The Ronian Issue 60 Summer 2015 by Saint Ronan's School

The Ronian ISSUE 60 - Summer 2015

Inside:

Saint Ronan’s Election • Leavers’ Programme • Heathfield Show • OR News

w w w. s a i n t r o n a n s . c o . u k

The Headmaster writes...

Youth Champion. Mr and Mrs Bright have built up the swimming squads and we have competed in several galas this term. The 25 ‘trips out’ have been fun, not least the annual Summer 2015 has been good to Saint Ronan’s and the children have done us proud again. All our Leavers passed Common Entrance and/or the Cranbrook test and between them won an incredible fifty scholarships to senior schools.

pilgrimages of Year 8 to Bude and Year 7 to Dinan. Year 4 had fun at Harry Potter World and Year 3 enjoyed Charlie & the Chocolate Factory in the West End. Next Easter’s trip to the Bay of Naples is fully booked, as is the Ski Trip in December.

They move on to fifteen different schools, in line with our

Duchess (our pig) was in fine form at the Heathfield Show

normal distribution.

(and in the School photograph)! A Hobbit House is being built

The Saint Ronan’s General Election in May was won by Tongswood by a slender majority. Lucky the pig decided to

for the Forest School, partly funded by the Friends of Saint Ronan’s.

celebrate by producing twelve little piglets on Election Day!

The children have raised large sums for charities of their

The election re-kindled the tradition of Public Speaking at

choice. The Years 3–6 Sponsored Walk raised £4.8k for the

school and a new House competition has been inaugurated.

Royal Marsden and Cancer Research; the newly-initiated

Mr Marlow came from Eastbourne College to adjudicate and

Charity Market raised £1k for a variety of causes and the

was delighted by the standard of our orators.

home clothes day for Shelterbox’s work in Nepal raised £1.3k.

Years 3-6’s roving production of a Midsummer Night’s Dream,

The Pre-Prep took the theme of the Sea, and the Prep School

directed by Mrs Gibson, was set in the Secret Garden. Last

the Middle East, for Cross-Curricular Week. The children

week Years 3 & 4 impressed us by performing items from this

enjoyed many unusual events - the Bazaar in the Great

term’s drama lessons, with either Mrs Tapper or Miss Bennett.

Space, exotic belly dancing by Shell, Hugo Blick’s talk and, for

Nearly a thousand people visited the National Art Exhibition in

the youngest ones, the pirate ship on Bewl Water.

the Great Space. Having proudly hosted this event for two

The end of each academic year is always a time of farewells.

years we now hand the baton to Cheltenham College.

We are hugely grateful to Goulwenn Vincendeau, who

Great engineering marvels have been coming off the assembly line in DT and highlights included racing the Goblin car at BAE Systems in Rochester.

becomes an Assistant Head at Meoncross School (Fareham); to Anya Wallace who moves up to Lancashire; to Alistair Truelove and to Chris Parkinson; to Maxine in the Nursery and Marie in Music; and finally to our very fine set of ‘gappies’. We

The many concerts this term were well-received, particularly

will miss them all and wish them all good things for the future.

on Founder’s Day. All the fifty + ABRSM candidates passed their exams, many with merits and distinctions.

My letter is longer than intended so it just remains for Emma and me to wish you all a wonderful summer.

The sports teams have made the most of the pleasant weather, with the 2nd XI having an unbeaten season. The Girls U11 Rounders team won bronze in the IAPS regional event and further county caps were won by James Crawley (athletics) and Freddie Dear (tennis). At national level, Zach Barker was ranked 6th in Golf, Carlos reached the final of the 800m in Birmingham and JP Shaw was crowned U11 Sabre

With kind regards,

Scenes from the Summer

Midway Benenden Biology Trip

In this issue... Dulcie at St James’ Palace

Owls & Squirrels visit Dungeness

The Saint Ronan’s Election

Rabbits & Hedgehogs at Bewl Water

Sponsored Walk 6

Duchess and the farm team on show at Heathfield

Bleary-eyed but bushy-tailed Mathilda, Ted, India, Bertie and

two Young Handlers classes, the 6 to 11 year olds and the 12

Georgie, plus Mr and Mrs Bright and Mr Andrew, with Rachel

to 16 year olds.

and Matthew acting as mascots, set off early for Heathfield Show. Debbie Dallaway (our wonderful Farm Extra coordinator) greeted us from the very noisy Pig Tent! (Debbie did the most important job – taking Duchess to the show and settling her in.)

Bertie, Georgie, Matilda and Ted took part in the first class, each with a borrowed pig, and walked them around the ring with a stick and a board. They were judged on how well they controlled the pig around the ring. All of the children came away with a rosette - Georgie took 3rd place, Matilda 4th

Our first event was Class 254, for gilts born after the 1st July

place, Bertie 5th place and Ted won a place rosette.

2014. India Black was Duchess’ handler and because Duchess has an asymmetrical underline and humped back, she came in 5th. India was a star handler and gave her a wonderful back scratch while the judge was inspecting her belly! After this the children brushed and combed Duchess and rubbed her with baby oil. She was in pig heaven! There were

The next class was for the older children. India was up against children who had been ‘walking’ pigs for years! India did a superb job and came in 3rd. Thank you to Debbie for initiating this amazing experience, which we hope will become a new Saint Ronan’s ‘tradition’! Thanks to all who came to support - the cheers for Saint Ronan’s could be heard loud and clear!

