KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS
CONTENTS
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01.
Introduction and Welcome
04.
The Executive Committee
05.
Academic Achievement
12.
Visitors
14.
Association Day 2018
17.
Headmaster's Cricket
18.
Return to The Upper
21.
Reunion Events
28.
News
35.
Global Footprint
36.
The Archives: Three Stained Glass Windows in Kingswood School
38.
Introducing the Kingswood Chaplain: The Rev. David A. Hull
39.
Remembrance Day 2018
40.
Obituaries
57.
Lives Remembered
58.
Featured Article: A Tale of Four Sundials and Many Letters
61.
Dates for the Diary
58
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INTRODUCTION & WELCOME | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME It has been a real honour to serve as President again this year and it has been lovely to be able to attend a number of Association events over the past twelve months. I hope you enjoy this latest edition of KAN and I would like to thank Michele Greene for all her hard work in putting it together. She does so much good work for the Association and is the driving force behind so much of what we do. This year, in addition to our regular events, we held our first Bath Reception at the Apex Hotel just before Christmas and that was a really enjoyable occasion. Well over one hundred former students turned up and enjoyed spending time catching up with one another and chatting to a number of teachers (both current and former) who also attended – we hope to make this an annual event and so put the date in your calendars. Theo Gammie made a real impact as the first Gap Year student to join the Association team and Charlie Knight will be working in this role for the second half of the year. Theo did great work on the new website and also in helping us to engage with some of the most recent leavers. I know he enjoyed working with Michele
and Graham Papenfus and gained a great deal from the experience. I am sure that, following his success this year, this post ought to become something we try to fill again in September. I have been very grateful for the support from the Executive Committee – they really are a dedicated and talented group. It was lovely to see what a difference the donation of £40,000 made to the New Association Hall at the Prep School. My thanks go to all the Association members whose generosity over many years enabled us to support the Prep School in this way. The Chairman, Chester Lewis, has done a great job in taking us forward with his desire to make better use of the wealth of experience and expertise on offer, within the Old Kingswoodian community, in order to support current students. I am sure that he will reflect on this in his page. As Simon Morris enters his final year as Headmaster, I would like to thank him for his support of
It was lovely to see what a difference the donation of £40,000 made...
the Association. He is incredibly generous with his time and I know just how much former students appreciate the fact that he attends so many events. On a personal note, I wanted to say just how privileged I feel to be part of the Kingswood community. It really is amazing to see just how strong this is and how relationships created at school are still important many years after people have left Kingswood. The best moment of any week is when Michele pops her head round my office door to ask if I have a moment to say hello to an old Kingswoodian who is back for a visit. It is a chance to reminisce about our Kingswood experiences and invariably there will be mention of who they are still in touch with! Finally, thanks to everyone who has made this year so special. Please do get in touch if you have any ideas about how we might improve what we do and I look forward to seeing you at one of the many events next year. Gordon Opie, Deputy Head (KS 1976-81)
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | INTRODUCTION & WELCOME
CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME The contents of the following pages will give an insight into the news and events of a busy and enjoyable year in the Old Kingswoodians community. In the past year the Executive Committee have sought to continue and improve upon what we have seen to be successful from previous years. Although it is also recognised that we need to continue to innovate and progress how we interact and support the Old Kingswoodian community. We have worked hard on this, leading to a year of many firsts and ideas for the future and I am excited to share some of those with you now. In September 2018, we had our first gap year student join the Association team, Theo Gammie, who finished Kingswood in the summer of 2018 and supported the Association over the following two terms. Theo did a fantastic job in supporting the Executive Committee and
We aim to develop a platform for careers and mentoring in partnership with the School...
refining the Association gap year student role as its pioneer. He is now off to do some travelling before starting university in the autumn. We aim to continue and build upon this model. The Old Kingswoodian community has a wealth of knowledge and experience in all areas, presenting huge potential for all Old Kingswoodians and also current students to benefit from this. We aim to develop a platform for careers and mentoring in partnership with the school and we are currently exploring thirdparty organisations that have experience in developing and delivering specialised solutions for such a platform. I hope to be able to update you with more details soon, but I hope you agree it is an exciting prospect. Whilst not a first, the Association and its members have endeavoured to give back to the school where it can. This year the Association made a donation of £40,000 for the youngest in the Kingswood community – the Prep School. This was to support the development of the ‘Association Hall’ in the Prep School’s fantastic new buildings; a place where assemblies, sport, music, drama and much more takes place. I would like to thank all those have supported the Association, enabling us to
This year the Association made a donation of £40,000 for the youngest in the Kingswood community – the Prep School.
make this difference. My personal thanks goes to all those involved with running and progressing the Association, in particular all of the Executive Committee, Michele Greene and the School, who have all given and continue to give so much. Lastly, I would like to thank all those who continue to attend events, spread news and, beyond all else, have enjoyed and made others enjoy another year as an Old Kingswoodian. As always, we want to hear your ideas on how we can do better, so please do not hesitate to do so. Chester Lewis (KS 2010-12)
INTRODUCTION & WELCOME | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
HEADMASTER’S WELCOME Dear Old Kingswoodians It has continued to be such a great pleasure to have had the opportunity to meet so many Old Kingswoodians at the various Association events over the past year. The Association is clearly in quite excellent heart. There is something deeply humbling about our ex-students wishing to remain engaged with and showing such a continued interest in the School; the evidence of an enduring bond based on a shared ethos is exceptionally strong and I thank all those who facilitate such inspiring events. Following the Bath Reception at the Apex Hotel in December, I found myself musing rather more than usually about why this engagement might be valued so much. Indeed, I took this as my theme for the first Whole School Chapel Service of 2019.
The Association is clearly in quite excellent heart. I suspect the reason for my musings may be related to the passing of a decade since my first Association event in 2008, and indeed the knowledge that I was in early January looking to announce that I would be standing down as the Headmaster and Principal of the Foundation in 2020 and perhaps myself thinking about
what I might personally take with me beyond Kingswood from my experiences at the School. I spoke in the Chapel service about each student’s personal journey and the role that their Kingswood experience might play in helping guide and inform their future. My hope for each of our current students is that their school experience will have been enjoyable, certainly, but hopefully that enjoyment will have been framed by the constant challenge, healthy debate and open-minded approach which defines the very best liberal education. My hope is also that life in an outwardlooking Kingswood community which values equality, diversity, tolerance, humility and inclusivity will have had a profound influence not only on the way our students experience life whilst at Kingswood, but also on the choices they make in their lives beyond school and the influence for good which they have on the communities in which they settle. The idealist in me wants to believe that it is this sense of a valuesbased community which both draws people to Kingswood in the first place and which sustains the relationship with the School in the years beyond. Whatever journey each individual student is on, it is my hope that there are experiences which they will have had in school which they
can draw on in their lives beyond school for inspiration, guidance and nourishment. It is certainly the case that, whilst the immediate impact of an outstanding education is clearly important in itself, the real impact can only be evaluated much later. In preparing young people for their lives beyond school, we are more than anything trying to lay the foundations which will help our students to make intelligent and thoughtful decisions which focus on the real difference they can make to the lives of others. When we talk about the transformative and life-changing power of education, and a Kingswood education in particular, there is of course even greater relevance to this where this transformation extends beyond the individual to the influence that individual has on wider society. I thank members of the Association for their continued support of the School and look forward, in my final year, to many more occasions where the enduring strengths of this wonderful community can be celebrated. With my very best wishes Yours sincerely
Simon Morris Headmaster and Principal of the Kingswood Foundation
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
THE KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION The Kingswood Association is the membership organisation for all students who have experienced a Kingswood Education, we call them ‘Old Kingswoodians’. The Association is run by a committee of volunteers, who are either former pupils or former staff. They meet regularly to discuss how to continue to develop and foster lifelong relationships between the School and its past pupils and staff. Day to day running of the Association is done by Michele Greene, Alumni and Development Officer who is a former parent. Please contact her by email: mjg@kingswood.bath.sch.uk or by telephone 01225 734283. We wish to take this opportunity to thank all those who have supported the Kingswood Association over the past year. Thank you for making these get-togethers meaningful and enjoyable where old school friendships were relived and new Kingswood friends made.
Thank you to all those who have supported the Kingswood Association over the past year making the gettogethers meaningful and enjoyable...
We would encourage you to visit the Kingswood website during the year, where you will find a full programme of events that will keep you entertained. If you have any news to pass on, or a photo from your latest reunion, please do email it to the office as we would be delighted to hear from you. To stay in touch, you can also join our Facebook group.
www.kingswood.bath.sch.uk
THE COMMITTEE FOR 2019 IS; President Chairman Treasurer
Gordon Opie (KS 1976-1981), Deputy Head (Pastoral) Current Staff from 1990 Chester Lewis (KS 2010-2012) Sanveer Singh (KS 2011-2013)
Simon Morris Headmaster and Principal of the Foundation Tim Lindsay (KS 1969-1974) is the Representative from the Governing Body
President
Chairman
Treasurer
Simon Morris
Tim Lindsay
AND THE OTHER MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE ARE; Robin Lewis (Staff 1975-1992) Kirsty Allen (KS 1979-1987) Sandy Burgon (Staff 1991-2016)
Rosie Wakefield (KS 2008-2015) Natasha Brand (KS 2003-2010) Euan Gordon (KS 2003-2010)
Robin Lewis
Rosie Wakefield
Kirsty Allen
Natasha Brand
Sandy Burgon
Euan Gordon
CONTACT INFORMATION E: association@kingswood.bath.sch.uk T: 01225 734283 or mobile 07860 717041 Association Office, Kingswood School, Lansdown, Bath BA1 5RG
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
LEAVERS OF 2018 OUR MOST RECENT OLD KINGSWOODIANS The last year at Kingswood is always great fun and all the hard work pays off when you see your results. These young people are our future and we wish them luck in whatever they do and we ask them to keep in touch and hope to see them again at our events.
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
LEAVERS’ DESTINATIONS, 2018 NAME
COURSE
INSTITUTION
Charlie Aaron Matilda (Tilly) Baines William Barnes Angus Batchelor Rupert Bayliss Mikhail (Misha) Bazarov Charlotte Bendrey Georgina (Georgie) Blackmore Henry Brearey Charlotte Brooke Alfie Brooks Zoe Brown Sid Brunt Eve Burch Catherine (Katie) Butterworth Rose Buxton Fai Shuen (Jasmine) Chan Kei Kei (Natalie) Chan Leong Tung (Easton) Chan Chun Kwok (Aves) Cheung Medha Chhetri Kei Tsun (Matthew) Choy Lea Conze James Craig Issy Crane Thomas (Tom) Craven Thomas (Tom) Cronchey Brendan Curran Alex Dale Jasper Davis Thomas (Tom) Deverell Conor Devlin-Cook Andrei Dinu Charlotte Fillis Louise Fisher India Folker Theodore (Theo) Gammie Leah Noa Gencheva Skyla Godwin-Rowland Elen (Elie) Gould Ellie Gould Madeleine (Maddie) Greenway Anan Gurung Katherine (Kate) Hall Oliver Hall Maximilian (Max) Harris James Hatherell Emily Hill Isobel (Izzy) Hirsch Harry Hodges Ella Holmes Eleanor (Ellie) Jackson Oliver Jenkins Nicholas (Nick) Johncox Benjamin (Ben) Juliano Elizabeth (Lillie) Keith Jack Kelly Alice Kennedy John Kenny Harry Kerrison Charles (Charlie) Knight Rostislav Kravchenko Ka Yan (Michelle) Leung Wing Sze (Kelly) Leung Sula Levitt Jessica (Jess) Lindsay Jo Ken Liu Alexander (Al) Mackenzie Neve Matthews Niamh McCarthy James McLeod Phoebe Meadowcroft Oliver Millichap-Merrick
Mechanical with Automotive Engineering Gap Year Gap Year Gap Year; Natural Sciences Human Geography and Environment Chemistry Art Foundation Archaeology & Ancient History (Integrated) Philosophy Creative Writing Gap Year; Business Studies Gap Year; Product Design Gap Year Modern Languages Studies in Science with Foundation Year Gap Year; Politics and International Studies Psychology with Education Studies Actuarial Science Medicine Economics and Mathematics Geography (Human) Economics Fashion International Management & French Gap Year Economics Gap Year Economics Gap Year Art Foundation Gap Year; Population and Geography Gap Year; Drama Architecture Gap Year; Sport Management Gap Year Media with Foundation Year Gap Year; Architecture Modern Languages Gap Year English Gap Year; Business and Marketing Management Gap Year Design Engineering Gap Year; Sports Science and Physiology Economics Gap Year Audio and Music Technology Gap Year Gap Year Gap Year Art Foundation Law Gap Year Gap Year International Business Gap Year Business Economics Gap Year Gap Year; Strength and Conditioning Gap Year Gap Year; Geography Economics Social Policy with Government Business and Management Gap Year; English Psychology Automotive Engineering Gap Year Gap Year; Spanish Gap Year Mechanical Engineering inc. Year in Industry Nursing Child Branch Gap Year; Real Estate
University of Bath
University of Cambridge University of York King’s College, University of London Cardiff University Cardiff University York St John University Bournemouth University Cardiff Metropolitan University University of Portsmouth University of Leeds University of Warwick University of Warwick City, University of London Cardiff University University of Bristol Cardiff University UCL, University of London ESMOD Fashion Design School, Paris University of Bath Oxford Brookes University University of Exeter
University of Southampton University of Exeter UCL, University of London Cardiff Metropolitan University York St John University Oxford Brookes University University of Exeter University of York Oxford Brookes University University of East London University of Leeds University of Exeter University of the West of England
Oxford Brookes University
Florida Southern College Cardiff University Plymouth Marjon University University of Oxford Queen Mary, University of London LSE, University of London University of Kent University of Sussex University of Nottingham Loughborough University University of Bristol University of Nottingham University of Southampton Liverpool John Moores University
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
NAME
COURSE
INSTITUTION
Alan (Gregor) Morton Finlay (Fin) Moss Rory Murchison Sebastien (Seb) Nicastro Chizaram (Zary) Nwakodo Gracie O’Mahony Anais Osborne Rebecca Ousby Elsbeth (Elsie) Overeynder Helena (Hellie) Painter Anna Parker James Parker Oliver Parry Lauren Parsons Cormac Paul Oliver (Ollie) Penney Isobel (Izzy) Pope Kiana Portman Miles Pulley Charles (Charlie) Roberts Charles (Charlie) Robinson Emily Rothery Laura Rouffiac Anna Rowland James (Jamie) Rowley Thomas (Tom) Royston Alice Rutter-Eley Yemi Sawyerr Edward (Ed) Sealy Archie Smith Kai Lok (Charles) So Hannah Spratt Patricija Starkovskyte Anna Street Cheuk Kin (Eason) Sung Adam Tappin Henry (Harry) Taylor Karyna Ter-Tumasova Max Thompson William (Will) Thompson Natasha Thornton Alexander (Alex) Tolenaar Timothy (Tim) Turek Grace Tyrrell Hannah Whitehead Alexia Williams Abigail (Abi) Wylie Zoltan Yasin Sarah Yates Peishi (Selene) Zhang Leyan (Krystal) Zheng
Philosophy and Politics Gap Year; Business & Management Mechanical Engineering Aeropace Engineering Pharmacy Gap Year Biological Sciences Biomedical Sciences Osteopathy Liberal Arts with Study Abroad Mechanical Engineering Economics with a Year in Business Gap Year Law with Spanish Gap Year Sport and Exercise Sciences Gap Year; Sport and Exercise Science Events Management Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence Gap Year; Mechanical Engineering Physics Geology and Physical Geography Archaeology and Anthropology Music Gap Year Business Management with Placement Year Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Year Medicine Gap Year; Agriculture Gap Year Engineering (Mechanical) Spanish and English Literature Art Foundation Gap Year; Psychology with Sport Science Pharmacy History Gap Year Mathematics and Physics Gap Year; Psychology Economics International Relations Biological Sciences Mechanical Engineering with Foundation Year Gap Year English Literature and History Apprenticeship, Rolls-Royce Psychology Gap Year Events Management Fashion Jewellery Management
University of Edinburgh University of Exeter University of Exeter University of Surrey University of Birmingham
University of Lincoln University of the Arts, London LSE, University of London
Business Management Politics with International Relations Business Management/Geography Geography (Human) History Politics and Philosophy History Sport and Exercise Science Arabic and Islamic Studies Marketing with Placement History International Relations and Politics Geography (Human and Physical) Psychology Mathematics, Op. Research, Statistics, Econ. Architecture Geography Computer Science with a Year in Industry Design for Digital Media English Literature and Creative Writing International Business Marketing Management (Placement) Product Design
University of Sussex University of York Oxford Brookes University University of Reading University of Edinburgh LSE, University of London University of Sussex Oxford Brookes University University of Exeter University of Southampton University of Exeter Cardiff University University of Reading University of Plymouth University of Warwick Cardiff University Newcastle University Royal Holloway, University of London University of Brighton University of Warwick Loughborough University Manchester Metropolitan University Bournemouth University
University of Exeter Newcastle University Plymouth Marjon University University of Exeter Imperial College, University of London Royal Holloway, University of London University of Buckingham University of Leeds Oxford Brookes University Leeds Beckett University University of Leeds University of Leeds University of Bristol University of Birmingham University of Bristol Royal Northern College of Music Cardiff University University of Birmingham Cardiff University Harper Adams University UCL, University of London University of Edinburgh University of Exeter UCL, University of London University of Oxford University of Edinburgh University of Leeds Cardiff University University of York University of Warwick Swansea University Durham University Cardiff University
POST A LEVEL APPLICANTS Archie Armitt-Goddard Charlotte Bean Isabelle (Issy) Broom Rory Crowther Angus Forbes-Cable Harvey Goodliffe Thea Guy Joseph (Joe) Han-Hauser Freya Jones Jake Lewis Cameron McFadyen William Moorey Jasper Norman Charles (Charlie) Patterson Thomas (Tommy) Phillips James (Jim) Pope Sabrina Robley Matthew Rodger Poppy Roper Flora Stone Joe Tait Harrison (Harry) Warne Kate Woodcock
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
THEO GAMMIE I started at Kingswood in the Prep School in 2009 and finished the Senior School in 2018. I thought that the role of Gap Year student in the Development Office looked interesting and as I had some time spare before I intend to go travelling, and I needed to earn some money, I applied and was lucky enough to be offered the position. I really had no idea what it would be like working in an office, especially in my old school. The first week of the job was spent getting used to the "Raisers Edge" database, and getting settled into the office. This did not take long due to the friendliness of the staff and the willingness of them to help me. Every day there was a new challenge and it gave me a chance to really understand what goes on in the office under the Dining Hall. There are benefits of being a member of staff and not a student, no need to shave and I still get to eat the best school lunch every day! Sport in the first term has been a delight. I worked with the Year 10s on a Monday, Year 9s on a Tuesday and the Seniors on a Thursday. However, it was not just sport I was supporting in the afternoons. I supported the Music Department, while listening to Jazz music and sorting music on a Wednesday and a Friday with Mr Knights. This is the type of job that will keep you busy; there is always something to do. After attending my first Old Kingswoodian Executive Committee meeting, the work started to pick up. I was tasked to look at the website closely, do research into Alumni software, network amongst the 2018 leavers and much more. I left in March 2019 and I am travelling to Taiwan, Philippians, Vietnam, and Nepal and also
driving to Mongolia from London for charity. After my travels I am starting at Oxford Brooks doing a course in Architecture, and hope to have a career in either the Military or Architecture. It was a delight to work at Kingswood as it gave me a wealth of experience to put on my CV and also gave me a glimpse into life in the world of work.
