Beyond the
BARRIER
The magazine of the Loughborough Endowed Schools’ Alumni Association
Spring 2017
Beyond the Barrier
Contents
Letter from the Chairs 3 The School Year 4 Events 6
Announcements 18 Your Recollections 23
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33 Prizes and Career Advice 36 From the Archives 43 Alumni News 48 Sports
50 LES News
INTRODUCTION
Letter from the Chairs
Jenny Woods
Jenny Woods
&
Richard Bailey
W
elcome to the second edition of ‘Beyond the Barrier’. The Committee has received many positive comments about our first edition. Positive feedback was received regarding the layout and the variety of articles spanning the generations. A lot of hard work goes into producing the magazine and contributions from members are most welcome! The Association has had an extremely busy and successful year. A wide range of activities has been arranged for alumni members and we would welcome ideas from you as to what you would like to see on the programme for next year. The past year has seen an increase of over 33% of alumni members and former staff attending events. We have tried such enhanced events as a trip to the theatre, clay pigeon shooting and a gin tasting evening. Let us know what you would like to see on next year’s calendar. If you wish to have a reunion for your year group or a visit to the Endowed Schools, the contact details are alongside for the Development and Loughburians’ Office. The Development team will be pleased to help you. The Old Loughburians’ Golf and Cricket Clubs are keen to hear from members to enhance and support their activities. This is an opportunity to renew old friendships over a round of
golf or a relaxed afternoon watching the cricket. More details can be found in this edition of the magazine, or on our website www.loughburians.com. If you know of any former pupil of the schools not receiving any communication from the Association, then please encourage them to contact us via the Development and Loughburians’ Office. Please remember to update your contact details when you move house or work. We are indebted to members of the Committee who give their time voluntarily for the benefit of members. If you wish to join the committee then please get in touch. The Committee is grateful to the staff at the Development Office led by Jane Harker for all their work and enthusiasm in support of our members.
Richard Bailey Buckland House Burton Walks Loughborough Leicestershire LE11 2DU www.loughburians.com enquiries@loughburians.com 01509 638920 @loughburians Loughborough Endowed Schools Alumni
Upcoming Events June 15th London Drinks, Theatre Royal June 20th Kilworth House Theatre ‘Kiss Me Kate’
Best Wishes,
June 24th
Richard and Jenny
Class of 2007: 10 Year Reunion
Class of 1987: 30 Year Reunion July 2nd Heads’ Garden Party July 29th Robbie’s Rugby Festival Sept 8th
A selection of gifts available at
www.lesshop.co.uk
Homecoming BBQ Sept 16th Class of 1997: 20 Year Reunion
LES Alumni Magazine
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THE SCHOOL YEAR
Loughborough Grammar School Today BY HEAD BOY - ETHAN STRATFORD
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016 represented a huge change for the Grammar School, with Headmaster, Paul Fisher and Deputy, John Weitzel retiring from their posts. Along with the retirement of veteran Peter Sergeant, students and staff alike wondered how the school was to cope without such titans. Nevertheless, new and energetic Headmaster Mr. Byrne has brought a lively exuberance to the school, gracing assemblies with insights and reflections as well as his best Donald Trump impression… Though the sheer logistical duties of Mr. Weitzel’s job have required numerous teachers to take up posts in his absence. New Deputy Headmaster Dr. Wilmott has settled into the role and school life inevitably marches on.
“This academic year has already been filled with innumerable highlights across the school.”
This academic year has already been filled with innumerable highlights across the school. In senior rugby, for the first time since 2001, the 1st XV did not lose to Stamford school in a thrilling 8-8 draw. Undoubtedly the greatest moment of the season was the 1st XV’s 10-7 home win over vicious rivals Nottingham High School. On a blustery Saturday afternoon at Quorn, fly-half Patrick Shortt kicked a penalty from the touchline in the last play of the game to seal a win which meant, much to the elation of the players, Loughborough had beaten Nottingham twice in a season. In other sporting events the cross country team won the annual British Schools relay at King Henry’s School in Coventry for the first time since 4
Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
its inception in 1972. This year 60 schools entered from all over Britain, showcasing some of the country’s top individuals. Runners Oliver and Ben Rouse, Daniel Maud, Luke Nuttall, George Burnett and Ben Dijkstra ran so well that the team won by a margin of almost 2 minutes, the widest margin of victory in over 20 years and the third fastest overall winning time since 1991. It is a hugely impressive performance to win this event, and be regarded as the best senior running school in Britain. A treasured event in sixth form is the annual Johnnie Johnson Award. For those of you who attended the school before its initiation, the award is a fund granted to the school by legendary WWII pilot and Old Loughburian Johnnie Johnson dedicated to ‘non education purposes’. Boys in year 12 present broadly educational experiences to a panel of teachers, who then decide which trips to fund. 2016 saw three trips across the globe; Gabriel Leeming, Liam Miri and Michael Pitchers retraced steps of the Odyssey through Italy and Greece whilst Ethan Stratford and Milo Abraham travelled Croatia on a Game of Thrones styled tour. Billy Stockwell and Avishka Eridisinghe toured Sri Lanka for the wildlife and charitable purposes. This year the themes are as exotic as ever, with finalists including a Russian culture trip and a tour of former Yugoslavia! We all wait eagerly to hear the outcome of this year’s award. For many Old Boys the greatest addition to school life has been the growth in musical commitments and activities, especially since the Music School’s foundation in 2006. The Loughburian of 1967 recalls how the Christmas concert was cancelled due to a lack of support and interest. This year however could not be more different; over 250 pupils took part in the week long ‘solo music’ competition, and 11 ensembles performed in January’s Wind
and Brass concert. Among the many events taking place over December, the carol concert was a favourite for many and packed out the local Emmanuel Church. The most recent event was the School musical, with this year seeing a rendition of Grease! An air of excitement could be felt on the day of the opening night, and intrigue was certainly lifted after Mrs Bruton’s controversial choice of showcasing the infamous drive-in theatre scene in school assembly. The performance itself was brilliant. Stage and lighting crews had come together to create a magnificent display, whilst the whole cast lifted the crowd with their exuberant performances. The Grammar School’s cast of T Birds were noted by the boys for their impeccable American accents. Over the course of this year there have been innumerable events, which is one of the reasons why the Endowed Schools continues to engage and entertain its students. These are just a few of the countless memories made this year.
Loughborough High School Today BY HEAD GIRL - AVANI MARUDKAR
T
he school year has been busy and productive as usual. The achievements of the girls and the staff this year have been outstanding, with several events occurring over the course of the winter term to showcase the talent and passion at LHS. Early in September, LHS welcomed the New Year 7s with an event called ‘Hello High School’. It was a fantastic event, with the Y7s thoroughly enjoying themselves and familiarising themselves with their new classmates and surroundings. House Music, an annual event in October, was another huge success and included wonderful performances from all houses. The Diwali assembly was an unforgettable morning of solo, duet and group dances mixed with a glimpse at the Hindu culture and the story behind the celebrations. In November, LHS Headmistress, Gwen Byrom, was appointed 2018 President of the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), assuming the position of President Elect in January 2017. The role is a three-year commitment and Mrs Byrom will carry out her duties as President alongside her responsibilities as Headmistress. December saw busy preparations for the Carol Service with the traditional tableaux. Year 13s finally mastered the art of walking, as part of their auditions for the role of a wise man (is this our new calling in life?). Amongst all this, Year 13 UCAS admissions were rolling in steadily but with the deadline coming up, the common room was a flurry of half-edited personal statements, references and screams of ‘I CLICKED PAY AND SEND!’. At the end of term, we said goodbye to Miss Nelson, our former Head of Pastoral Care who retired, and Mrs Kempster who has moved to take up the role of Headmistress of Palmers Green High School. We were pleased to welcome Mr Thompson, the former Director of Music at Caterham School. Due to the odd impromptu assembly
and a constant cheerfulness, the girls have all welcomed him with open arms and are looking forward to his future at LHS. The LES Music School holds numerous events throughout the year in which the girls take part. In February, the annual Solo Music Festival took place, which gave pupils the opportunity to display their musical talent. Another favourite event each year is the school musical, this time offering audiences an LES twist of the much-loved Grease! The talented cast and crew were phenomenal, with notable performances from our very own group of Pink Ladies. Sport at LHS has been going from strength to strength. The hockey and netball teams through all years have been successful, with the U14s to be particularly commended for reaching National Level in both sports! Cross country has had a successful year
too. It has been good to see the girls coming together and working well as a team, but both Indie King (junior) and Laura Mullin (senior) have had outstanding seasons in their individual performances. Orienteering this year has seen both new and old faces competing and doing an amazing job. We were delighted to hear that Ashleigh Howells was selected to compete for the England Team in Sicily after her outstanding performance in the Selection Race at the British Schools event. Football at LHS has grown substantially since the club first started. This year, we have been able to take out a senior team of determined girls, winning our first match this season 5-4, whilst the U14s have been successful in the Independent Schools’ cup. All in all, this academic year has been jam-packed…
LES Alumni Magazine
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EVENTS
Loughborough Dinner 19.03.2016
L
ast year’s annual dinner, and the first for The Loughburians, was held at Fairfield. Arrival drinks were taken in the LES Music School, where guests were delighted with a performance by a string quartet. Dinner in the Eadon Hall followed, and our guest speaker was Mr Matthew Hayes, Managing Director of Champions (UK) plc. A fitting choice for this inaugural Loughburians’ event as Matthew was accompanied by members of his family who are all alumni of Loughborough Endowed Schools.
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Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
Class of 1958
E
ach year, the girls of 1958 meet for lunch. This year the event was held at Longcliffe Golf Club, and they were joined by Gwen Byrom and the Development team for pre-lunch drinks. It was a lovely sunny day and everyone was very pleased to be able to catch up.
13.04.2016
LHS Tour 1975-76
W
e welcomed back the ladies of 1975/6 for a visit. They had a great deal of fun sharing photographs and memorabilia over coffee. During the tour of the school they were welcomed into the Art Studio and Food Technology (Domestic Science!) classes to see our pupils in action. The tour was really 18.11.2016 interesting for us as the ladies shared their many memories.
LES Alumni Magazine
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EVENTS
London Drinks Summer: 16.06.2016
L
ondon Drinks were held in June on the Taittinger Terrace at London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Although thunder rumbled from time to time, we managed to stay dry. It is such a good and convenient location that we will be returning again this summer.
Winter: 29.11.2016
O
ur November London Drinks were held at the Farmers’ Club on the Embankment, a venue kindly arranged by our joint Chairman, Richard Bailey. If you can help with a venue for an event, please get in touch with Jessica in the Development and Loughburians’ Office.
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Homecoming BBQ
09.09.2016
T
he Homecoming BBQ is becoming an established event in the calendar, held on the first Friday of the autumn term. Originally just for immediate leavers, for the last few years we have extended invitations to all undergraduate alumni to come back for a beer and a burger before going back to university. It is always lovely to see so many of you and share your news.
LES Alumni Magazine
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EVENTS
Class of 1996: 20 Year Reunion
17.09.2016
T
his year’s twenty-year reunion for the class of 1996 was a lively affair. Held barbeque style, everyone mixed with a lot of laughter and head scratching – twenty years? Where did that time go? We don’t look any different! A photo display caused a lot of comments on hairstyles and fashion. A great evening!
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Gin Tasting Evening
13.10.2016
A
very pleasant evening was spent at Loughborough’s local distillery, 45 West, who make Burleigh’s Gin. Named after the botanicals used in the process which are foraged in Burleigh Wood, including silver birch and dandelion and burdock. Everyone enjoyed a tasting, as well as learning a lot about the process from Master Distiller Jamie Baxter. It was great to get up close and personal with Messy Bessy, the copper still!
LES Alumni Magazine
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EVENTS
OLA London Dinner 11.11.2016
T
he OLA London Dinner was held at the usual venue of the RAF Club, Piccadilly. The evening was an opportunity to say thank you and best wishes to Peter Sergeant on the occasion of his retirement. Many alumni from a wide spread of years attended, and a good time was had by all. Although this was the final London Dinner under the banner of the OLA, please note that the event will continue as before at the same venue in 2017. It will be known as the ‘Old Loughburians’ London Dinner’. Save the date – Friday 17th November 2017!
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Oxbridge Dinner
28.01.2017
T
he annual Oxbridge Dinner was held at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Evensong sung by the Burton Consort and Cantamus in the beautiful chapel was a delightful start to the evening. Emmanuel College is the alma mater of Governor Phillippa O’Neill (Bentley ’91) and she delighted the undergraduates with her after-dinner speech. The Dinner is always a highlight in the event calendar and we look forward to next year’s evening in Oxford. LES Alumni Magazine
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EVENTS
Angela Brownridge
W
e were delighted to welcome back to LES one of our Old Girls, concert pianist Miss Angela Brownridge. A child prodigy, equally talented in composition, extemporisation, and technically brilliant, Angela first performed in public at the age of seven and a year later had several pieces published. By the age of ten she had given her first concerto performance and in her early teens was appearing regularly as a recitalist and concerto performer throughout Great Britain and abroad. She later won a piano scholarship to Edinburgh University and after graduating B. Mus. was awarded a further scholarship for a two-year period of study in Rome with Guido Agosti. As the winner of several competitions she was able to continue her studies with Maria Curcio in London, where she now lives. Since then Angela has appeared in all the major London concert halls and has visited Eastern and Western Europe, the USA, Canada, and the Far East, as well as performing extensively in the
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26 & 27.01.2017
UK. She has been a soloist with many leading orchestras and conductors. Festival engagements include Bath, Edinburgh, Warwick, Newport Rhode Island, Bratislava, Brno, Hong Kong and Maastricht.