House Poetry Competition

Class Three land in Hawkhurst

This year’s competition was a tightly fought duel between Bicton and Selden. Although Tongswood and Pembroke had some fantastic contributions, they were not quite as polished as the pieces presented by the other two houses. Selden kicked off their wins with a lively multi-person rendition of Spike Milligan’s ‘Ning Nang Nong’. Emily Macdonald’s ‘Jabberwocky’ was a consummate rendition that won Bicton the intermediate set poem category. Bicton went on to secure the next two categories, bringing the score to 1-3. Emma Beart

3 RB recount a busy morning in the village. On Thursday 25th June Year 3 went on a trip to Hawkhurst because we are studying ‘Our Locality’ in Geography.

and Charlie Morrell’s poem of excuses ‘Why are you Late for School?’ shone out in

We started off in Budgens car park, walked through the village

particular. Selden secured the intermediate and senior free

and past the Royal Oak Hotel, marking the land use on our

category, resulting in a 3-3 tie. This was broken with recourse

maps. When we got to the playground at The Moor, we had a

to second placements, meaning Bicton won the competition by

snack. After that we carried on walking to the Church.

the narrowest of margins. Well done to all participants and house masters and mistresses for such a great competition with such high quality renditions.

When we got there 3EP climbed the steep, scary stairs to the top of the Church tower. 3RB did a Churchyard Quiz and had to find a pink marble grave next to a pond, but the pond was on the other side of the graveyard. There was one section in

Hawkhurst Flix ‘n’ Pics

the graveyard where a doodlebug had landed in World War II so they couldn’t plant any graves because they might find some dead bodies! There was a copper wire that ascended the side of the church to conduct lightning (it was made by a company called ‘Bacon!’). Whilst we were filling in the Churchyard Quiz, 3TT were completing a quiz in the Church. There was a stained glass window about Tongswood and Charles Gunther who lived in the house of Saint Ronan’s. We learnt, when we went up to the bell room that when there were six bells, the pub next door was called The Six Bells, and when there were eight bells, it had to change its name to The Eight Bells. We had to bow when we passed the altar. From the top of the Church Tower, it felt as though we might

As part of Hawkhurst’s annual ‘Flix ‘n Pix’ festival, children

fall off; we could see at least twenty miles from the top.

from Saint Ronan’s entered the photographic competition along with six other schools in the area. Georgie Andrew came

Then we left the Church and went to the playground. When we

2nd and Edward Hues 3rd in the U12 category. Well done and

had finished playing in the playground we went back to school

huge thanks to all those who took part.

on the minibuses.

The Nursery went back in time for our annual outing, firstly to Bodiam Castle and then for a ride on the Kent and East Sussex Railway. We had fun visiting parts of the castle not always open to the public, and met Hazel and Frances, dressed in medieval costume. We were introduced to Bertie the Bat, who has lived at the castle for a very long time. We listened to a story about the other animals that used to live in the castle, the jobs they had and the places they lived, such as Baldrick the dancing bear who lived in the Great Hall. We also explored the grounds, feeding the ducks, playing under the big oak trees and not falling into the moat! We were lucky to have sunny weather all day and it was good to retreat to the tea rooms for our packed lunch. Once we were fed and watered, we walked up to Bodiam train station - thirty five excited children and fourteen adults waiting to catch the train to Northiam. We watched the great steam engine chug into the station, driven by Henry, before piling into our reserved carriage. We waved goodbye to the station and the castle as we passed by. For some the best part of the day was the coach journey, for others the castle, and for some the steam train and Henry the driver letting them climb into his cab. Some were just proud they didn’t fall into the moat!

The Nursery’s Day Out

Roniana

Children raise over £10,000 for charity

Ancient Egypt was inhabited by mummies and they all wrote in hydraulics.

It was a quintessentially 'Saint Ronan's' afternoon.

In wartime children who

The children were being

lived in big cities had to be

picked up for Summer half

evaporated.

term; a brass band was playing under the cedar tree;

The Greeks also had

the Farm was selling

myths. A myth is a female

sausages and FOR their

moth.

apple juice. Over the course

Sir Francis Drake circumcised the world with a 100 foot clipper.

of the year the children had been asking to sell produce to raise money for various charities and we’d decided to

money was made, for

Autumn Fayre, the money

The greatest writer of the

combine their ideas and

charities including Rays of

raised this year exceeds

Renaissance was William

suggestions. It was wonderful

Sunshine, Water Aid and the

£10,000. The Student Council

Shakespeare. He wrote

to witness the children’s

RSPB, to name but a few.

has decided to send over a

tragedies, comedies, and

motivation and obvious

Adding this to the monies

third to Cancer and Stroke

hysterectomies, all in

enjoyment as they prepared

raised by the Sponsored

charities and local hospitals.

Islamic pentameter.

their stalls. A great deal of

Walk, Red Nose Day and the

The Middle East comes to Saint Ronan’s As has become customary, the Prep School held its annual

Drama, Art and DT; tasks included creative writing, drawing

Cross-Curricular Week in the penultimate week of the

intricate geometric patterns, identifying Arabian animals,

academic year. The theme this time (having previously studied

learning about the Ottoman Empire, map-making, designing

continents such as Africa, South America or Europe) was the

Top Trumps games, crafting masks, slippers and lanterns,

Middle East.

marching and drumming “Turkish style”, swimming, cooking…

Each day started with an Assembly: a pictorial introduction on

and eating!

the Monday, a taste of life in Dubai on the Tuesday, thoughts

The Great Space was turned into a bazaar, where stalls,

on Ramadan on the Wednesday, and a virtual tour around

awnings and numerous artefacts created a wonderful

holy sites in Jerusalem on the Thursday. In addition, a couple

atmosphere. The Prep School gathered there on the last

of external speakers visited us on the Monday afternoon: local

afternoon and enjoyed as real a middle-eastern experience as

explorer and conservationist John Hare shared his

could be fashioned this side of the Bosphorus: it was busy,

experiences travelling on camelback, and Hugo Blick (who

quite cramped, a bit smelly, pretty loud, and actually rather

wrote and directed the award-winning BBC drama “The

splendid! There was clutter and chatter as the pupils milled

Honourable Woman”) spoke to Midway pupils about life in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The rest of the time, children learnt through a vast array of activities – some of which were billed as hummus making, pearl diving, camel racing or belly dancing! Regular school

around, games were played, dances were performed, and the afternoon ended with a rendition of an Arabian tale, in an unusually went quiet bazaar. It was a lovely and fitting way to end the week. In the course of four days, pupils gained an

subjects were also called upon,

invaluable insight into a topic that features in the news

though rarely in a conventional

on a regular basis and is critical to the state of the

way: pupils did English and Maths, History and Geography, Music and

world. Much learning was done, much fun was had, new flavours were tasted – a great week all-round!

