Old Edmundians

The Edmundian Association has experienced celebration, excitement, challenge, loss and change since our last report. From 2018 to 2020, we were thrilled to celebrate our 450th Anniversary with a trip to Douai and St Edmund’s Sunday Mass. We were also delighted to host the London Dinner, reunions at the ever-popular Feathers and Star and the annual Careers Fair.

March 2020, however, brought our plans to a sudden and unexpected halt. This period has been exceptionally challenging, and we continue to keep the Edmundian Community in our prayers.

As the world steadily adjusts to life after lockdown, we look ahead with optimism that we can bring our community together once again.

450th Anniversary Trip to Douai

A group of enthusiastic OEs met at the College to board a Golden Boy coach for our weekend trip. We stopped to pick up a few passengers along the way and then we were off on our journey to Douai to celebrate our 450th anniversary. A slight delay at the tunnel left us only a short window to check in and freshen up at our hotel and then we were off to attend the first of the weekend’s activities, an exhibition on Douai held at the local library. We were greeted by friendly faces from L’Association William Allen, VIP guests and more OEs who made the trip independently. On show were a number of interesting historical artefacts and books all with a connection to Douai.

After viewing the artefacts and a quick drink we were off to our next destination, Le Vintage restaurant, for dinner with College guests. It was a packed room with lively chat and the wine flowed. It was a great chance for people to get to know one another with connections being made easily. It was here that Michael Maslinski, OE, met Valerie Bince-Stuart, who was to lead our group on the war graves tour on Sunday. Michael shared the story of his great uncle who was buried close to Douai after falling in the Great War. With this new information, Valerie was then able to incorporate a visit to the gravesite into our itinerary for the Sunday tour, which meant a great deal to Michael.

When dinner was over, we made our way to the Conservatoire in Douai to enjoy an evening of music and song. We were treated to a concert from an array of amazingly talented students all whom performed with aplomb and just the right amount of pizazz!

Saturday saw the main event of the weekend, the Mass held in the Collégiale Saint-Pierre de Douai. What a chance to worship and give thanks in the town of our foundation, with the College and special guests present – a unique and moving experience for all.

From Mass we walked to the Town Hall where a drinks reception was held for guests with some celebratory fizz and a few canapés. The hall was full of local VIPs as well as College guests and it was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to come together to reflect on a superb day. Speeches were given by the Mayor of Douai and Mr Durán, and the College presented the town of Douai with a beautiful mosaic of the English College by one of our art teachers, Mrs Stringer.

Old Edmundians

Saturday night saw the group have a more leisurely dinner at La Terrasse restaurant. Good food and good wine were enjoyed and convivial conversations had, even one or two about Brexit!

The following OEs attended the Douai trip:

Richard Beveridge (1981-88), Canon Michael Brockie (1954-67), Liz Cobb (2004-17), Penny Dixon (1991-96), Tim Fuller (1967-72), Duncan Gallie (1976-2012), Ronald Gladman (1954-59), Martin Gratte (1957-60) and his wife Frankie, Paul Greensmith (1956-60) and his wife Maggie, Eleanor Gribben(1998-2011) and her fiancé Bradley Hudson, Michael Gribben (1998-2012), Pierce Gribben (1999-2012), Christopher Jackson (1971-78) and his wife Anne , David Kay (1975-82), Henryk Klocek (1960-70), Michael Maslinski (1962-70), Tony O’Mahony (1954-59) and his wife Geraldine, David Peel (1951-59), John Piper (1969-2000), Peter Rowe (1959-64), Robert Rowe (1960-65) and his wife Liz Rowe, Zofia Torun- Shaw (1986-92), John Vaughan-Shaw (1964-2009) and his wife Denise, Mark Vaughan-Shaw (1989-97) and his wife Anouk and son George, Farah Omotosho (2005-12), Jo Beatty (1988-1992)

Battlefields Tour

Our local guide for a tour of the battlefields was Valerie Bince-Stuart, Director of the local Great War charity Le Coquelicot, accompanied by her husband Bernard. We were also accompanied by members of the William Allen Association.

