Beyond the Barrier - Spring 2016 by Loughborough Schools Foundation

Beyond the

BARRIER

The magazine of the Loughborough Endowed Schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Alumni Association

Spring 2016

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Contents Letter from the Chairs 3 Association News 4 Feature: 3 Heads in One Year at LGS 6 Events 9 Announcements 18

Loughburians News 27 Feature: Steinway Appeal 33 Archives 36 Sport 46 Development News 47

COVER STORY… Paul Fisher’s Portrait- by artist and Loughburian Hester Finch (’99) Paul was a very relaxed and engaging sitter. He made no conditions, except that the labradors, Tess and Dexter, had to be included and in fact it soon became clear that the portrait wasn’t of a man and his dogs, it was very much two dogs and their man. We were lucky to have chosen a lovely sunny day for the sitting, which is perfect for composing a painting as the shadows create strong shapes and patterns that add interest and structure. You can see poor Tess and Dexter panting in the heat. We settled on a spot at the front of the School, facing toward the car park, where Paul could be in the sun and the plant provided contrast with the brickwork. We ousted some students from their bench and had them hoist it to our chosen wall, and then we began the sitting. Owing to time restrictions the final painting 2

was to be worked up from photographs, so we concentrated on getting as many shots as possible. The challenge was to take a photograph in which all three subjects were simultaneously looking intelligent. The final composition with the dogs at differing heights and facing in different directions balances the picture nicely and allows the focus to be on Paul, who leans forward toward the centre of the painting. It became clear from our conversations and his interactions with the students and staff that Paul was a kind and approachable Headmaster and colleague, who worked hard in creating an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere at the Grammar School. I wanted to reflect this with his tilted head and hint of a smile, as if he were listening to a question being put to him. We wrapped up with lunch in the dining hall, which was a welcome if fleeting opportunity to catch up with old contemporaries of mine; Emily Bancroft and Daniel “Spuddy” Murphy, who have both returned to the school as teachers - which says all you need to know about what a lovely place the Grammar School continues to be.

Hester Finch

LES Alumni Magazine

Letter from the Chairs Richard Bailey & Jenny Woods Welcome to

The Loughburians A New Association...

elcome to the first edition of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Beyond the Barrierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the magazine for your alumni association. In October 2015, a new Committee was formed to represent the alumni of the Endowed Schools. Your new Committee agreed that the elected Chairman should represent both the Grammar School and the High School. We are both delighted to be elected as the first co-Chairmen of your Association. The Committee is excited to work together to offer all current and future members of the Schools, be it as a pupil or staff member, a thriving sociable organisation. The Development Office team, led by Jane Harker, has put together an exciting calendar of events across the country. We would both like to thank Jane and her team for their hard work & continued support. You will clearly see as you look through this vibrant and rejuvenated magazine, just how busy your Association has been and we welcome your ideas and suggestions for future events and engagement opportunities. Social media is a key area of communication and we encourage you to engage with us via Facebook and Twitter. Please also keep your records up to date by keeping in touch with the Development & Loughburians

Office (contact details below). Your Association is only as strong as its members and Committee. We welcome any news or stories you wish to share, together with any feedback on our activities. If you would like to get involved or are thinking of organising an event or reunion, then please contact the Development & Loughburians Office. We have had the pleasure of meeting so many of you at our recent events and discovering the wealth of talent and interests you all have. Thank you for your ongoing support and we look forward to meeting more of you in the coming months. Best Wishes,

Richard & Jenny

Development & Loughburians Office T: 01509 638920 E: info@loughburians.com

www.loughburians.com @loughburians

www.facebook/LoughboroughEndowedSchoolsAlumni

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

The OGA establishes

Sixth Form Bursary T

his year we have seen the baton of LHS alumni fellowship and support for the School pass successfully from the Old Girls’ Association to the newly minted ‘The Loughburians’. At the AGM in June 2015, it was agreed to wind up the former Association and to donate the residual funds back to LHS in order to provide a bursary. Under the leadership of OGA Chair Jenny Woods and Hon. Treasurer Janice Riddle, it was decided to explore how this might be achieved. Working with Mrs Byrom, the Foundation and Schools’ Accountant and the Head of Development, different options were considered . We are pleased to say that the Foundation has ensured that existing funds intended for bursary provision at the High School will be combined with the remaining OGA funds. Together these will provide a capital sum

that will generate sufficient income year on year to fund a part- bursary for a Sixth Form student. This will be known in perpetuity as the ‘Old Girls’ Association Bursary’. In addition, the prizes awarded each year will continue to bear the Association’s name. ‘I can’t think of a more appropriate use of our funds’ said Jenny. ‘This way we uphold the aims of the OGA to support the School and ensure that the long history and proud heritage of the Association will continue’. The OGA Bursary will be administered by the Foundation in accordance with the policy for applicants for means-tested places.

LES Alumni Magazine

Old Girls‘Association Bursary Appeal T

he OGA committee has provided a bursary place in perpetuity named in recognition of the Association. This generous gift has ensured that the name and ethos of the Old Girls’ Association will continue to support future generations of LHS alumnae. However, even when combined with further funding provided by the Foundation, this sum will only generate sufficient income annually to part-fund a place. Jenny Woods has enlisted the help of two alumnae who are keen to help increase the bursary capital amount to ensure that a full place may be given to help future generations of pupils fulfil their potential. Two of our alumnae have stepped forward as Ambassadors to launch an appeal for help from other Old Girls of LHS. Nikki Clarke (’76) has been a keen supporter of the Burton Bursaries fund for some time. ‘LHS gave me and other members of my family the opportunity to pursue great careers in journalism, law and other fields. I have really enjoyed the experience through the Burton Bursaries scheme of giving that chance to someone who otherwise would not have had the opportunity. I hope the new OGA Bursary Appeal will encourage more people to be involved.’

Denise Cripps (’80) has first-hand experience of how support from others can help shape a girl’s future. ‘I was the first person in my family to go to university and without the support of LHS – and the inspiration of my teachers – I am sure I would not have had the confidence to apply to Oxford. I went on to read Classics which I love(d), worked (and went to university) in Japan, and then pursued a twenty-five year career in publishing as an editor and later as a senior manager. I now work in education strategy and communications at St John’s College, Oxford and see the transformative power of student bursaries every day. I would encourage you to support the OGA Bursary Appeal to ensure that more girls can benefit from the opportunities I had, and for which I am very grateful.’ The OGA Bursary monies will be restricted funds and used solely for the purpose outlined. We would be delighted if you would like to join Denise and Nikki in their efforts to increase the capital sum. Whether you wish to make a single gift, or prefer to pledge a monthly amount for a period of time, please contact the Development and Loughburians Office on 01509 638 920, or via info@endowedschools.org

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THREE HEADMASTERS IN ONE YEAR AT LGS

Paul Fisher The end of an era… Paul Fisher retires after 18 years of service as the Headmaster of Loughborough Grammar School.

ollowing his degree in Classics from Oxford University Paul started with a career in first class cricket playing for Oxford University, Middlesex and Worcestershire, where he was regarded as a fine wicket-keeper that couldn’t bat! After teaching at Marlborough and Prior Park, he became Headmaster of Mount St Mary’s College in January 1991, at the time the youngest ever Head in HMC. He arrived at LGS in 1998 as the 34th Headmaster, so he retired having been a Head for 25 years, 18 of them at LGS. His experience in boarding provided the basis of what he achieved at the school over those 18 years. When he arrived our boarding relied entirely on the domestic market and was, as a consequence, in decline. He soon realised that the future lay in the Far East – firstly Hong Kong and then extending to mainland China. I don’t think anyone would have imagined that it would be necessary to build an extension to Denton and completely refurbish the 150 year old School House before he retired. Even in his final term he headed to Vietnam to develop our markets still further.

LES Alumni Magazine

For us the boarders do not occupy places that day boys could have occupied. Thus our boarding community generates the financial surplus that enabled him to build on the foundations that previous Headmaster, Neville Ireland, had laid. Paul oversaw the biggest physical changes that the School has experienced, with new buildings for Modern Languages (2000), Music (2006), Chemistry (2009), Biology (2011), Physics (2012), Mathematics (2013) and Boarding (2013). All of this during one of the worst recessions this country had ever experienced. This was quite an achievement and gave us a superb Maths and Science Park, so vital for boys’ education. A passionate believer in boys’ education in its widest sense, it was his decision to join the International Boys’ School Coalition in 2007 that provided us with the confidence to sing the praises of boys’ education in a way that we had not done for the previous 500 years. Parents responded to this in a way that took us by surprise and it undoubtedly became our biggest selling point. An essential part of boys’ education is having male role models and for the boys, there was no finer example than Paul himself. He supported fully every aspect of school life, attending every concert and recital, every play and watching every sporting team. This support was appreciated not only by the boys but also by their parents and provided the foundations that year on year have enabled the boys to outperform expectation in public examinations. For the boys, however, he will always be remembered for his dogs, his pigs and the fact that he completed both the London and Paris marathons… something no previous Head had ever done!!! Throughout all his time he was supported by his wife, Helen, and his two sons Peter and Tom, who were both educated at the School. He is looking forward to his retirement in Topsham on the Devon coast, visiting his grandchildren and supporting Exeter Chiefs.

John Weitzel

With retirement looming, John Weitzel reflects on his time at LGS, including a term as Acting Headmaster

t was 45 years ago as a young 15 year old playing only my second 1st XI game for King Henry VIII School, Coventry, that I was tossed the ball and asked to bowl my leg breaks against Loughborough Grammar School. 24 overs later I was very proud, if a little disappointed, as I had taken the first nine wickets of the Loughborough innings – narrowly missing that final wicket. As a schoolboy I knew three things about LGS – it had the best cricket wicket we played on, its rugby teams were awful and it had an army! The last comment may come as a surprise, but one year we played here on CCF day (I captained KHVIII to a 100 run victory!) and we couldn’t get over boys in military uniforms as we had never seen that at any other school we had visited! I would never have imagined then that I would retire as Acting Headmaster of this great School.

After I had decided to enter the teaching profession, there were only three schools I was interested in from my sporting experience – Warwick, Nottingham High School and Loughborough. Jobs were advertised for both the last two at the same time; I had interviews for both but decided on LGS because it had boarding and the possibility of accommodation, which for a 22 year old back in 1978 was quite important. As I reflect over the past 38 years, I just consider myself incredibly fortunate and probably lucky to be at the right place at the right time! I was always going to be involved in sport but I never expected to derive such pleasure from seeing young boys develop their skills. Coaching rugby teams was a real joy and I do reflect now how lucky I was to coach a side that scored 1000 points in a season. Cricket provided the opportunity to 7

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“…very few schoolmasters have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to plan a 500th anniversary or a Queen’s visit.” coach individuals, rather than teams, and three immediately come to mind – Martyn Gidley, Chris Hawkes and Michael Davies. All three were medium-fast bowlers when I first saw them bowl and each of them was willing (I think!) to be turned into a spin bowler…and all went on to play for England Schools and then first class cricket. Just in case you are wondering, I never tried this with anyone else! Their success led to my involvement with the England U15 Team for 13 years, ultimately producing the majority of the England senior side. I had no idea back in 1978 just how old the School was and it was only in the mid 80s (after turning down the offer of three Heads of Maths jobs in a fortnight!), that I realised I would probably spend the rest of my career here and the prospect of organising the quincentenary appeared. The

eight years spent planning ensured there was definitely never the chance to move on, but very few schoolmasters have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to plan a 500th anniversary or a Queen’s visit. However, it was the day we took the whole school to London to a service in St Paul’s Cathedral, followed by watching Les Misérables that will remain the highlight....especially the exit from London in 24 coaches with full police escort. There are not many jobs that could be so varied. Rugby, cricket, music – especially singing, Scouts and drama have all featured in my career at some stage, but I still feel at my happiest doing the one job I was trained to do – teach mathematics. Teaching some of the best mathematicians in the country has, on occasions, been a real challenge and stretched me to my limit – especially on the mechanics side – but I have, honestly, gained more joy from teaching bottom sets for GCSE or Year 7! In recent years doing ‘cover’ for my colleagues has given me real pleasure – the opportunity to teach beautiful maths for maths sake.

“YOU HAVE ALL BEEN QUITE SUPERB. THANK YOU.”

John Weitzel

Duncan Byrne Duncan Byrne has been appointed as the new Headmaster of Loughborough Grammar School. The Second Master of Cheltenham College took up his appointment at the start of the summer term. He succeeds Paul Fisher, who retired having led the School since 1998. Duncan was educated at Dulwich College and graduated in 1995 with Honours in Modern and Medieval Languages from Trinity College Cambridge, where he was a Choral Scholar. He brings with him wide ranging experience in independent schools, including boys’, mixed and boarding environments, from his position at Cheltenham College and previous posts at Colfe’s School, Whitgift School, and Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, where he was Assistant Head. Duncan is married to Marie-Claire and has two sons. 8

LES Alumni Magazine

Oxbridge Dinner 30.01.16 January 2016 saw the annual Oxbridge Dinner held at the beautiful Pembroke College, Oxford. It was a lovely evening and a chance for many Oxford and Cambridge undergraduates and graduates to catch up with old friends and teachers from the Schools. We enjoyed hearing from Helen Charlesworth about her time at LHS and career path since she left school, leading to her current position as Head of Enquiries and Marketing in the Undergraduate Admissions Office at Oxford University. Next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oxbridge Dinner will be held at Cambridge University. We hope to see you there!Â

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riday 11th September 2015 saw the first ‘Homecoming BBQ’, a new take on the traditional ‘Leavers BBQ’ of old. This new format saw over 150 alumni from the past three years come back to school (some for the first time since leaving), to grab a burger and a drink on the quad, and reminisce with staff and contemporaries.

Homecoming BBQ

LES Alumni Magazine

Hong Kong Reunion- 5.11.15 KILWORTH HOUSE – 01.07.15

lumni and friends of the Schools enjoyed a beautiful English summer’s evening in the magnificent grounds of Kilworth Estate on Wednesday 1st July 2015, for a magical open-air theatre production of ‘Singin’ In The Rain’. The performance followed a lovely picnic on the lawns of the estate, relaxing with a glass of bubbly.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH LOUGHBOROUGH ENDOWED SCHOOLS

A CHARITY FESTIVAL OF

RUGBY MUSIC

& FOOD

obbie’s Rugby Festival has become bigger and better every year since it started in 2009 as an Old Boy’s reunion match. The rugby tournament raises money for the Robbie Anderson Cancer Trust and the Jake McCarthy Foundation, attracting thousands of spectators. The daytime event is the main rugby 10s tournament, followed by the evening ’Party on the Pitch’. It’s a great opportunity for alumni to come together for a really worthwhile cause. Find out more at www. robbiesrugbyfestival.com. The Loughburians will have a big presence on the 16th of July. We will be sponsoring an alumni team playing in the tournament and the Development & Loughburians Office will have a stand on site, where you can pick up some of our fantastic merchandise, so do come along and say hello!

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RUGBY 10S TOURNAMENT TH WOMENS 7S TOURNAMENT KIDS TAG RUGBY TRADITIONAL BBQ 10AM ONWARDS - DONATION ON ENTRY PIMMS TENT GIN GARDEN LOUGHBOROUGH GRAMMAR KIDS ZONE SCHOOL PLAYING FIELDS CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES WOODHOUSE RD HOSPITALITY MARQUEE QUORN LE12 8AJ RUGBY VILLAGE FOLLOWED BY PARTY ON THE PITCH - 8PM ONWARDS

W W W. R O B B I E S R U G B Y F E S T I VA L . C O M Registered Charity No: The Robbie Anderson Cancer Trust: 1125406

Robbies Rugby Posters 20163.indd 1

Y2 JUL

The Jake McCarthy Foundation: 1151542

21/04/2016 15:44

Miss Leigh‘s birthday tea

LES Alumni Magazine

05.11.2015

any former pupils of LHS will have very many fond memories of Miss Leigh, who joined as a teacher of Mathematics in in 1952, and held the position of Deputy Headmistress from 1964 until her retirement in 1981. Miss Leigh celebrated her 90th birthday in November, and we helped her celebrate this milestone by inviting her to a birthday tea at school. We were joined by many former pupils, and received many more good wishes and memories from girls who couldn’t be with us. It was very hard to call her ‘Margaret’ despite her encouragement, as she will always be Miss Leigh to us all. Margaret was on excellent form, and was delighted to be back to see so many faces.

Jane Harker ('72)

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London Drinks June 2015 November 2015 14

he London Drinks events are now becoming an established part of the annual calendar. By kind invitation of Ilya Kazi, we held our November 2015 gathering in the offices of Mathys & Squire within the iconic Shard building. 60 alumni enjoyed the bustling networking evening, taking in stunning views over the city at night. We are very grateful to Ilya for making this happen and we would encourage other alumni to help us with suggestions for venues for our fellowship events. If you can help us to secure an interesting location in London to hold a similar event, please get in touch with The Development and Loughburians Office via info@loughburians.com.

Class of 1948 Lunch LES Alumni Magazine

Tony Scottorn (’48) and his contemporaries enjoyed a reunion lunch at the Old Bull’s Head in Woodhouse in October 2015. How lovely to see that even after all these years, these school friends have remained in close contact!

Upcoming events Class of 2006 – 10 Year Reunion 10 YEARS Saturday 11th June, LES

Kilworth House Open Air Theatre SOLD Wednesday 15th June OUT

London Drinks Thursday 16th June Taittinger Terrace, Theatre Royal Class of 1991- 25 Year Reunion 25 Saturday 25th June, LES YEARS

Robbie’s Rugby Festival Saturday 16th July LGS Quorn Playing Fields Class of 2013, 2014, 2015 Homecoming BBQ Friday 9th September 2016, LGS Quad Class of 1996 - 20 Year Reunion Saturday 17th September, LES

YEARS

Gin Tasting Event Thursday 13th October, Burleighs Gin

LES Reunions

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ver the past nine months, we have welcomed back the Classes of ’89, ’90, ’95 and ’05. We had those coming not just from the local area, but from Malaysia, Switzerland, and even a former member of staff who made the trip from Australia. For many of those attending the reunions, it was the first time they had returned to school since they left, so tours of the Schools showed them all the fantastic new developments, as well as some things that never change!

As with any get-together after a long period of absence, there was much excitement; from first glances of long-lost friends during reception drinks in the Quad, to sitting back after dinner with a coffee and a catch-up with a former member of staff. You can find more photos of these and other alumni events, on our website www.loughburians.com

2005 Reunion 13.06.2015

1E0 ARS

2EA6RS

LES Alumni Magazine

20.06.2015

1989 Reunion 1995 Reunion 20 EARS 19.09.2015 Y

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ANNOUNCEMENTS A NOTE FROM SCOTT CHARLISH CHAIRMAN OF THE OLD LOUGHBURIANS’ ASSOCIATION

ithin the pages of this magazine is an insert which is only relevant to members of The Old Loughburians’ Association. In anticipation that the Association will be wound up later this year the document outlines certain proposed rule changes. These changes are being advertised in this publication to meet the current requirements of the Association and will be voted on at our Annual General Meeting which is scheduled for 7pm on September 19th at at LGS and to which all OLA members are welcome.