“Angela first performed in public at the age of seven and a year later had several pieces published.” We were lucky enough to have Angela with us on our ‘Steinway Day’ when she delighted us with a short performance on one of our brand new Steinway grand pianos. Angela promised she would return and in January this year, four of our advanced pianists participated in a masterclass with her, with many other fellow pianists
observing. The focus of the class was Beethoven Sonatas, with movements from Op. 2 No. 3, Op. 14 No. 2, the third movement of the Moonlight Sonata and the opening movement of the Tempest. Miss Brownridge offered a lot of helpful tips in bringing their performances to an even higher level, as well as sharing some of her experiences as a world touring pianist. The following evening, Angela gave a solo concert in the LES Recital Hall. The audience was dazzled by her wonderful performances of works by Beethoven, Chopin and Debussy. A real inspiration for all and it was a real privilege to hear her play and speak about the pieces she performed. It was lovely to see many Old Girls in the audience, along with former Headmistress Miss Harvatt. Since her concert, we are delighted that Angela has agreed to take on the role of Visiting Keyboard Fellow for the LES Music School. We are sure that many pupils will benefit from her guidance in the future.
Reunion
15.10.2016
FIFTY-FIVE YEARS ON (or thereabouts – but who’s counting?)
F
ollowing on from the success of previous get-togethers (held in 1991 and 2011), another reunion was organised by Christine (Ramsden) Ward, Joy (Marshall) Plummer and Joyce (Downs) Hughes to celebrate 55 years - or thereabouts - since leaving LHS, though of course those who went into the Sixth Form stayed on at school for another two years. The reunion took place on 15th October 2016 and was held at the Donington Manor Hotel, Castle Donington. 27 ‘old girls’ attended,
coming from many different parts of the UK and even further afield. Diane travelled from Orkney and Carolyn from Cyprus, which was almost above and beyond the call of duty, but we were so glad they could join us. We were delighted to see so many old friends and to catch up on everyone’s news and what has happened in their lives during the last 55 years (or since the 1991 and 2011 reunions for those who attended the earlier gettogethers). We all enjoyed a buffet lunch, much reminiscing about our
days at LHS, and were able to browse through lots of photos and other souvenirs of our schooldays, including a short ciné film (that I copied onto on to DVD) taken on the day many of us left school in July 1961. The afternoon was voted a great success by everyone, the general consensus being that we should hold another reunion in three years’ time.
Christine Ward (Ramsden) LHS 1956-61
Rachel & Juliette
02.11.2017
Class of ‘52’
O
ld friends Rachel Stableford (Woolley ’52) and Juliette Moorhouse (Hicks ’52) came back to visit LHS this year. They have kept in touch since Juliette emigrated to Canada with her family as a child, but this is the first time they have met. So many memories of their schooldays were shared.
LES Alumni Magazine
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EVENTS
Robbie’s Rugby Festival 16.07.2016
R
obbie’s Rugby Festival (RRF) takes place on Saturday 29th July at LGS Playing Fields, Quorn in aid of two local charities; The Robbie Anderson Cancer Trust and the Jake McCarthy Foundation. As four alumni of LES, when RRF was in its infancy, we could only dream that in nine years, it would become the biggest 10s tournament in the Midlands. RRF began as a single reunion match in aid of Robbie Anderson, whose life was cut short by a rare form of cancer when he was just 13. The Robbie Anderson Cancer Trust, a charity Robbie founded months before he passed away, aims to improve the quality of life for children, young people, and their families who have no choice but to battle cancer on a daily basis, through providing recreational
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resources to patients and their families from ward 27 at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. Our friend and former LGS pupil Jake McCarthy passed away at the age of 24, in December 2012, as the result of an undiagnosed brain tumour. RRF now proudly supports The Jake McCarthy Foundation. The charity raises awareness of the symptoms of brain tumours to enable early diagnosis, whilst constantly fundraising to purchase a pioneering piece of equipment in Jake’s name. Our wish to support brain tumour awareness was cemented in December 2015 when we lost Michael Smith; a great friend, LGS alumnus and huge supporter of RRF through the years. Through the support of LES, local businesses and the local community, RRF attracts over 2000 attendees and 30 rugby teams. We are delighted that every year we are support by numerous old boys’ teams from the Grammar School. The festival offers something for everyone; rugby, the Pimms & Champagne garden, the Gin garden, a children’s activities area, hospitality tables, a beer tent, large traditional BBQ, numerous charitable fundraising
activities and not to mention the concluding “Party on the Pitch”. To date the event has raised more than £42,000 for our two incredible charities, and we want to ensure this figure keeps rising. We would love to see you on Saturday 29th July so please come and support in any way you can. To find out more about the event please visit www.robbiesrugby festival.com.
Dinner at the Honourable Artillery Company 29.04.2016
W
e were delighted to have the opportunity to hold a dinner in this prestigious and historic building in London. Dinner and drinks were held in the Long Room, which is filled with portraits of monarchs back to King Henry VIII. The HAC is the oldest regiment in the British Army, established in 1537. We were proud to be able to say that LGS predates this! We were called to dinner by the Pipes and Drums and were entertained by the HAC musicians playing in the gallery. We were hosted by the Commanding Officer, Lt. Col Jim Doherty, who competed with a member of the orchestra in a thrilling rendition of ‘The Post Horn Gallop’. We retired to the Sutling Room after dinner for drinks and more partying!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Next Generation Edward James Fletcher
I
ntroducing baby Edward James Fletcher, born 7/9/16 weighing 9lb 1oz. Born to Dr Neil Fletcher (1987-92) and his wife Tara. Edward has settled into his new home in Gloucestershire and is a very happy little boy. He is just starting to crawl & causing his Mum and Dad some mischief!
Abigail Iona Katie Twigg
OBITUARIES
John Reginald Kinch
LGS 1949-54
T
hose of us who knew John Kinch were shocked to hear of his sudden death on Christmas Day, in Yorkshire, in the company of his daughters Julie and Laura and grandson Toby. John, known locally in many church choirs since his debut as a boy chorister, had attended Midnight Communion at Selby Abbey, singing the hymns and carols with gusto in his fine bass voice and staying at the end to conduct the organ as the Abbey was filled with Vidor’s Fifth Organ Symphony in F, the piece that Simon Lumby so wonderfully played at John’s funeral at All Saints Church, Thurcaston. Born in 1937, John was a gifted only son. Educated at LGS, John married Pauline in 1959, then was called to two years’ National Service with the RAF where he served as an Accounting Assistant and Senior Aircraftsman. On demobilisation, he resumed his work in accountancy, worked for Gartons Estate Agents before becoming self-employed. John’s love of folk music and country dancing flourished in Quorn where he launched the Quorn Folk Dance Club, becoming a renowned folk dance caller locally and on national and European tours. A keen and expert gardener, John had transformed the garden at the bungalow in Thurcaston to which he moved in recent years, winning prizes at the Village Produce Show and welcoming visitors at the Open Gardens event. John was a keen Leicester City, Tigers and Leicestershire County Cricket supporter. He will be greatly missed as a treasured father and friend.
Beverley Lott Former LHS Staff.
DIAMOND WEDDING
F
ormer LHS pupil Caroline Twigg (née Redrup, 19921999) was in touch to tell us about the birth of her baby, Abi, in October last year. Abi is the daughter of Caroline and her late husband Iain Twigg (LGS, 1992-1999) who died of a brain tumour in December 2014 - happily Caroline has been able to have their baby after he died. Abi’s full name is Abigail (‘father’s joy’), Iona Katie Twigg.
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D
avid Harris (LGS 1943-50) and Jeanette Simpson (LHS 1943-49) celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, 22 April 2017. David retired from a Senior Management position with GEC/Marconi in 1997, while Jeanette retired from an administrative role in Graduate Recruitment with ICI in 1992. They celebrated this event with their wider family at home in Welwyn Garden City. They have a daughter and a son, seven grandchildren, and two great grandsons.
Stanley Eddie Bray LGS 1955-63
E
ddie Bray died last year at home in Malvern where, along with his wife Chris, he had lived for many years. They had three children and thirteen grandchildren between 5 and 18 years old! Eddie was the third generation Bray to attend LGS from all starting at 25 year old intervals -1905, 1930 and then 1955. He was a Prefect and a natural scholar who epitomised an orderly and enthusiastic approach to form and school life. Academically a scientific preference and meticulous approach saw him and three others contend the top three places in a somewhat turbulent class of 32 pupils in the ‘C’ form. Tennis-ball school yard soccer (frowned on at that time) was a favourite Eddie activity at breaks and lunch time. He had considerable talents as a sportsman
where he represented East House and LGS at cricket, rugby, athletics, and cross-country running. In the 6th form he helped Mr Docherty bring other sports to the school, including pole-vaulting. He was a talented cricketer with both bat and ball and was in the 1st XI from the age of 14 and his extracurricular sporting pursuits included time-trial cycling on the Fosse Way (A46 - 25 miles in 66 minutes), swimming and football. Leaving LGS in 1963 Eddie took a Teacher Training Course specialising in science at Bede College, Durham. He returned to Birmingham and taught for a short while with marriage following in 1968. As education became graduate based he opted to take a degree at Hull University and taught at St Peter’s School in York and finally at St James Girls School, West Malvern. The 1980s saw an amalgamation of private schools in
Malvern and Eddie became redundant and, rather than moving, Chris took a pharmacy post and Eddie remained at home knowing the children were able to stay settled. After twenty five years Chris retired and a happy joint retirement followed.
Robert Perry - LGS 1955-63 For full obituary visit www.loughburians.com/news
Peter Clarke LGS 1962-66
P
eter Clarke was a journalist; political activist; Conservative Party maverick married to Teresa Gorman MP and embroiled in a libel action over the relaxation of incest laws. He was born in April 1947 in Venice where his father, Derek, a major in the Royal Signals, was posted. After going to prep school in Scotland he moved to Humphrey Perkins before joining the 4th form (Year 10) here. After A levels he spent a year at the University of Bradford before signing on for PPE at the University of Leeds and taking a masters at Balliol College, Oxford. Peter Clarke belonged to a wing of the Conservative Party perhaps best described as “swivel-eyed”. He advocated privatising police forces and fire brigades, lowering the school leaving age to 12, removing all social security and unemployment benefits, abolishing local councils, taxing golf,
demolishing unsold council houses and declaring war on South Africa!!! He won a pyrrhic victory to clear his name after allegations surfaced that he had advocated a relaxation of incest laws. When the allegation was repeated once too often he successfully sued The Independent over an article published in 1989, winning £20,000 damages. However, he was left with a bill for costs of £600,000 that effectively ruined him. He lost his home and there was no money to pay for the many other libel actions that he believed should be pursued. In four separate elections he was chosen as Conservative candidate, on each occasion in a safe Labour seat and for a time was Enoch Powell’s
political secretary at Ulster Unionist party headquarters. At various times he worked for the BBC, Private Eye and The Scotsman. In 1975 Clarke married Gillian Strickland, one of the first female reporters at ITN. Gillian died in 2005 and in 2010 he married Teresa Gorman, an unashamedly populist and rightwing Tory MP who was 16 years his senior. He died from suspected heart failure on January 24, 2017, aged 69. LES Alumni Magazine
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
John Edwin Hammond LGS 1972-90
H
ead of the Classics Department (LHS). John was born in Worcester but moved to Hereford where he became a pupil at The Cathedral School, which no doubt helped develop his interest in music, Christianity, sport and Classics. He passed his school certificate at the early age of thirteen. After winning an exhibition scholarship to study Classics at St. John’s College, Cambridge University, John did his two years compulsory National Service in the RAF. Whilst at Cambridge John was able to pursue his love of sport, as well as his academic studies, and it was there that he met Kathleen and they married in 1953.They had three daughters, nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren. After being an only child, John very much appreciated having a large family. John became a Methodist local preacher at the early age of eighteen and continued his preaching for fifty years. His carefully crafted sermons were much appreciated as well as his
clear delivery and strong voice. While at LHS, he trained the readers for the school services, teaching them to speak slowly and clearly. He also sang solos in the school Carol Service. Both John and Kathleen became teachers and John taught Classics in Buxton, Wrexham, Morpeth and Loughborough (Kathleen teaching too at the latter two schools), usually moving because the school had become Comprehensive and devalued Classics. He was born a teacher, able to bring
humour to his lessons. Several pupils kept in touch with him long after their schooldays had ended. One of his pupils says “He was by far the best teacher I ever experienced in all my education – not just brilliant at conveying his knowledge, but ensuring you grasped an enthusiasm for the subjects. He brought what could have been dull stories to life in the most amusing way.” After retirement, John pursued some of his hobbies especially his gardening. With Kathleen he was a member of a choir at Wymeswold; an expert at cryptic crosswords and taught this skill to several of the next generation. They enjoyed walking and had some lovely holidays in Scotland and the Alps and both attended the regular lunches for ex LHS staff. He was able to remain in his own home right to the end and still enjoy seeing friends and family. John passed away on August 1st 2016, aged 87.
Rachel Emmerson Middle daughter, LHS Pupil 1972-78
George Morgan LGS 2008-11
G
eorge joined us from Grace Dieu Manor in 2008 and in a wonderfully supportive reference from his Headmaster, Charles Foulds, he was described as ‘delightfully scatty’ and he lived up to this during his three years with us! He had been a talented squash player since the age of 9 and a member of the Leicestershire Age Group Squads and died suddenly and tragically playing the game he loved when he collapsed from a heart attack 1-0 up whilst playing for Bradley Stoke Squash Club in a Bristol league match on March 9th
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2016. He was 20. George found academic work demanding but always had a smile on his face and was extremely popular amongst both his fellow peers and staff and his delightful personality led to him being a really popular member with the ladies he visited as part of the VSU. His popularity, however, spread much further for he was a ‘sensation’ on You Tube with 10,000’s of followers of his ‘scratch card’ videos and many tributes followed there in the days after he died. On leaving us, George completed
his 6th form at Ratcliffe College, before continuing with his studies at the University of West England where he succumbed to a previously unknown heart condition.
LGS’s Top Two Physicists?
