OKS Magazine - Spring 2020

DON JOHN TO THE THIN WHITE DUKE Andrea Prodan takes us on his cultural journey from Canterbury to Argentina NEW CHAIRMAN FOR PILGRIMS Benjamin Loxton-Edwards on funding, mentoring and membership

THE MAGAZINE OF THE OKS ASSOCIATION • № 5 • Spring 2020

PHILANTHROPY AND KING’S A new centre for scientific excellence and research at the heart of King’s

The Rainforester Jonathan Mbu (GL 2009-14) combines conservation on the ground in West Africa with his passion for wildlife photography

OKS MAGAZINE • № 5 • Spring 2020

From the Editor

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full 140 years separate the King’s School of the 1880s and the dynamic economies of East and South East Asia today, but Dominic Price’s article links the two worlds in his family history.

though if he were coming as a pupil through the School now he would find that Craft, Design and Technology have been provided for at King’s for more than thirty years.

Even if Somerset Maugham’s autobiographical novel Of Human Bondage may exaggerate in its description of King’s and the local benefices— “During the three centuries since its separation from the monastic order it had trained above all…Country clergymen, rectors in the diocese of Tercanbury (who) came to (King’s) with their minds made up already to be ordained”—there certainly is a gulf between that time and the way our contemporary parents see a living being earned.

Meanwhile, the business of the world—for the UK much of it financial business—goes on, and the Networking pages of our Magazine recently have displayed how hard the Association works at OKS becoming successfully employable. And it is from that world (DH Lawrence once called it “the deep dung of cash”) that can come the flowering of more exotic lives described in Nigeria, in Argentina and through the Magellan Strait.

Dominic’s employment by JP Morgan is properly late 20th century, as was his perception that Vietnam had become one of “the places to be”,

Stephen Woodley

From the OKS President

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very warm hello to all OKS, here, and around the world. An excellent turnout of 80+ for the Christmas drinks party at The Vintry in the City rounded off 2019 nicely.

There was also a well-attended October reunion in Covent Garden for the 2000-19 Leavers and there are several more social events planned for the rest of 2020. Our OKS Breakfast Networking programme is now well established and very successful in bringing OKS together in a business environment.

Cover: Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus) photographed in Buanchor forest, Afi mountain Photo: Jonathan Mbu

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The activity on our social media platforms continues to increase, with LinkedIn profiles growing from 1593 to 1817 in the last six months.

Many OKS attended the official opening in November of the stunning new Malthouse site (Theatre, Sports Hall and International College) and the pre-Christmas musical ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ which was a triumph. There are still

some unnamed seats available for sponsorship in the auditorium, for those of you who would like one of these to bear your name.

We continue to seek ways of making the best use of the OKS Network and its subsets for the benefit of our members and senior school pupils. Look out for news of a Women’s OKS event in London, to be announced shortly.

We have reluctantly postponed events as we all grapple with the Coronavirus outbreak. The OKS community will continue online and rest assured we will keep in-touch as we head through the next few weeks.

David Peters OKS

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In this issue From the Headmaster It was a pleasure welcoming a male, venerable and distinguished party of Walpole OKS on the 29th February for their Leap Year Reunion.

The female, youthful and talented members of Walpole delighted in showing off the new extensions (far too comfortable said some of the visitors), whilst emphasising that the spirit of Walpole remained in place. ‘Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose’ thought the Headman, although I am not sure if the old Walpolians would have immediately taken to Walpole’s modern role as ‘spreaders of the love’ on St. Valentine’s day – when every member of the School community receives a charity sponsored carnation with an amorous message attached.

4 News from King’s: Debating success and music makers.

The following weekend we put wooden boards where the stalls seats of the wonderful Malthouse theatre normally are and created a dramatic setting for the 90th anniversary of the Fencing Club. We hosted the GB and Hungarian Olympic teams and were able to showcase our own fencers under the direction of our excellent Professors – Jamie Miller, Marc Chapman OKS and Cameron Pye.

34 Unknown OKS: Mint Yard maker.

Three pairs reached the finals of the Oxford Union debating competition, then unfortunately cancelled. Under the skilful direction of Mike Cox, Alanna Fraser and Will Corbyn, all OKS, this important art is flourishing at King’s.

The good news from Westbere is that there are two boys’ eights and a girls’ eight training for the regatta season. Joe Phillips OKS has joined Jon Williamson’s coaching team. We are so grateful for the help the Pilgrims’ Scholarship will bring to School rowing.

Whether with epée, words, oar, or the development of character, the School is in very good heart!

Peter Roberts OKS

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5 OKS Overseas: Report on the Australian fires.

6 Events: Openings, reunions and Christmas fun.

9 Development News: A new centre for Science.

10, 16, 30 & 44 Features: An eclectic mix of OKS. 14 Networking: Socials and careers help needed.

20 OKS Update: News of OKS from around the world.

36 Lives Remembered: Obituaries.

46 Sport: Pilgrims news and OKS Golf.

We want to hear your news and so do your fellow OKS. Fill in the form on the address sheet or contact Elaine Lynch. telephone 01227 595672 email etl@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 Senior Editor is Stephen Woodley (Common Room 1969-98) and the Executive Editor is Elaine Lynch. They are assisted by Peter Henderson (School Archivist, Common Room 1969- ), Kate Chernyshov (SH 1984-86), Susan Tingle and Molly Burgess. Unless otherwise credited, photographs are by Matt McArdle or from school archives.

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News from King’s

PUBLIC BENEFIT The magnificent Sounding Out scheme is now under way. Sixteen children from Canterbury primary schools come to King’s on Saturday mornings to learn the violin or the trumpet and have an hour of general musicianship called ‘Saturday Jam’. This is just one of 127 entries in the School’s public benefit return for the Autumn Term. Many activities, such as the well-established Minilympics (a day of sport on Birley’s) and Saturday Smarties (science classes) are under the auspices of the School’s Partnerships programme. Pupil volunteers play an important role with well over 1000 hours working in charity shops, in primary schools or at the Pilgrims Hospice, running a chess club or cooking meals. Charities to benefit include Lily’s Social Kitchen (in Palace Street), Porchlight (for Kent’s homeless and vulnerable), The Rainforest Foundation and the Canterbury Archaeological Trust. See: kings-partnerships.co.uk

DEBATING The tradition of debating at King’s is an ancient one. Lenten disputations, with laurel wreaths for the victors, were a feature of the Headmastership of George Lovejoy (1665-84) and minutes of the ‘renewed’ KSC Debating Society survive from 1869-70. This year’s team, run by three OKS members of staff Mike Cox (TR 1998-2000), Alanna Fraser (LX 1991-96) 4

and Will Corbyn (GL 2012-14), has been notably successful. In December the senior pair of Fraser McConachie and Captain of School Ben Helme won the prestigious LSE Schools Debating Competition, with Fraser coming third and Ben sixth out of 196 speakers in the individual competition.

In January at the SOAS Competition Isabel Breslin and Eoin Pickstone reached the open final, competing against two Eton teams and the eventual winners from St Paul’s Girls’ School, and two new 6bs, Hannah Edwards and Alex McGovern, reached the novice final (for those in their first year of competitive debating), narrowly losing out to an Eton team.

IN MEMORIAM The Remembrance Sunday service marked the 80th anniversary of the start of the Second World War. The names of the 127 OKS, a Junior School master and a groundsman, killed in the War, were read out. In addition, the readings included extracts from the letters home of John Goudge (SH 1935-40) in the autumn of 1939: “All the windows in every house which are not absolutely essential have been painted silver and all the rest have to be blacked out with black cloth… All monitors in company with masters have to patrol the school in four-hour shifts between 10pm and 6am…”

Main photo: Sounding Out Inset: Fraser McConachie (left) and Ben Helme

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Will Bruce (MT 2000-05), our Overseas Rep. for Australia, writes on digitising farming and reaching out a helping hand to bushfire victims.

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oming up to two years ago I joined the ‘AgTech’ community out of Sydney working for AgriWebb, a start-up that had not long ago been born out of our now CEO’s garage in Melbourne. We now proudly support over 3,500 farmers across Australia, with hundreds joining every month around the world following our UK launch in late 2019 and our move into the US later this year.

As the least digitised vertical within the least digitised industry on the planet, sheep and cattle farmers have been expected to support an evergrowing global population with pen and paper and the odd Excel spreadsheet. Combined with a lack of mobile connectivity (whether in the Welsh hills or the Australian Outback) it is no wonder that there is a lack of visibility into an industry that is facing an ever increasing amount of scrutiny in 2020 and beyond.

Following two years of industry-inhibiting drought across Australia, the scale and intensity of which is hard to imagine until you are onfarm with communities that have been left with empty public swimming pools, showering in local schools, and livelihoods on the brink, came the recent bushfires. While Australians have been shocked by the scale of destruction, the true OKS

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horror awaits farmers on their return home and during the clean-up process. Buildings and fences are gone, crops are lost and livestock perish.

Combine farming communities experiencing severe drought with ‘nothing left to burn’ and those that have lost everything in devastating bushfires and the cosy start-up office environment of Surry Hills with infamous Australian coffee and morning surfs on Bondi Beach is contextualised. Fast.

By 8 January we had 167 AgriWebb users with farms under threat of fire, 409,000 animals at risk, and more than 200,000 hectares (half the size of Kent) had been burnt out. With no Shane Warne ‘baggy greens’ or indeed spare cash-flow to donate, it was time to roll our sleeves up. As a team, we launched the AgriWebb Helping Hand project, using our community of thousands to

OKS Overseas

Technology in Agriculture – a need like no other

help farmers help each other. The results and stories were incredible – evidence of an industry that stops at nothing to help those around them. From fence repairs and hay provisions for livestock to last minute sharing of sheep shearing expertise, it was a privilege to do what we could to match those in need with those that wanted to help others.

Following the rains in February that brought communities an unbelievable sense of relief across Australia, start-up life in Sydney continues apace in an industry we are desperate to support; providing a level of digital service that arguably is needed more in the agricultural industry than anywhere else.

Above: Bush Fire images taken across farms in Australia Photos: AgriWebb

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Events

The Grand Opening of the Malthouse 2019 Kate Chernyshov (née Kelly) (SH 1984-86) reports on a new chapter of King’s history with the Grand Opening of the Malthouse site and the Malthouse Theatre on Saturday 16 November 2019.

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he four-acre site, incorporating the Theatre, the new Sports Hall and the International College, was formally opened by the High Sheriff of Kent, Paul Barrett MBE, who, as brother and parent of OKS and the previous owner of the site, gave a very personal speech resonant with childhood memories.

Standing in front of the distinctive façade of the new International College, designed by architects Walters and Cohen, the High Sheriff thanked the Dean, the Headmaster and Bursar and a vast team who enabled the School’s vision to be realised.

Following the High Sheriff’s speech, the party moved to the Malthouse Theatre where 350 guests watched a showcase of song and dance from pupils of all ages from King’s, JKS and the IC, with a final tableau in uniforms and kit for a variety of activities, representing the breadth of talent among top performers across the schools.

The uniformed ranks formed a suitable backdrop as the star of the show, Joanna Lumley, moved to centre stage to give a characteristically witty and engaging speech reminding the audience of the power and impact of theatre. “At some stage you have to know that performance gives courage, it gives you centredness. When you’re anxious beyond measure, you step into another character who isn’t anxious. You become stronger by pretending to be good at stuff, which is acting.

You become good at stuff.”

Unveiling a plaque which featured a quotation from Christopher Marlowe’s Dido, Queen of Carthage, Miss Lumley declaimed the words of Venus: “Now is the time for me to play my part”.

transfixed. The dancers gave a compelling and timely reminder of the beauty and power in the art of dance.

The last words are left to the inspirational Miss Lumley: “So if you’re not going to perform on stage, or in the orchestra pit or as a writer, for goodness sake, get out there and watch, attend things, motivate, subsidise things, back things and appear at things, make your children do things. Be brave, do charades, do it, do it, do it.

