OGs continue to play a vital part in the life of the School. Throughout 2018 we have welcomed you back to careers events and lectures; music and sport; drama and field days, as well as your own year group reunions. It is a pleasure to see you back here enjoying the place again and a privilege to benefit from your wisdom and experience.
The Headmaster’s Address (see p10) explores the RGS values: scholarship, integrity, respect, tenacity, inclusivity and service, and how they shape the ethos of our School. Time and time again, we see them reflected back in our interactions with you: the willingness to share professional insight through our careers seminar programme, lend personal experience to pupils through pastoral assemblies or gather together with OG friends to raise funds for a bursary, as the Class of 1987 have done (see p21). Over 1,300 of you have already joined RGS Connect, our digital network, offering professional expertise, advice and informal mentoring. It is an invaluable service, particularly for our youngest OGs. If you haven’t already, do take a moment to join us online (see p77).
We hope you will be proud to read about our own Pass it On activities – our Partnerships and Outreach work, Widening Access to our School through our Bursary Programme and our Twenty for 2020 Campaign to grow this vital work further (see pp18-25).
Pass it On is at the heart of who we are as a School; the tangible evidence of our values. It also epitomises our OG network. We see this desire to ‘give back’ not only in what you give to us, but in your own fundraising and social enterprise activities, from sponsored rides, climbs and runs to using technology to help the homeless (see p78). If you are planning similar projects in 2019, as fundraiser, creator or angel investor, do let us know – we are keen to grow this forum for OGs going forward.
Thank you to all OGs who have contributed this year. DialOGue is a unique place in which to capture and share a year in the life of our alumni and our School. It is your news, stories, events and visits to the School (planned and impromptu!) that make it what it is. Equally, you are helping us to explore what being an OG means – how to grow our community and add value, for you, for us, and for our wider society.
Editorial team and acknowledgments
Editor
Philippa Green
Deputy Editor
Sandra Bell
Communications should be addressed to the Editor: og@rgsg.co.uk or Royal Grammar School Guildford, High Street, Guildford GU1 3BB.
Acknowledgements
With sincere thanks to all those who contributed to this edition of the OG magazine and helped in its production. We would particularly like to thank those not credited elsewhere:
Mary Buylla
Dale Chambers
Peter Dunscombe
Phill Griffith
Helen Mack
Elizabeth McEwan
AJ Moore
Jimmy Pressley
Jenny Rothwell
Tom Shimell
Kathryn Sweet
Alan Thorn
Bob Ukiah
Denise Walsh
Jeremy Whittaker
Many thanks to all those staff who share OG news with us and support our events.
Our grateful thanks also to the Catering Team, Estates Team and the IT Department who give us wonderful support throughout the year at our events.
This magazine was designed by Haime & Butler and printed by Lavenham Press. It is produced annually by the Development & Alumni Relations Office, Royal Grammar School Guildford.
Registered Charity Number: 312028.
© Royal Grammar School Guildford 2018.
Cover photo © Kate Peters / Telegraph Media Group Limited 2018.
THE VIEW FROM HERE
To the Class of 2018
On behalf of OGs everywhere, congratulations on your results and all the best for the next chapter of your lives. Welcome to the OG community.
To find out where our most recent RGS leavers have gone to university, see overleaf.
students recorded a perfect set of A* grades 41%
The RGS was ranked top boys school in the country at A Level, as the School recorded its second highest ever percentage of A*s at A Level.
153 boys in the year group
81% OF GRADES WERE A* OR A
75% of all accepted offers were to Russell Group universities with a further 10% to Bath University and St Andrews University.
127 students went to their first-choice institution.
A record number of offers were received from Durham University, 83 in total; in addition, 30 students received offers from Cambridge and Oxford Universities.
These figures include those who made post A Level applications in 2017/18.
The Cock House Cup is awarded to the RGS House which has received the most house points throughout the year. These are awarded for everything from sport to music, chess to drama, robotics to debating, and reading to baking.
2018 winners – Austen
Congratulations and enormous gratitude to the Class of 2018 who have – at the time of going to print – raised over £76,000 to create an incredible 55% means-tested bursary, to support a boy throughout his RGS education. Seven for Seven is a simple way for the families of the Class of 2018 to hold open the door for another RGS boy, with a gift of £7 a month for seven years. In seven years’ time, we will ask the boys of the Class of 2018 to take over their family gifts to allow their Class of 2018 Bursary to help another bright local boy.
You can find out more about our ‘Class of…’ Bursaries and our Twenty for 2020 campaign at rgs-guildford.co.uk/support-the-rgs
A level subjects: History, Economics and Geography
Extra-curricular interests: I am big into all sports – in particular rugby and sailing – and am an avid supporter of Harlequins, despite their recent poor performances! I was double schools’ national sailing champion with Patrick Croghan OG 2017. I also enjoy cycling and, beyond sports, I like to continue to engage in my A level subject areas, and have a real interest in Macroeconomics.
What are you doing this coming year:
I am about to embark on a Gap Year before heading to Durham next autumn to read History. In this time, I am going to be working as a sailing coach at the RGS, as well as completing my Yachtmaster qualification after Christmas. I also have plans to do some work experience at a law firm. Finally, I hope to do some travelling in the summer – the location of which is yet to be decided!
Post university ambition: To become a Solicitor.
A level subjects: Government and Politics, Maths, Philosophy and Theology (pre-U)
Extra-curricular interests: Model United Nations, which I have been involved in for the last seven years. Performing arts and filmmaking, and following in the steps of OG Simon Bird, I am now involved in the National Youth Film Academy. I’ve also been able to perform as a lead in two one-night special review performances at Her Majesty’s Theatre in the West End.
What are you doing this coming year: I am spending two or three months working in Australia on a blockchain start-up called ShareRing. I then hope to take courses in performing arts and computer programming and be involved in at least four film-making projects. I am also planning to travel to Barcelona, America and Asia. I will then be attending Yale in August 2019, and plan to major in the humanities, especially social or political sciences, and maybe computer sciences, engineering, psychology and philosophy.
Post university ambition: At some point after university, I intend to start an entrepreneurial enterprise of my own. Thanks to the RGS, I’m confident that I’ll find something meaningful and enjoyable to do and that I will make the most of that opportunity.
A level subjects: Biology, Chemistry and Physics
Extra-curricular interests: I spent most of my time outside of lessons training with my event horse, and trucking round the country to competitions. I also enjoyed club swimming in Godalming, however the more involved I became in eventing, the more intense the training became, and so it was tough to fit it all in around the exams!
What are you doing this coming year: I’ve been working for an Australian top international event rider called Kevin McNab all summer, at his yard in Compton. He has offered me the chance to keep my horse there and train with him. Birmingham University have been really understanding and have deferred my place for a year. I’ll have the chance to ride and learn from some top level horses, and have access to Kevin’s world class coaching and training facilities.
Post university ambition: To combine my dentistry career with competing horses, so hopefully I’ll get a good work-life balance! My plan is to be able to use the experience which I have gained this year to be able to train horses myself, as I find it so satisfying to see them progress, and I would love to have some which take me to the higher levels of the sport!
A level subjects: German, Maths, Further Maths and Physics
Extra-curricular interests: Music: organ, piano, clarinet, singing with school choir. Sport: football, rugby (represented the School in these).
What are you doing this coming year: Going to Christ’s College, Cambridge to study German and Russian. I will also be the organ scholar there.
Post university ambition: I look forward to having a year abroad as part of my degree (probably in Germany). I would love to study at a foreign university, or even take up an internship abroad. I am also open to the idea of living abroad. I am quite interested in linguistics, including computational linguistics, and would love to explore this at university and possibly beyond. Music will always be a big part of my life!
A level subjects: Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry
Extra-curricular interests: In my free time, I play badminton and climb. I often have a couple of electronics projects on the go, at the moment concerning the internet of things.
What are you doing this coming year: I am part of the Year In Industry scheme, working at an engineering company in Worthing, and at the moment I am developing test sequences for a new power board.
Post university ambition: I would like to become a Chartered Engineer and work towards helping to reduce climate change, be it by reducing the effects of global warming or helping to move to a more sustainable society.
On the occasion of Senior Prizegiving, Thursday 20 September 2018, at Holy Trinity Church, Guildford.
We gathered as a school last week in Guildford Cathedral to celebrate our Commemoration Service. It was an opportunity for us to reflect on the historic nature of our school, one of a small and select group of schools to have celebrated a Quincentennial anniversary. This school has been a part of the Guildford community for over 500 years from its humble beginnings in a small building adjacent to the Guildford Castle to its current form as a thriving school for 950 boys at the top of the High Street. The Commemoration Service allowed us time to recognise that we, as a school, have been extremely fortunate to have survived for that long.
So many people have supported the School when help was desperately needed. Some, like Arthur Valpy, whose appeal in 1880 raised the necessary funds to secure the School from closure, are recognised in the names of the School Houses. Others are honoured on the beams of Big School, like Chairman of Governors, John Brown, who, with the help of the staff and a very active parent body alike, was instrumental in bringing the School back into the independent sector in the 1970s when it was otherwise to be merged into the comprehensive system and removed from the roll of British schools.
We have been extraordinarily fortunate to have received such assistance from others. Those who have chosen to help have, almost without exception, been closely associated with the RGS. They have chosen to expend such energy and commitment because they have valued what the RGS believes in and what it has to offer. I believe our guest this evening, Ian El-Mokadem OG 1986, is no exception. As our first King’s Benefactor, he and his wife have committed to fund a pupil through the RGS from the First Form all the way through to the Upper Sixth Form. Their generosity is transforming the life of a
current RGS boy and I am very grateful to them both for being pioneers of our widening-access agenda.
A couple of years ago I was showing an elderly gentleman around the School. He left the School in the 1940s and was now living abroad. He had not visited the School since he left and was genuinely excited to be back at his alma mater. The Old Building was very familiar to him, he remembered sitting on the floor of Big School during assemblies and being taught in Beckingham and Austen rooms. The New Building was unfamiliar territory; he knew that side of the road as the damp and drafty Allen House, where during the winter months each class was heated by a small and very inefficient coal-fired furnace. In those days, boys rushed to lessons not because they were particularly excited to learn but because they wanted to bag the seat closest to the heater.
Our Old Guildfordian was struck by the changes that had happened at the RGS and the modern facilities now at our disposal, but he was also struck that, in spite of this development, it still felt like his old school. The boys of today were still animated, they still chatted happily and noisily to each other, there was an air of real learning in the lessons, and a sense of purpose and endeavour. He also commented on how lovely it was to see the older boys chatting with the youngsters. He left glad that, in so many respects, the school felt right. That sentiment was echoed by school historian Nigel Watson who was invited this year to write an updated edition of the History of the RGS – he mentioned that the welcoming atmosphere at the RGS was unchanged and that the spirit of the School was its most important treasure.
I have said on many formal occasions, like this evening’s, that schools like the RGS should never be afraid to embrace change.
In today’s educational landscape it is important to be innovative and modern. But, in the midst of all this development, we must never forget what it is about the RGS which makes it special. And just occasionally it is important to spend some time reflecting on what makes it such a unique school. This is what we have done over the past six months.
I am in my twelfth year as Headmaster of the RGS. It continues to be a privilege and an honour to lead this great school. Twelve years is no great shakes in RGS history. Of my 34 predecessors, fifteen of them served longer terms. One, John Graile, was Headmaster for 43 years, dying in post at the age of 88. Unfortunately, the first Headmaster of Edward VIth’s newly chartered school, Thomas Baker, was replaced after just one year due to incompetence. I remember when I first joined the school in January 2007, looking at my name painted on the role of Headmasters and praying that I would, at least, last longer than Thomas Baker.
During my first 12 months in post I drafted the Aims of the RGS. There was an imperative to do this for two reasons, firstly, in those halcyon days before widespread use of social media, the School had to publish a new prospectus, and secondly, because we were scheduled to be inspected in the November. It was quite a lonely task, but I wrote our Aims based on those of my two predecessors Tim Young and John Daniel. The Aims have served the School well for twelve years, being the basis by which judgements were made on the School in three successive inspections.
But the RGS has evolved rapidly over the past decade and I felt it was important for us to review our Aims so that they reflected the important values of the current school.
In today’s educational landscape it is important to be innovative and modern. But, in the midst of all this development, we must never forget what it is about the RGS which makes it special.
This time I consulted widely and, while they say that it is ‘impossible to draft in committee’, there was a remarkable consistency in the responses from staff, Governors and senior pupils.
Aims look forward and are about change and development. Values are about looking back to what is important, they reflect what we as a community fundamentally believe in – they are who we are, they are timeless. It will not come as a surprise to you that our new published values, Inclusivity, Scholarship, Integrity, Respect, Tenacity and Service are actually not new at all – the wording has just been refreshed to provide a modern emphasis. It is comforting that, despite the redraft, our values are unchanged. The same school was noticed by our historian Nigel Watson, by our Old Guildfordian visitor and by the many OGs who return to the School.
As I reflect back on the past year, I would like to do so in terms of the School’s values.
Inclusivity is at the heart of what we do.
We fervently desire for that time in the future when an RGS education is available to everyone and we have taken some significant steps over the past few years to reach that goal. Every year since I started
I have been faced with the unenviable task of allocating bursary money to some but not to others. Bright, motivated boys have missed out on the chance to attend this great school. As a result of the hard work of the Development and Alumni Relations Office, for the first time this year I was able to give a bursary to every boy who needed one. It is a wonderful first for the School. We cannot say we are truly needs-blind at this stage, but we have the thirst for widening access and we have a vision and a strategy for how to do this.
Our international ambitions, our desire to share our expertise and to educate those in other countries in the world, serve as a vehicle for social mobility back in Guildford. To be able to support boys at RGS Guildford through the royalties of our international school is very exciting and we have further ambitions to support our bursary programme by promoting an RGS education internationally in the future.
But inclusivity is not just about being outward facing, welcoming others. It is also about looking inwards. Inclusivity is about how we treat each other, it is about striving at all times to ensure that the RGS is a tolerant and kind community where all feel valued and proud to be involved. But it is also about every one of us behaving with integrity and showing others the respect they deserve – which, incidentally are two other values from the School’s list. I chatted to our new First Form boys on their first day at the RGS: one hundred and twenty-five excited, but slightly nervous, youngsters sat on the floor of Big School. I welcomed them to the School and mentioned to them that, at the very start of their RGS careers, I wanted them to remember just three things – kindness, kindness and kindness. Because the way we treat each other is what makes us the community we are. And this spirit also reflects outwards. ´
One of the great things about RGS is that it’s more than a school, it’s a community in which friendship, mutual respect and learning for its own sake are just as important as exam success.
During the last rugby season I received a letter from the parent of one of our opponents.
Dear Headmaster,
I felt compelled to write to congratulate your young men on the manner in which they competed today. I have watched many school rugby fixtures many of which are played in an unhealthily competitive way. Your boys competed with great spirit – they lost with dignity in one match and won with humility in the other. I can think of no better advert for school sport than that demonstrated by your youngsters. Their manners during and after the game were impeccable – it was a delight to welcome them.
The preacher at our Commemoration Service, a former Headmaster of great renown, mentioned how impressed he was by the impeccable behaviour of the boys. I am always proud to receive letters and comments of that ilk. True, I also receive the occasional letter complaining that the boys are thoughtlessly crowding around the entrance to Sainsbury’s, or are too intent on chatting with their friends to notice other pedestrians on the pavement, but so many of the letters I am sent refer to the decency and politeness of our young
men and I make a point of reading them out at Assembly – to show that their behaviour really matters to others outside of the School.
I am pleased to say that that sense of decency, respect and kindness also matters to RGS boys. Our formal farewell to the Upper Sixth involves a Leavers’ Ceremony and a Ball. They are wonderful events where boys, their partners, parents and staff can celebrate the end of school life, and where joy and a degree of sadness are mixed in equal measure. The valedictory statements of the Leavers always allude to the friendships, fun and excitement of the RGS community:
‘Seven years at one school is not a short period of time, and to go through all those years without once wishing I were at any other school says something about the RGS community.’
‘One of the great things about RGS is that it’s more than a school, it’s a community in which friendship, mutual respect and learning for its own sake are just as important as exam success.’
That latter statement mentions exam success. Academic Excellence used to be an Aim of the School, which in everyone’s minds meant passing the most exams with the highest marks, but Scholarship is now an explicit value of the School. Scholarship is not about passing exams. It is not about getting the highest mark. You can pass exams through spoon-feeding but, as author
E.M. Forster wrote, ‘spoon-feeding teaches us nothing in the long-run but the shape of a spoon’.
Scholarship is about intellectual curiosity, independence of thought, creativity, innovation. It is about thinking more widely, stretching one’s intellectual horizons so that a love of learning is inculcated in every student. Scholarship is for all. The focus in education has changed noticeably for the better over the past two decades in particular and the RGS has been a part of that change. The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot think, who cannot learn, and unlearn, and relearn.
I believe that it is no coincidence that in valuing intellectual pursuits, the RGS seems to do very well when it comes to A Level and GCSEs. This year, I am pleased to report, was an exceptional one for the RGS. Fully linear A Levels and GCSE outcomes by number rather than grade made for a slightly uncertain summer but I am pleased to report that both our exam year groups did us proud. Indeed, The Times newspaper ranked us as the top boys’ school in the country for A Level this year. This was in spite of the distractions of an extremely hot May and June and the small matter of the World Cup in Russia.
It is not our aim to be number one. If it was, we would rigorously enforce an academic hurdle for entry in to the Sixth Form, like so many other schools whose
eyes are always on the national league tables. I am proud of the fact that, in my 12 years here, I have never asked a student to leave the School on the basis of his GCSE results. It is not our over-riding aim to be number one, but it is pleasing to be so because this suggests that our focus on learning habits is the right way forward. Our preacher at last week’s Commemoration Service affirmed that the ability to show independence of thought, and all the other learning habits we espouse at the RGS are the mark of a leader. Not necessarily someone who bangs his fist on the desk to drive people forward, but someone who can get things done, who can inspire, can galvanise, can solve problems and bring people with them.
I genuinely believe that we are creating the leaders of tomorrow. Leaders like Alex McCallion, who left the RGS four years ago and who has set up a company called Greater Change. Alex recognised that, with the introduction of contactless debit cards people no longer have change in their pocket to help homeless people. His company is coming up with innovative contactless solutions to support those who are sleeping rough. I’d like to think that Alex left the RGS with the skills which gave him the ability to think outside the box, and the confidence and courage to convert those ideas into reality.
Our Tenacity value is where we talk about teamwork, resilience, challenge and
appropriate risk-taking. This encompasses so much of what the RGS is about both in the academic sphere and in the extracurricular. Every time an RGS boy steps on to the pitch, the stage or the concert platform, he is challenging himself to do his best as part of a team. We have had so many wonderful and memorable examples. Choral evensongs in St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, the Musician of the Year competition, the Concerto Concert in Holy Trinity church, the combined RGS-GHS Wind Band tour to Barcelona, entrepreneurial success with Young Enterprise, the National Enterprise Challenge and during our first RGS Makers Day, sell-out performances of Bugsy Malone and The History Boys, the rugby tour to South Africa and some excellent performances this term from an unbeaten 1st XV, more block fixtures than ever before and ‘super’ fixtures against our friends at Portsmouth Grammar School where every First Form pupil can play competitive hockey and rugby, becoming National Schools Chess Champions, the senior boys organising our first Scholarship Conference. There is so much variety.
Solving problems comes naturally to RGS pupils. Victories in the Surrey Satro Maths Challenge and the McLaren Manufacturing Challenge seem to confirm this. And a record number of 26 Sixth Form boys had the tenacity to complete scientific research to win CREST awards for their efforts. Congratulations to them.
It’s been an exciting year: a year of consolidation, of change and development, and of considerable success, and there are exciting times ahead.
