ZOO VET AT LARGE Matt Brash on his career as a vet and accidentally becoming a TV presenter INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION A cutting-edge building encouraging pupils to see science in the context of the wider world
THE MAGAZINE OF THE OKS ASSOCIATION • № 9 • Spring 2022
DOWN UNDER Genni Wetherell on her career as a geologist in Sydney, New South Wales
A Golden Age Nick Cain (SH 1970-75) reviews “a gem of a team biography”
OKS MAGAZINE • № 9 • Spring 2022
From 1 Mint Yard
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e have had a fantastic variety of King’s Talks by OKS recently. Giancarlo Sciama told us about the art of the album reissue, whilst Maya Kolade gave us some insight into working at Number 10. We have some interesting topics lined up, so make sure you’re on our e-mailing list to hear about future talks. The OKS Office is always delighted to hear from OKS around the globe, so if you have something you would like to share, please get in touch using the contact details on the opposite page. We are always happy to help reconnect you with other OKS and former staff. It was great to hear from Ed Roberts, our university rep in Durham, who organised a drinks meet-up with 29 other OKS at Durham University. You can contact our university reps on the OKS website.
Our new Event Coordinator, Yuliya Campbell, joined the OKS office in November and will be organising OKS events. The Legacy Club Lunch in March was well attended and, in April, our first Breakfast Networking event in three years took place. We have two reunions in Canterbury coming up: Saturday 14 May (Leavers 1970-99) and Sunday 15 May (Leavers up to 1969). I hope to see you at one of the Reunions, or at a King’s Week event this Summer.
Molly Burgess
From the OKS President
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ith spring in the air and normal activities now resuming post-Covid, we had all hoped that this would be a much more optimistic time. Sadly, the terrible events unfolding in Ukraine are now casting a long shadow. Some of you will already know that our new Event Coordinator Yuliya Campbell is herself Ukrainian with family there. On behalf of all OKS, I send to her and all Ukrainians a message of support, and a prayer for peace.
Cover: Rosslyn Park 7-a-side winners 1964, left to right: Hugh Jackson, Chris Heyland, Sebastian Barker, Alastair Turner and Nick Paul
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In this issue we have three science-themed features and some overseas articles, including from Baba Epega (Nigeria) and Jeremy Davies (Switzerland). There is also a special review by Andrew Maynard on the gradual disappearance of books from classrooms and lecture halls.
programme of King’s Talks using Zoom during the Pandemic will continue with hopefully some future such talks being held in person. In closing, I would like to honour Peter Roberts’ exemplary record of achievement during his 11 years as Headmaster and wish him and Marie every future happiness when he retires at the end of the Summer.
David Peters
As we return to in-person events, we look forward to OKS reunions in May and the muchmissed OKS King’s Week Lunch. The successful OKS
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In this issue From the Headmaster
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t was lovely to welcome back to Canterbury the members of the Legacy Club on the Second Sunday of Lent. It was great to be ‘live’ and to revive the King’s wider sense of community during term time. The Dean said Grace, the Captain of School delivered a wonderful speech about his vibrant and varied life at King’s and Richard Ashworth inspired us to think about the historic mission to make the gift of a King’s education accessible to all. The lunch in the Main Dining Hall given by Kerry and her talented catering team was delicious and everyone lingered with pleasure almost through to teatime to make up for two years of absence.
4 News from King’s: The return of normality 6, 12, 18 & 30 Features: Exploring different science careers and reading books 10 Development News: Inspiring the next generation of scientists 16 OKS Overseas: From Nigeria to Switzerland 20 OKS Network: LinkedIn tips and upcoming events 22 OKS Update: News of OKS worldwide
I feel emboldened to announce that King’s Week will be back in all its pomp and glory this Summer Term: do come!
32 Unknown OKS: A handsome MP 34 Lives Remembered: Obituaries
Two themes struck me on this happy day which I wanted to share with readers of the OKS Magazine. There is a link between the Family Science Day, put on in the morning in the refurbished science labs for our local primary school children, and the generosity our bursary fund-raising needs so that more children, particularly from the historic homeland of King’s, can come here whatever the financial circumstances of their parents. Secondly, how excited we all are as the new Science building rises in the Mint Yard. One of the many lessons of the pandemic has been the central importance of scientific and medical research. The new Science School will have research labs and lecture theatres, supporting the increasing numbers of King’s pupils who are going on to careers in medicine, science and technology, so that future generations have the diagnostic tools to respond to the great questions of the day.
Peter Roberts OKS
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50 Sport: Bronze, boats and books
We want to hear your news and so do your fellow OKS. Fill in the form on the address sheet or contact Molly Burgess. telephone 01227 595669 email oks@kings-school.co.uk website www.oks.org.uk facebook.com/groups/oksassociation twitter.com/OKSAssociation linkedin.com/groups/35681 instagram.com/oksassociation The OKS Magazine is produced by an editorial committee chaired by Felicity Lyons (SH 1975-77). The Executive Editor is Molly Burgess (OKS Coordinator) who is assisted by Associate Editor Stephen Woodley (CR 196998), Peter Henderson (School Archivist, CR 1969-) and Susan Tingle (Deputy Director of Development). Unless otherwise credited, photographs are by Matt McArdle, the contributors, or from the school archives. The magazine is designed by Nick Ebdon (nickebdon.co.uk).
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News from King’s 4
BACK TO NORMAL?
CHARITY
In abnormal times the School was able to enjoy a near normal Autumn Term. The tentatively familiar routine of teaching and other activities continued. Omicron then meant that the end of term came a week early, not least to allow those living overseas to return home with a clean bill of health in time for Christmas. The Christmas Concert and the Carol Service unfortunately had to be cancelled. The Lent Term began with a few pupils at home and a resumption, therefore, of ‘hybrid’ teaching – live and online. Nonetheless most activities in and out of the classroom went ahead and after half term official restrictions were largely lifted. It is hoped that the pandemic is now a thing of the past, though the effects of it, both good and bad, may be longer lasting.
Charitable activities abound. The Headmaster took the lead by running in the Paris marathon on Sunday 17 October and raising £2,587 for Porchlight, the Canterbury charity for the homeless, and £3,073 for the Alzheimer’s Society. In December, the Charity Committee’s Christmas Fundraiser enabled a donation of £3,000 as well as winter clothes to Canterbury Welcomes Refugees. The Support Staff raised over £6,000 for R World, a charity formed to improve mental health support in schools and universities to honour the life of Robbie Curtis, who had worked at King’s in the catering department and at the Malthouse. Walpole House went to Herne Bay for the Race for Life, supporting Cancer Research UK, and Bailey House hosted their Open Air Cinema for Afghanaid. OKS
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NEWS FROM KING’S
YOUTHFUL EXUBERANCE
innovative, Shakespeare frequently succeeds in breathing new life into a Renaissance commonplace.” Mark Orders gave a stimulating King’s Talk on using the OpenAPS (Artificial Pancreas System) to manage diabetes via an app on his smartphone. He has been working with the developers and with NHS consultants to support and mentor others around the world. The talk is available on the School website. David Perkins had an article on L du Garde Peach (1890-1974) published in the December issue of History Today. Some OKS will remember Peach as the author of house plays as well as of the ‘Adventure from History’ series in Ladybird books.
The Chamber Concert on Sunday 21 November – and open to the public, something of a novelty – celebrated youthful exuberance with works by young composers (Bizet, Richard Strauss, Mozart) and compositions inspired by folk music (Bartok, Janáček, Ligeti, Tchaikovsky). Alexandra Caldon and Kevin Abbott oversaw a thrilling occasion. The School Play, Great Expectations, postponed from December, took place at the Malthouse in January. It was dedicated to the memory of Bill Baxendale and a plaque to him was unveiled on the opening night. A Night at the Musicals followed in February with numbers from An American in Paris to Rock of Ages. This was in memory of Ingrid Öbo, former Head of Drama at Junior King’s, who died recently. The Verdi Requiem in the Cathedral on 18 March rounded off the Lent Term.
THE KING’S SCHOOL, VATTANACVILLE
Photos, clockwise from top-left: Great Expectations; Mark Orders; The King’s School, Vattanacville; war memorial unveiling 1921; donation to Canterbury Welcomes Refugees
The King’s School, Vattanacville in Cambodia is being created close to the capital city Phnom Penh. The pre-prep and prep school will open in 2023 and the senior school by 2025. This development is in partnership with Vattanac Properties, with King’s representation on the governing body. The Founding Principal is Eleanor Prescott. There will be boarding facilities for local and international pupils and a British-style education and curriculum will include Cambodian studies and have a strong emphasis on co-curricular activities. Exchange programmes between Vattanacville and Canterbury are also envisaged. This will be the second King’s School in Asia, joining King’s School Shenzhen International in China.
WAR MEMORIAL CENTENARY The war memorial had a good clean in recognition of the fact that it was originally unveiled a hundred years ago in December 1921. The Remembrance Sunday service returned in its usual form this year. Linacre House remembered the fallen by running one metre for each of the 1,338,758 British servicemen and women who died during the First and Second World Wars. They raised over £3,000 for the British Legion, also celebrating its centenary.
FROM THE COMMON ROOM Lilla Grindlay has written on ‘Shakespeare’s Wounding Eyes’ in the November issue of English Review. “Sometimes traditional, sometimes OKS
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OKS FEATURE
The life of a Zoo Vet Matt Brash (LN 1976-82) was Captain of School. His work at Flamingo Land Zoo led to him featuring in several television series. He has written about his experiences in his book Zoo Vet.
