OK NEWS 2018 The magazine of the Old Kimboltonians’ Association
Spring 2018
The Committee & Representatives of the Old Kimboltonians’ Association OKA Committee... President:
James Brown (94)
Treasurer:
Simon Page (82)
Vice President:
Jonathan Belbin (Headmaster)
Secretary:
Helen Hopperton (Alumni Officer, 85)
Andrew Bamford (Staff) Danni Belbin (12) George Beverly (08) James Brown (94) Michael Capps (65) Hetty Dean (90) Josh Doonan (13)
Claire Murphy (90) Adrian Petty (91) Peter Saxton (75) Joshua Spink (07) Bill Skinner (Former Staff) Jim Townley (Former Staff) Fiona Whiteman (85)
John Hitchin (71) James Hodges (11) James Hopperton (94) Jonathan Hunter (80) Jack Kenmir (12) Steve Kingan (72) John Mayes (51)
Joanna Doyle (84) Will Ford (11) Hattie Gellatly (13) Theo Gibbs (68) Sarah Gill (12) Charlotte Goodson (88) Alaster Gray (73)
OKA Sports Managers... CRICKET - 1st XI
Charlie Gingell
07972 071154
gingell.charles@gmail.com
CRICKET - 2nd XI
Will Ford
willpnford@live.co.uk
FOOTBALL
George Wilson
07411 101363
george@wilsonco.uk
GOLF
Charles Robinson
01480 860581
cjr@robinsonkimbolton.co.uk
HOCKEY (Men’s)
Jack Gallifant
gallifantjack@googlemail.com
HOCKEY (Ladies)
Natalie Gaunt
natalie1.gaunt@googlemail.com
NETBALL
Danni Belbin
danni.belbin2120@gmail.com
ROUNDERS
Charlotte Ralph
07969 882797
cl.ralph@live.co.uk
SAILING
Alaster Gray
01480 461141
alasterlesleygray@hotmail.com
TENNIS (Men’s)
James Hodges
07715286475
jameshodges93@ymail.com
TENNIS (Ladies)
Helen Hopperton
01480 862223
alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk
Old Kimboltonians’ Association
‘Old Kimboltonians’ Association’ group
Follow @OldKimboltonian
old_kimboltonians
Cover Photo: Courtesy of Alison Ainsworth Peter Willmer (OK 46) & Ben Goakes (OK 96) stepped down from the OKA Committee last year and we’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their help and involvement with the OKA over the many years that they have both served on the Committee.
If you are interested in joining the OKA Committee or would like to get involved in the Old Kimboltonians’ Association in any way, please contact Helen Hopperton, Alumni Officer: alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk 01480 862223
CONTENTS
CONTENTS 08
12
25
05
PRESIDENT’S NOTES
12
06
A WORD FROM THE HEADMASTER
James Brown reflects on how the OKA has progressed during the first year of his presidency.
Jonathan Belbin updates OKs on recent events in Kimbolton School.
08
SCHOOL NEWS
10
WELCOME, CLASS OF 2017!
A summary of the School’s highlights in 2017.
As they become Old Kimboltonians, we welcome the 2017 year group and find out what university / career choices they have made.
40
OKA UPDATE
What really goes on within the OKA Office apart from organising the reunions & sports fixtures? In addition to finding out about our day to day activities, you can read about the survey we undertook in 2017 to find out exactly what OKs want from the Association, and learn about our new online archives.
25
OKA SHOP
26
OKA ARTICLES
Details of OK merchandise available to purchase from the OKA Office.
A couple of OKs reminisce about life at Kimbolton School and we look at a few books recently written by OKs.
10 34
OKA EVENTS
40
OKA SPORT
46
NEWS OF OKS
Find out about the variety of social events held last year as well as what dates and activities are planned for 2018.
A round-up of all the sports fixtures played by OK teams during 2017.
A variety of news on what OKs around the globe have been up to, including engagements, marriages and births. We also remember those OKs who we have learnt have sadly passed away.
www.oks.co.uk
3
EDITOR’S NOTES
FROM THE EDITOR, HELEN HOPPERTON
I
hope that you all enjoy reading through the latest edition of the OK News. On behalf of the OKA I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has shared their news and memories and contributed to this edition of the OK News - without your input it would certainly be a much smaller publication. I enjoy receiving your emails, talking to you on the phone, seeing you at our events and welcoming you back to the School for a look around. We have had quite a few OK visitors this year and would warmly welcome anyone who would like to come back and have a tour in the future.
We are always delighted to have OKs visit, so please give us a ring if you are in the area!
01480 862223 Due to current Safeguarding regulations you are no longer able to freely wander around the school grounds during school hours, even if it is your old school! Please let us know in advance if you are planning a visit and we will arrange for you to be shown around.
I’ve said it many times before (and will probably continue to say it!) but the success of the OKA relies on your involvement. If you have been to an OKA event in the past and enjoyed it, and look forward to the arrival of the OK News each year, please consider supporting future events and keeping the OKA updated with your news. On that note, I look forward to seeing many OKs in the coming year. In particular, if this is your anniversary year of leaving Kimbolton, let’s make the most of it! If you left in 2013, 2008, 1998, 1988, 1978, 1968 or 1958, put the Summer Reunion on 30 June in your diary - you will be hearing from us shortly to celebrate this milestone! Thank you for your continued support.
Helen Hopperton (OK 85), Alumni Officer alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk 01480 862223
An online version of the OK News is also available. If you are happy to read the publication on-line and save the OKA printing and postage costs, please email: alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk
YOUR DATA - Please read carefully! The OKA holds and processes personal data about Kimbolton School’s former pupils and former staff (OKs) as part of its everyday operations. We take seriously your privacy and the responsibility of handling personal data, and comply with relevant legislation and the requirements of Kimbolton School’s Data Protection Policy. Your data will be used by the OKA and Kimbolton School only for the purpose of keeping you informed of alumni events and news, and, from time to time, fundraising activities. However your name and contact details may be passed to an individual member of the OKA for the purposes of organising a specific OK reunion, event or sports team. In May 2018 the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be implemented. In preparation for this, the OKA have reviewed how we seek, record and manage the consent of OKs for the OKA to hold and process their data as outlined above. As a member of the OKA, we understand that to date you have had a reasonable expectation for the OKA to hold your personal data and keep you updated with events and activities. If this is incorrect and you wish to withdraw your consent please advise the OKA in writing by the end of April (this can be done easily by completing the OK Update Form on our website), and we will delete your personal data from our records.
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www.oks.co.uk
PRESIDENT’S NOTES
Notes from the OKA
I
t is hardly believable that almost a year ago I was writing my first welcome letter for the OKA Magazine, forward wind 12 months and the world has changed but some of our challenges remain the same. On a personal note, Nicola and I welcomed Jessica into our lives in May, bringing so many changes (and bits of kit) with her for such a small person. As an Association, we have started to see a few developments too that can be built on to really start to help drive the OKA forward, but we are reliant on the engagement and support of everyone to really make a difference. Kimbolton remains the stable centre of the Association but with an ever-changing world with more on offer and less time to take advantage, we need to change too and this is something we are working on. The association has continued to run smoothly with the guidance of Helen Hopperton our Alumni Officer. Helen has been in role now for 8 years and we would not have seen the changes we have had it not been for her - thank you Helen! Throughout 2017 we continued with our regular events and sports fixtures also remained a key part of the OKA calendar. Our first event of each year is always the London Dinner and it was with great regret that it was cancelled last year due to low ticket sales. This decision was not taken lightly and I must apologise to those who had booked. In light of this and listening to feedback received, we have made some changes and will host the 2018 London Dinner in a new venue on a slightly later date - see page 34 for more details. There is a real nucleus of OKs living and working in and around the capital and this event is a great opportunity for them to get together, so I am looking forward to a successful event later in the spring. The Summer Reunion was, as always, well attended. The sun shone for us which always makes for a better day, especially being able to lounge by the 1st XI cricket pitch with a small libation! The Summer Ball followed the daytime activites and, yet again this event was sold out and hugely successful. It never fails to amaze me as to how many OKs who have not visited Kimbolton for a few years attend the Ball and comment on how things in the Castle seem so familiar and have not changed. In October, we welcomed Simon Davies (OK 94) as our Guest Speaker at our Annual Dinner. Simon regaled us with tales of his time in the RAF and latterly working within the commercial arena as a consultant. He recounted how Kimbolton had shaped his life and his experiences and through a number of stories brought this to life, though some of these made the eyes widen, none more than his mother’s who I am sure was not aware of exactly what he got up to whilst flying! 2017 saw another busy Sport Calendar, with varying degrees of success throughout the teams. Both the men’s hockey fixtures and netball matches were played in March on the same day
PRESIDENT and it was great to see so many OKs back either playing in or supporting these games. Sport was a focal point in July at the Summer Reunion. With wins in the men’s tennis, rounders and sailing it was a good day for the OKs, perfected only by a long overdue win for the OK 1st XI cricketers and a record 70 OKs taking part in the Football Tournament. OK footballers have raised the profile of the OKA this season. Convicing wins against the school teams were followed by a good start in the Arthur Dunn Cup. Unfortunately we were knocked out of the Cup after a replay match in December, however defeat has been long forgotten and, as I write, we are through to the quarter finals of the Junior League Cup in the Arthurian League. You can read full reports in the ‘OK Sports’ section, but I would like to thank everyone who took part in the various sporting fixtures during the year, all of them played with a real sense of sportsmanship but a desire to win! Since I last wrote in the magazine the OKA Committee has begun to mobilise a number of different initiatives under the banner of a 3-year plan. A newly-formed London Committee will focus on driving forward events and activities in the capital; we have completed some independent research on a group of OKs to really start to understand what our membership wants from the OKA; we have completed a skills matrix of the OKA Committee, looking to build on the experience we have around us. In addition, we have worked on developing a new digital archive of our memorabilia so OKs can access this great resource. All this activity is designed to ensure the OKA remains relevant but also adds value to people’s lives in an age with so many other commitments and offerings. As a Committee, we will continue to look for new ways to engage our members and bring new and interesting initiatives and events but as always, the success of these is dependent on people being involved. Whilst we are trying to challenge ourselves to offer more we do not have all the answers so if you have an idea or can offer support in some way we would love to hear from you, please do get in touch. James Brown (OK 94)
www.oks.co.uk
5
A word from the Headmaster
A word from the Headmaster
I
s this really my 16th Headmaster’s Notes? Whilst my first missive to you was not quite wheeled out to you via the Banda machine (and if you don’t know what that is, you are clearly the dark side of 45; think purple and the heady aroma of spirit), thre can be no doubt that our humble annual OK magazine has certainly moved with the times under Helen Hopperton’s guiding hand.
Clearly, a key reason behind an enhanced number of applications is macro, the economic success of the area, fanning out from Cambridge’s famed Silicon Fen. When the A14 improvements are completed in 2020 (please, please don’t let them overrun, try driving from Kimbolton to Cambridge between 7.00 – 9.30 am!), we will suddenly be day-range access to an extensive area well east of Huntingdon.
As has the School of course - and it is salutary to note that each year the (younger) readership expands by c. 100 which, in theory, means one hundred more OKs champing at the bit to attend events. It hasn’t necessarily felt like that, however, for every event this past year. Whilst the Summer OK Ball sees the Castle fit to burst, our London Dinner ultimately never made it off the blocks in February due to insufficient take-up.
Increased interest has also been piqued by the School enjoying considerable success over the past twelve months. The Summer A-level results were comfortably our best ever (over 20% A* and almost 60% A*/A) and this catapulted us up the wretched – perhaps now ‘not so wretched’ – League Tables; above quite a few hitherto ‘big hitters’. Not that I would crow of course, it was a great year but won’t happen annually. It’s not rocket science; strong academic year groups gain strong grades; less strong academic years achieve in other ways.
Our new President, James Brown, has initiatives aplenty (detailed elsewhere in this publication) and I would urge you to support him as the OKA strives to do what it says on the tin and support the membership: you. As the current 2014-2019 School Development Plan winds to a close – all targets safely ticked off, so our minds are turning towards the 2020+ version, the fourth of my Headship. The key challenge for the School going forward is actually quite a nice one to have. Interest at 11+ has never been higher and, in January (2018), we welcomed 160 prospective 10/11 year olds into the School to sit the Entrance Examination. What was 3 form entry a dozen years ago has become 5 form … and we could increase further if it was not for a) an infrastructure which would creak too far (every seat in the Lewis Hall is now filled for full Assembly and the recently extended glass-fronted Dining Hall already serves 900 in a frenetic hour and a bit) and b) we would undoubtedly lose that family-feel which is so important to the whole ethos of the School. There are only so many names a Headmaster can remember.
6
www.oks.co.uk
For the first time ever, we appeared in The Cricketer’s “100 Top Cricket Schools” and, in 2018, we will make our debut in The Good Schools Guide. Finally, in November, we ‘enjoyed’ our six yearly Independent Schools’ Inspectorate Quality of Education Inspection. Compared to inspections of the past, this is now a far broader-brushed affair and we receive a billing in just two categories; Pupil Achievement (which was judged Good and, irritatingly, did not encompass the 2017 public examination results “for processing reasons”) and Pupils’ Personal Development (where we scored the top, Excellent). If you find that counting sheep doesn’t work for you, all Inspection Reports are available on the ISI website. I do not propose to list a litany of Kimbolton School’s successes over the past year as our own website does the job perfectly well, with the additional bonus of photographs and videos. However (!), in June, the whole school community did work together to construct the world’s largest ever Menger Sponge.
SCHOOL NEWS It’s mathematical and I would explain in more detail but a) it would take up too much space and b) I don’t fully understand it myself! The cameras have never been far away either, on the heels of Lucy Worsley’s visit whilst filming her Henry’s Six Wives in 2016, Autumn 2017 saw the BBC’s Countryfile cameras focus on our firework heritage and The One Show highlighted a Prep pupil who starred in a West End production over Christmas. We also have a GB rower, a GB water-skier and a National Drag-Racing Champion amongst the pupil body. And, university-wise, for the second year running, Durham proved the most popular destination university for Kimboltonians.
I will leave you with a plea – to get involved and come and join us at an OK event this year – and a quote from the latest edition of The Kimboltonian courtesy of an U6th leaver; “only now, having a matter of weeks left, do I look back and truly appreciate the great time I’ve had … I’ve met some of my best friends who are hopefully going to stay a part of my life long after we’ve left Kimbolton and gone our separate ways”. Yes Dan, and hopefully you will use the OKA as your conduit! All the best for 2018. Jonathan Belbin
Just as we were going to print The Good Schools Guide (GSG) published their review on the School. The GSG prides itself on providing unbiased and candid reviews of both independent and state schools and aims to give frank answers to the questions that every parent asks. The review can be accessed via the ‘About Us’ section of the school website... take a look - it will make you proud to be an Old Kimboltonian!
MEGA MENGER PROJECT As the Headmaster mentioned, staff and pupils became slightly obsessed in the summer term with a maths project to construct a large scale view of a fractal called a Menger Sponge (the mathematicians amongst you will know what that means!) For two weeks someone, somewhere at school could be found making cubes out of purple, black or white card. At the end of the project 48000 pieces of card were used to build the level three sponge that is now proudly on display in the Queen Katharine Building - the final product is pictured below.
www.oks.co.uk
7
SCHOOL NEWS
In Brief...
School NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS & HIGHLIGHTS IN 2017 EXAM RESULTS
A Levels The School celebrated their best ever A Level results last August: 57.8% of grades were at A* or A 40 students (nearly 40% of the year group) gained at least 3 A*/As Almost 80% of the grades were at A* to B.. GCSE Results 28% of all grades awarded at A* (or 9/8) Over 57% were at A* or A (or 9 to 7) 29 pupils (31% of the year group) gained at least 9 A*/A grades (or 9 to 7) grades.
European Youth Parliament
CANOEING Kimbolton canoeists claimed two top prizes at the 2017 Devizes to Westminster (DW) International Canoe Race. The ‘purple paddlers’ retained their 2016 trophy for the fastest team of three CCF crews, as well as clinching the School Team Trophy - the School’s best performance in recent years.
PUPILS QUIZ PAXMAN Award-winning journalist, author and TV Presenter, Jeremy Paxman, spoke to pupils, parents and staff at one of the School’s regular Politics Society evenings. Addresing a packed audience in the Lewis Hall, Mr Paxman shared his forthright views on Europe, politicians, America and politics in general.
The School had another successful year at at the prestigious European Youth Parliament debating competition. A sevenstrong Kimbolton team represented East Anglia at the four-day national final last summer, held at Liverpool Hope University. The event brought together over 140 delegates from 12 other schools across the UK, plus two guest schools from Sweden and Portugal. The Kimbolton team were commended for their thorough preparation and research, and Holly Lamb was picked to represent the UK at an international session. Jeremy Paxman (and his dog!) with members of the School Politics Society
DT
Two Upper Sixth Form Design, Technology and Engineering (DTE) students achieved national recognition at the Triumph Design Awards 2017 for their creative thinking and innovative Problem Solving. Dana Lipcanu received an award for outstanding Visual Design for her automated light, while Will Day was recognised for outstanding work in the five categories of Innovation, Engineering, Corporate Responsibility, Communication and Visual Design, for his kayak steering system.
