OK News 2019 by Old Kimboltonians' Association

OK NEWS 2019 The magazine of the Old Kimboltoniansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association

Spring 2019

The Committee & Representatives of the Old Kimboltonians’ Association OKA Committee... President:

James Brown (94)

Treasurer:

Position Vacant

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) Josh Doonan (13) Joanna Doyle (84)

Joshua Spink (07) Bill Skinner (Former Staff) Jim Townley (Former Staff) Fiona Whiteman (85)

James Hopperton (94) Jonathan Hunter (80) Jack Kenmir (12) Steve Kingan (72) John Mayes (51) Claire Murphy (90) Peter Saxton (75)

Hattie Gellatly (13) Theo Gibbs (68) Sarah Gill (12) Charlotte Goodson (88) Alaster Gray (73) John Hitchin (71) James Hodges (11)

OKA Sports Managers... CRICKET - 1st XI

Charlie Gingell

07972 071154

gingell.charles@gmail.com

CRICKET - 2nd XI

James Moore

jamescmoore6@gmail.com

FOOTBALL

George Wilson

07411 101363

george@wilsonco.uk

GOLF

Charles Robinson

01480 860581

cjr@robinsonkimbolton.co.uk

HOCKEY (Men’s)

To be confirmed

alumni@kimboltn.cambs.sch.uk

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: OKs vs Old Reptonians December 2018 (@ChrisHayes)

Adrian Petty (OK 91), Hetty Dean (OK 90) and Will Ford (OK 11) all decided to step down from the OKA Committee last year. Between them, they had clocked up many years of proactive involvement with the OKA for which we are very grateful.

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

PRESIDENTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTES

A WORD FROM THE HEADMASTER

An update from James Brown as he reaches half way through his Presidency.

Jonathan Belbin reflects on recent activity in the School and the OKA.

SCHOOL NEWS

A summary of School news from the last year, including staff departures.

WELCOME, CLASS OF 2018!

Find out what the newest OKs are up to in their first year of leaving Kimbolton School.

OKA UPDATE

A summary of the activities that have kept the OKA busy over the last year. Find out what the Alumni Officer gets up to and how the OKA has supported the School and individual OKs.

OKA EVENTS

OKA SPORT

NEWS OF OKS

OKA ARTICLES

As well as reading a few more OK memories, find out about the history behind the school colours and look at the various styles of blazers that have been worn at Kimbolton over the decades.

OKA SHOP

Details of OK merchandise available to purchase from the OKA Office.

A review and photos of the OKA social events that took place in 2018, including our inaugural Wine Tasting Evening.

A round-up of all the sports fixtures played by OK teams during 2018, including exciting news on the success of the OK football team.

Catch up with the news and announcements from individual OKs. We also remember those OKs who we have learnt have sadly passed away.

www.oks.co.uk

EDITOR’S NOTES

FROM THE EDITOR, HELEN HOPPERTON

can’t believe how quickly each year rolls by! As soon as I have finished writing and editing the OK News and organised the printing and distribution, it is time to start compiling the next one. As well as your news, I am always looking for new articles, so please keep your ideas and updates coming. A big ‘thank you’ to everyone who has contributed to this edition - it wouldn’t be what it is without your input. I think I can safely say that 2018 was a good year for the OKA. We had what was probably our largest turnout of OKs attending the Summer Reunion at the end of June and we sold out of tickets for the first OKA Wine Tasting evening in November. I really hope that the interest in supporting the OKA is set to continue - remember the success of the Association relies on your involvement! I look forward to seeing many of you at the forthcoming OKA London Dinner and at the Summer Reunion - you can find full details of both events in the following pages... if you are ‘celebratiing’ a specific anniversary year of leaving Kimbolton, please get in touch if you need help getting in contact with your year group; the OKA is here to help! Thank you for your continued support.

DID YOU KNOW Helen Hopperton (OK 85), Alumni Officer alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk 01480 862223

You can update your own contact details in the Members’ Area of our website - contact the OKA office for your for login details.

Handling YOUR Data

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 GDPR 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. If you wish to withdraw your consent please advise the OKA in writing (this can be done easily by completing the OK Update Form on our website, or by email), and we will delete your personal data from our records.

www.oks.co.uk

In 2018 we posted 3085 OK News magazines to OKs based in the UK, and 200 overseas. We made a conscious move to use the more environmentally friendly polywrap (it was the biodegradable sort...) and managed to cut down the workload involved in sending them out by using an external mailing house (we used to label, stuff and frank the envelopes ourselves). All in all, a win-win situation! We would however like to reduce our costs and impact on the environment further by printing and posting fewer copies - if you are happy to receive the publication on-line, please email: alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk

PRESIDENT’S NOTES

Notes from the OKA Another year passes by, quicker than ever, and it hardly seems like yesterday that I was starting my journey as the OKA President. We are in the throes of Brexit, we have a number of world leaders who defy belief on a daily basis but the Old Kimboltonians Association continues on unabated, serving its members in the best way possible, but at the same time trying to adapt to an ever-changing world. This year has seen us develop several initiatives and this I hope to continue and develop further over the coming years. A key change we have made is to change the London Dinner venue. For many years we were well served by the National Liberal Club in Whitehall, an imposing and very suitable venue. However it became increasingly difficult to find dates that worked for us so we took the decision to move to the Lansdowne Club in Mayfair, a step that has proven to be very successful. At the same time we also decided to downsize the event, tailoring to recent demand, almost starting again some might say. The 2018 London Dinner in April confirmed that we’d made the right changes; it was an enjoyable and entertaining evening with OKs from year groups in the 1960s through to the 2000s attending; the Headmaster had managed to find a few school reports from the early years, and gave an enlightening insight into some of the diners! I am keen we grow this event each year and I encourage anyone interested to contact Helen for details. Last Spring we continued to develop our digital image library. With the help of an external agency, many old school photos and articles are now available online for everyone to view and enjoy. This is another great step forward for the OKA and allows far more people the access to archives we have and a chance to remind themselves of days gone by! As always, the Summer term was dominated by the Summer Reunion and the Ball; earlier in the term however I was fortunate enough to attend Speech Day on behalf of the OKA where Oli Bridge (OK 07), Founder and CEO of Cornerstone, was the guest speaker. Oli entertained both pupils and guests alike with his memories of school, but also took an interesting approach of imagining he was offering advice to himself as a younger man and what he would have told himself. It is always nice to see OKs returning to the school in this capacity, inspiring future industry leaders and entrepreneurs. The Reunion and Ball were both successful with great attendance across the day and evening. Of particular note was the 1968 group who were celebrating their 50-year reunion. After meeting in the Saloon before lunch in the dining hall, which has changed dramatically in parts but still bought memories flooding back, they enjoyed a personal guided tour of the school by Bill Skinner (former staff). I know all appreciated viewing the new facilities and seeing just how far the school had come over the years. Special thanks must go to Theo Gibbs for arranging the day for his fellow alumni and ensuring it went off without a hitch. As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, the aims of the Association include supporting OKs in their careers and

PRESIDENT business ventures but also offering opportunities for widening networks. To this end the OKA will be making a concerted effort to develop the OK network in London, where we know a large population of OKs live and/or work. An OK London committee has already been set up and we now hope to develop a range of London based events and create several opportunities to fulfil the above objectives. As a starting point, in November we held a Wine Tasting event, hosted in conjunction with Paul Pippard (OK 95) who set up Beacon Down Vineyard in 2014 in the Sussex Weald. Over 30 OKs from 1994 – 2014 enjoyed hearing about Paul’s journey from accountant to vineyard owner as well as tasting the first bottles from Beacon Down, a Bacchus and a Pinot Gris from 2017 (I can assure you both are very good!) and another 6 wines from fellow producers. The event proved English still and sparkling wine is on the up and was a great success in terms of bringing people together, some who had never been to an OKA event, but also to support an OK in his venture. We are looking to replicate this across 2019 with other similar events so please keep your eye out for these. The other event in the Autumn, the Annual Dinner, proved to be less of a success and we had to take the difficult decision to cancel it due to lack of ticket sales. We were fortunate enough to have Harry Rowe (OK 06) lined up as our guest speaker; Harry has been involved in a vast amount of humanitarian work within Syria, and we were looking forward to hearing more about his activities. As with all difficult decisions, it is necessary to look at the why they’ve had to be taken, so the committee have started to review our events and we expect to make some changes over the coming 12 months. We intend to expand our activity beyond Kimbolton and, as mentioned above, will start with the London area but we will also look at other areas with a high density of OKs. This in turn will allow us to learn and develop a plan to extend further, possibly internationally? That said, Kimbolton will always be the centre and home of the Association. Whether your school years were halcyon days or an enduring time to reach the next adventure, we all have Kimbolton as a common thread to bind us. The OKA is evolving and adapting to support its members in different ways and hopefully you will join me in making this a success and an association for the future. James Brown (OK 94) www.oks.co.uk

A word from the Headmaster

We began the new school year with a record high number of Kimbolton pupils, for the first time breaking through the 1,000 mark. It seems that the appetite for independent education in our, relatively affluent, part of the country is at an all-time peak, promoted by seismic demographic changes in turn fuelled by rampant new build almost everywhere you look. When I first arrived at Kimbolton, taking the St Neots train into London meant standing on the platform (after scaling that rickety old bridge) and gazing out at fields of crops. Today, Loves Farm extends as far as the eye can see and ‘Building Phase 37’ is about to begin. With Cambourne extending ever westward, soon it will be suburbia from St Neots to Cambridge. All good news for Kimbolton School of course! The year just passed has seen the School consolidate its position as a ‘high riser’ in the independent world size-wise (and I know that that isn’t everything). We are in the top 6% of schools within the Independent Schools’ Council (ISC), and remain prominent in The Good Schools Guide and, I’m personally delighted to say, the increasingly influential Cricketer’s 100 Top Cricket Schools. A-Level results last Summer (the bulk of which were in subjects being examined for the first time; so no past papers to dissect beforehand) were above expectation – with almost 53% at A*A. A smaller, and weaker, GCSE cohort saw excellence at the top end (over 31% A*, 8 or 9) but a tailing off in the nether regions. On the university front, 425 individual applications were made through UCAS, only 25 of which were unsuccessful. 67 secured a place at their Firm Choice institution, only five needed to use Clearing (of which four self-selected). The North & NorthEast remain popular outposts for OKs – Newcastle proved the favourite destination this year, closely followed by Leeds. It can’t have been the quality of the local football encouraging them! And it’s not just pupils. We started the term with, what I can

www.oks.co.uk

only assume, was a record number of new teachers in the Senior School (14), providing more of a youthful flavour to the Common Room (I have noticed increased social activities; ‘Ginbolton Evening’ anyone?). Departing at the end of the Summer Term was Steve Pollard, erudite Head of English and a hugely influential figure to a generation of Old Kimboltonians. Steve earns a well-deserved retirement after overseeing totally new syllabi for GCSE English Language & English Literature and A-Level English Literature and Language & Literature in the past 2-3 years, alongside welcoming an almost entirely new set of English teachers over the last five years or so. I enjoyed meeting many of you at the Summer OK Day. 1968 was a year of upheaval and revolution, but whatever happened in Kimbolton that tumultuous year certainly failed to dampen the ardour of the Kimbolton School Class of ’68. They arrived in droves for their 50 year reunion, the whole day calmly configured by the indefatigable Theo Gibbs. And the thing was, none of them had aged a day since leaving (although Theo might have gathered a few more grey hairs during the actual organisation!). The OK London Dinner was hosted at the Lansdowne Club for the first time. Good food, good wine and excellent chat marked this out as a real OK highpoint of the year. I look forward to seeing even more of you at The Lansdowne on Friday 26th April, where hopefully we can achieve a little more gender parity than last time around. Sadly our Kimbolton Castle Autumn Dinner attracted far fewer OKs and we decided not to go ahead, rather than have our scheduled speaker, Harry Rowe, addressing a less than full audience. Harry, your time has yet to come! I have noted before that, with 100+ new OKs joining our organisation every year, the stage should be set for greater involvement and activity. I am confident that further ‘green shoots’ are appearing under James Brown’s energetic

SCHOOL NEWS leadership and the organisational skills of Helen. Paul Pippard’s London wine tasting event proved hugely successful – sadly it clashed with the 4th Form Parents’ Evening, otherwise I would have been there. If Paul’s wine is as good as his footballing skills … And, talking of football, one of my best days of 2018 was spent at Merchant Taylor’s School, Northwood, cheering on our OK XI in the final of the Arthur Dunn Junior Cup. Although we lost on the day 1-2 to Old Alleynians AFC, we certainly won plenty of friends. We were the rank outsiders – like a non-league team making it to Wembley. It was great to see so many OKs coming along to support; the subsidised Old Merchant Taylorian bar certainly helped to drown any post-match sorrow. On the back of this, and with a nod to the superb

Jonathan Hunter (with his longstanding vision of an OK league team) and the captain, George Wilson, we are now playing week in week out in the Arthurian League. In their differing ways, perhaps wine and sport could herald the way forward for the Old Kimboltonian Association? Find areas of mutual interest, gather OKs together, light and stand back! Here’s to a successful 2019 for all Old Kimboltonians. Jonathan Belbin Headmaster

Kimbolton School inspiring young people to achieve their greatest potential

DID YOU KNOW

7% of the current parents of pupils at Kimbolton School are OKs!

www.oks.co.uk

SCHOOL NEWS

In Brief...

School NEWS 2018 HIGHLIGHTS EXAM RESULTS

CCF EQUESTRIAN TEAM

A Levels Despite the new era of more challenging A Level courses, the 2018 Upper 6th students had plenty to smile about as over half their results were at A*/A grade. 16.1% were at A* grade and a further 36.3% at A. Over 80% of the results were A* to B, and 23 students gained at lease 3A*/ As. A further 25 achieved at least 2A*/As.

Her Majesty The Queen was present to watch the School’s CCF equestrian team take 5th place in the Land Rover Services Team Jumping at the Royal Windsor Horse Show last May. With 30 military and police teams in the competition, the team put on an impressive display of precision jumping against riders from the Household Cavalry and Kings Troop, as well as teams from the RAF, Navy and the Defence Force of Bahrain.

GCSEs Almost one in three grades were awarded at the top A* (or 9/8) level and 52% of the grades were awarded at A* or A (9 to7). Seventeen candidates achieved nine or more A* or A grades (or equivalents) 97% of the pupils achieved 5 or more passes at A* to C (9 to 4).

POLITICS SOCIETY VISITORS The Politics Society programme of events** included some high profile visitors last year. In March, Sixth Form Poitics students heard a compelling account of the Northern Ireland peace process when The Rt Revd Lord Eames visited and, in June, former Huntingdon MP and Prime Minister Sir John Major KG CH presented his views on global politics, including Brexit. During his talk, which was open to parents and pupils of all years, he shared personal memories of key figures on the world stage including Boris Yeltsin, Bill Clinton, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev and Helmut Kohl.

NATIONAL TROPHY FOR RAF CADETS Kimbolton RAF cadets won the National Finals of the Royal Air Squadron Trophy. The annual competition is open to 200+ schools who have an RAF section in their CCF, and tests 7 skills: Drill, Shooting, First Aid, Command Task, Aircraft Recognition, Fitness and RAF Knowledge. The cadets had qualified through a series of regional competitions, with the top 2 teams from each area securing a place in the Finals at RAF Halton.

JOOLS HOLLAND LIVE The Kimbolton School Parents’ Association (KSPA) pulled out all the stops last September and organised a live Jools Holland concert in the school grounds. With special guests Marc Almond and Ruby Turner, and support acts from Jack Lukeman and Katie Kittermaster, it proved to be a full evening of entertainment. It was the first time such an event has been held in the school grounds and it was a great success. Keep an eye on OK social media for details of future events!

(**if you’re interested in attending any of the School politics sessions, please let us know!)

BOARDING HOUSE CHANGE A Level Politics students who left in 2017 attended the John Major lecture. L-R: Millie Kenyon, Tom Palmer, Ross Basser, Jago Brockway, Oliver Hale, Sir John Major, Harry Beet, Helena Pilcher, Sam Emery, Rhianne Haresign.

www.oks.co.uk

It was all change in the boarding houses at the beginning of September as Mr Lawless and Mrs Hadden took on the positions of Houseparents of Kim House and White House respectively. Mr Garland and Mrs Stokes haven’t gone far - they are now both enjoying living in their own houses in Kimbolton with their families (they are both still teaching at the School!).

In Brief...

SCHOOL NEWS

STAFF DEPARTURES 2018 Steve Pollard At the end of the summer term Mr Pollard, Head of English, left the School and headed home to Pertenhall to enjoy his retirement. Having been Head of the English Department since 1996 and involved in many other areas of school life (trips to Ireland, the US and, more recently, Ghana), a 6th Form tutor, producing many plays and musicals, and running 2nd XI cricket), he will be much missed. To quote a pupil’s farewell in the Kimboltonian: “The man, the myth, the legend that is Mr Pollard will never be forgotten”!

Kirsty Canning Miss Canning joined Kimbolton in 2013 to teach French. She immediately became involved in many aspects of school life, notably running the Ingrams French Immersion trips, organising the 6th Form events and being one of the boarding staff in White House. Known for her cheerful, bubbly personality (and love of new ideas for decorations for various events!), she leaves a huge gap in the Kimbolton community. She has left Kimbolton to start a new journey close to her home in Norfolk.

