BURSAR’S BULLETIN Issue 22
Lent Term 2024
As we look to the year ahead it is perhaps helpful to remind ourselves that we are approaching the middle of the school year, and, as the days start to grow lighter, that we have much to look forward to with eager anticipation. Lent term is always a full term, and while the dark and cold days (and occasional floods!) try their best to detract, it is not long before we get caught up in the activity of a busy and thriving school and start looking ahead to spring and summer. As ever, there is a lot to report in this Bursar’s Bulletin. It continues to shine a light on the people at Radley, on our activities and provides some dates for the diary for you to join in with various activities. Of course, it is the people and the passions that make us what we are — so do read what’s inside this edition, and learn more about your colleagues and their interests. We are always happy to hear new stories, so do let Anna Haynes know if you have something interesting to share for a future edition. Have a great term!
Bring on 2024!
Staff Discounts and Forthcoming Events to get you up, out and feeling good
Use the QR code for more details and to book!
Staff Family The College swimming pool is open to staff and their families at Swim Times certain times during the week. Please book your place in advance. National Pool Lifeguard Qualification The next NLPQ course will run at the Sports Centre from Monday 12 – Saturday 17 February. The cost is £200 and the course is open to anyone aged 16 or over. Spread the word to friends and family!
TryTri Staff Discount
The annual TryTri event will take place at Radley College on Good Friday, 29 March, with both Novice and Sprint categories. Staff are eligible for a 10% discount when they sign up via trytri.co.uk and use the code RADLEYSTAFF10.
Staff Gym Membership Annual membership of Radley College’s Leisure Club is just £50 for staff, a saving of £275. Membership includes use of the fitness suite, weights room, swimming pool and fitness classes.
A live celebration Music of Pink of the iconic 1988 Pink Floyd Floyd Concert World Tour. This light and sound spectacular comes to Radley College on 29 and 30 March in aid of the Footsteps Foundation.
Staff Events Recent events, Michaelmas Term 2023:
Campus Tour with David Anderson David shared stories of the history of the campus and the landscape, as well as secrets of the projects he has led, including Chapel and Clocktower Court. Highlights for staff members on the tour were the tunnel under Mansion, the JCR and the story behind a particular gargoyle above F Social.
Upcoming
events
for staff Lent Term 2024
All welcome, sign up now! Lino Printing Art Workshop
Wine Tasting In Radley’s Cellars
Many thanks to the Art Department for a wonderful evening creating lino prints to make a unique set of Christmas cards. These gorgeous designs were made by Caroline, Sophie, Ella and Selina.
Thurs 1 February 18:00 – 20:00
Join Malcolm Brown for an informal evening in Radley’s wine cellars — a chance to experience what, for many, is an unexplored area of the College and try some of Radley’s finer vintages! Numbers will be limited and offered on a first come/first served basis.
Countryside Centre Visit Charlie Herbert and the Countryside Centre team welcomed staff on a chilly afternoon to meet the sheep, goats, ferrets, pigs, hounds and deer, followed by sausage baps and a winter stew to warm up!
Christmas Bookspiration What better way to follow the operational staff Christmas lunch, than browsing books and buying a few last minute Christmas presents? Thanks to Amanda Stead, Beth Ash and Aileen from Mostly Books in Abingdon for making everyone feel very welcome!
Staff Observatory Evening TBC 23–26 January 17:45 – 20:00
Join Kevin Mosedale and Alastair Vaan for some star gazing in Radley’s Observatory. Jupiter and the Moon will be high in the sky and Saturn will be visible in the earlier part of the evening between Tuesday 23 and Friday 26 January. The session will be dependent on visibility conditions so please sign up if you are interested and we will confirm the best evening nearer the time.
