollie Townsend (KES 99-06) Ollie was just one of those who was able to make use of the KES-produced PPE kit and scrubs during the first wave of the pandemic. He is currently working as a junior surgical trainee at Winchester Hospital’s Trauma & Orthopaedics Department.
as well as in other hospital cities. Both Ali and Victoria have family members who work for the NHS and the long-term goal is to create a charity that supports all key workers in the UK, providing them with immediate resources in times of need. The scarves come in two designs and are available on their company website www.originssound.com priced at £19.99.
Rohan Gupta (KES 09-16) Rohan qualified earlier this year from Oxford Brookes university with a BSc in Paramedic Sciences. He immediately started work as a paramedic in the midst of the COVID pandemic.
Beth Rose (KES 07-14) Beth has been making beautifully crafted face masks over the past 6 months. Beth, who is a theatre costume designer, and consequently out of work at the moment due to the pandemic, put her sewing skills to good use producing scrubs for the NHS at Southampton General Hospital and now to making over a thousand face masks.
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COVID-19 - A Ward Sister’s story Alison Tait (née Fletcher) (KES 89 – 91) Alison was working within her role as the Senior Ward Sister in charge of the children’s ward at Winchester Hospital during the pandemic. Despite the relentless and tiring nature of her job, she loves her job and feels privileged to be part of the NHS. Earlier in the year she wrote an article entitled ‘COVID - a Ward Sister’s story’ which was published in a national medical and nursing journal.
It started as a storm in a distant place where we could only sense the faintest of winds drifting our way. Within six weeks this storm was to become our entire focus and unearth us from our normal lives. The preparation was starting to build with speed; as images came from Europe of endless beds in a Spanish museum, of army trucks in Italy carrying bodies away from overwhelmed hospitals, and stories of horrendous ethical choices having to be made on a daily basis to rationalise care; we were briefed that this was soon going to be our reality, our hell. I then began to experience the most amazing, humbling and incredible team work; in my team, in our hospital team and in our Trust as a team. Daily briefings from our Exec team issued details to guide us, central hubs set up immediately to centralise resources, and Senior Command teams appearing on our ward supporting us. Guidelines changed by the hour which was so stressful to keep on top of but everyone was in the same boat and we simply did our absolute best. Being resourceful became absolutely key. We had to
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set up as many isolation cubicles as we could for potentially positive and confirmed positive children so we de-commissioned all our outpatient rooms within a day. The playroom was packed up and emptied and set up as a 5 bedded bay ready to receive additional patients. Oxygen and beds came in, toys went into storage and we even found hand bells to use as call bells. I realised we could use my own 2-way radios (that I use on the campsite in France with my children) so families could call us at the desk from their isolation cubicle. This gave a moment of light humour as children radioed us making up their call signs through the day and night.
the privileged position of knowing my staff and being their leader. I could see the stress building and so wanted to reassure my team. I drafted an emailed letter to my team, and I checked this letter with a friend in the military who took his soldiers into Afghanistan. I wanted it to echo the rallying nature of a commander taking his troops to war, coupled with understanding and reassurance. I sent the email to my nurses and our consultants and found I had a flood of lovely emotional responses. I had done the right thing it seemed.
The news was coming in of the demand for ventilator spaces for adults. I welcomed the adult ITU team onto our children’s ward to see if we could support this need. Clip boards appeared and oxygen demands calculated. We were able to offer eight adult ventilated bed spaces on the children’s ward if needed. We planned in preparation how we would welcome the adult team onto our children’s ward and how we would best support them.