It was a delight to work at Kingswood as it gave me a wealth of experience to put on my CV...
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
GARY BEST TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP ELLIE GOULD Due to receiving the scholarship I was able to travel to Nepal last summer in order to take part in charity work. I left early July and travelled to the Gorkha district in Nepal to carry out aid work for 5 weeks. I joined Operation Raleigh along with a group of different international volunteers. I had the great pleasure of staying at the small village of Sundar Basti. Here I stayed with a host family with three other volunteers throughout my time there. During my time I was able to fully immerse myself in the culture and traditions of my host family, eating Dal-Bhat everyday and trying to learn as much of the language as I could. We all felt incredibly welcomed by the locals, getting to know them and they us. Our goal while there was to help construct a clean water system throughout the entire village after there only source was damaged following the 2015 earthquake. With this said we spent most of our days digging trenches and laying pipes down, with the help of the locals and professionals hired by the charity. This work is definitely not for the light-hearted and I would be lying if I said it was at all easy. Digging trenches during the monsoon season was definitely the hardest experience of my life so far. We were also able to construct water stations, tap stands and a cement tank for storing fresh water, learning brick
work and how to plaster. To be able to witness a structure being built from nothing and then being put to good use by the locals was incredibly fulfilling. I also had the pleasure of going to the local primary school to give an assembly on cleanliness and handwashing. This was my favourite part of my time spent there. I was able to get to know some of the local kids I would be helping out and they were all so attentive and eager to participate in the assembly. We also decided to put on a town hall meeting about sanitation and menstruation. This is due to the fact that girls in rural Nepal are still discriminated against which can have negative effects on their schooling and family life. With the help of our Nepali volunteers we started a conversation about how we can all improve the treatment
of girls and women in their society. At the end of the meeting we held a workshop with the help of local nurses, teaching the local women how to make reusable and sanitary pads. Leaving them with enough supplies to carry this on after we had gone. This was incredibly enjoyable as I was able to get to know some of the local girls better and I felt as if by starting the conversation we had at least taken one step in the right direction. I will never forget my time at Sundar Basti. Despite all the hardships throughout the weeks spent there it has undoubtedly let me grow as an individual. To be tested to your limit every day and then know how to step past them is a skill I will hold in high regard. It also meant that I was able to perfect my teamwork skills and result in friendships with the most amazing people that I will hold dear from here on out.
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
MILLIE SERGEANT My time in Fiji is pretty hard to sum up into words. The 2 months I was there was definitely the best time of my life; a crazy, fun, exciting, adventurous and emotional rollercoaster.
I went with an amazing company called Think Pacific which is a fairly small but rapidly growing organisation based in Leeds. They are linked to the Fijian government and underperforming schools sign up and ThinkPacific send in a team of volunteers to different schools in areas around the islands of Fiji. My project was on an island south of the mainland called Kadavu, an 18 hour ferry journey away. Our home for the 2 months was a tiny village called RakiRaki with just 30 lovely families, a church, school and community hall. Fijian houses are far from like English houses; with a hole in the ground for a loo, congregated iron shower, and tiny sleeping/living area for all 9 of us. I went out there with an amazing group of 21 volunteers, we were separated into pairs and assigned a family in the village who which we lived with. For me, making an amazingly close bond with my Fijian family was the highlight of my whole 5 month trip away. My
family was made up of Nana (my Fijian mother), Tata (Fijian father) and then I had 5 siblings; 2 girls and 3 boys. I had such a special relationship with Nana that I will never forget, we would sit drinking tea laughing for hours, her smile is so infectious and I’ll always remember the sound of her booming laugh when Vani (the sweetest little 8 year old you will ever meet) was running naked around the house chasing all the chickens away! The main objective of the trip is to help with the schools and improve the children education. The group split into half, half of us going into RakiRaki’s school called Yale District and the other half, me included, went to another school very close by called Navikadi Primary School in a village named Gasele. Every morning our group’s commute to school was on a small motor boat where we would loudly sing songs as we made our way around to the next
door cove where the school was. When we first arrived at the school the teacher highlighted the weaker students in the class to take out for 1 to 1’s teaching English and maths which we would do every morning. The afternoons were definitely the children’s favourite part of the day; 3 days a week we would run sport sessions which would always include lots of silly races and games. We taught many sports, mainly focusing on netball and rugby but also taught hockey, lacrosse, cricket, football, rounders and Zumba! On the other 2 afternoons we ran ‘House Cup’, the children and volunteers were all mixed up into 4 different teams and competed in different challenges e.g. music, drama, photography, art; so much fun! Saturdays were the excursion days; crazy hikes through the hills surrounding the village, make rafts, go fishing, have family days, so much fun!! Fiji is a strongly Christian country and so Sundays are treated strictly as a Sabbath. We all attended church in the morning with incredible singing and then would laze around in the sun in the afternoon by the beach underneath palm trees chatting, writing journals or writing quiz questions for our weekly Monday evening quiz night! Most evenings there was
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
something going on, you would have dinner at home with your family and then we’d all head out for something like fan weaving, children games nights or a classic ‘grog’ session. If you’ve been to Fiji then you will definitely know what grog/kava is! It’s a root crop grounded to powder and mixed with water drunk out of coconut shells; if you drink enough it makes you feel very sleepy, but there would always be loud crazy Fijian music going on meaning you couldn’t ever be too tired! The culture that Fijian’s live by is utterly inspirational. They are the most kind, generous and selfless people that I have ever met. Respect is regarded highly, men had to wear shirts sulu’s (Fijian name for sarongs) to teach in and women had to wear dresses or sulu’s covering their knees and always have their shoulders covered. They follow a ‘door open’ policy; when walking through the village every house would call out to you inviting you in for food and tea, they get huge joy from hosting and caring for other people. The way Fijians live their life in such appreciation for the little amount of money and items they own, but always having huge smiles and beaming out happiness has genuinely been truly inspirational to all of our volunteer group. As well as my family being the highlight of my trip, I also adored teaching an 8 year old boy named John. I loved all 12 students in class 3&4 where I was teaching; arriving everyday into the classroom and seeing the most beautiful faces turn and beam at you was so incredible and I had a special bond which each and every one of them. I had an extra special bond with John, he was highlighted as a slow learner and therefore every morning for the whole time I was there I would take him out and teach him English and Maths to try and keep
Without the Gary Best travel scholarship I would’ve struggled to fund my trip and I am so, so thankful for it. him up with his classmates. For around 3 days I was teaching him long division, which is tricky even for me! I had a very strong feeling he didn’t understand it at all, he was also rather a cheeky little boy and got distracted very easily! I felt saddened that I couldn’t find a way to get the method of maths through to him but, one day I was teaching the whole class and decided to ask them all to complete a few long division questions that I had written on the board. To my utter amazement John was the first to put his hand up to all the questions and got every single one of them right! Moments like that made me realise just how important the work that all us volunteers had been doing was and genuinely could change his future. As much as I enjoyed the whole experience, all 21 of us definitely, and quite naturally, had some
down days. The culture shock is very large, the home comforts were far away and it can easily get you down. It was boiling hot every day and night and having no privacy from anyone was rather hard as well. We had 2 serious cyclones in which my family had to be evacuated from home and also many of the volunteers struggled quite a lot with the food; we mainly ate rice and cassava (slighting like a dry potato). The heavy carb based foods we were eating and the change of environment put a lot of pressure on peoples health. I was very ill at some points of the trip but I genuinely believe it made the whole trip better because there was no cushioning to it; I was living in raw Fiji which made the whole experience utterly beautiful and with the lows it just emphasised the highs. I have made bonds for life with the volunteers and my Fijian family who I hope to go and visit soon. I have learnt so many lessons about myself and about the world and I can say very easily that it has been the best 2 months of my life. Without the Gary Best travel scholarship I would’ve struggled to fund my trip and I am so, so thankful for it. I would recommend this to anyone and would love to chat if you’re interested!
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | VISITORS
VISITORS TO Martin Vaux Left in 2003
Robert Guy Left in 1962
Tim Hatton Left in 1992
Alex Fielden Left in 2010 Martin (Stan) Bridge Left in 1964
Peter McNeal Left in 1951
Ian Streat Left in 1955
John Au Left in 1974
Theresa Zerck Left in 2006
VISITORS | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
KINGSWOOD Lucy Augé, with Friederica Stöber Left in 2006
Vincent Lo David Williamson Left in 1964
Andy Keen Left in 1985 William Ng Left in 1967
Brian Payne Left in 1968
Andrew Jefferies Left in 1964
Rev David Mumford Left in 1964
Matthew Duchars Left in 1981
Stephen Lansley Left in 1984
Richard Hickman Left in 1960
Andrew Tear Left in 1961
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | ASSOCIATION DAY
ASSOCIATION DAY SATURDAY 23 JUNE 2018
ASSOCIATION DAY | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
1978 REUNION Taking advantage of this year’s school alumni Association Day we organised a get together of the class of '78.
40 years on, it was great to meet up with so many old friends and share some great memories. With classmates coming from as far as New Zealand, we had a great tour of the facilities, a far improved school lunch and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in the sun watching the cricket.
Ian Falconer (KS 1972-78)
1988 REUNION 30 years on and an impressive turn out of more than 40 KS 1988 alumnae reunited in June. An incredible day reliving so many school day memories. Julia Carter (KS 1986-88)
1998 REUNION The 1998 leavers enjoyed revisiting Kingswood, seeing some of the new developments, tasting the new and improved schools meals in the dining hall and mostly sharing a few trips down memory lane. A big thanks to the school for hosting us and making us feel like it was just yesterday, despite 20 years having flown by! Becky Lalanne (nĂŠe Goodson) (KS 1993-98)
We all concluded that we can not leave it another 40 years before we meet again.
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | ASSOCIATION DAY
Pat Wu, Greg Basmadjian, Peter Bradshaw, John Batty, Graham Jones, Graham Beaumont, Andrew Rose, Rob Sproson, Colin Frampton, Tom Cowcher, Dick Batty, Adrian Collins, John Herlinger, Dai Hayward, Adom Knadjian, Adrian Simmons, Vartkess Knadjian, Mike Siu, Andrew Mitchell
‘70/71 LEAVERS GOING FOR A ‘50TH’ IN JUNE 2020! Following June 2018’s highly successful Association (Old Boys & Girls) Day when, amongst others, some 30+ old boys from the ‘70/71 era returned en masse for the first time, a movement is afoot to celebrate their 50th with a reunion again in June ‘20. Tom Cowcher came in his 1948 MG which got some interest
With Association Day now confirmed for the weekend of 26-28 June 2020, some 26 are already signed up with the hope of many more confirming meantime. Andrew Mitchell (KS 1962-71) is again helping with arrangements alongside Michele Greene at Kingswood School, so if you haven’t responded yet, please do so - either directly to Michele on mjg@kingswood.bath.sch.uk, or to Andrew on andrew.j.mitchell@gmail.com, or call 07989 839927. At last year’s event when many were meeting up for the first time in 46+ years, any inevitable anxieties were kicked into touch within minutes as the informal Friday supper got underway. And the broad agenda for the Saturday enabled everyone to catch up properly - with many laughs from countless memories. Feedback both during and after the weekend was universally exceptional! With calls for a follow-up soon.
SPORTS | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
The New Cricket Pavilion
PAVILION
HEADMASTER’S CRICKET On Tuesday 26 June 2018 the Headmasters’ XI played their annual fixture against the Kingswood 1st XI. It was a fantastic game narrowly won by the Headmaster's team.
The first Kingswood Pavilion, opened on the Upper in September 1898 to celebrate the school’s 150th Jubilee, was a gift from the Old Boys costing £400 “plus £25 for furniture.” The decision to dismantle it in the 1970s was taken with some regret by John Lewis (1947-56) as Master i/c Cricket, together with the Bursar Alan Conibear (1939-44). It provided a very sunny view point to watch games – but had never had any ‘plumbed in’ facilities.
Special mention to Joe Han-Hauser who made 97 and Dom Mackenzie who made a rapid 50. There were two outstanding performances from the 1st XI with Oscar taking 6 wickets and a superb 100 from Al. A great day was had by all. The two-storey Sports pavilion had been opened at Whitsum 1962 and was also a gift from the Old Boys. This “new” pavilion was perfect for its time and provided the school with 49 years of use, but as the school grew they decided to invest in a bigger pavilion that could provide ample free parking, two purpose built function rooms, catering for up to 150 guests, a bar and eight changing rooms for both Kingswood students and visiting teams. In addition, the new pavilion provides a great viewing point to watch the 1st team cricket pitch and the 1st team rugby pitch.
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | FEATURED ARTICLE
RETURN TO THE UPPER On a typically sweltering July day in the summer of 2018 (weren’t summers always like this?) a baker’s dozen of Old Kingswoodians, who perhaps legitimately can be termed Old Boys as there were no other possibilities on offer even in the swinging sixties, gathered at the school to recall days of glory of half a century past. of how it was for you during that extraordinary year, we had shown huge promise the year before, ’67, and I remember as Capt. then, thinking we can’t better this and then we did with many new faces and extraordinary talent. I will always remember that hot day at Marlborough going from event to event encouraging, cajoling, revelling in each new success. I don’t think I quite realised how important that early experience in working with a motivated successful team influenced me and my career.