Our final value is Service – an extraordinarily important one for the RGS at this time in our history, because collaboration and partnership is at the heart of our educational provision and our vision for the future. We are making a difference both locally and internationally. Our outreach programme is a fundamental part of why we are here; sending RGS staff and students into other schools, inviting young people from our local schools to share our educational expertise, opportunities and facilities. I know that it makes a difference and I can give you two small examples.
Firstly, our Maths Primary Project, where RGS boys were invited to provide maths support to young pupils at Holy Trinity Primary School. The Head of Holy Trinity was fulsome in her praise of the project –she was able to see statistical evidence of the positive effect of our support in the performance of her pupils in National Tests. ´
Such partnerships, passing on aspiration, sharing our skills and love of learning with others is at
the core of what we do at the RGS.
Secondly, I received a letter from the parent of an attendee at one of Masterclasses.
Dear Headmaster
I wanted to let you know of the effect that attending the RGS Science Masterclass has had on my daughter. She has suddenly realised that she has ability. She has begun to believe in herself and has just been presented with her school’s award for exceptional progress.
The RGS played a pivotal role in flicking a switch and inspiring her to be the best she can.
I offer my heartfelt thanks.
Such partnerships, passing on aspiration, sharing our skills and love of learning with others is at the core of what we do at the RGS. Nowhere is this more aptly demonstrated than our link with Guildford Educational Partnership where we can share ideas, educational research, teacher training, and we can support those who are struggling. I am proud of the fact that so many of my staff offered to help Kings College as they responded to being placed into ‘special measures’ by Ofsted. I am also extremely proud, and not a little emotional, to hear that after a year of support by the combined efforts of GEP, the University
of Surrey and the RGS, Kings has recently been classified by Ofsted as a ‘good’ school. This is a remarkable and unusual turnaround – because Kings has skipped a classification (that of ‘requires improvement’) and has gone directly from ‘special measures’ to ‘good’. That the RGS has been able to contribute to this improvement is something that we can celebrate and is evidence, if any is required, that partnership with others is a good thing.
We were subject to our own inspection during the last school year. We welcomed two inspectors from the Independent Schools Inspectorate for a Compliance Inspection. I am pleased to report that the School was fully compliant and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our parents for their overwhelming support of the School in the inspectors’ questionnaire. The Lead Inspector read some of your comments out to me and it was lovely to listen to such warm words of support – thank you.
When we talk about the RGS as a community and the values we espouse, we often think about those experienced members of staff who exemplify these values. We were sorry to lose five of them to retirement this year. Mr Thorn, Mrs Booth, Mr Saxton, Mr Hosier and Mr Jennings had a combined total of 185 years of service and, being such an important part of the Common Room for so long, we will miss them all very much.
We will also miss Maggie Goodman who passed away during the summer after a long battle with the neurological condition MSA. We remember Maggie as one of the most vivacious and inspiring members of staff. Full of compassion, care, empathy, vitality, mischief and, perhaps most importantly, kindness. To paraphrase the words of the TV presenter Michael Palin, Maggie’s suffering and passing was extraordinarily sad but she does make the afterlife a much more attractive destination.
Development at the School has carried on apace this year. We are delighted with the success of the John Brown Building and are looking forward to the handover of the new spine development after half-term and to timetabling lessons in this new space from January. We are very fortunate to have a Governing body which is ambitious for development at the School and who share my vision to provide the very best educational facilities for RGS boys. Our next development, Phase 4, will create even more space for learning as we develop the Stainer Wing with larger classrooms, modern science labs, new circulation space and, at the end of that process, the glassing over the west courtyard to create a study atrium. Although aware of the need for some breathing space after the intrusive nature of the last phase, I am hopeful that it will not be too long before we can create these exciting new resources for the School
You can read in The Review of the successes of the last year but before I close I must thank everyone associated with this success: my wonderful teaching staff who give so much inspiration, energy and endeavour; my dedicated support staff without whom the School could not run effectively; my Leadership team who work so hard for the good of the School; the Governors, for their constant backing and for taking difficult decisions when necessary; the parents for their support and for allowing us the privilege of educating their precious sons; and finally, to every RGS boy who has contributed to this exceptional school during the past year.
I am always amazed by your achievements and humbled by your humility in the face of such wonderful accomplishments. I feel very privileged to be leading young men of such character, the type of young men who do the right thing, and continue to do the right thing even when no-one is looking. You deserve the success we are celebrating this evening.
It’s been an exciting year: a year of consolidation, of change and development, and of considerable success, and there are exciting times ahead. But with all the development ahead of us, it is important to remember the values which we hold dear; Inclusivity, Scholarship, Integrity, Respect, Tenacity and Service.
These are as unchanging as they have ever been. As one of my predecessors, AJB Green, said in 1919, ‘the values inherent within the work of the School should be a constant in a changing world’. And if we need reminding regularly, we only have to remember the words of the School hymn which champion the importance of consistency of values in the face of change, ‘one here will constant be, come wind, come weather’.
Education is worth little if it teaches only how to make a living rather than how to make a life. I have every confidence that the RGS is preparing our boys with all the skills they will need for their future lives, and that we will continue to remember our values and what true education is all about.
I am looking forward, with relish, to the future of this great school. ■
DrJM Cox Headmaster
Inclusivity is at the heart of what we do. We fervently desire for that time in the future when an RGS education is available to everyone and we have taken some significant steps over the past few years to reach that goal.
In 2016, the Headmaster, Dr Jon Cox, outlined his long-term vision for the RGS to become needs-blind – where every boy who earns his place is able to take it up, irrespective of his financial circumstances. We join a small number of UK independent schools to have set such an ambition: Westminster School, Latymer Upper School and Manchester Grammar School amongst them.
Embodying the founding principle of our School, and our time as part of the state-maintained school system between 1945 and 1977, this aspiration will take several decades to achieve. The Headmaster and Governors intend that, wherever possible, income from RGSG Qatar and any future international schools will contribute, but we will also need the support of OGs and the RGS community if we are to achieve our aim.
Over the last ten years, we have made impressive gains in widening access to our School (you can read more on p22). Our first philanthropic step on this journey is our campaign for bursaries –Twenty for 2020: to raise £1m by 2020 to create 20 transformational bursaries. With the support of a small number of loyal friends, charitable trusts and new campaign donors, we are already 70% of the way there.
Through the coming year, we look forward to sharing our Pass it On activities with the OG and wider RGS community – our campaign and widening access progress, our partnerships and outreach work and the impact of our bursary programme. ´
Aspiring to raise £1 million by 2020 to create 20 transformational bursary places. The first step towards achieving full merit-based open access –when every bright boy who earns his place can take it up, irrespective of his financial circumstances.
We currently have 100 Friends of the RGS. They offer support where it is needed most. Our current priority is the RGS Bursary programme and 100% of every donation increases opportunity for bright local boys.
The support of our Friends ranges from £5 to £1,509 per annum, made as monthly or annual gifts.
The Kate & Ian El-Mokadem OG 1986 Bursary
Our very first King’s Benefactors, Kate and Ian El-Mokadem OG 1986, started to sponsor a 100% bursary in September 2017. Of their decision to give, Ian said: “I enjoyed my time at the RGS immensely and I will always be grateful to the outstanding teachers who inspired and taught me. More broadly, Kate and I believe that access to a great education should not be linked to financial circumstances. I am delighted to be able to support a talented young man as he starts his exciting RGS journey and, looking ahead, I hope we can help the RGS to achieve its longer term vision of access based on ability alone.”
Classes of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020...
In 2017, we launched Seven for Seven. This is a simple way for the boys and families of each graduating year group to hold open the door for another RGS boy, through the creation of a new bursary named for their class. It’s simple and accessible: a gift of £7 a month for seven years. In seven years’ time, we will ask the boys of each class to take over their family gifts to allow their Class of... Bursary to help another bright local boy. The incredible combined support of these four year-groups has already raised nearly £120,000, in pledges and gifts, with more fundraising to come.
Our Friends include OGs and parents and staff, past and present. They are at the heart of the RGS, sharing its success and helping to open the door to a new generation of the brightest RGS boys. You can make your regular gift as a Friend via direct debit, safely and securely online at rgs-guildford.co.uk/support-the-rgs
Class of ’87 Reunion – 10 June 2017
Inspired by the Headmaster’s vision for the School to become needs-blind, 28 OGs from the Class of ’87 have joined together with gifts from £10 to £110pcm. Together, their pledges number nearly £100,000 over seven years. Their friendship, determination and generosity allowed one boy – the Class of ’87 Bursary Scholar – to take up his place at the RGS in September 2018; a place that he could not have taken up without them.
“I benefited enormously from my time at the RGS and had the privilege of being part of a great year group that is still going strong. I want to help others to have the same opportunity.”
Andy Rumfitt OG ‘87
“I decided to give to the Class of ’87 Bursary because after living much of my adult life in Brazil and working with children from extremely impoverished backgrounds with no access to good education, I realise what an immense privilege my time at the RGS was and look back on it with fondness. The RGS gave me a really solid education and this has led to incredible opportunities and freedom in life. It wasn’t just the academic qualifications that made a difference, I think the school helped us to become independent thinkers and somehow provided a moral message through its activities and talented teachers.”
Jonathan Spottiswoode OG ‘87
“We heard last year about the RGS’s ambition to become “needs blind” and take its place in transforming the opportunities available to people who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to attend the school. This is our chance to make that difference to someone’s life. I am proud to be supporting the Year of ’87 bursary.”
Stewart Bond OG ‘87
“I want to give a boy access to the wonderful RGS Guildford education that I received - a boy who needs and deserves this chance, but whose family couldn’t afford it. And I want us to put down a marker, in the hope that one day it will once again be, in Robert Beckingham’s words of 1509, ‘a free scole at the Towne of Guldford’ for all who can benefit from it.”
Richard Ashcroft OG ‘87
“I am proud to be donating to the Class of ’87 bursary because I know the real effects that a bursary can have on a young child. I was an Assisted Places boy back in 1980 and I have no doubt that my life was transformed as a result of the help given to my family; not just academically, but in terms of personal and social development, and really understanding what it means to be a good citizen – all attributes developed during my time at the RGS. It’s right then to be giving back.”
Steve Wardlaw OG ‘87
The RGS pathways project
Working with local primary schools and parents to increase awareness and opportunity about our bursary programme and the inclusivity and accessibility of our School.
Inspired by Robert Beckingham’s founding vision, the RGS has made huge strides to widen access over the last decade and to share our skills and resources more broadly in our local community. Through our partnership and outreach work (see p24), we work actively with local primary schools, running a number of activities, including a popular masterclass programme and annual summer school.
As a result:
• Nearly 40% of pupils now come to RGS from state primary schools
• Applications from state school students have increased by nearly 50% since 2010
• 176 schools are now represented amongst our 945 pupils
The School has now appointed Assistant Head, Tom Shimell as Head of Partnerships, Outreach and Widening Access (POWA) to oversee our activities. He chairs two new strategy groups to help create an holistic and integrated approach to our work.
We are also undertaking a survey and consultation process with our current and former bursary families to identify future opportunities. Our aim is to identify and improve the pathways to RGS, in order that we may reach all sections of our local community and, in particular, those
families where financial circumstances may limit access to our School. Since 2008, we have seen an 80% increase in the number of boys receiving means-tested financial support though the RGS Bursary Programme, a 20% reduction in the value of scholarships in favour of means-tested bursaries and a trebling of the School’s financial commitment to bursaries. As a result of this growth in support from the School and the RGS community, we were able to meet bursary demand in 2017/18 for the first time since 2007.
Our Twenty for 2020 bursary campaign (see p18) aims to provide the necessary funds to increase our bursary numbers to approximately 80 by 2020, finding places for those intellectually curious and creative boys who are so important for our future as a society.
The exciting development of our widening access work marks an important milestone on our journey to full merit-based open access and deepens the positive impact we can make in our local community. We look forward to sharing details of our new Pathways Projects in due course.
You can find out more in this issue of DialOGue and online, at: rgs-pass-it-on.co.uk
“We knew of the existence of the School and never had any doubts about our son’s academic ability, but we had never considered it as an option open to us because of our financial circumstances.”
Parents of an OG 2015
Offering means-tested fee assistance to bright boys, from all sections of our community, to help realise their potential.
In 2018/19, the RGS Bursary Programme is supporting 69 boys. That is just over 7% of the School population, or one in 14 boys. This is lower than the average at independent schools across the UK (at 8%), but we are exceptionally proud that more than half of our boys are on transformational bursaries (80% or higher).
RGS aspires to be a meritocracy. Bursaries ensure that bright boys from all sections of our local community can join our community, benefitting us all.
You can find out more about our bursary programme, Twenty for 2020 campaign and partnership and outreach work in this issue of DialOGue and online, at: rgs-pass-it-on.co.uk
“The RGS really does bring out the best in people. Joining at 13 as a shy and introverted third former, not hugely sure of his direction in life, I leave as a self-assured and open-minded undergraduate, and a proud alumnus of RGS Guildford. Every day during my fifteen terms at the school, I could wake up knowing that the day ahead would present exciting challenges, delve into hitherto unexplored realms of curiosity, ignite new channels of thought and question my preconceived beliefs.
Put quite simply, I could not have come to the RGS without the generosity and understanding of the RGS Bursary Programme. Being asked to become an ambassador for the campaign will remain a high point in my final year at the School and as one so lucky to be a recipient of a bursary, I feel privileged to make a contribution to ensure that successive students have the same opportunities that I had.”
Matthew Sargent OG 2018
“The other boys’ intelligence and drive motivated me and vice versa so that together we did great things. There is no doubt in my mind that without the RGS, I would not have achieved the things I have today.”
OG 2013
“The RGS offers an unmatched standard of secondary education, as well as a close knit and supportive community. With this in mind, I believe that it is hugely important to offer the experience to as many students as possible though bursaries.”
OG 2016
“The chance for any child to be at a school such as RGS is extraordinary, but for a child to attend with the help of the bursary programme, it is unreal.”
Current U6 student
“The RGS has offered me an amazing education, one that I will not forget.”
OG 2016
Our partnership with Kings College in Guildford is flourishing as the RGS continues to work closely with staff and students at the College.
After an inspection in December 2017, Kings College was rated inadequate and put into special measures. The staff, students and parents at the College have worked hard to raise standards in collaboration with Guildford Education Partnership (GEP Academies). This has been possible with support from Guildford Borough Council, the University of Surrey and the Royal Grammar School Guildford. Just 18 months later Ofsted has rated it ‘Good’ overall and their Head Teacher, Alistair McKenzie, believes it is one of the fastest climbs in secondary school ratings in such a short period of time across the country. Only 32 schools in the last five years have skipped a grade so this is a remarkable achievement.
The RGS continues to offer support in sciences and maths, and over the past year 12 RGS staff have supported staff at
“This has been a fantastic opportunity for us to really challenge and develop our knowledge. We’ve been building on our studies from lessons at Kings. We’d all like to thank the staff at the RGS for their work with us”.
Kings in some way via visits, through the exchange of ideas or lesson observations. Furthermore, the top 15 Year 11 students from Kings have been engaging in extra-curricular Physics GCSE lessons at the RGS after school on Wednesdays.
In a new development this year, 12 L6 and 5th Form RGS boys are assisting Helen Ward, RGS Maths Teacher, to deliver problem solving maths sessions to selected Year 9 pupils from Kings. Each Monday, the Kings pupils come to the RGS to tackle challenging problems which require application of the maths from their GCSE syllabus to unusual situations. This is part of the RGS weekly activity during Period 8 on a Monday and is the first time RGS has run an activity for secondary school pupils in this way.
A recent follow-up Ofsted inspection gave very positive feedback and particularly commented on the quality of support which is being provided by the RGS and the University. The two schools have been working together with the aim of stretching students, through project work for the students and shared curriculum and pedagogical knowledge among the staff. The strength of the partnership is undoubtedly enriching for both places and it will continue to enable the development of the students’ potential still further.
Led by Dale Chambers, RGS Head of Strings, the RGS String Scheme was created ten years ago and now teaches around 250 pupils per week in four local schools – Lanesborough, St Thomas’, Sandfield and Boxgrove. The aim of the String Scheme is to give children the chance to learn a string instrument as part of the curriculum every week throughout year 4. They take their instruments home each week to practise at home and delight their families! Dale says “Many pupils only experience music-making through learning an instrument at school but, unfortunately, it is increasingly rare for primary schools to be able to recruit specialist string teachers. We firmly believe that all children should have access to specialist music tuition and that music-making becomes a normal part of life from an early age.” The music they play was devised especially for the pupils by Walija Chew, cello teacher at the RGS, and the tuition is delivered in the schools by a team of external string teachers.
This project is only possible due to the generous support of donors; the Boxgrove School scheme is supported by the Community Foundation for Surrey (CFS) through the Investec International Music Festival (IIMF). Southern Pro Musica funds the St Thomas’ scheme and Sandfield’s scheme is also supported by IIMF. The scheme also receives support through individual sponsorship from RGS parents and local businesses as well as grants. This covers anything from purchasing instruments to sponsoring children to continue their studies Although it has not sought publicity, the scheme generates political interest: it was visited by Anne Milton, MP for Guildford, and Nick Gibb and Michael Gove when they were also at the Department of Education.
The children perform at two concerts during the year, at their own school and the RGS, and a significant number continue to learn their chosen instrument thereafter, taking part in orchestras and ensembles. At the Southern Pro Musica family concerts, the String Scheme ‘continuers’ play with the SPM orchestra at G-Live in Guildford. This is testament to the success of the scheme in placing music right at the heart of the community and celebrating achievement in all its forms, giving a rare chance to children for whom it may be lifechanging. Dale Chambers has been awarded the 2018 European String Teachers’ Association UK Award in recognition of exceptional services to ESTA and to string teaching in the UK. ■
Alistair Downs, Head of School at the Royal Grammar School Guildford in Qatar writes about another busy, successful year at our Partner School in Qatar.
The start of the new Academic Year, 2018/19 at RGSGQ has been focused on expansion in all areas of the School: the successful opening of the Senior School for Years 7 and 8 in September is off to a great start and has seen the actual school building double in size; while teaching and specialist teaching staff numbers have noticeably risen. The School now teaches classes from nursery through to Year 8. Having also appointed a SENCo we are pleased to be able to accommodate pupils with Special Educational Needs and it has had a positive impact for the School. Admissions is experiencing a significant rise in pupil numbers; an increase of over 100 new pupils were enrolled for Term 1 and applications and assessments continue to be processed for Term 2. Enquiries for 2019/20 have already begun, offering a positive outlook for the next academic year.
The RGS’s reputation for being a ‘happy school’ was confirmed during this year’s visit from the Education Development Trust (EDT), which stated, “This is a very happy school in which the needs of children are at the heart of everything it does.”
As well as membership of the EDT, the RGSGQ is proud to have gained membership of the prestigious Council of British International Schools, following a successful COBIS Compliance visit earlier this year, confirming the RGS’s high standards have been well and truly established. This has followed through with membership of the British Schools in the Middle East (BSME) and will continue towards completing the International Schools Quality Mark (ISQM) and British Schools Overseas (BSO) next year.
With our diverse range of nationalities, the school community has developed into an active and vibrant group. The Parents Association is currently thriving and meet regularly. Activities and events scheduled throughout the year see parents, staff and pupils work together to promote a positive environment for all. In particular parent/pupil movie nights and family picnics are a particular favourite amongst the school community. It should be said that the RGS Guildford in Qatar has, in a very short time, established itself well within the Qatar community and our reputation for high standards is growing rapidly within the region.