ROWING
Upper Sixth Former Kate Lyster confirmed her status as one of the country’s top rowers in May 2017, representing GB at the Munich Junior Regatta. She raced in two boat categories, coming 5th in the Junior Women’s Double Sculls, and 2nd in the Junior Women’s Quad. Kate is now an OK and reading Art and History of Art at Reading University. 8
www.oks.co.uk
AMERICAN EXCHANGE The school’s annual exchange with Bridgewater-Raritan High School, New Jersey, continues and in October American students were welcomed to the School for 2 weeks. The exchange has been taking place since 1992. Pictured below is Andrew Bamford, Kimbolton’s ‘Father of the Exchange’, and his Bridgewater counterparts Helen Pappas (left) and Tom and Sue Crop.
In Brief...
SCHOOL NEWS
BBC COUNTRYFILE DIARIES A BBC crew spent a day at the School in September filming for an episode of Countryfile Autumn Diaries which was aired on BBC1 early November. The experiments with pyrotechnics with Rev Ron Lancaster and Alastair Gray (OK 91) were a particular highlight - especially for Greg McKenzie, the presenter, and the Second Formers in the audience! (In addition, the Prep School had a brief spell of fame on the BBC One Show when the programme did a feature on Year 4 pupil Dan McLellan and his role in The Christmasaurus at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith).
@KimboltonSchool
/KimboltonSchool
kimbolton_school
STAFF DEPARTURES 2017 Reverend Nicki Bland The school bid a sad farewell to Reverend Bland at the end of the 2017 Summer term. She arrived in Kimbolton in 2007 and during her ten years at the school was involved in teaching Maths and Religious Studies up to GCSE level, led numerous chapels and seasonal services, especially since being ordained as a Priest in 2013, and participated in many school trips abroad. Citing teaching RS and Maths, conducting confirmation classes and getting to know so many young people as the main highlights of her time at Kimbolton, she also has fond memories of the ‘highly enjoyable’ Spanish, French and Music trips overseas. Reverend Bland has simply retired from teaching, she has not retired from working and in September started a part time role of vicar of Little Staughton, Great Staughton, Hail Weston and Perry, so many local OKs will no doubt see her around the parish. We hope that this busy role will enable her to achieve her wish of freeing up time to see more of her family and to travel to some of the major cities in Europe.
Alistair Hamilton
Emily Smith
Alistair joined Kimbolton in 2013 as a Graduate Teacher. This year long role clearly gave him a taste for teaching and he applied for a History Teacher vacancy and was successful.
Emily joined the English Department three years ago and threw herself into school life. As well as being an enthusiastic and inspiring teacher, she was an Ingrams tutor, helped with the School equestrian team, was heavily involved with the Ghana Partnership with Essaman United and was the lead singer with the infamous staff band, The Missing Link!
Three years later, after being heavily involved in boarding life, the school choir and the DW canoe race as well ashis teaching, Alistair has taken up a teaching role in Marlborough College.
?
DID YOU KNOW
Andrew Bamford celebrated the start of his 100th term at Kimbolton School in September 2017 - wow!
Emily left to move nearer her family in Suffolk and to take up a new role as the English Head of Department at a school in Bury St Edmunds.
www.oks.co.uk
9
OKA UPDATE New OKs
Welcome to the Old Kimboltonians’ Association...
A
after celebrating the School’s best-ever A level results, the 2017 Upper Sixth leavers become the newest Old Kimboltonians and headed off to pursue their chosen career. Many congratulations - we look forward to seeing you at your first OKA Summer Reunion on 30th June and at other OKA events!
?
DID YOU KNOW
The top 5 Kimbolton universities over the last 5 years are:
1st Newcastle 2nd Durham 3rd= Exeter 3rd= Leeds 5th Nottingham
Oxford Media & Business School -
David Adesida
Kings, London - European Politics
Elena Burton-Lovesay
Rowan Anderson
Bristol - English & Philosophy
Tara Butterfield
Hartbury - Veterinary Nursing Science
Ed Andrews
Oxford Brookes - Built Environment
Charlotte Carpenter-Platt
Leeds - Natural Sciences
Tara Aujla
Reading - Biological Sciences
Simon Carter
UEA - Pharmacy
Adam Barret-Drylie
Nottingham Trent - Animal Science
Susan Chen
LSE - Economics
Ross Basser
Loughborough - Mechanical Engineering
Ciara Chittenden-Ellis
Stageworks - Musical Theatre
Emily Beck
Newcastle - Modern Languages & Business
Katy Chow
Durham - Finance
Harry Beet
Leeds - Middle Eastern Studies
Adrian Chu
UCL - Civil Engineering
Harry Bennet
Sheffield - Mechanical Engineering
Victoria Connor
Nottingham - Mod Languages & Business
Daniel Bentley
Nottingham Trent - Business
Matthew Cooper
Lancaster - Theoretical Physics
Sian Blake
Leeds - Fine Art
Naomi Daniels-Holgate
UCL - Mechanical Engineering
James Blane
City - Music, Sound & Technology
Thomas Dason-Barber
Gap Year
Joseph Bowman
Nottingham Trent - Geography
Will Day
Gap Year (before joining Marines)
Ayla Bravo-Escos
Warwick - Liberal Arts
Ioana Diac
Gap Year
Archie Brocklebank
Nottingham Trent - Product Design
Yuki Ding
UCL - Statistics, Economics & Finance
Jago Brockway
Exeter - Politics
Bill Duberly
Durham - Mathematics
Angus Brown
Keele - Geology & Geography
Sam Emery
Manchester - Music
Alex Bryden
Gap Year
Rehaf Faisal
Loughborough - Aeronautical Engineering
James Burdock
Cambridge - Mathematics
Katherine Farnden
Guildhall - Music: Oboe
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www.oks.co.uk
Executive PA Diploma
New OKs
Nicola Finch
Katrina Murdoch
SOAS - Development Economics
Finance
Mash Nwosu
Sheffield - Medicine
Eve Foley
Exeter - History & Archaeology
Ethan O’Kelly
Loughborough - Automotive Engineering
Amelia Fortescue
Sussex - Business, Management & Economics
Joseph Oliver
Loughborough - Automotive Engineering
Charlie Gardner
Loughborough - Aeronautical Engineering
Thomas Palmer
Warwick - PPE
Angus Gentles
Toronto - Bachelor of Commerce
Jeremy Pang
Nottingham - Biotechnology
Isabelle Goodsall
Bristol - Psychology
Callum Paterson
Southampton - Geography
Leo Grant
Bath - Aerospace Engineering
Harrison Peak
Lancaster - Mathematics
Oliver Hale
Nottingham - History
Claudia Pert
Birmingham - Law
Rhianne Haresign
Nottingham - Economics & Politics
Ellie Peters
Edinburgh - Law & International Relations
Matthew Harrington
UWE - Product Design Technology
Helena Pilcher
Durham - PPE
Bethany Heath
Durham - Natural Science
Alicia Port
Leeds - Mathematics
James Hong
Nottingham - Physiotherapy
Miranda Poulter
Newcastle - Food & Human Nutrition
Chloe Hunter
Nottingham - French & History
Ellie Reid
Bath - Physics
Jess James
Bath - Molecular Biology
Fergus Richardson-Soar
Nottingham - History
Emma Johnson
Durham - Geography
Sherwin Robinson
Lancaster - Mechanical Engineering
Max Johnson
Bangor - Geography
Marcus Rudd
Management
Max Johnston
York St John - Product Design
Alfied Safford
Nottingham Trent - Geography
Millie Kenyon
Newcastle - Politics & Sociology
Sylvie shiu
Warwick - Law
Sina Kordany
Sheffield Hallam - Business
Rebecca Stairs
Birmingham - Sports & Exercise Science
Maya Kotwal
Durham - Law
Esme Steele
Durham - Sport, Exercise & Physical Activity
Daniel Koutny
Durham - Economics with French
Zoe Steele
Michael Lee
Gap Year
Hannah Szczepanski
Oxford - Law
Daniela Lipcanu
Durham - Accounting & Finance
Baderin Tejuoso
Leeds - Law
Megan Lowe
Hertfordshire - Automotive Engineering
Morgan Thomas
Durham - Politics
Lottie Lumbers
Nottingham - Aerospace Engineering
Tom Ward
Portsmouth - Politics
Kate Lyster
Reading - Art & History of Art
Alex Ware
Sussex - Mathematics with Finance
Rebecca Marr
Ballet West Scotland - Dance
Tom Wilson
Reading - Geography
Callum McAdam
Kent - Politics & International Relations
Konnor Wingate
Warwick - Mathematics & Statistics
Emma Meakin
Gap Year
JJ Woods
Buckingham - History with Politics
Ben Mott
Kent - Wildlife Conservation
Vera Xu
Sheffield - Sociology
Anna Munoz
Studies
Jack Findlay
Exeter - English & Modern Languages
OKA UPDATE
Newcasttle - Business Accounting &
Loughborough - Banking Finance &
Bristol - Politics & International Relations (2018)
Royal College of Music - Music: Vocal
www.oks.co.uk
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OKA UPDATE OK Survey
OK Survey Despite the progress made by the OKA over the last few years the OKA Committee are fully aware that there is a lot more that can be done before we have the vibrant alumni association that we envisage; we know that we can be more successful but what do we need to do to see greater participation levels and engagement from OKs? What would OKs like to see happening - different types of events? Careers support? Improved communication? To find out we employed the services of an independent research consultant to survey a cross-section of our membership. Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy schedule to take part and be interviewed. This is what you said... There is a huge disparity of opinion on how often OKs receive communications from the OKA and on the content of those communications.
Communication
) “I love hearing about old classmates...” ) “Sadly there is very little in the newsletters that is relevant to my year group, but I still get a warm feeling reading it.” ) “I delete most of the things Kimbolton send me... and they seem to send me a lot of things” ) “I don’t get anything - I’ve no idea where any newsletters go, probably to an address my parents used to live at!” all ‘so and so has got married, so and so has had a baby’ which is alright to a point, but it diminishes the importance of things - it ) “It’s needs a more professional focus”. Events
OKs most involved are those who left school more recently, who live/have family living locally and who actively participate in sport. Generally feedback was very positive, especially about the Summer Reunion and Ball; however, the message came through that some events are too focussed on anniversary reunions and/or are too formal.
) “I go (to the Summer Reunion) every year and play some of the sports - loads of my old gang are always there” ) “I used to always go along in the first few years after I left; now I find business is taking me away a lot” ) “I left in the 60s ... there’s no-one there I’d know!” had our reunion last summer - it was great fun. Unbelieveable really. Some travelled miles to attend, but there were people who live ) “We in Cambridgeshire who still didn’t make it” Your Suggestions...
Throughout the interviews various suggestions were made for developing and improving the Association such as:
;; Events at the school for older Alumni ;; Improved merchandise for women ;; Hold regional events (not just in London or Kimbolton) ;; Events with a difference - attendance at major sporting events ;; Focus on business networking - career opportunities/mentoring
What happens next..? The OKA Committee are in the throes of reviewing all the feedback and putting a plan in place to make some changes and carry many of the suggestions made forward, in particular the development of OK business networking. Thank you again to those of you who took the time to voice your opinions - if you didn’t get chance this time, we’d still welcome your feedback so please get in touch if you’d like your say!
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OKA UPDATE
A THOUGHT ABOUT THE OKA...
A map showing the location of many OKs across the world One of the things that can be taken as a given in life is that we will always remember our school days. We are forever a part of our school community. Our memories are, of course, a mixture of the good and the bad, the happy, the sad and the successful - all of which make up our school career. The names of our teachers stay with us as do the names of our school friends. Once you join Kimbolton School, you become part of the School forever. So, when you go through the gatehouse for the last time when you leave, the OKA enrols you as a lifetime member of the School’s alumni association. As an OK, you will be kept up to date with OKA events and news, and updates from former pupils all over the world. During the hours it is open the OKA office (based in the Mews area, above the Dining Hall) is kept busy connecting with OKs through its website, email, mailings etc and, of course, the OK News magazine.
We have a community of just over 3600 OKs who we are currently in touch with, now living in working in many countries across the globe. Having walked the same corridors, eaten in the same Dining Hall, played on the same sports pitches, OKs are already connected with each other. There are many welcoming OKs who are happy to engage and network with each other, so make sure you keep in touch - wherever you are in the world!
Please remember to tell us when you change your postal or email address! Up to date information saves a lot of time and expense...
Be the first to hear about events, news, OK gatherings, sports matches, find out what other OKs are up to and identify career, networking and business contacts by keeping track of us on social media:
Old Kimboltonians’ Association
Old Kimboltonians’ Association
@OldKimboltonian
old_kimboltonians
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OKA UPDATE Remembrance
Remembering OKs lost at war
R
emembrance in November continues to feature in the school calendar each year. Here’s a snapshot of school and OK involvement...
Many OKs attended the Remembrance Day Parade and Service in Kimbolton, either taking part in the Parade or watching from the pavements.
The Kimbolton Branch of the Royal British Legion dedicated a new standard on 8 October 2017. Reverend Lancaster took the service and Col Mark Lancaster TD MP (OK 88) gave the address. If you live locally and are interested in joining the RBL the Kimbolton Branch would welcome new members - please get in touch with David Hendrick (david51hendrick@btinternet.com) to find out more. For the school Field Weekend in October, 3rd form pupils went on a trip the Belgian battlefields. As well as visiting the trenches, Ypres and the Somme, they attended the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate where pupils laid wreaths in memory of OKs who died in WW1.
The whole school gathered around the West Lawn on Friday 10 November for a minute’s silence.
Pupils and staff busied themselves in the Art Department throughout September and October making ceramic poppies which were displayed on the West Lawn for the Remembrance ceremony and then moved to the wall between the Lewis Hall and School Shop. A very worthwhile and rewarding project - they looked great!
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OKA Archives
OKA UPDATE
OKA Archives
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hose of you who have visited the OKA Office over the last few years will know how many old school photos, magazines, registers etc. that we have - all ready and waiting to be organised into some system that is accessible to everyone. Well, we have finally taken a step towards this and are delighted to announce the arrival of our first on-line archives!
Using the services of an external company we have started to digitise old school photographs and documents. What is currently available to see is just the tip of the iceberg! The OKA allocated a fixed budget to get the project off the ground and we have tried to include a good cross-section of photos, magazines etc. covering several decades in the first upload. The archive can be viewed via a link on our website - OKs have unlimited access, but will need a password to log in to the resource - contact the OKA Office to obtain your login details. Have a browse through what has already been uploaded... search for your name to see if you’re mentioned in any publications and see if you can find yourself on the whole school photos by using the zoom feature ..! More material will be added as and when funds become available, so don’t worry if you can’t find much relating to your specific year group at the moment. If you have something that you believe would add to our living history, please do get in touch.
da You nee to rd passwo e h access t s archive
Contact the OKA Office to get the login details: alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk 01480 862223
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OKA UPDATE Lending Support
Careers
W
e like to welcome OKs back to the School to speak to students at different stages of their school journey; many OKs have a wealth of knowledge and students reap the benefit of hearing about the various perspectives of potential careers first hand.
In 2016, instead of the large scale Careers Fair, smaller, more targeted evenings and presentations were held focussing on specific career sectors. This did not deter OKs from stepping forward and volunteering their help and we were delighted to see several OKs back in Kimbolton supporting these events, as well as being part of the School’s 6th Form Citizenship and Politics programmes. Last summer, Harry Knowlton (OK 16), Luke Goodsall (OK 16), Catriona Gibb (OK 16), Lucy Napier (OK 16) and Josh Morey (OK 15) all came back to support the Careers Department and talk to the Lower 6th about their first / second years at university. Clifford Robinson (OK 16) and Grace Bowland (OK 16) also visited to chat about Oxbridge. Earlier in the year, Gauri Seth (OK 13) and Catherine Hunter (OK 13) returned to talk to a smaller group of Lower Sixth students about their career paths since leaving school. Gauri studied at Tufts University in the USA and is now a Private Bank Analyst for JP Morgan, based in New York. Catherine meanwhile studied British Politics and Legislative Studies at the University of Hull, and now works for UK Power Reserve as a Communications & Government Affairs Associate. Jess Brandler (OK 08) visited in November to talk to the Upper Sixth about the Palestinian conflict in their Citizenship lesson.
In October the Economics Department were delighted to welcome Paddy Pollard (OK 07) back to give a Sixth Form Economics talk on “Can the world keep progressing?”. Paddy works as a civil service economist in the Department for International Development, and is tasked with advising on how aid should be spent in unstable regions. The School’s Politics Progamme included visits from three OKs. Politics graduate Henry Alexander (OK 09) gave students an insight into life in the Civl Service and the role of the Cabinet Secretariat, knowledge he has gained since he joined the Civil Service Fast Stream in 2014. Ashton Cull (OK 05) is a Senior Parliamentary Assistant and visited to talk about his experiences in politics over recent years working for Zac Goldsmith, Boris Johnson and now for Attorney General Jeremy Wright. A fascinating journey through elections, referendums and by-elections!