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eterinary!!’ exploded my father as I told him of my hopeful career decision. I had always wanted to be a vet, ever since holidaying on a dairy farm in Cornwall when I was five or six. I was far more interested in the cows than the beach. ‘All you will do is put your hand up the backside of cows and put dogs to sleep. Waste of a good education, you must become a doctor’. At this point Rev. Peter Allen, our housemaster, stepped in – I should go and see what both professions were like. So a few weeks later, at the age of 15, I found myself standing in the operating theatre in Canterbury Hospital watching facial surgery on an old man. It was disgusting, and… his big toe kept twitching. Two weeks later, I climbed into a White Porsche belonging to the vet, and we headed out to calve a cow. There was to be no turning back from that point. 6
there is nothing more fun than doing a caesarean on a wapiti
In truth, my love of animals has deeper roots, with pets at home and an expat upbringing abroad studying insects and wildlife in the holidays. Mr Lindlar, the biology teacher at JKS, kept an old metal cattle trough full of newts outside his class, and would keep us spellbound talking about them and other wildlife. At the senior school, another biology teacher, Mr Wilkinson, was inspirational, setting us fortnightly essays on subjects such as ‘Better to be unicellular than multicellular. Discuss’, or ‘If I were a plant, would I rather be in the sunshine or the shade?’ These would be marked with comments such as ‘α, but only because the red wine was good’. These two teachers gave me a passion for biology but especially for animals and how they work. Vetting is also a practical profession, and Mr. Anderson, the legendary carpentry master, must also be thanked. He taught me how to look at an object and think three dimensionally. ‘See it as a whole’ he used to say, followed by lots of insults as to how useless we were. Not very woke of course these days, but he got his point across. OKS
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I scraped into the Royal Veterinary College, and after five excellent years went to work in Winchester. It was a mixed practice: horses, cows and sheep, dogs and cats, and a few odds and sods. Along with everything else these ‘odds and sods’ were to be my problem. One day I was presented with a shoe box containing something presumably alive, every vet’s nightmare. ‘It’s Arthur… he’s bleeding’, said the client. Arthur turned out to be a tarantula. He had been dropped, cracking his exoskeleton and haemolymph seeped out. This had not been on the syllabus at college, so I excused myself and went to ask advice from the boss. His advice was simple and practical; just close the crack and superglue it! And so a love of exotic veterinary was ignited. A few years later I moved North, and during an interview for a job was asked if I would be willing to take on looking after the local zoo. Without hesitation I agreed, for the ignorant have no fear! The zoo was then a minor zoo, with a mixed 8
collection, and at my first visit I confessed to the curator that I had little knowledge of zoo animals. Neville was a proper old-fashioned curator, and very knowledgeable: ‘Neither did your predecessors, but at least you have the nous to admit it’. For nearly thirty years I acted as their vet, watching Flamingo Land transform itself into one of the major zoos in the country, undertaking meaningful conservation work both at home and abroad. As it grew, I read and learnt, doing further exams in Zoo Medicine and Surgery. In my opinion there is nothing more fun than doing a caesarean on a wapiti, repairing a polar bear’s fractured leg, or even the satisfaction of being part of a team watching a giraffe give birth, knowing that the offspring is a rare pure Rothschild giraffe, which may prove important genetically in the future. Life takes funny turns sometimes. In 1998, when assisting the police raiding a potential parrot OKS
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smuggler, I started talking to a film crew who were making a documentary about wildlife crime. They thought my wildlife work, and in particular my work with zoo animals, was worth following, and so a new career was born for a while. For ITV I filmed nearly 100 episodes of Zoo Vet and Zoo Vet at Large over about seven years, with an apparently huge following in New Zealand! The BBC also picked me up and I did a few series (Vets to the Rescue and Vets in the Country) with them. It was great fun, and everyone should have their moment in the sunshine, but it was all rather surreal. It did lead to a book, excitingly titled Zoo Vet, which I think can still be bought for a few pence on eBay, although signed copies are probably cheaper.
Photos: Matt with an array of animals
and trying to help improve other zoos around the country. Since 2017 I have also sat on the Government’s Zoo Experts Committee. I did continue to work as a GP vet for years, but finally retired from all that ten years ago to concentrate on wildlife and exotics. So, in brief, that is my story. It does say one thing: that if you follow a career about which you are passionate, you will not only succeed but also have great fun. My father was probably right, and I might have made a good doctor, but I do know that I have had much more fun as a vet. A few years before he died, he acknowledged that he was wrong about veterinary and agreed that I had chosen a most interesting career.
As with all things, when you are passionate about a hobby it grows. In the late 1990s I was appointed Named Veterinary Surgeon for the Central Science Laboratory, now FERA, who deal with UK wildlife. In 2002 I was appointed a Secretary of State Zoo Inspector, and so now spend an increasing amount of time visiting OKS
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Development News
Inspiring the next generation of scientists… King’s pupils are benefiting from the new facilities that are part of King’s Development Programme. Thank you to the OKS, staff and parents who have supported projects at the Junior School, Senior School and on the Malthouse Campus.
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he current phase of an ambitious plan that is transforming science teaching at King’s is well underway with four out of five chemistry and three out of six biology labs already completely refurbished. The new science building, which is nearing completion, is the biggest element of this multi-phased development programme. Early next year Physics will move from behind the dining hall into their new home. The ground floor auditorium, six laboratories and break-out spaces will enable pupils to be more effectively involved in current research projects across all of the sciences. There have been distinguished scientists at King’s from William Harvey, physician and discoverer of the circulation of the blood, and Lawrence Rooke, a founder member of the Royal Society, to astronaut Michael Foale. A tradition to build on.
We will have an inspirational building which will enable pupils to see science in the context of the wider world. It will facilitate research projects, allow bigger group meetings and attract more visiting speakers. Cutting-edge science in a cutting-edge building. Louise Comber Head of Science
Please visit supportingkings.co.uk/inspirational-facilities for more information about the science development and to watch our latest video on this critically important project. Contact development@kings-school.co.uk or call 01227 595567 to hear about the available naming opportunities for Physics.
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DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Top: street view of the new science building Bottom: computer generated images of the new science building facilities Right: James Geidt photographed by Ben McKee (GL 2002-07)
Postgraduate Support James Geidt (MO 2003-08) reflects on receiving postgraduate financial support.
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n 2015 i approached the OKS Educational and Benevolent Trust after gaining a place to study for a Masters in Vocal Performance at the Royal Academy of Music. The Trust was incredibly generous and forthcoming with their help and support in giving me some financial assistance for both years of my studies which I put towards the cost of my tuition fees. After graduating with a Distinction, I continued my studies on the opera course, also at the Royal Academy of Music, and graduated in 2020. This continuation of my studies onto the opera course would not have been possible without the Trust’s help for my Masters.
• Information about how to apply for Postgraduate Support will appear in the next issue when the scheme is relaunched
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I am now a freelance singer working in opera and on the concert platform. I was an Alvarez Young Artist at Garsington Opera last Summer and have been invited back again this Summer to cover the role of the Hunter in Dvořák’s Rusalka. Concert work has seen me perform all around Europe. A recent highlight was appearing as the baritone soloist in Handel’s Messiah at the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid. I have so much to thank King’s for in providing such a sound musical education and for the Trust’s generosity in helping me follow this nomadic and wonderful career. 11
OKS FEATURE
A geological journey to Sydney Genni Wetherell (MT 2005-10) is a geoscientist in Sydney, Australia
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hen I chose to take A-Level Geology at King’s over a decade ago, I did so because I enjoyed physical geography. I then gained a Master’s degree in Geosciences from Durham University, again because it’s what I enjoyed. I couldn’t have imagined that following the mantra of just doing what I enjoyed would lead me to a career working on projects across the globe.
The City of Sydney, in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, home to landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and Bondi Beach, owes its iconic harbour and shoreline to the long and complex geological history of Australia. Sydney sits in a geological formation called the Sydney Basin, layers of sedimentary rocks up to 3km thick, laid down during the Permian and Triassic periods between 300-150 million years ago.
After graduating and dabbling in oil and gas in London, I found my way into Engineering Geology in Sydney. Engineering Geology involves scientific analysis of the ground conditions in which any ‘structure’ (bridges, buildings, tunnels, railways) is to be built, calculating the resulting risks and constraints placed on the design and construction of these projects. Working for an international engineering design consultancy, I now study the geology of Sydney daily, focusing on engineering properties, and working on projects shaping Sydney for future generations.
At this time, as the supercontinent Pangea was amalgamating and subsequently breaking up into individual continents, Australia started moving north at 6-7cm a year from Antarctica to its present position. Some of the youngest sediments to be deposited form the Hawkesbury Sandstone, a rock unit covering approximately 17,000km, from the Eastern coastline to the spectacular cliffs of the Blue Mountains 100km west. The Hawkesbury Sandstone, up to 300m thick in areas of NSW, was deposited in a huge river system which formed as the continent of Pangea stretched and split up.
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just doing what I enjoyed
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Early European settlers found this sandstone to be hard-wearing and easy to work with, making it an excellent building material which is used in many of the city’s public buildings. The same properties that made Hawkesbury Sandstone attractive to early settlers also make it ideal for constructing today’s major infrastructure projects. In the next five years, the uniform and extensive sandstone will host 33km of new road tunnels and over 66km of new rail metro tunnels and associated stations under the city. These projects are among the biggest currently under construction globally and are much needed to ease the city’s congestion as its population grows. Over the next 15 years the Government has plans for many more, including multiple new tunnels under the Harbour. Creating this vast network of tunnels under the city is not a quick undertaking. By 2025, Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), known as ‘moles’ for their long shape and burrowing nature, will have been churning their way through the sandstone for over a decade. The TBMs, similar to those 14
Previous page, top: TBM Kathleen’s 100 tonne cutterhead being lowered into the Sydney Metro TBM launch site at Barangaroo Bottom: TBM Katheen’s cutterhead being craned into position
which excavated Crossrail in London, are named after Australian female pioneers, engineers, nurses and aboriginal rights activists. ‘TBM 5 Kathleen’ (named after Kathleen Butler, an engineer who played a vital role
These pages, above: part of TBM Kathleen being barged across Sydney Harbour Left: Genni Right: The Three Sisters, Blue Mountains Photos: Sydney Metro
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in the construction of the Harbour Bridge) most recently completed two journeys under the harbour, surfacing next to the Harbour Bridge, having tunnelled the 1km each way at a rate of 3 centimetres a minute. To enable these projects, geotechnical investigations are undertaken, comprising boreholes, geophysics and geological mapping. These identify adverse features in the subsurface profile, confirming rock and soil properties along the routes, and feeding into tunnel alignment, design and construction options. Designing these projects will keep many geologists and engineers busy for many years. Looking towards the future, two areas of focus for the engineering and geoscience community are clear. The first is the push towards net zero targets and a low carbon, sustainable future, and geoscience can play a large role in supporting this transition. Sustainability targets already form an integral part of major infrastructure OKS
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projects, driving innovations in every discipline for a sustainable future. Outside the infrastructure field, many netzero solutions are grounded in the subsurface, with skills traditionally found in oil and gas and mining adapting to be at the forefront of innovations in carbon capture and storage and increasing the viability of geothermal energy. Geoscientists have been central to identifying changing climate within the geological record in the past and will be central in meeting the challenges of a sustainable future. The second is the push to include more women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). While there is a long way to go, increasing both number and visibility of women in senior and technical roles provides important mentorship to those starting their careers and encourages more girls to pursue STEM careers. I’m happy and proud to be contributing to that. 15
OKS Overseas
Made in Nigeria Baba-Jallah Epega (LX 1985-90) tells us about life in Nigeria and being an OKS representative.
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t seems a distant memory now when my wife and I decided to repatriate to our beloved Motherland Nigeria nine years ago. We moved back from a very comfortable life in London not because we had to but because we felt impelled to help our dear nation in any which way we could. My wife Helen being a composer and music teacher and I being a marketing and communications expert, we were inspired to add value and contribute. Nigeria evidently has its macroeconomic, tribal, political and spiritual challenges. On the flip side Nigerians are globally recognised as culturally triumphant in resilience, literature, business, science, languages, humour, poetry, art, music, film, sports, food and fashion. With over 200 million people in-house and a country almost five times the size of Great Britain our task was a herculean one. Nonetheless we managed to make a difference thanks to the inspiration and collaboration of many, including OKS friends like Jason Mycroft, Emem Udom, Arthur Vigo, Seun Oshunkoya, Damilola Agbaje, Fauzi Fahm, Jide Adesanya, Vesiri Ibru, Cuppy Otedola, Temi Otedola, Olu Rotimi, Maje Ayida, Amena Imasekha and Abi Imasekha to name but a few. Working in the most populous country in Africa with more than five major languages and over 500 indigenous languages spoken; that nurtured the Benin, Oyo, Borno and Nok civilisations amongst many that inhabited our region since 9,000 BC; that also gave birth to Africa’s richest man; that has the highest concentration of twins in the world; with ten mountains higher than Ben Nevis in the UK and the widest variety of migrating butterflies in the world… we admit we only managed to scratch the surface.