Because funnily enough, life isn’t a rehearsal. It isn’t a rehearsal.”

HISTORY OF THE MALTHOUSE 1898 The Malthouse was built for Mackeson’s, the brewers of Hythe. It was deliberately next to the railway and had its own siding. Malting involved turning barley into malt – the whole process started at the top floor and each successive stage was carried out on a lower level.

1929 Mackeson’s is taken over by Whitbread.

1950s Whitbread send half of the malt to their Chiswell Street Brewery in London.

1966 the Malthouse shuts and Barrett’s the local car sales firm buys the building.

2012 the School acquires the Malthouse and 2013 the undeveloped upper floor is first used by the Drama Department for performances of Cyrano de Bergerac.

2014 King’s Week sees the Shell play Arabian Nights take place at the site.

2019 the building has now been converted by Tim Ronalds Architects to incorporate drama and dance studios and teaching rooms as well as the Theatre.

The finale was provided by a pas de deux from the Royal Ballet, who held the audience 6

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EVENTS

October Reunion Covent Garden Catch-up The OKS team welcome new OKS to their first event following the Leavers’ Ball.

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KS Leavers’ 2000-19 gathered in The Hide on Thursday 10 October for drinks and dancing. The Hide is a private room at Sway in Covent Garden, London. A really central location and a popular choice as we welcomed over 80 OKS for a good old catch-up over drinks and pizza.

There was a strong showing from the ‘new’ OKS – those who had left in 2019. We hope it will be the first of many events they attend over the years. OKS dropped in straight from work and study to enjoy the wine and beer on offer and the bravest among them ventured into the club for a shimmy on the dancefloor.

A good litmus test of any event is that the guests are still there after the organisers have put on their coats for the last train home!

Elaine Lynch OKS Development Coordinator

Opposite page, inset: Joanna Lumley at the Malthouse Theatre This page: OKS enjoy the private cellar bar in Sway, Covent Garden

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EVENTS

OKS Christmas Drinks 2019 Pam Dath (Hon OKS & JKS Staff 2001-19) along with several former HSMs enjoyed their first experience of the OKS Christmas Drinks where the conversation flowed as freely as the wine.

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n Thursday 28 November the OKS held its annual Christmas Drinks party at The Vintry in the City of London. This increasingly popular event was attended by over 100 guests who were able to catch up with old school friends and former housemasters including Peter Boorman, Andrew Dobbin, Nick Phillis and Marc Dath.

A delicious selection of tempting canapÊs plus a generous supply of wine and beer enabled the conversation to flow freely. There was much laughter at shared reminiscences and in house tales (some true, some apocryphal!) from generations of leavers – those who had left the school in 1959 (Tony Budgen and Philip Mansergh) as well as those still at university (Ray Chan). Recently graduated OKS were able to seek career advice from experienced and well established professionals in a range of fields.

The leavers of 2014 and 2015 were particularly well represented and for many this was their first attendance at such an event, but hopefully not their last.

As is unfortunately often the case, a few were, at the last minute, prevented from attending and were hence sorely missed by those hoping to meet up with them: one more reason to attend the next one. This extremely well organised event was a highly enjoyable way to begin the Christmas season and we hope to see an even greater turnout in 2020.

Photos: OKS getting into the Christmas spirit

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People will look back at the second and third decade of the 21st Century as a pivotal period for King’s, with 20 years of landmark developments supported by the most ambitious fundraising King’s has ever taken on.

James Underhill King’s Development Consultant

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hilanthropy has long been important to King’s; never more so than now. Anyone who attended the opening or has been to a show at the Malthouse could not have failed to be swept away by the sense of a huge mission accomplished.

But the Malthouse is simply the most obvious recent ‘win’ for philanthropy, and other less highprofile ‘wins’ warrant attention. For instance, there are the astroturf pitch and new Music School for JKS, completed in 2013 and 2016 respectively, and made possible thanks to donations.

And alongside new facilities, donations and legacies are enabling the school to be increasingly generous with the number of ‘life-changing’ bursaries it can offer to talented and financially deserving candidates. The fact that over 20 pupils at King’s now benefit from a bursary of 80% of fees or more is in large measure down to the generosity of donors and legators.

But we want to widen access further, which is why our soon-to-be-relaunched campaign will include a major thrust on bursaries (target to be announced soon).

As far as buildings are concerned, the next focus of our campaign will be to raise funds OKS

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towards the development of our new science facilities in the Mint Yard. An important aim of the multi-phase scheme is to co-locate the scientific disciplines, enabling King’s to nurture and develop the links between the sciences.

More than ever before, the School will be able to provide the right environment for pupils to experience real science, to share the satisfaction of research, the thrill of experimentation, and to hone their independent study skills.

Development News

And Next…

This is a complicated and ambitious scheme – made more so by the demands of managing a 21st century construction project within such a historic setting. But thanks in large part to support from wonderfully generous parents, friends and alumni, we have completed the first phase, transforming a number of our Chemistry and Biology labs, and have begun building what will become a beacon for educational inspiration and a striking new addition to the Precincts.

Left: The Old – the Chemistry Lecture Room in 1936 Right: The New – one of the proposed labs in the new Physics building

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OKS FEATURE

Musical Journey Actor and musician Andrea Prodan (SH 1975-80) takes us on a journey through his cultural influences

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he Dark Entry that linked The King’s School with the Cathedral evokes Harry Potter-like memories of my years at King’s. I came to the School from a small, but cheerful, preparatory school in Sussex and was probably accepted due to a record of Sacred Music I had sung on as Head Chorister at Brambletye. The architectural beauty of King’s was what struck me on arrival. Generous lawns, buildings and… the Cathedral. I was born in the centre of Rome, but this beauty was purely British, and its calm majesty appealed to my aesthetic sense.

My first few terms as a chorister under Edred Wright’s guidance were enchanting, but once my voice ‘broke’ I felt little drive to continue. Instead I became a ‘listener’. Of punk rock. The year was 1977, and I was the only fan of punk in School House. Who would have thought that nearly 40 years later I’d still be ‘at it’ with my own (post) punk outfit! King’s gave me Mozart, Mendelssohn and Tallis, but it also gave me The Clash, The Damned, and The Buzzcocks. My girfriend at the 10

time was a huge fan of Bowie. I remember sitting on a large sofa in Meister Omers, and listening to ‘Sons of the Silent Age’ in her arms.

I now live between the mountain region of Córdoba and Buenos Aires. The former nurtures my privacy and family. The latter permits my showmanship and more cosmopolitan endeavours.

My life has been a cocktail of strange coincidences

Bowie is ever-present, thanks to my energetic celebration of his art and thinking; a project with highly talented, passionate local musicians and ‘fans’ called ‘Bowie ReMembered’. Through it we explore the musical cornucopia of our favourite Brixton lad, the late David Jones. I am the only singer for now, or nearly, but ‘Hey!’ someone had to kick off the adventure, and it’s a thrill! I have never favoured ‘tribute’ bands, so thank God I’ve got my own band, ROMAPAGANA, whose style and message act as a great foil to Bowie’s more glamorous world. We have played all over Argentina, and have ventured to neighbouring states, and to Europe. I think my relationship with the stage and audience was nurtured and OKS

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OKS FEATURE

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grew at King’s. My first play was The Royal Pardon, set outdoors in the enchanting WaterTower Gardens, next to the Cathedral. I played The Clown. Then I was cast as Don John in Much Ado about Nothing, as Cardinal Ragna in Hadrian VII, and as Ferdinand in The Duchess of Malfi. Evil Fun. Oh yes, and as Emperor Nero in Light Shadows. How intense! Being directed by the likes of Andrew Dobbin was a treat. Not only were he and Mr Woodley two outstanding English teachers, they both fortified my faith in Language and The Stage as of paramount importance in society and in the Individual.

My elder brother Luca was also born in Rome. He was educated at Gordonstoun, in Scotland. A rebel during his school years, and beyond, he ended up living in Argentina after years on the Rock scene in London. Fate has it that he is currently Argentina’s greatest rock hero, thanks to his band SUMO, and is firmly anchored in the memory of his fans despite his untimely death in 1987.

So what am I doing in Argentina? Italian 12

Previous page and above: Andrea in Bowie ReMembered Photo: Gino Mantovani @ Fotografia Inset: Much Ado About Nothing (King’s Week 1980): Andrea Prodan as Don John with Sarah Cranfield as Hero

immigrants stopped coming here over 70 years ago! My many years as an actor in films dragged me all over the planet. I started hating hotels and make-up! I returned to music and I decided to make a record entirely with my voice. Track upon (analog) track of trumpets, violins, drums, guitars. And, of course vocals, all recorded in Argentina, eight years after my brother’s death there. In 1995 I gave birth to VIVA VOCE, my one-man vocal extravaganza. The record became one of Peter Gabriel’s favourite records that year. He wrote to me in person (one of my life’s highlights). That little record was my chance to be re-born and I haven’t left music since.

Thank you, King’s for shepherding me through the confusion of adolescence. I wish to thank the masters who were far more than mere schoolmasters. I thank the Precincts, whose magical architecture gave me so much inspiration on my midnight walks in and around the school. The mystery of The Dark Entry remains intact. We know there is light along its way. Who knows what it will reveal at its end.

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OKS Gift Collection

CUFFLINKS King’s School cufflinks in the style of the school crest.

OKS cufflinks are burgundy with a dark blue and silver stripe. Both sets of cufflinks are enamel and come in presentation boxes. £28.00

OKS BADGE The OKS enamel badge is proudly made in Britain by Royal Warrant holders Toye, Kenning & Spencer. This beautifully enamelled badge sits securely on suits or dresses with a double magnet. In the OKS colours of navy blue and burgundy.

A Legacy Club badge is also available.

Presented in a gift box. £17.00

KING’S SCHOOL MUG A china mug for tea or coffee drinkers.

Every OKS home should have one. £13.00

OKS TIES The OKS silk tie comes in burgundy with a navy and silver stripe. The OKS University silk ties come in Oxford and Cambridge colours. We also have an OKS bow tie available. £30.50 (OKS) £27.00 (Oxford and Cambridge) £27.50 (Bow Tie)

KING’S SCHOOL TEDDY BEAR Soft, cuddly and clothed in his very own King’s School jumper. The bear is looking for a home. We’ll leave the name up to you! £17.00

You can order these items on the King’s School Box Office kings-school.co.uk/boxoffice or alternatively please contact the King’s School Shop on 01227 595551.

All items include UK postage. To order items when living outside the UK please contact the School Shop.

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OKS Network A Show is Born Former Captain of School Mabel Pickering (MR 2014-19) and Vice-Captain Harry TrelawnyVernon (LN 2014-19) tell us about their bid to become the most listened to radio show on STAR.

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e first met in 2014 and have subsequently tried and failed to escape from one another.

We are both now studying History in St Andrews and not only do we gallivant to History lectures together, but we also host a radio show every Friday at midnight. Before we dive in to all things radio, we will provide a quick summary in regard to our new lives up north. Harry is now a gnarly surfer and the manager of St Regulus’ Halls Football Club (an undefeated team owing to their inspirational leader). Meanwhile, Mabel is a key member of the Lumsden Club and is currently in the midst of directing a short film that will undoubtedly go on to be critically acclaimed.

Now, let’s talk radio. The origins of our radio show began as Freshers’ Week was drawing to a close and we were sitting together in an Ancient History lecture on the origins of Sparta. Mabel was keen to get onto the St Andrews radio network STAR and easily persuaded Harry to be her co-host with her irresistible charm. With that, our show was born. After presenting our show concept to the committee, we were trained in the art of radio

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and are now fully-fledged DJs. Then, days of fierce debate in regard to the name ensued. After countless suggestions, we settled on 6-0-Fun. A very clever, perhaps genius, pun that you can thank Harry for. The name may sound rather peculiar to someone whom is not a resident of St Andrews’ cobbled streets, but it derives from the Student Union’s infamous Club. We then adopted a theme-tune, a regimented intro and outro, and began to plan the structure of each show.