Will Kerr-Dineen Mr KD joined Kimbolton in 2012 as Head of Hockey and teacher of PE. Always a popular member of staff he made a positive impact on the school sporting life and saw successes in both boys’ and girls’ hockey. His competitive spirit, both on and off the hockey (and cricket) pitch was second to none... Will started a new position as Director of Hockey and Assistant Head of Cricket at Christ’s Hospital School in Horsham.

Hattie Peachey Miss Peachey left Kimbolton last summer after 4 years in the English Department to take up the role of Assistant Head of Department at Uppingham School. While getting involved with as much as she possibly could during her time here, she also introduced new ideas - the Literary Society and the Glee Club, for example. Her enthusiasm and passion for teaching English wil be missed.

Sarah Sellars

and finally... Archie

The School said farewell to Mrs Sellars last summer who, after many years of teaching Physics, has decided to take a gap year to “have a rest”. She described Kimbolton as the best school in which she has ever taught!

He wasn’t on the Staff List but this is stil worthy of a mention... In November the school bid a farewell to Archie, one of the longest-serving members of the Biology Department. The 10-year-old Bearded Dragon has swopped the luxurious warmth of his tank at school for a more peaceful retirement with a local family!

@KimboltonSchool

/KimboltonSchool

kimbolton_school

www.oks.co.uk

OKA UPDATE New OKs

Welcome to the Old Kimboltoniansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association...

orthern universities remained the top choice for OKs as 12 of the 2018 Upper Sixth leavers headed up to Newcastle and 9 to both Leeds and Durham to further their studies.

The year collectively celebrated a great set of A-level results - many congratulations to you all! You can see what course choices everyone made below... If there are any OK students reading this, have a look to see if any OKs are in the first year at your university & get in touch!

Maddy Ando

UEA - English Literature & Philosophy

Angus Duncan

Gap Year

Talya Atkins

Loughborough - Sport & Exercise Science

Milly Edwards

Gap Year

Joshua Bache-Haley

Gap Year

Anna Ellerbeck

Reading - Real Estate

Jennie Baxendale

UEA - History of Art & Literature

George Farrer

York - Politics

Jasmine Bayes

Surrey (GSA) - Musical Theatre

John Fenton

Harry Blair

UEA - Geography & Internat. Development

Jade Gallifant

Simon Boyce

Reading - Zoology

Yasmin Gallifant

Lucas Campbell-Butcher

Gap Year

Olivia Gerard Pearse

Birmingham - Law

Zoe Campbell-Butcher

Newcastle (2019) - Psychology

Ella Giles

Newcastle - Business Accounting & Finance

Alexa Cheuk

UEA - Economics

Issy Glanville

Hertfordshire - Midwifery

James Clements

Newcastle - Geography

Amelia Good

UEA - History of Art & Literature

Sophie Coppins

Newcastle - Food Business Management

Emily Grant

Newcastle - Psychology

Isobel Crow

Newcastle- English Literature

Edmund Gray

De Montfort - Economics

Hannah Currell

Plymouth - Biological Sciences

Zosia Gryf-Lowczowska

Manchester - Arabic & Modern Languages

Fiona Denton

Sheffield (2019) - Biomedicine

Matt Gulliver

UEA - Biological Sciences

Charlotte Dibble

Exeter - Politics

Abigail Hanson

Employment

www.oks.co.uk

Edinburgh Napier - Internat Business Management

Leeds - Human Resource Management Nottingham Trent - Sport Science & Management

New OKs

Alice Harding Sophey Harrison-Harding

Bristol - French & Italian Nottingham Trent - French & International Relations

Oxford Brookes - Internat Business &

OKA UPDATE

Mit Nguyen

Exeter - Politics

Christopher Oakley

Nottingham - Mathematics

Amelia Hayden

Technology

Emma Parrish

Newcastle - Marketing & Management

Frankie Hudson

Nottingham Trent - Internat Relations

Martha Penniall

Newcastle - Marketing

Olivia Humphrey

Lancaster - Marketing

Kate Ramply

Minnie Jackson

Newcastle - Marketing

Tamzin Raw

Gap Year

Conrad Jennings

Bristol - History

Peter Salkield

York - Biology

Grace Jessop

Gap Year

Matthew Simpson

Gap Year

Hamish Jones

Plymouth - Dentistry

Phoebe Simpson

Leeds - PPE

Tyler Jones

RAF Application

Josh Smith

Leeds - Economics

Boris Karl

Lancaster - Chemistry

Jess Staplehurst

Nottingham - Medicine

Giorgi Keratishvili

Cambridge - Economics

Kiana Stokes

Birmingham - Dentistry

Ben King

Lancaster - History

Grace Stones

Leicester - Geography

Ross King

Gap Year

Kevinie Suen

Exeter - Accounting & Finance

Ellie Kirkpatrick

Birmingham - Masters of Nursing

Chloe Summers

Keele - Biology & Computer Science

Dylan Lake

Sheffield Hallam - Software Engineering

Isobel Tang

Gap Year

Holly Lamb

Gap Year

James Thompson

Sheffield - Aerospace Engineering

Lauren Lamb

Leeds - English & Russian Civilisation

Annabel Tompson

York - Law

Dan Layman

Manchester - Politics & Internat Relations

Louisa Trussell

Leeds Beckett - Law

Jen Lee

Reading - Geography

Grace Vanbergen

Southampton (2019) - Internat Relations

Pippa Lowe

Edinburgh - Accounting & Business

Aiden Ward

Leeds - Geography

Abbie May

UEA - Internat Development

Nathanael Warwicker

Durham - Chemistry

Freyja McLoughlin

Leeds - Law

Molly White

Reading - Accounting & Business

Megan Middleton

Loughborough - Mechanical Engineering

James Wilkins

Birmingham - Mechanical Engineering

Michael Millington

UEA (2019) - Internat Relations & Politics

Ben Williams

Loughborough - Mechanical Engineering

Jemima Moore

Loughborough - Art Foundation

Laura Wishart

Bath - Economics

Lottie Morey

Reading - Nutrition & Food Science

Phoebe Wong

Leeds - Actuarial Mathematics

George Murkett

Nottingham Trent - Geography

Sherris Wong

Coventry - Sociology

Alice Napier

Leeds - Liberal Arts

Henrietta Woods

Sheffield - Dentistry

Chloe Neal

UEA - Biomedicine

Newcastle (2019) - Food & Human Nutrition

www.oks.co.uk

OKA UPDATE The OKA Office

A Year in the Life of... your Alumni Officer!

“What exactly does your job involve?” is a question I’m often asked and, to be honest, it’s sometimes difficult to answer - not because I don’t do anything, but because the Alumni Officer role is so varied that summarising it in a few words isn’t really possible! The OKA Committee thought that its members (i.e. you!) would be interested to find out more about what the role encompasses and what goes on behind the scenes, so here goes.... My role is currently part-time: 21 hours a week, term-time only. This suits me just fine; yes, I like the long holidays (who wouldn’t!), and with two boys at the School these timings fit in nicely. Most of the time I am in the OKA Office located above the School Dining Hall next to the drama classrooms or, as some of you will remember, where the Model Club used to be! Having a permanent presence in the School puts the OKA in a stronger position to develop the links between both organisations, it also makes organising events here much easier. Although I work on my own, my role is integral to the OKA Committee. The voluntary Committee - comprised of OKs and former members of staff - meet once a term to review OKA activities and discuss the various ways in which the Association can move forward; much of what is agreed at the meetings determines what I do. A fair amount of my time is spent doing the background work that keeps the OKA going - keeping the membership database up to date, bookkeeping and accounting for OKA and OKA Trust Fund, sourcing and selling items of OK merchandise, Committee administration, keeping social media platforms active (something that I know I need to get better at!), helping OKs track down old school friends, showing OKs around the School, dealing with general enquiries and taking the time to chat to an OK about their time at Kimbolton. In the office I am surrounded by hundreds of old school photos. Allocating time to work on the archives has always been on my ‘To Do’ list; progress is being made, particularly with the development of the online Archives (see page 15), but I have to admit that it’s easy to get distracted by all the OK memorabilia in the office, some of which dates back over 100 years. On top of these tasks, I work closely with the School Careers Department to try and get more OKs involved in mentoring

current pupils and take an active part in the school Careers Programme; this is still in its infancy, but it’s good to see more OK participation each year. That leaves the 2 single largest jobs - putting the OK News magazine together each year and organising the OKA events. Throughout the year I collate news and ideas for articles for the annual magazine and in October start putting it together; it’s always tricky capturing information that suits an audience with such a wide age range, but recent feedback has been positive which is really encouraging. I do rely on OKs to send in their news to me though... so if you have any for the 2020 edition, please let me know! OKA social events... I’m not sure whether I love them or hate them! The planning and organisation is the easy bit (apart from having to chase OKs for payment... from now onwards tickets will have to be paid for at the booking stage) and the events themselves are often very rewarding; it’s great to see old school friends reminiscing and bonding over school memories and generally having a good time, however they have their downside. The support for some events is very unpredictable and it is disappointing when we have to cancel anything due to low ticket sales. It is also disheartening for members of the OKA Committee who have volunteered their time to help at events to spend so much time clearing up the mess created by revelling OKs. A bit more respect for those individuals running the events and the surroundings wouldn’t go amiss... enough said! Not wishing to end on a seemingly negative note I have to say that it is a great job! Interesting, varied, discovering old school friends, enjoying memories and working in such a beautiful location - what more could I ask for??!

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

www.oks.co.uk

Old Kimboltonians’ Association

@OldKimboltonian

old_kimboltonians

OKA UPDATE

KIMBOLTON REVISITED In addition to those OKs who have returned to give careers support etc. (see page 16) we have been very pleased to welcome the following Old Kimboltonians back to the School this year: Frank Atton and David Landry (both OK 73) visited the School in March and had a tour of the grounds and Castle. David currently lives in the USA and was visiting the UK to attend Frank’s wedding to Julia which was held just a few days before their trip to Kimbolton. David was an ESU exchange student at Kimbolton 1972-73 and during his year at the School he became good friends with Frank - they have kept in close contact ever since.

In May, Rodney Brown (OK 53) and Patrick Knights (OK 54) came to have a look around the Castle and enjoyed seeing how much the School had changed. Although much of their time at Kimbolton was when the School was based on

Rodney Brown (l) and Patrick Knights on the Courtyard steps

Frank Atton (l) and David Landry pictured in the Castle Saloon

the current Prep School site they both spent a good time reminiscing. Rodney had travelled from his home in Sussex to visit Patrick who lives near Stamford; although they had both kept in touch since being classmates, this was the first time that they had met since leaving school!

WHAT IS THE OLD KIMBOLTONIANS’ ASSOCIATION? ‘BRINGING OLD KIMBOLTONIANS TOGETHER’

Reunions & dinners

Sporting events

Memorabilia & tours

We will always remember our school days. Our memories are, of course, a mixture of the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, all of which make up our school career. The names of both our school friends and our teachers stay with us. We are forever part our our school community. The OKA strives to reconnect with OKs and share news, and ensure that archive material about Kimbolton is preserved. We have a community of over 3,500 former pupils across the globe who have all walked through the Kimbolton gatehouse, played sport on the playing fields, eaten in the same dining hall and who all have memories of their time at Kimbolton. There are many more OKs out there who we’re not currently in touch with, so if you know of any school friends who would like to re-engage with the OKA, please ask them to get in contact. www.oks.co.uk

OKA UPDATE Remembrance

Remembering OKs lost at war

018 saw the centenary commemoration of the end of the 1914-1918 First World War and the There But Not There armistice project was evident around the School.

The OKA purchased 59 name blocks each with the name of OKs known to have fallen in both Word Wars; the blocks were placed in the School Chapel in the days leading up to Remembrance Sunday and will be placed there every year during the Remembrance period. Meanwhile, a bench silhouette was placed over looking the 1st XI cricket pitch, surrounded by ceramic poppies made by students and staff. The poppies have since been added to the display outside the School Shop.

The Remembrance Sunday parade in Kimbolton was more poignant than usual. Horses led out the School cadets and groups from the local Royal British Legion, Scouts and Brownies. A sizeable group of OKs also formed their own squad, organised and led by Thomas Campbell (OK 14).

DID YOU KNOW Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron visited the grave of OK Philip E Stubbs over the Remembrance weekend in November.

Rifleman P E Stubbs is buried at Thiepval and found in the Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Royal Rifle Corps, the same regiment as Mrs Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandfather.

www.oks.co.uk

OKA Archives

OKA UPDATE

OKA Archives

e hope that those of you who have taken the opportunity to browse through the online archives have enjoyed doing so.

At the end of last year a further 1680 pages (mainly from Kimboltonian magazines) and 78 group photos covering a variety of years were added to the archives, so there is more material to view. Just as a reminder to those of you who havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yet accessed the archives they 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.

www.oks.co.uk

OKA UPDATE Lending Support

Careers

e like to welcome OKs back to the School to speak to the students, as their wealth of knowledge on a range of subjects is hugely beneficial to the pupils.

It was a pleasure to see a host of OKs at the 2018 Careers Fair. Jaccy Gascoyne (OK 09), Henry Alexander (OK 09), Gaby Daniels (OK 11), Catherine Hunter (OK 13), Sophie Bates (OK 11), Alex Stanhope (OK 00), Olivia Cotterill (OK 13), Ed Badcock (OK 11), plus those in the photos below all supported the event. In addition, DTE students enjoyed a talk about Engineering by Andrew Tuke (OK 11) and the Sixth Form valued a visit from a group of 2017 leavers to talk about university. If you would like to come back to the School to talk to the students, please contact the OKA Office.

Stephan Abdallah (OK 12) discussing a careers in medicine

Tom Harris (OK 08) promoting a career as a commercial pilot

Tom Davies (OK 12) talking about applying for graduate schemes

Clare Cotterill (OK 10) advising on routes into careers in law

OK Networking As well as OKs providing careers advice and support to current pupils, the OKA are keen to develop support and networking amongst OKs themselves. If you are just starting out in your career, looking for a change, or thinking about taking a specific qualification, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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, which courses to study etc. Get in touch with the OKA Office for more information. You can also use LinkedIn to find out if any OKs work in your sector, or even at the same company as you! Join the 478 OKs who are already members of the Old Kimboltonians Group on LinkedIn and start making OK contacts... 16

www.oks.co.uk

When you created your profile on LinkedIn you may have noticed that Kimbolton School was not included in the list of schools in the educaction section - it is now! Please take a moment to check your profile to ensure that Kimbolton School is added into your education - this will add the crest to your profile and help OKs to more easily identify each other.

OKA Sponsorship

OKA UPDATE

OKA Sponsorship

ver the last few years the OKA has donated over £3500 to OKs and current pupils to support them in their pursuit of a specific personal venture. It has been a pleasure for the OKA to provide some financial assistance to individuals again this year - read about their achievements below and the physical challenges that some faced for the benefit of others...

MATTHEW BURTON (OK 12) In May 2018 Matthew visited Bangalore, South India, for a 4-week hospital placement as part of his undergraduate studies at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. He reports back below on the healthcare in and around the area.

angalore is situated on the Deccan plateau and has a population of 12.5 million, the third biggest in India. Bengalaru as it is known locally is a developed city, being an international IT hub. Despite this Bangalore has a varied demographic with 10% of its population living in slums and a large degree of social inequality. I undertook my elective in St John’s Medical College (SJMC), a private hospital with a full range of secondary care specialties and additional superspecialty services. SJMC is a catholic based hospital boasting the motto ‘He shall live because of me’ taken from the bible, John 6:57. For my time at SJMC I cycled through Emergency Medicine, General Medicine and Community Medicine. Healthcare in India is run in a three-tier system. Based on cost to the patient, the bottom tier is composed of Government run hospitals. These hospitals are accessible to all, with the government subsidising the cost of investigations and treatment. SJMC sits in the next tier of healthcare, being private hospitals. The treatment and care provided at these institutions is completely funded by the patients. As patients pay more for medicines/treatments/investigations these hospitals have much lower patient loads than government hospitals.