R.E. goes walkabout In the course of a week in May, the R.E. Department enjoyed

room, as well as other parts of the gurdwara, including the

three highlights – two trips and one visiting speaker. The first

dining room: Sikh hospitality involves the sharing of food (aka

of these events was the Midway “Church-hopping” trip to

“langar”), so we were privileged to sample some chapatti and

Hawkhurst: in just one morning (and for a total mileage below

dahl, which most pupils (wearing turbans on their heads, of

six miles!), pupils visited Hawkhurst Baptist Church, St

course) enormously enjoyed!

Barnabas Roman Catholic Church, and Saint Laurence Parish Church. We were delighted to be welcomed by Reverend Bob Kirby at the Baptist Church and by Father Vic, at St Barnabas. Not only did the trip enable children to gain a better knowledge of the typical features of a church building, as well as a clearer understanding of the differences between various Christian traditions, but it also fostered excellent links within our local community, and it was a great success.

That same afternoon, Upper and Remove pupils welcomed Major David Squirrel, from the Tunbridge Wells branch of the Salvation Army, for a talk that mostly centred on the treatment of poverty. It was a real eye-opener and gave much food for thought: Kent is one of the wealthiest counties in one of the wealthiest countries in the world – and yet, the Salvation Army is active and frequently called upon in the area… One rather curious point about this talk was the fact that one the pupils

Less than a week later, Shell visited another place of worship

present happened to be related to William Booth, the founder

in Kent, which was more distant, more imposing, and more

of the Salvation Army!

“exotic”. For the first time, Saint Ronan’s children travelled to the gurdwara (Sikh temple) in Gravesend, which is the largest in Europe and had been visited by the Prime Minister a matters of weeks beforehand. Our hostess this time was a lady called Deepinder, who showed us the main meditation

In a matter of days, across five locations, catering for four year groups through these three events, Religious Education gave excellent examples of the way the curriculum can be enhanced, and pupils enriched by it.

Upper passe une semaine magnifique en Bretagne Photos and extracts from children’s diaries give a flavour of our educational and adventurous trip. An amazing experience for all to remember! Le lundi vingt-deux juin

Le jeudi vingt-cinq juin « Je suis allé au marché de Dinan. J’ai acheté du fromage, des framboises, de la salade et du saucisson. Tout ça coute vingt-quatre euros. » Bear Hastilow

« J’ai voyagé en car. Je suis fatiguée. Je me suis réveillée à

« Je suis arrivée à St Malo. J’ai

six heures et demie ». Ruby

acheté la glace parfumée

Faulkner

mangue et melon. » Matilda Clarke

Le mardi vingt-trois juin « Je vais à la plage et je mange « Le matin j’ai appris à faire du pain et j’ai le cours de français. A deux heures et demie je fais de la voile. J’adore mon

du poulet pour le dîner avec une crème caramel pour le dessert. Aujourd’hui c’est bon ! J’adore le marché ! » Grace Tyrie

deuxième jour en France ». Jamie Jordan

Le vendredi vingt-six juin

« j’ai mesuré les ingrédients,

« J’ai traversé la baie du Mont

puis j’ai mélangé. Je suis partie

St Michel avec notre guide,

au restaurant. Après, j’ai fait de

Nico. C’était trois heures long.

la voile c’est très très super».

C’était impressionnant et

India Black

fatigant ». Anik Moore

Le mercredi vingt-quatre juin

« La marche dure trois heures. J’ai beaucoup aimé les sables

« Après j’ai grimpé dans les arbres, c’est fatigant et effrayant. J’aime la grimpe d’arbres, j’ai fait tous les niveaux

mouvant. Nous visitons l’abbaye. Pour le dîner c’était des moules et des frites ». Dillon Gorman

». Izzy Bolton Ferret Le samedi vingt-sept juin « En premier, j’ai fait la bleue, la rouge et la noire. Ensuite j’ai fait

« Je me lève à six heures vingt.

la noire extrême ». Caspar

Je mange le petit déjeuner.

Cubitt

J’aime la compote. Je vais dans le car. Je regarde le DVD

« J’ai fait le parcours jaune, blanc et vert. A midi, je suis tombée et j’ai mal à la jambe. Je

Ratatouille. Le voyage dure neuf heures. J’adore les vacances en Bretagne. » Jonathan Funnell

suis allée à l’hôpital ». Olivia Hancock

A warm welcome to new members of staff James Green will succeed Anya Wallace in the English Department. James was educated at Skinners, read Law at University and served as a Police Officer in the Met for nine years. He re-trained as a teacher in 2002/3 and joins us from Claremont Primary in Tunbridge Wells. He is a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) for Literacy and not only moderates writing across West Kent but also provides teacher-training in local schools on improving Literacy. He is married to Rebecca (Bex) and they live in Wadhurst. Mrs Nicky Brooks has been appointed as a Teaching Assistant in Reception, on a full time basis. Nicky read French and Spanish at Edinburgh University before a short career in marketing and the arrival of her three children (now aged 13, 11 and 6). She has plenty of relevant experience, having been a voluntary Teaching Assistant at Benenden Primary for four