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What I would like to point out, contrary to popular belief, is the kindness and benevolence of the average citizen of Nigeria when given the opportunity to help charitable causes like the one I set up with Nigeria’s first female News Anchor, Miss Julie Coker, that still helps those suffering from the Sickle Cell condition. My five out of ten top tips and key steps to success in Nigeria are: Do your research and learn at least a few words in one of the major languages or Pidgin English. Be professional and follow your own due diligence. Keep your weekends free of work and never take new potential business calls or meetings on Sundays, as this helps keep your blood pressure down and also builds you a good work ethic reputation. Contacts help increase your contracts, so stay friendly, light-humoured and keep communicating with people. Stay humble but know your worth. The remaining five tops tips will follow in my forthcoming book… So stay tuned, stay curious and always stay sharp! OKS
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OKS OVERSEAS
Some little known facts (outside the Helvetic Republic) Jeremy Davies (GL 1970-74) is the OKS representative for Switzerland.
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ention switzerland and people immediately think of mountains and lakes and then probably of cheese fondue, chocolate and watches. However, there is far more to this fascinating country and its people than simply its topographical beauty and ‘Swiss Made’ products.
Above, left: Baba (centre) with children on Richard Coker Foundation Sickle Cell Awareness Day 2019
For a start, there are four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch. Most of the German spoken is Swiss German (or Schwyzerdütsch), spoken by some 60% of the population. Proper German, French and Italian have equal status as official languages.
Above, right: Cow sunbathing under the Eiger
There is a real mix of people here too, mostly due to immigration. 26% of the total population is foreign-born. Despite being at the heart of Europe, Switzerland is not in the EU, although it
Left: Baba Epega
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does belong to Schengen, meaning that travelling around Europe is unrestricted. Some 30,000 people live in France and travel every day to Geneva to work. Switzerland is the only true democracy in the world, where a referendum can be called by anyone who can amass enough signatures in the time allotted. The decision by the people then has to be implemented by the government. Switzerland is always at or near the top of the most expensive and best places to live. Its banking system is highly advanced and its currency is the strongest in the world. Trains run on time and – best of all – the Swiss produce (and consume!) a large quantity of their own wine! Since I retired a couple of years ago, I have been chief cook and bottle-washer. This time of year in Switzerland is, of course, skiing season. I am in training to do the Engadin cross-country ski marathon in March. I have also taken up ski randonnée for the first time. (You hike up the mountain with skins under your skis; take them off at the top and ski back down again.) I also took part in a charity concert in March in the Auditoire de Calvin in Geneva. Hahn, Strauss and Verdi were on the programme! 17
OKS FEATURE
Science doesn’t have to be just for Scientists Ben Massingham (GR 1990-95) reflects on his career and wonders if he is a scientist after all
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years ago, I was getting ready to take my GCSEs. Some of them I was feeling pretty good about, others less so. The three I was dreading were the sciences. And a few months later when I opened my results, sure enough, not great… At the time, I thought that was the end of science for me. I went on to study History and Languages at A-level and then got a BA in French at UCL. But next month I will reach the 14-year milestone working at one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. I talk about disease mechanisms, drug pathways and treatment approaches daily. I discuss the future of healthcare and research with policy makers, engage with some of the most highly trained and specialized doctors in the world on patient care approaches. If only they knew I got B-C-D in my GCSEs! If I am honest, I fell into this career. I left university, like many people, without a real
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But am I a scientist?
calling or vision of what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I had no interest in being a French teacher. I would have been terrible at it. So I decided to join one of the hundreds of consulting companies struggling to take a piece of McKinsey’s pie. After six years of working as a consultant and being exposed to many different industries, I developed an affinity with the healthcare space. Eventually, I was approached by one of my then clients, and ended up working in strategic marketing for a medical imaging company. My job was to understand which imaging modality was going to be the most impactful in a given disease area, in order to guide R&D… Suddenly a guy with a French degree was helping shape scientific research development programmes. Then, in 2008, my wife was offered a great job in Switzerland, and I needed to find a new post if we were to move. In the end, I applied to a pharma company. And so started my career in what really is a fascinating world. Over the years, I have seen some truly amazing science and OKS
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met some amazing scientists. I have seen micro brains in the R&D labs, attended congresses with brain surgeons, helped solve problems in delivery of care that have made a real difference in the lives of patients and learned, real time, from some of the most brilliant research scientists on new approaches to deliver therapies to patients who desperately need them. But am I a scientist? Not in the traditional sense of the word, but if you look at the dictionary definition of science, maybe… Science is “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.” My roles have primarily been in sales and marketing, but the industry is evolving rapidly away from focusing on sales conversations with doctors about drugs towards trying to improve patient access to the treatments they need by identifying and solving pain points in the system of care. It is a fascinating time to be in the industry and this will change science – OKS
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Left: Ben and his daughter at UCL Right: Ben at King’s
just not the sort of science you learn at GCSE nor would associate traditionally with the healthcare industry. But a lot of the work I do certainly fits much of the definition of what science is. We run implementation science projects, aimed at ensuring that evidence-based practices are applied in the right way in the real world to replicate the impact shown in trials. Process efficiency is a big part of our work, making sure healthcare resources are used to their greatest effect. All of this has taught me that the types of science that you can practise are much broader than I thought, more accessible than I thought, and more interesting than I thought. To be honest, even the science I struggled with at school is far more interesting than I could have imagined, and it is inspiring and humbling to see the advances being made in the labs around the world today. But with all of that said, I have come to realize, that while I am not one of those traditional scientists, maybe science is for everyone, even those of us that didn’t excel in school. 19
OKS Network
How to make the most out of your LinkedIn Profile With almost 800 million members, LinkedIn has changed the way recruiters advertise roles and hire new employees. Helen Ferrett (MT 2009-14), Account Manager at Give A Grad A Go, shares her top tips.
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our linkedin profile is a great way to build your professional brand. It helps you grow your network, foster relationships, and connect with industry experts in your chosen field. Follow the next six tips below to make the most out of your LinkedIn profile:
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UPLOAD both a profile and background picture:
this is the first impression you give; your profile picture should be a recent photo of just you, this represents the way you’d like to be seen in a professional environment. Your background banner should stand out to catch the eye of the reader.
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ENSURE your profile is complete and up to date: make sure the content of your profile is current, including your most recent workplace/ education and make sure to close any roles you’ve left/or been promoted from. If you’re open to work, add this option to your profile shot. Don’t forget to complete your summary section – this is your chance to share a little more information about yourself,
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rather than just a list of roles and skills. Think about your interests, passions, and what makes you different from others!
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ADD your skills: choose any skills from the list that are relevant to you, this helps back up the context of the rest of your profile. You can also endorse others and be endorsed for these – helping substantiate further.
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CONNECT with other members: the easiest way to grow your connections is to sync your LinkedIn with your email, you’ll be provided with plenty of suggested contacts. Connect with anyone you have meaningful interaction or conversation with whether this be in person or via LinkedIn.
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UPDATE your contact information: if you’re happy to be contacted through LinkedIn, having your correct contact information can open you to further opportunities from your connections.
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ENGAGE and share. Follow industry professionals, experts, and influencers in fields you’re interested in. Reacting to their posts, and creating conversation with comments, will boost your profile. This is also a great way to grow connections. Instead of just sharing other posts, creating your own content will make your profile stand out. Be sure to use concise, catchy copy and use the hashtags!
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OKS NETWORK
The new Event Coordinator of the OKS Association
the OKS King’s Week lunch, House Reunions, Year Group Reunions and Christmas Drinks to name but a few.
Yuliya Campbell introduces herself. She joined the OKS Office in November 2021.
M
y name is Yuliya Campbell and I have recently joined King’s as Event Coordinator in the Development & Alumni Office. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and to let you know how delighted I am to be joining the School. Having worked in the Canterbury area for many years in alumni relations and event management this opportunity was too good to miss.
I will also be helping to organise King’s Week receptions, Commemoration Day and Speeches and am looking forward to my first King’s Week. Planning is well underway for this year’s Leavers’ Ball which will take place at Godmersham: tickets will go on sale to 6a parents and pupils at Easter. I can’t wait to experience all of these events!
With in-person events starting up after a two-year hiatus, there is so much to look forward to! As my responsibilities extend to School and OKS events, you will be hearing from me about
Events May
I am currently planning two May Reunions – the first for OKS leavers of 1970-1999 and the second for OKS leavers up to and including 1969. These events will take place on the beautiful Tudor Lawn at St Augustine’s, and are a perfect opportunity to visit the School, reunite with old friends, and (hopefully) enjoy the sunshine!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about any of the above and I’m looking forward to getting to know you all.
For more information, please visit the OKS website oks.org.uk or contact Yuliya Campbell oks@kings-school.co.uk
June
July
LEAVERS OF 1970-1999
KING’S WEEK
KING’S WEEK LUNCH
Saturday 14 May 2022 St Augustine’s, Canterbury
Thursday 30 June to Wednesday 6 July 2022 The King’s School, Canterbury
Sunday 3 July 2022 Green Court, Canterbury
LEAVERS UP TO 1969 Sunday 15 May 2022 St Augustine’s, Canterbury
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OKS Update
OKS UPDATE
1950s Mark Finburgh (LN 1953-57) sent this update: “I was recently invited to take four of our cars to The Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace. The event brings together a selection of 60 of the rarest cars from around the world. We took the following cars: Ferrari 250 GT Europa 1954 (red), Jaguar E type roadster 1961 (white), Porsche Gulf 917 1969 (blue) and Jaguar C type (green).”
1960s Clive Himsworth (WL 1961-66) is retiring after 17 years as a councillor on Riverhead Parish Council in Sevenoaks. During that time, he has been Chairman of the council, Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the village hall committee, the finance committee and Parkland committee. He has obtained £113,000 of grants for the council, mainly for the parkland and village hall. Simon Tuite (LN 1965-70) made his career in publishing after reading English Literature at Cambridge. Although his initial hope was to work with the great literary texts, he is in retrospect glad that instead he found his way into the more commercial sphere of illustrated non-fiction. He was happy that the last part of his career was spent working for Dorling Kindersley. True to his literary education, however, Simon has recently been reading I A Richards’ Principles of Literary 22
Criticism, which almost a century ago was one of the seminal influences on the detailed reading of literary texts. QJ, previously known as Graeme Quinton Jones (LN 1966-70), writes: “In 2021, I returned to composing music. I have a digital music workstation and am writing for my own enjoyment. This comes 30 years after leaving the music business. I had been looking for the ‘right’ music / audio software that would do all the things I needed from it, and discovered Studio One from PreSonus, which was exactly what I was looking for. Creating music using technology as well as real instruments is the most fantastic way of doing things. It means that we aren’t tied to any specific way of working. I use a lot of recorded material that I’ve gathered from the real world, which then forms an integral part of the pieces I create. And it’s a lot of fun.” In May, Andrew Campbell’s (MO 1967-72) daughter, Rosie, will run 67 miles in one day to raise money in memory of her father who died on 28 September 2021, aged 67. She will start at Meister Omers and finish at The Lanesborough Hotel on Hyde Park Corner – Andrew’s favourite hotel in London. Rosie has already raised over £13,600 which will be donated to Cancer Research UK. Details on the OKS website.