Despite this a typical morning clinic with a consultant can be approximately 70 patients long. The third and highest tier of Indian Healthcare comes in the form of corporate hospitals, which are only afforded by the very wealthy. Spending time on the wards offered an insight into the financial challenges private healthcare presents to patients. Most patient reviews concluded with a discussion with the family regarding the affordability of further tests/ treatment that were needed. Even in the limited 4 weeks that I was there these conversations became routine however,

I found them difficult to witness as it often felt as though the doctors were denying patients the best treatment. In India, the equivalent of GP’s are community doctors. These doctors are based in the hospital and make trips out to the surrounding villages. They travel with a pharmacist and specialist doctors

to established rural clinics. These clinics function as a one-stop-shop for patients to have their condition, commonly diabetes or hypertension, reviewed and treatment adjusted. Whilst waiting to be seen patient education programmes were run on healthy eating and exercise. Attending these clinics was an eyeopening experience into how healthcare can be provided to the rural areas of a vast country. Despite there being several hospitals within Bangalore SJMC serves a huge number of patients, often with multiple advanced health conditions. This combined with the outwardly appearing hap-hazard style of healthcare provision I was not expecting to encounter timely investigations and treatment. Nonetheless, it is routine for patients who present at outpatients in the morning to have blood tests and imaging the same morning. Furthermore, it was routine for the results to be reviewed back in clinic a few hours later and when necessary be admitted to hospital the same day for treatment. This was impressive to witness, especially considering that clinics function on ‘turn up’ principle instead of an appointment-based system. In conclusion, I hugely enjoyed my elective at SJMC and in India, it offered a fantastic insight into a different healthcare system and culture. Having come away I feel incredibly grateful and fortunate to have the NHS, which provides the best evidence-based care to all patients regardless of cost. I would like to thank the OKA for kindly sponsoring this trip and would strongly encourage you to visit India for a truly unforgettable trip!

www.oks.co.uk

OKA UPDATE OKA Sponsorship

ANNA KIRKIN (OK 98) Last year Anna joined a crew of 4 to take part in the Great Pacific Race, a 2,400 mile race from California to Hawaii. All credit to Anna for happily documenting her experience, which turned out to be rather an ordeal...

ast year, I approached the OKA to ask for sponsorship for an ocean rowing race I had signed up for in June 2018. Having finished A-Levels in 1998, gone to university and subsequently joined the Army, I had had few opportunities to go back to Kimbolton for OKs’ events or to approach the school for any reason, so I was very grateful for the generous donation made by the OKA Committee. Ocean rowing wasn’t a sport on offer when I was at Kimbolton as a boarder between 1993-8 (for good reason it turns out) but rowing on the River Ouse in Bedford was where I learned to scull and took part in my first regatta. When I joined the Army, exercises and operational commitments got in the way of sports clubs and most of my fitness training was done in uniform, running or doing assault courses. I didn’t row for about 14 years until last year, just after I’d left the Army, I saw an advert looking for a someone to join a crew of 4 women in the Great Pacific Race, a 2,400 mile race from California to Hawaii. One of the crew had dropped out and a replacement was needed. I’d been planning to travel for a few months and it seemed like a great adventure; so, with only 5 months to go, I joined them. Suddenly there was a lot to do! Rowing training started in earnest, mostly on a rowing machine, combined with strength training and on-water rowing whenever possible. The race organiser had stipulated a number of mandatory courses for competitors and I completed my RYA Coastal Skipper qualification, Yachtmaster Ocean theory course, VHF Radio, Sea Survival and First Aid courses. Money was a big concern as we each had to contribute £15,000 for the hire of the boat, all the safety equipment, electronics, race entry fees and so on. The other girls were raising awareness of plastic pollution whilst trying to generate sponsorship; they kindly let me choose my own causes to support, details of which are below.

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We Skyped every week to update each other on our individual preparation and progress; unfortunately, we spent very little time together as were dislocated around the world – me in Devon, two in London, one in the USA. May came around quickly and everything seemed to be on track. Our boat had arrived in the States in good shape. Everyone was on-track with their sponsorship, courses and training. In California, food for us for 55 days had to be prepared and packed into the boat; charts had to be marked up with our intended route and, as a crew, we had to spend a minimum of 70 hours on the water, training in the boat, to satisfy the race rules. The race began two days later than planned due to severe onshore winds that would have prevented us from rowing away from the coast. Immediately, we found the conditions tough; huge waves and a giant swell led to two of us becoming seasick in spite of taking the medicine that had worked so well for us during training. With three rowing positions in our boat, we initially rowed three at a time with one person resting/eating/navigating, rowing for three hours and resting for one. We then switched to rowing in pairs, two hours on, two hours off. Foul-weather sailing clothing was worn throughout in the permanently wet, cold conditions. Severe weather and dangerously big waves that threatened to broach our boat forced us to deploy the parachute anchor twice in the first four days, but we made good headway and could see that we were ahead of the other boats. On day six, however, I was still being seasick and not keeping food down. I

collapsed on the oars that night and the race doctor was called who diagnosed dehydration and mild hypothermia based on my vital signs. I withdrew from the race later that day and the rest of the crew decided to do the same. I returned home with a kidney infection but otherwise well. It was not the way I had wished the race to conclude but I was happy that none of us was seriously ill or injured; at least we could go back and try again. Personally, I will not be returning to ocean rowing, but I know some of the girls are keen to do more. I learned a huge amount from the whole experience. Much of it was predictable; there will inevitably be frictions when virtual strangers come together to complete an arduous physical race such as this. People have different expectations of one another’s behaviour and different tolerances for risk; these all came to the fore when we were preparing the boat for the race start, but I’m pleased we overcame them and got to the start line without having exchanged too many cross words. Physically, I have experienced some very unpleasant environmental conditions and extremes of temperature during my time in the Army and in endurance events I have chosen to enter, but ocean rowing tops my list for most unforgiving environment and debilitating activity. It is also hugely expensive; a fact I’m reminded of every time I look at my bank account. Notwithstanding, I raised a small portion of the entry fees through sponsorship from the OKA and others, and I raised £1500 for Ascend Athletics and the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre of which I am very proud.

OKA Sponsorship

JAMES DUNMORE (OK 08) In October, with fellow OKs Harry Daniels (OK 06) and James May (08), James took on the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust

ames has a lifetime goal to raise as much money as possible to help try and find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. As many of you know, he lost both his sisters, Jodi (OK 04) and Lucinda (OK 06), to the illness several years ago. Both sadly died in the space of 20 months of each other. The Cystic

Fibrosis Trust is therefore a charity very close to his heart and hedevotes much of his time to fundraising work for them. Last October he took part in his toughest charity challenge yet - a seven-day, 93km walk to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, 5895m above sea level.

OKA UPDATE

The team of five raised an incredible £30,000 completing this challenge (£36,000 including gift aid) - a massive achievement for completing the walk and raising such a great sum of money. If you would like to add to the total, please go to James’ JustGiving page:

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ james-dunmore1

OKs James Dunmore (centre), Harry Daniels (2nd left) and James May (right) at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro

LOOKING FOR Sponsorship? Don’t forget...if you are looking for sponsorship / financial support for a project similar to any of those above, you too are welcome to apply for support... Further details can be found on our website: www.oks.co.uk/Lending Support, or please contact the OKA Office:

01480 862223 / alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk

The Peter Smout Essay Competition This annual competition is open to all Senior School pupils and encourages them to respond to a question about a topical, philosophical subject (the 2018 question was Should Humanity embrace AI?). Despite the requirement the essay to be written during the summer holidays, the number of entrants has always been very positive and prizes are given to the best junior and senior essay. The inception of the competition was proposed by an OK who also generously offered to fund the prize money for the first 5 years; the 2019 essay will be the last one supported by the donor and we are hoping that there are other OKs out there who may be interested in sponsoring this worthwhile activity for current pupils. If you are interested and would like to find out more, please do get in touch.

www.oks.co.uk

OKA UPDATE

OKA Accounts & Trust Fund

OKA Accounts - Year Ending 31 August 2018

t is pleasing to report that the OKA remains in good financial health, despite an increase in expenditure for the second year running.

In 2016/17 our expenditure increased substantially due to two years postage costs being amalgamated into one year, and a £10,000 donation to the Geoff Coles Memorial Fund. In 2017/18, while we reduced our annual postage costs by using an external mailing house for the distribution of the 2018 OK News magazine, our overall costs remained relatively high. This was due to investment made in developing our online archives and re-stocking our OK Shop, as well as ad hoc costs made for the OK survey carried out in 2017 and purchase of new football kit for the OK 1st XI footballers. While we are conscious that our capital has markedly reduced in the last two financial years, we are confident that that expenditure is focussed on moving the Association forward and fully supports the objectives of the OKA. The OKA Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank Krista Alves, Deputy Bursar, for her guidance and support in maintaining the OKA Accounts.

OKA Balance Sheet as at 31st August 2018 2017

2018

£60,245

Members’ Fund

£53,696

David Bunting Legacy

Current Net Assets

£54,271

573

£60,818

575

Represented by:

If you would like further details, or to view a full copy of the accounts, please get in touch with the OKA Office.

(£ 1,087)

Bank Current Account

£ 4,334

£ 9,641

Market Harborough Building Society

£ 2,669

£52,264

Scottish Widows Bank

£47,268

OKA Scholarship Trust Fund

he Trustees are delighted to confirm that the Trust Fund annual award to the School for 2018/19 has been increased by £600 to £6,000. This means that two Sixth Formers will receive £3,000 towards their fees - a tremendous help to the recipients who would not be able to continue at Kimbolton without this financial support.

Although this increase has been made during a period of financial uncertainty, the step has been made possible by the continued goodwill of OKs who make regular donations to the Fund and who donated to the Geoff Coles Memorial Trust Fund (GCMTF), which feeds into the Scholarship Fund. The OKA has also made a positive contribtion by donating any profit made at the OKA events. If you are interested in supporting either the Scholarship Trust Fund or the GCMTF and helping current pupils, please have a look at the information on our website - donations of all sizes play a significant part in making sure that the OKA can continue to provide financial assistance and it’s easy to make a contribution to either fund:

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

www.oks.co.uk

OK Lodge

Old Kimboltonians’ Masonic Lodge

OKA UPDATE

(Lodge No 7204)

By John Hitchin, OK 71 (Lodge Secretary)

018 was another successful year for the OK Lodge. We held 6 well-attended meetings, including one in St James’, London, and gained 4 new members. With our most senior members now reaching the grand old ages of 93, 96 and 97, we feel that being a freemason is obviously good for one’s longevity! The Lodge was formed in 1952 and held its first meeting in the Castle on the 11th September in that year; the leading lights in the founding of the Lodge were William Ingram, Cyril Gibbard and George Hunt all very well known in the history of Kimbolton School. It is successful, being recognised in the Province of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire as a very happy and vibrant Lodge. We are 2nd in membership out of nearly 100 lodges in the Province albeit our members can only be those who have attended the School as either a pupil or member of staff. In its loyalty to the School, the Lodge donates as much to the School as a society with a membership of 70 is able to do. In recent years we have made annual donations of £3300 to the OKA Trust Fund and, as reported last year, as well as currently supporting an OK during her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, we award £50 a year to the winners of the Debating Cup. In February Lodge members and their guests enjoyed a Lunch in the White Hall; all were entertained by a singer after dining. At this event the Master of the Lodge, Rob Mallett, announced that the Lodge was to continue its annual £3300 contribution OKA Trust Fund for a further 3 years.

The fireworks which followed the Piano Concert were truly splendid and our thanks go to the Reverend Ron Lancaster for his very generous support of the fireworks which made a suitably superb end to the evening. The Lodge will continue its programme of meetings in 2019; 5 will be held in Kimbolton Castle and 1 in London. With increased membership and a good number living in and around London, our venue in St James’, Piccadilly is proving to be very popular. With regard to social functions, all are very welcome - wives, family, friends and especially Old Kimboltonians. Our Summer Dinner, Piano Concert and Fireworks will be held on 8th June if you are interested in attending, please contact John Hitchin for further details. The proceeds from the event will go to the Geoff Coles Memorial Fund and Macmillan Nurses, both causes so dear to Geoff. In 2017 Freemasonry celebrated the 300th anniversary of the first Grand Lodge of England which shows the ageless appeal of a fraternity that promotes traditional virtues among its members as well as being actively involved with charitable causes; as charity begins at home the Old Kimboltonians Lodges main giving is to the School. It’s also a great deal of fun too! We are often asked about women joining freemasonry; so just to clarify, ladies can be freemasons and our website, www.oklodge.org, gives links for any who might be interested. (There is also a link to our website on the OKs website). Alternatively, please don’t hesitate to contact me direct.

On a final but very The Headmaster, Jonathan important note, the Lodge Belbin, expressed his gratitude, has met in the Castle since confirming that this is valuable 1952 and I would like to in providing financial assistance record our continuing to pupils who, without the thanks to the Governors support, may not be able to and Headmaster, for their continue their education at kind permission for us to Kimbolton. He also noted meet in these wonderful how pleased he was to see surroundings. Thanks must so many of the ‘Kimbolton also go to the Bursar and Jonathan Belbin speaking at the 2018 Summer Dinner Community’ present, including his staff, including the Ken Laflin and the Reverend caretakers and caterers. Ron Lancaster, who pronounced grace. If you would like to find out more about this society which In June the Lodge Summer Dinner with Music and Fireworks has stood the test of time and been patronised by members event was a great success. A Drinks Reception preceded a ranging from the local postman to the Kings of the country wonderful Dinner, which was followed by a beautiful recital along with a very long list of famous scientists, musicians, by 4 concert pianists (very generously sponsored by 2 Old sports persons, Old Kimboltonians! and Presidents of America, Kimboltonians) who concluded with a quartet which can only but not ‘you know who’ (!!), please do not hesitate to contact be described as a visual and musical extravaganza! We were me. pleased to welcome Michael Capps (OKA Trust Fund Treasurer) and his wife Jenny to this event during which Michael thanked John Hitchin 07702 597 670 / johnhitchin@btinternet.com the Lodge for its continuing donations.

www.oks.co.uk

OKA ARTICLES

Memories

Memories Given the positive feedback we’ve received after documenting memories of OKs in the last two editions of the OK News, we thought we’d continue with the theme and include a couple more - one with a more witty perspective on life at Kimbolton School..!

Roger Stimson (OK 61) logs an amusing perspective on his time at Kimbolton, with the invaluable help of contemporaries Stuart Chamberlain, David James and David Wardle.

hat follows is a fairly random list of various events and features which characterised life as experienced by a boarder at Kimbolton School between 1955 and 1960. If nothing else, I hope it will demonstrate that such schooldays, and some sixty years ago, were markedly different from those of the present day and had more in common with Tom Brown’s or, perhaps more appropriately, Bill Bunter’s. Although factual, it is intended to be light-hearted and no criticism is implied of anyone. Any errors are my own. 1.

Reduction in the collection at the Parish Church Sunday Service of June 1955 in the absence of the entire complement of boarders: £1/2/7d (£1.11)

Some reasons for a Prefect’s beating (3 to 6 with a size 14 gym shoe): - miming or not singing in church - not standing up properly - not joining in prayers and responses - reading a book - not putting the minimum 1/2d in the collection - putting a button in the collection - pretending to put money in the collection - (and more generally) wearing yellow socks - dirty shoes - having the wrong attitude - running (in the corridor) - walking (during cross-countries) - talking, whistling, laughing, singing, looking up (during prep) - lying on the floor of the upstairs balcony during Sunday Evening Chapel - knotting a tie in an unorthodox fashion - colouring in with biro the stripes on the school tie - setting foot on the lawn beyond the gatehouse

Some reasons for a Master’s beating (cane or tawse): - smoking - being caught out of bounds - untimely use of the swimming pool - failing to spell parallelogram correctly

Number of boys accidentally shot and wounded in the High Street:

Number of habitual smokers in various shrubbery rendezvous: at least 50

Time allowed out of school with parents per term:

Number of undergarments allowed per week: 1

Most popular staff car:

23.

Number of staff cars parked overnight in the White Hall: 1

24. 25.

Permitted access to the outside world (including village shops and public telephone): nil Reason given for the public expulsion of a 5th form boy from the Sunday morning service at the Parish Church: looking resentful

26.

Most successful theatrical venue: Mandeville Hall. Greatest hits include The Rivals, The Importance of Being Ernest and, above all, HMS Pinafore

27.

Greatest coup de theatre: the original Pageant of Kimbolton of 1957 was a lavish production involving almost the entire school, and a horse

28.

Nicknames of some classmates: cat’s piss, grock, hairy mary, hector, jawa, jelly, lugs, maggot, minnow, monkey, nut, pixie

29.

The use of Christian names was impermissible in any circumstances

30.

The alternative to corporal punishment was the School Line given out in units of twenty-five: Nothing is more distressing to the well-regulated mind than the sight of a boy, who ought to know better, disporting himself at improper moments.

31.

Number of School Rules published in 1960: 71

32.

Most delusional School Rule: Boys may not play games or loiter within twenty yards of any boundary or building. Why not?

33.

What better way to end than with the rousing final verse of the School Song of 1975?

Radio Luxembourg Morris Traveller

And now we stand of the threshold dreaming As youth has dreamed since the dawn of time Of far-off mountains, and the sunlight gleaming On peaks unconquered that we shall climb; By unknown lands we shall sail, exploring Where cliffs loom strangely and seas run high; Or mount up with wings as eagles, soaring Through cloud and darkness to pierce the sky. Kimbolton, Kimbolton, for ever may we be true to you.

DID YOU KNOW

The Castle is open to the public twice a year on the first Sunday of March and November. The opening last November attracted 276 visitors from various locations, including London, Birmingham and Yorkshire, and raised over £1400 towards the upkeep of the Castle.