In the year 1968, KSCCC the cross country team followed a year of being undefeated on the country (1967) to being invincible on road and country, and threw in a fund-raising 24 hour relay on the hilly streets of Lansdown for good measure. And a few months later KSAC also saw off all newcomers. The double achievement has yet to be repeated yet the array of talent and enthusiasm on the Upper on that sunny day of July 2018 suggested that all records are just waiting to be broken. Roger Saul, the indefatigable athletics captain of those glory days, picked up the story shortly afterwards in his inimitable captain’s report: “What a bizarre and yet amazing day it was!
Michele, you were amazing and a special ambassador for the school, the moment Reggie and I arrived, knowingly late, to find our parking space ‘Roger & Reggie’ we knew this was going to be a fun day! Our thanks and best wishes also to Gordon and Graham and of course to Simon, and all those who looked after us so well. Invincibles, what can I say! Fascinating hearing anecdotes and memories from you all
David and Roy, our two main coaches and mentors, what a pleasure to catch up. David you will always remain an inspiration as someone who would not accept defeat, it was always going to be possible and your absolute determination for us was legendary. Roy, who nurtured me as housemaster and coach to captain, athlete and schoolboy, revelled in our memories.
FEATURED ARTICLE | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
The race, what were we thinking! First leg Super Reg, fitted not with spikes, but pacemaker; second leg Richard, totally comfortable at cross country speed; third leg Chris, going off like a rocket, but quickly horizontal (Do hope that finger mends quickly); Me watching all the teams disappear and thinking oh well, never mind, (remember that rare dropped baton moment!) then Chris gets up and hobbles heroically around and I think well what’s to lose and sprint around the last 100 metres like yesterday, till I see the video and realise its actually more like slow motion! But we did it! Kingswood is like no other school, humble, yet proud, reserved but quietly feisty….Thank you!”
Kingswood is like no other school, humble, yet proud, reserved but quietly feisty… Thank you!
Old Boys is perhaps more accurate a term than you might think. To jog (no pun was intended) your memories, Invincibles in attendance were Doug Gunstone, who went on to represent that northern country over the border so well in a long running career, Andy Hugman who always showed that a little asthma was never going to hold him back (no jiffy bags in those days), Gwyn Prins, now returning to his Cornish roots as Gwythian, still the cerebral member of the pack and if he hadn’t been a runner I’m sure I could have imagined him slowly puffing a pipe, solving a problem, and David Lee, on hand to ensure the day’s activities
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | FEATURED ARTICLE
(yes 1950s) records. I’d like to think the spirits of the past around the track inspired them. It was a fitting way to close the proceedings, signalling a bright future for Kingswood’s athletic prowess. And thanks to the detailed attention of Michele and her team, we all proudly wore ‘68 Invincibles badges, made by the students in the crafts shop. Like Grand Cru wine, even great achievements can mature with time. Thank you for all the special moments. And thank you to all the 2018 competitors, themselves focused on their own tasks of the day, for welcoming us so warmly. were written up in our training logs. And for the fair weather summer athletes, inspired by the presence of Roy Cook, keen as ever in what we had done with our lives, Colin Maclean, high and long jumper extraordinaire, Chris Rawlings who did all he could to bring back the days of glory (surely the first runner to break a finger in a race), Roger Saul, still getting together a scratch team and ensuring we could disrupt proceedings to have another day in the sun, and Reggie Tsiboe, the 1968 Vice Captain, fellow member of Upper House, still the most elegant of athletes. Making up the party with enthusiasm were Charlie Gerrish, for his contemporaries the Fred Trueman/Wes Hall terror of the cricket pitch (and who could also put in a handy shift around the
muddy countryside), Philip Gaunt, the stylish batsman whose task was to ensure Kingswood scored runs as well as take wickets, and David Sheppard who, with Charlie, Philip and myself, was a proud member of the 1966 Colts cricket XI. Invincibles who had already found alternative things to do that day but otherwise would have been there included Paul Kirtley (hurdler and one of the renowned basketball team of those days), John Needham, master tactician as a runner whose elbows were to be avoided when negotiating water jumps and similar obstacles, and Mark Goodridge, high hurdler who a couple of years later was on the opposing side to me in one varsity match (his Light Blues lost though). I left the Upper in 2018 with two great memories, courtesy of the new generations who exercised themselves under the blazing 21st century sun: the almost mass steeplechase where techniques for going over a lump of timber (which looks remarkably just like the one from 50 years back – is it?) and cooling off in murky waters showed great imagination; and the record breaking run of the relay team that wrote out of the record books one of the remaining 1950s
Richard O’Brien KSCCC Captain 1968, Secretary KSAC 1968
...we all proudly wore ‘68 Invincibles badges, made by the students in the crafts shop.
REUNION EVENTS | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
EXETER LUNCH Held at Exeter Golf and Country Club on Thursday 18 October 2018.
BATH REUNION LUNCH On Saturday 22 September 2018 a group of 1993 leavers returned to Kingswood for a tour before having lunch together in Bath.
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | REUNION EVENTS
THE 1748 LEGACY SOCIETY The annual lunch was held on Thursday 17 May 2018.
Please do get in touch if you have already included Kingswood in your will or are considering leaving a legacy to Kingswood so that we can invite you to the next lunch.
SCOTTISH RECEPTION Saturday 16 June 2018, Edinburgh.
L-R: Hannah Posnett, Sandie Hickman, Graham Papenfus, Dickon Posnett (1981), David Mumford (1964), Richard Hickman (1960), Marcus Cornah (1971)
REUNION EVENTS | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
KINGSWOOD COMMUNITY SUPPER (MJSD) The Community Supper is for all the Kingswood Community. Former and current parents and staff, Old Kingswoodians and their guests enjoy the informal two course supper held four times a year in March, June, September and December (MJSD).
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | REUNION EVENTS
HONG KONG RECEPTION The Headmaster Simon Morris held a Reception for Old Kingswoodians at the Island Shangri-La Hotel in Hong Kong on Thursday 25 October 2018. Thanks to Anna Lam-Lung (KS 1994-99) who helped organise this event.
CANADA & USA RECEPTIONS Graham Papenfus was delighted to meet Old Kingswoodians in the USA and Canada in September 2018. A huge thank you to John Cheffings in Chicago, Mark Vernon in Jacksonville, Michael Siu in San Francisco and Dominic Fielden in Vancouver for helping with arrangements for the receptions. A special mention to Dominic who hosted dinner at his restaurant in Vancouver.
VANCOUVER Elizabeth and Malcolm Wallis, Dominic Fielden, Graham and Jeremy Spindlove
JACKSONVILLE Graham, Mark Vernon and his son-in-law Travis
CHICAGO Robert Deyes, Graham and John Cheffings
REUNION EVENTS | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
CHRISTMAS RECEPTION We held our first Christmas Reception at the Apex Hotel in Bath on Saturday 22 December 2018. There were over 150 guests of all ages, including recent leavers and teachers.
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | REUNION EVENTS
THE 20s AND 30s EVENT This is for Old Kingswoodians who are in their 20s and 30s - Previously named 23-33 Event. Following on from the success of this event for the past few years and by popular request, Simon Morris and Gordon Opie, as well as a number of teachers got together for an informal reception on Saturday 17 November 2018. We returned to the family run restaurant owned by an Old Kingswoodian, Sophie Graham-Wood (KS 1991-2006), at; The CafĂŠ Du Marche, 22 Charterhouse Square, Charterhouse Mews, London EC1M 6DX.
REUNION EVENTS | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
40S AND 50S EVENT As our 20s and 30s event is always so popular we decided not to leave out those in their 40s and 50s so in March 2019 we held our first event for them in London.
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | NEWS
NEWS 70/71s Reunion Bradley Newman (KS 1963-71) and Phil Roseblade (KS 1966-70) were unable to make the 70/71 reunion, but recently discovered they do not live far from each other so in June 2018 they arranged to meet.
AVRIL LEHAN I taught EAL(English for Academic Learning) at Kingswood from 1997 to 2004. Since then life has been rich, interesting and busy.
Lucy Russell Bates (KS 2003-12) and Tom Windett (KS 1989-94) returned to Kingswood on 11 May 2018 to talk about their careers.
Travel has been a regular feature and Australia, Oman, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, France, The Canary Islands and Italy have been some of the overseas countries I've visited. This has offered rich material for wandering with my camera and I have thousands of beautiful images of stunning landscapes, buildings, people, events and works of art. Enough material for several books... The photo here was taken at a pre-wedding dinner in Turin on my birthday in July 2018. A very unexpected, delicious and somewhat alcoholic cake, which the bride to be had had made and presented to me. My next trip will be to Northern Ireland and Donegal, including a night in Belfast to see an old friend who I haven't seen since we worked together in Iran in the 70s. So long ago...I do hope we recognise each other! In November 2017 I became grandmother to beautiful Ruby. Daddy Nick Lehan, who was also at KS from 1997 to 2004, is a very devoted and involved 21st century father.
NEWS | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
Golden Wedding Celebrations Robert Guy (Hall, 1956-62) and his wife, Diana, very happily celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on 25 May 2018. They met at Oxford acting in a production of Vanbrugh’s The Relapse. Diana’s lines included “Help, help! I’m ravished, undone. How shall I ever be able to bear it?” They went on to marry, have two sons and four grandchildren. A celebratory lunch was held for family and many friends including Euan Sutherland (KS 1955-62) who went on with Robert to Balliol. Sadly, Philip Evans (Upper, 1953-63) remains in a nursing home but happily his wife, Linda, was able to join us. The only cloud was the absence of brother Richard (Hall, 1947-55) who died earlier in the year. Very sadly, his other brother, Peter (Hall, 1951-58), who had attended the lunch with his wife, Catherine, also died four months later.
Theresa Zerck visited Kingswood on Sunday 7 October. She came from Germany and was a pupil at Kingswood for a short time. After my year in England I returned to Hamburg to finish the German "Abitur". I then moved to Paris for a couple of months to study French (I took French classes in Kingswood). I completed a lot of work experiences within the field of fashion, before I moved to Berlin in September 2009 to study fashion journalism & media communication. During my studies I completed an internship in New York for three months. My personal life brought me back to Hamburg in 2014. I have been living here since then. I am working for a big Online Shop www.otto.de as the Creative Director for the fashion Online Content. I am developing creative concepts and leading 5 Teams to produce the pictures I envisioned for the Online Shop. Me and my boyfriend are going on a short trip through South England, visiting the natural parks in Surrey Hills, South Downs National Park, Dorset and Dartmoor. On our way back to London Gatwick we want to take the chance to see Bath and visit Kingswood School!
This is a picture of the Placemat given to those who attended the Middle House Reunion in 1995, sent in by Michael Dunkerley (KS 1957-61). He also mentioned that his cricketing interest was nurtured at KS. The Under 14 with Reverend Culshaw, The Colts with John Ede and The 2nd X1 under Ray Wilkinson. Unfortunately he never made the 1st X1 due to its success in the Kerslake era. Ray 'converted' him into an opening Batsman, a spot he occupied for many years in League Cricket up north. A claim to fame (?) is that he played twice against the great Gary Sobers and never faced a ball from him. It was only some 10 years ago he stopped playing regularly, though he still plays occasionally, and he became a qualified Umpire. However, he tells us his red and black hooped cap is still ready to be worn!.
Tim Clark (Priors Court and Kingswood 1973-82) has been appointed to the role of Provost at Singapore Management University and will be starting in April 2019. He has been travelling regularly to Hong Kong over the past four years and has enjoyed numerous meals with Gordon Lee.
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | NEWS
JOHN HIGGINBOTHAM (KS 1954-63) I enjoyed every minute at KS and have revisited several times over the years. I was pretty hopeless academically as I preferred sports, especially cricket but thanks to Freddie Field I enjoyed chemistry - especially when two beautiful girls joined this class in the sixth form! (PS: The ‘two beautiful girls’ were from ‘The Royal School for the Daughters of Retired Naval Officers’, nearby, which had proved totally impregnable due to the extremely high surrounding walls). Thanks to Freddie's teaching I studied Chemistry at Birmingham University, got a PhD, married a gorgeous bride, lived in NYC as a post Doc 2 years at NYU Medical Center, then returned to the UK for post Doc at Bath University - so full circle! The real reason and fortune of studying chemistry at University was that I never put my hand up when Freddie questioned us until one day he forced me to give an answer which I did with a wild guess. Freddie was very surprised and pleased at what I had blurted out and thereafter, if no one put a hand up to a question, he would look at me to give one. Hence I was forced to listen and study so that I could give one...
David Hellard (left) and Tom Kingsnorth, post-race
Alumni Cross-Country Race, Wimbledon Two KS runners - David Hellard and Tom Kingsnorth - competed in the 2018 Thames Hare and Hounds Cross-Country race on Wimbledon Common. In difficult conditions, David and Tom finished in the top 40, in a field of over 250. The annual event is held in December and is attended by alumni - and alumnae - from schools throughout the country. It is the hope that in future years KS can build up a team of reasonable size. Further information is available from Martyn Wade, at martynwade@btinternet.com.
When my wife Elaine and I returned from New York in 1971, we bought an ancient cottage at auction (£12,800!) in Timsbury near Bath, while I was Post Doc at Bath University. Elaine, as a well-qualified ‘infants teacher’ made an application to the local school which she got immediately (the Head was the only other teacher!). A few days later, who should show up at the door, the one and only Freddie Field! He was the Governor there and had recognised her surname from my KS days! Because of Freddie’s inspiration, I spent my whole working life until 2012 at Tate & Lyle R&D and its subsidiaries as a practical food chemist and agricultural scientist, travelling the world introducing natural and formulated sweeteners and agricultural by-products from the millions of tons of 'leftovers’ from the food, feed and fermentation sectors.
Bugsy Malone Three of the cast from 2010 returned to watch the 2018 performance: Freddie Barnes, Charlie Clague & Ben Bates.
NEWS | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
Anniversary Visit to Kingswood School Kenneth Hillier (KS 1955-64) visited in 2018. This was the 60th Anniversary of when Ken, who had come from Priors Court, came to Kingswood. He visited the school on the actual calendar date. Tuesday, 18 September, which was his first night sleeping in Westwood. ‘To return to Kingswood and Westwood, on the actual calendar date I started at the latter 60 years ago, was a fascinating experience. I was
UXIV Cricket Team photographed on the Upper Kirtley, Jefferies, Pilling, Lewis, Hughes Martin, Welch, Mason, Rev. Culshaw, Budd, Damerell, Hillier, Lomax, Mostyn
Kenneth at School
L to R: Richard Garforth, Robert Sandry and Kenneth Hillier
able to tour not only Westwood, but the upper echelons of the old, revered Upper House - a good idea for changing the senior dormitory into an examination hall; alas, I was not so keen on Upper's present relegation to the depths of the old tuck shop area. What a misnomer! I spent a couple of happy hours in the Archive Room (the old Library), had a great self-service lunch (what would Miss Bater say?) in the little-changed Dining Hall and
Old Kingswoodians Around the World DUBAI
The niece of Nicholas Kemp (KS 1958-65) asked for a Kingswood bow tie to give him for a gift. As this is something we do not have we sent her a red Association tie instead which a dressmaker friend of hers made into a bow tie using a YouTube video for guidance.
Tony Hurt is an international teacher. He and his wife Shanna have moved from Pakistan after four years at Karachi American School, and will be teaching at the American School of Dubai for the next few years. He welcomes anyone who would like to visit, and would love to host a Kingswood reunion in Dubai. Tony Hurt c/o The American School of Dubai, Dubai, P.O. Box 71188, Dubai, UAE, email address: jpahurt@gmail.com
exchanged valued reminiscences with Robert Sandry (KS 1956-65) and Richard Garforth (KS 1960-66), both Upper stalwarts. I was most impressed with Zoë's and Michele's work on behalf of the Archives and Association. Thank you to all for such a worthwhile and enjoyable return.’ He has just completed a hundred page Memoire of his time at K.S. This now joins his much shorter account of Prior's Court days.
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | NEWS
Can You Help Reunite Two Long Lost Friends? Bruce Hoof (KS 1961-63) is looking for his best friend when he was at Kingswood. His name is Nicholas Edward John Mason. He was a day student and lived in Bath. He was in Hall House and a student at Kingswood for his Sixth Form year 1965-66. If anyone is still in contact with him, could you please ask him to contact the Association Office so that we can give him Bruce’s contact details. The photo right may be of help. It is of the Cusworth 1st XV in the fall of 1961. N.E.J. Mason is the 3rd person (and 2nd Rugby player) from the left, shown in the back/standing row in the photo and I am the player seated 2nd from the left (on the bench).
Kelly Greene (KS 2001-06) is a London-based yoga teacher specialising in Ashtanga Vinyasa and flowing vinyasa sequences. Coming from a successful career in the music marketing industry, she discovered the steadying, soothing effect that yoga can have on an active body and mind. Her unique style of teaching is considered challenging, inclusive, friendly and most importantly fun.
