Old Pauline News, Autum 2015

Old Pauline News

Autumn/Winter 2015

T H E S T PA U L’ S S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

Lt Col Andy Garrow OBE The Battle Against Ebola

Brian KING

Simon KEMP

Logging Rugby World Cup the Oceans’ Tournament Carbon Content Medical Director

Sacha ROSE

Luxury Sleep, Leisure and Underwear

Editorial No two the same Two OPs, two very different crises: Lt Col Andy Garrow (1988-93) was recently awarded the OBE for his extraordinary logistical efforts to contain Ebola in Sierra Leone. And, armed with a new generation of ocean monitors, Dr Brian King (1972-76) is pursuing groundbreaking research that has the potential to dramatically improve our knowledge of oceanic carbon capture, one of the key signifiers of potential climate change.

The eclectic nature of OPs’ careers never ceases to fascinate.

Amongst others in this issue are interviews with Sacha Rose (1986-91), now the third generation in his family to run Derek Rose Ltd, the bespoke luxury sleep, leisure and underwear business; Irfan Nathoo (1990-95) who is blazing new trails in LA as an iconic DJ and record producer with a new contract with Sony UK; Simon Kemp (1975-79), the Rugby World Cup Medical Director with a particular focus on the impact of head injuries; and Joe Falter (1999-2004) who thinks nothing of commuting to Nigeria where he is is CEO of HelloFood, the online marketplace for ordering restaurant food deliveries.

Meanwhile, back on home turf, the Old Pauline Club has been going through a sustained period of change. In the Club section you can read about the new team now in place, and how, in particular, developments on the Club’s website and social media should enhance what the Club can offer its members.

We always enjoy hearing from you. From now on that can take the form of tweets, facebook messages, uploaded videos and photographs as well as traditional letters to the editor.

Keep in touch.

Simon Bishop (1962-65)

opceditor@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Editor and designer Simon Bishop All correspondence to: The Editor c/o The Old Pauline Club, St Paul’s School, Lonsdale Road, London SW13 9JT Copy for the Spring issue of the Old Pauline News, to be published in May 2016, should reach the Editor no later than 15 March 2016.

Contact: opcadmin@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Keeping in touch

The Club sends out a monthly eNewsletter bringing you up to date with current news of OPs and the School. If you have not been receiving these, please send your email address to opcadmin@stpaulsschool.org.uk and we will add your name to our distribution list which now stands at almost 6,000 members.

We are always delighted to hear from you so do please keep in touch. Feedback on the eNews or the magazine is always welcome; please contact the Club office on 020 8746 5418 or at opcadmin@stpaulsschool.org.uk if you have any news or views to share with us.

Contents COVER STORY

Lt Col Andy Garrow (1988-93)

121

Simon Kemp (1975-79)

119

125

Irfan Nathoo (1990-95)

122

News of Old Paulines 126 Interview 132 Club News 138

Obituaries 149 OP Sport 154 Social Calendar 156

Past Times

Social Events

Our social calendar for the year appears on page 150.

Full details of each event will also be published in the monthly eNews.

For information on all Club activities please contact Ceri Jones on 020 8746 5481 or visit opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk

Update your details

If you have moved or changed any of your contact information please update your details using the Online Portal of the OPC website. Alternatively send your new details to opcadmin@stpaulsschool.org.uk or write to the OP Club, St Paul’s School, Lonsdale Road, London SW13 9JT.

Advertising in Old Pauline News

For our current rates please contact the Editor, Simon Bishop: opceditor@stpaulsschool.org.uk

122 Chris Arnold (1939-44) (above left) recalls the war years at Crowthorne with his nephew John Arnold (1962-67)

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 121

News

The Pyjama Game Not everyone has heard of Derek Rose, the best-selling sleep, leisure and underwear clothing brand in Selfridges and Harrods in the UK, and Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus in the US…. . . but word is getting around.

Synonymous with luxury nightwear, the company was founded in 1926 by his grandfather Lou Rose. Sacha Rose (198691) followed his father Derek, who set up the company in its present form in the 1970s, to become the third generation to take on the family business when he joined in 2003, becoming MD in 2005.

Under Sacha’s stewardship a new younger clientele now recognise the heritage brand for its wider range of high quality underwear, loungewear and leisurewear.

In 2005 Derek Rose received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the UK Fashion Exports award ceremony presented by HM Princess Anne.

Derek Rose also supplies royalty, politicians and the Hollywood A-list as part of an additional discreet bespoke service. “There has been some cool stuff – we provided pyjamas for Harry Potter in films one and two. By the time I joined the business we did the dressing gown for Draco Malfoy. Hang on a second I thought… why are we dressing the bad guy now?”

Before he joined the business Sacha worked first as a corporate finance lawyer, then in structured finance for a hedge fund. But there were certain things about the family firm that were attractive. “In structured finance OK, you’ve done ‘x’ dollars worth of deals but there’s nothing to show for it, it’s just paper. It might be a lot of money but that’s by and by. The satisfaction of having a tangible product was missing in my life. Secondly it presented a real challenge, the company was actually in decline – a great brand name, but with turnover under pressure.

What can you do with it? The fun is to run a business, bring great people in and make great products and develop the brand.”

Sacha was brought up very much aware of what the company was about. “When I was a kid my dad dragged me along to some of his meetings with his sales agents. I had to sit outside while he had his meeting. I was given fabric and I would cut it up to make new designs, sometimes

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actually adding to the collection. I even made a tenner once!”

“It is very much in the DNA of the brand that it is British, with its own design sense. Everything we do is unique to us; we develop it from the ground up.

We call it consumer-centric design. It sounds really obvious but you’d be amazed at how many companies don’t do it. We did two years’ research and development before we launched our underwear range

if you’re not constantly improving the product someone is going to end up making a product better than you that resulted in us getting a patent on something we created.

There’s a whole separate discussion around fear in business – real risk as opposed to perceived risk. You’ll find that a lot of companies will be paralysed from a product development point of view. They’ll have a product that sells well and not want to change it, whereas in our philosophy if you’re not constantly improving the product someone is going to end up making a product better than you. I’m also amazed how many British brands don’t focus on

The extra mile In May the organisers of the Westminster Mile invited a group of ex-Olympians to run over the mile course in London (along the Mall, around St James Park, finishing in front of Buckingham Palace) including Rooney Massara (1956-61).

Rooney modestly says that because he had managed 'to scrape into the British rowing team for the 1972 Munich Olympics' he was on the invitation list.

There was a series of mile races during the day including the one for Olympians of all ages. It was not meant to be a 'race' but inevitably there was a slightly competitive feel among the front runners, particularly as Steve Cram, the former

Sacha Rose

America – the largest market in the world that speaks our language!”

Sacha lives in north London and is married with two sons aged 10 and 7. He used to play OP rugby and still plays OP tennis from time to time. He mentions Jeff Hunter (1982-87) from his era as still being good. He is looking forward to the 25th reunion with his contemporaries next year.

For more information: derek-rose.com world mile record holder, was running, wearing the same vest he wore when he broke the world Mile record in 1985.

Ninety Olympians took part ranging from young fit athletes to people over seventy – one eighty year old walked the course. Athletes from several Olympic sports were represented including athletics, swimming, fencing, rowing, hockey, winter sports, etc. Many wore their original Olympic kit. The fencers carried their swords, the hockey players carried their sticks and two winter bobslayers carried their helmets. Rooney carried an oar blade to show he was not a runner. l Rooney adds: "I rowed in the St Paul's

1st VIII in 1960 and 1961 and was therefore delighted to see this years VIII win the Princess Elizabeth Cup at Henley – not only win, but win so convincingly,

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Putting Welfare into World Rugby Sam Henderson

Simon Kemp (1975-79) has been the Tournament Medical Director for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Simon has been responsible for the delivery of medical services to not only the participating teams and their management, but also the match officials, the tournament guests and VIPs and the spectators in the stadia. Simon was the England team doctor in 2003 and 2007 and is now the Chief Medical Officer for the Rugby Football Union. Simon explains that each of the 20 competing teams comes with its own medical team – typically a doctor and one or two physiotherapists looking after 31 players and the team management.

Particularly pertinent at the moment is the issue of concussion recognition and management. An independent doctor will have been pitchside at every match working with the team doctors but also effectively 'policing' head injury management, supported by a pioneering system of multiple-angle real-time video feeds to both pitch side and the medical room. Every effort will have been made to ensure that during the Rugby World Cup the management of head injury will be gold standard, to both ensure the welfare of the players and to help promote the key message of ‘Recognise, Remove, Recover and Return’ to the community and agegroup games.

Developing effective relationships between the team and tournament medical

Rooney Massara (left) with Steve Cram at the finish on the Mall

they were brilliant. Congratulations to them and their coach."

Particularly pertinent is the issue of concussion recognition and management staffs at major sporting competitions is key.

We’re very fortunate that, on the back of London 2012 and the infrastructure that has developed in rugby around medicine in the UK, we have a large number of doctors who not only work in professional rugby but have also had personal experience of supporting teams at the Olympics.

“Planning for the 2015 Rugby World Cup has not just focused on the tournament itself. The game needs to use the exposure that it will give rugby effectively to help recruit new and retain existing players.”

Considering the small differences between winning and losing, Simon believes that England team manager Stewart Lancaster’s approach to developing a winning team culture during the three years he has been in charge is not unlike that he experienced at St Paul’s. “It is a culture that is always likely to generate high performance, there’s both an expectation of high-level performance, and a commitment from the teachers to support the students and enable them to fulfil their potential.”

And to illustrate the importance of small margins in sport, Simon describes his own experiences. “In 2003 we won the World Cup. We came back from Australia and were met by 10,000 people at Heathrow.

We needed a full security escort to get us

through the crowd. We subsequently ended up meeting Tony Blair and the Queen and having a parade in Trafalgar Square. In 2007 we were runners-up, we again flew back to Heathrow… and I got the tube home! The key difference was the touch judge’s decision on where Mark Cueto put his foot!”

So what about Simon’s own rugby credentials? For starters he played second row for the unbeaten St Paul’s 1st XV in 1979, coached by teachers Les Barlow and Gwyn Hughes. He later developed a passion for Sports Medicine and began as a team doctor for the Wellington Hurricanes in New Zealand in 1995. He returned to the UK to become the team doctor for Fulham Football Club before successfully applying to become England Rugby Team doctor in 2001, working with Clive Woodward, Andy Robinson and Brian Ashton through till 2008. Simon was delighted when sports medicine was recognised as a formal medical specialty on the eve of the winning London 2012 bid in Singapore in 2005.

Simon is in regular contact with Tim Baker (1975-79), a flanker from the 1979 side, who is now a team doctor with the Cornish Pirates, and lives in St Agnes in Cornwall. Simon admits to having become an obsessive middle-aged cyclist. He has ridden a number of Étapes du Tour (a mountain stage of the Tour de France) with Tim and also with Robin Young (1975-79), another contemporary from the 1979 side.

Simon is married to Trudi. They have two sons, now 22 and 17. All were present for the World Cup final in Sydney in 2003, and again in Paris in 2007. There had been high hopes again this year.

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 123

News

All in the Family

Directing the House of York

John Shepherd's (1969-73) business, Partridges, recently won the Family Business of the Year Award, as judged by Family Business United, the online magazine and resource centre for family firms across the UK.

Mark Rosenblatt (1990-95) is the Associate Director of the West Yorkshire Playhouse. He has spent the last couple of months preparing and rehearsing a production of Richard III, which ran till 17 October.

Partridges remains one of the few familyrun food shops in Central London.

It was opened by John’s brother, Sir Richard Shepherd, in 1972 in Sloane Street Chelsea.

John joined the business two years after Richard was elected as an MP in 1981, and has been Managing Director since. He has become an expert in the British speciality foods market and along the way has helped to set up The Great Taste Awards, described as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world and the ‘epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize’.

Since John took over, the business has expanded, relocating to Duke of York Square on the Kings Road. A second shop was opened at 17-19 Gloucester Road.“There are now five shops altogether and we run over 20 food markets around London entitled Startisans.

By coincidence Jane Cullen, Tony Retallack’s daughter (John’s House Master at High House) runs a stall at one of our markets selling the apple juice that she makes in Shropshire.”

Partridges under John’s stewardship has diversified into other areas. The Sloane Square store now has a wine bar and café, a Saturday food market outside the shop and a growing export business for its own label products. John’s wife Maria and two of his three daughters and one son-in-law are also involved in the business.

In 1994 Partridges was granted the Royal Warrant as Grocers to Her Majesty the Queen, which gives its products an edge particularly in Japan and the United States. In 2009 John introduced a Royal Warrant Holders’ market to Buckingham Palace. In 2008 John Shepherd took great pleasure in becoming the President of the Royal Warrant Holders Association and for five years after that was Honorary Treasurer.

John says that if any Old Paulines are looking for a venue to hold a reunion he would be very happy to help. Partridges in Chelsea has an attractive terrace for gatherings.

For more information: www.partridges.co.uk www.startisans.net

Earlier in this year Mark directed the world premiere of Avocado, a new short play about the horror of human trafficking

by Eve Ensler, writer of the acclaimed Vagina Monologues. Mark’s previous work at the Playhouse also includes, Uncle Vanya, Untold Stories and Of Mice and Men. A major regional theatre, the WYP boasts a 350- and a 750-seat theatre based in Leeds. Mark programmes the theatres with the Artistic Director, and directs many of the productions there. He also oversees artist and talent development for the theatre and the region.

Before joining the WYP he was Associate Director at the National Theatre Studio following a 12-year freelance career. At the National his role was to manage all training opportunities for theatre directors at the National Theatre, including hiring all the assistant directors for the main productions, managing bursaries and residencies, curating the Directors Course and leading on related research. Mark was also the senior creative member of the Studio team, the experimental development department where productions such as Warhorse would take shape. His role there also included supporting artists and nurturing new writing while exploring his own projects.

St Paul’s helped to fire Mark’s interest in the theatre. When he was 16 Mark directed Dr Faustus in the Studio theatre.

“We all loved Brian Robson, partly because he had worked as an actor, but also because he was a wonderfully eccentric, theatrical and hilarious man.

The School resources in the theatre meant that if anyone showed a passion for it they could take that passion seriously.”

If there is a danger that these resources can provoke a sense of professional entitlement amongst pupils, his 12 years as a freelancer means Mark has no illusions as to how hard a profession it can be.

Mark got his first break at Oxford when his work was spotted thanks to the then visiting theatre professor, ‘maverick’ producer Thelma Holt, who offered him his first job as Assistant Director on a production of Macbeth with actor Rufus

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Sewell in the West End. In 1999 Mark won a director’s bursary, the JMK Young Director Award, which allowed him to direct his first show, leading to a resident assistant director’s job with a theatre company which helped him kickstart his career.

Since then there have been several stand-out moments in his career, notably at the Globe theatre directing Holding Fire, a new play by Jack Shepherd (who played Wycliff in the 1990s television series of the same name) about the great Victorian orators who drove the Chartist revolution. At the end of the final performance Tony Benn got up on stage and delivered an extraordinary speech about the connection between the play and present-day political protest. “What was magical was being in the presence of a contemporary orator. With his great ‘oaky’ voice you suddenly appreciated his ability to effortlessly command the house. That was thrilling.” Mark also directed Henry VIII at the Globe, the first time the play had been performed there since 1613, when the original theatre burnt down.

Mark has been in contact with Tom Attenborough (2000-05) to discuss theatre projects and has worked with Max Webster (1996-2001), who directed the WYP 2014 Christmas Show James and the Giant Peach. Rory Kinnear (1991-96) is a friend he would positively encourage to appear at WYP one day.

Mark would be delighted to talk to anyone interested in supporting the WYP’s youth theatre apprenticeship and bursary schemes that help those who would otherwise not be able to afford access to the arts. Please email the OP Club for details: opcman@stpaulsschool. org.uk

Mark Rosenblatt

opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk

020 8746 5418 R VE RE CO ATU FE

Tackling Ebola in Sierra Leone

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Lt Col Andy Garrow (1988-93) was recently awarded an OBE for his work combatting the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone.

In October last year Andy, a Royal Engineer with 17 years’ experience that includes tours in Bosnia, Iraq and the London Olympics 2012, found himself heading up a force of over 1,600 local people in Freetown to try and get on top of the Ebola outbreak. With no established response network, including a lack of basics such as an ambulance service or even a 999 telephone line in place to tackle the virus, the situation had rapidly got out of control. An entire response system had to be built from scratch, and fast. “The vast majority of the hospitals had closed because the disease was spreading like wildfire.

None of the coordination and prevention methods were working as well as needed.”

As part of the small International Security and Advisory Team (ISAT) which usually trains the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, Andy was already in place when he was ordered to set up the emergency ‘Op’ side of things in Freetown. Although the UK military was already building hospitals that were being funded by DFID, Andy’s task was well outside the original plans envisaged and something of a leap into the unknown.

Undaunted, Andy and members of ISAT quickly volunteered to do much more once the implications of inaction became evident. Command Centres were rapidly set up, followed by a campaign to change the behaviours of affected people so that they would use them. Additionally, dead bodies had to be removed from the community quickly. “A major trigger for this level of involvement by UK was when up to 20 bodies a day were being left on the streets of Freetown, and if not dealt with swiftly the security situation could have deteriorated quickly compounding an already dire situation.”

Since February Andy’s experience of setting up the Command Centre in the capital city Freetown has been put to good use as he has been deployed to other areas of the country to provide advice where the disease has flared up. “We need to act very quickly and make sure people do what they are told. Leaving one person in the

Andy at the Western Area Command Centre in Freetown

wrong place can infect others very quickly. Until the disease is eradicated my remit will be to stay and see the project through working closely with Sierra Leonean authorities, UN, DFID and multiple NGOs and partners trying to coordinate the response. It is quite unique for me to

Up to 20 bodies a day were being left on the streets of Freetown be working this way, fighting a medical outbreak rather than a human adversary in a conflict zone.”

As well as needing treatment centres, ambulances and a service to remove dead bodies, a huge amount of food and other essential items need to be distributed to people while they are kept in isolation.

“You are asking a family to stay in their house for the next three weeks (the gestation period for Ebola). We will feed you, we will water you, we’ll do everything.

The same sometimes goes for entire villages. There’s a chieftain system in Sierra Leone, a traditional structure that works a bit like a mayoral system back home. You have to get the local leaders to convince their people to behave in a way that will maximise a good result and prevent the disease spreading further.”

There has been much in the news recently about the successful trials of a vaccine for Ebola, but Andy is cautious

about being optimistic too soon. Thanks to the success of Andy’s and many other peoples work, incidents of the disease have steadily declined over the past year. “The medical developments, as with everything, you take with a pinch of salt. Whilst the vaccine heralds the potential for a strategic shift in defeating the virus it is still in the early days. The most important work continues to centre on identifying infections early and getting the community to accept help from the authorities to prevent further exposure. Defeating the virus remains a battle of education and behavior change. That being said, the work of the big drug companies could provide the ‘silver bullet’, the vaccine that will eradicate Ebola.” Ironically a frustration for the drug companies is that now new cases have been reduced from 600+ to single figures per week, there are no longer the large numbers to trial products on.

Andy went straight into Sandhurst after finishing an engineering degree at Exeter University. He says he hugely enjoys what he does. For many in Freetown and beyond his efforts have literally meant the difference between life and death.

See also: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ worldnews/ebola/11417690 l Planting Promise is a social enterprise set up

in 2008 by Rocco Falconer (1997-2002) in Sierra Leone. It was featured in the Spring 2012 edition of the Old Pauline News magazine.The organisation’s goal is to run farming and foodprocessing businesses, and use the profits to fund free schools. Enormous damage has been done by the Ebola virus in the region.