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OKA ARTICLES

Memories

Memories Robert Allan (OK 51) was amongst the new pupils to join Kimbolton in 1947. In 1951 his father accepted a 24 hour cancellation on a ship bound to Australia so, instead of returning to school on 19 September, Robert found himself boarding that ship. He is currently writing his memoirs from his home in Melbourne - below is an excerpt from his chapter about his time at Kimbolton...

imbolton School was my fourth school in three years, circumstances dictated by the war years. I remember being very apprehensive about my future education and hoped for some degree of continuity. Shopping for school uniform was a costy time for my family. There was a long list of essentials to be purchased for the first day. I had a fear of arriving with all the wrong clothes, and thereby a target for ridicule. This demonstrated my basic insecurities and fear of being singled out. No doubt, always being ‘the new boy’, having to adjust to different schools and their teaching methods, did not help with my self-esteem. These preparations for Kimbolton School were a major part of my rite of passage. Now I could be identified as a maturing young person, no longer the little boy in short pants and long socks. At nearly 12 years old, I was embarking on the next stage of my life; there were no similarities with my preceding school years, ones that had been peppered with so much disruption. I was so pleased I was not attending as a boarder; their summer uniform consisted of a straw boater and a black, purple and white blazer. During the summer term, day-boys wore the blazer and the mandatory cap. No straw boaters for us; there had to be some form of differentiation between day-boys and boarders. Most of the day students were there thanks to scholarships; we were bussed in each morning and out again at the end of the day’s classes. There were few opportunities for us to participate in extra school activities. Boarders had a different role via their monetary contribution for their accommodation and education. They could participate in a broad range of extra-curricular activities that included - a Stamp Club, Library, Art club, October Club, Dramatic Society, School Choir, Saturday Film Show, Cadet Force and a Scout Group. All these activities created greater bonds with other students and masters. Our connections were mainly amongst fellow day-boys. The only access we had to masters was during daytime actitivies. September 1948 saw the introduction of prefect gowns. It was suggested that prefects should have some symbol of authority. Prior to 1948, they used to wear a hat as a distinction. I never saw that. The Oxford Commoner’s gowns became a feature of the school. All prefects wore the black, sleeveless jackets worn over the top of uniformsl; they did not button up at the front, very much a symbol of status and a degree of authority for many who wore them. When we arrived at school each student was assigned to one of three houses. Mine was Balyes. There was always a bit of competition between the respective houses, as there was 24

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between day-boys and boarders. Music was already a subject at Kimbolton, but only taught in a classroom situation. My first term, saw the introduction of private violin and piano lessons. My Aunt Ivy had learnt the violin as a young girl and she offered me her old violin as a gift for passing the 11+ examinations. I was immediately enrolled for private violin lessons. While the rest of my classmates were having musical instruction in one classroom, I was the other side of the wall in a smaller room having a violin lesson. Another world was being opened up to me, one that was to have a profound effect on the rest of my life. I knew I was not of professional material, but could be a useful orchestra member, and would eventually develop into a musically educated member of the audience. There has always been a great sense of pride, knowing I helped to pave the way Another world was being for what has become a opened up to me, one that large music department. I was to have a profound understand a large percentage effect on the rest of my life. of today’s students study a musical instrument of some kind. My very first public solo performance was in the early part of 1951; it took place in the grand Saloon in the Castle. Not a bad environment to make a debut performance. This concert was a celebration of our induction into the castle. The school had not fully relocated at that time, only a few subjects were being taught at the castle, one of those was history; what better venue to learn history, than somewhere steeped in it. In 1947, the numbers were about 310 students, comprising day boys and boarders. There were a few pranksters in my class, as I remember they were the boarders. They used to give one of the masters a terrible time. There were a few incidents and, if I remember correctly, they were against Mr Padley, our French master. These incidents occurred at the old school, prior to the purchase of Kimbolton Castle. It was during the winter months, cold gusty winds and rain pelted against the very high windows hung with very long, must have been about a 10ft drop, heavy dark blue curtains. One of the boys decided that he would open the windows wide so that the curtains billowed into the classroom. Not satisfied with that, he collected all the pot plants and placed them on the window sill and gave them a good watering. Needless to say, water was streaming down the wall and across the floor. To take things a step further, he placed the master’s chair over a knot hole on the timber floor. He then

Memories

OKA Articles

settled back at his desk to measure the master’s reaction. He did not have to wait long. Mr Padley made the whole class sit in this freezing classroom until the culprit owned up, who then had to clean up all the mess with the master standing over him. It was only then, that he returned to his desk to sit down, not knowing that one of the chair legs was placed directly over the hole in the floor. As was hoped, Mr Padley ended up in an ungainly heap on the floor. The same student was seen as responsible for this prank and was directed to the Headmaster’s office for punishment.

Most students arrived at Kimbolton with solid foundations on which to build their education and future lives. I was not one of those. I have never had any illusions about my academic foundations. They were anything but solid. Just as soon as I was faced with any complex learning, the cracks started to appear. I was well and truly out of my depth. Instead of developing my potential, I spent the three years creating it. By the time I left in 1951 I had a new and more solid basis on which to build a solid life. Those three years at Kimbolton were the longest stretch at one school that I ever had..

There were subjects that I did not excel in, mainly maths, science, geography and sport. I enjoyed music, art, history, literature, French and Latin (not that I was very good at it). I have learnt more geography since I left school and started living it. Our Latin master would always go straight to the blackboard and, without saying a word, write ‘num spiro et num spero’; this message was thre for the duration of the class. Translated it says ‘where there is life there is hope’. We knew the depth of feelings he had for us.

Undoubtedly the masters saw me as a failure. I was, in fact, one of their greater triumphs. They gave me the tools to develoop my own potential. Because of the structire and knowledge they had instilled in me, I left Kimbolton School better equipped to face the future. I think the geography master encapsulated my academic potential when he said in my final report from him “tries hard, but lacks the facts”. I have never resented these comments, but have used them as an inspiration to achieve in other ways.

John Calver (OK 63) has been reminiscing about his school days in the late 1950s/early 1960s from his home in Virginia, USA. He has a few to tell about ‘The Four Cyclists’...

here were four boys who, each morning for much of the school year – for two or possibly three years - would meet up and cycle to Kimbolton six days a week! It started with Bob Neilson and John Calver; Bob’s father had a farm just South of Grafham village (long before Grafham Water) and John lived with his parents in RAF married quarters in Brampton. They were both in the second year at the time when there was a push to accelerate mathematics and science. We’re talking 1957/1958!! So what has changed?! Within a year or so Bob and John were joined by Chris Webb and Barry Dunn, both from Brampton. Each of the four went on to ultimately achieve great things in later life, but those are for another day. What needs to be said with respect to those cycling experiences began with descending “Hoodcree Hill” on a little road that linked the B661 with the B645, Kimbolton Road! During our time, Don Hoodcree was the art master, whose connections and talents as an artist were amazing, even though he could be a little gruff at times! And he lived at the top of the hill just before the junction with the B645. Rumours had it he painted with Monet, and that he served in WW1! We all did sports, playing football (Bob was by far the best, quite a natural) and Kiffin Owen was quite a hard task-master. And then there was the inevitable cross-country!! Bob and I were definite competitors in this. And Chris was an amazing swimmer! And then there was shooting! Since those days, 1957 to 1963, each of us has ploughed very different furrows and been very successful. We are all now retired at the ages of 73 or possibly 74. I will leave the other three to laud their successes; for me the ultimate was to be

honored by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 as a Member of the Order of the British Empire, MBE, for my work between 1988 and 1990 in the United States while a serving officer in the British Army on attachment to the US Army. There are so many tales to tell about our times at school. Perhaps there will come a time when some of our activities can be made “public”! One of those escapades involved Dave Crotty, Chris Webb, myself and The Crown at Easton; another involved John, Chris, Andre Beeson, Phillip Burkett and the Queen’s Walk. But those are other stories!

These memories and others are all in the OK MEMORIES booklet:

If you would like a copy emailed or posted to you please simply get in touch with the OKA Office.

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OKA ARTICLES

Memories

Memories O

The School Colours

ne thing that stands out at Kimbolton School is the school blazer - the purple, black and white stripes are quite distinctive. But what is the history behind the colours? Read on to find out...

The School did not seem to have any established colours before 1913 - there was no distinctive blazer, the school cap was chocolate-coloured with pale blue stripes and football was apparently played in shirts of green and white! At the start of his term as Headmaster, William Ingram reflected on the lack of consistent school colours and set about choosing new colours. He didn’t just want colours that looked good though, he wanted colours that meant something. Having just one colour could have stood for unity, but Ingram recognised that there was little unity in the School in 1913 - “no unity between the past, the The colours must mean something, signify enterprising present and the brighter hopes of the future”. something, must express and inspire something for which they would in time be cherished, He felt that two colours may suggest disunion, however he didn’t want any respected and indeed revered. The colours must divisions in the School whether between day-boys and boarders, between stand for something. fee-payers and free places, between rich and poor. William Ingram, ‘The Power in a School’ He then considered three colours, maintaining that if three were to be adopted then each one must represent something relating to “the spirit, the life-blood and the survival of the School”. He suggested black, white and purple, and gave his reasons for his choice as follows:

BLACK

As the symbol of prudence, of unadorned dignity, of the background on which brighter things glitter... black would be the colour on which to build.

WHITE

Signifies a clean new page on which its future history would be written.

PURPLE

is symbolic of Power (produced by mixing blue - linked with loyalty, and red - linked with magnamity)

So in summary, and in William Ingram’s words directed at Kimboltonians past and present: “you have in the sombre black the assurance that dark prospects can always be banished by resolute effort; in the white the ageold tradition of a School destined to survive and the unblotted sheet on which you can write your contribution to its greatness; and in the purple the acknowledgement of the Power that has sustained it - and will sustain you as long as you maintain your contact with it”

Why does the OKA use gold instead of white?

By the time the OKA was founded in 1920, a few OKs had careers in the London and it was agreed that a recognised tie would help them recognise fellow OKs. Allegedly prompted by the following phrase sung by an elocutionist, a few OKs agreed to substitute the School white for gold, symbolic of the value of lasting friendships: Make new friends but keep the old; Those are silver - these are gold.

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Memories

OKA Articles

The School Blazer The school blazer, with its distinguishing purple, black and white stripes is the one piece of uniform that shouts out “KIMBOLTON”! It has been part of the uniform for several decades, albeit in several different guises. However, unlike today, it has not always been compulsory for pupils to wear and other colours and styles have come and gone over the years. Although the boys in the photo of the ‘Kimbolton Grammar School Boarders’ taken in 1920 were wearing striped blazers (albeit with different sized stripes to that of today’s style), there are no stripes to be seen in the whole school photos taken from the 1950s through to the 1980s. A black suit was the uniform of the day during this time, however when the girls arrived in at the end of the 70s, the colour purple made a reappearance. OKs recall the striped blazer being an optional part of the summer uniform (and for the croquet team!), but most pupils had one. Alternative options were a plain purple blazer for the girls and black suit for the boys; although many in the 1980s remember wearing a sludge green blazer... we wonder what the reasoning was behind introducing that one! Today every pupil in the 1st to 5th form wears the stripes; 6th formers (girls and boys) wear a black suit. It is interesting to find out about the uniform variations from over the years and the different style Kimbolton School blazers that have existed!

The Kimbolton School blazer has varied over the decades. We have these 3 styles in the OKA Office - do you have a different one?

Pupils at break time in the School Shop It is compulsory for all pupils in the 1st to 5th Form to wear the striped blazer.

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OKA ARTICLES Book Reviews...

BOOK REVIEWS Our review in the 2018 OK News of books published by OKs prompted more budding authors to let the OKA know about their publications... (Quotations are taken from Amazon...)

A Leading Edge by Patrick Latham (OK 94) Patrick collaborated with Wesley Durston (Millfield School, Somerset CCC and Derbyshire CCC) to write and illustrate their first book, in a brand new series under the title of ‘A Leading Edge’. The book was released in October 2018. It looks at the role of the cricket captain and draws on the career experiences of the authors, supported by written contributions from a range of current and past cricket captains, coaches and umpires which appear throughout the book. With writing already underway for the second book, ‘Cricket: A Leading Edge for Bowlers’, and plans for similar books for batters and fielders are in the pipeline.

Materials and Processes by Barrie Dunn (OK 64)

Re-Building Zimbabwe and How to End the World’s Financial Chaos

One for the scientists and engineers out there...

by Edward Ingram (OK 57)

The objective of Barrie’s book is to assist scientists and engineers select the ideal material or manufacturing process for particular applications; these could cover a wide range of fields, from light-weight structures to electronic hardware.

Edward Ingram is a leading thinker on the world stage of macro-economic design and founder of the Ingram School of Economics, which takes economics to a new and much simpler level.

Understanding Grammar by Michael Cullup (OK 55) Michael’s first book, Poems, was published by the school in 1954. (The man behind this was English teacher, Patrick Hobson, whose interest and support was a huge encouragement to Michael). His first substantial collection, Reading Geographies, was published by Carcanet in 1982. This was followed by Road into Autumn, Fen Press in 2000. Greenwich Exchange** published A Change of Season in 2010 and, more recently, Matelot (2016) - an account, in verse, of Michael’s time as a stoker in the Royal Navy. Other books published by Greenwich Exchange have included a book on the poetry of Robert Graves, and a reassessment of the poetry of W H Davies, with a generous selection of his poems. Greenwich Exchange have also published his most recent book, Understanding Grammar.

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This is his second book which he hopes will become the foundation for a new era in economic theory and practice around the world.

**Note: John Greening (Staff 1983 - 2014) has also had a number of titles published by Greenwich Exchange

OKA SHOP

OKA Merchandise

To buy OKA merchandise, visit our online shop: www.oks.co.uk/OKA Merchandise

OKA Bow Tie

OKA Cufflinks T-bar £22.50 / Chain £30

Silk ready tied £25

new! OKA Beanie £15

OKA Ties

Striped silk tie £18 Crested silk tie £15

OKA Umbrella £20

OKA Scarf £12.50

We’re always looking for new items to add to our stock of merchandise - any suggestions? If so, please get in touch! www.oks.co.uk

OKA EVENTS

London Dinner 2018

Reunions and Events 2018 London Dinner

Friday 27 April 2018

fter having to cancel the 2017 London Dinner, it was pleasing to find ourselves last April having dinner in London in a dining room pretty much full of OKs. A change in venue and a move of date from February/ March to April clearly made a difference to the level of interest in this event.

Our new venue was The Lansdowne Club in Mayfair. The dinner was excellent and, with a few drinks flowing, the evening was a great success. The regulars at the dinner enjoyed the change and we think (hope!) that the new faces who came along had a good enough time to want to return this year (they certainly looked as though they did..!). One noticeable point though was the absence of any OK ladies (apart from the Alumni Officer) - we need to change this so will be encouraging more bookings from the ladies in future!

Top Photo: L-R: Carl Ellerington (OK 03), Adam Brown (OK 98), Ben McMinn (OK 98), Alex Benson (OK 06), James Pepper (OK 06), Harry Rowe (OK 06), Charlie May (OK 05) Left Photo: L-R: Charles Taylor, Tom Kirkpatrick, Josh Spink, David Lindley, James Buckley, Ollie Bridge, Sam Paske, Andy Stone (all OKs 2007)

2019 OKA London Dinner Friday 26th April

Mayfair, W1J 5JD 6.30 pm for 7.00 pm Tickets ÂŁ65 For more information and to book tickets, please go to www.oks.co.uk/OKA Events L-R: Rick Butcher (OK 72), Graham Brown (OK 72), Mike Gilmer (OK 72), John Purser (OK 69), Gary Hutchings (OK 72), Peter Lyne (OK 71), Richard Lyne (OK 67), Charles Appleby (OK 70), Clive Newton (OK 71)

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Please note that we have a limited number of tickets available so please book early to avoid disappointment!

Summer Reunion 2018

OKA EVENTS

2018 Summer Reunion Saturday 30 June 2018

as the 2018 Summer Reunion the best one for a few years? We think so! Thank you to everyone who came along - it was wonderful to see so many OKs around, especially those who had not been back to the school for several years.

While many OKs honourably battled it out on the sports pitches/courts in the scorching heat (it was possibly a bit too warm for the year group football tournament!), many others enjoyed a more gentle afternoon in the sun, chatting and spectating, and taking advantage of cool refreshments from the bar. Thanks to the hard work and pre-planning of a few well-organised OKs, there were several year group reunions congregating throughout the day. Most noticeable were the large groups from the 1968 and 1978 years - more on these on the following pages... Hopefully a precedent has now been set for future years and that the popularity of the Summer Reunion will continue to grow. If you are thinking about organising a reunion, whether to celebrate a significant anniversary of leaving school or not, please do get in touch and we can help you plan and get in touch with your former school friends. We look forward to seeing you in the summer..!

It was a perfect day for watching the 1st XI cricket match (above), however many took respite from the heat in the cool Saloon (left) to chat and look through OK memorabilia. Both the BBQ and the bar were busy throughout the afternoon, and several families enjoyed the use of the swimming pool and the bouncy castle. We also had our first ‘Hen Do’ at an OK reunion! The ‘bride’, Alice Rigby (OK 08) and her hens started their celebrations during the afternoon (left) and continued at the OK Ball in the evening. www.oks.co.uk

OKA EVENTS Summer Reunion 2018

Year Group Reunions

1968 (inc. 1967 & 69!)

50th Reunion

n impressive turnout of OKs from 1968 at the Summer Reunion celebrated 50 years of leaving Kimbolton at the summer reunion. With some help from OKs of 1967 & 1969 and family members, we were a sizeable group, and from comments and compliments, everyone enjoyed the reunion immensely.