Dear Team,
The pace was intense and the need to reassure staff was huge for me. As the Ward Sister I am in
I am emailing you as we head into difficult and more uncertain times ahead. I want to reassure you all of how proud I am of every member of the team as we go into the next few weeks. We know that this pandemic will sadly get worse before it gets better. For us, this means that we could face increasing uncertainty and situations that would have been unimaginable just a few weeks ago. We might find ourselves supporting different areas of the hospital and having to leave our
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comfort zone and step out of our team for a time, we may find ourselves involved in difficult and demanding clinical situations. In all this, and during every shift you do please remember how fantastic you are, what amazing care you give, and call upon that conviction you have to deliver compassionate care to the patients in your hands, their families and the staff we work with. I draw personal strength from the confidence I have in your individual and collective skills and the dedication you demonstrate on every shift. Please give time to yourself, as it is going to be hard, unsettling and at times emotional. Allow yourself to know it is okay not to be okay. Talk to friends, team mates and me. I am here to support you all, and also acknowledge that this will be tough and demanding. I know that you will have both professional concerns and, in some cases, very personal worries. It’s going to be a scary time, and we should all do our best to recognise that in advance – it will make it just a little easier as the crisis hits harder. I will of course be keeping you all up to date with any changes that we need to meet as a team, and in the meantime may I thank you all for being truly fantastic, and it is an honour to be your Sister at a time such as this. Yours, Alison
This was unchartered territory for all of us and I was trying to be the best national leader I possibly could. The backdrop to all this was the national response and the
effect this had on our personal lives. Our normality was falling apart and daily we were having to adjust to massive changes for our children, and our lives. Three of my nurses, and myself, all had to face our weddings being postponed. GCSEs were cancelled for my son, George, and other staff’s children in the team, family gatherings cancelled, holidays binned, nurses and consultants with partner’s jobs threatened. The burden was immense and seemed to gather another layer of change and sadness daily. As the Sister I was the one to hear the sadness, the concern and anxiety. I found myself absorbing their sadness and anxiety, but felt reassured that I must be doing a good job as they shared their stories with me. I remember as I drove home on Wednesday 18th March, after a day where I felt so completely drained emotionally and physically exhausted, I just absolutely sobbed. I am not entirely sure how I got home as I don’t think I could really see the road through my tears. As perhaps is our instinct in times when we are at our limit, I called my mum and sobbed and sobbed. She talked to me as I drove and gave me that wonderfully unique motherly reassurance that I can do this. I was home and Kevin had never seen me so upset, so pale and so drained. The expected wave of patients continued to gather pace and we braced ourselves for what was to come. We prepared our areas, we communicated with our teams, we ran simulations to check our drills and we were ready. As we did this, the nation started to clap and on a dark evening on March 26th, Kevin and I stood outside to clap our teams with pride. The wave of noise from our village clapping
was amazing and actually quite emotional. We didn’t know this was going to become a weekly event, with the noise growing greater in villages and towns with pots and pans being added to clapping hands. I drive to work and pass so many pictures stuck in windows drawn by children thanking the NHS and I feel so touched, so valued and appreciated, but also slightly embarrassed as I am just doing the job I love, have always loved, with such a fantastic team. I stood in the hospital entrance as the nation held a minute’s silence to remember the staff who have died. This was so moving and so surreal. I am used to standing respectfully for our fallen servicemen in November, but not for medical and nursing staff who have died trying to save others. We continue to go in to work as our friends stay at home to protect the NHS, and we are actually so grateful for this bit of normality in our lives, of seeing our work mates, chatting, and laughing at our attempts at home schooling. I set up a team WhatsApp group at the beginning of all of this and it has been so brilliant for team morale and really good fun. For me, I feel so incredibly proud of my team. And now, as we have just celebrated VE day and all that it ended, and all that the end of the war created for our nation – not least the NHS, I do think we have perhaps begun to value again as a nation the dedication and amazing nature of NHS staff which I am so proud to be part of and witness every day in my team. Alison Tait
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OE Queen’s Award holders Which of our OEs have been honoured by the Queen? Natalie Ann Black CBE 2019 For Public Service
Natalie is currently Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Asia Pacific, covering North-East Asia, South-East Asia and Australasia. She oversees all Department for International Trade (DIT) work in these areas including growing the overall bilateral trade and investment relationship, improving market access for British companies, including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and developing finance and trade policy. Within this role she also works closely with the wider diplomatic network and UK-based colleagues to coordinate Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) activity on the wider prosperity agenda. Natalie is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Harvard Kennedy School, where she was a Fulbright scholar. Previously she has held a number of posts in Her Majesty’s Government including Deputy Head of the Number 10 Policy Unit, Director of the Internet Harms Unit and Director of the Office of Cyber Security, Cabinet Office. Sir Michael John Stevens KCVO 2017 For services to the Royal Household and the Queen Michael worked for the accountants KPMG from 1979 to 1995, when he joined the Royal Collection Trust as Finance Director; in 2002, he became its Managing Director. In 2007 he was appointed Deputy Treasurer to the Queen and from 2011, he held this office jointly with that of Deputy Keeper of the Privy Purse. In 2018, he was promoted to Keeper of the Privy Purse, Treasurer to the Queen and Receiver-General of the Duchy of Lancaster. Michael was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 2002 and promoted, firstly to Commander in 2009, and then to Knight Commander in 2017.