Congratulations to Hannah James who was married on June 1 2019, pictured here with 2008 leavers.
If anyone is heading to Wilderness Festival this year, why not join her in her flow class!
Bob Kirtley (Hall House 1954-61) has returned to the UK after 16 wonderful years in France and is now able to talk without having to think about grammar and gender. He and his wife, Helen, have settled in Raunds (Northants) where he is developing the art of malingering (aka old age!)
Alistair Handyside (KS 1970-75) was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours this year. It was awarded for services to West Country tourism.
NEWS | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
TIMOTHY RICHARDS (KS 1967-73)
GEOFFREY BARRACLOUGH
Timothy Richards has been making architectural sculptures for the last quarter of a century.
(KS 1943-48)
Now in his eighth workshop he remains the only person living to have developed such work. The origins of this quality of plasterwork date back to the Fouquets who worked in Paris between 1780 and 1830. Tim has built a network of collectors in America and England over a quarter of a century.
I have sought in vain in the Association News, which came by post this morning, to find the name of the editor. I have one immediate complaint - it's now 1500 hours. and I have done nothing useful since its arrival!! The Editor is to be congratulated on an excellent edition.
Education remains at the heart of Tim’s models. They will stand the test of time. Over 150 commissions have been completed in 25 years of business.
Thank you to the Editor
Unhappily my age means that it is the obituaries that are most meaningful I particularly liked reading that of KB Wilson. He was not a contemporary of mine, but I met up with him on numerous occasions. There was just so much "Sacket" and Rupert Davies about him. Most recently it was at Ammerdown that I often met up with him, and a year or so ago we persuaded him to come to our local church here in Wimborne to take services.
Ferens Area Gets A Revamp The viewpoint at the west end of the Ferens lawn has been renovated through the generosity of a group of Association members. From Left to right: Michael Jakins (KS 1957-64), Brett Clark, Jonathan Farmer – Worshipful Master, Neil Dowdney (KS 1964-70).
Talking of the local church: I wonder how many churches in Methodism have a regular 4 former KS boys in the morning congregation. We have John Adams, (KS 1934-40), David Kendall (KS 1947-54), Michael Bloxham (KS 1951-55) and myself Geoff Barraclough (KS 1943-48) In the Times this morning there are dire warnings that Durham students might have to start lectures at 8.00am. They should read of the Wesley regime! Incidentally when teaching in Uganda, first lesson was at 7.30am, followed by chapel, then breakfast - so I have no sympathy. Thanks again
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | NEWS
ROGER HAILWOOD (KS 1949-56) I continue to promise myself a visit to KS, but a busy retired life keeps thwarting my intentions. This year I reach the point of 20 years as a volunteer at the National Memorial Arboretum, I have been there almost since its inception. Much of my time on site I am acting as a guide, but at other times I am touring the country, speaking on behalf of the Arboretum. Since I started in
this role in 2002 I have spoken at 414 venues to a whole variety of audiences. I continue to be amazed at how many people have no knowledge of the Country's Centre of National Remembrance. For those who come to visit us for the first time, having come to see the Armed Forces Memorial which they have seen on the TV, are astounded by the fact that we have 350 major memorials
on the site in addition to the main memorial. The other fact that some find difficult to comprehend is that one third of our memorials are civilian, it seems to be a perception that the Arboretum is a military memorial. The other feature that is generally overlooked, is that we are an arboretum with 28,000 trees, both indigenous and from areas around the world. Part of the collection is, what we are hoping will become in time, the National Collection of oak trees, of which we have at the last count, 41 different varieties. When not involved with the NMA, I am involved with our village church and am a governor for our church primary school. I am fortunate to have the good health to be so active. With best wishes Roger
It's A Family Affair Dear Editor, I was delighted to learn that my grandson, Sam Gearing, has been accepted for admission to Kingswood in September. When he joins the school, Sam will be following in the footsteps of his mother, Katie Gearing (nĂŠe Brigg) (KS 1988-90), his grandfather, Peter Brigg (KS 1952-60), his great-grandfather, Gordon Brigg (KS 1923-28), and
Rev Henry Brigg
his great-great-grandfather, Henry Brigg (KS 1880s). Not only that, over the years several other Briggs have attended the school - namely my cousin, Hartley Brigg (KS 1960-65), my two uncles, Arthur (KS 1915-21) and Charles Brigg (KS 1917-23), not to mention my great-uncle John Brigg, who had the unfortunate distinction of dying while still a pupil at Kingswood in 1891.
Rev Gordon Brigg
Peter Brigg
All this means that, come September, five successive generations of our family will have been at Kingswood. It would be very interesting to know whether any other family can boast such a long, unbroken association with the school, or perhaps even surpass it. Yours sincerely Peter Brigg
Katie Gearing
Sam Gearing
GLOBAL FOOTPRINT | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
OLD KINGSWOODIANS AROUND THE WORLD We have Old Kingswoodians living and working in many parts of the world and they have offered to act as points of contact and advice to anyone visiting or considering moving to their countries.
If you are not on this list and you would like to be added as a point of contact, please get in touch with the Association Office.
AUSTRALIA
JAPAN
UAE & DUBAI
MARK MCCONNELL (Middle 1985-89) E. mark@mima.com.au 9 Raleigh Crescent, St Ives NSW, 2075 Australia
CHRIS DIXON (Lower / Upper 1975-84) E. dixonyan@gol.com 2-13-3 Matsugaoka Tokorozawa-shi Saitama-ken 359-1132 Japan
TONY HURT (Lower 1971-79) E. jpahurt@gmail.com c/o The American School of Dubai, PO Box 71188 Dubai
CANADA JOHN ROMERIL (Middle 1945-49) E. romeriljma@shaw.ca
HONG KONG ANNA LAM (School 1994-99) E. anna@flm.com.hk T. +852 9844 9405 M. (852) 9844 9405
ITALY MARY CAMPBELL-BIANCHINI (Lower 1975-77) E. maryhamcam3@gmail.com T. 0039 0457611591 Via Zoppega22, 37032, Monteforte D’Alpone, VR, Italy
KENYA LOUISE (LULU) KEEBLE (Fonthill 1999-2001) E. kenyachef@gmail.com T. +254 722393158 PO Box 24296 Karen Nairobi, Kenya
SLOVAKIA JOHN BARON MBE (Upper 1959-62) E. johnbaron@nextra.sk T. +4212 555 66741 M. +421 905 986758
UGANDA PATRICK ADENGO (Middle 1992-94) E. padengo@scg.ug T. +256 312 531678
USA COLIN MABLY (School 1954-60) E. cmably@aol.com T. 301 934 2374 M. 301 404 8718 10369 Andrea Lane La Plata Maryland 20646, USA
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | ARCHIVES
THREE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS IN KINGSWOOD SCHOOL There are many stained glass windows around Kingswood, both in the main school and the chapel. Below our School Archivist, Zoe Parsons gives a brief history of three of the windows within the main school.
DINING HALL As there was no Chapel until 1922 all stained glass memorial windows were placed in the Hall, all of which were designed by H. J. Salisbury. Here, we shall look at just one. On the west side next to the gallery to preserve the symmetry with the opposite side there was the stone framework of a solid window. In 1914, it was made
into a glass mosaic in memory of the mother and father of the Headmaster (Walter Percy Workman, Headmaster 1903-18). The inscription reads “In memory of the Rev. John Sanson Workman, died 1892 and of Mary Brook his wife, died 1914: erected by their children and a friend, 1914”. The window followed the pattern of a scheme which it was intended to apply to all future windows – to embody men of action and men of thought. However, with the opening of the Chapel in 1922 this scheme was abandoned. The men of action depicted in this window are Christopher Columbus and Martin Luther and the men of thought are Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton. Columbus is dressed in all his finery to welcome the newly-discovered land. Luther holds a scroll with his immortal words at the Diet of Worms. His words “A Safe Strong-hold” appear below. Galileo holds the telescope he invented used to discover the rings of Saturn which are shown over his head. Newton is depicted through his name given on a copy of his “Philosophia Naturalis Principia” lying at his feet. The corner of the panel has the arms of Trinity College, Cambridge (where he spent his academic life) with an orrery (a clockwork model of the solar system) behind. Lines from Wordsworth’s “Prelude” are quoted below the two figures.
Stained glass window: “In memory of the Rev. John Sanson Workman, died 1892 and of Mary Brook his wife, died 1914: erected by their children and a friend, 1914”.
“The marble index of a mind forever
Voyaging through strange seas of thought alone”.
Shields at the top of the window are of Pisa, Genoa, Saxony and Grantham; places all associated with these famous men.
ARCHIVES | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
MAIN STAIRCASE FIRST FLOOR LANDING The stained glass window above the first flight of stairs reflects the sentiments of the age when the School came to Bath.
Stained glass window on the first floor landing
Panel containing the word “not” originally blown out in a gale in 1929
The Headmaster, Alfred Barrett Sackett (Headmaster, 1928-59), wrote in his report in the Kingswood Magazine, in September 1959: “… It is then, our principle, understood in the acorn, that once rooted, a person should be encouraged to grow as his nature demands. No topiary for us. I should like to expand on topiary as a topic for education. The stained glass of 1851 in my front hall has the motto “train up the child in the way he should grow, and when he is old he will not depart there from.” A gale in 1929 blew out the word “not” leaving all else intact. Was that, or was that not, an act of God? Children tend to follow like slaves or kick like mules. Slaves or rebels. How far may a parent or teacher try to teach? And with what object? If that was an act of God, I take it he thought that we should think before we teach…”
LORD MOULTON HALL, NOW THE J. O. HEAP LIBRARY An article in the Kingwood Magazine in December 1926 (Page 382) succinctly details the creation of The Lord Moulton Memorial Hall, which was officially opened by, Edward Prince of Wales on the 10th November 1926. “…This Hall has been constructed out of the old Senior schoolroom and Prefects' room. All the old desks have been removed and the floor has been largely reconstructed and strengthened. The lower parts of the walls to a height of about 10 ft. have been panelled in oak, and the upper parts have been painted a light colour. The old electric lights have been removed and a completely new system installed. The old windows which were falling to pieces have been taken out and new ones put in their place. The south window has been removed and a beautiful stained glass
window of heraldic character has been specially designed and erected as the gift of two old Kingswood boys, Messrs. W. A. and R. H. Posnett. It includes the arms of Lord Moulton those of Kingswood School, the Middle Temple, of which Lord Moulton
was a bencher; and those of St. John's and Christ's Colleges, Cambridge, at the former of which Lord Moulton was an undergraduate and at the latter a Fellow; and also includes heraldic emblems of Literature, Science, Art, Labour, etc…”
The south window in the library, formerly the Moulton Hall
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KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19 | THE CHAPLAIN
KINGSWOOD CHAPLAIN – THE REV. DAVID A. HULL INTRODUCING THE CHAPLAIN It has been a privilege to have served as Kingswood’s Chaplain now for four years. Following a number of enquiries from alumni about the school’s current Chaplain, we thought we would let you know a little more about me!
The move to Kingswood School brought me back to my home town. I grew up in Bathampton, just outside Bath and went to King Edward’s School (though I tend to keep that quiet around Kingswood!) After reading theology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and training for the ministry at Wesley House, Cambridge, I served as a Methodist Minister in Cornwall. During my ministerial training, I had undertaken a placement with the Chaplain at The Leys, one of our Methodist family of schools, and since then had felt drawn to school chaplaincy. I therefore moved from Cornwall to become Chaplain to Shebbear College in North Devon, another Methodist school. From there I was appointed to be Housemaster to the world-famous choristers at King’s College and moved back to Cambridge. It was there that I met my wife, Sarah and we were married. Sarah is a primary school teacher and was living and working in Kent when we met. It was only after we were engaged to be married that I discovered she was part of a well-known
Cambridgeshire family whose recent forebears – Bill and Joe Church (Sarah’s grandfather and great uncle) – had been central figures in the East African revival. As news spread about our engagement, I was amazed at how many people told me they had known and worked with Bill and Joe Church in Rwanda. It was in Cambridge that our first daughter, Martha, was born and since then another two daughters have followed, Miriam and Susannah; each is a joy and delight to us! From Cambridge, I returned to the South West, initially for a oneyear appointment to Shaftesbury to cover a ministerial vacancy, and thence to Kingswood. It is a great privilege to serve as Chaplain to Kingswood. The Chapel is at the heart of our school and the heart beat which radiates from there influences and informs everything that we do in every part of the school. The Chaplain is one of the few members of staff who serves the whole Foundation, from the youngest children in the Nursery to the oldest in the Sixth Form, as well as the whole staff team.
On Fridays, I visit the Pre-Prep classes, tell Bible stories and sing songs. One of our favourites is, ‘The wise man built his house upon the rock’. I think it is a great song for a school, because it is all about foundations, based upon a memorable parable that Jesus told at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, beginning with the words, ‘Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on rock’. The house built on strong foundations stood firm when the house built on the weak foundation of sand collapsed spectacularly. For me, education is all about laying foundations. One of the striking things about foundations is that they are both indispensable and, when the building work is complete, invisible. Similarly, as the years go by, much of the education we have received becomes invisible. Very few of us remember the daily routines of our school lives, the comments made in passing, even the details of the lessons. They are now hidden from view and yet, throughout our school years, for better or worse, the
REMEMBRANCE SERVICE | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
indispensable foundations of life-long learning and living have been laid. In years to come, the same will be true of Kingswood’s present day pupils: much will be forgotten. Yet I hope the nature of the foundations they lay here will continue to influence them for the rest of their lives. Central to the laying of those foundations is the Chapel. It is always wonderfully encouraging to welcome back former pupils who speak about how meaningful the Chapel has become for them. Many choose to return to celebrate some of the most important days of their lives with weddings and baptisms. One grandparent at a recent baptism was struck by the inscription on the bench outside the Chapel, which is in memory of a pupil who died just a few years ago, William Cross. It states, ‘If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything’. In Chapel, we seek to help our pupils lay the very best of foundations and discover the surest of ground on which to stand: the good news of Jesus Christ. It is a foundation that is encapsulated in what a former generation of pupils remember as the de facto school hymn: ‘Now I have found the ground wherein sure my soul’s anchor may remain’. The values we celebrate in Chapel flow throughout the school. We believe they provide the very best materials to lay the strongest of foundations on which the most glorious structures can be built: lives well and wisely lived. What a privilege to share in such a task! Rev. David A. Hull Chaplain
REMEMBRANCE DAY 2018
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OBITUARIES JOHN BLAND PRIOR’S COURT STAFF An appreciation. I first met John for interview in 1985 in the Commonwealth Institute, where I had been interviewed by Laurie Campbell the year before. I had not yet taken up my appointment as Head of Prior’s Court (I was still Head of Culford Prep. School) but was charged with the responsibility of appointing key staff owing to the impending retirement of two long serving members of staff, Vic Black (Maths) and Sammy Selwood (French). After a final interview at Culford, John was offered and accepted the post of Head of French and was pleased that a bungalow on the campus at Prior’s Court would be available for him, his wife Nicki and their, yet to be born, daughter. John’s initial reaction to the birth of Pippi was to call me and say that regrettably he thought that it would be unfair to the school for the family to move to Berkshire from Liverpool College because Pippi had a life-threatening condition (Hydro-Encephalitis) and that the doctors only gave her a few months to live. Happily though John, Nicki and Pippi arrived ready for the Autumn Term and the Bursar and the Governors facilitated the modifications to the Bungalow that enabled Pippi to live on the campus until 1998 when the family moved, with the Prep. School, back to Kingswood in Bath. John was a dedicated and talented teacher who reckoned that a good teacher could teach anything…and so it was that he subsequently took on the
teaching of RE and Latin when he needed a change from the usual. However, I think his time as Director of Music was the most fulfilling and successful role. He managed a bevvy of peripatetic Music teachers with sensitivity but firmness… qualities that he also bestowed on his pupils. He encouraged every child to have a go at experiencing the joy (not always perhaps) of making music. He started a series of lunchtime concerts where the pupils played for the pupils and musical morning assemblies to which parents and grandparents were invited. He even persuaded me to take ‘cello lessons at school. He also provided music every Sunday for our chapel services and Elizabeth remembers him saying that whenever he was lost for a hymn suggestion he played Lord of all hopefulness. That to me typifies the spirit of the man. John was interested in using music as therapy and took a course in Hungary in the ‘Kodaly Method’. I know that John and Nicki took a hugely modest pride in seeing the musical career of their son Dominic flourish, as it still does, in such musically steeped institutions as St. George’s School, Windsor Castle where he was Head Chorister; Cheltenham College where he was a Music Scholar; Cardiff Conservatoire, and now again back in Windsor Castle as a Lay Clerk at St. Georges Chapel and member of the Queen’s Six, with his wife and two young children. During the time at Prior’s Court Nicki also became a form teacher alongside Elizabeth High, teaching parallel Year 6’s. At the same time the family were caring for Pippi who attended the Castle
Special School and who was a star on the campus as far as the children were concerned… she taught a whole generation of children and parents about the way every individual, no matter what, can contribute something to society that will be of lasting value. When the time came for Prior’s Court to move back to Bath, Nicki took a role as Housemistress at Kingswood while John devoted himself to Pippi’s welfare and embarked on a Master’s degree course. It was a great joy for Elizabeth and me to attend the Ordination of Nicki in Ely Cathedral, the marriage of Dominic to Eni in Romania… but also very sadly the funeral of Pippi in Spalding. His last teaching appointment was as a volunteer in a Catholic school in South India. John and Pippi’s ashes have been laid together in the churchyard at Gt. Staughton, in Cambridgeshire where Nicki is Vicar. Paul High (Former Head of Prior’s Court 1985-98)
At The Lake District, October 2018, aged 95
REV. W. RALPH BLOW KS 1934-42 Ralph Blow was born on 10 July 1923 in Kodai Kanal, India, to missionary parents. Rev. E. Mervyn Blow, and Dorothy (neé
OBITUARIES | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
Sanders), both born in Cardiff. Ralph returned as a child to the UK from India in about 1928 with his mother and invalid sister (b.1925) and lived near his grandparents in Cardiff. His father Mervyn returned to work in the UK in 1930 and served in Birmingham (Somerset Road, Handsworth, 1930-33); Bristol (Bishopston 1933-36); Nottingham (Sherwood 1936-41) after which he volunteered as Chaplain in the Air Force. Ralph entered Kingswood School in Bath in 1934, being more than a year younger than the average age of his classmates. He eventually became Head of his House (Hall House) in 1941. With a natural penchant and curiosity for How Things Work, even before Ralph had left KS, he had distinguished himself by having not one but two accidents with explosives. One was out of the way on the school rugby field. The other blew out windows in the science block. Even thirty years later, mention of the name Blow caused people to talk of this. Such an inauspicious start didn’t hold Ralph back. He was granted an open scholarship in Physics to Brasenose College, Oxford in 1942 and did a shortened (Wartime) degree.