The stars of the day were those who returned to Kimbolton in such numbers - notably those who had valiantly driven return journeys of many hundreds of miles - Roger Lockwood, Jim Cole and I’m sure several others and, in Michael Pattison’s case, travelling a few thousand miles with his family, just to be with us for the day. After a delicious buffet in the ‘old Dining Hall’ (thank you Headmaster) we enjoyed a tour of the School. Special thanks to Bill Skinner for his ‘must-find-the-shade’ tour, sharing fascinating details and insights, comparing ‘then & now’; some 30 of those 50 years through personal experience, hence the odd tell-tale aside! Bill has said how he found our recollections and anecdotes fascinating in return. The impressive setting and the carefully kept Castle, the School and grounds overall, really looked radiant in the ‘Mediterranean’ climate we enjoyed that day. The School’s progress, extensions, co-education - and transformation from the ‘spartan -60s’ over 50 years is admirable and tryly remarkable, and a great credit to the Governors, to Jonathan Belbin and his staff, and his predecessors. Most of us arrived as boarders to bare boards, clanking radiators, squeaking shutters and ‘old army beds’ - just a decade or so after the Castle’s acquisition from the Duke of Manchester’s Estate and previous war-time-tenant -occupation. Thank you also to the former members of staff who joined us; with our kindest regards and best wishes to them, and to those who would like to have been ‘part of the party’ but were not able to be through personal circumstances. We much regretted the absence of Andre Beeson and Paul Nieman who respectively withdrew almost at the last minte. However, I am very pleased that Andre kindly invited Paul, to meet and mutually catch up over lunch that day, in light of Andrew’s difficulty travelling owing to his health. It has been suggested that perhaps we meet again in 5 years time! Hopefully then I will see you in 2023, if not before an another OK event inthe meantime...

“The 2018 reunion of the ‘68 year was the first time I’ve attended one of the OK events, although I have visited the school on occasion. It was great to meet up with so many old classmates and hear about where their careers and lives have taken them. It was a wonderfully organised event. Congratulations again to Theo and all those responsible for the day.”

Theo Gibbs (OK 68)

The 1968 year group enjoyed a tour of the School, including a visit to the Vanbrugh Library where some respite from the sunshine and heat outside was appreciated!

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Summer Reunion 2018

OKA EVENTS

The 1968/9 Reunion group with their guests in the Castle courtyard

Both the OKA and the School were delighted that the reunion was such a success. Here’s some of the positive feedback received from those who attended: “I’d like to add my voice to the others who have already thanked Theo and Kimbolton School for organising such a successful day.

“The experience was quite surreal and it was fairly unnerving to realise that 50 years could slip by so quickly 50 years since I left, but 60 years since I started.

It is fascinating to meet people after 50 years and to witness the progress made by the School.”

I have to say that the school had a good feel to it, much more open and relaxed to the school I remember, and we should be proud that we are part of its history. I believe that our year group was really quite instrumental in shifting school attitudes away from the post-war era to the present liberal environment enjoyed by the kids today!”

“Many thanks for the wonderful day out on Saturday and the chance to see so many of the changes in the School and the surroundings. My son and daughter were pleased to see the Castle in particular as I have a couple of prints of it on the wall at home and they were amazed to see it for real. In fact, they now believe whatever I have told them about it.” “What a great day we all had - thank you so much it is really appreciated. At times it was a slightly surreal experience to be back at Kimbolton - a time warp with some things unchanged over the last 50 years. But then to see how the school has moved on was impressive - the tour was excellent. Catching up with old friends and meeting up with a few our our old teachers was also great.”

“Theo, a terrific day and a triumph of your meticulous planning and attention to detail. Thank you for bringing us all together again. 50 years? Seems like yesterday...”

“It was a truly enjoyable time and so good to see old friends. It was also a delight seeing that the school has gone from strength to strength. There was talk about repeating in about 5 years which sounds like a good idea.”

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OKA EVENTS Summer Reunion 2018

1978 40th Reunion

Saturday 30 June 2018 had one thing in common with most other days last summer, namely glorious sunshine, but for a few of us it was going to prove a very special day and marked the opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of leaving Kimbolton School.

As I write down the number ‘40’, I still find it hard to believe that so much time has passed, but more worryingly, how quickly it has done so. In hindsight, I was possibly a little hasty in accepting the challenge of coordinating our reunion but as one of a number of retirees amonst us, I though it might prove to be an interesting challenge... and so it proved to be! That said, I would like to say a big “thank you” to all of you who helped and kept me fed with a constant stream of information and whithout whose efforts we wouldn’t have managed to trace as many old “boys” as finally surfaced. A number of us hadn’t crossed paths since leaving back in the summer of 78, but it’s amazing how shared memories so rapidly rekindle old friendships and, from many of the comments I heard, it was clear that everyone enjoyed themselves greatly. Of those staff who taught us all those years ago, it was delightful to see Ken Laflin, Ian Burton and Ron Lancaster, although I am sure they must have struggled to remember most of us!! Many thanks to Helen Hopperton for arranging tours of the Castle and Queen Katharine Building, the former proving to be very popular. A number of us also ‘sloped off’ to the Prep Department and Kim House to satisfy our needs for a dose of nostalgia. We managed a turnout of 27, with 7 no shows on the day... not bad at all fellas! By all accounts we whopped the year of 77, but that lot never were up to much eh?! I will keep a contact list for the times ahead and hope to continue to add a few names as time goes on. Please do keep in touch! Alan Gilbert (OK 78)

1978 Year Group Reunion L-R: John Parsons, Robert Mull, Simon Evans, Chris Rice, Pete Hamilton, Dave Scott, Tim Hart, Bruce Robinson, Steve Chamberlain, Tim Brine, Mike James, Kev Willis, Nick Cavan, Garth Powell, Nigel Trotter, Alan Gilbert, Dave Penny, David Tew, Johnny Hartop, Paul Robinson, Jerry Nolan & Alan Huckle

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Summer Ball 2018

OKA EVENTS

2018 Summer Ball Saturday 30 June 2018

he Summer Ball proved yet again to be another successful evening. With large groups who left in 2008 and 2013 getting together for their 10 and 5 year reunions, and a smaller group from 1998, the White Hall was full of OKs and their guests.

Following a three-course dinner, the chatting, dancing and drinking continued until the early hours of Sunday morning, stopping only briefly for a fireworks display in the Mall. The fact that it was difficult to get everyone to leave is proof in itself that everyone had a good time. Thank you to Ben McMinn (OK 98), George Beverly (OK 08), Hattie Gellatly (OK 13) and Josh Doonan (OK 13) who pulled out all the stops to organise their year group reunions - their work was invaluable in making the evening a success. It was a perfect summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evening to enjoy Reception drinks outside

2019 Summer Ball

TICKETS NOW ON SALE! Book now via www.oks.co.uk

1998 year group (minus Ben McMinn, reunion group organiser and photographer!)

For more information contact the OKA Office: alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk 01480 862223

2008 Year Group

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OKA EVENTS

Wine Tasting 2018

2018 Wine Tasting Evening Wednesday 7 November 2018

he OKA joined forces with Beacon Down Vineyard (owned by OK Paul Pippard) and held the inaugural OKA Wine Tasting Evening in London last November. We were delighted to have such a positive response to this new event held in Davyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at St James and all tickets for the event were sold relatively quickly. The evening was hosted by Sommelier Nathan Nolan, who professionally guided everyone through their tasting of wines from the Sussex Weald. Given the level of interest, we will be holding another Wine Tasting Evening. If you are interested in attending and would like prior notification of when tickets go on sale, please email alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk. Alternatively, please keep an eye on our website and on OK social media.

Calum Richards, Freddie Valletta, Sara Gill, Peter Taine, Jack Kenmir & Tom Davies

Paul Pippard addressing the wine tasters!

Phyllida Broadway (nee Knight) & husband

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Alex Boardman, Kris Stromdale & Paul Pippard

Carl Ellerington, Harry Rowe & Alex Benson

Caspar Benson & Alana Moorhead

Gemma Moorhead & Eugenie Tilliole

Summer Reunion 2019

OKA EVENTS

2019 Summer Reunion Saturday 29 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!

We know that reunions for the following year groups are being organised, please get in touch with the contacts below if you are interested in finding out more...

Year Group Reunions

1989

David Brown

david.brown@flamingo.net

2009

Sarah Dawkins

sarahebdawkins@gmail.com

2014

Holly Gregory

hollymgreg@googlemail.com

We are looking for OKs to be points of contact for reunions for the 1994 &1999 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

OKA SPORT

OK SPORT

An overview of the fixtures in 2018

OK HOCKEY Team Managers: Men’s: Jack Gallifant (OK 15) - j.gallifant@uea.ac.uk Ladies’: Natalie Gaunt (OK 16) - natalie1.gaunt@googlemail.com Men’s Hockey OK men’s hockey is thriving and we are pleased to report that were were again able to field two teams to play against the school last March. Both matches were played on the Duchess astro with the 2nd XI playing first. Expectations were relatively high as the team set out to maintain their unbeaten record; unfortunately a win wasn’t on the cards and despite all players putting in 100% effort, the school 2nd XI were a hard act to beat and they won 4-1. After a loss in 2017, the OK 1st XI were keen to return to their winning ways in their match against the 1st team. The OKs played well in what was a competitive match and, although they didn’t get the win they wanted, the 2-2 draw was well deserved. Ladies Hockey The OK ladies played their match in September on the first Sunday of term. Despite not having anyone on the bench, the OK team were strong and were a challenge for the new School 1st XI. While both teams had several changes to score, the OKs capitalised on their efforts in the D to secure a 3-1 win. Thank you to both Jack Gallifant and Natalie Gaunt for organising the teams. Due to other commitments Jack will be stepping down from his role as Team Manager for the men’s hockey after the matches this year, so we are looking for a replacement! If you are interested in taking the role on please get in touch with Helen Hopperton.

Men’s 1st Hockey Team

Ladies 1st Hockey Team

Men’s 2nd Hockey Team

(l-r): Kate Sutton; Charlotte Carpenter-Platt; Zoe Steele, Natalie Gaunt, Claudia Pert, Yasmin Gallifant, Jade Gallifant, Kate Ramply, Henrietta Woods, Esme Steele; (front): Vicky Wakefield

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Back (l-r): James Belbin, Ross Gibson, Matt Chitty, Chris Lucas, Alec Bryden, Will Tatman, Alex Percival, Jack Gallifant Fron (l-r): Ross Basser, Harrison Peak, Sina Kordany, Marcus Kenmir, James Harris, Tom Biddle, Adam Barrett-Drylie

Back (l-r): Rob Murphy, Zach Lancaster-Adlam, Dom Ainsworth, Marcus Kenmir, Adam Barrett-Drylie, Chris Lucas, Francis Heylen, Alex Percival Front (l-r): Joe Williams, Charlie Gingell, Harry Knowlton, Donald McGarva

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) Football dominated the OK sports activities last year. As reported in the 2018 OK News, in 2017 we entered the Junior League Cup (JLC) and as the magazine went to print the players were preparing to play in the quarter finals. Well, our success didn’t stop there... In that match the OKs played their best football yet, beating the Old Etonian 2s 3-2 at home in February, with James Dunmore, Rob Holmes and Sam Findlay all scoring in key moments of the game. In the semi-finals, the OKs played Old Harrovians 2s in North West London. A cleanly executed free-kick from Sam Findlay put the OKs into the lead, which was shortly followed by a left-footed tap in from the skipper George Wilson. A solid display from the whole team helped see the game out, putting the OKs into the Cup Final! See following pages to find out OK 1st XI team vs School 1st XI how they got on... Back (l-r): Charlie May, Josh Smith, George Wilson, Sam Findlay, James Dunmore, Rory Fenton, Following their success in the JLC, the OKs Jack Kenmir, Jonathan Hunter were invited to enter a team into the Arthurian Front (l-r): Rob Holmes, Mikey Lane, Josh Eddon, Allan Owen, Morgan Brown, Andy Stone League. After much discussion over the summer with the players, OK Football Chairman, Jonathan Hunter (OK 80) and Captain George Wilson agreed to formally enter a team. In September we kicked-off our deubt Arthurian League season in Division 5 North with a 1-1 draw agains Old Cholmelians 2s. Then after a convincing 4-2 victory against one of the strongest school sides against the 1st XI, the OKs had a couple of tight games in the league, but have finally found their feet with some big victories against Old Albanians (7-1), Old Merchant Taylors 2s (7-2) and Old Foresters 3s (6-0). Sam Findlay has been the stand out performer so far this season, with over 15 goals. Unfortunately we exited the JLC early in the 2018/19 competition, although we did cause an upset in the Arthur Dunn Cup, beating Premier Division side Old Chigwellians 2-0 on their own soil, earning a last 16 draw at home to Old Reptonians. CONGRATULATIONS to the 2014 year While the next round game ended group... who won the 6-a-side football in a 2-1 defeat, the opponents’ tournament at the Summer Reunion. To be honest captain said it had been one of all the teams should have been awarded a trophy the toughest games they’d played. for just taking part and running around in the At the beginning of January the afternoon heat! OKs were top of Divison 5 North, seeking those all important playoff spots to get promoted.

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OKA SPORT

Arthurian League Junior League Cup Final by George Wilson (OK 13)

On Saturday 21 April 2018 a team of OK footballers travelled in their purple black and gold striped ties to Merchant Taylors School, near Watford, to play the Old Alleynians in the Arthurian Junior League Cup Final. Playing in a brand new purple strip, the OKs started off on the back foot in the blistering heat. The OAs were shifting the ball across the park at pace and dominating the game in midfield. The OKs found it hard to keep the ball for more than a few passes, and were punished after a cross was put into the back of the net by one of our own. A second goal followed not long later after an OA was tripped up in the box, and the opposition were awarded a penalty, from which they scored. For the remainder of the first half the OKs tried to get the ball under control and play, having been completely outplayed from the start. However, we did have two real chances before the break to get back in the game, and showed signs that this cup final was not over. There was a real sense that we had underperformed at half-time, but with only 45 minutes left of the season to play the the players picked themselves back up. Having exceeded expectations throughout the competition, we had nothing to lose. The second-half was much better… the OKs saw more possession of the ball, and the game really started to open up as both teams stretched the length of the pitch with quick breaks. Attack after attack, but the OKs couldn’t seem to find the back of the net. That was until the last 6 minutes when Allan Owen went through on goal, slotting it past the OAs keeper to make it 2-1. The OKs threw the kitchen sink at it for the last 5 minutes with purple shirts filling up the box. But, after a series of shots on target, somehow the equaliser did not come, and the OKs came up short. The Old Alleynians’ keeper was deservedly awarded man of the match for making three pivotal saves at the death. A big thank you to everyone who came to watch….there must have been 40 or so from the Kimbolton community on the sidelines, and all the players really appreciated all your support. Despite the narrow loss, we can hold our heads high as runners-up in the Arthurian Junior League Cup. This was the furthest an OKs team has gone in a cup competition, and it has been quite a journey from the 1st prelim round. Given most teams in the competition play in the Arthurian Leagues we were very much the underdogs from the start, but our character and strength carried us through to the final.

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OKA SPORT

The OK Junior League Cup Final Team Back (l-r): James Dunmore, Will Kenmir, Matt Greenland, Johnny Bowers, George Wilson, Josh Eddon, Dan Wright, James Belbin Front (l-r): Allan Owen, Sam Findlay, Alex Brown, Rob Holmes, Jack Kenmir, Rory Fenton

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OKA SPORT

OK CRICKET Team Managers:

1st XI: Charles Gingell (OK13) - gingell.charlie@gmail.com 2nd XI: James Moore (OK 11) - jamescmoore6@gmail.com

OK cricketers kicked off the Summer Reunion last June with a T20 match against the Kimbolton Kestrels (staff team) on the Friday evening. With it being the year of the 2013 leavers 5 year reunion, it was an OK13 Leavers XI that returned to the 1st XI pitch to face off against the Kestrels. Unfortunately the frantic rush before the game to find enough pairs of batting pads and cricket whites for the OK side set the standard for the match. The Kestrels were victorious after an entertaining display of ‘cricket’ from all involved. The hot and sunny weather the following day set the perfect scene for cricket - especially for the spectators! The OK 1st XI , returning as defending champions for the first time in 11 years, were confident. A buzz surrounded the changing room after welcoming Mark Ralph (OK 04) back to the team; Mark still holds the highest score on the batting honours board despite nearly losing his top spot to Upper Sixth former, Josh Smith, who notched up an impressive total season tally of 1121 runs in 2018. Despite a strengthened batting line-up and a commendable effort from all involved, the School were able to regain their title in what turned out to be a nail-biting finish to the match. A particular mention goes to Harrison Peak (OK 17) who performed well with the bat and bowled a lengthy spell with the ball, keeping the OKs in the match at times. The OKs would like to thank Matt Gilbert, Director of Sport, for hosting an excellent weekend of cricket. We look forward to The 2018 OK 1st XI returning to win back the trophy in 2019! Back (l-r): Marcus Watkinson, Josh Eddon, Joe Oliver, Joey Blindt, Harrison Peak, Alec Bryden Front (l-r): Mark Ralph, Will Tatman, Charlie Gingell, George Richards, Cam Carroll

Meanwhile, the 2nd XI played on the Welsted Pitch at the Prep. The OKs won the toss, elected to bat first, started well and scored quickly from the outset, with James Johnston and Joe Taylor both posting scores in the 40s. The school hit back with several quick wickets falling as a result of some skilful bowling. The OKs, not deterred, continued their buccaneering style of batting however and managed to post a competitive score of 143 at the end of the 25 overs. With 143 being one of the highest totals set in a number of years, we were confident going into the field. After some equally good batting from the school and some skilful bowling from the OKs, the match remained finely balanced for the majority of the innings. With all results still being possible, and in what has seemingly become an unofficial tradition, the match came down to the last over of the day, with the school requiring 8 runs to win with 3 wickets in hand. However, with 2 balls to spare and 2 wickets remaining, they managed to score the winning runs to round off a well fought and competitive game. The fixture was to be Mr Pollard’s last game in charge of the 2nd XI before his retirement so it was fitting The 2018 OK 2nd XI that all of the OK team had played and enjoyed their Back (l-r): Seb Doyle, Zac Lancaster-Adlam, Joe Taylor, Will Ingle, Josh Morey, Simon final years of cricket at the school under his leadership Carter, Bill Duberly and we will miss reuniting with him every summer. Front (l-r): James Johnston, Will Ford, James Moore, Will Taylor, Will Hilliard 42

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OKA SPORT

OK NETBALL Team Manager:

Danni Belbin (OK 12) - danni.belbin2120@gmail.com

The OKs always face a difficult game against the school 1st VII who, over the last few years, have always been such a wellversed team, however every match is approached by the OKs with determination and in good spirit (and perhaps with a little trepidation!). The match last March was no different. The OKs made a positive start. Although the School took an early lead, the OKs were never far behind, especially in the first and second quarters. The luxury of having 2 players on the bench enabled individuals to take quick breaks in this fastmoving game. During the 2nd half of the game the school lead increased resulting in a win for them of 37 goals to 24. Unfortunately the score does not truly represent how well the OKs played. Thank you to everyone who took part!

