Lent Term 2023 OB Newsletter

Principal A message from the

Dear Old Birkfeldian,

It has been, as ever, a pleasure catching up with St Joseph’s alumni both on and off campus and internationally as well as locally.

Recently, we hosted lunch for several alumni who attended St Jo’s in the 1960s - it was a pleasure to hear first-hand about the tales and adventures of former students.

Our Visiting Speaker programme and events, such as our recent Open Morning also attract OBs who kindly share their expertise and introduce their children to their former school respectively. The College Musical and recent annual Netball Festival attracted a good number of former students, parents and staff.

It seems that wherever I go, I meet wonderful former students of the College. Earlier this term I had a chance encounter with Dr Amberley Munnings OB at The Marquis in Layham. Amberley is currently training as an ear nose and throat surgeon in the Thames Valley Deanery. Later, on the train from London I was delighted to bump into Kieran Williams OB, commercial process executive at SmartestEnergy.

Our first trip to Asia since November 2019 gave Mrs Alice Lee and myself the opportunity to catch up with alumni in Hong Kong. A dinner with over 25 Old Birkfeldians provided a superb occasion for recollection and shared experiences. We also visited Wycombe Abbey Prep School Hong Kong, where Mr Howard Tuckett, former Head of St Joseph’s Prep School is the current Headteacher. Mr Tuckett leads an exceptional school with equally fabulous staff and pupils, two of whom will be joining our community in September. I can thoroughly recommend this Prep School to alumni who reside in Hong Kong.

Finally, we congratulate Lewis Ludlam OB on his selection once again for the England team and his Vice Captaincy for the Ireland v England match in Dublin on Saturday 18 March.

Please stay in contact.

Mrs Danielle Clarke Principal

Fifteen Years and Counting

These are exciting times at St Joseph’s College Prep School with a significant anniversary and the imminent arrival of new Headteacher, Mrs Amanda Childs.

Amanda starts her role this month, having previously spent 13 very successful years as Head of Prep at Ipswich School. “I absolutely love Suffolk, whenever I come back to the county it feels like coming home,” she said.

She said St Joseph’s College was a unique school, with its breadth of opportunities, its ambition, its excellent co-curricular offering and fantastic pastoral care.

It is now 15 years since St Joseph’s award-winning Prep School building was opened by humanitarian Terry Waite.

The £3.2 million building has seen hundreds of children grace its classrooms since it first opened its doors in 2008, and is still as innovative as it was the day it was built.

College Principal, Mrs Clarke, who attended the grand opening on 30 January 2008, said the building had been

designed with little people in mind.

‘It was designed to be different, bespoke – not just another building,’ she said. ‘It’s a school building created especially for children, rather than putting children in an adult building. It’s like the school ethos, building education around the children.’ The children absolutely love it, she added, as it’s light and airy without feeling impersonal.

Mrs Childs agreed, saying, ‘I love the sense of space and openness, it’s wonderfully conducive to learning.

‘We are also incredibly lucky to have such a brilliant space for outdoor learning, which is something I think is essential for everyone’s development.’

Reunion in Hong Kong

For the first time in three years St Joseph’s representatives were able to make a trip East to catch up with alumni, current parents, prospective parents and agents in Hong Kong. The Covid pandemic may have put a pause on travel but certainly did nothing to diminish the welcome.

Mrs Clarke, the Principal, and Mrs Lee, International Liaison Officer, spent an enjoyable and very busy week in Hong Kong, renewing friendships and initiating new ones. They were delighted that such a large party of younger OBs gathered for a nostalgic meal aand only sorry that two of the slightly earlier vintage were not able to attend, Prof Berry Hsu and Mr Ian King, whose commitments ruled out a meeting. We are hoping that might be rectified in the future.

Another pleasant meeting for our travellers took place at Wycombe Abbey Hong Kong, whose Headmaster, Mr Howard Tuckett, is a former Head of St Joseph’s College Prep School and whose own children, are both Old Birkfeldians. Pupils at Wycombe Abbey HK enjoyed hearing about St Joseph’s College and two of the school’s pupils have confirmed places at St Jo’s for September.

Do please stay in touch, everyone, and do let us know of any St Joseph’s alumni who might have lost contact with the College. Representatives of the school hope to be back in Hong Kong and mainland China in the Autumn.

