Lent Term OB Newsletter 2024

Old Birkfeldians

Dear Old Birkfeldian

We concluded the Christmas Term 2023 with another beautiful candlelit Carol service in our Chapel, when the atmosphere was further heightened by the arrival of real-life donkeys and hay in a manger outside. As ever, the Chapel remains pivotal to our community and provides a safe and peaceful space for students and staff across the College to reflect, celebrate and come together as a community.

Our community goes from strength to strength, not just in terms of pupil numbers but also in terms of its richness and diversity. Our curriculum is also much-enriched by the range of subjects and courses we now offer, our innovative methods of teaching and learning, as well as the many trips and events we organise.

We held our inaugural Sport tour to Spain in February half-term, with in excess of 90 students from Years 5 to Upper Sixth attending a week-long camp near Barcelona. The annual ski trip and regular South Africa tour are also scheduled for this academic year.

We very much look forward to our third annual Netball Festival, which takes place on Saturday 23 March, and our second annual Lashings cricket extravaganza on Friday 31 May. Do come and join us: Netball £2 car park charge only; Lashings https://www.stjos.co.uk/lashings/

We ‘went large’ - so to speak - for World Book day on Thursday 7 March, with many staff and students dressing up as their favourite book characters. We also unveiled and officially opened our new Prep School outdoor reading gazebo, charmingly called ‘Chapters’, much to the excitement of the youngest members of our community and the bewilderment of our Prep School dog, Lola!

A steady flow of OBs continue to make contact and visit St Jo’s - it is always a genuine pleasure to meet you and show you around the school and campus. I was delighted to receive a video from Gerald Keating OO (now subsumed as an OB), who joined Oak Hill in the 1930s and who still has his wartime student ID bracelet and a medal for the high jump. See page 12.

We remain indebted to the many OBs who share their experiences and wisdom with our oldest students. If you would be willing to talk about your career, please contact Mr David Kemsley, the College’s Student Futures Advisor (d.kemsley@stjos.co.uk).

Thank you for your continued support and affection for St Jo’s.

Mrs Danielle Clarke Principal

Student and Teacher Reunited after 44 Years and 6,500 Miles

What a great pleasure it was to take Mr Matthew Yeoh OB on a trip down memory lane around the St Joseph’s College campus. Matthew made the whistle-stop tour of his old school during a trip to London from his home in Malaysia. He caught up with his A-level Economics teacher, Mr Tony Newman, now a long-serving St Joseph’s College governor.

Matthew studied at St Joseph’s College in 1979/80. Along with Economics and Political Studies, he gamely signed up for English Literature. His education at La Sallian schools in Malaysia had given him a very decent grasp of English but it was still quite a step.

After St Joseph’s he proceeded to North East London Polytechnic and secured an HND in Business Studies, but realised his heart was not in it. He moved on to study Law at Cardiff University, subsequently being admitted into Lincoln’s Inn and becoming a barrister.

Matthew’s practice in Malaysia and Singapore sees him specialise in corporate law, capital markets and securities.

On his return to the school Matthew met the Principal, Mrs Clarke, before setting out to see what familiar sights remained. There were plenty of them – the Chapel – and the very pew he used to occupy – the Economics classroom ‘under the clock’ of 55 Block, and what was once the sporets hall and is now the Sixth Form Centre. There he met Nic Chin (L6), a boarder from Malaysia, whose mother also studied at the school and boarded with Mr Newman’s family.

Then it was off to boarding, via Refs. The ‘wonderful memories’ came flooding back. Mrs Pope, Housemistress and Non-Residential Matron, kindly showed Matthew around his old haunts in Mews, including the bedroom he once occupied.

Warm Welcome Back for Engineering and Economics Graduates

Futures Advisor David Kemsley is flanked by 2019 leavers Tony Zheng and John Chio.

Tony joined us in Year 7 and stayed with St Jo’s all the way to Upper Sixth. Inspired by Dr Stimson, he went on to study Economics at Queen Mary and is currently working for a legal firm in China.

John studied for A-levels at St Joseph’s before reading Engineering at UCL. Since then he added a Master’s in Finance from Imperial College. John plans to return to his home town in Macau to start up a business.