We began by visiting the Dury Crucifix Cemetery in Pas de Calais which was begun by Canadian units immediately after the capture of the village, and it contained at the Armistice 72 graves. It was then enlarged by the concentration of graves from nearby battlefields and there are now 2,058 First World War casualties buried in this site, of which 1,766 are unidentified.

Here is buried Stuart Moore (1901-03), MC & Bar, who served in the 50th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regiment). His Military Cross was awarded for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty whilst leading a bombing party with great courage and initiative. He was killed in action on 2 September 1918 aged 32.

Next we visited the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, a site dedicated to the memory of Canadian soldiers killed or presumed dead in France who have no known grave. Along the route we passed, but did not have time to stop at, the vast Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, the final resting place of Fr Herbert Collins (1894-1901), an OE Chaplain to the Forces. The Vimy Memorial is the centrepiece of a 250 acre preserved battlefield park that encompasses a portion of the ground over which the Canadian Corps made their assault during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a military engagement fought as part of the Battle of Arras. Here is commemorated John McCarthy (1911-13), who died on 10 April 1917, aged 20. John’s story is unusual in that he was born in Ireland, studied at Old Hall Green in England, emigrated to Canada, and fell serving his country a few miles from where the College

was founded in 1568. His body was never identified. We laid wreaths alongside the memorials to these two Old Edmundians. David Kay, President Emeritus & Archivist of The Edmundian Association, read out a brief biography of each soldier and Duncan Gallie, former Housemaster of Challoner, led prayers followed by a minute’s silence.

Following this we visited the Ring of Remembrance at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, the largest military cemetery in France located at Ablain-Saint-Nazaire near Arras. This vast ellipse is engraved with the names of nearly 600,000 soldiers, listed alphabetically and without regard for nationality, religion or rank. Here we were able to observe the names of:

•Bernard Cary (1892-94), died 10 May 1917, aged 38 •Fr Herbert Collins (1894-1901), Chaplain to the Forces, died 9 April 1917, aged 35 •Alfred Frost (1895-97), died 1 July 1916, aged 34 •Joseph Mann (1910-16), died 15 March 1917, aged 21 •John McCarthy (1911-13), died 10 April 1917, aged 20 •Francis Woods (1887-94), died 15 July 1916, aged 40

Joseph Mann was one of the first six Edmundian conscripts who left the College on 19 January 1916. Only five were to return home.

During the trip we drove past dozens of Commonwealth War Graves cemeteries, as well as those dedicated to other Allied forces, distinctive by their long serried ranks of white gravestones.

The tour ended with a stop at Cuinchy Communal Cemetery where there is buried the great uncle of Michael Maslinski (1962-70), one of our group. Alwyn Gosselin was the son of Hellier Gosselin who donated a large collection of books to the College in 1924. Older OEs may still remember the Gosselin Library in Allen Hall.

The trip back to Calais and to Eurotunnel was a chance to reflect upon what had been a very thought-provoking day. There can be few places more sombre to visit than the battlefields of northern France.

The Edmundian Association has made a donation to the charity Le Coquelicot in gratitude for its work to preserve the memory of those who fell during the Great War in the region of Douai.

Careers Fair 2019

The College hosted its annual Careers Fair in the Butler Hall in January 2019. We rely on volunteers from all professions to come and speak with our current students and give inspiration of various career paths, and what options are open to them.

We had over fifty exhibitors who were kind enough to give up their time; many of these were Old Edmundians. It is very heartening to see ex-pupils coming back to the College and imparting their experience and knowledge to current pupils, who may well follow in their footsteps one day.

The Old Edmundians who attended the fair were:

Joseph Haji-Hannas (78-84) Andre Annison (01-07) Anthony Parisi (5460) Chris Wade (03-10) David Meyer (91-97) Edward O’Bryan (05-12) Gemma Cooper (92-99) Nick Bannister (60-64) Peter Blackman (64-72) Piers Chipperfield (90-97) Rick Shaw (77-84) Robert Dodds (91-02) Sergey Kornev (99-04) Sean O’Connor OBE(76-86) Sergey Kornev ( 9904) Tim Mays (76-81) Vince Owen (90-97) Adrian Kimber (79-84) Stephen Kimber (68-75)

450th Anniversary St Edmund’s Sunday Mass

This celebration of our Patron Saint was an extra special one to say the least! We welcomed 250 Old Edmundians and guests to the College for an afternoon of joy and reflection. Many had flown in from far flung places to be there and to help us celebrate a most special day.

