The Reigatian Magazine 2018

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

THE REIGATIAN 2018

THANK YOU TO SIR PETER HARRISON AND THE PETER HARRISON FOUNDATION OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY OF THE HARRISON CENTRE: OUR FANTASTIC NEW LEARNING CENTRE

Proud to be supporting Reigate Grammar School Foundation.

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Helping you to plan for the future, deal with the unexpected and prosper through life’s ups and downs.

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T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

CONTENTS

03

GRAND OPENING

OF THE NEW HARRISON CENTRE

24

52

26

56

UNIVERSITY HONOURS 2018 DEGREE INFORMATION FROM RECENT GRADUATES

FEATURES

WE HEAR FROM ORS ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND ADVENTURES

04

CHANGING LIVES UPDATE

08

FROM THE ARCHIVES SPEECH DAY

OR SPORT

REPORTS ON OR TEAMS

58

SCHOOL NEWS

WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON AT RGS

SPOTLIGHT ON...

63

FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES 2018 WAS A SUCCESSFUL YEAR

13

PUBLICATIONS

LATEST OR RELEASES

THE REIGATIAN NETWORK

RGS LONDON PROFESSIONALS, OVERSEAS FRIENDS AND OVERSEAS AMBASSADORS

18

REUNIONS

EVENTS DURING 2018

22

AWARDS AND HONOURS ORS RECEIVE AWARDS

43

64

DEATHS & OBITUARIES FAREWELL TO OLD FRIENDS

RECOLLECTIONS & MEMORIES REFLECTIONS ON LIFE AT SCHOOL

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WELCOME FROM THE HEADMASTER

I am delighted to write again for The Reigatian magazine after yet another busy year.

This is a chance to recognise the Reigatian community and say thank you to all involved, none more so than Sir Peter Harrison KGCN CBE and the trustees of the Peter Harrison Foundation.

With their generous benefaction and support, we now have a wonderful new heart-of-the-school – the Harrison Centre – which was officially opened on 24 April 2018 by Sir Peter Harrison himself.

The school’s inaugural Wellbeing Festival was an enormous success: a great opportunity for all to raise the importance of developing a range of personal resources to manage the challenges and opportunities of everyday life. RGS’s whole school approach to wellbeing has been commended and we were delighted to have been awarded School of the Year for our work in pastoral care and wellbeing at the annual, prestigious Times Education Supplement (TES) Independent School Awards. This, coupled with Independent School Parent’s School of the Year for Community Outreach, is fantastic recognition from experts within the sector for the work we are doing.

2018 was a busy year with students taking part in a range of activities including the drama department’s production of Molly and the Stardust. RGS Music put on a spectacular show at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea in April, along with many impressive performances, including the notable annual Carols by Candlelight at St Mary’s Church.

We have seen superb sports achievements including our girls’ 7’s team competing nationally and individual successes with students selected to represent their country.

RGS was delighted to launch its RGS China brand with a ceremony to mark the exciting building phase for our first school in China, in the city of Nanjing. RGS Nanjing is the first of an anticipated five schools to be established in China over the next ten years.

This will open up great opportunities for our own students and staff for cultural and international exchange and interaction.

Thank you to all who have contributed to this edition of The Reigatian. I hope you enjoy the glimpse that it gives you of life and beyond at Reigate Grammar School.

Shaun Fenton Headmaster

“ I promise to continue to make the most of the opportunities available to me, because I am constantly reminded of the journey which has brought me here and realise that it began with the gift of a Reigate Grammar education.”

K AROLINA CSATHY, BURSARY RECIPIENT (RGS 2008-15)

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW HARRISON CENTRE RGS expressed its gratitude to Sir Peter Harrison KGCN CBE and the Peter Harrison Foundation at the grand opening ceremony of the Harrison Centre in April 2018.

The Harrison Centre is a wonderful new learning and community resource. With the generous benefaction and support of the Peter Harrison Foundation, we have established a new centre: a new heart-of-the-school. Inside the facility there is a new Sixth Form Centre complete with café and social facilities; a High Performance Learning and Innovation room; a library and learning resource centre; a careers library; a series of private study areas as well as some more collaborative spaces; dedicated library classrooms; an upgraded selection of resources and books; classrooms and more.

Outside, the area around the war memorial has been remodelled and the war memorial itself has been revitalised, there is a terrace overlooking St Mary’s Church, a lovely garden area and social spaces for students.

The ceremony opened with a triumphant fanfare, arranged by RGS music teacher Mr Hare and performed by RGS musicians, followed

by Head Boy, Thomas Guise, and Head Girl, Laura Hawrych, reciting a poem called ‘Alma mater; aedificata’ written by English teacher and poet in residence Mr Wileman. Speeches followed by the Headmaster and Sir Peter Harrison. Mr Fenton expressed his gratitude to all those who helped make the building happen and paid particular thanks to the Peter Harrison Foundation; “I am so thankful for the generous donation provided by the Peter Harrison Foundation, without which this amazing Harrison Centre would not have been possible. Peter, you are a true Reigatian and one of the most important philanthropists of our time.”

Top photo: Headmaster, Shaun Fenton, and Sir Peter Harrison Bottom photo: the new Harrison Centre

Peter Harrison unveiled the commemorative stone which reads: “This stone was unveiled on 24th April 2018 by Peter Harrison KGCN CBE resident of Reigate & Chairman of The Peter Harrison Foundation whose generous gift made this building possible.”

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FROM THE HEAD OF FOUNDATION

“With strong turrets. With prisms aloft It has laid, at our foundations, Paths, undefined, to success And burgeoning futures.”

Christopher Wileman (RGS Teacher of English and Poet in Residence)

2018 has been another exceptional and memorable year for Reigate Grammar School and the RGS Foundation. I wish to express my sincere appreciation and deepest thanks to our Reigatian community who continue to demonstrate great affinity and generosity.

Your support, in so many different ways, is both heart-warming and inspiring, helping us to drive forward with our core objective to make RGS, a world class school, available to any talented child no matter what their background circumstances are. We exist to serve our local community and ensure that our students become the best versions of themselves and leave in the knowledge that they are part of a very special community and, as Reigatians, go on to make the world a better place.

My headline quotation is from the poem Alma mater, aedificata: A Tribute to Sir Peter Harrison commissioned to mark the official grand opening of our amazing new RGS Harrison Centre in April 2018, which sits in the heart of our campus – a jewel in the RGS crown. You will have noticed our front cover image, a mosaic of all the many elements of our community drawn together and at the centre, recognition of the generosity of Sir Peter Harrison and his fellow Trustees from the Peter Harrison Foundation. Without whom, this outstanding building and the impressive landscaping around the site would not have been realised. We now have a wonderful new learning and community resource that will inspire the current and future generations of RGS pupils.

L to R: Peter Lee, Sir Peter Harrison, Julia Harrison-Lee, Nick Harrison.

Peter Harrison Foundation Trustees

The reputation and standing of RGS nationally has arguably never been higher and we are proud to be recognised as the leading fully co-educational day school in the country for academic achievement, pupil wellbeing and for the quality of our pastoral care. We are thrilled to be regarded as an ‘exceptional’ school.

This accolade, in addition to having our first RGS Headmaster (Shaun Fenton) elected to the prestigious position of Chairman of HMC, is something that we as a community can feel justifiably proud of. Indeed, it is from this position of strength that we have been approached for several international partnerships and why the Board of Governors have supported the view that we should develop our brand overseas. In February 2018, during Theresa May’s official state visit to China, Reigate Grammar School International Ltd. announced its arrival on the global stage by signing a multi-school deal in Shanghai with the Kaiyuan Education Fund (which is backed by the China Development Bank), witnessed

by International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox.

Signing ceremony in Shanghai

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“The response to our new legacy campaign and video so far has been very good and expressing support for the Changing Lives campaign through one’s Will is a truly wonderful gesture and an act of kindness.”

Nanjing Kindergarten

Chinese children will adopt RGS’s breadth of education which values character development and personal qualities in addition to academic success. Our schools in China will bring huge benefit to RGS pupils in Britain through the development of international links and perspectives. There will be excellent opportunities for visits and exchange opportunities for both students and staff as well as opening up cultural and learning links between our family of schools – crucial in the ever-increasingly global world in which we live. Meanwhile, a major commercial drive behind our international strategy is to use the income generated by the schools in China to fund RGS bursaries for disadvantaged students as we are committed to an ambitious drive for social mobility through open access via our Changing Lives campaign. The Kindergarten section of our first school is due to open in Nanjing in September 2019.

In January 2019, our Changing Lives campaign celebrated five years since the official launch in 2014. As of September 2018, we are proud to have gained sufficient support to provide 44 places to disadvantaged students. Raising awareness of child poverty and social mobility continue to be the focus for our philanthropic efforts and we rely on the support and encouragement of our Reigatian community. Frankly, it is through a collective effort which will make the long term difference and impact we seek. At our various events and activities (over 30 LEGACY GIVING events in 2018!) we have endeavoured LEAVE A GIFT IN YOUR WILL AND to build the support, trust and advocacy.

CHANGE A LIFE FOREVER Support the 1675 Bursary Fund We are so very lucky to have an active and supportive Reigatian community, witnessed through the large attendance at events and the significant numbers supporting our charitable campaign.

An example of this can be appreciated through the ‘Back to School’ day in October, with over 150 pre-1975 former pupils returning to their alma mater.

Back to School Day

It was at this event that we launched our new legacy campaign and video which was well-received by those attending. The response so far has been very good and expressing support for the Changing Lives campaign through one’s Will is a truly wonderful gesture and an act of kindness.

My heartfelt thanks goes to all Reigatians who support the work of the Foundation, whether that be for our important campaign; through connectivity and engagement within our events programme, or via professional networking and providing mentoring to our young Reigatians in their early careers. It all adds up to an amazing community – THANK YOU! My appreciation goes to all those who have contributed to the Reigatian Magazine 2018 and with special thanks to Caroline Donald and the team for producing this important publication.

Enjoy the read!

Sean Davey spd@reigategrammar.org 05

THE CHANGING LIVES campaign...

CELEBRATING 5 years

Impact

44 £5M+ BURSARY RECIPIENTS TO DATE

RAISED SO FAR

But did you know?

1 IN 4 CHILDREN LIVE IN POVERTY IN THE UK

5000+

OF THEM LIVE IN REIGATE & BANSTEAD

Help us to help them Make 2019 the year that you change a life.

By making a special gift, whatever the amount, allows us to plan for the future. We will be able to provide more opportunities for bright and deserving children than ever before.

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Isobel Tilley

BURSARIES DO THE RIGHT THING. They look at the person, at their merit, at their potential and offer them an excellent education based on this, not based on whether or not their family can afford it. My family relied on benefits and the generosity of charities to keep us afloat, even receiving food parcels when things got particularly tough. I cannot imagine how crushed I would have been if I’d been told, at the age of eleven, that the exceptional education I’d dreamt of was not available to me, not because I wasn’t bright enough or hardworking enough, but because my family did not have the money to pay for it.

Isobel Tilley (RGS 2009-13 / Cambridge University 2013-17) Bursary Recipient

2 19 £1m

Help us hit our target TO CELEBRATE 5 YEARS SINCE THE LAUNCH OF THE CHANGING LIVES CAMPAIGN, HELP US RAISE £1M IN 2019 TO PROVIDE 10 NEW FULLY FUNDED BURSARIES FOR LOCAL CHILDREN IN NEED.

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FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES NEW PARENTS WELCOME RECEPTION WEDNESDAY 24 JANUARY

January saw the inaugural Reigatian Community Welcome reception for parents. An important event to introduce the RGS Foundation to parents whose children are new to the school this academic year.

After a warm welcome from the Headmaster, we heard from Mark Elsey (’78), Governor, Chairman of the Foundation and parent of alumni about the benefits of being actively involved.

He spoke about his life-long connections with the school and continued involvement as a Governor, as well as his passion for ensuring the school contributes wholly to the wider community.

Hari Ghotra, parent of a Second Form pupil and owner of harighotra.co.uk spoke about her relationship with the Foundation for the past two years.

“I wanted to give my support to the RGS Foundation and help other kids experience the same joy as my daughter does being here. As a chef, I cook and love to get other people cooking too, so the masterclass was a great opportunity to do something to help that uses my skills and also to raise some important charitable funds.”

Hari told parents of the benefit her business has seen from the promotion it has received through the Reigatian community.

The partnership has been incredibly powerful with auction prizes and masterclasses proving exceptionally popular and collectively raising over £4,000 for the Changing Lives campaign.

Sean Davey, Head of Foundation, finished by speaking about the opportunities available to parents, alumni and their children, including: • Network Reigatian • RGS London Professionals • Special events

WELCOME TO… OUR STUDENT AMBASSADORS We are delighted to introduce our Foundation Student Ambassadors for the academic year.

As representatives, they act as ambassadors for the work and ethos of the Foundation within the School. You will likely see them at events, supporting Changing Lives, and leading their own fundraising enterprises.

They embody a ‘true Reigatian’, inspiring others to support our work. The role gives them some fantastic networking and mentoring opportunities, priority notice of internships and work experience. They will develop an excellent range of skills, experience and confidence and put their leadership into practice.

Not forgetting the chance to make a real difference at school and to the lives of children in need.

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L to R: Sophie M, Darcy M, Angus F, Ben H, Dan S, Chris S, George B, Tristan H

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

HSC ANNUAL DINNER WEDNESDAY 2 MAY

HENRY SMITH CLUB “I firmly believe that a good education is a powerful enabler of social mobility and am extremely proud to be the President of this important philanthropic group.

I urge you to join the Henry Smith Club so that together we can continue to change the lives of future students of RGS and help them fulfil their potential.”

Sir Peter Gershon CBE President, Henry Smith Club (RGS 1958-66)

With social mobility featuring constantly in the headlines of the national press, there is more that can be done and Sir Peter set a challenge to address this issue in and around the local area.

L to R: Sir Peter Lampl and Sir Peter Gershon

Henry Smith Club President, Sir Peter Gershon (RGS 1958-1965) hosted the Henry Smith Club Annual Dinner at the fabulous Roast Restaurant in Borough Market, London Bridge with special guest Sir Peter Lampl (RGS 1959-1964), the UK’s leading educational philanthropist.

Established almost five years ago, the Henry Smith Club has become a key driver of our important social mobility work. From September 2018, the club is sponsoring seven children at RGS as a result of the generosity of its membership in aid of the Changing Lives campaign.

Named after our founder, the Henry Smith Club celebrates one of the great Elizabethan philanthropists. In 1675 Smith left £1,000 in his Will to be used for the relief of the poor and to educate local children in Reigate.

Sir Peter Gershon took great delight in introducing his old RGS classmate and lifelong friend Sir Peter Lampl, as the

keynote speaker for the evening. Peter Lampl is acknowledged as the UK’s leading educational philanthropist. In 1997 he founded the Sutton Trust, which is dedicated to improving social mobility through education. Peter has given over £50 million to the Trust to achieve this aim. The Trust is a ‘do tank’ supporting 4,000 students per year on educational programmes, producing 15 research studies per year, and influencing government policy. Impressively, Peter could still recite, in alphabetical order, the entire register from his form group at RGS! The evening was spectacularly signed off by the star of the show Isobel Tilley (RGS 2009-2013). Izzy, a bursary recipient, recently graduated from Cambridge University with a Double First in Modern and Medieval Languages. She gave a truly inspiring account of her journey and the transformational impact it has had on her.

A remarkable young woman.

“ THE TARGET WE HAVE SET IS TO GET THE HENRY SMITH CLUB MEMBERSHIP TO 100

BY THE YEAR 2020” Help us to reach that target. Your support would be solely used to provide bursarial support. It currently only takes 8 members to provide a full bursary.

Membership Benefits • You will have a significant impact on the life chances of a talented young child • Membership of an important professional network of like-minded individuals • Invitation to Henry Smith Club Annual Dinner • Exclusive annual HSC mailing update • Handmade bespoke membership pin • Membership certificate Sign up online at: rgs.foundation/ support-us/henry-smith-club/ or for further information contact us at foundation@reigategrammar.org

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FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES

THE PETER BLACKWOOD CUP TUESDAY 8 MAY

The Peter Blackwood House Rugby Cup has been donated in honour of Peter Blackwood (RGS 1939-46) who passed away in 2015. It was presented for the first time by Peter’s wife Valerie Callaghan to the winners of House Rugby 2017/18.

The cup was presented to the proud winners (pictured right) on behalf of Team Williamson.

Head of Williamson House, Mrs Cline said, “I am very proud of the boys’ efforts to secure a win in House Rugby, as they played in the true Williamson spirit of have a go and try your best, enjoyment is our priority; winning a bonus. It was pleasing to see so many of the boys in these year groups taking part and taking pride in representing their House.”

L to R: Harry E (House Captain), Joe J, Will T, Valerie Callaghan, Charlie J, Sam K and Mrs Cline (Head of House System)

RGS FOUNDATION CHARITY GOLF DAY THURSDAY 28 JUNE

On a dry, hot and fast course at Reigate Heath GC, 32 players descended for the eighth annual RGS Foundation Charity Golf Day in June.

With temperatures soaring to the high twenties in the early afternoon, shade, water and lots of spare golf balls were the orders of the day!

We were absolutely thrilled that once again Devine Homes were our Principal Sponsors for this popular event, in

particular our thanks go to Barry Devine (RGS 1983-1990) for all of his support.

It was Matthew Hearsum (Morrisons Solicitors) who played the shot of the day on the ninth hole to take home the Nearest to the Pin and ex-pro, current RGS parent Karl Wesson (Vision4Sport) who hit a monstrous drive on the fifth for the longest drive of the day. With pairs playing a better ball stableford format in the glorious sunshine, Laurie Kerr and Alistair Cleland had a great round obtaining 45 points, but it was former RGS pupils Greg Poole and Adam Slade (both ’99) who scored a mightily impressive 50 points to take home the coveted trophy.

After the raffle, auction and prizes had been distributed, players and guests enjoyed a magnificent BBQ in the early evening sunshine. We are delighted to announce that £5,000 was raised from the day – all of which will go towards the Changing Lives campaign.

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J. Hylton, A. Slade and G. Poole

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RUN REIGATE 2018

FOR THE RGS FOUNDATION

SUNDAY 16 SEPTEMBER

The Run Reigate RGS Team took to the road in September and stepped up to the challenge to Run Reigate in support of the Changing Lives campaign.

Thank you to everyone who participated and joined us on the day, to run, volunteer their time and cheer on ‘Team RGS’. Thank you also to everyone who sponsored the RGS team and left messages of encouragement. We managed to raise a total of £2,400.

We will be running Reigate again on Sunday 15 September 2019 so do let us know if you would like to be part of the team.

REMEMBRANCE SERVICE FRIDAY 9 NOVEMBER

The Headmaster was extremely proud to stand in front of the whole school and visiting alumni as we gathered in remembrance of those who fell in the Great War and in all others since.

It was a poignant reminder of sacrifices made by our armed forces in the past, present and no doubt the future in the name of freedom and peace. The RGS CCF Corps of Drums, led by Alex C, performed brilliantly. Revd Phil Jackson led the service, Sam A and Anna D read the poem One Bullet by RGS student Rebekah B; former RGS teacher Bob Harden read the Act of Remembrance before the two CCF buglers, Charlie B and Anuja S, sounded The Last Post.

Polyphony sang Abide With Me as the Wreath Party left the parade to lay wreaths at the memorial board in school and in the Garden of Remembrance. RGS was again represented by the RGS CCF at the community parade at Shaw's Corner, Redhill on Remembrance Day itself, Sunday 11 November.

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FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES

DREAM STEAM SOCIAL WEDNESDAY 21 NOVEMBER

The Dream Steam Social with Paul Gustard was sponsored by Fluid and held at Steam Wine Bar, a stone’s throw from Monument.

Once again, our fabulous host for the evening was Stephen Chenery (RGS 1982-1985), owner of Steam Wine Bar who laid on a wonderful evening for members of the Reigatian community.

Our special guest Paul Gustard, former Leicester Tigers, London Irish & Saracens player/ coach, ex-England defence coach and current Harlequins Head Coach was introduced to a warm welcome. Paul spoke of his early days growing up and playing rugby in Blaydon, some ‘physical’ changing room tales of his time at Tigers and his development from player to coach including his time within the England camp with Eddie Jones.

Guests were treated to a delicious dinner followed by the main auction, the focus of our fundraising for the evening. There were impressive items on offer. Paul Gustard very generously offered a Harlequins Training Day Experience which included the opportunity to rub shoulders with all the Quins stars, watch a 1st team training session and have lunch with the players followed by a private training session run by coaches from Quins, for up to 10 people. As bidding was so close the final two bidders were both offered this wonderful experience because Paul didn’t want either to miss out: a magnificent gesture and commitment to the Changing Lives campaign.