To contact and donate: plantingpromise.com OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 125

Interview An Interview with

Chris Arnold Now 70 years since WWII, Chris Arnold (1939-44) recalls life at St Paul's at Crowthorne for the duration of the war. Only recently retired as an architect with a global reputation in earthquake engineering research, Chris turned 90 in October. His nephew John Arnold OBE (1962-67) took the opportunity while visiting Chris at his home in Palo Alto to give us this snapshot of a special time in the School's history. The OP Club wishes you a very happy birthday Chris.

JA: When did you first know that you would be evacuated from London?

CA: Dates are difficult, but after I left Colet Court for St Paul’s the war broke out so I expected already that I would have to go away. The school had done a good job anticipating the war. The evacuation had already been well planned. No one was very surprised by the final outbreak of war.

How long did you imagine then that the evacuation would last?

As a child or young boy I didn’t think in those terms but just accepted the situation.

Nationally, I think the expectation was that the war would be quite short, certainly not that it would last until 1945. If people had known what was to follow there would have been a greater feeling of shock and alarm. War was narrowly averted during the crisis in 1938 so it was no surprise when it finally came. I can remember the day war broke out and hearing Neville Chamberlain on the radio giving everyone the gloomy news that “as of now we were at war with Germany”. I believe I was at home at the time.

The move must have been a considerable logistical exercise. What are your memories of the actual move and of settling into your new surroundings?

I have vivid memories. It wasn’t too difficult. The journey from my home was about 30 miles. I bicycled to the new school with my elder brother Hugh; just the two of us. It was quite enjoyable. We just got on our bikes and off we went, carrying with us whatever we needed in a big bag on the bicycle. We reported to an office to be told where to go. The school building was a big mansion

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FAIA

(Easthampstead Park) and I think the owner (the 7th Marquess of Downshire) was pleased to receive the rent at the time.

Crowthorne, where we were billeted was about 4-5 miles from the school so the daily journey by bike kept us fit. We were billeted with the village people. It was an interesting social event.

I was billeted on a farm initially together with my brother and maybe six or seven others. That was enjoyable as I had no previous experience of living on a farm.

Later I stayed with a single family for almost the entire remainder of my time.

The school was adjacent to the Broadmoor criminal lunatic asylum. My brother, as Captain of the School, was billeted with the governor of the asylum, though when I eventually became Captain myself I was not accorded the same privilege. We fraternized with both the staff and inmates, even playing football and cricket games against teams against them.

I think that the selection of an inmate for a team was a reward for ‘good behaviour’.

Did all masters and staff also evacuate?

Most masters also came. No doubt some of the younger masters were immediately enlisted at the start of the war so the masters during my time may have been relatively old. The youngest were probably

I bicycled to the new school with my elder brother Hugh; just the two of us. It was quite enjoyable. We just got on our bikes and off we went . . .…… in their late thirties or forties. A master and his wife would manage a house of about 15 - 20 boys which were called hostels. About 150 boys lived in the hostels. One master who lived in South Kensington near the school continued to live there and came in every day by train. It was just feasible. His name was Eynon Smith. He was very charismatic, but one day his house was bombed and he was killed. As far as I remember, he was the only such casualty during the war. Ironically had he decided to live

Chris Arnold (1939-44), left, with his nephew John Arnold OBE (196267) in Palo Alto earlier this year.

in Crowthorne, he would likely have survived. He taught a special class for senior boys and was very influential. He taught what boys wanted to be taught which was very different from the routine.

Did new boys continue to arrive each year throughout the war?

Yes, numbers continued to be maintained.

Things were very well organised.

What are some of your principal memories of day-to-day school life both lessons and sport?

School life was well organized. I remember one of my first classes being held under a stairwell. There were maybe eight of us.

Lessons were conducted as people were running up and down stairs as we tried to learn. We managed. That was how it was.

I was a classical scholar in my early years.

I also liked history and took it seriously, gradually shifting away from the classics.

I thought the classics were very valuable and would still recommend them. However art was my favourite subject. I also acted a lot at school. Among my contemporaries from when I was about 15 were the twins Peter and Tony Schaffer who both became well known playwrights. They were also keen musicologists. They were both conscientious objectors so when the rest of us enlisted in the services after leaving school they went to work in the mines. We lost contact after the war.

I was active in the debating society. That was a very good training. We debated issues about the war but were not critical about its conduct.

We had sports on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We still competed against other schools providing they were within about 30 miles. I was a good cricketer but not particularly good at football. My brother, Hugh was a brilliant athlete, a brilliant rugby player, a brilliant cricketer and a good boxer. Unfortunately I was expected to be the same so I was a big disappointment. I didn’t have the competitive spirit. I enjoyed my sport, but winning was not critical. That was very bad for an athlete. I just enjoyed the process.

I became Captain of the School, which was not very onerous. My main responsibility was to manage the other prefects and who were meant to take care of discipline when masters were not around. I remember there was a big

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ceremony in London for a notable school anniversary. That was the first time in my life that I hailed a taxi which I did together with the then Archbishop of Canterbury (William Temple) who I had the responsibility of escorting. As far as I remember he was very nice man. I generally enjoyed my time at SPS and felt the education was very good.

How did the school facilities compare with those in Hammersmith? Assembly was held every day in the ballroom. It was an ideal location. Partitions were erected in the ballroom to create different classrooms. I remember two masters, who were good friends calling out to each other over the partitions which amused us all.

Did boys continue to sit public examinations during the war?

We did. In those days we sat the school certificate exams.

Your parents were also evacuated during the war. How did that come about and thus when and where did you see your parents and brothers during the war?

My father was with the Ministry of Pensions and my parents were evacuated to near Blackpool and I visited them there during the school holidays. The only contact with my parents otherwise was through letters. We didn’t telephone in those days. Two of my elder brothers, Pat and Hugh had both enlisted so I saw little of them during the war. My other brother Michael was a medical student in Ireland and he would still come home now and again.

To what extent did the war impact routine school life? Was the curriculum altered to address wartime needs? How much time was devoted to the OTC? Boys who had joined up came back to school to give talks to us. One who had left school several years earlier had become a test pilot and gave us a great talk. He was an extremely skillful and amusing speaker and thrilled us all. After he finished he went back to his plane at Farnborough and then flew past low over the school rooftops. Other speakers included Bernard Montgomery. I remember him addressing a small group of us but I was very unimpressed with him as a speaker.

I served as a plane spotter with maybe two other boys. We had a button to press to alert the school if we saw any planes. I only remember reporting one sighting of a German bomber (DO 215) and I expect he was lost and as scared as we were. It took me a while to realize it was an enemy plane. He sailed over harmlessly. That

Chris in the mid 1950s

took up maybe two hours every day. We had air raid drills. We had pits to hide in.

I joined the ATC, the air force arm of the OTC. We occasionally visited airdromes from time to time and I had my first flying experiences.

Did you feel that your education suffered as a result of the war or was it made a more enriching experience by the special circumstances?

No, I think if anything we gained from the experience. Our experience was broader and we still studied the classics and mathematics and did our homework etc.

How did boys envisage their futures when most likely they would immediately join the services or otherwise work for the war effort after leaving?

We didn’t think so much about the future or careers. We lived from month to month and maybe the next year. Careers generally didn’t feature at all.

How closely were you able to follow the progress of the war? Was the ultimate

outcome of the war ever felt to be in doubt?

We never really considered the possibility of defeat. We read the papers and listened to the radio so we were well aware of big events. During the Battle of Britain it was reported like a cricket match with daily results. Some of the numbers attributed to the RAF were no doubt exaggerated, but we were certainly winning. On September 15th, 175 German planes were shot down, numbers we now know were completely fictitious. Before the war we criticised the Germans for propaganda but we were actually much better at it. The Battle of Britain was regarded as a terrific victory.

Dunkirk was viewed as a difficult situation that had been managed as well as possible.

You spent your entire time at SPS at Crowthorne, but you made one notable visit to the Hammersmith building.

What was that about?

Once I went back to draw the plan of the school for Montgomery (who was to use the premises as his headquarters to plan the D Day landings). The school was asked to provide plans, but none of OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 127

Interview/News the staff had the needed skills. I got a message one day at Crowthorne to go to the school and draw the plans as I was the only individual who was considered to possess the required skills. I was 17 and it is extraordinary looking back on it for a mere schoolboy to have done this. Unfortunately I didn’t keep a copy of the plans. I didn’t meet Montgomery during the process but never received any A watercolour by Chris of a bombed house in 1944, close to the then Arnold complaints so I assume he family home in Nassau Road, off Lonsdale Road, Barnes. was satisfied with my efforts.

Another time I was asked to go back to You ultimately went to architectural Colet Court to teach as they were running school and became a successful architect short of teachers. I enjoyed that very much in the US. Was that career something you and it was apparently very successful. I had already resolved to pursue while you stayed then with an aunt in Cheam from were at SPS? where I commuted to Hammersmith. My On leaving St Paul’s I immediately efforts were unpaid so today that would no went to Cambridge to do a six-month doubt be deemed to be child exploitation. course paid for by the forces. I had We didn’t think in those terms then. already signed up to join the RAF. All the universities were offering similar Who were your closest friends from programmes but Cambridge was the top. among your contemporaries? Did you It was a way of snaring potential officers. stay in touch in your future lives?

I was attached to Christ’s College. We I had two very close friends. Michael mostly focused on academic studies but Humpfrey was a classicist and a brilliant spent maybe one afternoon a week on scholar. He ultimately became a military training such as navigation. We psychologist. John Huddle was also a very helped keep student numbers up. That good scholar. He went to Oxford. Michael delayed my entry into the services, which went to Cambridge and I went to London. my parents liked. After Cambridge I was We met during the vacations after we had sent to the US for pilot training. I was left school. We stayed in touch after school always also interested in flying but I was and got together many times. John was artistic from when I was very young. I a great comical singer and Michael was a was always the art master’s treasure. I very good pianist. We had great musical was always winning paint boxes so never evenings together. John unfortunately had to buy my own. I still have some died in his early thirties from a drowning of those boxes. My parents were very accident, I think in Barbados. Michael worried that I would become a penniless and I kept in touch and met as often as we artist so architecture was a profession could until he died just a few months ago. that reassured them that I would do Socially St Paul’s was very good for me. something worthwhile. Mr Styhr first introduced me to town planning and we Who among your teachers made the made models of buildings; something I most impression on you and why? greatly enjoyed.

H Tyson was the surmaster and very good.

WF Oakshott was then High Master and Chris is the surviving and youngest of four also very good. Mr (Erik) Sthyr the art Arnold OP brothers and uncle to three OP nephews. Their collective SPS careers master was revolutionary and brilliant. I frequently cut ordinary classes and worked spanned the 1920s to the 1970s experiencing the eras at West Kensington, Crowthorne and with him. His approach was very free.

Barnes. They include Pat (1928-33), Michael He would give us a stick and an inkwell (1932-37), Hugh (1935-40), Andrew, son of and just told us to draw whatever we Michael (1960-65), John, son of Pat (1962-67) wanted. That was very different from the and Tony, son of Pat (1967-72). Andrew is traditional approach of that time which professor of oncology at McMaster University, was to meticulously copy other pictures.

Ontario. John is a chartered accountant I used to design instructional posters that living in Indonesia. Tony has recently the school needed. I spent a fair amount of moved to Somerset and has been a teacher, photographer, author and publisher. time with him.

128 OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015

Hungry?

Think Hellofood It’s not everyone that commutes to Africa from London on a weekly basis. But this lifestyle doesn’t seem to be daunting Hellofood CEO Joe Falter (1999-2004), who says he’s managed to make BA Gold status despite flying economy.

Launched in Nigeria in November 2012, Hellofood is an online and mobile marketplace for ordering food deliveries from restaurants. It operates in 16 African cities, as well as 40 countries internationally in total, and there are plans for rapid expansion to other regions. Very soon the company will be employing over 450 people. Joe is pleased that approximately 50% of the employees are women, not always easy to achieve in very male-dominated cultures, and that almost all are local to the areas that Hellofood operate out of. He says it’s

Life in the Doghaus DJ and musician/producer Irfan Nathoo (1990-95) has just been signed to Sony UK with his band Doghaus on the back of producing two tracks with supermodel Cara Delevigne which were featured by the Evening Standard.

The first single, Down and Dirty, has been released with another two in the pipeline.

Irfan describes the music as slightly more commercial for him but that the music remains uncompromising. “Luckily underground stuff has become more fashionable and palatable for audiences now and that’s what Sony are tapping into.

My work can go from the hard extreme to much more melodic soundscape work.”

Toggling as he says between rave, techno and acid house, Irfan has established a tour of gigs such as those at the Fabric Club in Farringdon, the Groucho Club and Soho Farmhouse together with festival and underground circuit appearances. He also performs at celebrity fashion shows and hotel gigs in exotic locations. Irfan also produces and remixes music for other artists such as rappers Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes and Torch. Recent gigs include those for the Frieze Art Fair Afterparty for Pharrell, Poppy Delevingne’s wedding

exciting to be at a point where it is still possible to have a huge impact on the way a large number of people do the basic things in life, to come into the market and change the way that people order food while at the same time creating hundreds of new jobs and increasing the turnover of the 4,000 restaurants who have signed up as partners to the business.

Investors in the Africa model also support the business in South-East Asia, Eastern Europe and South America and are now expanding into Western Europe.

In addition there have been a couple of app launches with Samsung and Nokia, which have helped establish the company.

Joe started as a consultant for McKinsey in London but always knew he wanted to drive something himself. He later gained valuable experience working alongside the ex MD of Waitrose running an advisory business that helped fast- moving consumer goods brands launch new food products into UK supermarkets. Following the setting up of a flash sales website, like Groupon, launching out of 12 countries in

four months, he used the experience to look at potential food delivery opportunities in Africa. Joe flew to Nigeria. “It was quite a shock but an amazing place to work. The European business environment can be quite stuffy and slow moving whereas in Nigeria people are so sharp, and you can network very easily.

Joe says he is always on the look out for adventurous people to join the company in leadership positions.

Africa presents challenging opportunities and early responsibility for aspiring entrepreneurs - if any OPs are interested please contact the OP Club office for details of how Joe can be contacted direct, or click www.hellofood.com.

Joe was preceded at St Paul’s by his

and Princess Olympia of Greece’s birthday party.

When I call him he has just an hour before he has to take his three-year old son to the first day of pre-school. Life is hectic after a move three weeks ago to Venice, the beachfront neighbourhood of Los Angeles, where Irfan’s wife Alice has just started a new job. “There are few cities in the world where you can move to from London and still know loads of people and there will be a good social life. There are good connections here.”

Going by the DJ name of Lazersonic, Irfan’s last album, Adventures in Stereo, was a collaboration with DJ Zak Frost.

Adopting a “tripped out after hours feel”, the work was described as “A cosmic treat of epic proportions” by DJ Magazine and was in MixMag’s top 50 albums of the year.

Irfan pops up in many guises and has steadily been building a comprehensive music CV. Founder member of Doghaus, self-described as a motley collective of unhinged musicians, tech-nerds and club-heads, he produced violinist Lettice Rowbotham’s semi-final show for Britain’s Got Talent. He has toured the US with a live show, and amongst many other projects has done radio guest mixes for BBC Radio One and the Asian Network, live shows for the BBC Maida Vale Sessions with Zane Lowe and played the Glastonbury and Leeds Festivals. He also produced a monthly underground session that was broadcast by 30 radio stations and mixed music for London

Fashion Week catwalk shows for Vivienne Westwood, Alice Temperley, Roksanda Ilinic and Alexander McQueen.

Irfan was sad to learn that his St Paul’s keyboard teacher Mr Thomson had died recently. “He was the one who got me in to it. He used to lend me keyboards back in the day. He had this tiny little room opposite the stationary room. It was a little cupboard where he put a couple of amazing synthesizers, and I used to mess around there. I got a first record out when I was about 16 made on his synths. That gave me the bug.”

Irfan didn’t take music exams at School, instead following a more academic route. In his younger days he had been a British Junior Chess Champion. While he was at Leeds University doing English and Philosophy he was running Clubs and a radio station there before he decided to go to music college. “I was always assigned to labels in London even when I was at university.

I used to come down to a club called The End, one of the biggest in London at the time.”

Despite commercial pressures Irfan says he has managed to go back to doing what he loves best – making uncompromising underground music –

Joe falter and above with the delivery team in Lagos

brother Gideon (1996-2001), currently Managing Director at Rimota, developing a plugin upgrade for small business telephones. Joe sometimes bumps into other OPs in Africa. He recently met Charles Laurence (1999-2004) who is senior project manager on a DFID programme to remove constraints to small business growth in Nigeria.

Oh, and by the way if you’re in Lagos Joe recommends you try a local dish called Ofada – a spicy stew that can knock your head off! only now the mainstream seems to have caught up. “The world is ready for it now!

There are some exciting things on the horizon.”

View and listen: doghaus.london www.lazersonic.com

Irfan as DJ lazersonic.

Above: a visual from 'Blowface'

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 129

News

At Home with Mother Charlie Inman (1990-95) has been making a film with Gilles Peterson, a personal hero of his.

Inventor of the term Acid Jazz. Peterson is also a BBC presenter and DJ, and founder of Brownswood Recordings and Talkin’ Loud Records to whom he signed Roni Size and Galliano amongst others. He was partly responsible for establishing the left-field British jazz funk movement in the 80s and 90s. Last year Charlie and Gilles collaborated over a film, Brasil, Bam Bam Bam, shot in Brazil for an album Peterson was making called Sonzeira. This year Charlie travelled to Cuba with Gilles for a film about Rumba, which he has been editing since as part of

his remit as Creative Director of ad agency Mother’s production arm.

“The great thing about Mother and why I love it here, is that they are hugely encouraging when it comes to doing creative things that are not necessarily financially rewarding for them. They are genuinely interested in creating original works of cultural interest. The way it works is that, as an agency, the more your content can live in the real world, outside of advertising, the more kudos you gain within the industry. When Mother took on Coca Cola for the Olympics for example, they commissioned Mark Ronson to make a tune and a documentary instead of an advert.

For the Eurostar launch they got Shane Meadows to make a feature film. This is the reason Mother likes to call itself a ‘creative” rather than “ad” agency. “Don’t get me wrong, TV ads is still what they do, but they encourage everyone’s creativity here, even in HR and accounts.”

Previously working as a television director for 12 years, Charlie was asked by Mother to come and help out. He ended up making a documentary for a pitch. He said as soon as he walked through the door he felt that it was the most amazing place he had ever been. “There are fridges full of beer, everyone sits down together to eat lunch cooked by chefs, it’s paradise! Best of all your every creative whim is indulged and everyone is nice and fun and doing cool things!” Charlie was asked to stay on a permanent basis, and has now been making films for the company for six years. And he adds that producing work for the internet, for an international audience, rather than for TV, gives him more freedom to do what he wants to do.

At university Charlie originally studied film but didn’t like it, so changed to Linguistics. When he graduated he wrote to Eurotrash, the programme that most appealed to him. The production company

Ocean Observer

As part of an international effort to record systematic global measurements of the world’s oceans for the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), and as a member of the GO-SHIP initiative that he joined in early 2009, Dr Brian King (1972-76) is leading a team of scientists across the North Atlantic this December to launch four prototype ocean monitors or ‘floats’ that are capable of measuring ocean properties from the surface to the sea bed.