We were blessed with the presence of The Most Reverend George Stack, Archbishop of Cardiff, who was the Principal celebrant for our Edmundian Association Mass. We thank him for his time and enthusiasm, and as an Old Edmundian himself, coming back to visit us. Schola Cantorum sang beautifully throughout the Mass, recitals included, Sing England’s Sons and of course, O Beate Mi Edmunde.

After Mass there was a drinks reception in the Ambulacrum which was then followed by a wonderful roast beef lunch with all the trimmings. This was a great opportunity to meet up with old friends and familiar faces over a glass of wine or two. It was extremely uplifting to see how quickly friendships were rekindled and familiarity with old classmates restored. There were speeches from Mr Durán and the Most Reverend George Stack and a toast was made using the President’s Cup, on loan fron Ushaw. The first time in many years it had been used and was very fitting.

Thus followed an afternoon of activities for our guests to participate in, should they have wished to do so. Many OEs took part in tours of the College, and they saw an awful lot of change since their studies here.

Tours included a visit to the Divines’ Refectory, now the Music school; the old School Block, now the Science Block and also a visit to the McEwan wing, which is now the ICT Suite.

Father Peter Harris kindly gave a talk on the Douai Silver and College artefacts in the Museum and there was the opportunity to view the College installation of ‘There But Not There’ in the Chapel, which, marked 100 years since the end of the Great War. In addition, there were screenings of ‘Quarry’, a play performed by our students. As you may recall, Quarry is based on the life of an Old Edmundian, Andreas Fröhlich, who was killed whilst he was a prisoner of war in Mauthausen.

There was also an opportunity to purchase College memorabilia from the Edmundian Association shop, which was situated in the newly refurbished Douglass House common room. We are enormously grateful for the generous donation from the Edmundian Association that enabled both Douglass and Challoner house areas to be refurbished.

It was a wonderful occasion, and we were delighted to see so many friends, old and new, who were able to join us. We are blessed to have such a committed and caring community. We very much look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our future St Edmund’s Sunday celebration, and indeed all events.

London Dinner 2019

For the second year running, the London Dinner was held at Browns in Covent Garden. It was wonderful to welcome Edmundians who have attended the College over many different generations, from the 1940s, right up to some that left only a few of years ago. We were fortunate enough to be able to host the evening in the Judge’s Courtroom, a private dining area on the second floor with its own bar area.

A welcome glass of Prosecco greeted guests whilst name badges were distributed and familiar faces found. Once all the guests had gathered, we were called in for dinner, and, after Grace, we took our seats. Groups of friends had reserved a number of tables, whilst others were made up of OEs who attended the College in the same era. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet with both old and new acquaintances. There were many familiar faces and a number of people had travelled quite a distance to attend. Others had not had so far to travel, but all were given a very warm welcome. The food was excellent and the waiting staff were most attentive and efficient, we were very well looked after. Melanie Burke gave a short speech saying farewell to our Alumni Officer, Jo Beatty, and thanked her for the dedication and commitment that she has given the role over the years. The Headmaster also gave a speech to welcome everyone and to update them with the latest news from the College. He talked of his departure from the College and welcomed the new Alumni Officer, Linsey Edmunds to the role.

The evening was as usual a huge success, and this is due to the unique foundation of friendships that were made and cemented at our remarkable School. We welcome all old Edmundians and their partners to the London Dinner and we would be pleased to see more of you at future events. There is lots of fun to be had by all.