Singing at the Heart of the College
The Fauré Requiem liturgical performance in November was a wonderful opportunity to bring the College community together in the Chapel, at the heart of the College, sharing one of the most iconic, sublime pieces of music together. When I started teaching, I discovered choral singing in Christmas services. Fauré was the first ‘big’ piece that I sang in some years ago and I loved every moment. I join the come-and-sing efforts when I can – Fauré was too good to miss. Hugely enjoyable – especially meeting some of the ORs. Alastair Vaan Head of Computer Science
Quite simply a pure privilege to be involved in the performance of such a stunning piece of choral music.
Louise Roques Music Department Administrator
I love singing with the choral society. Sam is an amazing conductor and quite frankly amazing for giving up his precious free time to rehearse with us. Sadly I can’t commit to weekly choir rehearsals so this is the perfect way to get my singing fix and Fauré’s Requiem is a beautiful piece of music. Joanna de Ritter Head of Fifths
Singing is a great leveller and it was inspiring to see choristers singing next to ORs, current Sam Gladstone boys next to their dons, members of the local community next to senior colleagues, Precentor and operational staff from across the school performing next to professional musicians. Perhaps most moving was the Libera Me which involved the whole school singing, filling the Chapel with the sound of 800 voices in unison, accompanied by an orchestra of boys side by side with their teachers. The Chaplain drew the service together powerfully, focussing our minds on the good news at the heart of the Gospel. Our next massed choral society performance is in March and I would encourage everyone to consider getting involved!
Sam’s ‘Come and Sing’ email to all staff at the beginning of October encouraged me to join in. I fell into the category ‘keen singer, keen to do more’ and the fact that the time commitment was manageable. Everyone was very welcoming and Sam’s enthusiastic and encouraging leadership was inspiring. Come the day and joining with the whole choir was just such an amazing experience. Chapel is wonderfully atmospheric and the sound gave me goosebumps. Jane O’Connell HR Administrator
It was a wonderful thing to do a few days before I leave the school. An addition to the amazing memories I have of Radley. It is events like these that make Radley such a hard place to leave. Cedric Ploix Teacher of French
SAVE THE DATE Choral Society: Poulenc Gloria Sunday, 17 March Chapel
A Moment of Me: Marcin Stefanski
Marcin Stefanski is a member of the Housekeeping team and has been based in J Social since his arrival at Radley in February 2023. Here, Marcin shares his passion for wild medicinal plants.
Where has your passion taken you?
completely recovered.
Eventually to postgraduate studies in Herbalism and Phytotherapy, which I completed with a state exam and received my professional title.
It would have been just a passion if it were not for my wonderful wife, who encouraged me to develop the expertise I now have in this field.
I have had an interest in plants since childhood – they have been companions all my life. I became interested in wild medicinal plants when I was at university.
However, the journey here began during a very difficult part of my life. Our daughter developed an unusual illness when she was younger. Academic medicine was failing and this is where Mother Nature came to the rescue. Faced with an unknown illness that was weakening our daughter’s body, my wife and I began using wild herbs, plant oils, essential oils and vitamin supplements. We cleared our daughter’s body of parasites and supported her natural immunity.
What place does your passion currently have in your life?
Wild medicinal plants have always been used in my family to treat the most common infections and this knowledge has been passed on from generation to generation. My grandmother collected wild herbs and used them to make cough syrups, concoctions for colds, tinctures for stomach aches and indigestion, and herbal teas. When I was in college I got my first herbal recipe books and herbarium from my grandmother. Even then it was clear to me that wild medicinal herbs would stay with me forever. I began to study them, learning about the species, the recipes for herbal mixtures, the diseases that herbs work on and the history of their use.