James Green

years and having studied for a PGCE. She enjoys keeping fit and playing the piano (I assume not at the same time)! Elizabeth George will succeed Goulwenn Vincendeau as Head of RE. Lizzy is a relatively local girl and was at school at King’s Canterbury. After University in Wales and a PGCE year in Canterbury, she taught at the Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School and then at Ashford School. Her most recent appointment was at Dulwich Prep in Cranbrook, where she has been Head of RE for four years. Lizzy will be a Year 8 tutor and will be involved in girls’ games. David Force will take up the reins as Director of Music from September. David is very wellknown and respected on ‘the circuit’ and joins us from Eastbourne College where he is Head of Academic Music and a talented Organist. He was previously Assistant Director of Music at Sedbergh. He graduated from Durham, gained a diploma from the London College of Music

David Gibbon

and has recently completed an M.A. in Musicology, with plans to extend this to a Ph.D. He plays pretty much everything there is to play and is an early music enthusiast. His skills strongly complement those of Lesley-Anne and the two of them are very much looking forward to working together and building on the considerable successes of recent years. David Gibbon will join the Maths Department. He is a very experienced Prep School teacher and will transfer to us from Ashdown House where, in addition to teaching Maths across the age range, he has also coached first team sport, been a boarding housemaster and directed plays. David is a graduate of Cape Town College and previously taught with Dale Bright. In 1992, he represented South Africa at U21 Hockey level and played in Barcelona following the ’92 Olympics (so our new Astro hasn’t gone unnoticed). He has a young family and his wife, also a South African, was taught by Robert Hill. It’s a small old world!

David Force

Sarah Andrew joins the us to teach woodwind, She studied at the Royal College of Music, graduating in 1998 with a first class degree. She took up the position of Co Principal Bassoon with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and returned to the UK in 2000 as a Junior Fellow of the Royal College of Music. In 2002 Sarah became the Assistant Principal Bassoonist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Sarah has performed as a guest with many orchestras including the RPO, RLPO, RSNO, SCO, Halle, Royal Opera House, Mozart Players and the Britten Sinfonia. As a soloist and chamber musician Sarah has given many recitals, including at Highgrove house for HRH the Prince of Wales.

Sarah Andrew

Congratulations and best wishes to all our Leavers O.T. Addis

Cranbrook

A.J. Hsuan

Cranbrook

W.M. Ashenden

Battle Abbey**

F.O. Joarder-White

Sevenoaks

A.F. Balfour

Tonbridge

G.E. Jones

Sutton Valence

Z.C. Barker

King’s Canterbury

S.J. King

Cranbrook

J.E.K. Beeching

Bede’s*

S.M. Lund

Bethany*

T.P. Beeching

Bede’s*

L.H. Marsh

Claremont*

B. Booth-Clibborn

Cranbrook

O.R. Milborne

Eastbourne

F.T. Carver

Christ’s Hospital*

S.L. O’Reilly

Kent College

S.A. Charlesworth

Cranbrook

S.A.J. Pope

Sutton Valence**

O.C. Chatterton

Eastbourne

E.A.M. Pryke

Eastbourne

M.L. Chesters

Cranbrook*

G.J.M. Pryke

Eastbourne

D.E. Dent

Tonbridge Grammar School

L.C. Reeves

King’s Canterbury

N.C. Easton

Sutton Valence**

E.R. Sayers

Highworth Grammar

A.D. Erith

Cranbrook

W.L. Sayers

Norton Knatchbull

R.R. Flynn

Claremont

A.J. Statman

King’s Canterbury

W.H.C. Fisher

Downside

H. C. Stephenson

Sutton Valence

C.H. Gladders

Cranbrook

A. Stevens

Cranbrook*

C.M. Goodacre

Cranbrook

S.N. Thompson

The Judd School

F.J. Gotts

King’s Canterbury

J.S. Verschuur

Cranbrook

J.W. Gotts

King’s Canterbury

E.H. Wilmoth

King’s Canterbury*

O.A. Hamilton

Cranbrook

D.A Holden-Craufurd

Eastbourne

* denotes Scholarship won

Good bye and thank you to leaving staff Goulwenn Vincendeau – was appointed as Deputy Head

Chris Parkinson – took over from Dennis Santer as the

(Academic) in Jan 2007 and joined us from Stoke Brunswick,

Maintenance Manager in September 2007, having been

where Sue Morgan-Kirby has once been matron and Priscilla

Senior Master at Sutton Valence. ‘Parky’ understands people

Dewar a Housemistress. Goulwenn’s impact was immediate

and has been a wonderful and unflappable interface between

and continued to be far-reaching and he worked fantastically

the Common Room and the Ministry of Works (!). He is

hard at improving the management of the educational

working at the school over the summer but then plans to take

provision in the Prep School, often long into the night. The

things more gently.

fruits of his labours were the much improved 2008 Inspection and the exceptional (excellent in every aspect) ISI inspection in 2013. He has run the Chapel with enormous commitment and took over from Emma TV as Head of RE a few years ago. He has willingly undertaken a variety of roles, most recently co-ordinating the Friday gatherings and Cross-Curricular week

Alistair Truelove – Once again stepped into the breach this year to help cover in the Maths Department and in Games. This has been his third period of cover and we very much hope he will want to come back again, should we hit choppy seas.