Ashton Cull (OK 05) - 4th from the right - with Sixth Form Politics students
Careers Support from OKs If you are interested in visiting the School to chat to senior pupils about your career and studies, and opportunities available in your sector, please email: Alison Bates, Head of Careers ab@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk or contact the OKA Office
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Henry Alexander (OK 09) at work one day!
Max Bowmer Adey (OK 16) returned to head a Q&A session on studying, life and politics in the USA. A student at Webber University, Florida, Max gave an engaging insight on American culture, society, race, politics and Trump.
CAREERS Advice If you are just starting out in your career, or looking
for a change, don’t forget that there is a large network of OKs out there who may be able to give you some advice on getting into a particular field of work. Get in touch with the OKA Office for more information!
Lending Support
OKA UPDATE
OKA Scholarship Trust Fund
M
any of you will be aware that the Old Kimboltonians’ Association Scholarship Trust Fund provides financial support to two sixth formers each year who, due to specific circumstances, would not be able to further their education at Kimbolton without additional assistance.
The fund is maintained by generous donations from OKs and, despite continued poor interest rates over the last few years, the Trustees are delighted to have been able to slightly increase the annual award. This has been possible by the OKA donating any event profits to the Fund and, two years ago it received a significant boost with the inception of the Geoff Coles Memorial Trust Fund (GCMTF).
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DID YOU KNOW
The OKA Scholarship Trust Fund has helped 23 pupils continue their education at Kimbolton since it was set up in 1995.
Geoff, a former member of staff, was one of the founding trustees of the OK Trust Fund, so when he passed away in 2015, it was only appropriate that a fund was set up in his memory to further support this cause that he strongly believed in.
Update on the Geoff Coles Memorial Trust Fund Thank you to everyone who has donated to this fund in memory of Geoff. The Trustees are sure that all donors (and Geoff!) would be delighted to know that the fund has raised just over £32,000 to date. Not only does this sum ensure that the OKA can continue to support the School via the Scholarship Trust Fund for many years to come, but it also opens up the opportunity for the Trustees to increase the annual award further. Although the JustGiving site for the GCMTF has now closed, it’s not too late to donate! Further information on how to donate is outlined below.
Making a donation to either fund is easy... make a one-off payment set up a monthly standing order set up a legacy to the Trust Fund For further information and a Donation Form... Contact the OKA Office: 01480 862223 alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk or go to the website: www.oks.co.uk/LendingSupport Donations of all sizes play a significant part in making sure that someone is able to continue their education at Kimbolton, who would otherwise not be able to without extra support.
The Old Kimboltonians’ Association Scholarship Trust Fund is a registered charity, number 1047590
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OKA UPDATE OKA Sponsorship
OKA Sponsorship
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n the absence of many applications for sponsorship, the OKA supported the project of just one OK - quite a unique one it was too! You can read all about it below.
TURIN (formerly Tom) BRIDGE (OK 09) Turin has set up Food For Forests - a project leading a pilot study to discover whether aquaponic farms might have a long-term role in saving the rainforests of Madagascar. Turin’s initial plans for his project are outlined below: Food For Forests is a new project. If the project can selfsustain, it will offer a new way for conservation groups to generate funds for themselves, whilst meeting the needs of local people, in a way which should prevent further damage to the environment. To achieve all these things, we hope by the end of this short pilot project to be able to demonstrate that vanilla can be grown aquaponically more quickly than using traditional methods. If successful, we can self-fund while growing food crops and show that the farm is worth the cost of construction, and therefore justify building more farms, hopefully spreading conservation benefits passively. This pilot study will take place in the town of Andapa. Andapa is a major hub for the vanilla trade, and is close to Marojejy National Park: not only home to a massive range of frogs and reptiles, but also to an array of lemurs. It is an area with a rapidly increasing population, yet still struggling with many of the problems seen across Madagascar: malnutrition, deforestation and poaching. We’ve chosen Madagascar because it is home to a huge range of species, with more being found every year, and 97% of those species are found nowhere else on Earth, and are thus at increased risk of extinction. After construction we will gather enough harvests for a reliable average of yields. We can then be sure of our strengths and weaknesses, and plan our next moves accordingly. **** In September, Turin provided us with an update on how the project was progressing: The project started in earnest in July 2016. So far, I have built a small aquaponic farm (3m^2 growing area with 25 fish), and have shown that we can cultivate Vanilla planifolia. This is important, because if we can do that then our project should theoretically be able to self-fund within a few years, as well as attract local people to take up this technology by offering them a way to grow a well-known cash crop more productively. As things stand, all the vanilla vines have survived the initial shock of being moved to a high-water, high-fertiliser regimen
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and I expect to see new growths in the next month or two. This is a change from our original plan: to test growth rates of fruits and vegetables. I did this because more and more data came to light showing that such foods were already being grown in a tropical setting at higher rates using aquaponics, rendering the question moot. Moreover, it was important to grow as many vanilla vines as possible to show that they would survive and grow consistently. Additionally, initial semiformal interviews showed a great deal of mistrust by local people in adopting new, relatively expensive, poorly understood technology from foreigners, so I have had to try to find a way for people to pay off the value of the farm reasonably quickly, and the best method seems to be using some sort of cash-crop farming cooperative, hence vanilla, an incredibly popular cash-crop here in Madagascar. Although the details need to be honed (with more data to gained next year with a much larger farm), I hope to distribute the equipment in small arrays (like the one I have built currently) to households for local people to pay off over time, on the condition that they commit to using a certain area of it to grow food. To find out more about the aims of the project and the challenges it is seeking to address have a look at his website: www.foodforforests.co.uk
If you are looking for sponsorship for a unique project / venture, the OKA may be able to help. Find out more: On our website:
www.oks.co.uk/Lending Support
Contact the OKA Office:
01480 862223 alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk
OKA Sponsorship
OKA UPDATE
The Peter Smout Essay Competition
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ast year we introduced the Peter Smout Essay Competition to you - an annual competition open to all Senior School pupils that takes place over the summer holidays. With substantial monetary prizes (generously donated by an OK) awarded to the winners, it is not surprising that a good number of pupils put pen to paper during their holidays to document their response to a question about a topical, philosophical subject.
In 2017 the essay title was ‘Should social media sites filter out fake news stories?’ Competition entrants were asked to consider both sides of the debate, whilst presenting their own line of argument. They had to consider key issues, including should companies like Facebook be responsible for the information spread and shared by their users? Is it possible or right to police the internet? Would the filtering out of ‘news’ and posts be a threat to freedom of speech? The winning entry is below - written by sixth former Shira Webb. Shira is clearly a talented writer as she produced the best junior entry in the competition three years ago! (Please note that any views documented in the essay are those of the author and that the OKA remains objective on the subject)
The circulation of fake news stories is a dilemma that has expeditiously evolved into a widespread pandemic, ravaging the integrity of democracy and infesting our society with disillusion and angst. Fake news arguably threatens the fundamental basis of civilised society which is the unhindered transmission of truth. The ability of the individual to distinguish between the authenticity of information and plain deception. The ability of the individual to maintain a secure connection with reality. The ability of the individual to make their choices based on truth. Truth and civilised society are synonymous. With just this in mind, social media should undoubtedly filter out fake news stories in order to preserve the latter statements. Unfortunately such an issue cannot be approached with this degree of simplicity and the implications in the preservation of truth can be utilised on both sides. The removal of fake news stories by social media would in many aspects, safeguard the integrity of democracy and prevent the disinformation/misinformation of the masses. Alternately however, the removal of fake news stories by social media could simultaneously impede upon freedom of speech. An aspect as integral to civilised society as democracy. Moreover, previous indications of this problem being widespread could also be rivalled with the accusation that the fake news crisis has been massively exaggerated. It is through this examination that the answer reveals its true labyrinthine nature that cannot simply be identified by a mere yes or no. Furthermore the issue of practicality must also be isolated as the answer is not confined to hypothetical or moral scenarios. In this way, not only should the question be considered with regards to ‘should’ but also with regards
to the possibility of any reasonable answer being applied to reality. In addition to this, the term ‘fake news’ must also be clarified before any continuation occurs. At its core, there are five types of fake news. There are news stories that are intentionally deceptive, misinterpreted satire, stories where facts are selectively chosen, sloppy reporting to fit an agenda and stories where the truth is contentious. Consequently, the answer to the question requires a more tailored response that addresses the complexity of the term ‘fake news’ rather than addressing a generalisation. All research in this area suggests that filtering out fake news stories would not be the best solution primarily due to its infringement upon freedom of speech. So saying this however, fake news has revealed itself to be a problem of high concern and therefore one that must be dealt with correctly. The alternative solutions to filtering include legal penalties, full disclosure, education courses, increased awareness, reporting and certification. Which of these to use however will be determined with finality within the conclusion. At the forefront of the debate is the argument that fake news threatens the integrity of democracy and social media sites should therefore filter out fake news stories to safeguard against this. Indeed no more prevalent was this issue than in the recent US election where fake news stories about both presidential candidates began trending on Facebook. Indeed, a story originating from WTOE 5 News achieved over 960,000 engagements by November 8th saying that the Pope had endorsed Trump for Presidency. Though completely false with the Pope saying ‘I never say a word about electoral campaigns’, the story spread like wildfire on Facebook with many people
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OKA UPDATE OKA Sponsorship
believing it. In this case, the article stemmed from a fake news be manipulated in the same way. Furthermore, this is where site and led to the disinformation of those who unwittingly the practicalities and definition of fake news gain particular shared/read it believing the article to be true. Similarly, a significance. story published by conservativestate.com achieved 507,200 When looking at the practicalities, fake engagements claiming that Hilary Clinton news can be moderated before or after had praised Trump in 2013. It contained an publication and this can be carried “There is no denying that social entirely fabricated quote that was falsely media plays a key role in facilitating out by an algorithm, human editors or sourced from a speech Clinton delivered to the spread of these fake news stories crowdsourcing. Such is the extent of the Goldman Sach in 2013. data processed by Facebook and other that are designed to influence Fake news stories were also prevalent in social media that human editors would people” the General election where a Labour Group be impractical. What’s more is that shared fake NHS posters that urged people to there is always the risk of human editors buy healthcare for a minimum of £4500 a year. The message possessing bias that could prevent them from dealing with was that healthcare would no longer be free under Theresa information impartially. The use of algorithms or technology May and people were therefore encouraged against voting would similarly be void as it is impossible for technology to Conservative. In fact, fake news is everywhere in politics. In distinguish truth when there is no baseline for truth initially. Austria it was falsely claimed that Alexander Van Der Bellen This leaves the option of crowdsourcing. As of now, Facebook was gravely ill with dementia and therefore in no fit state has partnered with numerous trusted third parties such as to run for Presidency. In Germany a girl was reported to be Snopes, Politifact,org and ABC to verify their content. This is kidnapped and raped by a group of Refugees when in fact done after publishing so as not to impede upon freedom of she had spent 30 hours with people known to her and an speech. Despite this however, many have accused these fact examination revealed that she had not been raped. This news checking organisations of serving a political agenda that results story was an attempt to undermine Angela Merkel’s refugee in an all to familiar conflict of interest. policy. With this arises the further complications of the various There is no denying that social media plays a key role in intertwining definitions of fake news. Whilst superficially facilitating the spread of these fake news stories that are it would seem that completely false fake news should be designed to influence people. Social media is the ideal vehicle filtered, much of those articles originate from satirical/self for fake news stories to be spread as it can reach hundreds proclaimed fake news outlets. To filter those would be to of thousands of people whilst easily masquerading as truth. suppress the freedom of expression. The problems arise only What’s more is that these fake news stories trigger a chain when people misinterpret their articles for truth, an issue of reaction of people viewing, reposting and then continuing the which the outlets would deny responsibility. In a similar vain, story by word of mouth. By the time the fake news stories are Facebook is legally an aggregator as they do not produce their removed, they have already achieved their desired effect. This own content. As such, many ask whether it is even Facebook’s because even when these stories are revealed as fake, people responsibility to deal with fake news. Even more challenging still maintain an unconscious recognition of the information is fake news where facts are selectively chosen as they are they have received. This is made worse by the amount of technically still truthful. To filter out this kind of fake news fake news stories that outperform real news stories on social would consequently bring Facebook closer to regulating media, meaning not only the spread of disinformation/ debate. With regards to articles that whilst not entirely misinformation but also the subversion of factual information. correct contain elements of truth, the issue arises as to the Such is the extent of the fake news crisis that Oxford Dictionary standards that media companies should be held to. It would named ‘post-truth’ as their 2016 word of the year. This is in be impossible to hold media to 100% accuracy standards as recognition of how redundant the truth is becoming when facts contain intricacies and complexities that make small techniques such as fake news can be used to harness emotions inaccuracies inevitable. To regulate against this could impose instead. Social Media sites could arguably then filter out fake intimidation upon media outlets and suppress freedom of news stories to prevent the consequential chain reaction speech once more. Then it must be considered the instances of damage having repercussions in democratic elections, of fake news where there is no baseline of truth to begin with, throwing the legitimacy of outcome into question. where the truth is contentious. In these instances, it can be argued there is no appropriate action with regards to filtering It is counter argued however that through social media that could take place with regards to this issue. Accounting for filtering out fake news, they would be jeopardising the this, social media cannot filter out fake news stories without freedom of speech of many. This is an argument that Mark encroaching upon freedom of speech as it impossible to Zuckerburg has employed frequently within his official comprise a perfect system to do so. statements, highlighting his concern about people becoming ‘arbiters of truth’. Indeed, if social media were to filter Another prominent problem and a reason as to why social out fake news, who would distinguish between truth and media should filter out fake news stories is the widespread deception? It is a very treacherous path to navigate as to corruption of knowledge and the disillusion of the masses. filter the information the public have access to could lead to In recent years, worldwide accessibility to social media has deception in itself and the deprivation of the very truth fake skyrocketed. With such a surge of numbers, it has been news is accused to pervert. As much as fake news can be used predicted that the number of users will reach 2.95 billion by to enforce an agenda, the filtering of information could also the year 2020. That is around a third of the earth’s population. 20
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Over 78% of people in the US had a social networking profile in 2016 and Facebook currently has over 2 billion monthly users. With such large numbers, any form of fake news has the ability to influence the masses and result in collective reactions. As such, it then becomes paramount that suitable action is taken. This idea is further reinforced by the increasing amount of people that rely on social media as their primary new source and are consequently prone to misinformation. This combined with sensationalist headlines, clickbait and hoaxes can become particularly toxic in these circumstances as the person lacks comparable sources to then make an informed judgement. Aggravating the situation further is the existence of echo chambers within Facebook. This because the Facebook algorithm is programmed to monitor the interests of a user and echo these interests in their feed. In this way, the user constantly has their own beliefs echoed back to them and is unexposed to alternative opinions and information. This makes fake news all the more damaging as it increases the likelihood of the user believing whatever appears in their feed without any incredulity. This is due to confirmation bias and the effect can be quite chilling, fostering extremism and increasing the polarisation of opinions. The consequence is far from Facebook enabling dialogue about election, it is promoting bitter relations between people of varying political views. Whilst is can be argued that such effects from echo chambers are minimised by activities outside of social media, one particular case proves quite to the contrary. On December 4th 2016, a North Carolina Man named Edgar Welch entered a pizza parlour armed with an assault rifle. Why was he there? Welch had believed an online fake news article that Hilary Clinton was operating a child abuse ring from the pizza parlour and had decided to take action. Whilst to many this fake news article would have never prompted such an extreme reaction, it prompted a reaction in Welch. Indeed, fake news is only a problem currently to the minority but if anything can be gathered from the current political climate or indeed history is that the minority matters. Minorities can override the passive majority and even if Welch was an isolated case, lives were at risk that day. It would be an injustice to categorise that case as an exception and ignore the conditions that provoked it. Namely, the noticeable movement of opinions exaggerated by social media transitioning into real life action. Returning to the masses however, it is undeniable that we receive most of our information through technology of which social media plays a primary role. The accuracy with which different types of fake news articles can be identified therefore is a critical acknowledgment of this fact. That is because opinions are just as significant as action. Fake news articles can devastate the reputation of people and actually