1970s Christopher Battersby (MO 1971-75) sent this update: “I spent the first 18 months of lockdown working as a special adviser to the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee under the Chair of Yvette Cooper. I had expected to be walking the corridors of power, spending my evenings in the Strangers’ Bar and advising on technology, but Covid changed all that. Rather than the Palace of Westminster I got the Palace of Zoom and Teams, spending my days at home well away from the wine and cheese. Within hours of starting, I found my brief changed slightly and I had to become an OKS
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OKS UPDATE
Photos, clockwise from top-left: QJ; Christopher Battersby; Abu Rahman (left), Paul Sheridan (middle) and Paul Gent (right) at Oman Cricket Academy; Jeremy Gordon photographed by Hugo Philpott (BR 1984-89); Mark Finburgh’s Ferrari 250 GT Europa 1954
expert on asylum, border controls, Channel crossings and the Home Secretary, preparing weekly evidence sessions and smart questions for MPs to ask in Committee. Strangely, King’s memories cut in a few times. Memories of Gerald “I am the enigma, you are the variations” Hattee’s lessons on the British Constitution meant I was not completely ignorant of the difference between second and third readings of Bills, and the only field trip I made, to inspect asylum accommodations at Napier Barracks in Folkestone, brought me back to East Kent – this time with Diane Abbott and Yvette Cooper. I was also reminded of the glorious King’s Week Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1974, with Adam Finn as Lysander and me as Starveling. Nearly 50 years later Professor Adam was in front of the Committee as a vaccinology expert while I was the rude mechanical watching from behind the scenes.” Russell Houlston (TR 1974-79) writes: “I am enjoying a career in business development for a retail hardware company and a wholesale import business in Northern California at the same time. I also create fine art photographs and occasionally sell them. It is difficult to get bored.” You can browse Russell’s photography at russellshoots.com Abu Rahman (GL 1976-78) and Paul Gent (LN 1972-76) travelled
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from UAE to Muscat to spend a thoroughly enjoyable day with Paul Sheridan (LN 197176) in October 2021. They watched two of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup preliminary round matches at Oman Cricket Academy. The ICC awarded the six Group B matches to Oman Cricket Board at the end of June. Paul Gent says: “What Paul Sheridan and his fellow Oman Cricket Board Members managed to achieve in three months to October is quite remarkable. They executed numerous upgrades including temporary stands to accommodate 4100 supporters and a world class floodlight system. The ground is about 20 kilometres from central Muscat in the town of Al Emarat, fabulously surrounded by the Hajar Mountains.”
1980s Jeremy Gordon (GR 1982-87) is a counsellor working in a private practice in London. After spending over 25 years as an international business consultant, Jeremy has retrained and is focused on promoting mental health and wellbeing. Visit: sentiawellbeing.com Paddy Greenleaf (TR 198287) reports: “I’m still in touch with two or three good King’s friends on a regular basis. Big news: I am getting married again to a lovely lady called Carla Wanderley. I’m still working in the 23
OKS UPDATE
EFL industry with International House in Viseu, Portugal; now part-time as I am busy doing my own translation, proofreading and voiceover work, as well as coaching a local rugby team! They say life only really begins at 50, so I have tried my hand at surfing recently too.” Barry Rose (Master of the Choirs 1985-88) has published his autobiography Sitting on a Pin. Chapter 19 is about his time at Canterbury and has much on musical events, broadcasts and recordings at the School. Julia Warrander (MO 1985-87) sent this update: “I am living in Jersey and my daughter has just started at King’s in Walpole. She is the third generation at the school, as my father Michael Warrander (GR 1951-53) was in The Grange when Canon Shirley was Headmaster.” Bronwen Aldridge (MT 1988-90) christened her son Arthur in Canterbury Cathedral on 10th October with tea afterwards at the Cathedral Lodge. It was a special day with the whole family, including: Hugh (Common Room 1970-2002), Tom (MR 1989-94) and Henry (MR/GL 1996-2001). Other OKS guests included Elizabeth Head (née Hunt, MT 1988-90) and Alex Morris (WL 1988-90).
1990s Charlotte Mullarkey (née Morgan, MR 1991-93) sent this update: “I am living in Chiswick with my husband and three children. I am still in Kent regularly to visit my parents. Until recently I was at Allen & Overy working in the commercial contracts and data protection space. I was heavily involved in the path of the GDPR, including briefing a House of Lords committee on issues with the draft legislation and speaking on panels with the European Commission and MoI. I have been involved in supporting and mentoring women in the City and was on the 24
board of the London Women’s Forum. I was also on the Ealing Safeguarding Children board and am currently looking at options in safeguarding while I spend more time with my family. I still play tennis regularly, sing in a choir and enjoy seeing fellow OKS, some of whom live locally.” Francesca Beauman (BR 199294) has published The Literary Almanac. This is described as the “ultimate reading list for book lovers everywhere and offers a seasonal reading programme, encouraging readers to reach for different kinds of novel throughout the year.” There are over 300 suggestions and the book is beautifully illustrated throughout. For more information, see: francescabeauman.com Hannah Wood (née Cowin, BL/BR 1992-94) spent the last sixteen years living and working in East Africa. Based in Tanzania and covering Sub-Saharan Africa, she worked regionally on climate change and natural resource management, focusing on climate adaptation and mitigation, climate communications and wildlife conservation. She held roles as Climate Change Officer with the UK Foreign Office and the British Council, and latterly worked for a regional hospitality group as Head of Sustainability. She also supported her husband in their own sustainable tourism enterprise, owning a safari business and two eco-lodges, which are happily all still operational despite the challenges of the pandemic. On her return to the UK in 2020 she took up a role as Climate and Environment Director with the UBS Optimus Foundation, a philanthropic foundation attached to the global wealth manager UBS AG. She now manages large grants from individuals and corporates into global climate and environmental causes and is most focused on enabling and facilitating delivery of nature-based solutions worldwide. She has developed a special interest in coastal wetlands, mangroves and seagrasses, and is a particular advocate for seagrass restoration in Britain, as OKS
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OKS UPDATE
Photos, clockwise from top-left: Bronwen Aldridge and son Arthur; Hannah Wood; Sam Parker; Alice Cooke; Charlotte Mullarkey; The Literary Almanac by Francesca Beauman
well as supporting ancient forest conservation in Canada, mangrove conservation in South East Asia and savannah restoration in East Africa. Sam Parker (MR 1993-98) has been promoted to Partner at Elixirr. He has been there for over 10 years and at the forefront of its growth from a start-up to an AIM-listed company. It now offers a blend of capabilities, spanning traditional management consultancy, procurement, digital marketing and creative. Sam is understandably delighted: ‘It’s been a hell of a ride. I recall joining the company and being camped in a corner of a small office in London and flying all over the world to help establish our footprint in the market and make ends meet. Now to be sat here as a Partner in a publicly listed company with a portfolio of really cool capabilities helping our amazing clients in a multitude of different ways is just phenomenal.’ Caroline Downes (née Page, BR 199499) sent this update: “Having worked in advertising for 15 years, I took the plunge a couple of years ago to re-train as an Interior Designer at KLC School of Design, Chelsea, qualifying in Summer 2021. I have since set up my business Studio VIDO and am enjoying working on residential projects around London and Essex.” OKS
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Alice Cooke (BR 1998-2003) is a co-author of The Year The World Changed – How to Survive and Thrive in Uncertain Times, which became an Amazon Bestseller. She credits her career choice entirely to William Browning, her English teacher, who encouraged her and inspired her, and whose voice she still has in her head whenever she puts pen to paper. With a journalistic career spanning Country Life, Sussex Life and such glamorously titled periodicals as Bakery Business and Utility Week, Alice was often asked by friends, relations and erstwhile acquaintances to write anything from websites and press releases and best man’s speeches. She found this incredibly rewarding and, importantly, found she could make a tangible difference to people’s businesses by using the right words in the right places. So, at the end of 2019 she left journalism in pursuit of a copywriting career and founded A Girl of My Word. Despite everything that 2020 threw at us (or perhaps, she argues, because of it, as everyone became suddenly and acutely aware of their digital offering in the absence of face-to-face interaction), she has taken on six writers, two proofreaders and an acquisitions manager, won two Fastest Growing New Start-Up awards and one for Best New Business, and is now a published author. 25
OKS UPDATE
Bel Trew (LX 1998-2003) is now an International Correspondent for The Independent and has been covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine live from Lviv Railway Station in West Ukraine. Jack Fox (SH 1999-2004) stars in the new BBC1 Comedy Series Cheaters – an eighteenepisode story told in ten-minute chapters. The series follows the story of two couples and their messy and entangled love lives. All episodes are available on BBC iPlayer. Andy Turner (Rowing Coach and Boathouse Manager 1999-2011) has received a British Rowing Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to the sport. As a regional coach for the North West and the GB Rowing Team he has coached many athletes to a national standard and travelled around the world as part of the sport. Andy is currently a rowing coach at Queen’s Park High School in Chester.