He leaves us with our grateful thanks to take up a new post as

Marie Armour – joined in January 2015 to help cover the

an Assistant Headmaster at Meoncross in Fareham.

staffing shortfall in the Music Department. She is a hugely

Anya Wallace – joined us from Ashford Friars in January 2008 to help with the Learning Support. Over the years her role

talented musician and helped us to get successfully through a challenging year.

changed and she has taught Year 6 History and, more

Maxine Maurissen – Maxine has helped us accommodate the

recently, English and the Verbal Reasoning aspect of the

surge in numbers in the Nursery this term and we are very

Cranbrook test. Many children and colleagues owe a lot to

grateful for her energy and enthusiasm.

Anya and we wish her well as she moves with the family to Lancashire.

Louis Glynn-Williams – has been a quite superb gappy! He heads to Brighton University to read Sport and Business.

Junior Production: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Promenade performance? Where? How does that work? –

There was much anxious monitoring of the weather forecast

Some of the questions people asked before Founder’s Day.

but thankfully the rain stayed away and the Secret Garden

With, I might add, a slightly - that sounds a bit bonkers, look in

was transformed into a magical space with a fairy front of

the eye. The build-up to the show involved the production of

house, drinks and puppets before the audience were invited in

hand-made fairy tickets, rehearsals with puppets rather than

two groups to wander round a selection of scenes from one of

pupils or both at the same time. My wonderful, musical father

Shakespeare’s ethereal plays.

wrote the music for the fairy song; so like all special productions this was a collaboration of many people.

There is something special about hearing Shakespeare from the mouths of small children or fairies in this case. I was

Huge thanks to Julie who is so good at finding beautiful

impressed by this group of young actors who learnt their

costumes. Also for helping me in the late afternoon sunshine

difficult lines with speed and confidence. Not an easy task.

climb trees, ladders and drape fabric in unusual places, on the

Whoever says that Shakespeare is too difficult for children

eve of Founder’s Day. Lesley-Anne; who rehearsed the fairy

should have been in the Secret Garden at Saint Ronan’s

singers and thanks too to John and the gardening team who

School on Founder’s Day to witness for themselves that this is

strimmed and probably strummed while clearing the more

absolute nonsense!

extreme thistles from the performance space.

OR N E W S

Frank Gardner 2011 Oliver Clark will be both Head of House and Supervisor for Allan Boys at Cranbrook next year. Hugo Millns has been appointed Deputy Head of School at Eastbourne College. 2010 Alex Lindsay captained the Eton VIII at Henley and competed in the Princess Elizabeth cup against Robbie Boswall (Winchester, 6) and Tommie Trelawny-Vernon (King’s Canterbury, 7) 2006 Sophie Millns has become engaged and is due to get married in the School Chapel next year. 2005 Henry Hatfield bumped into WTV on the train back from Bristol and is enjoying university life there. 2001 Mischa Richards visited on Founder’s Day. He has recently married Michael Morpurgo’s daughter and become ordained. 1994 Andrew Ward married Sophie in October 2014 and they are now settled in West London. 1991 Peter Ward and his wife Alex have recently had their second child,

Jasper, brother to 4 year old Thea. William Milling is one of the godparents. 1988 Charles Baekeland recently presented a case at the European Psychoanalytic Federation Congress in Stockholm and will be presenting another in July at the International Psychoanalytical Association Congress in Boston. He is still doing research on comparative psychoanalysis and therapeutic action. He has very fond memories of Saint Ronan’s and wishes he had time to come back to visit. He is looking forward to going sailing this summer at Les Glénans in Brittany. 1987 Jamie Waugh is the Wine and Spirits buyer at Fortnum and Mason. He has very happy memories of his five years at Saint Ronan’s. 1985 Nicholas Titchener is living in Abu Dhabi with his wife and three children. 1983 Rupert Hoogewerf set up, in 1999, the Hurun Report, a media company based in Shanghai, China, bestknown for producing the China rich list. Today he has 120 staff tracking and researching the private sector in China, and three years ago he expanded into India. This year he was the ICAEW Man of the Year for Greater China. He lives in

Shanghai with his wife and three children. He recently met another OR, Simon Berry, and they were amused to find that on the ‘notable alumni’ page, the name above Simon's was Anthony Blunt, spy and KGB officer! Alexander Wooff writes: I was Captain of Rugby and narrowly beat Jamie Outerbridge in the swimming when I left. I went on to Tonbridge, because Henry Hussey was such a magnificent Latin teacher that they took me on my Scholarship application and what they thought was a vague competence in Latin. I read Architecture at Newcastle and graduated in 1991. I went to Seoul for three months to do my black belt in TaeKwonDo, having already achieved black tag grade. I returned from Korea a 1st Dan Black Belt, with an Instructor’s qualification and began teaching TaeKwonDo with my brother Tim. I went to work at Haymarket Publishing in the Exhibitions Company and left to help launch Formula 1 Magazine, which was owned by Bernie Ecclestone. Since 2003 I have worked for Mr Ecclestone at Formula One Management and now look after the Formula 1 Partner Programme, the umbrella structure that houses Formula 1’s brand relationships. I have a lovely wife and three daughters and live in Chiddingstone. 1981 Andrew Smith writes: after five happy years at Saint Ronan’s, I went to Tonbridge and then Exeter