6-0-Fun has ended up being quite the eclectic show. Classic rock ballads are showcased in a segment known as ‘Harry’s Hardcore Hits’, meanwhile sombre, tear-jerking melodies are heard within ‘Mabel’s Mellow Moment’.

Renowned favourites on 6-0-Fun are the numerous different games we play live on air.

The studio boasts four microphones, and so guest stars are a weekly occurrence and one particular guest star provided us with our highest-ever listener count. This was when we invited a Brisbane local and some ‘Men at Work’ to guest star and take us ‘Down Under’ in an Australian-themed episode. We reached a recordbreaking 73 listeners.

We can both proudly say that we are STAR’s second-most listened to show, and we can only plead to fellow OKS to tune in at 7pm every Friday to help us reach that number one spot next semester.

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OKS NETWORK

Left: Mabel and Harry

Help Mabel and Harry become the most listened to show on STAR, follow them on Instagram @60fun Twitter @standrewsradio or listen live at standrewsradio.com/ shows/6-0-fun

University reunions

Our Durham University Rep. Tia Curtis (WL 2013-18) organised a reunion of OKS studying at Durham on 5 November 2019 at The Three Bridges pub in Durham.

University Rep. Camilla Roberts (LX 2012-17) organised the Edinburgh reunion on 6 November 2019 at the Little White Pig pub.

London rep Alex Choi (TR 2014-19) organised a reunion on 7 November 2019 for all those OKS studying at London Universities including King’s College London, London School of Economics and Imperial College London.

The 2648 Bar in Cambridge was the setting for the OKS reunion organised by Cambridge University Rep. Elizabeth Guild (HH 2013-2018) on 23 January 2020.

ARE YOU AN OKS AT UNIVERSITY? WE’RE LOOKING FOR your help in talking to 6bs about their burning questions regarding University. The next 6b Careers Day will take place on Friday 19 June 2020. We warmly invite all OKS who are currently at university to join us and support current 6b’s. We are looking for OKS to sit on our panel and answer a range of questions. From the ‘jump’ to university level to maintaining a work-life balance, you will be sharing your experience and tips to current pupils. There will also be

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an opportunity to give one-to-one advice to pupils at the milk-round session at The Malthouse. The day will end with a free not-to-be missed BBQ at Birley’s!

If you are interested in being involved, please contact the OKS Coordinator oks@kings-school.co.uk • Look out for future breakfast networking events on media and creative arts, marketing and advertising.

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OKS FEATURE

A banker by accident, a shoemaker by inclination Dominic Price (GR, BR 1973-78) explains the return to his early interest in art and design after a career in bond trading

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t was 1973 when I arrived at The Grange to follow in the footsteps of several generations of my family. My great grandfather, William Price, began the connection with King’s in 1884, fresh from his graduation at Trinity College Dublin.

He is believed to be the young master Rice, “who had only taken his degree the year before”, mentioned by Somerset Maugham in his novel Of Human Bondage. William, who was born in Bombay in 1853, went on to teach at King’s for over forty years and his sons and nephews, grandsons and greatgrandsons, including my brother Quintin (GR 1974-79), were all educated at King’s.

After an inauspicious academic career, which peaked in my first year, I decided to follow my father into banking, straight from school. My interests in art and design were not encouraged, as they were not considered to be what constituted a sensible occupation. I therefore pursued my creativity in my spare time. Trips in my early twenties to a London shoe fair and

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to shoe factories in Northampton led to the production of my first designs. Frustrated by insufficient capital and unreliable delivery, I decided to pursue a bond trading career, hoping to generate the means to return to my passion for shoes later in life.

Vietnam is a young, exciting, vibrant economy

An aptitude for numbers led to an opportunity to work for CSFB, one of the leading bond trading houses of the 1980s. Eight years into my new career as a bond trader, after honeymooning in Asia, I was offered a job in Singapore, where I live today. My wife Aloise and I leapt at the opportunity to head east and have lived in Asia ever since. Employment by JPMorgan, initially in England and subsequently in Singapore, India and Vietnam, enabled me to work in several of the countries in Asia in which I had lived as a child. However, it was the inclination to revisit my birthplace of Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, in 2008 that led to the rekindling of my passion for shoemaking.

Having volunteered to move with JPMorgan from OKS

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Mumbai where I had set up their first whollyowned operation in India in 1988, my wife and three children, Halcyon, Horatio and Ottilie, left India for Vietnam at the end of 2007. A chance meeting with an old Saigon cobbler named Ngoc led me to dust off my early shoe sketches. Ngoc, a French-trained artisan, who was almost eighty when I first met him, helped make my designs, initially for me and then for close friends too. This led to the birth of a shoemaking business once I retired from full-time employment after twenty-five years with JPMorgan at the end of 2012.

Together with a fellow Englishman and a brilliant young Vietnamese, I founded a brand called Dominique Saint Paul, named after the Clinique Saint Paul in Saigon, where I was born. Adopting the French gender-neutral spelling of my name allowed the brand to make shoes and leather goods for all genders. One of my co-founders had worked in the shoe industry for many years, and our Vietnamese partner provided the ingenuity and creativity needed to OKS

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Above: The showroom in Ho Chi Minh City Below: Leather shoes in bespoke colours

set up a new shoes and leather goods brand in Vietnam. Dominique Saint Paul has evolved into an authentic Vietnamese fusion brand.

Our shoes and leather goods are made from highquality European leather, over many painstaking hours of handwork. We begin with crust leather, supplied from the tannery in its raw form, unclouded and unfinished. Traditional Italian processes are used to create either a solid colour or a hand dip-dye process or tone and patina by applying layers of one or more colours by hand.

A similar process is followed to apply colour to the soles, heels and edges. Our leather goods are treated the same way, to provide identical or contrasting colours. Our customers routinely present us with the challenge to create their own individual colour. The turquoise lining of our products is an homage to my late mother.

The contrast of creativity in a manufacturing business was a welcome attraction after over 17

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thirty years in finance. While I continued as a senior advisor in the investment banking space and sat on the board of a leading Vietnamese conglomerate, the appeal of producing a highquality product that one could see, touch and wear was too tempting. The stereotypical view that quality manufacturing is confined to the West has been outdated by the emergence of the powerful new economies of Asia. To experience first-hand the industry and confidence of the Vietnamese is a particular pleasure. For a country that suffered so appallingly at the hands of Western invaders, it is remarkable that the Vietnamese bear few if any grudges and are focused almost entirely on their future success.

The strong work ethic of the Vietnamese, combined with a strong sense of identity, sets them apart from many other countries. Their desire to be themselves rather than imitate others elevates their enterprise.

This sense of identity and industry underpins a manufacturing platform in Vietnam which I believe will enable it to match if not exceed that found in the more entitled and less hungry, earlier-industrialised countries of Europe.

Vietnam is a young, exciting, vibrant economy that has a bright future for its fast-approaching 100 million population and is well worth experiencing first-hand.

If you find yourself in Vietnam, please spare the time to pop into Dominque Saint Paul at 29 Dong Du, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City where our friendly staff will take care of you and offer a special King’s alumni discount.

I also run a consulting business based in Singapore, www.halracott.com assisting clients working in Asia or wishing to work with Asian partners. We have an online shop at dominiquesaintpaul.com and we’re on Instagram and Facebook.

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Opposite page, top: the business has expanded to incorporate handcrafted bags

The Price Family at King’s

Opposite page, bottom: Luan Trinh, a Vietnamese artisan who runs the manufacturing side of the business Below: the Price family (L-R) Aloise, Ottilie, Horatio, Dominic and Halcyon Photos: Dominique Saint Paul Saigon

The masters in 1886, including WG Price

WG Price in 1913

great grandfather: William George Price (Common Room 1884-1926) • grandfather: William John Salter Price (KSC 1899-1909) • great uncles: Robert William Haines Moline (KSC 1903-09) Archbishop of Perth, Australia and Edward Haines Moline (KSC 1904-10) • father: Robert Edward Salter Price (GR 1934-37) • uncles: John George Moline Price (GR 1935-39) Hugh Richard Nevill Price (GR 1936-40) William Salter Price (GR 1938-41) • cousin: David Robert Salter Price (GR 1965-70) • brother: Quintin Rupert Salter Price (GR 1974-79)

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OKS Update

1950s

Walpolians gathered for the Walpole Leap Year Reunion on 29 February 2020. Edward Stanley (WL 1952-57) started the tradition of meeting every Leap Year. On 29 February 1956, he sent invitations to a gathering at the Savoy on 29 February 1984. A group of 20 made it for drinks at the American Bar and Walpolians have been meeting every Leap Year since. This year’s guests had a tour of Walpole House followed by lunch in the Gateway Chamber.

Richard Halsey (GL 1956-62) muses on the good fortune he had in being taught the piano

by Ronald Smith: “I must have been one of his earliest pupils at King’s, (though) he was at first nervous about taking me on as I was already reasonably established as an organist, and he was worried about a clash of techniques. That I won two first prizes at the Kent Music Competition I attribute entirely to his inspiration and his brilliance as a teacher.” Ronald Smith (Richard observes) was the English champion of the piano compositions of Charles-Valentin Alkan (d.1888), and his initiative has more recently been “taken up by a handful of pianists of phenomenal technique” (including Stephen Hough) who can perform Alkan: “Always uncanny, entirely himself, Alkan defies the constraints of keys and fingers” (Norman Lebrecht, The Spectator, 9.11.19). Ronald Smith taught Freddy Kempf in Canterbury more recently, and King’s pupils before that.

Nicholas Redman (GL 1957-62) is heading up a small team that re-launched the Hugh Walpole 20

Society in January this year.

Its goal is to bring the work of this neglected author who enjoyed enormous popularity in the 1920s and 1930s back into the limelight, and to get people reading and enjoying his work once more. There will be a twice-yearly Journal and a Conference in the autumn. Hugh Walpole was at King’s 1896-98, Walpole House (1935) was named in his honour, and the fine Walpole Collection of books and manuscripts was bequeathed by him to the School. For more information see www.hughwalpole.org Peter Stone (WL 1959-64) felt privileged to be present at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club for a very unusual and imaginative event on 24 November.

Harry Christophers (MR 1967-72) and his choral group The Sixteen marked their fortieth anniversary by a joint centenary celebration with the sixty years of the hosts’ Classical Kicks.

“It was an absolutely wonderful concert.” The music ranged from Purcell and Tallis to James MacMillan, from Argentine tango to a hoe-down from the Deep South, from Mexico to musicals, from Oscar Petersen to Jacques Loussier’s arrangement of Bach. Among The Sixteen’s singers was Mark Dobell (GL 1985-90), and “Harry himself sang for (he said) the first time”.

1960s Nicholas Browne (LX 1961-66), who writes as Nicholas Best, has returned to the Cathedral Precincts for his latest book Bell Harry, which is subtitled A Canterbury Novel. The framing story concerns three American soldiers who find themselves here in the aftermath of the 1942 bombing. Their discovery takes us back to Becket. The core of the book is then a series of tales about other visitors to the OKS

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city, including Geoffrey Chaucer and Christopher Marlowe, several monarchs, Mozart, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Even those familiar with the history of Canterbury will find much to entertain them. The book is available via Amazon or nicholasbest.co.uk Philip King (LN 1961-65) retired to the Welsh border town of Presteigne from a career in IT ten years ago. Three voluntary activities keep Phil active. He took up soaring as a sport after Paul Wenley, who ran the RAF section of the CCF and was housemaster at MO, enabled him to learn to fly gliders by driving him to RAF Manston each weekend. Phil went on to train as a gliding instructor at Cambridge and continued instructing until now. He has been a Chief Flying Instructor, chaired a national safety committee, won several competitions and still helps run his local club. When he isn’t gliding he leads walks for a rambling group and spends time every week answering calls to Samaritans. Phil says: “Canon Shirley was still headmaster in my first year at King’s. A couple of things he said shaped my later life. I remember him urging us to make up our minds whether or not we believed in God instead of sitting on the fence as an agnostic. It took me a while to make up my mind but eventually I plumped for atheism – probably not the result he was hoping for! He also encouraged us to get involved by joining in – that’s probably why I’ve usually said yes when asked to volunteer.”