Developing Worlds

I was pleasantly surprised on a rainy Tuesday in January to receive an email from Lindy (Rodwell) at St Joseph’s. She had been reading through old editions of The Oakleaf and had come across an article I had written about my trip to Togo in 1991. At the time it was relatively common for St Jo’s staff and Sixth Form pupils, alongside contemporaries from other Lasallian schools, to take part in these ‘Developing World Projects’

during the summer holidays. They were organised by Brother Gregory, who had once taught at Birkfield, and involved a range of fund-raising activities during the year to help fund them.

Lindy kindly sent me a copy of the article and I can see that year David Burton and I went to Togo to help build staff accommodation for a church parish; Peter Addy joined a classroom-building project for a rural school in Kenya; and Martin Borley and Mr & Mrs McDermott went to help on another building project in Ghana.

I blush now to read my article – the preachy tone and patronising attitude to a country and its people – but it is a joy to recall the experience itself: a bunch of teenagers taken entirely out of their comfort zone and given an opportunity to experience a very different way of life. I recall the flight out (first time on an aeroplane) with my guitar as awkward hand luggage; the hot air that hit me

Danny Boswell OB

With some of the occupants of St Joseph’s Cottage

as the plane’s door opened (first time in a foreign country); the long minibus journey on increasingly poor roads from the capital, Lome, on the south coast to Dapaong in the far north; and the vibrant sights, sounds, smells and tastes of life in West Africa. At the time I thought we were really doing valuable work, but of course these communities were not in urgent need of teenagers with soft hands and no practical skills. We, on the other hand, benefited enormously from living and working alongside them for a few short weeks. David and I subsequently went on to spend six months in India after A-levels.

My own path since then has followed a pretty conventional course: university; a career in the Royal Navy; marriage and children; a second career as a school bursar. But I think in some small way my approach to all these has been influenced by those brief experiences thirty-odd years ago: a sense of quite how fortunate I am to have been given so many opportunities in life and, whilst I constantly fail in it, the resulting duty to try to make a positive difference in the world.

The Togo Group, minus David Burton (who I think must have been working at the local clinic that day)

David and me opening the newly-built St Joseph’s Cottage at the Children’s Village, Tamil Nadu, India

Getting the Flavour and Fragrance of a Billion Dollar Industry

Among our recent Birkfield speakers was Mike Munroe OB, who explained the importance of tastes and aromas and the amazing careers that exist within that field. The industry is worth $40 billion globally. Mike is also a senior alumni representative of Imperial College and he shared an insight into the work of that worldleading institution as well as some guidance for students thinking of going there.

Mike is a great friend of the school. He appeared in the following extracts from 1988-89 Birkfield Yearbook:

Where are the Head Boys Now?

MICHAEL MUNROE, 1979-80

I spent 10 years in total at St Joseph’s, three years at Oak Hill and seven years at Birkfield, finally departing in 1980.

My memories of Oak Hill and Birkfield are very clear and I frequently think back to my school days, usually with fondness. As with most memories the happy ones tend

to linger longest. My first memory of Oak Hill was being dropped off by my parents for the start of Christmas Term. I cried when they left but I soon became engrossed in the Sunday Film which was “Shane” with Alan Ladd and I met my first friend David Rodgers; I wonder where he is now?

Throughout the 10 years at St Joseph’s, the friendships I made were, for me, the most important of my life. As a boarder your friends were sometimes more important than even your brothers and sisters, because you saw more of them than your family. As a testimony to the strength of those friendships I still keep in touch with a “core” of Old Boys such as the Faulkner brothers, the de Planta brothers, Andrew Goulborn, Andy Guiry, the Bulbeck brothers, Hubert Lelijveld, Tony Kearney and others. From time to time over the last eight years, we have organised unofficial Old Boys reunions in London…

I think the secret of St Joseph’s was, and I hope still is, the atmosphere. There was the academic atmosphere, much stronger in my later years at Birkfield, in which we

were encouraged, but more importantly given opportunities, to work hard. There was also the physical and athletic environment inspired more by personalities than facilities. I still regard Alan George as one of the best rugby coaches I have ever seen and his skill helped to turn our 1979-1980 1st XV into a superb side. I played as a flanker in that side and I can still remember all the games, particularly the Woolverstone Hall game. We beat them of course, but it was the first time we had ever done so. Unfortunately, I have not felt the fantastic elation after that game since. The games do not seem to matter as much now as then.

I was sad to leave St Joseph’s in 1980… I went on to do a Degree in Biochemistry at Imperial College, London followed by a Masters in Business Studies. I enjoyed London; it offered sights and sounds that Ipswich could not give and mixing in travel in Europe and America I managed to broaden my horizons.