The aim of the evening was to raise funds to support a particular case that was highlighted on the evening – the generosity of the group was overwhelming and we are delighted that over £15,000 was raised from the evening.

A Q&A wrapped up the evening with guests taking the opportunity to pick Paul’s brains on everything from 2019 Rugby World Cup winners to the importance of man-management as a coach.

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Our thanks go to Stephen Chenery for hosting this fantastic evening, to RGS parent Al Gregson, Group Managing Director at Fluid for his support, and of course Paul Gustard for taking time out from his busy schedule to join us and share his stories from his playing and coaching career. Most importantly, thank you to everyone who attended and supported the evening, it was a resounding success.

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THE REIGATIAN NETWORK THE REIGATIAN NETWORK RGS CAREERS CONVENTION MONDAY 5 FEBRUARY

RGS held its Careers Convention in February, where RGS students and their parents can speak to a range of delegates representing around fifty different career areas including law, engineering, finance, medicine and allied professions, art and design and many more. Special thanks go to the 60 RGS parents and former students who gave up their time to come back and share their experience and the nitty-gritty detail of their careers. Special mention to: Steve Brooks (parent of alumni), James Day (’11), Darren Harding (’92), Clare Hartley-Marjoram (’09), Rosaleen Jackson (parent of alumni), David Keyte (’07), Charlotte Michel (’08), Adrian Morton (parent of alumni), Natasha Rees (’10), Jill Springbett (parent of alumni), Yalda Tomlinson (’12), Sameet Vohra (’92), Aidan Welton (’09).

If a careers talk is something you feel you could offer to RGS students, please do get in touch with us.

RGS PROFESSIONALS

RGS CITY BREAKFAST – FINANCIAL LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER

A packed house provided the backdrop for the RGS City Breakfast in October at the award-winning M Restaurant on Threadneedle Street.

Hosted by the charismatic David Allard (’79), CEO of Financial Lifestyle Management, members of the Reigatian Community enjoyed a brief “no mention of brexit” presentation from four former RGS pupils, now working in the FLM team as Financial Advisers. Imogen Allard (’13), James Feneley (’08), Ed Forsyth (’08) and Harry

Vaughan (’09) took to the floor and delivered some financial best practice with particular focus on tax planning and protecting the future of your loved ones as headline topics.

After a swift flashback to 1979, via David’s report card and references to his sporting prowess from the Pilgrim Magazine, guests enjoyed a delicious breakfast. It was fantastic to see so many Henry Smith Club members in attendance along with RGS Professionals from a wide range of varying industries.

FOCUSING IN ON THE CREATIVE CAREERS MONDAY 26 FEBRUARY

Over 100 people from RGS and other local secondary schools braved the Baltic conditions to attend the RGS Art and Design careers evening. They spoke with ambassadors from a range of fields including architecture, textile design, television production, garden design, advertising, graphic design, web design, and with Art & Design teachers and students from the University of the Creative Arts.

A big thank you to Abi Howson (‘02) and Jason Kedgley (parent) for delivering inspiring presentations and to Natasha Ayling (’13), Ruth Bond (parent), Carol Bridges (parent), Rob Elliston (parent), Michael Jones (’91), Simon Knibbs (parent), Ruth Shepherd (’96), Laurel Spiers (’17) and David Tinn (parent) for acting as ambassadors at the event.

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THE REIGATIAN NETWORK

RGS PROFESSIONALS CONTINUED DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION FROM A MARKETING PERSPECTIVE @ JELLYFISH WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH

Seventy-five members of the RGS Professionals group attended the impressive Jellyfish London HQ on the 22nd floor of The Shard with magnificent views across the city.

We were extremely lucky to have Rob Pierre, Jellyfish CEO and RGS Parent as our captivating host for the evening. Rob has been the driving force behind the Jellyfish success story since its inception in 2005. Today, Jellyfish has more than 420 ambitious and talented people working across nine offices in the UK, US, Spain and South Africa collaborating with leading global brands to transform their digital experiences. It wasn’t a global milliondollar brand that Rob used as his case study for the evening, but instead, current RGS Parent and partner of the RGS Foundation, Hari Ghotra. Over a glass of wine a few years ago, the two had a revolutionary concept which involved taking Hari’s skills as a phenomenal Indian Chef on a digital journey, enabling people to share, learn and experience authentic Indian food at the click of a button.

We were also extremely fortunate to have Peter Giles, Google Agency Manager, talk about how they work in partnership with Jellyfish to ensure that all their clients maximise the digital impact Google can have. Peter covered an extensive variety of topics, giving an extremely enlightening talk packed full of current and future digital trends.

Since that glass of wine, Hari and Jellyfish have worked in partnership to develop a highly successful brand, which has become synonymous online with everything and anything to do with authentic Indian food. In addition to this, Hari has also launched her own app, streams fortnightly cook-a-long live videos, accumulated hundreds of delicious authentic online recipes and has even published a best-selling Easy Indian Slow Cooker Cookbook! The future looks bright for Hari!

THE DIVERSITY DILEMMA @ BRYAN CAVE LEIGHTON PAISNER WEDNESDAY 12 SEPTEMBER

The growing RGS Professionals group met at the imposing London HQ of global law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP), overlooking the River Thames for the much anticipated ‘Diversity Dilemma’ themed evening.

We are extremely thankful to our host for the evening James Knox (’80), Partner of BCLP, heading up International Real Estate and Infrastructure with a keen passion for this relevant topic.

Those in attendance were fortunate to have renowned expert Dr Louise Ashley 14

present an absorbing discussion on the barriers to embracing and achieving diversity – from the perspective of the employers and those whom we employ.

Using research from the implementation and development of diversity and inclusion programmes in large multinational organisations, particularly focusing on gender, socio-economic background and ethnicity, Louise highlighted the significant challenges we face in society and suggested policies that might help address this important topic. She noted that there is a lot of good work happening out there, but an awful lot more to do.

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 Reigate Grammar School Professionals RETAIL: IMPACT ON THE HIGH STREET @ RAPLEYS WEDNESDAY 27 JUNE

RGS Professionals working across the property sector came together for this much anticipated RGS Professionals Property event at the luxurious Cavendish Hotel, hosted by Rapleys.

Special thanks to Robert Clarke (RGS Parent), Rapley’s Senior Partner and Head of Town Planning, our generous host for the evening. Robert has extensive knowledge and experience of a wide range of property sectors. Today, Rapleys has six offices in key hubs across the UK employing around 160 professional staff and providing a comprehensive range of services.

Alfred Bartlett and Russell Smith, Partners at Rapleys, shared their extensive expertise in the Commercial Property Market.

Together, they delivered a fascinating double act with not only the ‘doomsday’ perception of retail in its current state, but also the ways savvy retailers, landlords and developers (plus a mention of government policy) could all help sustain the retail market.

Over the last few decades, high street competition has previously come from out-of-town shopping malls. More recently the threat has shifted, and innovative online retailers are capitalising on the digital revolution offering low prices, wide choice and customer convenience. However, there are still high street retailers embracing innovation and ‘adapting to overcome’ and

thriving. There were plenty of examples – even fresh off the press announcements from John Lewis who have fallen foul of consumer spending trends; it was an extremely enlightening talk packed full of current and future trends.

RGS PROFESSIONALS CHARITY GOLF DAY THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER

The fifth annual RGS Professionals Charity Golf Day took place at the ever impressive Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club. This year, we were extremely thankful and lucky to have the support of Vision4Sport, owned by Karl Wesson (RGS Parent and former golf professional).

Dan Jones (RGS Parent) and his team (Gregg Turner (’95), Alex Dalley (’95) et al.) took the trophy home for the second year in succession, closely pursued by the team of young at heart Reigatians, Mark Elsey (’78), Graham Price (’80), Nick Torlot (’77) and Ted Kennedy, former RGS Parent. The Thunderball competition was won by Marylebone Diversified led by Alan McCormack ’90 and his team. Simon Wood-Wolley’s enormous tee shot on the 12th took home the Longest Drive and Gez Watkins ’97 had the precision on the challenging 6th to win Nearest to the Pin. A huge thank you to Vision4Sport for their incredible support with the provision of a once in a lifetime auction item for two people at the Monaco GP aboard a trackside luxury yacht.

The addition of this item to some fine other auction and raffle prizes was the catalyst for us to raise over £12,000 for the Changing Lives campaign, our most successful golf day to date.

L to R: John Donnelan, Karl Wesson, Chris Newbold, Richard Birkett

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GLOBAL EVENTS SINGAPORE GATHERING WEDNESDAY 5 DECEMBER

It was good to see so many Reigatians enjoying life and work in the tropical paradise of Singapore.

Special thanks to our fantastic Singapore ambassador Ryan Younger (RGS 19831991) for being such an outstanding host and helping to keep Reigatians connected.

Also, a special moment was being able to welcome Ben Jones (RGS 1987-1994) as our co-ambassador for Singapore – seen officially receiving his RGS cufflinks.

(Left) L to R: James O’Mahony (’94), James Spalding (’97), Chris Pook (’85), Ryan Younger (’91), Sean Davey (RGS Foundation).

Singapore, like so many global hubs, is an excellent location for both business and pleasure, with a large number of Reigatians being based there or linked through work.

If you are based in Singapore or have business links then please let the Foundation know. Ryan and Ben would be very keen to welcome you.

Ben Jones (‘94) and James Daniels (’92) also present at the event

OVERSEAS AMBASSADORS The Reigatian community continues to spread further and wider around the globe. From New York to New Zealand, there are members of the community in most continents either working, with their families or enjoying a well-earned retirement.

We are delighted to have appointed RGS Overseas Ambassadors who are the points of contact for anyone wanting to join up with existing established Reigatians. If you are living, travelling through or visiting any of these territories please email foundation@reigategrammar.org so that we can put you in touch with your local ambassador.

AMERICA: New York City Michael Lloyd

AMERICA: Seattle David Mycroft

CANADA: Vancouver Matt Falkner

Left RGS: 1986 Interests: Golf, fishing and field sports Family: Married to Jill with one daughter, Julia Career: Head of Trading

Left RGS: 1976 Interests: Sailing, U19 County Rugby Coach Family: Married with two children Career: Now retired

Left RGS: 1980 Interests: Rugby, airlines Family: Married to Michelle with two children Career: Aviation Security

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AUSTRALIA: Sydney Neil Brett

AUSTRALIA: Brisbane Chris Smedley

AUSTRALIA: Melbourne Raymond Buckett

Left RGS: 1980 Interests: Music, speedway and rugby Family: Married to Simone with four daughters Career: Mortgage and Independent Financial Advisor

Left RGS: 1985 Interests: Real English Public Houses Family: Married to Sarah with three children Career: General Manager

Left RGS: 1966 Interests: Travelling, AFL and cricket Family: Partner Lorraine, three sons and four grandchildren Career: Pharmaceutical Industry

HONG KONG Lawrie Webb

SINGAPORE Ryan Younger

SINGAPORE Ben Jones

Left RGS: 1977 Interests: Open water swimming, rugby and running Family: Married to Vivien with three (mostly) grown up sons Career: Finance

Left RGS: 1991 Interests: Cold beverages Family: Married to Aileen with one daughter Charlotte Career: Oil industry

Left RGS: 1994 Interests: Sports and travel Family: Married to Michelle with two children Career: Oil and Shipping

SWITZERLAND Gregg Turner

UAE: Dubai Campbell Steedman

UAE: Dubai Paul Thornton

Left RGS: 1995 Interests: Sports, especially golf Career: VP of sponsorship at CAA Eleven

Relationship: Parent of Alumni Interests: Golf, dining and fine wines Family: Married to Sally with two children Career: Partner at White & Case with vast Middle Eastern experience

Left RGS: 1995 Interests: Fitness, golf and a Southampton FC supporter Family: Married to Nadia with three children Career: Construction Delay Expert

THAILAND Mark Blashfield

NEW ZEALAND: Auckland Ed Kidd

NEW ZEALAND: Auckland Stuart Donald

Left RGS: 1998 Interests: Property, rugby, technology & start-ups Family: Married to Rochelle with three boys Career: Civil Engineering and Commercial Property plus runs software start-up business.

Left RGS: 1978 Interests: Sports (rugby, cricket, golf, basketball, tennis), adventure and travel Family: Married to Annabel with three boys Career: Head of Agriculture for a global forestry business.

Left RGS: 1991 Interests: Kayaking, surfing, sailing and most types of motorsport Family: Married with two sons Career: Investment Management & Trading

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REUNIONS AND EVENTS ‘BACK TO SCHOOL’ DAY BY BRIAN ROBINSON (RGS 1950-1958) FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER

When the invitation came to visit RGS for the first time since I left in 1958 I thought it was too good an opportunity to be missed.

I fished out my old photos and wondered whether those buildings were still there, so I looked at the aerial view on Google maps and saw several “new” buildings, including one long white building next to the Headmaster’s house. On arriving this turned out to be our meeting place, the huge sports hall, the first “wow”. We were sat on tables according to our leaving year, and immediately I recognised at least two fellow students from year 1958. After coffee and pastries and a speech from the Headmaster, we were joined by our guides for the tour, two charming young ladies from the Second Form.

First stop, the swimming pool. Second “wow”. Then on into the “arts and crafts” building, where we stood in the woodwork room and remembered Mr Thompson and the smell of warm animal glue. Does anyone else remember proudly taking home their wooden table lamp? Mine was wired up to illuminate the many hours of homework. Then we went through several rooms where every conceivable form of artistic expression was in progress. This block linked up with classrooms for language study, and an almost imperceptible change of level marked the join with the classrooms we used in the fifties. Into the main staircase and up to the old gym, now a bright meeting and presentation space. On the way up

10 YEARS ON! (CLASS OF 2008 REUNION) THURSDAY 5 JULY

Hosted in the popular Dirty Martini cocktail bar in the piazza of Covent Garden, London, was a fantastic reunion for the Class of 2008. It was a roaring success with 30 old classmates back together to catch up about work, weddings, research and PhDs, and chat about peers now far flung around the world.

Everyone was warmly invited to come back to visit the school and an open invitation extended to join the RGS Professionals Group.

Our special thanks go to Emma Eisenberg (née Gabe, ’08) for helping to bring everyone together 18

the stairs I pointed out to one of our guides that my name and that of another in our party were on one of the boards on the walls.

She gave me an old-fashioned look as much as to say ‘I thought all those people were long dead!’.

Across the playground into Church Walk and the new Harrison Centre. Third “wow”, what a fantastic study and learning space.

Then we found the science block, a far cry from the prefabricated building in the playground where many frogs were dismembered and Bunsen burners applied to evaporating dishes. A brief nostalgic step onto the lawn behind Broadfield, where rugby training and futile games of hockey were remembered. Finally, eager to show us as much as possible before lunch, the young ladies took us to the drama block, complete with café, and chatted enthusiastically about a forthcoming production near Christmas.

The mini-lunch turned out to be a subtle reminder of the food served in the “house across the road”: bangers and mash, cottage pie and spotted dick and custard! Many thanks to all who organised this event, and special thanks to our two guides. How I wish I could meet them again at their 50th reunion and find out what they had achieved with the opportunities available to them at their RGS from 2017 to 2024.

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

If you would like to arrange a reunion or gathering, please get in touch for some support from the Foundation Office.

MUN SURPRISES MR SERGEANT SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY

A wonderful event was held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Model United Nations at Reigate Grammar School. The event was a surprise for special guest Julian Sergeant (current RGS staff) as recognition for his dedication to the MUN club.

Fantastic speeches were delivered by Dr Chris Ballinger JP (’96), Alan Bates (’97) and Dr Suda Perera (’04), all talking about different aspects of the importance of the UN in what is often portrayed as an increasingly divided world. They all spoke of the significance MUN had on their time at school and gave particular thanks to the quiet but tenacious manner of Mr Sergeant, to whom everyone felt a debt of gratitude to his hard work with MUN. These sentiments were echoed by the other attending alumni Alan Belmore (’08), Grace Burns (’09), James Gater (’97), Simon Lucas (’97), Rose Stanley (’15), Rachel Stirrat (’09) and by current students Jas, Ved, Benedict, George, Jo, Harry, Fraser, Louis and Aaron.

Over lunch, students had the chance to speak with the alumni MUNers, now a mixture of councillors, university professors, lawyers, military consultants, entrepreneurs, civil servants, politics students and graduates. Accentuating the success of so many former students, the conversations allowed current RGS students the opportunity to envisage what their own futures may hold.

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY REUNION – CLASS OF 1968 THURSDAY 21 JUNE

RGS was delighted to welcome back former students from the Class of 1968 and their partners, to celebrate their Golden Anniversary since leaving RGS. Some had made return visits since leaving, but for many this was their first trip back to RGS in fifty years.

The morning began with refreshments in the Wright Gallery, followed by tours of the school with our RGS Foundation Student Ambassadors. Guests reminisced on their time at RGS, recalling classes and teachers as well as seeing how the campus and facilities have expanded dramatically over the years. Of particular interest were the new Harrison Centre, located right in the heart of the school and a sneak preview of the 2018 Art Exhibition in the Sports Hall.

The tours ended in the garden of 1 Chart Lane, where the beautiful weather allowed for an alfresco lunch, reminiscing, catching up with news, poring over old photographs and hunting out published works in the Pilgrim magazines.

The afternoon was rounded off with a Living History session with Fourth Form History pupils talking with guests about life at RGS in the swinging sixties. The students helped to serve tea in the garden and thoroughly enjoyed hearing stories about life back then – including a short Elvis rendition from Tony Earl.

Headmaster, Shaun Fenton said, “It has never been more important for students to develop diplomatic and negotiating skills.”

Former MUNer James Gater said “Whether serving with British Forces around the world, or working for presidents and ministers, many and varied, I have drawn directly on the lessons learned from my involvement in MUN. I can honestly say that I would not be the person I am today without having had that opportunity. It therefore gives me enormous joy to see MUN continuing after 25 years, but also in such strength and with such senior engagement from the school”.

L to R: (Standing) David Woodward, Patrick Periam, John Knox, Chris Hoskins, Graham Plummer, Nick Roberts, Richard McQuillan, John Atkins, Tony Earl.

Overall, a lovely afternoon was had by all and a very sincere thank you to Julian for all he has done for MUN, and to the organisers of the lunch, particularly Jas and Ved for their great idea!

(Seated) Robin Bligh (former staff ), David Nicholson, Emmanuel Vanderkar, Shaun Fenton (Headmaster), Graham Brown, Bob Harden (former staff ), Tony Penn, Derek Lennon.

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REUNIONS AND EVENTS L to R (Standing) all class of ’66: Peter Jackson, Chris Smith, Nicholas Worsfold, Michael Jordan, Alan Thompson, Lynn Wilson, Michael Pegg, Phillip Epps, Adrian Taylor, Malcolm Coomber, John Hankin, Chris Ballard, David Tree, Neil Foster L to R (Seated) all class of ‘66: John Earl, James Nicholson, John Chisholm, Peter Hewett, Alan Sawyer, Peter Vaughan

HAPPY 1,400TH BIRTHDAY!

BY LYNN WILSON (RGS 1959-1966) SATURDAY 7 JULY

Those of us who skipped merrily into RGS in smart new short trousers, blazers and caps in September 1959 would all reach our 70th birthdays in the school year 2017/18.

To keep in touch with those of your school year, especially after such a long time is quite something. I myself am in regular touch with six of my year and indeed five of us regularly walk together, in May of this year covering the whole of the South Downs Way – 100 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne – in eight days.

While doubtless we all would celebrate our birthdays with our own families, it occurred to us that it might be a good idea if we could combine our 70ths on one day and at one location and see how many of our year we could include. By spreading the word ourselves and thanks to the kind assistance of Caroline Donald at the RGS Foundation Office, the net was spread as wide as possible with encouraging results. While an arbitrary date and location would obviously not suit everyone, we managed to reach well over 30 some of whom, together with their partners, accordingly came to a celebratory lunch at the St Peter's Church Centre, Ardingly on Saturday 7 July 2018.

It was a joyous occasion even if we struggled sometimes to recognise faces we had perhaps not seen for over 50 years. We therefore arranged to have name tags for all (in some cases so that we would remember our own names?) and we had great fun perusing the long scroll-type school photo of 1965 to match those fresh faces with the rather more weathered ones of today.

A fine array of fare (thanks to a bring-and-share system which saved anyone having to cater for all) plus a generous supply of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including a barrel of Real Ale, fuelled the continuous chatter of catch-up conversation and

GRADUATION BRUNCH – WELCOME BACK! CLASS OF 2014 SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER

We were delighted to welcome back the Class of 2014 for the popular Graduation Brunch. It was fantastic to see over 60 of this talented year group return back to RGS in the Old Library.

With an array of embarrassing photos on display, it was great to see friendships and memories were reignited. Shaun Fenton, RGS Headmaster, gave a toast to the Class of 2014 and all their successes. The Brunch was completed with a brief tour of the spectacular new Harrison Centre, providing the opportunity for former pupils to see the impressive space which is occupied by the current crop of RGS Sixth Form students.