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Harry Dymond MBE 2014 For services to First Aid and the Community
Harry has worked tirelessly for patients’ rights for many years devoting his spare time to Healthwatch, Southampton, which gives a voice to people using health and social care services. He was also recognised for his work in the community which includes more than 60 years’ volunteering for St John’s Ambulance. He joined as a cadet back in 1951, during his time at school and, on returning to Southampton after university, he continued his membership becoming the Commander of Hampshire for 8 years before taking on the role of Chief Commissioner in England for 6 years.
Executive of Brent Council between 1980 and 1986, and then of Gloucestershire County Council between 1986 and 1990. In 1990, he was appointed Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency and in 1995, was made Permanent Secretary of the Department for Employment. When it merged with the Department for Education (DfE) to form the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), he became Permanent Secretary of the combined department. He became Chair of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) in 2013. After retirement, in September 2001, Michael was appointed Rector of The University of the Arts London and also served as Chairman of the Design Council. In 2004, the Home Secretary David Blunkett appointed him to chair an inquiry into the “Soham murders”; the inquiry has since been known as the “Bichard Inquiry”. He was appointed Chair of the Legal Services Commission in April 2005 and was Chair of the educational charity Rathbone. From 2008-2010 he served as Director of the Institute for Government. Professor Ian Bruce CBE 2004 For Services to charity
John Sydney Sutton CBE 1996 For services to Education John studied Politics and History at Keele University, where he obtained a degree, an MA and a Dip.Ed., later becoming a Head Teacher. John was active at a national level and his contribution to the improvements in the pay and conditions of Head Teachers, input into Acts of Parliament in the 1990s and cultivation of influential organisations such as the CBI and political parties, as well as improving relations with the teacher unions, was of great significance, earning him the CBE for services to education in 1996. Lord Michael Bichard KCB 1999, Life Peer 2010 Michael was appointed as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 1999 Birthday Honours. On the recommendation of the House of Lords Appointments Commission, he was created a life peer on 24 March 2010, as Baron Bichard, of Nailsworth in the County of Gloucestershire. He served as the Chief
Ian is Vice President of RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People). He is also founder and President of the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at City, University of London’s Cass Business School and founder Chair of the UK CIM’s (Chartered Institute of Marketing’s) Special Interest Group on Charity and Social Marketing. Previously he worked as Chief Executive of RNIB and Volunteering England, and Assistant Chief Executive of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Age Concern England. He has given university lectures worldwide and his book ‘Charity Marketing’ is in its fourth edition. He was made a Companion of the UK Chartered Management Institute and also given the Outstanding Achievement Awards of both
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the National and the UK Charity Awards. The KES annual charity prize is named after him. Richard Hucker MBE 2006 For services to British business in Iraq Richard received his MBE in the Queen’s 80th birthday honours list whilst working for British technology-based construction and engineering company Costain. At the time, Richard was heading up the Costain team responsible for construction and consultancy operations in the Kurdish region of Iraq, including the construction of an international airport and preparation of a 10-year development plan for the region. Sir Edward Penley Abraham CBE 1973, Life Peer 1980
Edward devoted his scientific career to the study of antibiotics. His outstanding achievement was the discovery of the Cephalosporin group. Returning to Oxford just before WWII he joined a team of scientists at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology undertaking a study of antibiotics. Their principal aim was to isolate penicillin in sufficient quantity to enable its efficacy to be demonstrated in humans. Abraham, along with Ernest Chain and Howard Florey, were studying the molecular structure in the hope that if an accurate chemical structure could be identified, then the molecule might be chemically synthesised in sufficient quantity to meet the needs of the armed forces. Two scientists independently deduced the correct structure for penicillin, one was Edward Abraham, the other Robert Burns Woodward but this was not independently confirmed until many years later by Dorothy Hodgkin using X-ray diffraction. Due to the fragility of the molecule total chemical synthesis remained elusive until the end of the 1950s despite several attempts. The culmination of his work, however, had global importance in terms of practical application of the molecule spawning a new generation of synthetic penicillin. Three Charitable Trust Funds were set up by Abraham to receive his royalties and King Edward’s has benefited substantially from his enormous
generosity over the years, including receiving money to build a new Science Block and ongoing donations to fund EPA Sixth Form science scholarships. Wing Commander Douglas John Barnes MBE 1966 (Royal Air Force)
Doug joined the Royal Air Force as a boy entrant, and trained to become an armourer. He was seconded to the Fleet Air Arm in Sussex. In 1941, Doug was sent out to the Far East where he served as an air gunner on the Singapore flying boats before being transferred to Ceylon and allocated to the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes. Doug survived the sinking of the Hermes and the continuing war and eventually came back to the UK in 1943. He returned to the RAF and gained a regular commission as an Engineering Officer; the role he performed for the rest of his career. He was awarded a military MBE for his conspicuous service while in Coastal Command.