2000s Jasmina Hostert (JR 2000-02) has been elected to the Bundestag in Germany. Jasmina joined the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in 2009 and served as the President of the National Paralympic Committee Germany in 2019. Speaking about her election, Jasmina said: “I have always been into politics, and the SPD has always been the only party where I would feel comfortable as a person with a migrant background.” Emma Corbett (LX 2002-07) married Jack Joy at St James’ Church in Dorset on 18th September 2021. Camilla Corbett (LX 2004-09) was a bridesmaid and Hannah Kay (LX 2002-07) was Maid of Honour. Other OKS guests included Inese Smidre, Char Beale, Flo Welby and Katharine Edgerley. Fabian Sherwin (MR/CY 2002-07) married Rhian Carew-Jones in Kew at St Anne’s Church on 18th September 2021. The reception was held at Fulham Place and was attended by many OKS from MT and CY including Mustafa Hamza (best man), Harry Davies and Richard Thomas (ushers). In the photo from L-R: Charlene Moreno, Nathan 26
Above: Emma Corbett and husband Jack Joy
Brown (CY), Mustafa Hamza (MT), Beth Evans, Harry Davies (CY), Rebekah Needham (CY, née Marsh), Ned Needham, Rhian Sherwin, Fabian Sherwin (MT/CY), Thibaut Bertlin (MT), Lily Davies, Henry Fincham (MT), Jessica Lunn (CY), Rebecca Thomas, Quintus Dickenson, Richard Thomas (MT/CY) and Amy Saunders (CY). Olivia Trim (MT, née Wacher) was also there but missed the photo! Ashitha Nagesh (MT 2003-08) has been appointed BBC News Community Affairs Correspondent, reporting on issues affecting minority communities across the UK. Captain George Christie (LN 2003-08) has been serving in the Light Dragoons, a mounted reconnaissance Regiment in the British Army, deployed in December 2020 for six months to Gao, Mali as part of MINUSMA. “This is the United Nations commitment to the protection of local nationals and maintenance of peace. It was the first iteration of Op Newcombe, the UK’s 3-5 year focus in the Sahel. OKS
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OKS UPDATE
The deployment was an immense success, as we moved in our open architecture Jackal vehicles up to 175km cross country away from camp. In the south, we pushed all the way to the tri-border region with Burkina Faso and Niger, in the east moving past Ansongo. There was even time for a quick dip in the River Niger. Aside from the military activity, the main highlight was the niche flora and fauna that we saw throughout. Canis lupaster could be heard howling at night in the rocky cliffs above the Soudeheri forest and the Abyssinian Roller – a bluer, West African relative of the LiIac Breasted Roller – dominated the dried wadis we drove along. We also sparked up a camaraderie with the Nigerien Army, playing a game called ‘balón militaire’ – a hybrid of water polo, touch rugby and ‘domp’. Needless to say, there was only one winner. Looking back now through rose-tinted spectacles, it certainly was the experience of a lifetime, in a corner of the continent that we never expected to visit.” OKS
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Above: Fabian Sherwin and OKS wedding guests Below: John Haakon Chen
John Haakon Chen (SH 2004-09) is the founder of BuddyUp – a matchmaking running app that helps users find and connect with the perfect running partner. John says: “I started BuddyUp because I was tired of running alone and not being able to find compatible running partners. Our goal is to help runners of all levels find perfect training partners near them and we’ve had over 2300 downloads in the first 60 days of our launch. Feel free to get in touch if you’re interested to learn more as we are raising our first round of funding!” buddyup.uk Lucy Baker White (LX 2005-10) sent this update: “I am currently living in New York City and working in hotel technology for a company called Triptease. I manage a team of Customer Success Managers who look after our hotel clients. I am recently engaged to Ethan who is originally from upstate New York, and we live together in Brooklyn. We also have an English Springer Spaniel named Nellie whose energy brings us joy every day!” 27
OKS UPDATE
Freddy Clode’s (TR 2006-11) new podcast ‘Round The Wicket’, with cricketing royalty in Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes, finished its first series in late January as the number one cricketing podcast globally. Freddy, who produces, hosts, and edits the podcast, also hosts a rugby podcast called ‘The Rig Biz’ which has also been ranked as the number one Rugby podcast globally. The second cricket series took place during England’s tour to the Windies in March. Jacob Ewens (TR 2007-12) was involved in recording parts of the soundtrack to Netflix’s latest release, Don’t Look Up, featuring a starstudded cast including Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. Jacob regularly sings with top UK session choir London Voices, most recently working on the Jurassic World, Fantastic Beasts and Warhammer franchises as well as this release. He has also recently launched his own company, Cellar Door Sounds, which works for composers, fixing and recording musicians for film and TV soundtracks and other media usage. Visit: cellardoorsounds.org George Baker White (LN 2009-14) sent this update: “I am living in London working for AAG Wealth Management as a Wealth Manager. I live with my girlfriend Alice, a lawyer I met at Exeter. I continue to be sport mad, especially with cricket 28
Left: George and Lucy Baker White Right: Jacob Ewens Below: HAKI promotional shot
and football and I play with the OKS teams. I also have an online clothing company called BB Streetwear which I started whilst at King’s.” William Love (LN 2009–14) recently launched HAKI, a new clothing and accessories brand after receiving investment from Santander and the University of Bath. The business focuses on producing unique duffle bags that hit the sweet spot between style, practicality, and price. He is also offering all OKS readers 20% off with the code OKS20! Visit: hakibags.com
2010s Siobhan Casha (MT 2010-15) became engaged to Frederick Fort on 29 December 2021 in Malta. Rose MacLachlan (LX 2011-16) will be competing in an Ironman Race on 26 June in Nice, in memory of her friend Zoë Bromfield (LX 2006-11). On the 12 September 2019, Zoë tragically died after a sudden and short battle with leukaemia. Rose will have to swim 3.8km, cycle 180km (2,400m of elevation) and finally run a mere 42.2km (a marathon) to top it off. Her training is on schedule and will be building up to June over the next five months. For more details, please visit the OKS website. OKS
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OKS UPDATE
2021, she cycled from Land’s End to John O’ Groats as part of a group of ten selected from the University Royal Naval Units (URNUs) around the country. She is also a member of the Devon URNU. The group raised over £3,700 for the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity.
James Oates (CY 2011-16) made his debut for England Men’s Hockey in February in a double header against Spain in the FIH Hockey Pro League. England won both games and James scored in the first. Freddie Allinson (SH 2012-17) stroked the Leander eight in the Ladies’ Plate at Henley Royal Regatta. They beat an Oxford Brookes eight to reach the semi-finals. Freddie was subsequently selected to stroke the Great Britain eight in the U23 European Championships where they won a Gold medal. Philip Chennery (CY 2012-17) has won an award in the Korean Times Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear NonProliferation and Disarmament essay contest. The contest saw graduates and undergraduates writing on the theme of ‘Youth, Disarmament and Peace in the Asia-Pacific Region’. Philip won the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Award. Vihan Patel (CY 2012-17) and Vladimir Ignatyev (TR 2013-18) have successfully launched a dating app, ‘The Power of Music.’ The app has been featured in The Sunday Times, The Sun, BBC, Forbes and more. Zoe Lambert (BR 2013-2018) is a medical student at Peninsula Medical School. In August OKS
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Photos, clockwise from top-left: Rose MacLachlan; Siobhan Casha and fiancé Frederick; Izzy Snow; Zoe Lambert
Izzy Snow (WL 2013-18) has been hiking around the entire coast of Lantau, Hong Kong to raise awareness of environmental efforts on the island and to raise funds for Ark Eden – a Lantau based eco-education and permaculture organisation. In June 2021, Izzy and her sister hiked 105km in five days, much of it in heavy subtropical rain. They raised over HK$41,000 (more than double their target). As a result, Ark Eden have hosted their first community day, with a variety of activities such as children’s nature-based play and tree maintenance. Izzy said: “Viewing so many of Lantau’s landscapes in five days really brought home to us how special this island is and how many different habitats, plants and animals it supports. We saw some incredible nature but also sadly litter and pollution. It was a humbling reminder that we all must do our bit to protect what we have, for now and for future generations.” Izzy is currently taking a degree in Visual Arts at the University of Sydney – remotely from her home in Hong Kong. Dominic Hoare (LN 2015-20) raced in the stroke seat for Newcastle University in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup and Alex Lapsley (GL 2015-20) rowed for Caius and Homerton in the Temple Challenge Cup at Henley. In November 2021 Daisy Rex (LX 2016-21) undertook an epic charity challenge in Kenya with a group of friends. They covered 100km each, by combination of foot and bike, through Kenya’s mighty Rift Valley. The group raised over £4,800 for Restart Africa, a home that rescues Kenya’s street children from drugs, violence and homelessness. 29
OKS FEATURE
THE AB OLITIO N OF B OOKS
Andrew Maynard (WL 1972-76) writes about the gradual disappearance of books from the classroom.
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OKS FEATURE
W
WHEN I ABANDONED teaching last summer, books were no longer to be seen. In the schoolroom, indeed everywhere, they had been replaced by iPads. No doubt this change will not be reversed in schools, and for sure it will have a lifelong effect on children.
Will books be abolished? Is their doom inevitable? If they largely disappear, will it be a matter for regret? My answers are: we don’t know; certainly not; yes. I shall from now on deal only with the last question. I have struggled to find a convincing argument to show that such disappearance would be regrettable. I have had an imaginary opponent answering me at every stage – one of dozens of former pupils who over the last year or so have told me gleefully that the book is finished, the future belongs to gadgets, and a jolly good thing too. I have tried to make certain analogies or comparisons, none of which is exact. These might reveal why we might reasonably prefer that books should stay with us. Some of us prefer to receive or send a hand-written thank you letter and believe that a thank you email will not do. Some people infinitely prefer to hear a concert live, in the concert-hall, and think a pre-recording (with whatever device) far inferior. I prefer to speak to someone on the telephone, rather than text them. In each case, perhaps what makes a difference is physical immediacy, or greater immediacy. None of these analogies works with books. In each of the comparisons you are closer to the “real thing” (your friend writing on the paper, your friend talking to you right now, the pianist playing before your very eyes), and that does not apply to OKS
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reading a book. You are no closer to the “real thing” by reading a book than you are by reading the text on Kindle. For I assume that the real thing would be the autograph, and it would not be reasonable to lament the fact that we cannot read that. I approach from another direction. Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everage) is a book-lover and started to build a modest library (simply of books that he had read) in his teens. He came home one day and found that the collection had gone: his mother had given it away to a charity, on the grounds, as she explained to him, that he had read them all, so why did he need them any more? He was horrified, as I would have been. Similarly, I am attached to my modest collection of audio cassettes of classical music which I began as a teenager. I would not dream of giving up any of these, even if I were given exactly the same recording in digital form. In each case, the book or tape cassette is a physical link with one’s past, and each has a significance that an old suit of clothes, or an old briefcase, would not. But none of this would appeal to the young, for they are not old enough to have built up such collections. So I resort to unashamedly subjective preferences. I like the appearance and feel of books, and their sheer variety. I like seeing that I am only a quarter of the way through a fat book. I like re-reading my Penguin copy of Crime and Punishment, the very copy which I first read when I was in my A level year at King’s. None of this is possible with Kindle. Cicero wrote about an occasion when he found the scholar Cato sitting in a library “with many books of the Stoic philosophers strewn around him… as it were gluttonizing on books”. A book-lover will enjoy that metaphor. There is one final argument which ought to have some force with everybody. Online versions of books can be surreptitiously vetted for political correctness, subtly altered, even cancelled. Mine cannot. The personal library is a mainstay of intellectual independence and freedom. • Andrew Maynard retired in June 2021 after 26 years as a teacher of Classics at Eton College
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UNKNOWN OKS № 28
John Baker MP (1753-1830): One of the handsomest men in England
J
ohn baker was one of the most distinguished in a family which has had a long connection with the King’s School. He was the son of George Baker, a Canterbury surgeon, and Sarah Jeken and entered the School in 1762. He was a King’s Scholar and left in 1767. He was a wealthy man, inheriting his uncle’s former residence, Hawkhurst Lodge in the Weald, and owning extensive hop plantations. He later moved to St Stephen’s, on the outskirts of Canterbury. His marriage in 1776 to Jane, daughter of James Tattersall, Rector of St Paul’s, Covent Garden, further added to his fortune. As a prominent local citizen he was Sheriff of Canterbury in 1786/7 and in the 1790s he was a leading partner in Canterbury’s Union Bank (Baker, Denne, Kingsford, Wigzell & Kingsford). In the 1796 general election he contested Canterbury in the ‘Blue interest’ (i.e. as a Whig) alongside Samuel Elias Sawbridge, who had been at King’s from 1774 to 1779 and was a son of the famous Alderman John Sawbridge, an OKS
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from the 1740s. Baker topped the poll, followed by Sawbridge, but the pair were unseated on a petition alleging bribery and corruption. They were returned once more in 1797, but again unseated on petition. In 1802 he was returned unopposed – as he was in 1806 when his fellow MP was OKS James Simmons. He was returned twice more: comfortably in 1807, less comfortably in 1812 (this time alongside Stephen Rumbold Lushington, son of yet another OKS) but was finally defeated in 1818. His record as a Member of Parliament was somewhat erratic. The entry in the History of Parliament notes that he does not appear to have spoken in the House and ends by observing that the obituary in the Gentleman’s Magazine “charitably described him as ‘always a consistent Whig’.” Admittedly there was much confusion in the party politics of the 1800s and 1810s, further complicated by the Napoleonic Wars. It is however worthy of note that he was recorded as among the ‘staunch friends’ of the abolition of the slave trade in 1806. In 1812 OKS
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UNKNOWN OKS № 28
Lushington reckoned that he would be turned out by Canterbury “after it is known that he has deserted the popular principles and persons by whom he has alone been returned on former occasions, and has devoted himself to Lord Sidmouth”, but he survived. Memoirs of Eminent English Statesman, published in 1805 and comprising a biographical index to the House of Commons, provided some more personal details. At the time of his marriage, it noted, “he was one of the handsomest men in England”. It went on: “Although he is now become corpulent, and makes use of spectacles, yet he is still considered one of the best gentlemen billiard players in this country. He excels still more at Whist; being reckoned by some as equal to the late Mr Alderman Sawbridge, in his best days.” Baker died in 1830 and was buried in St Stephen’s Church, Hackington, next to Birley’s Field. His gravestone in the chancel has just the names John and Jane Baker, but it is partly obscured by OKS
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Above: memorial to George Baker in the north transept of St Stephen’s Church We are grateful to Robert Mathews for his assistance in providing access to and details of the Baker memorials
a pew. There is a separate memorial to his wife Jane, with a fulsome tribute from her husband, but none to John himself. There is also a memorial to their son George, illustrated here. John Baker’s sons George and John were both at King’s from 1794 to 1798, before going on to Charterhouse. John became a clergyman and was Vicar of Thorp Arch, Yorkshire 1817-33. George was called to the bar and became Recorder of Dover. He married Mary Ann, daughter of Gerrard Andrewes, Dean of Canterbury, and their daughter married second generation OKS John White, the Vicar of St Stephen’s from 1840 to 1879. Their sons George Baker White, John Baker White and James Baker White were all at the School in the late 1840s and early 1850s. This is the origin of the Baker White name. Descendants include Lucy Baker White (LX 2005-10) and George Baker White (LN 2009-14).