Highlights from the 2017/18 academic year included topics such as ‘Superheroes’ (a big hit with the Early Years); Animals and Dinosaur Dig. Our special focus weeks included Health Week, Book Week, Art Week, Maths Week and many more, which are all highly motivational and involve whole school activities as well as individual class projects. Sporting newly appointed House Captains this year, the House Teams competed to earn significant points and – particularly during these special weeks –the pupils have expressed their enjoyment of taking part and learning new skills.
The pupils have been engaged in selecting and forming a School Council this past year, which provides a great opportunity to discuss how they would like the School to develop and real changes have been made from their ideas, such as the installation of a recycling scheme that has encouraged the whole school and all RGS staff to participate in. Funds have been raised from a variety of events towards the creation of a school garden and is being thoroughly enjoyed by pupils and parents.
Music plays a significant part in the RGS curriculum and parents were treated to an outstanding performance of the Lion King –a Key Stage 2 Production, which is proudly documented in the RGSGQ Year Book 2018.
Sport is thriving at RGSGQ. Previous years have seen our state-of-the-art facilities being put to good use with plenty of tournaments held with neighbouring schools. Our pupils are making a name for themselves on the athletics field with participation in local events such as the Qatar Marathon and Qatar Running Series. The much-anticipated opening of our new swimming pool will undoubtedly be a major highlight of the year and will be celebrated by the whole School.
Pupil performances during Thursday morning assemblies have now moved into the spacious and colourful school Atrium, which is also a hub for parent coffee mornings and parent community gatherings.
The Residential Trip to Sri Lanka last March was a huge success; and future Residentials to Oman and Nepal for 2019 have already proved popular, with pupils and parents showing a keen interest to participate.
The future of the School is looking particularly bright and cheerful; and as the end of Term 1 is fast approaching we look forward to a successful Term 2 and exciting plans for the years ahead. ■
2017/18 has seen the completion of the third phase of the nine-stage building development plan for the RGS, with new facilities standing proud on top of the existing New Building and designed to make a difference to every boy at the School.
The new Chemistry laboratories provide outstanding facilities for teaching and learning. Each lab has been carefully designed and benefits from having separate areas for theory and practical work.
Wai-Shun Lau, Head of ChemistryDevelopments to the New Building
This phased approach to the development plan ensures life at the RGS is only ever temporarily affected, keeping the students’ interests at the heart of the development. At the same time, the staggered phases provide continuous improvement to the quality of educational provision, so that the benefits are enjoyed by everyone. Even the presence of a 26m high crane on site, able to reach over 45m, became a fascinating addition to the RGS skyline.
A significant part of Phase Three has been the addition of a new layer on the central spine of the New Building, providing a brand new Modern Languages Department, and thus benefitting every boy up to GCSE age. The new layer is supported on 10m high columns and spans directly over the existing 17m wide New School Building, without putting
any load on it. Instead, it sits on 48 concrete piles (concrete columns below ground, core drilled to 15m below surface level). Above ground, 13 steel columns each weighing over 3.5 tonnes, support the weight of the new space.
The new layer provides additional space, light and improved circulation to the area, and has created an additional 950m2 of new floor space for the School.
Also part of Phase Three was the development of new modern Chemistry Labs, seminar and study areas, a new Learning Support Suite and the refurbishment of approximately 1300m2 of existing classrooms. Some facilities are already being enjoyed, with the remaining coming into use when Lent Term begins in January 2019.
Phase Four will literally build upon the foundations already put in place, creating a new atrium over the East courtyard –converting it to an inside space, so further increasing space, light and circulation around the building.
To find out more about the capital development of RGS and Lanesborough, please contact Development Director, Georgie Grant Haworth: ggh@rgsg.co.uk
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The steel columns that are visible on the outside of the building, support nearly 500 tonnes – the equivalent of 35 double decker buses.
An astonishing addition to the RGS School.
Bob Ukiah,Chief Operating Officer
The Royal Grammar School, Guildford was founded in 1509. In 1598 an Old Guildfordian and Queen’s Coroner, by the name of John Derrick, made a legal deposition. In this first recorded reference to the sport of cricket, he refers to himself in this most particular of ways:
Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford, hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies.
Ibelieve the most important clause of this sentence is the one in which he refers to himself as a ‘scholler’.
In 1608, the first admission tests were introduced at the RGS, along with the first fees. In 1691, Joseph Nettles left 11 acres of land, the rent from which was to be used for the maintenance of a ‘scholar’ at Oxford or Cambridge. It was here that we inadvertently lost something of great value.
That value was encoded deep within the term scholarship. In 1530s England, the term scholarship was widely used to describe the ‘status of a scholar’, but 50 years later the word had taken on the meaning of a source of funds for the support of a scholar. As such, you were then only seen as a scholar, if you had a scholarship.
Language is powerful. It affects the way we think. It is the way we think.
If you study the etymology of the word scholar, you find it was borrowed or derived from the original Greek Scholastes (σχολαστής). The word appears to have been originally defined as “one who lives at ease, man of leisure”. However, its use in classical literature is commonly more specific. In a translation of Plutarch’s Life of Brutus (part 3.2) Plutarch defines Brutus as “a young man addicted to letters”. “Addicted to letters” is a translation of the word σχολαστής. The word also appears in another translation of Plutarch’s ‘Parallel Lives’ in his Life of Cicero (part 3.2), the Roman orator. Plutarch writes that Cicero “betook himself to a retired and contemplative life, associated with Greek scholars, and pursued his studies”. The Greek for “retired” is σχολαστὴν, so it is clearly with connotations of devotion to learning.
One could then summarise the meaning of Scholastes, through its classical use, as ‘one who uses their leisure time for learning’ or, to use that modern turn of phrase, ‘one with a love of learning’. I prefer the former. It implies an active choice to spend time – the only truly important commodity we possess – in the continuous pursuit of understanding.
You need only to have crossed the threshold of our School to know that scholar is a far more accurate descriptor of the young men in our charge than that of pupil or student
The hierarchical and chronological order of pupil-student-scholar is presupposed upon the modern definition of a scholar. If one were to change the tertiary level descriptor to master, then you could be a continuous scholar: first a ‘scholarly pupil’, then a ‘scholarly student’ and, finally, a ‘scholarly master’. This would allow scholarship to reclaim its proper definition as a habit; a choice to be made, a way to spend one’s time wisely, as something attainable by all and as an attitude – rather than an endowment or gift in both the genetic or financial sense.
To be a scholar, you most likely need to be intelligent – however one defines that – but intelligence does not make a scholar; I am sure we all know plenty of intelligent people for which this is true. Language is powerful and it is my belief that referring to all our boys as scholars is a change that will compound over time to significant effect.
We are what we describe ourselves to be, but more than that, we are the product of our actions. If we act in a scholarly fashion, if we talk in a scholarly way and describe ourselves as such, then we are scholars If we embody scholarship, it will be contagious. Over time, it will have a measurable effect on the collective outcome of our boys and – because there is so much more to education than tests – most importantly in how our scholars orientate themselves in the world; how they derive meaning from excelling at their singular passions, be that Music, Physics or Latin.
Scholarship is a habit, a way of spending your time, an aspirational attitude all should aim to acquire and definitively not something bestowed upon a select group of individuals. This has been, and continues to be, my motivation for the rebranding of the RGS scholars’ programme and the creation of a Programme for Scholarship; a programme that is founded upon the understanding that true equality of opportunity generates myriad extraordinary outcomes. ■
Mr CS Bradford RGS Head of Scholarship
“It is not knowledge, but the act of learning, not possession but the act of getting there, which grants the greatest enjoyment.”
Carl Friedrich Gauss
Over the last year, the School has identified the qualities of scholarship. These are not reserved for those who have been awarded academic scholarships on entry to our School, but are a description of our culture at the RGS, or ‘who we are’ as a School. They are qualities to which every pupil can, and should, aspire. As we develop scholarship at the School we are moving away from a programme for those who have been awarded scholarships and towards a ‘Scholarship for All’ programme. A new Scholarship Conference was launched in March 2018 and the second Scholars Journal is now available online. You can read more about our Scholarship for All programme in the ‘About the RGS’ section of rgs-guildford.co.uk, where you can also read about the qualities of scholarship.
The boys continue to excel at an extraordinary range of sports, and specialist coaching at the School and beyond enables them to reach regional, national and international success. Here are some individual and team highlights:
BADMINTON
Christopher Chong won bronze in the final tournament of the season at the Badminton England Open Boys Singles event.
CHESS
Harry Grieve, UK Junior Chess Champion, won an international chess competition in Budapest and now has the title of FM (FIDE Master). A highlight of a very successful year in both league and cup competitions for our chess teams was a visit by International Master, Malcolm Pein, to play a clock simul with the RGS 1st team, with a 3 – 3 final result.
CRICKET
Under 12A cricket side reached the County Cup final. Under 14A cricket side reached the County Cup semi-final.
CROSS-COUNTRY
RGS runners won the Claremont Fan Court and Ranlaugh trophies. Sam Martin competed in the UK inter-counties race for Surrey and finished second out of 400 runners. The junior and intermediate teams qualified for the South-East England finals.
DANCE
Boldi Paladi-Kovacs, one of the most accomplished and experienced Hungarian child dancers in Britain, is a member of the Csillagszemuek Anglia Hungarian Folk Dance Group and participated in a cultural event to celebrate Hungary’s national holiday.
EVENTING
Joseph Lethbridge and his horse, Mr Madagascar, won the BE100 class at the Wellington Horse Trials against many professional international riders.
FENCING
Leo Kamstra and Freddie EdgecliffeJohnson are members of the Under 13 England fencing squad; Leo, the current
Surrey County Champion in Under 14 Épée, was also selected for the Under 15 England squad. At the British School Team Fencing Championships, the Under 18 Épée team won gold to become new national champions, the first time that RGS has won a national fencing team title. The Under 15 Épée team and Under 13 Foil team were both silver medallists.
FOOTBALL
Nicholas Scott was selected for one of the regional representative sides which competed in the Gothia World Youth Football Cup held in Sweden.
HOCKEY
1st XI hockey reached quarter-finals of the National Cup, making them in the top eight in the country. Joshua Powell was selected to represent England Under 18 hockey at the UK National School Games. Edward Ferguson was selected for the England Hockey Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence programme.
KARATE
Alexander Jackson won gold medal in a prestigious karate competition in Hemel Hempstead.
KICK-BOXING
Ilhan Mosobbir came first in two weight categories at the Wako GB Grandslam.
RUGBY
Hugo McGuire was selected to represent London Irish Under 12s in their rugby tour of Dublin. Jack Doyle was re-selected in the London Irish DPP squad for the 2018/2019 season.
SAILING
Ben Mueller was selected for the GB Development Team to represent Great Britain at the US Optimist National Championships in Florida.
SHOOTING
The shooting team achieved its highest team score for twenty years in their
victory over St John’s School, Leatherhead. The VIII also won the Clayton Challenge and three trophies at the Surrey Rifle Association Schools’ Meeting: Alfie Hellings – best marksman; our VIII – Best Surrey School and Best School overall. Miles Horton-Baker and Luca O’Flynn were both selected to tour Canada for the British Cadet Rifle Team, The Athelings. Balazs Rigo was shortlisted for the UK Under 17 Cadet Rifle squad.
SKIING
The Under 18 and Under 16 teams both came third in their age groups, picking up bronze medals in the Surrey Schools’ annual Ski Race event.
SPEED SKATING
Theo Collins, the current British Champion for Juvenile Boys, represented Great Britain in Finland in Long Track Speed Skating. In the British Long Track Speed Skating Championships, he gained a silver medal at 500m in the Junior category.
SWIMMING
Our junior team qualified for the national finals of the English Secondary Schools Association Team Relay Competition. The Freestyle Team came a very close fourth out of 30 teams. Max Windle qualified for six events at the Cardiff International Open Meet.
TAE KWON DO
Dimitri Perricos won a silver medal in sparring at the British Open Championships. He then went on to win the gold medal in his sparring category at the English Tae Kwon Do Open Championships.
TENNIS
Jamie Diack, ranked number 1 in Surrey at Under 12, was part of the Under 12 Great Britain team at the Tennis Europe Winter Cup; he also represented Great Britain in the Queenswood Cup.
Dave Ward and George Merrick join pupils from RGS Guildford, Howard of Effingham, St Peter’s and George Abbot.
29 pupils from local schools came together in September for a one-off special masterclass and training session with Harlequin players, Dave Ward and George Merrick. The event was a rare opportunity for these youngsters to experience the kind of training these premier level players take part in every week. The boys were put through their paces, playing a variety of conditioned games and looking in detail at aspects including tactical technique and offloading. Head of Partnerships at RGS Guildford, Tom Shimell, said of the day:
“Seeing the boys training and learning together in a cohesive unit regardless of their school affiliation was really heartening. We have all really enjoyed being part of this amazing opportunity and it exemplifies the type of local partnerships which can bring significant benefits to the young people of Guildford.”
Director of Rugby at Guildford Rugby Club, Chris Alder OG 1992 , set up the event with the RGS Head of Rugby, Ben Dudley. Talking about the session, Chris said:
“Having played rugby at school and for Guildford Rugby Club, I am passionate about sharing the benefits of our club with local youngsters. We are lucky enough to have Harlequins player, Dave Ward, coaching at Guildford Rugby Club and this was a great opportunity to give back to my old school and the local community. We are hugely grateful to the guys for coming down.”
You can find out more about Guildford Rugby Club at guildfordrugbyclub.co.uk and follow RGS rugby on Twitter @RGSGRugby
RGSRugby Big thanks to @Dave_Ward2 & George Merrick @Harlequins for their masterclass with our boys and local pupils from @gabbot_news @Howard_news @SPCSGuildford #RGSrugby #RGSPartnerships
RGSGuildford Thanks to OG, Chris Alder @guildfordrugby for setting up @Harlequins rugby masterclass with @RGSGRugby @gabbot_news @Howard_news @SPCSGuildford boys #RGSPartnerships #RGSOGs
RGSPartnerships Great to see boys from @RGSGRugby @gabbot_news @Howard_news @SPCSGuildford all out together learning together with @Harlequins @Dave_Ward2 & George Merrick #RGSpartnerships #RGSrugby #rugby
The RGS has always been fortunate to have staff who are at the heart of the School – dedicated, loyal and completely committed to the education of their students. Boys look back at their time at the School and it is the staff who they remember for the lasting impact on their lives. They have unique ways of inspiring others through their wealth of subject knowledge, individual style and talent for passing on a love of their subject. Five legendary teachers retired in July 2018 after more than 185 years teaching at the School between them: Alan Thorn (joined the RGS in 1971), Mary Booth (1978), Peter Hosier (1980), John Saxton (1987) and Mick Jennings (1989).
The Headmaster, Dr Jon Cox, paid tribute to their outstanding service to the School over so many years:
John Saxton, Mick Jennings, Alan Thorn, Mary Booth and Peter Hosier
“The School is indebted to each one of our retirees and their impact on generations of students cannot, for a second, be underestimated. Although being very different personalities, each of them have been united by extraordinary dedication, phenomenal scholarship, remarkable loyalty, and a desire to put the students at the heart of all they do. They will be sorely missed.”
Advance notice of Retired Staff Party
16 May 2019
We know how much OGs and staff enjoy each other’s company, so we will be hosting a party to celebrate these five staff and other long-serving teachers who have retired in the last few years. All OGs, current and former staff are warmly invited, so watch out for more information nearer the time!
Spring is in the air. The Six Nations is on. It’s Friday lunchtime, the end of another busy week. It would be great to have an excuse to take the afternoon off... In steps the City Reunion Lunch for Old Guildfordians...
Friday 1st March 2019, Brasserie Blanc, Southbank, London.
We’ve listened to your feedback and we’re proud to announce a one-off event that – we hope – has it all: a central London location, great food, a first-class speaker, the chance to give something back and – above all – the opportunity to spend some time with your friends.
This is your reunion, your way, so you can come with a couple of mates or a table of 20.
Kicking off with a free drinks reception, followed by a three-course lunch, we will be joined by special guest Will Carling OBE, who will be talking about life, leadership and his career as former captain of England’s Rugby Union team. Capped 72 times, 59 of which as captain, Will was England’s youngest, longest-serving and most successful skipper ever, taking on the role at just 22, and is now highly sought after as a motivational speaker and TV sports pundit.
He’ll be chatting to our host and ‘master of ceremonies’ for the afternoon, John Inverdale. A familiar face on TV, commentating on every sport from the Grand National and Wimbledon to the Olympics and FIFA World Cup, John will lead us through the afternoon’s events and share some of his own ‘off-the-record’ experiences.
There’ll be some fun and games, as well as a raffle and silent and live auctions in aid of the RGS Bursary Programme* –opening the door to bright boys whose potential outstrips their financial capabilities.
With exclusive use of Brasserie Blanc for the afternoon, there will be plenty of time to mix with friends and rediscover old faces. OGs from the Classes of ‘87, ‘88, ‘91, and ‘92 have already secured their tables. They are keen to see some of their old masters so we’re exploring that too.
Book now at rgs-guildford.co.uk/ our-community/old-guildfordians/ news-and-events, look out for your invite, email og@rgs-guildford.co.uk or call us on +44 (0)1483 880665 to reserve your table.
Reservations will be held for three weeks before unpurchased tickets are released.
Tickets are limited and likely to sell out fast, so contact your friends today and book your table.
Tickets include free drinks reception and three-course lunch and are priced at £90 per head**.
We look forward to seeing you in March!
*Read more at rgs-pass-it-on.co.uk
**Your ticket price covers all the costs of the event. Profits from the event will used to support the RGS Bursary Programme.
A green Very light shoots up into the still-darkening dusk sky. The operation is on. Six Airspeed Horsa gliders, towed by Dakotas, rise up into the night. Crossing out over the Channel at Littlehampton and leaving the bright white RAF beacon light behind them, they extinguish their navigation lights and head for France. This is Operation Tonga and the start of D-Day.
October 2018: I am sitting in Laurie and Ann Weeden’s kitchen. It is here that Laurie sat for artist Martin Yeoman, as part of Last of the Tide – a collection of 12 portraits of D-Day Veterans, commissioned by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2015. The portrait is light and ethereal, but it perhaps fails to quite capture Laurie’s twinkle, still very much in evidence.
Laurie was born four years shy of the end of WW1, “within the sound of the bells of Wandsworth Jail”. His father worked as a bank official at Schroders, but longed for the countryside – inspired by camping trips to Leith Hill with friends before WW1. “On Easter Saturday, 1913, they took one of the last horse-drawn buses out of London to the Coldharbour area for conversion to a caravan.” The family subsequently moved to Great Bookham and Laurie started at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford on 16 September 1931, despite “exorbitant fees of four guineas a term”. He remembers ‘Smiler White’, Scout master and a “brilliant maths teacher” and AJB Green, of whom they “walked in fear”. He was, Laurie says, “a highly effective Headmaster” and the “place was very well-run”, if somewhat “spartan” compared with today. “All the classrooms were cold, particularly the Big School Room, which just had pipe-stoves, and the loos were appallingly bad, basic in the extreme.”
Articled to a chartered accountant, aged just 16, he started work in the West End in 1938. Despite not being “much enamoured” of the OTC at school, he also joined the Territorial Army (TA) at the behest of his father, a one-time corporal cook in the London Rifle Brigade during WW1. The Territorial Unit was 318 Battalion Royal Engineers (searchlights), headquartered in Guildford and Laurie, not yet 17, was designated “Boy Weeden”. As he explained, “Hitler was getting rather troublesome, they didn’t have much trouble getting people to sign up”.
Having served a month’s compulsory training in the summer of 1939, on the outbreak of WW2 that September, Laurie was called up for full-time service with the rank of Sapper. He was transferred to a Territorial Searchlight Battalion which had been raised from the staff of Bentalls Department Store in Kingston, and for whom the first operational area was the defence of Portsmouth. Searchlights were used extensively in defense against nighttime bomber raids during the Second World War. Controlled by sound locators, searchlights could track bombers, indicating targets to anti-aircraft guns and night fighters. The searchlight equipment was from the Great War however and clearly “inadequate”. “We had difficulty in picking up a Tiger Moth at 80mph, so we weren’t much good at picking up a Dornier at 250mph”.