as Chief of Staff in 2004; a job that saw him on various operations worldwide, including the tsunami relief effort, the civilian evacuation from Lebanon and command of the Op Herrick Prelim Ops deployment in Southern Afghanistan in 2005. In 2007 he was appointed to the position of Director Joint Commitments (Military), coordinating military policy for all overseas operations. After selection for Brigade command, he then commanded 3 Commando Brigade for their tour to Helmand in September 2008, followed by promotion and a tour as Chief of Defence Staff’s Strategic Communication Officer, focusing primarily on improving public awareness of the Afghanistan campaign. From 2010 to 2012 he served as Chief of Staff (Operations) at the Permanent Joint Headquarters, responsible for the conduct and capability of UK overseas operations. On promotion to 3* in January 2013, he assumed the position of Deputy Commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey. In July 2014, he became the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) in the MOD. David Hodson OBE 2014 For services to International Family Law
General Sir Gordon Kenneth Messenger KCB 2016, CB 2015, DSO 2009 OBE 2001 (Royal Navy)
General Sir Gordon Messenger joined the Royal Marines in 1983. After a range of junior officer appointments, predominantly in regimental service, he attended the Canadian Staff College in 1994. Two staff jobs followed, in the UK MOD and HQ Royal Marines, before he was appointed as Chief of Staff to 3 Commando Brigade in 1999; a tour that included an operational deployment to Kosovo. He commanded 40 Commando from 2001 to 2003, which included operational deployments to Afghanistan and Op Telic 1, the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. After a sabbatical in Geneva, he joined Joint Force Headquarters
David is a solicitor of England and Wales, qualifying in 1978, and has worked for almost all of his career in family law, specifically complex financial disputes and international aspects. He is a partner and co-founder at The International Family Law Group, a qualified mediator and also an arbitrator. He was the initiator and co-creator of the English family arbitration scheme. In the 1990s David was instrumental in the creation of the English Family Law Accreditation Scheme and cofounded the world’s first multi-disciplinary metropolitan family law practice, combining lawyers, mediators and counsellors. In 2007, he also co-founded the world’s first law firm dedicated to international families and their children and is the author of the leading textbook on international family law, now in 5th edition (2017). David also sits as a Deputy (part time) District Judge at the Central Family Court in London.