• For Lucy and George, see OKS Update, pp. 27-28 33
Lives Remembered
looking after a ward of children with polio, at considerable risk to himself. In 1950 he married Kathleen Wallach whom he had met as a student. In the same year he undertook National Service as a Medical Officer at RAF Hendon and RAF Wittering, caring for some highly decorated airmen who had stayed on after the war, several suffering what we would now call post-traumatic stress disorder. In 1953 he moved to a small general practice in Faversham which he built up to four partners, prior to retiring in 1997. He was highly respected by the community he served. His interests included watching rugby and cricket, reading history and politics, hiking and overseas travel. He was often to be seen on the touchline at King’s rugby matches. He was also a frequent attender at King’s Week.
Dr Jack Cantor
Predeceased by Kathleen in 2020, he leaves two sons (both OKS), a daughter, four grandsons (three OKS), a grand-daughter and three great grand-children.
(MR Jan-May 1940) Jack Cantor died suddenly on 29 October 2021, aged 96. He was a member of the Legacy Club and we are grateful for his support. His children Tim Cantor (MR 1964-68), Chris Cantor (MR 1967-71) and Susie Fox have sent this note on his life.
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ack attended king’s only briefly as a day boy from January 1940 until King’s moved to the West Country in May. His parents could not afford the boarding fees, so he left after just four months. Nevertheless, he developed a lifelong affection for the school. He commenced medical training at the Middlesex Hospital in 1944, when life in Central London was risky. One of his lectures was suspended and the students were instructed to go out onto the street to help when a V1 rocket struck nearby Goodge Street. He found a scene of appalling carnage. He qualified in 1949, subsequently doing hospital jobs in Windsor and Canterbury, including
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Bill Fairfax-Francklin (MO 1943-47) William Nicholas Fairfax-Francklin died on 26 August 2021. Bill was married, with four children and five grandchildren, and his widow Dione sent us this tribute.
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ill left england, not long after leaving school, to join the British South Africa Police at his brother John’s suggestion. John, who was four years older and also went to King’s, spent 23 years in the BSAP. Bill’s life thereafter was very varied. In 1970 he joined the Rhodesia Broadcasting Corporation as an announcer / producer – a job he had wanted since childhood. He was involved in producing many interesting documentaries, plays, stories and also three films about Zimbabwe. Preferring radio to television, he produced a number of OKS
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LIVES REMEMBERED
Left: Dr Jack Cantor Right: Christopher Manning-Press
Christian programmes, which he continued on a freelance basis after retiring from the service. Bill became a non-stipendiary priest in 1981 whilst working full-time for Lever Bros. in Harare. He helped to run our local parish church and the township sister church. He was a Chaplain to a secondary girls’ school for 15 years and, on being advised to cut his work load, later became Chaplain to his granddaughter’s primary school for four years before leaving Zimbabwe. After 55 years Bill and his wife Dione returned to the UK in 2004. They could no longer afford to stay, particularly as Bill had a number of mild strokes and medical insurance was too expensive. Bill continued to serve the church for several years, as and where needed, until dementia forced him to retire completely. He became unable to walk and stand, and as a result, spent his last five years in a wonderful care home. He passed away peacefully with his wife and two of his children with him.
Christopher Manning-Press (SH 1944–49) Christopher Benbow Manning-Press died peacefully on 13 September 2021 after a short illness, aged 91. Sarah Manning-Press sent this obituary.
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hristopher joined king’s in September 1945 from Christ Church Cathedral Choir School in Oxford where he was Head Chorister. He was a Music Scholar, Senior CSM in the CCF, Head of House, Vice-Captain of School, 1st XI Cricket and 1st XI Hockey. An active member of the OKS Association and its Secretary 1985-89, he regularly attended events until quite recently. Three threads which ran through his life, music, service and faith, were well embedded when he left King’s. In 1949 Chris was called for National Service in
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the infantry, transferring to the artillery in 1950 which he said was to strengthen the Gunner hockey team. After time in Trieste, he took a regular commission in 1952 and prepared for Korea before being sent to Cyprus. Returning to Woolwich in time for the East Coast Floods of 1953, he was then posted to Colchester. As part of the Guard of Honour for a fellow officer’s wedding, he met Jan, the maid of honour; they were married in October 1955. For the next 25 years they travelled the world to countries gaining independence from Britain: Malta, Nigeria, Singapore, Aden; then, with the Cold War and rise of NATO, to Europe with postings to Heidelberg, Rheindahlen, Naples, Rome. Wherever he went, he would join the church, become the organist, form a choir, and join the local theatre group. In 1962, Chris spent time with the UN in the former Belgian Congo and early in 1963 he was on Dartmoor undertaking the Commando course. He was the oldest by 10 years and said age gave him a mental advantage. Finally, Chris returned to Woolwich in 1980 to organise the first Tattoo for 25 years before retiring in 1983. 35
LIVES REMEMBERED
The following day, Chris became Director of the Rural Community Council for Essex and Secretary of Essex Association of Local Councils and served the communities of Essex for the next 12 years. When forced to retire again, he stood as a County Councillor for Essex, later serving as Chairman.
He was knighted in 1990 and retired in 1992. He then became involved with the Leonard Cheshire Foundation and was its International Chairman from 1995 to 2000. There were full obituaries in The Times and The Telegraph, as well on the MI5 website.
Christopher leaves his wife, Jan, three daughters, a son, and seven grandchildren.
Sir Patrick Walker
The Very Reverend Paul Burbridge
(MO 1945-51)
(MO 1946-50)
Patrick Jeremy Walker died on 13 October 2012.
Paul’s family sent us this tribute.
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J
atrick had a distinguished school career, becoming a School Monitor, Head of House and Vice-Captain of School. He was also an outstanding sportsman. He was in the cricket 1st XI for five years, heading the batting averages in 1951 with a top score of 133*, in the rugby 1st XV for three years and the hockey for four, captaining in his last two seasons. He left with a minor scholarship to Trinity College, Oxford. There he read modern history and was a hockey blue and England triallist. He joined the Civil Service and was an assistant District Commissioner in Uganda from 1956 to 1962. He wrote about his experiences in his book Towards Independence in Africa published in 2009. This also has a chapter on this time at the School. He joined MI5 in 1962, being involved in counterespionage and counterterrorism, and became Deputy Director General in 1986 and Director General in 1988. It was in his time that the Security Service Act of 1989 put MI5 on a statutory footing and its existence was publicly acknowledged. 36
Below: Patrick Walker, 1st XI cricket 1951
ohn paul burbridge was born in 1932 and became a chorister of Canterbury Cathedral in 1941. At the age of 14, he moved on to the King’s School and was in Meister Omers. He was a highly skilled musician, learning to play the piano, organ and flute, as well as having an excellent singing voice. He won a Choral Scholarship to King’s College, Cambridge (1951-4) and subsequently gained a scholarship to New College, Oxford to read Theology. It was there that he met Olive who was to become his wife. Following two years’ National Service, Paul went to Wells Theological College, and in 1962 he took up the post of Chamberlain at York Minster and later became Precentor. Three of his four daughters were born during his time in York. In 1976 he became Archdeacon of Richmond and Residentiary Canon of Ripon Cathedral and spent seven happy years ministering to clergy around the Yorkshire Dales. In 1983 he was appointed Dean of Norwich, where he was also elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. On his retirement in 1995, he and Olive moved back to Yorkshire, then eventually to Dumfries. Paul had a lifelong passion for steam trains, especially those of the Great Western Railway, which was fostered during his schooldays by lengthy train journeys to Cornwall, where the choristers were evacuated during the war. He OKS
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LIVES REMEMBERED
Left: The Very Reverend Paul Burbridge Right: Fred Norton
created several model railway layouts and had articles published in Railway Modeller magazine. Other interests included church music and medieval history. He wrote extensively on these subjects up to the last years of his life. He died on 22nd November 2021, St Cecilia’s Day – a fitting day for such an able musician – and is survived by his wife, four daughters and eleven grandchildren.
Fred Norton (SH 1946-51) Frederick George James Norton died on 27th May 2021. Phil Fox (Common Room 1989-2013) sent us this tribute.
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red was awarded a scholarship to King’s in 1946 as a member of School House. He became a Senior Scholar, a School Monitor, played in the 1st XV and was captain of Fives and Cross Country. He went up to Corpus Christi College, OKS
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Cambridge with an Open Scholarship in 1953 and after completing his maths degree in two years, spent his third year obtaining a 2:1 in Theology. Fred taught at Bedford before becoming Head of Maths at Rugby School (where he was also Housemaster of Whitelaw) and, in semiretirement, at Eton. A true mathematician, he loved maths and the way in which it supports the natural world and wanted to pass that passion on to the children in his care. He enthused learners, not just through his classroom teaching, but also through his excellent textbooks and by mentoring fledgling teachers like me to enable them to do the same. Following my appointment to Rugby in 1978, Fred showed me the ropes and set me off on a 36year career in maths. Fred was delighted when I moved to King’s in 1989 and visited often. I will never forget him, during my last year of teaching, poring over my 6A maths prep, analysing why pupils had done this or that and discussing with me the pros and cons of their solutions. King’s was still, in 2013, using one of his text books with that set. 37
LIVES REMEMBERED
Peter Seymour
Francis Webster
(GR 1948-50)
(LN 1954-58)
Peter Seymour died on 5 January 2022, aged 87. He was a member of the Legacy Club and we are grateful for his support.
Francis Webster died in May 2020. Mark Webster (LN 1962-66) sent us this tribute.