Mike King (LX 1961-65), who writes as Michael Bruce, has published his Ghost Stories for Adults as Kindle ebook from Watervole Publishing.

Chris Lee (LN 1962-66) emailed to say “I’ve just been reading James Belgrave’s excellent article about his work with WFP in the OKS Magazine Spring 2019 edition. It’s great to see an article about humanitarian work, and excellent that you gave it such good profile. It’s been a bit of OKS

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a disappointment to me that more OKS haven’t pursued careers in similar areas, or at least they are not often reported in the OKS Magazine.

After a career in civil engineering and project management, then 8 years as a charter pilot in Australia, I have been involved in humanitarian work part-time. I’d like to support what James said and, if you think it might interest other OKS, contribute a short article on the value and challenge of this work.

Images, clockwise from top left: Walpolians and guests. Get in touch if you would like to see a larger image Hugh Walpole Society Conference poster Chris Lee Philip King Bell Harry front cover

My own experience has been with WFP’s Humanitarian Air Service in Somalia, Oxfam as logistics manager distributing food aid for WFP in Laos, with UNHCR as camp logistics officer at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, with the British civil-military task force during Ebola in Sierra Leone as humanitarian officer, and with MSF as an engineer / logistician at a children’s hospital in Liberia and supporting detainees at two migrant detention centres in Libya. All of these were only short missions of 3-6 months’ duration, but do cover many aspects of the issues James described”.

Oz Clark (MO 1962-67) was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list for services to broadcasting and journalism.

Nigel Press (WL 1962-67) gave a talk about MapAction on 10 February to Geography students at King’s in a meeting of the Blaxland Society. He has been involved with this UK Charity since its inception and has served as 21

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Left: Nigel Press.

Top right : 1969 Remembered Standing L to R: Nick Hadfield, Andrew Woolmer, Mark Greaves, Adam Barker, Clive Rowntree, Peter Freedman Seated: Eric Watkins, Philip Shorrock, Neil Addison

Trustee and latterly Chairman for the last 12 years.

Below right: The First XII in 1973

“In the chaos of a sudden natural disaster, lives are lost, livelihoods are destroyed and people displaced and put at further risk. The rapid provision of maps showing what is happening on the spot – where are the casualties, medical facilities, priorities for food, shelter and other essentials – is vital. Presenting complex information in map form enables responders to resolve the chaos and pull the right aid to the right place to save lives, minimise suffering and reduce longer term impacts. MapAction achieve this by getting a small team from their highly trained pool of volunteers on the ground immediately after an earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, eruption or similar event. After a 40 year career as an exploration geologist, building a business in satellite mapping by commercialising my postgraduate research (long before ‘tech start-ups’ became fashionable!), enabled me to support MapAction in its early days and provide some of the first volunteers from my staff. Having sold the business, it’s been both rewarding and appropriate to apply the experience and technology developed for the benefit of others through the humanitarian relief sector.”

Standing L to R: Patricia AinleyWalker, Clare Barker, Tamsin Powles, Fiona Robertson, Deborah Kirby-Johnson, Diana Barnes Seated L to R: Mary Sparks, Deborah Bazalgette, Jane Baron, Jane Moylan, Judith Marshall, Sarah Williams

Dr Gavin Ashenden (SH 1968-72) recently announced his departure from the Church of England and his wish to convert to Catholicism.

The former Honorary Chaplain to the Queen said that the Church was increasingly bowing to the “non-negotiable demands of secular culture”, and had remained silent in its defence of Christian values.

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The Hon. Adam Barker (MO 1969-73) hosted a reunion of the September 1969 Meister Omers entry at the Turf Club on 29 November 2019. It was organised by Mark Greaves, and only Peter Jones was unable to be present.

1970s Bob Battersby (MO 1970-74), amongst other OKS, got in touch to request the names of the girls in the 1972/73 image featured in Tamsin Powles’ article (OKS Magazine, Autumn 2019, p12). “It certainly jogged a few memories and reminded me of the fact that we finally had some real women in our King’s Week Shakespeare productions!”

Chris Battersby (MO 1971-75) worked as a management consultant for 20 years, including seven years working directly for Eggie Kock (LN 1968-70) at Deloitte, but one day as he walked towards TS Eliot’s old office in Lombard Street he recalled Stephen Woodley reading from OKS

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Left: Chris Battersby, Eroica vintage cycle race, Tuscany 2019 Right: Major Noel Morton with Paul Medhurst (right)

Eliot’s Waste Land in the Maugham Library: “A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many, I had not thought death had undone so many” and decided to leave the City and become a public servant. “I’m now working at the National Audit Office, was part of the team reporting on Universal Credit last year and discovered the huge gap between a good policy and its execution. Before that, a secondment to the United Nations took me to Haiti and New York and showed me the gulf between rich and poor across the world. Interesting stuff.”

Paul Medhurst (MR 1972-75) sent us his memories of CCF and the image of Major Noel Morton (on the left) with his faithful mutt, Maxie.

“I’m on the right with one of the now-legendary .303 Lee-Enfields. By God, what a gun – one boy burst into tears when he first fired his, and our mothers were horrified at the extensive recoil bruises and red weals an afternoon at the ranges left on their sons. I am partially deaf today on their account, but it was worth it. It was the summer of 1972 when the school teams were down at Bisley ranges for some annual competitions with schools from all over the UK and Canada etc. I was about 15 at the time.

Major Morton ran the school CCF’s armoury and supplies and was a veteran of D-Day. He was a OKS

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young officer rushing up the beach leading his men on when a shell landed and blew most of his uniform off, but they kept going. He said, “What a spectacle. There I was, nearly stark-******* naked, rushing up the beach with a sten-gun and the men right behind me”.

For a while, the armoury table, used for cleaning the guns, had an old coloured rag on it, as a protective table cloth, in the fashion of customary military derision of the enemy. It was a Nazi Flag, and to get it Major Morton had climbed a flagpole over a Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) in Berlin, while occasional shots rang out trying to pick him off.

David Hudson (WL 1972-76) got in touch to say he was very sorry to hear about Adrian Hill (see issue No. 4, p. 41). “I recall him as having an unassailable air of quiet authority, supervising prep as head of hall in my first term in an otherwise slightly rowdy Riversleigh.

Progressing to MO, I recall how Adrian used to stride round King’s, setting sartorial standards, invariably smartly dressed and seemingly always carrying a tightly furled umbrella, whatever the weather. Later, in my first term at New College, Oxford, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Adrian had a room on the same landing. As an 23

OKS UPDATE

experienced second year, he invited me to his room to demonstrate the need of establishing a civilised set-up (I recall a sophisticated cocktail bar) and advised me to use the heating: “After all, there is no point in being cold”, he informed me. This was good advice as I remember that not least among Oxford’s challenges was, and is, its weather.

Michael Law (WL 1973-78) (seated) entertained an audience including some familiar faces at the Malthouse in December. An evening of sparkling wit, anecdotes and outstanding musical talent brought cheers, laughter and a few nostalgic moments to a delighted crowd. Pictured with former staff: Roger Mallion, Hubert Pragnell, Stewart Ross, Chis Tinker, Jane Edred Wright, Mike and Dominique Davis.

Commodore Toby Williamson, RN (retd), MVO (MR 1978-82) had to draw on his experience of command when a terrorist attending a rehabilitation conference at Fishmongers’ Hall, London Bridge, on 28 November, began a murderous attack, killing two young people before being shot dead by police.

Toby, Clerk (aka Chief Executive) to the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers since 2017, subsequently praised his staff, saying that “they took anything immediately to hand in order to level the odds against a madman. I’m proud to know them.”

Previously, Toby has been Equerry to HM the Queen (1995-98), Director, Advanced Command and Staff Course at Shrivenham and, in his final naval appointment, Head of Operational Training in Portsmouth.

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Left: Michael Law with King’s friends Right: Pete Mickleburgh at The Dolphin

1980s Pete Mickleburgh (BR 1980-83) called time at The Dolphin. He said, “Thanks to all OKS who pulled a pint or drank one over the years at 17 St Radigunds”.

Mark Humphriss (MR/MT 1980-85), having become Diocesan Secretary of the very large Oxford Diocese in July, joined his father and sister as Anglican canons at a special ceremony at Oxford’s Christ Church Cathedral on 25 January.

Father (The Revd) Reg Humphriss was installed as a Canon of Canterbury by Archbishop Runcie in 1985, and sister Clare Turnbull as a Lay Canon of Guildford in 2012. This was in recognition of her work for it whilst Head of Lanesborough School, the choir school for Guildford Cathedral, since 2007. Mark’s uncles were both at King’s: the late David (GR 1951-56) and Dr James Walter (GR 1959-64).

Sarah Lonsdale (GR 1981-83) publishes her second book this October, Rebel Women Between the Wars: Fearless Writers and Adventurers (Manchester University Press). It’s about courageous, pioneering and occasionally disruptive and transgressive women of the OKS

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Left: Dorothy Pilley the mountaineer c.1920s Photo: Alpine Club Library Below: The Gatekeeper cover Image: HQ, HarperCollins

Anonymous (c1986) has found herself an unexpected place in Who Loses, Who Wins: The Journals of Kenneth Rose, Volume Two, 1979-2014, though it is the sharp eyes and wide reading of Peter Stone (WL 1959-64) that has recaptured this moment in time. Kenneth Rose (1924-2014) was an eminent biographer and journalist whose social range within the Establishment was legendary, and who had many Headmaster friends. On 17 May 1986 (page 139) he was at King’s: “I visit Peter Pilkington at King’s Canterbury.

The pupils I meet are all very friendly and forthcoming. One girl tells me excitedly that she is much looking forward to the Greek play in which one of her boyfriends appears throughout wearing nothing but a golden jockstrap.”

1920s and 30s who dismantled the patriarchal obstacles preventing them from pursuing their dreams. From one of the first women to take an engineering diploma, who then used her skills to circumnavigate the world in a 1925 motor car, to one (Dorothy Pilley) who pioneered ‘manless climbing’ – rope climbing without a male escort – these women paved the way for subsequent generations to achieve. “Being one of the earlier women students at King’s I would have been glad for some of their advice,” says Sarah, who lectures in journalism at City University, London, as well as writing for the Sunday Times and Times Literary Supplement.

Kate Fall (WL 1983-85) has just published The Gatekeeper (Harper Collins). For eleven years Kate was one of David Cameron’s closest advisors. During some of the most significant political events of our times – the Arab Spring, the financial crash and a European referendum that has changed the face of British politics – she sat right outside the door of the Prime Minister’s office, earning herself the title of ‘gatekeeper’. She takes us through reshuffles, political scandals, two general elections, three referendums and how the coalition worked (and how it didn’t).

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The play was the King’s Week Golden Masque of Agamemnon, produced by Fiona and Martin Tennick and Stephen Wainde, and there is a touch of melancholy in reflecting that both the demi-god and his admirer will now be in their 50s: “Golden lads and girls all must…” come to their middle years. But their contemporaries, 34 years on, may enjoy identifying them.

Julien Foster (GR 1984-89) was one of the 159 Recorders appointed across England and Wales last September on the advice to the Queen of the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice.

Appointment as a Recorder is often the first step on the judicial ladder to the circuit bench. His role is in Family Law, South East Division.

Julien was the third of the three Fosters (Donald grandfather, John father) to come through King’s last century: between them they spanned six Headmasters, consecutively.

Tanera Dawkins (GR 1984-86) is the composer of the soundtrack to Grandad was a Romantic which won a BAFTA for British Short Animation at the awards ceremony on 2 February 2020. Tanera was part of the new intake of BAFTA members in 2019.