100m Hurdles Oxford 1943
In spite of having been a cadet in all three services (Air Force – ATC while at school; Army – OTC for his first year at University and Navy – NCC in his second year), the Physics Department offered
him a war job as a Demonstrator in the Clarendon Laboratory, which he held for 5 years. During this time he felt a strong call to the Methodist Ministry and became a candidate in 1949. He was sent to Wesley House theological college in Cambridge (1949-51). After a ‘General’ offer, he was sought as a University teacher by Rev. C. C. Pande, Chairman of the Bengal District Methodist Missionary Society MMS, and was appointed there in September 1951. His fiancée was Eugenie Chambers, whom he had met in 1943 when she went to Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, as a student. She went out to India to marry him in November 1952, in the village church at Sarenga (District Bankura, West Bengal).
Ralph as a young Minister
Wedding to Eugenie in November 1952
In 1953 they moved to Raniganj, where he was in charge of three Methodist communities and a Leprosy Home. In April 1954 he took up his work as Physics Lecturer in the Bankura Christian College, being at the same time responsible for the nearby school Boy’s Hostel. He also had to oversee the building of a flat for himself and his wife to live in, there being insufficient budget to employ a contractor. Twins were born in August 1954, and a younger daughter, Rachel, was born in the UK while they were on furlough in 1957. Later Eugenie, who had a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, was appointed Lecturer in the Politics Department
of the college, and soon after became the first Warden of the new Women Students’ Hostel. Ralph was appointed Bursar of the college in May 1962 – a post which he held until he finished working in India in December 1966. In October 1958 Eugenie and he made the decision to give a home to some orphaned children. Four sisters, aged 11-17, came to join them and made a wonderful extension to the family.
The whole family in 1960
They brought many rewards, including much improvement in the whole family’s spoken Bengali and hence a capacity for close friendships in the Bengali community. With some gaps Ralph remained in contact with the sisters and their growing families for the rest of his life. Sadly, the eldest died in May 2014. In 1964 Eugenie had returned to Nottingham with the children for their education in the UK, and after a period alone in India, he came back to join them in December 1966. After returning to the UK, he served in Bingley, Yorkshire (1967-68); Kent College, Canterbury (1968-69); Streatham and Dulwich circuit (1969-74); Brixton, South London Mission (1974-82) and Chingford Circuit (1982-88). During the years 197182, as part of his Community work, he formed a One-Parent Family Group which eventually supported about 160 families. His first career in Physics was a manifestation of his
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practical bent. In his study in every manse, cameras, optical gadgets, electronics projects and dismantled electrical appliances jostled for position with his paperwork. The musty smell of his books was laced with the odour of soldering resin and valve radios. There was always some antique clock under repair. Naturally he couldn’t resist mending the Chingford clock:
He retired in 1988, when Eugenie also retired from teaching. They returned to live in the house that they had bought in Nottingham in 1964. After retirement, they went several times to India to visit their foster family and other friends, and also to take groups – mainly to see the churches and Christian social work of Kolkata and its surroundings. He continued to preach in the local circuit and also in India when he visited. Motorcycling as a young man, and at 83 visiting extended family in Adra, W.Bengal 2007
A motorcyclist at Oxford, Ralph went on to ride them in India and as a clergyman in London. He was to be seen on his AJS 650 with dog collar and flying cassock. In his spare time at Brixton, he fitted an Alfa Romeo engine into his Bedford van, where so many components had to be Alfa at one end and Bedford at the other. When his son broke down 270 miles from London, Ralph thought nothing of popping up on his motorbike to swap back axles at the side of the road. There are countless similar stories of Ralph working his mechanical magic. He had an enduring interest in science, enjoyed pondering inventive solutions and kept abreast of developments until latterly his eyesight failed him.
His beloved wife, Eugenie, showed symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease from ’97. She remained with him until November 2001 and then went in to a local nursing home where he was able to visit her two or three times most days. After a short illness she died on 1 September 2006. By April 2013 Ralph’s failing eyesight meant he made the decision to stop driving, which greatly curtailed his adventurous spirit and capacity for maintaining friendships in person, though he continued to enjoy phone conversations with his many far flung friends and family.
Four generations, with son James (KS 1967-8), granddaughters and great grandson.
Motorcycling as a young man
His offspring James W. Blow, Helen R. Blow, and Rachel Blow can be contacted by emailing the Association Office who will pass your message on.
THE REV. J DAVID BRIDGE KS 1947-55 John David Bridge was born in Leigh, Lancashire, in 1937 into a strong Methodist family. His mother was a teacher and his father was a Methodist minister. This is perhaps the reason why he later came to Kingswood School. After his Kingswood School career, he trained at Hartley Victoria College, while also taking a degree at Manchester University. This was then followed by a year at the Graduate School of Ecumenical Studies in Geneva. He believed that his studies in Geneva left an imprint on him and awakened an interest in European affairs and in Christian-Marxist dialogue. This interest led to a great concern for Christians who were living behind the Iron Curtain who practised their faith at peril. He then travelled through Europe, making links and developing relationships with churches, particularly in Ukraine, Estonia and Slovakia. David served in the following circuits: Bramhall, Chester, Newcastle-under-Lyme, North Shields and Whitley Bay, Sutton, Chichester and Bognor Regis. He was known as an intelligent preacher “who changed the mind
OBITUARIES | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
as well as nourishing the soul” and chaired committees firmly, efficiently, but with a wry, dry sense of humour. David’s wife, Linda, cared for him through the years. They also had two daughters, Rachel and Sarah, to whom David passed on his love of writing and of travel, and David also greatly enjoyed the company of his two grandchildren, Harry and Jack. In later years David developed Parkinson’s Disease. He coped with this with his usual humility, determination and faith. He died in the 82nd year of his life and the 59th year of his ministry.
REX OWEN COLLINS KS 1939-44 Rex Owen Collins was born on 26 July 1926 in Leicester. Rex’s father, the Rev. Owen Mountain Collins was a Welshman born and bred who had been a coal miner until he saved enough money to train for the Methodist ministry. He was a Primitive Methodist and the family moved to a new circuit every four or five years. Married to Ethel, Rex was their 3rd child. When Rex was about 6, the family moved to Armley, a suburb of Leeds, where he attended Armley Park Council School. From there he won a scholarship to West Leeds High School, and what he remembered most was that it was here that he learnt to play rugby. When he was 13, Rex along with his elder brother Roy, went to Kingswood, their fees were
apparently paid for by a wealthy boot and shoe manufacturer who had got to know the Reverend Owen. Expecting to go to Bath, but just before Rex went, war broke out and the whole school was evacuated to Uppingham in Rutland and he spent his entire school years never visiting the original school. I remember him telling me admiringly how the Headmaster (Mr Sackett, known by the boys as “Bucket”) had had only a handful of weeks’ notice to move and set up the school, squeezed in alongside the existing Uppingham School, where they ran as separate institutions. Rex entered into school life with enthusiasm: He became captain of the hockey and rugby teams and head of School House. A few years ago he wrote in an article about his schooldays for the care home’s inhouse magazine: ‘It was compulsory to attend chapel on Sundays and to write a letter home every week’. He said that they as boys ‘enjoyed chapel because we sang wonderful Wesley hymns, bellowing them out as loudly as we could’. Whenever he sang a hymn with a good rousing tune, he would say “that’s a good old Methodist hymn” even if the writer wasn’t John Wesley! To write home each week, the boys had to keep a diary and fill it in every evening at prep. Rex kept a diary throughout his life, even in the care home, until his dementia took complete hold.
L-R: Don Ellerton, Jon Annan, Rex Collins
Kingswood 1st XV, 1943 BACK L-R: Philip Rider, David Haw, Matthew Forster, A.W. Lindsay Smith, Bruce Luxton FRONT L-R: Rex, Harold James, David Lindsay, Malcolm Wenyon, Russell Keeley
In the spring of 1945 Rex went up to Brasenose College, on a Naval Scholarship. He always said he was accepted into Oxford for to his ability on the rugger pitch and not for his brains. He read maths for two terms, but said he spent far more time playing rugby and hockey rather than attending any lectures. It was during these two terms that he met my Mum, Irene, who was at St Hilda’s College reading history. He always claimed that she winked at him, and he was immediately smitten. This she always denied and told the story rather more demurely that they met at the Methodist Society meetings. After two terms, Rex was drafted into the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. He trained at Portsmouth and was commissioned as a Midshipman in November 1945. He always joked that Hitler had seem him coming so had given up the fight. Dad spent the next couple of years on “cleaning up operations” as a sub-lieutenant, minesweeping in the Mediterranean and around the top of Scotland. He returned to Oxford after being de-mobbed in 1947 this time studying Chemistry, and graduated in 1950. He finally persuaded Irene to accept him, and they got engaged in August 1948. Sadly, due to a back injury sustained carrying shells, he was unable to play contact sports again. Following their marriage, Rex and Irene settled in Whaley
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Bridge in Derbyshire where Rex had a job at the local textile print works, Bingswood, working in the laboratories with the dyestuffs. He had a huge love of colour – to such an extent that he painted every wall in their bungalow, in a different coloured paint! It was in this bungalow where he also discovered a passion for gardening, particularly growing flowers with vibrant colour. In the summer of 1964 Rex transferred within the Calico Printers Association to Manchester as a buyer of dyestuffs, and he remained happily in this role until he retired on his 65th Birthday in July 1991 (after 41 years). Within this time, the company had changed its name a few times – becoming Tootal Ltd in the early 70’s and eventually being acquired by Coates Viyella. The move to working in central Manchester brought the family to Brooklands in Sale in the summer of 1964. The house had a large garden which Rex loved, and he would rush home from work, change into his ‘gardening clothes’ (which included a tie…) and would go out and spend an hour before tea. He grew vegetables and beautiful sweetpeas, roses and dahlias. That summer, we started to attend the local Parish Church of St John the Divine. Over the next 54 years Rex served his church as sidesman, treasurer, warden; he served on the PCC and ran 2 stewardship campaigns. He was a born fund-raiser: full of ideas – he ran Parish Garden Parties, Christmas Fairs, the Youth Club; spoke at the Men’s Society and entered the Gardening Shows; cooked for Parish lunches; was a member of the baking team, and in later years, assisted at ‘open days’ and ‘heritage weekends’. Rex had a keen interest in church architecture and particularly
in ecclesiastical stained glass. He was hugely knowledgeable on the subjects and very wideread. We used to travel around England photographing churches and their windows and he would talk to Men’s Societies and Probus Clubs. When my mother was collating the Parish archives in order to produce the Parish History, he wrote two chapters one on Alfred Waterhouse (who built St John’s Church), and the other describing the magnificent stained-glass windows within it. He also wrote 2 of the 5 Brooklands Past & Present pamphlets in the early 1990’s in which he not only wrote the text but also drew the illustrations. Rex loved more or less every genre of music but in particular Italian opera and sacred choral singing. He had no formal training and never fully learnt to read music, but would listen intently, and would follow a vocal score singing along to his records. He was a loyal member of the Salford Choral Society for many years, and it was with great pride he got to sing in all the big oratorios. He used to wait with huge excitement during any rendition of the Mozart Requiem for the “Rex!…..Rex!” in Rex Tremendae Majestatis. As a child growing up we had season tickets for the Hallé Sunday evening concerts, and every year when the D’Oyle Carte came to the opera house we would attend the Gilbert and Sullivan productions. As a very young child, I used to sit with him listening to his records of Puccini Operas – he absolutely loved them and would get very emotional and could hardly bare to listen to the end of La Bohème. At several points he would grasp my hand and say “just listen to this …..” and he’d get up and move the needle back a bit, just so we could hear a particular line again.
Rex always said that “men are put on this earth to look after their women-folk”. This was his mantra in life, and he certainly carried this out to the fullest extent with his devotion, pride and support of my Mum Irene over the 64 years of their marriage. He was keenly interested and supportive of me his only daughter, and of his grandson Ben. My parents moved into the care home in October 2012 and they entered into all the activities with their usual enthusiasm. Allingham House Care Centre continued to provide patient and loving care of Rex over the last 3 and half years since Irene died. His dementia steadily worsened – the only comforting thing that can be said about this hideous disease is that we believe he forgot that Mum had died and so his grieving was minimal. I’m sure that everyone here today, and those who are with us in spirit, will remember Rex for his great kindness, his gentlemanly courtesy, his inexhaustible enthusiasm and enormous sense of fun and ready laughter. He will be much missed.
JOHN KEITH DUNKERLEY KS 1935-42 John, the Uncle of myself and my Brother Andrew (KS 1960-65), was
OBITUARIES | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
born in Heaton Moor, Stockport on the 19 March 1923. He followed his elder brother Allen (KS 1932-36) to Kingswood and clearly enjoyed his time there, entering into school life with enthusiasm. He was head of Middle House, a school Prefect and achieved much sporting success. His first three years were spent in Bath and then in September 1939 he moved to Uppingham when the School was transferred there. He played in the first team at Hockey, Cricket and Rugby and achieved great things on the athletics field, particularly in the Long Jump where he broke the school record and leapt an impressive 22 feet for which he was awarded the Victor Ludorum. Even after leaving school he continued to support the school’s sporting efforts, coordinating the fundraising for a new cricket pavilion for the school’s Upper sports ground. He served on the Executive Committee of the Old Boys Association (as it was then known) and was its President in 1988-1989. In 1942 he went to Manchester University and quickly signed up to the University Air Squadron this giving him 6 months basic RAF training. Whilst he was at Manchester he played Rugby for both the University and Sale Rugby Clubs, playing alongside Hal Sever (Pre-war captain of England) and Ken Fyfe (an established player on the Scottish Rugby team). In 1943 he reported to the RAF and then saw service as a Flight Sergeant flying in Lancaster Bombers. John always declared that he had a good war, and counted himself very lucky. Having received his
flight training in Canada, on his return to the UK for active service he was due to take part in the Arnhem offensive, but his kit bag was lost so he was unable to fly. He lost many close friends in that operation. Most of his flying involved dropping tin foil over Germany to confuse the enemy radar and then after the war flying to Italy to bring servicemen home. He was a member of 550 Squadron, and kept in regular contact with his flight crew throughout his life. After demob he resumed his studies at Manchester University, graduating in 1948 with a BA Degree. He then joined Vantona Textiles in Surrey where he worked for 4 years until he and Allen bought a manufacturing company in Oldham called Red Rose Products. John and his wife Pat moved to Bramhall, their Daughters Lindsey and Alison were born, and family life began. John continued to be an active sportsman, joining Bramhall Hockey Club. He was Captain of the first team for a number of years. He later became a very successful Umpire, joining the Northern Hockey Umpires Association. He also enjoyed playing Golf, and was a member of Davenport and then Bramhall Golf Clubs, latterly organising the veterans matches for 13 years. As a player he reckoned his handicap was the ball, and he never really mastered a true golfing swing, preferring to strike the ball in the attacking style of a hockey player. John, like many others in his family, was a keen Manchester City supporter, and was delighted to follow their recent successes.