OKA UPDATE
become illegal as they are libel. A high profile example of this can be seen in the Daily Mail’s apology to Melania Trump in which they admitted to publishing false information about her past. This came after a lawsuit in which they were forced to pay £2.4m in costs and damages. Social media it could then be claimed should filter out fake news to protect the legitimacy of information that their users receive to ensure their opinions and subsequent actions are not corrupted by falsehoods. Then the most contentious argument against social media filtering out fake news can be approached. The argument that fake news is harmless and an issue that has been blown out of proportion in an attempt to control media. Whilst this seems like a childish refusal to acknowledge the facts, certainly with conspiracist undertones, this argument in fact holds many valid points. Mark Zuckerburg himself stated that fake news only comprises 1% of the content on Facebook with the remaining 99% being authentic. These statistics would suggest that fake news being published as a high risk problem is fake news in of itself. Indeed, many people argue that the issue of fake news categorises the wave of scaremongering and sensationalist headlines that have become typical of the media. This being said however, most would agree that fake news is a problem with the dispute lying specifically regarding the extent. Tackling the idea that people have overreacted to the problem, Mark Zuckerburg insinuated this within his interview with Fast Company. When asked how he felt about the issue of fake news, Zuckerburg described how there are always problems in giving so many people of voice but that it was ‘a work in progress’. Furthermore, he commented on how people often overlook the many positives of Facebook and concentrate on negativity. Zuckerburg’s recent manifesto ‘Builidng a Global Community’ elaborated upon this, detailing social media as part of the ‘social infrastructure’ necessary to ‘empower us to achieve things that we couldn’t on our own’. Fake news is discussed specifically in the section ‘Informed Community’ where it is said that Facebook will focus less on banning misinformation and direct attention more to ‘surfacing additional perspectives and information’. It is emphasised however that the majority of conversations that occur on Facebook are social and not ideological, rejecting the concept that fake news is an oppressive force upon Facebook and discussions. Other arguments employed to reduce the extent of fake news focus around other neglected factors. Zuckerburg points blame not towards fake news within his manifesto but instead towards the broader issue of sensationalism. This he claims is responsible for the move away from ‘balanced nuance opinions to polarised extremes’ and holds the risk of us loosing our common understanding. It is at this point he argues that even if fake news was eliminated, people would www.oks.co.uk
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OKA UPDATE
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still ‘emphasise different sets of facts to fit their polarised opinions’. The solution he offers however is simplistic, urging people to view each other not just as opinions but as people so as to facilitate healthy discussion. Another factor that people are quick to forget is the existence of life outside social media and the influences we receive there to counteract that of any fake news. It could be assumed that through correct education and discussion with fellow people, fake news would be effectively neutralised in most cases. It is also important to recognise at this stage, my inherent bias towards use of social media which as a teenager I am arguably more exposed too. Regarding the accusations towards attempts to control the media, this is in particular reference to the Network Enforcement Act which is being proposed in Germany. This act seeks to impose heavy fines upon social media if they fail to remove fake news within an allotted time. Namely £43 million. The complications of such an act however could lead to companies deleting legal content to avoid heavy sanctions and induce paranoia. Facebook also points out how it appears to violate the German Constitution and EU law as well as transferring legal decision to private companies. In this light of thinking therefore, social media shouldn’t filter out fake news stories as not only is it unnecessary, any attempts to enforce it place intimidation that could lead towards the endangerment of truthful information as a consequence. So in conclusion as to whether social media should filter out fake news stories, the answer is a resolute no. This is due in part to the complexity of fake news that is so inherently repellent of a universal solution. Certainly, any attempts to treat fake news in such a simplified manner would inevitably recreate the very problems that are being targeted. The predominate reason however is due to the very nature of filtering which violates freedom of speech. It can be said with 100% certainty that no perfect system can currently be devised to avoid this fatal implication. With regards to the statements made by Facebook in the latter section, they hold less merit. Whilst their statements are necessary to maintain perspective, they are completely idealistic in their nature. Zuckerburg’s manifesto has a distinct air of attempting to not only trivialise the issue of fake news but sideline it as well. At no stage does he confront the issue directly and instead attempts to subvert attention towards sensationalism. An issue exacerbated by fake news. What’s more is that it is
hard to ignore his distinct bias with regards to preserving the reputation of Facebook. As its creator, the likelihood of him truly acknowledging problems routed within its design are low. With this being said, fake news has identified itself as a problem too troublesome for social media to ignore. It’s encroachment upon the integrity of democracy is alarming and indicative of the problems that will emerge as our society advances technologically. The mass disillusionment of people is also an increasingly likely risk born out of the misinformation that fake news has allowed to surface. A solution is therefore necessary despite the elimination of filtering. Taking into account the options broached within the introduction, legal penalties can be excluded due to the intimidation they impose. Certification of legitimate companies would risk discrimination against smaller fledgling media companies as well as difficulty regarding what makes information legitimate. The appropriate solution therefore regarding fake news emerges as increased awareness, education courses and full disclosure. The benefits of this solution lie in their targeting of the route problem which is not the existence of fake news but the inability of people to identify it. Facebook has recognised the importance of educating people and increasing awareness as a critical tool in the war against fake news and has recently implemented it as a result. Adverts now appear from Facebook informing their users on how they can identify fake news from checking the url, being sceptical of headlines to assessing the format of the article itself. Through these measures, the likelihood of a user being mislead by fake news is significantly reduced as the validity of the article is brought to the forefront of their mind. What’s more is that it has been proven that once a reader has read a fake news article, they are less likely to believe it as opposed to reading the headline alone. Examining full disclosure, Facebook now flags potential fake news articles as disputed by their fact checkers. A measure that does not suppress information but instead allows the user to make a more informed judgement. It is only with this multitiered approach that fake news can be combatted against, comprised of subtleties that acknowledge the complexity that is fake news. * emphasis has been placed upon Facebook regarding social media due to its particular significance regarding the debate but it is recognised that this issue transcends social media platforms
If you are interested in sponsoring the Peter Smout Essay Competition or a similar school project, whether to fund a prize or materials, please contact Helen Hopperton on: 01480 862223 / alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk
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OK Accounts
OKA UPDATE
OKA Accounts - Year Ending 31 August 2017 By Simon Page, OK 82 (Treasurer)
A
s your Treasurer, it is always a relief to be able to report that the Association is in good financial health. During the 2016/17 financial year we almost trebled our expenditure (full details are outlined below), however despite this our balance at year end stood at just over £60,000. For ease of explanation, our income and expenditure can be split into two sections; the first section relating to the finances linked to OKA events, and the second relating to the general running of the OKA Office and Association. In the first section, as none of our events are profit-making, we aim to break-even and in the event of any surplus gained, this is subsequently donated to the OK Scholarship Trust Fund. In 2016/17 we donated £492 to this fund. Our main stream of income falls into the second section, and comes from membership payments (paid by the School to the OKA based on pupil numbers), ad hoc donations, bank interest and the sale of OK merchandise. Over the last few years, this income has been offset by relatively static expenditure, however last year our expenditure increased substantially and totalled just over £28,000. The increase was due to 2015/16 postage costs rolling over into 2016/2017 and a donation of £10,000 made to the Geoff Coles Memorial Trust Fund, which was proposed and agreed by the OKA Committee during 2016. The postage costs mainly relate to the distribution of the OK News magazine. To help keep these costs as low as possible, please let the OKA Office know if you are happy to receive an online version of the publication or, as a minimum ensure that you notify the office of any changes in your address so we are not wasting money sending the OK News to the incorrect address. A breakdown of other expenses incurred is outlined in the table on the right. If you would like further details, or to view a full copy of the accounts, please get in touch with the OKA Office. Finally, I would like to thank Stephen Oliver, the School’s Finance Bursar, for his continued support in the administration and auditing of the OKA Accounts.
Expenses
£
Stationery
425
Postage
10,409
OKA News Magazine
4,860
IT
356
OK Sports
313
AROPS Membership
50
OK Scholarship Trust Fund
492
Donations
10,750
Miscellaneous
420 Total
28,075
OKA Balance Sheet as at 31st August 2017 2016
2017
£72,690
Members’ Fund
£59,773
£
571
David Bunting Legacy
£
£73,261
Accumulated Balance
£59,773
£73,261
Current Net Assets
£60,346
573
Represented by: £ 6,349
Bank Current Account
(£1,087)
£15,169
Market Harborough Building Society
£ 9,169
£51,744
Scottish Widows Bank
£52,264
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23
OKA UPDATE
OK Lodge
Old Kimboltonians’ Masonic Lodge
(Lodge No 7204)
By John Hitchin, OK 71 (Lodge Secretary)
T
he lodge held a record 7 meetings in 2017, 6 at Kimbolton Castle and the 7th at Mark Grand Lodge in St. James’ London to help our London members who have such a long journey on Friday evenings up to Kimbolton.
I am pleased to report that we continue to attract young members, a recent initiate was a mere 21 years old. On the other hand I am delighted to report that our long term members have all successfully added a year and now we have 3 members approaching their 100th birthdays! In fact one of them will this year be celebrating 65 years of membership this March and was the lodge’s first ever ‘Initiate’ back in March 1953. The Lodge held 2 successful social events, the Musical Lunch in February and the Summer Dinner, Concert and Fireworks Evening. Events are attended by members of staff, including the Headmaster and his wife Heather, along with past members of School staff, former pupils and their families and friends most of whom were not lodge members... Lodge events are open to all!
In 2018 3 Old Kimboltonians who have already signed their ‘papers’ will be initiated into freemasonry in their Old School Lodge and very likely a joining member ( i.e. someone who is already a member of a lodge but joins another one ) will be joining our ranks; we have another happy and successful year in front of us! The Old Kimboltonians Lodge was founded in September 1952 by OKs, staff and ex-staff members including some names you might recognise ; Ingram, Gibbard, Hunt to name but a few! At that time the School was boys only so the Lodge was for gentlemen, there are Lodges for ladies and the Lodge Secretary would be delighted to direct any female OKs in the right direction if interested. If you’d like to find out more as to why this popular fraternity which has just celebrated over 300 years in its current format, is indeed so happy and successful do contact the Lodge Secretary, John Hitchin: johnhitchin@btinternet.com / 07702 597 670.
In December we hosted our first open evening and welcomed nearly 30 non-masons to join the Lodge meeting. The meeting format was the same as all other meetings and everyone was entertained with talks on masonry by 3 speakers, including a vicar who had been Provincial Grand Chaplain. Amongst those present were in fact 2 clergymen who were not masons. All of those who attended, including a number of ladies, seemed fascinated and afterwards joined the lodge members for their annual Christmas Dinner in the Saloon. The Lodge continues to support the School and OKs. Last year we awarded a Bursary to OK Katharine Farnden to support her during her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. We also donated a Debating Cup to the School to be awarded annually with a prize of £50. This is in addition to our annual donation to the Geoff Coles Memorial Trust Fund. In 2017 the Lodge donated £3,300 to this fund; we have guaranteed to continue this for at least a further 3 years but our aim is to ensure that this continues for the years to come. All monies raised at our events goes towards this wonderful cause, so your support is always very much appreciated. Our next major event is our Summer Dinner in June (see right) - we’d love to see you there!
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SUMMER DINNER with Music & Fireworks In the State Rooms of
Kimbolton Castle on
Saturday 16th June 2018 6.30 for 7.00pm OLD KIMBOLTONIANS’ LODGE
In support of the Headmasters’ Scholarship Fund and a donation in memory of Geoff Coles
Tickets: £55.00 each Including Drinks Reception Samantha Ward
Warren Mailley-Smith
Maciej Raginia
Music by Virtuoso Pianists
Yuki Negishi
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please reserve me ______ tickets for the Old Kimboltonian's Lodge Summer Dinner
Lead Name:____________________________Address__________________________________________
I enclose a cheque for …….. made payable to “Old Kimboltonians’ Lodge” Please Return to: John Hitchin.Tel: 07702 597 670 E: johnhitchin@btinternet.com Corner Farm Dillington St.Neots Cambridgeshire PE19 5DH
OK SHOP
Old Kimboltonians’ Association
SHOP
OKA Cufflinks T-bar £22.50 / Chain £30
OKA Ties
Striped silk tie £15 / Crested silk tie £15
OKA Bow Tie
Silk ready tied £25
OKA Scarf £12.50
OKA Umbrella £20
HOW TO ORDER...
To purchase any of the items shown, please visit: www.oks.co.uk / OK Merchandise
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25
OKA ARTICLES
Memories
Memories You may recall that in the 2017 OK News we mentioned that all the memories documented by OKs would be collated and printed together in a dedicated ‘OK Memories’ booklet; well, this has now been done and if you would like a copy emailed or posted to you please simply get in touch with the OKA Office. As a taster, have a read through Brian Webster’s recollections of his time at Kimbolton below...
Brian Webster (OK 46) recalls some of his memories of being at Kimbolton during the war
K
imbolton School, set in its historic surroundings, played a major role in the lives of many.
I joined as a boarder in 1941 together with my elder brother Tony. I remained until 1946. During that period of World War II much history was made and we were part of it. I doubt that many of us realised this at the time. The Headmaster was William Ingram (WI). I must confess I did not understand his apparent dislike of London boys (there were only a few of us). Entering the new world of public school life was quite a jolt. The need for WI to be, by his definition, “the Power” was to my young mind somewhat ‘scary’ and part of an incomprehensible agenda. I never queried the relevance of dealing with “problem boys” at an early stage. Of course, some of us were ‘a pain in the butt’, but we were young, growing up and in a strange new world. As Londoners, we were constantly in fear for our parents’ safety, as our homes were being bombed nightly. No one had ever before experienced such ghastly times. Where the Housemasters understood and, to a certain extent, made provision, WI did not. I know for sure my parents resented this and they certainly were not out for favouritism, far from it. At the same time WI assembled a brilliant teaching staff and terrific support personnel. I was lucky enough to be in White House with Tom Pierce and his fabulous wife Gertha. Tom insisted on dealing with this charges in his own way. He was confident he could handle any ‘problem’ boys and he did, and it worked. We did not fear him, we respected his methods and wanted to please him by our achievements. Gertha Pierce played a major role in managing what was a very popular house. She made us feel at home and gave us a sense of 26
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belonging. I loved them both. My first ‘house’ on arrival at the school was Mandeville and this really was an introduction to boarding. I remember all the beds in the dorm had matching red blankets and the place was kept immaculate at all times. The Housemaster was an affable man called Bunty Lloyd. He was a lot of fun and softened the blows for boys suffering from home sickness with his humour and understanding. My brother Tony and I were shortly moved into the small house of Castle Green in the care of the delightful and talented Kyffin Owen. What a nice man he was. In lesson time, if we were unable to play sports due to inclement weather, he would regale us with his stories of his times in the trenches of France during WWI – gripping stuff! Because of an age difference, brother Tony and I were separated; he went to Refectory and I went to Kimbolton House under the charge of the brilliant and legendary Bant Gibbard. I adored the man and have much to thank him for. Like Tom Pierce he settled things in his own way. He carried a small piece of rope with a knot in the end, and during his nightly patrol of the house anyone who had stepped out of line got a whack on the rear end – this produced a better result than by putting boys on ‘Headmasters Report’. Apart from the excellent teaching staff, as juniors we looked up to our Prefects. Mine was a super chap called David Roxburgh. You had your own place on your selected Prefects’ table in the dining hall all term long. You started at the bottom and as you progressed moved up to the top end which, if you were made a Prefect, you took over. It was a system that worked, because you got to know how to handle young fellows as you moved up the scale. I was very friendly with David’s younger brother John, and his family were decent enough to invite me to their home during holiday time, I thought that would be great, but at the last moment reneged as I missed my family so very much.