These new devices mark the beginning of a new era of groundbreaking research that has the potential to improve dramatically our worldwide knowledge of oceanic carbon capture. Up till now only about a

130 OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015

half of the oceans’ total volume has been measured. Float technology until very recently simply could not withstand the pressures encountered in the deepest water. “Our Argo Programme is currently only running in the top two kilometres of the ocean. It captures a substantial fraction of what we’d like to know, but not everything. Now would be an exciting time to become an oceanographer. It is the generation that is just qualifying that will observe and describe the complete footprint of global climate change.”

Drifting around the world’s oceans, and on a cycle of about every ten days, the Argo Programme’s existing floats inflate buoyancy bladders, rise to the service and broadcast data by satellite, before sinking back to ‘park’ between 1 and 2 km depth.

Today there are nearly 4,000 of these in a global array – a truly international and sustainable observational system. “We now have ten years of comprehensive measurements, but we need to stick at it!

Whereas with ships we might get round the planet once every five to ten years, with the floats we get round three times a month. The floats tell us exactly how much heat energy the oceans are taking up, and that’s one of the ways we know that, regardless of what’s happening in the atmosphere and whether the air is or isn’t getting warmer, the Earth as a whole is getting significantly warmer. The ocean acts like a huge moderating tank containing around a quarter of the CO2 released by the burning of fossil fuels.

Without it we would be roasting in the atmosphere by now.”

It is estimated that 90 per cent of all global warming heat finds its way into the oceans. The National Oceanography Centre is seeking answers as to whether the oceans will go on taking up as much carbon dioxide as they do, or if they will eventually become saturated, unable to provide this environmental service, and also whether the hydrological cycle (evaporation-rainfall) will change under conditions of global warming, and whether and where more droughts and flooding are likely.

A theoretical mathematician, Brian became a PhD student at Cambridge’s

The floats tell us exactly how much heat energy the oceans are taking up Applied Mathematics department. He liked problem solving, and enjoyed bringing his expertise to oceanography, beginning with his work on a computer model simulation of the El Niño phenomenon. He later found his niche contributing to and developing fieldwork on ships. Brian was a contributing author to the 2007 assessment report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

Brian says that mathematics teacher

www.opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk 020 8746 5339 Rapido offered him a job as an edit/producer, but he held out to be more of an ideas person, to which they said, “That doesn’t happen, you don’t really just walk into that one!” However they did suggest he write up some ideas during the summer and offered him the chance to discuss his ideas later. On the back of this he was offered the job of researcher, which Charlie describes as hilarious. “To date one of the best jobs I have ever had! My job was to find weirdos, and then film them! I had no idea what I was doing! In the independent TV industry you learn to fly by the seat of your pants, unlike the slow rise you could expect joining the BBC.” When he was at St Paul’s, Charlie says he spent all his available free time in the music school, mostly playing saxophone. “I’ll never forget those lunch breaks, they were marvellous.” He still likes to play, sometimes on stage with a band that he says he is the least important member of, so it doesn’t encroach too much on his real, dream job at Mother.

Charlie Inman

Concert for Bryant Tan Crispin Collier was his greatest inspiration at St Paul’s. Crispin was apparently told to teach at the pace of the quickest, putting the onus on the rest to keep up! He says Bruce Cryer was also hugely formative during his A-Levels. Mike Bradley, who had never taught statistics before and was told to keep one page ahead of the students, also taught Brian. “I much appreciated the way they taught me that any problem was solvable. It wasn’t the stuff they taught me, it was the approach.”

Brian also enjoyed playing chess at St Paul’s when the famous Fischer-Spassky World Chess Championship of 1972 created a surge in its popularity.

Brian’s contemporary John Neilson (1972-76) joined the Civil Service, later to become a senior Civil Servant in the Cabinet Office supporting the Director General of the Research Councils, advising on, amongst other things, expenditure for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Brian’s research-funding body. John also attended NERC meetings as a government representative involved in the management of science and science funding.

Brian strongly believes that Paulines should be encouraged to consider scientific research as a career option and be reminded that intellectual endeavour for its own sake carries enormous rewards.

For more information: www.go-ship.org www.argo.ucsd.edu www.noc.ac.uk

A concert in memory of Bryant Tan (2005-2010) will be held in the Wathen Hall on Saturday 5 March at 7pm.

The concert is being organised by the St Paul’s School Music Department and Bryant’s friends as a tribute to an exceptional young man. Awarded Academic and Music Scholarships to St Paul’s School, Bryant’s violin playing was enjoyed at school concerts for many years at both Colet Court and St Paul’s. Bryant was an inspiration to all who knew him. He passed away in a mountaineering accident, two weeks after graduating with a Bachelor’s (with distinction) and Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

Performers at the concert will include current Colet Court and St Paul’s School choirs and orchestras as well as Bryant’s fellow musicians from his years at St Paul’s. Tickets will be available nearer the time. Further announcements will be made in the OP eNews.

The Queen’s Birthday Honours John Wienand (1976-80), a partner at independent law firm Farrer & Co., was made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO).

Jon Blair (1967-69) was awarded a CBE for his services to film.

Other Honours

Alan McLean (1957-59) was declared a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour for his services to the maritime industry by decree of the President of France on Bastille Day this year.

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 131

Club News Old Pauline Club Committee List 2015/16 President Sir Nigel Thompson KCMG CBE Past Presidents D J Cakebread, B D Moss, C D L Hogbin, C J W Madge, F W Neate, Sir Alexander Graham GBE DCL, R C Cunis, Professor the Rt Hon Lord McColl of Dulwich, The Rt Hon the Lord Baker of Dorking CH, N J Carr, J M Dennis, J H M East Vice Presidents P R A Baker, R S Baldock, J S Beastall CB, S C H Bishop, Sir David Brewer CMG, CVO, N E Britnor, N St J Brooks, R D Burton, W M A Carroll, Professor P A Cartledge, M A Colato, R K Compton, T J D Cunis, S J Dennis MBE, L M Dorfman CBE, C R Dring, C G Duckworth, J A H Ellis, R A Engel, D H P Etherton, The Rt Hon Sir Terence Etherton, T J R Goode, S R Harding, R J G Holman, J A Howard, Sir Antony Jay CVO, B M Jones, P J King, T G Knight, P A Leppard, B Lowe, J W S Lyons, Professor C P Mayer, R R G McIntosh, I C McNicol, A K Nigam, The Rt Hon George Osborne MP, D M Porteus, The Rt Hon the Lord Razzall CBE, The Rt Hon the Lord Renwick of Clifton KCMG, B M Roberts, J E Rolfe, Sir David Rowland, J W Runacres, M K Seigel, J C F Simpson, R J Smith, D R Snow, S S Strauss, A G Summers, R Summers, J L Thorn, R Ticciati, Admiral Sir John Treacher KCB, Sir Mark Walport FRS, Professor the Lord Winston of Hammersmith Honorary Secretary A C Day Honorary Treasurer N St J Brooks FCA Main Committee composed of all the above and P R A Baker OP Lodge B C M Dover Rugby Football Club S C H Bishop Editor, OP News T J D Cunis (Archivist & AROPS representative) N P Troen Association Football Club F P A Jenk Colet Boat Club P J King Fives (OPRFC)& Membership Secretary A R Duncan / J S Grant Cricket Club B A Michels Elected S L Rooms Events Co-ordinator R J Smith Golfing Society M A Staniszewski Tennis Club

Executive Committee Sir Nigel Thompson KCMG CBE Chairman A C Day Hon Secretary N St J Brooks Hon Treasurer S C H Bishop Editor, OP News R D Burton Secretary for Affiliated Clubs & Assocs N J Carr TDSSC Ltd Representative J M Dennis J H M East Immediate Past President J A Howard Liaison Committee Chairman B M Jones P J King Membership Secretary S L Rooms Events Co-ordinator Communications Committee R S Baldock Chairman, Suzanne Mackenzie (Editor, The Pauline), S C H Bishop (Editor, OP News) D G R Bussey (Co-opted advisor) Andrea Hudson (Development Manager) Zeena Hicks (Communications and Marketing Director) Ceri Jones (Events & OPC Manager) President and Hon Secretary (ex officio) Thames Ditton Committee F W Neate Chairman, J S Beastall CB, C G Duckworth, C D L Hogbin, T G Knight President, Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer (ex officio) Liaison Committee J A Howard Chairman, T B Bain, I M Benjamin, N J Carr, R J G Holman, B D Moss Ground Committee J M Dennis Chairman, R K Compton, G Godfrey (Groundsman), M P Kiernan, I C McNicol, D Richard, J Sherjan

Trustees C D L Hogbin Chairman, J S Beastall CB, C R Dring, C G Duckworth Alumni and Development Office Andrea Hudson (Development Manager), Ceri Jones (Events & OPC Manager), Simon Rooms (Events Coordinator), Zeena Hicks (Communications and Marketing Director), Viera Ghods, (Administrator) Old Pauline Club, St Paul’s School, Lonsdale Road, Barnes, London, SW13 9JT Telephone: 020 8746 5418 Email: opcadmin@stpaulsschool.org.uk opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk

For those of you who haven’t joined our online community, you can register on the OP Club’s website at opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk – you will then be able to access the secure alumni areas to keep in touch with friends and the Club and find out about upcoming events.

Business networking on

The OP Club has an active and thriving LinkedIn group. If you have a profile on LinkedIn or if you are interested in what LinkedIn may be able to offer, then log onto www.linkedin.com and join the group ‘Old Paulines Alumni’.

The OP Club’s Facebook page, which you can find by searching for ‘Old Pauline Club’ under Pages, has information about all the latest events. Search for ‘Old Pauline Club’ and request to join the Group.

Follow us on twitter @oldpaulines 132 OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015

Paul Cartledge (1960-64) is A.G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow at Clare College, Cambridge, and recently retired as the inaugural A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture in the Faculty of Classics, Cambridge University. He has written, co-written, edited or coedited over 25 books, appears regularly on television and radio, is an honorary citizen of (modern) Sparta and holds the Gold Cross of the Order of Honour of the Greek Republic. He is married to Judith Portrait, OBE and Old Paulina.

Reporting Accountants Upton Neenan Lees

Join our online community

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New Vice Presidents

Michael Colato (1977-81) was Honorary Treasurer of the Old Pauline Club from 2011 to 2015.

After studying Physics and completing a PGCE at Durham University, he joined Coopers & Lybrand (PwC) and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1989. He later worked for C&L in Milan specialising in corporate acquisitions. He is currently working as a Finance Director with a large European buyout fund. His interests include golf, skiing and scuba diving. Michael now lives in West London and is married with three teenage children.

opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk

l

020 8746 5418

Message from the new OP Club President are now able to take online bookings for events through the Merchant Service (BBMS) payment provider.

Looking ahead, the Old Pauline Club is hosting a wide variety of interesting events this Autumn. In November we host the annual Oxford and Cambridge University Dinners to which I would especially encourage recent leavers to attend. We then host an Entrepreneurs’ Dinner at the School that will feature, amongst others, George Burgess (2005-10), riding high on the success of his revision app Gojimo.

The Whitting Lecture also takes place at the School in November, before we get into the Christmas spirit with the Supper Evening Christmas dinner, this year held at the School, while Colets, the OP sports clubs’ headquarters in Thames Ditton, is refurbished.

For these and all other forthcoming OP events I recommend you view our webpage,

New faces

facilities provided in the new School before family commitments and worn out knees curtailed (temporarily he hopes) his activities.

“I seem to be one of life’s volunteers – having left the RAF, I joined the RAFVR then the Royal Auxiliary Air Force as a Photographic Interpreter, finally retiring from that after about 18 years. I left to spend more time with my family but promptly became a Group Scout Leader (10 years this year!), a rugby coach and community rugby referee and a senior examiner for the Chartered Insurance Institute. I have also worked on the Bluebell Railway and am insurance liaison officer at the Didcot Railway Centre.”

Alan has been married to Helen for 22 years and they have two sons. Oliver works locally and is a regular player for Chipstead Rugby Club and Matthew has just finished at Whitgift School, having gained a place to read Japanese at Balliol College, Oxford.

This year there have been a number of changes to key executive posts within the Old Pauline Club, and some new staff positions taken up, some with responsibilities that overlap with the needs of the School.

Honorary Secretary The Old Pauline Club extends a warm welcome to Alan Day (1968-72) who has taken over from John Ellis (1959-63) as Honorary Secretary.

Alan started in aviation insurance straight from School and, apart from a short commission in the RAF has worked in that field ever since, becoming a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute in 1989.

Whilst he says he was not the most academic of students at School, none-theless St Paul’s gave him a lifelong interest in geography, so much so that Alan was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 1989. He has attended their evening lectures on many occasions.

Alan has always loved mountains and has trekked in the Alps and Nepal. “The recent images of destroyed villages were particularly poignant as I camped in some of them a few years previously.”

Alan took advantage of the fencing

Honorary Treasurer Nicholas Brooks (1965-70) has taken over the Club’s accounting duties from Mike Colato (197781). Nick is a senior partner in Kingston Smith LLP, Chartered Accountants, in the City of London. He specialises in giving advice to charities and not for profit organisations. He is a Vice President of both the Club and the OPFC,

OP Club President Sir Nigel Thompson

for more details and to book.

I very much look forward to seeing many of you at these events, and playing my part in what is clearly a growing, vibrant and sociable Club.

Sir Nigel Thompson

Treasurer and Council Member of the Old Pauline Trust and up to recently played regularly for OPCC. He is a member of the MCC and still plays squash.

Nick is married to Caroline and has two children Charles (1995-2000) and Charlotte and two grandchildren, Henry and Grace.

Events and Old Pauline Club Manager Ceri Jones is the new Events and Old Pauline Club Manager.

“I joined St Paul’s in May 2015 from previous alumni relations roles at the University of Westminster and the University of Reading. My role here includes coordinating Old Pauline Club activities including events, careers, volunteering opportunities and social media. I also manage the alumni relations programme across St Paul’s and find ways in which the Old Pauline community can support the School’s aims. This can be, for example, finding speakers for student events, reaching out to OPs to provide advice on universities or careers or asking for members to join us at specific events.

Being so new in my role, I am excited to be working with alumni who are willing to get involved, happy to offer their advice and feel so fond of their time at St Paul’s. It has been great to meet Old Paulines (some in person, lots via

▼

I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed as your Old Pauline Club President for the next two years. I will do all I can to help OPs, the School and, of course, the Club itself.

I am very pleased to report that with the help of the School’s new Development Office, the Old Pauline Club has considerably improved its capability in social media, especially Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. As well as enjoying an ability to connect more often and more widely than before, the Club can now analyse its various means of communication. Going forward, we can look at how effective each can be for promoting events, generating news stories and monitoring website traffic in order to offer us all, as members, a comprehensive service on channels that are relevant to all our particular groups.

I am also delighted to announce that we

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 133

Club News New faces continued ▼

email) over the past five months who have been so welcoming and happy to give me background of their involvement with the Club and the School. I have very much enjoyed getting in touch with our international contacts, and talking to upcoming speakers, committee members, young OP volunteers and past presidents (and many others) who all feed into the friendly community here at St Paul’s.

St Paul’s has an active and enthused alumni community and I am looking forward to meeting even more of you at forthcoming Old Pauline Club events. If you would like to get involved in any way please get in touch, I’d be very happy to discuss any opportunities we have that might interest you.

Communications and Marketing Director Zeena Hicks joined the team at St Paul’s School in May, having spent the previous 18 years working in Educational Marketing and Communications within the commercial arts, Independent School and Higher Education sectors.

Having already refined some of the School’s brand elements since her arrival, including redesigning the 2015/16 prospectus and launching the new St Paul’s School website, Zeena’s role will continue to build the communications strategy,

Leavers’ Concert The annual OPs’ and Leavers’ concert, which has become an eagerlyawaited regular annual fixture in the School’s calendar, took place on 21 June. This year no fewer than 20 Old Paulines took part as performers in a tremendously successful event. It was fantastic to be able to welcome back Simon Mulligan to perform alongside his mentor, the retiring legendary jazz teacher George Adie. Also performing in a series of exciting original compositions

by George Adie were Old Paulines: Charles Hawes, Freddie Hosken, Thom Hosken, Tom Smith, Ollie Cartwright, and George Parry.

Joshua Cleary returned accompanied

by Oliver Arnold in a rendition of

modernising the School’s brand image, ensuring the School reaches and connects with the right audiences.

Honouring the past and John Colet’s vision to offer an education to bright boys “from all nacions and countres indifferently” Zeena will be working closely with the High Master to clarify the Schools messaging enabling us to find the brightest boys who are likely to benefit greatly from a St Paul’s education, regardless of social or economic background.

Zeena says she is is excited and honoured to hold the first ever position of marketing and communications within the School and is looking forward to further enhancing communications with St Paul’s parents, boys and collaborators, past, present and future. When not working hard, Zeena loves the theatre, cooking fine cuisine and cycling in the forest with her two boys.

Development Manager Andrea Hudson joined the Old Pauline Club office a year and a half ago and has been working on developing the OPC website, database, e-communications and online booking systems. With the new team now in place she believes the Club is in an excellent position to build on what it can offer OPs. “We hope you have been enjoying the new website which went live earlier this spring and can be found at opclub.

an exquisite Schubert song, and Dominic Yeo and Alexei Kalveks impressed us with the versatility of their singing and their playing. OPs Joe Swartzentruber and Francis Melville and Robin Weddderburn Hon OP returned to bolster a leavers’ strings ensemble in a movement of Elgar’s Serenade for Strings. Finally, the awesome OP/ Leavers’ big band finished the concert in amazing style directed by the ever-enegetic Katie Brown. OPs Ali MacFarlane, Alex Hitchcock, Ossian O’Sullivan, Hugh Crawshaw, Richard Law, and Conrad von Stempel performed in the big band in addition to a number of other OPs already mentioned. Overall the concert was a very memorable event and it is a fabulous opportunity to catch up with so many musical Old Paulines. Here’s to next year’s event!

134 OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015

Tom Evans

stpaulsschool.org.uk. As before, it includes details of forthcoming events and latest news, and you can also follow the Club’s activities on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Any ideas and contributions for content will be most gratefully received.

We have also rolled out membership details (User Names and Passwords) for the Online Portal over the summer to all OPs where we have their email address. So far, we have almost 6,000 online members of which around 20% have successfully managed to log on. If you are having problems, please do not hesitate to contact us (opcadmin@stpaulsschool.org.uk) and we will aim to help you. Naturally, we have experienced a few teething problems, but hopefully we have managed to iron out most of these issues, but please let us know of any glitches you are experiencing.

Another facility that we launched is the ability to register and pay for events online. You can visit the website to check for Forthcoming Events and make your reservations and pay for your tickets here.

We hope this will make life simpler for our prospective guests.

We would like to invite any OPs to please get in touch if you have not received your Log In details. This may be because we do not have your email address, so please send this to us and we can organise your Log In details for you. Also, please remember that you can up-date your contact details and other relevant details using the Online Portal – by doing so helps the Club to communicate with you more effectively.

We look forward to hearing from you!”

Simon Mulligan (1986-91)

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Branch news round-up Australia

The latest Old Pauline event in Sydney was scheduled for 5 November. If you are living in the area, or ever visiting, please email the Australia – Sydney & NSW branch contact Freddie Blencke (1986-91) at fblencke@bellpotter.com.au

Greece

The OP Branch in Greece is currently planning their next event for the end of this year. If you live in Greece or regularly visit, please do let us know so we can ensure you receive an invite to this event. If you would like to know more about getting involved in the OP activity in Greece please contact Menelaos Pangalos (1979-84) menelaospangalos@hotmail.com

Israel

The Israel OP Branch is planning an event this winter to bring together all Old Paulines who are living in the area. If you are living in Israel or regularly visit, please ensure your details are up to date by logging into the website and we will ensure we keep you receive an invite to the event on 28 January 2016.

