Issue 18
Forthcoming Reunions Edwardians v KES 1st XI Cricket Team
London Universities Reunion Dinner
26th April 2014 at 1.00 pm KES, Hill Lane
1970-1975 Leavers’ Reunion 9th May 2014 at 7.30 pm KES, Hospitality Suite
Poole Veterans’ Reunion 8th June 2014 at 12.00 pm KES, Dining Hall
William Capon Club Dinner 20th June 2014 at 6.30 pm KES, Hospitality Suite
Pre 1939 Leavers’ Luncheon 26th June 2014 at 12.00 pm KES, Hospitality Suite
On Friday 14th March the School held a reunion dinner at The Charing Cross Hotel in London for those alumni currently studying at London Colleges.
For further details of any of the above events, please contact edwardians@kes.hants.sch.uk or ring 023 8070 4561
Update us with your contact details Please help us to stay in touch by sending us your current postal address, email and mobile. This will assist us in staying in contact with you and ensuring you receive information and invitations to the relevant reunion events. Please email us at: edwardians@kes.hants.sch.uk giving your full name and date of birth.
Join our KES network group on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home =&gid=3762995&trk=anet_ug_hm
King Edward VI School Wilton Road . Southampton . Hampshire SO15 5UQ Telephone: 023 8070 4561
www.kes.hants.sch.uk 1
From the Editor In February a large number of nervous looking Year 6 Junior School pupils spent their Saturday morning sitting their entrance exams whilst, at the other end of School, the Sixth Formers are busy preparing for final examinations. The cycle continues as new children prepare to join the Edwardian community and others prepare to depart for pastures new.
Over the past few weeks we have seen the water subside at the bottom left hand corner of the School Playing Field at the Hill Lane site as the rain has become less frequent. This has coincided with a return of the students’ enthusiasm for games lessons as the sun has emerged! However, the School has remained largely unscathed despite the storms and rain this winter and life continues to be busy and eventful at KES.
Since the last edition of the magazine we have hosted a further three reunions. In November the annual 10 year reunion (this time for the Class of 2003) proved very popular whilst, at the end of February the 1978 joiners spent a very enjoyable evening reminiscing with some guests travelling from as far away as UAE and Thailand to attend their 30 year reunion. In March, the Charing Cross Hotel was the venue for the London Universities reunion dinner and the Edwardian girls’ netball team yet again faced the KES 1st team in their annual match the following day! Plans are well under way for the summer events which will this year include a dinner for our William Capon
Club members as well as our annual Poole Veterans’ and Pre 1939 leavers’ luncheons. We continue to be extremely grateful to those of you who so generously support the King Edward VI Foundation either by way of donations or legacy gifts. This year the school has been able to offer fourteen places to children who without this financial assistance would not have been able to take up places at the School. We continue in our efforts to raise money for the Foundation and in turn increase the amount of bursarial support available. This year sees the centenary anniversary of the start of World War I and in this edition we remember all of those from the immediate and wider Edwardian community who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in this and subsequent conflicts.
Suzanne Hooper Development Officer
From the Head The extraordinarily wet weather this term has certainly presented some challenges; there has been no flooding on the School site but plenty of leaks including what appeared to be a waterfall in the number 2 squash court as a gulley gave way under water pressure. In spite of the deluge we have managed to sustain a full sporting programme with relatively few cancellations. The addition of a new Director of Sport has helped to deepen our provision with many new B and even some C teams representing KES. Our academic results have never been better, reinforced by another strong set of 12 Oxbridge offers, evenly distributed between the two universities. This sustains our figure of over 10% of the Sixth Form proceeding to these two institutions over the past decade. It has been fun meeting a range of OEs of all ages over the past term including a strong representation from the 1978 entry and a lively evening with those currently attending university in London. We look forward to many more of these occasions over the coming months.
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The development of the School’s site continues at great pace. We now have full possession of the Wellington Sports facilities following the departure of Portsmouth Football Club. We have refurbished the pavilion, improved car parking and will be building a new balcony overlooking the 1st XV pitch for next season. Much work has also gone into the re-development of our recently acquired preparatory school at Stroud in Romsey including a new dining hall and additional classrooms. There are two farewells to note at the end of this term. Mr Putt is retiring, having taught at KES for nearly 38 years. He is a mathematics teacher of distinction and a strong supporter of KES cricket but his principal role for the past decade has been as our Deputy Head (Registrar) and, before that, the Head of Lower School. We wish him well with his retirement and the opportunity to improve his golf handicap. Miss Peachment is leaving our PE department to move to Cornwall after twenty years at the School. She has been instrumental in the establishment of a very
effective programme of girls’ games as well as being an excellent teacher and tutor. Both members of staff will be greatly missed. The King Edward VI Foundation continues to provide support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds so that they can benefit from an education at King Edward’s. Further details may be obtained from the School through Ms Hooper or via the website. As ever we are grateful to the OE Association for its support of the School’s activities and to our staff who organise reunions of various sorts, particularly Ms. Hooper as Development Officer.
AJ Thould Head
News from the School Honey Tasting Visiting apiarist and former pupil Dave Norris brought a selection of honeys in to school one February lunchtime for students to taste. Students were surprised at how each honey displayed a very different taste and colour depending on the flowers the bees had visited to collect their nectar. The school beehive is tended regularly by a small group of keen KES enthusiasts under the watchful eye of Mr Robinson.
Playing for England
Flute Quartet Success
Yvie Lock and Tomek Bruml have both been selected for the respective U16 England hockey squads for this season and will play for England during the 6 nations tournament.
Girls in Engineering
Congratulations to the Flute Quartet who have progressed to the final of the Pro Corda National Chamber Music Competition. They gave an outstanding rendition of the 2nd and 3rd movements of Ian Clarke’s Curves and the judges were full of praise for their sense of professionalism and advanced sense of ensemble. One of the moderators commented that their performance “transcended into the extraordinary.”