Memories
My parents were very concerned because London was a dangerous place to be. They were right of course, as on my first night home we were nearly hit by a bomb that landed a short distance away, blowing out all the windows and bringing down the ceilings. It was a land mine and where it landed in a field it made a crater the size of a tennis court. Returning to school at the time of the Pearl Harbour bombings by the Japanese, the Americans entered the war and the tiny village of Kimbolton became a base for one of the USAAF bombers. We were amazed by the sheer quantity of trucks and personnel that poured through on their way to buildings and operating the new air strip. Very quickly they started their day light raids over Germany. This was war, and no one had ever seen anything like it before. At night time the aircrews were ferried down to the pubs in the town. We got to know they by hanging out of the dormitory windows and chatting to them. One has to remember how very young they were, barely into their early twenties most of them. They were great lads, full of fun. We were deeply saddened when they returned to All during the war we ‘carried on’. see gaps in the assembly In particular, on the cricket field as in the sky indicating WI was mad crazy about the game missing planes. I recall a film (called “Memphis Belle”??**) that depicts with chilling accuracy the involvement of the USAAF in England. It is well worth seeing as it could have been set in Kimbolton. All during the war we ‘carried on’. In particular, on the cricket field as WI was mad crazy about the game. We soon learnt not to just bowl, bat and field, but to be dignified and honest. The game has no room for cheats, so that in itself is character building. WI had a friendship with one of the game’s Gods, namely Jack Hobbs, who opened the batting for England. I believe he was retained in a Consultant capacity and we held him in absolute awe. I shall never forget his kindly words of encouragement during net practice. Willy Watson, our geography teacher, deserves much credit for his input to our game. He spent hours with us hitting balls all over the place for us to hurl back to a wicket keeper. Incidentally, I also remember during lesson time he gave me an almighty whack over the head for drawing a Donald Duck instead of a map of Europe! No problem from then on. I feel that the school’s support staff have never been fully appreciated. I refer to the groundsmen, to Matron Miss Williams who only ever mislaid ‘one’ of my socks. She was so nice, understanding, modest and efficient. Also, I thought the food that Chef Miss Redmond and her staff turned out was great. I have never tasted better mince and haricot beans, stews or sponge cake and custard. Real ‘School Dinners’! One day early in June 1944 the playing fields were filled with
OKA ARTICLES
Army personnel and equipment. After lessons my mates and I rushed up there to find out what was going on. Of course, the soldiers didn’t tell us but gave us some corned beef sandwiches and joined in throwing a cricket ball around. The next day they had vanished. Of course the grounds had been used as a massive car park prior to the D-Day Landings in Normandy. Whilst all this was going on, the School tried very hard to keep us occupied and away from the most awful news. We had no TV or internet or mobile phones. On Friday nights a stage was put up in the assembly hall and various entertainers put on a show. One was a quite well known conjuror called Ernest Sewell. Actually his tricks were a bit complicated and sometimes went wrong. We all waited for the inevitable and then nearly killed ourselves laughing. Another favourite was a man who explained and then demonstrated Maori dances. We loved it when he jumped up and down like a mad man possessed and nearly wrecking the stage, to end his act by putting his tongue out to the audience – great stuff! Saturday evenings we had a film show. Fred, one of the maintenance men, was the projectionist but the wretched equipment always broke down. Didn’t matter much as the films were usually about singing cowboys or some dreadful documentary that we had already seen. Anyway we enjoyed the scenario and it broke the routine. I know I have admitted to being puzzled by WI, but I admired what he achieved under the worst of circumstances. But we were safe and extremely well fed. We were housed in very old buildings where heating was a major problem. We got used to scraping the frost off the inside of our dormitory windows. It meant that when we went into the armed forces we were well prepared and the billets seemed like a holiday camp by comparison. As massive privilege to me was to visit Kimbolton as an OK and introduce my wife to Gertha Pierce. She too us all over the school, including White House, which brought back many memories. The changes, developments and new build work were staggering. Going to the same pub that the Yanks used during the war brought tears to my eyes – all those young men, gone. Gertha kindly invited us back to watch the cricket at the Castle and to stay overnight with her. I was desperate to go, but sadly she died before we could get up there. A wonderful lady. I visited WI too in his retirement and the poor man seemed exhausted. Although we had our differences I have to say I admired his dedication. What he achieved in arguably the most difficult of times was incredible. Although he was supported by a magnificent team, it was he who assembled the magnificent team. (** I have tried hard to find this film but my searches always lead me back to the 1990 film ‘Memphis Belle- if anyone can help me trace the old war time version, I would be very grateful!)
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OKA ARTICLES
Memories
Memories Mountain biking, mosquitoes and waterfalls T
wenty years ago, I was fortunate enough to be one of twenty-eight Kimbolton pupils who made their way six hundred miles across Canada on an outdoor pursuits adventure. On arrival in Vancouver after a long non-smoking flight that I think lasted forever for Dusty (Mr Rhodes), we split into three smaller groups and were introduced to our assigned guides who were also our drivers. These groups would become our family for the three-week trip. By the time we arrived at our hostel we had been travelling for about twenty-six hours and had no concept of night-time, having followed the sun to Canada. Some pupils and staff were also still suffering the after-effects of the Sixth Form ball the night before our departure, so after what was to be the first of many nightly briefings to prepare us for the following day’s events, everyone retired to bed without argument. Our first full day in-country saw us diving straight into our planned itinerary with a sight-seeing tour of the city first thing, then cycling, followed by some retail therapy. That evening we were all exhausted after a tiring day coupled with the jet-lag we were still suffering from, so the briefing at 9.45pm couldn’t end soon enough for any of us. Thankfully, the coffee had been found in time for breakfast next day, and so normal service resumed for many. Early wake-ups became the norm, with get-up times of anything after 7am considered a luxury compared to the days we had to be up, dressed, fed, packed, and ready to depart the campsite by 6am. Every campsite that we stayed at was located next to a freight train track, meaning that many of us were woken frequently throughout the night. As a grizzly bear had been spotted in one of our campsites early in the day of our arrival, the trains were considered a favoured reason for a disturbed night’s sleep. Canadian wildlife was in abundance for the duration of our trip, with elks and mountain goats being spotted on most of our longer drives, as well as a number of brown bears. We had a planned visit to some husky kennels, and one particular high-altitude lunch stop - at the summit of the Stawamus Chief mountain near Whistler - was attended by chipmunks, although we’d rather not have shared our food during a 4-hour hike! Of course there were unwelcome visitors too; mosquitoes when our campsite was located next to a swamp - and a smelly incident involving groundhogs entering one of our tents. Our first mountain biking experience was approached apprehensively as we needed to adjust to the brakes which worked backwards to UK bikes, and remember to cycle on the right. However, we managed to return the bikes at the end of the day with both them - and us - mostly intact. As our collective experience grew, groups were more frequently split by ability, with the most proficient being supplied full suspension bikes (for their more demanding route 28
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choices) to a spec that had Dusty drooling. By the end of the trip we’d built up an impressive array of bike-related mishaps, including some violent dismounts, lost chains and innumerable punctures. White water rafting was another activity that we undertook at the risk of personal injury and many of us were apprehensively
looking forward to it. In calmer water we were taught the commands we would need to respond to, so that when it was time for the grade 2 and 3 rapids, we were ready. For those unfamiliar with the grading, levels go from 1-6, with 6 being fatal. At the Kicking Horse River we took on an extremely exciting grade 4 rapid. As well as the usual tourist stops - museums, an aquarium, lookout points and the Olympic Park in Calgary - we had a few leisurely evenings either at the cinema, the pub (for the over-18’s when in one particular province), the more practical launderette, or the shops. With so many opportunities to shop, an insatiable appetite for purchasing cheap designer labels, CDs, and outdoor pursuits gear needed to be curtailed rather early on to ensure that our money lasted! All types of weather were experienced during those three weeks. We landed to blazing sunshine and packed for the following day’s excursion optimistically. However, on our first day we awoke to grey skies, so hastily added our waterproofs to the day bags we had prepared then cycled around Stanley Park in relentless rainy conditions. The following day involved sailing and was even wetter, leading many of us to the conclusion that some waterproof clothing was decidedly more waterproof than others (cue more shopping!). At Blue River campsite we were subject to a sudden violent downpour that soaked our tents, teepees and luggage. Mr Hakes had inspected the finances in-between helping to bail out waterlogged tents, and thankfully determined that we had sufficient funds to spend the next night drying off in log cabins. Sometimes we found ourselves out in the middle of an expansive lake canoeing under storm clouds and high winds, or hiking in sporadic downpours, but mostly we were more at risk
Memories
of sunburn. Refreshing swims in lakes were commonplace, and temperatures were frequently in excess of thirty degrees. The snow-capped mountains of the Rockies were often the backdrop to our campsites and activities, and it was easy to feel at one with nature in the tranquil surroundings of Canada’s lakes with their turquoise-blue or crystal clear water, some even being inaccessible by road. Certain bodies of water were only open to self-propelled boats and enforced a ten-person limit on shore at any one time to reduce the potential impact on the environment, causing our groups to have to stagger their visits. We frequently ate lunch surrounded by stunning views of these high alpine lakes, with people often changing their minds about having a swim afterwards once they’d dipped a toe into the freezing glacial water, then opting to build sandcastles or sunbathe instead! Our movement across the country took us through drastic changes in both weather and scenery. The journey from Whistler to Wells Grey Guest Ranch saw us leaving lush greenery behind as we entered the barren scrubland of a desert - in the mountains.
OKA Articles
Lunch and dinner preparation were duties performed on a rota within the three sub-groups. Each morning, a mass sandwich-making session was undertaken by those allotted to prepare lunch for their group, and daily trips out to the supermarket required those on dinner duty to work to a budget and try to keep things interesting for our evening meals. The limited cooking facilities at the campsites meant that barbecues were a common occurrence. We also had a few memorable treats; meals out at restaurants, an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast, takeaway pizza, and s’mores made over the campfire. Breakfast each day was usually a relaxed affair taking place on picnic tables near our tents, although a rare 8.30am wake-up call when staying at the log cabins allowed us time to all bundle in to one single cabin (the only one featuring a kitchen), where all the groups attempted to make pancakes on the same stove at the same time! As the end of our trip approached, we left behind the nights spent sleeping on thin camping mats for the relative luxury of beds in a hostel in Calgary.
A highlight of our travel from Revelstoke to Banff was straddling time zones where we crossed the border from the Pacific Standard Time Zone into Mountain Standard Time Zone, something most of us had never done.
On our final night we shared a farewell meal at a Westernstyle steakhouse with our tour guides. The atmosphere was a suitable mix; jovial, with a hint of relief that we’d soon be back home, as well as sadness that the trip was coming to an end.
Another wonderful way to break up a journey from one campsite to the next was a stop at one of Canada’s innumerable waterfalls - I think we might even have seen them all!
After packing our bags for the final time, having already overshopped, we made sure to leave some space in our hand luggage for any purchases made in Calgary on our final day. We got our recently-purchased Canadian flags signed by the tour guides and group, and donned our Kimbolton Outdoor Pursuits polo shirts for the journey home.
On day fourteen we went to the Columbia Icefield, the largest icefield south of Antarctica. Huge ‘SnoCoaches’ with 5 foot-high tyres took us from their depot onto the Athabasca Glacier, where we took a moment to remember Edward Hall. Prior to his tragic passing in 1997, Eddie was due to join us on this adventure, and his parents kindly opted to donate us his fundraising up to that point to allow us to do something special.
Then that was it - two years of fundraising and planning (and that’s just for the pupils) had culminated in this genuine oncein-a-lifetime experience. Many of the activities had been ‘firsts’ for most, if not all of us, and we can all claim to have learnt some lessons in real teamwork along the way. We will all fondly remember our three drivers, always full of useful advice like how not to get eaten by a bear, as well as identifying the different types; useful, as the approach to surviving a grizzly bear encounter is the exact opposite to that of a brown bear! Mainly, a huge thanks should go to the six members of staff who accompanied us, sharing in both our elation and our struggles along the long stretch from Vancouver to Calgary for three unforgettable weeks in July 1998. By Karen Pomerantz (neé Daley) 1999. [Karen has published two short eBooks, both available to download from all major eBook - see Book Reviews on page 32).
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OKA ARTICLES
Memories
Memories
Do you Remember..?
I
n the process of sorting photos and documents to be scanned for the new digital archive (see page 15) we have come across a few items that we thought would prompt a few memories! Many of you will remember some (if not all!) of the following:
The Gating Card
The Natural History Society survey of flora & fauna in Kimbolton...
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Memories
OKA Articles
The Rules..?!
(They have changed quite a bit over the decades ..!)
The Kimbolton School song!
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OKA ARTICLES Book Review...
BOOK REVIEWS It seems that Kimbolton School has some budding authors amongst its alumni! The OKA has come across several books that have been written by OKs - enough to include a page of short reviews... (Quotations are taken from Amazon...)
Mary Knighton by T Richard Brown (OK 62) Richard started writing aged 65 and, after producing several versions of a semiautobiographical work, started Mary Knighton in November 2009. The story is played out in the backwater of rural Bedfordshire and describes how Mary, headstrong, passionate and alluring, copes and overcomes misfortunes, and how her relationships with others develops. “an informative account of farming life in the midshires around the 1900s, the story is gripping and absorbing with great characters.” “A brillian read charting the struggles of life at the end of the 18th centry through to the First World War in a farming community...”
Never touch a dinosaur! by Rosie Greening (OK 10) Rosie has written several books for young children and ‘Never touch a dinosaur!’ is her latest publication. The dinosaur-themed touch and feel book is perfect for young children who will love reading the funny rhyme that warns of the dangers of touching a dinosaur and then ignoring the advice. “Fabulous book for little ones.” “A good strong board book with textured pages.” “This is an excellent book! It’s great quality and the touched feely bits are all different.”
The Cost of Living by Karen Pomerantz (nee Daley, OK 10) This short horror story is Karen’s second published book (the first being ‘Trapping Honey’). It is about a young, popular, concert pianist who is woken one morning by a stranger in a fedora knocking at her door who, after asking her a few questions, walks away. You’ll have to read it to find out what happens next..! “A brilliant if unsettling read that engages from start to finish” “A proper good read”
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Book Review...
OKA Articles
Lunchbox Salads by Naomi Twigden (OK 07) Naomi trained as a chef at Leith’s and, together with her friend Anna (who she trained with), ran Lunch BXD, the popular healthy fast-food delivery service in London. They have both worked as chefs all over the UK and abroad and as freelance recipe developers and writers for several food brands. Naomi now lives in Australia but that has not stopped them both producing this handy book filled with amazing lunchbox recipes. The recipes are packed with flavour and nourishment, and are suitable for vegetarians, vegans and meat-lovers. Each one takes no more than 30 minutes to make, transports well and will last up to 2 days in tupperware! “Great Book! Some brilliant new ideas. Would highly recommend.” “Great idea! Love the focus on vegetables and using up ingredients you already have.”
My Elizabeth by Firooz Zahedi (OK 67) Firooz moved to the USA after leaving Kimbolton. After a short career as a diplomat he became a photographer for Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine and around the same time became friends with Elizabeth Taylor. She then took him to Hollywood in the late 70s as her personal photographer. My Elizabeth is a photographic memoir of the actress, in which Firooz presents rare photos of the star which, along with a few short essays, give a glimpse into her life that people have never seen before. “Filled with dazzling images and a wealth of intimate detail, this revealing photographic memoir should be on every coffee table.” “An entirely worthy and beautiful tribute to this beloved star you will ever have the pleasure to enjoy...”
Not Forever in Green Pastures by Hugh Barnes-Yallowley (OK 46) Hugh’s autobiography documents his journey from a young boy in wartime London, his experience of a privileged education at Cambridge University and career in the City, through to his retirement. He includes a chapter on Kimbolton - noting how he came to board at the School, his memories of some staff and time at school during the war. Throughout the book Hugh talks about the poets, philisophers, scientists, artists, showbusiness people and even Royalty who he met and were a great part of his interesting life. Although the memoirs of an individual who has not been in the public eye, there is something about the way it is written that makes you want to read on and find out more about Hugh’s life - it’s easy to read, spoken from the heart and a fascinating life journey. The inclusion of Hugh’s personal poems all add to the significance of his life experiences.
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OKA EVENTS London Dinner 2017
Reunions and Events London Dinner
I
t was with much disappointment that we were reluctantly forced to cancel the 2017 London Dinner. The event was scheduled to take place in February, but unfortunately we just didn’t get the level of interest from OKs to make the evening viable.
This was a real disappointment, not only for those behind the scenes organising the event, but also for those OKs who regularly attend the dinner and had already booked their tickets. It was good to hear that a handful of the regulars were determind to have a night out and met up for drinks and a meal at Champagne Charlies under the arches at Charing Cross (see below)! This year we are trying something different - a new venue and a new date:
2018 OKA London Dinner Friday 27th April For more information and to book tickets, please go to www.oks.co.uk/OKA Events Mayfair, W1J 5JD 7.00 pm for 7.30 pm
Please note that we have a limited number of tickets available so please book early to avoid disappointment!
Tickets ÂŁ65
Not to miss a night out and a catch up with former school friends, a few OKs made their own plans for dinner when the 2017 London Dinner was cancelled! (L-R: Clive Newton (OK 71), Steve Kingan (OK 72), John Purser (OK 69), John Hitchin (OK 71), Charles Appleby (OK 70), JohnHunt (OK 71), Rick Butcher (OK 72) & Graham Brown (OK 72)
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Summer Reunion 2017
OKA EVENTS
2017 Summer Reunion Saturday 1 July 2017
A
huge thank you to everyone who came along to the summer reunion last July, and to those OKs who were integral in getting year group reunions organised and making the day a success. We were delighted to see so many OKs back in Kimbolton taking part in the sports activities or simply relaxing and reminiscing with former school friends. In 2016 we reported a downturn in attendance; in response we made a few tweaks to our usual format of the day including moving the beer tent to a more sociable and central location nearer the castle, and offering a BBQ for refreshments catering for a wider range of tastes. We definitely saw an increase in numbers, but there is still room for many more at this event! The summer reunion is a great opportunity for year groups to get together and for OKs to bring their families to Kimbolton and show them around their old school. It’s a very relaxed day and you can get involved in as much or as little as you like. If you’d like help in getting in touch with other OKs so you can get a group together, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the OKA Office- it’s what we are here for!. We look forward to seeing you in the summer..!
2018 SUMMER REUNION Saturday 30 June see page 39 for more details
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OKA EVENTS
Summer Ball 2017
2017 Summer Ball Saturday 1 July 2017
Y
et again demand for tickets for the Ball exceeded our expectations - well over half the tickets were sold within 10 days of them going on sale in January and a few weeks later we had pretty much sold out so on the evening had just under 150 OKs and their guests attend.