Rugby Charity Event All4MND

ALL4MND is a charity venture created by a group of Old Birkfeldians over a few Christmas beverages. We have all been touched by the stories of Doddie Weir, Rob Burrow, Ed Slater and their battles with MND (Motor Neurone Disease).

These guys are legends of the rugby field but more importantly they are husbands, fathers, friends and teammates. Seeing Rob Burrow at a testimonial match holding his three children in his arms flanked by his best friends and teammates pulled our heart strings.

Kevin Sinfield, former professional Rugby League player and defence coach for the England national team, has raised millions for MND charities; showing what can be achieved when friendship and love is your motivation.

We have set ourselves the ambitious target of raising £400,000 for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and 4ED Campaign. The 4ED Campaign is close to the heart of Dan Murphy (Old Birkfeldian and rider) who was a team mate of Ed Slater at Gloucester Rugby Club for many years; they remain close friends to this day.

We are supported by cycle wear brand GOREWEAR and many local businesses, namely Strategiq (Rugby Festival Sponsor 2022), Sports Med East (Old Birkfeldian Jonathan ‘Afi’ George) and Combat2Coffee to name just a few.

At Sports Personality of The Year, Kevin said that Rob Burrow ‘has inspired us all to be better friends.’ That sentiment has inspired us to take on an epic challenge. Our friendships were forged at St Joseph’s College and they have endured the test of time.

MND is a disease that could one day affect any one of us and if we can help the fight now, others will encounter MND on a much more level playing field. Doddie Weir said ‘MND is not incurable; it is underfunded’.

Our initial group of eight has now grown to a team of 40 including 33 riders. We are all associated with Ipswich Rugby Club and we have set ourselves the challenge to cycle over 400 miles in four days from Ipswich Rugby Club to Melrose Rugby Club (the home club of Doddie Weir) in the borders of Scotland. We will be stopping at Leicester Tigers Rugby Club, Leeds Rhinos and Newcastle Falcons on route.

To have a chance of getting near our target we need the help of all of our networks. Not only for donations but to like and share our media so the event can become visible to the widest audience possible. So please donate at:

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/all4mnd40 Follow, like, share and promote our media whenever possible.

Many thanks

Oliver Hall OB

His last Festival photo. Oli Hall is fourth in from the right on the front row. Five of the pictured squad are on the ride.

(Oli left) with Nick Barratt OB, another of the riders. Nick is also seen third from left front row in the Festival squad photo.

Post the OBs’ rugby match approximately five years ago, Oli is pictured with Seb Woods (left) and Ben Acton (right), both doing the ride. Ben Acton is Captain in squad shot.

OB Focus

A look at the multi–tracked career of Seán Micheál Lea OB

I was at Birkfield from 1975 to 1980 as a Boarder. Before that I was at Oakhill. During vacations and at weekends I was involved as a volunteer at the North Norfolk Railway. (My family lived in Cromer until 1978 then we moved to London.)

I was given permission to set up the SJC Railway Society in my second year with the help of Mr Sparrow and was greatly encouraged by the new Headmaster, Brother Damian. He was more than happy for me to organise trips to the National Railway Museum York etc.

Whilst at St Joseph’s I was also the College Head Sacristan and Master of Ceremonies. Within that role I organised for the SJC to be formally admitted into The Arch Confraternity of St Stephen for Altar Servers. Because I organised weekly training for the school’s Altar Serving Team at the same time as the College Choir led by Brother Laurence Hughes was formed, SJC quickly gained a good reputation for the quality of its altar serving and music at Mass as per the Rubrics.

As a result, I contacted the Administrator at Westminster Cathedral and organised for the SJC Altar Servers to Serve Mass at one of the Cathedral’s Solemn High Masses presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Basil Hume. Brother Terence drove us to London in the minibus. Afterwards we had lunch and visited the Imperial War Museum then crossed over the road to St George’s Cathedral were we served as a SJC team at Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

In the Summer of 1980 Stephen Hook and I represented SJC on the Arch Confraternity’s 10–day pilgrimage to Rome and we stayed in the Vatican City. Both of us served Mass in all the major Roman basilicas and had front row seats during the Papal Weekly General Audience. Whilst in Rome we were invited by Brother Richard Allen, who happened to be in the city at the time, to visit the De La Salle Brothers Generalate.