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laughter such that not even the clashing of this event with England's Quarter Final World Cup game could spoil our enjoyment.

Of course, Reigatians have spread far and wide so we were especially pleased to see those who had travelled large distances in very hot weather to be there – none more so than John Hankin (RGS 1959-1966) from Barcelona and Phillip Epps (RGS 1959-1966) all the way from Fort Lauderdale, USA. We were sad that both Richard Waller (RGS 1959-1966) who, until the last minute, had planned to join us from Philadelphia and John Grist (RGS 1959-1966) were unable to be with us, but both of whom sent emails sending their best wishes to us all. Those who did attend are listed in the photograph. Others unable to attend but who also sent their best wishes were: Mike Baker, Mike Furnell, Roger Humphries, Michael Jackson, Philip Selby, Cel Sutton, Richard Waller, Martin Wedlock, Peter White and Rhys Williams, all class of ’66.

We took the opportunity to raise our glasses to toast all those who could not come and especially remembered those sadly no longer with us, particularly our Head Boy, Roger Appleton (RGS 1959-1966), and John Powell (RGS 1959-1966).

Having had such a wonderful event, we all felt we should do it again so, to that end, we plan to hold another one in 2023, celebrating our joint 75ths, on Saturday 8 July 2023. To register your interest, or to update your details email the foundation office: foundation@reigategrammar.org

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

We are currently earmarking gatherings in Bristol and Edinburgh for 2019. Do get in touch if you would like to get more involved, attend a gathering or can offer any help.

INTRODUCING…

UK REGIONAL GATHERINGS

Last year we had a series of very enjoyable and sociable events held across different parts of England.

CAMBRIDGE coupled with a Sixth Form trip to visit Cambridge University Laura Upstone (’15) was able to give students a tour of her college and answer their questions on studying there, before meeting with other alumni in The Eagle pub.

BIRMINGHAM held host to a larger group who met at St Paul’s House, a lovely pub in St Paul’s Square. Everyone parted happy to have met and agreeing it was nice to meet with fellow Reigatians close to home and promising to get together again soon.

EXETER began with a splendid tea across the green from the Cathedral, at Tea on the Green with enormous, soft scones and lashings of cream and jam. Alumni and their spouses from the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s met to chat, share stories (competing on how long they stood outside the former headmaster’s study waiting for punishments!) and to pore over old photos from bygone years.

We crossed the Green to Exeter Cathedral to take our seats for Evensong at 5.30pm, where members of the RGS Godfrey Searle Choir and Polyphony Choir delivered a highly competent and well-rehearsed service led by The Very Reverend Jonathan Greener, Dean of Exeter Cathedral (‘79) who specially donned his School Captain badge on his cassock for the occasion. For many of the choir members, this was their first evensong.

They truly raised the roof with note-perfect psalms and were magnificent performing unaccompanied and in such formidable surroundings. The choir impressed all the residents, alumni, parents, students and teachers. Following the service everyone enjoyed a drinks reception in the Cathedral and the opportunity to catch up.

With huge thanks to Jonathan and his staff for hosting us at the Cathedral, all the choir and the RGS Music Department for making the arrangements for the Cathedral tour.

RUGBY TOUR REUNIONS This year saw a theme of touring squads wanting to reunite and catch up on the last 20 and 40 years.

SOUTH AFRICA 1998 @ PILGRIM BREWERY Saturday 11 August saw almost three quarters of the original 1998 RGS South Africa touring squad meet at Pilgrim Brewery in the heart of Reigate for their 20-year reunion.

Special mentions go to Ed Garner who made the trip from Malaysia; Ed Kidd, and Jiro Taylor (all ’98) who made the journeys from New Zealand and Australia . Clearly, the attraction of tour captain Stephen McMahon (’98) leading a motivational rally to former teammates was too good to miss!

With a special ale commissioned for the day courtesy of Pilgrim Brewery – stories were recalled, photos exchanged and friendships rekindled.

CANADA 1978 @ ORRFC A merry group from the original RGS tour party to Canada in 1978 reunited on Saturday 20 October at the Old Reigatians Rugby Club for their 40-year reunion. We hear some of the party were out late into the night!

We were delighted that Stuart Donald (’78) made the trip from New Zealand; Keith Dawson (’78) from the US, and John Kahsnitz (’79) from Germany for whom it was the first time he had seen many classmates and teachers since leaving school.

Thanks to everyone who attended and, of course, to Pilgrim Brewery and ORRFC for their fantastic hospitality.

New team photos were taken for the history books

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AWARDS AND HONOURS DISTINGUISHED FARM ANIMAL VET AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS BVA HONOUR late 1990s. His book Bovine Medicine (published 1992) remains one of the few authoritative textbooks on the subject in the UK. Dr Andrews began his career as a mixed animal vet after graduating from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in 1965, before undertaking the Royal Smithfield Club Fellowship to study the development of dentition in cattle, for which he was awarded a PhD degree. He then worked in the Veterinary Department of the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC), where his responsibilities included the animal health, management and veterinary policy for various MLC cattle units and cattle projects.

Dr Anthony Andrews (RGS 1953-1960), renowned Hertfordshire-based vet, was announced as the recipient of the British Veterinary Association’s (BVA) prestigious Chiron Award, in recognition of his distinctive contributions to farm animal veterinary medicine and the profession at large in a career spanning more than 50 years.

The Chiron Award recognises lifetime achievements in veterinary science or outstanding services to the profession, judged in either case as being of a calibre commanding international or interprofessional recognition.

A former director of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA), past president of the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) and former Chairman of Goat Veterinary Society (GVS), Dr Andrews has been instrumental in advancing expertise and specialism in the ruminant sector. He helped establish officially recognised specialisms in the ruminant species in both the UK and Europe, and his work on determining the age of cattle based on dentition became an essential part of controls during the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) crisis in the

MASTER MENTOR Congratulations to Dr Steve Fisher (RGS 19601967) on his receipt of a 2018 Rackham Master’s Mentoring Award.

This honours faculty mentors who, through a variety of forms, demonstrate commitment to fostering the intellectual, creative and professional growth of their master’s students.

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Dr Andrews has been Chair of Examiners for the very first RCVS Certificate and Diploma examinations for cattle and helped set up the European College of Bovine Health Management (ECBHM), being made a de facto Diplomate in recognition of his work.

He was a founding Diplomate of the European College of Small Ruminant Health Management.

In 1979, he returned to the RVC as Senior Lecturer in Farm Animal Medicine, a post he held until 1997, when he took on the mantle of independent veterinary consultant. Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr Andrews has published over 130 scientific papers. He has also authored or co-edited over 15 books and chaired several major BVA committees.

OUTGOING BVA PRESIDENT JOHN FISHWICK SAID: “There are few farm animal veterinary surgeons or veterinary organisations in the UK who have not had cause to be grateful to Dr Andrews for his input and influence on the profession. He has a reputation for being someone who is always willing to help and support those who ask for assistance and he is never afraid to speak up for what he believes is right and proper. His opinions are always well informed and measured.”

Thank you to Nick Clayton (’65) for sharing this news with us.

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

TOP MARKS IN THE COUNTRY FOR RGS GEOGRAPHY A LEVEL STUDENT

Sophie achieved top grades in all her A Level subjects and is now studying History at Brasenose College, Oxford, which she is thoroughly enjoying. She was delighted to receive such a prestigious award.

“I was really pleased and surprised that I had come top in Geography.

It has motivated me to make sure I keep up with Geography whenever I can.”

He was sworn in by Master of the Guild, Lee Robertson, at a special event at Bakers’ Hall, London, in front of some of the city’s most respected and successful entrepreneurs.

“Sophie settled in to school life quickly and embraced the subjects she was studying.

Her attitude was brilliant and I am so pleased that she has been recognised by the Royal Geographical Society.”

VIV GODBOLD, GEOGRAPHY TEACHER

“This is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of Sophie’s excellent academics and the commitment of the Geography department at RGS. The fact that Sophie is studying History at Oxford highlights her exceptional academic ability and I look forward to hearing about her progress in the coming years.”

SHAUN FENTON, RGS HEADMASTER

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD WINS SIX TONY AWARDS Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two walked away with six Tony Awards earlier this year following the opening of the Broadway Show. Congratulations to Alex Price (RGS 1997-2002) who is currently appearing as Draco Malfoy in New York and to Gary Beestone (RGS 1994-1999), Technical Director for the Broadway show. This is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage.

JAMES MELLOR (RGS 1994-2001)

HAS INKED A DEAL WITH THE GUILD OF ENTREPRENEURS, TO BECOME THEIR FIRST EVER HONORARY HISTORIAN

Sophie Gunning (RGS 2015-2017) gained top marks nationally in her Geography A Level exam last summer.

In recognition of this wonderful achievement, she received a coveted Excellence Award from the Royal Geographical Society, which was presented to her by Headmaster, Shaun Fenton.

The Royal Geographical Society’s Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate the hard work and success of a small number of students who achieve the highest marks nationally in Geography.

Sophie joined RGS in the Sixth Form from Millais School in Horsham and excelled academically from the beginning.

CORPORATE CARTOONIST

As the first person to be appointed to the position, James will now be responsible for chronicling the Guild’s history, researching a report on its formation and notable figures, documenting its latest developments, and contributing to its application for a grant of arms.

His appointment should come as no surprise for those who know him, after a diverse career in the history sector over the past decade. James regularly illustrates historical and political cartoons, has published multiple history books, and studied history at the University of York.

“I am honoured to be appointed to this role. The Guild of Entrepreneurs may not be the oldest of London’s guilds and liveries, but it is a part of a long and rich tradition that excites the historian in me,” James said. “Taking on the role of Honorary Historian is really a dream come true and I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to the members for giving me the opportunity to tell the Guild’s story.”

RGS is delighted that James is visiting in early 2019 to talk to students about his fascinating career.

Alex Price (right) pictured as Draco Malfoy.

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UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES 2018 HONOURS Congratulations to all those that graduated in 2018 and we wish you all the very best of luck with your future chosen career paths. Don’t forget to join the RGS Professionals group for networking, connectivity and support in a professional environment.

 Reigate Grammar School Professionals

Connie Adams University of Exeter History & Politics Degree type: BA Class: 1st (Dean’s Commendation for Exceptional Performance) George Baker University of Kent Business and Management with a year in Industry Degree type: BA Hons Class: 1st Jessica Baker University of Nottingham Philosophy Degree type: BA Class: 2:1 Daniel Beasley Imperial College London Medicine Degree type: BSc Class: 1st Emily Brookes Loughborough University Sports Management Degree type: BSc Class: 2:1 with Diploma in International Studies (University of Colorado) Oliver Cann University of York Economics Degree type: BSc Class: 2:1 Annabel Clark University of Exeter Business Management Degree type: BA Class: 2:1 Sarah Cockerill University of Birmingham Biological Sciences Degree type: BSc Class: 1st Abigail Cole University of Leeds Biology Degree type: BSc Class: 1st

We endeavour to obtain as many university honours as possible but occasionally this is not possible.

If you did not appear in this year’s university honours list and would like to feature in a future edition, please let us know and we will add you to the supplement in next year’s list.

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Karolina Csathy University of Cambridge Music Degree type: BA Class: 2:1 Elliot Dewing University of Warwick History Degree type: BA Class: 1st

Lucy Donovan University of Oxford Cell and Systems Biology Degree type: BA Class: 1st Hugo Evans University of Oxford Modern Languages – Spanish and Portuguese Degree type: BA Class: 2:1 Lucy Findlater University of Oxford Cell and Systems Biology Degree type: BA Class: 2:1 Oliver Gosnold Durham University Chemistry Degree type: BSc Class: 2:2 Tom Greenwood Oxford University Classical Archaeology & Ancient History Polly Griffiths Central St Martins Textile Design Degree type: BA Hons Class: 2:1 Will Guise University of Nottingham Management Degree type: BSc Class: 2:1 Caitlin Haine University of Nottingham Business Management Degree type: BSc Class: 2:1 Fiona Harrington University of Liverpool Aerospace Engineering Degree type: MEng Class: 2:1 Catherine Huntley University of Oxford Biological Sciences Degree type: BA Class: 1st Alex Iqbal University of Exeter Economics with Industrial Experience Degree type: BSc Class: 1st Lily Jones University of Nottingham History and Politics Degree type: BA Class: 2:1

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UNIVERSITY HONOURS SUPPLEMENTARY YEARS

Sacha Lee University of Cambridge Classics Degree type: BA Hons Class: 2:1

Katharine Smith Durham University Geography Degree type: BA Hons Class: 1st

Natalie Liu University of Oxford Philosophy, Politics and Economics Degree type: BA Class: 2:1

Natalie Skinner Durham University Social Sciences (Combined Honours) Degree type: BA Class: 2:1

Sophie Mamalis Surrey University Human Nutrition Degree type: MSc Class: Merit

Peter Stephen Durham University Economics and Politics Degree type: BA Hons Class: 2:1

Karanvir Nat University of Warwick Mathematics Degree type: MMath Class: 2:1

James Taylor University of Oxford Economics and Management Degree type: BA Class: 1st

Alex Nicholson University of Bath Politics and International Relations Degree type: BSc Class: 2:1

Matt Taylor Newcastle University Human Geography Degree type: BA Class: 2:1

Phil Pangalos Henley Business School, University of Reading Digital Marketing Degree type: MSc Class: Distinction

Laura Upstone University of Cambridge Natural Sciences Degree type: BA Class: 1st

Shahil Pallana University of Birmingham Business Management with Year in Industry Degree type: BSc Class: 2:1

Samantha Willett University of Southampton Psychology Degree type: BSc Class: 2:1

Saxon Pattenden University of Oxford Medicine Degree type: BA Medical Sciences Class: 1st

Alexandro Zaccarini University of Bath Economics Degree type: BSc Class: 2:1

Emma Reynolds University of Oxford Music Degree type: BA Class: 1st

Claire Zheng University of Warwick MORSE (Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics, Economics) Degree type: BSc Hons Class: 2:1

Calum Ronald University of York Politics with International Relations Degree type: BA Class: 1st

Dr Lucy Hyams BVSc MRCVS Liverpool University Veterinary Science

Bryony Howard Liverpool University Medicine Luke Haughton University of Leeds Sustainability and Environmental Management Degree type: BSc Tharaka Jayawardana Plymouth University Geography Class: 2:1 Graduation year: 2017 Sophie Mamalis Leeds University Biology Degree type: BSc Class: 2:1 Graduation year: 2017 Matt Norman University of Exeter Law Degree type: LLB Hons Class: 2:1 Graduation year: 2017 Michael Maddocks Birmingham Conservatoire Trumpet Performance Degree type: BMus (Hons) Class 2:1 Graduation year: 2016

Oliver Rushby Royal Holloway, University of London History Degree type: BA Class: 2:1

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FEATURES

SPOTLIGHT ON...

This year we introduced our ‘Spotlight on’ series.

Interviews with Professionals Network members to share their ambitions, careers and advice.

Interesting, insightful and inspiring. Here is a summary of some of the conversations.

JULIAN FRANKUM

STEPHANIE WALLACE

Based in Dubai we heard how digital transformation is impacting on global businesses. ‘All that glitters in the UAE may not be gold, but these days it is usually digital in some way or another.

The region remains pioneering across so many industry sectors. Going digital is the key, whether you are delivering its technology or harnessing it.’

Being In-House Regulatory Counsel in a young, fast paced FinTech business ‘can be challenging and there is a lot of responsibility, but there are amazing opportunities’. Stephanie feels measuring success holistically is important. She hopes in the future to use her skills in a charity trustee role to help others.

(PARENT OF ALUMNI)

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(NÉE JACKSON, RGS 1998-2005)

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

You can see the full interviews on our website rgs.foundation/news/

ROB PIERRE

LOUISE HODGES

Winner of Business Person of the Year at the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2018, Rob is a highly motivated and inspiring leader who co-founded Jellyfish, a global digital marketing agency. He told us how he gained the skills to launch a digital agency that since 2005 has grown to a 450-strong staff working across three continents and about his leadership style. ‘I am a true believer that good judgement comes from experience, but experience comes from bad judgement.’

Understanding the transferable skill sets you have amassed in your career arsenal is key to making an effective leap into a new domain, according to Louise. Louise changed from the travel sector (Head of Communications for Travelzoo) to the banking sector (Head of Consumer Communications for CYBG). She told us the pride she has in the public relations campaign she ran called ‘The Parent Trap’, tackling the fines on parents taking their children out of school to avoid peak travel prices. They successfully lobbied the government to remove air passenger duty tax for under 16s.

LAUREN TICKNER

CHRIS DAY

A 21-year-old entrepreneur and influencer. After starting an Instagram fitness page when she was just 16, she has shown an entrepreneurial spark from the get go. After successfully starting and building up a fitness coaching company and 200,000 following on social media, she is now focused on coaching others to do the same through her online courses.

Global Head of Leveraged Finance, Commerzbank AG. Chris’ top advice to students is to ‘be flexible and adaptable, be ready to take the opportunities when they arise. The onus is on you to find the opportunity, don’t wait for it to come to you. Treat people well on the way up as you will as sure as anything to meet them on the way down.’

(RGS PARENT)

PAUL MORRIS

(PARENT OF ALUMNI)

When your company comprises more than 45,000 employees worldwide, making the most of everyone’s talents and skills is no small feat. Paul serves as Head of the Western Europe Region at Willis Towers Watson. Paul told us exactly how diverse teams are more creative and make better business decisions.

(RGS 2010-2015)

(RGS 1989-1991 / RGS PARENT)

(RGS 1971-1978)

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UNCLE HENRY SMITH CLIVE WILKINSON RGS 1952-1959

A few weeks ago I stood in some awe in front of the superb monument to Henry Smith, which stands close to the altar in Wandsworth Parish Church. Born and buried in Wandsworth, it is a magnificent tribute to the man who made Reigate Grammar School possible, bedecked as he is in the majestic robes of his office of alderman and carrying a skull as a memento mori.

I

had made the 300-mile trip to London especially to see this monument, for over recent years I have come to understand what Henry Smith has meant to my family as well as to RGS and the wider community. When I was a student at RGS I had no idea that the school owed its existence to Henry Smith.

Still less did I know that I owed my very existence to the Smith family!

£1,000, the proceeds of which were ‘for the use of the poor Captives being slaves under the Turkish pirates.’ My family’s personal interest in the man is that Smith’s will also bequeathed a legacy for ‘the use and relief of the poorest of my kindred’, through his sister Joane, as Henry Smith had no children of his own. Some members of my own widely extended family have, in recent years, benefited from that generosity and thoughtfulness.

For almost as long as I can recall there had been some talk in my family about a very wealthy ancestor who had been an alderman in London who had left a legacy that we could call on if any of us were ever to encounter rough patches in our lives.

The story had it that in the late 16th and early 17th centuries Henry Smith had been a wealthy salt merchant, had possibly dabbled in the silver business, and had at one time been captured by Moorish pirates off the north coast of Africa. He almost certainly benefited from the big land grab that followed the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.

More than three hundred years later I undertook my own researches. What I uncovered astonished me, for it seems that my family has a very personal link with Henry Smith. I have a letter from the Henry Smith Charity confirming my pedigree, through my mother’s side, in the long line of descendants from the Smith family. I can trace my lineage directly back to Henry Smith’s sister. Technically speaking, therefore, Henry Smith is my great, great... to the 11th degree great uncle. I suppose therefore that I am entitled to refer to the eminent man as Uncle Henry!

His encounter with Moorish pirates, if true, may account for the fact that Henry Smith’s will included an investment of

I attended RGS when it was under local authority control, and so had no fees to pay. If fees had been payable, and if I had

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TODAY, THE HENRY SMITH CHARITY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST INDEPENDENT GRANT MAKERS IN THE UK, AND IN 2016 DISTRIBUTED £28 MILLION.

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See overleaf for the Henry Smith Family Tree ➦

known about my personal connection with Henry Smith, that would not have been a problem. But I didn’t know then, and I can only be grateful for that short interlude in the long history of RGS that the matter of expenses was taken care of by Surrey County Council. I loved my time at Reigate Grammar School, and will always be grateful for the many benefits its very fine education brought me.

Whether apocryphal or not, I do not know, but the story in my family also had it that towards the end of his life, Alderman Smith eschewed his fine robes and took to being a bit of a vagrant. Tramping the highways and byways of Surrey, he rewarded those parishes that treated him well with a legacy that, by the terms of his will, should be used for the relief of poverty, the setting up of apprenticeships and the teaching and education of poor children. This is how the good people of ‘the Towne of Ryegate’, were able to purchase the land on which RGS now stands. Other parishes, such as ‘Guilford’, ‘Darkin’ and ‘Farneham’, must also have treated Henry Smith with compassion, for they too received similar legacies.