The White Hall was packed with OKs from the 2012, 1997 and 1977 year groups, while the Green Room hosted leavers from 2007. Both the 2012 and 1997 groups perhaps took the lead as the largest year group reunions ever to attend - not bad going, especially for those who were celebrating their 25th anniversary of leaving school! Such large numbers may not have got together if it wasn’t for the enthusiasm and involvement of certain individuals who worked hard to get people together and organise their reunion - many thanks for all your help! Everyone enjoyed a fabulous night together, reminiscing about old times at Kimbolton and the evening flew by as everyone was wined, dined and entertained by AV Xpert disco (aka Nick Yeandle, OK 10), with a short interlude for fireworks by Kimbolton Fireworks.
Tickets for the 2018 Summer Ball on Saturday 30 June are now on sale... It is advisable to book your ticket(s) now to avoid disappointment as they are sold on a “first come, first served” basis... Please go to www.oks.co.uk / OKA Events for more information, or contact the OKA Office on: alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk 01480 862223 Some of the 2012 year group arriving for the evening!
A full White Hall hosted the 1997, 1977 & 2012 year groups
A few of the 2012 year group...
The 2007 year group took over the Green Room
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Annual Dinner 2016
OKA EVENTS
2017 Annual Dinner Saturday 7 October 2017
F
or the last couple of years we have nearly always reached a point a few weeks before the Annual Dinner when we have had to consider whether the event should go ahead because ticket sales have been rather slow. Fortunately we have stood our ground and, with a good amount of late interest, the Dinner has gone ahead and an enjoyable time had by everyone.
Last October we were delighted that Simon Davies (OK 94) was able to join us as our Guest Speaker. Not only did his presence attract a handful of OKs from his year group, but we were also pleased to welcome Simon’s parents - former members of staff, Roger and Wendy Davies, amongst the diners. Guests were welcomed with a glass of fizz on arrival and were then seated in the White Hall for a delicious three-course meal prepared by the school’s catering staff (no mean feat when there isn’t actually a kitchen in the castle..!). After short, but informative, speeches by James Brown (OKA President) and the Headmaster, Simon Davies entertained the audience with tales from his career as a tornado pilot and the test pilot for the Airlander, the world’s largest aircraft. Even Simon’s mother, Wendy Davies was surprised to hear what he got up to! The evening ended with many staying on for drinks, giving everyone chance to catch up with former school friends and staff. The 2018 Annual Dinner is on Saturday 7 October - everyone is welcome! If you are interested in attending and would like prior notification of when tickets go on sale, please email alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk. James Brown (OKA President, OK 94)
Martin Essigman, Simon Doyle, Simon Page & Greg Curtis (all OK 82)
Front l-r: Fred Dudley (OK 59), Bill Walker (OK 59), David Smith (OK 68), Michael Capps (OK 65 ), Jenny Capps (guest) , John Hitchin (OK 71), William Good (guest), Theo Gibbs (OK 69)
Darren Constant (OK 85) & Toby Horry (OK 94)
Socialising after the Dinner!
www.oks.co.uk
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OKA EVENTS
What’s On?
Forthcoming events MARCH Sunday 25
Netball: OKs vs School VII, Roger Peel Sports Centre, 10.30am Men’s Hockey: OK 2nd XI v School, Duchess Astro, 10.30am OK 1st XI v School, Duchess Astro, 12.00am
APRIL Friday 27 Further details will be advertised nearer to each event on our website and social media. To register your interest in an event, or if you require any additional information please contact Helen Hopperton in the OKA office.
OKA London Dinner, The Lansdowne Club, Mayfair
MAY Friday 4
OK Golf Spring Meeting, St Neots Golf Club
Saturday 12
OKA Committee Meeting, Geoff Coles Meeting Room, 10.30am
JUNE Saturday 30 Saturday 30
OKA Summer Reunion, School Grounds, 11.30am onwards OKA Summer Ball, Castle State Rooms, 7.15pm
SEPTEMBER Tuesday 4
OK Golf Autumn Meeting, Hunstanton Golf Club
Saturday 8
OKA Committee Meeting, Geoff Coles Meeting Room, 10.30am
OCTOBER Saturday 6
OKA AGM, Staff Common Room, 6.00pm
Saturday 6
OKA Annual Dinner, State Rooms, 7.15pm for 7.45pm
NOVEMBER Friday 2
Kimbolton School Fireworks Display, Gates Open 6.00pm
Sunday 11
Remembrance Day Parade & Service, Kimbolton, 11.00am
Please do come along and join us at one of the events. They are informal evenings aimed at keeping OKs in touch with the school and each other.
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www.oks.co.uk
2018 Reunions
OKA EVENTS
2018 Summer Reunion Saturday 30 June Below is a taster of the activities planned for the Summer Reunion in June - further details will be published on our website nearer the time... Canoeing Tennis (Ladies & Men’s) Rounders 1st XI Cricket 2nd XI Cricket Sailing Year Group Football Tournament
Sports Fixtures
Refreshments BAR & BBQ
If you are interested in taking part, please get in touch with the relevant Sports Manager (see inside front cover)
Tours etc. Families & Children Summer Ball
TEA
OK Memorabilia on display Castle Tour Heritage Room open Queen Katharine Building Tour
complimentary tea served in the Green Room
You are welcome to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings and picnic in the grounds!
OKs families are welcome! Bouncy Castle Swimming Pool (& of course, the grounds to wander/run around!)
The above day time actitvities will be followed in the evening by the OK Summer Ball please see our website for further details and to book your ticket(s). It’s a very popular event, so make sure you book early!
The following year groups are celebrating specific anniversaries of leaving school, please get in touch with the contacts below if you are interested in finding out more...
Year Group Reunions
1968
Theo Gibbs
theo@thwgibbs.plus.com
1978
Alan Gilbert
al@gilby.eclipse.co.uk
1998
Ben McMinn
benmcminn@btopenworld.com
2003
Andrew Caldeira
andrewcaldeira@gmail.com
2008
George Beverly
OK2018Reunion@gmail.com
2013
Josh Doonan / Hattie Gellatly joshdoonan@gmail.com / hattie.gellatly@btinternet.com
We are looking for OKs to organise reunions for the 1988 & 1993 year group - if you’re interested, please let us know!
www.oks.co.uk/OKAEvents OKA Office: 01480 862223 / alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk www.oks.co.uk
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OKA SPORT
OK SPORT
An overview of the fixtures in 2017
OK HOCKEY Team Managers: Men’s: Jack Gallifant (OK 15) - j.gallifant@uea.ac.uk Ladies’: Natalie Gaunt (OK 16) - natalie1.gaunt@googlemail.com 2017 was another good year for OK hockey. The previous year the timing of the match was moved from January to March - this was a positive move, resulting in improved player availability, so the 2017 match was again held in March. With many OKs back in the area for the Easter holidays, we were again able to field a 1st XI and a 2nd XI. To encourage everyone to get together and the teams to support each other, instead of both teams playing at the same time on different pitches, both matches were played on the Duchess astro one after the other. Everyone being in the same location created a great atmosphere! The 2nd XI played first. As in previous years, it was a very close and competitive match. Both teams played hard and the final 3-3 score was perhaps the fairest result. Following a good win in 2016, the 1st XI were looking to hold on to the cup. It wasn’t to be though and although the team played well and scored 3 goals, the school had team practice on their side and were able to get more balls passed the goalie. Final result - 6-3 to the school. September saw the ladies’ hockey match against the school. With a full team, including some regular players, we knew we were in for a good match and were up for getting the cup back from the school. Again we played a team who had just spent two days pre-season training - depending on whose side you were supporting this could be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage! Would the school team be very well practised, or would they be tired? This year, supporters of the school would perhaps claim that they were tired! The OKs started the match positively and took an early lead. With a great team effort they managed to add to their score and notched up a 4-0 win.
Ladies 1st Hockey Team (l-r): Kate Sutton; Esme Steele, Connie Gellatly, Natalie Gaunt, Zoe Steele, Claudia Pert, Vicky Wakefield (Goalie), Gabby Daniels, Louise Clarke, Kirsty Lucas, Charlotte Carpenter-Platt
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Men’s 1st Hockey Team Back (l-r): Alex Percival, Harry Twigden, James Belbin, Tim McGlashan, Ollie McGlashan, Chris Lucas, Jack Gallifant Front (l-r): James Harris, Will Tatman,George Richards, Andy Lane, Matt Chitty, Calum Richards, Ross Gibson
Men’s 2nd Hockey Team (l-r): Oli Knell, Charlie Gingell, Francis Heylen, Matt Greenland, Harry Knowlton, Luke Goodsall, Rob Holmes, Dom Ainsworth, Donald McGarva, Harry Twigden
OKA SPORT
OK FOOTBALL Team Managers: George Wilson (OK 13 ) - ga.wilson@virgin.net/ 07411 101363 Simon Doyle (OK 82) - doylie64@btinternet.com (OK Veterans) The team have enjoyed more success in the Junior Cup It’s been another busy year for OK footballers. Competition in the Arthurian League. Having convincingly The annual match against the School took place on a (very) won their first three matches they got through to the Quarter wet Saturday afternoon - apparently perfect for “zipping Finals and, as we went to print, were preparing to play against the ball across the surface and bringing back some of the last years winners, the Old Carthusians III. old school slide tackles”! The OK 1st XI, playing on the Unfortunately the OK Vets did not play last year. Many players Heath Pitch, very much controlled the tempo of their game were unable to play due to injury and the squad was simply throughout with Allan Owen and Sam Findlay grabbing two not big enough for players to be readily replaced. The Vets goals each to secure a great 4-0 victory. have enjoyed many games over the last few years so we are The 2nd XI played on the Oaks Pitch. As the School 2nd and hoping that availability will improve enough for matches to be 3rd team already had an external fixture confirmed, the organised in the future. If you are interested in a few games, OKs played the 4th team. Although some of the OKs were please get in touch with Simon Doyle (details above) - he will overheard chatting about their lack of fitness before the be very pleased to hear from you! match, they need not have been concerned because they dominated the match and walked away with a 10-1 win. In October we started our challenge in the Arthur Dunn Cup Competition. The first round match was at home in October against Lancing College Old Boys. We put in a disciplined performance with James Belbin scoring a first half penalty. Lancing equalised with a lucky deflection forcing the match into extra time. With no score during extra time, a replay had to be arranged. The replay was an away game played on 4 November, and 12 committed OKs travelled to Lancing College. After a positive start on a rather slippy pitch unfortunately Lancing took advantage of a slippery back pass and took the lead. Going into the 2nd half a goal down the OKs managed to keep up their momentum and posed a Victorious OK 1st XI team vs School 1st XI threat to the opposition, however the condition of the Back (l-r): David Adesida, Oli Knell, Francis Heylen, George Wilson, Matt Greenland, pitch seemed to be more effective at stopping us from Rob Holmes scoring than Lancing’s defence. Lancing went on to grab Front (l-r): Tom Biddle, Sam Findlay, Tom Burdock, Allan Owen, Josh Doonan, Rory Fenton another 2 goals and secured a 3-0 win.
6-a-Side Tournament At the Summer Reunion in July a record number of OKs (over 70!) took part in the 6-a-side tournament on the Mall. Seven yeargroup teams played in a round robin, with each game lasting 10 minutes. The winners were the 2013 year group who beat the 2014 leavers in the final. Many thanks to George Wilson for organising the event - he deserved to be on the winning team!
2017 Six-a-Side Football Tournament Winners - 2013 Year Group
www.oks.co.uk
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OKA SPORT
OK CRICKET Team Managers:
1st XI: Charles Gingell (OK13) - gingell.charlie@gmail.com 2nd XI: Will Ford (OK 11) - wpnford@live.co.uk
Following an enjoyable T20 match against the Kimbolton Kestrels (staff team) in 2016, plans were made again to get OK cricket off to an early start on the Summer Reunion weekend. It all started well, but sadly rain clouds loomed and after a few overs the heavens opened and the match had to be abandoned due to poor visability. It got the players in the mood for a good game of cricket though and the next day, despite the temptation for some players to say ‘no’ to cricket so they can take part in the football tournament, we fielded two strong OKs teams to play the school’s 1st and 2nd XI teams. The OK 2nd XI have had a solid run of wins over the last few years, but last year that run was broken and unfortunately the School nudged them into second place winning by just 2 wickets. Meanwhile, down on the 1st XI pitch, the fortunes of the OK team were in for a change. The School won the toss and opted to field. With some sound batting from Robert Craze, Marcus Watkinson (50) and Robert Lowin, the OKs set the School a target of 189. Excellent bowling performances from the Roberts Lowin and Craze made it difficult for the school players to perform and they fell short of the target by 71 runs. For the first time in several years, we are delighted that the OKs won the trophy!
The Victorious OK 1st XI!
OK 1st XI Captain, Charlie Gingell, receiving the coveted trophy from The Headmaster
Back (l-r): Josh Eddon, George Richards, Andrew Ramply, Adam Masters, Robert Lowin, Will Tatman Front (l-r): Marcus Watkinson, Charlie Gingell, Tom Hilliard, Luke Eddon, Robert Craze
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OKA SPORT
OK NETBALL Team Manager:
Danni Belbin (OK 12) - danni.belbin2120@gmail.com
Despite losing their match against the school in March, the OKs had a great game! The OKs started off with great momentum and managed to keep a close score through the first and second quarter. After half time the school started to pull ahead and the fact that they had already played a full term together as a team gave them the edge. They eventually clinched a win of 2029, which was a super result against a strong school side - the school coach even commented on the quality of the OK team and was impressed that they managed to keep the school score down!
OK Netball Team 2017 l-r: Kayla Englebrecht, Connie Gellatly, Katie Turness, Kate Sutton, Jess Gingell, Livvy Cotterill, Danni Belbin, Katie Turness Thanks to everyone who played: Maddy Stokes and Livvy Cotterill who battled hard in defence and took countless rebounds; Connie Gellatly who stepped in at the last minute and had a great game at WD, along with Katie Turness; Kate Sutton who played a stormer in attack and Kayla Engelbrecht and Jess Gingell who both moved well in the D and shot superbly; and finally, Danni Belbin, who not only played a great game but also organised the team!
OK TENNIS Team Managers:
Men’s: James Hodges (OK 11) - jameshodges93@ymail.com Ladies’: Helen Hopperton (OK 85) - 01480 862223 / alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk
Both men’s and ladies’ tennis matches against were planned for the Summer Reunion day. For the second year running we had two men’s teams who both had convincing wins against the School teams. The 1st team (James Hodges, Alex Boardman, Manuel Pasqua, Adam Stewart, Johnny Lacey & Peter Taine) did not concede a set and won 9-0, and the 2nd team (Robert Holmes, James Geary, Henry Pennial, Alex Benson, Vijay Paul & Rory Beet) won 6 sets to 3. It was a different picture for the ladies team... unfortunately we were unable to get a full team together and ended up with only 4 OKs (Lucy Pennington, Natalie Gaunt, Francesca Wilson & Sarah Gill) playing. This wasn’t for lack of trying to field a team, just unfortunate timing with many potential players being on holiday (& a broken wrist!). Hopefully we’ll fare better this year... (Apologies for the lack of photos of the tennis!)
www.oks.co.uk
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OKA SPORT
OK ROUNDERS Team Manager:
Charlotte Ralph (OK 06) - 07969 882797 / cl.ralph@live.co.uk
With rounders now being the main girls’ sport in the summer term at school (it didn’t used to be back in the 80s and 90s!), historically the score sheets for most OK vs School matches more often than not recorded a win for the school. Over the last few years however, the OKs have notched up a few wins and 2017 was no exception with both the 1st and 2nd team winning their matches. The 1st team faced a school team who had won all their external matches that term. Undeterred they played an excellent game and ended up with a close win of 23 - 20.5.
Meanwhile, the 2nd team had an even closer match. The school team had only played a handful of games during the term, but still had a good record of wins, but the OKs proved to be more determind and won 21 - 19.5.
OK SAILING Team Manager:
Alaster Gray (73) - 01480 461141 / alasterlesleygray@hotmail.com
As per usual the OK sailing match against the school took place on the same day as the OKA Summer Reunion. It was a perfect sailing day, with 10 knots of wind and sun. This year’s sailing challenge against the school was a truly family affair! Paul Carrington (OK 81) and his daughter Victoria (OK 12), Mark Aldridge (OK 84) and his daughter Abby (OK 14) and brother and sister team of Ben Goakes (OK 96) and Gemma (OK 98) made up the OK team. We enjoyed three short races in a mixture of Laser 2000 and Firefly dinghies. The first two races were won comfortably by the OK’s, who took 1st and 2nd places in the Laser class and winning in the Fireflys.