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Peter Astbury (KES 2005-2012)
Peter Astbury discovered a love for design during his A Level DT lessons at KES, and continued to pursue design as a career, firstly at Loughborough University, where he studied Industrial Design & Technology, and then professionally working as a contractor in User Experience. He subsequently founded, Astinno, a UK start-up company that is working on developing a product called Grace. Grace is a smart-bracelet designed to automatically detect and counter menopausal hot flushes. The company have just received funding from Innovate UK and are now partnered with Loughborough University and Morgan IAT to help them with testing and technical development over the next 12 months, making them one step closer to solving menopausal hot flushes with the device. Peter Astbury says, “Grace is a world first, using specialist cooling technology to automatically detect and counter debilitating menopausal hot flushes night and day. You don’t have to look hard to find someone who would benefit from Grace. Every year in the UK alone there are an estimated 300,000 women who start experiencing hot flushes. These figures are only set to rise. By 2025 it’s predicted that 12% of the entire world’s population will be directly affected. That’s 1 billion people. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that the hot flushes
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market is expected to rise to $16 billion in the next 7 years, one that Astinno is now well poised to enter. Historically, the menopause has been an under-funded and under-researched area of health with available solutions being broadly hormone-based or manually operated products. Astbury found that the menopause had been ignored by technology firms and that existing devices were ineffective in controlling a hot flush. For those experiencing night sweats, for example, consciously needing to activate a manual cooling product still results in being woken up time and time again, causing sleep deprivation. Less frequently discussed, chronic sleep deprivation is a common side effect of hot flushes and can have a serious impact on long-term health. The key to solving hot flushes is early detection, coupled with automated cooling and this is exactly what Astinno’s product Grace is designed to do”. Grace uses a specific range of sensors fine-tuned by algorithms which work to detect signs of a hot flush before it happens. The jewellery-like wearable then activates a localised cooling patch on your skin, working with your body naturally to counter the effects of the flush before it’s had a chance to develop, a sensation similar to running your wrists under cold water! The grant that Astinno, Morgan IAT and Loughborough University have
been awarded is part of Innovate UK’s SMART grants scheme which is renowned for being competitive. Of almost 1300 applications, under 100 are being funded, including Grace. Judges were impressed by the “truly innovative” product and recognised its potential to help the UK reach “a leading position in menopause science and technology”. Grace has already caught the eye of industry experts. The product has achieved success in innovation competitions, winning an AXA Health Tech & You Award (2018), being named National Runner Up for the James Dyson Award (2017) and being shortlisted for a D&AD Impact Award (2018). With the new funding, Hampshirebased company Morgan IAT becomes Astinno’s technical partner, working to refine the detection and cooling capability of Grace. Loughborough University joins the development team as a research partner on the grant project. Their staff at the prestigious National Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine department (NCSEM) will establish efficacy metrics around the newly developed technology. Together, the project team will demonstrate technical and commercial feasibility of the ground-breaking product throughout the next 12 months. www.gracecooling.com
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Virginia Stuart-Taylor (KES 2000-2007) years and with the support of leading organisations, WeAreTheCity has been able to highlight the achievements of over 650 women (550 in the UK, 100 in India) through the Rising Star Awards process. In June, Virginia was Head of the UK delegation to the G7 Youth Summit. It was due to be held in Washington DC as the US is the host of this year’s G7 summit, but was instead conducted virtually.
Virginia has had a very busy year! In May, she was announced as one of the winners of a WeAreTheCity 2020 Rising Star Award. Now in their seventh year, the Rising Star Awards are the first to focus on the achievements of women below Senior Management or Director level – representing the female talent pipeline and the next generation of future leaders. The awards also recognise the efforts of senior leaders who are championing gender equality, as well as putting the spotlight on a “company of the year” that is actively supporting its female talent pipeline above and beyond industry norms. Over the past six
Selected by the Future Leaders Network to lead the UK’s delegation, her role involved conducting consultations with youth via focus groups and surveys, as well as 2 months of weekly multilateral negotiations with other delegations from the G7 countries and the EU. In Virginia’s case, she represented the UK in the Peace & Security negotiations, working hard to reach agreement on recommendations to G7 Heads of
State regarding: disaster mitigation (including Covid-19) and climate security; cybersecurity; democratic resilience (including election integrity, misinformation and coercive economic diplomacy among others); human rights, gender and inclusion (including discriminatory policing, structural inequalities and gender equality). They also published timely statements to G7 leaders on the Covid-19 response and the Black Lives Matter movement, to ensure leaders take the youth’s view into account when taking decisions of major importance.
The summit concluded with representatives presenting their recommendations to the White House and later to Number 10 and other senior leaders in the UK’s diplomatic and governmental spheres. And this is all alongside her day job in the UK Civil Service as a Team Leader in bilateral UK-EU negotiations on Intellectual Property.
Staff Retirements Kevin Coundley History Department Kevin Coundley retired earlier this year after working at KES for 31 years following his arrival from Brighton College in 1989. He has inspired admiration, affection and reverence from generations of OE historians and is a man possessed of an endless fascination for, and encyclopaedic knowledge of, the past. His love of idiosyncrasy, matched with a calm and deeply felt sense of responsibility for his pupils, have made him a remarkable history teacher. He has also left his mark beyond the classroom; he has
been a meticulously well-organised academic and pastoral tutor, a hugely effective examinations administrator and organiser of Speech Day, a reliable and charming presence on innumerable school trips and an imaginative and highly successful steward of the Senior Historical Society. The Senior Historical Society, well-known for the academic quality of its talks from both internal and external speakers, is a vital part of the intellectual landscape at KES and, from September 2020, it will be renamed “The Coundley Historical Society” as a mark of gratitude from the department that Kevin served so well.