When he became less active in sport he spent many happy hours watching sport on the television. Through business John became a Member, and later a Fellow, of the Institute of Marketing. He served as chairman twice, and hosted a dinner where the guest of honour was no less than the Duke of Edinburgh. When called upon to make his after dinner speech he launched into it with passion. When he had finished he realised he hadn’t addressed his Royal Highness, Honoured guests etc, he had just gone straight into his speech. Horribly embarrassed he called the Master of Ceremonies over, who reassured him that he wasn’t about to be dragged to the tower for insubordination, saying “As chairman of the evening you are the most important person in the room, so not addressing your guests was not strictly necessary ….but it would have been nice Sir!” John and Pat joined the Bramhall Brookdale Club in 1952 and it quickly became an important part of their social life. John was an active member of the Dramatic section, with roles both on stage and behind the scenes. He also enjoyed many years as a member of the Bridge Section playing both rubber and duplicate. He served on the General Committee and was Club Secretary for 25 years. It was well known that if a Secretary of a Section posted information without consulting the General Committee a letter would quickly be dispatched from John! He was delighted to be the Club President in 1975. John was enormously proud of his family and was always
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interested and supportive. His Daughters grew up knowing they were part of a caring family. He was so pleased when Grandchildren arrived and even happier when he became a Great Grandpa. John and Pat celebrated 65 years of marriage in 2017. Pat was the love of his life, and together they were a great example to the family. He died on the 19 May 2018 and his ashes were scattered on the Upper in August 2018, a place that had so many happy memories for him. One of life’s true gentlemen John will be greatly missed. A quote from some of the many cards and messages of support the family received said:-.
education of the older brother and sister the family returned home before the war when Martin was one. As a small boy he asked his beloved mother ‘why am I always asking why?’. It was an early indication of his need to get to the heart of a problem, nurtured first by his Frobel Primary education and continued at Priors Court where he went at the age of nine. He went on to Kingswood, then under the direction of Alfred Barrett Sackett – a headmaster with great vision who encouraged adventurousness and exploration. Martin enjoyed the opportunities he had to go out unaccompanied on half day holidays, walking of cycling. In his final year Martin was Senior Prefect.
“Those we love don’t go away … they walk with us every day” Let’s go for a walk John. Michael Dunkerley (KS 1957-61)
Music was strong at Kingswood under John Sykes. As a violinist and viola player Martin decided to study music seriously and was awarded a place at Gonville and Caius, Cambridge.
KS 1950-55
Like most of his generation he spent two years doing national service in the RAF which took him to Schleswig Holstein. He never flew a plane, describing his job as flying a desk. Rather than taking leave to return home, he opted for a journey fifty miles beyond the German border to Italy, bought a bike, and rode around using the nearly empty highways.
Martin was born in Canton where his father was a Methodist Missionary. To further the
National Service gave Martin time to reflect on his choice of study and he decided to read
D H MARTIN FOSTER
modern languages instead of music. It was hard returning to study after two years away and also with the change of subjects. However, he found a professor for his final year who challenged him and continued his quest for a deeper understanding of thoughts and texts. He was awarded a First Class Degree in Modern Languages. Teaching was always his calling. He completed his teacher training at Oxford and took his first post at Maidstone Grammar. After two years Winchester College invited him to join their staff where he loved the challenge of teaching exceptionally bright boys. It was in Winchester where he met his future wife Pat in a local orchestra. Privileged and prestigious though life was in that famous school, Winchester, Martin wanted to experience more aspects of education. He accepted a position in the North of England in Carlisle, in a new comprehensive school which combined an old Grammar School with a Secondary Modern. As Head of Studies he was responsible mainly for sixth formers and organised the daily assembly. For this he involved the older boys who interviewed several of the staff, many of whom were war veterans and were happy to discuss their life experiences. Martin then found a new exciting challenge 365 miles away in Devon where he became Head of Humanities. It was an early combining of all sixth forms in the area, and the local technical college, which became North Devon College. They were ten happy years for all the family living in some of the most glorious countryside and coastline anywhere. Towards the end of this time Martin joined Her Majesty’s Inspectorate (the HMI) which took the family this time east
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to Norwich. He really enjoyed his work as an HMI, helping and encouraging the schools visited, and working nationally with a range of colleagues with similar objectives. Work in the Inspectorate might have continued for a few more years but the Government of the time decided to restructure the Inspecting system, and created Ofstead. Martin saw this as the moment to retire from the Inspectorate and return to teaching. At the time, post-communism, voluntary services overseas was looking for English teachers. Martin, always the adventurer, joined the pedagogical faculty in Nitra, Slovakia, and Pat was invited to go too. An EU funded project, it paid for Slovak students to take a short course to train as English teachers to work in their schools. These early students were amazed and delighted by the different approach Martin and so many other westerners brought to learning. A post-script on a student’s first essay marked by Martin was ‘I hope I have done it properly. I have never been asked for my opinions before’. He found an eager group of very bright students. The peak was when, with other Slovak, American and English colleagues, Martin organised a 10 day course in the wintery High Tatra mountains. ‘Lessons’ were journalism, radio, acting, debating, writing, choir, and all in English of course. As the closing celebration, every student contributed in some sort of presentation, at the end of which Martin received a standing ovation. It was a very happy experience for Martin and Pat. Many friendships were made and warm tributes have come 25 years later from those former students and colleagues. Back in Norwich his need to
explore ideas was channelled into U3A (the University of the Third Age). He chose topics he wanted to study and invited others to join him. At the same time music became dominant again – Martin was singing in a choir, playing in an orchestra and playing quartets. During this time Martin was on the Parish Council of the Church of St Peter Mancroft, and enjoyed its history acting as a guide for some years. Having been in Norwich for thirty-two years, Pat and Martin moved again, this time to Surrey to be near their three children and their families. Once again Martin joined the U3A for the study of poetry, Greek Myths and German conversation. Sadly Parkinson’s Disease got in the way of many of his interests, but he remained active until the end. He enjoyed local walks and loved visiting Hampton Court. Almost daily, he and Pat played fast games of table tennis on the kitchen island, when he often won with his devastating spinning returns learnt all those years ago in the common room at Kingswood. Martin never complained, and never gave up trying. Martin was much loved, and leaves a widow, three children and seven grand-children.
PETER NEWLYN GUY KS 1951-58 It’s December 1940. The Guy Family has been bombed out of the Methodist Manse in Clapham. Mother has gone to Yorkshire with her three children, Gwithian, Richard and, not yet two years old, Peter - I was yet to arrive. She writes to Father still in London ministering to blitz-hit families
sleeping on the Underground platform. She gives him the latest family news: “Did I tell you?”, she asks, “Did I tell you Peter put both Richard’s red slippers on the fire? He popped his head round the corner of the sitting room and said ‘Bye-Bye’. Something told me he was up to something and I went into the kitchen to see them both blazing merrily”. Fortunately, Peter did not become a pyromaniac. But, as we shall see, he never lost his sense of mischief. When he was a boy at Kingswood, it is said he went to the school chapel early one Sunday morning and, with a friend, switched some of the organ pipes around. When the organist began to play, he almost fell off his bench. But Peter’s sense of humour was not purely anarchic, It could also be quite inventive. From the house of a day boy who lived in Bath, he wrote a letter to the makers of Ovaltine. He identified himself - as the current saying goes - not as Peter Guy, but as Mrs Guy. He/she explained that all of her six children were enthusiastic Ovaltinees. They loved their mugs of the steaming nectar which they drank every evening and when, exceptionally, Ovaltine biscuits were served, they were quite ecstatic. The company was so gratified by this testimonial, they sent a huge parcel of goodies and Peter acquired many new friends.
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None of these activities which also included the breeding and selling of rabbits, did much to enhance Peter’s academic career. A maths master wrote on his report: “He remains cheerfully incompetent”. No teacher would be allowed to write that today! And anyway later on he did indeed become more than competent. He certainly remained cheerful, but he started to take life more seriously. The patrol leader in the scouts became a sergeant in the Air Training Corps, the master in charge being Squadron Leader Mangham who was known as “Prangers Mangers” for, allegedly, shooting off his own propeller. The good Squadron Leader took his cadets to RAF Hullavington where, unwisely, an instructor allowed Peter not only to take control of a propeller-driven trainer Provost, but also to land it. Too fast, too steep, and a very bumpy landing. (Thank you to John Cleator, Hall House KS 1948-58, a lifelong friend, for this story.) But Peter survived. Perhaps somewhat to his surprise, he became a house prefect. He began to work, encourage in particular by his English master, Freddie Fisher. Fisher once took his A Level students to the top of the Tower, and in the pouring rain with thunder threatening, led them in declaiming Lear’s “Blow winds and crack your cheeks”. Surely a scene straight out of Alan Bennett’s “History Boys”. Peter then gained three A Levels which led to an offer from Hull University where he took a degree in History and a Diploma of Education. He had, in fact, already started a teaching career. Before starting at University he taught for a term at a Surrey prep school. Naturally his main subject was
history, and, equally naturally for Peter, his chosen text book was ‘1066 and All That’. The boys ,of course believed every word. On leaving Hull, Peter decided, rather than becoming a teacher, to join the RAF. He was commissioned in the Education Branch, and naturally when he requested a post in Yorkshire or Eastern England, he was posted to RAF Aberporth near Cardigan, West Wales. It was there he met Christine Gollop and they were married in St. Dogmael’s in 1964. Wherever they lived they entered fully into the life of the local community, from Butterworth in Penang to Saxa Vord in Shetland. Sadly, they could not have children, but Peter took great pride in Christine’s skill as a music teacher in schools across the Islands. Although his posting to Saxa Vord had been relatively short, Shetland made such a strong impression on him that when he retired from the RAF (having achieved the rank of Squadron Leader) he became the external relations officer for Sullam Voe, the huge oil terminal run by BP. Not an easy job intermediating between a major multi-national and a Shetlands Island Council ever anxious to get a bigger share of the oil revenues. But charm and humour won the day. He edited an aware-winning magazine, he wrote a column on local landmarks and customs, and he began to write the first of seven books or walks around the Islands. Walking was a great passion. As he explained in an interview in the Shetland Times: “When I was in the RAF at Catterick I was just getting fed up with people arriving and moaning about their surroundings.” Peter’s response was to form The Hash House Harriers, a walking club that
went hiking every week in the Yorkshire Dales. Such an energetic and gregarious man could not slip quietly into retirement after BP. His commitment to and love of Shetland led him to stand for election to the Shetland Council in the Yell constituency. An outsider, not even a Scotsman, the cheek of it! He campaigned enthusiastically, cycled round the villages bearing his slogan “YELL FOR GUY” and won a famous victory. Sadly, however, Christine died of cancer in 1995 and Peter decided to leave Shetland. He moved to Throstle Gill Farm in North Yorkshire. Here he opened a B&B, gained grants to improve the land, install bridges and create ponds for migrant birds. But above all, it was here that he met Catherine whom he married in 2009. Together they developed the farm, together they went to Lamorna in Cornwall where he bought a cottage, and, yes, back to Yell where they also had a house at Burravoe. Imagine the logistics and travelling, even more so after Peter had his stroke in 2010. By then they had left Throstle Gill and were living in nearby Manfield. Later they moved to Ilkley. This eulogy is, of course, mainly about Peter, but it’s impossible not to mention the care, love and compassion Catherine showed Peter over recent years. No longer going to Yell, less frequent visits to Cornwall. Still, not yet four weeks ago they came to the interment of our brother Richard’s ashes in Adlestrop (Richard Guy, Hall House, 1947-55.) Peter was insistent on attending, but he could not have done so without Catherine’s support. We are all so grateful to
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her. Thank you, Catherine. These last few years must have been very difficult for Peter. Let us remember his many qualities. He was a literary man. He read widely. He wrote a good letter, a great skill sadly now diminishing in the age of emails and Twitter. He made a very well-crafted speech. He had a fine voice. He loved choral singing, whether as a member of the choir in Richmond, or attending The Huddersfield Choral Society’s annual ‘Messiah’. And finally, he took a good service; when the seas were rough in Shetland and the Minister could not get to the church in Yell, it was Peter, still the son of the Manse, who took to the pulpit. Peter loved the countryside and walking the coast. Dr. Johnson was quite wrong. Peter’s patriotism was not the last refuge of a scoundrel; it was grounded in his love for his country and his sense of service. Maybe that’s all becoming a bit too serious, for after all what we shall remember most is his sense of humour. The life and soul, stories so tall that you forgot where they started, and when they finished your lungs were bursting and your tears were falling. Always the laughter. When we retired to the pub in Adlestrop a few weeks ago, Peter was asked what he wanted to drink. He looked up, smiled, a twinkle in his eye, and said “Champagne”! We will raise a glass to him later, but for now let us remember with gratitude the joy and happiness he brought to our lives. Robert Guy (Hall House 1956-62) This is an edited version of the eulogy given by Robert at Peter’s funeral held at Ben Rhydding Methodist Church, Ilkley, 24 October 2018
CHRISTINE HOLTAM HOUSEMISTRESS AT KINGSWOOD PREP SCHOOL 2004-10 Christine originally trained as a Primary School teacher and spent many years as an Army wife, following her husband on various postings abroad. When the family eventually returned to England, Christine worked as a Housemistress at the Royal Ballet School in Richmond before securing a job at the Kingswood Prep School in 2003. This was a great place for Christine to end her career due to the fact that three of her children had attended the school. Christine really enjoyed being able to support the younger children and give them a loving environment. The fact that she remained at High Vinnals for many years, even past normal retirement age, is testament to how much she loved the job. She cared for the children in a practical way, as a mother would, making their lives away from home that little bit easier. She would always get lots of presents at Christmas and at the end of the academic year, demonstrating how much the parents and children appreciated her. When Christine left Kingswood she moved to Cardiff to be closer to her family. Sadly she lost her battle with vascular dementia last year, and passed away peacefully in a nursing home with her family at her bedside.
Christine always tried to see the best in people, helping them in their time of need, and was an active part of her local church community. She was a very loving, giving person, who will be sorely missed. However the family take comfort in the fact that she will be fondly remembered by many Kingswood pupils, having touched their lives when they first left home.
DR CHARLES PETER HUNT KS 1934-45 Charles Peter Hunt, he disliked his first name, so was always known as Peter, was born on 2 October 1926 in Sandgate, Kent, the only child of a Methodist minister. The practice then was for ministers to move every 2-3 years, so Peter also lived in Southwold, Lewisham, Lincoln, Edgbaston and Derby. He was at boarding school from the age of 8, and then Kingswood from 1939 to 1945. He went on to medical training at Middlesex hospital and qualified in 1951 and then started his first job at the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St. Edmonds. As national service had been introduced he joined the Royal Navy as a Surgeon Lieutenant and was posted to Singapore. While training he met Margaret Goldsmith, who he impressed by
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and spent the next 15 years cruising the waterways, caravanning and visiting family, by 2004 there were 14 grandchildren. Peter was always busy. He joined the St. Johns Ambulance Brigade, spent time fund raising for one of the local scout groups, growing veg., and again, sailing.
bouncing his reflex hammer on the floor and catching it. In 1953 Margaret travelled to Singapore on Empire Windrush, arriving in July. They were married the following day and the first of their 5 children was born the following May. On returning to England he was posted to Royal Navy Air Station at Lee on Solent where their second child was born. After leaving the Navy Peter spent a year as a trainee GP in Walthamstow and then became a partner in a General Practice in Stafford, where the family moved to in 1957. Twin boys and then another daughter were added to the family by 1961. Peter always loved the water. During his years at medical school he and a few friends took the opportunity to earn a little money and indulge in a passion by crewing on boats to move them round the country and abroad, taking a yacht as far as Gibralta. Family holidays were on the Norfolk Broads most years during the 1960's and early 1970's, where time was spent on motor cruisers with a dinghy for rowing and sailing. On retirement in 1986 Peter and Margaret retired to Audlem in Cheshire. This may also have been influenced by Peter's love of water, as the Shropshire Union canal runs through the village. He soon bought a narrowboat
Terry was a hugely popular guy who quietly got on with his life never letting anyone down and in the last 20 years became a real life Richard Briars from the Good Life. He kept sheep, chickens, was self sufficient in vegetables, grew Christmas trees with his beloved tennis court in the centre of it all!!