Race three was much closer; Mark Aldridge was over the line and had to restart and was half a leg behind; the school were also leading in the Laser 2000s. Mark finished just 2 feet ahead of the school’s Firefly and the OK Lasers fought back to a winning position. This is the last year we will sail against Tara Butterfield, the school sailing captain. We wish her well with her next phase of education at university. As ever these events cannot rake place without race management and thanks must go to Jon Sweet, Georgie Bickerdike and Gordon Oscroft.
OK Sailors: Back l-r: Paul Carrington, Gemma Dow (nee Goakes), Mark Aldridge, Ben Goakes, Abby Aldridge & Victoria Carrington Front: Alaster Gray
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OKA SPORT
OK GOLF Team Managers: Charles Robinson (OK 76) - cjr@robinsonkimbolton.co.uk Tom Harrison (OK 68) - harrisonsatblighters@btinternet.com After the excitement in 2016 of qualifying in the Grafton Morrish Public School Golf competition, and OK team was again entered into the competition - sights had been set high and another successful qualification was in everyone’s vision. Unfortunately it was not to be. The qualifying event was again held at the Gog Magog Golf Club in May. With a solid youthful OK team in place, everyone hoped that we would secure a place in the finals but despite playing their best, on the day the bar was set high as other teams played better and the team did not qualify. Although local rivals, Wellinborough School, finished in front of us (but also did not qualify), we did a good deal better than the Perse! It is important that we continue to be represented in this national competition and will, of course, be entering a team again this year, so good luck to everyone involved in planning and playing in this event. The focus of OK golf does not rest on the above competition - informal games of golf are also held each year at St Neots and Hunstanton, with the aim of getting OKs together who enjoy playing the game. These meetings are open to all OKs, whatever your handicap, so if you are interested in joining in, please get in touch.
OK GOLF SPRING MEETING 4 MAY 2018
St Neots Golf Club
Open to all OKs & their guests! Please get in touch with Charles Robinson if you are interested in
playing
Find us on
Old Kimboltonians Golf
If you are a low handicapper and are available to play in the 2018 Grafton Morrish Qualifier in MAY - please get in touch with Charles Robinson. The competition will be at the Gog Magog Golf Club.
www.oks.co.uk
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NEWS OF OKS
NEWS OF OKS Catch up with OKs from around the world...
Pre - 1970 STAN ROBINSON (OK 50) has visited the School twice in the last year to have a look around the Senior School and the Prep. Afterwards, he felt it was time to give an account of his activities since he left school some 67 years ago..! “From 1951 to 1953 I was a National Serviceman with the RAMC. I was on the Staff of the Training Establishment at Crookham in Hampshire and held the rank of Sergeant. during this time I was a member of the Spring Relay Team and also the Rugby Team that won the Army Cup in 1953. On demob I joined John White Footwear Ltd in the Buying Department at their Northamptonshire Head Office. In 1955 I married Gillian and we have a son Michael. He is a Development Engineer in Formula One Racing. In 1960 I had a complete change of career when I became a Retail Car Salesman. I was promoted to management and moved to Buckinghamshire to manage a new dealership for the company. In 1968 I left the Retail Motor Trade and joined manufacturing at Vauxhall’s Bedford Truck Plant. I joined the management team in 1973 and remained in this capacity until retirement. I set up a garden landscape business when I retired which was successful but brought to an abrupt halt after 7 years by a heart attack. Following my recovery I nursed my wife who suffered from advancing disablement due to polio in childhood. Gillian died in 2015 just after we had celebrated 60 years of marriage. I now spend my time following my lifetime interest in history (thank you Mr Owen!) and politics.” TOM WARTH (OK 52) was only at Kimbolton for a couple of years, but he still keeps in touch with the OKA from 46
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MICHAEL MEASURES (OK 65) celebrated his 70th birthday at Huntingdon Racecourse in April 2017. Naturally a lot of his family joined in with the celebrations, many of whom are OKs!
The Measures Family L-R: John (OK 63), Jonathan (OK 96), Simon (OK 92), James (OK 70), Michael (OK 65), Chris (OK 87), Ann (now Hinchley, OK 00) and Andrew (OK 95)
his home in Minnesota. He grew up in Ellington and was a day boy for a while before becoming a boarder. He still calls his labrador dogs Kyffin after Kyffin Owen! He moved on to other schools in Suffolk before his family emigrated to the US in 1960 - he still retains his ‘green card’ though and has not become a US citizen!
RODNEY BROWN (OK 53) keeps in regular contact with the OKA office. At 83 he still enjoys a round of golf and continues to spend much of his time pursuing his favourite hobby - painting! MICHAEL HOOD-CREE (OK 56) enjoyed showing his grandsons from the USA around the Castle when he visited Kimbolton last year. He vividly recalled
OKs from 1969/70 met up for their bi-annual reunion in September. Despite the weather an enjoyable time was had by all! L-R: Ian Burton (former Staff), Peter Whinnet, John Purser, Peter Haynes, Frank Kidle, James Measurers, Chris Temple, Mark Schweir
NEWS OF OKS
memories of lessons in the Castle and his pleasure in being invited to speak at the OKA Annual Dinner several years ago. RICHARD BROWN (OK 62) and his wife, Mo, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in December 2017 Congratulations! Richard has also recently had his first novel published see page 32. IAN HOWE (OK 69) lives in France and moved to the Vendee in July last year. He’d be happy to hear from any OKs of his generation if they are in the area any time!
1970 - 1979 ANDREW DAWSON (OK 70) was ordained Priest in the (Anglican) Church in Wales at St Woolos Cathedral, Newport, by Rt Rev Richard Pain, Bishop of Monmouth, on 27 June 2017. His brother Simon (OK 71) attended the service.
MIKE CLIFFORD (OK 71) has decided to retire this year on his 65th birthday after many years working in the financial sector. He says “it wasn’t my first choice career and the late Geoff Coles thought I would have made a good soldier, however it has let me work and travel the World and on the way pick up a wealth of experiences. Kimbolton gave me the discipline to be able to evaluate every opportunity and to never be frightened to make a decision or mistake (and yes I’ve made my fair share of them)”. In retirement he hopes to appear at some OK functions as he can’t possibly let the boys of 71 have all the fun, and to spend some quality time with his children and grandchildren. SIMON DAVIES (OK 73) has had a varied career since leaving school. In his words “nothing thrilling, but I did make Elizabeth Taylor a cup of cocoa when she was once in the UK”! He has made a couple of lengthy trips to South Africa over the last few years and have mulled over whether he has the courage (at 62!) to make a permanent move. TIM FIRMIN (OK 79) has been married to Dinah for 30 years. He has two children - Laura (25) who married last year and works for UCL in the careers department, and Edward (22) who works for the Co-Op and plays bass in a punk duo. After various jobs, Tim is a driver for a wholesale company.
1980 - 1989
Andrew Dawson (OK 70) after his ordination with his brother Simon (OK 71)
Andrew’s licence is in local, non stipendiary, rural ministry in a benefice of four parishes, Llantilio Crossenny, Penrhos, Llanvetherine and Llanvapley (a delightful unspoilt corner of the south east Wales Marches), so very much a voluntary part-time curate’s role. If any OKs are in that part of the world, Andrew would be very happy to see you!
SHALEEN GUPTA (OK 81) has now fully launched his innovative website RELOVATE - a private, ad-free, travel planning and booking website, which enables you to plan and book all your travel in one place. Have a look at the website next time you are planning a trip - the OK Scholarship Trust Fund will benefit from any bookings made by OKs. See page 51 for more details... RICHARD BEEBY (OK 85) has moved to Farnborough with his three daughters (all OKs) after living in Old Weston for 49 years, where he has started a small holding with his new partner, Sarah.
MIKE CARTWRIGHT (OK 87) is a BBC News Reporter for the regional news programme Look East. It’s good to see him frequently modelling his OK tie and/or scarf! ANNA WATTS (nee Holmes, OK 88) set up Beyond Curious in 2016, a small design and marketing agency, with two former colleague,. Based in the Midlands, they’re working with clients across the automotive, retail, public sector and education industries. [see Announcements]
1990 - 1999 ALICE EDWARDS (OK 90) is currently serving with the Int Corps at RAF Wyton. She is a regular runner with the Fen Runners. ABBY EDWARDS (OK 91) has given up teaching and is doing a 2 year course for her MC in Occupational Therapy. Like her sister, she is also a regular runner with the Fen Runners. VICKY WAKEFIELD (nee Watson, OK 95) is an Event Coordinator and works for Creative Team Events - a company that delivers team activities worldwide. She has worked with Chris Abington (OK 07) on some projects for the same company. Chris combines his career as a drummer with working at the Apple Store in Regent Street. PAUL PIPPARD (OK 95) and his wife, Alice, have achieved their dream to own a vineyard and are the proud owners of Beacon Down Vineyard in East Sussex. They decided to take the plunge back in 2012 and it’s been non-stop since then. Paul gained his Diploma in Wine Production, they searched for, found and prepared the idea site, moved out of London to Sussex, planted nearly 10,000 vines in May 2015 and had their first harvest in October 2017. Although Paul has had to continue working elsewhere, this is more than just a hobby and they are now in the process of making both still and sparkling wines... To find out more visit: www. beacondown.co.uk.
www.oks.co.uk
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NEWS OF OKS
SIMON PHILLIPS (OK 96) is Owner of Seaway Deliveries, a company that specialises in yacht & boat deliveries, skipper & crew hire, tuition & training and yacht & boat assessment, repair and maintenance. Simon was recently awarded the prestigious AFRIN - Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigators. One of only 230 in the world! Generally this is because he has contributed a lot to keeping traditional navigation methods in use whilst on long Ocean sailing passages. [see Announcements
2000 - 2009 ED LONGMATE (OK 02) & EMMA (nee JUGGINS, OK 07) live in Balham working in Programmatic Ad Tech for Verizon & Amazon respectively. [see Announcements] CHARLOTTE EDWARDS (OK 03) got in touch with the OKA after losing contact for a few years. She lives in Kent and works as a sub editor and writer. ANDY HUGHES (OK 03) is busy training for a mammoth physical challenge in April/May that will see him undertake the following five events, in five countries, on five consecutive weekends: - Tour of Flanders Sportive - Paris Roubaix Challenge - Amstel Gold Sportive - London Marathon
- Mallorca 312 All in all, he will cycle the best part of 1000km over four days and fit a marathon in too! Andy will have a bit of extra support in all the events apart from the marathon as Stephen Bird and Alec Laing (both OK 03) will be joining him. Good luck to them in their training and in their various events! Andy is undertaking all five events for the charity Grief Encounter, who support bereaved children and their families. The charity is totally reliant on donations and every penny Andy raises will go towards the charity. If you would like to support Andy and donate towards this worthy cause, please go to: www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ TeamTeacherStern LAURIE ELLIOTT (OK 05) has been commissioned in the Royal Army Medical Corps following her medical degree from Aberdeen University and taking the Professionally Qualified Officers Course at Sandhurst. BEN SAXTON (OK 08), with his crew Katie Dabson claimed gold at the first ever foiling Nacra 17 World Championship in September. He also won the Endeavour Trophy at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club for the third time, with his crew, Toby Lewis. In recognition of his achievements during the year, Ben was presented with the Royal Thames Yacht Club Sailor of the Year trophy in November.
2010 - Present CLARE COTTERILL (OK 10) qualified as a solicitor in September 2017. She was offered (and accepted) a position on qualification at the law firm she had trained with, Clyde & Co LLP, in their Professional and Financial Disputes department. The team is highlyregarded within the industry, and advises a range of professional service firms, including accountants, architects, construction professionals, insurance brokers, surveyors and valuers and other lawyers. CALLUM MACGREGOR (OK 10) was recently awarded his PhD by Newcastle University, for his thesis entitled “The role of moths as pollinators, and the effects of environmental change”. He is now working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of York, on a study investigating the evolution of British butterflies in response to climate change. Callum hasn’t forgotten that his year group voted him “Most likely to win a Nobel prize” in the 2010 leavers yearbook, but he knows that there is still quite some work to do if the year group are to be proven correct! BARNABY SPINK (OK 10) was Head Boy in 2010, did a degree at York University and then went to Sandhurst. He is now a Captain in the Queen’s Royal Hussars. He was the Challenger 2 Troop Leader
GIOVANNA RYAN (OK 05) made it through to the final of the 2017 Masterchef television series. She was one of three finalists in the BBC programme and although she didn’t win she said “I will say that it was the most inspiring, exhausting, bizarre, daunting experience that I’ll probably ever have and I loved every minute of it”. Giovanna has now returned to work part-time as a singing teacher but is also working hard to further her passion for coooking by offering private catering, parties and supper clubs. In November she was back in Kimbolton cooking dinner at a fundraiser for the Kimbolton School Parents Association (KSPA). To find out more about Giovanna log on to: www.littlebrixtonkitchen.co.uk
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Barnaby Spink (OK 10) with MP Mark Lancaster (OK 88) in the left photo, and with Boris Johnson in the right photo
for the tank troop on Operation CABRIT in Estonia last summer and met MP Mark Lancaster (OK 88) as he commanded the tank Mark rode in when he visited Estonia in his role as Minister for the Armed Forces. Barnaby was pictured in the national papers in September with Boris Johnson (see photos on the top right) when Boris visited British troops stationed in Estonia as part of NATO presence in the Baltic states. He was also photographed with Theresa May in Estonia a few weeks later. TOBYN EAGLES (OK 12) graduated from Northumbria University last year and started a Masters course studying Clinical Exercise Physiology in September. JACK KENMIR (OK 12) started a new role as Teacher of PE with Sport and Exercise at Highgate School in September. GEORGE RICHARDS (OK 12) passed his APC in November and is now a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors. He is currently working in an investment management role at CBR Global Investors based in the City. OLI KNELL (OK 13) graduated from Oxford Brookes and works in recruitment in London. White-collar boxing bouts feature as his ‘pastime’. FLORENCE LEDWITH (OK 13) is a fashion graduate and achieved her dream last year by launching envyshoes.com. ROBERT MURPHY (OK 13) completed a 4 year Masters degree in Civil Engineering at Newcastle University in 2017. As the time of getting in touch with the OKA last August he was just about to go on a 6 month tour of Central and South America before starting work. MATTHEW BURTON (OK 12) is in his final year at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Before he qualifies as a doctor in July 2018 he will be undertaking a placement in the Emergency Department of St John’s Medical College in Bangalore.
GEORGE WILSON (OK 13) graduated from the University of Bath in 2017 and is now working in Investor Relations for Aspect Capital, where he completed his industrial placement year. SIMON CARTER (OK 17) is making the most of the musical opportunities whilst studying Pharmacy at UEA. He joined the University Chamber Choir (and won a music award with which he has opted to take lessons frm a visiting opera coach), and has set up a barber shop group with plans to perform in 2018. Outside of university, Simon was awarded a scholarship by St John’s Cathedral, and Norwich Cathedral have taken him on as a Tenor Deputy Lay Clerk. Beyond this, he was approached to sing in a backing group for Rick Wakeman who was performing in Norwich in December.
Have we included YOUR news? If not, it’s probably because we didn’t know about it! Please don’t miss out next time - send in your news as it happens to: alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk
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Announcements
ANNOUNCEMENTS OK Engagements / Marriages / Births FRANK ATTON (OK 73) is getting married to Julia Meehan on 20 March 2018. David Landry (OK 73) will be visiting the UK from his home in the USA to attend the wedding. NICK AVENALL (OK 93) got engaged to Becky Hughes in September 2017. EMILIA BARTON-CARROLL (OK 11) is to marry James Hodson in May 2018 at Hengrave Hall, Suffolk. JAMES BIDDLE (OK 09) married Sophie on 28 October 2017 in St Andrew’s Church, Prestwold, near Loughborough. They held their Reception in Prestwold Hall. OKs present were James’ brother and sister, Thomas (OK 14) and Clare (OK 11), and Marcus Jones (OK 03), Nick Borkett (OK 08) and Rory Fenton (OK 09). JAMES BROWN (OK 94) and Nicola welcomed the safe arrival of their daughter, Jessica, on 17 May 2017. JAMES BUCKLEY (OK 07) became engaged to Amy Carter. They are planning to marry this summer. LAUREN CLARENBACH (nee Beale, OK 96) and Laurent had a daughter, Olivia Grace, in August 2016. CHARLES COOKE (OK 04) and his wife Kate welcomed the arrival of Wyatt Nicholas Cooke on 15 January 2018. A brother for Jack. PATRICK COONEY (OK 97) married Samantha Cooper on 8 July 2017 at Chateau de St Privat des Pres, near Bordeaux. David Walshaw (OK 97) was Best Man. GRACE CULLEN (OK 07) married Tom Jackson on 3 June 2017.