US East Coast

Summer in New York

On Sunday 16 August, half a dozen Old Paulines, Paulinas and guests met at the Bethesda Fountain in New York’s Central Park for a summer picnic. The positively sultry weather was alleviated by Prosecco and Riesling, helped down by ice creams and lollipops!

New York Lunch 15 Old Paulines, Paulinas and guests gathered at Old Pauline Robin Hirsch’s Cornelia Street Café in Greenwich Village in New York City for lunch on 15 September.

Without the usual University Club requirement for jacket and tie, the atmosphere was as relaxed as one would expect in this bohemian part of the universe, with two artists’ work displayed on the Café’s walls. The only missing item was the University Club’s chocolate

New York lunch. Left to right: Robin Hirsch and David Bruder, Susan York, Simon Strauss, Nadia Zilkha, Nick Weir-Williams, Sherri Preston, Florence Buchanan, Evan Lim, Michael Preston and Simon Mulligan, Stephanie Connor and Sylvia Scheuer, John Brendon. Not pictured Emily Gardner Hall.

mousse, but this omission was handily made up for by the excellent Cafélabelled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dispensed by mine host.

Robin recounted some of the history of the café, including most recently the tribute hosted there in memory of frequent Café visitor and Science Club presenter, Dr. Oliver Sacks (1946-51).

The atmosphere was convivial, the food and wine befitting the Café’s status as one of Time Out’s Top 100 Restaurants, and of course the conversation amongst an expatriate group of those associated with St Paul’s to be as eclectic as the surroundings of Greenwich Village, ranging from publishing adult picture books, investment banking to information technology, art, music and theatre.

Events scheduled for the balance of 2015 in New York include a wine tasting at Cornelia Street Café hosted by Paulina viticulturist Nadia Zilkha and a tour of

the Metropolitan Museum led by actress and tour guide Emily Gardner Hall.

Wessex

23 Old Paulines and Old Paulinas from Wessex Branch enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Langton Arms, Tarrant Monkton, Blandford, Dorset on 7 May. A good time was had by all and the opinion of the group was that they should return to this venue in the near future. After lunch, Simon Bishop (1962-65), the Editor of the Old Pauline News, gave an interesting talk about the magazine, the future of print and the growing importance of social media for the Club’s communications.

A Luncheon was also held on 10 October at The Theatre Royal, Bath. l For all upcoming OP Club events please

refer to the Forthcoming Events tab on the OP Club website: opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk and the latest edition of the Club’s eNews.

Old Pauline Merchandise To view the full range or to place an order, please fill in our online form on opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk/ pages/merchandise or contact the Old Pauline Club Telephone: 020 8746 5418 email: opcadmin@ stpaulsschool.org.uk For blazers please contact Tim Cunis at rugby@tjdcunis.demon.co.uk OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 135

Club News Annual Dinner 2015

Speaker Sir Mark Walport (third left) in discussion with new OP Club President Sir Nigel Thompson

Over 60 OPs together with retiring and leaving St Paul’s staff members attended this year’s Annual Dinner, hosted by new Club President, Sir Nigel Thompson (1952-55) at the beautiful 105-acre Wildlife & Wetland Trust London Wetlands Centre in Barnes. The Guest Speaker was Professor Sir Mark Walport (1966-70), Government Chief Scientific Adviser in the UK. A pre-dinner get-together and drinks were enjoyed on the balcony of the Centre’s Water Edge Café during a perfect balmy summer’s evening overlooking the lakes and lagoons. Amongst the assembled were no fewer than six former Presidents of the Old Pauline Club who have jointly served for over the last 24 years of the Club’s history, including David Cakebread (194245).

Sir Nigel proposed toasts to The Queen, and the Pious and Immortal Memory of John Colet before making presentations on behalf of the Old Pauline Club to retiring members of staff, Mike Slay and George Adie, and leaving staff, Oliver Rokison and Hugh Muirhead.

After a toast to The School, Sir Nigel handed over to High Master Professor Mark Bailey who praised outgoing Club President John East (1960-65) and Club Honorary Secretary John Ellis (1959-63) for their work bringing the School and the Old Pauline community closer together over the last two years.

Mark went on to say that he was just beginning to feel old enough to be the High Master of St Paul’s. At a recent new parents’ evening he met an Old Pauline he had taught economic medieval history to at Cambridge and who now had twins just starting at the School. He announced that St Paul’s was in good shape and was the strongest rowing school in the land becoming Head of the River this year, also winning 12 medals at the national finals in Nottingham. He was also very proud to announce that the School recently represented the UK at the European Space Agency CanSat finals and won. Mark finally described the acquisition of an electron microscope, evidence that the School remains committed to attain the highest level of scholarship, going way beyond the requirements of the assessed curriculum.

He also declared a desire to ‘recapture’ pupils from the ‘squeezed middle’ who can no longer afford to send their boys to the School by raising substantial funds for bursaries over a five to eight-year period.

After a toast to the Old Pauline Club by

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the High Master, Sir Mark Walport gave a talk in which he emphasized that our survival as a species will be determined by our behaviours over the next two centuries and how we develop and apply our scientific, engineering and technological ingenuity, for which education will play an absolutely critical part.

He recalled his pleasure when starting at St Paul’s on being allowed to leave classics to study science. Covered sinks filled with coal gas provided early explosive delights before he took part in more interesting work with biology teacher Stephen Hurry on the genetics of the fruit fly, which he said set him up for life. Sir Mark said it was highly appropriate that the dinner should be held at the Wetlands Centre as he remembered

Covered sinks filled with coal gas provided early explosive delights…. . . bird watching at the site when it was simply a series of reservoirs when he was a member of the Selborne Club at School.

When considering his brief as Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Mark summarised his position as a conduit for bringing the best from academia and industry to allow the government to make best policy. He added that it was the interaction between scientific and human values that presented the most interesting challenges.

He ended with a plea that a liberal education should mix the sciences and the humanities starting in primary and continuing throughout secondary and tertiary education. “The thing about a scientific education is that it makes you skeptical, questioning, numerate and able to understand uncertainty. And you cannot be a good scientist if you are not a good communicator verbally and in writing.

What I say to young scientists is that with those skills the world is your oyster and that they should go into all walks of life.”

10 Year Reunion Alexander Tsavliris (2000-05) took the welcome initiative of organising his year group reunion on Saturday 2 May in the traditional upper room at the Rutland Arms (courtesy of the Club). Around 30 turned up together with a few wives and girlfriends. As well as the customary chat on such occasions there was a more sombre discussion on last month’s earthquake in Nepal, which came close to home with the news that newly married Sam Chappatte and his wife (an Old Paulina) were stranded at Camp 1 on Mount Everest with just a few days rations; thankfully they were rescued by helicopter and are making a full recovery. Before the Rutland a large group toured the new Science block and Drama Centre at the School, which were much admired – and in particular the Upper Eighth Common Room aroused some envy. To bring back memories the tour also included the Languages, Economics and Latin departments in the old block, where Leo Holdstock found one his paintings hanging near the Maths department.

The consensus seemed to be that of the many significant contributions made by the class of 2005, Robbie Wohanka and Matthew Schweich’s foundation of the U8 421 football league – still going strong – and Alexander’s introduction of the lyrics of H Club’s anthem to the tune of I vow to thee my country - still sung weekly before Club meetings – were particularly meritorious.

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Leavers’ Ceremony 2015 On 25 June this year’s Upper 8th made their way into the Sports Hall for a final send-off from St Paul’s. All of us, from those who had joined in the 8th Form, to those who had been part of the school from the 4th Form, or earlier from Colet Court, felt the significance of this moment, when we passed on from the institution which has been such a prominent part of our academic and personal development.

The boys sat with their tutors and tutor groups for this final ceremony in the school, reflecting the importance of the relationship which is forged between the individual tutees and their tutor during a Pauline’s time at school.

Three speeches composed the main body of the proceedings, with the High Master, director and screenwriter and Pauline parent Richard Curtis, and Upper 8th Undermaster Mr Wilson each taking to the podium. The High Master administered some light-hearted advice about university, and more serious meditations on later life, before Richard Curtis started on his own advice.

Class of 1995 20 Year Reunion On the day TFI Friday came back for its (almost 20th) anniversary special just up the river from where it used to be broadcast at the Rutland pub, the St Paul’s class of 1995 met for its own reunion bash.

Decency, kindness, and following one’s own interests were at the heart of the renown director and philanthropist’s message, but it was characteristically humorous as well: he included a plea for us to provide his son, fellow Upper 8th former Jake Curtis, with any loose change if we bump into him in later life, so that Mr Curtis wouldn’t have to do the same himself. Mr Curtis’ presence was especially well-received on account of the difficulty of his journey from France, involving all manner of transportations, including a specifically chartered helicopter to get him to St Paul’s in time.

His closing note was an observation from his own life, that “you can’t be happier than happy”, that joy and contentedness should always be cherished and valued.

Mr Wilson spoke next, exhorting our year as a particularly distinctive year group, which was notably loud in the Common Room but with a friendly demeanour and an unwavering enthusiasm for St Paul’s and everything it Having started the first set of tenyear reunions at St Paul’s and having successfully got our year group together for our 15th-year and the School Quincentenary reunions, it seemed like a no-brainer to try to get people together again for our 20th. With social media it surely had to be easier to get people together than ever before and so it proved.

I tracked down as many people missing

The 1995 SPS 4x100m team reunited: Matthew Morrison, Charles Emmerson, Amir Ghaffari, Tom Adeyoola

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had offered us.

Finally, the boys came up in their tutor sets, shaking Professor Bailey’s hand on the podium before heading out of the Sports Hall, collecting their Yearbooks and Old Pauline Club welcome bag along the way. Drinks in a sun-filled Founders Court followed, with the Leavers’ parents, who had been observing proceedings, tutors, and other members of staff mingling and celebrating with the newest batch of Old Paulines. The beauty of the new Science buildings, constructed during our time at the school, providing a fitting backdrop to this grand finale of our Tom Ames (2010-15) St Paul’s careers.

Captain of School

from the school lists as possible and we had an incredible turnout of over 50 on the night. One had even driven down from Nottingham. Getting a third of the year to attend on a random night in June is a testament to the year we were and are. There was a lot of laughter, catching up and typically witty banter that reminded us all of what School life was like once again.

We are a great eclectic mix, thanks to the diversity of backgrounds, skills and the School’s encouragement to pursue our dreams: the group comprised a superstar DJ, primary school teachers, a film maker, lawyers, bankers, hedge-fund managers, entrepreneurs, doctors, policy makers, a left wing political think tank leader, an author, accountants, a management consultancy partner and corporate leaders.

Thanks to the OP Club for helping to organise the event in such an efficient way and putting on the food at the pub. Thanks too for the School tour for those that could make it for the 5.30pm start – a highlight was the detailed rundown from Mr Wilson of what all our tutors are doing now.

It was a great trip down memory lane and whilst there were several calls for this to become an annual event, maybe the power of nostalgia and the imperative to attend comes with bigger milestones.

Tom Adeyoola (1990-95)

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 137

Obituaries Name

SPS

Name

Kenneth (Ken) Abel Ian Allan OBE FCIT Okan Avni (HLM & Teacher)

1938-40 1924-2014 1935-39 1922-2015 1988-2015 1957-2015

Nathaniel K (Nat) Billington Christopher R I (Robin) Estridge Derek Ernest Ford Stephan Freud John Gardner John Doyle Greenwald David Groombridge (CC Master) Martin Hankey Thomas A (Tony) Lewis David J Loveridge (SPS Bursar) Alastair Mackenzie (HLM & Teacher)

1984-89 1939-44 1947-49 1935-40 1939-41 1959-63 1970-90 1957-62 1962-67 1991-2003 1957-1993

1970-2015 1926-2015 1932-2015 1921-2015 1924-2014 1945-2015 1930-2015 1944-2015 1949-2015 1937-2015 1933-2015

Anthony R (Robin) Monro-Davies 1954-58 Michael J R Munn 1941-45 William P (Bill) Neill-Hall 1962-67 John F Northridge 1946-49 Graham C (George) Rees 1939-44 M A Charles Relle 1954-59 James E Rowe 1939-44 Dr Oliver W Sacks CBE 1946-51 Robert F Streit 1948-53 Stephen Thomson Visiting Music Teacher

1940-2015 1927-2015 1948-2015 1932-2015 1926-2015 1941-2015 1926-2015 1933-2015 1935-2015 1943-2015

Peter Major (Director of Art) Goeffrey Wallace McLellan

1972-78 1935-39

1933-2015 1921-2015

Robin K L Tyler Jack Unite Michael T Wainwright Martin L West Christopher Wright John Wright Kyril Zinoviev

1937-2014 1912-2015 1919-2015 1937-2015 1946-2014 1937-2015 1910-2015

Kenneth (Ken) Abel (1938-40) Ken Abel was a marine engineer, surveyor, expert witness, consultant, advisor and coordinator of technical expertise in maritime casualty cases of all kinds, and, in his later years, as an arbitrator. He died on 6 August after a short illness from pancreatic cancer, aged 90.

Ken started at sea as a chief engineer for the Royal Mail line. Over the course of a long career he ultimately became preeminent in the ranks of maritime experts.

Ken became known throughout the maritime world as a great synthesiser, prized by lawyers and fellow experts alike

as one who could put the complex and multitudinous findings of experts of many disciplines into one clear explanation, comprehensible and sensible to the layman and comprehensive and justifiable to the lawyers, judges and his colleagues.

Ken inspired many and was greatly admired for his formidable forensic skills, assisted by his avid curiosity and an insistence that “nature abhors confidence”.

Although his stubbornness may have sometimes provoked irritation, it was invariably dissolved in warm dialogue well peppered with a fine and selfdeprecating sense of humour. We have lost a resoundingly articulate voice in the

SPS

1951-54 1927-29 1933-36 1951-55 1959-64 1951-54 1924-27

advocacy of marine safety and forensic science and in the level of debate required to maintain the ancient and grand reputation of the mariner.

Ken is survived by his wife, Marianne, his family and friends.

John Grimmer, New York shipping lawyer Reprinted from Tradewinds with kind permission

Ian Allan OBE FCIT (1935-39) Ian died peacefully at home on 28 June 2015 the day before his 93rd birthday. He was born on the 29 June 1922 at Christ’s Hospital School where his father G.A.T. Allan OBE was the Clerk.

Ian developed a passionate interest in railways, which stemmed from his nursemaid’s father, who was a signalman at nearby Horsham Station. From the moment he was taken into the signal box he resolved to become a stationmaster.

Whilst at St Paul’s he received an injury to his left knee whilst on an OTC exercise which resulted in his losing the leg at the age of fifteen. This meant that he would never be able to realise his ambition to work on the operating side of the Southern Railway.

Instead on July 1939 he left St Paul’s and joined the Southern Railway as a temporary clerk in the general manager’s office where

138 OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015

he learnt much about journalism and publishing from the editor of the Southern Railway Magazine.

Trainspotting in those days was not yet a popular hobby. When answering enquiries as to the number of a named locomotive and other queries on details of the Southern’s locomotives, it occurred to Ian that there might be a market for such information. He suggested to the railway that they might like to publish a list of names and loco numbers.

The idea was turned down by his boss but Ian was invited to publish the list himself and in 1942 the first of over five thousand titles was published.

After the war, Ian left the railway to start up his own publishing company. Apart from a financial setback in the early 1950s the company grew and in 1956 expanded into printing. Seven years later, and as a result

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Christopher R I (Robin) Estridge (1939-44)

Robin was born in Minehead on 10 July 1926 where his parents were staying on holiday. He was brought up in Kensington and Richmond, Surrey. After St Paul’s he read Economics at Corpus Christi, Cambridge where. He was called up and served in the Navy on destroyers in the North Sea. Leaving Cambridge, he joined a City Lloyds Insurance Broker becoming a Member of Lloyds in the 1970s. In 1953 he was sent to Manchester for six months, but never returned to the City. He built up a large Manchester operation for Leslie and of organising railway excursions for railway enthusiasts, the company expanded into the fledgling travel industry, which eventually grew to 36 retail branches. Ian’s enthusiasm for railways remained strong. At the end of the BR steam era in 1968 Ian became involved with a number of preservation railway roles, including the Chairmanship of the Association of Independent Railways, the Presidency of the Mainline Steam Trust, Vice President of the Transport Trust and Chairman of the Dart Valley Railway.

Ian’s achievements were recognised by BR InterCity in 1992 when a locomotive was named after him. In the same year he was appointed an OBE. He was made a Freeman of the Borough of Spelthorne ‘in recognition of the eminent services he rendered to the borough over a number of years through publication of a unique range of books, his operation of various businesses which employed a number of local people and

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Robin K L Tyler (1951-54)

Godwin. He left them in 1980 to set up his own firm (Estridge and Ropner, Henry Cooke Estridge). He was bought out in 1990.

In 1953 he settled in Alderley Edge, married Patricia Archibald and they had two children. Patricia died in 1984. He married Ann Davies in 1986, gaining two stepsons and subsequently six grandchildren.

Robin was a member of the St James’s Club in Manchester where he was Secretary, Chairman and President; he was also a member of The Manchester Racquets Club and The Old Boys’ Club in Macclesfield.

A magistrate for 30 years, Robin later became Chairman of the Domestic Bench.

He was a Member of the Board of Visitors of Styal Prison for 25 years and became Chairman. He was also President of the Alderley Edge Branch of the RNLI for 30 years and President of the Alderley Edge and Wilmslow Branch of Arthritis Research UK for 10 years. He served on the Alderley Edge Parish Council for eight years, latterly as its Chairman for three years, and Chairman of the Edge Association for three years.

Robin was a keen sportsman, playing tennis, squash and cricket at the Alderley Edge Cricket Club. He captained their 2nd XI and was Chairman and President of the Club in later years. He had been a member of Wilmslow Golf Club since 1957.

His other interests included reading, theatre, magic (he was a member of the Magic Circle) and narrow boating. He was a great lover of life and people. Ann Estridge undertaking charitable work both nationally and locally’. In 2006 he was recognised by the Heritage Railway Association as ‘an outstanding contributor to railway preservation’, and in 2013 he was awarded the Heritage Railway Association’s services to Railway Preservation ‘for popularising the hobby of train and locospotting and for inspiring and educating a generation of enthusiasts’.

In his spare time Ian was Treasurer of Bridewell Royal Hospital and chaired the board of governors at King Edward’s School Witley, as well as being a governor and almoner at Christ’s Hospital School, Horsham; he was also a Freeman of the City of London.

His other business interests included regalia manufacture, hotels, motor dealership, organic seeds and fertilizers and properties.

The Ian Allan Group continues as a familyrun business. He is survived by his wife Mollie and sons David and Paul.

Robin Keith Lewis Tyler was born in Bayswater and, apart from war time evacuation, lived and worked in Central London until the late 1980s.

Both Robin and his younger brother, Martin, were educated at St. Paul’s and remained firm friends with many former pupils, most notably Albert Vince, Terry Kuun and Nick Downie.

Robin became a Chartered Surveyor specialising in valuations, working for Snell & Co., subsequently Allsop & Co, where he revolutionised the central London residential department by acting for mainly corporate clients, through the era known for the ‘break-up’ of blocks of flats. Clients included Norwich Union, Pearl Assurance and many other blue chip companies. In the early 70s, he ran the European Department and subsequently Residential Management, where he remained until his semi-retirement in 1980, when he focused on many individual property interests as well as working closely with his good pal, Albert.