HITLER WAS GETTING RATHER TROUBLESOME AND THEY DIDN’T HAVE MUCH TROUBLE GETTING PEOPLE TO SIGN UP
In 1941, notice came round the Army for volunteers for Royal Air Force air crew. The medical, amongst other things, involved blowing a column of mercury up a tube and holding it for one minute, which he passed with “momentous effort”. He also managed to pass the hearing test despite “rather poor hearing”, having received the test words – ‘Cardington’ and ‘tomatoes’ from a preceding soldier. On the suggestion that this might be considered cheating, Laurie is clear: “unashamedly”, he chuckles.
Following the cancellation of transfers from the Army to the RAF – a fact they learned in the Daily Mirror – Laurie volunteered for the Glider Pilots (later the Army Air Corps). He was sent for eight weeks of ‘eliminator testing’ at the Glider Pilot depot at Tilshead. It was “rough and tough”, a “cross between the Guards Depot at Caterham and Siddi-bel-Abbès – renowned training camp of the French Foreign Legion”.
80 hours of training on Tiger moths at the flying school at Booker followed (the airfield where they subsequently made the 1965 film, Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines) and, after an unprecedented two Chief Flying Instructor Tests, Laurie – “to his astonishment” – was sent solo.
Laurie received his wings and was made Sergeant in December 1942, having completed Glider Training School at Shobdon on the Welsh Border. Along with about ten other recently qualified pilots, the achievement was appropriately celebrated at a tavern in Leicester Square. He awoke next day “with a hangover that had to be experienced to
It was “rough and tough”, a “cross between the Guards Depot at Caterham and Siddi-bel-Abbès –renowned training camp of the French Foreign Legion.”
be believed”. I imagine Laurie cut a fine figure that Christmas. Mike Peter’s book Glider Pilots in Sicily, portrays Laurie as not only as “a purveyor of doubtful jokes, but also as a ladykiller”. Laurie and Mike are still in touch and, Laurie tells me, when Mike teases him in this vein, his reply is always the same, “chance would have been a lovely thing.”
In 1943, Laurie headed for Tunisia on the Cunard Liner The Samaria, via Algiers. He believes his Squadron was earmarked for the Sicily operation, but they never made it. The rumour was that the army had “lost them, which was... fortuitous... bearing in mind the horlicks of the Sicily landings”. In September his Unit joined the 1st Airborne Division for the seaborne invasion of Italy, landing at Taranto in the troopship Princess Beatrix (requisitioned from the old Hook of Holland to Harwich route). The Italian Navy, having surrendered, was “steaming off to Malta” and they were “greeted on the steps of the quay by the local Italian Mayor”. It was, he says wryly, “the right sort of invasion”. Initially they “had nothing for the glider pilots to do with no aircraft there, but they had no stevedores”, so Laurie and his fellow soldiers were consigned to unloading ships. He remembers, with more laughter, “a shell dropping out from a landing net nose first onto the quayside”.
In March 1944, Laurie was posted to an operational squadron at RAF Blakehill Farm. On his first trip he was “detailed to fly an American glider up to Ayr in Scotland. It was a typical April day with great showers on the way”. In thick cloud and seriously out of position with the tug aircraft, he decided to release and emergency land on a Welsh hillside. He was “so lucky that day (I have a guardian angel), because if the cloud had occurred over Liverpool Bay – this was March 1944 – a forced landing in the Irish Sea would have been pretty cold, and I’m not sure we had ‘Mae Wests’ on board” (WW2 nickname for life jackets).
Two months later, in May 1944, six crews at Blakehill were detailed for an “unspecified operation which involved a moonlight landing without flare path”. They thought that it was going to be supplying the French resistance who were much in the news at the time, but early in June they were briefed for the operation – “the big show, the night before D-day.”
D-Day: 6 June 1944, 00.45 hours
Reaching France in the early hours of 6 June, the six Horsa gliders pass over flashes, bangs and the rising smoke of the bombing of the Merville battery. Some way ahead, a line of red tracer shoots up in front of the glider nose, missing Laurie’s glider and the tug plane towing them. As they clear the cloud and dust from Merville, down on his left, Laurie spots a flare path, laid out by the preceding Paras. The morse code flash is ‘N’ rather than ‘K’, but the homing beacon is indicting to the tug pilot that they have now arrived over the chosen landing zone and Laurie has to make a decision. He releases from the tug. For the rest of the flight they are on their own. Airpower only. No engine. No radio contact. The Horsa glider has a wingspan of 88 feet (27m). It is 67 feet (20m) long, made almost entirely of wood and - fully loaded with two pilots, four RASC (Service Corps) drivers, a Brigade Ordinance Warrant Officer, an ambulance jeep, trailer and the medical supplies and blood plasma they are carrying - weighs seven tonnes.
Laurie puts on full flap (reputedly the size of barn doors) and the Horsa comes almost straight down, like a lift. But the Pathfinder Paras have crossed the ‘T’ of the flare path at the wrong end. Laurie is now attempting to land downwind with a 27-knot wind on his tail. They hit the ground at speed, dinging in the nosewheel of the tricycle undercarriage, and now they are tearing across a French field, in the dark, towards a line of trees. Laurie slams on the brakes and they come to a stop about 20 yards from the treeline. With the exception of a light ack-ack gun away on the other side of the landing zone it is an “unopposed landing” into German-occupied France.
They now have to get the tail of the glider off. In common with many other gliders that night, difficulty is experienced in detaching the tail assemblies, but the tail is high because of the dinged-in front wheel, so the six soldiers improvise. They connect their toggle ropes together, hoist it over the tail and tug. Finally, they get it free and the jeep drives out into the night. It is soon after commandeered by a Royal Engineer Officer. The medical supplies are jettisoned in favour of explosives which are then used to blow the bridge over the River Dives at Troarn, helping to secure the eastern flank for the Allied Forces landing. ´
Laurie’s job, at this point, was effectively complete. He was to report to the rendez-vous at Touffreville and serve as infantry if required. In common with thousands of British soldiers landing in France that night, they did not, at this point, know where they were, due to the misplaced homing beacon. He and his co-pilot joined the Paras and advanced into enemy territory in open order formation. Laurie remembers a friendly stray white horse accompanying them as they advanced in the dark and, later, an offer of beer from a café-owner as they arrived in the village of Herouvillette. It is an offer they were forced to refuse, “having other rather important business to attend to”. As the column of troops moved through the village a shout went up in German accompanied by a rattle of machine-gun fire. The troops scattered, taking cover wherever possible, but the column was split in two and all the officers were in the front. Laurie, aged just 22, was the senior NCO in the rear end of the column. He had a map and by now knew where they were, so he led the 30 soldiers from the village and up onto a hill to rejoin the front half of the original column of troops. His was, as Laurie pointedly notes “a rather short command”.
As dawn broke, Laurie and the recently reunited column of troops made their way through the woods of Bois de Bures. Soon after, the beach landings at Normandy began. It was, Laurie says, “very noisy” and “rather nerve-wracking” particularly when the rocket ships commenced firing. Breaking cover, they finally arrived in Touffreville – their original designated meeting point – where they met up with the rest of
their flight. Colonel Pearson, the distinguished Colonel of 8th Parachute Regiment (quadruple DSO) decided the glider pilots were “no longer required” so, with no clear route back to the coast because of the fighting, they lay down “under a large apple tree and went to sleep”. Nine of the original 12 glider pilots made their way to Brigade HQ at Les Mesnil later that day. One of the three who did not make it, a sergeant, whose glider had badly overshot, was assisted by the local villagers to evade capture by the Germans. He left a note with one of its members for his parents in case he should not make it, which sadly he did not. After the war, the Frenchman delivered that note and subsequently married the Sergeant’s sister.
The nine pilots slept in a ditch on 6 June, in a “rather disturbed night, because the Canadian Paras were fighting nearby”. On their way to the coast, they were called upon to assist a stray glider pilot to release the tail from his own glider, and then detailed to escort 130 prisoners back to divisional HQ. Laurie remembers that when the interpreter told the prisoners that if they tried to escape they would be shot, “they all started to laugh”; as forcibly drafted soldiers from occupied territories, being taken prisoner was exactly what they wanted.
Crossing the bridge at Ranville, which had then been taken by the Allies, the pilots finally reached Ouistreham, at the end of ‘Sword Beach’ – one of the five key sectors for the Normandy landings. The mood was victorious, and they drank beer in a café, before loading on to a Buffalo (amphibious tank)
to take them on to a landing ship tank and then home to England. They were back on base just three days after they left. “And that was D-Day. Incredible really, we were walking about the place as though we owned it and just a day later, the Germans were getting their act together and it would have been a totally different story.”
WW2 was, for Laurie, “a 12-day war: three days in Normandy, and nine days in Arnhem”. 32 Horsa gliders from Blakehill Farm flew in the first lift to Arnhem and all of them arrived at the designated landing zone, at Wolfheze about eight miles from “the bridge too far”. Eight days later, just half of the 65 who had set out to Arnhem with Laurie returned. It is a tale that requires more time... So day nine of Arnhem, having swum across the Rhine and stepped out on to the south bank of the river, turned out to be the last day of Laurie’s war. Although he went on to train on US gliders in preparation for service in the Far East, the bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought the war to a close in August 1945, following VE Day in Europe on 8 May earlier that year.
Laurie was demobilized in 1946. He and his two brothers had survived WW2, exactly as the three sons of his grandmother had survived WW1. He returned to accountancy and married his boss’s secretary. After her untimely death from breast cancer in 1969, Laurie married Ann, to whom he has now been married for 46 years. She tells me that “tolerance” and a “sense of humour” is their secret.
Laurie’s ‘active service’ may have been brief, but it was vital – in all senses of the word. The Allied invasion of Northern France in 1944 is generally considered to have been a turning point in the war, giving the Allies the foothold in mainland Europe that they needed. The troops and supplies that Laurie and his fellow glider pilots flew into German-occupied territory, on 5/6 June 1944, blew the bridges along the invasion’s eastern border, preventing the German armour and troops from moving in to attack the British and Allied troops landing by sea and air.
The work of the glider pilots was daring and dangerous; at Arnhem nearly 20% of the Glider Pilot Regiment were fatalities, so it seems doubly odd that Laurie had no great flying aspiration. Like many who survived, Laurie does not see his story as one of ‘daring-do’. He does not see himself as a ‘hero’.
“We volunteered for something which seemed to be dangerous, and at Arnhem we were not to be disappointed. I just wanted to do something useful...”
To all those who were ‘useful’, including our own accidental and most treasured of RGS heroes, we owe an unpayable debt of gratitude. ■
Georgie Grant Haworth
With the new programme for OGs taking shape, our events over the past twelve months have aimed to engage the entire RGS community, from our newest OGs to our oldest. Here is a snapshot of the year:
HEADMASTER’S XI VS OG XI CRICKET MATCH AND RGS COMMUNITY DAY
Bradstone Brook, 24 June 2018
The annual Headmaster’s XI v OG XI Cricket Match took place at Bradstone Brook with the OGs achieving their first victory in six years. In a competitive and good spirited fixture, the Head’s team batted first and were all out for 188 with the OGs scoring 192, three wickets remaining. It was great to see so many staff, parents, OGs and their families enjoying the glorious weather and soaking up the atmosphere. Grateful thanks go to Ant Drake for captaining and organising the OG team and Alan Thorn for umpiring on one of the hottest days of the year. The OG XI comprised:
If you would like to get involved with future OG cricket events, please email og@rgsg.co.uk
The Albany, 16 April 2018
Over 40 OG undergrads got together to catch up with RGS staff and friends at The Albany pub in Guildford before heading back to university or gap year projects.
Over the last year we have welcomed back the Classes of 1978 and 1979 for a joint reunion tour and tea. The Class of 1998 enjoyed a tour of the School, followed by curry and beers in Big School. OGs from the Classes of 2006, 2007 and 2008 came for a tour and drinks.
The Duke on the Green, Fulham, 23 November 2017
London Drinks took place for the Class of 2007 on the New King’s Road in Fulham. We were pleased to welcome a group of OGs along for an enjoyable evening catching up with old friends.
Benugos, 17 May 2018
OGs across the generations joined us for drinks and a discussion about the way forward for OG events and engagement.
St Paul’s Cathedral, 27 November 2017
The RGS and Guildford High School combined Chamber Choir sang Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral, and joined together with parents, old girls of GHS and OGs at a reception at St Paul’s Cathedral School, afterwards. They will be singing at St Paul’s Cathedral again on Monday 4 March 2019.
Big School, 7 September 2018
Over 100 leavers from the Class of 2018 were welcomed back to the RGS as OGs to collect their yearbook, OG tie, and enjoy a drink with friends and staff.
Daniel Sutton OG 2015. Oxford History student Daniel Sutton returned to Quest club to lead a discussion on the historical evidence behind trusting the Bible. He also gave a talk entitled ‘Mission: Impossible’ which explored what Jesus came to do.
Misha Verkerk OG 2006. Former School Captain and Specialty Registrar in ENT Surgery, Misha Verkerk spoke at an assembly about his time at the RGS and his journey towards coming out. This was part of the School’s ongoing personal, social, health and economic programme for current pupils.
Gareth Davies OG 1999. Former Shooting Captain and member of the England team, Gareth also served for many years in the Metropolitan Police, leading specialist units, and went on to co-found ‘The Bravest Path’. This coaching and development company is one of only a handful of organisations in Europe licensed to deliver the ground-breaking research of Dr Brene Brown. Gareth spoke to the boys about tackling bravery and courage.
We want to say a special thank you to all those OGs who have been back to the RGS over the past year to take part in a variety of activities ranging from King’s Lectures to careers seminars, field days to subject talks. Here is a selection:
Will Heylen OG 2017 came in to talk to the Law Society and presented his ILA award-winning talk entitled ‘When is a gang not a gang? - the law on joint enterprise’. He also discussed Oxbridge interviews with pupils interested in studying Law.
Umesh Trikha OG 2000 and new 1509 Circle Supporter, the first OG to see the recently developed courtyard in the New Building, with Georgie Grant Haworth, Development Director.
Roger Bull OG 1958 and former Tower Captain of Holy Trinity Church, Guildford attends weekly bell ringing sessions as part of Sixth Form General Studies taken by Grace Clements, Geography teacher and Head of Athletics at the RGS. Roger lends his help and expertise from over 50 years of experience, to encourage a whole new generation of bell ringers. Lawrence Hazeldine OG 1943 tells us that Roger follows in the footsteps of Alf Pullen, RGS caretaker in the 1940s, who was also a talented campanologist and previous captain of the Holy Trinity church bell ringers.
Davies OG 1999 and
took part in the
Bret Charman OG 2006 returned to the RGS to give talks on his work as a wildlife photographer to both the Sixth Form as part of General Studies and also the Photography Society. See p54 for more about Bret’s work.
Remembrance Day Service: (left to right) WO2 (SSI) Peter Wells (Late RAOC/RLC), CCF School Staff Instructor, Peter Goodeve (son of Vernon Goodeve OG 1930), John Crathorne (former staff 1966-1995), Laurie Weeden OG 1938, Dr Jon Cox (Headmaster), John Downham OG 1943, Robert Strick OG 1949, Lt Cdr (CCF) Steve Yetman RNR, CCF Contingent Commander.
James Nicholls OG 2016. Cambridge undergraduate James Nicholls gave a talk on ‘Applying for Engineering? Things I wish I had known before the Lower Sixth summer holidays’.
Jack Bell OG 2015 and Calvin Ngwena OG 2015 returned to discuss studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics at University, with current RGS pupils.
Butler OG 2011
and
Freddie Money OG 2013 is studying a Graduate Diploma Law course at Guildford Law College and returned to the RGS to talk to History candidates for Oxbridge.
Tyson OG 2009 and James
Toby Wilson OG 1999. The RGS Spanish trip landed safely in Barcelona, flown by a safe pair of hands – British Airways pilot, Toby Wilson.
Matthew Sargent OG 2018 directed a cast of pupils and acted in
Harry Axten OG 2014 was back at the RGS to talk to the Electronics Department about his latest design – a piece of equipment that assists stage management and lighting. The drama department at the RGS are now trialling this promising piece of kit, that sells for a fraction of the price of similar items.
Paul Young (Kerensa) OG 1997 returned to host the second RGS stand-up comedy evening, raising money for Stand Up to Cancer. The show featured Paul, James Sherwood (a musical comedian and regular on Sky News) and Noel James ( Britain’s Got Talent 2018 and Edinburgh Festival).
Tom Higgins OG 1984, Andrew
OG 2007 and Max
to speak at the Careers in Technology Seminar.
James Cashman OG 2016 gave a talk to the
Anthony Richardson OG 2003 and James McGregor (Clark) OG 2003, delivered a ‘Comedy sketch in a day’ workshop, and the resulting scenes were highly amusing and imaginative at the end of the day. James is currently performing in Harry Potter’s The Cursed Child in the West End and Anthony is busy writing and performing television comedy, largely for American and European audiences.
Bret Charman OG 2006 is an award-winning wildlife photographer who also develops and leads photography tours throughout the world and works on the lecture circuit.
When I left the RGS I had the idea that I would become a high-flying professional, but it never even occurred to me that I could make my living travelling the world and coming face to face with some of the planet’s most incredible wildlife.
At the RGS I would say that my strongest subjects were Geography and Art, although I am sure my two Art teachers got incredibly frustrated with my methodical, precise approach to drawing and painting. After moving away from the Guildford area and attending a separate sixth form, I went on to university to study Architecture.
It was during my university holidays that I fell in love with the African continent and spent time volunteering in South Africa. After four years training to become an architect I took the brave, if not rash decision, to leave university and work in the safari industry. I moved to Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park and took along a digital SLR and some ‘affordable lenses’.
It was make or break for me. I was living in a remote sector of the park running a bush camp with no running water or electricity, but I loved every minute of it. The seed was planted, it was now
I realised that this was the life for me; getting up close and personal with wildlife gave me a thrill that I hadn’t experienced before. Fast forward a couple of years and I was working in the wildlife travel sector, visiting some of the most magical places, including the icy realm of Spitsbergen, the tough conditions of the Ecuadorian Amazon and the plains of East Africa.
Working for a travel company allowed me the opportunities to see some incredible sights and take some beautiful images, but I was working full time and never really had the chance to focus on my photography. So at the age of 26 I decided to leave my role, and financial security, to move to Australia. I was going to focus my efforts on the weird and wonderful wildlife ‘down under’. I spent a magical time living and breathing Australia’s natural beauty. This vast country is home to a staggering array of endemic species and as a wildlife photographer it has near limitless potential. Quite simply I was in heaven, building up an impressive portfolio of images from all over the eastern and southern regions of the country.
I returned to the UK with a pretty unusual set of images and a comprehensive knowledge of the
species I had encountered. This is a fundamental part of being a wildlife photographer; knowing your subjects and studying their behaviour is the only way to capture striking images. Perhaps I should have focussed more on Biology at school, but it is always easy to look back on such things many years down the line. I entered a series of photography competitions and won major international awards in Australian Nature Photographer of the Year and Bird Photographer of the Year. It was my image of an Australian pelican, titled ‘A Perfect Landing’ that really caught the eye of the wider public and appeared in the world’s press. The image featured on news channels across the globe, was shared widely by National Geographic and led to me appearing on the BBC’s The One Show
Fast forward a year and I am now busier than ever. The life of a modern wildlife photographer is an odd one. Much of my time is spent on the lecture circuit, sharing my stories and photography or making appearances at shows and other events. The rest of my time is spent either photographing wildlife of my own choosing or developing and leading dedicated photography tours around the world including trips to the Arctic, Africa, Papua New Guinea and India.