During this time, I did a lot of reading, learned about human anatomy and looked for herbal solutions that would help us. I learned about more wild plants and the principles of supplementation. Together with the dermatologist who was taking care of our daughter, we developed a plan of action, he supported with external methods on the skin and I supported my daughter’s organism from the inside. It is a long story. After two years of treatment with herbs, she
I’m delighted to be part of the wonderful Radley community and every Saturday I work as a teacher at the Polish Saturday School in Oxford where I teach Polish Geography. In addition, I educate people via social media about plants which are increasingly being used as an alternative to drugs. Every year I organise a herb walk in Oxford where I show exactly which plant species we can use in our everyday life. I teach how to identify, harvest, dry, store and use them. I am learning all the time, gaining further knowledge and experience. Currently, the object of my research is wild mushrooms, mainly those that grow on trees. They are very popular in Chinese medicine and have a lot to offer us. Many of them are edible and taste delicious.
Do you have a favourite plant? It’s difficult for me to answer because among plants there are some that I admire for their efficacy for health, some that fascinate me botanically and some that I find underrated despite their wonderful properties. But I think my favourite wild plant is the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). This inconspicuous plant has tremendous power. It can be treated as a food because its leaves can be fried like spinach or added to salads. Its roasted and ground root mixed with chicory root used to be used as a coffee substitute. Its flowers are used to make cough syrup in spring. Dandelion is helpful in supporting the liver and works well on the digestive system. It contains many valuable vitamins and minerals. As you can see, it is underrated and considered a weed in our gardens. I am lucky enough to have been on a number of expeditions in search of wild medicinal plants. The most exciting was a trip to Mount Etna, Sicily where I found plant species on the slopes of the volcano that I thought would not survive in such a hot climate. One of these plants was the sand blanket (Helichrysum arenarium) which usually grows in sandy coniferous forests. But that is a story for another day!
A Moment of You? You may have seen the first videos in our Moment of Me series, featuring Ben L and his passion for military history and Arthur D-P and his passion for film. We were delighted that Arthur’s Moment of Me film lead to him being offered a job filming for Africa Gap. So now it’s your turn... do you have an interest away from work or an area of expertise you would like to share? We would love to celebrate the richness and diversity of our staff community so don’t be shy! amth.haynes@radley.org.uk
Mistletoe: A Magical Healer Probably everyone has kissed under the mistletoe at least once, but did you know that mistletoe helps prolong life for the seriously ill? But let’s start at the beginning. As winter approaches, it’s the best time to collect mistletoe. In England, the custom of kissing for luck under the mistletoe has been known since at least the early 17th century, but its pedigree is much older. Mistletoe (Viscum album) was already worshipped by the Celtic Druids. A drink made from it was considered an antidote to all poisons, as well as an effective aphrodisiac and a symbol of fertility. The Celtic priest solemnly cut down the Mistletoe with a golden sickle during the celebration, which took place on the first day of the new year – in any case, this is how Pliny describes it. What is magical about this unusual plant and how can we use its properties today? Preparations based on mistletoe are among the most commonly prescribed medicines for cancer patients in several European countries, but mistletoe
will not be effective for all cancers. The use of the mistletoebased preparation Helixor had a significant effect on prolonging the life of cancer patients, as well as on hormonal regulation. Patients with malignant tumours of the colon, stomach, breast and bronchus took part in the study. Finally, an interesting fact. Common mistletoe is a delicacy for birds, its fruits are eagerly eaten by them. And it is thanks to birds that the plant can reproduce and spread over long distances. Seeds in the digestive tract or stuck to the legs of birds get from one host tree to the next, sometimes covering hundreds of kilometers. Marcin Stefanski If you want to learn more, you can write to me: martinherbalist@gmail.com
Staff News
A Warm Welcome to staff who have joined us since September 2023: Will Bush, Leisure Assistant
Tanwyn James, Admissions Officer
Jorge Catalan, Deputy Manager, Catering
Noah McMahon, Leisure Assistant
Charlotte Clancy, Examinations Officer
Sarah Newport, Payroll Officer
Charlie Coleman, Leisure Assistant
Anne Parker, Teacher of Maths
Tomas De Jesus Maia, Kitchen Porter
Virna Quintao, Food Service Assistant
Al Fagan, Countryside Centre Partnerships Assistant
Trish Reeves, Healthcare Assistant
Debbie Foster, Domestic Cleaner
Luke Swain, Reception Porter
Congratulations
to Duncan Harrop who takes over as resident Sub-Tutor in D Social and Phil Langman, the new lead for Charities Partnerships.