OK Netball Team 2018

l-r: Natalie Belbin, Katie Turness, Livvy Cotterill, Jess Gingell, Ruth Watson, Charlotte Carpenter-Platt, Kayla Englebrecht, Katie Turness, Becky Warrener

OK TENNIS Team Managers:

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s: James Hodges (OK 11) - jameshodges93@ymail.com Ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: Helen Hopperton (OK 85) - 01480 862223 / alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk

It was good to see the tennis courts full at the Summer Reunion. We had 5 mens pairs playing and 4 ladies pairs (great news after struggling to get a full ladies team to play at the last couple of Summer Reunions!) The men kept their usual winning form and beat the school overall 6-3 and 4-2. The ladies meanwhile, although playing long competitive matches, were unable to get an overall win. Playing for the Mens team were: James Geary, Alex Boardman, Oli Hale, Adrian Chu, Harry Beet, Jack Findlay, Henry Chamberlayne, Rory Beet, Danny Hardy & Rory Sullivan (apologies for the lack of a photo!).

OK Ladies Tennis Team 2018

l-r: Grace Knowlton, Ella Haresign, Isa Telford Jess Gingell, Lucy Napier, Jess Coppins, Claudia Pert, Natalie Gaunt

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OKA SPORT

OK ROUNDERS Team Manager:

Charlotte Ralph (OK 06) - 07969 882797 / cl.ralph@live.co.uk

Unfortunately fewer than usual OK rounders players were available to play last year and we were only able to field one team to play against the school at the end of June. That team, however, was a strong team who set out to continue the OKs winning streak - we had wins against the school 1st team in both 2017 & 2018! Playing against a team who had only lost one game that term (which was against England Rounders...) a win wasn’t

necessarily expected. The game was however a close one and we’re delighted to report that the OKs won 18.5 rounders to 15. We hope to revert back to having two teams playing this summer - if you’re available to play on the 29th June, please let Charlotte know. (Apologies for the absence of a rounders photo!)

OK GOLF Team Managers: Charles Robinson (OK 76) - cjr@robinsonkimbolton.co.uk Tom Harrison (OK 68) - harrisonsatblighters@btinternet.com OK Golf Club Spring & Autumn Meetings As usual the club had two main meetings in May and September and both were reported to be enjoyable days of golf followed by dinner at a local establishment. The weather in Hunstanton in September for the Autumn Meeting bettered that in St Neots held earlier in May; sunny and warm conditions and a firm and fast course set the scene for an enjoyable day. Ali Clarke (OK ) won the President’s Cup with an outstanding 37 pts in challenging conditions; Bryan Moore (OK ) was 2nd with 35 and John Flack 3rd on 33. Bryan Moore won the Colin Robinson Cup for the best scores over both events.

Grafton Morrish Golf Association Qualifying Competition On Sunday 13 May at The Gogs Golf Club the OKs team of Alan Davie, Matt Blake, Jim Harrison, Richard Boyd, David Taylor and Jonathan Hunter competed with 16 other teams to qualify for the finals of the Grafton Morrish scratch foursomes to be held in Norfolk in October. Unfortunately the team were unable to come to terms with a demanding course played off the back tees. The team’s combined stableford score of 65 points, although an improvement on last year, fell comfortably short of the qualifying mark of 80 points which was itself significantly higher than in most previous years. Woodbridge led the qualifiers with an extraordinary combined score of 93. Foursomes golf played off scratch (no handicap shots received) is one of the most difficult formats to play and at The Gogs there is no shortage of cavernous bunkers and areas of thick rough awaiting the marginally errant shot. Despite the disappointing result it was good to see the team trying their hardest while enjoying each other’s company and that of their playing companions from Norwich. They left in good heart resolving to redouble their efforts next year! On behalf of the team my co-manager, John Flack and I would like to thank the OKs Association for the generous subsidy that helps reduce the cost of the day for the players. We would also like to record our appreciation for all the hard work that Old Kimboltonian Brian Marlow (OK 58) does as organiser of the qualifying event. Brian has given stalwart service to the Grafton Morrish committee over many years and this years event was run with all his customary humour, precision and efficiency. Many thanks, Brian. Tom Harrison

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OKA SPORT

OK SAILING Team Manager:

Alaster Gray (73) - 01480 461141 / alasterlesleygray@hotmail.com

The 2018 OKsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sailing match will be remembered for the warm and sunny weather, matched by 13 knots of wind, creating perfect sailing conditions. The OKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team consisted of a strong team of sailors most who sail locally at Grafham Water and Paxton Lakes. Ben Goakes with crew David Papworth, and Paul Carrington with crew James Green/Victoria Carrington, took charge of racing in the Laser 2000s with comfortable wins in all 4 races over the school. Mark Aldridge and crew Alaster Gray sailed a Firefly with equal success, winning all 4 races. The standard of sailing was high with tight starts and place swapping throughout the races. It is encouraging to see the school producing some good sailors, and it is a credit to the staff involved. For 2019 at the OK summer reunion we plan to arrange team racing in Fireflies, we hope this opportunity will tempt young university sailors to take part! Our thanks, as ever, go to John Sweet, and Vanessa Weedon-Jones on rescue, and to my regular sailing partner Gordon Oscroft for race management.

OK Sailors: l-r: Victoria Carrington, James Green, Alaster Gray, David Papworth, Mark Aldridge, Ben Goakes & Paul Carrington

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NEWS OF OKS

NEWS OF OKS Catch up with OKs from around the world...

Pre - 1970 NORMAN RICH (OK 39), at the age of 96 is in ‘magnificent form’! He lunches fortnightly with Brian Marlow (OK 57) and John Petcher (OK 56) and they often reminise about Kimbolton. Norman proudly talks about his involvement in school cricket, in particular being coached by the famous England cricketer, Sir Jack Hobbs (see photo on the right...) MICHAEL CULLUP (OK 55) is a retired teacher / poet / author. He studied English Language and Literature at University College London after leaving Kimbolton, and then linguistics as part of a postgraduate course at the University of Leeds. After overseas teaching posts with the Ministry of Overseas Development and the British Council in Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Thailand, he returned to England to work for the Bell School of Languages In Norwich. (see page 28)

Norman Rich pictured on the far right (sadly where the photo is torn), with Sir Jack Hobbs standing in the centre of the cricket team

Cardiff University where he is an Honorary Visiting Professor acting as mentor to the research group working with 3D seismic. In 2014 he became chairman of the Cambrian Mines Trust which promotes conservation and research within the former mining field of Central Wales.

BRIAN MARLOW (OK 56) keeps busy from his home in Leicestershire. He is in his last year (of 3) as his Probus Lunch Club Secretary, and is heavily involved with the organisation of the Grafton Morrish Schools golf competition (in which the OKs take part). DAVID JAMES (OK 61) was recently awarded the degree of DSc by the University of Cardiff in recognition of his geological research in Central Wales where he lives for much of the year. After graduation from Oxford and subsequent post-graduate study he followed an international professional career as a geologist and interpretation geophysicist in oil and gas exploration and research with the Royal Dutch / Shell Group of companies. He is now long retired from salaried employment but since 2000 has developed a strong association with 46

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David James (OK 61) at University of Cardiff - spot the school tie!

JOHN JEFFREY (OK 61) went straight into the RAF after A levels and enjoyed a varied and - mostly - rewarding career. He worked his way up the RYA ‘ladder’ to become a Yachtmaster (Ocean) and Yachtmaster (Instructor) while still serving in the RAF. John skippered several sailing expeditions including transatlantic delivery of a Rustler 36. After retirement, he settled in Portsmouth and became involved with Gipsy Moth IV’s seond round-the-world trip; after helping rescue the yacht from the Pacific reef where she was stranded, he skippered many of the remaining legs back to the UK - perhaps sailing her further than anyone since Chichester himself. John also helped the BBC make a TV series about Cook’s use of the Lunar Distance method for finding longitude, sailing the splendid Australian replica of ‘ENDEAVOUR’ between Cairns and Indonesia. He has a much quieter life now, sailing his 32 foot bilge keeler from his home in Portsmouth and teaching his grandchildren to fly. MICHAEL SHAHSAVARI (OK 67) lived in London after leaving Kimbolton and became a Chartered Accountant. In 1973 he moved back to Iran where he had a successful career in accountancy.

NEWS OF OKS

Spurred on by the large 50th anniverary reunion of OKs from 1963 a few years ago ROGER KINSEY (OK 63) set about organising a music memory event with the objective of getting together the OKs who had formed the school’s first ever group, namely The Original Cheveraks. The group consisted of day boys, from the Raunds area: Jon Tassell (Vocalist/ Acoustic Guitar), Adrian Tilley (Rhythm Guitar/Vocalist), Ian Webb (Vocalist/Lead Guitar), Bob Perkins (Bass Guitar) and Tim Corby (Drums/Percussion). They got together in the early Beatles era from 1962 and continued playing in the local East Northants area until 1965. Roger had re-connected with Jon some years ago and they often reminisced about the days of music in the 60’s. Indeed during the 2013 reunion a tape of The Original Cheveraks songs played during the mid 60’s was heard in the background. Jon mooted the idea of reconnecting with all the other “lads” (except Tim Corby who had passed some years previously) and planning a “get together”. They reconnected with Bob Perkins, who is still playing regularly in 2 groups within the local area, Ian Webb, who also lives locally and managed to locate Adrian Tilley who lived in Devon. Roger, as Secretary of Ringstead Heritage Group, started planning a Music Memory Event to be held in September 2018. All four “lads” appeared at the event at which Roger nostalgically recalled his personal memories of how The Original Cheveraks came to play at the School’s first ever Revue in 1963 (see poster above by Barrie Dunn) and paid homage to the group, they

gathered their instruments and played on stage five ‘Rock n Roll’ numbers. They swept the audience away with their enthusiasm and joy at being re-united after 53 years of not playing together and without any rehearsal! A magical moment and a fantastic memory for the 200 people who attended the Music Memory event in Ringstead in September 2018. Roger is now planning to hold a similar event once again at Ringstead in early July this year.

In 1979 he moved to the USA and got into the restaurant business with two others and today they have 56 franchised fast food restaurants (Taco Bell) in the middle Tennessee area. He has one son and three wonderful grandchildren. Last year Michael had a quadruple bypass open heart surgery and, at the time of writing, he was recovering well. Of Kimbolton, Michael says: “I am grateful for having received my education at Kimbolton. The academics were great, but the real education was learning how to be a man... A Gentleman. I think we all ended up being young gentlemen when we left”. CHRIS GRAY (OK 68) went to Imperial College in London after leaving Kimbolton, and graduated as a

The Original Cheveraks (front l-r): Ian Webb, Adrian Tilley, Jon Tassell & Bob Perkins

Petroleum Engineer. He joined an American oil company and ended up working with them for 40 enjoyable years. In that time Chris made about 10 moves and working in a similar number of countries. After that he worked for 6 years as a consultant, finishing at the end of 2017. Chris lives in Aberdeen. His wife, Maureen, is from that area. They have two children: Anna, 29 and Alex, 27, living in Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively. PETER HARRIS (OK 68) studied modern languages (French & Spanish) at St Edmund Hall, Oxford after leaving Kimbolton, spending one year out teaching in Valencia, Spain. He graduated in 1972. He then taught

at a university in Colombia for a few years and married his Colombian wife, who was the town philosopher from Bucaramanga. They returned to the UK and did post-graduate degrees. Peter taught at London University whilst doing his research (on Ironology...) and then joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1981, where he had a full and rewarding career as a Diplomat. He served in Portugal, the Soviet Union, Chile and Warsaw, with a few London postings in between. As a result of his work he has added Portugese, Russian and Polish to his stock of languages. He has four grown-up sons and one grandson. Peter is now retired and lives in Cheltenham.

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NEWS OF OKS JONATHAN KYDD (OK 68) is a leading expert in Agricultural Development Economics. He is currently Chair of Trustees, Institute of Development Studies; Deputy Chair of Trustees for both the Royal Agricultural University and Farm Africa, Director of Unic Online Ltd (a Cyprus company) and Principal of The Policy Practice. In the past he has been Director of CDC Group plc, Professor of Agricultural Development Economics at Imperial College, and Dean of University of London International Programmes and Chief Executive of University of London International Academy. ROGER LOCKWOOD (OK 68) left Kimbolton in 1968 and went straight to the University of Warwick where he gained a degree in Pure Mathematics. His original intention had been to become an accountant, but he was drawn to the Royal Navy by the fact that my elder brother Trevor (OK 1965) appeared to be having more fun than Roger was. He subsequently served in the Navy for 34 years rising to the rank of Rear Admiral. Roger retired in 2005 and became the Chief Executive of the Northern Lighthouse Board, responsible for all marine Aids to Navigation around the coasts of Scotland and the Isle of Man. He retired from the NLB in 2014 and is now a Trustee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Chair of its Scottish Council. Roger has been married to Susie since 1984; they have five children and live in Dunblane in central Scotland. PAUL NIEMAN (OK 68) studied music at what was then Chiswick Polytechnic, before being accepted at the Guildhall School of Music to take trombone as first study. After graduating he continued the musical eclecticism which has always been his mark, making his living within the fields of jazz, pop, early, classical and contemporary music. In the eighties, together with others he formed the first incarnation of the band ‘Elephant’, which became a vehicle for his compositions. He was a founder member of His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts and played with The New London Consort, The Gabrieli Consort. He has also worked with specialist period symphony

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orchestras, played Salsa with London bands as well as playing in numerous jazz groups. Currently Paul lives in Brighton where he teaches and works. PAUL VOCKINS (OK 68), after a couple of stutters in other directions, joined Conrad Ritblat in 1971, real estate advisers based in the West End of London. Through them, he qualified as a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and went on to specialise in the valuation of commercial property. In the1980’s he was appointed to head their newly created Professional Services Division (Valuation, Landlord & Tenant and Rating) and in 2000 moved into a senior executive management role with subsequent responsibility for governance within the UK business. Conrad Ritblat is a predecessor company of Colliers International, a top tier global real estate services and investment management company operating in 69 countries from over 500 offices with a workforce of more than 13,000 professionals. Paul remained with them until his retirement in July 2018 after some 47 years continuous service. Rosemary and Paul married in 1984 and are now approaching their thirty fifth wedding anniversary. They have two sons, Daniel (33) and Richard (30). We live in Hampstead, north London. Lifetime interests in travel, photography and motorcycling continue (they ride a BMW K1600GTLE touring bike). IAN (FRANK) HOWE (OK 69) was disappointed not to be able to attend the reunion of the late 60s year groups last year. Having spent most of his working life in France as a translator/ interpreter, he is now enjoying life on the Atlantic coast near Jard sur Mer. He and his wife, Pascale, have four children and four grandchildren, the latest of which are twin boys, Arthur and Cesar, born in November. CLIVE WATTERSON (OK 69) moved into semi-retirement mid December after spending 40 years as an architect, of which 18 years was as a Senior Associate, then Director of a major Midland’s architectural practise. He has specialised in master planning of commercial/business parks and has delivered ‘too numerous to mention’

buildings throughout the country for the private and public sector. Clive has been married to Sheena, a retired Social Worker, for 42 years and lives in a large village on the outskirts of Nottingham, which is now handy for the A1 and Leeds where his grandparent duties lie.