I decided in my last year at Imperial that I would have to serve Mammon in my choice of career rather than any

more aesthetic desires. That is a decision that I think should always be taken as late as possible in one’s life…

All things considered, I think I was very lucky to have spent 10 years at St Joseph’s and I am eternally grateful to my parents for sending me there. I dearly hope that the school has not changed too much since my departure and I know that when it comes to sending my own children to school I will have a very clear blueprint in my head of what that school should be like.

A Kind Appreciation of St Jo’s

by a Professional Musician

Hello all! My name is Sonia Erh-yu Chiu and I am from Taipei, Taiwan. I attended St Joseph’s College as boarder between 2003 and 2004. As a Sixth Form student, I studied a two-year A-level course in Art, Music, IT and Chinese.

I had the most fantastic time during those two years as a student at St Joseph’s College. Not only have I made life-long British friends but also friends from many countries who came to study here. While being a student, my English improved a lot, as did my music understanding, and cello and piano playing, which were mentored and supported by Dr Tinker. I enjoyed taking part in school orchestra, concerts and music competitions year-round.

I am grateful to this day for the many opportunities St Joseph’s College has offered me, allowing me to develop and flourish in music, setting a foundation for the music career I have today.

After graduating from St Joseph’s, I went on to study Music and Performance at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire followed by completing my postgraduate degree at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Currently, l work as a performer, giving concerts in many amazing venues, such as Taipei Concert Hall. I also teach cello and piano to many young music talents in Taiwan. I support all music examinations for ABRSM in Taiwan which I really enjoy, including working with colleagues from the UK.

Today, I always look back with gratitude on my days at St Joseph’s College for the inspiration and opportunities the teaching staff offered me, allowing me to grow in confidence, self-reliance and self-belief in my music career. Thank you, St Joseph’s College!

Sonia

Erh-yu Chiu

Sharing Again the Music that Brightened our Darkest Hours

Hi, my name is Tabitha Debenham and I went to St Joseph’s College from 1998 - 2013!

The St Jo’s years were some of the best years of my life and have formed who I am as a person today. I spent a lot of my time doing all of the different music clubs, which led me to wanting to study for my BA Hons Musical Theatre degree at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. It was one of the best experiences of my life but I found that a career in Musical Theatre wasn’t for me.

I moved back to Suffolk and soon found where I belong. I started singing for lots of different events as a solo

singer, but then I was invited to audition with the ‘It’s Fete’ function band (featuring OB, Guy Eade!) and I was successfully admitted as one of the vocalists. From this, I met the wonderful Sarah Hitchcock and Molly Harmer, who invited me to sing for their vintage trio, ‘The Three Chordettes.’

We sing at different venues every week and have the most wonderful time doing so! So if you’re looking for entertainment or anything at all, please don’t be shy in contacting me on socials. St Jo’s gave me the best start and I will cherish my moments there forever!

The Three Chordettes, Sarah, Molly and Tabitha, pictured in between sets at The Suffolk Military Show. Photo @markgoochphotgraphy

Garth Thompson OB

I recently attended a leadership course in Paris and Rome, which involved a very humbling experience that caused me some serious contemplation on how lucky I am for the solid start in life St Joseph’s College and my family gave me. The course was attended by internationals, including 25 medical doctors, scientists, highly qualified pharmacists and suchlike; and me. The profound event was a truth game whereby every person started on a straight line to answer a series of questions.

Each ‘yes’, take a step forward, or ‘no’ step rearward. Questions included: Did you attend school in your parent language? Did you grow up in the same country you were born in? Do you live in a country where you are a member of the majority religion? Are your parents still together? Are all your siblings still living? And so on. At the end of a dozen questions I was the furthest in the front and some people were a long way behind me, causing profound self reflection in how fortunate some of us are to have been born into the time and place that we were.

I left St Jo’s in the Summer of 1989 after a happy childhood, having achieved a good number of GCSEs, an A/O level and three passes at A-level. Despite distinctly ‘average’ A-level grades, I secured a place at university to study a BSc in Geography; however, by then I had decided that maybe my strengths lay outside of academia - probably with no opposition from my long-suffering teachers. So, I joined the British Army Intelligence Corps at the start of 1990.