Baby News Hello to (L-R) Oli, born on 19 September, to James Rock (Rackets Professional) and Krista Thompson (former staff member) and to twins, Solomon and Indi, born on 24 September, to Sam Townsend (Master i/c Rowing & Teacher of Geography) and Tasha.
Meet the Reception Porters
The Lodge is home to our five Reception Porters (pictured below) and Security team, who between them ensure the College entrance is staffed 24/7. To enable a constant presence in the day and a reassuringly secure presence during the night and at quieter times of the year, the Lodge staff work to a rolling shift pattern. Day shifts are covered from 7am to 7pm by the five Reception Porters and the night shifts, 7pm to 7am, are covered by the Security team. In addition, Lodge staff are supported from Bursary Reception by Sallie Swain, Bursary Receptionist/Administrator. The Lodge is also the hub for all incoming post and parcels. Staff are able to collect and send post directly from the Lodge. To contact the teams, please use Lodge@radley.org.uk or ext. 3000 for the daytime staff and Security@radley.org.uk for staff covering the 7pm to 7am night shift. More details can be found on the Staff Noticeboard SharePoint site.
Lorne Hanks Shift: static weekday shifts: 7am — 12pm Joined: January 2002 Known for: his interest in history.
Holly Howlett
Luke Swain
Shift: rolling rota
Shift: rolling rota
Shift: rolling rota
Joined: August 2021
Joined: June 2023
Joined: October 2023
Known for: his love of the outdoors.
Known for: her 14 animals.
Known for: being a huge Spurs fan.
Dennis Horrocks
Sophie Tyler Shift: static weekend shifts: Sat, 7am - 1:30pm Sun, 7am - 1:00pm Joined: May 2022 Known for: being a busy mum of four children.
MY
radley Radley is gearing up to say goodbye to one of its longest serving and most influential dons at the end of this academic year. Ahead of his departure for the wilds of the west coast of Ireland, I asked Ben about his early career prior to arriving at Radley.
As I got closer to finishing my degree, the realisation set in that the opportunities for aspirant boat designers were few and far between, so I accepted a job with a subsidiary of Ford – they were based on the south coast which was the main attraction. Disappointingly I found myself designing exhaust brackets for generator sets, which wasn’t exactly what I had in mind! I thought again about teaching, having realised that at least I would have the summer holidays to indulge a growing passion for windsurfing, and applied for a job at a small school called Bearwood College, outside Wokingham. I enjoyed Bearwood and learnt a great deal about classroom management and discipline. However, after a year the realisation had dawned that the school’s nascent rowing programme was never going to get off the ground.
After D I had a Pastoral/Under Master role, supporting Mike Hopkins, who was Sub-Warden at that time. He was a lovely man and great fun to work alongside; sadly, Mike passed away and the Sub-Warden role fell to me. I never really went looking for these roles, but they seem to have come my way. What makes Radley a special place? A sense of quality underpins every aspect of what the school is about, from top to bottom. It was the vision when the school was founded, and it has remained true to it ever since. The environment is beautiful, the quality of the Common Room is phenomenal – especially the quality of the relationships the teaching staff build with the boys which is outstanding, as is the quality of results across the board. And the Design department, of course! Dennis was passionate about design and making, and Radley was one of the first schools of its kind to invest in the subject. Over the last 30 years I have had the pleasure of working with wonderful colleagues in a superbly well-equipped department. Can you pick a highlight from your time here?
When I saw the job advert for Radley College, I was immediately taken back to the BBC TV series Public School which I had found fascinating. I remember the day of my interview vividly – something was wrong with my car and the one I borrowed was an old Citroën whose rear doors had been roped together to stop them flapping. I arrived late and feeling flustered after a difficult journey. Thankfully, I had a lovely interview with Dennis Silk, who allowed me to get completely carried away talking about rowing and boats for what seemed like ages, before he very politely steered me onto the subject of design!