Congratulations to Ali Diaper, Danni Clapcott, Hazel Webb, Emma Falconer and Olivia Wood who finished runners-up in the Talent 2030 National Schools Engineering Competition for Girls run by the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB). They were one of just fifteen teams nationally to get the opportunity to display their engineering prowess at the NEC in Birmingham during the “Big Bang Fair” on 15th March where they also received their runners-up certificates. 3
Springwatch at KES In March, the Junior Science department were delighted to announce the arrival of twelve fluffy yellow chicks! The department hatched the eggs in an incubator as part of the reproduction topic studied in the First Year and the newcomers immediately attracted a big fan club from First Year pupils through to Sixth Formers! The chicks came from a smallholding in Bournemouth and were returned there when they were ten days old and had outgrown their KES home.
U16s are Hampshire Cup Champions On 26th February the U16 rugby team played against Oaklands Catholic School and Sixth Form College in the Hampshire Schools U16 Cup Final. Due to the recent bad weather the side had not been able to train on grass since before Christmas and this reflected in their performance. A number of uncharacteristic errors gave Oaklands the upper hand in the early exchanges and they led by eight points to five at half time. However, the second half saw an improved performance by the KES U16 side in which they scored ten unanswered points to deservedly win the match by fifteen points to eight and become the first team from King Edward VI School to lift the Hampshire Schools RFU Under 16 Cup.
Spring Concert The second of this term’s Spring Concerts was held at Turner Sims on 19th March. The evening showcased the School’s advanced musicians in the Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Big Band and Chamber Choir and music ranged from Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano Concert to Billy Strayhorn’s Take the A Train. There were a number of outstanding solos and chamber items to complete the programme.
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We Will Remember Them… As 2014 marks the centenary anniversary of the start of WW1, King Edward’s remembers those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Names displayed on the wooden memorial plaque in King Edward VI School Commemoration Room.
W. Anderson G.L. Annett J. Baird H.G.W. Beadle G.H. Brierley S.J. Browne F.W. Burt B.W. Cherrett C.S. Clulee H. Cox G. Dibben J.H. Dixon W.J. Dodridge W. Douglas T.M. Dow F.J. Drew C.D. Early
P.E. Edkins F.C. Emanuel E.L. Gutteridge F.S. Harris O.J. Hobbs G.S. Holbeck A. James W.W. Kilby C.P. Lukis C.W.F. Lukis A.S. MacLauchlan J.G. Martin A.S. Maynard C.L. Mitchener E.J. Mitchener
R.J.D. Mowatt S.T.A. Neil C.W.Pain L.W. Pinhorn E.R. Porter C.W.J. Reynolds W.W. Sharland R.D. Stroud A.R. Tarrant P.B. Thomson L.T. Thornback C.T. Vaughan L.R. Warn A.G. S. Webb G.H. Wedderburn P.J. Weston A.F. Wolfe
1914 – 1918 Erected by Old Edwardians in memory of school fellows who fell in the Great War
Extract from Sotoniensis 1923 on the unveiling of the School War Memorial On Founder’s Day, June 4, at noon, the School War Memorial was unveiled by Major-General the Right Hon. J.E.B. Seely, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., LordLieutenant of Hampshire, and dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Winchester. Among those who were present at the service were the Mayor and Sheriff of Southampton, the Chairman of the Governors and many other members of the Governing Body, and Colonel E.K. Perkins, C.B.E., M.P. The Lord-Lieutenant was received on his arrival at the School by a Guard of Honour of the Cadet Corps. The Service was arranged to introduce the compositions of several old boys of the School – the General Thanksgiving by Bishop Reynolds, the hymn “For all Thy Saints, O Lord,” by Bishop Mant, and “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” by Dr. Watts. The lesson from the Book of Wisdom was read by Danbury as Captain of the School. Alderman Kimber, Chairman of the Old Edwardians Committee, in asking the Lord-Lieutenant to unveil the Memorial, said that it was the desire of the committee to commemorate the sacrifice of the Old Edwardians in as simple and dignified a way as possible. It was not inappropriate that one who had been intimately associated with the school should design the memorial and Col. Gutteridge, who had also made his mark in the war, had carried out the wishes of the committee, and had designed a beautiful memorial which would live on.
During the war of 1914-1918 it was scarcely possible at any school to keep a list of old boys who were serving in the forces of the Crow, with any certainty that it was complete. Many must have fought without any information of the fact being conveyed to the school authorities either by themselves or their relations, and for King Edward’s School the total number was no doubt larger than that of the names that were shown.” Taken from ‘A History of King Edward VI School Southampton’ by C.F.Russell, printed 1940.