I thought I should share a magical moment from my most recent trip. I visited Uganda with my girlfriend and drove across the country in search of its magnificent wildlife – certainly not for the faint-hearted. We spent time with mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a heavily protected mountainous forest in Uganda’s south west. We were with the Habinyanja group, comprised of 15 gorillas, one of which was a magnificent silverback called Makara. The experience was quite simply breath-taking. There we were, sat within only a couple of metres of a gorilla weighing over 150kg, who allowed his offspring to approach us. Coming face-to-face with a gorilla toddler was magnificent, the intensity of the gaze and that complete ease in one another’s company was remarkable. To be allowed
such an intimate experience with a completely wild animal is truly life changing.
When I left the RGS, I never had any intention of becoming a wildlife photographer, but what I have come to realise is that the School instils a confidence in its pupils that can shape their future and help them forge their own path, no matter how unusual that may be. It is only now, looking back on my time at the RGS that I realise the foundations for my self-belief, drive and ambition in part came from my time at this historic School. ■
IJane Nathan runs Education4Health, an educational consultancy focussing on mental health. She is a mental health first aid instructor, consultant and trainer for schools, higher education and the corporate sector. Through her work, Jane has helped hundreds of individuals to improve their mental health as well as train many more to help others facing mental illnesses.
think it would be very difficult not to have noticed that we are now talking about mental health in a way that we haven’t done before. But even so, two of the biggest issues that prevent people getting help are awareness of the issues, and associated stigma. For too long mental health has been a taboo subject. Gradually though, with campaigns such as Time To Change, traditional viewpoints are being challenged.
I ran a mental health awareness session for a group of sixth form boys at RGS in May 2018 and was interested to discover their thoughts on the subject.
They were asked to complete a short survey and the results were very encouraging:
– Over 80% of the boys thought that mental health issues can be as serious as physical health issues.
– 70% thought they knew enough to look after their mental health.
– Nearly all respondents knew someone experiencing poor mental health.
I expect if I’d asked these questions ten years ago, we would have seen some very different answers.
The areas of concern for the boys and
their peers were depression, anxiety, confidence and self-esteem. This is not at all surprising. From the mid-teens to mid-twenties we see a significant increase in depression and anxiety as well as suicidal thoughts, self-harming and eating disorders. These latter two conditions are more commonly seen in girls and women although it’s by no means exclusive to them. When boys and young men do experience eating disorders, for example – and 10% of those who experience eating disorders are, in fact male – they tend to be very unwell indeed, and this can manifest as early as eight years of age.
Adolescence is the most common time for the first onset of adult mental health conditions and also the time when more severe problems such as psychosis and personality disorders can begin to emerge. However, young adults are also the group who are least likely to recognise they have a problem that might benefit from treatment and men are much less likely to seek help.
50% of mental health problems are established by the age of 14; 75% by the age of 18. This doesn’t mean that if you had the sunniest of childhoods you are immune to mental health problems, but
it does show that the foundations of good mental health are laid down early. You can’t go back and change your early years but you can be more aware of your vulnerabilities. And as fathers and grandfathers there is an opportunity to help the next generation coming along.
Mental health problems affect one in ten children and prior to mid-adolescence it manifests itself more commonly as severe behavioural problems, mainly in boys.
There are many key moments across the lifespan when someone may be susceptible to mental health problems. Common causes are: starting a family, changing job, loneliness, money worries, bereavement, long term or severe stress, significant trauma, bullying or abuse. From school, young adults take their first steps into the wider world. Many RGS students will have gone on to university. From a mental health viewpoint this is good as graduates are known to experience greater wellbeing and mental health than non-graduates. Also, the rate of death by suicide is lower in the university setting than the general population.
However, those who have very high standards, including academic standards,
can put themselves under significant pressure, due to perfectionist tendencies. High achievement can therefore come at a significant personal cost.
Being an undergraduate comes with greater challenges than those faced by previous generations. As well as moving away from home for the first time, managing finances and juggling the commitments of study possibly with a part-time job, tuition fees and living costs mean the financial pressures can be a significant burden.
A recent YouGov survey showed that one in four university students are experiencing mental health problems and for them, there is an increased chance of dropping out.
For those that complete their degree there is a greater sense of competition as more graduates vie for graduate jobs. They also begin their working life with unprecedented levels of debt, and financial worries can be a significant contributor to low mood.
A lot of my work is with organisations concerned about mental health in the workplace. Studies such as the StevensonFarmer review and the supporting work carried out by Deloitte have highlighted the cost to business and government by
employees being mentally unwell. It’s thought that 91 million working days are lost each year to mental health conditions at a cost of up to £41bn. It’s not surprising that organisations are sitting up and taking notice. Those organisations who are sufficiently far sighted to invest in a wellbeing strategy find that the return on investment can be as high as £9.98 for each pound spent on such training.
For many adults, the challenges are going to be conditions such as stress and depression. If you have an understanding employer who is putting mental health support in place, the good news is that poor mental health is often preventable and, in many cases, recovery is achievable. From an employer’s perspective around 15% of people at work have symptoms of an existing mental health condition. This has significant effects on performance, including profitability.
To quote Sir Simon Wessely, past President of The Royal College of Psychiatrists, “You own it!”, meaning that employers can create a positive and supportive workplace culture themselves, free from stigma.
When talking about male mental health it is important to recognise the
Sources of help for boys and men: Campaign Against Living Miserably. thecalmzone.net
Contact information
hello@Ed4Health.co.uk Ed4Health.co.uk
seriousness and prevalence of suicide. In the UK, men are three times more likely to die from suicide than women. It is the leading cause of death in men under the age of 45 although it actually peaks between the ages of 45-49.
This autumn the prime minister appointed the first minister for suicide prevention. This is a positive step as the topic needs to be discussed and addressed.
Later in life, just when you think you might put your worries behind you, you may find yourself struggling with anxiety and depression. It affects 22% of men over 65 years old.
Whatever your age, there are steps you can take to improve your mental health. First is to prioritise it as you would your physical health. Learn to recognise the signs of illness, ensure you get enough sleep, get some exercise, eat well and drink in moderation, limit screen time and learn to talk about your feelings –even if it feels awkward at first.
As we look across society, the scale of the problem is immense. However, if the next generation is as informed as those sixth formers I met with, I’m hopeful that the barriers of limited awareness and stigma will, in time, be broken down. ■
I wish I’d known that depression is an illness of perspective. That it could make me feel like I was a useless failure and that everything was hopeless. That I would stop enjoying the things I’d always loved. That I would feel so numb and detached from everything around me that sometimes it would feel like watching my own life go by from the other side of a glass wall. That it could leave me wondering who I was on some days. That it could make me believe that things would never get better.
I wish I’d known that depression is an illness with physical symptoms. The loss of appetite. The exhaustion. The insomnia. The insomnia-induced exhaustion. The exhaustion-induced insomnia. The inability to move quickly or, some days, much at all. The physical challenge of just getting up the stairs to bed some nights. The physical challenge of just getting out of bed some mornings.
I wish I’d known that depression is an illness with emotional symptoms. That it could make me feel overwhelmed, sometimes by the smallest things that previously I’d never even have thought twice about. That it could leave me feeling lonely in a crowded room. That it could make me cry when I got home, day after day some weeks. That it could simultaneously leave me feeling terrible but also make me mask my symptoms in company. That it could make me feel frustrated, irritable and short-tempered when I didn’t want to.
I wish I’d known that anxiety could hit me with no notice. The feeling of not belonging. The feeling of needing to escape from any social situation. The fear of missing out when I didn’t go to social events. The feeling that nobody would
ever involve me in anything again. The thudding heart. The hot flushed feeling. The tingling sensation in my legs. The pain in my arms. The faint feeling. The fear of the faint feeling. The spooling, spiralling thoughts worrying about anything and everything for hours on end (and often at 3.20am).
I wish I’d known that depression and anxiety are really common. That while everybody’s experience of these illnesses is different, there are also wellestablished ways to treat them. That there is lots of information out there on where and how you can get support. That there are great organisations like Mind, the Blurt Foundation and the Samaritans (to name just a few) with really helpful websites. That there are books like Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig and I Had a Black Dog by Matthew Johnstone that could help me to realise that I wasn’t the only one struggling with these illnesses. That J K Rowling’s writing about the dementors in the Harry Potter books would describe depression better than I ever could when I was struggling to explain it to other people.
I wish I’d known that getting help isn’t a sign of weakness. That the scary step of arranging to see a psychologist for talking therapy would turn out to be one of the best things I did. That going onto antidepressants didn’t mean I was a failure. That there were other things I could do that (sometimes) helped things seem a little bit better: mindfulness, fresh air, exercise, gardening, music, colouring, surrounding my desk in ever more pot plants.
I wish I’d known that asking for help from work didn’t mean they would think I was a write-off. That they would be
understanding and supportive. That reducing my working hours for a while to give me a bit of extra breathing space and ‘me time’ didn’t mean that I wouldn’t be capable of going back to full time work ever again. That it’s not the end of the world if you get so overwhelmed you cry in your boss’s office. That being ill didn’t mean that I would have to stop being a lawyer. That once I opened up about anxiety and depression, I’d find out that there were many other people in the same boat that I’d never have guessed were struggling.
I wish I’d known that gradually, with therapy, medication, time and a lot of support from family, friends and colleagues, I would start to feel better. That progress would sometimes feel exhausting and impossible, but that it was real and it was worth it. That things would be up and down for a long while, but that the ups would start to outnumber the downs. That I would learn to manage the downs and that the downward spirals would get shorter and easier to spot coming. That I would be able to sleep through the night again. That my friendships would survive. That I would start to enjoy things again.
I wish I’d known that you probably can’t ‘fix’ someone who is unwell and you probably shouldn’t try – just being there for them and with them might be what they really need. That asking someone ‘how are you?’ and really listening to the answer might be the most important thing we can do for someone who is struggling. That when we ask ‘how are you?’ we are really saying ‘I care about you’ and ‘I am still your friend’ and ‘I don’t think you are a freak.’ ■
Andrew Wells OG 2004 is Senior Associate (Intellectual Property) at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. He recently walked 100K over 2 days to support Mind, the Mental Health Charity.
You can support him at: justgiving.com/fundraising/andrew-wells15
Victor was born in Alexandria, Egypt on 15 January 1928. The son of a soldier, he spent his early years in a military camp on the edge of the desert. In 1932 his family moved back to England, and in 1940 he joined the RGS where he stayed until 1945, and then went on to attend Guildford Art School.
In 1949 he took up a place at Slade School of Art in London where he studied until 1954. Willing initially focussed on sculpture and made his mark as a talented student with strong opinions. Always a thoughtful artist, he was equally interested in the intellectual study of art and wrote widely about the creative process and the work of other artists.
In 1953, he met Paula Rego, a fellow artist at the Slade, and two years later held his first solo exhibition of paintings at the Hanover Gallery in London. His early portraits were highly praised and his talent and potential were publicly acknowledged by critics.
The following year he and Paula Rego’s first daughter, Caroline, was born and his work was displayed at a Group Exhibition at the New Burlington Galleries in London. In 1957 he moved to Portugal with Rego, where they married and set up both home and studio. His second daughter Victoria and son Nicholas were born soon after and he was content with his new way of life.
Willing painted very little over the next few years but continued to exhibit occasionally in the UK and lectured at various Art Schools around the country, but in 1966 he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Much of his life continued to centre on family in Portugal until 1978, when he burst back onto the London Art scene after a gap of twenty years, a fully formed and rejuvenated artist. He had set up a studio in London in 1976 where he would spend days at a time absorbed in his work, and it was here that he had the reveries or visions “seen through the wall” that featured prominently in his new work.
This work was launched at a solo exhibition at AIR Gallery in London and met with great critical acclaim. Helmut Wohl wrote, “The impulse for them is reveries or dreams, and the problem of pictorial realization with
which the artist has grappled most tenaciously is how to formally register his reveries’ and dreams’ felt content... the truth of form to feeling and emotion.”
Willing continued to exhibit at prestigious venues and events and in 1980 received the Thorne Scholarship, followed by a solo exhibition at House Gallery in London. Two works shown at that exhibition (Rien, 1980 and Place with a Red Thing, 1980) were purchased by the Tate Gallery. John McEwen observed how Willing’s work had evolved: “The difference lay in the more original and incorporative, as opposed to descriptive, use of colour and, to a smaller degree, the less obviously dreamlike and therefore anecdotal nature of the imagery which had encouraged description”.
Throughout the 1980s Willing continued to show new works at both solo and group exhibitions, and in 1986 a major retrospective exhibition of his work was held at Whitechapel Art Gallery. Nicholas Serota, the gallery’s director and curator of that exhibition wrote that Willing’s recent paintings “continue to demonstrate that this was no shooting star which appeared at the Slade in the fifties, but rather a fiery comet which would eventually guide us all.”
Willing died on 1 June 1988, at the age of 60, and his works continue to be shown at galleries in the UK. In 1992 one of his most iconic paintings, Callot: Fusilier (1983) was presented to the Tate Gallery by Charles Saatchi. ■
Dr John Mills OG 1946 was for many years Head of the Scientific Department at the National Gallery. He was a close friend of Victor’s from their time together at the RGS and throughout Victor’s early years in London, when he was setting out in the world of art. This is a portrait of John, painted by Willing in 1952 (oil on board).
Catch up with OGs from across the generations and around the globe.
LES DE BELIN. Great, great grandson of a former Headmaster. In October 2018 Les de Belin and his wife, Lori, visited the RGS. Les’s great, great grandfather, Reverend Charles Joseph de Belin, was Headmaster at the School from 1837 to 1852, and his great grandfather was born at the School. In those days, the Headmaster and family lived on site, with Austen Room at the top of the Old Building as their living quarters. Les, who lives in Australia, was delighted to see the School and was amazed to find some graffiti bearing the name “Mauger” on the wooden panelling in School Room which was done by the grandson of Charles Joseph de Belin, who had that name.
Les de Belin with Dr Jon Cox, Headmaster, in the Chained Library
GEORGE WILLIAM PEARCE attended RGS circa 1866-72. His great grandsons, George Nicholas Pearce and Jan Dalrymple Pearce who are now in living in the USA are proud to wear the red and green RGS scarf!
MICHAEL GARDNER OG 1943 celebrated his 91st birthday in Australia where he has lived for a number of years. He has been a welcome regular visitor to the School whenever he has visited the UK.
TOM (REG) WRIGHT OG 1949 and his wife celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary in 2017 and have lived in the Yorkshire Dales for 50 years.
KEITH STANLEY OG 1952 became Master of the QE2 in 1984 at the age of 48, the youngest Master ever to command Cunard’s flagship. On leaving the RGS, Captain Stanley had joined the College of Nautical Studies in Southampton, one of the world’s foremost naval academies, and spent over 30 years with Cunard Line. He became Master of Cunard Countess and Cunard Princess before assuming command of Queen Elizabeth 2. In 1991 he faced the unexpected challenge of taking a luxury cruising ship to war, when he sailed Cunard Princess to the Gulf. The ship was stationed in Bahrain from Christmas 1990 to September 1991, during which time she was home to 75,000 US troops on three-day rest and relaxation periods, with 900 soldiers on board at a time.
“Although we weren’t in the front line”, he said, “life wasn’t easy – but we felt we performed a valuable job in helping to keep up the troops’ morale”. His 37 years at sea took him round the world several times and included service on the Queen Mary, the Casonia, Sylvania, Caramania, Cunard Adventurer and Cunard Ambassador.
ERNIE ROBERTS OG 1953 with MICHAEL EDWARDS OG 1951 , who has now sadly passed away. They enjoyed catching up in New York.
TED HALLETT OG 1954 celebrated his 80th birthday in July; here is a photo of him and his brothers, TONY OG 1957 and GEOFFREY OG 1958 back in their schooldays.
JIM ALLEN OG 1962 was awarded the British Empire Medal (B.E.M.) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2018 for Services to the Community of Byfleet, Surrey. This was a well-deserved acknowledgement and appreciation for all the wonderful work Jim has done for the village of Byfleet and in particular his work as Chairman of the Byfleet Heritage Society.
DEREK PHEBY OG 1963. In November 2017
Professor Derek Pheby was awarded a Silver Medal by the European Society for PersonCentred Healthcare, at its annual conference in London. The award, which Professor Pheby shared with Italian colleagues, was in recognition of more than ten years’ work to set up and develop a Europe-wide network of scientific researchers investigating myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME. The network, called EUROMENE, comprises more than thirty universities and research institutions in eighteen European countries. With some two million people suffering with ME throughout the EU, EUROMENE is collaborating on important research to increase our knowledge of this illness and enable more rapid scientific progress than is possible within any one participating country on its own. As well as having founded the network, Professor Pheby acted as its scientific coordinator for some years and now chairs its working group on health economics.
JEAN-JACQUES BURNEL OG 1969, bass guitarist and lead vocalist with The Stranglers, continues to tour extensively with the band. He talked to Steve Lamacq on BBC Radio 6 Music about the music scene in Guildford in the 1970s.
RICHARD MULLER OG 1974 and Managing Director of Prima Dental Group, the 300 strong Gloucester based international manufacturer of dental devices, comments: “We are honoured to be recognised with a second Queen’s Award for Enterprise. This is an amazing accolade and is testament to our dedicated and skilled team who are instrumental in our growth and success. The Queen’s Award comes at an exciting time for Prima as we witness strong growth in our overseas subsidiaries and joint ventures in India, China and Brazil, as well as new opportunities opening in the fast growing digital dentistry market.”
ANDREW HODGSON OG 1975 was joint Head Chorister with Nobel Prize-winning author, Sir Kazuo Ishiguro at Emmanuel Church choir. In 1968 the choir sang on BBC Songs of Praise from Guildford Cathedral with other Guildford choirs. The photo is of the choir outside Guildford Cathedral c.1969. Sir Kazuo is in the front row 3rd from right, Andrew Hogdson, 6th from left, Andrew’s brother, TIM HODGSON OG 1978, is 4th from left and PETER DOWNEY OG 1977 is 3rd from left.
PHILIP SALES OG 1979 will join the UK’s Supreme Court in January 2019, becoming one of only 12 Justices in the UK’s highest court. The Right Honourable Lord Justice Sales has served on such high-profile cases as the 2017 Charlie Gard case, the 2016 ruling on the ability of the new Labour Party members to vote in the leadership election and the 2016 decision of the Divisional Court in the Miller case on Brexit.
RICHARD TILBROOK OG 1979 was married on 2 December 2017 to Dr Paul Roberts, Keeper of Antiquities at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.
NICK VINEALL OG 1981 and JOHN SIMPSON, former RGS Director of Studies and Biology Teacher, at Christ’s College, Cambridge reunion.
TOM HIGGINS OG 1984 CEO of Gold-i Ltd celebrated the company’s 10th anniversary in October, when Gold-i also won the Surrey International Business Award 2018.
DAVID PAIN OG 1984 will take on the role of Diocesan Secretary and Chief Executive of the Diocese of Salisbury in January 2019. He will lead a team at Church House, Salisbury, supporting the work of over 450 parishes in Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire and Devon. David is currently Director of Supporter and Community Partnerships at Christian Aid, where he is responsible for fundraising, communications and advocacy campaigns. Prior to this, he led Christian Aid’s work across the African continent and has been with the charity for 20 years.
ANDREW ARBUCKLE OG 1990 has been appointed Head of History and Politics at Millfield School after nearly 22 years teaching, most recently as Head of Sixth Form and Assistant Head at Chew Valley School.