Dr Tedd George (TR 1985-90) returned to King’s to deliver a talk about Che Guevara and Fidel Castro to Club Hispano, the 25

something beautiful, something transcendent.

As a romantically-minded teenager, I delighted in every little curl, every nuance of my pieces, and my scores were a complete mess because pretty much every bar had an idea written down for it. Mr Matthews, my piano teacher at King’s, had attempted some measures of pianistic improvement via discipline in musical thought, but I recall I was not overly partial to discipline in those days!” Jane studied Philosophy at Selwyn College, Cambridge and since graduating has been pursuing a career as a concert pianist.

She has performed in London at Steinway Hall, and toured Germany as a concerto soloist. Jane would be delighted to see OKS at her concert!

school’s Spanish and modern foreign languages club on 13th January. Tedd is the founder of Kleos Advisory, focusing on African markets, commodities and fintech (financial technology!)

1990s Ed Vainker (MR 1994-99) was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List for Services to Education. He is the principal and co-founder of Reach Academy in Feltham and is also part of the Duchess of Cambridge’s Early Years Steering Group. Ed was interviewed on 22 January on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme to talk about early years development and the importance of the first one-thousand days of a child’s life.

Pianist Jane Wisely (MR 1999-2001) will be performing at Ashford School with the London Mozart Players on 3 October 2020. “I came to King’s when I was sixteen. I had developed a love of thinking about the expression of music – of music as a spiritual entity because it was about 26

Barnaby Race (MT 1999-2004) works professionally as a composer, producer and session musician. He recently composed the score for Michael Fentiman’s acclaimed musical update of the classic fairy tale CinderElla.

Above: Jane Wisley

Crazy-Golf World Champion and King’s fencing coach Marc Chapman (MT 1999-2005) OKS

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her acting debut in Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan’s new feature film ‘Citation.’

appeared on CBBC’s The Dengineers on 11 January with his top three crazy golf tips for nine-year old golf fan Jothi. Catch the episode on BBC iPlayer.

Arran and Oliver Hope (SH 2011-16) have been admitted as senior scholars at Trinity College and Jesus College Cambridge respectively. Arran (left) is reading Chinese Studies with Japanese and Oliver (right) is taking a MEng in Computer Science.

Pictured with parents Bob and Penelope.

2000s Fabian Sherwin (MR/CY 2002-07) became engaged to Rhian Carew-Jones on 29 February 2020 in Venice and has asked former King’s pupil Mustafa Hamza (MT 2002-07) to be his best man.

Sophie Ackers (JR 2004-09) married Fraser Robson in the Canterbury Cathedral Crypt on 13 December followed by a ceremony in Naivasha, Kenya. Sophie grew up in Kenya and OKS who made the trip to celebrate the big day included Katherine Boucher, Alex Dixey, Will Ackers, Izzi Ackers, Aimee Au, Imogen Bunyard, Phoebe Bird, Joanne Zhou and Henrietta Royce.

Temi Otedola (JR 2009-13) will be making OKS

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Main image: Sophie and Fraser in Canterbury Cathedral Crypt Photo: Matt McArdle Inset: Fabian and Rhian in Venice Right :The Hope Family

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Lizzie Friend (LX 2015 -17) contacted us to say how much she enjoyed the schoolboy graffiti feature in the OKS Magazine (Autumn 2019, p.

32) especially the mention of a Henry Friend (KSC 1748-55). Lizzie says “whilst at the school I noticed the ‘Friend’ graffiti and now with the information from the feature in the magazine I was able to find him on ancestry.com and discover he was my 4th great uncle, and lived only a few miles away from where I live in Margate. I thought I was the only family member ever to go to King’s so it is nice to know I have indeed followed in family footsteps.

My cousin, Charlie Friend, is currently at St John’s Cambridge, like Henry! Therefore, it was very heart-warming to read this feature and thank you for all your research and efforts you put into not only this feature, but every page of every magazine!”

India Lyons (LX 2005-10) married Christy White-Spunner at All Saints’ Church, Stanhoe on 4 January 2020, with a reception afterwards at Stanhoe Hall. All three brothers, Oliver, Charlie and Alistair (OKS) were ushers. Many OKS joined India on her special day.

Congratulations to Millie Knight (MR 2012-17) who won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Para Alpine Skiing World Championships in Kranjska Gora in January. It’s her first world cup win in two years following a major crash at 115km/h in 2017. Millie and her guide Brett Wild were victorious in the Giant Slalom.

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Beatrice Ninham (CY 2014-19), along with Jaime Laín Tomas (LN 2017-19), Eva Garrard (MR 2014-19) and Jack Lisser (TR 2014-19) had the pleasure of visiting St James’s Palace on Monday 10 February, to receive their Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards.

Bea says, “It was not a day to forget. Meeting Prince Edward in such a stunning building was a surreal experience, making the achievement of completing our Gold even more rewarding. It is the end to a long journey, which at times may have seemed impossible, walking through bogs and wading through rivers in the rough terrain of the Scottish mountains. However, I am grateful to have gone through with the whole experience, and learnt so much from it all. I could not recommend it enough to anyone who is up for a challenge.”

Left: India with her father OKS Nick Lyons who gave her away Below: OKS guests included L-R Pip Durrell, Millie Jessel, Jess Stanion, Jess Burley and Emi Eldredge Above: Jaime Laín Tomas, Bea Ninham, Jack Lisser, Eva Garrard receive their DofE awards

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In Memory of Zoë Bromfield Zoë’s family, friends and OKS are in full fundraising mode. Zoë’s brother Oliver (GR 2003-08) has committed to completing five ‘marathon’ (10 km) swims before the end of 2020, with a view to attempting a Channel swim in 2021. He has already completed a 10k marathon swim in November 2019 at the London Aquatics Centre. Oliver’s progress can be followed on Instagram (therealswimshady_ob) with his next big swim being on 28 May at the BestFest Colonia Classic 3 in Mallorca.

Top: Oliver preparing for a swim Bottom: The OKS cycling team!

Main photo: Louis, Zoë & Olly

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in London and going out through Surrey before finishing on The Mall on Sunday 16 August 2020.

Zoë’s boyfriend Joe Delafield is in training for the London Marathon and is running for Leukaemia Care, you can contribute to the cause on justgiving.com

“We are riding for the Imperial Health Charity, and all of the money we raise will go towards purchasing a new ventilator for the Intensive Care Unit at Charing Cross Hospital. The Unit cared for Zoë so incredibly in the weeks before she died. The Unit has doubled in size since 2018 and urgently needs 10 more ventilators, leaving it in great need of additional equipment and they cost £30,000 each! At present we have 25 people joining me, including the following OKS: Olivia Huntrods, Rosie Vavasour, George Courtauld, Phoebe Calcutt, Serena Adams, Sophie Knight and Rose MacLachlan.”

Alice Brady (HH 2006-11) is taking on The Prudential Ride 100. It is a 100 mile ride starting

You can give via uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/TeamZoeB 29

OKS FEATURE

The Rainforester In a world that has at last turned its attention to the vital matter of sustainability, Jonathan Mbu (GL 2009-14) combines his passion for wildlife photography with grass roots conservation

B

etween 1983, when my father Thomas Mbu (GL 1978-83) left King’s, and my own graduation in 2014 over 2 million trees have been felled in Boki, the region in Nigeria where we come from. Realising the plight of the people and of the fauna and flora that had befallen our homeland, my dad gave up his fund manager position in the City and returned to the jungles of south eastern Nigeria, forming the base for what would later become The Rainforester.

My dad’s change of sphere has inspired me. From a very young age I was in love with the natural world and his leniency has allowed me to keep over 400 pets to date, ranging from monkeys, snakes and crocodiles to the more conventional dogs and cats! Working with him in the rainforest has confirmed my passion and it contributed to my attaining a 1st class degree in Zoology at Anglia Ruskin University in 2017.

In 2019 I embarked on a month-long expedition

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into the rainforest of eastern Boki, in order to discover the ecology of the region. This was also my first assignment for BBC Wildlife.

From a very young age I was in love with the natural world

Over the course of the trip I was fortunate enough to photograph some of the rarest species of primate on the planet, including the drill monkey (one of the images I captured was later shortlisted for 2019 Africa Geographic Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards) and the NigeriaCameroon chimpanzee, which can only be found in this region. Though awe-inspiring, the trip also demonstrated how downtrodden the local indigenous communities are. We visited farms that had been crop-raided by elephants, communities which had been forced to poach to make a living, as well as those who had turned to logging, due to a lack of support both from the local government and from the large conservation organisations that were operating in the area. It became apparent that, though conservation efforts were occurring in the area, no efforts were being made to include the locals, meaning that they were restricted from their traditional way of life (in such ways as OKS

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Main image: Mona monkey (Cercopithecus mona) photographed in Buanchor forest, Afi mountain Photo: Jonathan Mbu

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the prosecution of bushmeat hunting) without alternatives being provided. It was this imbalance of funding that inspired The Rainforester.

Our organisation was formed to update the methods of the larger organisations that were active locally. The Rainforester pioneers a new chapter in the race to protect the world’s ecology: commercial conservation, using non-timber forest products (NTFPs) as our driving force. NTFPs are a broad group of forest commodities that can be harvested without felling trees. These range from chilli peppers to tree nuts and the fruit of shade crops. NTFPs are in no way a modern concept. They are how indigenous forest communities have lived in harmony with their rainforests for centuries. It is our belief that by commercialising NTFPs we can show the world how rainforests are living organisms whilst generating funds to increase the quality of life of our farmers and funding our conservation projects. Our projects are all designed to be handed over to the indigenes; not only are they 32

included, we also provide them with crucial training, so they can manage each project. They liaise with us regularly to ensure the operations are running smoothly. This way we empower the indigenous communities, turning them into their own conservation wardens rather than our coming in and dictating what they can and can’t do. We believe this will result in longer-lasting change.

We are currently running three conservation projects: our reforestation programme, our human-elephant conflict resolution project and the construction of bushmeat farms to reduce bushmeat hunting. Besides these we are running one photography project, capturing vital images of the cross-river gorilla, the rarest great ape on the planet.

Though we have successfully managed to self-fund the initial phases of these projects there are still larger projects that we are seeking collaborators for, such as our briquetting plant and charcoaleries and our NTFP research labs.

What sets our conservation projects apart from those that are providing similar services is the OKS

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OKS FEATURE

Photos, clockwise from top-left: Jonathan (right) with dad Thomas Mbu (GL 1978-83) Mona monkey (Cercopithecus mona) photographed in Buanchor forest, Afi mountain Male village weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) taking nesting material back to his nest, photographed in Mbe mountain Loggers going to extremes to transport their timber, photographed in Abo Mkpang All photos: Jonathan Mbu

fact that each of our projects generates NTFP products, both for the indigenous local markets and for our own NTFP-based products. From simply processed goods, such as dried fruit and dried and ground wholefoods, to more complex value-added products that we manufacture in the UK such as our conflict-resolution chilli sauces and our natural dog treats, we make it our mission to create as many NTFP-based products as possible to show the diversity of what a living forest can offer! The idea is that, unlike other conservation organisations, we don’t need to seek outright donations from the public.

Instead we can provide products that are readily available on the market for affordable prices.

Though our journey has started in West Africa, we have no intention of limiting our scope.

NTFPs have a vast potential and we intend to show that, from the rainforests of South America to those of South East Asia, there are a vast array of projects to be undertaken and an even wider selection of NTFPs that we can use to prove the global worth of all rainforests.

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• To help or find out more visit therainforester.org or email info@ therainforester.org

Fewer than 300 critically endangered Cross River gorillas left in the wild

Over 2 million trees have been cut down in Boki in the last 20 years It takes 200-400 years for an ebony tree to reach maturity in the rainforest; soon there will be no adult trees left

Because of over-hunting, there are fewer than 80 of the little-known species of forest elephant left in Nigeria 33

UNKNOWN OKS № 24

Harry George Austin (1823-92): Maker of the Modern Mint Yard

H

ARRY GEORGE AUSTIN was the son of George Austin, Surveyor to Canterbury Cathedral, and was at King’s from 1833 to 1835. He succeeded his father in 1848 when he was just 25 years old and held the post until his retirement in 1889.