Sir Denys Kenneth Wilkinson Standley LGS 1933-40
D
enys Wilkinson entered the school in September 1933 from Cobden Street and it was soon apparent that he was a fine academic. Already in the school was Kenneth Standley, who was in the other form, and the two of them only came together in the 6th form where Denys beat him every term so finished his time having been top for all 21 terms. They were great rivals:– Kenneth became School Captain whilst Denys was a monitor; Kenneth was a 1st XI Cricketer and Victor Ludorum at Sports Day whilst Denys could only manage 2nd in the High Jump. They were also both superb physicists and Kenneth won a £100 Open Scholarship to New College, Oxford and Denys a £60 Open Scholarship to Jesus College, Cambridge but Denys reinforced his position as being the better academic by also winning a State Scholarship as a result of his Higher Certificate Exams. Unusually for a Physicist, Denys was also editor of ‘The Loughburian’ in their final year, 1940, where he records the heavy snowfalls of that winter as only a physicist could. ‘During the recent – I think fifteen days have elapsed – snowing up the
LGS 1930-40
forms played a major part in getting through to civilisation via the main drive. One professor of mathematics has calculated that during his efforts to transform himself into a human snow-plough, he was developing, not as you might think, a severe cold but nearly half a horse-power. The form is considering selling itself as a Ford V8.’ Kenneth went on to get a first class honours degree and then a D.Phil. at Oxford; joined the Physics Department at Nottingham University and became a reader there before becoming Professor to the Carnegie chair of Physics at Queens College, Dundee. He was distinguished for his contributions to the study of ferromagnetic resonance and the properties of ferrites and microwave techniques, and published his book Oxide Magnetic Materials. Denys became a fellow of Jesus College in 1944 and completed his PhD in 1947. After 10 further years at Cambridge, where he became reader in nuclear physics, he was appointed to the chair of nuclear physics at Oxford, and was head of the nuclear physics department from 1962 to 1976. Although he was destined to be
a superb leader and administrator, his heart was always close to research, and every summer for two months he went to laboratories in the US or Canada, where he could not be reached so readily. He became Vice Chancellor of Sussex University in 1976 where he also maintained a presence in the university’s physics department, and retired as emeritus professor of physics there in 1989. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society at the age of 34, won its Hughes medal (1965) and Royal medal (1980), and in 1974 was knighted. Awards abroad included the Bonner prize for nuclear physics of the American Physical Society, also in 1974. He served as president of the Institute of Physics (1980-82), and as a vicepresident of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (1985-93). The high-rise science block built in 1967 at the junction of Keble Road and Banbury Road in Oxford was named the Denys Wilkinson Building in 2002, and his final paper on physics was written when he was 82 years old. Sir Denys died on 22nd April 2016 aged 93. LES Alumni Magazine
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Class of ’48 pays tribute to two of our stalwarts who died last autumn
Colin Dexter John Elliott C LGS 1947-54
A
fter leaving school John became articled to a firm of accountants in Leicester. Subsequently he left to join the Belgrave Laundry Company, a commercial and domestic laundry service founded in 1873, in which John’s family predecessors had long held directorships. After retirement John and Vivienne pursued their mutual interests in history, the airfields and aeroplanes of WW2 and particularly in the history of Roman Leicestershire.
Malcolm Perkins LGS 1948-54
A
fter leaving school and completing his National Service Malcolm was a trainee reporter on the Leicester Evening Mail, later joining the Gloucester Citizen. Subsequently he joined the Eastern Daily Press becoming industrial editor in the 1980s. He was later editor of the Diss Mercury and chief reporter in Diss for the EDP. Malcolm was a racehorse enthusiast and a keen animal charity supporter, in which capacity, after retiring to Chesterfield, he worked part-time for the Cats Protection League until shortly before his death.
Matthew Plummer H
olin was a former pupil of Stamford School where he played cricket, tennis and hockey and was a member of the school 1st XV in 1948. After completing his national service with the Royal Corps of Signals, Colin read Classics at Christ’s College, graduating in 1953 and receiving an honorary master’s degree in 1958. After Christ’s, he started his teaching career in 1954, becoming assistant Classics master at Wyggeston School, Leicester. He then moved here in 1957, before he took up the position of senior Classics teacher at Corby Grammar School, Northamptonshire, in 1959. In 1966, he was forced by the onset of deafness to retire from teaching and took up the post of senior assistant secretary at the University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations
LGS 1955-62
aving suffered with pulmonary fibrosis and a heart condition Matthew passed away peacefully with his family by his side on 19 May 2016. Matthew talked fondly of his time at LGS and had such happy memories.
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Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
LGS staff 1957-59
(UODLE), a job he held until his retirement in 1988. The first books that he wrote were general studies text books. He started writing mysteries in 1972 during a family holiday. The Morse mysteries were written between 1975 and 1999 and adapted as an ITV television series, Inspector Morse, from 1987 to 2000. In the manner of Alfred Hitchcock, he also made a cameo appearance in almost all episodes. He was awarded an O.B.E. for services to literature in 2000. Regretfully he had to decline the invitation to write anything to mark the School’s Quincentenary in 1995 due to other writing commitments and his last visit to the School was to speak at the OLA Dinner in February 1997. He died on 21st March 2017 aged 86.
David Stanton LGS 1944-49
I
t is with sadness that we note, from his brother, the passing of OL David Stanton.
YOUR RECOLLECTIONS
The Swimming Pool FOR ANY BOY OR GIRL ATTENDING THE SCHOOLS FROM THE 1930’S TO THE 1960’S ONE ASPECT OF SCHOOL LIFE IS FOREVER ETCHED ON THEIR MEMORY… THE OPEN AIR SWIMMING POOL.
T
hat changed 50 years ago as The Loughburian of July 1967 records that the Swimming Team had its best season ever. Hardly surprising as it recalls ‘This is undoubtedly due to the covered pool which has provided allthe-year round facilities for training and competition. With all season facilities the members of the team now seem to feel a greater allegiance to this sport and the old difficulty of divided loyalties between swimming and the other sports is now disappearing.’ December 1965’s Loughburian reports ‘The echoes of trucks and pneumatic drills echoing incongruously round the mock Tudor Quad have announced to all and sundry that work is now well underway in the covering of our swimming pool. Though some of us may recall with fond reminiscence first period swimming lessons spent breaking the ice, there can be no doubt that this will be a greatly appreciated
improvement.’ However, surprisingly not everyone seems to have been in favour of the idea as by July 1966 The Loughburian records ‘The covering in of the swimming baths has at last been completed: they now look quite handsome and favourable comments have been received even from critics of the idea. However, there have now arisen some chlorination problems, which we hope will soon be solved.’ Boys and Girls of recent years will know that this has not been the case! It was entirely appropriate that the money to cover, and more importantly heat, the swimming pool came from the efforts of the Parents’ Association. Their major fund raising evening was a Grand Gala held on 16th July 1966 which made a £1,200 profit, which covered the majority of the cost. In March 1928 the Old Boys’ and Old Girls’ Associations launched an appeal for £1,500 (which would be
£80,000 today!) to provide a pool at the School. This was also supported by parents as the Heads of the two schools were keen to point out in their letter. ‘It is suggested that many parents who would not be prepared to give a lump sum, would be willing to promise a donation spread over a period of two, three or four years. It should be pointed out that the present charge for a weekly visit to the Town Baths throughout the Summer Term (approximately 6/-) would cease and many more opportunities for swimming would be available.’ The appeal was successful with £1,330 raised and on 8th July 1929 the pool was opened by Mr B.B.Barrow, Chairman of Governors, who in his speech remarked that it was the first time that he knew of any gift of any size being made to the Endowed Schools. The Loughborough Echo of 21st June 1929 reported ‘The bath is constructed LES Alumni Magazine
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YOUR RECOLLECTIONS
of reinforced concrete and is 80ft long and 30ft wide, having a capacity of 76,000 gallons of water. There is a wide surround, and three large dressing sheds, which can be enclosed by curtains if necessary. A shower bath is provided, also a spring board and diving platform.’ The actual opening was reported in detail in the Loughborough Monitor of 11th July 1929, which recalls S.R.Pullinger’s speech which started ‘There were many suggestions as to the way we should open the bath, and one was that there should be a race between the Heads of the two schools. Those who had made that suggestion would be glad to hear that they were going to do that – (applause) – by proxy. (Laughter). We are all people of one mind because for the last two or three years we have felt that we wanted a bath. (Laughter).’ Later on, in more serious mode, he pointed out 24
Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
that many people thought they would struggle to raise £400 and that, just as occurred in 1966, the turning point had been a fete organised by both schools that raised £312.
He always swam naked which I always thought was not really my thing. In the pool’s 88-year history there is one event more than any other that was significant. In March 1932 James Edgar Johnson, then 17 years old, was caught swimming naked with his girlfriend and asked to leave the school. Although he completed his exams here and went on to the University of Nottingham this event meant that his career within the RAF would not start with Officer Training,
as originally planned, but instead as a pilot…..and because of that as ‘Johnnie Johnson’ he became the top scoring Allied fighter pilot in World War 2 and our most famous Old Boy. Nudity seems to feature in many OL’s memories. Dan Parker (46-55) recalls about his sports master ‘He always swam naked which I always thought was not really my thing. One day we were all in the pool when the outside door opened and in came a High School form with their mistress, who on seeing the totally naked man tried to block the girls from coming in. We all screamed with laughter, and next year we had a new sports master.’ Bob Broomhall (48-53) remembers from the same time ‘During one summer we were allocated a Loughborough College PE student on Teaching practice. He was a very fine swimmer but gained a dubious reputation for skinny dipping and nude sunbathing.’ More personally
Phil Ireland (61-68) writes ‘This was also the time before ‘speedos’ or ‘budgie smugglers’ were around. My knitted trunks, for some reason, would always end up around my ankles as I got out at the end of the pool! So, lucky that it wasn’t shared with the other side of the barrier.’ A similar experience is recalled by John Barlow (41-50) who remembers ‘fellow boarder Berridge Wood being disqualified by Foggo Foxon for losing his trunks while leading his race doing the American crawl.’ John Radford (61-68) from the same era recalls the occasion when one of his fellow 12 years olds went to his gym teacher to confess that he had forgotten his swimming trunks ‘Anyway, the usual sympathetic response came “Well, you’ll just have to go in your birthday suit then”. At that my classmate burst into tears and plaintively blubbered “but I don’t have a birthday suit sir.” I have to confess to joining in the somewhat cruel laughter of those standing within earshot of this admission.’ However, in a different era the boys weren’t so fortunate as Barry Diggle (41-46) points out ‘Remember the unheated pool well. No costumes allowed which seemed a bit embarrassing at first (but you got used to it). Shared the pool with the High School girls when we were taking our Life Saving Bronze Medallions exam.’ Those same exams, but properly clothed, were being held 20 years later as Wilma Fatica (nee Adkin ) (6168) distinctly remembers taking her exam ‘in the coldest and murkiest of water! I had to dive down and ‘rescue’ a brick and not wanting to keep my eyes open made a mental note of where I
There were also times when we were joined by the friendly, neighbourhood frogs! thought it had gone in and dived down, groping around until I found it! There were also times when we were joined by the friendly, neighbourhood frogs!’ Bricks was also remembered by Win English (nee Grigson) (52-59) ‘I was a weekly boarder and we were able to buy a ‘Voluntary Swimming Ticket’ for 4 shillings with which we could dash down after school for the most exhilarating swims imaginable. The lack of changing facilities mattered not a jot, and we took the green slime on the sides and bottom of the pool to be part of the experience (like seaweed in the sea). Diving down to the murky depths for black rubber bricks was tricky as they were invisible; we just
had to aim at the spot where we hurled them and grope about. Those ‘volly swimming’ times were fabulous!’ Anthea Lock (nee Brammall) (51-56) had similar memories ‘Being a boarder it was with great pleasure that one could initial the after school book with the letters VS and enjoy the walk to the Pool and back, the actual time spent in the water was rather limited.’ For the girls changing had always been an issue as Elaine Schafer (nee Gilbert) (55-66) points out. ‘We changed by the side of the pool where there were benches and hooks for our things. The adjacent boys’ gym had high windows overlooking the pool and I imagine the boys were keen to climb up their ropes to give themselves a good view of us girls changing.’ Several boys admitted to this:- Bob Timson (52-62) ‘My main recollection and my classmates was of climbing up the wall bars which provided a perfect viewing position to watch the girls in action in and around the pool.’ Don Bird (38-43) ‘..climbing up the wall bars in the gym to look down through those top windows at the High School girls when it was their turn in the pool.’ Doing so had its consequences as John Allman (50-55) recalls.’..on certain days the girls changed in the open air alongside the pool. If you climbed the gymnasium wall bars high enough you could catch a glimpse of this taking place. Our awakening interest in girls meant that many of us took the risk. The risk being a smacking by the Gym Master’s slipper or ‘six of the best’ from Sydney Pullinger.’ Michael Hendry (56-67) ‘I recall climbing up the bars in the gym when we knew the High School girls were using the pool.’ Who LES Alumni Magazine
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YOUR RECOLLECTIONS
also remembers ‘Miss Topping who was mistress of 1B. She used to swim wearing what I believe was a knitted and consequently droopy swimsuit.’ Alan Hunt (58-64) employed slightly different tactics when the girls came to swim. ‘I regret to say that whilst on CCF ‘commando’ exercises around the perimeter of the pool when the girls were using it an odd frog or worm would be launched over the wall, then to eagerly await the screams and shrieks!’ Frogs also featured for Chris Bocock (53-60), swimming captain in 1958, ‘an honour indeed until I realised that before any activity could take place the pool had to be cleaned. Thus I was tasked with organising a cleaning team during the Easter holidays. We performed our task with diligence, removing frogs as well as fallen leaves.’