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Obituaries Ray Paull (KES 1945-1955) (Former Head of Biology at KES)
Ray left school in 1955 and completed his degree in Botany at Southampton University, graduating in 1959. He then returned to KES to take up a teaching post in the Biology Department becoming Head of Department 12 years later. Upon his retirement in 1994, he had spent a combined total of 45 years in the school. Sport played a huge role in Ray’s life. He was a talented hockey player, playing for the 1st team at school and university and for the OE Sunday side and a keen cricketer and golfer, becoming Captain of Stoneham Golf Club in 1991. Ray also loved Jazz music and was an enthusiastic gardener. In 2010 he suffered a severe stroke which left him struggling to communicate but, along with his wife, Pam, he remained active. Ray lived in Southampton his entire life and passed away peacefully at home on October 14th. He will be deeply missed by Pam and his children Susan and John and so many of the wider KES community.
Francis Godfrey Woolf (KES 1938-1946)
During his time at KES, Godfrey (as he was known) was Head Boy from 19451946. Upon leaving school, graduating from Southampton University in 1950 and following his Military Service in the Air Force, Godfrey taught physics at Portsmouth, Maidenhead and
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Chester City Grammar Schools. He became Head of the Middle School and then Deputy Head of the High School finding the pastoral side of his role the most rewarding. Once retired from teaching Godfrey worked for the Methodist Church in Ruislip. His life-long connection with Methodism started with the family’s membership of St. James’ Road Methodist Church in Southampton where he met Doreen, his wife of 67 years. Godfrey enjoyed researching his family tree and, along with his sister, wrote a short history of a forebearer entitled “‘Dear Franky’ The Life and Times of Francis Woolf (1740-1807)”. Godfrey and Doreen retired to Hayling Island where they remained active and he was a regular attendee at KES reunions. He leaves his wife, Doreen, two children, Christopher and Alison, his grandchildren and a great-grandson, Beau.
John Robert Reginald Simms (KES 1946-1952)
John joined the school in 1946 from Wells Cathedral College where he was a chorister. He completed his National Service in the Army and was sent to Egypt in charge of the NAAFI. He also learnt to drive a 3-tonne truck. Later, according to his friends, he continued to drive in a similar fashion even as a civilian driver. John qualified as a music teacher and taught for many years at Glen Eyre School in Southampton. He became a Freemason in the Woolston OE Lodge where he played the organ and was also an active member of PROBUS.
(also a former teacher at KES) were affectionately known as ‘Minnie and Micky’ during their time at the school. She will be sadly missed by her family and friends and the many students she helped over the course of her teaching career. Colin Churchill Dibben (KES 1945-1951)
Colin passed away in April aged 85. He was one of many from his family to attend KES including his father, Stanley, brother, Kenneth, and later his daughter, Claire. Colin joined the family firm William Dibben and Sons in 1951, a well-known builders’ merchants throughout Southern England established by his great grandfather in Southampton in 1874. He worked in various roles over the years, progressing to the Personnel Manager. In 1955, as part of his National Service, Colin served in Cyprus as an Army Physical Training Instructor during the Cyprus Emergency. He enjoyed keeping physically active, playing rugby at school and later for Trojan’s. Colin worked hard and was a family man with an optimistic, friendly and kind personality. He will be dearly missed by his wife, Mary, daughter, Claire and son-in-law, Golam.
Professor Justin Adrian Ivan Champion (KES 1973-1980)
Frances Eleanor Mason (Former teacher of History at KES) Frances passed away peacefully in October after a long battle with illness. She and her husband, Roy
Justin was born in Gloucester but his family moved to Southampton when he
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Sport was a child and Justin subsequently attended KES. He proceeded to Churchill College, Cambridge, where he completed undergraduate and research degrees. After Cambridge, he took up a lecturing post in Early Modern History at La Sainte Union before he moved to Royal Holloway, University of London where he remained for the rest of his career. As Head of the Department for History from 2005 to 2010 he established the MA in Public History, the first to run in the United Kingdom. He also led the College’s Magna Carta 2015 activity, and played a key role in Royal Holloway winning substantial Leverhulme funding to establish its Magna Carta Doctoral School. He was as an outstanding historian, an exceptional communicator, and an effective teacher who will be much missed by his family and friends. Justin was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2014 and died in June 2020, at the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, aged 59.