Robin took full advantage of his good looks and charisma to enjoy many years of bachelorhood. His was an enviable lifestyle, encompassing worldwide travel, attending top sporting events and relishing fine wine and dining. He eventually settled down in his early 50’s when marrying Chrissie, who had previously worked closely with him on a number of assignments. They then moved to Broadstairs where their daughters, Nathalie and Katharine, were raised overlooking the sea. Their large house was often filled with friends and family.

In 2010, Robin’s carefree lifestyle had caught up with him and his health had severely deteriorated. Despite his regular stays in hospital and being virtually housebound, he remained spirited and entertaining company and naturally enjoyed many visits from friends and family.

David Allan

Christine Tyler

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 139

Obituaries Alastair I F Mackenzie (1933-2015)

A

s a teacher you have the opportunity to influence and inspire. For more than 30 years my father certainly did that in and out of the classroom at St Paul’s.

Whilst he was strict, he was much respected.

Over the years I have met many Old Paulines who remember him fondly and enjoyed diverting him from the Latin grammar or English text with questions like “Sir, can you tell us what sort of wine the Romans would have drunk?” or “What do you think our chances are in the next test match?” which often led to the rest of the lesson being dedicated to that topic.

He had many pupils who later became friends, especially from his earlier years at St Paul’s and one of the occasions that, for me, most reflected his popularity was the Old Pauline dinner in his last year as a teacher.

There was a very good turnout and after a long and earnest speech from the celebrity guest, Dad gave his. He told some great stories that had everybody laughing and cheering and at the end he got a standing ovation with many banging on tables to show their admiration.

At St Paul’s, my father’s involvement in sport was an important part of his contribution. He coached cricket and squash, but fives was his greatest passion. He was Master in Charge for almost all his time there and produced numerous winning teams and champions, including a certain S I Mackenzie who won the National Schools Doubles in 1985, of which I know he was very proud.

It wasn’t all about the top end however and he encouraged and coached boys of all ages and abilities. His main aim was to introduce them to the sport and encourage them to try their hardest. He was also a pretty useful player himself, captaining Oxford and winning various tournaments up until the age of 59 when he won the veteran singles for the third year in a row. He was a very popular President of the RFA and a delightful obituary went up on their website within days, referring to his great contribution to the sport as well his coining of the phrase “Après Fives”, at which he also excelled.

His passionate interest in wine encouraged me to pursue a career in the trade and we spent many happy evenings tasting from his cellar over delicious meals cooked by my mother. It was much more than just a hobby for him. As well as writing three wellreceived books, he made many friends in the

140 OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015

P Virgilius Maro Was not educated at Harrow But at home i.e. Rome My father was a great joiner of clubs and organisations from University onwards.

Vincents, Jesters, Company of Fletchers, Old Pauline, International Wine and Food society, MCC, Travellers, to name but a few.

He also created a few of his own such as the VS who still met up annually until only a few years ago. He made many friends over the years from all walks of life. Many of these refer to his great sense of humour. He was also capable of poking fun at himself and would tell stories of his time in National Service when his Sergant Major described him as flatfooted, colour-blind and generally ill-suited to military life.

His greatest love of all, of course, was Mum. They had many happy years together and I know how much he appreciated her caring for him in recent times.

He will be much missed, whether as a husband, father, grandfather or friend.

Abridged from Bruce MacKenzie’s tribute at Alastair’s funeral on 5 July 2015

Above: captaining the Oxford Rugby Fives team to victory against Cambridge in 1956. Inset: the wine expert.

trade and was a long-standing member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Mas de Daumas Gassac - The Birth of a Grand Cru, which introduced many to the now famous estate, was the work of which he was most proud.

He shared with my mother a great love of ballet and they saw many of the top dancers together at Covent Garden. He had lessons himself but did not get far. The only performance I am aware of was an “après fives” moment in a pub in Catford with the Old Dunstonians when he performed pliets, much to the amusement of the regulars, before collapsing in a heap.

Other interests included wild life and he had an encyclopaedic memory. Birds, butterflies, moths, reptiles and crustacea all fascinated him and I am sure he would have made a good biology teacher if he had taken that course. English and Latin however were his subjects and he had a particular fondness for poetry. He also wrote poetry and only a few days before his death I asked him to remind me of the Clerihew he wrote about the Latin poet Virgil that was selected for a published collection. It took him a few minutes but out it came – as follows:

A

lastair Mackenzie, who died on 29 June, aged 82, taught classics and English from 1956 till 1993 and was master in charge of fives for many years.

Always immaculately turned out, he cut a distinguished figure at SPS. Much loved in the world of fives, he was not only a first class player, but legendary for “après fives”, which combined enjoyment of good food, convivial company, and alcoholic refreshment.

He was also a good squash player and handy cricketer. He was a long-standing and enthusiastic member of the Jesters’ Club, founded at SPS by OP Jock Burnet.

Educated at Clifton College, 194752, he became the captain of Fives and number one player. He won the North of England Singles in 1954 and 1955; Scottish Singles 1961; Scottish Doubles 1961; was National Doubles Runner-Up 1955.

He won the Veterans Singles (1979); and the Veterans Doubles 1984, and the Vintage Singles three times, in 1988, 1989, and 1991.

A renaissance man, he took huge pleasure in a wide variety of arenas – from Classical Greece and Rome, to music and the arts, as well as many kinds of sport (not forgetting his intense pride in being Scottish).

He pursued his love of wine to writing about it, joining the Circle of Wine Writers (comprised mainly of professional journalists). He passed the Wine and Spirit

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Thomas A (Tony) Lewis (1962-67) Tony was the second of five brothers, all of whom are Old Paulines. His father Tom (1933-1936), also an Old Pauline, had been picked as Full Back for England in 1947 and he taught Tony the rudiments of catching an up-and-under and place kicking from an early age. Tony had good eye hand coordination, was a keen golfer and tennis player and was an accomplished skier. At St Paul’s, Tony was a second row in the 1st XV for two years whilst also playing for Middlesex Schools. Later he played over fifty times for the Harlequins first team as a back row forward and for the Harlequins first sevens team. He also represented Surrey.

After School Tony worked for Oliver Jessel and later specialised in the US stock market. From 1979 he worked for Moseley Hallgarten, a US brokerage firm.

He had an extensive network of contacts in London and in the US and had a very sound knowledge of the US markets. With the help of three friends Tony set up a brokerage office. He was highly respected both in New York and in London.

Tony became President and later Chairman of the Inter-bourse Ski Federation, organising ski trips for over 800 stockbrokers from all over Europe. Very much a leading light in the organisation, Tony raced and commentated on the slalom.

At School and for three to four years after, Tony and fellow Paulines John Freestone and Philip Martin ran ‘Get on the Right Track’, a

mobile discotheque which performed at May Balls in Oxford and at debutantes’ balls.

Every summer he would spend holidays with friends in Elba at his parents’ villa and each year he would organise and play in a football match against Capoliveri. The rough-house tackling of the mainly rugby players on Tony’s team used to put the more accomplished Capoliveri team off, resulting usually in a win for the English. In 1966 Tony went to all England’s World Cup games including the win against West Germany. He was an avid season ticket holder at Chelsea Football Club and travelled to over 30

Education Trust’s Diploma Examination, with honours, in 1974, and proceeded to write three well-received books on wine.

He had a deep love and encyclopaedic knowledge of the arcana of tennis (he was a huge fan of Ken Rosewall) and cricket, and a devotee of ballet and opera. Peter King, a colleague in the Classics Dept, and his successor i/c fives: “ I played in Alastair’s 2nd XI at Dulwich on the day Rosewall contested the Wimbledon final in 1970.

When umpiring at square leg Alastair was tuned in to the commentary, and I suspect a couple of the stumping decisions off my bowling were more influenced by events in SW19 than by the position of the batsman.”

He was for a long time the master in charge of Fives at St Paul’s. John East testifies to the insight he had as a fives coach: “his one key piece of coaching in my last year at School was to tell me to stand fractionally further away from the ball as I hit it, as a result of which I amazed myself and everyone else by winning the School Fives singles, from a lowly 4th seed position! “ Dick Warner

urrent SPS master in charge of fives, Sam Roberts (1977-82) adds: “I can honestly say that I can thank Alastair for my lifelong love of fives and all the pleasure it has given me over the years.

He set high standards, and was a wise and committed coach, although never one to mince his words. This is his summary for the Pauline of myself and Ben Boulton, his first pair in 1982: “Roberts’ singles play improved considerably... his doubles play, however, lacked sustained aggression. Boulton, the Captain, was the opposite. He was the outstanding doubles player, but his singles was rather clumsy and uncontrolled.”

Alastair had a great recall of his pupils and their achievements, as noted by Peter King: “At the dinner arranged to mark his retirement from SPS fives, where he was presented with a figurine representing Nijinsky dancing L’apres-midi d’un faune (ballet being one of his passions), captains from throughout his time were present, and Alastair was able to place by each table setting copies of (in some cases several) scorecards from significant matches in their

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European Cities, including Moscow, when supporting them. He also played for Rapide, a pub team near Leatherhead.

Tony faced his last illness with extreme fortitude and was fantastically supported by his wife Diane, his family and by the staff at the Royal Marsden. Tony leaves Diane, Alexandra his daughter and Emma his stepdaughter.

John Lewis (1960-66) school careers. His mental filing system was at least as good as the physical, and his recall of fives and cricket matches (both at Test level and U15B) was phenomenal.”

His crowning fives achievement, as master in charge of fives at St Paul’s School when it moved from Baron’s Court to Barnes in 1968, was to persuade the planners to include a row of six fives courts in the new gymnasium complex. He became the first President of the Old Pauline Rugby Fives Club, formed in 2003.

He played for the Jesters’ cricket team and also for many years for the School staff and the Old Paulines, being able to bowl medium pace both left handed and right handed, occasionally and unsettlingly performed in the course of the same over, to the bemusement of the batsman.

He leaves his most supportive wife Pauline, who nursed him devotedly as his health declined in recent times, and two fives-playing OP sons, Bruce, an Oxford Blue, and Stuart, a former West of England Schools and National Schools champion in 1985. l Further tributes can be found on the OP Club website: opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 141

Obituaries Peter Major (1933-2015) A little known fact, unsurprising to those with whom he worked, was that as a boy Peter was the top State Scholar in Monmouthshire, gaining a place at Monmouth School. After graduating in painting and ceramics at Liverpool School of Art and completing his National Service, he took up a teaching post at the British Forces School in Cyprus where he acquired considerable knowledge of Byzantine pottery, later demonstrated in an outstandingly rich exhibition at St Paul’s.

Peter arrived at St Paul’s in 1972 as Head of Art and made an immediate impact with his cheerful, positive commitment to school life, far beyond the confines of the Art Department.

Peter introduced Art History to the curriculum, and with it came the educational benefit of his extensive connections within the art world. There was a memorable exhibition on the works of Pissarro and another featuring “The Army in India”, that combined his research with that of Hugh Mead and Keith Perry from the History department, Harry Quinn from English, and illustrations borrowed from many sources including the National Army Museum. His personal collection of historic teapots featured in

another exhibition. To these exhibitions he encouraged boys, parents, staff and friends, lured occasionally by a glass or two of wine. He was a civilized man.

But most of us remember with great admiration his massive contribution as designer of sets for School plays, both at St Paul’s and later back at his alma mater, Monmouth School, to which he returned in 1978. It came as a shock to those working in the unforgiving space of the former St Paul’s theatre (the School Hall), previously accustomed to scanty support from the Art Department, to find themselves enthusiastically supported by someone with a real sense of drama and apposite design. He could sooth the nerves of even the most anxious chain-smoking director by conjuring up, often overnight, palaces, Victorian drawing rooms or the New York skyline. Perhaps his penchant for drama was stimulated by his appearance as Second Spear Holder for a Liverpool University production of Antony and Cleopatra back in his student days!

Aptly described by a colleague as a man of all talents, Peter could draw like an angel, was a fine cook, a creator of beautiful gardens and a peerless restorer of paintings and ceramics (the shards of many a broken pot would, under his expert hand, soon be re-assembled as new). Peter, quite simply, was a thoroughly nice and talented man.

Michael Bradley, Hugh Mead and Keith Perry

William P (Bill) Neill-Hall (1962-67) William Patrick Neill-Hall (Bill to everyone who knew him) was born on the 21 June 1948. He was the eldest of three sons of Major William Ernest and Rachel Neill-Hall. Bill’s brother Peter was found to be severely autistic and Anthony the youngest child, died in infancy. Bill was born in Germany where his Father was stationed after the war. The family returned to England when Bill was three and took up residence in Chelsea, where Bill would remain into his twenties.

Bill’s early life was a happy one.

However, when he was seven, his father William died unexpectedly of a stroke. His brother Peter was institutionalised, and this took its toll on his Mother’s health; she had a serious heart attack in Bill’s teenage years. Thankfully Rachel made a full recovery, living to see three of her five grandchildren born. Some of Bill’s happiest memories were fly-fishing in Scotland with his uncle. This was also the time he discovered his life-long love of the game of cricket at prep school. This was to endure as both a passion for playing the game and watching it. Later, he encouraged his sons to play and supported them. He was an

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active member of both the Old Paulines, in Thames Ditton and Mount Hawke Cricket Clubs for many years and had many friends there.

Bill went on to read History at Kent University. He was a regular supporter for Chelsea Football Club on the terraces of Stamford Bridge with Trevor Jones, his lifelong pal, suffering many a cold wind to cheer on his team! On leaving University, Bill entered the world of publishing. Starting as a junior editor at Secker & Warburg he went on to have a flourishing career.

In 1978, Bill and Juliet were married and set up residence in London. Their daughter Alice was born in 1979 followed

by Edmund, Jack, David and Charlie.

Bill was a devoted and proud father and rejoiced in the busy world of a large family.

They moved to Cornwall in 1997 and Bill embraced the Cornish lifestyle. In 2006, Bill and Juliet sadly parted, but remained good friends to the end of his life, and continued to enjoy family occasions together.

Fortunately for Bill a short while later he met Sharon. They became a close and

loving couple and he was accepted by Joe and Doreen and the rest of the family with love, generosity and hospitality. Bill started working for Ipsos-Mori. This

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David H Groombridge (1930-2015) David was born in Norbury and from a very early age was passionate about sport. As a teenager he formed his own football team. At his father’s insistence, he went into the Civil Service after completing his National Service, but whenever possible played for his local club Hayes. He showed such talent that four clubs, Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Wolves and Leyton Orient wanted to sign him, and he was spoken of as the next England Amateur International goalkeeper. However, he turned professional with Leyton Orient in 1951.

Sadly, his professional career with Orient came to an untimely end after he was badly injured in a minor game in 1960. He had blossomed into one of Orient’s best-ever goalkeepers. One notice posted on Orient’s website, shortly before his death, accorded him the tribute of being the bravest goalie they had ever seen.

He did, however, have the dubious distinction for some years, of being in the Guinness Book of Records for conceding the fastest hat-trick of goals in the least number of minutes. The boys he subsequently taught loved him for telling them about that doubtful accolade.

After his enforced retirement from Orient, Dave worked, briefly, at Faulkner House School. He then placed an advertisement in

the Times Educational Supplement. He said, “I only put in one advert, and I only got one reply, but what a reply.” The headmaster, Henry Collis, interviewed him and gave David his dream job, at Colet Court.

At his funeral, Billy Howard spoke in a moving and amusing tribute of the success David made of his twenty years at Colet Court. He had a natural charisma, and an affinity with the boys, who both respected and enjoyed his presence and impact. He created a culture of success on the football field, for which he was rewarded with responsibility for all sport, with the focus on tennis and swimming. Players were encouraged to win, but to do so in the right and appropriate manner – inelegant cheering and the raising of arms to celebrate a winning goal were definitely discouraged!

Despite his lack of a teaching degree or qualification, David subsequently became an excellent maths and form master, teaching generations of Coletines extremely successfully – occasionally silencing the back of the class with an unerring throw of the blackboard rubber!

Retiring at 60, he spent nine years teaching at Newland House. Until Alzheimer’s overshadowed the final three years of his life, Dave gave hugely successful private maths

coaching, and his patient and structured teaching produced excellent Common Entrance results.

David was a true gentleman, in the real sense of the word, and the kindest of men.

His dry sense of humour was combined with a razor-sharp wit. His lightning and humorous ripostes to a remark were legendary. He was modest and selfdeprecating, with no awareness of his considerable talent. He leaves happy, vivid and enduring memories, with former pupils, colleagues, friends, and his family.

Sarah Groombridge

Robert F Streit (1948-53) enabled him to enjoy the countryside and seascapes of Cornwall. He was very highly regarded by his colleagues and continued his work right up to the last few months of his life. Bill and Sharon had eight happy years together. They enjoyed many holidays both in the UK and abroad.

They married in October 2013 and the wedding was a touching, memorable, happy, family occasion, attended by all his children and beautiful granddaughters Olivia and Emma.

Both Bill and Sharon faced his illness with tremendous courage and bravery and tackled the highs and lows of diagnosis together. He was determined to extend the very precious time left with his wife and family as much as possible. Although his health was failing, Bill’s mind remained active and he never complained, even in the last weeks of his life. In the first days of 2015 Bill died peacefully, slipping away with his wife Sharon and his son David by his side, with many of his children and Juliet close by. He will be remembered with love and affection by his family and the many friends he leaves behind.

Robert was born in Twickenham on 27 May 1935. His parents, Frederick Streit and Alice Straub, came to England from the Berner-Oberland in Switzerland and for that reason Robert’s birth was also registered there. Robert was very proud of being Swiss/English.

While at St Paul’s Robert met his piano duet partner John Bowden, later Theologian and Director of SCM Press, a friendship that lasted for more than 60 years.

Robert then did National Service at Catterick, after which he studied at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he read Law from 1956-1959.

After a few years working with Law firms in London, Robert joined the John Lewis Partnership in April 1968 as Assistant Legal Advisor, a job he enjoyed very much and held for 30 years.

Music was Robert’s principal pastime.

He was a member of the New London Singers, accompanying various singers and instrumentalists. He took up playing the cello at the age of 30 and

played in some amateur orchestras.

He also had his own home string quartet.

He died on 8 February 2015 after a brief illness of metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Jack de Gruiter

Sharon Neill-Hall

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 143

Obituaries Dr Oliver W Sacks CBE (1946-51) Oliver Sacks, the neurologist who has died aged 82, wrote perceptive accounts of intriguing neurological disorders in books such as Awakenings (1973) and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (1985); away from his work he was variously a biker, weightlifter and wild swimmer.

Sacks’s writing fascinated and inspired writers and film directors and showed how patients who are isolated by disease can still retain their dignity and humanity.

Sacks’s subjects were people afflicted with fantastic perceptual and intellectual aberrations; people who had lost their memories and with them the greater part of their pasts; people unable to recognise common objects; Tourette’s syndrome sufferers stricken with violent tics and grimaces and unable to stop themselves shouting obscenities; sufferers from Asperger’s syndrome who cannot relate to other people but often possess uncanny artistic or mathematical talents.

In his best-known book, Awakenings, Sacks told the extraordinary story of a group of patients at Beth Abraham Hospital in the Bronx where he worked as a consultant neurologist. The patients were survivors of the great epidemic of encephalitis lethargica (sleeping sickness) that had swept the world from 1916 to 1927, and had spent the subsequent decades in a comatose state, unable to initiate movement.