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Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
We were lucky to have a school pool and gave no thought to anything lacking Some boys had nothing but ‘Pleasant memories with no horror about it. We were lucky to have a school pool and gave no thought to anything lacking’ as Ralph Tebbutt (48-55) puts it and this was also true for the boarders as James ‘Soup’ Symington (48-58) recalls. ‘A group of 5 or 6 of us getting up at about 5.30 a.m. on Sundays and descending secretly from the top dormitory via the spiral staircase. We then exited from the downstairs toilet window, sneaked along the back of the Headmaster’s garden, crossed Burton
Walks and arrived at the pool. Here we climbed over the boundary wall and swam or fooled around for about 45 minutes. One or two of us also took small tins of Heinz baked beans, which we opened, and ate cold, if we were feeling very energetic. After this it was, return by the same route, back up to the dorm and in bed, ready to be ‘woken up’ by the bell for a normal Sunday at 7.30 am.’ Hector Doel (4454) ‘with other hardy individuals scaled down the drain pipe and had midnight frolics in the pool. We thought we were so clever except to find out that the housemaster knew all about our little escapades.’ Michael Napier (55-64) recalls ‘One memory was the great excitement when a springboard was installed. The only problem was that it was made of wood and after a while started to warp and bend at the front end so that any attempt to produce a perfect dive was as inaccurate as the missile recently (so it is alleged) fired from a Trident submarine.’ However, for most the memories were not so pleasant! Paul Howe (4757) ‘I dreaded the arrival of Spring in those early days bringing with them the opening of the pool. The unheated, uncovered monster filled most of us boys with dread. I cringe even how as I think of the hardship of getting into it with gritted teeth attempting to enjoy it. While it seemed to be clean and chemically treated, the discomfort it wrought was complete and inspired an urgency to vacate at top speed to retire with rattling teeth and bone to the change-room.’ Ice seems to feature a lot as John Grierson (56-61) recalls ‘During the winter a demonstration was laid on to show the boys how to roll a canoe. I can remember that the canoeists had to break the ice to get their canoes into the water and by the time the demonstration was over they were blue and cold – no wet suits in those days!’ Mike Duggan (48-53) ‘We had a student as PT instructor, reputed to be an Olympic swimming trialist, who used to get us to break the ice with the long sweeping brush. He would then eat up the lengths leaving us in awe at his speed.’ Tim Lancaster (60-67) ‘I can remember my first swimming session with Peter Docherty shouting encouragingly “in you go, the ice is thin, it won’t hurt!”’ Keith Wiser
(59-66) also remembers Mr Docherty ‘throwing us into the deep end.’ Tony Green (49-54) recalls earlier ‘I remember that Gethin Williams would see if he could break the ice with his foot. If he could we had to swim and if not we went into the gym for that period.’ Mike Clift (47-52) ‘was made to swim a length when there was a layer of ice on the pool. They bred them tough in those days!’ A similar memory is recalled by John Allman (50-55) ‘In winter it iced over. On such an occasion, Alan Stafford who was a rebellious type, bet the whole form 3d each that he could swim a length. He managed it with small cuts all over his chest and finished trembling like a leaf.’ Martin Baker (50-55) ‘After the Easter break we had to swim. All us 11 and 12 year olds in a line facing a green, cold, water. Not funny. The post swim showers were not at all that brilliant either.’ Mark Oakley (81-68) was totally traumatised ‘The horrific experience put me off swimming for the rest of my life. I suspect a certain master took delight in torturing the boys.’ However, it seems that visitors were not as deterred as LGS boys, as Bas Hardy (48-55) recalls. ‘The doors from the shower area to the pool seemed never to be locked, and in those days we played rugby on 10 acre and the gym changing room was used for home and visiting sides. I remember the 1st & 2nd XV’s of one visiting team, I think High Pavement, going past the showers to the pool (covered with ice) jumping in, breaking the ice and having a whale of a time.’ Chris Aris (61-68) remembers even colder times! ‘The gym periods at the start of the summer term were a time of dread. The gym staff rule seemed to be that it is summer term, therefore swimming will be undertaken. If the water had been cold, it might have
been survivable, but it was generally several colder notches than that. Indeed, there was one occasion when the pool was totally frozen and ice skating took place! It was the only time in my life that I have tried this, never again!’ The best comment on this comes from Mike Tyler (51-54) ‘I have strong memories of immediately after a session in the gym Gethin Williams shouting “No showers boys, a length of the pool”. Probably the coldest water I have ever experienced. If we weren’t boy sopranos when we jumped in we certainly were when we climbed out!!!’
The gym staff rule seemed to be that it is summer term, therefore swimming will be undertaken. Even out of the pool, life was not pleasant! ‘Forgetting a towel on the day of swimming classes was never a good idea. Waiting around, cold and wet, for a friend to lend his after he’d dried himself was never good for morale!’ writes Ian Watson-Walker (53-63) and Simon Jones (59-67) remembers ‘freezing my n..ts off in the gym changing room prior to being sent to the poolside. I must have complained so bitterly at home that my parents joined a group of other parents with the express aim of raising enough money to cover the pool.’ It was fortunate that Simon was able to enjoy that luxury in his last year in the school but even then everything was not perfect as Richard Allen (6067) points out. ‘Immediately after it was covered and heating put in, the
ventilation didn’t work properly and we were frequently afflicted by ‘raindrops’ when we came out of the pool to dry ourselves.’ Indeed this is sometimes still the case! I think that Jim Webster (48-53) sums everything up quite well when he writes ‘I remember the Swimming Periods more as punishment-Periods. If you forgot any item of Sports Kit, the punishment was to be ‘slippered’; one didn’t forget again! If you didn’t have your swimming costume with you, then you jumped/dived-in without it. The Lessons, as such, were practically non-existent if you could already swim. The Pool always seemed icy-cold to me except on very hot, sunny days but they rarely seemed to co-incide with our Swimming-Periods. As far as I was concerned, it was one of the least enjoyable aspects of my time at the School. The School gave me a lot of things for which I have always been very grateful, but a love of swimming wasn’t one of them. In retrospect, I’m surprised that I ever went swimming again... but, of course, I did.’ I leave you with two thoughts. Firstly, the swimming pool is the only building at LES to have been financed entirely by appeal in both instances – the building and then the covering and heating - the Old Boys and Old Girls working together with the Parents. Secondly, whilst we have been having discussions about upgrading sports facilities on Campus a new pool has regularly been mentioned. I suggested that if this occurred the 1929 pool should be uncovered, heating removed and restored to its original condition as a ‘heritage pool’. I hope having read this you are in agreement!
John Weitzel LES Alumni Magazine
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YOUR RECOLLECTIONS
Colin Billyard
I
t is said that one should not dwell on the past but recently I have found myself recalling, in some detail, my time at LGS, not least due to the sad passing in December 2015, of Nick Harmer, an old class mate. On our last day at school Nick, myself and Alan “Willy” Hunt managed to hoist a certain item of underwear, once belonging to one of the High School girls, atop the flagpole on the Tower. As that period covered the years between 1957 to 1964 it continues to amaze me that the ‘episodic’ part of our memory is so acute. I continue to recall also, in no particular order, the following in great detail: ●● The smell and look of new rugby boots and kit each September; house matches between North, South, East and West took place on the junior school playing fields adjacent to Fairfields, the High School Prep school. ●● The ritual ‘blacking’ with a hot 28
Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
●●
●●
●●
●● ●●
spoon of CCF boots combined with ‘blancoing’ of belt and gaters. The Victorian ‘dip’ pens still in use up to 1960; appointment to the position of ‘ink monitor’ gave one a little street cred. Saturday morning school; lessons were ten minutes shorter than weekday lessons and there seemed to be a holiday atmosphere prevailing amongst both boys and teachers. The ‘barrier’; the High School girls would cross from their main site to the Fairfield site for their lunch. Somehow some of us just ‘happened to be passing’ although the girls were strictly forbidden to stop or chat to us. The freezing open-air swimming pool. The ‘new’ cap with its longer peak, ostensibly better able to keep the sun out of one’s eyes when playing cricket and introduced by incoming headmaster Norman Walter.
LGS 1957-64
●● The transistor radios that art teacher Len Major had us making as an extra-curricular activity. The transistor could ‘only receive’ Radio Moscow and few people suspected his ulterior motive until he coerced us into Russian Language lessons too! ●● The considerable music skills of not only the music masters (Reggie Shields, John Stevenson, Mr Moore) but masters whose subjects were not music (‘Johnny’ Lello, ‘Johnny’ Kitching). ●● The great ‘Bill’ Williams who taught me how to tackle in rugby... “always watch your opponents’ hips Billyard”, perhaps just as relevant in today’s debate about abolishing the tackle in schoolboy rugby. There are so many more and it’s always wonderful to be able to share such memories through the Magazine.
Chris Aris
I
have just skipped through Beyond the Barrier for the first time this morning. I am very impressed and long may it flourish. I was especially interested in the article about 1966 which was the year I took my O Levels, played in the cricket 1st XI and triple jumped for the track and field team. The latter two caused some issues for me around a conflict of interest which was not pleasant at the time but resolved itself in the end. I also was in the chorus of the production of Yeomen of the Guard. I can’t sing a note but it was great to take part! The school general election was a great event. How many people now
remember the near riot the took place in the Quad one lunchtime (it may have been morning break)? It began when a candidate (I think it was Don Burbage advocating independence for Cornwall) started to give voice to his policies underneath the clock tower. This attracted much interest amongst a crowd of would be voters, including candidates and supporters of other parties. There was much heckling from the crowd and then Keith Shaw the Liberal candidate emerged from School House with a placard showing a picture of Jo Grimmond. This was torn out of his hands and before long break time milk was flying around. Eventually the mele
LGS 1961-68 was broken up by the authorities, and peace was restored! The article says that “unpredictably (?)” the Liberal candidate won. I don’t think that this was such a surprise. Keith Shaw was a boarder and most, if not all boarders would have supported him. So together with any committed liberal supporters the final result was not a shock. Boarders supporting boarders was part of the boarding DNA, it was referred to as “School House Spirit”. I wonder if, after all these years, it survives. If this note ever goes public, then I salute anyone from my time at LGS, that remembers me.
Janet Gaunt LHS 1946-51
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his photograph is of The Sills Girls. Janet on the left, Margaret in the middle and Dorothy on the right, who all attended the High School. Janet, started in 1946, Dorothy in 1952, Margaret in 1956. A few years ago we were lucky enough to come to the Carol Service, which certainly revived memories for us. Dorothy and Margaret still live in Loughborough, but I have been in Yorkshire since 1969. Dorothy still sees her school friends, and we all remember the open-air swimming pool and changing facilities, and the Carol Services left a lasting impression. I seem to remember going potato-picking at the end of the war (or is it my imagination?) and a Pageant produced at school, where I was The Dauphin. We were introduced to netball, tennis, hockey and rounders and I continued with hockey and tennis for many years. Uniform was compulsory, and we’d daren’t even take our hats off until we reached home. (How times have changed!!) LES Alumni Magazine
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YOUR RECOLLECTIONS
Barbara Jones
(Mitchell)
LHS 1951-63 Summer at Fairfield After lunch on warm, sunny days, the youngest children were issued with an oval mat, possibly made of raffia, and escorted out of the main building through the hallowed door normally only used by the headmistress. Mats were laid down in the dappled shade of the tree and we were encouraged to sleep. Older children would be read stories before we were given the freedom of the field between the buildings and the senior school. This was probably built on years ago, but provided a hockey pitch for the senior school in those days. Some made dens in the shrubbery, but a group of us made our base under the walnut tree. We suffered no ill effects from eating its bounty.
Dining When I started at Fairfield, we had to walk across to the main school for lunch. This was served in the room just to the left of the front door, opposite the cloakroom where we left our coats. Our year must have been the only one not to appreciate the new dining hall. This having been built at Fairfield just as we moved up to the senior school, we still had to walk to lunch in all weathers!
Stories Last thing on, I think, Tuesday afternoons, Miss Jefferies used to read the stories of Odysseus, Gulliver etc. to her Upper 11 class. How much more exciting and interesting those 30
Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
stories seemed when first heard by a nine or ten-year-old than when being “studied” later.
A lesson learnt? The beautifully polished old staircase proved irresistible to Maxwell Davies. I wonder if he remembers? He slid down it (Form 1 was upstairs) and broke his arm after catching it in the curved end. A salutary lesson to all who were tempted to misbehave.
Learning by rote In Form 1, Miss Franklin’s class, - now year 3- we started each morning by reciting our tables. I don’t think anyone minded, and I’m so grateful it was drummed into us. Our only dread was when we were picked on individually. Poems learnt are also still remembered and appreciated.
Music Certainly in the lower part of the school this was simply listening to “Rhythm and Melody” or “Singing Together” on the radio. In Lower 11 I remember being told how to point to the notes as a tune was played and how to pitch a note using sol-fa. I still use some of this method when singing with or training a choir. Songs I learnt then (I still have the books) were later sung to my baby daughter, who went on to read music and sing professionally. Finally, we started to learn the recorder; I now enjoy playing in a recorder consort with the U3A! Thank you, Fairfield.
Barrie Church Parade for Loughborough Boards – Wartime 1941 In 1941 the boarders attended church at the Parish Church in Loughborough, approximately 35 boys. They had to be dressed in pin striped trousers, white shirts, Eton collars and black jackets. The collar was starched stiff and I well remember the palaver when the studs would not go in. Matron would have to be sent for. I have still got my collar! We looked very smart but after three years this parade was quietly dropped because of the war and, I expect, the introduction of clothing coupons.
Schooling – “A boarder in Wartime” In 1941 I had to sit my Entrance Exam for Loughborough Grammar School, another ordeal and I can still remember the smell of the Bunsen Burners in Mr Murray’s laboratory. Somehow or other I passed and in September 1941 went as a boarder. It seems like only yesterday. I was very comfortable at Loughborough. I liked the togetherness, the football and cricket and other
Brough sports especially swimming, when in season. Mr S R Pullinger was the Head Master and Mrs Pullinger looked after the welfare of the boarders. I think that they both liked me especially Mrs Pullinger who had been a nurse in the 14-18 war. This was perhaps just as well as I used to get boils on my knees and neck for some reason and she used to poultice them and bandage me up. She also looked after me when I contracted Mumps and had to spend two weeks in bed. The Masters seemed ancient and wore caps and gowns. They were survivors of the first war, Captains and Majors. There were some pleasant lady teachers, a Mrs Johnson comes to mind. The food was not very good because of the war but we survived. I remember the strict blackout precautions and above every light switch a notice ‘Turn this light off!’ I’ve been doing that ever since. At this time, we had to queue up for our week’s pocket money – 6d (2 1/2p). There wasn’t very much to buy so perhaps it was enough. However, on my birthday at the school in December
LGS 1941-45
1941, Grandma Brough sent me a Postal Order for 7s 6d (37 1/2p). I had never felt so wealthy before (or since!). I could not believe it, fifteen weeks pocket money in one go. These were stirring times. The sky seemed to be full of aeroplanes and American Army convoys passing along the A6. The soldiers threw sweets and chewing gum out to us. Mr and Mrs Pullinger had two sons. One was a Naval Officer and I remember at our house prayers on Sundays in the Pullingers’ drawing room, the boarders were often asked to sing ‘For those in peril on the sea’ with Mrs Pullinger accompanying us on the piano. At the Wars end on 7th May 1945 we heard the news in the dormitory on a Cat’s Whisker radio. On 8th May I heard the Loughborough Carillion, a Memorial to the 1914-1918 being played by the campanologists. I was most impressed with that. The Boarders were sent home by bus. There were flags and bunting in every village and town. There was lots of excitement. My brother F.T. Brough (1943-1947) was with me.