Margaret died in 2011 and Peter sold the house the following year. He lived with family for the next 4 years, but with the onset of Alzheimer's was put into a residential care home overlooking the sea in East Yorkshire. On 18 January 2019 he passed away peacefully in his sleep. He now lies with Margaret in the cemetery in Audlem.
His brothers Robert, David, mother and children and partner Kerry will miss him dearly. His loss was quite unexpected.
TERRY JONES
PAUL RICHARD KIRTLEY
KS 1961-65 Terry lived in Banbury until he was 40 and was trained as a Mechanical engineer and then spent his last 30 years just outside Knutsford at Marthall. His passion was sport and he was an active member of the Wilmslow Golf Club and Manchester rackets and real tennis club. He was very proud to say he was rated 14 in the UK at real tennis in the over 70s last summer!! He has two children Alexis and Morgan who are both married and live in the USA and 5 grandchildren.
David Jones (His brother) (KS 1964-71)
KS 1963-69 (HALL HOUSE) Paul Kirtley died in Ashbourne on 27 February 2019 aged 67. Born a son of the Manse in Aruba (Dutch Antilles), returning just after a year, he spent his early years in Northumbria before following his two brothers Bob (1954-61) and Ian (1957-64) to Kingswood. He enjoyed KS and loved his basketball and athletics. He started at Guy’s Hospital (on his 18th birthday) with Kip, his closest and long-term friend and after qualification he joined the medical practice in Ashbourne.
OBITUARIES | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
Paul loved being a GP in Ashbourne, he cared deeply for all of his patients, who in return loved him. He was compassionate and considerate; he always did his best for those that needed him. In later years of his career, in addition to practising as a GP, he began to work in health policy and strived to ensure that Derbyshire patients received the best possible care. Paul was a dedicated, highly skilled doctor, who maintained that medicine was as much an art as a science and this made him a truly fantastic clinician for the town. He always went the extra mile, giving all his patients the very best. During his 40 years in Ashbourne he made a significant impact in many aspects of the community. This was acknowledged and celebrated when awarded a Fellowship by Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Ashbourne (in the school’s history very few have been awarded) and when he was invited to turn up the ball on Shrove Tuesday at the 2012 Shrovetide. He felt it was a privilege and an honour to be asked to start the game and along with his family had a terrific day. His replica ball has held pride of place on display in the family home ever since. He also loved to travel and experienced many wonderful holidays all over the world with his family. He was a fantastic cook, he loved gardening, cycling and walking in the Derbyshire Dales, particularly if bacon butties and coffee were packed to enjoy along the way. Paul was a busy man who threw himself wholeheartedly into the community and he leaves an incredible legacy. However, the most important part of his life was his family. His love for his wife Val, a very happy marriage of 34 years, and his four children,
Annabelle, Richard, Becky and Laura was paramount. He was very proud of his children and in his last few days said “What a wonderful family I have” and to each of them he told them “I love you so much”. Paul was a thoroughly good man, doing good for so many people and so many organisations, all of whom benefited from his wisdom, expertise, calm goodsense, thoughtfulness, kindness, hard work and dedication…His integrity shone through everything that he did, as did his humanity. He worked hard at bringing people together, reconciling differences and reaching sensible, workable compromises. His funeral, on a bright sunny morning, at St Oswald Church was packed to overflowing and the congregation, in full voice, raised the rafters with “Jerusalem” and “Thine be the Glory” which echoed over Ashbourne. Bob Kirtley (His brother) Hall House 1954-61
A Level but, being in the same house, we continued to see a great deal of each other and were good friends. We also played together in various house and school sports teams and I particularly remember being in the same first XV Rugby team as Alan – he was (what I would call) a lumbering forward and I was (what he would call) an airyfairy back). We also played in the same first XI Hockey team – he was the goalie, and a good one at that, and I played centre-half. Alan was very well liked and mixed in well with our group of friends. People remember his sense of humour and his fierce Yorkshire pride. I cannot remember anyone having a bad word to say about Alan (and that is very unusual in a boys’ boarding school). We lost touch for nearly 40 years, only meeting up again at a school reunion in 2008. Since then, and particularly since he went into the care home, we had occasional chats on the phone. He suffered with progressive MS for many years. My only regrets are that in very recent months it was difficult to get through to him on his mobile and secondly that I did not make it to Spalding to see him before he died. I will cherish the many happy memories of our time together as school kids. Mike Brown
ALAN LAWSON KS 1959-65 I first knew Alan when I joined Kingswood School in Bath in 1959. He and I were in the same class for many of our lessons for three years up to O Level (the equivalent of GCSE today). Our studies went in different direction for the two years of
(KS 1959-65)
DAVID LINDSAY KS 1936-43 David Lindsay died in QEQM Hospital in Margate on 2 September 2018, after a long life and a short illness. Born in 1925 in Lancashire to Gwendoline and Tom, he was the second of three
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brothers. Ron, David and Ian all came to Kingswood. David arrived at Westwood in September 1936, where he met Dick Trafford, Matthew Forster and Chris Wright, who were to remain lifelong friends. He was a gifted and natural sportsman, and a particularly brilliant fly-half, going on to play for Rosslyn Park after the war, in a side that contained eight England internationals. David was part of that Kingswood generation who decamped to Uppingham when the Navy took over the school. But already possessed of a compelling sense of duty, he was determined to join up and do his bit for the war effort. He found himself, in quick succession, at Magdalene College Cambridge, in the Cambridge University Air Squadron, being vaccinated for overseas duty, surreally but memorably, in the Long Room at Lords and then, after pilot training in Scotland and Canada, as an RAF officer on active service in India and Burma. On demobilization he returned to Magdalene in 1947, reading law, and eventually being called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn. He never practiced as a barrister though. His search for purpose and meaning led him to Student Movement House in London, where he was profoundly influenced by the
charismatic Methodist preacher and activist Donald Soper. And where he met his wife-to-be, the equally charismatic and activist Joan Margaret With.
to Amin. It was a grim time, with dead bodies on campus a common sight. During this time David sent covert reports on the situation to Amnesty International.
David then went into the Prison Service, as an Assistant Governor in prisons, ending up at North Sea Camp, a Borstal in Lincolnshire. He was increasingly drawn to teaching however, taking a degree in English at Birkbeck College, and working for a time in the English department at Owens Grammar School in Islington, north London.
David returned to England in the early eighties, settling at Court Lodge Adisham in Kent; and then, for the last thirty-three years of his life in Patrixbourne, in a pretty cottage by a field of sheep, a cricket field and a stream. Father of four children – Tim (KS 1969-74, now a Governor), Jan, Diana (KS 1975-78) and Rupert (PC and KS 1973-79) and grandfather to an everincreasing number of their offspring, he continued to lead a busy, creative life.
Living in Potters Bar with four children under the age of six he and Joan made a truly lifechanging decision for the whole family – and decamped again, this time to become head of English at Nabumali High School in Uganda. Uganda was a truly magical place in 1964 – newly independent, verdant, optimistic, blessed with abundant natural resources and game. The family loved it. Joan also took up a teaching position at Nyondo Teacher Training College. In the late sixties the family moved to Kampala after David was appointed national schools inspector. Then darkness descended. An increasingly unbalanced Idi Amin expelled the Asian population and most expatriates also left. Joan returned to the UK (they had decided that it was too dangerous for both of them to stay) where, with cruel irony, she was seriously injured in a car accident. They later returned to Africa – this time to Kenya – where David taught at Kenya High School, until Joan was killed in another car accident, on the road between Nairobi and Mombasa. David went back to Uganda, in the darkest days of Amin, to teach at Makerere University, then the centre and seat of opposition
He taught at Stafford House in Canterbury until retirement, doing the thing he loved most. He was a Samaritan and helped set up listening groups in prisons. Every Christmas cards arrived addressed to Tom, his Samaritan pseudonym, from his Samaritan colleagues. He wrote novels, carved wood, kept up old friendships from Kingswood and college days and made many new ones. He was always there for his friends and for his family – wise, funny, sometimes sharp, always kind. He was also – and typically of his generation – tough as old boots and a regular customer of our wonderful National Health Service. Tropical diseases, heart attacks, bypass surgeries, aneurysms and car crashes failed to see him off. Even in his final illness he continued to amaze the doctors. And, at ninety-three, charm the nurses. He will be much missed by everyone who knew him, but especially by his children and his great friend and companion in later years, Sheila Smith. All in all, a full life, well lived. David Lindsay RIP.
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Managing Director of one of its associate companies, R.Fox + Sons Ltd. Here he took Fox's reputation for commercial property refurbishment from small beginnings to become a national brand leader. One of his secrets to success was his "man management" skills. Be clear about the goals, build the team and care for the individual, the same principles as I had learned in sport."
NOEL FRANK LOCKHART KS 1948-54 The eldest of three; brother Lawrence (KS 1948-54), sister Margaret, Noel Frank Lockhart was born in Cuffley, Herts. on 10th December 1932. He went to a local school before joining Kingswood in 1944, where his father had been a pupil, and his eldest son would follow. He loved his time at KS where he excelled in modern languages whilst representing the school lst Xl at both hockey and cricket. With the Second World War in progress, the admiralty descended upon Kingswood and the school was evacuated to Uppingham. On leaving Kingswood in 1951, Frank went up to St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, which he also loved and where he studied modern languages, gaining a 2:1 in the process. He developed a love of serious classical music, a breadth of intellect and more sporting success as he captained the college hockey team to successive cup final wins and played regular cricket for the Oxford Authentics, narrowly missing out on a blue. All of these would influence his life in years to come. On coming down from Oxford, he started working for the OCS group and stayed for some 34 years as he worked his way up to become
He married Marigold and between them they produced three children in their twentythree year marriage. The marriage ended in divorce and some years later Frank married Sylvia who brought him a new sense of joy with a second family for over thirty years. On the sports field he played hockey for Westcliff where he always used to say "I was never that good , but always good enough to stop anyone who was!" After retiring from playing, he took up umpiring and reached divisional level, narrowly missing out on an International cap. He kept up this hobby until march of this year! He was also a well organised and respected hockey administrator, co-ordinating the umpires for the men's National Hockey League from 1996 - 2006. He also organised the umpires for the prestigious Oxford Public Schools Hockey Festival for some fifteen years. On the cricket field, Frank played for Westcliff and enjoyed two spells as captain, one as president and was duly elected a life member back in 1978. He was a member of MCC for over fifty years and played and captained at Woodford Wells . After retiring from playing, Frank again moved in to umpiring working his way up to county 2nd Xl and minor counties level and regularly stood in the
powerful Essex premier league. A few years ago he came out of the leagues and umpired at Woodford Wells. Ironically, his last game was just three weeks before his passing - not bad for a man in his 86th year! So....... after a very good innings, all things have to end, and there are no exceptions, no reviews, no mortal DRS system, no appeals, no returns and no second chances. When the umpire's finger goes up, you have to go and Frank Lockhart knew this truth. When the time came he didn't flinch or shy away. Instead he said: Bring it on. I'm ready." He didn't give his friendship easily but neither did he withhold it but once it was established, you kept it. You have to be a bit special for a cricket club to fly its flag at half mast. But when two clubs do this, hold a minute's silence and one gives its players black armbands ( this is what happened at Westcliff On Sea and Woodford Wells cricket clubs on Saturday 8 September and numerous hockey clubs also held a minute's silence before league matches on Saturday 22 September with umpires wearing black armbands ) you have to be very special indeed. He would have loved it, but been a bit self conscious to have seen it, and I know I speak for everyone who liked and respected him when I acknowledge what a suitable and proper gesture that was. About 300 people gave him a great send - off at a service to celebrate his well lived life. Frank was husband, father, grandfather and great friend to so many. We miss him dreadfully but are comforted by the fantastic memories that we shall cherish forever. Nick Lockhart
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marked exercise books across a cobbled quod. Kingswood’s Mary Poppins.’ ‘Mary brought a sharp mind and a ready wit to the Common Room’, Henry Keys recalls. She was one of the first handful of female teachers; a pioneer in the successful change to full co-education.
MARY SULLIVAN KS 1981-90 ‘Mary was a great talker – on worthwhile things’ Mary Ede remembers from the Thursday afternoon KS Staff Ramblers and their walks together in the 1980s. Mary Sullivan taught in the Religious Education department from 1981-90. Mary was a highly regarded teacher, tutor and director of plays. Her attention to detail was renowned. When she directed ‘To Serve them all My Days’, set in a staff room, each Westwood actor was dressed exactly to match a particular colleague in the Common Room – elbow patches, tweed skirts, pipes, flared trousers, egg-stained lapels and all. She edited the Blue Book, reorganised the Green Room, put Learning Support on its feet, and contributed to Careers. She ran the cooking activity on those memorable ‘Bermondsey Weeks’, when 53 primary school children took over the long dormitories in Hall and School House. One child’s question, ‘How long have you been a cooker?’ tickled her on a semantic level, as well as a literal one: she was a great fan of convenience meals! James Gardener remembers her as: ‘Always sensibly dressed against any turn in the weather. Fiercely and diligently intelligent. Honest and caring to her core. Hefting a large hold all full of carefully
young family to live in Swaziland for four years, Nigeria for two, and they faced Mary’s diagnosis of PSP with fortitude and mutual devotion. Mary died peacefully, with her family around her. Lesley Drew (née Sullivan 1978-80; staff 1988-89)
Mary left Kingswood aged 51; indeed, she left teaching. With all her children grown up, she went into law, as she’d always planned to do as a child. She joined the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, as a volunteer, became a debt advisor, able and willing to be an advocate in court cases, and ultimately was elected as Chair of the National Association of Money Advisors. She was described as ‘the scourge of the Uxbridge County Court’ by one of her Learned opponents. Mary’s connections with the school were deep and wide. She was born to Margaret and Rupert Davies, at Westwood, and then evacuated to Uppingham. Her father was School Chaplain, and later Chair of the Governors. Mary’s childhood was spent round in Van Diemen’s Lane, with Alan (KS 1950-58) and Chris Tongue (KS 1954-62). They enjoyed putting on shows with Marionette puppets, although as much time was spent disentangling the strings as on performing. Mary had watched her brothers, John (KS 1953-60) and Stephen Davies, (KS 1954-62) and her nephew, Simon Sheldrick (KS 1967-71), join the school, wistfully wishing that KS took girls, and then was able to see her own daughter Jane (1978-85) as one of the first female pioneers in the First Form, while Chris (1974-83) joined at Prior’s Court, and Lesley (1978-80) in the Sixth Form. Mary and her husband Richard (Dick) were a great team, and an intrepid pairing. They took their
NICHOLAS CHARLES TURNER KS 1976-81, CHAIRMAN OF THE KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION 2014-15 Nicholas ('Nick') Turner was born on the 29 July 1963 in Trowbridge and grew up with younger sister Louise and his devoted mother, Denise. In a favoured route for day pupils in those days, he attended The Park School in Bath before starting at Kingswood in 1976. On leaving Kingswood in 1981 he went to Birmingham City University where he studied Politics. He developed something of a sartorial reputation as a result of the tweed jackets he favoured when attending lectures. Tweed jackets were to become a clothing trademark of his adult life. In 1981 he also met Joy, as legend would have it, at a bus stop in Edgbaston. After a period of 'negotiation and consideration' (I believe these were Nick's words)
OBITUARIES | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
retained from many previous campaigns. One of them was, according to the Pastor, the largest political poster he had ever seen!