The Lord-Lieutenant unveiled the tablet: “To the glory of God, and in grateful and lasting memory of the Old Boys of this school who laid down their lives in the Great War,” and the prayers of dedication were said by the Bishop. The Roll of Honour was then read by the Headmaster, and the buglers sounded the “Last Post” and “Reveille.” 5
Michael Freemantle (KES 54-61)
A passion for chemistry My passion for chemistry, particularly my passion for teaching the subject and writing about it, stems from my days at KES. I left school in 1961 with A-levels in chemistry, physics, and mathematics. After graduating with an honours degree in chemistry at Exeter University in 1964, I went on to do a Ph.D. at Birkbeck College, London University. My research focused on the use of the latest spectroscopic techniques to investigate the chemistry of carbohydrates. I then spent a couple of years at Oxford University as a post-doctoral research fellow in chemistry. After leaving Oxford, I went into the chemical industry working as a development chemist and then a plant manager. Between 1971 and 1985, I taught chemistry at various levels both here in the U.K. and abroad. They included six years teaching chemistry at Cranbourne School, Basingstoke, and prior to that four years as Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University in Jordan, Amman. The work in Jordan was part of the British Overseas Development Ministry’s aid programme for the country. While teaching, I began to write books about chemistry. My first was published by Oxford University Press in 1975. Ten years later, I left teaching altogether to work for the International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry which, at the time, was based in Oxford. My duties there included editing the union’s news magazine Chemistry International. In 1994, I was appointed European Science Editor of Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society. Following my retirement from the magazine in 2007, I was invited to take up a position as Science Writer in Residence at Queen’s University Belfast. This part-time post continued for three years until 2010 during which time I wrote newsletters and press releases for the university and also another book on chemistry, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry in November 2009. In July 2009, my wife Mary and I took a short break and visited the First World War battlefields, museums, memorials, and cemeteries in and around Ypres, Belgium. I soon discovered that although the war was sometimes called “the chemists’ war,” there was not one book that brought together all the different aspects of the chemistry of the war. I therefore decided to write such a book, not just for the many chemists who are interested in the war but also for the general reader. After more than three years work, including a couple of years of research into the topic, my book ‘Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! How Chemistry Changed the First World War’ appeared. It was published in the U.K. by The History Press in hardcover in September 2012, and as a paperback in November 2013. The first part of the title is taken from
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a line in British war poet Wilfred Owen’s famous poem about gas poisoning: Dulce et Decorum Est. However, only one chapter in my book is devoted to chemical warfare. Other chapters focus on explosives, shells and grenades, metals, khaki dyes, the care of the sick and wounded, and the use of antiseptics and disinfectants to fight the spread of infectious diseases in the trenches. At the Imperial War Museum in October 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron introduced plans for Britain to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War and commemorate some of the battles that took place during the war. He called for “a commemoration that captures our national spirit in every corner of the country, from our schools and workplaces, to our town halls and local communities.”Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914. Between then and the Armistice on 11 November 1918 an estimated 15 million people died as a result of the war. The toll includes not only battlefield fatalities but also military and civilian deaths resulting from starvation, disease, and other causes. This industrial-scale slaughter could not have occurred without the industrial-scale production of a vast variety of chemicals. They included high explosives such as lyddite and trinitrotoluene (TNT) for shells, cordite and other propellants for firing the shells, and poison gases such as chlorine and phosgene. In one battle alone, the Battle of the Somme (1 July-18 November 1916), the British and German armies fired a total of 30 million shells at an average of almost 150 per minute. Paradoxically, chemicals were used not just to kill, maim, and destroy, they were also used to protect and help care for troops. For example, steel, a material that contains the chemical elements iron and carbon, was used not only to manufacture guns but also to make protective helmets for the infantry and armour for tanks and battleships. Another chemical element, chlorine, was employed as a lethal chemical warfare agent throughout the war and at the same time as a purifying agent for the drinking water supplied to the armed forces. Nitroglycerine was used not only as an explosive but also as a drug for heart disease. Anaesthetics such as chloroform and ether, two relatively simple chemicals, and painkillers such as morphine, a chemical that occurs naturally in the opium poppy, were used extensively in the war. The chemistry of the war therefore proved to be a double-edged sword. It was used not only as a destructive instrument of war but also for protection, for preventing the spread of disease, and for healing sick and wounded soldiers. In his speech in October 2012, the Prime Minister anticipated that the centenary of the war would “provide the foundation upon which to build an enduring cultural and education legacy” for young people. Hopefully, that legacy will include an increased awareness of the futility of “the chemists’ war” and at the same time inspire students to study chemistry and its peaceful benefits. Michael Freemantle
The Stormy Blast Peter Jones (former KES teacher and Director of Sixth Form) left KES in 2012 and has set up his own bespoke tour company that includes individual tours of the WWI battlefields. (www.singlesteptours.com) His interest in this particular period of history has also led him to write a book which was recently published by Natula. Entitled, ‘The Stormy Blast’, the book follows the stories of five members of the KES community who lost their lives on the Western Front. A hundred years on, it gives an insight into the realities of war for the school’s pupils and teachers, at home and on the battlefields. Signed copies of Peter’s book can now be published via the Alumni merchandise shop at the cost of £7 which includes postage and packaging.
Reunions Class of 2003 – 10 year reunion
November 2013 saw the 10 year reunion for the Class of 2003 take place in the new Hospitality Suite at KES. The event was well attended and provided a chance for nearly 40 former pupils, their partners and KES staff to catch up with the news of the past decade! A moment of solemnity was reserved during the evening to spare a thought for Robert Twigg (former Deputy Head of School 2003) who tragically died in a car accident whilst in the Upper Sixth and is still remembered fondly by those who were present.