University, where I read Chemistry. To the dismay of my lecturers I joined KPMG, where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant. After five years I moved onto commodity trading and learnt a great deal about cocoa. My time there was cut short because in 1997 I moved to Sydney with my Australian girlfriend, now wife. I loved Sydney, enjoying the fantastic work/life balance possible when the city is close to beautiful, white sandy beaches. It wasn’t all play in Sydney and I started work in the investment banking industry. In 2001we left the beaches behind and returned to London, to banking again, where we spent the next eight years. During this time our family unit grew, with the arrival of three children. In 2009 we decided to move back to Sydney permanently. The only drawback is that it’s such a long way from friends and family back in the UK. Mike Hall-Taylor writes: after Saint Ronan’s, I went to Charterhouse and the University of Nottingham to read Geography – thanks to Jonny Vas. This somehow led me into industry for eight or so years and I ran the marketing of a few large brands which spent money on sports sponsorship. An MBA later, I decided that corporate life wasn’t for me and joined the Jordan Formula 1 team. I spent five happy years there running the marketing and commercial sides. When the team was sold in 2005, I set up my own sports marketing company (HT Group) which I have done ever

since. In 2009 my wife and 3 children decided we needed a change of scene and went to New Zealand. We now live on the water in Auckland and lead an active life. I get back to the UK regularly and stay contact with Matthew Beddard and Andrew Smith (ORs); both godfathers to my son. I have happy memories of the old School and made friends for life. 1978 Richard Noel (Puggy) has stopped travelling to Africa and now has 2 children, William (7) and Cecilia (2). He has moved back to Suffolk, where he is farming. 1974 Frank Gardner, pictured, competed in this year's City Ski Championships in Switzerland as President of the GB Ski Club. He remains the BBC Security Correspondent and has just been made Distinguished Visiting Professor of 2015 at the University of Southern California. 1971 David “Dai” Jones is Chairman of New Model School Company, a founding trustee of National Volunteer Police Cadets, trustee of National Crimebeat and was this year commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London. He is a partner at international investment managers Oldfield Partners and lives in Chiswick with his wife and three children. 1978 Richard Lund popped back to see his nephew Sebbie. 1963 Martin Richardson writes: those

interested in military history may be interested in a new book "The Men behind Monty" by Richard Mead. My late father, General Sir Charles Richardson (1908 -1994) was Monty's Chief Operations Officer for a lot of the desert campaign of the Eighth Army and wrote his own book "Flashback" in 1985. My father was responsible for Operation Bertram which was a deception plan using old oil barrels to look like pipelines and dummy tanks and lorries made of straw to make the German reconnaissance planes report that the Eighth Army was much further south than in fact it was. It worked well. Richard Mead's book is an examination of the difference Monty made to the men fighting in the desert after a lot of defeats and uninspiring leadership by Auchinleck. It looks at the men Monty picked to help him win battles right down to ADCs and drivers. Amongst other reasons, the book arose because Richard Mead was able to go through the family archive of my father's papers and gained some insights about El Alamein that were not previously known. My father was at Saint Ronan's when Stanley Harris was Headmaster and the School was on the coast near Worthing. I have a nice silver Vesta case marked "To CLR from SSH" which I can only think was presented to my father for being Head Prefect. 1962 Peter Clutterbuck writes: I went from Saint Ronan’s to Cheltenham College, and then Pembroke College Cambridge. I married Bonnie, a petroleum geologist from Florida, and we have two sons. I

Evelyn Waugh Diaries

became a petroleum engineer: 15 years with BP in Arabia, North Sea and Alaska; then 30 years mostly as CEO of independent oil companies in South America, USSR/Russia, and Africa. Work and adventures have taken me to 104 countries. I’ve worked most of the last 14 years on African projects. My main sport has been sailing, much of it offshore in a Wayfarer dinghy, which is featured in a book called “The Sea takes no Prisoners”, some of it with George Greenwood, also an OR; and a 43 foot offshore trimaran called Spirit of England, which won 15 races and broke 4 international records in the North Atlantic. I’ve also been lucky enough to do some mountaineering, including 11 first ascents in unexplored regions of Greenland and Antarctica. I am very grateful to Saint Ronan’s for instilling an adventurous spirit in me. A print at Saint Ronan’s of Captain Titus Oates in an Antarctic blizzard in 1912 had a big influence on me. Like my schoolmates, I admired Sir Richard Vassar-Smith enormously – he was a fantastic role model and led by example.

Clive Digby-Jones

1961 Sam Dugdale says that his only success at School was singing, which also averted early dismissal from Eton! He had some success with Poetry, thanks to Dutty. He was always in trouble for trying to make people laugh and reports that that is still the case, 50 years on! 1959 Clive Digby-Jones became the first US-certified practitioner in iMA, a behavioural/communications toll in the Language of Connection. iMA is pitching to Richard Branson on ideas to improve people’s lives. 1958 Steven Beharrell was invited to join the Court of the Drapers’ Company, one of the “Great 12” Livery companies in the City, in January. 1956 Robert Jagger kindly sent us some photographs. 1948 Malcom Davidson kindly sent us some photographs. 1946 Tim Scroggs re-started skiing in February 1988, after 28 years. He has skied every year since, bar 2006, and has done more than 300 miles downhill each time in 13 days. Last February he recorded his best ever – 426 miles, according to his ski pass. Can any OR of 60+ beat that? He is a young 82!

Please send us your news and updates! Contact the School Secretary, Clare O’Connell, on alumni@saintronans.co.uk

society called ‘The Dilettanti’, of which Waugh was a founding member and then chairman. The members had informal discussions and formal debates on art, literature, politics and

Malcolm Davidson kindly sent us a copy of ‘The Diaries of

music. Dick managed to get Malcolm Davidson’s father, J.C.

Evelyn Waugh’ to add to the School archive. When Waugh

Davidson, a leading Conservative and a close friend of

arrived at Lancing in 1917, Dick Harris was a young House

Baldwin, down to speak to them. Later in life Waugh

Tutor there. Waugh’s esteem and affection for Dick shines

commented that he might have left Lancing early if it hadn’t

through his diary entries. At one particular tea, Waugh says,

been for Dick Harris. The esteem his pupils held him in at

‘Dick was there and the life and soul of the whole thing…He is

Lancing has been echoed many times by ORs, who also

a splendid man’. Dick was instrumental in forming an elite

remember him with huge admiration and affection.