they commenced dating and, as a happy result of that decision, were married in September 1986. Eldest son, Edward, was born in 1990 and was to be followed by Elizabeth and then Robert to complete the Turner family. After university, Nicholas trained in Bristol to be a solicitor and started his first job in Midsomer Norton. Most of his legal career was, however, spent with Russell and Co. in Malvern where, over 19 years, he became joint Senior Director and a major shareholder in the firm. Russell and Co. describe him in a tribute on their website as 'an excellent solicitor who was successful in many high profile cases and a huge character who was liked by everyone in the firm'. With a reputation for fearlessness he specialised in the areas of personal injury, employment law, commercial disputes and, perhaps most notably, actions against the police. He was also Secretary of the Worcester Law Society for many years. Away from the office Nick had many hobbies and interests; from his chosen subject at university he followed politics with deep conviction - deep Conservative conviction. Matthew Town, Pastor at the Elim Church in Worcester which the Turner family attended, recalls moving into the house previously occupied by the Turners. On descending into the basement he discovered a large array of Conservative election placards,
Additionally, and amongst other things, Nick enjoyed travel to various parts of the world, an interest in classic cars, military history and the collecting of a large array of history books which, as the family will attest, now resemble a small library in the house. Devoted to his children, he also loved taking them all away on wonderful family holidays. On one occasion this had a bizarre outcome when the family were gassed (with laughing gas) as they slept in their motorhome in a rest area in France. Waking up, thankfully unharmed, they realised that they had been robbed in the night and that more than ÂŁ2,000 of personal effects had been taken. Nick was, rightly, outraged and appeared in the national press demanding that the French government act before someone was seriously hurt. He was right to do so, as it turned out to be a not uncommon method employed by criminals in France. As usual, he was standing up not only for himself and his family but for the greater good. Central to his life was a deep and profound Christian faith. His son, Edward, believes it made him the man he was and informed the way he treated and cared for others with love, compassion and empathy. There can be little doubt that the fortitude and good humour he displayed throughout his illness was much derived from the strength given to him by his Christian belief. He and Joy were active members of the congregation of their church in Worcester and Nick was also a member of Gideons UK. In October 2015 he travelled to the Ivory Coast where he gave out
thousands of copies of the New Testament; it was a trip from which he retained many fond memories. Nick was an exceptional Kingswood stalwart, serving two terms on the Executive Committee of the Association and stepping up, when it would have been easier not to, as Chairman of the Association for 2014-15. He regularly attended Association events, including the quarterly MJSD dinners at which he was often accompanied by his mother, Denise. Throughout his adult life he displayed a love of Kingswood that would have made Laurie Campbell (Headmaster 1970-87), who urged pupils to 'love the School', deeply proud. At a Service of Thanksgiving on 26 April 2019 stories were told and tributes were paid. Unsurprisingly, mention was made of modest eccentricities, those tweed jackets and his enthusiastic hopelessness at DIY even merited comment. For the family, Edward Turner talked of a man who was a wonderful husband and a loving father, devoted to them all, a wonderful inspiration and role model and a truly great man who will be very much missed. Mark Lyne, a barrister who was instructed by Nick on all sorts of cases over more than twenty five years, also spoke. Mark compared the instruction he received to speak at the funeral to those he had received over all those years. It is worth quoting Mark verbatim. 'First he was, as ever, absolutely clear about the job I had to do. Second, the information that he gave me to enable me to do the job was somewhat lacking in detail. Third, he is now proving rather difficult to get hold of to discuss the brief!' Going on to describe his friend as, variously, 'incredibly frustrating, eternally late, loud
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and pretty unreconstructed at times' he concluded that in spite of all that everyone - clients, barristers, colleagues, staff, even opponents - could not help but warm to Nick. He recalled Nick wandering about the offices, dictaphone in hand, using the table in the hall for his papers far more than his own office which resembled a 'micro WWII museum complete with mobile 'phone ringtone in the guise of the theme tune to 633 Squadron'. The dictaphone was a vital part of Nick's professional life – he even dictated his emails! Mark recalled conferences with clients happening in the most unusual places; Gordano Services on the M5, the 'eat all you can' Chinese in Worcester, sitting on a rug in the Malvern Hills eating a picnic. On one occasion Nick arranged to meet a colleague at a petrol station. She found him in the busy shop area, using the National Lottery stand as a desk and happily dictating as if he was in the office. Another time, Nick persuaded a national newspaper to pay for him to go to Ibiza to investigate a case. They booked him into the Pasha hotel, a boutique hotel described as a fusion of leisure, fun and nightlife – a must for Ibiza ravers. The congregation was invited to imagine the sight as Nick set up office, by the pool, wearing the tweed jacket! Yet, as Mark Lyne concluded, Nick had a great deal of legal knowledge and know-how. He had been in active practice for over thirty years and there was little that he did not have an idea about. A larger than life character, all the trainees and assistants who worked with him over the years – 'when they weren't tempted to throttle him' – learned a great deal from him. He was 'always interesting and someone very well worth knowing'.
After the Service the large congregation moved to the stunning setting of the Graeme Hick Pavilion at Worcester County Cricket ground, with views not only over the pitch but also of Worcester Cathedral. Further celebration of Nick's life followed and many happy and amusing anecdotes were shared. A number of Nick's Kingswood contemporaries were present and Stephen Maling (KS 1974-79) recalled two holidays with Nick, the first from their youth when he, Nick, Steve Loach (KS 1974-81) and Tong Joo Gan (KS 1979-81) went on a coach and camping trip to France in August 1980, aged seventeen. Nick, having obviously read the timetable incorrectly, got them to the return coach thirty minutes late. Amazingly the driver had waited and the flustered youths were left apologising to the driver and fifty or so other passengers. More recently, in the summer of 2014, they had met in France where Nick was easily found on the autoroute, driving an enormous motorhome with a trailer carrying a vintage Morris Minor Traveller. The Morris Minor was to be used as a runaround in the Alps! Throughout his illness, Sarah Beresford-Smith (KS 1979-86 and President of the Kingswood Association 2011-13) and I kept in touch with Nick. We visited him and he visited us in our respective homes. Several amusing lunches were enjoyed and, as a result of these visits, we gained an insight into what a significant figure Nick was in his church and local community - every time we visited there was another friend waiting to step in as we left. It is worth noting that Nick endured a number of emergency admissions to hospital and, shocked by what he found in terms of corridors full of patients on trolleys and general lack of
resources, became something of a campaigner. In typical Nick fashion, he suggested to the Secretary of State that things were so bad that hospital car parks should be turned over to a M*A*S*H style solution. He appeared in the press, on the radio and on local and national television, at one point making both evening ITV national bulletins. His dressing gown, replacing the aforementioned tweed jacket, became something of a trademark. Nick bore his suffering and the probable outcome with great humour (sometimes direct from the gallows) and stoicism. I learnt a great deal from him over the last couple of years. Early in his illness he wrote to me to say that, whatever his lot was to be, he was happy with it. He continued this attitude throughout the good times and the bad. When Sarah and I visited him for the last time, in St Richard's Hospice, Worcester, he was unable to resist a Brexit-related reference as he told us that he was unlikely to be able to kick his own particular can much further down the road. As Sarah reflected, his personality shone through at all times and, through this, he made his own situation easy for others to bear. Nick was ever affable, always ready to share a bit of political gossip or an amusing anecdote, serious when needed and, to me, he was a great and loyal friend. He was indeed, in all ways imaginable, the most splendid of fellows. Nicholas Turner passed away peacefully on 5 April 2019. He is survived by his wife, Joy, his three children, Edward, Elizabeth and Robert, his sister Louise and his mother, Denise. Jeremy Wimpress (KS 1969-76 and Chairman of the Kingswood Association 2009-13)
LIVES REMEMBERED | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
LIVES REMEMBERED Frank Ivor Tovey (KS 1932-39)
Dr Paul Snell (KS 1950-56)
William R Blow (KS 1934-42)
John (Clive) Humphries (KS 1950-57)
John K Dunkerley (KS 1935-42)
Peter Newlyn Guy (KS 1951-58)
David Lindsay (KS 1936-43)
Roger Anthony Hutton (KS 1952-60)
Capt Alfred H Sims (KS 1939-43)
Rodney Gallimore Bentley (KS 1953-57)
Rex Owen Collins (KS 1939-44)
Michael H Crosby (KS 1956-63)
Dr Charles Peter Hunt (KS 1939-45)
Alan Lawson (KS 1959-65)
Noel Francis (Frank) Lockhart (KS 1944-51)
Terry Jones (KS 1961-65)
Derek Robson (KS 1946-54)
Paul Kirtley (KS 1963-69)
John Graham Snaith (KS 1947-53)
Roger (Neil) Hutchings (KS 1965-72)
Rev David Bridge (KS 1947-55)
Nick Turner (KS 1976-81)
DH Martin Foster (KS 1949-56)
Philip Rothwell (KS 1991-95)
Nicholas Gordon Edward Gedye (KS 1950-56)
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A TALE OF FOUR SUNDIALS AND MANY LETTERS David Brown (KS 1952-58), Head of Physics 1985-99, Archivist 2000-08. When I first joined the staff, I had little real understanding of sundials or their huge variety. I was pleasantly surprised to ‘discover’ the heliochronometer that has stood on the eastern side of the front terrace since 1908. It was made by Pilkington and Gibbs and can still be used to tell the time by the sun to the nearest minute. In 1989 The British Sundial Society was formed, and I joined as a founder member. My understanding of sundials grew rapidly so I was itching to put my new-found knowledge to use. The Ferens building faces slightly east of south, so its front wall is well open to the Sun. Some months and hours of work later I was able to put up a painted wood vertical sundial. (Fig.1)
FIG. 1: Original painted wooden sundial on S wall of Ferens 1991
came to the Association Office around 1992 from David Liddell (KS 1927-32) who said that he had visited KS a few weeks previously
FIG. 5: New vertical declining sundial on South wall of Ferens 2019 (being made)
The motto LUX SPEI LUX VITAE translates as ‘The light of hope is the light of life’ which is appropriate on three counts: the sundial relies on (sun)light for it to work; the wall it was on is the end of the Physics Laboratories where the basics of optics are taught; the Berlin wall had just come down and the Eastern bloc countries were beginning to experience the hope of a new life. Sadly, the gnomon was knocked off, possibly by a badly-kicked rugby ball, a few years later and the paint was flaking, so I took it down. My experience grew with the years and I realised that if I was to make more permanent sundials I would have to learn how to cut letters in stone. A week at West Dean College near Chichester under the tuition of Tom Perkins got me going. By chance a letter
FIG. 2
Horizontal sundial on front terrace original above and new replacement below FIG. 3
and had found that the sundial he had made when he was a pupil was in a very poor state and almost hidden from sight near the mulberry tree. He would pay for a new one to be made.
FEATURED ARTICLE | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
Around the school grounds there are more than thirty pieces of work that I have been honoured to create.
I was asked to do it, and with the interest and occasional help of Bob Yeung (KS 1987-92) the dial was made from York stone. (Fig.2) It recorded around its edge the names and dates of the three people involved in its making and the upper face carried not only a sundial but the conversion words of John Wesley: ‘About a quarter before nine I felt my heart strangely warmed. 24 May 1738’. It has sat on a plinth on the west side of the terrace and balances the heliochronometer. In recent years the sandstone had become discoloured and the dial had become difficult to read. I have made a new one, in slate, (Fig.3) having many of the same features, adding another a John Wesley signature and a well-known quotation from one of his letters that is in the school Archives: ‘An ounce of love is worth a pound of
knowledge’. The shadow of the tip of the gnomon follows the curved path of this quotation each year on 7 November when it was written in 1768. Horizontal and vertical sundials require only a small involvement of the user, but one type needs the shadow of the user to give the time. They are called analemmatic sundials, often referred to as human sundials. The user stands at the appropriate position on a central date scale and time is told from his shadow against an ellipse of hour points. In about 1992 I commissioned a local stonemason to cut a date scale in a slab of slate and I cut the hour numerals in a set of bricks. All was duly laid out on the west end of the Ferens law. The date scale had to be correctly aligned to the local meridian and became a handy place for physics classes to measure magnetic variation. Frequent clipping of the grass around the stones was necessary, but over several years until well after my retirement, the hour points gradually sank into the grass and the sundial lost its usefulness. In 2013, when the builders of the Humanities block removed their temporary roadway from the Ferens lawn, they accidentally broke up the slate hour scale. Here was
Letters Around the School Grounds and Buildings... ...not including about thirty sundials and smaller commissions for members of staff! • Chapel: Sackett memorial / Campbell memorial / David Boyce memorial • Wesley words standing stone (250th celebration of John Wesley’s birth) • Roger Austin plaque under cedar of Lebanon tree near Burton House • Memorial garden: pillar • Footpath: Wilshire way • Music Centre: roundel on wall / lily sculpture in garden • Sundials: Wesley conversion dial – front terrace / Vertical declining dial – Ferens S wall / Analemmatic dial – Ferens lawn • Humanities Building: inscription over the main entrance • Main School: roundel in Caen stone at the foot of the grand staircase for 250th anniversary of KS foundation • Heap Library: plaque on north end wall • Dining Hall: plaque adjacent to hatchment in the gallery • Westwood: Heart of Westwood in slate on the wall of the stairway / Glass Heart of Westwood in the main entrance hallway • House name plates for North Lodge on stone gateway and house • Summerfield • New Hall House • Middle House • KPS: Opening plaque next to main entrance • Association Hall plaque • Trophies: Middle House / E P Thompson / Lewis (Fonthill) / (Summerhill) • Theatre: School badge over the doorway / Opening plaque inside the doorway
FIG. 4: Analemmatic (human) sundial on the Ferens lawn
• Upper Pavilion: Plaque outside the front door / Hockey pitch roundel plaque
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a great opportunity to make a better version, helped with very welcome compensatory funding from the builders. They built a splendid 6-metre diameter circular foundation during which time I carved a set of York stone sundial elements. I enlisted the help of Steve Pillinger, husband of Governor Katie, and parents of Jamie. In the course of a day the stones were laid out and the spaces in between filled with concrete paver blocks (Fig. 4). Head Groundsman Scott McArdle also lent a hand and later improved the landscaping with a wonderful wildflower garden. A plaque on the adjacent wall of the Ferens gives instructions on how to use the sundial to tell not only the time but also to be able to estimate the directions and times of sunrise and sunset throughout the year. The plaque also includes the Latin mottoes devised by the late Michael Bishop for the previous sundial on that site.
I designed and supplied a sundial of a similar pattern for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2012, and it is still there in an area called The Great British Garden to the northwest of and close to what is now the London Stadium. One of my most recent sundials has been a replacement for the one that had hung on the Ferens wall so many years ago, seen being made in Fig.5 and completed top right.
FIG. 6: Association Hall plaque for Kingswood Prep School
I kept the original motto but have added some seasonal date curves for additional interest and educative value. A stainless steel plaque below the sundial gives information on how to convert the sundial (solar) time to clock time. I was recently asked to create a plaque for the opening of the Association Hall in Kingswood Prep School (Fig.6).
My experience of letter-cutting has grown over the years since I retired from teaching in 1999, and through my business of David Brown Sundials I have had some 520 commissions, about half of them being sundials. Around the school grounds there are more than thirty pieces of work that I have been honoured to create.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS | KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS 2018-19
FORTHCOMING EVENTS We arrange a number of events each year but we are always happy to hear your thoughts on the type of event you would like to attend. More information is on our website, or contact Michele in the Association Office by email: mjg@kingswood.bath.sch.uk or by telephone on 01225 734283.
KINGSWOOD COMMUNITY SUPPER • Friday 21 June 2019 • Friday 13 September 2019 • Friday 6 December 2019 7pm in the School Dining Hall, two course informal buffet supper. Cost is £15 per person. Everyone in the Kingswood Community is welcome.
ASSOCIATION DAY Saturday 22 June 2019 10am start in the Theatre Foyer. Everyone welcome to this free event.
HEADMASTER'S CRICKET DAY Tuesday 25 June 2019
SCOTTISH RECEPTION Saturday 5 October 2019, 7pm A Kingswood Reunion to be held in Edinburgh.
EXETER LUNCH Friday 18 October 2019 Exeter Golf and Country Club – 12.15pm for 1pm lunch.
20s AND 30s EVENT Saturday 16 November 2019 Le Café Du Marche, 22 Charterhouse Square, London.
BATH CHRISTMAS RECEPTION Saturday 21 December 2019
Hermitage House Reunion The Association Office is organising this reunion in 2020. If you are a former pupil of Hermitage House please contact association@kingswood.bath.sch.uk as we need your help to pass on the information about this reunion. We would like to invite all former pupils and staff who were at Hermitage House, including those who were at the Portland Place site from 1991 to 1995 after it was acquired by Kingswood School.
Apex Hotel, Bath
KINGSWOOD ASSOCIATION AGM The AGM of the Old Kingswoodian Society will be held in the Kingswood School Theatre at 11.15am on
SATURDAY 22 JUNE 2019
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Kingswood School Lansdown Road Bath BA1 5RG T. 01225 734283 E. association@kingswood.bath.sch.uk www.kingswood.bath.sch.uk