Their cause had long been given up as hopeless, until 1969, when Sacks tried the – then new – Parkinson’s disease drug L-dopa, which had an astonishing “awakening” effect, transforming previously lifeless individuals into personable and intelligent human beings. Tragically, most of the patients eventually returned to their former frozen state as the drug ceased to have an effect.

W H Auden declared Awakenings to be a masterpiece of medical literature. It inspired a play by Harold Pinter and an Oscarnominated film starring Robin Williams as the dedicated doctor and Robert De Niro as a patient temporarily freed from years of catatonia.

Sacks wrote several books of case histories of which the best known was The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, a series of accounts, including that of the titular man: a music teacher whose visual agnosia made it impossible for him to recognise everyday objects and caused him to try to pick up his wife’s head and put it on his own as if it were a hat. The story inspired an opera of the same name by Michael Nyman and The Man Who, a play by Peter Brook.

Sacks’s ability to combine scientific detachment with sympathetic understanding of the pathos of his patients’ predicaments

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and the astonishing resilience of human life, gave his books enormous poise and power.

Sacks was just as precise and affecting when analysing his own life. One of his most moving accounts was that of his own singularly traumatic childhood, which he described with his characteristic mix of detachment and engagement in Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood (2001). More intimate details materialised in his autobiography On the Move (2015) in which he revealed his past drug use – “staggering bouts of pharmacological experimentation”, noted one reviewer – and his private life.

Sacks never married, lived alone for most of his life and was chronically shy. In the book, however, he revealed details of his homosexuality. In America he pumped iron on Venice’s Muscle Beach and became a leather-clad biker. He wrote that he was in thrall to “images of bikers and cowboys and pilots, whom I imagined to be in precarious but jubilant control of their powerful mounts”. On learning of her son’s sexuality, however, his mother exclaimed: “You are an abomination. I wish you had never been born”. When he turned 40 Sacks had a weeklong liaison with a Harvard student. “After that sweet birthday fling,” he recalled, “I was to have no sex for the next thirty-five years.”

Oliver Wolf Sacks was born on July 9 1933 into a Jewish family in Cricklewood, north London, the youngest of four sons of a pair of wealthy physicians. He had an idyllic early childhood, waited on by an army of servants and spoilt by a vast extended family of remarkable intellectual brilliance.

Among a gallery of eccentric uncles and aunts were a pioneer radiologist, a prominent Zionist who was entrusted with the translation of the Balfour Declaration into French and Russian, and a physicist who developed Marmite and invented a luminous paint used in the Second World War. A cousin, Abba Eban, would become the first Israeli ambassador to the UN. This idyll was rudely shattered by the outbreak of war when young Oliver, then aged six, and his elder brother Michael, were evacuated to a Midlands boarding school called Braefield. There they were subjected to a regime of unrelenting cruelty by a headmaster who was “unhinged by his own power ... vicious and sadistic”.

The experience drove his brother mad and robbed Oliver of his faith in God. He was left with a host of phobias. His response was to take refuge in the unthreatening and impersonal world of science and mathematics. One of his aunts, a botanist, took him to Kew Gardens and the Natural

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History Museum, where dioramas of archaic plants and ferns, including the Jurassic cycads, became his “dreamscapes”, evoking “an Eden of the remote past.”

But what really caught his imagination was chemistry. It was one of his mother’s 17 siblings, his uncle Dave (or “Uncle Tungsten”) the owner of a light bulb factory in Farringdon, who opened his nephew’s eyes to the magical world of atoms and molecules.

Back home, young Oliver was given a free rein by his busy parents to conduct his own experiments.

In a makeshift laboratory in the family home, he proceeded to produce clouds of noxious-smelling chemicals, making “volcanoes” with ammonium dichromate, setting fire to the garden and, on one occasion, burning off his brother’s eyebrows.

At St Paul’s School, he shared his passion with Jonathan Miller who accompanied him when on one memorable occasion he dropped 3lb of pure sodium into Highgate Ponds.

Sacks read deeply, delving into 18th and 19th-century texts to understand how the sciences had evolved. His great heroes were Humphry Davy, Marie Curie and Dmitri Mendeleev, the inventor of the periodic table – a chemical chart which gave the young Sacks intimations of “the transcendent power of the human mind”.

But Oliver’s mother, an obstetriciangynaecologist, was determined that her son should follow her into the medical profession and took pains to ensure that he became acquainted with anatomy by bringing home malformed foetuses for him to dissect, an

exercise that filled him with revulsion. “She never perceived, I think, how distressed I became,” Sacks wrote, “and probably imagined that I was as enthusiastic as she was.”

Later, when he was 14, she arranged his first experience of dissecting a human corpse – the body of a girl . “Delight in understanding and appreciating anatomy was lost, for the most part, in the horror of the dissection,” he recalled. “I did not know if I would ever be able to love the warm, quick bodies of the living after facing, smelling and cutting the formalin-reeking corpse of a girl my own age.”

Yet, Sacks did become interested, and went on to take degrees in Physiology, Biology and Medicine at Queen’s College, Oxford, and at Middlesex Hospital Medical School, later taking junior medical posts at the hospital.

By this time he had become fascinated by neurology and in 1960 moved to Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco to study the subject. In California he rode with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and won a state championship for weightlifting .

At the hospital he once dropped his lunch into a centrifuge; “I was always dropping things or breaking things,” he confessed, “and eventually they said: ‘Get out! Go work with patients. They’re less important’.”

His banishment from the laboratory took him in 1965 to Beth Abraham Hospital in the Bronx – the hospital in Awakenings. At the same time he was appointed instructor in neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and as a consultant neurologist at the Headache Unit, Montefiore Hospital.

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From 1971 he was consultant neurologist to New York’s Little Sisters of the Poor, a home for the aged, and from 1992 was adjunct professor of neurology at the New York University School of Medicine.

Sacks wrote a total of 13 books, including: Migraine (1970), A Leg to Stand On (1984, detailing his recovery from a mountaineering accident), Seeing Voices (1989) – which examined the world of the deaf as seen by the deaf themselves – and The Island of the Colourblind (1996). In 2001 Sacks was treated for an ocular melanoma – which he wrote about in The Mind’s Eye (2010). Earlier this year he announced that the cancer had spread to his liver and he had only months to live.

He won numerous awards, including being appointed CBE in 2008. Yet he had little regard for status. He never bothered about his clothes and as a keen swimmer would turn up to interviews with his “swim-bag”.

He lived on City Island (which he would swim around) in the Bronx and kept an office in Greenwich Village, where he showed visitors his collection of artefacts, maps, lumps of metal and unusual plants – the mementoes of a peripatetic life.

Sacks was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, though he claimed: “the only memberships I enjoy are in the British Pteridological Society and the American Fern Society”.

Oliver Sacks, born July 9 1933, died August 30 2015. © Telegraph Media Group Limited 2015 Licensed permission

Stephen Thomson (1943-2015) happy family life of his own (at his funeral there were no next of kin). He was a private person and one whose own high standards in work and personal conduct were what he expected from others - and yet the guttering flame of a tentative pupil’s enthusiasm was more likely to be kept alight

by Stephen than by any of us. Stephen’s teaching was all very relaxed and yet there was something of sacred business about it - learning to live, not just to play. He would nurse the beginner and develop the very talented with equal joy and effectiveness.

He believed that harpsichordists should begin to develop fluency in figured-bass from the word go – hence the electrician’s green insulating tape plastered all over his baroque continuo parts, leaving the bassline and figures visible but obscuring the editors’ realisations on the treble stave. So many pupils learned this from him over

the years, a skill rarely acquired today until professional aspiration and training make it a necessity. But how do harpsichordists practise at home? No problem for Stephen’s pupils; once they’d got off the ground, he OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 145

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“Where’s Mr T?” I used to hear this when OPs came back to the school. Mr T to them, Stevie to us staff. He worked with us for half of the week, his arrival on Wednesday heralded by the drawing up of the white van, the creaking of his self-made harpsichord trolley and “Heigh-ho, Mr W.” He taught keyboard and coached chamber groups with us for more or less thirty years.

To his colleagues, Stevie was always a bit of a mystery. Where did he find his prodigious stamina, his capacity to work at full stretch from dawn to dusk in the interests of his pupils? These lucky people were his life – not in any possessive way but with some kind of extra ingredient which drew them to seek him out and to keep in touch after their time at School. Stephen much appreciated the welcome he received from his pupils’ families as he had never enjoyed a long stretch of a

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Obituaries was round to the family house in the van to drop off one of his many instruments - a kind of BarOcado service, with regular tuning part of the package.

The chamber groups (often rehearsed in the short morning break), the performances (often of music by very obscure composers), Bach’s multiple-harpsichord concertos appearing regularly, the shaky efforts of the less expert ….Not for Stephen the immaculate, sterile collar-and-tie performance, though often the results were wonderful; no, get them up there doing their stuff was his policy. His compact figure sitting next to a beginner pianist at his first concert performance to reassure, the clean white shirt with small black ink-stain on the breast-pocket (there was never

a jacket), the jangling bunch of keys attached to his belt - all these things were entirely part of him and never applied for effect.

Like many who have achieved remarkable things Stephen was not an easy teammember. If he had an objective, he wouldn’t be deflected from its fulfilment.

Sometimes his wiles in circumventing obstacles generated equal exasperation and mirth. That the Stevie Factor was almost always, in the end, accommodated is an indication of the respect and affection in which he was held.

I heard that Stephen had been in hospital but was now out and making progress.

I telephoned and asked, “are you up to enjoying some Columbo episodes on video?”.

(These were a favourite of his.) “Oh yes,” he said, “and playing a bit of Haydn.” He died not long afterwards, peacefully in his sleep.

St Mary’s Church, Upper Froyle, where Stephen had been organist, was packed for the funeral, with friends from Milton Keynes (where he taught for many years on days when he wasn’t at SPS, Charterhouse or Tonbridge), from SPS and SPGS, from his Hampshire neighbourhood and from elsewhere. One former pupil had come over from Hong Kong.

The hymn-singing was memorable, full of the sense of connection between musical voices and warm, thankful hearts.

Robin Wedderburn

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can be found on the Old Pauline Club Website)

Squadron Leader Michael T Wainwright AFC (1933-36)

Michael Terry Wainwright who flew Spitfires in the Battle of Britain had been taught to fly but not taught the modern methods of warfare used by the Germans in Spain. He went up in combat with his squadron for the first time over Dunkirk. Flying in formation they were sitting ducks for the more experienced Messerschmitt 109’s and 110’s.

Wainwright said he only survived because he led the last three; five of the twelve in the Squadron were lost or damaged. That same afternoon they had to go up again over Dunkirk. Michael claimed one 109 destroyed. Later during the Battle of Britain Michael recounted how a German aircraft which he had not seen passed him by and the pilot gave him a cheery wave. Wainwright always claimed the Messerschmitt to be a finer aircraft than the Spitfire or Hurricane, until British design caught up later in the war. He once observed about an early Spitfire that it was “a parts bin aircraft”.

Michael was born in London on 15 March

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1919. English on his father’s side, his mother Mathilde, was of Dutch, Italian and German descent, but was determined to be English.

Michael attended Colet Court and St Paul’s.

He could still recite the Lord’s Prayer in Latin in the last week of his life.

In 1936 while still at school, he learnt to fly in a Gypsy Moth at Hanworth and got a civilian pilot licence. Always wanting to fly, in 1937 he joined the RAF on a short service commission and did his initial course at RAF Desford in Leicestershire. In 1939 Michael joined 64th Squadron at Church Fenton. The squadron flew Blenheims until March 1940, when it was re-equipped with Spitfires. These early Spitfires had to have the undercarriage pumped up and down by hand and when landing you could not see the runway. At the height of the Battle of Britain pilots were being killed at a terrifying rate.

Because of his ability to teach flying skills to new pilots, he went back in 1940 as a flying instructor to Desford, where new pilots were expected to fly solo within 12 hours. In 1942 he was posted to Kidlington, flying Hotspur gliders, Masters and Lysanders. In the latter he flew agents into occupied France at 1500 feet at night, in the knowledge he could glide down if hit by flack. In 1943, he rose to become Commanding Officer of the Air-Firing and Pilot Attack Station at Grangemouth. As a young officer he quickly gained promotion as a superb pilot and capable administrator with a good legal mind. In the course of his whole career he defended seventeen persons facing court martial and won the lot. His main barrier to higher promotion was his volatile temperament and his love of argument. For the rest of the war he was Commanding Officer of the West African Communications Squadron – 114 Wing Transport Command. Part of his task was gathering together aircraft for the final attack

on Japan. It was here he fell in love with Dakotas and was credited with creating an RAF airline with unused aircraft.

Michael could be a man of great personal kindness. On one occasion an engineer with a terrible record had been posted overseas to him. At their first meeting Michael tore up the fellow’s service record in front of him saying he started with a clean sheet – the engineer subsequently became one of the best in the service.

In 1947 Michael became personal pilot to General Steel, C of C Allied Land Forces Southern Europe based in Vienna. A year later he was flying a diplomatic plane to the embassy in Warsaw via Berlin twice a week. In 1949 Michael was in Singapore commanding the VIP transport squadron.

While there he was also mentioned in despatches for ‘distinguished service’ to Malaya. During the 1950s he became the personal pilot to the Minister of Supply. His last five years were spent in converting the disastrous civilian Comet 1 to RAF service.

Michael retired from the RAF in 1958.

Up until 1990 he worked in civil aviation as a pilot and instructor, including five years based in Beirut flying for ARAMCO, the American Airline. Towards the end of his flying career he worked out of Halfpenny Green Airport, South Staffordshire, as a private pilot to McAlpine builders and other individuals. Upon retirement he had clocked up 14,000 flying hours.

Michael died peacefully on 23 March 2015 aged 96. He was laid to rest with military honours in Holy Trinity churchyard Amblecote on 2 April 2015.

He was twice married. His first wife Pamela predeceased him and subsequently he married Elisabeth de Mauny, widow of the first BBC Moscow correspondent Eric de Mauny. Michael had three children – Simon, Sarah and Mark.

Bernard Cartwright

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Kyril Zinoviev (1924-27) Kyril Zinoviev, who died on 30 July 2015, within a few weeks of his 105th birthday, may well have been the oldest Old Pauline of all time. For sure, he was the only one to have seen Rasputin, witnessed officers being shot by their troops on the streets of St Petersburg, escaped to Estonia with his family and their diamonds hidden beneath the ample breasts of a much-loved nanny, met Kerensky whilst a student at the LSE, walked behind Hitler’s parade in Prague in 1939, witnessed the entrainment of Ukrainian prisoners of war before they were sent back to Stalin’s Soviet Union, argued with David Ben Gurion about the future of the Middle East in the early years of the state of Israel, worked for the Joint Intelligence Bureau of the Ministry of Defence, was present at the re-interment of the ashes of Romanov family massacred at Yekaterinburg in 1918, met Putin, wrote copious book reviews, published acclaimed translations of Turgenev, Gogol, Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy… and was still able to recite 25 lines of Hamlet before bedtime within weeks of his death.

Kyril claimed to be the first Russian to have translated Anna Karenina into English.

Even in his last days, Russians, both native and exiled, were still beating a path to his Chiswick door to hear him speak the Russian Tolstoy spoke. His charm offered tantalizing glimpses of a lost world of central European manners, peppered with warmth, wit, humanity and perspective. In 2013, when he was 103, he was pursued by Russian journalists, seeking what they thought would be his approving comments on the news that a ball was to be held in St Petersburg a hundred years after Tercentenary Ball of 1913, staged by the Romanov family, commemorating three hundred years of their control of the Russian throne. Kyril certainly remembered his mother dressing up to go to that ball. “So what was the point of a revolution at all, if such an event is now being celebrated? What was the point of all those lives, those millions of lives, all cut off before their time?” he asked. “Ah, well”, they replied, “the problem was that the real revolution was hijacked by the Bolsheviks”.

So he pointed out how the wry dissidents of Soviet Russia used to joke, regarding the constantly changing party line on the history of their movement and their country: “we are pretty certain about the future, it is the past that is always changing”.

Kyril was born on 11 Sept 1910, the youngest of four. Although his father, Leo, was a Marshal of the Nobility for the Peterhof district, he was also a member of the Fourth Duma and a member of the Octobrist party.

His grandfather was a member of the Upper House, the Council of State. His mother,

Kyril (in foreground wearing his Colet Court cap) with his family in the 1920s

Olga, was Maid of Honour to the Tsarina.

Although his family was at the highest level of the aristocracy, they were also muchrespected liberals; he recently told me that he believed it was Kerensky himself who had telephoned the house in July 1917 to say “Leo is on the list”, for imminent assassination.

The family fled, initially to the Germancontrolled border of Estonia, expecting to travel to France. They were later persuaded by the Queen of Denmark to take the children first to London, for education. Thus began Kyril’s association with St Paul’s.

The then headmaster of Colet Court, Mr Bewsher, taught him (then aged 10) English and enabled him to get into St Paul’s. He went on to the LSE and then, by a curious route, to Prague in 1938.

After the Nazi-Soviet Pact, when he was called up, the British authorities suggested he should change his name. He chose Fitzlyon (son of Leo), the name by which he was known, or partly known, for much of his life. No one pointed out in time that the prefix ‘fitz’ implied ‘bastard son’; he reverted to Zinoviev when he retired from the JIB in 1971.

He married April Mead in 1941 (the aunt of Hugh Mead, former Head of History, Chaplain and Librarian at St Paul’s).

In his retirement (over forty-four years) he began a flurry of literary activity. His book Before the Revolution was published in the mid-Seventies; his introduction to his translation of Dostoevsky’s Winter Notes on Summer Impressions, was considered

by Isaiah Berlin (1922-28) to be “a major

contribution to the understanding of influences on Dostoevsky”. He also translated the Memoirs of Princess Dashkov and the Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky. Indeed ballet played an important part in his life: Pavlova and Marie Rambert were close family friends. During the 1980s, and more rarely in the 1990s, Kyril made regular visits to Russia. He accompanied the ballet critic Dicky Buckle to visit Balanchine’s brother in Tbilisi. Later, he worked for an American organisation sending forbidden literature into Russia and Eastern Europe.

After April died in 1998, he began a new phase of his life, shared with Jenny Hughes (SPGS) whom he had first met in the FCO during the 1940s; both families had been friends ever since (and both her son and grandson were also pupils at SPS).

Together, they published The Companion Guide to St Petersburg, part guide-book, part family memoir. They also published new translations of Anna Karenina (2008) and Khadji Murat (2011), and Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground (2011).

His memory, he liked to joke, stretched from Rasputin to Putin and he always remained Russian at heart, fully aware of the insecurities of being an emigré. In his final days, he was heard to ask: “have we yet docked at St Petersburg?”

Luke Hughes (Nasmyth) 1969-74

Further obituaries can be found on The Times and The Telegraph’s websites. Kyril was also featured on the BBC Radio 4 programme, Last Word.

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 147

Obituaries Graham C (George) Rees (1939-1944) Graham (“Charlie” at home and even “George” to those who knew him at school) enjoyed a happy home life in East Sheen and followed his twin brothers, David and Brian, to St Paul’s, being in that cohort that spent their entire school life at Crowthorne. Brian sadly died of polio in Nyasaland at the age of 26 and David died of a heart attack in 2000.