Today, the Henry Smith Charity is one of the largest independent grant makers in the UK, and in 2016 distributed £28 million. It aims to continue the legacy of philanthropy established by its founder, strengthening communities, and grantaiding organisations working with disadvantaged people, and so on. I feel

immensely proud of my ancestor for his philanthropy, courage and understanding of what it was like to be poor.

I did not have the good fortune to be brought up in a stable and financially secure household. Consequently, my time at RGS was fraught with insecurities and I was not able to capitalise fully on the academic opportunities open to me. The possibility of going to university never occurred to me.

I shall always be grateful, however, to the Revd Dr Joe Brice, who suggested that I apply to Westminster Teacher Training College, Oxford, and offered to write a reference for me. Going to this Methodist college was the best thing I ever did, as it put my life on an even keel. As a newly qualified teacher I taught in Surrey for a few years before going to what is now Zimbabwe to work at a Methodist mission school for boys. There I sharpened my love of geography and returned to this country to study the subject at Newcastle University, at the Methodist Church’s expense, and subsequently went on to complete my doctoral studies on human migration in Lesotho.

I remember Joe Brice with admiration and affection. Small in stature, he was a giant in saintliness. Our paths converged as we walked to and from school each day and we often talked. I owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for enabling me to make sense of my life, and of religion, at that

wonderful college, now absorbed into Oxford Brookes University.

It was through the headmaster of RGS, Mr Holland, that I developed my love affair with the poetry of T.S. Eliot. ‘Dutch’ would sweep into the room as silently as a bat, wrapping his academic gown round his shoulders as if afraid it would fall off. Kindly Mr Adkins taught me to love maths, something of which I was able to pass on to those lads in Zimbabwe, at least one of whom also became a maths teacher in the Birmingham area.

I owe my abiding interest in geography to Mr Farries, who always flustered into the room trailing a fine mist of chalk dust and wore his tattered academic gown like a piece of old rag. After dumping an unkempt roll of Ordnance Survey maps and a careworn leather briefcase on the table, he invariably used a corner of his gown to clean the previous lesson from the board. But he taught me to love maps and the landscape they depict, a joy I have carried with me throughout my life.

At RGS I inherited a rich legacy which enabled me in turn to pass on something of its values to my school pupils and undergraduate students. And as I stood and pondered that monument to Henry Smith in Wandsworth, I was very conscious of the fact that if it were not for him not only would RGS not exist but neither would I. What a debt of gratitude I owe to my Uncle Henry! ¢ 29

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HENRY SMITH’S FAMILY TREE OVER 13 GENERATIONS

HENRY SMITH

b. May 1549, Wandsworth d. Jan 1628, Silver Street, London

Thomas SMITH

unknown d. before 1619

=

Joane SMITH

d. before 1625

d. before 1629

b. circa 1605

Richard BUSTARD

Susannah FELL

b. c. 1630 (Occ. Turner)

b. c. 1640 Married 5 Jun 1661 in Holy Trinity Minories

Mary BUSTARD

Richard SWASH

b. 1674, Stepney; Married 27 Feb. 1700, in Charterhouse Chapel, Finsbury,

b. c. 1670

Mary

Richard SWASH

b. 1706 in Eltham. d. 8 July 1779

b. c. 1745

b. c. 1720

Mary SWASH

b. 1755. Married 12 July 1784 in St Gregory’s Norwich

James Henry LAWRENCE

Sarah HORSLEY

b. c. 1790. Occupation 1823 Weaver, 1852 Gentleman

b. 5 Mar 1790 Norwich, Married 31 Oct 1815 in Norwich

Elizabeth CROWFOOT

William LAWRENCE

b. 22 Aug 1816 in Norwich. Upholsterer

James Henry LAWRENCE

b. c. 1818 in Norwich, Married 17 May, Norwich. Dressmaker

Mary Elizabeth CROSS

b. 20 Jun 1845 Norwich, d. 1907 Guildford 1881 Gas Fitter, 1896 Insurance Agent

Lewis Sumpter BROOKING

b. 2 Jan 1862 in Frimley. d. 10 Sep 1926 in Reading Royal Navy 1877-1897, 1897 Commercial Traveller

Violet Ethel Elizabeth BROOKING b. 19 Nov 1908 in Farncombe, Surrey d. 10 Dec 1978 in Kingston upon Thames

Eileen Mary

b. 24 Dec 1937

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Margaret SMITH

d. 1558, Wandsworth

Sarah WARD (Great Niece of Henry Smith)

b. circa 1600

John Horsley

Henry JACKSON

Mary JACKSON

William WARD

John FELL

=

Ronald Keith

b. 22 May 1939. d. 1999 in Exeter

b. c. 1846 in Norwich. Married 24 March 1870, in Willow Lane Roman Catholic Chapel, Norwich d. 24 Sep 1894 in Billericay

Elizabeth Mary LAWRENCE

b. 22 Mar 1871 in Norwich. Married 18 Aug 1896 in RC Church, Stratford. d. 14 April 1959 in Reading

Ronald Hubert Wilkinson

b. 29 Sep 1909 in London. d. 3 Jan 1980 in Redhill Insurance Agent, Accountant

ROBERT CLIVE

b. 30 May 1940 (RGS 1952-1959)

John Anthony b. 25 July 1946

Alan Geoffrey Paul b. 10 July 1949

Financial Lifestyle Management What do we do?

Our clients’ goals are at the centre of everything we do. We provide a holistic approach to our clients, aiming to eliminate the hassle of managing their own finances and reducing their tax liabilities as much as possible. We find managing all of these areas under one roof the most time and cost efficient for our clients. Our service includes:

We offer a free financial health check to RGS parents and alumni to better understand your financial position and highlight the areas where we can help. Please contact rgs@flmltd.co.uk to find out more.

Who are we?

DAVID ALLARD

IMOGEN ALLARD

ED FORSYTH

HARRY VAUGHAN

Chief Executive Officer

Financial Adviser

Financial Adviser

Financial Adviser

Class of 1979

Class of 2013

Class of 2008

Class of 2009

T H E R E I G AT I A N 2 018

FEATURES

REIGATIANS’ FLABBERGASTING FUNDRAISING It’s amazing to see some of the strength, endurance and challenges that Reigatians have been up to in 2018 for small local to national and international charities. Here is the pick of some of our favourites from what we have heard about this year.

THE MARATHON DES SABLES

is the stuff of legends. It is the toughest Footrace on Earth.

A truly gruelling adventure in the middle of the Moroccan desert – a six-day, 251 km ultramarathon, which is approximately the distance of six regular marathons. James Rudolf (RGS 1984–1992) said it was a “tough, inspiring and totally awesome week that has helped raise an additional £7,500 for Latch Welsh Children’s Cancer Charity. These funds will really help children and their families as they face some tough times.”

THE LONDON MARATHON

the world’s greatest marathon. In support of her very good friend’s four-year-old daughter Emilia, Alexa Reddy (née Jago, RGS 1994-1998) ran in the London marathon to raise funds for the Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

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GEORGE AND THE GIANT PLEDGE JAMES WOODALL RGS 1986-1994

A year on since George and the Giant Pledge featured in The Reigatian, James and Vicki Woodall have been just as busy working on their Giant Pledge to help beat childhood cancer.

On the 3 January 2017 their then four-year-old son George was diagnosed with a rare PNET Ewing’s Sarcoma, an aggressive and cancerous tumour.

On learning how woefully underfunded childhood cancer is they set-to on

trying to raise £1,000,000 for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity alongside trying to navigate their family through his gruelling cancer treatment program.

George, now six, currently remains disease free and is in full time school in Year 1 at Reigate St Mary’s. The Woodall's won Pride of Britain for London and, at the time of going to print, are just £24,000 away from their whopping £1m target! ¢

“We’re all adjusting to life with George still managing the long term effects from his cancer,” said James. “George now wears a body brace for 23 hours a day until he’s old enough to have spinal fusion surgery (around the age of 16). This is a direct result of having part of his spine and three muscles from his back removed during his cancer surgery. He’s still scanned every 12 weeks to see if he’s relapsed whilst the family try to find their ‘new normal’.”

FIND OUT MORE AT

giantpledge.com 33

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FEATURES

MEDICAL ELECTIVE IN VANUATU WILL APPLEYARD RGS 2007-2014

Almost immediately after my final exam of the fourth year at Norwich Medical School (UEA), I boarded a plane to start the 55-hour long journey to the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu to undertake a four-week placement at the Northern Provincial Hospital, Luganville.

V

anuatu is a small nation of 270,000 people across 80 small and often inaccessible islands, where medical supplies, equipment and staff are a limited resource.

Charities fund aircraft to transport patients from outer islands to the care that they need, but this is not always possible, which can be tragic and frustrating for all. Simple medications and equipment are also limited, for example there is not a CT scanner in Vanuatu, a piece of equipment that we might consider essential in any UK hospital.

During my time here I have seen and helped treat all sorts of conditions that I have never seen before at home, where we might consider them diseases of the past, for example mumps and syphilis as well as many childhood illnesses. I have been able to assist all over the hospital with these in clinic, the emergency room, delivery suite, operating theatre and on the wards. With over 130 languages, Vanuatu is the most language-dense country in the world, so I was worried that communication would be a barrier, 34

however Bislama (the language common to all islands) is surprisingly easy to pick up, or at least the people are too polite to correct me! With this, I have also had the opportunity to visit remote islands and villages to help run one-stop clinics for people who rarely have contact with the medical profession, which for me has been the most rewarding experience.

Patients are always very grateful for the care that they receive, and we are often greeted with thanks in the street after seeing patients at the hospital. This friendly nature of the people in Vanuatu has allowed me to attend weddings, feasts, local festivals and I was even invited to march in the Independence Day parade!

The island also boasts one of the world’s largest wrecks accessible to divers, the SS President Coolidge, which is incredible to explore if not a bit daunting for a first-time diver like myself, as well as countless beaches and waterfalls. Before I leave, I plan to visit the active volcano on the island of Tanna, which is also home to the religion which reveres Prince Philip the

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Duke of Edinburgh as a deity, so I will be sure to tell any followers I meet that I once met him after getting my Gold DofE at RGS! Hopefully to little consequence...

I can’t understand why Vanuatu isn’t a more popular tourist destination, but I have a feeling it soon will be so I would recommend coming now to try the sailing, diving and Tuskers on the beach! And to all future/current medical professionals, you can give and learn so much by working in Vanuatu so always consider it when planning a trip like this! ¢

PATIENTS ARE ALWAYS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE CARE THAT THEY RECEIVE, AND WE ARE OFTEN GREETED WITH THANKS IN THE STREET AFTER SEEING PATIENTS AT THE HOSPITAL

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INTERVIEW WITH

TOM THIRLWALL RGS 1983-1991 CEO COPA 90

We welcome COPA 90 CEO Tom Thirwall to discuss his business and experiences at the World Cup 2018. COPA 90, the home of global football fan culture, has 8.2 million followers across all platforms, 17 million fans and reaches 80 million unique users per month.

Q: Tell us about your journey from RGS to CEO of COPA 90:

A: I started with two weeks’ work experience for ABC Productions, thanks to an RGS parent. The atmosphere and excitement of a camera being turned on really lit my imagination.

I knew my career would be in media. After various weeks of work experience, I started in advertising.

Two years later, with a friend, I set up my own business called Fish Tank. We did youth marketing, worked with alcohol brands and launched PlayStation games. We sold the business and I set up an advertising agency. Our model was to own the IP and license it to the brand.

Our next big step was getting sponsorship from Vodafone for a 20-part online drama series. It was a BAFTA nominated, ground-breaking success: a watershed moment.

I bought a quarter of the production company we worked with, Big Balls Films, and turned it into a modern media business. We did individual brand campaigns and projects for companies like Nike, Adidas, Oakley and Red Bull.

In 2012 we won a contract for YouTube to create a football channel for them. We were up against the biggest names in the industry. We went in with our eyes open and told them, “young fans can illegally stream the game anywhere they want. They think Match of the Day is their parents’ media. They can’t afford a Sky subscription and yet they love the game”. In 2013 Copa 90 launched – it tells stories from outside the 90 minutes, which make the 90 minutes matter more.

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Q: What was your experience of the 2014 Brazil World Cup?

A: Twenty cast and crew flew out to Brazil and delivered a very real and exciting version of the tournament. We were there in the favelas when Germany beat Brazil 7-1 with the local fans literally in tears. We said “We have a real opportunity here, we’ve seen massive growth and engagement and brands love what we’re doing. Let’s concentrate on creating a youth media business that focuses on football.”

Q: In terms of your professional ambitions, where do you see Copa 90 in the next few years?

A: Our mission is to become the most influential football media business on earth. There are three major strategic directions from 2019 onwards.

1: 70% of our audience is male, and over 40% of football fans are female, so straight away we can’t be representing all fan culture unless we fully embrace the women’s game. We’re starting with coverage of the women’s World Cup in France in 2019. We will invest in the infrastructure and production here.

2: Bring young female talent throughout our business and our board. It is only by changing and embracing diversity structurally that we’re going to tell the right kind of stories to appeal to a young female audience.

3: Finally, in 2019 we’re launching a Copa 90 video-on-demand platform, where our thousands of hours of content is hosted and archived but also easy to search, do live programming, pilot series and sell our own merchandise.

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

Q: What are your fondest memories of RGS?

A: I loved my time at RGS. Lots of great memories – drama and plays, being part of the 1st XV rugby team; I played no.8 and the opposite no.8 was Richard Hill! One of those two had an incredible game, ran the length of the pitch, scored, then converted his try. The other one had a fairly shoddy time!

Sharing the pitch with him, then watching him go on to be the greatest no.6 that has ever pulled on the England shirt is something I look back on fondly.

Friends I met there, I’m still friends with now. Just the sense of humour and the fun we used to have. Good teachers. Generally speaking, it was a pretty positive well-rounded experience for me.

Q: If you could, what advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

Q: Can you describe the atmosphere and your experiences at the 2018 Russia World Cup? Back home the whole nation got behind the team – did that come across over there?

A: Everyone was pessimistic about Russia. A BBC documentary in 2017 said it would be full of thugs and violence; there will be blood. Even two weeks before the tournament began there were Foreign Office warnings that you shouldn’t travel. At the England v Columbia game there were only 1,700 England fans in the stadium.

A: Boldness – try things and don’t worry about making mistakes.

Too much is about pass or fail: it’s binary. But working life isn’t like that. Failing is about learning and adapting. Our business has gone through hundreds if not thousands of micro-failures in order to be the business it is today. I would be saying to myself; don’t fear failure.

Q: If you could invite any three guests to a dinner party – who would they be?

A: The comedian Peter Cook if he was alive, Michelle Obama and international cricketer Jimmy Anderson – I’d love to know what really went on in the changing room in the Kevin Pietersen era. ¢

The penalties against Columbia were a turning point from an England perspective. A small but loud contingent of England fans was lucky enough to get there. Red Square before the semi final against Croatia had the most incredible atmosphere – England and Croatia fans partying together under this slightly false liberal environment. It was like your parents saying “Have a party on Saturday and Sunday but on Monday we’re going to tidy the house up and you’re all in trouble.” But in terms of an international tournament, it was a brilliant, brilliant competition.

Q: Who would you say has had the biggest influence on your career to date?

A: The first is our Chairman, Richard Dale. He dispelled the myth that successful business men are all alpha male. He showed me that to be a good leader you need to show humility, have a good family and a stable base around you.

The second is Jeff Mallett. One of the Founders of Yahoo, he owns the San Francisco Giants, the Vancouver White Caps in the MLS, and he was an early investor into Airbnb. A multibillionaire, but full of humility. He was interested in me, my family, my upbringing, what got me here, and he wanted to be part of it. To have met someone of that level of success and reputation, for him to have shown the interest, time and enthusiasm that he did in our business, it will be something that I know I will carry forward to whomever I meet in life.

France fans celebrating World Cup win

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FEATURES

HOW TO CATCH THE

CLIMBING BUG

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Crater Lake

LAURA TAVENER RGS 2002-2009 I would like to tell you about my adventure to a magical place – Lombok, Indonesia – just weeks before devastating earthquakes hit, and how I’m going to try and give back to the country and people that gave me so much.

T

his year I wanted to do something truly different, and really challenge myself. On 13 July I woke up at 5am in Sembalun, a small village at the bottom of Mount Rinjani – Indonesia’s second highest volcano.

After a morning hiking in the 30° heat, we started the real ascent up to the crater rim.

After climbing for hours up the steep, sandy ground, with morale-boosting with songs and a fair few sugary snacks, we were finally standing at the rim of the Rinjani volcano crater.

Laura at Mount Rinjani, Lombok

What we beheld was the peaceful crater lake lying miles beneath us. Every few minutes the view would become masked by fluffy white clouds drawn across the crater. The setting sun created a silhouette of this ➦

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FEATURES

great mountain and cast beams of red and orange deep into the valley. The summit loomed behind us.

We retreated to our tents as the sun set, but were woken after a few hours to see thousands of stars, concentrated into a breath-taking display – the Milky Way.

WE WERE NEVER MEANT TO SUMMIT RINJANI, BUT AS WE MARVELLED AT THE STARS AND FELT THE ELATION OF REACHING THE CRATER, ROBI TURNED TO ME, “YOU’LL REGRET IT IF YOU DON’T.”

So at 2am, I began climbing again. Nothing could have prepared me. The path to the summit was 45° of volcanic ash and rubble, sheer drops either side. The wind whipped my rucksack strings into my face and my fingers were so cold they couldn’t tuck them out of the way. Three steps forward, two steps back.

After giving myself a stern talking to, I made it to the summit (3,726m above sea level) for sunrise. Looking out over all of Lombok, the Gili Islands and this gargantuan beauty, Rinjani was worth every painful step. How my family would laugh when they found out that the girl who had come last in the 1,500m at sports day had actually made it to the top.

Once down the steep descent to the lake, we soaked our feet in hot springs and

At the peak

began our second climb up the other side of the volcano. The view at every turn left us speechless. We camped at the top for our last night and ended at Senaru. In 53 hours I had climbed 3,211m, descended 3,766m – one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Just two weeks later, five earthquakes hit Lombok (epicentre at Sembalun) causing mass devastation and bringing this tiny island to its knees. The death toll stands at around 500, more than 1,500 have been injured, and more than 156,000 people have been displaced. Our guide has been living in a tent because his home is uninhabitable, like so many other people on Lombok. To think that such kind, generous and hospitable people are dealing with such trauma is heart-breaking.

To try to help the Indonesian Red Cross stitch their lives back together, I will soon be attempting the ‘3-peaks challenge’ – climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, all within 24 hours.

I may have caught the climbing bug thanks to Rinjani. ¢

If you would like to donate to help the people of Lombok, please visit: www.pituq.com/donate Crater Lake

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HEARTBEAT OF HOME MICHAEL MADDOCKS RGS 2007-2012

H

eartbeat of Home comes from Riverdance Productions, who produced Riverdance the world acclaimed Irish Dance show which will celebrate its 25th birthday in 2020. In those 25 years it has become one of, if not the most highly regarded Irish dance show in the world. Heartbeat of Home as described to me by John McColgan, director and creator of both shows, is Riverdance pushed to its conceivable limits and features the finest Irish dancers on offer. Whilst Riverdance sticks closely to Irish roots, Heartbeat of Home is a fusion of Irish, Latin, Argentinian and Afro-Cuban dance and music.

The music in the show is a fantastic variety of these different styles, all composed by Oscar nominated composer Brian Byrne.

In the same way the dancers are pushed to their limits in this show, the music pushes the musicians. This is not limited to the difficulty of the music, but also includes being an on-stage band that interacts with the dancers whilst playing, as well as performing on multiple instruments during the show. My part includes playing the trumpet, flugelhorn, accordion, guitar and percussion. It is undoubtedly the hardest show I have worked on, but also one of the most fun.

At the point I write this, we are half way through the China tour.

Visiting China has been best summed up by one of the sound

Since October 2018 I have had the pleasure of performing in the show Heartbeat of Home. The show toured 31 cities in China, 13 cities in Germany and Switzerland before its West End debut at the London Palladium. The show has previously toured China and America in 2013 and 2015.

engineers who described it as “a bombardment on all five senses”.

This happens in both a positive and negative sense, from some of the most amazing food I’ve ever tried to some of the most overpowering spice smells. It has felt like the furthest away from home I’ve ever travelled, and whilst there are some home comforts (you can find a Pizza Hut, Starbucks and McDonalds in every city) you shouldn’t expect any of these home comforts to be exactly as they are at home!