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1978 cohort – 30 year reunion
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Gordon Irish (KES 78-84) It’s 1983 and I sit back with my co Sixth Formers at King Edward’s to review the newly completed edition 241 of Sotoniensis. As one of the sub-editors I’m pleased to have got all my 36 entries in on time. Jerry Minns has done likewise with all the sports reports, as has Rich Tapper covering societies and drama. Alan Velecky is the main editor and we proudly proofread the final copy. One thing strikes me though; I’ve been too busy chasing my entries to put in an article myself. Even my best buddies have contributed….Nick Baker and Alistair Shires have reviewed our ski trip to Les Menuires, where we had a big snow ball fight against our German counterparts in the sleeping complex and Steve Brown (my best friend from the age of 4) had written a humorous review of our Economic History Field Trip to Iron Bridge. We’re proud of our efforts, made all the more unique by some great cartoon artwork of various teachers by Keith Miller. A few months on and the class of 1978 would soon complete their A Levels and say their goodbyes to the school, their friends and teachers in the summer of 1984. And so we forward wind a full 30 years to the recent 1984 Leavers’ Reunion. I must admit to harbouring the same feeling of excitement, yet slight nervousness, that I felt walking through those Kellett Road gates for the first time back in September 1978. Yet this time I drive through the Wilton Road entrance and along what used to be the school playing field area that split the 1st and 2nd XI sports pitches. Where have these tennis courts come from? The long jump pit used to be there! Having left the Southampton area in 1986, and bar keeping in occasional touch with my mate Steve, I literally hadn’t seen anyone else for 30 years but as familiar faces entered the room, the handshakes and chatter quickly got into full gear…even a selection of our old teachers joined the party and, quite frustratingly, hardly looked a day older than when they last taught us. Meeting some of my old and best school chums was a thrill and it seemed like yesterday as we recalled many a tale from our school days. After food, drinks and a look at some old Sotoniensis copies and school photos, we’re off on the tour of the old school. First off, it’s through the Dining Hall and kitchen area. There was no canteen in our day but simply a small hatch that served those big metal jugs of pink custard as we balanced on the long wooden benches during 1st or 2nd sitting. Then on to the Assembly Hall which, of everything that night, did seem and feel just the same, as if time had stood still for the past 30 years. On we go down the right hand corridor which housed the Lower School rooms in our day. Door 3 used to be L3 where our first ever tutor group was in Lake with Kevin Fitzpatrick. It was KAF’s first day at school too back in 1978 and he never worked out that the constant tossing of his keys gave away the fact he was about to enter the room….or did he? Onwards past the old language lab and we recall another teacher, Mr Manning, who used to give away his imminent arrival at German lesson with his audibly squeaky shoes. We move on past Room 13, where dear Mr Pike took a few of us in A7 Sixth Form tutor group and on to where we used to play a mass game of football with a tennis ball outside, opposite the old gyms and using the now inside pillars as the goal posts. The ball often got lost on the roof of the gyms and the culprit would have to fetch it even though it was a clear detention
offence… or worse. One day, the dreaded Mr Hartley appeared at just the wrong time and one poor soul spent a full lesson after break time stuck up there hiding away! We reach what is now the very large Sports Hall that was previously the woodwork room and tennis courts. This reminds us of one of a number of appropriate teachers’ names from those days; Mr Glew taught woodwork, Messrs Long and Broad taught art, Mr Merriman the music teacher, Dr Spillett for chemistry and, best of all, Mr Dumper as the school groundsman! At the now luxury Sixth Form area we recall a few stories of some slightly naughty misdemeanours; one of our cohort hiding on the window sill behind the curtains in a lesson taken by Mr Walter that he wasn’t meant to be in, the heating up of old 5p coins over the bunsen burners in science, before throwing them out of the window for the First Years to excitedly pick up as they passed by...only to hear the squealing of burnt fingers and finally that infamous April Fool’s day when Miss Cawte’s little Fiat 500 was bumped across the grass and parked in one of the hockey goals. Punishment rightly followed in some cases and thankfully a sense of humour also occasionally prevailed but we’d never condone anything like this today of course!! Back we go down the upper corridor and into the staff room off the main stair case. We never of course got to see that room in our day, although the likes of the 1st XI cricket team often did their best to smash the window with a straight hit six from the main square. We move back into one of the music rooms for a final reminisce and I recall joining the school choir back in 1978, during which time we made a record, recorded some programmes for Sunday Half Hour and were conducted by Derek Nimmo in front of the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square. Some great experiences, although I admit that my loyalty to the choir was partly to get out of Friday’s winter games afternoons doing cross-country on the common. However even when I did, it was not unknown for some of us to catch the occasional no.47 Hants and Dorset bus up the Avenue to give us a little helping hand towards Birch Road? And finally, we make our way back to the Hospitality Suite via the science block where, in 1984, the first ever computer room was set up to house some very basic BBC computers. Oh….how things have changed! In fact, our time at the school was itself a period of change; the creation of the central classroom block in the main school quadrangle, the building of the science block itself, the purchase of Wide Lane for playing sports matches away from the school grounds, not to mention that our first year was the last entry before the school became independent and our last year was the very first ever intake of girls into the Lower Sixth. So there we were, with time ticking towards 11pm and the caretaker prowling around to lock up. Our time had come and gone but it was a special night for what genuinely for all of us had been a special school and a special time in our lives. A few of us kept the night going a bit longer down in lower Southampton and I do hope some of us will now keep in touch and that it won’t be another 30 years before we do the same again. The evening really did stir the memories in all the best ways and, at last, I can now relieve myself of that guilt felt back in 1983…..I’ve finally made a written contribution!! Gordon Irish
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David Cox (KES 74-81) What exactly does a diplomat do?
I am not one of those people who knew from the first year at KES what I wanted to be when I “grew up”. Indeed, right up to the Easter holiday of my final year at university I had absolutely no idea what I might be doing six months later. A series of interviews but mainly a dollop of fate saw me, in late August 1984, turn up at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on the first day of what was to become a 26 year career in the Diplomatic Service. What exactly does a ‘diplomat’ do? Good question and I’m not entirely sure I can come up with a concise answer. The fun ones include someone who goes abroad to lie for their country, someone who can cut your throat without you realising it and, my favourite, someone who is able to tell you to ‘go to hell’ in such a way that you actually look forward to the journey. Those aside, and in the broadest terms, the job of a British diplomat is to represent the UK (its values, its traditions, government policies and positions on international issues) and to report back on what is happening in the country to which you are posted. We also find ourselves looking after British (and occasionally Commonwealth) citizens in trouble and, unfortunately, having to repatriate the remains of Britons who die abroad. My postings took me to some interesting places. Australia 1986 – 88 with six months in Fiji in 1987; Pakistan 1989 – 92; Cambodia 1993; Angola 1995 – 99 and back to Pakistan from 2002 – 04. In between, working in London, I found myself dealing with matters as diverse as European Fisheries, the Antarctic, Hong Kong, Africa, South America and even the Falkland Islands. I did not join the FCO to witness the familiar so it was really my temporary posting to Fiji in May 1987 which started my journey into the new and interesting. Fiji had just experienced its first military coup so the UK wanted to beef-up its diplomatic presence and it was easier to send someone from our High Commission in Canberra than someone from London. What followed was a surreal six months. This was the most wonderfully friendly country: visiting remote villages as a British diplomat I found myself feted and invited to have dinner with local dignitaries. Yet this was also a place where, following the coup, a sizeable portion of the population was living in a degree of fear. These were interesting times for a young and green British official. It was also where I ‘met’ the British press for the first time: sought out by journalists, both on the ground and by telephone from London,
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seeking my ‘off the record’ take on what was going on. I recall a couple of telephone interviews from London when, at the start of the second, the journalist routinely informed me that “at least your family will know you’re safe – your voice led off our bulletin on the evening news last night.” I suppose I should have been flattered; in fact I was terrified in case I’d said something I shouldn’t have done. Moral of the story – always assume that a journalist has a tape-recorder whirring away somewhere. It’s a lesson still not learned by countless politicians.