Turns out I may have been correct. Twenty-plus years absolutely flew by, seeing active service in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Belize and the Middle East. I got to live in Germany, Cyprus and various barracks within the UK, as well as seeing the far-flung corners of the world,

wherever Her Majesty’s Government had an interest at the time – Gibraltar and Brunei to name but two. I became a paratrooper and later went on to pass selection to be a Specialist Reconnaissance Operator, both roles I really identified with.

During 10 years on active operations, I was proud to receive the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery twice. I have all those PT sessions and Games afternoons at Birkfield - as well as the pool at the Prep School - to thank for my penchant for meeting physical challenges head on.

The military provides the opportunity to try everything. I don’t think there is a sport I have not tried, with varying degrees of success. Some I continue to enjoy: skiing (thanks St Jo’s for those early ski trips!), canoeing and mountaineering; others I have turned my hand to latterly: cycling, surfing and swimming. During my service I obtained my Level 2 Police Advanced Motoring and Motorcycling certificates (huge fun) and even found time to qualify as a private pilot.

Then, nearing the ripe old age of 40, I decided that soldiering is a younger person’s game, and also if they were offering to start paying me a pension immediately, I thought it time to try something different. So, I got ready to leave. I attended a distance learning course at the University of Leicester and attained a Master’s degree in Security Risk Management. I also obtained a degree in Intelligence Management and converted other military qualifications to civilian equivalents.

After the Army I worked for several years in Londonthe very existence I had joined up to avoid, especially the killer commute each day! That said, the job sent me to some amazing locations around the world as the Senior Risk Management Company in a small Corporate Real Estate firm, and working in the capital taught me everything I needed to know about business. All helping to rack up a grand total of 74 countries I have visited, lived or worked in.

And so, I return to what put me on that leadership course at the beginning of this story. I now find myself living in Switzerland (see front cover), where I have been for the past seven years, in a senior leadership role in a Swiss pharmaceutical company, which is working to improve and extend people’s lives. Our medicines reach more than 250 million people worldwide. Leaving St Jo’s 34 years ago, who would have thought what an epic journey would bring me here, and it’s not over yet…

New Chapters in Our Well-Established Passion for the Written Word

We have come a long way from the days of the ‘3 Rs’ but reading remains absolutely key to the success of our students and the pleasure of us all. World Book Day was celebrated from Nursery to Upper Sixth and the staff were as keen as the students to dress up as favourite book characters.

Another school, Hogwarts, loomed large as might be expected and some groups took a theme and ran with it. Our Prep School staff delivered variations on Wally, the elusive star of the Where’s Wally books which became instant best-sellers on first publication in 1987. Most memorable iterations were, perhaps, Lola’s dog coat and Mr Weaver’s rah-rah skirted version.

Authors Alexandra Priest and Laurie Ellingham inspired us with readings and a writer’s workshop.

The occasion was also chosen for the official launch of our Prep School reading gazebo, affectionately nicknamed Chapters, financed through the fundraising efforts of children, parents and staff. Chapters is available for the pupils to access not only during lessons but also at break and lunch times.

‘We are delighted that we now have our new outdoor reading area, installed by our amazing support team. Its opening enhances the opportunities for children to choose to read and relax in a lovely environment,’ said St Jo’s Prep School Head, Mrs Amanda Childs.

Letter From An Old Oakhillian

Aware of the growing possibility of war, my dad whose job as a Trinity House Pilot (Deep Sea) would be a dangerous one, decided to send me, in September 1938 to St Joseph’s College, Ipswich as a boarder. Impressions are lasting and 86 years later (I’m 96) I am happy to share a few of them.

My time at Oak Hill with many companions and kind but strict teachers (the Brothers De La Salle order) was a happy one. Yes, a few fist fights, one indeed on my first day. Christopher Bugg was also new and we met. I probably taunted him with the quote: ‘Keatings’s kills Bugs’ (an insecticide advertised then). Who won? No idea… Fights were sometimes settled by a one-minute round in the boxing ring with gloves on and a referee, followed by a handshake.

Brother Celsus, the headmaster, was a quiet man, rarely seen by us except on Saturday mornings. (Yes, classes/ lessons, mornings till 12.30). He would visit each class and give out ‘Testimonials’ - certificates of our week’s work - gold 80% & red 40% & blue and white. We were in awe of him - If ever he supervised evening prep/ homework - he would come into the room, lead the introductory prayer (short), sit down at the teacher’s desk, put the alarm clock in front of him and go to sleep. Work proceeded in complete silence till the alarm went off: stand - prayer - off to supper.