There are two things that have particularly struck me so far. The first is the language barrier. English is rarely spoken, and you find yourself doing a lot of pointing and hoping in restaurants! At times like this, technology really comes into its own with Google translate being crucial to most conversations with anyone local. Although this brings in other problems – Google, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are all banned in China meaning you are also reliant on a VPN to bounce your internet off another country. The second is the size of China. Whilst in Chongqing (a city I had never heard of before this tour) I was told that the population of this city is around 30.17 million, approximately half the population of the UK. The craziest part is the cities are so huge that walking around doesn’t feel crowded in the slightest, but then you could walk for eight or nine hours in one direction and never leave the city! ¢ 41

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SCHOOL VISITS

Andrew Colley (RGS 1970-1977) – RGS visit January 2018

Ed Kidd (RGS 1990-1998) with wife Rochelle – RGS visit January 2018

Laurie Hall (RGS 2000-2007) – RGS visit June 2018

Victor Gache (RGS 1984-1991) – RGS visit July 2018

Michael Whiting with Simon Brooker (both RGS 1976-1981) – RGS visit September 2018

David Purchese (RGS 1939-1947) with son Keith (RGS 1976-1978) – RGS visit September 2018

Patrick Hurworth (RGS 1992-1996) – RGS visit October 2018

Four RGS headmasters pose together for the official opening of the Harrison Centre – April 2018. Sean Fenton (2012-present), David Thomas (2001-2012), Paul Dixon (1996-2001), John Hamlin (1982-1996)

If you would like to visit the school, we would be delighted to welcome you back for a tour, please email foundation@reigategrammar.org 42

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RECOLLECTIONS & MEMORIES

MAURICE ROGERS OBE RGS 1948-1951

Mr Holland presented me with 10/- for a ‘possible’ on the range in the attic. I shot for the school at Bisley, played tennis against Epsom, gained House Points in the pool and became the Captain of Underhill. I enjoyed our French trips to Claremont- Ferrand and a summer swap with a lad from Lyons.

We played chess at lunchtime (winning at College). I’d sit opposite David Adams on the train from Horley and would vocally play chess.

Rugby – I played for Sussex ATC and, through school, for Surrey ATC. When the County teams met, I was conveniently indisposed!

I later played for The Netherlands against a South African team and for the Southern Cameroons against Nigeria – and the French Cameroons.

It was thanks to the Cadet corps which led to my RAF Flying Scholarship. I was joined during National Service by two former form mates, Sam Morris (’50) and Jimmy Connelly (’50) all qualifying to fly frontline jet fighters.

After de-mob from the RAF in January ’53, I worked in the forests of Sweden until my Forestry degree at Bangor. I worked for the Forestry Commission Research in England, Scotland and Wales, for Finnish Forestry Research, as a sawmill manager in Norfolk and for the Eastern Woodlands Forestry Cooperative: taking me to some 22 countries including two 18 month tours in West Africa.

After five years, I chose to start my own business of Forest Advisory Services – this functioned for over 40 years but nine of these years I served as editor and secretary for the Commonwealth Forestry Association – members in 70 Countries. My wife, Rosanne, had taught Latin and French at schools including Roedean and Riddlesworth Hall (Princess Diana’s School). When Rosanne retired we moved to the North of Scotland – where her folks had been sawmillers and ship builders since the 1820’s.

Her brother, Alan Phillips, also attended RGS 1938 – 1946.

For the last 16 years, I have been Secretary for the Northern Region of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society and am currently

a vice president – for the last eight I have represented Scotland on the European Forestry Network.

A recollection of a conversation from 1972 still stands out and ended up having a national impact: It was our first full year on our own and I took a call from a client: “Good morning Maurice, can you find me some trees?”

“Of course, with pleasure. How many?”

“About two million” “…yes!”

He took 1.5 million which we sold living in containers the next year.

That was the Plant A Tree In ʼ73 Government-sponsored national campaign in the United Kingdom. Aimed at encouraging the population to participate by planting trees during the 1973 ʻNational Tree Planting Year’. At the time a new, virulent strain of Dutch Elm Disease was sweeping the country, killing millions of trees.

Twice, during the 1990s, I just happened to be on the same flight as the RGS sports teams who were returning to the UK from Vancouver. Whilst I was a manager for a Woodland Owners Cooperative, a party of RGS came through a wood I was assessing at the edge of Grafham Water – what a small world!

I am sorting through my scrapbooks of some of the 33 countries and flying logs, which might be pertinent and of interest to some of the next generation. ¢

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SCHOOL: WINNING THE JUNIOR CROSS COUNTRY AND THE SIX MILE WALK.(THE THREE LADS IN FRONT OF ME WERE DISQUALIFIED FOR RUNNING).

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 Investiture 2000

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: CONTINUING THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

I

enjoyed Stephen Fisher’s (RGS 1960-1967) article ‘Finding my Niche: The Long and Winding Road’ in the 2017 Reigatian, as it had so much resonance to my own experience; and also because I was one of those four boys in the photo included in Stephen’s article. Like Stephen, I didn’t take full advantage of the many opportunities offered by RGS and ended up with less than ideal O and A levels. But as Stephen recognised, we did somehow manage to pick up important life skills, particularly how to write clearly and in my case a decent grounding in language skills which has served me well throughout my life.

The main reason I didn’t do particularly well at school was because I didn’t work hard enough. However, in my defence, I came from a poor, single parent family and lacked the guidance and encouragement that might otherwise have spurred me on to achieve more. My mother’s ambition for me was to become a clerk at the Co-op in Redhill and I only mildly disappointed her

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DAVID WOODWARD RGS 1961-1968

when I landed my first job as a Clerical Officer at British Rail in Croydon. I remained in that role for six uneventful years. But then in 1975 I had a lucky break. The Exchequer & Audit Department was recruiting for Assistant Auditors to undertake audit work and follow a three-year Civil Service training programme. I got the job, one of an intake of 60 that year. I may not have realised it at the time, but I had found my niche.

I studied hard and after three years took first place in the economics exam and second place overall. By 1987 I had become a Director of what was by then the National Audit Office (NAO).

I had also met and married Yvonne who was a manager at the NAO. In addition to its government audit role the NAO was, and remains, much in demand by United Nations bodies and other international organisations to undertake their external audit, for which the NAO charges audit fees. With my knowledge of French I naturally gravitated towards this work, eventually becoming the

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

Director of the NAO’s International Division. Then, in 1994, after the UN General Assembly had appointed the UK as one of three member states to undertake the external audit of the United Nations Organisation, I was despatched to New York to lead this work on behalf of the UK. I stayed for nearly seven years until the UK’s mandate came to an end in 2001.

In 2000, I was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to the United Nations. A trip to Buckingham Palace followed, with my elderly mother amongst the guests at my Investiture.

After finishing at the United Nations I undertook a one-year secondment to the French Court of Accounts in Paris where my role was to compare and contrast working methods of the Court with those of the NAO. Working and making presentations in French was a challenge which I could never have met without the firm foundation laid by RGS all those years ago.

 CCF Corps of Drums

My third and final overseas assignment was in Brussels where I was to spend four years as the UK’s Member of the International Board of Auditors for NATO, being appointed Chairman of the Board and Head of the NATO Agency that undertakes the external audit function. Once again, I found myself drawing on my French which, along with English, is one of NATO’s two official languages.

After 12 successive years spent overseas I returned to the UK in 2006 to spend three more years as a Director at the NAO before retiring in 2009.

When Who’s Who had earlier invited me to submit an entry, I had at first suggested that my railway clerk years be omitted. I’m glad to say they persuaded me to include them. That stage of my life was an important part of my journey, contributing in its own way to my development and helping me to find my niche. I certainly wish, however, that I had worked harder at school as I saw my own son do. His hard work from early on opened up opportunities for him that were never available to me.

In my case it had been a long and winding road, which was rewarding and rich in life experience. I thank Reigate Grammar School for laying the basic foundations that made my journey possible. ¢

 David in 1965

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WHAT DID CLASSICAL MUSIC DO FOR US?

ARRAN POYSER RGS 1954-1962 PRELUDE

This article describes how six RGS alumni completed their Sixth Form studies in 1962 and the way classical music helped form a common bond of friendship between them during their latter school days. Their keen interest in classical music has continued right through to the present as have their long-lasting friendships, further emphasising the importance of those formative years.

MUSIC AT RGS IN THE 1960s

Although there was a school orchestra and choir with regular concerts for parents, it is probably fair to say that in the 1960s music was not a core academic subject and only a very few individuals achieved advanced proficiency in any instrument. Clearly, this is in marked contrast to music-making and dedicated school facilities at RGS today.

A CLASSICAL MUSIC CLUB

A group of six (later seven) RGS teenagers plus a further four from the local girls’ school, decided to meet on Sunday evenings to play classical music records.

Exactly how that suggestion came about seems to have been lost from collective memories as is also the reason for our name – The Flotsam and Jetsam Society.

Our main aims were to expand our knowledge and understanding of a wide variety of classical music ranging from the first Elizabethan period to the second.

Chamber and vocal compositions as well as orchestral and instrumental works were regularly featured.

One reason for the success of this venture was that, unlike today when virtually the whole classical repertoire can be downloaded, LPs were very expensive. For example, in pre-decimalisation money, it cost nearly forty shillings for a full disc and twenty-one for a re-issue. In today’s money, this is about £40 and £20 46

respectively. So none of us had a large collection, though we did have varied tastes and the programmes provided us with plenty of music we had never heard before.

We took it in turns to present programmes for the evening which were put together with care. Generally, we listened attentively to each piece and this was followed by some discussion. It was all quite serious and somewhat academic by most standards, but this made the whole experience more rewarding to us. It would be a mistake to think there was not an important social aspect to the evenings and there was indeed warmth and friendship.

Between September 1959 and July 1962, we met 150 times, playing works by at least 150 composers. Additionally, via one parent, we had occasional access to BBC experimental stereophonic tapes including a London concert during the first visit to Britain of the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra. Other encouragement and support came from the young manager of the local music shop in Bell Street, Reigate – Tamplin and Makovski. One RGS teacher – the late Keith Louis who died in 2015 – and his wife gave us a couple of presentations focusing on famous opera singers. On another evening, we were spellbound by a live recital given by a charismatic local pianist, Syd Chrome.

Another memorable occasion was a recital by the Serbian virtuoso violinist Yovanovitch Bratza (1904-1964) who ran a delicatessen in Bell Street and his pianist brother. Those of us who played instruments also gave our own concert for our parents.

Details of every meeting were carefully recorded in bound volumes that survive to this day.

THE MUSIC LEGACY

As our education and careers paths diverged, two of our group graduated into music professionally; others became involved as amateurs in chamber music or choirs or in management of music societies. All of us continued to further extend our knowledge of classical music by attending live performances and through our expanding collections of music, increasingly from LPs through to the then new format of CDs. We stay in close touch with each other discussing new musical discoveries and reporting on concerts attended not only in England, Wales and Scotland but also in many parts of Europe, the USA and Canada.

LIFE ENRICHING The closing comments of our society’s records include a sentiment that has proved entirely true: “We may consider the three years of this society as the foundation of a lifetime's appreciation of music in all its profundity and variety”.

It would be interesting to know whether any generation of RGS students after the 1960s achieved anything comparable to the initiative and success of our own society.

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

Geoffrey Atkinson

Nigel Bolland

Chris Gayford

Ken Gundry

Arran Poyser

Barry Samuel

OUR PERSONAL STORIES

To illustrate how important classical music has been to us and perhaps even to encourage and inspire some of today’s students at RGS reading this article, the following six alumni offer but a few of their own comments.

GEOFFREY ATKINSON RGS 1954-1962 suggests that the much-enjoyed evenings lit a slow burning fuse which culminated in an explosion in 1966 when he realised he was NOT going to be an accountant after all and decided to go back to university to study music. He also notes that in those days, the school only thought that people with musical aptitude would go to the Academy or College of Music in London. There was no awareness whatsoever that you could study music as an academic subject. As he did not have extreme technical fluency this latter would have been, and became, the way for him to go and having acquired another degree and an organ diploma, he happily settled for the life of a provincial musician in Scotland, exploiting all the usual and relevant activities and pursuits (including, most rewardingly, conducting choirs and orchestras) for over 40 years. He is still there.

NIGEL BOLLAND RGS 1956-1962 comments that although his parents liked classical music, their opportunities were limited. His lifetime interest began as a teenager and what he learned was from the BBC, by reading, and from friends. Our group broadened his tastes and some of his favourite pieces include some that he first heard in those years. For twelve years, he was the Program Manager for the Chamber Music Society of Utica, New York, choosing the ensembles and writing program notes for six concerts a year. Now living in Pittsburgh, he listens to music every day and goes to many concerts.

CHRIS GAYFORD RGS 1954-1962 says the music group certainly meant much to him at the time and is something in his past which he treasures. Although we were a disparate group of young men, we shared a quite special passion which caused us to bond over many years. Despite the group meetings only taking place over a relatively short period in our lives, the effects have stayed with us.

For him, it was the opportunity to sample a wide range of what would be considered to fit into the category of ‘classical music’, although none of the group would have liked that description. It provided a springboard for his later exploration of the types of music that really mattered to him. Some of the lesser known composers such as Martinu, Janacek and Szymanowski became a regular and important part of our listening as well as vast symphonic works and very intimate chamber music or song cycles by better known composers. Exploration was certainly an essential element of the life blood of the group.

KEN GUNDRY RGS 1954-1962 still remembers his excitement at the Sunday evenings and a few works that he heard there first remain his favourites. The society was a major and continuing influence on him and certainly contributed to his years singing in choruses and serving on the board and artistic committee of a chamber music society in Northern California. An amusing memory is lying on the floor with Arran writing out, by hand, copies of the text of William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast so that at the subsequent meeting all members would be able to follow the plot. Many years later, he sang the piece in what may have been the first performances in the Czech Republic and Poland during a Californian choir tour of Eastern Europe.

There, for some reason, the programmes in Polish did not arrive in Krakow, so the priest in the church read the text to the audience.

ARRAN POYSER RGS 1954-1962 at one stage led the school orchestra and remained a keen amateur violinist and violist, marrying one of the club members who went on to play the violin for many years in one of the country’s leading orchestras. This allowed him access to many of her rehearsals, concerts and even some tours. Luckily, he was also able to play chamber music with his wife’s colleagues and living in London also gave him easy access to the enormous range of other live music that the capital offers. Although infirmity eventually put paid to any stringed instrument playing, a more recent and rewarding interest emerged in the form of attending inspiring master classes which are regularly held at all the London colleges of music and are usually free of charge.

BARRY SAMUEL RGS 1954-1961 suggests that his knowledge of music was rather sketchy when he joined the group meetings in homes near Shaw's Corner. It wasn't, however, just about earnest listening.

He remembers a party piece by a blindfolded Geoffrey when he accurately identified different record companies by sniffing record sleeves! As his own interest grew, he too began to collect records. All forms of music are much more accessible now and it has also recently become possible, through the internet, for our group to share the delight in classical music that we experienced together nearly sixty years ago. Barry’s wife is a retired music teacher and their son is a long-term member of Redhill Sinfonia. ¢

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FROM 2ND XI TO COUNTY CAP GRAHAM SAMUEL (RGS 1958-1966)

I was fortunate in receiving an excellent education at RGS, not confined solely to classroom studies. I also sang in the choir, played in the orchestra and acted in the plays.

There were also many after-school clubs and societies to join, ranging from pottery or chess to the marionette circle and a huge range of sports teams. At the time we took these for granted and I don't think we appreciated the time and effort the staff concerned put into this splendid enrichment to our education. It is easy to forget how much these activities contribute to young lives and continue to enhance later years.

I no longer play the violin or act on stage, still less organise puppet shows or throw pots but my life has been made so much richer by those experiences. Sport is, however, the one area in which I have continued my active involvement.

When I started at RGS in 1958, it soon became apparent that sport was an important part of school life. Those who were successful were regarded in high esteem. Sadly, I was not an instant star. Indeed, I became the lad who turned up with his kit on a Saturday morning hoping that the team would be short.

In later years, however, I did make progress. Although the third team was the pinnacle of my rugby career, I was picked for the first tennis six, won the school hurdles trophy and captained the second XI at cricket. I can still recall the pavilion with its dusty smell and splintered wooden floorboards at the St Albans Road ground.

On leaving school I played a lot of village cricket. When retirement from this seemed inevitable, I took up golf, getting my handicap down to 12 and even winning a few competitions.

Then, one day, on the 17th tee, my playing partner mentioned that he was the captain of the local third XI which was occasionally short of players. Perhaps I could play again after a gap of more than 15 years? He invited me to nets at Hampshire County Ground. Complete with new kit, I arrived to discover, to my surprise and consternation, that my golfing pal also played for Hampshire Seniors and this was their pre-season training. I was surrounded by players with Hampshire Seniors County sweaters.

I changed and nervously entered the nets, juggling a ball and trying to look confident. I decided to try the batsman out with my away drifter. He effortlessly stroked it through the covers. Only then did I see that his sweater bore the words: England Seniors!

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 1966 Second XI Cricket Team

I went to all the sessions but never expected to make the team.

So, it was more than a little surprising when I received a call from the team manager to play against Kent.

When I stepped out onto the pitch, I confess to feeling very proud. Indeed, I got to play in several more matches. The highlight was being part of the Hampshire Over 70s squad that won the National Championship and played for Hampshire against the visiting Australian touring team. All the matches are very competitive. Against Warwickshire, one of their players was reported to the league by the umpires for "foul and abusive language" – yes, by an Over 70!

The team were terrific and made me feel welcome. One had played first class cricket, another Yorkshire league cricket and a third had previously played at Lords. I decided not to mention that I had played several games on Reigate Heath!

This year, the Hampshire Over 70s side will be even stronger with probably six England players. A second retirement seems imminent although perhaps I could turn up with my kit just in case. Now why does that sound oddly familiar? ¢

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

STORIES REMEMBERED

ALAN CLARK-JONES (RGS 1941-1948)

NEWS FROM ACROSS THE POND ROB WHYTHE (RGS 1965-1972) I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW A BIT OF NEWS FROM MY END:

 A typical dissecting room

I left school in 1948 and was fortunate enough to be awarded a county major scholarship and I went to King’s College London to study for a medical degree. I had aspirations to become a bio-chemist and I needed a medical degree at that time to continue and take a degree in bio-chemistry.

I attended the hospital in Denmark Hill for an interview in 1947. I took a tram to Victoria from where I was living in Charlwood, the fare was 2p single. I began my medical studies at King’s College London in 1948 thanks to the scholarship, which RGS had worked so hard with me to obtain and for which I was extremely grateful.

Having qualified in 1953 I decided, after two house jobs in King’s to pursue a career in General Practice rather than to become a bio-chemist. I settled into practice eventually in Camberwell in 1959. The doctors, three of them, were all Scottish and quite elderly and come 1964 I found myself senior partner with 6,000 patients.

Soon afterwards, a young doctor working with me decided to become a ship's surgeon and I had great difficulty finding a successor for him.

 1970s School Reunion – Alan, top right

who had trained at Guy’s and was Ghanaian and, after a succession of assistants who did not wish to stay in London, I eventually appointed a third partner who had qualified in Hyderabad.

Mine had become the first multi-cultural practice in London.

As a result of my membership of the local medical committee of which I became chairman in 1989, I had become the GP representative on the King’s management team and, in appreciation of my work for King’s, they decided to choose me to be presented to the Queen in 1990 at the 150-year celebration of the foundation of the medical school. It was a service of thanksgiving which all the Royal Family attended.

I retired from practice in 1990 having served in Camberwell for 30 years and spent two years standing in for other GPs as a locum. I finally retired in 2010 aged 80 and unfortunately lost my wife in 2012.

I was at Reigate from 1965-72 and was an active member of the CCF (ATC section) while I was there, leaving with the rank of Flight Sergeant. As a final recognition of my input to the section, my CO arranged an exchange visit to Canada as a guest of the Royal Canadian Air Force in the summer of ’72.

While there, I was invited to sign the official visitor’s book at Trois Rivières in Quebec, as in the photo below.

Now, 46 years later, almost to the day, I have finally closed the circle and on 15 August 2018, I became a Canadian citizen.

The most amusing thing for me was that, on the way to the ceremony, I was held up at the Metro ticket office by a couple in front who were in deep conversation with the ticket booth clerk. When they realised I was waiting, they waved me in front of them saying they had a problem that would take a while to resolve. I asked if I could help as it seemed the clerk only spoke French, while they (being from Ontario) only spoke English.

So I offered to act as an interpreter and managed to resolve the problem very quickly.

It amused me to think that my RGS French master would have been gob-smacked at the thought that I might have learned something useful from his lessons. I don’t think I came across as a linguist at the time.

I moved from Dulwich earlier this year and have to say, I never want to move again, it's reckoned to be worse than a divorce. ¢

At that time General Practice was difficult to recruit in the inner cities.

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RECOLLECTIONS & MEMORIES

Earlier this year, we were contacted by the daughter of David James Tremlett (RGS 1932-1942) with his memories. An avid storyteller, we heard his tale of the Brockham Bridge. Julia says of her Dad, “his memory is not as good as it was, but personality and sense of humour are fully functioning!”