Then in June 1982 I was selected to serve at the Papal Mass in Cardiff and also had the honour of a Private Audience with The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. Also in Cardiff that day was Guy Pitt who was a day boy at SJC in my year. He attended The Papal Youth Event and presented a picture to the Holy Father on behalf of the Diocese of East Anglia.

I left SJC at the end of the fifth form and went on to do A–levels at a local grammar school before going to Surrey University, where I gained a BSc degree in Business Management. After leaving university in 1985 I spent most of my career in the leisure and hotel management industry. I was general manager of numerous venues around the UK including Eastbourne Pier, The Blackpool Tower Complex and Hammersmith Apollo London.

I was also involved in the development of Cardinal Park in Ipswich and launched the various bars and nightclubs.  I then spent several years in Scotland as General Manager of The Balmoral Hotel Edinburgh, owned by Rocco Forte.

Simultaneously with doing the above, during my free time I have always actively pursued my other passions in life, which are heritage steam

railways and Arsenal FC. I am a volunteer passenger train inspector guard at the East Lancashire Railway and also the Fans Director of Arsenal Manchester Supporters Club. We have over 1,400 members living in Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Fortunately, I get to go to every Arsenal match – home, away and in Europe. Being an Arsenal fan living in Manchester is great at the moment whilst Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League! In February 2021 I was invited to become a Director of the East Lancashire Railway and I’m currently in role and loving every minute of it.

The East Lancashire Railway runs from Heywood in Greater Manchester via Bury for 12 miles up the beautiful Irwell Valley through to Rawtenstall in Lancashire. We operate a superb collection of restored steam and diesel hauled locomotives. Many of them arrived in appalling condition from Dai Woodham’s scrap yard in Barry, South Wales. It has been a labour of love over 20–plus years by our team of dedicated volunteers to restore these locos to their pristine glory.

The actual railway is the second busiest tourist attraction in Lancashire. It also operates the prestigious Dining with Distinction Pullman–style service. Visitors can enjoy fine lunches, luxury afternoon teas and splendid four–course dinners in the most elegant of settings. Events include family spectaculars, wine tasting nights, murder mystery parties and comedy nights. See the East Lancashire Railway website for details and tickets eastlancsrailway.co.uk

A few years ago, at our Baron Street Locomotive Depot in Bury, we fully restored and overhauled the Flying Scotsman. The world famous A3 Pacific locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and built in 1923 in Doncaster for the London North Eastern Railway celebrates her 100th birthday this year. She was in full steam at the East Lancashire Railway in March and is absolutely magnificent.

The railway is always on the lookout for eager volunteers and any fellow OBs who have settled in the Lancashire area are warmly invited to get in touch if they’re interested.

British Railways’ City of Wells Locomotive 34092 on route last weekend in the snow on the East Lancashire Railway (I’m the Company Director) from Bury Greater Manchester to Rawtenstall in Lancashire.

It’s St Jo’s All Right, But Not As We Know It!

They may have left the school more than half a century ago, but memories of their days at St Joseph’s remain vivid for a party of school friends who returned to the campus last month.

We heard tales of the burial of the poisoned dog, the very seriously disgruntled science teacher, the ‘voluntary’ concerts boys were forced to attend (at their parents’ expense), the breakfasts of porridge and beans, and the mixed fruit jam for tea – that is, all sorts of jams combined in one pot!

We also heard of the happy times spent cementing those lasting friendships, excelling in sports – particularly rugby;

never football! – and being tasked to clear playing fields of stones, lay asphalt and give the buildings a lick of paint. The boys were, indeed, kept busy.

All sorts of successful careers were represented among the party: solicitors, a quantity surveyor, company directors, executives and farmers, among others. There was an international representative too. Monty Sparks OB flew in from Texas, accompanied by his wife, Gail.

More, we hope, on Mr Sparks and his exciting career in a future edition of this paper. For now, we will agree his Mom was a picture-perfect

boarder’s parent. When the school had an open day, she brought over hot-dogs from the American airbase where Monty’s dad was serving. That particular stall must have been a culinary sensation.

The group toured the school from Goldrood boarding house to the English department, with exclamations of ‘That used to be science!’ and ‘That was my first form room!’ along the way.