As the obituary in the Kentish Gazette somewhat enigmatically put it: “Under his supervision many extensive works – some of them partaking of the nature of improvements – have been carried out.” Statues were placed in niches at the west end of the Cathedral, with Austin paying for King Edward III, and he was involved in the design of several memorials including the tombchest for OKS Bishop Broughton. A new Library was built on the site of old dormitories but it was destroyed in the 1942 bombing. The roof of the nave was restored after the fire of 1872 – with Austin becoming Captain of the Cathedral Fire Brigade formed in 1874. And major work was done on Meister Omers, most obtrusively the new dormer windows. Outside the Precincts he was active in the Volunteer movement, a Justice of the Peace and twice Mayor of Canterbury. He was also a cricketer in his youth, but turned to yachting in his later years.

From the School’s point of view, his major achievement was the transformation of the Mint Yard. In the 1840s this was an enclosed courtyard entered through the gateway in the north-west corner opposite St Mary’s Northgate or under the arches of the Aula Nova next to the Green Court Gate. The main school building was the Almonry Chapel to the south, with the other three sides a miscellany of houses and gardens, some, but not all, used by the School.

Austin had been appointed just as Headmaster George Wallace was applying to the Dean and Chapter for a new Schoolroom. The initial design from Richard Charles Hussey was for “a building in the decorated style and the beautiful

34

old Norman staircase is to form the entrance to it”. This was rejected and it was another four years before Austin’s neo-Norman scheme was accepted. At the same time adjoining buildings over another part of the 12th century undercroft were re-modelled and now house the Armoury below and part of Galpin’s above.

The arrival of John Mitchinson as Headmaster in 1859 heralded a much more dramatic modernisation of the School and its accommodation. The construction of a new School House and Headmaster’s House (the latter now Galpin’s) was supervised by Austin. This L-shaped block of buildings was inaugurated on Speech Day 1864 and the Kentish Gazette reported: “Its general appearance on either the east or the north face is very striking, but the style of architecture defies classification, being a cross between Gothic and Elizabethan, in the commingling of which great taste is manifested.”

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Left: Before – the Mint Yard looking south, by Francis Grose 1777 Right: After – the Mint Yard looking north east, postcard

by JG Charlton c1903

out the Mint Yard. It was therefore decided to build the present Mint Yard Gate, and its own porter’s lodge, with the old wooden gates themselves moved from their fittings still visible under the Green Court archway. Furthermore when the former Headmaster’s House was found too decayed to be repaired and condemned, Austin proposed that the Chapter buy his house and garden for the Second Master. Thus The Grange, rebuilt by his father as a family home, became part of the School.

The remaining west side of the Mint Yard, adjoining the Borough, was then largely filled in under George Blore (Headmaster 1873-86). The Alford Laboratory – the School’s first science building – was opened in 1875. Then in 1881 Mint Yard classrooms (later the Parry) with fives courts and the Gymnasium adjoining were added. Austin’s bill for these three – £1,441 10s 6d + £214 10s + £572 10s – is in the Archives. The work cannot have been easy. As Austin explained to Blore in 1880: “The present schools are built on the debris of the old buildings about ten OKS

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or eleven feet deep, then there is about a foot of gravel in some places even four or five and beneath that is simply bog.”

By the time Austin had finished, there was little of the Mint Yard that would have been recognisable from his own schooldays. “The old buildings of the King’s School that I remember are gone” said Robert Biron (KSC 1839-49) reminiscing at the Speech Day dinner in 1883 – and he congratulated the Dean and Chapter for pulling them down. “The old school, when I first knew it, was by far the most abominable structure that ever existed in this kingdom.” As the Mint Yard undergoes its latest improvement it is worth recognising and honouring Harry Austin’s legacy.

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Lives Remembered

The Revd Basil Marshall, OBE (GR 1935-40)

B

asil Marshall, who died on 26 March 2019 aged 97, was one of the Grange “boys” whom John Corner (Common Room 1933-40, 194655) brought back regularly to the School from the late 1980s onwards. A number of them had had a Colonial Office background (Basil was a Milner Scholar, whose father worked in Tanganyika).

They were charming and admirable men of their vintage, loyal to their housemaster and to the School, and they were last well represented when Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor opened the new Grange on 9 September 2007. The front cover of Offcuts no. 21 (September 2007) shows the last of them: Daniel Thorndike, Tom Watts, Basil Marshall, John Moss and Tony Venner.

(GL 1951-55)

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fter leaving King’s for National Service in the Royal Navy, John spent most of his life abroad, working for a British Overseas Shipping and Trading Group in India, East Africa, the Middle East and the Far East. He retired to Dorset in 2001.

John passed away in Taunton Hospital on 13 October 2018, greatly missed by his wife Sarah, his sons Ian (GL 1976-81) and William, daughter Joanna and eight grandchildren.

Richard Linforth (MO 1951-56)

Basil joined King’s from Rose Hill School, Tunbridge Wells in 1935 and played 2nd XI hockey, 2nd XI cricket and 2nd pair tennis. He won an Exhibition to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, but on leaving in 1940 he joined the Royal Air Force, becoming a flight lieutenant in 1943. He was mentioned in despatches in January 1946. Post-War he became a civil servant.

A liveryman and member of the Guild of Air Pilots, he rose to be UK Chief Flight Examiner 1962-70, for which he was awarded an OBE in 1969, and he was briefly Air Safety Adviser to the Government of Saudi Arabia.

In 1971 he went to Westcott House, Cambridge, was ordained in 1973/4, and served as Curate at Edenbridge (1973-78), Priest-in-Charge of Lamberhurst and Matfield (1978-85) and Assistant Curate of Farnborough (1985-86). His final tribute was in a parish magazine: “In uniting Lamberhurst and Matfield he took on quite a challenge and became loved and respected by both parishes. He had a brilliant mind and in retirement wrote books and articles requiring meticulous research, and also continued to serve in many parishes when called upon.”

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John Tatchell

David Scott (MO 1951-55) compiled this tribute to Richard.

R

ichard arrived at King’s in September 1951 as a King’s Scholar. He spent the first year in Lattergate, the waiting house, before moving to Meister Omers. Richard left King’s with a promised place at Oxford (St Edmund Hall), but first National Service called and, having passed the Commission Board, he was posted as a Second Lieutenant to the West Kent Regiment and then to the King’s African Rifles in Ghana.

On release, Richard took up his place at Oxford and graduated in Modern Languages. He joined the Bowater Paper Corporation and while posted to Merseyside met his wife Hazel; they were married for 51 years, with three children Adrian (BR 1983-88), James (BR 1985-90) and Vanessa (LX 1991-93). Three of his five grandchildren are also currently at the School.

They moved to Boughton, a village near Canterbury, in 1970 and have lived there ever since. Richard remained with Bowaters until about 1971 when he left to qualify as a solicitor, establishing his own practice near Rochester where he stayed until he retired in 1998.

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Left: Richard Linforth Right: The Revd Prebendary Dr Peter Elvy

Richard was always very active in Boughton village life and indeed across Kent, his assumed roles and responsibilities ranging from winding the church clock and starring in village pantomimes, to serving and subsequently chairing the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee appointing Magistrates across the County, voluntary legal aid for SSAFA, organising cultural programmes for the Faversham branch of NADFAS and establishing the Canterbury Tourist Guides Company.

Richard died at home on 16 October 2019 having suffered, for the last ten years of his life, from Corticobasal Syndrome, a condition resulting in a gradual debilitating physical decline, but with his mind undiminished to the end.

Richard was a Churchwarden in Boughton for some 35 years and of these 25 years were with William Mowll (GL 1956-60) as his vicar. At the Service of Thanksgiving for Richard’s life in Boughton Church, elder son Adrian Linforth and William Mowll both gave splendid tributes to a much-loved family man. An excerpt from William’s tribute captures Richard’s character: “Loyalty is the key to what Richard’s life has been about from beginning to end. Loyalty and reliability are not only the vital ingredients to a happy marriage, but they also unlock the door to a lifelong faith and belief. Richard possessed one of the deepest faiths I have ever witnessed, through good times and bad.”

I salute the passing of a very dear and valued lifetime friend.

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The Revd Prebendary Dr Peter Elvy (MR 1952-57) Peter’s nephew Brian Elvy (MR 1956-61) shared this (abridged) eulogy given by Christopher Matthew (SH 1952-57) on 4 October 2019 at St Luke’s Church, Chelsea.

P

eter Elvy was a man of great and enduring qualities. A devoted husband, father and grandfather; a historian; a theologian; the longstanding incumbent of two fine churches in Essex and Chelsea; Canon of Chelmsford Cathedral; a Prebendary of St Paul’s; an author and editor, broadcaster, film producer, and an enthusiastic member of the Aldeburgh Yacht Club Wayfarer fleet.

Peter and I were exact contemporaries and friends at King’s Canterbury in the Fifties, and one day he asked me if I would like to learn how to smoke. He knew a good place we could go which was out of bounds, but where he assured me we would be safe. There had been Elvys in Canterbury since records began – some of considerable distinction. One was Queen Victoria’s organist and a friend of Mendelssohn, and Peter’s grandfather was the owner of three local newspapers and chairman of the longestablished family publishing and printing firm.

Their main building opposite St George’s Tower was flattened during a Baedeker raid on 1 June 1942 and, as a small boy, evacuated to Whitstable seven miles away, Peter saw the whole sky aglow.

37

LIVES REMEMBERED

It was an experience he was never to forget. By the time he was at King’s, the firm’s headquarters were in Best Lane, a five-minute walk from the Mint Yard Gate, and it was in an unoccupied room in that building that I took my first drag at a Wills Woodbine. No one caught us in the act, but I was in deep trouble the moment I arrived home for the holidays. What my smoking guru had failed to mention was that if you hold your cigarette palms upwards, the nicotine stains your fingers a rather unattractive and very noticeable shade of yellow.

Happily for us all, the teenage Peter repented of his ways, and described his school career as being more up than down – one of the ups being the time he was the lead in the Marlowe House play as the Earl of Locharne in a comedy called Castle in the Air by Alan Melville.

With a history degree from Queen Mary College, London, he went on to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge where he took a degree in theology and where he met his wife-to-be, Wilhelmina (known as Petra).

As a young curate in New Addington he was the first to find ways of raising money; notably by being a part-time chaplain at Butlin’s holiday camps. One year, at Skegness, he was in charge of organising Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. He was very relieved by the size of the congregation that gathered. So far so good, until he asked the somewhat inebriated young man he’d appointed as his server to put the wine out, only to find as he emerged, fully robed from behind the scenes, that the chap had taken all the bottles out of their cases and arranged them along the top of the makeshift altar like ducks in a shooting gallery.

The service got under way and, in a spirit of Christmas goodwill, Peter welcomed all and sundry present to join in Holy Communion if they so wished. Having filled two huge chalices and consecrated the sacred elements, he turned to find just two people standing there.

Communion over (rather sooner than he had anticipated) and mindful of his duty, he polished off every last drop of the wine and, in his own words, life was pretty much a mystery from then until Boxing Day. 38

Peter never had ambitions to be anything other than a parish priest. He had no interest in administration – or church politics. Yet his life outside the church itself was never anything other than busy and fulfilling.

• The full version of Dr Peter Elvy’s obituary can be found on oks.org.uk Lives Remembered

Peter said to me not long ago that for all that he achieved in his life, only three things really mattered: his faith; Petra, for a lifetime of love and, in recent weeks, her devoted and tireless nursing; and, of course, his three children and three grandchildren. ‘The rest,’ he said. ‘was brought on by clergy boredom.’ He never could resist a good joke.