THE ‘BLOWING UP’ OF BROCKHAM BRIDGE?

JULIA WALSH (NEE TREMLETT)

My father, David James Tremlett (’42), aged 94, remembers his childhood in Reigate and his years at Reigate Grammar School with much affection.

He lived all his life (until 2017 when he moved to Sheffield) between the North and South Downs and still walks these areas in his head. I can follow his mental wanderings on Google Maps.

During one of these ‘walks’, he described the incident in Brockham.

“I was probably about 12 years old when the Brockham Bridge ‘incident’ occurred.

I used to walk and cycle along the Mole Valley to meet up with my friend and co-conspirator, Morris Palmer. He lived in Brockham and was in my class in school. We used to go to different places and make loud bangs. Several boys would make fireworks: one of a number of jolly japes. We called ours ‘Doom Dynamite’. The ‘dynamite’ ingredients were so effective they are probably best not published! In those days, chemist shops would sell proper chemicals and Mr Baldwin, the chemist in Reigate a few yards away from the level crossing, would sell us whatever we wanted.

The trouble with a lot of homemade fireworks was that one would make a pile and they would sometimes explode in an unplanned way.

This particular day I had cycled the four miles or so along the footpath from Reigate to Brockham to meet up with Morris and we decided to make a loud bang under the historic and substantial Brockham Bridge. We set up the chemicals, hidden from view under an arch, and managed a particularly satisfying bang. No damage was done to the bridge.

The day after the ‘blowing up’ when we arrived on the school premises we were escorted to the Headmaster’s study (Orme 50

Photo credit: John Gray

was the Headmaster at the time) and told what naughty boys we’d been. There were two policemen present who interviewed us, asking us whether our parents had any Irish connections. The IRA was active at the time and a nervous member of the public had reported our exploits to the police. They eventually left, somewhat convinced that we weren’t terrorists and after the Headmaster promised them that we would be adequately sentenced. We were kept in on a Saturday morning and had to write an essay on Guy Fawkes.

I think the incident gave me a certain kudos at school, if not at home!”

After leaving Reigate Grammar School, Dad worked with Barnes Wallace in Farnham until the end of the war. He then studied at Imperial College, London and worked as a Mechanical Design Engineer until retirement. He continued to enjoy long walks on the Downs into his late 80s with his dog. ¢

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

MEMORIES FROM...

RGS DURING THE 1940s DAVID PURCHESE RGS 1939-1947 As a pupil at both Reigate St Mary’s Choir School and RGS, you had extra duties being released for choir practices, funerals and weddings at the church.

Godfrey Searle, the Choirmaster, had contacts with St Paul’s Cathedral in London and following the evacuation of St Paul’s choir to Truro, Cornwall, St Mary’s stepped in to provide two services, once a month in the crypt of St Paul’s. What an adventure travelling by train to war torn London and singing at an amazing venue! (Editor’s note: David is too modest himself to tell you that he sang the first verse solo of Once in Royal David’s City in St Paul’s as well as at St Mary’s.)

Lessons at RGS were often disrupted during the early years of WW2 with regular sirens going off, warning of an aerial attack, and we would run to the bottom of the playground where we could take cover within the air raid shelters.

Sport in the form of football and cricket were the key activities and I was fortunate to be awarded my 1st XI colours for cricket in the form of a white cap.

University entrance wasn’t the norm after RGS, and I worked as an apprentice for five years at The Monotype (Salfords) in general engineering, followed by the compulsory two years’ National Service, which took the form of an Air Radar Mech on Canberra aircraft at RAF Binbrook with 617 Sqn. The future is rather different for school leavers today! ¢

RGS DURING 1976 KEITH PURCHESE RGS 1976-1978 Apart from sitting my O Levels in the second hottest summer on record in the UK, the education system was about to change.

Reigate College was formed to accept Sixth Formers. RGS became an independent grammar school and girls were admitted into the Sixth Form. My Sixth Form future was in doubt, until Dad managed to negotiate a sports bursary for cricket and the best two years in education began!

I made the most of my two years at RGS playing 2nd/3rd XV rugby and 1st XI cricket, scoring 103 n.o. against Warlingham HS and being presented with a brand new cricket bat of my choice. I also joined the CCF (RAF) and was awarded a gliding scholarship at RAF Manston, followed by a flying scholarship at Goodwood, gaining my PPL. Those two years at RGS created the path I would follow into the aviation industry as an Air Traffic Controller based at West Drayton and Swanwick, and I am now looking forward to retirement in 2019 after 39-years’ service. ¢ 51

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FROM THE ARCHIVES When I was at school, there was one annual event that we accepted as normal, but which I personally would not have considered the highlight of any of my academic years! Speech Day was an opportunity for the school to invite a notable person to speak to the assembled boys, and attending parents, and for the head to do likewise, highlighting recent achievements and advancements of the school in his Annual Report.

SPEECH DAY!

SOME NOTABLE GUESTS AT RGS EVENTS PETER BURGESS RGS 1967-1974 q Alfred Clarke

I can only personally recall one guest speaker at any of the Speech Days I attended, and that was Sir George Gardiner MP who was guest the year after I left, and from whom I received the SVJ Edwards Prize for Chemistry for 1974. Other than that, every Speech Day was a rather non-descript event of little interest, and definitely not memorable! I am not aware of how long after 1975 Speech Days continued to be part of the school calendar, and I imagine whatever purpose the event had, has been replaced by something more relevant to today’s world, and I hope, a livelier and more memorable occasion for today’s students.

Speech Day seemed, to me at least, like a hangover from decades past – a tradition that had had its day.

However, looking back well before my time at the school, Speech Day was occasionally an event of some note. In particular, in November 1944, the guest was none other than Mr J Arthur Rank, accompanied by the Hon Mrs Rank. The highly important Education Act had just been passed by Parliament, an Act which would have far-reaching consequences for the education of children, both in Reigate and across the country, up to the present day.

Within the text of Headmaster Mr Clarke’s lengthy presentation, printed in full in The Pilgrim, are a few little nuggets of possibly hitherto forgotten information.

Did you know that J Arthur Rank assisted in the production of a 67 percent vegetarian sausage? And you thought his only claim to fame was the promotion of cinemas and film production! We learn that in 1944 the number of boys had exceeded 600 for the first time ever. We can read the first brief explanation of how boys would be chosen to be pupils at Reigate Grammar School, with the complete abolition of the fee-paying system, and admission being solely the consequence of a good examination result.

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q Mr Holland

The Headmaster informed his audience of the evacuation of 46 boys to South Wales on account of the appearance of the V-1 flying bombs over the South-East, and that those that remained in Reigate took some of their summer examinations in the airraid shelters, holding their examination papers on their knees.

J Arthur Rank’s address was summarised in one paragraph, including some advice as valid today as it was in 1944: “Most of the troubles in the world come through misunderstandings, and it is by really trying to understand other nations and learn about them that we could enter into a great fellowship all over the world”.

Mr Clarke concluded his speech thus: “At the outset of my report I said I was going to be boring. I hope that some of the things that I have said have penetrated”. Would he have ever guessed that seventy-five years later, someone would once more read his “boring” report of an exciting year in the life of his school.

A year later, again we read in The Pilgrim the Headmaster’s report as presented to the 1945 Speech Day. The guest speaker at this first post-war Speech Day was the Right Honourable RA Butler MP, widely referred to as “Rab” Butler, the principal architect of the 1944 Education Act, enacted before the unprecedented Labour Party election landslide victory of 1945. Butler had narrowly held onto his Saffron Walden seat, but was now sitting on the opposition benches. Nevertheless, our 1945 guest was an instrumental part of the huge educational changes sweeping the country in that year, and to have accepted an invitation to the school was a great honour to Reigate. This was very likely due to the influence of former pupil Sir Godfrey Ince, then Vice-Chairman of the School Governors, who had been a senior member of the British Civil Service, serving as Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Labour. The fact that RA Butler, having distributed the prizes for the year, then spoke appreciatively of the work of Sir Godfrey at the Ministry of Labour, emphasises the likelihood of this. The former minister stated that the object of the Education Act was to retain variety and quality, not to make everyone the same, but to give everyone the opportunity to develop their talents in the way that suits them best.

DID YOU KNOW THAT J ARTHUR RANK ASSISTED IN THE PRODUCTION OF A 67 PERCENT VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE?

In February 1947, Sir Godfrey Ince also exerted his influence once more when the Old Reigatian Association held its annual dinner at St. Ermine’s Hotel in Westminster, by inviting his former boss the Foreign Secretary the Right Honourable Ernest Bevin as principal guest. The dinner was reported at some length in the Surrey Mirror, a report which was subsequently reproduced in The Pilgrim.

Bevin spoke in some detail on his vision of classless education, which he believed would be brought about by providing the same curriculum to all up the age of 15.

He hoped that all educators would inspire children to value their role in society, whether they were working in an insurance office, or in a mine or in manufacturing, and to consider themselves of equal value, producing the wealth upon which the country depended.

Late that same year, the guest at Speech Day in November was the Right Honourable George Tomlinson MP, the Minister of Education. Sadly, we have no record of what the Minister said to his audience. In contrast, the Annual Report of the new Headmaster, Mr Holland, ran to four full pages of The Pilgrim for Spring Term, 1948.

Without wishing to disparage the no-doubt worthy thoughts of the newly-elected Headmaster, personally, I rather wish the principal guest’s presentation had been recorded for posterity! As the son of a Lancashire cotton weaver, working as a weaver himself from the age of 12, I expect Tomlinson’s words and thoughts on the new education system would make interesting reading today. ¢

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

WANTED GRAFFITI CULPRITS! During some recent renovations at school, we were lucky enough to uncover a goldmine of memorabilia – panels from the old rifle range, which are covered in names and dates from former pupils.

Some of these date back to the 1920s!

If you remember writing your name, or can see the signature of someone you know in these images, please do get in touch.

We would love to hear your stories and your memories from your time at RGS. ¢

THIS IS AN AMNESTY, NO DETENTIONS WILL BE GIVEN!

RGS THROUGH THE GENERATIONS In our Reigatian network, we have several families for whom RGS has been the school of choice for generations.

We have picked out an example to illustrate how different generations of the same family have been to the school. If you are one of these families, we would love you to get in touch with us so we can map out more family trees. ¢

MORE POSSIBLE FAMILY MEMBERS Frederick John Farrington (RGS 1883-1887)

Brothers

Benjamin Farrington (RGS 1884-1889) Son Ernest William Farrington (RGS 1912-1918)

Brothers

Ernest Farrington (RGS 1890-1893)

Brothers

William Price Farrington (RGS 1895-unknown)

Brothers

Arthur Farrington (RGS 1898-1902)

Son Benjamin William Farrington (RGS 1927-1928)

Son Bruce Benjamin James Farrington (RGS 1942-1949)

Could these be further possible family members?

Stephen Douglas Farrington (RGS 1973-1980)

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Clive John Farrington (RGS 1971-1978)

Edwin Keith Farrington (RGS 1953-1958)

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

OR NEWS ALI BRICE GOING SOLO AT EDINBURGH FRINGE Ali Brice (RGS 1999-2004) is a regular fixture of the London comedy circuit as well as a member of the Weirdo's Comedy Collective of alternative comedians. He was spotted at the Edinburgh fringe festival, where he has been a regular for nine years, and this year saw him in his fifth solo show.

His show ‘Ali Brice’s Lemonade Stand’ was a roaring success, receiving rave reviews. With silly characters, daft voices and bizarre audience interaction, he has quickly become a master of his own hilarious style of character comedy. Combined with his lightning-fast wit, this makes for a truly unique show from a one-of-a-kind performer.

Four and five star reviews showered him with praise: 'A TWINKLE-EYED COMEDY NATURAL' (ShortCom.co.uk) 'ERIC MEAT IS A SIDE-SPLITTINGLY COMICAL ENTITY' (TheUpcoming.co.uk) 'JOYOUSLY BONKERS... THE PERFECT LEVEL OF EXAGGERATED ODDNESS' (Chortle.co.uk) 'TEAR-INDUCINGLY HYSTERICAL' (Skinny) You may also have spotted Ali on TV adverts this year. Keep an eye out for an anticipated return to London and Edinburgh in 2019.

LAUNCH OF BEX’S NEW TRAVEL COMPANY WANDERLUX LTD REBECCA PUTTOCK RGS 1998-2006

Having worked in the luxury travel industry for over 12 years, my goal was always to try and push the limits. No request was too big, no challenge too extreme. I was always looking for the WOW factor. Having managed the top 1% wealthiest clients in the world (celebrities, princes, sultans, political figures, the successful and the adventurous), I quickly grew a network of contacts, suppliers and adventurists around the world that forever wanted to push the boundaries of travel as we know it.

I began to tailor-make unimaginable jaw-dropping travel. Bucket-list worthy experiences that would change a person. And they did.

Clients returned, shocked and wide-eyed from their trip, and would come back wanting more. Exclusive private island hire, unlimited heli-boarding experiences in Alaska, specialist-led adventures from leading conservationists, swimming with whales with a Blue Planet videographer, hopping around-the-world private jet journeys, flycamping in Antarctica with your own pop-up sauna...

From here, WanderLux was born. I had visited 61 countries, and with that, came pioneering, entrepreneurial and experimental travel. Arctic ice breakers, wildlife encounters, kite surfing the biggest wave and snowboarding the biggest mountains. With the client list, my experience and imagination, the sky is the limit (except private trips to the moon are bookable through WanderLux, so the moon is the limit). Only bookable by word-of-mouth; there is no website, little marketing and no fuss around WanderLux. It is simply humble, loyal and luxury travel.

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REIGATIAN SPORT OR HOCKEY 2017-18

 OR Hockey Club XI vs President’s XI 15 April 2018

This is the report for the 2017-18 season.

The 1st XI in Surrey Division 2 finished eighth out of eleven, one place up from the previous year and with seven wins out of 20 matches. Staying in Division 2 means a good chance of being provided with umpires. This is a great help as it provides an extra person and those appointed are experienced umpires. The 2nds moved up to Surrey Open League Division 1 and finished ninth out of fourteen.

The 3rds also moved up to Division 4 and finished fifth out of twelve, their best result in this League. These promotions reflect the continuing decline in the number of teams playing hockey.

Apart from league matches, the club plays non-league matches now only at the start of the season and there is a four-week Christmas break. The match against the school took place then. A number of current school players are now playing with the club and we continue also to attract those from outside in a competitive area for players.

Ian Whiteman (RGS 1953-1961)

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Training is free and all are welcome (see orhc.info for latest dates and times). If you are interested in joining or would like more information, please contact Rob Evans on 01737 823114.

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

OR RUGBY REPORT 2017-18

It has been a long and frustrating process but we have now completed all but a few of the rebuilding tasks forced on us by the 2014 clubhouse fires. We hope you all recognise the changes that we have been able to incorporate. The continued financial backing of our President, Sir Peter Harrison, should once again be recognised and our thanks are extended to him.

With that support we have taken the opportunity during the rebuild to make improvements to the driveway from the car park, the front of the clubhouse and other external features.

2017/2018 was a memorable season for the 1st XV finishing second in the league to Camberley before being narrowly beaten by Hove (17-16) in the play-off fixture for promotion. The record of 7 defeats in the league plus defeat in the play-off game does not tell the full story as the aggregate points deficit in those 8 games amounted to just 22 points. We also finished with the most bonus points in the league.

The season was also remarkable for the large number of under 21’s that featured in the 1st XV and their contribution bodes well for the future.

The A XV were unable to maintain their fine form from last season suffering from a number of injuries to key players. It is crucial to the success of the senior sides to have strength in depth and to maintain a strong 2nd XV and makes Tyrone Long the justified recipient of the Clubman of the Year award.

The Ex A XV with an eclectic mix of veterans and Colts enjoyed an encouraging season. With 87 players performing in the A XV over the course of the season we would hope to be able to achieve our objective of running a fourth side regularly in the future.

Adam Heims assembled an enthusiastic and talented Veteran team that performed creditably particularly under lights at Crawley. We hope that they will be able to increase the number of fixtures they play next season.

It has been a fabulous year for the Juniors and it is good to see that we have arrived at a pragmatic solution to the development of our players through the Colts age groups.

Ladies and Girls have had another year of expansion and as our numbers have grown we have become more self-sufficient and for the 2018/19 season we will have stand-alone teams at all age-groups.

The Minis have enjoyed an excellent year culminating in a successful festival and tour which showed the Club at its best.

Our sincere thanks to all the many managers and coaches that do such a great job in supporting all the teams from the Veterans to the Minis making significant achievements.

September 2017 saw the completion of the new pitches, and the 12-acre field coming into full use. We now have the luxury of seven senior pitches, and additional training space. The 1st pitch has continued to deliver and is already looking in superb condition for the approaching season and major improvements were made to our entrance and drive.

The Clubhouse is proving to be a popular venue for private hirings for both individuals and corporate clients.

This season the club's chosen charity has been the Motor Neurone Disease Association in tribute to several friends of the club and relatives of members who are suffering with this awful, pernicious condition. We raised over ÂŁ20,000 for the charity this year and this has been split between the association and several affiliated foundations and charities.

Peter Tharp (RGS 1954-1962) ORRFC Hon Secretary 57

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SCHOOL NEWS RECORD BREAKING YEAR FOR GCSE AND A LEVEL RESULTS Another record year for RGS students in both GCSEs and A Levels. Almost 30% of all A Level grades were A*s and there were more A* and A grades than all other grades put together. In GCSEs, almost 60% of grades were 9-8 (A* or higher), 80% were 9-7 (A*-A) and there was a 100% pass rate across the board.

For the fifth year in a row, 90% of grades were A*-B, which places RGS in the premier league for exam results! For the 19th year in a row the pass rate was 100% with most subjects gaining 100% A*-B grades. The typical Reigatian achieved three A grades with twelve students achieving straight A*s.

These exam successes will open doors of opportunity, securing them places at top universities so they can go on to achieve their life aspirations and fulfilling careers.

It was another successful year for Oxbridge applicants and a record number of students have secured places at medical school. Other top university destinations include Durham, Bristol and Bath.

STUNNING, SPECTACULAR, AND SENSATIONAL! RGS IN CONCERT AT CADOGAN HALL One hundred and eighty musicians from the First to Upper Sixth Forms joined by seventy more from Micklefield School, Chinthurst School and Reigate St Mary’s Preparatory and Choir School, performed to a near-capacity crowd at the beautiful Cadogan Hall in Chelsea in April. The musicians performed a range of choral, ensemble and orchestral music of a quality that would not be out of place in any concert by the Cadogan Hall’s resident orchestra the Royal Philharmonic.

ART, DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION In June, the Art, Design & Technology exhibition celebrated the stunning work produced throughout the year by students from First Form to Upper Sixth Form.

The Wright Gallery and Sports Hall saw an explosion of incredibly ambitious large-scale work, showcasing the fantastic quality and diverse work RGS students produce, with pieces that would not look out of place in any gallery.

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The Symphony Orchestra performed music from Star Wars to start the evening before being joined by three stellar soloists, all from the departing Upper Sixth Form, in concerto movements by Elgar and Glière and the haunting theme to Schindler’s List. The Concert Band and Swing Band rounded off the first half with a mix of film music, Stevie Wonder and a roof-raising performance of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy with three featured vocal soloists.

The second half featured choirs from Chinthurst and Micklefield, the RGS Godfrey Searle choristers and the Junior Girls’ Voices performing a mix of pop, musical theatre and sacred music. The Spring Orchestra, an opportunity for some of the more junior musicians to perform with some of the most experienced, performed music by Handel and a stirring rendition of Jupiter, from the Planets, by Holst. The RGS Chorus, the massed choirs of Reigate Grammar School, ended the concert with an epic medley of songs by Queen, arranged especially for the occasion.

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

RGS LAUNCHES MAJOR INTERNATIONAL VENTURE

RGS has agreed to work with the Kaiyuan Education Fund (KEF), backed by the China Development Bank, to open up to five schools in China. The first school is scheduled to open in Nanjing in 2019. RGS will not own the schools nor have responsibility for running them. They will however license the RGS name, intellectual property and educational expertise, as well as offer advice, guidance and quality assurance.

By developing international connections, we will open up cultural and learning links across continents and provide visit and exchange opportunities for students and staff which will further enrich the RGS community. The partnership will provide a financial contribution

which will enable RGS to strengthen investment in staffing, facilities and bursaries.

Sean Davey, Head of Foundation and Business Development said the complex process of making the deal was facilitated by notable members of the Reigatian community. He said: “We are very grateful to former pupil Lawrence Webb (’77) and his wife Vivian Webb for their support as Hong Kong ambassadors in connecting us with our partners in China. Not only that but we also discovered an Old Reigatian, based in the British Embassy in Beijing, who was a key facilitator of the International Trade event held in Shanghai! It just goes to show how valuable our global Reigatian network has become!”