The changes to the campus were noted and often marvelled at – including the Chapel, formerly housed in what is now the dance studio, and the fitness suite. We were gratified but not all surprised when our guests kindly remarked on the polite and happy students (including girls!), the large number of teaching staff and the overall welcome. They lunched on a regular school dinner and the high quality of that also underlined how much things have changed since the mid-1960s.

Our thanks in turn to Chris Ryan OB for bringing his schoolfriends back to St Jo’s and to all the attendees. We hope many will write up their memories for us.

What a view!

Our Principal, Mrs Clarke, was delighted to receive in the post a picturesque calendar dating from the turn of 1932. It had been produced for the Paul family, then resident at Goldrood, as a Christmas present for friends. The image shows the garden wall, still extant, with an impressive herbaceous border and beyond it the view down to the River Orwell.

The calendar was sent by Brother John Deeney, who found it among the effects of a deceased colleague. Br Deeney wrote, ‘I left the school in 1962 after seven happy years there. During that time, of course, Goldrood was still in the Paul family so we only glimpsed it through the hedges, though we did use the tennis courts alongside.’

The calendar arrives at an interesting time. Goldrood remains a much-loved boarding house for St Joseph’s College, but will be converted into apartments if the College’s redevelopment plans are approved. St Joseph’s proposes to construct new boarding accommodation more centrally on the campus. This purpose-designed block will take boarding at St Jo’s into the coming decades.

Goldrood House is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

A note about the artist, who captured the charming view from Goldrood: Leonard Russell Squirrell was born in Ipswich in 1893, son of Frank Squirrell, a carpenter, and his first wife Henrietta. The family lived in Spring Road, Ipswich, and Leonard was educated at the British School in the town. In 1908 he joined the Ipswich School of Art as a full-time student, remaining there until 1916. One of his water-colours was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1913 and in 1915 he won the British Institution scholarship in engraving. In 1918 he returned to Ipswich Art School and two years later entered the Slade School of Fine Art in London. He travelled to Italy and France, producing etchings related to the landscape, and received gold medals at the International Print Makers Exhibitions in Los Angeles in 1925 and 1930 and a silver in 1923. He was a member of the Ipswich Art Club from 1914 until his death. From 1929 until 1940 he taught etching at the Ipswich School of Art, he served on the council of the Royal Society of Painters in Water-Colours and the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, and he exhibited widely. He died in 1979. In 2010, a blue plaque was installed at 82 Spring Road.

St Joseph’s is delighted to add the calendar to its archive. If you have any interesting objects relating to the school from the past we would love to hear about them.

Benchmark Day for the Prep School

The teacher was Mrs Pauline Brown and the photograph was taken between 1996 and 1998, but who are those pupils? Every one of them must remember the day a helicopter came to school and landed beyond the sports hall.

Together We’re Stronger

We love showing off St Joseph’s College, its splendid students and the beautiful campus, to visitors – particularly to those families who might choose to join us. This term there have been a number of events when visitors had the opportunity to join in a little St Jo’s magic. It’s a two–way process, too, as our students make excellent, friendly hosts.

Our annual Mission Impossible Day is a fun experience for our own Year 6 Prep pupils and prospective students geared to showing them that the transition to Senior School is a mission they are ready to accomplish.

Prep for Adventure was a new–style open event held on a school day. Our Prep pupils and visitors alike had an excellent time working through various ‘zones’ and taking part in the imaginative, educational activities devised by the teaching staff. As an added attraction, we were joined by a number of huge dinosaur puppets.

Children from three local primary schools also joined us for an outreach day led by our partners at Arts International. Working in mixed groups with our own Year 5 girls and boys, the children worked up short pieces from three musicals. The dynamism injected by Arts International’s three theatrical professionals (Daniel Loosely, James Westphal, and Jonathon Prestney) met with the participants’ joy and enthusiasm. Parents attending the brief showcase at the end of the event were thrilled with what had been achieved in so short a time.

Interestingly, Jonathon’s grandmother, Pat Prestney, was at one time Chaplin at St Joseph’s College.

The day was very enjoyable all-round and our own students benefited from the collaboration as much as the visitors. One of the visiting staff members said that due to the Credit Crunch this outing was her class’s first in a year. We are delighted that St Jo’s was able to facilitate it.