Centenary Celebrations 1995 Barrie Brough with his daughter Sarah and granddaughter Charlotte in a 1924 Armstrong Siddeley
1943 - On the Air Raid Shelter Front Left – R Elasen Front Right – Buxton Second Row Left – F T Brough Second Row Right - ? Third Row Left – Martin ? Third Row Right – T Trevor Jones Back – G B Brough
LES Alumni Magazine
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YOUR RECOLLECTIONS
Colin Walker
I
have many fond memories of my time at LGS, and not least of passing under the barrier three or four times a day, on my cycle– rides to and from School each day. On a good day I could clear it without putting feet to the floor, though at other times chose to be more cautious, to avoid the indignity suffered by many if they miscalculated their approach and closing speed. Be that as it may, memories were re-ignited, such that I was inspired to recall a few of them in verse, which can be found below and which I hope you will find of interest. I was fortunate to attend LGS in the 60s, attaining the position of School Vice-Captain, Peter Jackson being School Captain. (I believe they are now referred to as Head Boy etc.?) Our school career came to a climax 50 years ago (!)
during the ‘Summer of Love’ when for me ‘A Levels’ were quickly followed by Cambridge Entrance exams. I was successful in gaining an exhibition to read Modern Languages at Gonville & Caius College, entering in 1968, at the height of the Student Revolt. It was an exciting time, or so we were led to believe, by visiting Lecturers like Rudi Dutschke, Daniel CohnBendit and later on Noam Chomsky. Aside from a little local difficulty about the quality of the wine-menu, Caius seemed a much calmer, rational kind of place, full of Grammar school boys like myself. It was comforting to meet again several colleagues from Nottingham High whom I had met at a previous Paris summer school, and Ian Peacock, a friend from primary school and LGS, went up to Caius also, to study Natural Sciences. Ian was, among other things, a fine
LGS 1961-68 hockey player at school, myself less so, but Ian was brave enough to invite me to join the Caius 2nd XI, which floundered fairly soon as there were only 8 of us, causing embarrassment when we had to rely on the opposing substitutes to make up a team. Our paths eventually separated when I left to study Social Work at Leicester and Ian continued with medicine. I was sorry to learn of his recent death, and am sure he will be missed by many. I went on to become a Probation Officer with Notts Probation, working round the county areas, spending much of my service organising Community Service for offenders, from its inception in 1973. Now retired I continue to live in North Notts with my wife Sue (nee Bullivant) also ex-LHS, surrounded by horses, children and grandchildren.
Co-lin The Loughburian ‘Our Father by whose servant’ still echoes in the mind, Recalling bygone schooldays and Burton Walks, tree-lined, Concealing ancient buildings, venerable and severe,
28.8.15
And confident that I would never threaten them, in any sporting trial. All too soon the gods moved on and we were in their place,
As were many of the occupants, incarcerated there.
Modelling gowns and boaters, and me in charge of Vice.
Entering the Third form, a non-sequitur no less,
The High School girls who once ousted us from leaf-topped swimming pool
Yet all were soon initiated in the ways of LGS. Chanting Latin conjugations in the bowels of N Block,
Were suddenly much more interesting as they sashayed past the school.
To calm the apoplectic Kitch it helped to be top.
Ballroom dancing with Don Wood forced us to fraternise
Keeping on the right side of the all-seeing Mrs M. –
With firm and fulsome figures that flashed before our eyes.
Imperative if you ever wished to see hearth and home again.
O happy days of innocence, which climaxed in Love’s Summer,
My memory’s interrupted by voices cross the Quad – More chanting verbs with CPT, who dictated French to God.
Dominated by peace and love and scholarship exams; O what a bummer.
And Harry Bowen, in the lab, firing vociferously,
And still I think with fondness of those few short years of bliss
Sparks flying from his rubber tube, exploding chemistry,
Spent under Norman Sydney Walter, Head Warden and Classicist.
To me a foreign language, better left alone,
So returning in my mind to those leafy precincts, hallow`ed
And so within a year or two, I from science had flown.
Of generations united, by a common tie of blue and red,
Maths with Mr Redden, whose House was in H1, ‘Now watch the board while I go through it’ – so ran
And gratitude, for dedication to achievement and stoic brotherhood,
His favoured aphorism, imparting pearls to swine,
I’d like to turn the clock back……, o that we could.
As we collapsed appropriately in merriment porcine.
First memories of trepidation I can overrule,
And lurking in the recesses, to leap on our defects,
Now I recall the exhilaration of cycling into school.
Were god-like beings called 6th formers, Monitors, and Prefects.
When negotiating life’s barriers, I came soon to realise,
Amongst them athletic heroes – on track and field formidable,
‘Always keep your head down’, was by far the best advice.
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Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
PRIZES & CAREER ADVICE SENIOR PRIZE GIVING
Sam Sweeney
S
am Sweeney was guest speaker at this year’s Senior Prize Giving. An Old Loughburian, he told the boys of his time at the school and the ups and downs of his musical career to date, urging them to follow their passion. Sam started playing the fiddle at age six and first performed as a soloist at folk festivals in 2001 at the age of 12. From 2002 to 2010 he was part of the folk band Kerfuffle. Sam left the Grammar School in 2007 and after a very brief attendance at university decided to follow his dream and become a professional musician. In 2007 he won one of five BBC Performing Arts Fund bursaries to help him start his musical career. When Kerfuffle disbanded, Sam continued playing with accordion player and singer Hannah James. In 2008, he became a member of the award-winning eleven-piece folk band, Bellowhead, who played their final gig in May 2016. Sam has recently been appointed the first ever Artistic Director of the National Youth Folk Ensemble and is delighted to be a part of this new venture. We were delighted to welcome him back, we wish him well in his new role and thank him for LGS 1999-07 his inspirational advice.
LGS 1983-90
Denise Cripps LHS 1973-80
W
e were pleased to welcome back Denise Cripps (’80) as speaker at LHS Senior Prizegiving. An Oxford Graduate, Denise has had a distinguished career in publishing, and currently holds the post of Executive Officer to the President and Head of Communications at St. John’s College, Oxford. Denise delighted the girls with her speech which immediately caught everyone’s attention by referencing Victoria Beckham’s ‘Letter to her 18-yearold self’ in Vogue magazine. Her message was one of empowerment, and gave everyone much food for thought.
JUNIOR PRIZE GIVING
Piers Harris
W
e were delighted to welcome Piers, an old Loughburian, back to LGS to present the prizes at this year’s Junior Prize Giving. He has had an illustrious career in finance and was able to give the boys some sound advice, inspiring them to aim high. Piers joined Morgan Stanley in 1999 and has more than 21 years’ experience in the capital markets. From 2002 to 2005, he was head of the UK FICM corporate coverage team, before co-heading the European corporate team from 2005 to 2007. Piers moved to UK investment banking in 2007, where he was responsible for a range of client relationships with a particular focus on the origination, structuring and execution of capital markets and risk management solutions for UK corporate clients. Since the beginning of 2015 Piers has been head of European corporate fixed income capital markets within the global capital markets division. He is a member of the global capital markets operating committee within Europe. LES Alumni Magazine
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PRIZES & CAREER ADVICE
CAREERS SUPPORT
What can you do with a Geography degree?
T
om Kirkman, former LGS Head Boy, and Associate Solicitor at well-respected London firm Farrer & Co, visited the Geography department in February 2016 to talk to a group of almost 30 boys about his experiences of working in law. Law is a very popular career path chosen by many of our university leavers and this, therefore, provided a fantastic opportunity for boys to hear about the working life of a law professional. Tom was kind enough to share some first-hand advice
LGS 1993-00
on different routes into law. He explained how the traditional route of an undergraduate degree in law is becoming less common and that a solid degree in another academic subject, including Geography, is becoming more favourable. This is usually followed by a one year graduate conversion course in Law during which you learn about legal theory. Tom himself has fond memories of studying Geography to A-level at LGS and this was his first choice of subject to read at the University of Durham
(University College), before going on to study Law at the University of Cambridge. His interest in Geography, particularly rural matters, certainly helps in in his demanding day to day work as a solicitor, where he now specialises in land law and agricultural estates. We would like to thank Tom for coming back to share his experiences with us. He has certainly helped inspire the next generation of LGS lawyers!
The Man of Steel LGS 1986-93
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Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
W
e were very fortunate to welcome back O.L. Peter Barnes to talk about steel making (to around 100 boys studying Chemistry GCSE) and possible career paths using Chemistry and the other sciences (to year 12 Chemists). Peter went from LGS to study Chemistry at Oxford and then Chemical Physics for a PhD at Birmingham University. He lectured in Chemistry at Birmingham and Warwick Universities before changing career direction a little and moving to Corus Steel Strip UK as a process development chemist. As Technical Manager for the Laboratories at Port Talbot steelworks in South Wales, he oversees the testing of over 4 million tonnes of steel per year in a state of the art laboratory employing 100 people. Typically they have to do a full analysis for a 300 tonne batch of steel worth ÂŁ150,000 in less than four minutes. (So no pressure then!) This steel goes into making everything from car parts (like the door in the photo) to drums, radiators, industrial pipes, domestic white goods, baked bean cans and even pennies. You almost certainly have steel in your house that came from Port Talbot!
CAREERS SUPPORT
A Career in Procurement
P
rocurement or purchasing, as some of you may know it, isn’t one of the most common roles for our alumni. It was therefore a surprise for two of our old boys to recently realise they were both working in the same role for the NHS thirty miles apart. Both Tony Stanyard (’68) and Ben Shaw (’95) are currently the respective Heads of Procurement & Supplies at Nottingham University Hospitals and the University Hospitals of Leicester (the 5th and 6th largest NHS Trusts in the country). They are also both Fellows of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supplies. Ben says ‘Tony and I had been working well together for quite a few months before it clicked with us that we had both been at Loughborough in our earlier years. It was great to find we had a shared connection and despite leaving a few years apart I am sure the life skills we learnt at Loughborough have really helped us drive some really positive changes in procurement for the Trusts in the East Midlands and nationally’. Before joining the NHS Ben and Tony both had long and varied careers in procurement. Tony says ‘I left Loughborough Grammar School in 1968 armed with eight O Levels and little idea of what to do next! I worked for ten years with Fisons Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Loughborough (Regent Street) and Holmes Chapel in Cheshire as a Packaging Technologist, I then worked in Quality Assurance for a number of years before joining Asda Stores in 1988 as Quality Manager within their newly established centralised distribution network. Subsequently I had spells with Woolworths Stores (Distribution Services Manager) and Littlewoods Stores (Head of NonMerchandise Procurement) followed
Ben Shaw
until Littlewoods Stores Ltd was closed down in 2006.’ Tony joined the NHS in 2007 as Head of Procurement at Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) and made a significant contribution there, moving to a similar role at Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust in 2012 before joining Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) in 2014.
“I think procurement potentially offers a unique way to understand a wide variety of industries and businesses” Ben left Loughborough in 1995 and studied Economics at the University of York. Ben says ‘I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after University; fortunately I managed to secure a summer placement in the procurement team at Boots in Nottingham and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have subsequently managed to develop a varied and interesting career in procurement working at PSA Peugeot Citroen, Leicestershire County Council and more recently Severn Trent Water.’ Ben joined the University of Hospitals of Leicester as Head of Procurement in January 2015. He says ‘The NHS is one of the top five employers in the world and today must be the most complex and challenging place to work there is. It is, however, such an amazing place to work, wherever I go I meet incredible people who are passionate about delivering the best possible care for patients.’ Ben and Tony are both keen to
Tony Stanyard
make their own positive contribution to the NHS. Tony says ‘the difference between working in the NHS and the private sector is that in the NHS every pound saved really does go to improving patient care; that has got to be something that everyone can get behind. Between Ben’s team and mine we have saved over £16m in the last year alone which is a considerable achievement in such challenging times’. Tony and Ben are now working together to help develop the future of procurement across the whole of the NHS. Tony says ‘Ben and I spend a lot of time these days working together at a national level. It is really exciting to think we have the opportunity to help shape the national procurement strategy for the NHS and are playing such a key role in delivering the objectives set for procurement by Lord Carter of Coles’. Ben and Tony have really enjoyed their procurement careers to date. Ben says ‘I can’t think that there are many careers where one minute you can be negotiating deals for spark plugs or even sewage pumps and the next working out how to reduce the cost of life saving medical devices. I think procurement potentially offers a unique way to understand a wide variety of industries and businesses; it has certainly kept me interested over the last twenty years’. Ben and Tony are always happy to keep in touch with other old boys. They also extend an open invitation to any recent leavers who might be interested in developing a career in procurement. Tony says ‘I can’t recommend a career in procurement enough. In the NHS in particular we really want to reach out to the younger generation who are considering their future career options and we would both be delighted to hear from anyone interested in helping us to make a positive difference to the NHS’. LES Alumni Magazine
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
1992 LGS 25 years ago A
s the clock struck midnight to welcome 1992 a group of pupils from LES sang in the New Year in an empty Victory Square in Novgorod, Russia. They had arrived as President Gorbachev resigned; the Soviet Union ended; Yeltsin took over and Russia was formed...surely the most politically turbulent period any School trip has ever experienced. It was somewhat calmer as the School held its mock election prior to the General Election in March where a turnout of over 80% saw the Liberal Democrats elected, with surprisingly a strong showing from the SNP! Unusually the 6th form were motivated enough to produce their own Revue in the first half of the Spring Term, the highlights being the magic trick when Chris Wardle cut Mr Crooks in half and two video epics, one of which was an LGS Prospectus film including a car rally around the car park! It was back to normality later in the term as Stephen Smith returned to link up with John Moore to produce the musical ‘Red, Hot and Cole’ which was described as a ‘refreshing choice of musical, moving right away from the traditional ‘blockbusters’ of the past.’ At the end of the summer term, in addition to the Upper 6th musical
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Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
‘Peter Pan’ the 4th form put on ‘A Tomb with a View’ where ‘Everyone died brilliantly, swooning, stumbling and crashing causing much cruel mirth from the very appreciative audience.’ The main school play in the Autumn was ‘Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime’.