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eter’s father arthur had been at King’s from 1908 to 1913 but was killed by a flying bomb during the Second World War when Peter was only seven years old. As a result, his childhood was difficult. However, he was a bright schoolboy and received a grant which enabled him to enter King’s in May 1948. Unfortunately, the grant was for only two years until age 16 and so Peter left the School in December 1950. Peter loved his time in The Grange and later kept in touch through the OKS Association, the OKS Masonic Lodge and the King’s Legacy Club. Peter was a pianist and a gifted artist, with a love of the countryside. After King’s, Peter worked as a journalist at the Kent Messenger. In 1955, he was awarded the General Proficiency Certificate of the National Council for the Training of Journalists. He worked for local and national newspapers. For 25 years of his working life, he was employed by NatWest Bank, with special responsibility for media relations. In retirement, Peter lived in Chislehurst and supported local activities. He was a long-term member of the Bromley Police liaison committee. For the past five years Peter was a resident at the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution Care Home in Chislehurst. He was happy there and well looked after. Several OKS and local friends visited him and found him always cheerful despite needing constant care. His carers were fond of Peter and described him as a true gentleman.
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F
rancis webster, who has died aged 79, was the eldest of four Webster brother who, on the recommendation of an aunt who lived in Bridge, travelled from Scotland to King’s during the period 1954 to 1966. With the name of Francis, he was the fifth generation to work for the family firm of flax manufacturers which was in business in Arbroath for over 190 years. He stayed with the firm long enough that it could be said that he went through the mill but only in the sense that he gained a thorough working knowledge of its various milling and weaving processes. He eventually decided that his main interest lay in farming, but he continued to take a close interest in the firm’s affairs and later became a director. He began his farming career when he gained a bursary from the MacRobert Trust at the Northern College of Agriculture in Aberdeen. Francis’ year of practical training at one of the Trust’s farms near Aboyne helped to nurture his interest in aeronautics. Later in life he took up gliding and towed his glider to different parts of the country, including Sutton Bank in Yorkshire and as far as Banbury in Oxfordshire. After gaining managerial experience he had his own farms, first near Kirriemuir before he moved to Carmyllie, near Arbroath where he was at the forefront of taking advantage of a good roadside location to sell his produce. When he decided to give up his farm, he joined his brother Joe (LN 1959-64) and Joe’s wife Anne in establishing a garden nursery. Always active, he did not understand the meaning of retirement and was still working regularly at the time of his death. A significant part of his time at King’s was spent with his friends getting up to some sort of mischief. In later life mischief remained a notable characteristic but it was always goodhumoured and many customers of the nursery remarked that he was a true gentleman. OKS
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LIVES REMEMBERED
Mark Batchelor (GR 1955-61) Mark Batchelor died on 11 December 2020. With thanks to Jonathan Bennett at 42 Bedford Row Barristers, whose full tribute is on the 42 Bedford Row website.
Right Maureen Milner-Grundy Below: Mark Batchelor
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ark, known to us all as ‘Batch’, came from a legal family in that his father was in a City firm of solicitors. Unfortunately, his father did not remain on the scene and he was brought up by his mother. He had a twin sister Janet to whom he was very close, and particularly close to her two children. Mark read history at St Catherine’s College, Oxford and became a schoolmaster at Cheam School. He completed his Bar Finals via correspondence course. He was called to the Bar in 1971 and was still actively practising in 2020, nearly 50 years later. At first his practice was primarily criminal, but in his later years he specialised in family law. He was a great advocate: fearless, extremely persuasive, and with a lovely turn of phrase. There was a massive hinterland to his career. He was passionate about helping under-privileged young people gain access to open spaces, particularly to the river, and was very involved at the Westminster Boating Base. Many charity fund-raising parties there were enjoyed by a group of us from Chambers. We are extremely fortunate to have known Mark and to have had the benefit of his knowledge, wisdom, mischievous sense of humour, and to be fair, his eccentricities. He has been described by one member of Chambers as one of the last of the old school. OKS
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Maureen Milner-Grundy Mary Maureen Milner-Grundy (née Jarratt) died on 6 December 2021, aged 94. She was a member of the Legacy Club and we are grateful for her support. Her funeral service was held in the Cathedral on 23 February and this tribute includes extracts from the eulogy by John Briggs.
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orn in wimbledon, Maureen moved to Herne Bay in 1936 and to Canterbury in the 1950s. At an Edred Wright party, she met Maurice Milner (Common Room 1955-84) and they married in 1961 at St Dunstan’s Church. This was the start not only of a happy marriage, but of a long and valued association with King’s and Canterbury Cathedral. In the early 1980s she and Maurice moved to Whitstable. Some years after Maurice’s death, Maureen married Clifford Grundy, and after his death five years later she continued to live in Whitstable. Maureen enjoyed being an active King’s School wife and took great pleasure in entertaining the boys of the Fencing Club in the London Road, giving them a few moments of relaxed 39
LIVES REMEMBERED
home life away from the School Precincts. She was a mainstay of the fencing fraternity and a regular at the OKS King’s Week lunch. One of her proudest and happiest moments was being asked to open the Maurice Milner Hall in 1998. A new OKS Fencing Trophy is being named after her. Maureen was also passionate about the Cathedral and was much involved with the Friends of Canterbury Cathedral. She also helped with charity shops for Kent and Canterbury Hospital and Age UK. A very sociable lady who devoted so much of her considerable energy to others, she will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.
Nigel Hamilton QC
Somerset, where the family has lived for the last 52 years. Nigel bought the house because of the view it had of two of what he described as “once the finest trout lakes in the world”. Nigel became a QC in 1981, served on the Bar Council, and was elected a Governing Bencher of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in 1989. He served as a County Councillor for the Chew Valley and towards the end of his career he specialised in major criminal and complicated fraud cases and spent two years as an advocate solicitor and attorney on the Isle of Man. His sons describe Nigel as having “led a colourful and fruitful life” and the announcement of his death described him as ‘Fisherman and Queen’s Counsel’.
(Common Room 1963-65) Nigel John Mawdesley Hamilton died on 20 September 2021. He was a member of the Legacy Club and we are grateful for his support. This is an abbreviated version of the eulogy delivered by David, Baron Hunt of Wirral, and sent us by Nigel’s son William.
Michael Wetherilt
N
M
Nigel calmed down in good time to marry Leone and then went to teach at King’s, Canterbury from 1963 to 1965. He taught Classics and Economics, founded the REME Section in the CCF and helped with rowing. He also studied law and was called to the Bar in 1965. After the birth of Andrew in 1966 and then Will in 1969 Leone and Nigel moved to Compton Martin in
In 1976 they moved to the new Tradescant at St Augustine’s, serving there until 1988. In addition, Mike was variously involved with managing Gilbert and Sullivan operas, chess, bell-ringing, sailing, refereeing rugby matches and much more. He retired in 1994 and The Cantuarian published a full valedictory account of his career by Stephen Woodward.
igel was born in Ndola in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia. When his family returned to the UK in 1948, he went to Marsh Court School and then St Edward’s School in Oxford, where his father and uncle had been educated and where his sons William and Andrew followed. After two years of National Service in the Royal Engineers he read Classics at Queens’ College, Cambridge and returned to Teddies as a teacher. There he got into big trouble with the Warden for rolling a barrel of beer down the precious and highly polished Masters Common Room table during a late night revelry.
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(Common Room 1964-94) Michael Wetherilt was a member of the Legacy Club and we are grateful for his support. ike wetherilt, who died on Sunday 31 October at the age of 87, was the founding housemaster of both Plender and Tradescant Houses. Educated at Bryanston and Queen Mary College, London, he was teaching at Dover College when he saw the King’s production of The Yeomen of the Guard and decided that he would apply to the School. He arrived in 1964 to teach Biology – for his first 21 years alongside Ivor ‘Wilkie’ Wilkinson. He was housemaster of Plender, the waiting house on the London Road, from 1971 to 1976, with Prue as ‘caterer, matron and full-time housemaster’s wife’.
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LIVES REMEMBERED
Right: Mike Wetherilt
Among the tributes received are the following: Roger Crabtree (TR 1976-81): “I started at Plender and moved to the grandiose Tradescant House. Mr Wetherilt basically project managed our move and it went so smoothly it was like waking up and suddenly realising you didn’t need to jump out of bed quite so early to cycle down London Road to the Precincts. I wish I had told him I admired him at the time.” Haig Assadourian (TR 1976-80): “Dearest Michael, as you embark on this last great journey of your life, I think back to my time under your care and admire how you were able to guide all of us through often difficult times, but always with a wisdom and fairness which I have tried to incorporate into my later life. May you rest in peace.”
and had lost my father to war the year before. Canon Pilkington put me in the Fifth Form with PJD Allen and Chaucer’s General Prologue, and Mr Wetherilt took me under his wing. He encouraged me in my reading, helped me open my first savings account (“it’s pronounced Woolich, Gabriel”), convinced me to join the fifth XV, and made me Head of House in my last year. He put wit in everything he did, including showing his house monitors how to run a proper fire drill. (Dry wit.) He and Mrs Wetherilt called me and my brother Robert over to their house one happy day and put us on the phone with my mother as she gave us the announcement of her second marriage and our new life to come in the US. I am forever grateful for their kindness and patience, their enduring gift of support and good cheer; but perhaps most of all for the Queen’s English.”
Gabriel Haddad (TR 1977-79): “Mr Wetherilt was my housemaster at Tradescant from the year of my arrival at King’s in January 1977 – 45 years ago. I was “fresh off the boat” from Lebanon OKS
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in which he drove his friends to village pubs (scouted while playing cricket) with being a server at Cathedral communion who seriously considered ordination.
Left: Andrew Campbell welcoming the Princess Royal to the New Club
The CCF underlay Andrew’s first career. John Hildick-Smith wrote: “Without doubt, one of our best Commando NCOs. Very loyal, never perturbed and full of initiative.” After Edinburgh he was commissioned into the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. Quickly he came to admire and love his Jocks, and among them his skill at team-building blossomed. Belfast was the first of eight operational tours. In due course, as the Argylls’ Representative Colonel (“father figure”), he reported periodically to their Royal Colonel, the Queen.
Andrew Campbell (MO 1967-72) Colonel Andrew Campbell died on 28 September 2021, aged 67, from a rare, particularly pernicious form of leukaemia. His twin brother Nicholas, a contemporary in MO, writes:
I
n his last report on Andrew Campbell, his housemaster Paul Wenley described him as “one of the most interesting characters in the School”. As his wife Fiona confirmed, life with Andrew was never dull.
Intelligent enough to work sufficiently to ensure a place reading Divinity at Edinburgh University, where he met Fiona, it was Andrew’s activities outside the classroom that must have piqued Paul’s interest. At rugby The Cantuarian reported that he “provided weight and fire in the second row” of the 2nd XV. In 1972 he represented King’s in the Centenary Match against an International XV. A keen cricketer, he played for the Haymakers with masters and fellow pupils. Andrew combined brewing beer on the top floor of MO and keeping a car 42
In that role on his last day in uniform Andrew attended a service in Canterbury Cathedral, when the Argylls were granted the freedom of the city. This was 40 years after he had first donned a military uniform in the Mint Yard. In a piece he wrote for King’s, he reflected on those years and credited the School for instilling the discipline, spirit of teamwork and sense of moral responsibility that he regarded as essential for service life. Andrew’s second career was as Secretary of Edinburgh’s New Club, which he served with great distinction for twelve years. In Spring 2021, upon his retirement, Alexander McCall Smith wrote not only of his conviviality, but also of the breadth of his vision, and – when needed – both his firmness and his tact. He ended: “His humour, his good nature / His willingness to smile / Are as important as the Club’s foundations / The very ground on which it stands.” In all his endeavours Andrew was supported magnificently by Fiona and together they have raised three children who in different ways embody the values of both their parents, never shrinking from hard work but always promoting a zest for living. The sadness that such a life has been cut short is, and will remain, palpable. • A longer version of Andrew’s obituary, including stories about the strange way he met his future wife and Barack Obama, is online at oks.org.uk
DEATHS James Roxburgh Brett (WL 1939-43) on 25 October 2021 • Robert ‘Pod’ Swanson (TR 1989-94) in February 2022 OKS
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welcome back! A joyful week of music, drama, art & recreation Thursday 30 June ~ Wednesday 6 July 2022 www.kingsweek.co.uk
Sport
The Arrow Trophy 2021 a long-awaited victory for the OKS Every year in October, the Arrow Trophy, a sailing competition between alumni of independent schools, is contested. The OKS Sailing Club has entered the competition regularly, but never won. Until 2021.
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kipper mike miller selected a crew of wideranging talents and experience, and we met at Port Hamble Marina for a day of practice and assessment on Friday. The competition was split into two fleets, with the OKS taking over a Fairview 37’, D’Artagnan, and pitched against 14 other schools, including Oundle, St Swithun’s and Harrow. It quickly became evident where the key skills lay. Mike, as skipper, took the helm with a calm confidence built on his years of experience on the Clipper Races. Andy, now resident on the Isle of Wight, provided the inside knowledge of tides, marker buoys and winds. Chris, Dominic and Ollie were winchmen, responding to every shout of “Gust in 5”. Alfred on the bow and Henry on the sails brought balance up front, weighting up with Kate flitting nimbly across the cabin roof at every tack. Friday night in Cowes Yacht Haven was fuelled by a few Dark and Stormies and followed by an early start for the skippers’ briefing. With a forecast of 45mph winds and slashing rain, the race organisers cut back to two races on Saturday, with spinnakers packed away and two reefs mandatory. The first race gave us a slow start but soon we were powering past the other boats, with Mike’s expert guidance. Finishing in second place, we entered the next race in high spirits. After a brilliant start, we survived a very near miss with Roedean, and charged to first place in a Force 6 gale.
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We entered the Saturday dinner top of the Fairview fleet, meaning that Sunday’s race would be the decider. Initial confusion about the course and the location of the finish line added to the tension and we gradually closed the gap with Pangbourne ahead of us. With some hesitation, we claimed second place and after a long pause the RLYC website confirmed our longawaited victory – we had won (half of) the Arrow Trophy. Full crew: Mike Miller (MO 1982-87) Andrew Dean (LX 1973-78) Chris Born (LN 1965-69) Dominic Molyneux (SH 1978-83) Kate Chernyshov (SH 1984-86) Alfred Butrous (MR 1999-2004) Ollie Briggs (GL 2011-16) and Henry Cross (GL 2009-14)
• Any OKS who would like to join the OKS Sailing Club to repeat the victory, attempt the Round the Island Race, improve their skills or who would be interested in finding crewmates for weekend cruises are encouraged to join. Membership is only £25 per year. Please contact the OKS Office for more details. OKS
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Left, top: map reading on board the d’Artagnan Left, bottom: The OKS crew celebrating victory Right: Katie Cross
Pledgeball: Sport and Climate Change Katie Cross (née Redstone, BR 1997-2002) is the founder of Pledgeball. She delivered a talk about how the unifying power of football can promote positive climate action at COP26 in November 2021.
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port and climate change are intertwined. First, sport’s combined carbon footprint is significant: “The IOC has a carbon footprint close to that of Barbados; global football’s is even larger.” Second, the impact of climate change on sport is already being felt: “In 2019, the Rugby World Cup was disrupted by the smoke blowing in from the country’s devastating bushfires. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were forced to move long distance running events north of the capital as the city’s sweltering summer weather now makes them impossible to run.” (Playing Against the Clock, David Goldblatt). And lastly, sport is unparalleled in its potential to drive change.
To find out more about Pledgeball, contact Katie Cross: katie@pledgeball.org or visit pledgeball.com
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The third is where Pledgeball focuses. Pledgeball is a charity which mobilises the sports community, particularly the football community, to tackle climate change.
Tackling climate change requires collective behaviour change. However, the majority of us feel overwhelmed in the face of climate change, resulting in apathy and disengagement. Pledgeball addresses this. Pledgeball works in two ways. Professional Football: Pledgeball works with partners, from Bristol City and Birmingham County FA to the Football Supporters’ Association, to encourage fans to make sustainable lifestyle pledges in support of their clubs. Pledgeball is pioneering and impactful with huge potential implications: an average stadium of fans simply reducing their shower time to 5 minutes saves the same amount of emissions as taking over 2,000 cars off the road. Sports Community: Pledgeball offers a facility (Pledgeball events) by which anyone can have a listing on the website. This enables those associated with an event or club to make pledges together, making visible the collective impact of this community. Transformational change has indicators of success which sport possesses and Pledgeball exploits: the emotion, unity, positivity and, crucially, something that is part of individuals’ identity. Pledgeball has the potential to bring abut a societal movement that is essential in meeting our carbon emissions targets. 45
SPORT
Boat Club Dinner 2021
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n saturday 18 September, the King’s School and Pilgrims Boat Clubs took to St Augustine’s for an evening of celebration. It was the first OKS dinner event in two years. For many of the 2020 and 2021 leavers attending,
OKS Football Recruitment Harry Savill (GL 2008-13) invites new players to join the OKS Football team. “
I
would like to be a scholar in whatever I do, a scholar is never finished, he is always seeking, and I am always seeking.” – Ahmad Jamal
Esteemed American jazz pianist, composer and educator, Ahmad Jamal, may not have attended King’s, or even graced the carpeted, green mattress of Birley’s Sports Fields. However, it is safe to assume from those seminal words that he was a passionate, navy-blue-blooded supporter of the mighty Old King’s Scholars, stalwarts of Arthurian League Division 4. 46
it was the first time they had seen their crewmates since leaving King’s. For the 2021 crew that were unable to compete for one last time together, coach Jon Williamson surprised them with a boat dedicated to them.
Left: the 1991 VIII: standing (left to right): Max Williams (GL 1986-91), Robert Wallace (BR 198691), Bill Swanson (LN 1986-91), William Harris (BR 1986-91); and sitting: Tim Bagshaw (BR 1986-91), Tom Filby (MR 1986-91), Mr Stephen Graham, Nick Prince (MR 1987-92) and Sebastian DawsonBowling (MR 198792) Right: 2021 Leavers with their boat
The occasion was also a reunion for the crew that reached the Henley final in 1991. They paddled at Westbere and met for a crew photo at Lattergate.
Although the squad runs as deep as the club’s history – possibly the oldest old boys’ club in the world – we are constantly on the lookout for new players and encourage any and all talented OKS footballers to sign on. You may think your joints are too achy, or that age has robbed you of a yard of pace from your brittle, failing legs. But let me remind you of those lasting words from the OKS’s most reverent flagbearer – “a scholar is never finished”. Dust off those boots, sharpen those studs, drop James Morpeth (morpeth1@gmail. com) an email. Who are we looking for? Keen and able footballers with a zest for high-scoring hoofball. What are the details? Kickoffs range between 10am-2pm every Saturday (September - May). Most games take place in and around West and SouthWest London. £10 match fees, priceless fun.
Below left, top row (left to right): Harry Crosland, Freddy Clode, Harry Savill, Kit Wilson, Charlie Knox, Charlie Newman Middle row: Ollie Mann, James Morpeth, Julien Lestchiner De Wouters Bottom row: Will Knox, Sam Casement, Will Howard-Smith
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SPORT
Millie Knight wins Bronze
M
illie knight (MR 2012-17) picked up Great Britain’s first medal at the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing. Millie and her guide, Brett Wild, won Bronze in the Downhill event on 5 March 2022. After suffering multiple concussions over the last 12 months, Millie said: “This bronze is something very special. It ranks above our silver four years ago in Pyeongchang. We have gone through some tough things, and it has changed us. Crossing the line with a smile on my face was our number one goal. We genuinely didn’t believe we were at the level that would get us a medal, especially with the standard at the moment. I feel like I’m on cloud nine.”
Millie and Brett celebrating their bronze Photo: ParalympicsGB
OKS
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Spring 2022
In January, Millie won the super combined visually-impaired skiing title and won Bronze in the Super-G at the World Para Snow Sports Championships in Lillehammer.
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A Golden Age Nick Cain (SH 1970-75), chief writer for The Rugby Paper, celebrates a book about his allconquering predecessors.
I
n any sport in any era, when a champion team emerges due to the remarkable alchemy that makes it outperform not only all its opponents, but also the teams before and after that come from the same parish, it should be cherished. That is one reason why A Golden Age, The King’s Canterbury Rugby XV of 1963-64, a glossy 350 page publication celebrating the unbeaten side that represents the peak of an exceptional era for King’s sport, deserves the widest possible audience, whether OKS, or further afield.
Fairservice had an uncanny ability to instil confidence in his players and draw the best out of them through his encouragement and patience. However, as with all great teams, its achievements were the sum of all the individuals working in harmony.
Another reason is the book depicts a team that set a benchmark for future generations in terms of aspiration, standards and a camaraderie based on the joy of playing together. Those values are priceless, and they serve as a reminder in a time of hot-house rugby academies, where coaches sometimes extinguish the spark of self-expression, just how intrinsic enjoyment is to success. It is the story of the brilliant fifteen-a-side and sevens teams of 1963-64, captained by Seb Barker, a gifted inside-centre and goalkicker from a bohemian background who became a celebrated poet, and coached by Colin Fairservice, a former Kent and Middlesex cricketer with a love for flowing attacking rugby.
Above: 1963 1st XV informal photograph Below: A Golden Age front cover
Together they have produced a gem of a team biography.
The King’s golden boys beat all-comers, whether rival schools or the physically much bigger A teams of leading London clubs, and then scaled a further summit by winning the 1964 Rosslyn Park Sevens, the abbreviated game’s most prestigious schools’ tournament. They were so good that Geoff Dodds, for decades the tournament’s resident expert, always described them as the best school seven he had ever seen. The Times backed this up, declaring that they had “given the finest exhibition by an English school in the history of the tournament”.
The same can be said of this book. Lock John Norwood has been the driving force behind it, and he enlisted his surviving team-mates, or their surviving families, in providing their life stories as well as a wealth of photographs. Norwood says he is also indebted to Sir Michael ‘War Horse’ Morpurgo (1st XV 1961) for his foreword, to Michael Dover (1st XV 1966) for his publishing expertise, and to school archivist Peter Henderson for his research and editing skills.
How to buy Visit ko-fi.com/ agoldenage/shop or contact John Norwood norwood.johna @gmail.com
All I would add is that as an OKS who has made a living as a rugby writer since playing for the 1973 and 1974 1st XVs, my team-mates and I knew all about the exploits of the 1971 and 1974 Lions – and next to nothing about our illustrious King’s predecessors only a decade before. I am delighted that A Golden Age has changed that, and hope it proves an inspiration to future generations of King’s players, as well as those from the wider rugby family.
OKS MAGAZINE • № 9 • Spring 2022 OKS Magazine is published twice a year by The OKS Association, 1 Mint Yard, Canterbury, CT1 2EZ Printed in the UK on a PEFC paper stock
oks.org.uk