1970 - 1979 NICHOLAS LEVISEUR (OK 74) is married and has 4 children. He is a Barrister and has been based in London since 1979 and Dublin since 1982. He was in the Territorial Army for 30 years, latterly as a padre. Nicholas was ordained as an Anglican in 2000 and as a Roman Catholic since 2010. He lives in the Ashdown Forest and is as unwearied by life as we all are... SIMON EVANS (OK 78) studied sociology at Warwick University after Kimbolton. He spent a year at home after graduating taking a shorthand and typing course at the local tech, as well as acting as press oficer for the local Liberal Party; he then took his first steps in journalism as a cub reporter on the Dover Express. He endured and survived a gruelling 5-month graduate journalism training course in Hastings, before working on the Mid Sussex Times for a couple of years and moving to the Brighton Evening Argus. He moved to Birmingham (with his wife, Sue) and worked on the features desk of the Birmingham Post where he was made rock correspondent (dream job!).It was here that he ralised his career ambition by interviewing Paul McCartney. For the past 18 years Simon has been based back in his home town of Peterborough working on Choice magazine. Having a less pressured job has allowed him to become involved in music again, for the first time since Kimbolton, and he sings in a choir every week. His oboe, however, has not been out of its case for 30 years though! He has also stood for the local council a few times on a Liberal Party ticket (not the Lib Dems!) coming within 5 votes of becoming elected on one occassion.

NEWS OF OKS

PHILIP WISE (OK 79) has been working in Colchester since 1998 - firstly as Curator of Archaeology at the Castle Museum but more recently as the Heritage Manager.

1980 - 1989 RICHARD CROOK (OK 82) is back playing his trombone (he stopped when he left school) after being encouraged by a friend to bring his trombone out to the Land of Sand when he was working in Saudi Arabia. He now plays in the Dhahran Big Band, probably the only swing band in Saudia Arabia, and they play all over the Kingdom and in Bahrain. He fondly remembers playing in Peter Guthries ensembles at School - the Jazz Band, Swing Band and Hymn Band - and can even remember the actual notes from some of the Glenn Miller tunes played in the Swing Band! RICHARD BEEBY (OK 85) and his partner, Sarah, have opened up their working farm to build a Barrow for ashes storage and to offer rural funerals. The Mid-England Barrow is currently under construction and will be completed in the Summer. It is being created entirely from natural resources and will offer a unique funeral location in the countryside as well as an attractive alternative for the storage of cremation ashes. Visit www.mid-englandbarrow.co.uk for more information. Richard will welcome any OKs who wish to have a look round. MARK LANCASTER (OK 88) was ‘sworn of the Privy Council’ in March 2018, adding PC to the initials after his name. Mark has been Conservative MP for Milton Keynes North constituencies since 2005.

1990 - 1999 GRAHAM HUGHES (OK 91) took a career break in 2016. He now lives in Suffolk with his wife and son, where they have more room to indulge in their love of gardening and darker skies to enjoy some amateur astronomy.

RICHARD BUTLER (OK 92) has raised over £20,000 for Cancer Research since 2015, predominantly by walking over 5,000 miles each year. He fits his walking into his normal work and social routines. His other fundraising activities have included a waxing and leading 2 teams in night marathon walks around London. He hopes to have completed the equatorial circumference of the globe by next December! PHIL BURCH (OK 94) and his sister HANNAH (OK 98) have set up Donite - a social enterprise that is a twist on cashback schemes. Using the Donite link to book a hotel room through a favourite travel provider generates a donation for your preferred charity, so instead of getting cashback, you giveback! Find out more at www.Donite.org. DOMINIC FORD (OK 94) has moved to China with his family to work as Deputy Headmaster (Pastoral) for Wycombe Abbey International School in Jiangsu. KATIE PARTRICK (OK 95) still teaches horse riding, based in Higham Ferrers, and is now a BHS Stage 5 Performance Coach. She also recently qualified as an Assessor for the British Horse Society which, along with looking after her daughter, keeps her very busy! [see Announcements] SIMON PHILLIPS (OK 96) enjoyed success with his business, Seaway, last year when it was voted as the best global yacht delivery firm in the 2018 UK Enterprise awards.

Army. She has deployed on multiple operational deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like many servicemen and women, while serving Anna had friends and colleagues who sustained life-changing injuries as a result of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), gunshot wounds, road traffic collisions and numerous other hazards routinely faced by the military. She was inspired to start working with injured servicemen and women who were undergoing rehabilitation at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court in Surrey and completed the Adaptive Ski Instructor course to learn how to adapt conventional skiing equipment for use by people with disabilities. Now a serving Army Reservist, Anna continues to teach skiing (including adaptive skiing) and mountaineering to military groups as part of their Adventurous Training. She has recently become an Ambassador for The Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) which is certain to become one of the world’s best clinical rehabilitation centres for the Armed Forces and the nation. (see Sponsorship section) EMMA ISSITT (nee Chandler, OK 99) lives in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, with her family. She works as a teacher in a very small primary school just outside the town. [see Announcements]

HANNAH DOUGLAS (nee Notley, OK 98) lives in Bejing, China, where she works as an international teacher. Hannah previously worked in the Political Section of the British Embassy in Bejing where she received an MBE from the Queen’s birthday honours list in 2011. ANNA KIRKIN (OK 98) has recently come to the end of her Regular service in the Army after 15 years in the Royal Engineers. She has previously served as the Training Officer in HQ 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, as a Squadron Secondin-Command in 36 Engineer Regiment and as a mentor to the Afghan National

Albeit a while ago, it was proud moment for Hannah Douglas (OK 98) when she received an MBE from the Queen in 2011

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NEWS OF OKS KAREN POMERANTX (nee Daley, OK 99) was appointed Managing Director of One Digital Limited last year, though she still remains hands-on with new product development for the company. She also took part in the British Roller Derby Championships with her team from Northampton, the Vendetta Vixens, who have this year been promoted to Tier 3. Keep an eye out for games being streamed on the BBC Sport website!

2000 - 2009 ALEX STANHOPE (OK 00) graduated in Real Estate Management in 2004 and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 2006. He is currently Group Property Director for Revolution Bars Group PLC, and also chairs assessment interview panels for candidates seeking to qualify as chartered surveyors. AMELIA COMBRINK (nee Downs, OK 04) has been living in Tanzania for 10 years. She lives and works in Arusha for the Mission Aviation Fellowship. [see Announcements] JAMES HODGSON and OLIVER HUGGINS (both OK 2005) continue to run their Estate Agency in Huntingdon, Oliver James Property Sales & Lettings. In 2018 the business was a finalist in the small business of the year category at The Hunts Post Business Awards. KATIE WELLS (OK 06) has returned to the UK after teaching at Marlborough College, Malaysia for 3 years. Katie now teaches at The Chandlers School in Abingdon. TOM HARRIS (OK 08) studied International Relations & Modern History at UEA (graduating in 2011) and is now a commercial pilot. He is currently a Senior First Officer at EasyJet. KATHRYN MURPHY (nee Rose, OK 08) lives in the Blue Mountains, Australia with her husband Daniel (they married in 2014), where they own The Laneway Sandwiches & Espresso. [see Announcements] JACCY GASCOYNE (OK 09) studied Spanish & Linguistics at Bangor 50

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ANDREA WOLFE (OK 08) and FIONA DENTON (OK 18) completed the Commissioning Course Short at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in November 2018. Andrea Commissions as a Lieutenant into the Royal Army Medical Corps, having previously served in the Army Reserve and worked as a doctor in the NHS. Fiona receives a Gap Year Commission and will serve with the Royal Dragoon Guards prior to attending Sheffield University to study Biomedical Science next September. They formed a friendship during the 9 week Commissioning Course and spent a fantastic dinner night reminiscing about their time at Kimbolton and everything that has changed (or stayed the same in the RSMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case) in the 10 years since Andrea left. L-R: Fiona Denton & Andrea Wolfe University. Her first job was for Amazon in the online retail fraud department. She now works as a Financial Crime Investigator for Deutsche Bank, monitoring transactions for signs of fraud, money laundering and terrorism.

GABY DANIELS (OK 11) has been working in media communications for the last 3 years. She works in a team responsible for the national media communications for Audi, Porche and the British Heart Foundation.

ALEX PASKE (OK 09) is the Founder of Mintridge Events which was set up with the objective to increase sports participation, support up-and-coming talent and help increase awareness of mental and physical health in children. She is an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society and, in November 2018, was winner of the Grassroots Award in The Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards

THEODORA DICKINSON (OK 11) is PA to the Dean at the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, London.

2010 - Present JONATHAN WELLS (OK 10) has moved from working for Linden Homes and started a new role as Land Manager for Bellway Homes last October. SOPHIE BATES (OK 11) studied English Literature at Royal Holloway College, University of London, followed by an MA and PGCSE at Homerton, Cambridge. She now works as an English teacher in Cambridge.

EMILY FLACH (OK 11) is on the Police Now Graduate Scheme. Since leaving Kimbolton she has undertaken a BA and MA at Durham University, worked at Buckingham Palace and international law firm Latham & Watkins. ANDREW TUKE (OK 11) studied engineering at Durham before starting his career as a Civil Engineer. He recently became a STEM Ambassador and visited the School last term to talk to current students. STEPHAN ABDALLAH (OK 12) studied Biology at Queen Mary, University of London. He is currently studying for a post-graduate Medicine qualification at the University of Keele. DANNI BELBIN (OK 12) was admitted to the roll of solicitors in September 2018. Danni specialises in Employment Law at Mills & Reeve LLP.

NEWS OF OKS TOM DAVIES (OK 12) graduated from Bath University with a BSc in Politics and International Relations, and for the last two years has been working for Amey (an infrastructure services organisation) and has recently completed the Graduate Scheme. Tom works in Amey’s Investments function, specifically within the business development team. NATASHA FEAVER (OK 12) has completed the Teach First programme and is currently a Geography Teacher and Induction Tutor at London Academy in Stanmore. ADAM SPENCER (OK 12) studied Industrial Design at Loughborough after leaving Kimbolton. He also has a Master’s degree in User Experience (UX) Design, has been self-employed and now works full-time as a UX Researcher for a digital consultancy. OLIVIA COTTERILL (OK 13) studied Music at the University of York. She is currently a Trainee Buyer at Kurt Geiger. JAMES BELBIN (OK 14) joined the staff at Kimbolton in September employed as a Graduate History Teacher for a year. JOHN BOWERS (OK 14) made his first class debut for Cambridge MCCU vs Essex in April 2018 before going on to play against Surrey and Nottinghamshire. He has also been playing in the Northamptonshire County 2nd XI and minor counties cricket for Cambridgeshire. At the time of writing John was living in Melbourne, Australia, for 6 months playing as the overseas professional for Port Melbourne CC. THOMAS CAMPBELL (OK 14) graduated in June 2018 with a 2:1 degree from Sheffield Hallam University. He is now working as a Graduate Surveyor with Barker Storey Matthews.

NATALIA OSEMAN (OK 14) gained an Upper Second Class Bachelor’s degree in Law from Hull before achieving a Distinction in MA Criminal Justice and Crime Control, also from Hull. She has now secured a place on the Government Legal Trainee Scheme in the Government Commercial Legal Department. GEORGE FURBANK (OK 15) made his rugby premiership league debut for Northampton Saints in November. Shortly afterwards he signed his first senior contract with the Club. ABI HOOTON (OK 15) joined the staff at Kimbolton in September employed as a Graduate Biology Teacher for a year. JAMES HOWLETT (OK 15) took part in the gruelling Everest Three Passes Trek last October - a 3 week expedition that traversed the 5500m high mountain passes which intersect the Everest region of Nepal. He raised money for the Gurkha Welfare Trust. MARCUS WATKINSON (OK 15) graduated from the University of Exeter with a First Class Honours degree in History with Advanced Proficiency in French. His next step... a Law conversion course. RUTH WATSON (OK 16) won the Apprentice of the Year award at the New Civil Engineer Graduate & Apprentice Awards 2018. Ruth’s apprenticeship was with Mott MacDonald. BETHANY HEATH (OK 17) is studying Natural Science at Durham University. In her first year she secured a Laidlaw Undergraduate Resarch and Leadership Scholarship; this Scholarship was established to help develop leadership potential in the world’s top students.

ANNA ELLERBECK (OK 18) has achieved national recognition for her dry point etching ‘Playground Games’ which has been selected for exhibition at two prestigious London shows this year. Out of 250 potential exhibits, just 2 were selected from the eastern region. Her work can be seen on display at the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL), St James, London SW1 from 26 April, and then at The Royal Society of British Artists annual show at the Mall Galleries from 4 July to 14 July. HARRY LEE (OK 19) is enjoying his remaining year of secondary school by studying at Westlake Boys High School after relocating to Aukland, New Zealand.

Former Staff STUART HENSON (Former Staff 1977-2014) has published two more collections of poetry since his retirement: Feast of Fools, with illustrations by Bill Sanderson (2015), and The Way You Know It: New and Collected Poems (2018), both published by Shoestring Press. His launched his latest collection at a reading at Waterstone’s in St Neots in November. BILL SKINNER (Former Staff 1988 - 2014) can often be found behind the counter at the Houghton and Wyton Community Shop - where OKs are always welcome! He also continues his careers guidance work with a charity that promotes social mobility, My Big Career, working mainly with school pupils in London. [see Announcements)

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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NEWS OF OKS

Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENTS OK Engagements / Marriages / Births CHARLIE ALEXANDER (OK 07) and JEMMA FEAVER (OK 09) are delighted to announce their engagement. LUCY BAILEY (OK 06) married Chris Sterecki in September 2018. OLI BAILEY (OK 97) and his wife Kate welcomed the arrival of Lola Jane on 17 March 2017. A sister for Matilda. EMELIA BARTON-CARROLL (OK 11) married James Hodson in May 2018 at Hengrave Hall, Suffolk. JAMES BOOTH (OK 06) and STEPH CHAPMAN (OK 08) were married at Notley Abbey on 3 August 2018. In attendance were quite a few OKs from James’ year (Helen White, Ben Jacobs, John Tusting, Katy Greenstone, Lisa Ames, William Holley, Patrick Forbes, Alex Thompson, Timothy Decker), and from Steph’s year (Eugenie Tilliole, Amber CarterThompson, Lucinda Sinclair). MICHAEL BROWN (OK 96) and his wife, Josie, celebrated the safe arrival of twin boys, Edward and Richard, in February 2018. Brothers for Connie and Robert. MARK CAPPS (OK 95) and Allegra Spender welcomed Rafferty Spender-Capps into the world on 30 June 2015. A younger brother for Arietta and Octavia. EMMA CHANDLER (OK 99) married Richard Issitt in an intimate wedding at St Helen’s Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire on 5 August 2016 and became Step-Mother to

Caitlin. Helen Gardner (nee Gell, OK 99) was present at the wedding with her family. On 2 March Emma & Richard welcomed Albert (Bertie) George Issitt into the world. AMELIA COMBRINK (nee Downs, OK 04) and her husband welcomed the arrival of Louis Kirstein in Cape Town on 16 October 2017. A brother for Johann Peter, who was born in the UK on 22 July 2015. SOPHIE DANIELS (OK 08) married Tom Fletcher on 14 July 2018 at The Pumping House, Ollerton. BEN GOAKES (OK 96) and Edith proudly announced the birth of Flora Eloise on the 4 March 2018. A sister for Liberty and Jacob. KATHRYN MURPHY (nee Rose, OK 08) and her husband Daniel celebrated the arrival of Olivia in March 2018. A sister for Harriet, who wa born in September 2015. REBECCA OXLEY (OK 97) and her partner, Stephen Cole, are pleased to announce the arrival of their daughter, Raya OxleyCole, born on 30 January 2018. KATIE PARTRICK (OK 95) and her partner Chris welcomed the arrival of their daughter, Jocelyn Rose White, on 10 January 2018. LAUREN SANDISON (nee Hayes, OK 98) welcomed the arrival of a beautiful, healthy, happy girl - Ella Elizabeth Sandison - on 6 September weighing 8lb 2oz. BILL SKINNER (Former Staff 1988 - 2014) married Sassy Horry at Huntingdon Town Hall on Friday August 17th. Sassy’s three OK children, Toby (94), Jack (96) and Charlotte (2000) were all in attendance among 19 family members. Bill and Sassy have lived in Wyton since 2016. BEVERLEY TAYLOR-CARSON (OK 03) and her husband Glen celebrated the arrival their son, Walter Miller, on 1 September 2018.

OKs at Sophie Fletcher (nee Daniels) Wedding L-R: Sophia Godfrey (OK 08), Georgie Devlin (nee Eaton, OK 08), Christine Potter (nee Yallup, OK 08), Charlotte Daniels (OK 04), Robert Daniels (OK 02), Stuart Daniels (OK 74), Sophie Fletcher, Andy Daniels (OK 72), Gaby Daniels (OK 11), Freddie Daniels (OK 04), James Bennett (OK 15), Harry Bennett (OK 17)

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ROBIN WILKINSON (OK 05) married Kelly Jones on 6 January 2018 in Australia where they both live. Thomas Bates (OK 80) and Philip Beverly (OK 05) both attended the wedding.