“... the highlights being the magic trick when Chris Wardle cut Mr Crooks in half...” The School Choir undertook its second USA tour singing at the United Nations and St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York; The British Embassy and The National Cathedral in Washington D.C. as well as in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. Part of the visit was spent at the Milton Hershey School established by the chocolate producer to give educational opportunities to orphans and underprivileged children. The choir stayed in the student homes – a unique experience - alongside boys off the streets of American cities. ‘The sheer scale of the school was brought to our attention when we discovered their
back stage was the size of the Hodson Hall.’ For the first time the Founder’s Dinner is recorded (so was this the first?) which started with Darren Kettle playing the bagpipes and after the meal ‘A light-hearted speech was then given by Adam Middleditch (School Captain), who duly presented the ‘Cadbury’s Creme Egg Awards’ to those in the Sixth Form who had made ‘special’ contributions to a most successful and happy year.’ – a tradition that was to continue. Adam was also to welcome Andrew de Emmony who then was co-director of TV’s ‘Spitting image’ on his return to the school. It was perhaps fitting that the last rugby matches to be played on Ten Acre involved the U15 XV as they progressed to the semi-final of the Daily Mail Cup, with the quarter final against K.E.S.Aston remaining to this day the longest game ever played in the competition. After full time the score was 0-0 so extra-time, consisting of 10 minutes each way was to be played until one side scored. 60 minutes later the referee, who was as exhausted as the players, called the game off and declared a replay ...which ended 9-9 with LGS going through as they had scored the only try – in the very last minute, to tie the game. Unfortunately, the side missed out on Twickenham losing 0-7 in the semi-final. At the beginning of the Autumn Term the Quorn playing fields were used for the first time, and even though temporary changing rooms were used until the pavilion was completed these were better than what we had been used to at Ten Acre and the bus journey each day was definitely preferable to walking through Shelthorpe, if not as exciting! For the first time in many years Swimming returned as a school sport under the guidance of Alan Dossett; with quite spectacular results as the teams lost only once, to Aylesbury, defeating the likes of Uppingham, Oundle and Oakham and the U15 relay
1992 team picking up an array of trophies as they won every gala they entered. Overnight LGS had become one of the top swimming schools in the Country. At the end of the summer term the school said farewell to Mrs Betty Cooper who retired after 21 years as Assistant Secretary. She had been the first contact for school visitors to Buckland but, more importantly, for the boys she provided the lunch passes...and at her farewell lunch BOP ‘suggested that the acquisition of these vital passports by hungry and forgetful boys was a procedure somewhat akin to Daniel venturing into the lions’ den!’ She left in a chauffeur driven vintage Rolls-Royce – driving through The Walks lined with the whole school waving farewell and fluttering lunch passes! The Chief Guest at Prize Giving was our local MP, Rt. Hon Stephen Dorrell, who was Financial Secretary to the Treasury at the time. No one knew when the date, 16th September, was fixed that this was to be ‘Black
Wednesday’ when the government withdrew the pound from the ERM. In an era before mobile phones Stephen was in constant contact with The Chancellor during prize giving from the phone in the Common Room. At the start of his speech he fixed interest rates at 10%.... straight after he finished he put them up to 15%. With the Quincentenary fast approaching the Schools launched their appeal ‘BURTON 500’ which made its first call for outside finance for over 10 years. The target was £900,000 and in the end £700,000 was raised enabling the Chesterton Building; The Timson Building and the Queen’s Building and Drama Studio to be built. The year ended with a large number of boys away on interview at Oxford and Cambridge and as the boys received their results just before Christmas it was clear that a record number of boys, 26 – 22 into Oxford, had won places there. It was the best possible end to an excellent year.
News Stories 6th February The Queen celebrates her Ruby Jubilee
19th March Buckingham Palace announces that Duke and Duchess of York are to separate after six years of marriage
12th May Plans are unveiled for a fifth terminal at Heathrow Airport, which is now the busiest airport in the world
27th July Alan Shearer becomes Britain’s most expensive footballer in a £3.6million transfer from Southampton to Blackburn Rovers
11th November The Church of England votes to allow women to become priests
LES Alumni Magazine
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
1967 LGS 50 years ago T
he year started with the death of one of the longest serving and best loved schoolmasters – Horace J.Stamper who had taught Geography from 1919 to 1958 as well as leaving his mark on so many sides of the life of the school by his fine gifts of organisation and enthusiastic sportsmanship. For only the second, and last time, the school lined the Burton Walks as the funeral passed. He had seen the school expand from 155 and now numbered 590 in the Upper School and 180 in the Lower School. It was announced that further expansion was about to occur under a new agreement with the Leicestershire Education Authority and a fourth stream was added to cope with the additional entry. This led to the editorial beginning with ‘The news that further expansion
“The major school production was A Midsummer Night s Dream which combined Shakespeare s comedy with Purcell s music...”
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Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
of the school is contemplated makes one wonder whether an umbrella will soon have to be part of the school uniform, not an optional extra as it is at present.’ That view has not altered in the past 50 years and I was also amused to read ‘The problem of sixth-form cars has apparently reached serious proportions. Parking has become difficult and thus restrictions have been placed on boys who live in Loughborough coming to school in their own cars.’ Apparently controversially the Prefects, under School Captain Peter Jackson (now a Governor), wore gowns for the first time and we read that Declamations were won by N.J. Griffin speaking about the situation in Vietnam. ‘Griffin’s sincerity came through and his use of vocabulary and timing was excellent; he built his speech up to appeal to the emotions, then let reason take over, then returned to the appeal.’ The school hosted two major conferences. The 8th annual Commonwealth Conference under the title ‘Democracy on Trial’ was sponsored by the Commonwealth Institute of London and then an Industrial Conference sponsored by the Industrial Society were both hugely
successful and attended by sixthformers from all the local schools. The School also held its first open crosscountry relay race with 15 schools taking part where it was just beaten by KES Lichfield. The newly covered swimming pool meant unprecedented success for the swimming team, winning 11 of its matches; the Hockey team lost just once and Cricket’s 1st XI retained their undefeated record against school sides as sport continued to flourish. Societies and trips continued to grow but the trip to Epinal started with every member of staff’s nightmare. ‘Unfortunately the organisers in Epinal had left it rather late to start the preparations for our visit and ten of the eighteen boys did not have host families when we arrived.’! The major school production was ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ which combined Shakespeare’s comedy with Purcell’s music and involved some 150 pupils. The traditional Gilbert & Sullivan opera was replaced by a double bill of one act comic operas. The star of the 3rd & 4th Form production of Michael Hurd’s ‘Little Billy’ was Bill Brookman in the title role who ‘sang melodiously and was clearly audible. (Quite an achievement for a young treble singing a non-too-easy part in a large hall.)’ The staff then performed Mozart’s ‘The Deluded Bridegroom’. However the most unlikely dramatic performance of the year came from the boarders of Red House who performed ‘The Sorceress’ Plan’ which was written and produced by one of their own, Alasdair Foster. In the Lower School a House Competition was started, which incorporated the academic as well as the sporting side. The school was divided into 4 Houses – Normans, Romans, Saxons and Vikings – with about 45 boys in each. (The names of which were to later be transferred to Fairfield). ‘An enterprise such as this must be allowed to grow slowly and steadily. It seems to have got away to a good start, judging from the interest and keenness shown by the boys.’ The CCF was inspected by Group Captain A.H.Mawer, DFC and when the OLA held its 10th Triennial Reunion its chief guest at the dinner was his boss, Johnnie Johnson O.L. who had been made Air Vice-Marshal in 1965. Also
attending was Brig. Gen. J.W.Kaye, son of C.W.Kaye, Headmaster 1894-1900, who was born in School House and was paying his first visit to the school since infancy. With the end of the building programme of the 1960’s – Hodson Hall; N Block; Red House; Science Block; covering the pool and converting the old science labs into a library and hall into the sixth form centre – it was time for a new prospectus where we read that fees were £38 a term. However, to me, the most important event of the year was that modern mathematics arrived! In July the boys sat School Mathematics Project (SMP) O level for the first time….the Pullinger Building was to follow in the 70’s!
1967
News Stories 20th May In the first all-London FA Cup final, Tottenham Hotspur defeated Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley Stadium
1st June The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, one of rocks most acclaimed albums
8th November First BBC Local Radio station broadcast, BBC Radio Leicester
11th December The Concorde supersonic aircraft was unveiled in Toulouse, France LES Alumni Magazine
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
1917 LGS 100 years ago T
he boys returned in January to find the Turner Memorial Clock had been fixed in the Tower during the Christmas holidays. One letter that appeared in the local press expressed the appreciation of many outside the School ending ‘No better inspiration could have been offered to the future scholars of this fine old School, and one cannot help but realise that Loughborough is richer in more ways than one by this kindly thought and gift.’ As you can imagine the three Loughburians that cover the year inspire one by records of war service as well as depress one with lengthy obituaries to boys who had left so recently. Throughout the year the effects of the war had a variety of different consequences for the School:- The school day was altered – finishing at 3.15pm –to meet the convenience of many boys travelling by train who were suffering a reduced service; The turf had been removed from parts of the School ‘court’ and potatoes, artichokes and parsnips planted by the boys; The scarcity of labour prevented the cricket field and the grass in the ‘court’ being kept cut. However ‘The grass on pitches and tennis-courts has been kept fairly short by a small mowing machine, drawn and guided by the boys themselves. An attempt was made to employ the big horse machine, but a team of boys was not satisfactory as they did not pull the machine with sufficient speed and regularity, and the trial of harnessing a borrowed but untamed steed to the
machine by amateur ‘drivers’ was twice attended with somewhat disastrous results.’ and ‘There has been an unfortunate shortage of School caps of late. In spite of the most urgent appeals the London firm that has long supplied them has only been able to give delivery in very small quantities, and the varied headgear that boys have perforce worn has not conduced to smartness.’ Without a cricket pitch the only sport possible was football and that had other problems to contend with. If the winter weather was enough of a problem, the match against Alderman Newton’s School was cancelled due to the rise in railway fares and the few trains running, and the match against Ratcliffe was cancelled owing to measles! An added complication, for the few games that were played, was the skill of their goalkeeper, Mettham. ‘A good goalkeeper for stopping low shots, but would do much better if taller. Has let several goals through, owing to underestimating his own ability!’ Fortunately the autumn term was kinder and 7 matches played but even with a new goalkeeper they continued to concede goals. Mr Turner’s Headmaster’s speech at prize-giving, at the end of the summer term, highlighted the problems he continued to have in recruiting staff, but in spite of this the exam results had been excellent. He ended by recording that ‘the roll of service and honour now contained the names of 267 former boys who were serving
their country. Of these 106 were commissioned officers, 28 had died, 27 were wounded, one had gained the D.S.O., and two had won Military Medals – not a bad record for a school of our size.’ (Applause) As ever the school and visitors stood while Mr Turner read the list of Old Boys who had lost their lives on service since last prize day. Those 267 are listed for the first time in the September Loughburian. Despite the war ‘There was a very good entry of boys in September – 36 – of whom many were quite young and entered form 1 – and the school is now more in number (132) than it had been since 1907.’ The year ended on a high as F.E.Ryle gained an open scholarship for mathematics at Jesus College, Cambridge resulting in a celebratory half-day holiday for the boys, enabling term to end a day early!
1917
News Stories 20th March Vera Lynn, actress and singer, was born
5th April Food Hoarding Order issued to prevent households from hoarding food in short supply
13th June Deadliest World War 1 raid on London
17th June Royal Family Adopts Windsor Name
2nd August Squadron Commander E. H. Dunning becomes the first pilot to land his aircraft on a ship
2nd November Women’s Royal Naval Service established 40
Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
Thiepval Memorial To mark the national centenary of the battle of the Somme, Mr Dossett had the privilege of representing Loughborough Grammar School at the Thiepval Memorial on 1st July 2016. At the conclusion of the service, attended by prominent members of the royal family and David Cameron, Mr Dossett laid a wreath in memory of 5 old boys who lost their lives in the battle and have no known grave. ARTHUR CHAPMAN & JOHN OLDERSHAW both died during the opening stages of the battle on 1st July 1916. ALBERT ROWBOTHAM & ALBERT WHITTAKER died a few weeks later in September. JAMES CORAH died on the very last day of fighting, 13th November 1916 All 5 men are recorded on the giant Thiepval Memorial which contains the names of over 72,000 Commonwealth servicemen listed as missing.
LES Alumni Magazine
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
Sometimes our archives hold some sad tales
I
n 1932 Mr Arthur Brough applied to send his daughters Pearl (known to all as Paddy) aged 12 years and Peggy aged 14 years to the High School as boarders. The family lived in London, and Arthur Brough was a well-known ventriloquist on the music halls with his dummy Tim. As this could be a precarious profession, he had a second career in parallel working as a sales manager with Jaegar in London. At one point earlier in his career he was an assistant to Mr Marshall at Marshall Green outfitters in Loughborough, hence the link to the town. There was a strong family link with ventriloquism as it was a hobby for his grandfather and for his father also a part-time business. This interest was passed on to his son Peter Brough, who was born in 1916. He went on to become one of the country’s most famous ventriloquist acts with his dummy, Archie Andrews. His radio series based around the character – ‘Educating Archie’ - featured in
support such well known celebrities as Dick Emery, Benny Hill, Tony Hancock, Hattie Jacques, Bruce Forsyth, Harry Secombe, Max Bygraves, Beryl Reid and even a young Julie Andrews as the girlfriend of Archie; Eric Sykes was one of the series’ main writers in the early 1950s. The show often averaged 15 million listeners, and a fan club had 250,000 members. We can see from their entrance papers that Paddy was a bright child, and went straight into Upper III A with girls of her peer year. Peggy however proved to be more problematical as her academic level matched that of her younger sister. As a girl of 14 could not be placed in the same year group, she joined Upper IV Domestic, where girls pursued a less academic curriculum (arithmetic but no algebra or geometery for example).
“We can see from their entrance papers that Paddy was a bright child, and went straight into Upper III” Mr Brough’s correspondence to the Headmistress, Miss Bristol, is written on letterheads from hotels all around the country, so he was frequently away travelling. The contract for his daughters at LHS gives his occupation as ‘traveller’ and he certainly did. Sadly, in May 1935 Mr Brough wrote from the Bell Hotel in Gloucester to inform the school that Peggy would be leaving to go home to nurse her mother. She had developed cancer, and had undergone surgery, and required constant turning. Peggy left to help her sister nurse her mother through this difficult time. Paddy continued at the school,
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Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
although cash flow seems to have been a problem, and Miss Bristol did pay Paddy’s fees personally for some considerable time. In early December 1936 Paddy was hit in the nose with a hockey stick while playing for the school team in a Saturday fixture against Newark High School. She was examined by a doctor, but the swelling continued and her family decided to fetch her home to see a Harley Street consultant on Monday. Mr Cleminson decided to operate on Friday morning in the Middlesex hospital. She then sadly acquired tonsillitis, which developed into pneumonia, from which she passed away on 31st December 1936, aged just 16 years. Such a dreadful time for the family – who at the same time all developed influenza. She was the youngest daughter of a large family, and sorely missed. An inquest was held quite quickly after her sudden death, and the hockey teacher, Miss Ellen Gandon was called to give evidence. The decision was that there was no evidence of rough play. Later in a letter to Miss Bristol, Bryn Brough, Paddy’s elder sister, expressed how bitterly the family regretted her playing hockey, and that in Bryn’s opinion it was not a fit game for girls to play. The letters from Newark High School show the deep shock shared by staff and pupils alike. Paddy’s personal effects were returned to her family in March. They were dealt a further blow when her mother passed away in April 1937. Miss Bristol permitted Dorothy Sellers to attend Bryn Brough’s wedding in May 1937. Dorothy was Paddy’s closest friend, and Bryn relayed the fact that it was a great comfort to have her with them on the day when Paddy was missed so much.
ALUMNI NEWS
Philippa’s family run in memory
LHS 1969-74
A
s you may or may not know, on Sunday the 23rd April; we will have the privilege of running the 2017 London Marathon for the Campaign for Living Miserably (CALM), in association with Heads Together. Suicide was not a word we thought would be associated with us. Nevertheless, four years after tragically losing the head of our very special family, we find ourselves hoping to use the experience to raise awareness of what is the biggest cause of death of men under the age of 45 in the UK. As incomprehensible as this statistic sounds - husbands, fathers, brothers and sons are being lost to a silent killer that as a society we find difficult to talk about. But why is this? It is time to start the conversation. Dr Terry Creasy, Consultant Radiologist, husband to Philippa, father to Alexandra, Henrietta, George & William; devastatingly committed suicide following an acute struggle with depression. As a male, and a doctor, this placed Terry in one of the highest risk groups of all. With the growth of our family his absence is more noticeable than ever, and we miss him dearly. The love and support of our
incredible family & friends undoubtedly helped us through this journey. With one member of our running party being eligible for a seniors’ bus pass, the strenuous training programme and the twenty-six mile sightseeing extravaganza will undoubtedly be an immense physical and emotional challenge. We hope the test will be made significantly easier knowing we are running for two fantastic charities that are raising the awareness of men’s mental health. CALM is a national charity dedicated to preventing male suicide by helping men who are down or in crisis. Promoting culture change so that any man considering suicide feels able to seek help, in addition to campaigning for better understanding of suicide and prevention. Heads Together is a campaign coordinated by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. It brings together inspiring charities raising awareness and providing vital help for people with mental health challenges. Too often people feel afraid to admit they are
Out of Sight 1
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part from my detective stories set in HM Customs & Excise, I’ve also written several much longer novels set on another planet. I developed this in around 1976, when I decided that I needed the freedom of my own world to write what I conceived as my attempt to write “War & Peace”. The resulting effort took 30 years to write. The later ones much less! “Out of sight” is a detective story, set in a period roughly equating to late medieval. Unlike my other books in this series, I have deliberately set out to draw parallels with the modern world, many elements of which disturb and distress me. Though it was written after “Through Fire” and 2By
struggling; this fear of prejudice and judgment stops people from seeking help and can destroy families and end lives. We have already had an incredible journey on our own marathon adventure, and were even fortunate enough to run alongside the royals themselves - an experience we will certainly never forget. We really hope you can help us in our final challenge to reach our fundraising target for a cause so close to our hearts. We are so grateful for any amount you can give via our link below We run for Terry, for CALM and for Heads Together- hoping to cross the line together….
Pippa (Lant 76), Henri & Will www.virginmoneygiving.com/ CreasyHeadsTogether
LHS 1960-67
water”, it takes place between them. If you are interested in reading it, it’s available from lulu.com and Amazon, both in paperback and Kindle form. If you do read it, I hope you enjoy it.
Richard Hernaman Allen Author of “Through Fire”, “By Water”, “Out of Sight”, “The Waterguard”, “A well-respected man”, “The Summer of love”, “Nothing was delivered”, “Something in the air”, “Bankers’ Draught”, “Along the Watchtower”, “Heard it on the Grapevine”, “Brussels Sprout”, “Our friends in the south” and “Murder at the Baltic Coast Hotel”.
Details on my website www.richardhernamanallen.com LES Alumni Magazine
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ALUMNI NEWS
Old Boys’ News
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n March we were delighted to welcome back to preach at the Burton Service Canon Mark Tanner (82-89), who was then Warden of Cranmer Hall and Vice-Principal of St John’s College, Durham. He spoke about his time at the School and also his time at Oxford – where he read Mathematics – before recounting his experiences as a Vicar in Wheatley and Ripon. Shortly afterwards it was announced that he was to become the Bishop of Berwick, so becoming only the second old boy to become a bishop after George Davys (179499), who was tutor to the young is having its final tour in June this Queen Victoria before becoming year starting with a performance Bishop of Peterborough and laying in Belgium with a special show and the foundation stone for the present a commemorative walk to Richard school in August 1850. Mark was consecrated by the Archbishop of York Howard’s (who made the violin) grave. Also returning to Loughborough to in York Minster on 18th October 2016. give an organ recital was Gregory In July Piers Harris (83-90), Drott (97-04) who has moved Managing Director and Head of from being the Director of Music at European Corporate Fixed Income Pembroke College, Cambridge to be Capital Markets at Morgan Stanley, Organist and Director of Music at St returned to present the prizes at Stephen’s Church in London. Chris Hill Junior Prize Giving. He had joined (09-11) continues to wow audiences Morgan Stanley in 1999 and has playing his flute and made his West more than 21 years of experience End debut as well as reaching the in the capital markets raising more finals of the Royal Philharmonic’s than $125bn for corporates. He Young Instrumentalist competition. reflected that he had acquired his Back in 2013 Simon Timson (82love for banking at a Careers Evening when he was in the 4th form 89) was (Year 10) and that his time Guest at Prize playing rugby had probably Giving just been of more benefit than his Geography degree in his career path! In September Sam Sweeney (99-07) returned as the youngest ever Guest to do Senior Prize Giving. He also David Condon reflected that he was probably the first guest to be homeless! Sam, who was BBC’s Folk Musician of the Year in 2015, was just starting on a significant change in his career path as Artistic Director of the National Youth Folk Ensemble after many years with the award winning group ‘Bellowhead’. His show, ‘Made in the Great War’ about his own violin, 44
Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
Canon Mark Tanner
after his appointment as Performance Director for UK Sport. He already had an impressive CV that had seen Olympic success as Performance Director for GB skeleton bobsleigh, achieving the status as number one Test Team for England’s Cricketers as Head of Science and Medicine, and the England Development Programme at the England and Wales Cricket Board. His crowning glory was to come in supervising GB’s hugely successful Olympic Campaign in Rio….however before heading off to the Olympics it had already been announced that in November he would become Performance Director for the Lawn Tennis Association. The Monday after he took up the job both Murray brothers topped the world rankings! Simon opened the new Fairfield Simon Timson
Building in March. One of his staff at the ECB was Ed Barney (94-01) who in September became Performance Director for GB Hockey. He had been a world class sailing athlete before moving into coaching and working as a RYA national sailing coach before moving to the ECB and then to Hockey as Head of Talent Development. Linking both Simon and Ed is David Condon (04-09) who continues to be part of England and GB’s hockey teams, representing GB in the Olympics. In his 41 appearances for GB he has scored 7 goals to add to his 11 goals in 69 appearances for England. He was not our first Olympian. Anthony Clark (91-94) who represented GB in both the 2004 and 2008 games in Badminton was made an Ambassador for Badminton England, is one of the four elite coaches and the lead commentator for Sky Sports coverage of the National Badminton League. Sam Stevens (09-16) was part of England U20’s Bronze Medal
Anthony Clark
winning team at the European Cross Country Championships in December. Harry Gurney (00-05) took his 300th wicket for Nottinghamshire and had his contract extended to 2019. However, of greater significance was him setting up with fellow England Cricketer Stuart Broad the Cat and Wickets Pub Company opening their first pub ‘The Three Crowns’ next door to his home in Wymeswold. There he will be in competition with Ben Moore (86-92) and B Michael Herington’s (85-92) Little Britain Pub Company which runs the Windmill as well as the Curzon Arms, Woodhouse Eaves; Blue Bell, Rothley; The Crown, Old Dalby and The Langton Arms. Playing alongside Harry in the 1st XI was Charlie Krarup (98-05) who came to national fame as the runner up in Channel 4’s second series of ‘SAS Who Dares Wins’ filmed in the Ecuadorian Jungle. Desperate to match up to his younger brother Sam (01-08), who had graduated from Sandhurst, he said he learned how to keep his head down and keep going thanks to his strict football coach at Fairfield. ‘He ran the training and team with a rod of iron. If you stepped out of line that was it. That was quite brutal at such an early age but it taught me to just shut up, listen and get on with it. I am not sure I appreciated it fully at the time but it worked because the team went unbeaten for two years. Those lessons are coming to the fore in surviving the jungle training on this show.’ He finally cracked after he had initially lied to interrogators telling them his surname was King and he was educated at Garendon! The national media reflected that he was probably too nice to win! Charlie was more successful when taking part in RunTheCEO where eight ‘wannabe Bransons’ pitched their ideas to David Lloyd Club’s CEO, Glen Earlam,
whilst running through Hyde Park and featured in The Sunday Times. From the runners, Earlam chose Charlie of MyChallengeHQ, a database for mass participation sporting events, to mentor over breakfast. For CCF Inspection in April the inspecting officer was Group Captain David Arthurton (85-90) commanding officer at RAF Leeming who in 2013 was at the forefront of events to mark 70 years of the Dambuster’s raid as at the time he was Wing Commander in charge of the famous 617 Squadron. David had boarded with me when he first arrived and walking across with him to inspect the Contingent as the Symphonic Wind Band played the Dambuster’s March will always remain one of my most memorable moments in the school. Fellow RAF pilot Ben Murphy (86-93), the former leader of the Red Arrows, made a successful debut in the Challenger Class of the Red Bull Air Race recording three consecutive podium finishes. He is team leader for the Blades Aerobatic Display Team, which happens to be the only civilian display team that acts as an airline taking passengers on close formation aerobatic flights! Giles Kristian (87-94) completed the Rise of Sigurd Saga publishing ‘Winter’s Fire’ in April and the final book ‘Wings of the Storm’ in December. As with his previous books, both were well received by the critics… ‘Transports you through the Viking world as the thrum, rhythm and holler of the battlefield ring out of the page...glorious’ (Dr Janina Ramirez) and we await with interest where he heads with his next book. It would be interesting to know if Nigel Mills M.P. (86-93), a year older than Giles, has read his books about the Vikings or the Civil War! During the EU referendum he was a firm supporter of Brexit and has welcomed the stance that the Prime Minister announced earlier this year. Tom Edmonds (9299) the Conservative Party’s Director
Transports you through the Viking world as the thrum, rhythm and holler of the battlefield ring out of the page... glorious
LES Alumni Magazine
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ALUMNI NEWS
of Digital and Creative who was widely regarded as having a great influence on the election victory of 2015 was not so successful this time as he was part of the opposition. Contemporary with Nigel was John Fern (86-93) who was appointed Head of RGS Newcastle from September having previously been deputy at KES Birmingham. Battlefields of a different type have been at the forefront of Jason (76-82) and Chris (78-85) Kingsley’s award winning computer game company ‘Rebellion’ as they worked on Sniper Elite 4 which was released in February and featured on BBC TV. However, Jason relaxes in a way that Giles would appreciate – as a 12th century knight dressed in armour on one of his war horses re-enacting war games or jousting for real! Contemporary with Chris was Steve Brown (78-85) who has left INTEL after a lifetime at the company, ending up as its futurist and Chief Evangelist to set up his own company ‘Possibility and Purpose’ and describes himself as ‘The Bald Futurist’. As a widely regarded and accomplished speaker as he illustrated to the school when he addressed it in 2015, he is still in great demand throughout the world and is a regular contributor to many media outlets. Closer to home is David McClelland (8895) who is regularly called upon by both ITV and the BBC as their ‘Technology Expert’. He also regularly appears on BBC’s ‘Rip off Britain’ and ‘Watchdog’ and presents Challenge TV’s ‘Planet of the Apps’. Also on our screens reviewing the papers once a week on Sky News is Stephen ‘Stig’ Abell (91-98) who in May moved from being Managing Editor of the Sun to become Editor of the Times Literary Supplement. Nik Simon (00-07) continues to write for the Daily Mail, mostly about rugby which at least he knows something about! Locally John Byson (62-74) writes each week as press officer of Loughborough Dynamo (the School’s football team), which
Michael Stephens
celebrated 60 years from entering the Loughborough Alliance League Division 3 this year. Paul Cargill (70-77) visited the school as he approached retirement after being one of the BBC’s Senior Sound Engineers for many years working on programmes from ‘The Archers’ to ‘Question of Sport’. Our programmes are still interrupted by The ‘Dolmio puppet commercial’ created by Andy de Emmony (7981) who started work directing his latest film ‘Four Kids and It’ in August. Starring Sir Michael Caine and Bill Nighy it is a variation on the 1902 E.Nesbit classic novel and is due for release in 2018. On stage Nick Grainger (73-80) continues to be a leading light with the Festival Players locally and in their most recent production ‘Goodnight Mister Tom’ teamed up to play the lead with Oliver Cunliffe from year 7. It was nice to see two ‘LGS pupils’ on stage together…with an age difference of 43 years! Also on stage in a different style has been Bill Brookman (66-73), who has worked closely with the School on events to mark the Great War, who caused quite a stir when he appeared on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ when his one-man musical entertainment received a standing ovation from the audience. David Walliams said ‘You are exactly the kind of eccentric we love’ but Simon Cowell was not so impressed! Despite this he was voted through to the next round, but was unable to progress further due to a heart attack, from which he
Creativity is certainly also the skill of Michael Stephens (01-06) who became Global Deputy Head of Creative for the high street retailer Ted Baker
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Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
has now fully recovered. Creativity is certainly also the skill of Michael Stephens (01-06) who became Global Deputy Head of Creative for the high street retailer Ted Baker having previously been Head of Graphic Design at Liberty where he was described as ‘a great trend-tracker, supersmart and a wonderful ambassador for Liberty the brand.’ Many of you will remember Anthony Middleton’s (96-03) magic skills whilst he was at school. His ‘Magic Hour’ every Friday night at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel was recently voted one of the top 10 attractions in the capital whilst his book ‘Performing Magic’ continues to be regarded as a masterpiece. Paul Alexander (86-91), CEO of Beyond Analysis, was listed in dataIQ 100 featuring the 100 most influential people in data driven business in 2017 whilst James Flynn QC (64-74) and Ilya Kazi (82-89) continue to be in ‘The Legal 500’. During the year James was elected a Bencher of the Middle Temple and even found time to have a slim volume of his poetry – Arriving in the Capital – published whilst Ilya has featured for the last three years in the IAM Strategy 300 list of the world’s leading IP strategists. Ajay Ratan (01-09) is also on the legal side working for Blackstone Chambers practising across all the main areas of Chambers’ work was seconded to the Enforcement Division of the Financial Conduct Authority for seven months. He returned as Guest Speaker at the Scholars’ Dinner in January. Thus in virtually every aspect of life Old Boys continue to make a mark. If you would like to be mentioned next year please send me any details at j.weitzel@lesgrammar.org. I would be delighted to hear from you!