Dr Henry Byrom (School Doctor 1970-99) Dr Byrom’s sister Mary Goodwin sent us this obituary about her brother.

D

r Henry Byrom BSc, MBBS, general practitioner in Canterbury, died on 28 June 2018 after a short illness. He was 79. Henry was born in Birchington on 21 January 1939. His family moved to Australia and he was educated at Cranbrook School in Sydney. In 1957 the family returned to England and Henry started his medical studies at The London Hospital, Whitechapel. He gained a BSc in Physiology and an MBBS, and won several undergraduate prizes. Following his house jobs and SHO posts he became an anatomy demonstrator at The London. After initially thinking of a career in surgery, he decided to go into general practice and joined the Cossington House Surgery in Canterbury in 1968. He became a senior partner and retired in 1999. He was the school doctor at King’s for many years.

He had an exceptional gift for making violin and cello bows, beautiful jewellery for his daughters, mending clocks and was a keen music lover and gardener. But his overriding joy was his family.

He is survived by his wife Patricia, a midwife, four children (three doctors and a nurse) and nine grandchildren.

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LIVES REMEMBERED

Right: John Rew with his son Ben Below: Peter Pilzer

Peter Pilzer (SH 1953-58)

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orn in Sweden, Peter grew up in Henley-onThames and moved to London after leaving King’s. He became a chartered accountant and joined Colgate-Palmolive in 1968 which led to an adventurous career, living abroad and finally settling in Savannah, Georgia. Peter was full of wit and humour, charm and compassion and always making new friends wherever he went. He had a way of making all people feel welcome in his home but above all he treasured his family. Peter died on 18 January 2018 after a short struggle with pancreatic cancer. He will be greatly missed by his wife, Barbara, three daughters and four grandchildren.

Ben Beaumont (MR 1953 -58) sent this tribute to his friend.

Peter and I entered Classical Vl in 1956. I was 15 and Peter was 16. We were in the company of King’s Scholars aged 13 and 14 who were seriously bright. Peter and I were deemed the stupid members of the class of seven. We struggled and were picked on regularly by dear Mr Mackintosh, with whom I eventually had a better relationship when I informed him of my election to the Athenaeum.

We became friends, and Peter regularly invited me to his study at School House. Though I was a member of Marlowe I was always made welcome by Peter and his friends. He was then, and from what I have read remained, a larger-than-life character of whom I was very fond. However, the life-changing element of my friendship with Peter is that he chose a nickname for me, Benjamin. My given name was Simon, which I really disliked. I eventually changed my name by deed poll to Benjamin.

That is the person I now am and anything I have achieved and continue to achieve is down to Peter and his friends in School House. Thank you Peter, I am sorry that we did not meet again before you died.

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John Rew (GL 1960-64) Janet Rew sent us this obituary of her husband John.

J

ohn died peacefully at home on 17 November 2019 after a tremendous fight with cancer. John joined King’s at thirteen years old. He was a small child, very short-sighted and had the added problem of astigmatism. He found academic studies hard. However, he was a determined child and took up rowing and ran for the school cross country team. John went to Brighton Polytechnic to study pharmacy. He joined a mountaineering club, spending many enjoyable weekends climbing in Wales and the Peak District, and also went on a 3-week expedition to Norway. His memories were sadly marred by the loss of some of his friends in a climbing accident in the Alps a few years later.

The proud owner of an old red Morgan 3 Wheeler, he could often be seen careering around Brighton. The car had no starter motor, and the brakes only worked on the front wheels so the hand brake was much in use. He certainly knew how to impress the girls!

John was awarded a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree in 1969 and fully qualified as a Community Pharmacist a year later, working for Boots the Chemists. John married Janet in 1974 and moved with baby Katie to Suffolk for seven happy years, where he managed Stowmarket 39

LIVES REMEMBERED

Boots. During this time Ben was born. John joined the Round Table and ran the Three Peaks Challenge with 11 fellow Tablers. With John’s encouragement, five of them made it in 21 hours, raising £2,500 for charity, a lot of money in those days. In 1982, he was promoted to Boots Ramsgate store, fulfilling his lifelong ambition to live by the sea.

John took up running, completing about a dozen marathons, including four London ones, and countless half marathons. John’s greatest claim to fame was the Everest Marathon in 1999, which he completed in 7hrs 51mins, finishing 38th out of 65 runners. He was competing against a truly international field, containing the Ben Nevis marathon record holder and others who had completed the 5 day ‘Marathon des Sables’. The group raised £65,000 for Nepalese charities.

John retired in 2002 and spent the next nine years working as a Boots locum pharmacist on a part time basis. In 2007 he and Janet visited Uganda with a Global Challenge team from the church. The trip was spiritually uplifting and led to several more visits before he retired as chairman of the charity in 2017. Uganda opened another dimension to John’s life, making a real difference to the lives of children in poverty and those with special needs.

John was also proud to be a Rotarian for 25 years, enjoying fellowship and fun with other members.

This often included raising funds for charity and organising outings for children from poor backgrounds. John is much missed by his many friends, but especially by his wife, children and five beautiful grandchildren.

The Revd Bruce Grainger (KSC Chaplain 1967-72)

B 40

ruce taught Biology and Religious Studies at King’s where he was also a Minor Canon of Canterbury Cathedral and regularly sang

services there. He then became Vicar of Baildon near Bradford and was subsequently appointed an Honorary Canon of Bradford Cathedral. Later he was appointed Director of Ordinands and taught part-time for 12 years for the Northern Ordination Course. On retirement he was one of five Canons who looked after Bradford Cathedral during its interregnum. Bruce was area chair for the Royal School of Church Music for 14 years until 2013, and conducted the Ad Hoc Singers in Keighley and sang with the Aire Valley Singers and Concordiamici. He enjoyed running a 1928 car and an old motorcycle. Bruce died on 2 September 2019 aged 82.

Martin Cooke (SH 1972-77) A tribute to Martin compiled by Alexander Ferguson (SH 1972-77).

M

artin, or Marty to his friends, was a larger than life character whose humour, decency and kindness will keep his memory alive for all of us who knew him.

I first met Marty at School House and we quickly forged a friendship that proved vital for that unlamented era of fagging and cold baths after rugby. As a scholar, Marty enjoyed the sciences at King’s but also excelled on the rugby field, a sport he persevered with into middle age. Popular among a wide group of pupils at King’s, he was an active member of the Cadet Corps commandos and took up canoeing to paddle the River Stour. Marty also enjoyed exploring the Kent countryside by bicycle. There he downed the odd pint, far from the scrutiny of the masters and where no one questioned his claim to be at least 19 years old. Marty spent his last year at King’s living in the precinct house of Canon ‘Jack’ Markham, a kindly widower who tolerated the wildness of his youth while trying to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Above: Martin Cooke

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LIVES REMEMBERED

Right: Phil Hughes

Marty went on to study veterinary medicine at Cambridge. He came to prominence in the 1980s through his expertise on so-called ‘mad cow disease’ and was an often-quoted expert.

Marty spent the 1980s and 90s helping to raise four children – Amy, Henry, Rosie and Sebastian – from his first marriage to Caroline. He later married Christina with whom he had son Owain, who is now studying at Cambridge.

Marty had a successful career in animal welfare and is remembered at his last employer, World Animal Protection, as achieving a lasting legacy in improving the condition of animals worldwide. His work with Nestlé was lauded at the time as “the single largest corporate animal welfare policy change in history”.

Friendships were all-important to Marty. After he was diagnosed with cancer he contacted a group of School House friends on WhatsApp and shared lively reminiscences up to his last days.

Marty’s failing health meant he was too ill to join a weekend with school friends near Canterbury.

But Owain drove him down for a few precious hours and one last pint.

Hughes Sound’.

He was also the ‘go to’ man in the area for amdram, leading the pit orchestras for a huge number of local shows.

His final show was Spring last year when he conducted the musical Cats. Phil was already very ill and had to be supported by his son at the last performance: only after the last beat did he allow himself to be taken to hospital. Phil passed away in hospital on the 22 August from kidney failure and sepsis.

He had turned 77 the day before. Phil’s memorial service at Barham Crematorium included one of his own musical arrangements and a reception was held at the Royal Marines Association in Walmer. Phil leaves wife Joy and children, Mark and Rachael.

Marty was taken from us far too early. But his life shows it is not how long we have that is important. More important is what we do with that time. Marty certainly used his time well. As he said: “I have been driven by the desire to make a difference through my actions, to leave things better than I found them if I could.”

Phil Hughes (Visiting Music Teacher 1986-2019)

P

hil Hughes was a VMT for over 30 years, retiring only in spring 2019. In 1956, at 14 years of age, Phil took his grade VIII music certificate and joined the Royal Marines on piano and flute. He moved steadily upwards through the ranks, reaching WO1 Corps Bandmaster and Chief Instructor based in Deal. He was a hugely admired musician in the area, and after retirement he continued to play with ‘The Phil

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Zoë Bromfield (LX 2006-11) Zoë’s family forwarded this tribute to their daughter.

I

t is with the greatest sadness that we bear news of the death of our daughter Zoë, sister to Oliver (GR 2003-08) and Louis (GR 2008-13). Zoë was admitted to hospital in an unconscious state on 19 August 2019 after suffering a brain haemorrhage brought on by an acute and previously undetected leukaemia and died 25 days later without having recovered consciousness. She was 26 years old and her death leaves a huge hole in the lives of her family and her many friends.

Zoë was born in Brussels and after early education in a local French language school she came to JKS as a boarder in 2003, and went on to 41

LIVES REMEMBERED

Luxmoore in 2006. She threw herself into school activities with gusto – hockey, netball, choir and drama in particular. In 2010 she played Hermia in the School production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and photographs of that production have been displayed recently in the new Malthouse Theatre. Most of all Zoë enjoyed the social side of school and made strong friendships which she maintained after she left.

Left: Zoë Bromfield

Zoë went on to read Spanish and Philosophy at Leeds University, with her third year spent at University in Murcia. After graduating in 2015 she quickly found a job in London working in recruitment. Although this was a great introduction to working life she soon realised that it was not for her in the longer term, and that she would rather be working in the consulting roles that she was recruiting for.

She joined FDM Consulting in 2017 where she received training and was placed over the next two years in positions at Barclays and HSBC, learning and honing new skills in project and management consultancy. With everything in her career Zoë always had a plan for the next step, and after two years at FDM she moved to become a Consultant at BCS Consulting, a position she commenced in July 2019. Tragically, she was never able to achieve her potential there.

to the many lives she had touched in her own short time. The service was led beautifully by The Reverend Lindsay Collins, School Chaplain, and her brothers as well as friends from school, university and work delivered moving eulogies.

Both at work and at play Zoë was a larger than life personality with an enormous zest for life and a huge talent for friendship. She lit up any situation with her sense of humour and outrageously loud laugh, but most important of all was the loyalty to her friends which permeated everything that she did.

The leukaemia which killed Zoë was a rare form, affecting only some 200 people a year in the UK, but blood cancers more generally account for more deaths than breast and prostate cancer.

Early diagnosis of blood cancers is key to improving outcomes for their victims. Research by the Bloodwise charity has shown that almost a third of sufferers visit their GP three times or more before being diagnosed, and that around a third of all blood cancers are only diagnosed for the first time on an emergency admission to hospital, as was Zoë’s case.

Her memorial service in Canterbury Cathedral was attended by some 330 people, testament

• For details of all the fundraising being done in Zoë’s memory please see p29 of this magazine.