It would have to be the first National Schools’ Octuple Final! I had the fortune of being asked to coach the first J14 Octuple. I had coached J15 2 and 3 for a while and the crews were very successful, so on the back of this I was asked to take on the Octuple – a new discipline in 1991; an eight-man sculling boat.
I started in the Lent term 1987 as a teacher of CDT – the subject has gone through many incarnations over the years, but back then it was Craft, Design & Technology.
What’s next?
Tell us about the various roles you’ve taken on over the years. I thoroughly enjoyed working with like-minded people in the Design department. The team was pretty stable for a few years but when Peter Wilkins came back to Radley after his year’s sabbatical in Australia, promptly applied for his emigration papers and returned down under with his whole family, Richard Morgan asked me to take over as Head of Department.
We bought two beautiful Karlisch boats from Germany, of course, being Radley, they were top quality boats. We found ourselves in the final of the National Schools’ Regatta and the boys won by seven or eight lengths.
We have a property on Bantry Bay in Southwest Ireland which we bought about 12 years ago but there’s still a lot to do. I will have the chance to sail and fish to my heart’s content but my first job is to build a studio for my wife, Helen, before I can start on a workshop for myself. Getting stuck into some hard manual labour, sledgehammer in hand, really appeals. How would you describe Radley? Home. For us as a family it has always been home and I know it is going to be a wrench to leave.
Ben Holden, Sub-Warden
I’ve always enjoyed designing and making things, and I went to Brunel University to study industrial design. A teaching component was offered as part of the degree course and my father, who was in education, strongly encouraged me to enrol on it. Of course, it was the best advice I’ve ever been given. I did the education course to keep him happy really, but I found I enjoyed teaching. However, I still saw myself as a ‘proper designer’ and my ambition was to make a living designing boats.
The next role I took on was Tutor of D Social. Helen (my wife, who taught art at Radley for four years) and I had both been Sub-Tutors in D Social for several years. We stayed for thirty–five terms, raising our family there. I think of all my years at Radley, the years in D Social were the happiest.
“Don’t give up on your dreams” We hope that all operational staff enjoyed the box of goodies they received from the College as a token of its appreciation for all your hard work. We decided to make a change this year and model the values of sustainability, social responsibility and partnership we encourage in Radleians and our staff. We worked with Ethstat, a social enterprise and worker-owned cooperative to commission a 100% plastic-free box with gifts sourced from purpose-driven brands who share a commitment to sustainable and ethical business practice. Packing of our hampers this year gave 323 hours of paid employment to ex-offenders, prisoners on temporary licence, people living with mental health conditions and the homeless. Ethstat offers them a Living Wage and a reference; for many this will be their first job and Ethstat will be their first reference. Ethstat shared with us the stories of two of their staff who packed our hampers, Jordan (above, left) and Mason (above, right). Jordan described himself as “one of the statistics – lost in the care system at an early age, got into trouble and ended up in the Young Offenders Unit at 14 years old. ” Since working with Ethstat, Jordan spoke of his drive and determination to want to better himself and be a role model to his children and said “don’t give up on your dreams – there is something out there for everyone.” Prior to working for Ethstat, Mason was experiencing severe depression and anxiety. He says that the change he felt once he started working for Ethstat was profound; “within three days I was becoming a completely different person. I was coming to work happy, feeling appreciated and was able to contribute to a good cause.” The hampers contained treats including the UK’s first plastic-free popcorn, fairtrade chocolate which helps female farmers and their families, and ethical coffee which supports the families of those living with dementia. We are planning a visit later this year to Ethstat’s premises in Croydon to find out more about the organisation and the people it works with. We will share details with staff and encourage you to join us if you can. Head of Exams, Jo Bailey, with the Invigilators’ boxes.