Fiji was also where I first met the peculiar demands of the Briton abroad. I was the High Commission duty officer one evening when I was telephoned, at about 0100 in the morning, by someone asking me for the broadcast frequencies for the BBC World Service. I felt like asking why this could not wait until the next day but I was politeness itself. I was less polite the next morning when, at the same time, he called again to complain that his radio reception wasn’t very good, and what was I going to do about it? I suggested that he buy a bigger aerial. Whilst on this subject I recall being approached, on Christmas Day but this time in Africa, by a Commonwealth citizen who complained that he’d been robbed of about $3,000 which had been hidden in his shoe. I had to swallow hard in order not to ask the obvious – (a) surely $3,000 in his shoe wouldn’t leave much room for his foot and (b) what on earth was he doing walking around with that much money? Such incidents require exquisite politeness regardless of the circumstances.
I spent five and a half years in Pakistan, spread over two postings. It is a wonderful, fascinating and frustrating country (and many more adjectives besides). Born in the dichotomy of the bloodshed of partition and yet the hope of a new nation it is a country defined for years by mutual hostility with its eastern neighbour, India. When I arrived, in early 1989, it had just passed from years of military dictatorship to an era of uncertain democracy. Benazir Bhutto was prime minister when I arrived, only to be dismissed by the president and replaced following new elections by Nawaz Sharif. That was 25 years ago. Today Sharif is once again prime minister, the opposition is headed up by the Bhutto family and there has been a military dictatorship in the interim. Between 1989 and 1992, my first posting, diplomatic business was dominated by what was happening in Afghanistan: the Soviet backed regime was on its last legs and noone was sure what would happen when it fell and was replaced by a truly Afghan government. Today …, well, you get my point.
Pakistan was a professional challenge and a personal pleasure. Northern Pakistan is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Again, as a British diplomat I found myself made welcome and invited into people’s homes. In one village, Shimshal, which (in 1991) could only be reached by a two day trek or by helicopter, I was literally taken into every house and offered food. But sadly by 2002 such treks were almost impossible for the fear of terrorist training camps hidden nearby. During my second posting I was able to witness the spectacle of the “closing of the border” at the Wagga Crossing between Pakistan and India. Possibly one of the most militarised border crossings in the world, every night at 1800 these two nations stage what is effectively a contest as to who can lower its flag with the most pomp and circumstance. Crowds on either side sit in specially built stadia cheering its military on as the salutes are taken and the two gates closed. I was only in Cambodia for a short period during the UN sponsored elections in 1993. As a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, the UK has a significant role during major UN operations and so, for the period of the elections, the British Mission needed extra staff. Cambodia has an awful history. There is nothing to prepare you for seeing a glass tower containing over 9,000 skulls, arranged by size, marking the site of just one of the “Killing Fields”. Nor can you really be prepared for the sight of hundreds of portrait photographs of some of the victims of the Khmer Rouge taken just moments before they were led outside to a death they knew was coming. Yet I have a number of wonderful memories of those six months including witnessing UN volunteers from all over the world, including many from the UK, literally risking life to ensure that elections could take place freely and fairly and experiencing the privilege of walking around one of the Wonders of the World – Angkor Wat, a vast temple complex in the interior of Cambodia. Today you can get a tourist flight there from Thailand; when I visited the only other people present were Buddhist monks.
Anyone who has spent time in Africa will tell you that it gets into your blood. I was posted to the British Embassy in Luanda, Angola in 1995 and returned home four years later. The country, a former Portuguese colony, was granted independence in 1974 following years of struggle against the Portuguese and immediately moved into a Civil War as the two major parties fought for control of their new country. The MPLA, based primarily on the coastal strip, became the internationally recognised government but was vigorously opposed by UNITA which was largely based in the interior. The Civil War became part of the Cold War with the MPLA receiving support from Cuba and UNITA from the South Africans (Apartheid South Africa). In a perverse piece of good luck Angola was (is) blessed with huge mineral resources in the form of vast oil reserves and copious diamond deposits. This meant that both sides in the conflict had near limitless sources of finance. During my four years the country was under a UN backed peace programme with both sides theoretically integrating at the civil, political and military levels. Again, those four years were a wonderful professional challenge.