DEATHS

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Michael McMillan (LX 1946-50) Date not known

Graham Pritchard (LX 1955-61) on 26 October 2019

Mike Read (WL 1952-57) on 27 November 2018

Andrew Winstanley (GL 1970-75) January 2019

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Events June

Tickets available from kings-school.co.uk or call 01227 595778

July

CAREERS DAY

GALA SYMPHONY CONCERT

OKS WOMEN’S EVENT

19 June 2020, 2.30pm Green Court & Birley’s, Canterbury

1 July 2020, 7.30pm KSC, Canterbury

7 or 8 October 2020, 6.30pm London

OKS FENCING

September

November

27 June 2020, 3.00pm Green Court, Canterbury

OKS SPORTS DAY

OKS CHRISTMAS DRINKS

SERENADE

12 September 2020 Birley’s, Canterbury

26 November 2020, 6.30pm The Vintry, London

26 June 2020, 8.30pm Cloisters, Canterbury Cathedral

October

December

OKS KING’S WEEK LUNCH

CANTUARIAN LODGE MEETING

CANTUARIAN LODGE MEETING

28 June 2020, 12.00pm KSC, Canterbury

1 October 2020, 5.00pm London

3 December 2020, 5.00pm London

OKS KING’S WEEK LUNCH

Sunday 28 June 2020 Deanery Garden and Green Court Marquee Drinks Reception 12.00; Lunch 12.45 Sip sparkling wine among the roses of the Deanery Garden before enjoying a delicious lunch in the Green Court marquee at the heart of King’s.

A highlight of the OKS calendar, this event is not to be missed so do put the date in your diary.

Tickets will be on sale soon from The King’s School Box Office kings-school.co.uk or by calling 01227 595778

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OKS FEATURE

Taking to the Waves – A Tall Ship Passion Sally-Ann Edlin (née Ardouin) (SH 1975-77) rides the swell, tastes the salt spray and experiences the close camaraderie of life under sail

A

s a child, my only introduction to Sailing was through literature. I graduated from Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons to Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey novels.

Then, with my family grown and on their way to independence, I decided that it was time for me to experience for real the soft deck springing under foot, riding the swell and tasting the salt spray. I wanted to test how I could perform in an environment where total strangers come together in a confined space to embark on a journey whose outcome is largely determined by the elements of nature.

My first adventure was on a Baltic Ketch, BessieEllen. We sailed up the Irish Sea, arriving at Isla in a Force 7. That was it, I was hooked. In 2013 I found Bark Europa and I have now completed three voyages as a member of the Voyage Crew.

To qualify as Voyage Crew, you pay handsomely to be deprived of sleep, to experience fear and to get cold and wet. However, the wonders of the open ocean, the billowing canvas and the

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close camaraderie far outweigh any discomfort.

Europa was built in 1911 in Hamburg and served as a lightship in the mouth of the Elbe.

She survived two world wars and finally left her anchorage in the 1970s. After eight years’ restoration she was converted into the Bark she is today.

You pay handsomely to be deprived of sleep, to experience fear

My previous voyages had been from Ushuaia across Drake’s Passage to Antarctica, then last year I took the seventy-day voyage from The Netherlands, South East across the Atlantic to Montevideo. Now I was to join Europa in Montevideo, to sail around the Falkland Islands, through the Magellan Strait to Punta Arenas in Chile. This was part of a journey to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s discovery of the passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in 1520.

17 - 25 NOVEMBER 2019 The mandatory pilot boarded the ship and accompanied us through the narrow spaces out of the port, through the shallow sedimentary OKS

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over the foredeck, soaking the poor look-outs.

Sea birds accompanied us, giant petrels, black-browed albatrosses and massive royal albatrosses. Dusky dolphins would rush to investigate the ship, surfing the waves and leaping out of the water in acrobatic display.

waters of the estuary of the Rio de la Plata to the open sea. It was a beautiful tropical day with a wind NNE Force 3 and the calm conditions helped us become familiar with the ship and our duties. There were twenty-six Voyage Crew members, fourteen professional crew and two guides. So we could sail continuously we were divided into watches which rotated in such a way that each watch was on duty at a different time.

1200 hrs – 1400 hrs: Red watch 1400 hrs – 1600 hrs: White watch 1600 hrs – 2000 hrs: Blue watch 2000 hrs – 2400 hrs: Red watch 0000 hrs – 0400 hrs: White watch 0400 hrs – 0800 hrs: Blue watch 0800 hrs – 1200 hrs: Red watch We were shown the Fore and Sloop Decks where we would stand look out, we were given instruction how to helm and we were taken up aloft and out onto the yard (a spar on the mast).

Despite it being my third voyage I was still gripped by fear as I stepped onto the tread lines over the sea.

As we travelled southward it got steadily colder. The nights were beautiful, with the Southern Cross dominant in the sky. Sometimes though it was very hard work as lines of tropical squalls would suddenly hit us and all hands would be needed to strike sails. Then an hour later calm would return and we would be needed to brace around and set canvas once more.

As we entered the Roaring Forties the wind picked up.

Safety lines and netting were rigged and sea water would come spouting up from the scuppers and crashing

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25 NOVEMBER - 6 DECEMBER

Inset above: SallyAnn Edlin at the wheel Main image: The Bark Europa Photo: Jordi Plana Morales

We spent the next eleven days exploring the archipelago of the Falklands. There are over seven hundred islands, beautiful beaches (one still plagued with land mines), a wealth of wildlife and a fascinating history. I was able to access the internet for the first time in Stanley, and heard of Marty Cooke’s death (see Lives Remembered). I lit a candle for him in the cathedral. When the weather allowed we would land on beaches and hike to see albatross and penguin breeding colonies. We saw sea lions, dolphins, and vultures and we were shown wonderful hospitality by the locals.

6 - 12 DECEMBER Our landings were cut short by modern technology, a weather warning of a coming storm. The plan now was to get into the Magellan Strait ASAP. It was challenging sailing, averaging a strong Force 6, many wet nights when harnesses had to be worn on deck. I never made it up to the Royal (the fifth sail up and the highest that voyage crew can climb to), so there is still a challenge ahead.

We had to wait at anchor for a pilot to guide us through the strait. It was our roughest day yet, and it took two anchors and the engine to keep us steady. We finally disembarked in Punta Arenas where we said our farewells.

Europa would restock and carry out repairs before sailing on with a new group of Voyage Crew.

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Sport

Pilgrims Boat Club: From Strength to Strength

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fter 27 years as Chairman of the Canterbury Pilgrims Boat Club (CPBC), Ewan Pearson (MR 1975-80) stepped down at the AGM in September 2019. We are ever grateful to Ewan for his exceptional contribution to the Pilgrims and KSCBC. The opportunity to row is undoubtedly one of the hallmarks of a great Public School. Due to a lack of rowing coaches KSCBC was under threat of closure in 2007. Ewan campaigned relentlessly during that time and the Boat Club survived.

As Ewan stepped down, it was a privilege to be elected as Chairman. I was Captain of Boats in 1995. After school I rowed for the University of London and continue to row at Upper Thames.

As Chairman I have three goals:

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To increase membership of the Pilgrims.

Please contact Joe Phillips (LN 1983-1988 for membership enquires (see contact details in sidebar).

To secure funding for a continuing Rowing Scholarship programme. CPBC is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

Donations attract gift aid and tax relief.

To support the mentoring scheme set up by Harry Nichols (GL 2011-16). This scheme mentors OKS as they move from King’s to University rowing.

To support rowing at King’s I am also delighted to announce the launch of a new Rowing Scholarship programme: The Scarlett Rowing Scholarship. It is 20 years since Fred Scarlett (LN 1988-93) won an Olympic Gold medal in the Eight at Sydney 2000. It was a remarkable performance and widely regarded as the most powerful display of Eights rowing ever.

Great Britain had last won the men’s Olympic 46

Eight in 1912. After previous disappointment at the World Championships in 1999, this crew peaked at exactly the right time. Excellent blade work, total commitment and above all self-belief brought this historic victory.

The Pilgrims mark this 20 year anniversary by offering the ‘Scarlett Rowing Scholarship’.

This is a Sixth Form scholarship available for boys and girls of character and integrity who display excellence at rowing, sculling or as a coxswain. This scholarship will be determined by recommendation and assessment and it brings a 10% reduction in school fees.

Helena Barton (MT 2010-15) represented Durham University over the last four years while completing a Masters in International Relations.

Most notably, she won the women’s Championship pair at BUCS Regatta in 2018. She trialled for the Great Britain U23 team in 2019 reaching the crew formation stages, and narrowly missed selection after two weeks of seat racing. She will be trialling again for Great Britain this year and looks forward to racing with Tideway Scullers School at Henley.

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Left: Benjamin out for a row in his Edwardian double skiff This page, top: the winning Olympic eight from Sydney 2000 with Fred in the seven seat (second rower from left) Photo: © Pete Spurrier/Intersport Images This page, bottom: Helena in the stroke seat (rower on left) as she races for selection in the Great Britain U23 team Photo: AllMarkOne

CPBC CONTACTS Benjamin Loxton-Edwards loxtonedwards @hotmail.co.uk Joe Phillips joesbphillips @gmail.com Harry Nichols harrynichols25 @gmail.com

Support KSCBC by following on Instagram @ksbc1862 or Twitter @KSCBC

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Connie Pidoux (MR 1997-2003) has enjoyed an outstanding career as a coxswain at Thames Rowing Club. She won the Thames Cup at Henley in 2017 and 2018. Her tenacity saw her through to a third Henley final in 2019. It was a thrilling and closely fought race but this final went to the visiting Dutch crew.

Freddie Allinson (SH 2012-17) has been a key member of the impressive Newcastle University Eight. They reached the semi-finals of the Temple Challenge Cup at Henley in 2019, losing to Northeastern University, U.S.A by ⅓ length.

Over the summer he won a Bronze Medal with the Great Britain U23 team at the European Championships in Greece.

Diary ANNUAL LUNCH AT HENLEY 1 July 2020 Join us for our annual lunch. There will also be a smaller gathering for lunch on Saturday 4 July.

BOAT CLUB DINNER AND ROW 19 September 2020 The Boat Club Dinner and row takes place. We aim for two Eights this year.

Galvin Brady (MR 2010-15) writes to say he has concluded four years racing for Georgia Tech, U.SA. He raced three times at the Head of the Charles and won several medals at the National Championships. ­Benjamin Loxton-Edwards (MR 1990-95) Chairman 47

SPORT

OKS Golf Knockout 2019 Sherry and Bovril could not stop Charlie Clouston winning last year’s OKS golf final. Duncan Cox, OKS Golf Hon. Treasurer reports back on the events of the day.

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by Duncan’s detailed survey of many of the bunkers on the front nine.

harlie Clouston (MO 1979-84) retained the OKS Knockout with a 3 & 2 victory over Duncan Cox (MT 1985-90) at Deal on 2 February 2020.

On a fresh Sunday morning, with the course in good shape despite heavy overnight rain, a plethora of dog walkers and joggers kept a close eye on the match on the front nine. However, admittedly, that may have had more to do with their personal safety than an admiration of the quality of the golf. At the turn Charlie was 2 up, in no small part helped

Charlie (left) and Duncan

A couple of cheeky sherry and Bovrils at the hut had the intended impact and Duncan immediately struck back at the 10th. Suddenly Charlie decided that the driver was required and he started to hit it long and straight. The golf on the tougher inward holes was far better and a solid par at the 16th gave Charlie what he needed for victory. A thoroughly enjoyable end to the 2019 competition and congratulations to Charlie.

GET INVOLVED! By the time you will have received this magazine, we will be well on our way to 1200 members in our OKS Networking Group on LinkedIn. To find the group search for OKS Association.

The group is fast becoming the hub of OKS Careers – so please join, and utilise the network to advertise opportunities and please post if you are looking for career-related advice or a new role.

OKS Breakfast Networking Events were very successful in 2019 and we hope to continue these sessions in late 2020 and into 2021. These events will target specific sectors and industries which the OKS community feel are most relevant to them.

We welcome more OKS participation, whether that be through offering a venue, suggesting a topic or being a speaker or panellist.

So whatever your interest, get in touch with the OKS team at oks@kings-school.co.uk to find out how you could get involved.

OKS MAGAZINE • № 5 • Spring 2020 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