Joe House (KES 1939-1945) Joe House was one of seven siblings and died in the same house in Shirley in which he was born. In 1939 he was evacuated from KES to Poole Grammar School and after a period as a sergeant in the Royal Army Education Corps, he became a PE and religious instruction teacher in London, before moving back to Southampton in the 70s to care for his father. A former teacher at Glen Eyre/Cantell School, he led London school boys in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics in 1948, kayaked down the River Wye in the UK and the Rivers Moselle and Rhine in Germany, sailed to the Isle of Wight on a dinghy his brother had built and went mountaineering in Scotland, Wales and the Lake District. He also travelled extensively in Europe, Russia and the USA and had a keen interest in photography. Joe was a lifelong bachelor, a keen church goer and dedicated member of the City Life Church congregation. He was a muchloved brother, uncle and friend and died aged 91.
The Annual Triangular Golf Match 2020 Between the Old Edwardians, Old Symondians and Old Tauntonians As with so many things, the COVID-19 virus affected this year’s Triangular competition forcing it to be postponed in June. The match finally took place on Wednesday 23rd September at Hockley Golf Club. OE Captain, Nick Creal, led off the team in the 71st playing of the Triangular game. He generously gave his opponents a 4-hole and 3-hole advantage but, as the weather worsened, he fought back to defeat his OS opponent 4 and 2 but succumbed to the OT captain, who shot a 1 over par round on the 17th. David Creal, in the number two spot, struggled in the rain and wind but fought valiantly taking his games to the 16th and 17th but suffered defeats in both matches. Ali Cheyne, a last-minute call up, had a titanic match with the OS side before holing a tricky putt on the last to claim a half, but conceding 9 shots was too much to overcome and he lost out to the OTs. Andrew McNaught dented the OTs by securing a hard-fought point, but with both players being vanquished by the OSs, hopes were not looking good with the half way score standing at OEs: 2.5/ OSs: 5.5/ OTs: 4. Howard Hilliker, fresh from a lengthy break from golf, then provided the spark with 2 stunning wins to reduce the deficit and playing through some of the worse weather in his opening holes. Guy Bewick secured an important point but with both him and the OS player conceding a vast number of shots, the OTs began to mount a comeback. Rob Putt managed to gain 2 vital points in the 7th game but the OTs managed to grab 1, meaning that with just the final match still out on the course, all 3 sides were still in with a chance of victory. Steve Potter won a crucial half point off the OSs but the OTs were inspired and secured a win on the 18th hole to claim the final 2 points and, with it, the cup for the first time since 2011.
The final score was: OEs: 8 points, OSs: 7 points and OTs: 9 points A great day was had by all the players who played some excellent games. The course was in good condition softened by the rain, and everyone enjoyed the socially distanced food and company afterwards.
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Snippets Arev Melikyan (KES 2013-2020)
Jordan Florit (KES 2005-2012)
Edd Clay (KES 2002-2009)
has won the Salter’s-Nuffield 2020 Advanced Biology A Level award. He will receive a cash prize of £200 and be invited to receive his award virtually at the Salters’ Institute Annual Awards ceremony.
has just had his first book published called Red Wine & Arepas: How Football is Becoming Venezuela’s Religion. Part travelogue, part sports book, part love letter to an embattled nation, his book brings modern Venezuela to life through events on and off its football pitches. His motivation for this project is a belief that a country, society, or culture should not be so narrowly defined to the point at which there is just one prevailing narrative. In October 2019, Jordan travelled alone to Venezuela in the middle of political and economic crisis and toured the country with his GCSE Spanish. He believes that football is a great way of understanding a country’s characteristics, sociopolitical makeup, and psyche and can give valuable insight into different aspects of its social fabric and help explain its unique idiosyncrasies.
is a Television Producer and has been working in the broadcast industry since 2012. He has worked on shows such as ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, ‘Sport Relief’, ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’ and ‘Flirty Dancing’, having started on ‘The Voice UK’ whilst it was at the BBC. Earlier this year he faced the challenge of working on ‘The Big Night In’ combining the need to work remotely with live TV!