He much enjoyed his life at Crowthorne with the teaching staff composed of elderly and somewhat eccentric (to the boys’ minds) masters. He told tales of much chalk throwing by the masters. His association with St Paul’s continued throughout the rest of his life. Having played rugby at School, he later played for the Old Paulines, where he was also the Match and Fixtures Secretary for many years and a Vice President.

The telephone was always busy. This was followed by his long association with the OP Golfing Society, being their Captain in 1985, Honorary Secretary from 1986 to 1994 and a Vice President. He put much time and effort into the things he loved.

After his school days, Graham was called up for National Service and was trained for jungle warfare but, due to his eyesight, could not distinguish the targets. Fortunately he was then posted to the pleasant surroundings of a castle in Vienna to work

on reconciliation treaties. Weekends were spent trout fishing in the summer and skiing in the winter.

He qualified as a Civil Engineer, working for consulting engineers Sir William Halcrow in Park Lane. Only Graham could work in an office overlooking the changing rooms of the Bunny Club. This was then followed by his years with Bertlin and Partners next to Buckingham Palace, to be regaled by the Changing of the Guard every day. During his career he designed power stations, hydro-electric schemes, harbours (including work at Dover and Mumbai) and water treatment works.

Graham married Helen in 1958, an enduring and loving partnership of 57 years.

They had two sons, Stephen (who sadly died at 26, also a Civil Engineer) and John, an accountant. Graham and Helen were happy to encourage and support their sons in their education, careers and sporting exploits.

John and his wife had a daughter, Heather, bringing new love and happiness to his life.

When Helen retired, they moved permanently to Hayling Island to the house left to them by Graham’s parents. Golf, gardening and Bridge then became central to his life. At Hayling Golf Club, of which he was a member for 50 years, he had been

a Trustee and a popular Captain of the Veterans. He kept members amused at many post-match gatherings. Helen says that so many of his golf club friends, when asking about Graham, would then smile and say “I always remember what he said about…”

Graham died on 10 May 2015 aged 88.

His later years were marred by increasing disability due to dementia and he had been in care for his last two years. Graham was a man of great personality, humour and charm – the many letters all remarked on this, a good way to be remembered.

Helen Bowes Rees

Christopher Wright (1959-64) Chris Wright was born in 1946. His father was in the diplomatic service and he grew up in London, Jerusalem, Munich, Basra and Formosa. He joined Colet Court as a boarder, aged nine. After A-Levels in Science and Maths, Chris read Mechanical

148 OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015

Engineering for two years before deciding this was not for him, and changing to a Sociology degree. By this time writing had become his great passion, one that was to last for the rest of his life, as did his marriage to Mary, a fellow Social Worker.

After rising to Senior Management level in Manchester Social Services Department, Chris founded IAS Services with a colleague. The company supported people with learning difficulties to live as fulfilling and self determined a life as possible within their local communities. By the time Chris’s connection with it ended, they employed over 500 staff, and had empowered countless lives.

Meanwhile, Chris was becoming increasingly involved in community building and sustainability. He became an enthusiastic member of the alternative trading scheme LETS and helped to launch Ethical Junction, a pioneering web-based ethical shopping portal. His writing also reflected his growing interests. His first book on the subject, The Sufficient Community was published in 1997 and his last, Your Wake Up Call, in 2006.

In 2003, Chris founded the charity Action for Sustainable Living, in many ways the

culmination of all his work. Based on his ideal of a non-hierarchical, ‘bottom up’ organisation, it trained and supported volunteers to set up and feel ownership of local projects that promoted a more sustainable lifestyle; many of these are still thriving. AfSL won numerous awards, including The Guardian Charity of the Year, and Chris was immensely proud of the way it changed people’s lives.

Alongside AfSL, he became involved in projects as diverse as the restoration of Elizabeth Gaskell’s house, the ethical children’s clothing company Boys&Girls, film production, and a co-housing project.

He was made a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts for his social entrepreneurship and continued to write both fiction and nonfiction. His wide-ranging interests were reflected in his beloved book collection.

Chris loved art, cooking, wine, theatre, literature, science, the countryside and travel, especially when enjoyed in the company of friends and family. He believed in putting people first and his warm, unassuming character and calming presence touched many lives. He leaves behind his wife Mary, two sisters, and his two daughters and their families.

Mary Wright

Sport

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OPFC

A Strong Base to Build On

Our victorious 2015 touring party to Sicily

This season starts with millions of people around the world focused on the wonderful rugby that will no doubt be played around England. But particular attention will of course be on one particular corner of South West London where the main event will take place… Thames Ditton of course.

Like many of the teams coming to this year’s World Cup, the lead up for OPFC has not been perfect. To say that my first season as Chairman turned out to be a tough one would be an understatement. There is doubtless something in the water (or maybe the beer) down at Thames Ditton, the number of OPFC members’ new-borns continues to grow apace and the impact this had last season was clear.

As with all the teams heading to England for the World Cup we lost a few more matches than we would have wanted and struggled to field the sides we would have liked week in, week out. But like all of them, we are hopeful that autumn 2015 will see some great success stories.

Looking back to last year, the 1st XV started really strongly but unfortunately lost some of that early form after Christmas.

But the side looks forward to a consistent run of form this year with a strong and consistent squad that continues to be led by Rob Rayner.

Other than the 1st XV, the change in structure of the merit tables had a significant impact on the 2nd and 3rd XV squads as they looked to rebuild. Meanwhile

the strong spirit of those in the 4th XV ensured that they had the most successful season of all the sides in the club

sides than many of our opponents. There is a strong base to build on and with a focus on recruitment from both the School and elsewhere we are sure this season will be an excellent one.

As those who may have taken a rest from the game are inspired by those from around the world playing on our doorstep, we have a number of additional initiatives to help.

The outstanding facilities that we have at Colets continue to be enhanced. Whilst in the early season there may be a little OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 149

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the strong spirit of those in the 4th XV ensured that they had the most successful season of all the sides in the club.

The Vets had a strong potential squad at the start of the season, with a number of players ‘graduating’ to the heady heights of vets rugby. Not all of the intended ‘targets’ ended up playing as much as hoped, but the potential is there to be realised this season.

Despite the difficulties of the season and the most untimely wedding in OPFC history, we managed a successful trip to Sicily to add to our fantastic recent tour

history.

We were also delighted to play host to the OPFC Leavers XV and an SPS XV. This season’s match saw the OPFC team retain the bragging rights from the School in a free flowing game, possibly made more so by the uncontested scrums.

The playing membership of the club still remains strong. However, the regularity of those players has declined and our club captain Matin has led the charge in some careful planning, thinking and restructuring to ensure that we have a season worthy of a World Cup year.

The spirit in the club and the intent of the Exec Committee remains strong however and we remain able to field more regular

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Sports disruption to some of the changing rooms, further improvements are being made including an enlarged balcony.

We are also delighted to announce that we will be borrowing the staff of the highly regarded on site nursery to run a crèche on key Saturdays, as demand requires, to enable those with babies aged six weeks upwards to leave them very well looked after whilst they play. The pitches remain the envy of all the surrounding clubs and once again we did not have to cancel any matches due to ground conditions, a testament to the fine work that Graham continues to put in. I imagine we will have facilities to beat Twickenham by the time the final has been played.

I would also like to thank Brian for his coaching last season and I am delighted to say that we have just purchased brand new rechargeable electric floodlights to ensure that training will remain at the School throughout the darker months of the season.

We also have a new online stash site that Dan Powell has brilliantly organised (www. rhino-teamwear.com/store/clubs/opfc) as well as brand new shirts for the 1st XV and Vets.

We already had outstanding facilities but with the additional changes we feel confident that we can get some existing players down more often and swell the ranks of the club as we enter our 146th season.

I must extend huge thanks to the members of the Exec and Gen Committee who have helped me navigate this first season, but special thanks must go to Chris Jackson who stepped down from the Exec after a full ten years of tireless contribution. His knowledge of the club and its organisation, its rules and details and his fantastic advice and ideas, have improved the club and its workings immeasurably. On behalf of all the Executive Committees for the past ten years your efforts have been hugely appreciated (By the way – what did I say to make you leave on my watch?!)

Also thanks to the medical team of John, Emily and Owen, the duty officers, balcony boys and all supporters that have helped make last season possible.

I look forward to the changes we have made and the inspiration of the World Cup, ensuring a fantastic season ahead.

As ever, we are keen to welcome players of all standards down to the club so please let the feast of World Cup rugby inspire you to get in touch and dust off the old boots no matter how dusty. All the details can be found on www.opfc.org.uk or on our facebook page www.facebook.com/ OldPaulineFootballClub Buster Dover

Chairman

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U21s RUGBY

Cronk Cunis 31 August and true to form Bank holiday Monday was wet and windy for the annual Cronk Cunis U21 Schools Rugby tournament.

Holidays, injuries and last minute drop outs had unfortunately taken their toll on the Pauline squad. Nevertheless, undaunted by this and the inclement weather, we arrived at Richmond raring to go and keen to build on last year’s semi-final placing.

Despite kicking off our first game, against Wallington County Grammar School, with only 14 men it was clear that with our combative front row of Freddie Green, John Alloway and Max Young, we would be a match for any side.

Half backs Andrew Rees and Peter Henshall pinned our opposition back into their 22 with some clever kicking, and it wasn’t long before this territorial advantage paid dividends. Number 8 Sam Howard stormed over from close range following good work from our tireless flankers James Phillips and Timmy Gillum. Henshall converted and Paul’s led 7-0 at the break.

Wallington came back strongly and it wasn’t long before they exploited their numerical advantage to score out wide. 7-5.

Unperturbed by this, and with Archie Faulks on song in the centres, St Paul’s returned into the opposition half. Faulks rolled back the years with a sumptuous offload to Rees who dotted down under the posts. 14-5 and we were through to the last 16 of the cup.

In our second game, against a well-drilled Royal Hospital School, things did not begin well as their speedy winger scored early on. 0-7.

Back OPs came, our large pack marching their forwards back 30 yards from a driving maul. Unable to contain the drive legitimately, a penalty ensued and without hesitation OPs kicked for the corner. From there, Max Whittaker controlled the ball nicely at the back of the maul and plunged over for a score. 7-7 at the break.

Unfortunately, still playing with only 14,

our large pack began to tire in the second half. Royal Hospital took advantage of this and their number 9 sniped over for an opportunistic try. 12-7.

Back came OPs and, following a few barn storming runs by hooker-turned-centre Ben Sando, we found ourselves pressing hard for a try that would have put us in the quarter finals. Unfortunately, we could not pierce the Royal Hospital defence and they rubbed salt in the wound by scoring late on. A 17-7 loss and we were in the Plate.

In the Plate an old foe awaited, St John’s Leatherhead. On a large pitch, our wingers, who due to conditions had not seen much of the ball all day, came into their own. After a break by the elusive James Collins, the ball was quickly recycled and James Porter slid over in the opposite corner for an early score. 7-0.

Following two missed tackles and two clinical finishes by a pacy St John’s winger, we soon found ourselves 12-7 down.

Facing defeat and elimination from the competition, OPs rallied and the spirit and determination of the group was encapsulated

by Freddie Green who made a desperate, try saving tackle to prevent the St John’s winger from scoring a hat trick. From this, OPs launched an attack from deep inside their 22 and following a burst from Number 8 Howard, fly half Henshall grubbered down the 5 metre channel, gathered himself and scored in the corner. Unfortunately he could not add the conversion and the game went into golden point extra time.

In a scrappy period of extra time both teams had chances to score. By now, St. John’s numerical advantage, using their rolling substitutions, proved crucial. Shifting the ball down their line they exploited an overlap to score the winning try, ending our day in the process.

Despite the disappointment of not reaching the heights of last year, the squad had a thoroughly enjoyable day and thanks must go to everyone who came to support, the Old Pauline Club and, in particular, to John Howard for his unstinting support of Old Pauline Rugby at this level.

Peter Henshall (2008-13)

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OP ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

Moving on up

The 2s, 3s, and 4s all moved up a division after a restructure of the senior divisions – a technical triple promotion!

1st XI

The OPFAC 1XI emerged with a creditable finishing position after taking our place in the second highest league in the Amateur Football Combination for the first time in our history, after back-to-back promotions.

We achieved our main goal of staying in the division, but will be looking to improve on our third-from-bottom standing this season.

Highlights of the season included a 2-1 win over the soon-to-be promoted Dorkinians and a resounding 4-2 victory against Old Aloysians. Both of these performances proved that the team can more than compete in this division and should give confidence for the season ahead. There were notable performances from OP’s Harry Browne (2005-2010), Ed Owles (1993-98) and Andy Robertson (1996-01) and Alex (2008-13) and Jasper (2010-15) Harlington provided some sparkle whenever they were available for selection.

This was also the final season as captain for Matt Kiernan (1999-2004) who has done an excellent job leading the team over the past few years. He now hands over to Harry Browne with hopes for more future success.

2nd XI

After two years of restructuring last term was something of a turn-around year for the 2s. Although starting the season in mixed form, dropping easy points in the first few games, the side looked balanced and settled by Xmas. A successful new blend of 2008 leavers, OP stalwarts, and younger current/gap-year Paulines hit form in the new year winning 5 of the last 6 to finish 3rd. The side scored 54 goals with 34 points and 11 wins; to put in perspective, this is more points and more wins than the previous two seasons combined. Player of the year Luke Smith bagged 25 goals despite regularly turning up to games after running a 10k race in the morning; other notable performances throughout the season were from AJ Foster, Johann Weibe, Piers Maughan to name but a few.

The side was lucky enough to be also represented by the current school 1st XI captain, Charlie Murgatroyd, current gap year student working at St Paul’s, Hatam Alturaihi, the current 2nd in command of St Paul’s football, Mr Troen, and a range 2012 to 1989 leavers amongst many friends. It was this range of talent and commitment that made the side successful on the field this year

The U21s

The 2nd XI enjoy a ‘technical’promotion

and we encourage anybody who played at school or university to get in touch to play regularly for the club!

3rd XI

Following back to back titles the OP 3s were on the hunt of the treasured “threepeat.” Managing to keep the core of the squad consistent from previous years was a good starting point aided by the addition of Albi “Alberto” Fraquelli in the middle of the park. Inevitably the summer bwg football.

Ultimately we ended the season in 3rd place and missed out on the title but managed to secure promotion for a fifth consecutive season.

Away from the League the team (finally) managed to put a cup run together involving multiple trips to Enfield and their mosquito plagued pitches. We secured some memorable wins including a dramatic 3-2 extra time victory, thanks to a hat trick from Richard King (2002-2007) who had clearly decided to inject his own bite on the game. In the semifinals all started well with the team going one up early on however a goal conceded right before the stroke of half time unfortunately signalled a shift in the winds and we ended up being knocked out. Memories of this loss will

no doubt spur the team on this year to get to the final and compete for Cup glory.

Special mentions must go to the aforementioned Albi Fraquelli for blending into the team (both on and off the pitch) effortlessly and introducing a level of ball distribution that hasn’t been seen on these shores since Becks left for Real, and Carl Assmundson who redefined the word “engine” during the season resulting in him being crowned the joint Player of the Season award. His co-recipient was Golden Boot winner Etiene Ekpo-utip who ended up with a goals to game ratio Ronaldo would be jealous of, including four hat-tricks.

Any finally it is with a heavy heart that the 3s announce the retirement of captain James “Kaka” Honda-Pinder (2002-07) who has decided to move abroad. Honda successfully led the team to 5 successive promotions and 2 championships which has culminated in us playing in the highest league in our history. He will be remembered for his passionate team talks, his free kicks and most of all his phenomenal ability to instil a winning mentality in a dressing room of best mates.

We wish him luck in his future endeavours and will make sure there is always a black and white shirt waiting for him.

4th XI

The 4th XI enjoyed their most successful season to date, as Kyan Zarbalian led his team to their highest ever finish.

With Kyan moving up to Durham with work, the captaincy has passed over to Ameer Al-Hasan. He is looking forward to build on the solid foundations laid by the sterling work of Kyan.

A captain’s reward

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 151

Sports OPAFC Tour to Berlin August 2015 After a few years on hiatus the famed OPAFC tour was resurrected by current 2nd XI captain Max Gordon-Brown on the bank holiday weekend in late August. Berlin had been selected as the location – familiar territory for some of the older guard - but with a new cohort of tour first-timers this was always going to be an exciting new chapter in OPAFC tour history.

Friday night’s warm up consisted of an extended pool tournament and large volumes of currywurst. Had any of our opposition been watching they would have likely been quaking in their boots at the hand-eye coordination on display. Sadly, despite being bolstered by current SPS physics teacher, Mike Jacoby, and the sterling efforts of Yohan and Gordon-Brown in central midfield the OPs bombed like a diving pterodactyl losing badly to the somewhat fitter side of expats, British Lions FC, based in West Berlin. Two goals were at least scored by the visitors, striker Aaron Connor making the scoreline vaguely respectable only for veteran Onur Kuzalti to wipe out the advantage with a glorious og.

That evening sorrows were drowned with some post-modern elderflower spritzers and the OPs rested themselves knowing all

too well that the success of the tour depended on the following day’s performance.

The denouement took place out east for our final game vs SF Johannisthal and despite a long taxi drive the wait was worth it. There were at least 25 fans present with full scale banners in SFJ club colours which made for a cauldron of hostility. Already a little confused, the OPs were further befuddled by the presence of a pitchside red British telephone box which doubled as a karaoke booth, blasting top 40 German chart hits from the 1970s as part of the pregame build up (and half time show).

Yet the OPs were determined to beat their teutonic opposition, cheesy folk music or not, and they took the game by scruff with goals from midfield and attack. The experienced back line of Alex Saroian, Onur Kuzalti and Jehan ‘still got it’ Sherjan meant that we only leaked 4 goals this time around but that was enough to take us to penalties after 90 mins. Penalties. Against ze Germans. Not an appealing prospect.

OP CRICKET

Building a promotion challenge 1st XI We played some brilliant games of cricket in 2015. Lots of games went down to the last over, including one in which all 4 results were possible from the final delivery.

The 1st XI season started with a great game against newly promoted Weybridge Vandals, in which a last wicket partnership of 75 between Tom Peters and Adam Barnes got us to within 2 runs of victory, before WVCC pulled off an Edgbaston 2005 type win.

Missing out on 20 points in such fashion was a concern given that we have battled to stay in the Championship since promotion 3 years ago. Four wins on the spin, though, calmed the jitters and saw us atop the table in June. The victory away at Maori Oxshott was claimed with a maximum in the final over; Jamie Bomford waited patiently for the fielders to be placed with precision, before striking an unstoppable blow to the area mid-on had just vacated. The early season form of Tom Peters, Tom Rigby and skipper Alex Duncan set up many of our wins. Tom Peters continues to be one of the best players in the League, and it was a big loss when he 152 OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015

was injured half way through the season.

Tom Rigby has played well for a number of seasons, but this year really came of age, winning 1st XI Player of the Season with 547 league runs and six fifties. It was a Rigby-

The Blue Bails

Yet the OPs showed nerves of steel with an opening Pirlo penalty from Troen and at 7-7 and one missed penalty each, Connor Campbell in nets did enough put off their 9th penalty taker. Aaron Connor did the rest and bobbled in the worst penalty ever taken to seal victory. The OPs had just won a game on penalties against some Germans. Cue bedlam.

Huge thanks must go to Alex Saroian, Jehan Sherjan, Onur Kuzalti, Alex Boden and especially Max Gordon-Brown without whom the tour almost certainly wouldn’t have even got off the ground. Planning for next year is already underway so look out for details of the 2016 OPAFC tour in a few months’ time.