Summer Term Prizes Senior Prefects

Attainment

Junior

Intermediate

Senior

Head Prefect

O. de Winton

Art

E. Hues

G. Parsley

L. Marsh

Second Prefects

B. Hall, O. Skeet

Classics

n/a

M. Sanderson

E. Wilmoth

E. Shimmin

E. Wooff

F. Joarder-White

English

D. Cooper

C. Redmayne

A. Stevens

French

R. Redmayne

D. Dent

A. Stevens

Geography

C. Ellison

S. Thompson

D. Holden-Craufurd

History

H. Legg

B. Bonner-Davies A. Statman

ICT

S. Clarke

O. Clarke

E. Wilmoth

Maths

E. Shimmin

M. Kirby

A. Hsuan

Heads of Houses Bicton

I. Black

Pembroke

R. Faulkner

Selden

J. Jordan

Tongswood

L. Doane

School Appointments Captain of Rugby

E. Hastilow

Music

F. Gautier

W. Sayers

R. Pringle

Captain of Football

B. Hall

A. McPhee

T. Tweedie

W. Ashenden

Captain of Netball

A. Durtnell

Science

J. Burrows

S. Thompson

A. Balfour

Captain of Girls’ Hockey

I. Bolton-Ferrett

Leader of the Orchestra

E. Hastilow

Contribution

Junior

Intermediate

Senior

Senior Librarian

A. Cotter

Art

M. Featherstone L. Stewart

J. Beeching

Senior Chapel Chorister

A. Moore

Classics

n/a

F. McConachie

Technical Prefect

R. Macdonald

M. Ramyead

M. Peacock

T. Beeching

English

C. Parker

M. Macleay

O. Skeet

Headmaster’s Special Prizes

French

D. McEvoy-Gould M. Peacock

L. Carnell

W. Fisher, C. Gladders, S. King, J. Verschuur

Geography

C. Kirby

A. MacLeod

W. Woodhouse

History

O. Laughland

J. Woodhouse

W. Woodhouse

ICT

R. Campbell

H. Morrell

n/a

Maths

B. Dear

O. Parker

C. Stewart

Music

n/a

B. Bonner-Davies M. Chesters

M. Vincendeau E. Moore

I. Black

Science

R. Woodhouse E. Tapper

E. Hastilow

Most Shows Remove

W. Ashenden

Upper

A. Moore

Midway

O. Clarke

Shell

E. Moore

Class 4

H. Wyllie

Class 3

F. Shimmin

Exams

Best Average

Most Improved

Remove

Z. Barker

R. Flynn

Upper

F. McConachie

L. Doane

Midway

D. Dent

M. Lewis

Shell

M. Peacock

J. Whiteley

Class 4

E. Shimmin

Class 3

A. Bryan

School Prizes Taggart Einstein Cup

H. Stephenson

Langer Cup

O. Addis

Scales Cup

S. Lund

Shaw Cup

S. Charlesworth

Graham Langridge Prize

B. Booth-Clibborn

Hastilow Cup

N. Easton

Challenge Cup

F. Carver

Harris Cup

E. Wilmoth

Music & Perfoming Arts Prizes Sight Reading

D. Dent

Acting Cup

S. Williams

Ross Cup for Performing Arts

S. Pope

Drama Cup

G. de Reynal de Saint-Michel

Most Improved Instrumentalist

F. Connell

Singing

L. Doane

Jonathan Rutland Cup

O. Copplestone

Arran’s Cup

C. Goodacre, A. Hsuan

Chapel Reading Prize

M. Chesters

Cricket Prizes Bowling Prize

A. Balfour

Fielding Prize

O. Milborne

Batting Prize

Z. Barker

U13 Player of the Season 1st XI

Z. Barker

U13 Player of the Season 2nd XI

G. Pryke

U13 Most Improved

A. Pryke

U11 Player of the Season

W. Wyatt

U11 Most Improved

H. Gutteridge

Summer Term Prizes Rounders Prizes

The Queen Reshuffles The hives have had an interesting and somewhat turbulent

Batting Prize

A. Erith

Fielding Prize

C. Goodacre

U13 Player of the Season

D. Holden-Craufurd

U13 Most Improved

E. Sayers

U11 Player of the Season

D. Dent

U11 Most Improved

A. Bottle

time this year and have still not settled down. The Moon made well it through the winter and had an early start to the season. In fact, the bees surprised us at the first inspection as they had built rows and rows of wild comb in the space above the brood box. This looked promising, but turned foul too quickly for reasons unexplained (the first of many bee-

Sports & Extras Prizes

related mysteries).

Bennet Cup for Cross Country

J. Crawley

Overall Contribution - boys

O. Addis

Fortitude & Perserverance - boys

O. Chatterton

Overall Contribution - girls

D. Holden-Craufurd

Fortitude & Perserverance - girls

O. Hamilton

Mountain Biking - best / improved

C. Godden / M. Kirby

Hutton Sword for Fencing

W. Ashenden

Table Tennis

T. Hall

Jordan Chicken for the Farm

I. Black

Potu Cup for Judo

C. Parker

Golf Prize

Z. Barker

House and Form Prizes Senior Form

Midway SC

As soon as the Moon built queen cells, we placed one in the

Junior Form

4 EM

Star. The queen, a dark beauty, hatched and mated and was

House Cup

Selden

laying well. Funnily enough, by this time the Moon had

Bicton Prize

F. Carver

divested itself of its queen. The bees tried raising another one

Pembroke Prize

R. Faulkner

– in vain. As the Moon had no more eggs, we took a frame

Selden Prize

B. Booth-Clibborn

from the Star in an act of reverse colonization. The Moon bees

Tongswood Prize

N. Easton

raised another queen, but I am not sure she will be a success. The Star bees were doing well, but I recently discovered they

Form Tutors’ Prizes

were queenless, too! In fact I was fortunate enough to witness

Remove KK

G. Jones

Remove PG

L. Marsh

Upper DB

T. Marsh

A huge thank you to Mr. V, who has become a beekeeping

Upper BC

E. Hastilow

stalwart and huge help in all bee inspections this year.

Upper GV

J. Crawley

Midway SC

T. Tweedie

Midway RVS

T. Tapper

Midway IP

G. Kent

Shell AT

O. Parker

Shell RT

J. Hancock

Shell NH

C. Neill

4 AW

C. Ellison

4 EM

R. Redmayne

4 LS

E. Sanderson

3 RB

M. Featherstone

3 EP

O. Edwards

3 TT

C. Robertson

the emergence of a new queen, but will she survive?

The arrival of Boris, the school Land Rover.

Sport Saint Ronan’s Photos from Sports Day

Athletics Report Saint Ronan’s has had a wonderful summer of competitive athletics. There were five meetings over the course of the term, starting at Dulwich Prep on 15th May and finishing at Kent College on 24th June. The Saint Ronan’s athletics squad recorded some fantastic performances, both on the track and in the field, topped by Carlos qualifying for the IAPS Nationals in Birmingham, where he came eighth in the 1500m; and James Crawley, selected to represent Kent in the 800m at the Southern Inter-Counties later in July. Other highlights include: the U11 Girls’ relay team of Kate, Lily, Jemima and Caitlin getting the baton safely around to win the 4x100m at Dulwich; the U9, 10 and 11 squad coming second at the Junior event; Wilf winning the U12 competition at the Skippers Hill Pentathlon; Oli Addis, Oli Chatterton, James Crombie, Finn Kirkland, Daisy Dent, Lizzie Wooff and Caitlin Milborne all qualifying for finals at the IAPS Kent Championships, where Carlos and James Crawley went on to gain selection for the Nationals in Birmingham, and Charlotte Goodacre, who came second in the discus. Freddie JoarderWhite recorded a massive throw in the Javelin and Saint Ronan’s came fifth in our debut at the Tonbridge Trophy. Finally, the girls U11and U12 squad finished second at Kent College, with many girls competing for the first time. It has been a great season; many thanks to the combined efforts of the Friday-afternoon athletics staff for the excellent training this term.

Sports Newsletter Don’t forget our weekly Sport Saint Ronan’s Newsletter. Check the Extranet for back issues.

Sport Saint Ronan’s

Rounders Season Report: 497 rounders scored this season! We have once again had a lovely season, enjoying this great

recognised. Daisy HC has been an outstanding captain of the

game as it should be played, in plenty of sunshine. All teams

1st IX side, leading by great example at all times and

have trained hard to improve their fielding skills and command

demonstrating first class batting and fielding skills. Charlotte

of the bat, resulting in 32 wins, 4 draws and 497 rounders

Goodacre, Alexandra Erith and Sos Stevens have also been

scored in total!

instrumental in the development of the team. In Year 7,

There have been some great team performances – most notably from the U11As, who went almost unbeaten this season and finished equal 3rd in the recent IAPS Rounders Tournament, out of 20 schools. They won all their group matches and narrowly lost in the semi-finals, by only one rounder. The U11B team batted with determination and scored the most rounders collectively, amassing a grand total of 85 over the season. The U10A team also excelled and were a very close second, with a total of 84 rounders and having won 5 of their 7 matches. Lower down the School, our U9 and U8

Matilda C, Issi Bolton-Ferrett, Alice Durtnell and Dizzy LB also demonstrated great all-round skills under pressure. There is a great deal of strength and potential in Years 5 and 6. The U11A team are a well-oiled machine (Daisy Dent, Emily Cooper, Amelie Bottle, Maddie McDonald, Maddie Spence, Rosy Honychurch, Louisa Hudson, Lily Simpson, Olive Clarke and Lizzie Wooff), and Caitlin Milbourne, Grace Easton and Grace Bartleet are setting the bar high for the U10s. There is also plenty of talent coming up from the U8 and U9 teams, so exciting times ahead.

children have been learning fast. The U8B team were

I’d like to finish with a special thank you to Mrs Easton, who

unbeaten and the U8As won 4 or their 5 matches. The U9As

has given so much to girls’ games. We will miss her hugely

scored 70½ rounders, 24 in one match!

and wish her well in her move across to the Nursery. I have a

In this game, individual performances are also easily

feeling that the little ones there may have her running round more than she does out on the netball courts!

Sport Saint Ronan’s

The First XI

A productive season; 2nd XI remain unbeaten This summer term produced some very exciting cricket matches. John Watson and his team of ground staff prepared some wonderful wickets (thank you from all the players), providing pace and bounce which the batsmen enjoyed. The 1st XI started slowly, narrowly losing their opening three matches. One win was all they needed and this paved the way for them winning their final seven matches. Zach Barker was the star man with the bat: he scored a 100 v Solefield, 55 v Ashdown House and 56 v St Andrews. Nat Easton scored 50 v Sutton Valence and, with all the other players’ contributing runs, our bowlers had the opportunity to go on the attack. Angus Balfour, Oli Chatterton and George Jones did the majority of the damage, assisted by Zach Barker. The 2nd XI, not wanting to be outdone in Mr V’s final season, finished undefeated. Freddie Dear scored an impressive 51 v Uplands and they recorded six wins out of six. The Colts A have shown that there is strength in depth, also winning six matches; the highlight being Wilf Wyatt’s 57 v DCPS. Well played to all the boys, and to Grace Easton, who has been playing for the Kent U11 girls’ cricket team.