In Memoriam

NEWS OF OKS

DEATHS & OBITUARIES The OKA is saddened to report the deaths of the following OKs and colleagues: PETER ALLITT (OK 43) in November 2018 DAVID BROWN (OK 51) on 4 February 2018 JOHN CARRESS (OK 44) on 11 April 2017 NIGEL EALES (OK 69) on 1 November 2017 ROGER ECCLES (OK 64) in April 2018 PETER GUTHRIE (Former Staff) on 6 April 2018. MICHAEL J HAMLYN ( OK 54) on 3 November 2017 DAVID BROWN (OK 51) - died on 4 February 2018 after battling ill health in his last few years. Always proud to be an OK, David had many happy and funny stories of his time at Kimbolton School. One of his proudest moments was when the Head Master, C. H. Lewis wrote to him, sending him his good wishes when he had to have a lifesaving operation at fifteen. David recovered well and attended Moulton Agricultural College (1952-53), graduated and then had to return to the family farm to take over the running of it due to his father’s ill health. David then farmed with his brother Edward (OK 47) for the rest of his life, never actually retiring! His son Jonathan Brown (OK 85) continues to uphold the family farming tradition. David was Treasurer for many years for the Kimbolton Discussion Group, a committee member of the St Neots Farmer’s Dance Society and a member of the Ceres Lodge, Northampton. Friendships formed in David’s schooldays endured over the years. The late Jock Elliot (OK 51) played a major part in David’s life and Jock’s early demise was a devastating blow. Michael and John Ingle (OKs 50 and 36) also remained great friends with happy memories of days spent at race meetings – horse racing was a keen interest of David’s. Despite suffering throughout his life with ill health, David enjoyed a hardworking and rewarding life. He was a family man through and through and will be very sadly missed by those he leaves behind – his wife Shirley, children Louise and Jonathan and grandchildren Miles and Helena. JOHN CARRESS (OK 44) passed away peacefully on 11 April 2017, aged 89 years. HUGH CHRISTMAS (OK 67) died of cancer on 2 July 2017. He is very sadly missed by all who knew him. Hugh was the younger son of OK Dick Christmas, from Great Gransden. His brother Richard also preceded him at the School. I think it is fair to ay that Hugh found life as a boarder at Kimbolton, with all its rules and regulations, somewhat stifling. He was a rebel and a free spirit whose markedly cavalier approach to discipline frequently tested the tolerance and understanding of the school authorities. He was more than clever enough to have read any one of a number of academic

MICHAEL RICH (OK 47) in February 2018 PAUL ROBINSON (OK 63) on 12 January 2018 RONALD W SHADBOLT (OK 43) on 4 November 2017 ADAM THWAITES (OK 93) on 6 September 2018 BILL WALKER (OK 59) on 20 February 2018

subjects at university but his parents had decreed that he go to agricultural college: so off to Shuttleworth he went where he was joined by two other OKs, Jamie Donaldson and Alistair Clark. Hugh was a formidable footballer and cricketer playing for the First XI at both. His strength both in the air and especially in the tackle made him a doughty defender. He maintained that he always took man and ball, just not necessarily at the same time. His stamina may have been slightly suspect but then he had been an inveterate juvenile smoker possibly from as early as his days in the Prep Department. His bowling was fast and devious and his batting uncomplicated. He was a wonderful chap to have on your side not just because of his robust approach to subduing the enemy but more so for his invariably pitch black humour. He once memorably walked out of a geography lesson to the evident distress of Geoff Coles whose description of overpopulation in South America Hugh claimed was a veiled attack on the Roman Catholic church. His outrage was entirely confected : he abhorred all religion most particularly Roman Catholicism. We remained friends after leaving Kimbolton and he was never less than brilliant company. He married Christina who survives him with their younger son Max. Their elder son, Oliver, was tragically killed in a road accident in 1994 at the age of 17. There were some real characters at Kimbolton in the 60s but none so colourful and likeable as Hugh Christmas. Kindly written by Tom Harrison, OK 68 MICHAEL J HAMLYN (OK 54) died peacefully on 3 November 2017 aged 81. He went to Oxford University after leaving Kimbolton and did his National Service with the Royal Norfolk Regiment. He had a distinguished career in media and was Senior Editor and Foreign Correspondent at Times Newspapers for almost 40 years and described as “one of those rare journalists whose talent straddled reporting and newspaper production”. MICHAEL ANTHONY “MICK” RICH (OK 47) died in February 2018, aged 86. On leaving Kimbolton, Mick trained as a solicitor in Leicester, ultimately setting up the firm of Rich and Carr, which still

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NEWS OF OKS

In Memoriam

exists today. He was then offered a position as Chairman of Employment Tribunals, first in Leicester and then, in 1979, transferring to Southampton. For the first four months of 1979, he lodged with Frank Smith, his best friend from Kimbolton days (who had also acted as best man when Mick married Helen in 1959). They remained best friends until Frank’s early death in 1989. Mick subsequently became Regional Chairman for the southern region. He was co-author of the second edition of the textbook “Mead on Unfair Dismissal” and author of the first Handbook for Employment Tribunal chairmen. He was also the judge at first instance in the landmark case of Marshall –v– Southampton & South West Hampshire Area Health Authority, which ultimately resulted in the ending of forced retirement for women at an earlier age than men. Having been overruled on appeal in England, Mick’s decision was upheld by the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. He was very proud of this.

Mick Rich (right) in his school days wearing yet another style of Kimbolton blazer!

Never having been to university as a young man, Mick commenced a distance learning Masters Degree (LLM Employment Law & Relations) at the University of Leicester at the age of 60, obtaining a First on his graduation in July 1993.

Attending the Kimbolton 400th Anniversary (We don’t recognise the person on the celebrations reunited left - do you?) him with Mike Day, whom he had not seen since Mike’s emigration in the 1950s. Mike and his wife Eva visited the UK twice more after that, staying with Mick and Helen. Mick and Helen also visited Mike and Eva in Canada. A contribution sent by Mike was used to open Mick’s funeral. Mick always spoke fondly of his time at Kimbolton. He was excited to be contacted for his memories of Waldo Williams, the Welsh poet who once taught him English, to be used in a book about Williams. He occasionally surprised his family by quoting lines from Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”, having played Maria in the Kimbolton school production! Only a few days before his death, he was reminiscing about fellow pupils snaring rabbits in the grounds to supplement wartime meat rations. He is survived by his widow Helen, two children and two grandchildren, as well as his older brother Norman, also an Old Kimboltonian, now aged 96. Kindly written by Mick’s daughter, Judith

PAUL ROBINSON (OK 63) sadly passed away on 12 January 2018 after a long brave battle with Motor Neurone Disease. RONALD W SHADBOLT (OK 43) died on 4 November 2017, aged 90. He was born in Thrapston on 27 February 1927 into a motor engineering family. His grandfather had started work as an apprentice blacksmith, developing his skills to build his own ‘Globe’ brand bicycles, before establishing a motor engineering business at 13 Bridge Street, Thrapston, moving next door to no 11, into purpose-built premises around 1910. Ron’s parents took over the business when his grandfather died in the mid-1930s and after excelling at primary school he was successful in gaining a scholarship to Kimbolton School. From school he studied hard at night school and secured employment with Stewart & Lloyds in Corby as a research metallurgist. His reserved occupation meant he was spared active service and instead he worked on projects like PLUTO – the Pipeline Under The Ocean – and the development of Corby’s iconic Walking Draglines. He married Renie in 1953 and after the arrival of two sons, David in 1957 and Simon in 1960, the family moved to Nazeing in Essex. By this time Ron was working as a sales engineer in the foundry industry, a career that took him through to his retirement in 1993. He had many hobbies and interests – always photography (progressing from glass plates, through black and white, colour, cine and transparencies to the very latest digital technology), plus field sports, bird watching, insects, microscopy, classical music and travel. In their later years he and Renie were regularly exploring places as diverse as many of the Greek Ronald Shadbolt Islands, Thailand and Mexico, and at home their travels took them all over the UK, Ron continuing to drive until his death. He always maintained a keen interest in Kimbolton School, always choosing to drive through Kimbolton rather than via Brampton Hut on journeys between Essex and Northamptonshire, just to keep an eye on things and make sure all was still well! In her last 5 years, Renie suffered with worsening dementia, Ron acting as full-time carer, and she slipped away on 1st April 2017, just days before their 64th wedding anniversary. They had known each other for 87 years. Ron tried to continue as normal, busying himself with lunches out and visiting his family. But the spark had gone and when he became ill with kidney stones in August he succumbed to one infection after another, passing away on 4th November 2017 at the age of 90.He leaves sons David and Simon and grandchildren William and Flora. Kindly written by David Shadbolt.

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In Memoriam

ADAM THWAITES (OK 93) passed away on 6 September 2018 after a short illness. Adam attended Kimbolton School from 1986-1991. During his time at Kimbolton Adam formed lifelong friendships. Adam’s friends shared many fond memories of Junior Camps during the summer, Adverture Training with the CCF and other Naval Cadet activities, as well as many other activities both organised and forbidden by the School. Adam left Kimbolton after completing his GCSEs to attend Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge. After A-levels he studied agriculture at Shuttleworth College and Silsoe Agricultural College in Bedfordshire, during which he took a sabbatical to run a farm in Western Australia. Apart from a short time working for a trading firm in the City, he always worked in agriculture, including for Banks Cargill in Sandy, Mile Valley in Devon; in 2013 he moved to Oakham to work for Openfield where he was national Head of Fertiliser and a well known trader in the industry. Outside of work, Adam loved cooking, woodworking and the outdoors - all kindled during his time at Kimbolton. He is survived by his wife, Sam, his son, Torsten and daughter, Evelyn. Words kindly written by Adam’s school friends, Peter Love and Richard White, and his brother Simon.

BILL WALKER (OK 59) died on 20 February 2018. He grew up in Higham Ferrers and came to Kimbolton School in 1949 joining the second year Prep Department – at that time located in the old School premises. Bill was one of a small group of boys taken on a tour of the Castle by the Headmaster, Cyril Lewis, immediately following the School’s purchase and was one of the first boarders in the Castle. Bill was a contemporary of Ian Bailey. Jim Taylor and Malcolm Pollard. Both he and Malcolm Pollard excelled in art. When Bill left school in August 1957 he studied shoe manufacturing at the Northampton Boot and Shoe Technical

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College. After qualifying, Bill did not join the family shoe manufacturing business but gained employment as a designer and technical person with Cinderella Shoes in Worcester. Combining his artistic and technical ability, he was one of the first to incorporate various types of plastics and rubbers as they were developed into his shoe designs. He later joined British Shoe Corporation as their Chief Designer and Technical Manager. Not only did he develop the range of Hush Puppy shoes, he originated many other subsequent ranges of shoes sold in the BSC shops. He travelled extensively and dealt with many of the leading leather manufacturers and innovative rubber and plastic shoe soling and shoe upper material manufacturers at home and abroad. He was greatly respected for his knowledge and ability, apart from his natural business acumen. It was a natural progression that eventually in 1990 Bill started his own manufacturing company which then developed into a business, where he designed various ranges of shoes which he had made under his control at factories in India and China. Eventually Bill’s son, Mark, joined the company and this successful business continues to flourish. Bill was a quiet person of great integrity and kindness on whom you could always rely. He was a very good family man and loved his children and grandchildren. He always did his best and was successful in most things he undertook, not least his golf and DIY. He had a great community spirit and was very active in the Mears Ashby community and local church affairs where he lived. Bill passed away in his sleep at his holiday home in Spain. He leaves his wife, Katie, his son, Mark and daughter, Karen, and four grandchildren. Compiled by Fred Dudley (1957), a life-long friend and fellow OK, at the family’s request.

Editor’s Note: In the absence of a detailed obituary in the 2018 OK News on MELVYN HAYNES (OK 61) who died in January 2018, Ivor Watson (OK 62) wrote the following: The notice of Melvyn Haynes’ death in January reawoke fond memories of an amusing personality with an ability to play the piano. He was known by the soubriquet ‘Gassy’. For the school cabaret he introduced the French cafe entertainer, Gaston Deshaynes: dressed in a cream linen jacked and sandals, topped by a beret and round lensed dark glasses, and with a cigarette in a long holder, he reduced us to helpless laughter accompanying himself at the piano with a song satirising something to do with the school. Another tale relates to his activities as a projectionist at a local cinema. He told me that the hours of watching the same film through several sittings induced crashing boredom. Lack of attention could result in a spool of film being rewound the wrong way with unforeseeable consequences when it was played at the next showing. He also recounted how the National Anthem, played at the end of the last house, was recorded on a separate loop of film. To amuse himself he cut the loop up into a number of separate peices and reassembled them at random. the resulting cacophony was highly satisfying, but his punishment was having to restore the loop to its original state. He was also an able clarinettist who played in the school orchestra.

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NEWS OF OKS

In Memoriam

A TRIBUTE TO PETER GUTHRIE Peter died on 6 April 2018 aged 93. He was a music teacher at Kimbolton in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, running many bands and musical groups at the School as well as conducting individual lessons. Peter was born in Bedford in 1925 and joined the Royal Marines at the age of 14 as a Band Boy. His first commission at the age of 18 was aboard HMS Cumberland where he visited The Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean before returning to the UK in 1945. It is believed that during this first commission with the Royal Marines, Peter worked alongside the Gurkhas to whom he developed great respect for their determination, hard work and loyalty, traits that Peter valued highly throughout his life. In 1947 to 1948 Peter served on HMS Theseus where he visited various ports along with Australia and New Zealand and in 1948 to 1950 Peter served on HMS Devonshire where he visited The Mediterranean and West Indies. Peter’s final commission was in 1950 where he served on HMS Belfast for two years visiting Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore before he was medically discharged from service, having worked his way up to Bandmaster. While Peter was in hospital, he met his wife-to-be Kathleen, with whom he returned to Bedfordshire, where they married and settled with their children. He taught music as a peripatetic teacher before taking up a teaching position in music at Bedford School and then at Kimbolton School where he worked until his retirement. In the late 1990s, one of Peter’s former students from Kimbolton (Daniel Badcock, OK 92) introduced Peter to The Cambridge Saxophone Ensemble, a new saxophone-only group comprising a wide range of different-sized saxophones, which had recently formed at the university. Peter relished the opportunity to play his big bass saxophone in such a large group and to contribute some of his arrangements of classical works, some with the ink still wet as he turned up to the weekly rehearsals. After a couple of years, some of the players moved to Oxford University and a new ensemble, Plural Sax, was born, with Peter providing the musical foundation to the group. Peter’s collaboration with the players lasted for well over twenty years with periodic concerts taking place in Cambridge, Oxford and also Kimbolton School. Peter’s final meeting with Plural Sax was last November, for what was to be his last toot. After a pint in the pub (or two in the case of Peter) it was clear to the group that even at the grand age of 92, once sat back in front of his music and with his bass in his hand, Peter hadn’t lost his ability to bring a smile to his fellow musicians. He was still more than capable of bringing his mighty saxophone, and his music, to life. Upon hearing the news of Peter’s passing in April of this year, it was quickly decided by his fellow saxophonists that a fitting tribute to Peter would be a fund-raising concert in aid of the Gurkha Welfare Trust and St Andrews Church, two organisations Peter had great affinity with. And so it was, with joy and affection, that Plural Sax entertained around 80 people with Peter’s music, some travelling long distances to pay tribute to the great man. The musical send-off to Peter was an enjoyable afternoon and it was good to see a handful of OKs in the audience, one of whom described the event as a “brilliant concert... an exceptional way to remember Mr Guthrie”. KIndly written by Daniel Badcock (OK 92)

The sax group playing at the tribute concert for Peter

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Peter when playing with Plural Sax in November 2017, aged 92!

And Finally...

Kimboltonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olympian, Ben Saxton (OK 08), donated his 2016 Rio Team GB shirt to the school in a bid to inspire current pupils; the framed shirt is on permanent display in the Castleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Red Room. Ben currently campaigns a Nacra 17 (with Nicola Boniface) and has set his sights on a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

It was good to see the perfect backdrop to the front cover photo of The Cricketer Good Schools Guide 2019... and to see Kimbolton School listed in the Top 100 cricketing schools in the UK! www.oks.co.uk

Organising a Reunion? A page for your notes...

Dates for your

DIARY

At the time of going to print the following dates in the 2019 OKA calendar had been confirmed. Others will be added in due course and confirmed on our website.

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.

MARCH Sunday 24

Netball: OKs vs School VII, Roger Peel Sports Centre, 10.30am Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hockey: OK 2nd XI v School, Duchess Astro, 10.30am OK 1st XI v School, Duchess Astro, 12.00am

APRIL Friday 26

OKA London Dinner, The Lansdowne Club, Mayfair

MAY Friday 10 Thursday 16

OK Golf Spring Meeting, St Neots Golf Club OKA Committee Meeting, 7.00pm

JUNE Saturday 29 Saturday 29

OKA Summer Reunion, School Grounds, 11.30am onwards OKA Summer Ball, Castle State Rooms, 7.15pm

SEPTEMBER Sunday 8 Tuesday 17 Thursday 19 (tbc)

Ladies Hockey: OKs vs School, Duchess Astro, 10.30am OK Golf Autumn Meeting, Hunstanton Golf Club OKA AGM & Committee Meeting, 7.00pm

NOVEMBER Sunday 10

Remembrance Day Parade & Service, Kimbolton, 11.00am

01480 862223

Keeping in Touch...

alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk

www.oks.co.uk

Old Kimboltoniansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association Kimbolton School Kimbolton Huntingdon Cambridgeshire PE28 0EA Tel: 01480 862223 Email: alumni@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk