OU Magazine Issue 49 2021-2022 by Uppingham School

ISSUE 49 2021/22

Welcome to the OU magazine From the Editor It was a joy to welcome OUs to the Royal Over-Seas League on 22nd September, when OU events re-started again. The following week also saw the return of the annual Over 60s Lunch, last held in September 2019, and it felt very special catching up with guests after so long.

OU is the annual magazine for former pupils of Uppingham School. We also send out an e-Newsletter, ‘The Colonnade’, with news and event updates during the year – please ensure your email address is up-to-date by emailing ou@uppingham.co.uk. Uppingham School, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9QE

It is fantastic to have OU events back in the calendar, see the back cover for upcoming dates, and we hope to see as many of you as possible over the next 12 months.

Tel: +44 (0)1572 820616 Email: ou@uppingham.co.uk www.olduppinghamian.co.uk

Whilst the event programme was on hold, the OU team has been modernising the Association’s identity, as well as creating a brand new website, which remains the go-to platform for news, upcoming events and all things OU.

If you are receiving multiple copies of the OU magazine to your household and would prefer only one copy, please let us know.

48 2021/22 ISSUE 49 ISSUE

The School for Life Programme has also ramped up significantly in the past 12 months, and we are pleased to share the developments on pages 71 to 73. Now on to this edition of the magazine! It is always a great pleasure to hear from our community and be able to share news and stories from generations of OUs, through our regular Who What Where round-up or Events Calendar more in-depth features. We hope you will be able to join us at the forthcoming events… The London OU Dinner 3rd March, The Mandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge The most glamorous OU event in the calendar – bookings now open.

This year, we focus on the creativity of OUs working with new technologies and AI; we direct a spotlight on the theatre world, with two rising talents on stage and behind the scenes; and also feature some of Uppingham’s many artists. A Celebration of Music

18th to 20th March, Uppingham

The Norfolk Dinner

6th May, The Hoste, Burnham Market

Speech Day & Founder’s Day 28th May, Uppingham

Please visit the OU website for more information on these events and others to be announced soon. www.olduppinghamian.co.uk

Our regular article on Entrepreneurs showcases more OUs who have successfully launched their own businesses – offering real inspiration to those considering their own start-up’s. And, new to this edition, we bring news and memories from some of Uppingham’s veteran staff who, between them, have clocked up an incredible 101 years of service at the School.

This year’s front cover features Jack Groves (LH 13) who, this Summer, completed his mission to break the record for the youngest person to circumnavigate the world on a motorbike. Jack shares his inspiring story on pages 18 to 21.

With accounts of OUs breaking world records – the youngest to circumnavigate the world on a motorbike and the fastest all-female rowing team to cross the Pacific Ocean – we trust this year’s magazine has some interesting content for everyone to enjoy. As always, thanks go to all those who have contributed to this issue, and we encourage everyone to keep in touch. Sending best wishes from all at Uppingham. Jo Franklin (OU Manager and Editor), on behalf of the OU team

For a longer read, scan the QR codes with your smartphone camera to view extra content on the OU website.

Welcome

Message from the Headmaster After 18 months of disruption and uncertainty, Uppingham School is back. Properly back. It feels good to be here. Uppingham is Uppingham once more. Chapel is unmasked and full to bursting – we have 834 pupils this year – with full-throated singing ringing around the ancient quads. Whole blocks of hockey and rugby fixtures are being played each weekend (as well as some September cricket for the 1st XI). The hubbub of conversation at formal lunches has returned. ‘Bubbling’ and social distancing have been dropped. Year groups can mix once again. Pupils are enjoying social events. Baines, Costa and Scandamania have seen their takings surge. We feel as if we managed the situation as well as we could have done in the context of the ‘lockdowns’ and enforced restrictions. Ultimately, a brilliantly committed and imaginative staff, supported by equally resourceful parents, underpinned by inspirational leadership from our senior pupils, were the magic ingredients that saw us through. Although pupils and parents are celebrating September’s return to a greater normality, we suspect the next few months may not be entirely straightforward. However, whatever might be thrown at us, we know now we can withstand it. The School community has felt extraordinarily well-supported over the past year with so many OUs palpably there for us. We can now look forward to seeing many of you in person at alumni events this year. The OU team have planned a full social programme for the next 12 months and we hope as many of you as possible will be able to join us as we try to bring the whole Uppingham community back together.

As our current pupils move through the School, they do not have the same certainties other generations of OUs may have enjoyed. Happily, today’s Uppinghamians are fortunate to be able to rely on the guidance and wisdom of so many generous and distinguished OUs. Your willingness to give your time, insights and experience means a great deal to them. With your generosity in mind, our concept of a ‘School for Life’ rings especially true at the moment. Using our whole community, past and present, to support each other – at every point of life – is one of the very best things we have. Dr Richard Maloney

Welcome

Making Waves in Business

Two Decades of Samworths’

Who What Where

Events

Clubs and Societies

Announcements

Creative Flow

School for Life

Cover Story

From Uppingham to the West End

School News

Technology and Innovation

Fircroft and Farleigh Anniversaries

Events Calendar

In Memoriam

Chalkies’ Corner

Staff Remembered

Record-breaking Ocean Rows

Welcome

Who What Where

1940s Congratulations to Edward ‘Richard’ Dingley (B 45), who celebrated his 90th birthday in June. Richard had a long career as a doctor, serving with the RAF Far East Air Force Parachute Rescue Team before joining the Colonial Office as the Principal Consultant Ophthalmologist in British North Borneo. He transferred to the Malaysian Government Service at independence in 1963, where he worked for many years. He returned to the UK in 1986, continuing to work in local hospitals until finally retiring at the age of 80. In honour of his time spent with the RAF, Richard’s son John (C 79) arranged for an RAF team to parachute in to deliver a special card on his birthday.

1950s Tom Geake (L 52) kindly shared his memories of the ‘Round Rutland Walk’. An endurance test, aimed at occupying pupils’ time between finishing A level exams and the end of term, it involved walking around the county, outside its boundary, in less than 24 hours. With no approved route, careful map reading was required. Tom recalls unwittingly trespassing on his journey by walking along a railway line and at one point being chased by some curious cows. He also confesses to cheating in the later stages of the challenge when, feeling very tired, he entered the county approximately five metres within the boundary rather than walk a hundred or so more and climb two fences. But he confirmed: “It was perfect mental relaxation from the full menu of double Maths, Physics and Chemistry exams. With the reward of arriving back to the Lodge in time for high tea.” In October 2020, Anthony Hardy (Hf 52) featured in Hong Kong’s 2020 Honours List as an awardee of the Bronze Bauhinia Star, in recognition of his “significant contribution to the maritime and shipping industry, and the arts and cultural scene in Hong Kong, having greatly facilitated Hong Kong’s development into an international maritime and ship management centre and having also founded the Hong Kong Maritime Museum”.

Anthony received his award from Hong Kong’s Chief Executive at Government House on 16th November 2020 and he recently celebrated 60 years since his arrival in Hong Kong, shortly after leaving Uppingham.

Who What Where

Few people’s careers have spanned as many aspects of the show business world as Robin Hawdon’s (B 52), known as Robin Oldroyd at School. His passion for acting, ignited at Uppingham, has fuelled a long career in TV, film, as a playwright, West End stage director and novelist over many decades. Robin’s new memoir recounts his encounters with some of the most famous actors around, his triumphs and setbacks, and is guaranteed to be entertaining reading. Godfree Browne (WB 53) recalls the opening of the new Science Block during the Autumn term of 1957 which, to the delight of staff and pupils alike, involved a visit from HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Godfree remembers a CCF Guard of Honour of 100 members, with the RAF section ordered to wear khaki for uniformity, although still permitted to wear appropriate badges from the RAF. During the inspection, HRH noticed Godfree’s gliding badge and a nice exchange occurred between the two. However, fellow cadets overheard the Prince going on to ask the Guard Commander, Major I. L. Bridges for more information about the RAF section and showing his distinct disapproval of cadets being disguised in khaki!

Peter Attenborough, Bruce Cobbold and Peter Lloyd

The Ghost of the Cog-Wheel Railway is a new children’s book inspired by the tales John Szemerey (Hf 54) told his children when they were young. A retired journalist and former British Official of the European Commission, John writes about the ‘Ghost of Zoltan’ who, as a reward for leading a good life, is able to fulfil his ambition of driving the cog-wheel railway through the night. It is available to purchase online. Robert Lee (WB 57) put last year’s lockdown to good use and published a biography of his great-grandfather, James Erskine. Robert only knew him briefly, when he was very young, but, in later life, he inherited a trunkful of old letters and diary entries and discovered the extraordinary, though tragic, story of the Erskine family. Brought up in Glasgow in the Victorian era, James lost two children to infant mortality and his wife to tuberculosis. His two surviving sons, both talented athletes and one a world champion boxer, were killed in the First World War, having shown amazing bravery. In addition, his son-in-law, Robert’s grandfather, was killed on the opening day of the Passchendaele offensive, leaving his daughter a widowed mother, aged only 20. After the Great War, James fought a protracted but unsuccessful battle with the War Office to have his son’s Military Cross upgraded to a Victoria Cross, and subsequently handled his sorrow by becoming a recluse, living a spartan life on a Scottish hillside into his 80s. Granddaddy, The Sorrows of My GreatGrandfather, and the Extraordinary Bravery of his Family is available to purchase online.

Roger Neill (B 57) has written a ‘life and works’ of a forgotten Australian playwright, entitled Haddon Chambers and the Long Arm of Neglect, published in two parts by Theatre Heritage Australia. Born in Sydney in 1860, Chambers became a jackaroo (the term given to a young man working on a sheep or cattle station in Australia) in New South Wales, before moving to London, where, over the following three decades, he had some 30 plays produced with the greatest of contemporary actors. Most went on to success in New York and six were made into silent movies. This was all in the era of Ibsen, Wilde, Shaw, Barrie and Synge. If remembered at all these days, it would be for his long relationship as ‘partner’ to the great diva, Dame Nellie Melba. Roger is an arts historian. He curated the exhibition Legends: The Art of Walter Barnett for the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra in 2000 and helped Sam Wanamaker to re-build Shakespeare’s Globe in London. His most recent book is DIVAS: Mathilde Marchesi and her Pupils and he co-produced a set of four CDs, From Melba to Sutherland: Australian Singers on Record for Decca Eloquence. He is also Chair of the Friends of the Heseltine Gallery.

Prompted by a tribute to Peter Attenborough in the last OU magazine, Richard Wightman (M 57) wrote in with his memories of journeying to Greece in a Bedford Dormobile with Peter, Bruce Cobbold and Peter Lloyd. The staff gave eight pupils in the Classical Sixth the travel experience of a lifetime at the end of the Spring Term of 1961. Sixty years on, Richard recalls views of the Lion Gate at Mycenae, running races the length of the Epidaurus Stadium, wandering freely around the Acropolis and rising at dawn from tents to roam the misty precinct of Delphi. Greasy lamb stews, delicious tomatoes and feta, washed down with retsina in copper beakers and baklava – with a love of Greek cuisine ever since. He commented: “I salute and thank Bruce, Peter and Peter for the trip of a lifetime, for acting in loco parentis with such zest and style. Was dawn ‘rosy-fingered’, and were the seas ‘wine-dark’? You bet. What special memories!” Richard’s full account can be found on the OU website Athens, 1961

Who What Where

In January 2020, David Sneath (Fgh 61) joined 47 other passengers at Bluff, New Zealand, for an Antarctic expedition. They boarded the ‘Professor Khromov’, a former Soviet survey ship, with a Russian crew of 21, which was ice hardened and just over two thousand tonnes, without fin stabilisers for the Southern Ocean, so rolled viciously at times. This was an expedition, not a cruise; the deal was being woken at any time of the day or night to take to the Zodiacs, heavy-duty inflatable vessels specially designed for ocean-level cruising among icebergs and for viewing the Antarctic wildlife.

David Sneath’s icy ‘polar plunge’

1960s

Peter Flower (L 60) has published the second volume of a trilogy that describes the life of his grandfather, Reginald Grove (R 1883), a country GP, who began his medical career in the late Victorian period after training at Guy’s Hospital, London. Volume 2 of The Life and Times of a Victorian Country Doctor, vividly describes his life at boarding school from age eight to 18. Using his diaries and letters, it portrays his life as a chorister at King’s College Chapel Cambridge, and then at Uppingham, under the great Victorian Headmaster, Edward Thring. The brutality described in the fictitious accounts of boarding school life by Dickens in Nicholas Nickleby or Thomas Hughes’ Tom Brown’s School-Days, is replaced by a more balanced portrait, describing lessons in the classics, sports and games, punishments, the battle for moral purity, Sixth Form privileges and the friendships that he made. Grove left Uppingham a good allrounder, presented with a medal by Thring “for good work and unblemished character”. On the last day of the summer term 1887 “all the house came to my dormitory very early to say

Who What Where

goodbye to me”. It was an emotional end to his school experience. Malcolm Tozer commented: “Peter Flower’s labour of love is a treasure chest for the historian and a delight for all who wish to know more about life at Thring’s Uppingham. It was a School like no other.” Published by Brown Dog Books, Volumes 1 and 2 are available to purchase online. Anthony Nightingale (L 61), former Chief Executive of Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd, has stepped down as Chairman of The Friends of Uppingham in Hong Kong, a charitable organisation established by Dr, the Hon, Sir David KP Li (H 54) in 2005 to build links between Uppingham and Hong Kong. Having been a founding member of the board, Anthony succeeded Sir David as chairman in 2018 and he has now been succeeded in that role by Mark Hardy (Hf 84), Director of Corporate Affairs for Pacific Basin Shipping Ltd. We would like to thank Anthony for his longstanding support for Uppingham over the last 16 years. Thanks also go to the other OU members of the board including Wendy Li (Fd 78), Anthony Couse (SH 79), James Pearson (F 79), Johnny Hon (H 85), Alex Williams (Fgh 92), Wendy Law (Fd 95) and Kai Man Fok (M 02).

The voyage followed in the footsteps of Shackleton and Scott, with 28 days at sea, travelling as far South as 77°51.05’, about 1,550 miles from the South Pole, and covering nearly 6,000 miles (5,312 nautical miles). David’s full account can be found on the OU website We are pleased to add that David has also recently published a family history and autobiography, Down Argentina Way, which tells a fascinating war history from generations past and his own memoirs. The story begins in the late nineteenth century with the first settlement in the Falkland Islands and Patagonia, and embraces the last gasps of Imperial China, the economic development of Argentina, the origins of one of the big four accountancy firms, PwC, and David’s ancestral participation in two world wars. His rich collection of family memories and his own experiences, as an operational lawyer, working alongside the Americans in Iraq, as well as his time as High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, all contribute to the book, which has received excellent reviews.

Mike Garrs’ (F 63) book Valiant Hearts – The Story of the Uppingham School VCs tells the incredible stories of five Uppinghamians who were awarded the Victoria Cross. If you would like to purchase a copy, please contact Mike at mike.garrs49@ntlworld. com. The cost is £11.95 including postage and packing and all proceeds are shared equally between The Royal British Legion and Uppingham Foundation. Andy Burns (M 64) who lives in Canada, wrote in after receiving the Music for Remembrance film the OU team shared last November. The footage showed the WWII Memorial, located in the School Library, and he spotted the name of George Pringle (M 35), RAF Bomber crew, killed in action in July 1941. George’s family lived next door to Andy, when he was a youngster in Sheffield and, before he left for Uppingham in 1964, George’s mother invited him in to tea and handed him George’s OU things, including his OU scarf (now 82 years old!). Andy commented: “I always wear that scarf – as Ottawa winters can be a little on the chilly side, even hitting -40oC! It is the only scarf I have owned since leaving school and I think of George every time I put it on. I have always been sad that I never met him, but I will never forget him, he will always be my hero.” Andy has recently completed the fourth year of an honour’s degree in Architectural History, with a Minor in Archaeology, at Carleton University in Ottawa. For Andrew Williams (C 68), Charles Cundall (LH 72) and Tobi Menzies (C 90), summer 2021 marked the end of a chapter that has seen them log over 100 years of combined employment as shipbrokers for the same firm, specialising in offshore oil and gas support vessels. Andrew joined John I. Jacobs Shipbrokers in 1977, Charles followed him in 1981, and Tobi joined

them in 1999. The company underwent several takeovers and name changes during that time, most recently merging with Braemar Shipbrokers and then ACM Shipbrokers. Andrew is remaining with Braemar ACM on a part-time basis; Charles is retiring from the industry, enjoying spending more time with his family; and Tobi has taken up a new challenge in the energy/marine sector.

L to R: Tobi, Andrew and Charles on the right, celebrating a colleague’s wedding, summer 2000. Jim Parton (LH 69) attended Uppingham for just one year, as an exchange student from the USA. Since his return home to the States in July 1970, he has only had the opportunity to visit Uppingham Jim with his wife Maureen once, in spring 1998. However, the School has had a special place in his memory in the 50 years that have passed. Having had the benefit of a year of A Level studies, he graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973 and went on to study law at the University of San Francisco. He subsequently embarked on a fulfilling 40-year career as a trial lawyer in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California, from which he retired in 2017. Jim commented: “1969-1970 was a tumultuous time, as 2020 has also been – we have all travelled many miles since then and I hope that any OU who remembers me from Lorne House will reach out to me. We did not have the ease of communication back then that we have today and I promptly lost touch with everyone when I returned home!” Jim can be contacted on jparton3@gmail.com.

Who What Where

1970s

Andy (LH 70) and Jerry (LH 74) Cockerham, founders of the British Modern Military History Society, have published a book, Glimpses of War, in aid of the charity Blind Veterans UK (formerly St Dunstan’s). It is a compilation of people’s memories and experiences of war time – any war, any role, military or civilian. Available on Amazon, the book contains stories of great heroism and tragedy, of the horrors of war as POWs or under occupation, as well as ordinary people just ‘doing their bit’. Volume 2 is already planned and will include the stories of the OU Victoria Cross holders, courtesy of Mike Garrs (F 63). For more details visit www.bmmhs.org. Congratulations to Stephen Fry (F 70) who was honoured as Commander of the Order of the Phoenix, by H.E. Mr. Ioannis Raptakis, Ambassador of Greece, in April “for his contribution in enhancing knowledge about Greece in the United Kingdom and reinforcing ties between our two countries”.

After leaving Uppingham, Dominic Blyth (H 74) qualified as an Environmental Health Officer and spent his career dealing with the ‘mucky’ end of the profession, principally drainage and pest control. He worked in both the public and private sectors, most recently providing specialist, post-graduate training.

Who What Where

He retired three years ago to the beautiful Orcadian island of Stronsay, buying a small farm called St. Catherine’s, with its own private beach, and he’s converted a barn to house his various classic cars. Dominic would be delighted to hear from anyone he was at school with and those thinking of visiting Orkney or the ‘outer isle’ of Stronsay, please email saniman@live.co.uk. In November last year, the Royal Mail issued a series of Star Trek stamps, with each one showcasing a character from across the television franchise. Dominic Keating (WD 74) was featured as his character Lieutenant Malcolm Reed in Star Trek: Enterprise, a series which ran for four seasons. Dominic isn’t the only OU to make it onto a stamp, two others have also made it into this exclusive group. They include Boris Karloff (F 1903), as Frankenstein, who featured in a series of classic horror film stamps and Donald Campbell (WD 34), who was also celebrated in Royal Mail’s ‘Eminent Britons’ commemorative stamps, produced in 2009. Donald remains the only person to have ever broken the land and water speed records in a single year, which he achieved in 1964.

Steve Hobson (WD 75) is enjoying an active life in New Zealand, recently completing a seven kilometre trail running race, followed by a 15,000 foot skydive over Taupo to celebrate his son’s 18th birthday. He has also joined the Taranaki Alpine Club and volunteers as part of the local Red Cross Disaster Welfare and Support Team.

After 27 years of living in the US, and an enormously successful career as an actor there, Harry Van Gorkum (Fgh 76) has moved back to the UK and settled in Norfolk. Harry fell in love with acting while first stepping on the stage at Uppingham under the tutelage of Christopher Richardson. He went on to read drama at Lancaster University and never looked back! He started out acting in theatres, participating in stage productions throughout England, with an appearance in the awardwinning Being at Home with Claude in London’s West End. Then, on moving to America, Harry began to add to his acting résumé with guest appearances on various television series, including Seinfeld, Friends, CSI, NCIS and, perhaps most notably, in The Nanny as a recurring character who was Fran Drescher’s love interest. On film, Harry has appeared in many blockbuster movies, including Batman & Robin, Gone In Sixty Seconds; appearing with seasoned action stars such as Steven Seagal in The Foreigner,

Catherine Coulson (née Bean, Fd 82) is in the centre, with Bart Hellyer (Fgh 64) at the front.

with Bruce Willis in Tears of the Sun and Sylvester Stallone in Avenging Angelo. Most recently, Harry was proud to appear in the Oscar-nominated The 12th Man alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and has also just finished a US show that was filming in North Norfolk. James Pearson (F 79) was selected as an Equestrian National Technical Official (NTO) for this year’s Tokyo Olympic Games. He was an Equestrian Steward for all equestrian events including Dressage, Show Jumping and Eventing. Whilst there, he met World Champion Ros Canter (L 02), selected to join the British eventing squad as travelling reserve, with her long-time partner, Allstar B. Ros didn’t get to compete on this occasion, but we look forward to hearing of her future successes.

1980s

The OU team provided a ‘World Wine Tasting Experience’ for Upper Sixth pupils before the end of the summer term, which was kindly hosted, and generously sponsored, by Johnny Wheeler (Hf 80), Chairman of Mr Wheeler Wine, and his wife, Carine. The event was a fantastic success and a great opportunity for our leavers to compare wines from France and Australasia. As a dedicated cricket fan, Johnny was presented with an Uppingham cricket shirt by Richard Boston (B 56) in thanks for his support for the occasion.

Catherine Coulson (née Bean, Fd 82) was honoured to be commissioned as a new Deputy Lieutenant (DL) by HM LordLieutenant, Dr Sarah Furness, in a ceremony that took place at Oakham Castle on 10th September. Retiring Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Bart Hellyer (Fgh 64), also a former High Sheriff of Rutland, will continue as a Deputy Lieutenant.

Who What Where

Who What Where Our thanks to Chris Philpot (B 82) for an informative and inspiring ‘virtual’ talk on his expedition to the North Pole in 2018, that he gave to pupils in February. Venturing to one of the most inhospitable regions on our planet, Chris was part of a group of six adventurers walking the last degree (89 – 90oN). Acclimatisation to the 24-hour daylight and temperature of -22oC had to be quick as the group were on their own in the extreme environment, with nothing except ice and blue sky for 360 degrees. Their treacherous journey involved continuous climbing over ice ridges and jumping open water, searching for safe places to walk on floating ice and to cross obstacles – it was a huge physical challenge – but with spectacular scenery. With great endurance, the group succeeded in reaching the Geographic North Pole on schedule and Chris commented: “If you are ever offered an opportunity to try something new and ‘push yourself’ – Go for it! You’ll never regret saying ‘yes’.” Chris’s full account is available to read on the OU website

Guy Tinsley (C 82) was called to the Bar of England and Wales at The Honourable Society of The Middle Temple on 25th March 2021. He is particularly grateful to Charles Arrand (Hf 82) and Charles Bond (C 82) for their friendship and support on that journey. Guy is currently seeking pupillage, whilst working as a freelance paralegal and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Law. He would very much appreciate any contact from OUs – legally qualified, legally interested or otherwise. Email gt@ukparalegal.co.uk to get in touch. Lucy Bird (née Holmes, Fd 83) was awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours list for public service. She is currently the Director of Transport Security, Resilience and Response in the Department for Transport. After 20 years of working in fashion in London, Sam Simpson (née Cookson, J 86) moved back home to Suffolk and was recently persuaded to turn her hobby of treasure-hunting and passion for sustainability into a mid-century, folk art, globetrotter jumble of a business idea. You can shop at ‘No1EastLane’ online at Etsy and view her beautiful finds on Instagram @no1eastlane. Black+Blum, co-founded by Dan Black (B 87), the company’s lead designer, achieved Climate Neutral Certification this year by measuring and offsetting all of their 2020 carbon emissions, equating to a total of over 700,000 tonnes. Black+Blum is committed to reducing future emissions and is also a member of 1% for the Planet, donating at least 1% of annual sales to support environmental, non-profit organisations.

10 Who What Where

Dan’s innovative company has also partnered with HelloFresh, who approached them because they wanted to work with a sustainability-driven brand that was also aligned with them in terms of promoting health and wellbeing. www.black-blum.com In July, Ed Watson (M 88) took it upon himself to raise money for his children’s school, Upper Beeding Primary, West Sussex, by cycling 500 miles over Scottish hummocks. Ed commented: “The hummocks turned out to be utterly merciless – including the infamous Bealach na Bà, which claims to be the hardest roadbike climb in the UK. It did not disappoint and felt like it literally had no end! The scenery was blissful, and the weather stayed fair. Sadly, the creaky body was not enjoying it and came close to refusal on the last few days. However, 500 miles from Inverness, around the top and back again, and £4k raised, was a thrilling challenge to complete. If anyone has any similarly stupid ideas, I am happy to discuss strategy and creams…” Contact edw@lancing.org.uk

Fashion writer and broadcaster Sasha Wilkins (Fd 89) used lockdown to set up LLG Found, an antiques and vintage business specialising in Victorian and Edwardian china and glass. LLG Found has been featured in The Sunday Times and The Telegraph Weekend section and you can find it on Instagram @llgfound.

1990s

Many congratulations to Alexander Learmonth QC (B 90) on his appointment as Queen’s Counsel in March.

Serial fundraiser Tom Watson (M 90) completed the Chain Reaction 1,000km Melbourne Challenge Tour of Victoria, in March. Alongside Tom’s corporate sponsorship, he raised a further A$11k, adding to the overall fundraising record of A$1.2m for the ride, in aid of children’s charities. He commented: “I wouldn’t call myself a true cyclist and I don’t enjoy the 4:30am alarm for training, or the twohour ascents with no relief! But, when I imagine parents dealing with an ill child, functioning without sleep and unable to take a break, sometimes with no end in sight, 1,000km on a bike over the ‘lumps of Victoria’ cannot compare.”

In July, Jody Wood (Fgh 92) and friends cycled 800 miles in eight days from Scotland to Wiltshire, taking in Scottish glens, the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District, eventually climbing the equivalent of Mount Everest – twice! Jody was raising money for The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity in memory of his daughter, Artemis, who sadly lost her life to cancer in 2019, aged just three years old. Artemis received treatment at The Royal Marsden’s Oak Centre for Children and Young People after being diagnosed with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukaemia. She underwent chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant with cells donated from her big sister Matilda. Artemis featured in a Channel 4 documentary ‘Can We Cure Kids’ Cancer?’. With shout-outs from Chris Evans, Michael Ball and Jodie Whittaker amongst others, the group raised nearly £200,000 which will go towards further research into the causes of leukaemia in children. For more information, search RawhidesRiding4Artemis.

Alex Haley (WD 93), a Creative Director at Sky UK, was a winner at the D&AD awards earlier this year for his team’s branding work on the Sky Documentaries channel. After working together at Lambert Smith Hampton for over 17 years, Uppingham friends Tom Fletcher and Philip Hunter (both Fgh 93) have launched Hatch Real Estate, specialising in commercial property, investment, acquisitions and sales across the Thames Valley. www.hatch-re.com

Jody and Juliana Wood are in the centre of the photo, with daughters Matilda and Lara

Who What Where

Andrew Rae (LH 93) launched a new promotions and brand experience agency earlier this year called Another Way. Creating and fulfilling unique prize experiences and incentives, their mission is to deliver a more meaningful connection between brands and consumers. From private dining inside a dormant volcano in Iceland to bespoke Bedouin camps in Morocco, their activities help to turn customers into genuine, long-term brand fans. www.another-way.co.uk

Ashley Grote (Hf 95) has raised over £89,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital in London (GOSH) after his daughter Emily was diagnosed in June 2014 with a rare form of brain tumour. She has been cared for by the teams at GOSH ever since. Despite not claiming to be much of a sportsman whilst at Uppingham, Ashley

After leaving Uppingham, James Harding (Fgh 94) became a gundog trainer. James and his fiancée Katie setup Riverggins Gundogs, which is located in Norfolk, and offers bespoke training programmes for owners and their dogs, residential training placements, working holidays for family pets and even professional photoshoots for four-legged friends. Many OUs have used their services and Riverggins has been dubbed ‘Puppingham’ as a result. James commented: “Since having the sign displayed, somewhat tweaked from the original, various clients have confirmed connections to the School. It’s a small world once you get talking!” For more details see www.rivergginsgundogs.co.uk

Who What Where

did come second in ‘The Routh’! He completed his first London Marathon in 2015 to raise money for GOSH, as a small token of thanks for all that they were doing for Emily. Since then he’s run five London Marathons, raising important funds for the charity. The last marathon, in 2020, had to be ‘virtual’ due to Covid and Ashley ran the 26-mile distance along the Marriott’s Way in Norfolk, finishing at Norwich Cathedral where he works as the Master of Music. Congratulations to Ben Branson (B 96), founder of Seedlip, who was voted one of the World’s 100 Most Influential Figures in the Bar Industry, announced by Drinks International in August, and the only non-alcoholic brand featured for a third year running. Earlier this year, Seedlip announced its membership of 1% for the Planet, committing to donate 1% of global annual revenues each year to environmental charities – an exciting step forward for the brand’s commitment to help protect the natural world.

Alex Stewart (née Stephens, J 96) has published her second children’s book. Jumbo: The Most Famous Elephant Who Ever Lived (Bloomsbury) which tells the true story of London Zoo’s first African elephant. Stunningly illustrated by the artist Emily Sutton, the book traces Jumbo’s amazing journey from his remote home in the rugged mountains of East Africa to the unlikely surroundings of Victorian London and ultimately to America, where he becomes the star attraction in P.T. Barnum’s ‘Greatest Show on Earth’. Jumbo is available to buy in bookshops as well as online. Alex is writing further children’s non-fiction books, to follow over the next couple of years. Filmmaker, writer and director Harry Macqueen (B 97) released his second movie, Supernova, in June, the result of years of painstaking research. The film, starring Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci, explores the nature of love and the pain and poignancy of dementia. The story is told through a couple’s journey across the Lake District, visiting friends, family and places from their past, whilst grappling with the realization and importance of the remaining time they have together. In April, Tom Richardson (C 98) joined Stripe, a technology company that builds economic infrastructure for the internet, supporting businesses of every size – from new startups to public companies. He will lead the Startups & SMB business across APAC and Japan. Uppingham welcomed Libby Burgess (J 99) to the Memorial Hall this September, when she performed Bach’s monumental ‘The Well-Tempered Clavier’, a four-hour musical marathon split over two concerts. Throughout 2021, Libby has set herself the challenge of playing Bach’s 48 Preludes and Fugues for piano in all 48 counties of England, to raise money for four musicians’ charities, and Uppingham was delighted to host the Rutland leg of her tour. www.bachproject48.co.uk

McFly star Harry Judd (F 99) triumphed on the first ever ITV series of Cooking With The Stars. He was crowned overall winner and awarded the coveted golden frying pan in the show’s final in August. Harry is no stranger to celebrity TV shows, also winning the 2011 series of Strictly Come Dancing. He is currently touring the UK with McFly, after the band released their first studio album in 10 years during 2020 entitled Young Dumb Thrills.

2000s

Charlotte Waters (Sa 01) has developed green fingers since leaving Uppingham and has recently had gardening roles at Uppingham and at Christ’s College Cambridge. Charlotte runs her own business in Cambridge and any local OUs seeking gardening expertise are welcome to contact her at charlotte88. jwaters@gmail.com

Henry Ives (M 02) successfully completed a challenging solo 52km Dartmoor ultra-marathon in July. He raised over £3,600 for the Charlie Watkins Foundation, which supports young people across the UK who are facing serious mental health challenges. Henry founded his online fitness and nutrition consultancy, H+ Performance, in 2014. He now coaches people all over the world, educating and empowering them with knowledge that cuts through much of the dogma that surrounds the fitness industry. His main areas of interest are powerlifting, outdoor adventures and nutrition. You can find out more about H+ Performance at www.hplusperformance.co.uk

Who What Where

On 17th September a group of School House friends, who all left Uppingham in 2011, enjoyed a get-together – just like old times spent in the House dining room! Round table, front left to front right: Rob Archer-Smith, Tom Scowsill, Fred Mallin, James Arden, Tom Core, Will Flinn, Will Denny and Tom Greenwell (all SH 06), Ben Davis (SH 09) and Alex Peter (SH 06).

Freddie Wilkinson (B 09) raised over £15,000 for the Charlie Watkins Foundation in December last year. He and his cousin, George Neville, ran all of the London Underground lines from start to finish – totalling 11 lines, 381 stations and around 330 miles. The pair were joined by lots of OUs offering their support along the way including James Cotton (B 09), Will Doggett (Hf 09), Otto Esse (WB 08), Ben Kennedy (B 09), Will Moffitt (SH 07), Marcus Pugh-Smith (Hf 07) and Tom Treble (WD 09).

Barney Weston (WB 09) recently co-founded a charity ‘Football For Future’, with a mission to build a more environmentally sustainable culture in English football. By delivering educational workshops to various audiences – from school age children to professional players and backroom club staff – they are raising awareness of the relationship between climate change and football. They also offer advice to English football clubs on reducing carbon emissions, waste management and good ecological practice. See @ftblforfuture on Instagram and Twitter. www.footballforfuture.org

Who What Where

2010s

Jack Parker (LH 10) was granted a commission into the Rifles at the Sovereign’s Parade, held at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 9th April, having successfully completed the Commissioning course. Ed Woolley (M 10) ran the Jersey Marathon in October, raising over £3,500 for the Charlie Watkins Foundation, which helps young people look after their mental health. Ed commented: “I have struggled myself for the last few years, like many other young people. I found speaking out and confronting the problem was a key turning point. It took a lot of encouragement from close friends and, while mental health is always a work in progress, I firmly believe that conversation and openness should be encouraged.” www.cwfoundation.co.uk

Henry Ives (page 13), Freddie Wilkinson and Ed Woolley, featured above, all raised valuable funds for the Charlie Watkins Foundation, established after Charlie Watkins (SH 08) took his own life in March 2017, at just 22. The Foundation aims to encourage young people to speak openly about mental health, give them the confidence to seek help, and equip them to enhance their mental health and wellbeing. Find out more at www.cwfoundation.co.uk

Celebrating the return of Uppingham’s Lunchtime Concerts in the Parish Church this September, Joshua Law (SH 15) delivered a wonderful programme of music by Clarke, Ligeti and Glazunov for staff, pupils and the local community to enjoy. An incredibly talented musician, Joshua is currently studying Viola at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Photographed with Andrew Kennedy (F 90), Director of Music. After graduating from Imperial College in July, with a First Class Honours in BSc Biotechnology, Edna Au (L 16) joined L.E.K. Consulting in September, as a Life Science Associate. The pandemic has undoubtedly highlighted the role of biotechnology in fighting global health challenges and Edna looks forward to exploring the business side of science and helping to bring breakthrough innovation into new markets. In March 2022, Poppy Cross (NH 16) will be embarking on an expedition to Antarctica with the 2041 Foundation to raise awareness of climate change and the differences we can make as individuals. Poppy is one of a team of 80 international explorers chosen to take part in this carbon neutral expedition by the polar explorer Robert Swan.

She will take part in expert-led workshops and lectures on climate science and the history of the Antarctic’s fragile ecosystems, to learn how protecting them is the key to preventing further climate change and sea level rise. She also hopes to share her interest in global health and virology with the team by talking about their link to climate change. The “Leadership on the Edge Program” that Poppy will be following aims to train the next generation of industry and policy leaders, instilling the skills and attitudes needed to change the world’s industries. As an aspiring doctor, she hopes to make a difference to people’s quality of life and believes that solving climate change is essential for safeguarding our health. Poppy received a grant from the School’s ‘Cadbury Travel Award’ towards the cost of her expedition, as well as raising significant funds through crowdfunding. We look forward to hearing more on her experiences next year. In January, Amaya Butler (L 18) flew to Mexico for a four-month volunteering programme in Cancun. Founded and run by a Mexican organisation, the programme offers humanitarian services through its 14 Care Centres. Along with 10 Mexican volunteers, Amaya was working mostly in homes for the elderly, abused women (and their children) and the terminally ill. She also helped in a centre which distributes donations to lowincome families, as well as visiting Cereso Cancun prison on a weekly basis to support women confined there.