Any member is welcome to contact me between now and the AGM with any questions they may have and can do so via the Development Office. Finally may I offer my personal thanks, and that of previous Chairmen, to Paul Fisher who attended the recent Alumni dinner at Fairfield. Paul was our President during his tenure as Headmaster and a keen supporter of the OLA. I wish him and his wife Helen a happy retirement.

Scott Charlish Chairman Old Loughburians’ Association

Katie Morris-Stych (’99) sent in this lovely photo of her new arrival. Lucy Anne Morris-Stych was born 10th February 2016 weighing 8lb 6oz. She is doing well and settling in perfectly at home with big brother George.

We’d love to hear more announcements from our alumni! Please email news of your significant occasions, engagements, new arrivals, marriages, etc to share with the rest of the Loughburians community to info@loughburians.com

LES Alumni Magazine

OBITUARIES A Tribute to

Peter Southam Anne Chambers (LHS History Teacher 2002-2015)

nne Chambers, who died last December after a long and valiant fight against illness, will be remembered at LHS as a fine teacher, a splendid form mistress and a hugely respected colleague. Having joined LHS in September 2002, Anne taught history throughout the School, dubbing Year 7s as Knights, albeit thanks to their hockey sticks; driving Y9s to toil unrewarded in Jackson’s Mill and listening to countless GCSE students intone Hitler’s progress towards the Second World War: Rearmament; Remilitarisation of the Rhineland and so on. She was also an inspiring ‘A’ level teacher, most recently introducing her classes to the European Witchcraze, ‘Witcherature’, Dorrit Nippers and also the French Revolution, which she actually managed to make comprehensible. As a form teacher she would quietly, but always effectively, fight the corner of any girl who could ‘shut up, sit down and get on with it’. She was an astute, if always generous, judge of character and boundlessly kind to the girls of all ages (Anne was nothing if not versatile!), who benefited from her tutelage. As a colleague she was good humoured, endlessly obliging and wise. She never panicked, and you could have asked for no better woman in a trench...or on any other school trip. She is much missed by all who worked with her and, while she always claimed that she wasn’t sentimental, she would have been hugely touched by the tributes which so many girls, unbidden, have felt moved to make since hearing of her death. Anne always said that she was lucky to have spent the last years of her career here and we always felt pretty fortunate too.

Dr Emma Eadie, Head of History, LHS

(LGS 1956-1963)

eter Southam died on 26th January 2016 at the age of 70. Peter was one of a group of pupils from Birstall, who all attended LGS during the same period. Despite a very keen interest in sport (he was a long-time season ticket holder at Leicester City and regular visitor to see the ‘rugger’ at the Tigers, along with occasional visits to Grace Road), he had problems all of his life with his hearing, so was not able to actively participate in sport as much as he would have liked. While he could not play for the Old Loughburians, he enthusiastically joined in the evening get togethers and his cheerful demeanour and sense of humour was welcomed by all. On leaving school he became an accountant, working for companies in a number of locations in the East Midlands, until his retirement a few years ago. It was a privilege to be best man at Peter’s wedding to Maria over 40 years ago. Peter is survived by his wife and their children Anna and Andrew. He was always very proud of his family and doted on his three grandchildren. No one could have had a truer friend and he will be much missed by all those who knew him.

John Wakefield (’62) 19

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Michael Smith CLASS OF 2006

There was something quite remarkable about when Michael was at school. Everyone liked him – staff and pupils alike, but not just the pupils from his year, I mean everyone. Thus his tragic death came as a huge shock to so many people and it was no surprise that St Mary’s Church was filled to over capacity for his funeral on 9th December 2015.

Given his popularity, I was not surprised by the huge number of old boys who were present – possibly the largest number ever for such a service. However, what I was surprised by were the much larger number of people with School connections, especially families, who were present to support the family. We remembered him fondly in school on that day and it was fitting that the School flag flew at half-mast in his memory. John Weitzel

LES Alumni Magazine

THE FOLLOWING TRIBUTE WAS PAID BY JOSH EMERSON AT THE MASS TO CELEBRATE MICHAEL’S LIFE. “I’m stood before you today to talk about my friend, our friend, Mike. I’ve had the privilege to know Mike for over 10 years, and it’s fair to say that over this time I have lost count of the numerous different names that he’s been known by, but irrespective of which name you used – we all knew the same, incredible person. I think all will agree that when talking about Mike, the term friend simply doesn’t suffice. He was a brother. He loved, cared, shared and protected like a brother. He was there in mine, and I’m sure many of your darkest hours. He wasn’t asked to be; he simply was. He went out of his way to be there, and when he was, his exuberant personality shone in the darkness and cast light on our woes. On a personal level, if it weren’t for Mike and his unwavering support in my times of difficulty, I dare say that my life’s path would have strayed. That is an unpayable debt that I will forever owe my best friend. In our schooldays, Mike was the rarest of things; he transgressed all of the friendship circles that regularly form within schools, and was well liked by all. This, I think, is a great testament to the great personality that Mike possessed; utterly gregarious and always buoyant. Truly, I can never remember Mike living up to the stereotype of a moody teenager. He was always ready to greet you with a smile and a laugh, both so endearing that they could have been trademarked to him – for as soon as you saw or heard either one, you knew who it belonged to. They say that some of your strongest memories are formed at school, and when I think of mine – Mike is invariably very close to many, and an integral part of the rest. Never again will I hear The Lighthouse Family and not be instantaneously transported back to Year 10 physics; huddling at the back, sharing the headphones and deciding which Kelly Clarkson song to play next. This was a gift that Mike had;

something stooped in such normality was magically transformed to something that will forever be in your memory; just because he was there. I have so many more memories that I would like to share, but I think they can be surmised in a very simple way. They were happy. They were full of laughs, smiles, cheekiness and most importantly; love. I loved those days, I love those memories – and above all, I love Mike. As our time at school together came to an end, Mike moved on to his next chapter at University in Newcastle. The brotherhood we all shared with Mike did not wane through geographical distances, and as we would expect of Mike; this new chapter meant the forging of even more brotherhoods for him. Bonds that were incredibly strong and saw him travel the world and make some truly unforgettable memories for him and all those involved. I cannot speak for those that shared these bonds with Mike, but I think I would be safe to say that they will be some of the strongest those people know – purely because Mike is central to them, and such is his impact. Over the past few days, I have seen some genuinely amazing words being shared for Mike and from these we can see the calibre of person that he was – such caring and deeply touching tributes are a testament to the man he was and the monumentally positive impact he had on the individuals who were lucky enough to know him. I think we will all draw our own legacy of the time we shared with Mike; whatever these may be, they are our own, deeply personal, and shall never be forgotten. I wanted to end this with a conclusion of Mike and all that he was; but there are just not enough words or time available for that. Instead, I think this says more than a thousand words ever could; simply, he was Mike. Our friend and our brother; forever ours, perpetually loved and eternally remembered. We love you Mike.”

He was always ready to greet you with a smile and a laugh, both so endearing that they could have been trademarked to him

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Deborah Jane Evenden née Lomax (LHS 1979-1986)

adly, Deborah died suddenly and unexpectedly at home on the morning of Boxing Day 2015. The family, including her brother, Nigel, his wife and three children had spent a very happy time together on Christmas Day and were looking forward to another lovely day on Boxing Day. It was not to be. Deborah was a loving wife to John and a devoted mother to the two boys, Charlie and Joe. She supported them in their education and pastimes, inevitably providing ‘Mum’s taxi service’ to practices, matches and many other activities. Deborah had made clear choices in her professional career to ensure she spent as much time with her family as possible. Deborah was admitted as a solicitor in 1992, having studied at Coventry and York. Her abiding interest was Family and Child Law and she became Head of the family department of a large East Midlands law firm. To give herself more time to concentrate on the family, she took up a teaching post in January 2000 at De Montfort University, where she taught a range of subjects to undergraduates and postgraduates. For many years she was committed to running the Pro Bono Law Clinic, from which many students benefitted. Deborah was a modern, independent woman with traditional values of loyalty, honesty and integrity. Her colleagues remember her as a warm, caring and compassionate person who will be sadly missed. They have lost more than a colleague. She was also a friend.

Other losses to the Loughburians Community Ken James LGS History Teacher 1959-1964

Deborah and John created a warm and loving family home, with a large garden where the young boys could play and explore. The family went on great holidays to America, Canada and New Zealand. One of their favourite haunts was the Isle of Wight, which they visited frequently to enjoy the scenery, cycling and walking. The family spent many happy times together, weathering the usual ups and downs of a busy life. Deborah will be remembered by family, friends and colleagues who loved, respected and admired her. She will be sorely missed but the memory of a loving wife and mother, loyal friend and hardworking colleague will live on in treasured memories.

Jane Matthews ('58)

Lesley Bates Class of 1964 Nigel Lawson Class of 1968 Carol Measures Class of 1958 George Morgan Class of 2013

LES Alumni Magazine

THE LOWRYS: FATHER & SON

Wing Commander

Walter Amos Lowry Sept 14th 1922- March 10th 2015 (LGS 1931-35)

alter Lowry, like his father before him, was an RAF man. Walter joined the RAF aged just sixteen and worked as an engineer through the Second World War, and on to better times. During WWII, he met Margaret Hilary Rath. They were married in 1949 and had two children, Avril and Steve (Steve is also an old Loughburian).

Within the RAF, Walter progressed on to becoming an officer. Some of the highlights of his early career were with Bomb Disposal, and then, later, with different challenges at Aldermaston, then with V bombers, with Harriers at RAF Wittering, in the Ministry of Defence in London and also with a more exotic posting to Singapore in the 1970s.