Nick Troen (1998-2003) Duncan partnership which broke the back of 200+ run chases against both Battersea and Stoke d’Abernon, Alex Duncan making centuries in those games. On the bowling front, Sam Hyman rolled back the years with a rare outing at Chertsey, in which he took his career best figures of 5-27. In Sam’s only other game this year, he was not required to bowl – to his professed chagrin though one wonders if secretly he was happy to retain

OLD PAULINE GOLFING SOCIETY

Captain’s Day hole-in-one

In the Grafton Morrish played at Royal Wimbledon in May, our team of Ben Rowan, Chris Vallender. James Grant, Dave Hitchins, Max Rose & Nick Cardoza, did not qualify for the finals to be played in October, coming 14th out of 16.

In the Spring Meeting at The Richmond, Toby Bain retained the Just Cup with 34 points and Rob Smith won the Goldman Salver with 32 points. Jeremy Williams had the best gross score retaining the Haswell Bowl with a 77. Jeremy teamed up with Laurence Gilford to win the Eastman Salvers in the afternoon foursomes.

In the Alba Trophy played at Woking, Max Rose & Robbie Lyon played very well to finish 5th net.

In the Cyril Gray–over 50s scratch 4somes –at Worplesdon, Jeremy Williams and his team of Chris Vallender, Tom Elek, Nick Downing, Brian Selwyn-Barnett & Charles Mathias, beat Stowe 2–1 in the 1st round, but then lost 1-2 to Dulwich.

In the Royal Wimbledon Putting Competition, Chris Vallender, Hugh Roberts, Max Rose & Paul Salama-Caro top spot in the League bowling averages! We were always strong when we could put out our spin trio of David Methuen, Upneet Arora and Saumitra Gorani. Upneet’s 5-59 against Chertsey contributed to a win, and he was a most deserving recipient of the inaugural Vice-President’s Award, which rewards both performance and dedication to the Club. Saumitra’s mystery spin was consistent throughout the year, and he also took two stunning catches to remove hard hitting players. David Methuen’s best bowling of 4-33 came in the game of the season vs Maori Oxshott at home. Chasing 160, we were doing fine at 103-4, then less fine at 114-7. Yad Selvakumar was principally in the side for his bowling, but he played some vital knocks for us, including 20 runs in a partnership of 32 with Upneet Arora on this occasion. Upneet’s batting was variable in its efficacy, but in this game he made 27 vital runs under pressure. It came down to the last over, 3 runs required, Tom Peters on strike, batting 11 with a runner, having dislocated ribs while fielding. Given his injury, we were happy to see him block out 5 balls, but somehow he found the strength to flick the last ball away, and (amidst the standard chaos of a runner), we completed the 3 runs required to win the game. That win took us to the top of the league again,

played well enough to ensure we get invited back next year by coming 4th in their group of eight.

The Summer Left to right: Justyn Bailey (guest), Neil Fitch, Dick Vollmer, Toby Bain Meeting at with the Just Cup, John Woodcock, Jeremy Williams, Roy Oliver (guest), Nick Down Hayling was ing. its usual good Downing. In the afternoon 4somes, a much test of golf and Ian Starr retained the reduced field went out in the heavy rain and Mercers Cup with a very good 39 points, our Captain John Woodcock played with and Chris Vallender retained the Sayers Nick Downing to win the Edgar & Williams Cup with the best gross score of 83! In the Cups. A highlight of the afternoon’s play was afternoon 4somes, Dick Vollmer and Robert a hole-in-one by John, his first!

Silverstone won the Summer Meeting We are looking forward to our Winter Tankards..

Meeting at West Hill Golf Club in In our friendly matches, we have wins November. Our year will finish with our against Old Laurentians, halved matches Annual General Meeting and Dinner at against Old Haileyburians, KCS OBs Royal Mid Surrey also in November. & The Mercers, but we lost against Old Unfortunately, Graham Rees died in Uppinghamians, Old Wesminsters & Fulwell May, not having been well for more than Golf Club. two years. Graham had been a Member for Our Autumn Meeting and Captain’s Day very many years and our Captain way back took place at Walton Heath Golf Club, in in 1985. He was our Honorary Secretary spite of a Met Office Yellow Warning. It from 1986 to 1994 and was elected a Vice started to rain half way through the morning President of The Society. He is greatly missed round and continued all the rest of the by all those who knew him. day! Toby Bain won the Walker Cup with As always, any OP golfers wishing to join 33 points, Jeremy Williams won the North the Society should contact Neil Fitch on Cup with a gross 82 and Rob Smith the 02392 715232 or n.fitch@ntlworld.com

Courlander Cup with 31 points. Captain’s

prizes went to Jeremy Williams and Nick Neil Fitch (1955-60) but a couple of bad batting collapses saw our challenge fade. Nevertheless, we finished 7th, our highest position since promotion, and well clear of any relegation worries.

2nd XI The 2nd XI made a good start with two wins from the first three games, and finished well, winning the last two. Midseason form, however, was patchy at best, and ultimately 9th place was a disappointing finish. On the plus side, the demise of Pyrford CC in a higher division should mean that we avoid relegation. Highlights included defending 132 against Roehampton, thanks to Yaseen Rana’s 4-28. Jack Turner’s 4-34 turned 120-2 into a successful defence of 162, earning a 2 run victory over Horley.

Jack and Yaseen both had success in the 2nd XI, and in the 1st XI when called upon. Jack batted, bowled and kept wicket in both teams and was a worthy winner of the Chairman’s award for Young Player of the Year. Manish Chanan was James Grant’s pick for 2nd XI player of the Year. Manish took 4 wickets on two occasions, including 4-12 in the Horley game and 4-33 in a crucial win over West End Esher. Manish also took 2 wickets in the reverse fixture against West End, including a wicket from the final ball of the match which earned a draw with scores level.

1st XI skipper Alex Duncan stood down at the end of the season after 11 years in charge.

The Club has achieved a lot in that time – promotion to the Championship and a Fullers League Cup in the trophy cabinet. Chairman Tom Peters has challenged us to shed our survival mentality in the Surrey Championship and sustain the promotion challenge which we threatened this year. There is now a strong group of young players ready to take the Club forwards towards this objective. Joe Harris is a gifted wicket keeper and a destructive batsman who missed much of the season due to work and tennis commitments, but hit prime form in two almost match winning innings at the end of the season. Ollie Ratnatunga showed his class on several occasions this year, though sadly always when the rest of the team collapsed – evidence of mental strength. Chris Berkett has led the bowling attack for the last few years. In 2015 he was Vice-Captain and enjoys a 100% winning record as Captain having deputised on a couple of occasions. Let’s see if he is willing to risk it by throwing his hat into the ring next year!

As ever, if you would like to get involved with OPCC please get in touch with Alex (ard36ard36@hotmail.com) or Tom (podgerogers@hotmail.com).

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 153

Sports OP RUGBY FIVES

A mixed year The OP rugby fives club sadly lost its president, Alastair Mackenzie this year and it was decided in the club AGM to leave this position vacant for a year. An excellent tribute on what Alastair did for fives can be found on the Rugby Fives Association website.

On a playing front, the club has had a mixed year. There has been individual success in many tournaments around the country. However in the national club tournament, The Wood Cup, an OP team lost out to Wessex in the final bringing to an end a winning streak that had run for a good few years.

There was a new format to September’s old boy’s tournament, the Owers Trophy, which by reducing the number of players in each team to three, has the potential to level the playing field. The OP Club, looking to make it six wins in a row, entered two teams who in a first both made the final. Our team of 2012 leavers – Theo Parker, Sam Russell and Francis Thomas were eventually beaten by a strong team of Julian Aquilina, Ben Beltrami and Dan Tristao.

Julian made it two wins in two weeks with a well-deserved victory in the internal singles tournament, the Cunis Cup. A report of this and other OP Vs news can be found on the OP rugby fives website.

Thursday evening Vs is going strong and there have been a number of new faces playing, for many of whom, it’s been the first time back on court for years.

The more the merrier, so please do get in touch with Tom Dean (dean.tom@ hotmail.co.uk) if you’d like to make your Tom Dean (1998-2003) return!

Notices New OP sports members are always welcome Cricket: contact opcc.org.uk Alex Duncan at alex.duncan@ipreo.com or Sam Hyman at sam@hymanestates.com Fives: contact Peter King at pjk@stpaulsschool.org.uk Football: contact Matt Kiernan at Kiernan_matt@hotmail.com or Nick Troen at nicholas.troen@gmail.com Golf: contact Neil Fitch at n.fitch@ntlworld.com or 02392 715232 Rowing: contact Finn Jenk at finnjenk@yahoo.co.uk Rugby: contact Buster Dover at chairman@opfc.org.uk Squash: contact Bernard Reed at bmwreed@gmail.com Tennis: contact Mark Staniszewski at mark.stan@greenbutton.co.uk

Join our online community Register now at opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk You will then be able to access the secure alumni areas to keep in touch with friends and the Club and find out about upcoming events.

Business networking The OP Club has an active and thriving LinkedIn group. If you have a profile on LinkedIn and are interested in what business networking may be able to offer, then log on to www.linkedin.com and join the group ‘Old Paulines Alumni’.

Please find all the latest social events and updates on Facebook Search for ‘Old Pauline Club’ and the page.

Follow us on twitter @oldpaulines

The Old Pauline Club Social Calendar 2015-2016 Further details will be publicised in the monthly eNews or mailed closer to the time of each event

6 November

Cambridge Dinner, Emmanuel College

13 November

Oxford Dinner, Oriel College

Guest speaker: Alex Wilson, U8th Undermaster, St Paul’s School

To book: opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk/events/cambridgedinner-november2015

12 November Entrepreneurs’ Dinner at St Paul’s School

Guest speakers: Paddy Griffith (1988-93), George Burgess

(2005-10), Daniel Ross (1993-98), Simon Tesler (1974-1978) and

Eamon Jubbawy (2005-2010)

To book: opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk/events/entrepreneursdinner-november2015

Guest speaker: Alex Wilson, U8th Undermaster, St Paul’s School To book: opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk/events/oxforddinner-november2015

19 November

Whitting Lecture – The Artist and the King at St Paul’s School Graham Seel, Head of History, St Paul’s School To book: opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk/events/whittinglecture-november2015

11 December

Supper Evening at St Paul’s School

A traditional Christmas turkey dinner with all the trimmings To book: opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk/events/supper-evening-2015

2016 1 February

Feast Service at St Paul’s Cathedral followed by a buffet dinner in Mercers’ Hall

To book: opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk/events/feast-service-2016

3 March

Medical Dinner at St Paul’s School

Julian Aquilina is presented with the Cunis Cup

by Tim Cunis

154 OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015

Please look for announcements in eNews or on the OP Club website: opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk To book: opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk/events/medical-dinner-2016

For information on all OP Club events, please telephone 020 8746 5418 or email opcadmin@stpaulsschool.org.uk

opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk

l

020 8746 5418

Diary Dates 2015-2016

Old Pauline Club and School Events NOVEMBER 5 OP Sydney Dinner 5 OP Golf Society: Winter meeting at West Hill Golf Club 6 OP Cambridge Dinner, Emmanuel College, Cambridge 7 St Paul’s Rugby: v KCS 1st XV 7 St Paul’s Rowing: Fours Head (Seniors) 8 School Fives: Winchester Doubles Schools’

Tournament (at Winchester) 11 Act of Remembrance & Wreath Laying,

St Paul’s School 11 GCSE Composers’ Concert, 7pm 12 OP Entrepreneurs’ Dinner, St Paul’s School 12 Painting Now (till 11 Dec) 13 OP Oxford Dinner, Oriel College, Cambridge 14 St Paul’s Rugby: v Tonbridge 1st XV 14 OP Fives: National Open Singles - qualifying rounds (home) 18 Ensembles Concert, 7pm 19 Whitting Lecture, The Artist and the King,

St Paul’s School 21 St Paul’s Rugby: v Berkhamsted 1st XV 21 St Paul’s Rowing: Hampton Small Boats Head (Juniors) 26 OP Golf Society: AGM & annual dinner at Royal

Mid Surrey Golf Club 28 St Paul’s Rugby: v Eton 1st XV 29 St Paul’s Rowing: Wallingford 4s and 8s Head DECEMBER 2 Winter Concert, 7pm 3-5 Henry V (Drama), 7.30pm 5 St Paul’s Rugby: v Wellington 1st XV 5-6 OP Fives: National Open Singles - Final Rounds

(St Paul’s School) 6 Jazz at The Bull’s Head, 3-6pm 8 USA Branch, Christmas Club Lunch (TBC) 10 The Carol Service, 6.30-7pm 10 Parents’ Group: The Christmas Festival 11 OP Supper Evening, St Paul’s School 12 St Paul’s Rugby: v Felsted 1st XV 12 OPFC Christmas Party

JANUARY 2016 7 Old Pauline Lodge Meeting at St Paul’s School 9-10 School Fives: West of England Championships (at Sherborne) 30 OPFC “Ladies Day” Lunch FEBRUARY 1 Feast Service at St Paul’s Cathedral followed by Supper at

Mercers’ Hall, 5pm MARCH 3 OP Medical Dinner, St Paul’s School 19 OP Wessex Luncheon, The Langton Arms, Tarrant Monkton 21 OP Fives Presidents’ Cup doubles (St Paul’s School) 29 School Fives: National Schools’ Championships (St Paul’s School) (till -1st April) APRIL 7 Old Pauline Lodge Meeting at St Paul’s School 7-10 OP Golf Society: Halford Hewitt Cup at Royal St Georges &

Royal Cinque Ports Golf Clubs 9 OPFC ‘Awards’ Dinner Dance 16-17 OP Fives: National Clubs’ Championship: Wood Cup at St Paul’s School MAY 12 OP Golf Society: Spring meeting at Betchworth Park Golf Club 15 OP Golf Society: Grafton Morrish qualifier at Royal Wimbledon

Golf Club JUNE 7 OP Club Annual Dinner 20 Old Pauline Lodge Meeting at St Paul’s School Website addresses: Old Pauline Club: opclub.stpaulsschool.org.uk St Paul’s School: stpaulsschool.org.uk Old Pauline Football Club: opfc.org.uk Old Pauline Cricket Club: opcc.org.uk Old Pauline Association Football Club: opafc.com Old Pauline Fives Club: oprugbyfives.wordpress.com Old Pauline Lodge: oldpaulinelodge.org.uk

Porter touches down for the U21s

OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015 155

Past Times

100 years ago

10 years ago

The School Ambulance

In 1915, High Master Albert Hillard issued an appeal to Paulines and parents for £400 to present, on behalf of St Paul’s School, a motor ambulance for use in the war. A sum of £525 was raised. By direction of the Red Cross Society it was attached to the 3rd City of London Royal Army Medical Corps and would proceed to the firing line when ready. Three OPs – a surgeon Lieutenant F H Robbins, a chauffeur, D Woods and an orderly, R Bewsher – were already members of this section.

A brass plate bearing the name of St Paul’s School was affixed to the ambulance.

From The Pauline 1914-15: We continue to get a little news occasionally from the Ambulance, yet even that little gives some indication of the difficulties encountered in taking a load of wounded at night. We cannot do better than quote from a letter of R. Woods, who is one of the drivers with the car.

“All our work has to be done at night. We work in one of two shifts; the first goes out at 6 o’clock and then 2am, the second at 7.45pm and 3.45am. What we have to do is take the stretcherbearers down to the Field Dressing Station, wait for the wounded, and bring them back here. We had our first experience last night. We are allowed one side-lamp through the town, but after that we are not allowed any light whatever. You cannot imagine what it is like. The roads are not paved for the most part and for one long stretch the pavement is only just big enough to take the car. If you go over the side, down you go into the mud, the car keeling over at an angle of 35 degrees, and it is no joke getting it out either. When we got to the Dressing Station we stopped behind it as cover.

The stretcher bearers then went off. It is absolutely wonderful how cheerful the wounded are.

Nothing seems to make them despondent.”

Above: Drivers Rex Woods (1908-1911) and Draycott Woods (1910-13) standing in front of the St Paul’s School sponsored ambulance outside the Asylum of the Sacred Heart, Ypres.

the masses in football matches.

In this spirit of vitality the society ended a very successful term.

50 years ago

20 years ago

The Chesterton Society We had a Hat Debate in order to choose a rep for the Lloyd’s Debating Competition. Mr Foster was nominated and he debated whether it was better to live in a glass case than a dog-house.

The Literary side had its Gala Premiere when Mr Raby spoke on ‘The Value of James Bond’ to a house of 79. It was a most entertaining meeting, and memories of Botticelli’s Venus from behind will forever linger.

We discovered that Mr Lister enjoyed Raymond Chandler and Mr Galton enjoyed swaying with

In March 1995, a delegation of 12 eighth form pupils travelled to Göteborg in Sweden to take part in a session of the bi-annual European Youth parliament. The parliament was set up to provide a forum for young Europeans to express their political views and develop a European perspective on vital issues.

We had to go through two rounds of selection to be nominated as the British team.

First of all we were required to write an essay on the theme ‘can a nationalist or radicalist be a true European?’

The Just-A-Minute Society The JAM, affectionately known as JamSoc, prides itself on offering a lighthearted alternative to the other lunchtime pursuits. Its main objective is to ensure that a good time is had by all attendees, and this is often facilitated by the proclivity of members of staff to relax in the genial surroundings of the Montgomery Room, and share their ambitions, anecdotes, and deep secrets with the delighted group of students before them.

Many a passionate participant has resorted to brazen-faced flouting of such trifling considerations in the name of entertainment. “Me? Tell the truth? In this game?

Never!” exclaimed one teacher when questioned about his challenge for what would later emerge as a non-existent example of hesitation. The members of staff were adamant in their remarks regarding the topic of ‘Why education is Wasted on the Young’ but found themselves at the mercy of the boundless capacity of the students’ imagination when it came to ‘My Super-Power of Choice’.

Crossword By Lorie Church (1992-97)

Clues

Lorie studied Classics at Exeter. He has had various articles and puzzles published in The Times and elsewhere. He won a silver medal at the (world) Mind Sports Olympiad held at the JW3, London, in August. Contact: lorie@london.com

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156 OLD PAULINE NEWS AUTUMN 2015

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1 Insider knowledge that can be gained by keeping ones iron in the fire (3,3) 5 Butcher’s horse is one going for conversion (6) 8 Ornamental pot said to make money (3) 9 In France you casually introduce disrespectful talk.

One rises from bed in Holland (5) 10 Imagined line joins everyone under the same pressure (6) 11 Looks carefully at questionnaires (7) 12 Get your drinks free on this, Bingo! (5) 15 Deep singer is integral to Cuba’s society (5) 16 Heavenly body is a real knockout (5) 17 Bishop meets fellow man at stream (5) 18 Bedroom antics lead to weariness (7) 20 What’s in the tank if Drivers feel odd? (6) 22 Grasses collected by gopherwood vessel traversing the poles (5) 23 Lady of the night, whichever way you look at it (3) 24 Nasty criminal wrong, Appropriate sentence is ruled (6) 25 Warehouses reportedly topple (6)

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2 Unconscious, given painkiller, then have more (9) 3 Soap box? (10, 3) 4 This youngster uses pleading, sad eyes. S.O.B. (5-3) 5 Woolly write up on Tory leader (4) 6 First of children, poor, had Colet giving out confectionery (9, 4) 7 Greek character at the heart of proletariat (3) 13 From ashes rose fantastic marine creatures (9) 14 Brass instrument indeed removed antlers (8) 19 Kiss fairy turning up on bent lead (4) 21 Intensely cold yesternight, at first sub-zero (3)