Amaya commented: “All of the people I came across over the four months – the volunteers, with whom I built such a strong rapport, and those we helped – made this a life-changing and transformative experience. I learned to recognise the intangible benefits of volunteering; to love through actions and the impact a simple smile can have, particularly since speaking Spanish all day wasn’t an easy task. The experience fuelled an appreciation of all I have; it taught me not to underestimate the value of sharing human experiences; the power of being proactive; and perhaps most importantly – to listen.” Rachel Adshead-Grant (L 18) also travelled to Mexico this year, to volunteer in a busy migrant shelter located in Guadalajara, from May to August. Around half a million Central American immigrants pass through the city annually, opting for the southern-most Pacific route to the American border. Rachel supported the daily operations of the shelter: cooking, cleaning, translating documents and organising donations. She was also responsible for interviewing migrants so their details could be uploaded onto a national database, providing key data on current migration patterns.

Amaya’s and Rachel’s full reports are available to read on the OU website.

Who What Where

Announcements

Who What Where

The OU Charity Fund provides small donations to OUs who are raising money for good causes. If you are raising money for charity, the OU team would love to hear from you on ou@uppingham.co.uk with details of your activities. Please provide a Just Giving or Virgin Money Giving link (or similar charitable donation page) so that a donation can be made online. Here are some of the endeavours the fund has supported in the past 12 months… David Renison (F 57) Raising funds for Ferries Family Groups Philip Turner (B 81) Walk round the Isle of Wight for Polly’s Fund/UK Sailing Academy

OU COMMITTEE 2020-21 Chairman The Headmaster Secretary Richard Boston (B 56) Members Nicholas Burgess (B 68), Mike Higgs (Fgh 69), Andrew Bowles (M 73), David Gavins (LH 73), Richard Levell (H 74), Peter Doleman (C 76), Jim Reddy (Hf 89), Claire Neaves (J 91), Emma Way (J 91), Emma Cannings (L 93), Tom Higgs (C 00) and Becky Wilson (Fd 05). OU TRUSTEES 2021-22 Chair of Trustees Barbara Matthews (SH 73)

Caroline Gasper (née Hudson, Fd 91) 2020 Virtual Marathon for Dogs Trust

Vice Chair of Trustees Richard Tice (H 78)

Jody Wood (Fgh 92) 800-mile cycle ride for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and The Institute of Cancer Research

Donald Fothergill (B 74), Russell Price (WB 79), Edward Timpson (LH 87), Dominic Wallis (F 82), Lucy Womack (née Hilton, Fd 82).

Ashley Grote (Hf 95) 2020 Virtual Marathon for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity

A full list of Uppingham’s Trustees is available on the School’s website. Should you wish to contact any of the above, please email ou@uppingham.co.uk.

Henry Ives (M 02) Ran the Dartmoor Challenge for the Charlie Watkins Foundation Katy Gurney (NH 05) Raising funds for immunotherapy treatment via Brain Trust Bella Collins (C 06) Pacific Row for the Seabin Project Sam Snoxall (LH 08) Ran the Central Line for Lady Garden Foundation Freddie Wilkinson (B 09) Ran the tube map for the Charlie Watkins Foundation Ed Woolley (M 10) Ran the Jersey Marathon for the Charlie Watkins Foundation Rupert Fenby (LH 15) Atlantic Row for The Candlelighters Trust Adrian Ting (SH 15) 50-mile walk for Mind UK

Who What Where

Fiona Colville (née Slominska, Fd 99) and her husband Neil are delighted to announce the birth of Catherine Elizabeth Jane, born in May 2021, a sister to big brother Alastair.

OU AMBASSADORS We are hugely grateful to all of the overseas ambassadors for their assistance as points of contact for OUs visiting a country or requiring advice. A full list is available on the OU website.

Ed Harries (Fgh 99) is pleased to announce the birth of Jemima Zelie Sophia Harries, born 25th November 2020. Congratulations to Tim Mantle (M 99) who married Hannah Goddard in Chelsea Old Church, London, at the end of 2020. They were fortunate to tie the knot just before London was put into lockdown a few days later. Their celebrations were limited to just 12 guests in total, with Tim’s brother James (WB 96) an excellent best man.

Freddie Vereker (WD 03) married Clementine Bunkall on 5th December 2020 at Southwark Registry Office, London. It was a small wedding due to Covid restrictions, attended by best man Edmund Northcott (B 03). They plan to celebrate with all their friends and family next summer. Laura Christopherson (Sa 04) married Harry Wilder on 9th July 2021 in Quainton, Buckinghamshire; the couple are planning a big get-together for friends and family next year. Captain Richard Phillips (B 04) married Cordelia de Courcy Trasenster on 12th September 2020 in the Guards Chapel at Wellington Barracks. Due to the pandemic, the wedding could only be attended by the two families, so a further blessing and celebration was held on 11th September this year, at Christ Church, Chelsea, with a reception afterwards at Boodle’s, St James’s, attended by 130 friends and family.

Uppingham was delighted to provide the venue for Josephine ‘Jo’ Rolison’s (Sa 04) wedding, when she married Joshua Makey in the Chapel on 18th September 2021. There were many OUs, staff and former staff in attendance, with Father James Saunders delivering the service, and a wonderful OU choir who performed for guests, led by Andrew Kennedy (F 90), organist Peter Clements and Claire Sutton-Williams (née Williams, Sa 02). Many OUs will remember Jo’s father, Ian Rolison, who was an English Master from 1989 to 2014.