JAMES BARR OG 1994 His new book, Lords Of The Desert, was published in August 2018. A sequel to his best-selling A Line In The Sand, it tells the story of the struggle between Britain and America to dominate the post-war Middle East.
RICHARD EDDEN OG 1996 was made Professor of Radiology and Radiological Science at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, USA earlier this year. His research focuses on the development of new magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) methods and the application of existing methods to investigate the brain.
ALEX SCOTT FAIRLEY OG 1996 enjoyed another successful season at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, with roles in Chicago and Tom Stoppard’s Travesties.
STEPHEN BAYLEY OG 1998 followed the well-trodden route into the law but then branched out into international development/education, taking on pro bono work in South America and building a school in Rwanda. He obtained an MA in International Development, specialising in education, and is now working for a company in Cambridge which is involved in this field while completing his PhD at Trinity College, Cambridge.
TOBY WILSON AND ALEX DAWE OGS 1999. After completing his Master of Engineering degree at Nottingham University, Toby trained to be an airline pilot. Initially he worked for Thomas Cook, flying the Boeing 757 out of Manchester, but is now at British Airways. He flew the Boeing 757, 767 and 777 as a co-pilot, and last year achieved promotion to Captain, on the A320. Alex graduated from Durham University and entered the financial services industry. He was then accepted onto BA’s cadet pilot scheme, and has flown the A320 for 4 years out of Heathrow. They decided it would be fun to fly together before Alex leaves the fleet and starts flying the Boeing 747.
of the RGS Football Team in 1998, playing their first competitive fixture in forty years, against Epsom College. The team wore rugby shirts in the first season, only getting their own strip the next season. Football fixtures had not taken place against other schools since 1958, and PETER CLARK, former RGS Classics Teacher, was instrumental in setting up competitive matches for two School Football Teams at the strong requests of the boys. Interest in the opportunity to play football for the School grew rapidly and shortly after, a third XI was created, with an ever expanding fixture list.
MARK LAMBERT OG 2003 Harlequins prop Mark Lambert was elected as chairman of the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) in November 2017. The 32-year-old has spent five years on the board of the RPA and has previously served as vice-chairman. “It’s vital that players have a strong, united voice on the issues that matter,” he said. Mark was also the guest on Rugby Tonight on Tour in December 2017, filmed at Battersea Ironsides Club. With fifteen years and counting as a professional rugby player, Mark’s off-field work was honoured at the Premiership Rugby Awards in May 2018 when he was named Aviva Community Player of the Season. The award celebrates those who go the extra mile to make a difference in their local community through charity work. Mark is also involved on a global basis, working over the last four years with Future Hope, a project in India, to develop and deliver rugby programmes to street kids in Kolkata.
ADAM TYLER OG 2006 and his colleagues won more awards at the Children’s BAFTAs in November 2017, following on from their success the previous year. Adam won Best Writer for his film Screwball and one of his cast won Best Actor. Like Me, written and directed by Adam, won Best Drama. TrueTube which is the outlet for these films into schools won Channel of the Year. The films can be viewed at www.truetube.co.uk.
KARL OUTEN OG 2008 (centre 2nd row from back) celebrated his wedding to Kate Taylor with RGS friends from the Class of 2008.
ROBERT CHALLENS OG 2004 held an exhibition entitled My Single Line at The Gallery Café, Bethnal Green throughout November 2017. Most of his art on display is available to view on his mysingleline Instagram page. Inspired by his GCSE Art teacher, Rob writes “He gave me a homework exercise; to have a go at drawing something using a single line, without taking the pencil off the page. About 15 years later and I’m still completing that homework.”
ANGUS GROOM OG 2010 was selected to race for Great Britain in the men’s double sculls with Jack Beaumont at the first World Rowing Cup regatta of 2018 in Belgrade, where they won the silver medal. Angus and Jack went on to win gold at World Cup 2 in Linz in June 2018. At the Henley Royal Regatta in July 2018 they won the Double Sculls Challenge Cup by five lengths, beating the record by two seconds.
CHRISTOPHER MILTON OG 2010 attended a three-week trial with Harvard University Polo team as assistant coach in October 2018. He has now got his first full England Cap for shooting as wind coach and won the individual grand aggregate at the National Rifle Association competition at the Channel Islands this year.
EMMANUEL BACH OG 2011 After winning the Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition string section finals, Emmanuel competed in June 2018 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre in London, for the prestigious ROSL Gold Medal. Note: He is playing Bruch’s Violin Concerto at the Electric Theatre, Guildford on Saturday 15 December 2018.
WILL BARNES OG 2011 completed a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Durham and is now working at an engineering consultancy in Bristol. Alongside his engineering, Will has a strong passion for filmmaking and last year embarked on a project combining his love of sailing, art and the sciences which were nurtured during his RGS days. He sailed to Greenland with three Scandinavians he hardly knew, armed with kiteboards and a vague goal of “finding an iceberg”, which they did. Will produced a short film (13 minutes) of the trip, Taking on Greenland, which captures the beauty of this adventure and can be viewed at vimeo.com/273223845
MAX BURGIN OG 2012 and ALEX DZWIG OG 2013 both passed out from Sandhurst in April 2018.
ERIC FOSTER OG 2012 is Musical Director of the Guildford Youth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 2014 for talented local young musicians and which includes a number of recent OGs. This year’s summer concert featured Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture by Tchaikovsky, The Firebird by Stravinsky and Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninoff.
DAN MARSHALL OG 2012 started The Good Wood Workshop in January 2017. He had studied Civil Engineering at the University of Nottingham and then took the post-graduate style course Year Here, working in frontline placements and consultancy projects in London to build solutions to social inequality. This led him to decide to create The Good Wood Workshop, as a way of using his experience in Engineering and his hobby as a woodworker together, to create meaningful change in the construction industry and tangibly affect people’s lives for the better.
DOMENYK TURSKI OG 2012 is studying for a PhD in Chemistry at Bath University and came back to visit the School over the summer.
TOM WEATHERLEY OG 2013 has graduated with a first from Cambridge University and is about to start a PhD at EPFL University in Lausanne where he will be researching LED materials.
SAM HIPWELL OG 2014 has set up a brewery called Masquerade with a Bristol university friend, Tom Hebden. They started out aiming to make beer that their university friends would like. Since then, however, Masquerade has grown to have its own premises, its beer poured at pubs across the city, collaborations with fellow Bristol breweries in the pipeline and several new recipes in development. Tom has been a home brew enthusiast for some years while Sam’s speciality is in design: all of the Masquerade pump clips feature characters representing each beer which have so far been Virtuoso (a session IPA), Touchstone (a tropical IPA with pineapple and white peach) and Soma (a chocolate and raspberry milk stout).
MAX BEECH and TOM PHIPPS, both OGS 2015, have developed an app called Intro which was recently launched on both the Apple and Android app stores. When meeting someone in person, Intro transforms how we network. Through a combination of wireless technologies, nearby users can seamlessly exchange contact details, removing the need for searching on social media or exchanging business cards. Max and Tom have recently secured pre-seed investment and plan to travel to display at CES in 2019. For more information about the app, visit getintro.app/
DANIEL SUTTON OG 2015 has been offered a full scholarship to spend a Special Student Year at Harvard next year (the Michael Von Clemm Fellowship whereby one Oxford student is selected each year, from any discipline and any college, on an exchange with a student from Harvard).
JAMES FERGUSON OG 2015 and MATT CORNWELL OG 2016 played for Exeter University 1st XI hockey team in the national league Premier Division against Surbiton, one of the only university teams in the country to be competing at this level.
WILLIAM JOHNSON OG 2015
Captain 2017-18 – Cambridge University Smallbore Club.
JAMIE HANCOCK OG 2016 continues to receive recognition for his poetry. One of his poems, High-Tide, was included in an anthology called Melting Ice which highlights the issue of climate change. Jamie read his poem at the National Maritime Museum at an event organised by the Young Poets Network. The anthology can be read via this link: issuu.com/poetrysociety/docs/ melting_ice_poetry_anthology.
WILLIAM KLINTWORTH OG 2017 is part of the Exeter University team that has reached the televised stages of the 2018-19 series of University Challenge. This follows years of success in the RGS Schools Quiz Challenge Team.
ALFIE HELLINGS OG 2018 has been selected for the Great Britain U21 shooting team which will participate in the World Championships in New Zealand in March 2019.
19 retired RGS staff met for lunch in October 2017. From left to right round each table: John Simpson, Sally Lingard, Frank Bell, Dave Turner, Alan Evans, Ian Ford, Ruby Ford, Mary Booth (hidden), Kath Handley, Julie Beattie, Steve Thornhill (behind Julie), Steve Shore, Pam Brown, Martin Goodman, Maggie Goodman, Dai Jones, Andy Evans, Peter Clark, Ted Badham.
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY SHOOTING TEAM . Old Guildfordians are famous in the international shooting circuit for their exceptional ability in various tournaments and tours – and, after this year, they’ve now left a lasting impression on Cambridge University for their contribution to an exceptional season. WILL JOHNSON OG 2015 writes: “Three of our university champion (BUCS) team of six were OGs, with the same three all playing large administrative roles for the club – taking the positions of Secretary (RUPERT FITZSIMMONS OG 2015) and Team Captain (WILL JOHNSON OG 2015), under the watchful eye of the club’s important figurehead, the Social Secretary (NICK LEHRTER OG 2016). We like to think our efforts have contributed greatly to the club’s tremendous growth in both membership and character, as well as the substantial step up in shooting ability. Of course, us OGs have only been able to do this thanks to the coaching and mentorship received from the RGS staff, to whom we are most grateful –
Mr Black for his loving encouragement and support, the OGs ARCHIE WHICHER 1984 and JON UNDERWOOD 1988 for their experience and expertise, and of course Mr Woolcott, for his invaluable wisdom and patience. On the social side, we had a great time reuniting with some OGs recently lost to the world of employment at our annual dinner – namely MAX TRAYNOR OG 2012 and MICHAEL BOUCHER OG 2012 , who were both committed members of the club over the years and are also equally responsible for the recent boom in Cambridge’s shooting performance. Also in attendance was Oxford alumnus and DEREK LOWE OG 1991, whose extraordinary shooting this summer shows that he survived the occasion having avoided irreparable damage (unfortunately the same can’t be said for our secretary). We took the chance before the dinner to have a nice professional photo of the group of Oxbridge OG Shooters taken.Looking forward, with Mr Fitzsimmons taking over the Captain’s hat for 2018-19 (figuratively, as the tatty judge’s wig kept in the back of our clubhouse
at Bisley tends to clash with Rupert’s fashion sense), we hope to have another brilliant season – maybe beating the varsity record set in 2008, which we fell short of by only 3 points out of 1600 this year! We hope that the consistent stream of RGS shooting talent into Cambridge can continue and would like to thank the RGS on behalf of the entire club for its support of the sport of shooting”.
There are now four OGs working as Special Advisers in the Government:
SHERIDAN WESTLAKE OBE and OG 1993 has served as a Special Adviser in the Government since 2010 and has been Special Adviser to the Prime Minister since May 2015; ED JONES OG 2001 became Chief of Staff to Jeremy Hunt MP, Foreign Secretary, in July 2018, having previously worked as Mr Hunt’s Special Adviser in the Department for Health since 2013. RICHARD SLOGGETT OG 2001 , formerly at Hanover Communications, has been appointed Special Adviser to the new Health & Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock MP. TIM SMITH OG 2008 has moved to the Foreign Office, having previously worked as Special Adviser in 10 Downing Street and the Department for Exiting the European Union.
Special Advisers are appointed by the Prime Minister and have a unique role working directly to Secretaries of State, offering policy, media or political advice to them and their departments.
The RGS has a proud tradition of organists across the generations, playing everywhere from prestigious cathedrals to local churches: DAVID FLOOD OG 1973 at Canterbury Cathedral, MATTHEW STEYNOR OG 1997 at Trinity Cathedral in Florida and ERIC FOSTER OG 2013 at St Paul’s within the Walls in Rome. Also IAN NICHOLAS OG 1947, KEITH GALPIN OG 1951 and BRIAN STENNING OG 1951 to mention but a few. JOE MCHARDY who teaches organ at the RGS is also organist at the Chapel Royal and the tradition continues with three RGS pupils awarded Oxbridge organ scholarships in the last seven years ( ERIC FOSTER OG 2013, NICK EDWARDS OG 2018 and SAM JONES U6).
BODE BAMKOLE OG 2012 and GARETH DAVIES OG 1999 came back to take part in the second TEDx Guildford, hosted by the RGS in association with Kyan, the digital development studio, in May 2018. This year’s theme of tolerance was addressed through hard-hitting short talks from people drawn mostly from the Surrey community. Issues as diverse as living with HIV, physical disability, racial discrimination, self-esteem, preconceptions through physical appearance, speech impairments, and facing religious hatred and prejudice were tackled. Yet the over-riding message was one of hope and positivity. Both OGs gave powerful, thoughtprovoking talks - Bode’s speech was entitled Diversity issues: from education to early employment and Gareth delivered a talk called Celebrate Imperfections
Thames Alumni Cross Country Race
Saturday 15 December 2018 at Wimbledon Common. All OGs welcome. For more information or to sign up, please contact og@rgsg.co.uk
OG Christmas Shoot
10.00am, Saturday 15 December 2018 at RGS Rifle Range. If you’ve not been before and would like to come along, please contact og@rgsg.co.uk
Boxing Day Run
10.30am, Wednesday 26 December 2018. Meet at the entrance to Pewley Down for this annual traditional run (or walk!) of the School’s Cross Country Course. Friends and family welcome. Come along or for more details contact tom.lingard@stevens-bolton.com
Cambridge Undergraduate Dinner
7.00pm, Saturday 2 February 2019 at Queens’ College.
OG Reunion Lunch with special guests Will Carling and John Inverdale
12.30pm, Friday 1 March 2019 at Brasserie Blanc, South Bank, London. Early booking is encouraged to avoid disappointment.
Oxford Undergraduate Dinner
7.00pm, Friday 8 March 2019. Venue tbc.
Party for Long-Standing, Recently Retired Staff
6.30pm, Thursday 16 May 2019 at RGS.
Supporters Summer Reception
6.30pm, Tuesday 4 June 2019. An evening to thank RGS supporters. By invitation.
Summer Garden Party
Saturday 8 June 2019 at RGS. An afternoon for OGs who left over 50 years ago, with a chance to catch up with friends and enjoy the lovely surroundings of the School.
Headmaster’s XI v OG XI Cricket Match
Sunday 23 June 2019 at Bradstone Brook sports ground. Bring a picnic and enjoy a family day of fun at the cricket.
Undergraduate Drinks
6.00pm, Tuesday 2 July 2019 at the Albany Pub, Guildford. All current RGS undergraduates and staff are very welcome.
Beckingham Legacy Lunch
The Beckingham Legacy Society meets for lunch with the Headmaster for a review of the year and future plans. Date tbc.
Welcome Drinks for the Class of 2019
6.00pm, Friday 6 September 2019 at RGS (provisional date). Welcome to our newest OGs. Collect your OG tie and Yearbook and catch up with friends and staff over a beer.
Class of 1999 reunion
Saturday 28 September 2019 at RGS (provisional date).
Class of 2009 Reunion
November 2019 London drinks (details to follow).
Reunion for Classes of 1988/89
We are considering a joint reunion in Autumn 2019 for these two year groups; if interested, please email og@rgsg.co.uk
RGS Christmas Fair
5.30pm, Thursday 29 November 2018 at RGS. Ends 8.30pm.
School Orchestral Concert
7.30pm, Wednesday 5 December 2018 at Holy Trinity Church, Guildford.
RGS Musician of the Year
Wednesday 6 February 2019 at RGS.
Chamber Choir Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral, London
5.00pm, Monday 4 March 2019. All welcome to attend the service.
Heritage Day
September 2019 - date to be confirmed. As part of the nationwide Heritage Day, the Chained Library and Big School will be open to visitors. Half hourly guided tours of the Chained Library will take place throughout the day.
Open Day
10.00am to 12.30pm, Saturday 5 October 2019. This event is for prospective parents and pupils to view the School and meet staff and pupils.
OGs are welcome to attend School sports fixtures throughout the year. Please see the calendar at: rgsgcalendar.co.uk for match details.
For more information or if you would like to attend any of the events listed here, please contact Philippa Green on +44 (0)1483 880665 / og@rgsg.co.uk
1. You attended RGS for Sixth Form only, what was it about the School that made such an impact?
Great people, great experiences. There were inspirational teachers –Mr Attenborough, Mr Jaundrill, Mr Hankinson; and lots happened in those two years – Bradstone Brook opened, we had the inaugural RGS Cricket Festival, there was a rugby tour to Portugal. Most of all, I made great friends.
2. After three years as an accountant at Arthur Andersen, you became a professional rugby player. How did that come about and shape your career thereafter?
I didn’t plan to do rugby professionally, but then the offer came. I couldn’t do both and being at Richmond RFC gave me the opportunity to be open to other things. That meant I was available when Julian Metcalfe (founder of Pret a Manger) came along with the idea for restaurant chain Itsu. He was the first of a series of entrepreneurs I went on to work with and after that I couldn’t go back to a straight desk job. Doing rugby and Itsu taught me a lot about teamwork, balancing opportunity and managing talent, which was then invaluable at Delphis and in all my work since. It also helped me understand my own strengths, who I work well with and who I want to work with – aligned values are non-negotiable. I am good with money, planning, structure. My best work has come out of partnerships with creatives and visionaries, where our skillsets balance to – hopefully – create something extraordinary.
3. In 2006, you moved to Asia. Two years later, as Lehmann Brothers were going under, you invested your life savings in a Hong-Kong based business. Do you see yourself as a risk-taker?
No. That decision looked risky from the outside but I’d done my research. It was a great company with growing opportunity. I was in the middle of it and the timing was good. There was a great team in place and I had the opportunity to exert significant influence going forward. I backed my own abilities and those of the people around me and it came good.
Ten minutes with an OG overseas Luke Jones, 1988
4. In 2017, you opened 1880, a private members club, in Singapore. What was the inspiration for this venture?
1880 grew out of a strongly-held belief that fostering inspiring conversations and connections will make the world a better place. My partner, Marc Nicholson, grew up with parents who have been hosting a Wednesday night salon at their home in Montreal every week, for over thirty years. He saw the power of interesting people coming together in conversation. This reflected my own experience of university – seeing the power of what can happen when you get great minds from different backgrounds together: the innovation, creativity, and collaboration potential; from that, conversely, also comes a sense of belonging – despite the obvious differences – based on finding your tribe.
I am really passionate about this idea. Two or three generations back, we grew up and stayed close to our families, neighbourhoods, communities. That created a strong sense of identity and connection. Nowadays, things are dramatically different.
Singapore is a phenomenal city. It’s got an amazing vision. However, in terms of meeting like-minded people, it’s a hard thing to do. Work and loneliness, in big cities especially, is such a problem. I think there is an opportunity to counter some of the issues that urbanisation can create so a lot of what we’re trying to do at 1880 is offer a place for people to form their tribes. And we’re doing it by bringing interesting, engaging, authentic people together to work and play in a beautifully created setting. That’s really the crux of the club. It’s the hardest thing I’ve done, but also the most rewarding.
5. So you live in Sweden and work in Singapore – how do you manage that? My business interests are in Asia, my home is in Sweden. While remote working and technology make this possible, I love the fact that conversations, experiences, hospitality can’t be digitised and that I have to be in Singapore two weeks out of four. I spend two nights a month on airplanes. It’s not ideal, but in commuting terms, it’s probably not that different from many people, just concentrated.
It can be tough, being away from the family, but I am so proud of what Jenni, my wife, and I have created here in Sweden for our children and for now, it works.