AMY HODKINSON (OK 07) married Thomas Lawman at Great Paxton Church on 7 October 2017. James Hastings (OK 07) did a reading during the service. ED LONGMATE (OK 02) and EMMA JUGGINS (OK 07) were married on May 13 2017 at Hampton Court House. They were joined by a number of OK’s - Justine Brodie (OK 07), Alice Lane (OK 07), Maddie DeBois (OK 07), Rosie Wood (OK 07), Ollie Juggins (OK 04), Simon Whitlock (OK 02), Alex Brandler (OK 02), Tom Longmate (OK 98) and Fiona Caspi (OK 98). VICTORIA MARR (OK 12) got engaged to William McIlroy in November 2017. They will be getting married in 2019, with many OKs expecting to attend!
CHRIS FLETCHER (OK 76) got married in June 2017.
CHARLIE MAY (06) married Louise Dungate at Narborough Hall Gardens on 17 June 2017. Will Briggs (OK 05) was Best Man and Charlie’s brothers, James (OK 08) and Will (OK 01) were Groomsmen! Other OKs present Stephen May (OK 70), Arabella May (OK 03), Nick Brandler (OK 05), James Hodgeson (OK 05), Oli Huggins (OK 05), Matt Fitter (OK 05), Alex Benson (OK 06), Carl Ellerington (OK 03) and Harry Daniels (OK 06). It was the hottest weekend of the year and what more would a group of OKs do on the day before a wedding other than organise a cricket match! For old times sake, Charlie opened the batting with Oli Huggins and a great game was enjoyed by everyone.
PHYLLIDA KNIGHT (OK 06) married Tom Broadway in June 2017.
AMELIA MORRISSEY (nee Jarvis, OK 02) welcomed the premature arrival of her daughter on 2 October 2017.
GUY (OK 89) and ESTELLE LITTLEWOOD (OK 89) are thrilled to announce the arrival of Sam David Littlewood on 17 August 2017, a baby brother for Holly and Amy.
WILLIAM MUMFORD (OK 87) and Emma celebrated the birth of Christian Edward on 7 August 2017. A brother for Robert.
JESSICA DE BOIS (OK 04) and Bruce Kingma were married in September 2014 and welcomed the arrival of their daughter, Isabelle Grace, on 28 July 2017. ALEX DICKINSON (OK 12) and MAX TAYLOR (OK 12) became engaged in 2017. They plan to marry in 2019. RHIANNON EAGLE (OK 14) became the proud mother of a baby boy, Noah, in May 2017.
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Announcements
NEWS OF OKS
SIMON PHILLIPS (OK 96) became engaged to Katharine (Kat) Downs in 2017. They will be getting married on 24 March 18 and Ben Goakes (OK 96) will be Best Man along with Simon’s brother. MARK RALPH (OK 04) and Chloe welcomed the arrival of their son, Oliver (Ollie) James, on 27 July 2017. DOMINIC THURMOTT (OK 07) is engaged to be married to Narissa Chan. ANNA HOLMES (OK 88) married Graham Watts in 2012 and they had a son, Thomas, in 2014 CHRISTINE YALLUP (OK 08) married Adrian Potter on the 2017 August bank holiday. Sue Yallup (Staff), David Yallup (OK 09), Sophie Daniels (OK 08), Sophia Godfrey (OK 08) and Georgie Devlin (nee Eaton, OK 08) all attended to celebrate the wedding with them.
Five of the OK cricketers on the day before Charlie May’s wedding L-R: Matt Fitter, Nick Brandler, Oli Huggins, Charlie May & Will Briggs
Attention OKs! We would like to introduce you to RELOVATE – a private, ad-free, travel planning and booking website – a win-win for the Old Kimboltonians’ Association. Everyone travels! Now you have the opportunity to plan and book all travel in one place using RELOVATE. Every trip that is booked by you, your family, and your friends will result in a donation to the OKA Scholarship Trust Fund by RELOVATE. RELOVATE is FREE to use and offers a new and innovative approach to travel planning and booking.
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Go to RELOVATE.com and login or register
Go to My Account and select Old Kimboltonians’ Association under Affiliations
Use RELOVATE to plan and book your travel
… and share with your family, friends, and everyone in your community! Be part of giving back to the OKA through your everyday personal or business travel.
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NEWS OF OKS
In Memoriam
DEATHS & OBITUARIES The OKA is saddened to report the deaths of the following OKs and colleagues: CLAUDE BANKS (OK 41) on 10 February 2017 REV JIM CHALLIS (Former Staff) on 14 June 2017 HUGH CHRISTMAS (OK 67) on 2 July 2017 DEBORAH FAHERTY (OK 07) on 6 August 2017 MELVYN HAYNES (OK 61) on 7 January 2018 PATRICK O’CALLAGHAN (OK 44) on 20 August 2017 DAVID O’CONNOR (OK 60) in November 2017 CLAUDE BANKS (OK 41) passed away on 10th February 2017, aged 91. He was born in 1926 and attended Kimbolton School from 1936 - 1941. On leaving school, Claude soon joined his father on the family farm, where he worked until ‘semiretirement’ in 1996, although he still carried on doing jobs on the farm until well into his 90th year, which included single handedly filling in pot holes on the farm roads - “I don’t know who is going to carry on doing this job when I’m gone”! Claude celebrated his 90th birthday at the Mandeville Hall, with family and friends and we were treated to a slide show by Roy and Nora Butler, of recently discovered, 100 year old photos of Kimbolton and the surrounding area. Claude of course remembered the days at the Mandeville Hall, during WW2 where all the local boys were the wallflowers at the dances, watching the American G.I’s swinging the girls around doing the jitterbug. A packed church rang with laughter on 1st April 2017 for Claude’s Memorial Service, as the congregation listened to tales of his exploits over the years and particularly fittingly we went back to the School for refreshments afterwards. Claude was always enormously proud of the school and loved his schooldays. His amazing memory enabled him to recite his class register, starting with the “A’s” and right through to the “W’s”, even up to a few days before his passing. Stories of those school days can be found in the two books he wrote with the first, ‘Once a Man - Twice a Boy’ being launched at the School on Old Kimboltonians Day in June 2014, and the second, ‘After you Claude’, being published in 2016. These books raised many thousands of pounds for three local churches. Her Majesty the Queen so enjoyed both books that Claude received a birthday card from her on his 91st birthday. Claude always eagerly devoured the OK magazine and would have loved the story about ‘the spy’ in the 2017 edition. Clearing his bureau, his family came across a letter he had written to his classmates in 1981, trying to organise a reunion for the 40th anniversary of their leaving the School. In typical blunt Claude fashion, he instructed, “Do not put this letter on the mantelpiece, and forget about it, please reply to me by return of post”. A spade was a spade in Claude’s language. His interests were always, racing, shooting, cricket, football, farming and family, not necessarily in that order. He held every committee position over the years at both Kimbolton 52
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CHRISTOPHER PALMER (OK 85) on 7 May 2017 JOHN PARR (OK 50) in April 2017 PETER RITCHLEY (OK 67) on 4 January 2017 GEORGE W SLACK (OK 69) in 1996 ROBIN E WALKER (OK 56) on 25 August 2017 DAVID WHITWORTH (OK 40) on 26 January 2017 JOHN R WILLS (OK 39) on 1 April 2016 Cricket Club and Huntingdon County Cricket Club, finishing as County President and receiving a long service award from the County in November, 2016, where he made an acceptance speech to a large audience. Claude’s daughter, Penny, who is following in his footsteps with Kimbolton Cricket Claude Banks on his 88th birthday Club, decided to erect a new gate and fence in her father’s memory, at the boundary between the Cricket Club and Kimbolton School. In the words of Jonathan Belbin, “how fitting that the gate will bestride two key elements of Claude’s life”. Kimbolton has certainly lost a character, and will be missed by many from all walks of life. He is survived by daughters Penny and Sally, son Jamie (OK 79), three grandsons, one grand daughter and three great grandsons. (Obituary kindly provided by Claude’s daughter, Penny) REVEREND JIM CHALLIS (Former Staff) died on 14 June 2017. It is a sobering commentary on the passage of time that the youngest pupil of D.J. ‘Jim’ Challis will themselves be approaching their seventies, yet in the minds of those who attended the prep school between 1952 and 1960 it is difficult to remember Kimbolton without thinking of him. He was the second of three masters at the prep school – W.P. ‘Wimpy’ Jones and Alan Gray being the others – and was both the form master for form Y (the right-hand half of the twenty-seven building) and the housemaster for the upstairs dormitory, occupying a bed-sitting room at the end of the dormitory from which the strains of Radio Luxemburg - very ‘modern’ for those days - could be heard when the weekly playing of the then new top twenty was broadcast.
In Memoriam
He was in many respects the archetypal prep school master who taught a variety of subjects, could balance the roles of disciplinarian and counsellor very well and generally held the respect of those he taught. Not only did he play the part of a traditional school master – he had a marvellous frown with which he could quell a class room of rebellious spirits without having to raise his voice - but he looked it and I can never see the actor Alastair Sim in a film without thinking of my old form master. In those days the school did not have a chaplain but, as a clergyman it fell to Jim Challis to officiate on whatever clerical duties were required and his special interest was the senior school Christian Union which, because of the array of speakers he could conjure up, was probably one of the best subscribed of all the school’s societies. His early life did not suggest a career in teaching and his first job was as a clerk in the London head office of the Union Castle line which operated a weekly service of liners, a byword in shipping luxury, between Southampton and Cape Town. During the war he served in the Royal Air Force working on radar research and on returning to the Union Castle line was on the threshold of being appointed as their Manager in Durban when he received hiscalling to enter the church, which he did after spending three years reading theology at Clare College, Cambridge. His career in the pastoral field was not a success and – possibly because he came from a well connected family – he was appointed as a curate to a rather fashionable London parish where he earned the deep enmity of the vicar (and his wife) by inviting the entire congregation to coffee in the vicarage after matins. He was rather summarily removed from his post and sent to be interviewed by the Bishop of Ely who kept him standing to attention while the primate attended to his correspondence. Only after about five minutes did he look up and acknowledge Jim’s presence. “Did you,” the Bishop growled, “let that bloody cat in?” The Bishop then mentioned that a school not far away had a vacancy for a master, handed him a letter of introduction to the headmaster and returned to his correspondence. Thus came Jim Challis to Kimbolton.
NEWS OF OKS
PATRICK O’CALLAGHAN (OK 44) died on 20 August 2017. He loved his time at Kimbolton and always told funny stories of favourite teachers. One fondly called him Sinn Fein. After school he went on to do an apprenticeship with W H Allen in Bedford and he stayed with the company all of his working life, apart from when he had a two year break in his 20s working his way round Canada - oil drilling and on a whaling station being two of the more exciting jobs. Pat was very happy in his working life and travelled all over the world using his love of languages. He married in 1958 and leaves his wife, Joyce, and three children, Dean, Sean and Kerry. He had a very happy retirement until his later years were marred by dementia. He is sadly missed. (Words kindly provided by Pat’s wife, Joyce) CHRISTOPHER PALMER (OK 85) passed away peacefully on 7 May 2017 aged 50 years. His school life at Kimbolton spanned over 10 years, initially in the Prep Department, then the senior school, with an extended stay in the Sixth form to achieve the required A levels for his chosen career - initially he thought in accountancy. Well before that time he had acquired the nickname “Sid” which he encouraged all to use throughout his life. His degree course from Leicester Polytechnic (now De Montfort University) started in accounting but he soon switched to computers and IT finding employment for 17 years with a major software house EDS, later Hewlett Packard, as an IT Project Manager. During that time he married and had two daughters, now 18 and 12. Sadly his marriage and EDS career ended almost simultaneously.
Not the least of his talents as a housemaster was his skill as a raconteur and he would keep thirty small boys enthralled on their beds for twenty minutes or so as he unfurled a story of the London Underworld versus Scotland Yard, building the story to a crescendo when he would abruptly break off, telling us to wait for the next instalment. Alas, the opening instalment seemed to exhaust his powers of invention because not once did we ever have the sequel.
Probably the smallest boy in each year at Kimbolton he never enjoyed robust good health and eventually after a further ten years of sporadic employment, initially as a contractor, his asthma developed into COPD. His fight for better health was sadly beaten by the onset of pneumonia and lifestyle complications. He is survived by his parents, his daughters and his partner.
After leaving Kimbolton in 1960, Jim remained in teaching and held the post of Chaplain at several schools including Stowe where a certain Richard Branson was one of his charges.
JOHN PARR (OK 50) died April 2017 aged 84. Born in Newmarket in 1932, as a young child John moved to Cambridge with his mother and father, and on to Kimbolton School at the age of 8. In his life, John became a father, a grandpa, and a husband to his late wife Mary. His early love for all things mechanical, especially aeronautical, led to a progression from building and flying model aircraft at school to joining de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School at Hatfield as a technical apprentice. At Hatfield, John’s life encompassed many unique opportunities, such as flight tests
‘He was a man, take him for all in all. I shall not look upon his like again.’ (Kindly written by Bill Becket (OK 65)
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In Memoriam
in the new Comet jet airliner and every other aspect of being a trainee engineer. His time at Hatfield was one that he enjoyed immensely, his memories never faded and he always felt immensely proud of his association with de Havilland. Hatfield was also where John met and courted his wife to be, Mary, who was attending Balls Park Teacher Training College. They married in 1957 in Gidea Park, Mary’s home parish. During his time at de Havilland John was an active member of the Observer Corps. Eventually, John decided to leave de Havilland and join the Royal Air Force. Shortly after being commissioned and completing his first tour he was posted to Germany, where his language skills were first exercised. John was a gifted linguist, speaking many languages fluently including Russian, German, French, and Spanish. As this was the era of the Cold War, this expertise and subsequent language courses channeled his type of work for much of his military career. His eldest son, Tim, was born whilst John and Mary were based in Germany in 1959, and Jerry appeared in 1961 after their return to the UK. John continued to serve in the RAF all over the world with his family, in places such as Singapore, Cyprus, Germany and many stations in the UK, until his final few years in the service at Royal Air Force Brampton, not far from their home in Longthorpe, Peterborough. John eventually retired from the Royal Air Force as a Squadron Leader aged 58. John was a devoted husband to his wife Mary and in retirement they enjoyed many more holidays to Norfolk, Wales and the like, where they took a keen interest in climbing, walking, bird watching and historical sites. John always looked forward to attending the annual Moth Club Rallies, seeing other ex-apprentices again and being surrounded by so many active de Havilland aircraft. Technology, world affairs, and The Times crossword always remained a passion for John, and as his mobility deteriorated and after Mary’s passing in 2011 this kept him mentally very agile, mastering the ubiquitous iPad of the modern era! Even on his final admission to A&E he insisted on discussing the correct derivative of a Russian set of verbs with the attending Polish Nurse. John was a very proud man, who knew his mind, and the intricacies of the worlds political stage. His keen but sometimes dry and military sense of humour was not always obvious to everyone, but he really did mean well and very kind and encouraging to others. His family will all miss him greatly but are honoured to have been part of his life. (Tribute taken from the Summer Newsletter of the de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School Association)
PETER RITCHLEY (OK 67) died on 4 January 2017 at his home in Surrey. Peter was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer in August 2016; he continued working at Headley Court and also celebrated his 68th birthday whilst undergoing treatment but sadly lost his battle against the illness early 2017. GEORGE SLACK (OK 69) was very involved with horses from an early age and upon leaving school he joined Gordon Richard’s stable in Cumbria. Subsequently he decided to pursue a career outside of horse racing and joined the Royal Navy where he underwent his training at Dartmouth College. He
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served in the Royal Navy for several years before contracting Type 1 Diabetes and being invalided out of the service. For many years he continued his attachment with the Navy and was actively involved with his local branch of the sea cadets in Birmingham where he worked in local government. George died of heart failure in 1996. His father, George Slack senior, was an accomplished jockey who had the frustrating distinction of coming second three times in the Irish Grand National, hence George’s connection with horses. (It had been noticed that George’s death in 1996 was not published in any OK magazines at the time, hence the rather belated announcement here). ROBIN E WALKER (OK 56) was born in London in 1937 and grew up on a farm in Raunds. After national service in Cyprus, he attended the Royal Veterinary College in London. There he met and married his wife Jill, a fellow veterinary student. Following various veterinary jobs in London and the South East, he moved to Worcester where he settled and raised a family with Jill, while running a busy small animal practice for the Gables Veterinary Group. He had a strong interest in animal behaviour and regularly lectured on the subject. For a time he even had a regular slot on local radion. Robin combined his veterinary interests with the classics, publishing a translation of the veterinary papyrus of Kahun. Robin had several heart attacks and heart surgery in the early 1990s. He suffered a major stroke in 1999, which he was not expected to survive, but he fought back to recovery and even managed to get back to work for a while before he retired in 2002. In retirement Robin continued his interest in animal behaviour. He enjoyed singing and was a member of a local community choir. Sadly his health gradually deteriorated in the last few years and he died of heart failure on 25 August 2017. DAVID WHITWORTH (OK 40) passed away peacefully on 26 January 2017 at the age of 92. He leaves his wife Joan, with whom he celebrated 60 years of marriage in September 2015, two sons, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
JOHN R WILLS (OK 39) passed away peacefully on 1 April 2016. He loved Kimbolton School.
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