Attendees: Michael Mason (66-70) Tim Fuller (67-72) David Kay (75-82) Melissa Bach (Guest) John Vaughan-Shaw (Former Academic Staff) Peter Antram (63-72) Hiran Weeraratne (68-75) Bob Taylor (69-76) Aidan Anglin (79-84) David Hewitt (77-83) Ashley Cooper (77-84) Jeremy Gillham (63-69) Chris Gillham (58-64) Adrian Gillham (60-65) Michael Hutchison (56-65) Christopher Hutchison (56-63) Paulo Durán (Headmaster) Alice Merino (Guest) Michael Maslinski (62-70) John Bryant (62-71) Jennifer Mernagh (88-93) Becky Collett (90-93) Katie Banatvala (88-93) Amy Peake (88-92) Kelly King (89-93) Annika Haslett-Symonds (88-93) Rowena Haslett (89-93) Jo Beatty (88-93) Ivor O’Mahony (4553) John Crowley (49-56) Chris Reed (47-57) John Crowley (49-56) Sam Langham-Service (47-58) Pat Langham-Service (Guest) Beryl Keenan (Guest) Andrew Keenan (52-60) Len Santorelli (54-60) Margaret Santorelli (Guest) Tony Conway (42-49) David Peel (51-59) Ronald Gladman (5459) Jolyon Baldwin (53-59) Chris Knight (51-61) Peter Knight (54-65) Melanie Burke (Director of External Relations) Linsey Edmunds (Alumni Officer) Colin Jones (49-58) Charlotte Olliver (01-16) Robert Ryan (08-15) Roger James (85-95) Matt Campbell (87-92) Carol Lewis ( Former Academic Staff) John Lewis (Guest) John Perry (Former Academic Staff) Nigel Howard (Former Academic Staff) Ken Hall (Former Academic Staff) Shirley Leyen (Guest) Tom Hannah (70-75) Roland Wilding (63-74).

Feathers Reunion 2019

There was a reunion of friends at The Feathers pub, Wadesmill just before St Edmund’s Sunday. There was a great turn out; it is always good to meet up with old friends and it didn’t take long to roll back those 50 plus years since they last met.

Apologies were sent fom David Rozalla and Roger Reading who were unable to make the evening.

The Old Edmundians who attended the fair were:

Peter Singleton (1960 -1968), Michael Maslinski (1962 -1970), Tim O’Regan (1957 – 1966), Michael McCrory (1957 – 1966), Andrew Lloyd (1958 – 1965), Bill Holloway (1961 – 1968), Phil Collins (1961 – 1968), Mike Stone (1962 – 1968), Kevin Broughan (1962 – 1968) and John Bannister (1960-1968).

40s 50s 60s Dinner 2019

In May 2019, for the twelfth time, we hosted our annual visit at The Star Tavern in Mayfair, for those that attended the College in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

Whilst the numbers may have dwindled slightly over the years, those that attended the evening were in high spirits and the atmosphere was one of warmth and fun. The evening started off with drinks in the downstairs bar, before proceeding to the upstairs restaurant for a three course meal. After the meal Mr Durán gave a short speech to those present thanking them for their support and then spoke with pride about his time at the College, but that one must embrace the new challenges that life brings.

We continue to meet in The Star Tavern in Belgravia and hope to see you all again when possible. Attendees were:

Anthony Parisi (Talbot, 1954-60), David Peel (St Hughs, Talbot 1951-59), Peter Knight (St Hughs, Challoner 1954-65), Ronald Gladman (Douglass, 1954-59), Jolyon Baldwin (Challoner, 1953-59), Michael Hernu (St Hughs, Talbot 1948-58), Chris Knight (St Hughs, Challoner 1951-61) Peter Ward (St Hughs, Talbot 1953-61) Andrew Keenan OBE (St Hughs, Talbot 195260), Tony Conway (St Hughs, Talbot 1944-49), Ken Allen (Challoner, 19511956), Martin Gratte (Douglass, 1957-60), Colin Jones (St Hughs, Douglass,1949-58),Glenn Kielty (Douglass, Allen Hall,1952-59), Charles Carey (St Hughs, Douglass, 1946-55), John Crowley (Douglass, 1949-56), Linsey Edmunds ( Alumni Officer), Melanie Burke (Director of External Relations), Paulo Durán.