6. Collaboration is a big theme in your career. Why is it so important?
I think this is really simple. Kenneth Blanchard says it best: “None of us is as smart as all of us.” When you add together different languages, cultures, backgrounds and experiences and people who are prepared to listen, you can take – and make – the best of everything.
7. What do you consider to be the keys to your success and what advice would you ‘pass on’ to young OGs?
I am myopic when it comes to something I believe in and want to get done – just super-focused and determined – but my two big breaks came from people I knew investing in me, so I would say, don’t ever be afraid to ask for help. My parents have always been behind me and I would be nowhere without my gorgeous (and long-suffering) wife, so to that I would add – do what you believe in, work hard and surround yourself with great people.
RGS Connect, a digital space for the OG community, has continued to grow since its launch, with a 150% increase in members in the last 12 months. With over 1300 active users, the opportunity to connect, share knowledge, skills and experience has never been so easy.
One of the key features on this professional and social networking platform, exclusive to members of the RGS community, is a directory of trusted individuals willing to help with work experience and internship opportunities, careers and university advice, CV reviewing and interview technique - perfect for recently graduated RGS pupils.
The platform is powered by leading alumni network specialists Graduway and sponsored by OG 1966, Mark Betteridge & Associates (MBA). RGS Connect is a social and professional network, available online and working for the benefit of all. Open to the whole RGS community, it gives Old Guildfordians, parents and staff past and present access to a willing network.
• As a social network – RGS Connect enables you to search for old friends and classmates, share and tag photographs and advertise your own reunions and events
• To engage – get in touch with other OGs through the online forum or via direct messaging
• Share knowledge – with other OGs, parents, grandparents
• Access or provide – informal careers advice, internships, mentoring
• Post workplace opportunities or advertise jobs
‘‘
In 2018, the new networking dictum is ‘Not what you know or who you know, but how willing you are to help’.
Graduway – Leading Alumni Network Specialist
It is fantastic to see the how the network on RGS Connect has grown, and how many people in the community are willing to help. Without this platform, much of this knowledge and skill sharing just wouldn’t be accessible. Connections are happening every day, as a result of it.
Mark Betteridge OG 1966
For more information or to share your RGS Connect experiences or feedback, contact Marketing and Communications Officer, Sandra Bell sbe@rgsg.co.uk
JOSHUA CROSSLEY OG 2011 ran the London Marathon, on behalf of Worldwide Cancer Research, in memory of his mother who passed away while he was at School. Joshua says, “I’ll always be grateful for the support the RGS gave me and my family.”
Worldwide Cancer Research is a charity that funds research into any type of cancer anywhere in the world. They work to gain a global perspective so that
research doesn’t happen in isolation. They recognise that the answers will not come from one scientist, in one lab, in one country.
Joshua goes onto say, “I know, I’m as surprised as anyone... sport and me were hardly cosy partners!”
He finished the marathon in four hours, 19 minutes and 31 seconds.
MAROOF AHMED OG 2011 who studied medicine at Imperial College, is co-founder of a company, Digital Therapeutics, which has created an award-winning app called Quit Genius, aimed at encouraging smokers to quit their habit. This is the world’s first app to deliver personalised and gamified cognitive behavioural therapy to smokers trying to quit. It was selected from over 2.2 million apps to be a main feature on the Apple App Store in January 2018. Quit Genius also won the People’s Choice Award at Pitch@Palace. Maroof and his company have featured on the Forbes Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs 2018 list, which highlights outstanding leadership from young entrepreneurs across industries. The science-based app is just the beginning for the group, who intend to build more personalised virtual therapy platforms.
MATT FURNISS OG 2011. Volunteering Week at the RGS kicked off in October 2017 with a fantastic assembly from OG Matt Furniss. Since leaving the RGS, he has raised huge amounts of money as Director of Karnival, a charity fundraising organisation at Nottingham University as well as volunteering at Linkable, Teach First and becoming a school governor. His message to the boys was clear – find something you enjoy doing and link it with volunteering as it can change lives.
ALEX MCCALLION OG 2012 and Oxford graduate, has co-founded Greater Change, which aims to provide a smarter way of giving to the homeless.
Greater Change is a mobile phone app that allows you to give to someone directly and know the gift is spent effectively. Using the app, members of the public can get to know homeless individuals by reading their stories and making secure, cashless donations to support them. The app shows what the homeless person is saving for, and how
MAX RILEY OG 2017 has successfully reached his fundraising target on his Indonesian Motorcycle Tour and wishes to thank all those in the RGS Community who donated.
He completed the 5,000km tour of Indonesia from Padang (Sumatra) to Maumere (Flores), on a 110cc scooter to raise money for the Alzheimer’s charity. The Alzheimer’s Society is there to help anyone affected by dementia and uses funds raised to support their work;
a donation will contribute to getting them out of the cycle of homelessness.
When homeless individuals wish to access the fund that Greater Change has set up for them, they meet with a support worker who ensures the money is spent effectively on things they need like ID, skills courses, work clothes and private rent deposits.
Find out more about Greater Change at oxreach.hubbub.net/p/GreaterChange
HENRY WILKINSON OG 2013 has completed the Ironman 70.3 in Austria to raise money for a non-profit organisation set up by a close friend he met during their time at Bath University.
The Goed Life aims to enhance the lives of people with learning disabilities through the provision of support services. Their mission is to help people with learning disabilities find and retain meaningful employment, giving them a sense of direction, purpose and belonging in their local community.
Henry, Ned and Simon are raising money in this particular challenge for one of The Goed Life’s main projects, the Hortihub, which helps adults with learning disabilities attain a sense of purpose through gardening in the community, primarily in gardens of local elderly people. As such, the Hortihub requires a minibus along with tools and other gardening equipment to be able to support this, before progressing with other current and proposed projects.
You can make a donation by visiting mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/ thegoedlife
meeting the needs of people affected by dementia, inspiring change and advancing research. Through local services, they support over 100,000 people.
In his blog, Max reports on a day at the end of his journey, ‘I had a good drive today. The roads were quiet and the scenery was beautiful. I think my headcam is almost entirely full now and I am a little afraid to look at the amount of content I will have to edit when I come to make a video diary of this trip.’
Thames Hare & Hounds Club has hosted the popular annual Alumni Race run since 1953. The course of five miles on Wimbledon Common is a shortened version of the Blues Race course and is open to all ages. In December 2017 three OGs took part, with more promising to join the 2018 team which will be organised by Richard Ollington OG 2012. They finished 24th out of 35 teams, even with a person short, so a larger team will certainly move up the rankings. The 2018 Alumni Race takes place on Saturday 15th December, starting/finishing from the Thames Clubhouse. If you would like to take part in the OG team please email og@rgsg.co.uk
In February 2018 the 4th Form Cross Country group took on the Mo Farah Half Marathon Challenge. They had to run 52 laps of The Spectrum track in Guildford in under 58 minutes 23 seconds in teams of 9. The first team smashed this record, completing it in 57 minutes 17 seconds and the second team beat the Junior World Record of 1hr 38 seconds by 6 seconds. An incredible feat on a cold Thursday afternoon! Alumni runners of the future?
An RGS 1st XI v OGs XI Hockey match took place in April 2018. The School won 4-2 in a closely contested match, and OG players joined the Undergraduate Drinks evening afterwards at the Albany pub. If you are interested in taking part in future OG hockey fixtures, please email og@rgsg.co.uk and we will put you in touch with those arranging the teams.
Football matches between RGS v recent OG teams continue to be a popular fixture in the sporting calendar with results as follows:
January 2018:
RGS 1st XI v Old Guildfordians 2 – 2
September 2018:
RGS 1st XI v OG Leavers 2015 1 – 0
RGS 2nd XI v OG Leavers 2015 0 – 2
RGS 1st XI v OG Leavers 2018 2 – 2
In March 2018 Alan Loveland OG 1965 (fenced for the GB Student Team while at Cambridge University and for England in the 1970s) and Laurence Peplow OG 2013 (Cambridge Blue and Fencing Captain, Winner of BUCS Individual Championship and GB International Fencer) supported the victorious RGS team at the Public Schools Fencing Championships at Crystal Palace. Alan refereed and both he and Laurence provided great support and coaching to the pupils on the day.
In January 2018, 13 RGS boys travelled to Cambridge for a shooting match against Cambridge University. The university team contained three Old Guildfordians, William Johnson 2015, Rupert Fitzsimmons 2015 and Nick Lehrter 2016. In a keenly fought match RGS VIII produced its best performance of the season so far to beat the university by 1532 points to 1526.
The RGS shooting team bade a fond farewell to the No8 .22 service rifle, which was withdrawn in October 2017 after 70 years’ service, by achieving their highest team score for 20 years in their victory over St John’s School, Leatherhead. A great way to show that the old rifle was a worthy piece of kit with such a fitting send-off.
Another enjoyable year for the OGGS
Brian Marshall OG 1973 finished his captaincy tenure with another successful Captain’s Day at his home course of West Byfleet (which for some of our older members is a most welcome flat and attractive course). A warm up of nine holes in the morning preceded the main event with the winner of the magnificent Captain’s prize over 18 holes being Tony Knights OG 1971
Our Spring meeting was again held at Betchworth Park near Dorking (which is a bit more demanding for us who attended the RGS many years ago!). Again it was a 27 hole day; the major prize in the Spring is the solid silver Hart Trophy dating from the 1920’s – the talented winner was Stuart Sutherland.
Our Autumn meeting for the last two years has been at Farnham GC (another most attractive and well-maintained course) with Brian Marshall winning the Puttock Trophy there this year, and our Christmas meeting is held at Guildford GC on Merrow Downs.
Although the OGGS aims to attract Old Boys of the School, we have opened our doors over the last few years to local “worthies” and our current captain is John Slater who played rugby for the Old Guildfordians for many years, and is a notable member of West Surrey GC.
Whilst golf is of course our focus, and to that end we play local quality courses, our aim is to provide an enjoyable day for like-minded souls with food and drink being other attractions of our days out. We are keen to attract more Old Guildfordians of all ages, and would be pleased to hear from any of you who may be interested in attending one of our days, and/or who would like to join the Society. So, please contact:
Peter Langford OG 1964, Chairman langfordp53@gmail.com
John Allen OG 1971, Good Egg allenjp@talk21.com
Two Rolls of Honour take pride of place on the walls of Big School in the Old Building. They commemorate those from the School who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars, a fitting tribute to their sacrifice. It is one hundred years ago that silence fell and the First World War was finally over, and 2018 is our time to remember our men and boys with profound gratitude. Amongst the 58 OGs who fell in the First World War, 41 were under 26 years old, and the youngest was just 17.
The Rolls of Honour were researched by George Jones OG 1939, with assistance from other OG friends; a labour of love which took him years, as a tribute to his fallen friends and OGs.
Next to these memorials is a frame containing one of the ceramic poppies from the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London, given to the School by Vernon Goodeve’s family. Vernon left the RGS in 1930 and laid the wreath in memory of the Old Guildfordians at the School’s Remembrance Service every year for 60 years. His son still joins us every year.
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of OGs and other members of the RGS community over the past year. We rely on information coming to us from the OG and RGS community and every possible endeavour is made to ensure accuracy. Wherever possible we have included valete information from our School records.
Peter Scott RGS 1991 – 1996, former RGS Deputy Head and Chemistry Teacher. Peter Scott was an exceptional teacher, whose five years at the RGS made a significant impact, both in the classroom and in the school overall, where his concern to give boys the best possible education shone through. He was well-equipped to deliver that, having the sharpest of minds and the ability to explain with simple clarity. As a Deputy Head, his influence was felt at all levels: he made the best interests of the pupils his rational priority.
Peter had a strong academic background in schools and universities. A loyal Nottingham man (County, not Forest, and later a cricket steward at Trent Bridge), he went from Nottingham High School on a scholarship to St John’s, Oxford, where he gained a First in Chemistry and then a Doctorate at Pembroke College, Oxford also added a valuable personal dimension to his life. It was there that he met Sue, who became his wife, and whose intellect and companionship enhanced his life in so many ways.
His first teaching post was at Charterhouse, where he spent seventeen years, playing a full part in boarding school life and becoming a respected housemaster. This, along with spells as Director of Studies and Head of Careers, equipped him admirably for the role of Deputy Head. Peter joined the RGS as Third Master in
1991, becoming Second Master on Andrew Grant’s move to headship at St Albans in 1993 and moving on to his own headship, of Bancroft’s School in 1996.
Peter was a humane and liberal force for good at the RGS. He showed a keen intelligence, boundless energy and a deep understanding of schools and of the people who inhabit them. He was a kind and thoughtful man, but also one who could bring a playful sense of humour to bear in any discussion: he enjoyed debate. An outstanding communicator, he was assured and fluent, both from a platform and with individuals. He helped to reinforce the school’s confidence and independence. On three fronts, academic, pastoral and extracurricular, Peter made a very significant contribution, all the more substantial with hindsight. He outlined what is important in any happy and successful school.
Peter’s years as a Head at Bancroft’s, the flagship school of the Drapers’ livery company, were clearly productive and successful. On retirement in 2007, he continued to play a notable advisory role in education, both in the independent sector and in free schools. He must have been one of the cleverest fellow-travellers with England’s Barmy Army on overseas cricket tours. Exuberant fans at Trent Bridge would have been soothed by his oversight in the same way as lively Guildfordians, while Notts County’s travails at lower league grounds within range could always lure him, along with Jo, his daughter. It was a great source of pleasure to him that both Jo and Catherine, his other daughter, entered the teaching profession with fulfilment: they will have seen how it can be a vocation and a pleasure.
Peter’s early death on 28 February 2018 was cruel misfortune. He bore debilitating ill-health with good humour and stoicism: when I saw him shortly before he died, he showed all his warmth and intelligence, even at a time of terrible trial. He will be remembered for his values, his style, his sense of humour, his clarity of thought and his personal example.
Tim Young, former RGS HeadmasterAndy Vella RGS 1984 – 2006, School Warden.
Andy was born in Malta and married Ricci, his wife, there 52 years ago. He then joined the British Army rising to the rank of Sergeant, and served from the mid-1960s up until taking up his post at the RGS in 1984.
Andy served the School loyally as the School Warden for 22 years during which time he was responsible for the on-site security as well as the smooth running of many maintenance and practical aspects of the buildings, no mean achievement on a site spanning a busy road and with a 500 year-old historic building to cherish. He had been suffering from cancer, and died on 6 October 2018.
Andrew Wilson RGS 1996 – 1999, Assistant Director of Music. Andrew Wilson joined the Music Department as Assistant Director from Ipswich School in April 1996. He was a fine musician, talented keyboard player and inspiring teacher who made a remarkable contribution to both the quality and quantity of music at the RGS. As well as directing the Big Band with style and verve, he created the Jazz Band which performed to an astonishingly high standard, and both ensembles enjoyed extremely successful overseas tours under his leadership. Andrew also led the Chorale in a wide range of choral music and this ensemble flourished and grew under his direction. He was a popular classroom teacher, giving lessons that were both fun and informative, and his excellent work as a First Form Tutor was much appreciated.
As a gifted pianist, organist and conductor, Andrew’s musical talents were in great demand outside school as well, working with the Guildford Choral Society and Philharmonic Choir. In 1998 he was appointed Assistant Organist and Choirmaster at Holy Trinity Church in Guildford, and also conducted the Chantry Singers, another local choir.
Andrew was hugely popular and tremendously respected by both the boys and his colleagues. His dry, hilarious witticisms and observations made him excellent company on tour and around the School, and he played a big part in the real enjoyment and success of music-making at the RGS during his time here. He relished the role as a token Northerner in the effete world of the RGS, and would get much pleasure from announcements in assembly regarding the ‘brass class’; delivered in the broadest Yorkshire accent he could muster! Many times, on the iciest of January days, he would stride into the dining room and open as many windows as he could, declaring himself to be struggling in the Surrey heat and, even though they were going through bad times, he would vociferously declare his support for his beloved Leeds United.
He moved onto the Royal Grammar School in Worcester as Head of Music, and held the positions of Vice Principal (Pastoral) at New Hall School, Chelmsford, and Housemaster and Director of Music at Milton Abbey School, Dorset. In 2014, he and his wife Abbey and family were at last able to return to his Northern roots and he was delighted to accept the position of Head Teacher at Teesside High School in Eaglescliffe, Stockton on Tees where he again proved to be enormously popular and much loved for his unwavering exuberance. He had been battling cancer for several years but lived life to the full and was a great example to everyone around him. He stopped work at the end of January 2018 and sadly passed away on 16 March 2018, leaving behind his wife and three children.
Peter White, RGS Director of Music
Maggie Goodman RGS 1992 – 2013, Religious Studies Teacher and Housemaster of Beckingham 2004-2011.
Maggie joined the RGS Religious Studies Department in 1992 and enjoyed a remarkable RGS career which sadly ended far too soon. She left an indelible mark on the School with her boundless enthusiasm, sense of fun and dedication, and achieved many ‘firsts’ during her time here: the RGS’s first woman rugby coach, the creator of the infamous “C/D”(or seedy) rugby tours, the first woman Housemaster, the organiser and producer of the first staff pantomime, all these stand as testament to her inspirational approach to school life, and for which so many boys have cause to be grateful.
She was a much-loved Housemaster of Beckingham, and also a Form Tutor par excellence, who gave enormous support and encouragement to the boys, enabling them to take the lead and develop their potential in so many ways. As Roger Meadowcroft, Head of Religion & Philisophy at the RGS, wrote of Maggie: “Her joy and delight when an individual puts in a good effort, and performs well for that boy in a House activity is palpable, and clearly of so much more importance to her than the ‘bigger’ issue of how well the House itself is doing: surely school-mastering at its best.”
Maggie’s priority was always to nurture and support her students in Religious Studies and countless tributes have been given over the years and in her memory. Two which epitomise her teaching stand out: “she made it so understandable”; “the lessons were massive fun to be in”. Making theology and philosophy fun to learn, accessible to understand and an opportunity to independently develop intellectual curiosity were always Maggie’s talent in the classroom.
Her commitment beyond the classroom was extraordinary. For many years she led the RGS Amnesty Group, which former Headmaster, Tim Young, used to call “the conscience of the RGS”. Her innovative work with successive generations of boys ensured that they understood the plight of others and how to help those whose rights are being jeopardised. As the force behind the first staff pantomime (The Strange Case of the End of Civilization As We Know It), the producer of all the subsequent productions, and a stage presence in them as well, Maggie was keen to always emphasise their triple importance: to entertain, to build bonds amongst the staff and, most importantly, to raise large sums of money for those most in need of our help. Always the first to volunteer as a good sport at Charity Day, she was a regular in the stocks for staff wet-sponging, sumo wrestling and the bleep test, all in a great cause.
Within just months of taking up Games and rugby coaching, Maggie proposed, organised and subsequently ran the Under 15 C/D tours that boys so relished. She shared in the excitement of these trips and her enthusiasm ensured that they lived long in the memory of staff and pupils alike.
Maggie was a wonderful friend in the Staff Common Room, creating a vibrant place through her support of others and a passion for the wider School community, both here and at our partnership school in Nepal, which benefitted hugely from her enthusiasm and energy. Sadly, she was diagnosed with MSA and retired from the RGS in 2013. She died on 12 August 2018, leaving husband Martin, daughter Phoebe, son Jake OG 2003 and four grandchildren.
Raymond Cooper OG 1932. Hamonde 1926-32. Gen School Cert 1932. School Colours: Chess 1930-31. Runner-up School Chess Championship 1932. House Colours: Cricket 1931-32; Athletics 1931-32. He was always very proud of his association with the RGS throughout his life. Raymond died on 18 September 2018 and a Thanksgiving Service for his life was held on Friday, 5 October, which would have been his 104th birthday.
Frank Morrison OG 1939. Died on 5 January 2018, aged 94.
Peter Jones OG 1942. Died in September 2018.