Sports were a big part of our education. Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, football/rugby/cricket were all compulsory either inter house or matches against other schools - at home or away. Match results were written out (with comments) and pinned up on the school notice board for the week, for all the school to read.

Life was not always perfect nor serious. Goats tethered near the playing field could get loose or eat a carelessly dropped cap.

Lining up on the playground at the end of the break/ recreation would be orderly/silent/quick/slow/chaotic depending on the Brother supervising. Brother Dominique, a Frenchman, escaped France around Dunkirk time. He found order-keeping ‘tricky’. Brother Elwin cracked a smile on one occasion when, from beyond the silent lines of boys could be seen smoke rising from the tin shed that housed playground toilets: Maxwell was having a secret (or so he thought) smoke in

by chance, once Mr Keating began telling his stories.

the loos, but his bare legs visible under the half-size tin wall (corrugated) gave him away.

Another exciting incident for us was to watch Shane Whitehouse (only 90% sure of the name) sleep-walking in the dormitory. Would he go through the open window onto the balcony? Would he fly?

During the war years the local factories were bombed several times. I lost my desk companion - Michel Le Forestier - aka Froggy. He did not turn up one morning and we subsequently found out that his house had had a direct-hit. His house was a quarter mile down Belstead Road, close by to the school. Other bombs had smashed the plate glass windows at the back of the class. We were allowed to wear our overcoats/raincoats until fixed.

I remember one outdoor line-up before class. A stray fighter/bomber flew over, guns blazing. We dived to the ground hither-dither. It was over in a flash. Brother blew his whistle, called for silence, lined us up and sent us to class as usual. No fuss, then.

Prayers at the beginning and end of every lesson, daily Mass, Sung Mass and Benediction on Sundays, early

Fr John Brucciani. Headmaster of St Michael’s School. Burghclere, with some of his students and his ‘indomitable’ groundsman, Gerald Keating OB (centre). The other gentleman in the picture is Francis Squire OB, who came to St Joseph’s in the 1960s. He and Gerald discovered they went to the same school totally

morning walk to St Mathew’s swimming baths on a Wednesday morning; Holy Communion that day, no Mass (because of time). Lots of games, slides (ice) in the winter. A third of a pint of milk daily which could be ‘traded’ with those who didn’t like it or left in the attic to turn into cheese for a midnight feast. However, that was not easy – during air raids we had to sleep in the cellars - a lead wine shelf for a bed and one blanket. The Brothers would join us once they had completed their Air Raid Warning and Fire duties. They didn’t sleep much.

I am very grateful to the Brothers and to my parents’

Now that Looks Familiar...

Michael Sorenti OB is pictured outside Birkfield House with fellow OB John Atkinson, the College’s Transport Manager. Michael and his brother joined St Jo’s in 1945 and he was here until 1950. His dormitory was in what is now the Birkfield Lounge and Conference Room.

A keen golfer who doesn’t allow the approach of his 90th birthday to get in the way, Michael now lives in Billericay. He hopes to lay his hands on some photos from his school days and he vividly remembers film star Maureen O’Hara visiting the school while he was here in the late forties.

decision to send me to Oak Hill. On October 24 1939, a year after starting at the school, my dad died at sea. He was an experienced maritime pilot. The ship he was piloting hit a mine in the North Sea. Brother Celsus was present when my mother came to the school with the news. He immediately told her that he and the Brothers would continue looking after me, gratis. I stayed another four years.

Gerald Keating OB

7 March 2024

1st XV Rugby team 1944. Mr Keating is in the back row, second from left.

Early Days of Cricket at the School

Cricket goes back a long way at the schoolread about one of our earliest matches below, then don’t forget to sign up for our fabulous Lashings event. There’s a 10 percent discount for OBs and 100% fun guaranteed. (see poster opposite).

Nearly a century ago, less than a year after the school was founded, the young St Joseph’s boys took on their dads in the Boys v Parents match of 1938. Playing for the boys were P. Cutting, G. Manthorpe, J. Van der Heijden, C. Fahie, P. Jenkins, J. Tribe, P. Phillips, Paul Cutting, D. Boulding, R. Kerby and R. Ball.

A report of the afternoon stated: ‘Boys v Parents, a very friendly affair all round. Mr Cutting captained the parents, and Mr Hacon had to retire unbeaten when he had made 60 or 70 to give the boys a chance. We had tea together in the refectory. The parents won by an innings, but it had been a very happy social gathering.