I had seen poverty in Pakistan, but I had never witnessed true poverty before I visited Angola. Side by side with the wealthy suburbs of Luanda was the biggest shanty-town I had ever seen. Houses, constructed of little more than pieces of corrugated metal leaning against other pieces of corrugated metal, providing accommodation for thousands of people. But for the most part, those thousands of people were cheerful and always smiling. This is a country where tramping, let alone camping, in the vast interior is impossible owing to the presence of landmines. So the local Scout association held its annual camp on a large roundabout on the outskirts of town. Proof if, proof were needed, that the Scouting Movement is flourishing and resourceful in all corners of the world. It was in Angola that I had to carry out the saddest task in my career – assisting in the repatriation of the remains of a close friend who was, literally, blown up by a landmine. This young man was working with an international de-mining charity helping to make Angola’s land safe for its people. I have met many such people, devoting their lives to help others, and drawn inspiration from them. Looking back I have not one moment of regret at the career path which that ‘dollop of fate’ pushed my way. I have dived the Barrier Reef, gazed on Everest and seen the sun set over the Victoria Falls. I have seen extraordinary wealth side-by-side with abject poverty. I have been chased by an army and shot at by a policeman. I have been honoured by villagers, and rubbed shoulders with heads of state and with deposed prime ministers. What of the next 26 years? Watch this space. David Cox
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Martin Kavanagh (KES 76-82) A trip to Nigeria Martin Kavanagh attended KES from 1976 to 1982. He currently lives in Bolton but is never in one place long as his position as UK and European Director for Pioneers UK sees him frequently on the move. Pioneers UK is the modern name for what was the Sudan United Mission (British Branch) which founded many boys’ and girls’ grammar schools in Africa in the 1940s post war years. It then become Action Partners and since 2007 has been branded as Pioneers UK, the Bawtry Hall based part of a 2,600 field-worker strong international movement. Today Pioneers has more than 2,660 international missionary members, working in 278 missions teams, in 101 countries, among 187 unreached people groups, mobilised from 10 international missions bases. In 2012 Martin himself travelled to the troubled area of Northern Nigeria. Despite a tense security situation, the State of Emergency in the Plateau, the frequent armed road checks and ever present threats of drive by shootings and bombings, Martin and his colleagues held key meetings with the COCIN (Church of Christ in Nigeria) HQ Executive Committee and many leaders of the regions of COCIN from across Nigeria. Today in Nigeria there remains extensive and systematic persecution of the COCIN and other Christian Churches across the northern Nigerian states and the aim of the visit was to hear these stories first hand and then to relay them back in the UK, with the intention of giving the movement a voice in this country and highlighting the atrocities that take place. Martin and his team
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also visited their own missionaries working in the area and attended church – the very same church that would become the focus of a vicious car bombing attack just weeks later. Since his visit in 2012 Martin has continued to monitor the situation in Northern Nigeria and also the very recent problems in Juba, Southern Sudan over Christmas/New Year 2013/14. COCIN’s plight has been highlighted to HRH Prince of Wales, who has also visited Nigeria on many occasions. COCIN have now sent a representative to the UK on an initial three-year secondment, which Martin arranged to sponsor through his Pioneers UK organisation. This simple step has meant more to the COCIN members than words can say and they are to grant Martin an honorary ordination this year, when Martin will become Reverend Martin, the first white COCIN Reverend and first to be ordained on UK soil. A deputation will come over to officiate and Martin’s ordination robes are at the ready. COCIN’s need for an advocate in the UK and for freedom to report on the atrocities without media interference, has been a major step forward for them. Martin’s work has also taken him to Ghana, Indonesia, Australia, the USA and Europe. Pioneers UK’s work is growing and more and more people are considering a career-break or longer to serve either in a professional or lay capacity in many different needy countries around the world. www.pioneers-uk.org
OE Sport Netball This year, in stark contrast to last year, the Edwardian v KES 1st team netball match took place in glorious sunshine. The match was fast and furious and played in good friendly competitive spirit with both teams displaying some great netball skills. The KES 1st team, however, played a particularly slick game beating the OE team 34-26. The event was enjoyed by all those who took part as well as those spectating and our thanks again to Alex Morgan (née Williams) who organised the team. Better luck next year ladies!
Golf The OE golf section is open to anyone with a connection with the School (past pupil/student or staff member etc). The events are an incredibly pleasant way of maintaining a link to friends and colleagues from KES and renewing that competitive rivalry between year groups and Houses. Golfers of all standards are able to pit their golfing skills against one another in a glorious attempt to gain some bragging rights and kudos over old friends!
the Old Symondians at Hockley Golf Course in June. Competition for places is highly sought after and only proof of current form will enable selection! The winning Triangular team with non-playing captain 4th June 2013.
There are currently about seventy OEs who are on the distribution list to receive notification for entry into the three main events each season. The distribution of players ranges from those who qualified in the 1950s up to those who left in the 1990s. Sadly there is only one lady golfer (Pam Paull). A typical entry for an event is from twelve to eighteen players and the matches are “fixable” in that the organiser can be persuaded, for a suitable prize fund donation, to put certain players together and at favourable tee-times! The goal is that we all have a sociable day out with a serious sporting purpose. Details of our events and results can always be found on the school website by following the alumni link and there are three events per season. The first is the Inter House Challenge Cup which is played at Rowlands Castle Golf Club at the end of April. It is both an individual competition and a team event and the best two scores per House determine the winners. In mid-July there is an individual stableford competition (the Wally Kemp Cup) at Stoneham Golf Club and finally, also played at Stoneham in late September, we play the Ray Paull Medal Competition. For each of these events there is a magnificent cup or shield on which the winners are recorded and OE golfing immortality guaranteed. Additionally a lasting memento is presented through the kind generosity of our current main sponsor: Darren Cooper of Peter Cooper Motor Group Ltd. In addition to the three main events, eight of our best players are selected for a three way match against the Old Tauntonians and
Back row (left to right): Andrew McNaught, Nick Creal, Dave Creal Joe Sach, Paul Griffiths, Keith Gladstone-Millar Front row (left to right): Howard Hilliker, Peter Feltham, Dave Collins
Peter Feltham OE Golf Organiser If you are interested in playing golf with other OEs please email edwardians@kes.hants.sch.uk and your details will be passed on to Peter.
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Obituaries Neil James Broome (KES 49-55) died peacefully on 15th October 2013 aged 77. Neil worked for many years for Royal Sun Alliance but following a heart attack he completely changed his career path and became a Baptist Minister, a position he held for a decade. His funeral was held at Forest Fold Baptist Chapel, East Sussex on 5th November. Neil was a dearly loved husband, father and grandfather.
Roger Gregory (KES 54-60) passed away in October 2013.
Nigel Hankin (KES 62-69) joined King Edward’s from Oakmount Preparatory School. After leaving, he was recruited by a luxury furniture retailer in West London and within two years was asked to open a new facility in Manchester. He met and married his wife Kathryn through employing her sister as one of his first staff and they lived in Hebdenbridge, spending several years renovating two adjacent cottages. In 1977 Nigel moved back south and set up his own luxury kitchen and bathroom fitting business based in Brockenhurst; the New Forest location allowing him to pursue his fondness for riding, both horses and bikes, and walking his dogs. Within the local community he was instrumental in setting up various social clubs. Nigel had not been in good health for some while and passed away in hospital in October after a short illness. He leaves a widow Kathryn, two daughters: Fiona and Lucinda, and a grandson Joshua.
Clifford George Harper (KES 39-44) joined the School as it was evacuated to Poole and upon leaving first joined the Southampton Borough Police as a police messenger. Along with John Beirne (OE) he spent a period of time running John’s Father’s music shop in Shirley before qualifying as a teacher and taking a job teaching English and music at Hightown School. Clifford studied for a BA in Music at La Sainte College before teaching at Harefield Junior School until his retirement. He was an outstanding musician playing double bass in jazz bands throughout the south of England. Clifford’s wife, Jane, predeceased him in 2005 but he is survived by his two sons Christopher and Richard.
David ‘Jimmy’ Perry James (KES 38-45) died in December 2013.
Raymond ‘Micky’ Mole (KES 39-44) died in January 2014. Raymond joined the School as it was evacuated to Poole and upon leaving he became a Commercial Traveller. Later he joined The League of Friends at Southampton General Hospital where, for many years, along with his wife, he was involved with caring for patients, in the most part the younger children. Ray was a keen stamp collector and is survived by his wife Margaret and daughter Michaela.
Michael Verdon (KES 45-48) died in December 2013.
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His Honour Captain (RNR Retd) David McCarraher VRD MA (Cantab) (KES 31-41) died on 13th December 2013, aged 91 years. He joined the School in 1931 and was a Foundation Scholar in the Sixth Form and Head of School in 1941. Upon leaving school and after service in the Royal Navy during WWII, he obtained a BA and MA in Law at Magdalene College Cambridge. David was called to bar in Lincoln’s Inn in 1948 and practiced on the Western Circuit and Hampshire sessions until he was disbarred (at this own request) in 1952 to become a solicitor. He articled in the family firm gaining the Hampshire Law Society Prize when he graduated with Honours and in 1955 he joined McCarrahers as a solicitor and partner becoming senior partner upon the death of his father in 1960. David was appointed to the panel of Deputy Circuit Judges in 1973, Recorder in 1979 and Circuit Judge in 1984 attached to the Bristol group of courts. David was nominated as a Family Law and Care Judge and was also authorised to do High Court cases. As his father before him, David remained very involved with the School and the Old Edwardians’ Association (OEA). He was a school governor for twenty-four years and Chairman of the Governors 8384 and President of the Old Edwardians’ Association in 1968. David was involved with, and held positions of office within many local and charitable organisations including President of the Southampton Junior Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Hampshire and IOW Association for the deaf executive committee, President of the Stoneham Golf Club and Chairman of the Southampton Royal Naval Officers Association. He was also a Freemason and was elected to London Grand Rank in 1969 and served as Master in 1958 and 2007. David was very much a family man and enjoyed spending time gardening, doing DIY, sailing and rallying in his Morgan plus 8 motor car. David’s wife, Betty, predeceased him along with his young brother Seymour (also a former KES pupil) but he is survived by his partner Rosie, daughters Vera and Jane, his stepchildren, youngest brother Malcolm and half-brother Colin.
Edwardian Merchandise The Development Office has a selection of Edwardian Merchandise for sale. This includes bespoke gold or silver plated cufflinks which come in individual presentation boxes and make ideal gifts. We have also recently introduced a new bespoke KES school scarf. If you would like to purchase any of these items you can do so by visiting the KESpay section of the main school website. http://payments.kes.hants.sch.uk/shop/tag/old-edwardians-16
Silk Ties: £17.00 Books: King Edward VI School 1553-2003. An Illustrated History (paperback) by Graham Darby
£10.00
King Edward VI School, Southampton, In the Twentieth Century (hardback) by John Rowthorn
£13.50
Gold plated cufflinks: £30.00 Silver plated cufflinks: £25.00 **NEW** 100% Wool school scarf: £29.50 All prices include Postage and Packing.
Could you help shape the future of the next Prime Minister, Olympian or the person who finds the cure for cancer? Your gift to future generations of Edwardians Throughout the years King Edward’s has provided the foundation education for prominent medics, scientists, sportsmen, economists, lawyers, bankers, academics and a multitude of other professionals. Many of these have been leading specialists in their fields with some making ground-breaking discoveries or making decisions at national and international levels. Some may not have got to where they are today without their KES education in their early years. This is why we are asking you to consider making a gift to the King Edward VI Foundation which has been set up to offer bursaries and financial assistance to able and gifted children whose families do not have the means to pay for fees. Your gift can be a small regular monthly direct debit, a one-off donation or a Legacy in your Will. Every little helps in ensuring that KES education is accessible to all children of talent regardless of their financial circumstances. All gifts are important regardless of size. Please visit our Virgin Moneygiving site today and add your name to the growing list of donors supporting the Foundation. Alternatively you can call the Development Office on 023 8070 4561 or email edwardians@kes.hants.sch.uk. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/ finalCharityHomepage.action?uniqueVmgCharityUrl=kes 15
Jordan Florit (05-12) is now employed as a full-time P.E. teacher at a school in Southampton. Caroline Taylor (06-10) is currently studying at the Sorbonne in Paris. She returned to the UK over Christmas and took part in two operatic recitals in December, one at the United Church, Winchester and the other at St Mark’s Church, Southampton. Hanna Hayward (05-07) was shortlisted to the last 3 for IEMA Graduate of the Year. Jack Hall (98-05), Simon Hall (01-08), Chris James (98-05), James Fewtrell (98-05), Nick James (01-05) and Simon Bennett (98-05) play together in the Clapham Junction Thursday night 5-a-side football league and were delighted to end the season as champions. Amy Lush (99-05) is now a Pupil Barrister at a set in Southampton. She is due to finish pupillage in September this year after which she will become a practising barrister. Jessica Gilbert (01-04) now Jessica Rashleigh, upsized her business in Cornwall in February 2013 after setting up her first one three years ago. She is currently training for Cycle Madagascar 2014 in aid of the Lymphoma Association. Gavin Turner (95-02) played for Oxford in the Varsity match in December 2013. Oxford won the 132nd meeting between the two sides securing their fourth successive triumph at Twickenham. Jonathan Andrews (94-01) has been excelling in his chosen sport of target shooting since leaving KES. He won the Championship Aggregate at the Bisley National Rifle Meeting in A Class in 2006, and then in X Class (the highest class) in 2012 and 2013. He also represented England in the annual Home Countries International at the same meeting in 2012 and 2013 and has been selected for consideration in the 2014 Commonwealth Games. In June, he came 3rd in the NSRA’s British 50m Rifle Championships. Alistair Pickburn (93-00) beat his personal best running the Frankfurt Marathon 2013 recording a time of 2 hours 32 minutes and 57 seconds. Christopher Blake (88-95) was awarded the Pawsey Medal by the Australian Academy of Sciences for his research in cosmology last year. Myles Thompson (82-87) married Vivian Brenhilde in Denmark in December 2013. Miles graduated in Modern Languages at Manchester and completed a Postgraduate degree at Portsmouth. He now works as an Independent film-maker, wildlife sound recordist, teacher and journalist. http://vimeo.com/mylesthompson Conal Oldfield (79-85) and his family left London in 2010 after more than twenty years, sold up and headed for Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada. He set up an ice cream manufacturing plant and distribution network which produces a 100% natural, gluten free range of ice creams that is distributed to supermarkets, cafes, universities, schools and restaurants. The company supply the Lieutenant Governor of BC’s official residence for their formal events and functions. Andrew Sims (73-80) lives in Berlin and works for the German government as a translator and interpreter. He holds the prestigious post of Head of Languages at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy. On a recent trip to the UK, Andrew kindly came to KES to talk to students about career possibilities using languages. Peter Hinton (62-70) left Liverpool John Moores University in 2013 after almost 36 years. He taught on Public Sector Management and
Accountancy programmes before moving into Administration as an Executive Director and most recently before his retirement as Interim Director of Legal and Governance Services. Prior to this he trained as an accountant with Cheshire County Council after studying Modern History at New College, Oxford, from 1970 to 1973. David Keites (54-62) left KES in 1962 and took up a post at WarnerLambert (Eastleigh) as an Export Sales Correspondent. He was promoted to Market Research Officer before moving to Hoover Ltd as a Market Research Executive progressing ultimately to New Product Development Manager. In the 1970s he worked for J Walter Thompson GmbH, firstly in Frankfurt and later in London. He subsequently joined De Beers as Marketing Director for Germany, Austria and Switzerland before being given responsibility for the USA. He then became Regional Marketing Director for the Asia-Pacific region making a point of studying the cultures, religions and jewellery customs of all the different countries, in order to assess how to position diamonds most effectively to become part of those cultures. David retired from full-time work in 2000, but continued to do consultancy work until 2006. Nowadays much of his time is taken up with his four grandchildren and his work as a member of the “Friends of The Lightbox” (Woking’s Art Gallery and Museum). Michael Halls (55-61) got married in 2013 and has moved to Lincolnshire. In September 2012, sponsored on behalf of the Historic Churches, he cycled for 8 hours to visit 21 churches and in 2013 helped to raise £358 cycling around East Lindsay in Lincolnshire. Barry Steer (48-55) read French and German at King’s College London after leaving KES. After university he was one of the last to be called up for National Service and spent two years in the Royal Artillery, the first as a gunner in the RHA and the second as a 2nd lieutenant in a field regiment. From then until 1997, he worked in international marketing with a number of consumer goods companies, holding various senior positions in international sales and marketing and general management before spending three years seconded to the Department of Trade and Industry and Foreign and Colonial Office as an Export Marketing Consultant specialising in France and Germany. He now enjoys a busy retirement and lives in Northamptonshire where he and his wife, Wendy, work for local charities and enjoy travelling. Alan Cozens (46-52) joined Vickers Supermarine as an engineer apprentice and gained a private pilot’s licence under the company apprentice training scheme. He qualified as a chartered mechanical engineer and later also as a chartered electrical engineer and is proud of aiding the British economy by establishing an electronics manufacturing company exporting worldwide and employing 50 people. Alan considers his time at KES and his involvement with the Scouting movement as his most positive influences, although building model aircraft was not encouraged much by either. He still flies his own aircraft, based at Goodwood, with 1300 hours in his logbook although the annual aviation medical is something of an event at 77. His brother David Cozens (57-64) who became a director of the major Channel Island building contractor but sadly died in Guernsey aged 48 is still sorely missed. James Gilman (47-48) left KES and took up a post at New Scotland Yard, followed by Army service in MI8 attached to GCHQ, after which he worked in West Africa before returning to England and qualifying as a teacher. His teaching career included six years in Australia and culminated in the post of Head of Durham LEA’s Curriculum Development Centre. He took early retirement in 1990 and then spent the next five years as a Tourism Project Director with the Wales Tourist Board, during which time he launched a European Youth Initiative - EUROPA-YOUTH. James also spent time as an explorer alongside Dr. David Bellamy, is a published author in English, Chinese, Icelandic, Spanish and Serbo-Croat, and the father of four children and three grandchildren.
Please continue to email us with your news items on edwardians@kes.hants.sch.uk
King Edward VI School 16
Wilton Road . Southampton . Hampshire SO15 5UQ Telephone: 023 8070 4561
www.kes.hants.sch.uk