MOLLY AND THE STARDUST

This magical Christmas production saw over 100 students performing or working backstage to produce a spectacular festive frolic.

Molly and the Stardust thrilled audiences old and young in the run up to Christmas, as the Concert Hall was transformed into pirate ships, sea storms, mermaid grottos and jungles. The enchanting story explains how Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Wendy and Tinkerbell all came to exist – a theatrical prequel to JM Barrie’s tale, Peter Pan. Students give up precious time to create theatre for our audiences and this show was a sumptuous feast of joy!

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SCHOOL NEWS

SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS GIRLS’ RUGBY 7’S STARS In March the RGS girls’ 7’s team took part in the National Schools’ Rosslyn Park 7’s. With a side that ranged in experience from Harlequins 1st XV to total newbie the team weren’t sure where the day would take them.

For the first time in the history of girls’ Rugby at RGS the team won the group stage at the nationals. The result placed RGS in the 1/4 finals against a very experienced Coleg Gwent Crosskeys College where RGS’s quality and desire to play a wide fast game allowed them to squeeze through 17-15.

In the semi-final, RGS played an undefeated Glantaf side whose girls all play regularly in the U18 Welsh club league. Despite a brave effort, the RGS team finally met their match losing out 12-29 to a very experienced team.

Progressing so far in the competitions is a fantastic achievement for the girls and one that will no doubt help to secure a strong future for girls’ Rugby at RGS.

ELLIE G SELECTED FOR THE ENGLAND WOMEN’S ELITE PLAYER SQUAD Congratulations to Ellie G who is the youngest ever player to be selected for the England Women’s Elite Player Squad (EPS).

Being taken into the adult training squad in preparation for the Autumn Internationals is a huge achievement on its own, let alone at just 17 years old.

JOE’S FIRST CAP FOR NATIONAL LAMBS RUGBY SQUAD Congratulations to Joe J who got his first cap for the Independent School U16 National Lambs rugby squad.

Founded in 2006, The Lambs exists to create openings for boys from independent schools to showcase their rugby skills at a representative level.

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TRIATHLON SUCCESS Congratulations to Issy H who has been offered a place in Triathlon England’s South East Regional Academy.

Issy went through three stages of trials after which she was offered one of only five academy places on offer.

Issy also competed in Egypt at the World Biathle Championships where she won two silver medals in the mixed relay and in her individual race too!

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

RGS AWARDS COMMUNITY OUTREACH AWARD RGS is delighted to have won the Independent School Parent’s Community Outreach Award.

The judging panel recognised RGS for: • Our school partnership projects in science, humanities, arts and sports • The sharing of our facilities • Workshops and events with local schools • Inviting state school students to attend our Higher Education evening, employment talks, Careers Convention, universities events and Oxbridge preparation programmes.

• Student and staff volunteering in the community The judges were highly impressed by our social mobility campaign Changing Lives.

RGS NAMED UK’S INDEPENDENT SCHOOL OF THE YEAR FOR WELLBEING

BRITISH COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AWARD Reigate Grammar School has been awarded Foundation Level of the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of its work to bring the world into the classroom.

Fostering an international dimension in the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need for life and work in today’s world.

RGS’s international work includes a vast array of trips and school exchanges, partnerships with schools in China, France, Germany and Spain. We also have international activities embedded in the curriculum that give our pupils an enriching education by bringing an essential global dimension to learning and encourage the development of skills children need to be global citizens of the future.

Reigate Grammar School’s groundbreaking wellbeing programme has been recognised as the best in the country at the Times Education Supplement Independent School of the Year 2019 awards ceremony. The school’s outstanding wellbeing initiatives were praised for their focus on raising awareness of the importance of mental health and for providing students with a ‘toolkit’ to help them take on the challenges and opportunities of the modern world.

Each year, the TES Awards celebrate the very best initiatives and programmes in place at independent schools across the country. RGS was shortlisted for an unprecedented four awards this year, the only school in the country to be nominated in so many categories. We fought off competition from an impressive line-up of top schools to become the Independent School of the Year for Wellbeing.

The judges were impressed by RGS’s whole-school approach to wellbeing for staff and students which is based upon a belief that happy and healthy children go on to become high achievers. Our focus

on the ‘whole child’ certainly works, as we achieve some of the best exam results in the country.

The lead judge, Natasha Devon MBE (former Government Mental Health Supporter) said that RGS stood out as a “school which understands mental health as a universal issue”. She added: “They had embedded it into many aspects of school life rather than confining it to PHSCE or a ‘wellbeing week’. One parent said they had “never seen such positivity from any other school”.

Mr Fenton said: “Children need to feel valued and understood, secure amongst friends, looked after by adults and aware that older children are on their side – from that pastoral foundation we can light the touch paper to see success burst out like a firework in all areas of a child’s journey to young adulthood.”

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T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

PUBLICATIONS SARAH PERRY (RGS 2001-2009)

DAVID WALLIAMS (RGS 1981-1989)

LET ME BE LIKE WATER

GERONIMO

(Melville House, 2018) Twenty-something Holly has moved to Brighton to escape. But now she’s here, sitting on a bench, listening to the sea sway... How is she supposed to fill the void her boyfriend left when he died, leaving her behind?

She had thought she’d want to be on her own, but when she meets Frank, a retired magician who has experienced his own loss, the tide begins to shift. A moving and powerful debut, Let Me Be Like Water is a book about the humdrum and extraordinariness of everyday life; of lost and new connections; of loneliness and friendship.

‘A beautiful reflection on love, grief, and friendship. Witty and profound.’

Fiona Mozley Author of Man Booker shortlisted Elmet

Meet Geronimo – the baby penguin who has one dream and one dream only – and that is to fly. But everyone knows penguins can’t fly... or can they?

ICE MONSTER This is the story of a ten-year-old orphan and a 10,000-year-old mammoth... When Elsie, an orphan on the streets of Victorian London, hears about the mysterious Ice Monster – a woolly mammoth found at the North Pole – she’s determined to discover more... A chance encounter brings Elsie face to face with the creature, and sparks the adventure of a lifetime – from London to the heart of the Arctic with heroes who come in all different shapes and sizes.

JAMES MELLOR (RGS 1994-2001)

FUELLING THE WARS: PLUTO AND THE SECRET PIPELINE NETWORK

DRAWN FROM 2017: THE YEAR IN CARTOONS

War planes and tanks are useless without fuel and, with war looming, RAF fuel reserves in 1936 were, at best, minimal. However, the secret construction of a massive storage and pipeline system in Britain kept the RAF fully supplied with fuel throughout the Second World War. The network, including the cross-channel PLUTO pipelines, was also vital for the Normandy invasion. The system expanded during the Cold War, including the construction of huge underground salt cavities for strategic fuel storage, and is still used today to supply major airports. This book, uniquely, traces its history.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to your bookshelf, ten more horrendously hilarious stories about the absolute worst children ever. From ten-year old Hank and his endless pranks on his poor, long-suffering family, to Tandy and her titanic tantrums.

With a little help from his dad and friends, baby Geronimo discovers that even the wildest of dreams can come true. A delightfully topsyturvy book with an uplifting message about following your dreams.

TIM WHITTLE (RGS 1962-1969)

(Folly Books, 2017)

THE WORLD’S WORST CHILDREN 3

(Filament Publishing, 2017) Cartoonist James Mellor casts his eye over the events of the past year.

From Brexit, Article 50 and a snap general election to events in space, international incidents and the ongoing saga of the 45th President of the USA, 2017 has been anything but dull. Drawn from 2017 features cartoons from the worlds of politics, business, history, film, TV and online culture which provide a sideways glance at some familiar stories.

JAMES MILLER (RGS 1986-1992) UNAMERICAN ACTIVITIES (Dodo Ink, 2017) UnAmerican Activities explores the conspiracy theories and violence of modern America through a series of interlocking stories. Populated by meth addicts, vampire hunters, porn stars, fanatical evangelists, disgraced academics and zombified hipsters, James Miller's third novel is a crazy homage to American pop culture and genre fiction and an unforgettable road trip through the dark heart of the United States.

STUART NEATH (1963-2018) (RGS 1974-1981) OLIVE In June 2016 Stuart was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. When he was diagnosed, Stuart decided to achieve a life-long goal and write a children’s book.

The book was based on the true and moving story of Olive, an extraordinary puppy who was born disabled.

The illustrated book was written by Stuart to help children understand the challenges of being ‘different.’ For children aged 8-12 years, it tells the story of a clever, strong and determined Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy and her poignant journey from discovering that she’s unlike her brothers and sisters to how she learns to cope with her condition.

All profits from sales of his book are going to The Shakespeare Hospice where Stuart was a patient.

Stuart saw the book as his legacy to the hospice, which he described as ‘amazing’.

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DEATHS & OBITUARIES JAMES (JIM) PETERS 1929-2018 (RGS 1940-1945)

As a volunteer at the Royal Horticultural Society’s garden in Wisley, Surrey, my father Jim was once approached by a lady who wanted some gardening advice.

“When is the best time to take cuttings?” she asked. Dad leaned towards her with the cheeky smile familiar to everyone who knew him. “When no one’s looking” he replied.

Gardening was in Dad’s blood. His parents were both in service at a country house (Ricketts Wood), Charlwood, near what is now Gatwick Airport, his mum Winnie looking after the children of the family while his dad James was the gardener.

Sadly, they both fell ill and died during the Second World War, James in 1941 and Winnie in 1942. This left Dad and his younger brother Stanley, then 12 and 9, in the care of an uncle and aunt who lived in nearby Horley.

These relatives were kind but never loving. Dad never forgot how, on the day he and Stanley arrived, his aunt had to go out to work.

Sending them out into the street and locking the front door behind her, she told them to wander around and amuse themselves until she got home.

Dad had won a scholarship to Reigate Grammar School the year before his parents died and his school reports sadly show the only absences from school were a few days in October 1941 when his Dad died and in October 1942 when his Mum died. He was justly proud and later became a regular player for the old boys’ football team. Even when he was suffering from Alzheimer’s he still proudly attended the annual Remembrance Services held each November at the school.

When he left school, he wanted to study horticulture but he couldn’t afford the college fees so instead he went into a bank. He was called up for National Service in 1947, spending two years in the Royal Artillery and rising to the rank of sergeant. He learnt to ride a motorbike in the Army but this was shortlived when he got squeezed between two buses. He stuck to riding a bicycle after that incident.

As with RGS, this was something in which he took great pride and the regiment allowed us to have a military drape for his coffin and sent a representative to the funeral. He would have loved that.

After he was demobbed he joined the Crusader Insurance Company in Reigate, becoming an underwriter specialising in medical expenses, and working for them for 41 years, right up until his retirement.

But, because perhaps of the love that had been missing in his own upbringing, family was always the most important thing in his life.

He married my mother Monica, a nurse, in 1953, and they set up home in Redhill. I was born the following year and my sister Margaret in 1957.

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This year would have been their 65th wedding anniversary and some of our happiest memories are of the parties they held in their extensive garden to celebrate such occasions. This was also the venue for the summer dances they hosted for fellow members of the local folk dance clubs, which Mum and Dad ran, Dad acting as caller for ‘Strip the Willow’ and other favourites.

Mum, Margaret and I also spent many contented hours keeping Dad company as he tended his two allotments. Although Dad didn’t like vegetables and hardly ever ate them, he grew a plentiful supply for Mum to cook, with enough for the whole neighbourhood as well.

Dad also looked after the flower border at the church which he and Mum attended. He bought many plant ‘plugs’ by mail-order and they always seemed to turn up at home just before we were due to go on holiday, leaving Mum to do the packing!

Mum and Dad both joined RHS Wisley in 1992 as volunteers and Dad greatly enjoyed helping out at the various RHS shows at Chelsea and Hampton Court, working on the visitor information stands.

As keen ramblers, they walked the Ridgeway and South West Coast Path. Dad would think nothing of walking 20 miles on a Sunday and Mum would dutifully accompany him. Nothing was ever too much trouble for him and he loved spending time with his two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Sadly the onset of Alzheimer’s a few years ago saw him spend the last nine months of his life at a care home. He died peacefully in hospital, a kind and caring man who is much loved and missed by the family and friends who often referred to him as ‘Gentleman Jim’.

Cath Matthews (daughter)

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

LAURENCE (LAURIE) DAVID GEORGE REED OLY 1936-2018 (RGS 1948-1953) Laurie was born in Dulwich but moved to Coulsdon when he was three to avoid the London bombs during the war. In 1948 he attended Reigate Grammar School travelling to and from school either by bus or cycling.

Laurie’s main love at school was sport rather than academic subjects and he excelled in athletics (both track and cross country), rugby and cricket, and in his lunch break played basketball. He held the school's record for the mile and was runner up for the All England School's mile championship.

He joined the Combined Cadet Force and won the All England two-mile race.

Laurie was a chorister at his local church, boxed for the scouts, joined his local athletic club and played for Chipstead cricket club.

Laurie on school cross country 1953

After leaving school when he was 17 years old, Laurie joined the Australia and New Zealand Bank but after two years his career was interrupted when he joined the Royal Army Pay Corps for his National Service. He was hoping to be enlisted elsewhere in the world but was kept in Devizes for the whole two years in order to represent the army in athletics throughout the British Isles.

Laurie continued with his athletics after his army days and was coached by Gordon Pirie, the well-known athlete. Together they mainly trained on Farthing Downs in Coulsdon for cross country, and on the track at Tooting Bec in south London, both before and after work. There were no gyms in those days.

Therefore, Gordon and Laurie dragged a very large log into the garden and that substituted for their weight training. They also wore old army boots when they did their cross country training.

In 1957 Laurie began his international career.

In his first race overseas, which was in France, he won the 3,000 metres a few days after his 21st birthday. The next month he won a gripping race in the six miles at the White City. Over the next three years he competed several times in France, Poland, Sweden, Germany and Italy but unfortunately his athletics was sometimes spoilt by various injuries. He was chosen to represent Great Britain in the Commonwealth Games in

Cardiff in 1958 but again, due to injury, was unable to compete.

In 1958 Laurie was offered a track scholarship to Houston University in America but declined the invitation as he thought he might have an opportunity to compete in the Rome Olympics in 1960 for Great Britain. Although he preferred running 5,000 and 10,000 metres he succeeded in being selected for the 1,500 metres in the Olympic Games. He had earlier that year run a mile in 4 minutes 1.8 seconds.

Most of the Olympic team was very disappointed as they were not sent to Rome earlier due to insufficient funds and, subsequently, were not acclimatised to the exceptional heat. Consequently, they didn't do as well as was expected. Of course, in those days virtually the whole team had full-time jobs. However, he was very proud that he had been invited and felt it was a great honour to participate.

A couple of weeks after Rome, Laurie beat Herb Elliott, who was the winner of the 1,500 metres in Rome, in a cross-country race on Farthing Downs.

Laurie continued running for many years, participating in club matches and running to keep fit and eventually ran three consecutive London Marathons, the last one in 1986, one month before his 50th birthday, in a time of 2 hours 46.49 minutes. After that he was injured again and took up cycling and power walking but felt he never had the full benefit as he did with running.

Throughout all the years Laurie's hobbies were stamp collecting, which he started when he was a school boy, and he was a keen photographer which began when he won a camera in 1960. He loved all classical music and before he became ill went to many concerts at the Royal Festival Hall and Fairfield Hall. He was well known for his great sense of humour and was a true gentleman.

Laurie passed away peacefully in his home, after a long and rare illness, surrounded by his family, just seven hours before his 82nd birthday. After 54 years of marriage he is survived by his wife Astrid, his children Elliott and Anneliese, and two grandchildren.

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DEATHS & OBITUARIES

BILL EDWARDS REMEMBERED Other than his love for his family and friends, teaching was Bill’s world. He loved every minute in the classroom and also what he could do to support pupils at lunchtimes, after school and offering clubs; this was all time that was given with pleasure and completely selflessly. The time spent with RSM pupils who Bill worked with after school for Art and Model club and then later DT club was so appreciated and it was his club which always proved the most popular.

BILL EDWARDS 1954-2018 (RGS STAFF 1990-2018) Bill had a wonderfully positive outlook on life and touched the lives of many via his teaching and friendship. He had a warm and giving personality, infectious smile and sharp sense of humour. Bill will be deeply missed by his loving wife Helen and daughters Charlotte (RGS 2001-2009) and Sophie (RGS 2006-2015), as well as his many friends and colleagues.

We ran U14 rugby together for over 20 years.

Bill’s ability to keep every boy involved in the game was legendary. As a B XV coach he often had 20+ players to give a game to. He ran a type of “rolling subs” that nobody could ever understand. The lads were on and off the pitch, in various positions throughout the game and at the end they all felt that they had played a full part in the match. I am convinced that many an opposition coach was bamboozled

by Bill’s approach and had no idea how many players Bill had on the pitch at any one time.

Bill hated winning matches by large margins.

A 50-0 win disappointed him and he would much rather have a 36-34 loss, where everybody came off the pitch excited about the result. He could manufacture a result like nobody I have ever seen, again, I am not sure that the opposition coach had an inkling about what Bill was up to. This was his undoubted talent and his teams loved him for it.

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Bill was never the greatest time keeper though and most Saturdays, he would arrive at Hartswood at 10.25am, leap out of his car, fully changed, jog across to his pitch, where both sides were lined up ready to play and blow the whistle for the start of the match as he approached the half way line at 10.29am.

Apart from rugby, Bill was a phenomenal racket player. Tennis, squash, badminton – he was hard to beat. He ran the school squash team for over 20 years, often taking teams far away for fixtures and not getting back to RGS until late in the evening. I made the mistake of taking him on at table tennis once.

I thought that I was quite good having played a good standard in Wales, but no, I wasn’t that good after all.

Bill was a head of house at RGS, then he took over the inter form competitions, giving up countless lunchtimes and after school slots to ensure that students had the opportunity to represent their forms.

Bill was an amazing school teacher who would do anything to help the students at RGS. I don’t think we will ever see his kind again and RGS is a much poorer place now that we have lost him.

Dai Bader (Current RGS Staff)

Bill was the most amazingly talented artist, the work he created with pupils reflected his fantastic skill, knowledge and understanding of art, craft and design. We were always in awe of what he was able to create both personally in his own work and with the pupils.

As a teacher I have rarely met such a generous, kind, patient and encouraging colleague. Pupils felt encouraged, inspired and challenged in his lessons.

They always started with Bill giving a context to what they were looking at either in terms of art history or knowledge about the material or technique they =were using. I don’t think I have ever met anyone with so much knowledge to impart. This always encouraged pupils to think and analyse with everyone’s opinions valued and considered.

Bill was the most avid advocate of our school, he loved teaching, he loved the pupils, he embodied everything I believe in the way we deal with our young people. Treat them like you would want teachers to treat your own children.

We miss him, but we will always maintain his values.

Liz Burns (Current RGS Staff)

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

REMEMBERING PAUL LYNCH 1959-1978 (RGS 1970-1977) On 14 July 2018 five Reigatians from the class of 1977 met up at Redstone Cemetery to remember their contemporary and friend Paul Lynch who died exactly 40 years before on 14 July 1978.

Paul and I moved up the school together. We were both in the same House, the Navy section of the CCF, and both studied French at A Level. He was a brilliant and original thinker, so no one was surprised when he was offered a place at Oxford University, which he was due to take up in the autumn of 1978. Above all though he was a very kind and gentle person, and a loyal friend to many at RGS. No one could forget his jet-black hair, pale skin and broad smile.

That summer of 1978 we found a job working on a camp site in the South of France: cleaning and preparing tents, welcoming holiday makers and generally making ourselves useful around the site. We hitchhiked around the region, went to the Avignon Theatre festival, watched the 1978 World Cup final on a rickety old TV in a bar, and were thoroughly enjoying our first real taste of independence and freedom since leaving school. We made friends with those holidaying on the campsite who we celebrated Bastille Day with on that fateful summer's day in 1978. There was a terrible accident at Vallon Pont d’Arc, a vast arch of rock over the Ardèche River which brought short Paul’s life. A traumatic event that has stayed with me and to some extent defined my life.

It seemed appropriate then that with the help of the Foundation Office we should gather together some of Paul’s many friends to pay our respects to him on the 40th anniversary of his death. Many sent

L to R: I Thiele (’77), A Colley (’77), S Warr (’77), N Musgrove (’78), N Wright (’77) their memories of Paul and we reminisced, chatted, looked at old photos at the cemetery before retiring to the Home Cottage pub in Redhill for some decent food, a few drinks and more memories and photos of our years together at Reigate Grammar School. As his beloved sister Sue said to me afterwards: “I’m sure Paul was with you in the background there listening to your stories”, and at times it really felt like he was.