John Weitzel
LGS 2004-11
Joe’s Escape Room
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left the Grammar School in 2011 and headed off to Derby University to study Theatre Arts. While I was at university I became involved with the Endowed Schools Edinburgh Fringe project (which is incredible by the way) and for some reason I was invited back to direct a show (to be fair, there
were only three of us to ask and I have a sneaking suspicion the other two probably turned it down). This led me to create my own theatre company, Jealous Whale Theatre, which was an amazing experience and where I developed love for creating a fully immersive experience for our audiences, the only issue was the lack of financial stability running a theatre company comes with (are you starting to see where this is going now?) Last year I began looking for other routes to pursue and that is when I went to play my first escape room for my birthday, having never really heard of them or thought much of them. And it was brilliant. I’d like to say that it was there and then that I made the glaringly obvious connection but it was a few weeks until the penny finally dropped and I realised that this is a business I could do (or certainly give a good go at). So I began the horribly long winded and soul destroying route of searching for premises and applying
for planning permission and all that sort of fun! Eventually we moved into our premises at the end of November last year and after 6 long weeks of building and painting and generally pretending we have DIY skills, we opened for business! We currently have one room, Tommy, where we send you back in time to the Western Front in 1917 and teams have an hour to solve puzzles and clues in order to fix the time portal and escape. We’ve now started building our second room which we plan to open in April (providing we can get a move on and cut down our 3 hour spoons lunch breaks). We’d love to see fellow Endowed Schools Alumni (and not just because we need to sell tickets) so feel free to get in touch! joe@unescapable.co.uk Oh, I suppose it’s useful to mention the name of the business, Unescapable, and that we are in Derby City Centre!
Joe Allen LES Alumni Magazine
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SPORT
Netball & Hockey OLD GIRLS’ FIXTURE ON SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 2016
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x 1st team captains Evie Powell (Hockey) & Ellie Emmett (Netball) were given the task of organising the Old Girls Teams ready for this encounter. These games are the first fixtures of the season for our 1st teams They serve not only to bring the old girls back but also to test our current pupils. They are played in honour of Jo Dyer (’01), who was a wonderful sports performer herself. Both the Hockey & Netball Trophies are given in her name and the winning captains take home a mini replica.
HOCKEY
NETBALL
This game was a little more one sided with the current 1st VII dominating from start to finish. The Old Girls were a little behind the pace although continued to fight until the bitter end. The final score was 33-14 in favour of the current LHS 1st VII. This is a wonderful day where sport brings back our old girls to interact and play against current pupils. This is competitive but extremely enjoyable. It is fantastic to see and speak to old faces and see parents come to show their support. And when all is said and done we can enjoy refreshments and share valuable memories from ‘back in the day’!
In dreadful conditions all players turned out with a smile…the game was exciting from start to finish. The current 1st team stepped up to the mark to play some of their best hockey to date. The Old Girls were a mixture of years and took a little longer to gel together. After an exciting and enjoyable game, the current 1st team walked away with a 3-1 win.
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Beyond the Barrier | Spring 2017
Old Loughburians’ Golf Day T he season started at Luffenham for The Old Pupils Golf day where we struggled to get a team together but eventually found 6 able-bodied golfers to play 36 holes in a day of 4 Ball Betterball off handicap. Unfortunately, fatigue got the better of the team and we finished on 131 points (the format being the best 2 stableford team scores for the morning and the best 2 of the afternoon being added together), some 10 points behind the eventual winners who were Old Stamfordians. Although we were 4th out of the 5 teams competing we did at least retain some honour because we finished ahead of our local rivals Old Ratcliffians! We then moved on to The Nottinghamshire where the renowned bandit Jonathan Carlisle took the Spring Trophy with Rhys Williams a close second. It was then the turn of the Grafton Morrish team of 6 to try and qualify for the finals of this scratch foursome’s competition that are held at Hunstanton and Royal West Norfolk every year at the end of September. The qualifying round on 15 May 2016 was again held at Gog Magog Golf Club near Cambridge and the report from Nick Preedy, the Grafton
Morrish team captain is as follows: ‘Dave & Phil Saul 18 points, Ian Anderson & Nick Preedy 28 points, and James Pretty & Duncan Bagshaw 24 points = 70 points total. 74 qualified I think. Very tough conditions with bouncy fairways and firm greens’. The Quincentennial Trophy was held at Rothley Park (as it is every year) and it was well supported with Nick Preedy finishing as the leading Old Loughburian with 37 points. The match v The School was held at Longcliffe and the match results were as follows: • Robert Hallam & Jon Allen (Old Loughburians) defeated Charlie Sankey & Toby Jansen 1 up • Dave Barnett & Jonathan Carlisle (Old Loughburians) defeated Ben Spillane & Charlie Woods 2 & 1 • Steve Foister & Simon Cockbill (Old Loughburians) defeated David Steel & Trevor Hall 3 & 2 • Chris Wreghitt & Rhys Williams (Old Loughburians) lost to Ollie Jarvis & Eliot Gibson 2 & 1 • Ian Agar & Chris Drane (Old Loughburians) defeated Tom Horsall & Laurence Mantell 5 & 4 Overall result:
Old Loughburians 4 The School 1 (The school had their revenge in 2017 when they won 3 and a half to 1 and a half (full report to feature in due course). The Autumn Trophy was then held at Rothley where Trevor Tunnicliffe spotted a former teacher from the school, Paul Calland, on the putting green and so we asked him to play. Paul duly played and had 5 or 6 birdies in a level par round of 72, off a handicap of 4, and so he, therefore, won the trophy comfortably! We then had a match against Old Nottinghamians at Longcliffe where we came second by a fair margin. We are looking to field a strong team at Hollinwell on 19 October 2017 to win back the annual trophy we play for. (The current history of these matches is Old Nottinghamians 5 to Old Loughburians 4, so we need to level things up in 2017).
Old Loughburians’ Cricket Club W
ith so many OL’s involved in the local cricket scene, they decided to try to expand the number of fixtures played with a view to possibly establishing a regular side capable of competing in ‘The Cricketer Cup’ in future years. First it was a matter of coping with a strong school 1st XI. The OL’s amassed 260 around Shyam Patel’s 99 with Sam Yaxley, Charles Kindleysides and Richard Cartwright giving him excellent support. This proved to be more than enough as Michael Davies, bowling for the first time in several years, rediscovered
his left arm spin of 1994 as he and Mark Ashcroft span the School out for 100. Next it was Leicester Gents on a very warm summer’s day. Batting first only Anish Patel with 74 managed to cope with their tight attack as the OL’s amassed 220. This was never going to be enough and despite tight bowling from Vivek Lodhia and Shyam Patel the Gents knocked off the runs with an over to spare. The fixture against Ratliffe College Old Boys unfortunately had to be cancelled at the last minute as the game clashed with the County Cup Semi Final
between Loughborough Town and Barrow...in which 7 OL’s played! A new idea was to enter the Barkby United sixes competition. This turned out to be an inspired move as Messrs Berrisford, Mount, Tew, Morris, V Lodhia, K
Lodhia & Bathia saw off the other 5 teams to win the competition and end the season on a high. If you would like to play for the OL’s this summer please contact Jack at jackberrisford@hotmail. co.uk.
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LES NEWS
We’ve Moved! WHAT A YEAR THIS HAS PROVED TO BE!
W
e have met so many challenges, that we have felt a little like swans from time to time – appearing to be gliding effortlessly along but paddling frantically underneath to keep moving forward. We grasped the opportunity to move out of the Lodge into Buckland House, the main office for LGS, in the heart of the Walks. At the same time, we transitioned to a new database and website, and settled in new team members. We produced the first magazine for the new association, and received very encouraging feedback from many of you. Nevertheless, we supported The Loughburians committee in delivering an enhanced event programme throughout the year, photographs of some of which you will have seen in this magazine. We welcomed around 1000 of our alumni, former staff and parents to a variety of events both here at LES and around the country. This is the largest number we have attracted so far, so we hope this means that we are delivering the type of events you wish to attend. We are always keen to
hear from you, so do let us know if you have suggestions for future events, or can offer us a venue. We were delighted to see so many of you offering your time to support our careers staff both by volunteering to attend careers evenings, or by giving talks to our students. We have such a wealth of talent and expertise in our former pupils and students love to meet you and hear about your career paths since leaving school. We are extremely fortunate to have such stalwart LES supporters, in all your guises, whether you are a former member of staff, governor, or one of our alumni. We appreciate that many of you freely give your time, energy and resources to further enrich the schools. We do not take this for granted. Gwen Byrom was heartened at the response to the setting up of the OGA Sixth Form Bursary at LHS. We give a sincere thanks to those who responded to the appeal to grow the available funding.
We will be contacting you all in the near future in line with the changes to the law on Data Protection coming in during 2018. It will be important that we have confirmation from you that you want to hear from us and how you wish us to contact you. Meanwhile, please do remember to let us know when you move house or when you change your email address so that we can ensure that we keep you up to date with the activities of your association. We encourage you to register on the new website at www.loughburians.com. The Development team work all year round, so are available to help with your enquiries on behalf of the association without a gap during the school holidays. We can arrange visits to the archives, or tours, so if there are a group of you who would like to visit, please give us a call. We look forward to meeting you in the near future.
Jane Harker Head of Development & External Relations
Events & Venues M
any of you hold the events and memories that took place during your time at Loughborough Endowed Schools very dearly; why not create new ones in the nostalgic settings of your old surroundings. Whatever the occasion, make it unforgettable by sharing your most special celebrations with us. Have a wedding to remember in a place full of history or share your memories with family by holding an anniversary or birthday event in a sentimental setting. With your ‘hallowed halls’ able to accommodate up to 500 of your family and friends, trust Loughborough Endowed Schools to make your event as memorable as your
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School days. Our dedicated staff are on hand to provide impeccable service from start to finish with a flexible approach to your event and the ability to tailor packages specific to your wishes. For more information, please contact Fiona Leek on 01509 283723 or by email eventenquiries@endowedschools.org
Fairfield New Build F
airfield Preparatory School has officially opened its New Build with a special ceremony attended by prestigious alumni and local VIPs. The new development at Fairfield, features spacious classrooms equipped with touch screen interactive TVs, a large gymnasium, specialist rooms for arts, crafts, food technology, and a Pre-Prep performance space. Over 500 pupils will benefit from the extra space, which, combined with a superb range of indoor and outdoor facilities, will enable Fairfield to continue delivering first rate teaching to the local area and beyond. The expansion was needed to cater for the increasing demand for places in Fairfield’s Pre-Prep (4-7 years) department, allowing even more pupils access to the school’s high quality educational offering, while keeping class sizes small. The state-of-the-art facility was officially opened on Friday 10 March 2017 by Simon Timson, a former pupil and Performance Director at the LTA/ British Tennis. VIPs in attendance included the board of Governors and the Mayor and Mayoress of Charnwood. Andrew Earnshaw, Headmaster at Fairfield said: “Fairfield Preparatory School is more than just a school – it is a place to
build new hopes and dreams. I am so proud to be Headmaster; it really is the best job in the world. “The building project has provided Fairfield with an unrivalled environment to encourage pupils to build on their aspirations, make new memories and forge lifelong friendships.”
‘Another addition is The Kindergarten, which opened in January 2016 with a capacity for 40 children. In conjunction with the recently opened Nursery, this gives Loughborough Endowed Schools the opportunity to educate children from six weeks all the way through to the end of sixth form.’ Considerable effort has been made to ensure the new building incorporates a balance of traditional and innovative technologies to achieve the lowest environmental footprint possible, including the use of rainwater harvesting, heat exchange systems, solar and photovoltaic energy production and passive heating and ventilation systems. Truly a great building for the next generation! (Photography courtesy of Jake Hilder Photography) LES Alumni Magazine
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We hope you have enjoyed reading this edition of Beyond The Barrier – 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 the Development and Loughburians Office on 01509 638920 or info@loughburians.com