Look out for the new film The Boys in the Boat, opening in cinemas on 12 January. The film tells the story of the University of Washington’s rowing team and their preparations for the 1936 Olympic Games. Directed by George Clooney, the film stars Callum Turner, Joel Edgerton, Alec Newman and Hadley Robinson and is based on the book by Daniel James Brown. The cast learned to row at Radley, coached by Olympic rowing coach Terry O’Neill and using our ergo room and rowing tank to hone their technique before taking to the river. A short video documenting their training journey (and showcasing our facilities!) is available on YouTube at the link below.
Charity News Passing the charity baton I’m delighted to be taking over from Peter Taylor as the lead for Charities Partnerships. I’d like to thank Peter for his leadership, inspiration and ideas during his time in this role. Charities are an important part of our Community Partnerships strand, and as such I intend to continue the work Peter has been leading. We would like to ensure that all staff are involved in supporting charitable activities, either by raising money for a cause close to their own hearts or by getting involved in community-wide College activities. We are currently looking into the best way to do this so watch this space for more! Phil Langman Charities Partnerships Lead
This year’s Christmas Jumper Day raised over £850 for our charity partner, Oxfordshire Youth. The money will go to Young People’s Supported Accommodation, supporting young people at risk of homelessness across the county.
Thank you to everyone who supported the annual sale of poppies in aid of the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal - the College raised a total of £1,770.
Led by Ambrose (6.2, C) parents were invited to donate clothing, blankets and toiletries for local homeless and people in need as they collected their sons at the end of term.
A magnificent seven staff teams sat down to a bumper quiz in November, written by the legendary Chris ‘Quizzo’ Masters and hosted by Lisa, who has become a firm favourite at the annual quiz. The mighty Quizzie Rascals claimed victory, narrowly beating the Ornamental Cabbages and Administrative Nightmare. Most importantly, £150 was raised for SSNAP, particularly poignant having heard Lisa speak earlier in the evening about her personal experience of the amazing care SSNAP gave her and her son when he was born prematurely. Tim & Lel Lawson once again organised a wonderful Advent Window Trail around the campus, in support of Sobell House Hospice. From the mischievous Bursary elves (L) to the three kings of F Social, there was some great artwork and creativity on display. Thank you to everyone who took part — £235 has been raised so far.
Congratulations to the Removes for their stellar fundraising efforts in aid of the Commonwealth Education Trust (CET) who do incredible work in educating teachers across the Commonwealth. Some of the fundraising efforts included: swimming the length of the Channel (in the pool!), running the length of Andorra, swimming the height of Everest and cycling from Twickenham to Paris in the gym. A grand total of £8,100 has been raised.
Chris Mason and his 19 ‘Mo Bros’ have raised a total of £5,872 for the men’s health charity Movember, which focuses on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. As well as growing a mo, the boys raised funds by running a ‘Movember night’ in the JCR. Radley was the seventh highest fundraising school in the UK. Well done all!
Part of what makes the Radley community special is the fact that so many staff call the campus home. One couple, soon to tie the knot, is Henry Cosh (Foundation Associate Director) and Andria Pancrazi (Head of French) who have lived at Radley for five years and are busy planning their wedding this summer. Henry and Andria shared with me how they first arrived at Radley. Andria: I was nearing the end of my PhD at Oriel and Jesus Colleges, Oxford, and was looking for a teaching job locally for when I finished. I started at Radley in September 2018. Henry: I remember you being offered the job – it was so funny. You’d been for the interview at Radley and then had another interview the next day at Bradfield College. Your phone rang quite late that evening and for some reason we were both convinced it was the taxi company calling to cancel the booking for the next day, so I remember you getting a bit of a shock when it was the Warden calling to offer you the job at Radley. A: Yes, I nearly didn’t bother to pick up! H: We settled into Radley life almost immediately – so much so that we got our dog, Sunday, during the Exeat of our first Michaelmas Term here. A: We had been really looking forward to the moment when we could finally get a dog together.
H: We always talked about getting a dog that would be big and fluffy, like a cosy Sunday at home. We paid the deposit for the dog before we even arrived here! He is truly a dog of Radley, this is the only place he’s ever lived. I remember taking a week off work to puppy-train him in our flat here and taking him for his first walks around the campus. A: I’d been working here for about six months when I noticed a job advert in the internal vacancies list that looked extremely similar to what Henry was currently doing. H: I was Development Officer at Queen’s College, Oxford which I was enjoying, but of course at this stage, we had been living at Radley for a little while and I was getting very jealous of Andria’s commute. A: We were really enjoying getting to know the College community of families and partners and making some friends, so Henry was tempted to apply for the job. H: I went for an interview and everyone was just so lovely and it made perfect sense so I was absolutely delighted to be offered the job. It was strange that we were suddenly working together though. A: We both worked for the University of Oxford before, but in different colleges, so our paths didn’t really cross. H: Although that is how we met!
A: I was doing my PhD and one of my students was a school friend of Henry’s. H: She set us up and we went to The Chequers on our first date – it’s a pub off the High Street in Oxford and I always recommend it for first dates – it’s pretty non-descript so it doesn’t look as if you’re trying too hard and you haven’t made a big effort if everything goes wrong. A: Everything went well though, thankfully! We went on a few more dates and then it came to the Christmas holidays and I had planned to go home to France to see my family, so I asked Henry if he’d water my plants when I was away. H: Which I did! But Andria’s apartment flat was so great, it was right in the centre of Oxford by the Bear pub and really close to my work, so in the end I moved a few things in and then a few more and by the time Andria got back I’d basically moved in. A: Seven years later, and I still haven’t got rid of him! We’re planning our wedding which is going to be in July. H: During the long-weekends and holidays we live in Ludlow, and I grew up nearby, so we decided to get married in Ludlow Castle. We’ve just booked the caterers, it’s getting very exciting. It will be a small wedding, just close friends and family.
A: It’s lovely being able to balance our time between our house in Ludlow and Radley. H: I like being part of the community here at Radley, it has such a family-feel. A: Parents pick up on that I think – especially if families have sent several boys here – Radley has a family-feel for them and they realise it has a family-feel for us too. It’s a shared experience. H: Like all dons, Andria throws himself into Radley life 24/7 during termtime whereas I have to balance my evenings and weekends as I work through the holidays. A: Aside from teaching Modern Languages, I help with golf and run the Photography Society and also teach Japanese. I’m a non-residential Sub-Tutor in K Social which of course means that Henry is an honorary member of the Social. H: It’s always lovely to be invited along to K Social events. A: One of my favourite College social events are the Safari Suppers. It’s such a great way to get to know new members of Common Room and catch up with colleagues after the summer. Everyone hosts a course and we move around to different houses during the evening, it’s really good fun.
H: Living on campus I get to know more members of the teaching staff and I think Andria probably has a better understanding of what happens in the Development Office and College communications. Sometimes we speak totally different languages though – Andria will tell me he’s free after Period 4 or in Central Hour and I still have no idea what time he means!
H: Andria speaks seven languages ...
A: It is a language barrier, but if I can teach you French I’m sure we can get the hang of Radley’s timetable.
A: We were in the Observatory at the top of the City Hall in Tokyo and I spotted someone who looked a lot like a Radley boy, but I decided that would be impossible. Of course – it was indeed a Radley boy, and one who had been in my Japanese option the year before.
H: I did A-Level French but it got very rusty and Andria helped me re-learn it. A: My parents don’t speak English and Henry’s don’t speak French so we have to at least help both sets get the gist of what’s going on.
A: Six and a half! H: ...which is incredibly helpful when we’re on our travels. For us, getting away is really important because life is so busy at Radley. Last spring, we finally managed to go on the trip to Japan that we had booked in 2019.
H: It just shows you the strength of Radley ties around the globe!
Emily Noel-D’Avila, Leisure Club and Commercial Operations Manager
MY
radley Emily’s experience of Radley goes right back to her first swimming lesson! She is now a manager in both the Sports Centre and the Commercial Enterprises Team. I asked Emily to take me back to those first visits. I grew up in Kennington and went to St Swithun’s Primary School, so we used the College pool for our swimming lessons. My dad has been a member of the gym since it first opened – he’s actually one of our longest-standing members. When I was old enough I used to come with him to circuits classes in the Sports Centre and then decided to train as a lifeguard, so I started working at the Sports Centre as soon as I qualified when I was 16. After that I became a Duty Manager and stayed until I went to Bournemouth University to study fashion design. How did your interest in fashion begin? I received a sewing machine for Christmas one year – I always enjoyed making clothes and I went on to do textiles at school. As part of my degree we were lucky enough to collaborate on a runway show with some of the team from Vivienne Westwood. That was an amazing experience, but it made me question whether this was really what I wanted to do when I graduated. I found it hard to design to someone else’s vision and felt more comfortable creating my own designs. I won a couple of competitions; one was to create TikTok merchandise and the other was working for a vegan footwear company – a pair of shoes that I designed went into production, which was brilliant.
What does your day-to-day job entail? My job is split between the Sports Centre and the Commercial Team and I teach at least one or two classes every day – FIT, Bodyburn and Circuits. I work with the rest of the team to keep the classes fresh and fun. Our Circuits classes have 55 stations so I work with Harry (Gillett) to think of 55 things for people to do! The classes are for all standards of ability so we want to make sure everyone can manage each station and adapt it for their level of fitness. I also oversee the Leisure Club which has a membership of 800. The other part of my job, working with Les and Caitlin, is planning all the commercial lets at the College outside term time. This involves a lot of planning meetings and spreadsheets! We’re a very hands-on team and try to react quickly to needs and requests when we have clients onsite. What changes have you seen in your time here? Membership is a lot easier to manage now – when I first joined there were two huge folders jam-packed with all the members’ forms, so if you needed to find one it would take you forever and people would moan at me for putting them back in the wrong place! Can you pick a highlight?
It would have to be the European Transplant & Dialysis Games last summer. All the hard work over the months prior were worth it when I look back on what a fantastic week it was. I feel it showed Radley at its best – we hosted more than I still get to use my art and design skills now through 600 athletes from 26 countries. The athletes had undergone managing the social media and advertising for the Sports life-changing transplant surgery so to see them running Centre, assisted by Robyn Swain, the Sports Centre Operations around the track when they might not have been able to Administrator. I also produce an annual booklet for the walk a couple of years previously was incredible. Commercial Enterprises team. What makes Radley a special place to work? Tell us about your return to Radley. I’m always amazed at how friendly people are around the I graduated during lockdown which made finding a job very site – everyone makes an effort to say hello. Since working tricky. The Sports Centre was advertising for staff so I took on in the Commercial Enterprises team, I interact with so many the Fitness Manager role which meant I ran fitness classes as departments and have a much better understanding now well as overseeing the membership side of the Leisure Club. I of what different departments do, I really feel a part of the was keen to develop the Leisure Club brand, add new classes College community. and streamline the number of different membership options on offer so with this in mind I was promoted to Leisure Club What might we find you doing away from work? Manager in 2021. I love shopping, going to the gym and interior design. I still do Les Newell had been offered the role of Head of Commercial a lot of sewing, particularly making baby clothes for friends Enterprises in September 2021 and envisioned the team and family. I have two dogs who keep me busy, and that’s as having an overlap with the Sports Centre. Caitlin Baker one of my favourite things about working here – the dogs of was Commercial Operations Manager and I joined the team Radley! Bumping into dogs around the campus adds to the shortly after. feeling of community here.