Andrew Colley (RGS 1970-1977)

IVOR JOHN DICKER LVO 1936-2018 (RGS 1947-1953) lvor was born in Theale, Berkshire, on January 12, 1936. He moved to Norwood Hill when he was seven and passed the 11-plus exam to Reigate Grammar School.

He played rugby and cricket at school and later played for the newly formed cricket club at Norwood Hill until it closed more than 20 years later.

Soft spoken and unassuming, Ivor had a distinguished career with the law firm, Farrers, where he spent all his working life, apart from two years of National Service.

He qualified as a solicitor and became a partner at the firm which serves the Queen.

He had the honour of becoming the Duchy of Lancaster’s Solicitor and was also awarded an LVO for his services, receiving this honour from Her Majesty the Queen.

Ivor enjoyed a very active social and family life, loved his garden and in later life took up painting. He was an avid reader and an active member of the lfield Golf Club. He held a season ticket for all of Chelsea's home matches and one of the last things he did was to ensure that his ticket was given to a young football enthusiast who lives nearby.

He travelled widely on holiday. He was a school governor for several years and also did charity work when he retired, driving people to hospital and other locations.

Ivor and Pat were married for 57 years.

He was a devoted and loving father to Paula and Christopher and doted on his four grandchildren, all of whom have much to remember him by with pride and happiness.

Ivor passed away on 8 March 2018.

Jim Connelly (RGS 1944-1950)

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DEATHS & OBITUARIES

Photo taken at the Grand Hotel, Eastbourne.

L to R: Gill Hynard, Benny Lynch, Robert Lynch and Steven Lynch (’86)

RICHARD ANTHONY HARRIS-MAUNDER 1923-2018 (RGS 1934-1939) Richard (generally known as Tony) was born in Tadworth in 1923 and lived in the area until 1966. He attended Reigate Grammar School from 1934 until 1939, where he excelled particularly in his sporting activities, representing the school in swimming, rugby and athletics. He was proud that he ran the 100-yard sprint for Surrey at Loughborough in 1939. About this time Tony was involved in the scout movement and was an assistant scout master at Lower Kingswood. He became a King’s Scout and it was on a scout camp in West Horsley that he met his future wife Zillah. A recent tribute that came from a member of his scout troop described him as inspirational and a role model.

Tony left school and went to work at Champions Electrical Contractors in Sutton.

He progressed to train as an electrical engineer and in 1943 was directed into a reserved occupation at the Central Electricity Board where, during the war years, he helped to keep the lights on in the south east. Tony had a long and successful career with the CEGB, spanning 42 years, first working in London and ultimately managing the Birmingham office. He, his wife and daughter moved to the West Midlands in 1966. Throughout his career he travelled far and wide including trips to Sweden, Germany, Hong Kong and Japan where he inspected equipment for use in the generation of electricity.

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BENNY LYNCH 1927-2017 (RGS 1939-1943) Happily, Tony had many interests throughout his life. He was a keen photographer and at one time was chairman of the North Downs Cinematograph Society in Reigate. At the time of his death he was still in touch with friends from his cine days in the early 60s. He also had a great love of cars and travel, taking delivery of a new BMW on his 90th birthday and his last new car two years later! For over fifty years he and his wife toured with their caravan to all corners of Europe, from the south of Spain to the Arctic Circle.

Friends and family remember Tony as a modest man, a true gentleman, who showed responsibility and commitment in all that he undertook. He was a Samaritan for a total of twenty years, having first volunteered in the West Midlands and then again, following Zillah’s death, in Maidstone Kent.

Tony was a devoted family man who dearly loved Zillah his wife of 58 years and took great pride and interest in his daughter Jane, granddaughters Katy and Louisa and great grandchildren George, Dorothy and Arthur.

He died peacefully in hospital with his family at his side.

Jane Hope (daughter)

Basil (known as Benny) Lynch attended RGS at the beginning of the Second World War, often taking classes in the air raid shelter in the playground! He went on to the serve in the Royal Navy towards the end of the war when still in his teens.

Whilst his schooling was disrupted, he felt that the values instilled at RGS and in the navy put him in good stead for the future.

He said that a good education was the most precious gift a person can receive. He served as a governor at the school.

Benny went on to forge a successful career in the printing trade, first at Monotype, a local firm and then buying out and running his own company, SD Graphics. This involved a move north but he retained a strong affection for the town where he grew up.

He travelled widely and had a curiosity to learn about new places and people. Living a long and happy life, Ben is much missed by his daughter and two sons and many people who knew this remarkable man.

Steven Lynch (RGS 1980-1984)

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

RICHARD HAVERS 1951-2017 (RGS 1964-1970) Havers enjoyed a reputation as a flamboyant, creative, and at times combative executive. In Houston he painted his office pink, to match his taste in socks and ties, and displayed limited patience for corporate protocol.

Richard Havers, who died aged 66, was a writer and music historian whose books on jazz, blues and popular music were models of careful research and elegant writing, reflecting his deep passion for and encyclopaedic knowledge of music.

Among his numerous books was an acclaimed biography of Frank Sinatra, volumes on the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, histories of the development of blues, jazz and rock and roll, and definitive studies of the storied jazz labels, Verve and Blue Note.

Havers also wrote books on subjects as various as the airline industry, the role of the BBC during the Second World War, football and the sinking of the Titanic – more than 40 books in all, a Stakhanovite output all the more remarkable for the fact that he did not take up writing until he was in his late thirties, following a successful career in the aviation industry.

Richard John Havers was born at Carshalton, Surrey, on April 1 1951. His father, John, worked in the aviation industry and was an airline historian in his spare time; his mother Bettina had worked as a telephone operator at Croydon airport during the war. After attending Reigate Grammar School, Havers joined British United Airways at Gatwick Airport as a messenger in cargo sales, quickly progressing through the ranks, after BUA’s merger with British Caledonian Airways, to become product manager on the airline’s North Atlantic Routes, and then to develop BCal’s domestic routes. In 1984 he was approached by Continental Airlines in America to launch their scheduled service between Houston and Gatwick, He would work for Continental for the next six years, building the airline’s UK operation.

At one crowded budget presentation, when the airline’s president questioned a pie-chart that he had prepared, Havers tore the page out of the president’s hand and tossed it in the waste-paper basket before continuing with his presentation as if nothing had been said. He left the company shortly afterwards.

Through his airline connections, Havers moved into promoting concerts for Paul McCartney and the bands Chicago, America and the Beach Boys, and writing and producing in-flight radio shows. He also launched the first commercial radio station in Turkey.

At the same time he started to pursue his long-held dream of writing about music. He ‘ghosted’ autobiographies by the record producer Tony Visconti, and Take That’s Gary Barlow. He also wrote cultural histories of the Woodstock festival and the Rolling Stones’ 1969 Hyde Park concert, and pictorial histories of the Stones and the Beatles.

In 2001, he ghostwrote Bill Wyman’s Blues Odyssey, an account of a shared journey through the Mississippi Delta exploring the roots of the blues, which won the Blues Foundation’s Award For Literature. In 2003 he co-authored Wyman’s mammoth memoir Rolling with the Stones.

His association with Wyman would lead to Havers later becoming the Stones’ de facto historian, compiling and editing Rolling Stones 50, the band’s anniversary book in 2012, as well as writing a comprehensive account of the group’s early broadcasting history, The Stones on Air in the 1960s.

a 10-CD career retrospective of Nat King Cole and extensive anthologies of Verve and Blue Note recordings.

“Richard was like the chancellor of his own university of popular music, with colleges for every genre,” said the Beach Boys singer Bruce Johnston.

Havers was a Falstaffian figure, with a voracious appetite for life reflected in his wide circle of friends, whom he would always greet with a beaming smile and an enveloping bear-hug. A vivid raconteur, he was a popular speaker at arts festivals, where he shared his deep knowledge of music with a contagious enthusiasm.

“Once met, Richard was a friend for life,” the novelist Ian Rankin recalled.

“You could talk to him for hours about everything under the sun, he had such a wide range of passions and interests. But he was the most generous and modest of men.”

Living in the Scottish borders, he was an avid campaigner against the development of wind farms in the Lammermuir Hills. Later on he had moved to Somerset, where he served as chairman of the executive board of Visit Exmoor while completing his last book, Ronnie Wood – Artist, about the paintings of the Rolling Stones guitarist.

Richard Havers married first, in 1974, Beverly Mason (dissolved 1993). In 2003 he married, secondly, Christine King, who survives him with two daughters from his first marriage.

Richard Havers, born April 1 1951, died December 31 2017.

Obituary from The Telegraph Michael Brown (RGS 1962-1967)

A frequent broadcaster and, latterly, a contributor to the Telegraph’s arts pages, he also worked as the jazz consultant for Universal Music, for whom he compiled and annotated a series of box-sets, including 100 Years of the Blues, Louis Armstrong – Ambassador of Jazz, Ella – The Voice of Jazz, 69

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DEATHS & OBITUARIES

ROBERT T G HAILS FIA 1951-2018 (RGS GOVERNOR 2007-2013) Educated at Malvern College, Robert Hails graduated in Engineering from Pembroke College Cambridge and followed with a Masters in Statistics and Operational Research in Birmingham. An informal discussion with a pensions actuary led to an offer of a job with Duncan C Fraser in Birmingham. On qualifying, he moved from this small regional office to the main offices of R. Watson and Sons in Reigate (now Willis Towers Watson). He was made a partner in 1987 and spent his professional career advising the privately invested pension funds of some of the largest companies in the country.

Robert joined the Board of Reigate Grammar School in 2007 and served on the Finance and Foundation Committee until 2012. During this time the school made a significant investment in the new Ballance Building on the Broadfield site and completed the transfer of the freehold of St Mary's Prep School from the Godfrey Searle Choir Trust. Robert’s professional expertise in pensions was particularly crucial when the school was faced with a deficit in its pension scheme, which is now back in surplus. He was a big supporter of Music and Drama at RGS, both as a parent and governor.

One of his colleagues described him as a model professional, working tirelessly and painstakingly for his clients. After his death his family were touched by the tributes paid by colleagues; he was regarded as a calm, unflappable role model who had mentored and influenced all those who worked with him whilst remaining the kindest of men.

Robert had been a governor at Reigate Sixth Form College since 2003 and he felt being involved in both state and independent schools gave him a helpful perspective. Upon being asked to chair Reigate Sixth Form College, to avoid any potential conflict of interest, he reluctantly resigned from RGS. He went on to chair Coulsdon Sixth Form College which quickly recovered under his leadership from being one of the poorest performing in the country.

Robert was also involved in professional affairs and was elected to the Council of the Institute of Actuaries in 2003. He was the first Honorary Treasurer of the merged Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and a member of its Management Board. He was awarded a President’s Award for services to the profession in 2011, the year he retired.

Robert was also an active member of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries, becoming a Liveryman and then a Court Assistant.

Robert married Janet (RGS teacher 1996-2006) in 1978 and they had three children: Eleanor (RGS 1994-2001), an interior designer, Edward (RGS 1995-2003) an investment consultant and Rachel (RGS 1997-2005), a primary school teacher. Early family holidays were spent in the Isles of Scilly where he had holidayed as a child. As the family grew, they took up skiing and sailing and had many active holidays. Robert enjoyed golf, the only interest that Janet steadfastly refused to share.

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Robert died on 12 June 2018 aged 67 two years after receiving a diagnosis of lung cancer, despite being a non-smoker. Although treatment was continuous throughout that time, he continued with all his voluntary activities and played golf until the end of March.

He was a fine man who considered himself to have led a fortunate life, albeit cut short when he still had much to offer.

Janet Hails

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

NOTICE OF DEATHS 2017 Colin Lawrence (RGS 1986-1988) died December* 2018

Robert Emery (RGS 1941-1947) died 30 July 2018

Derek Marriott (RGS 1949-1954) died December* 2018

Stuart Neath (RGS 1974-1981) died July* 2018

Graham Victor Cory Harding (RGS 1963-1970) died 30 December 2018

Laurence (Laurie) Reed (RGS 1948-1953) died 21 May 2018

Michael Schermuly (RGS 1959-1966) died 1 December 2018

REGINALD BROOKER 1930-2018 (RGS 1942-1948) Dad was born on 2 November 1930, so I guess was at RGS about 1941. He had many a story to tell about his time at RGS, especially the fun the lads had in the Science labs and on the Rugby field. He was still in touch with a few old school friends which was amazing considering he was in his 87th year. He always enjoyed catching up on events and past and present pupils, he also proudly wore his special tie!

When Dad left school he went into National Service with the RAF before taking up a career in Electrical Engineering. He attended night school, and in his forties gained a Maths degree with the Open University. He worked for several big companies like Phillips, Plesseys and McCorquodales before setting up his own small company in Cheshire. His career took him all over the UK and the world, especially the States which he explored further on holidays with his wife.

He gradually moved further and further north and always enjoyed exploring new places. He spent the last 20 years in Blackrod, Lancashire where my Mum passed, 12 years ago. I also live in Blackrod – so I have had the pleasure of his company and mind in his latter years. He was one remarkable, clever and loving family man and will be sorely missed.

As life moves on his legacy continues with the grandchildren, one of whom went into Engineering and the youngest is about to start a career in Chemistry and the others became a teacher, a paramedic, an accountant and the sixth one about to graduate.

Jacqui Seddon (daughter)

Alan George William Brown (RGS 1958-1965) died November* 2018 John H Smith (RGS 1935-1940) died 12 November 2018 Elizabeth Drew (nĂŠe Lilley) (RGS 1982-1984) died 8 October 2018 Giles Penfold (RGS 1969-1976) died 21 September 2018 Richard (Tony) Harris-Maunder (RGS 1934-1939) died 17 September 2018 David Waller (RGS 1959-1967) died August* 2018 Howard Van Praag (RGS 1962-1969) died August* 2018 Colin Metcalfe (RGS 1940-1948) Died 27 August 2018 Mr Bill Edwards (RGS Staff 1990-2018) died 25 August 2018 Michael Branson (RGS 1947-1955) died 11 August 2018 Alan McGee (RGS 1943-1951) died 1 August 2018 David Mitchell (RGS 1947-1954) died 1 August 2018

John Powell (RGS 1959-1966) died April* 2018 David Matthews (RGS 1942-1947) died April* 2018 Ian Hawkes (RGS 1946-1951) died 28 April 2018 Lance Housley (RGS 1964-1971) died 13 April 2018 Charles Prophet (RGS 1977-1982) died March* 2018 Roger Barnett (RGS 1953-1961) died March* 2018 David Huggett (RGS 1945-1950) died 29 March 2018 Ivor Dicker (RGS 1948-1953) died 8 March 2018 Kenneth Watling (RGS 1942-1948) died February* 2018 George Bailey (RGS 1935-1942) died 10 February 2018 Edward Newman Bangay (RGS 1948-1955) died January* 2018 Reginald Brooker (RGS 1942-1948) died January* 2018 Jim Peters (RGS 1940-1945) died 24 January 2018

*Indicates approximate month

NOTICE OF DEATHS SUPPLEMENT Robert Isaac (RGS 1990-1997) died in 2015

Allan G Ansell (RGS 1946-1951) died 29 May 2017

Michael Thorp (RGS 1947-1953) died August* 2016

Geoff Wickens (RGS 1967-1974) died 21 October 2017

Ian Swan (RGS 1972-1979) died September* 2016

John Tharp (RGS 1950-1957) died 11 November 2017

Christopher Todd (RGS 1956-1963) died 6 October 2016

Basil (Ben) Lynch (RGS 1939-1943) died 10 December 2017

Peter Messaline (born Peter Burrell) (RGS 1955-1963) died 8 December 2016

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BIRTHS & MARRIAGES

MARRIAGES

BIRTHS DARCEY CLAIRE POLLARD Born 16 March 2018 Anna Stehrenberger (RGS 2002-2010)

ANNABELLA MASON Born 22 May 2018 Charlotte Edwards (née Mason) (RGS 2008-2010) CAMILLA FINNEGAN & JAMES AYLING (Both RGS 2003-2010) October 2018

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MERCHANDISE

LOOKING FOR A UNIQUE AND INSPIRATIONAL GIFT FOR A LOVED ONE? FANCY BUYING A WELL-DESERVED COMMEMORATIVE GIFT FOR YOURSELF? Then take a look at our expanding selection of merchandise available from the RGS Foundation.

RGS Cufflinks & Ties Tie width: 3½ inches at widest point Colour options: Green and Blue or Blue and Silver Minimum donation of £20 each, or £30 for the tie and cufflink set

RGS ‘Old School’ Rugby Shirts Authentic cotton ‘old school’ rugby shirts, featuring the old embroidered school crest on the chest with the Roman Numerals ‘XV’ on the back with ‘1675’ (the year RGS was founded) on the collar.

Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL (sizes come up slightly larger) Minimum donation £50.00

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RGS Baseball Cap In a navy and royal blue colourway, this unisex RGS ‘one size fits all’ baseball cap, features the embroidered RGS Castle logo on the front, along with ‘1675’ emblem on the back.

Minimum donation £10.00

T H E M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E R E I G AT I A N C O M M U N I T Y

RGS School Picture: A3 Print and A5 Greetings Card *NEW* Commissioned by RGS and designed by local artist Helena Vaughan, this unique picture of ‘Life at RGS’ is available as an A3 Print ready for framing with authentication certificate as well as an A5 greetings card with white envelope.

Minimum donation: A3 Print £50.00 and A5 Greetings Card £2.50

RGS Foundation Umbrella *NEW* Make a statement with this classic style large black golf umbrella with the RGS logo on one side and lime green Changing Lives logo on the other.

Minimum donation £20.00 (plus £5 additional P&P surcharge for over-sized item – collection also available)

RGS Crest Necklace *NEW* This sterling silver necklace is engraved with the School crest on one side and RGS on the back. The pendant hangs on a 46cm chain and comes in a ribbon tied presentation box.

Minimum donation £25.00

We are offering free UK P&P with each order (exception: £5 additional P&P surcharge for umbrella orders – collection also available) On receipt of payment, delivery can take up to five working days.

PLEASE NOTE: Some items have limited stock availability for immediate dispatch. We will of course notify you at point of enquiry as to whether the item is available.

PLACING AN ORDER To place an order please email: foundation@reigategrammar.org Please include the following details with your order – item details: quantity, colour and size (if applicable) – your full name – delivery address and contact number

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FOUNDATION OFFICE HOW WE USE YOUR DATA THE GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION (GDPR) In May 2018 The General Data Protection Regulation came into force, extending the data rights of individuals. It requires us as an organisation and a charity to update our data processing policies and take appropriate and extensive measures to protect your data.

SEAN DAVEY Head of Foundation & Business Development spd@reigategrammar.org

JONNY HYLTON Development Executive jdh@reigategrammar.org

Currently, we hold information on you as a member of the Reigatian community on our database. This includes your name, address, email and phone number. Depending on the extent to which you have been involved with the school, we may also hold information on donations you have given, Gift Aid declarations and possible correspondence we may have had.

It is important for you to know that we do not share your data with other organisations or individuals with the exception of those carefully selected to provide us with an essential service such as a mailing house (to send the Reigatian Magazine) or data cleansing (to ensure records we hold are accurate). We are committed to respecting your privacy and the GDPR enhances our data policies.

Currently, we contact individuals on our database with school and Foundation news, reunion and event invitations and fundraising campaigns, always giving you an opportunity to opt out.

HAZEL CORNICK Development Office Manager hkc@reigategrammar.org

CAROLINE DONALD Reigatian Community Officer & Reigatian Magazine Editor cld@reigategrammar.org

Copies of our Privacy Notice and Data Retention Policy can be found on our website: www.rgs.foundation We hope you enjoy hearing from us and being part of the Reigatian community.

If you have any questions about how we handle your data, please do not hesitate to get in touch at foundation@reigategrammar.org

CLASS OF EXPLAINED…

CLARE ADAMS Reigatian Community Administrator cla@reigategrammar.org

Foundation Office 01737 222231 rgs.foundation

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We record the dates that alumni attended RGS based on the year that they would have left had they stayed until the end of the Upper Sixth.

So if somebody left after the 5th form, their ‘Class of’ would be 2 years later than the date they actually left.

We record it this way to ensure that alumni are always categorised in the correct year group. If we organised a 25-year reunion for example, we will use the Class of 1994.

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The Foundation Office exists to support the development of Reigate Grammar School and to foster the friendship and support of all Reigatians. The Reigatian community includes current and former pupils, parents, staff, governors and friends of the school – all, in fact, for whom the school is, or has been, an important part of their lives. Our future success depends upon the benevolence of the whole Reigatian community and we invite you to contribute with them and help to shape the future of our great School and its pupils.

Foundation Office Reigate Grammar School Reigate Road Reigate RH2 0QS 01737 222231 rgs.foundation

 @foundationRGS  Reigate Grammar School Foundation  Reigate Grammar School Professionals rgsfoundation Registered Charity number 1081898.

WE REACH OUT WE CONNECT WE INFORM WE ASK