He was a Fellow of the Institution of Nuclear Engineers. He and his whole family had a love of the seaside and Walter and Hilary retired to a stones throw from the sea at Trebetherick in Cornwall. Walter found his final frailty exasperating but still enjoyed a good chat. To the end there was still a twinkle in his eye â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he still had that humour.

Steve Lowry ('74)

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Steve Lowry (’74): My Time at the BBC O

ne of the little bits of magic about the BBC is that whoever you talk to who once worked there, theirs were the golden times. Why should I be the exception to this rule? I joined the BBC in 1977 with an honours degree in Electronic Engineering from Southampton University and I have now retired from the BBC from July 2015, ‘just’ 38 years later. Who would have guessed correctly what those years were to hold for me? My career path within often came as a complete surprise to me and always, (at least this is how I remember it now!), for the good. Good fortune and a great BBC. Let me tell you about some of my times there. When I began in 1977, based at BBC Television Centre (TVC) as a Studio Engineer, this in-house production ‘factory’ was pouring out, day after day, brilliant productions; eight, major, purpose-built TV Studios at TVC, turning round their content overnight; sets, lighting rigs and configurations transformed so that a studio set for Tomorrow’s World one evening could be a Jackanory studio by the following morning. We had BBC1 and BBC2 for our TV output (no sign of BBC3 or BBC4 just yet!), but the content was exemplary from Blue Peter, through Grandstand, (does anyone else remember The Shirley Bassey Show, one of the first shows I worked on at Television Theatre, now the Shepherd’s Bush Empire?), The Two Ronnies, the Good Life, to ground-breaking strands of TV that managed to entertain and inform (effortlessly, apparently, at least to the public!). When I began at the Beeb, our TV broadcast technology was analogue, cranky and not even widescreen, let alone HD or 4K. In those early days it all needed a lot of maintenance and a lot of coaxing each day to work at its acceptable best. Even if my interest had remained focused solely on that technology, so much has changed (to a point now where the technology barely intrudes into productions’ days, despite a whole new level of need), that the quality for the cost and the size of the kit is hardly less of a miraculous change than the change in Computing 24

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When I began at the Beeb, our TV broadcast technology was analogue, cranky and not even widescreen, let alone HD or 4K.

in that same period. I was lucky enough to see both revolutions, close up and first-hand. Back in the early 1980s, the BBC had realised the Personal Computer revolution needed the country’s attention. More than that, it seized the opportunity to inspire the nation into realising what the challenges and possibilities of the new computer age, freed from the few mainframes to the truly Personal Computer, meant. The BBC began its Computer Literacy Project (CLP) and within that project, (now over 30 years ago and so ‘History’), made over 100 TV Programmes linked to this effort. I was ‘borrowed’ to work directly with the Productions for this effort. One day I was a Studio Engineer working in TVC Studio 5 on the Quantel 3000 for a new digital effects look for Newsnight, the next plucked to work as part of the Production team of the BBC Computer Literacy Project – a fantastic opportunity, meeting first hand the brilliant and best of this revolution including Steve Jobs, Clive Sinclair and the brains behind ideas such as the ARM chip (a computer chip that is now more numerous than all the world’s human population). It is, of course, the people who make the difference; here was a Production team who were dedicated to the task in hand, and who truly worked as a fun, friendly, and cohesive team. I gained so much from those years with them, not just getting ‘it all to work on the day’ but given the opportunity to research items, write scripts and direct, and write much of the software for all those BBC Microcomputer demonstrations in series after series of ‘Micro Live’ – yes, live programmes packed with ‘breakingtechnology’ demonstrations. What could have possibly gone wrong? Lots. What did go wrong? Very little, thankfully!

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Steve Lowry: My Time at the BBC

As a child I remember watching Blue Peter with Lesley Judd, along with John Noakes and Peter Purves as presenters. What a moment when I found myself directing Lesley in the 80s for Micro Live. Funny old world, very forgiving! (The BBC’s current Make It Digital project, launched in 2015, is a re-born CLP for the Micro-bit age. We, that’s many of the original team from 30 years ago, are now working in our retirement to bring the wealth of our now historic material from the original 1980 CLP Project back as an educational and research archive resource.) After that experience in Production, I next returned to the operational side of television and as a Studio Resource Manager and Coordinator, I worked with many other programmes and teams; it was a pleasure to work with them, too! I worked on sitcoms such as ‘Allo!’Allo! and The Brittas Empire, major events such as BBC Olympics’ coverage (what a great Games ‘Sydney 2000’ was!) and BBC Election coverage, as well as years working with Eastenders. No time to get bored, ever! My role was to get the right teams and technologies together at the right price so that both Production teams, our fantastic crews and our paymasters were all happy that everything they expected appeared, and appeared when they wanted it, apparently without hassle or angst.

Oh, and I continued to write software to make it all a bit of a smoother process for my colleagues. Computers really are still meant to make our lives easier but they can still appear to forget this until tamed by some further coding. So, what made and makes the BBC so special, for me? So many things, but I guess the most important were the people. It would have been a long and thankless existence if those many and usual 12 hour working days hadn’t been with people so like-minded, so entertaining, dedicated and so well qualified beyond the capabilities that their roles needed. These are my friends now; we’ve shared times on muddy night shoots, on Welsh hillsides on location with winter snow and cold (the glamour, the glamour!) and we’ve seen technology achieve what used to be impossible, made possible just in time. Everywhere you looked, in Production and the Operational & Technical areas, the people involved were happy to be employed in roles that their capabilities and competences far exceeded. That I believe, is what still, miraculously, despite deep cuts and interference from without, makes the BBC great and its output of a quality better than any other broadcaster’s. Their willing, brilliant intelligence focused on great output behind the scenes is there creating programmes we should still be grateful for, and proud to defend.

“My time at the BBC - An honour and a privilege.”

LES Alumni Magazine

Another Birthday Reunion for Old Boys

n 1959 Nigel Grist, David Jackson and Bill Hughes left LGS for university. They had been good friends in the sixth form, sharing, amongst other things, an interest in jazz. Following university, their working lives took them in different directions. After working for the Sunday Times, Nigel became a hotelier as owner of the prestigious Donington Manor Hotel. Bill taught at LGS for five years, before eventually becoming Principal Lecturer in English at the University of Chester. Following his Oxford PPE studies, David moved to the North East where he established a successful career as a management consultant. However, the three have remained friends, as well as jazz enthusiasts, for over half a century. They were born within weeks of each other and, following a memorably ‘relaxed’ joint 21st, they have celebrated their 40th, 50th, 60th and 75th birthdays together in rather more style. Although Nigel retired in 2001, each celebration has seen them taking over Donington Manor to entertain family (nowadays including grandchildren), friends and even some former teachers.

Appropriately, their parties have been graced by some of the top names in British jazz. Their 40th celebrations were led by the inimitable Humphrey Lyttelton, and George Melly with John Chilton’s Feetwarmers performed at their 50th. The Chris Barber Band, just coming into its prime when they were sixth-formers, proved hugely popular at their 60th. Celebrations of their 65th & 70th were slightly more sotto voce, at Sheekey’s in London and David’s own splendid 5* Victorian country house B&B in Northumberland. And on January 9th this year, for their 75th birthdays, there was a special re-invitation. Nigel explained, ‘Although ‘Humph’ died in 2008, his band is still flourishing, and we just had to invite them again after a gap of 35 years! They were on great form, and not surprisingly there was a good deal of nostalgic reminiscence alongside the celebrations.’ However, Nigel, David and Bill are more concerned with planning the future than reminiscing about the past. Apparently, conversations are already in progress about their next joint celebration.

Nigel Grist ('59) 27

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Connie’s Wing Walk Connie Cullingford, former LHS and LGS Staff, is doing a Wing Walk on the 27th July 2016 to mark her 80th Birthday and her Golden wedding anniversary to Tony Cullingford, former LGS Staff. She will also be raising money for Water Aid.

ust over a year ago my husband and I went to Staverton Airport, near Gloucester, to watch a friend of his celebrate his 80th birthday by flying while strapped to a structure on a Tiger Moth. He raised over £1000 for charity and I thought I would celebrate my 80th in the same way, but for WaterAid. Not only is this a birthday celebration, but also our Golden Wedding Anniversary Why WaterAid? Two main reasons....seeing the need in Africa, and also being proud of what the WEDC (Water, Engineering & Development Centre) are doing at Loughborough University. I met Tony when we were both teaching in Nigeria, and after getting married in July 1966, we spent five years in Uganda. After 25 years at LES, we went with Voluntary Service Overseas to the back of beyond, living in primitive conditions in Eritrea. On our way home, we stopped in Cairo for a week, which led to me running the Guest House for the Bishop of Egypt for a further two years, where again we saw the difficulties many people had. While teaching abroad,we were fortunate to be able to travel fairly extensively, so I saw at first hand how vital clean water is. WaterAid point out that 1400 children die every day as a result of polluted water and lack of proper sanitation. Another telling statistic is that many women and girls in Africa and Asia carry 20 kilos of water on their heads for maybe a mile or two every day. How much luggage do you wheel away on holiday...20 kilos? You may remember me when I was at LGS (1973-5) or LHS (1976-96) or from being on LES trips to USSR/Russia or on LGS visits to the Battlefields, led by Roger Willson. My target is £2000, and if you would like to help me raise this sum (indeed several LES members have already sent donations), please use www.justgiving. com/connieswingwalk. It can make a big difference to women and children overseas. Find out more by searching for Connie’s Wing Walk on Facebook.

Connie To donate to Connie’s Wing Walk, please visit www.justgiving.com/connieswingwalk 28

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Working at the

Houses of Parliament ANNABEL BLAKE (’12), HAVING GRADUATED WITH A FIRST CLASS DEGREE IN POLITICS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA, IS CURRENTLY WORKING IN TWO PART-TIME JOBS WITHIN THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.

started work in the Houses some Peers! I also service her of Parliament back in Committee and do any other October 2015, firstly doing random ad hoc tasks that she three days a week as a partmay need completing. It’s not time Parliamentary Intern to all plain sailing, as some days Alistair Carmichael MP and two it does feel like I am walking days a week as a part-time through mud in an attempt Parliamentary Assistant to to get things done, and some Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter. days really are quite stressful Now, I would be kidding myself as it is only me in the office if I said it was easy jumping dealing with the incoming into both roles and trying to enquiries. However, some days learn how both Chambers are just really fun and you worked at the same time gave almost have to pinch yourself me quite a headache! However, to remind yourself that you looking back on it, I was in a work here. For example, last very fortunate position to be week I was sat having my lunch Annabel on Business at 10 Downing Street able to see how both Houses and on the table opposite worked. Unfortunately, my time me was Jeremy Corbyn! It in Alistair’s office had to come to an end after three months, has also been pretty exciting to be around the place when, but I can say that I learnt a great deal from it. I learnt that despite whatever your view may be on the situation, they MPs work a whole lot harder than they are given credit for, were debating whether or not to go ahead and launch air how to draft parliamentary questions in order to get a more strikes on Syria. The place was truly alive and kicking! It’s a specific response and how to write letters on a variety of great place to work, but also to visit and I would thoroughly different policy areas. recommend trying to organise a tour through your local MP Now my time is split and I have moved over to be a partor coming in to see a debate – it’s completely free! time Fundraising Assistant for the Liberal Democrat party and I work three days for Jane. My main role in the Lords (’12) is looking after her diary – she is a lot more active than

Annabel Blake

LES Alumni Magazine

Lucy Thompson

The winner of Loughborough Echo’s ‘Tomorrow’s News Challenge’ was Lucy Thompson (’15), who won work experience at the Echo, invaluable for her aspirations to become a journalist. She was also given the exclusive chance to interview Loughborough MP and Education Secretary Nicky Morgan as part of her prize. Her task was to write an article on a potential 3M innovation and she wrote a fantastic piece about 3M Library Systems, arguing it could be rolled out to use in schools, libraries and even homes. Well done Lucy!

A selection of gifts available at www.loughburians.com

Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2016

LES Alumni Magazine

Steinway Appeal W

hen we started fundraising for the replacement for the Haessler grand piano in the LES Music School Recital Hall we had no idea where it would lead. From the launch of the Steinway Appeal at the Spring Concert in March 2014, it took just one year to reach our target. Such was the response from our entire community of pupils, parents and carers, grandparents, alumni, staff and former staff that we were encouraged to go for All Steinway status. The LES Music School consequently became one of 22 institutions and 13 independent schools in the country to hold this accolade We replaced our 23 pianos with Steinway or Steinway- built pianos. On a sunny morning in September 2015, the lorries rolled in at 8am and started to unload our new pianos. Initially they were all installed into the Recital Hall, which was a sight to behold. Pupils peeped through the doors and went away saying ‘wow!’ with excitement. We had commissioned a piece of music for all 23 pianos by composer Matthew Forbes, and pupils had just one hour to practise together before playing before a specially-invited audience of donors and supporters at lunchtime. The afternoon saw another flurry of activity as the pianos were distributed around the campus, and the old ones removed. The final piano was taken to the Hodson Hall at 6pm. What a day in the history of music at LES! If you would like to see a video of the events of our Steinway Day go to http://www.lesmusic.org/ and follow the link from the home page. Sincere thanks goes to all those who shared our ambition for LES Music School. We wouldn’t have done it without your assistance and enthusiasm.

Jane Harker ('72) Head of Development & External Relations 33

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FROM THE ARCHIVES 1916: Patriotism & Duty LGS 100 Years Ago by Roger Willson (’75, Former LGS Staff & Archivist)

he Loughburians of 1916 well reflect the spirit of patriotism, which was the order of the day and the selfsacrifice expected of the British soldier. ‘Duties of an Officer’, reproduced from The Times, encourages ‘the beautiful ideal of service’ for the School to read and take note of. Confidence, leadership, and character are the main qualities to learn. A six page article on ‘The Military School of Instruction’ describes a training week of field days, drills and lectures for N.C.Os and senior cadets of the recently formed School Cadet Corps which ‘hopefully was enjoyed by all.’ [Having been founded in 1915, an astonishing 81 pupils had already joined the Corps. By now, regular infantry training and squad drill were being practised on the school field, and with their first uniforms arriving just in time, the whole County Cadet Battalion was inspected by the Duke of Rutland in Victoria Park, Leicester. A bugle was purchased for the Corps, and a big drum was presented ‘together with leather apron and appliances’. The body of the drum, we are told, ‘is very beautifully emblazoned with the royal arms, the device of the Leicestershire Regiment and the School arms’; both bugle and drum bring to mind the C.C.F. Corps of Drums of recent years.] In stark contrast to what might have been enjoyed locally, the obituary to OL Lieutenant Frank Cresswell, aged 21, mentions his heroic death in action as ‘a true son of the Empire. His end was worthy of his life. He went to rescue one of his men, and was shot while lifting him over the trench parapet.’ Cresswell himself had been the champion shot at school in pre-war days. From the start of 1916, in fact, The Loughburian was 36

beginning to record quite detailed obituaries of OLs as a major feature, five in the January edition, including Lieutenant T.B.Paul, Indian Medical Service, who had died from the effects of the climate while taking part in the Mesopotamian Campaign, the same magazine poignantly including a letter he had written earlier from Basra. Private C.F.Ball had gone into horticulture after his school days and had already been making a name for

A six page article on ‘The Military School of Instruction’ describes a training week of field days, drills and lectures for N.C.Os and senior cadets himself at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Dublin. He had lost his life at Suvla Bay during the ill-fated Gallipoli/ Dardanelles Campaign. 1916 saw the Battle of the Somme starting on July 1st, a day when the School was still in session in the summer term. Eight old boys were killed during this four months offensive. Second Lieutenant J. Oldershaw was killed at Fricourt on the opening day of the offensive, and he, together with Private James Corah, Lance Corporal Albert Whittaker, Second Lieutenant Arthur Chapman and Lance Corporal Albert Rowbotham, have their names among the 55,000 names on the giant Thiepval Memorial

of those who lost their lives during the Battle of the Somme, but who have no known grave. Private W.Deakin wrote a letter home to the School published in The Loughburian: he remarked of that battlefield that ‘A scene more fittingly representing hell on earth would be difficult to imagine’, yet he also wrote of how moved he had been as the shells went off around him before the big push began, to see ‘a skylark suddenly rising aloft from the thistles and long grass and bursting into song.’ The Headmaster, Bingham Dixon Turner, and his wife Dora were soon to be directly affected by the War and the School as a result given a permanent reminder of this. His elder son, Roger Bingham Turner, was first reported missing after action in Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq, in April 1916. By September, news had arrived of his death in action, aged just 20. He had briefly been a pupil at the School in 1905/6. Whatever his inward feelings, the Headmaster remained fully on duty

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in school and boarding house, giving his traditional speech on Prize Day and sermons on Empire Day and Founder’s Day. At Prize Day he said that ‘the real honours of the year were those gained by the former boys who had died in battle’. Inevitably the war continued to have knock-on effects on school life and routine. Headmaster Turner said that the School was ‘trying to carry on as best as they could, although they had lost valued members of the staff. [Evidently a very long-serving member of staff, and from his nickname a popular one, ‘Pal’ Imrie left to enlist in the 5th Battalion of the Leicesters, but 1916 also the arrival of another of the 20th century ‘giants’ of LGS, Mr. F [‘Freddie’] Gray to teach sciences. They had been extremely fortunate in the ladies who had replaced the men.’ The boys were being encouraged to play their part in the war effort, not only by joining the Cadet Corps, but also by contributing to the Jack Cornwell [a 16 year old national hero because of his gallantry at the Battle of Jutland and awarded a posthumous V.C.]

Ward at the Star and Garter Home for disabled soldiers and to a school War Savings scheme. The winter weather that year was bad with ‘an immense amount of snow and rain’ spoiling what was already an unsuccessful football season ‘owing to the lack of good forwards’. W.L.Holt [who was to be killed in Belgium in 1917, aged 19] was ‘a fairly reliable goalkeeper’. When he left school in the summer of 1916, he followed a tradition of donating a book to the school library, and his choice of

‘The Laughing Cavalier’ says something about his character, though sounds ironic given what was happening on the Western Front. Another donation to the school was made by Frank Cresswell’s parents: some ‘valuable scientific apparatus’, which had belonged to their son, as well as a slide rule as a special science prize [Do you remember slide rules - and log tables?!]. By the end of the year another donation, a memorial clock, had been commissioned for the School by the Headmaster and his wife in memory of their son Roger, ‘a clock with chimes fixed to the tower of the school buildings, the four bells cast by Taylor’s, a skeleton dial 4'6" in diameter, fixed just below the battlemented top of the tower, on its western face and into the framework the Turner family motto, ‘Vive ut Vivas, live [now] so that you may live hereafter’. The bells were placed on the roof of the tower and the clock mechanism in T2 [as many VIth form historians will fondly remember at midday!]. The heaviest bell bears the inscription ‘In Piam Memoriam R.B.Turner Qui Mortem Obit Apr MDCCCCXVI Anno Aetatis Suae xxi Pro Rege, Pro Patria, Pro Deo’. A brass tablet was fixed to the wall in the Tower corridor commemorating the occasion of the gift being made, so, as the donors hoped, the clock was to become ‘a constant reminder of duty well done. Why then, God’s soldier be he.’ A sad year overall. The Founder’s Day speech by the Headmaster is very poignant. It includes these words: ‘All wars arose from ambition, greed or a false sense of honour. If human nature were refined, wars would cease. It was no use waiting till “after the war” to begin the reformation; it should be started at once, and that too where every boy could make a beginning for himself - in his own heart.’

Meanwhile, in 1916… 31st January Zeppelin raid on Loughborough

10th February

Military conscription introduced

24th April

Easter Monday

The Easter Rising began in Dublin

21st May

British summer time began

31st May

Battle of Jutland, the only major sea battle of the war

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FROM THE ARCHIVES 1966: LGS 50 Years Ago Roger Willson

n some years The Loughburian reports key changes in the School such as a new Headmaster, new building projects, or really significant events. In other years the magazine records a school busily going about its tasks of learning, playing and the developing of its pupils, its raison d’être, and 1966 is certainly one of the latter. Two editions, packed with detailed reports of school life, clubs and activities, house notes and sports, a window into life 50 years ago, though with little if any reference to the so-called ‘Swinging Sixties’.

We learn that in September 1966, there were 772 boys on the roll, 155 of them in an expanding sixth form, 179 in the Lower School. There were 47 members of staff and many OLs will remember some of the names mentioned: ‘At the end of last term we lost four masters including Mr.P [Peter] Hopkins, and welcomed four masters in their place’, among them Mr.A.[Tony] Field to teach English. At the end of the year, the School ‘bids a regretful farewell’ to Mr.Docherty who for ten years had taken charge of P.E. and general organisation of school games. His place was to be taken by Ed Thorpe, a name so well known to many Old Loughburians. Although his predecessor was credited by the editor of introducing a variety of games offered, we learn from School House notes that ‘soccer, although “illegal” during school hours, has a tremendous following in the House’! No new buildings are recorded, the only changes to the School ‘plant’ being the long-awaited roofing of the swimming pool and plans to convert L4, the largest room in the L-Block, into a room for simple dramatic practice and performance, a precursor of the much later Drama Studio. Apart from that, the only addition reported was the installation of ‘a hot drinks machine in the Barrow Block’ . Things were obviously looking up in breaks and lunchtimes! The School kept up its usual activity in the dramatic and operatic fields. A combined Grammar and High School cast performed the Christmas opera ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’. The end of the Spring term was ‘much enlivened by the School Revue’ but to quote from the editor, ‘Reviews are like pirates

because they tend to be patchy’! The main play for the year was Robert Bolt’s ‘A Man for All Seasons’ and the tradition of staging a Gilbert and Sullivan opera was continued with ‘The Yeomen of the Guard’, just one part of what was the major event of the year for the School, The Grand Gala, which took place on a Saturday in mid July. Clearly all the stops were pulled out for this and the profit went towards the covering and heating of the swimming pool: in the magazine, we get given an interesting ‘tour’ of the Gala in and around the school buildings which is not only a record of the typical entertainments of 50 years ago [some sound at least slightly old-fashioned] but a perfect guide to the lay-out of the School at the time. Two particular parts of the Gala should be mentioned: WRG organised Edwardian suppers for 200 visitors in the rooms and gardens of Buckland, decorated in the Edwardian style with the waiters and waitresses attired in Edwardian dress. Thanks for its success was given to, among others, Mrs Saunders whose management of school catering many will still remember with much affection. The other ‘enterprise’ was the Battle of Hastings film ‘[alias One in the Eye for Harold], in which our first year boys, clad in self-made armour, have made a colourful and lively re-enactment’, written, directed and produced by VIth form prefect Stephen [‘Sam’] Smith, the first of his many ‘blockbusters’ over the years. The Inspecting Officer for the annual Combined Cadet Force Inspection was the Lord Lieutenant, Colonel Martin: ‘as usual, the neighbourhood had to be informed of the firing of the Field Gun’, and the magazine has a picture of the firing in action on the First Eleven field. As an experiment, Sports ‘Day’ was held on a Thursday evening at Ten Acre [now a housing estate], a ‘most successful addition was the Parlauf’. The chief guest at Speech Day was Professor Page, Master of Jesus College, Cambridge and President of the Endowed Schools. It was felt that his address was of ‘such unusual interest’ that The Loughburian quoted it in full. He drew a picture of two opposite Englands, “the one of swinging London, mini-morals and other indecent and unsavoury things, and the other where people work as hard and behave as well as they have done in the past, and these are the great majority whose motto is ‘Like what you do’ rather than ‘Do what you like’. Everybody today has to choose which England he is going to belong to.” Has anything changed 50 years on?

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Apart from this, the magazine refers to some other contemporary events. One contributor, who simply refers to himself as ‘Bick’, is quite scathing about the famous Billy Graham missions for ‘regarding his rallies as the alpha and omega of conversion’, and as usually happens when it is a general election year [in 1966 Wilson trounced Heath at the polls], the School had its own election with, unpredictably [?] the Liberal candidate beating the Conservative into second place, but also with 40 votes for the Empire Loyalists and 26 for the Communists! A lecture to the Sixth Form, ‘Impressions of America’, tackled contemporary subjects such as policy in Vietnam and “the Negro problem”. The Twentieth Century Society continued to debate not only important issues of the time but, on the one hand, that “This House sympathizes with God” [‘at which the Headmaster looked askance’], and on the other, that “This House deplores the mini-skirt” where ‘an overwhelming majority were lured away [not surprisingly!] to the opposition by a number of miniskirted young ladies from the High School’. Clubs and Societies seemed to be growing in number, though one never knows just how many of the almost 800 pupils committed to any of them. Le Cercle Français [as always the magazine article was written in French], Science Society, a new S.S. [Sociology Society] and a new Archaeological Society, a Model Aircraft Club, School chess teams and Christian Education Movement are mentioned among others. The new V.S.U. was doing a huge amount of good work locally under Mr. Ken Ward’s inspiring leadership. 70 full-time members were embarked on projects such as re-decorating a house, the complete reconstruction of a lady’s garden and even the formation of a windowcleaning group. The year saw the opening

of John Storer House in the town: 20 pupils attended its opening by Princess Margaret and two were presented to her. School House Scout Troop, not yet a school troop, was as busy as ever with both weekday and weekend activities and it is noteworthy that the School was well-involved with Loughborough’s twin towns, Epinal in France and Schwabisch Hall in Germany, parties of boys and staff visiting both. In sports, it seems to have been an evenstevens spring term rugby season but one of ‘outstanding success’ in 1st XI Cricket, with mention of a batsman named Dexter [no, D.J.Dexter, not Ted!] At Christmas the magazine reports that ‘sport has had a rather mediocre term’, but the School Rowing Club [no less than a double-page on its activities. Chairman, Hon [Lord] R. Elton, then in the History Department] distinguished itself in the Head of the Trent race, setting up a course record and School Hockey was clearly expanding with the need now for a Second XI. Peter Hopkins had been doing a great deal to encourage cycling as a hobby and in competitions, and the School was once again able to boast of its supremacy in county athletics having achieved victories over its closest rivals, Ashby and Melton Grammar Schools, neither now existing. And, as usual, many interesting and some amusing - snippets. At one end of the School, The School House correspondent lamented ‘the imposition of seemingly trivial regulations’ and ‘the dismissal of teenage enthusiasms as immature and puerile’, while the slightly happier-sounding Third Form Impressions at the other end thought that ‘the masters are all right, I think, but some are a bit rotten. The walk from the Main Block to the N Block and Science Block takes a long time and makes my feet tired’. Oh dear!!

Meanwhile, in 1966… 19th January

Indira Gandhi elected P.M. of India

31st March

Labour under Harold Wilson wins General Election

30th April

Cross-Channel hovercraft service begins

30th July

England beat West Germany in World Cup final

13th August

Cultural Revolution begins in Communist China

21st October

Aberfan disaster in South Wales

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FROM THE ARCHIVES 1991: LGS 25 Years Ago John Weitzel, LGS Deputy Headmaster

‘T

he Loughburian’ was first published in 1879 and in the intervening years and 235 editions had only changed size significantly once, in 1977. Thus, everyone was caught by surprise by the new, glossy, much enlarged A4 edition that records the events of 1991 with a full colour photo – a close up of the official School Photo taken that year with Head Boy Brian (Stan) Hecks proudly in the middle – over the front and back covers.

The change reflected the increasing confidence within the School as numbers began to increase and new buildings started appearing. The new Art building, opened two years earlier, had enabled the Art department to be moved, allowing for a new dining hall and kitchens to be built, replacing the antiquated and overcrowded hutted kitchen and dining area. On 16th May Sir Andrew Martin opened the building as the ‘Burton Hall’. At the time the kitchens were the 2nd largest in the Midlands and the concept of the dining hall with its raised roof to allow the sound to ‘disappear’ meant that it was quieter than most restaurants, even though 240 boys were having lunch in there. In a boys’ school, it is the most important building and even now, 25 years later, is as good as any school dining facility in the country. Throughout its whole construction, school lunches were served as normal 40

and the final part of the building project meant that the Hodson Hall had to be used for dining, with the food coming from the new kitchens. This meant that the Schools’ play ‘Daisy Pulls It Off’ had to take place in the High School Hall, which proved to be the perfect setting for Denise Deegan’s comedy set in a Girls’ School in 1927. The Hodson Hall was back in use for the summer term and the Junior Musical – Tom & Huckleberry – once again combined the trebles of the choir with the staff, in a happy journey down the Mississippi. Tom was played by a very small Daniel Murphy, who is now on the staff, and the Judge was played by Bob Griffiths (‘Neddy’ as he had been affectionately known since his arrival in 1955), who retired that summer. A hectic summer of drama continued with Wilf Massiah reinstating Junior Plays with a production of ‘Zartan’ for the 2nd and 3rd years, before also retiring and concluded with the Leavers’ Musical, ‘The Wiz’. The year ended with the first Staff Pantomime – Jack and the Beanstalk – which featured Miss Harvatt as the Head Fairy and Neville Ireland as the Giant! The early part of the sporting year was dominated by following Ayman Razek’s progress through the England Rugby U18 trials to the U18 side that lost only to Wales in the ‘Five Nations’. He was away on international duty for most of the 7’s season, which was successful with LGS winning the Leamington tournament.

The summer was dominated by Ed Thorpe’s last season in charge of cricket after 16 years. He had overseen in the 1980s the most successful period in the School’s history, culminating in his 1st Xi of 1987 having 5 players who went on to be involved at County Level. 1991 saw the 6th and subsequently first international, when Michael Davies took 5-28 on debut as a 14 year old to demolish Lincs Gents. However the year, for all teams, will be remembered more for the snow and rain and also an undefeated season for the 2nd Xi who played under five different captains! The new four house system concluded its first, very successful, year in the summer. The number of House events had increased exponentially to over 60 and in that first year it was close and exciting, with Yates (1705 pts) triumphant over Davys (1600) and Pulteney (1500) with Abney coming last (1495). This was reflected in the lengths of their House Reports with Mr Bunting’s running to over 3 pages! Yates also had another ‘first’, becoming the first House to become involved in fundraising by having every sporting event sponsored, enabling them to fund an athlete for the Paralympics in Barcelona. The charity events during the year became more ‘ambitious’, with the Lower Sixth starting the year with a ‘sleep out’ in January to experience the hardships of the homeless; Jim Crookes’ form undertook a 50 mile charity cycle ride; the L6th boarders created a “Stauntathlon” – an action packed day

LES Alumni Magazine

at Staunton Harold with teams tackling an assault course, running, diving, rowing and shooting polo mints with an air rifle. The usual collection of other events carried on as normal with over £12,000 being raised. The new House system created one major problem – what to do with Sports Day. The solution was to have Senior Sports Day at Ten Acre before ‘leave of absence’ and then have the Junior version at the University towards the end of term....but even then it required an evening of ‘Heats’ to enable over 50 events to be completed successfully. The usual trips and visits took place:- The artists to Amsterdam; the historians to Ypres; the modern linguists to Paris and Brittany and the classicists to Hadrian’s Wall and Greece. The latter trip got off to an eventful start with two fourth formers not having passports, something that had been solved by the time they reached Gatwick! There were no such problems with the trip to the USA. Unusually a large part of the Loughburian was taken up with a feature of ‘The Chemists’ Year’. It was an outstanding year – Neil Rowbotham won the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) annual Chemical Education Award; Ben Faust was appointed to the Schoolteacher Fellowship of the RSC; Jason Wong was chosen to represent the UK at the International Chemistry Olympiad in Paris and also gained the highest mark in the whole country at A level; The ‘top of the bench’ team reached the national finals and the usual trips and National Chemistry Week took place. For one chemist, David Mouncer, there were different priorities as the new Scout Headquarters took shape. In January the heating, lighting and plasterboard had all been installed and this just left the small matter of decoration. Weekends were now spent with teams of ‘willing helpers’ fitting the internal woodwork, taping and filling plasterboard joints, priming the plasterboard and woodwork and decorated throughout. When the Centre was opened on 4th October by His Grace the Duke of Rutland everyone who had made a contribution to the building of the headquarters was invited, which came to some 150 people and gives an indication of the magnificent team effort involved.

The quincentenary was now just four years away and in July the school welcomed Sir Hugh Casson, armed with sketchbook, pen and compact camera to carry out the official commissioned watercolour paintings of the School. He found our campus a very interesting and exciting place, constantly making reference to ‘those fine features’ as he walked around the grounds. At 82, he was sprightly and clearly enjoyed the school environment. Interestingly he didn’t make quick sketches, preferring to ‘savour the atmosphere’ and then using his photos, express what he saw and felt about the place. His final pictures were both very warm and sensitive interpretations of the front and quad views of the school and remain the official pictures of the school and the prints are still available to buy. Visit www.loughburians.com to find out more.

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Oh What a Lovely War! then and now... I

remember Chris Penter sidling over to David Horwood and me in the The Manor, Quorn late one evening in January 1972 (always a dangerous scenario) and saying: “You two would be up for putting on a show, wouldn’t you?” Somehow, we were assured later, by Chris of course, we had said "yes", but little did we know what we had let ourselves in for. And so, our staff production of Oh What a Lovely War! was born. In 1972, believe me things were rather less frenetic than they are today and we soon had over thirty colleagues on board from the three Schools. Recruitment was actually quite easy, since most of it took place in the Peacock public house where the weekly, well-watered Thursday Club was held. However, when news reached the Schools, heads were shaken, there was a lot of tut-tutting, there were crisis meetings at what would now be SLT level, warnings of the end of the world as we know it were issued at the thought of staff from LGS, LHS and Fairfield "cavorting" on stage together, but we sailed on, in the unsinkable HMS Chris Penter. It was a true workshop production with everyone ‘mucking in’. We had little to no money available, so Tony Field took on the role of James Garner in the Great Escape and organised his assistants in gathering together costumes, armaments and props to equip no less than 156 characters. Everyone, Amish-style, under David Horwood's direction, helped to build and paint our equivalent of the barn (the set), most of the work being completed on Sunday afternoons. We took inspiration from Richard Attenborough's film and turned the Hodson Hall into an end of the pier theatre, complete with candystriped proscenium. Casting the 156 parts with just 21 show-offs, aka actors, was a challenge, with some of our number playing a dozen or more characters, each with different costumes and props.

We eventually decided that the only way we could do this was for each of us to have a table in the wings with all our gear laid out carefully in running order. The cunning plan would have worked perfectly if one of us had taken the trouble to tell Chas Coulston what the tables were all about. Chas thought it was a lucky dip and with abandon simply picked up the first rifle, blazer, or whatever, he could find: "where's my (expletive deleted) tin hat" regularly echoed backstage, followed by a collective "shhhh". Having cast every other part, we hit a wall: who was going to do the recruiting scene, so brilliantly portrayed in the film by Maggie Smith? Then along came Ann Stirrup, who had recently arrived at Fairfield. She was truly brilliant, almost out-recruiting the aforementioned Maggie. I have so many fond memories of the show that it is difficult to pick out a couple, but here goes. Firstly, the more observant amongst those who spend time in the Hodson Hall might notice a few dents in the ceiling tiles. These were the result of a shotgun being fired during the grouseshooting scene at dress rehearsal, which also manifested itself as a matinée for the elderly residents from Abbeyfield House. Amongst others on stage at the time, I stood in awe as glowing wadding cascaded over the now deaf audience and the blast rearranged the tiles - it had been a good idea, but the shotguns were binned for the next performance. Eat your heart out Health and Safety! My overwhelming memory is very personal and still reignites a slight tic when I recall it: I had to sing! In a weak moment I had agreed to take on the Victor Spinetti role of MC, as in the film, but it was only later that it dawned on me that I had to sing one of the iconic songs - "Goodbyee." Steve Smith has my eternal thanks for getting me through it; every night I could see him holding his breath and taking in the look of

warnings of the end of the world as we know it were issued at the thought of staff from LGS, LHS and Fairfield “cavorting” on stage together

LES Alumni Magazine

fear on my face as the band struck the first note and I stepped forward to massacre the song. We knew that if I hit the first note, we had an even chance of making of getting through it - just. The problem was: I wasn't entirely sure what the first note was, so when he broke into a smile and let out a sigh of relief, I relaxed. As a result of the fun we had with OWALW, the staff went on to perform regularly in shows such as Forty Years On, Joseph and Sweeney Todd, but for me nothing came close to that first show. So when I saw the recent, splendid production in the Drama Study, so many memories flooded back, as did the sinking feeling when the band struck up and Brother Bertie appeared!

-David Evans, (LGS Geography Teacher & Original Cast 1972)

n February 2016, LES put on their production of the musical ‘Oh What A Lovely War!’, as part of our commemoration of the centenary of the First World War. Students from Year 10 to 13 took on the many roles of war, from the gossiping German girls to Field Marshall Haig himself. The musical tells the story of the First World War, from the original tensions in Europe to the bloody warfare that killed millions of men, and left many more damaged. The tragedy of warfare is juxta-posed with the cheery war songs composed in the trenches themselves and sung by the soldiers as a remedy to the cold and desolation that surrounded them. The harder you laugh at the witty (often crude) songs and the dark humour, the more inappropriate laughter feels as you witness the horrors that unfolded during those four horrendous years. The production of this play was down to the dedicated staff members – from directors and sound and lighting to hair and makeup and the wonderful band – their enthusiasm and hard work is second to none. But more importantly, the talented cast brought the horrors and the comedy to life, and as the play drew to a close and the names of all the LGS boys who had died in the war rolled above our heads, we hoped we had done them proud in our commemoration of their ultimate sacrifice.

Isi Webb-Jenkins (Current Pupil & Original Cast 2016)

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Class of 1936 Stephen Latimer (’64) recently discovered these two lovely photographs of Loughborough High School girls and sent them in to us along with the following note: “I obtained all the names with the help of Doreen Edwards (née BrookmanClass of 1936) who has been a close lifelong friend of my mother Irene Latimer (née Collin) who joined the class the following year at the High School. I still see ‘Dorrie’ regularly but my mother died in 2008. My mother also kept in touch with Marjorie Sudbury who I visited last year. My auntie Doreen Latimer died several years ago but I am still in regular contact with her husband Rev Ruggles Fisher. Joyce Henderson (Class of 1936) also kept in touch with my mother but she died recently and Joan Exon in Australia also kept in contact but she died around ten years ago.” It’s so lovely to hear that friendships formed in 1936 at LHS have quite literally lasted a lifetime. Thank you to Stephen and Dorrie for sharing these photos and identifying everyone in them. Top: Marjorie Sudbury, Barbara Grundy, Ethel Jordan Bottom: (Back row) Doreen Latimer, Madge Creed, Dorothy Bennett, Doreen Brookman, (Middle row) Pam Preston, Elizabeth Hanford, Audrey Long, Joyce Henderson, Cecily Allen, Joan Exon (Front row) Joan Orchard, Marjorie Sudbury, Pearl Harris, Miss Cubbitt, Joan Taylor, Marie Gray

Fairfield Archives Appeal We were delighted that Stephen contacted us to share his family photographs. We are very excited for the opening of the new Fairfield buildings and as part of the celebrations we would like to appeal for any old images, diary entries, uniforms or memories of any kind, to help piece together the history of Fairfield. Please email info@loughburians.com or give us a call on 01509 638920.

LES Alumni Magazine

n January 2015, an Archives initiative was started by a member of staff, who leads a group of sixth formers with the aim of organising and cataloguing the archives so that they could be used for research, not only by the school but former pupils and the wider community. Thanks to funding from an anonymous donor and the PA, we have been able to match the filing system of the Grammar school, invest in new technology to store and date our archives and get involved in a number of community projects. In November 2015, we contributed a display to Charnwood Museum as part of the Great War Centenary project and have since met regularly to organise generous contributions from past students and continue to further our research of the school. So far 2015/2016 has been a busy and exciting year for LHS. To celebrate the Great War Centenary Project, LHS and LGS performed Oh What a Lovely War!, The Tableaux reached its 94th year and OLCS became part of the LES foundation. As part of the Archives initiative, we decided to do some research as to what was going on twenty, fifty and one hundred years ago.

Archives at LHS 20 Years Ago

In June 1996 , the Queen visited LES as part of the Grammar School’s Quincentennial celebrations. The school play was The Lark, and the end of year musical was The Wizard of Oz, described at the time as an ‘enchanting and captivating production’. The Chesterton building, which currently houses the maths department and the U6th common room, was finished. The Cope Library was opened in February 1996, named after the Cope family who left a generous amount to the school, in order to convert it from the former boarding area to a library. Although a brand new library had been created, it did unfortunately mean the end of boarding at LHS, after 145 years. The Head Girl was Kate Bowe, 70 girls went to university and 14 girls achieved a place at either Oxford or Cambridge.

50 Years Ago

In 1965-6, LHS still had boarders, who stayed where the library is now situated. The school play was Dido and Aeneas, the lead roles being played by June Ewing and Martin Widdowson. The guest speaker at prize giving was Dr H M Taylor (Vice-Chancellor of Keele University) and 11 girls gained places at university, more than the previous year. The House Cup was won by Burton and Ann Sawyer was the Head Girl, or as it was called then the Head Prefect.

100 Years Ago

In 1915-6, fees at LHS were only £3 a term! Girls could either choose a regular school course, which included regular subjects as well as needlework and class singing, or a housewifery course, which included laundry, cookery and many other topics. Henry Deane was the chairman of Governors and Kay Warburton was the Head Girl. The Headmistress was Miss Mary Walmsley, who had a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge.

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SPORT

JOHN BROOKS IS LINESMAN FOR UNICEF CHARITY MATCH

Jo Dyer Hockey Match 2015 On Saturday 12th September, the inaugural Jo Dyer Hockey Match (old girls vs 1st XI) was played out in traditional English rain. The old girls team, spanning the past 4 years of leavers, had a shaky start holding off the attacking attempts of the 1st XI, but despite no training soon pulled together. The first half was tight with attempts at both ends, but the old girls came off the victors with a 1-0 lead, thanks to a great touch from Beth Johnson. The start of the second half saw relentless attacks by the 1st X1 as Evie Powell and Hattie Barnes worked the ball up the pitch. However, due to perfectly timed running by Emmy Bakewell, impressive skills by Nikki Patel and Beth Johnson’s golden touch, the old girls scored again to claim a 2-0 lead. The 1st XI then picked up the pace and this saw some spectacular saves by Charly Reid in goal. The game ended 2-0 with the old girls victorious. Will the result be the same next year? We’ll have to wait and see! Second Lieutenant Jo Dyer (Class of 2001) was tragically killed in action whilst serving with the Intelligence Corps attached to the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment in Iraq in 2007.

Old boy John Brooks (’09) joined the likes of David Beckham & Luis Figo at Old Trafford for Unicef’s ‘Match for Children’. John Brooks aided legendary referee Pierlugi Collina as a linesman in an ‘All star’ match between the Great Britain & Ireland team (managed by Sir Alex Ferguson) and the Rest of the World team (managed by Carlo Ancelotti). Goals came from the likes of Paul Scholes (1), Michael Owen (2) and Dwight Yorke (1) concluding in a 3 - 1 victory for Great Britain & Ireland. David Beckham was substituted by his eldest son Brooklyn in the 76th minute, only for Beckham Snr to rejoin his son on the field to replace an injured Sol Campbell in the 84th minute. An entertaining spectacle for sports fans and Loughburians alike.

Isabel Limb (Current LHS Pupil)

TOM MOORES’ CRICKET SUCCESS

om Moores has been in Bangladesh as part of England’s Under-19 World Cup Team. Tom is also a very successful wicket-keeper in the Nottingham 2nd XI team, winning the championship in his first season.

Walking Coast 2 Coast Huge congratulations to Jonny Brackstone and Emily Mullin, who completed the 200 mile Coast to Coast Walk from St. Bees on the West Coast to Robin Hood’s Bay on the East Coast. They completed the walk in 12 days in aid of The Aplastic Anaemia Trust and Myeloma UK. In total, they raised an incredible £2853.50! Well done to both!

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NEWS FROM THE LODGE

GOLF SOCIETY FIXTURES 2016 4 May 2016 Spring Meeting at The Open course at The Nottinghamshire (Cotgrave). Tee off 1.30 (There will be a cost for golf & meal afterwards)

Sunday 15th May 2016 Grafton Morrish team of 6 at Gog Magog, Cambridge (Single figure handicaps only)

4 June 2016 Quincentennial Trophy at Rothley Park GC. Tee Off 1.00pm to 2.00pm (Chance to play Rothley for discounted fee)

7th June 2016 Match v School at Longcliffe GC. Tee Off 4.00pm to 4.45pm (There will be a cost for golf & meal afterwards)

7th - 9th October 2016 Grafton Morrish Finals (Single figure handicaps only)

28 September 2016 Match & Nottingham High School Old Boys at Rothley Park GC. Tee off 2.00pm (There will be a cost for golf & meal afterwards)

20 October 2016 Autumn meeting & Dinner at Rothley Park GC. Tee off 12.30 to 1.30 (There will be a cost for golf & meal afterwards) If you would like take part, please contact Dave Barnett via daveb@charnwoodaccountants.co.uk

or more than 100 years the two alumni associations of Loughborough Endowed Schools have kept past pupils in touch with each other and their respective schools, and the Development Office has been pleased to play a part in their activities over the last eight years. Following the creation of the new association we have now become known as the Development & Loughburians Office, and continue to support the activities of your new association as we have done in the past. We organise the association’s events, media and communications, and act as a first point of contact for all alumni enquiries. This year we have met and heard from Old Boys and Girls of all ages, spanning the most recent leavers to those who left school in the 1930s. We have also delivered an enhanced programme of events around the UK and abroad, including the establishment of a regular fellowship event in London, with help from alumni offering locations for Loughburians to get together socially. We have included images from some of these in the magazine, but there are more online on our webpages www.loughburians.com. Do take a look – you never know who you may Our most significant fundraising recognise! We are here to help you focus is our effort to increase – please get in touch if you want a the number of bursaries that the tour of your School, a reunion for your Foundation can offer to bright classmates or if you are looking to children whose family circumstance find a lost contact. We also welcome means that an independent education suggestions for new events, or the is unaffordable. LES has a long offer of a location to hold one. tradition of welcoming children of The Development team has also ability from all backgrounds, and been busy fundraising this year too. we are grateful that so many of our We launched our appeal to replace alumni have helped us in our aim the grand piano in the LES Music to increase the number of means School at the Spring Concert at the De tested bursaries that we can offer. Montfort Hall in March 2014. Thanks We relaunched the Burton Bursaries to the most amazing generosity and appeal with our ‘Futuremakers’ hard work of our alumni, pupils, campaign at the Honourable Artillery parents, carers and grandparents we Company last year, and have been hit our target in one year. This gave heartened by your response. We are so LES the confidence to go on to seek grateful that the OGA have decided to All Steinway School status, becoming use their remaining funds to endow a the only school in the Midlands and part bursary in perpetuity, which will one of only 13 independent schools in be known by that Association’s name. the country to hold this prestigious For more details, please see page 4. accolade. We were so proud to play We thank you for all your support our part in raising the Endowed this year, whether you have come to Schools’ profile nationally. You can an event, bought a mug, or gave a read more about the exciting day that donation. We look forward to seeing our pianos arrived on page 33. many more of you in the coming year! 47

We hope you have enjoyed reading the first edition of Beyond The Barrier â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the magazine for all Loughburians. You will have noticed that many of our articles have been contributed by various members of the LES community. We would welcome any contact or contribution that you wish to make. Please contact Emily Wright in the Development and Loughburians Office on 01509 638920 or info@loughburians.com