Sam Thompson, Paddy Keith and Henry Gwilliam (KES 2013-2020) and their band Donny Brook released their first single, ‘She Knows’ on Spotify in June!
Ameena Hamid (KES 2011-2018) is currently studying at LSE. Alongside her degree she is running a theatrical production company and is looking to raise investment for a couple of end-of-year projects for which she will be the Associate Producer. One of these will make her the joint youngest producer on the West End and the youngest woman by ten years, while the other is a touring production starting at Sheffield Crucible.
Romily Clark (KES 2010-2017) graduated from UCL this summer with a first-class degree having been awarded a prize in the first year. She will now proceed to Oxbridge to complete a Master’s degree.
Lionel Coates (KES 1959-1967) was due to have an exhibition of his work at County Clare Museum in June but sadly this has been delayed. However, he has a new website that showcases his artwork. www.lionelcoates.com
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Daniel Sawyer (KES 2000-2007) has just published his first book, Reading English Verse in Manuscript, c.1350–c.1500, with Oxford University. He is also a contributor to Book Parts, also from OUP.
Hugo Lewkowicz (KES 2002-2007) is currently working for a PhD in Public Health - modelling the spread of diseases in close contact environments. In summer he took part in a public engagement programme working with schools to get the pupils in contact with scientists.
Michael Lewis (KES 1964-1971) is now an Archbishop by virtue of being Primate of the Anglican Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East since November 2019. His diocese remains Cyprus and the Gulf - from Iraq to the Yemen and from Cyprus to Oman but he now also has responsibilities in the countries of the Levant - Israel/ Palestine, Syria, the Lebanon, Iran and Jordan.
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Patrick Kendrick (KES 1997-2004)
Derek Collinson (KES 1944-1951)
Roger Helmer (KES 1955-1962)
is a freelance EU-accredited conference interpreter and broadcast journalist based in Milan, Italy, specialising in football interpreting. He resumed freelancing in 2019 after 18 months as International Editor for Inter Milan’s club channel Inter TV. He is currently covering Serie A and the Coppa Italia international feeds for Infront Sports and international matches in London, and has recently been doing some work with BT Sport. www.patrickkendrick.com
is trying to trace his old school friend Geoffrey Jackson. Geoffrey was last known to be living in the south of France. If you have any knowledge of Geoffrey’s whereabouts, please contact the Development Office on edwardians@kes.hants.sch.uk
has recently (as a pastime during lockdown) started recording short poems and posting them on YouTube. He recently got his first request (for a Larkin poem) that was actually from a former pupil of KES Master Ken Pike. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ql4WopmI23Y
Chris Baglee (KES 1959-1966) is now freelancing as a Conservation and Inspecting Architect for 20 churches in Northumberland and for a number of bastles and castles in the National Park. He has also been appointed a trustee of the Friends of the Union Chain Bridge on the River Tweed, which is the world’s oldest suspension bridge still carrying vehicular traffic.
Bijia Wu (KES 2008-2015) is now a semi-professional alto and part of VERSA, an allfemale contemporary a cappella group based in London. They will be performing alongside top international artists Take6 and The London Adventist Chorale on 13th December as part of the ‘Live from London’ Christmas Festival. www.versaacappella.com
Merchandise
Reunions
The School has a range of Edwardian merchandise for sale.
Sadly, we had to cancel all the reunions planned for the 2020 summer and autumn terms but we will resume organising and hosting our OE events as soon as it is possible.
This includes bespoke gold or silver plated cufflinks, (which come in individual presentation boxes and make ideal gifts), school scarves, ties and a number of books on the history of the School. To purchase any of these items please visit the KES PAY section of the main school website. payments.kes.hants.sch.uk/shop
The Class of 2010 – 10 year reunion, that should have taken place this month, will either be rescheduled for later this academic year or will be held as a joint event with the Class of 2011 in November next year.
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King Edward VI School Wilton Road Southampton Hampshire SO15 5UQ Tel: 023 8070 4561 www.kes.hants.sch.uk