Alan Wood OG 1942. Austen 1935-42. Cert “A” 1941. JTC L/Cpl 1941. Empire 1st Class Shot 1942. School Colours: Cricket 1942. House Colours: Football 1940-41; Cricket 1940-41; Fives 1940-41, Capt 1942. Member House PT Team 1941-42. He lived in Malaysia for 29 years, working for the Borneo Company and enjoyed retirement in the USA. In 1971 he was awarded a CBE and in the following year, the King of Malaysia bestowed on him The Panglima Setia Mehkota, the Order of Loyalty to the Crown for his services to Malaysia. He enjoyed his time at the RGS and took great pleasure in sharing news about the School. Died in June 2018, aged 93.
Bruce Amis OG 1943. Nettles 1939-43. School Prefect 1942-43. Gen School Cert 1942. Cert “A” 1941. JTC Sgt 1943. Empire Marksman 1943. School Colours: Rugby 1942-43; Athletics 1941-42 (Victor Ludorum 1942); Swimming, Capt 1942; Diving Champion 1942. House Colours: Football 1941-42; Rugby 1941; Athletics 1940; Gymnastics 1942, Capt 1943; Swimming 1940 Capt 1941-42. Member General Games Committee 1942-43. Member House PT Team 1941-42. He was at the RGS during the Second World War and left to join up. Died on 22 November 2017.
Michael Chaplin OG 1943. Beckingham 1939-43. Father of Brendan OG 1970, John OG 1972 and Peter OG 1975. House Capt 1943. School Prefect 1943. General School Cert 1941. County Intermediate Award 1941. “Hart” Debating Prize 1943. JTC Sgt 1943. Cert “A” 1942. Empire Marksman 1942. School Colours: Swimming 1940-41-42, Capt 1943 (Middles Champion 1940-41). House Colours: Football 1941-42-43; Rugby 1941-42-43; Cricket 1942, Capt 1943; Gymnastics 1941-42. Member of following committees: General Games 1943; Science
Society 1943; Debating Society 1943. Member House PT Team 1941-42-43. On leaving the RGS in 1943 he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and trained in the Fleet Air Arm as an Observer/Navigator, flying Barracuda and then Avenger torpedo bombers. After the war he qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and pursued a career in building research and policy. He married and had five children, three attending the RGS. He died in August 2017 leaving Joan, his wife of 67 years. He was someone of great intellect, a member of the Fabian Society since his wartime years and a strong believer in social justice.
David Cyphus OG 1943. Hamonde 1934-43. Matric 1942. Asst Scout Master 1942. 1st Class Scout 1942. Died on 21 May 2018.
John Rhodes OG 1946. Died in 2017.
John Blake OG 1947. Died on 3 February 2018.
David Galpin OG 1947. Nettles 1943-47. School Prefect. Matric 1945. Cert “A” 1945. JTC CSM 1947. Empire Marksman 1945-4647. School Colours: Boxing 1945, Capt 1946. House Colours: Rugby 1947, Cricket 1947, Gymnastics 1946, Capt 1947, Boxing 1944. Member of following committees: General Games 1946-47, Magazine 1947. Asst School Librarian 1944-47. Member House PT team 1944, Instructor 1946-47. Died on 26 August 2017.
Peter Selfe OG 1948. Hamonde 1942-48. School Prefect 1948. Matric 1947. Navy, Army and Air Force Entrance exam 1948. “Magnus” Prize for Geography 1947. Cert “A” 1947. Cert “T” 1948. JTC CSM 1948. Classified Signaller 1947. Empire 1st Class Shot 1946; Empire Marksman 1947-48. School Colours: Rugby 1948. House Colours: Rugby 1947; Cross Country 1948. Member General Games Committee 1948. Member House PT Team 1945-46-47-48. In January 1949
Peter’s naval career began when he joined Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth as a Special Entry Cadet. He served during the Korean conflict in Triumph, Hong Kong flotilla, Kenya & Consort. From 1953 to 1955 he undertook Naval Pilot training at Pensacola (Harvard) & Kingsville, Texas and then served with 815 Squadron in Bulwark, Ark Royal & Centaur & various training & trials squadrons. In 1960 Peter qualified as a Direction Officer and served in Centaur, Lion, Lincoln & Hermes, on Naval Staff at Whitehall, Yeovilton, Northwood & HQ Strike Command. From 1972 to 1975 he was on exchange service with United States Navy in charge of Pacific
Fleet Air Intercept Controllers School at San Diego. After several years at Dryad he retired in 1992 as Commander, on completion of 43 years uniformed service. He died peacefully at home on 23 May 2018, aged 87.
Edward (Ted) Edwards OG 1949. Brother of Michael OG 1951. Died in August 2017.
Trevor Simmons OG 1949. Beckingham 1941-49. Gen School Cert 1949. Empire 1st Class Shot, 1948. House Colours: Cricket 1949. He lived in Australia for many years but enjoyed visits to the UK and was one of the “Old Codgers” who met every other year for a reunion lunch. He died on 15 August 2018 a day short of his 86th birthday, and a week prior to his Diamond Wedding Anniversary.
Peter Williams OG 1949. Nettles 1942-49. School Prefect 1949. Matric 1947. Cert “A” 1948. Cert “T” 1949. CCF L/Cpl 1948. Empire 1st Class Shot 1948. Classified Signaller 1949. Scout Patrol Leader 1945. 1st Class Scout 1946. School Colours: Cross Country 1948, Capt 1949. House Colours: Rugby 1948; Swimming 1948-49. Member of General Games Committee 1949 and Natural Science Society 1949. Member House PT Team 1947-48. Died 9 March 2018.
Eric Watson OG 1949. Hamonde 1944-49. Cert “A” 1948. School Shooting VIII 1948-49. Empire Marksman 1947-48. House Colours: Gymnastics 1948-49. Member House PT Team 1948. He trained as an architect and lived abroad with his family for 50 years, latterly in Germany. Died 27 September 2018.
Michael Edwards OG 1951. Brother of Edward OG 1949, Michael emigrated to Canada in 1965 and worked all over the world. He kept in touch with the RGS and was a proud and loyal member of the “Old Codgers”, joining in their lunches and visiting the School whenever he was in the UK. Died on 31 March 2018.
Ronald Burrell OG 1950. Beckingham 1941-1950. Prefect 1949, Matric 1948. CCF Sgt 1949. Cert “A” 1949. Class Signaller 1949. Asst Instructor 1949. Empire 1st Class Shot 1947; Marksman 1948. House Colours: Cross Country 1948-1950. Committee: Debating 1950. Asst School Librarian 1949-50. Died November 2017.
David Bolam OG 1953. Beckingham 1946-53. David was born in Ealing in 1935 but relocated to Guildford after the Second
World War. He had a wonderful personality and was more classical than sporty. He was very popular with his colleagues and had a wicked sense of humour. He loved chess and debating, playing an active part in both, and was in the School Chess team. David left in 1953 to study dentistry at Leeds University, where he qualified. He did his National Service in the RAF and spent time in Aden as a dentist for the RAF. David met Anne and they married in 1967 settling in Reading where he set up his dental practice and where he stayed until he retired. They had two lovely daughters Rose and Fran. David was a true Christian and was fully involved in his local Church where Anne was the organist. He enjoyed reading, gardening and walking his beloved dog. After David retired they moved home to Holmer Green to be nearer their daughters. David was also committed to the Old Guildfordians and the “Old Codgers”, where he attended all the functions held locally in the Guildford area. His wit and friendliness will be sadly missed. Died on 22 September 2017.
Michael Greenhalgh OG 1955. Michael was very proud of having attended the RGS and his family have many good memories of his time on the rugby field. Died on 17 June 2018.
Eric Hawkins OG 1955. Beckingham 1948-55. School Prefect 1954-55. GCE O Level 1953, A Level 1955. CCF L/Cpl 1955; Cert “A” 1952. Empire Marksman 1952-55; Crossed Flags 1954. School Colours: Chess 1954-55; Athletics 1954; Boxing 1954, Milton Cup; Cross Country 1955. House Colours: Boxing 1951-53, Capt 1954; Chess 1953, Capt 1954; Cricket 1952-54; Cross Country 1953-54; Rugby 1953-54; Football 1954; Athletics 1955. Member of PT Team 1953. Member of General Games Committee. Died on 15 February 2018.
John Baldock, OG 1959. Hamonde. Scout Patrol Leader, 1st Class Scout, Scout Cord, Senior Scouts. We were informed in March 2018 that he had died.
Michael Robinson OG 1961. Died on 8 December 2017.
Mark Gladwin OG 1963. Hamonde 1956-63. School Prefect 1962-63. Open Scholarship to study PPE at Christ Church, Cambridge. Died in June 2018.
Trevor Short OG 1969. He was a gifted cricketer, playing for the 1st XI for three seasons, and was 1st XI cricket captain in 1969. Died 26 September 2017.
Paul Boughton OG 1973. Rector at St Mary’s Church in Fetcham for many years. Died on 31 January 2018.
Richard Maskell OG 1975. He worked in publishing and was a founding director of Hothouse Fiction. Died on 31 March 2018.
Jonathan Selves OG 1986. Died peacefully in his sleep on 10 May 2017 aged 49. He was such a large part of the lives of his family and friends, and is sadly missed.
Matthew Lynch OG 1988. Died unexpectedly of meningitis on 1 January 2015.
Tristan Wilson OG 1996. Died unexpectedly, probably as the result of DVT, over Easter weekend 2018.
Rikul Patel OG 2004. His family writes: It is with great sadness that we share with you the news that Rikul passed away on 20 January 2018 aged just 31. Rikul was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when he was 8 years old and sadly suffered with
numerous relapses and complications associated with this disease and treatment during his school years and into adulthood. However, despite the difficulties with his health, Rikul remained resilient and completed his medical training at St George’s Hospital and was due to complete his GP training this year. From a personal perspective, Rikul was happily married, enjoying life with his friends and family and was determined not to let his health govern his happiness. Sadly, he died unexpectedly and suddenly on 20 January 2018. Rikul was a passionate supporter of the charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK which funds medical research into inflammatory bowel disorders and supports patients with this condition. Following his untimely death, his wife, Sonia set up a fundraising page which is doing amazingly well. As a family, we felt that sharing this story may inspire and give hope to other children and families at RGS living with chronic health problems that it is possible to have your dreams fulfilled. He left a huge gap in our lives, but with memories that we will cherish.
The fundraising page for Rikul is: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rikul-patel.
To submit an obituary or notice of death, please contact Philippa Green on: +44 (0)1483 880665 / og@rgsg.co.uk
On September 26 1959, the RGS was featured in the Illustrated London News as part of a series on The Education of British Youth. A copy was kindly donated to the School by Patrick Turner OG 1949 and brings back wonderful scenes from earlier days in the classrooms and around the old buildings.
This position is taken from a game played by Harry Grieve U6, UK Junior Chess Champion 2017, with the black pieces in the Terafinal 2018. White has just played Qe2-f3, black to play and win.
Answers on p94
Letters in clues represent the numbers 1 – 16 in an order to be determined. Clue numbers are also encoded, and clues are given in alphabetical order of their equivalences.
Solvers must replace all digits with their equivalent letters in the completed grid, each zero being replaced by a distinct unused letter.
Normal rules of algebra apply, there are no leading zeros and entries are distinct.
Answers on p94
The Headmaster has recently summed up the ethos of the RGS in six key values, which can be found on the School’s website. The first of these is Inclusivity, which this crossword demonstrates by including the remaining five.
Across
1 A fearsome concoction we Brits chew foolishly (7,4)
7 Total quantity (3)
9 Learn, surprisingly, about kidneys (5)
10 Hollow chamber where child is found entering reactor without initial check (9)
11 Fix ceremony that lacks introduction for hermit (9)
12 Go red in the face as president suppresses the left (5)
13 Give a start to performer you relished at audition... (7)
15 ... subsequently found in The National (4)
18 Ecstasy consumed after pressure in Devon; result – vomit (4)
20 Expertly tattoo old writer’s friend (7)
23 Return a thick piece of lightweight wood (5)
24 Extraordinary grit, yet in principled decency, is an RGS value (9)
26 Marx’s account of brothers’ (and sisters’) future state? (9)
27 Executed, perhaps how he had his chips (5)
28 Direct charge (3)
29 Victory, perhaps, after student displays intellectual curiosity – an RGS value (11)
1 Toil for 24 hours - that’s nothing out of the ordinary (8)
2 A number get to a place such as Oxford - keeping going is an RGS value (8)
3 That man will find no welcome (5)
4 In a restaurant, the army, a tennis court or a church, wherever found, helping others is an RGS value (7)
5 A quality valued by Aretha and the RGS (7)
6 Constructed weird bank or hedge to protect against the elements (9)
7 Start to explain (3,3)
Henry - how soppy! (6)
16 Naughty food consumed - wicked! (8)
17 Showed off drama dupe devised (6,2)
19 Pale with his agitation (7)
20 Substance of complaint I’m alleging about organ’s inner workings (7)
21 Queen chasing after public transport? She shouldn’t behave that way! (6)
22 Falcon knocked over scent bottle (6)
25 Golfer left out errand boy (5)
TThe Tudor Collection is a bespoke selection of merchandise exclusive to the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. Timeless gifts and accessories designed to appeal to anyone who has a connection with the Royal Grammar School or the town of Guildford, and to all ages.
Items in the collection include RGS cufflinks, rugby and footballs, golf and folding umbrellas, a range of specially commissioned prints and postcards of the School, a scarf and a silk tie for our Old Guildfordians.
We have also recently added some new items to the Tudor Collection; an OG silk bow tie, RGS tote bag, power pack, a new set of notecards, as well as a brand new illustrated history of The Royal Grammar School. In this lavishly illustrated, hardback book, Nigel Watson retraces the sometimes turbulent history of the RGS through key events and personalities that have shaped the School.
To see the full collection, please visit our online shop at rgs-guildford.co.uk/our-community/ the-tudor-collection
Or contact merchandise@rgsg.co.uk / +44 (0)1483 880665 to place your order
The RGS was founded with a legacy from Robert Beckingham and, for over 500 years, legacy gifts have been used to support every aspect of School life. As the Headmaster noted in his Prizegiving Speech in 2018,
“Those who have chosen to help have, almost without exception, been closely associated with the RGS. They have chosen to expend such energy and commitment because they have valued what the RGS believes in and what it has to offer.”
A gift in your Will can be a tax-efficient way of giving and will cost you nothing during your lifetime. Unrestricted legacies – the application of which is left to the discretion of the School – are exceptionally valuable, as they can be used wherever the need is greatest when the time comes. Alternatively, you might wish to direct your bequest towards a key area of the School’s work that you particularly cherish and we would be very happy to discuss this with you.
“Pass the parcel. That’s sometimes all you can do. Take it, feel it, and pass it on. Not for me, not for you, but for someone, somewhere, one day. Pass it on, boys. That’s the game I want you to learn. Pass it on.”
From The History Boys by Alan Bennett, who briefly attended RGS Guildford
If you choose to remember the RGS in your Will and inform us of your intention, you will be included in our Beckingham Society, a small but growing group of dedicated supporters who have chosen to remember our School.
A particularly eloquent and enduring way of commemorating the life of a relation, friend or colleague for whom The Royal Grammar School was a special place, is to consider making a gift in their memory.
An In Memoriam gift is a lasting tribute that can play a valuable role in helping to secure our future. The gift may be an individual benefaction or the proceeds from a collection made in someone’s memory. You may prefer to request that donations be made to the School in lieu of funeral flowers, or to make a donation each year to remember someone’s birthday.
If you would like to talk confidentially about leaving a legacy to the Royal Grammar School or making an In Memoriam donation, please contact Georgie Grant Haworth on +44 (0)1483 880665 / ggh@rgsg.co.uk
Alternatively, you can also read more about how to make a legacy gift in the ‘Ways to Support/Remember Us’ section of the ‘Support-the-RGS’ pages of rgs-guildford.co.uk
Chess answers
(1) Nd2 (1...Rh1+ 2.Nxh1 Qh2+ 3.Kf1 Nd2+ is also strong)
(2) Qxf7+ Kc8 (or Kd8)
(3) Qxa7 Rh1+ 4.Nxh1 Qh2# was the finish in the game.
Crossword answers
Across: 1 Witches’ brew, 7 Sum, 9 Renal, 10 Resonator, 11 Anchorite, 12 Blush, 13 Actuate, 15 Then, 18 Spew, 20 Inkwell, 23 Balsa, 24 Integrity, 26 Socialism, 27 Fried, 28 Run, 29 Scholarship.
Down: 1 Workaday, 2 Tenacity, 3 Hello, 4 Service, 5 Respect, 6 Windbreak, 7 Set out, 8 Marshy, 14 Alpha rays, 16 Devilish, 17 Played up, 19 Whitish, 20 Intimal, 21 Abuser, 22 Flacon, 25 Gofer.
Maths conundrum
Letter equivalences in numerical order are: O,H,T,L,E,W,A,M,I,B,N,V,C,U,R,D.
Replacing the digits of the completed grid with their letter equivalences and replacing zeros with remaining unused letters gives the first two lines of the school hymn:
He who would valiant be Let him come hither;
This is a combination of the original John Bunyan version and the 1906 English Hymnal version, unique to the RGS. https://www.rgs-guildford.co.uk/userfiles/ rgsgmvc/documents/about_the_rgs/History/ History%20-%20School%20Hymn.pdf
Logical solution path
By comparing encoded clue numbers with the grid, letters can be split into three sets:
Across only: B,D,I,M,R, from the set {8,9,10,15,16} Down only: A,E,H,T,V,W, {2,3,5,6,7,12} Both: C,L,N,O,U, {1,4,11,13,14}.
From clue R, H and T must be 2 and 3 in either order or the length exceeds four digits, but clue T itself can’t exceed four digits, so H = 2, T = 3.
Considering clue V: L cannot be 1 or the result would be too small whatever the value of E. Similarly 11 or greater would make the answer too long, so L = 4.
Clue W is now too long for any slot except W = 6. And with 4 down taken, the answer to clue O cannot exceed three digits, so E = 5.
Both answers to C clues are two digits long, so C = 13. And as 13 across is 32, 13 down must be 35 with A = 7, leaving only V = 12 from the down-only set. Clue I now has an answer 49, so I = 9, and hence from clue A having an answer ending 9, B = 10.
O down is 207, so O across has to be 256 with M = 8. Clue V must have an answer less than 600 whatever the value of R, so O = 1.
Clue R answer is 5293, so R = 15 and D = 16.
Finally, clue N gives an answer which can only fit at 11 down, so N = 11 and U = 14.
Georgie Grant Haworth Development Director ggh@rgsg.co.uk
+44 (0)1483 887143
Sandra Bell Marketing & Communications Officer
sbe@rgsg.co.uk +44 (0)1483 880665 Officer
pmg@rgsg.co.uk
+44 (0)1483 887144
With over 5,000 OGs in over 40 countries, the OG community is a strong and growing international network. Keep in touch to receive the latest OG and School news and events updates.
Jenny Rothwell Development Executive and Governors’ Secretary jrr@rgsg.co.uk +44 (0)1483 880665
Development & Alumni Relations Office
Royal Grammar School High Street
Guildford Surrey GU1 3BB
+44 (0)1483 880665
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FRIDAY 1ST MARCH 2019
BRASSERIE BLANC, 9 BELVEDERE ROAD, SOUTHBANK, LONDON SE1 8YP with special guests Will Carling OBE and John Inverdale
Ticket price £90 per head – limited availability. Includes reception and three-course lunch.
BOOK YOUR TICKETS FOR THIS EXCLUSIVE EVENT: rgs-guildford.co.uk/our-community/old-guildfordians/news-and-events
In aid of the Twenty for 2020 RGS Campaign for Bursaries
Opening doors to opportunity