OU couple, Seb Foster (WD 05) and Rosie Newton (Fd 06) were married on 17th July 2021 in Drayton, Leicestershire. Lots of OUs and staff (former and current) were in attendance, including Father James Saunders who conducted the ceremony, Marina Heumann (Fd 05) as Maid of Honour, Henry Elkington (WD 05) as Best Man, Ben Southall (LH 05) as Usher and Sophie Macrae (Fd 04) who sung at the service.

Captain William Hogarth-Jones (WB 05) married Francesca Cook on 6th July 2019. Also present were Captain Alexander Wilson (LH 05), Captain Robbie Thompson (LH 03) and Arabella Eyre (J 08). Jack (SH 05) and Lucy Rowe (née Ives, NH 05) welcomed a baby boy, Archie, into the world on 14th January 2021. Jack and Lucy married in December 2016, after initially meeting during their first lesson at Uppingham in September 2005!

Richard has been stationed at the NATO Headquarters in Turkey since May 2019. The couple will return to the UK early next year.

Announcements

Recordbreaking solo motorcycle ride In 2019, Jack Groves (LH 13) bought a secondhand motorcycle, a Royal Enfield Himalayan, and set off on a journey – with a mission to break the record for the youngest person to circumnavigate the world by motorbike. Arriving back in the UK, in June this year, almost two years later, he has achieved his goal and we are enormously grateful that he has taken the time to share his inspiring story…

By Jack Groves (LH 13) Crikey, where to start!? Turns out that summing up two years of one’s life in a few hundred words is no easy task. Therefore, I will stop wasting words and get straight into it. My journey started in July 2019, and finished in June 2021, at home in Hertfordshire, and took me through 30 countries and over 35,000 miles. Heading southeast for the first six months, I had the pleasure of crashes, breakdowns and extreme altitude in Central Asia and Tibet, swiftly followed by the worst bushfires and heatwave ever recorded in Australia. Clearly blissfully unaware of the bad omens, I then decided to fly the bike on from Sydney to Santiago, Chile, in January 2020; just as news of a global pandemic began to hit the headlines!

Cover Story

After several weeks following the stunning Carretera Austral south through the fjords and peaks of Chilean Patagonia, I dropped into Argentina and swung north up the legendary Ruta 40 through mountains and Malbec country to Bolivia. Arriving in La Paz to frenzied rumours of impending border closures, I made a dash for Peru and crossed the day before it slammed shut indefinitely. However, a real life ‘out of the pan and into the fire’ situation unfolded that evening as the Peruvian President suddenly addressed the nation to announce an open-ended period of Army-enforced national lockdown, beginning at midnight the next day. As the world began to shut down around me and I scrambled to find shelter in the storm, there was an ominous feeling that the ‘master of my fate, captain of my soul’ lifestyle was about to come to an abrupt end. On the wet and windy morning of March 16th, I packed my panniers and, with a feeling of trepidation

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in the air, swung the front wheel people through friendships forged northwest towards what would turn in mutual jeopardy; and became out to be my home for the next eight comfortable living alone in a distant months. Ancient capital of the vast foreign city at an utterly bewildering Incan Empire and gateway to the time in history. This, more than the Sacred Valley, nestled three and a stunning adventures to the jungle of half thousand metres up in the Andes Manu National Park, the mountains of Mountains, and now a the Ausangate Massif, or place ingrained into my the misty awe of Machu “...there was an mind: Cusco. Picchu, stands out as the biggest takeaway ominous feeling From March until my time in Peru: that the ‘master of from November I was stuck live for the moment, and in the wider region, my fate, captain of knock it out of the park. bound by the extreme my soul’ lifestyle measures imposed On November 26th, I was about to come left Cusco and finally hit on the population by a fearful government the road again heading to an abrupt end.” that had been caught north. One month out over a non-existent later, on Christmas Day, healthcare system. I contracted the British Embassies in Lima, Quito COVID at altitude, which I would not and Bogota sent through exceptional recommend; was turned down for or government authorisation for me to turned away from, all UK/EU cross the land borders into Ecuador repatriation flights (even as the and Colombia in order to ship the bike Embassy closed and the Ambassador off the continent from Cartagena. flew home); learnt Spanish and the Those borders are still closed as I write unique traditions of the Quechua and no-one else has crossed since.

Without wishing to be ungrateful to the family, the best present I have ever received will likely forever be from the Ecuadorian Foreign Minister. As such, a full-throttle, trans-continental dash to Cartagena ensued, in order to board an old German fishing boat sailing across the Caribbean to Mexico. Seven days at sea with only sunsets, storms and spray for company certainly puts things into perspective and was the perfect lead-in for two months of traversing Mexico from Atlantic to Pacific and back. However, with the US-Mexico border clearly not playing ball (it is still shut), and with my self-funded budget running perilously low, I made the difficult but right decision to put the bike on a boat back to Spain and began planning an epic final leg through Europe. Pulling in a few favours with Royal Enfield to secure my father a bike of his own – we were able to complete the last stint together from Galicia, Spain, all the way up to the Normandy beaches on the French coast by late-May.

And so dawned the final day on a 693-day journey around the world. As the ferry to Portsmouth brought me back to home soil, and the reflections inevitably started on what it all means – if anything at all – one line from my Housemaster, Mr Seecharan, at Uppingham stands out: “Jack, you’re a rebel without a cause.” At the time, I disregarded the comment as simply more lecturing aimed at my somewhat errant year group in Lorne House. However, upon reflection, and Lord knows I’ve had enough time to think, I realised that he was right. In a way, the challenge for us all is to find our cause and that search is not always a swift one. When you do find it though, if only for a brief moment, it is surprising how far it can take you. Thank you for reading!

“...the challenge for us all is to find our cause and that search is not always a swift one. When you do find it though, if only for a brief moment, it is surprising how far it can take you. ”

Cover Story

Technology and Innovation Uppingham pupils are always encouraged to create, conceptualise, model, draw, and sculpt. To be imaginative, pioneers, and look to the future. Three OUs have taken these principles to another level and share their stories…

22 Feature

AI Sailor Henry Arnold (F 01) In 2019, while at McKinsey, Henry was part of a team who worked with Emirates Team New Zealand [ETNZ] to build an AI sailor – helping to design their winning America’s Cup boat. Henry, who has a background in AI and is also a keen sailor, shared a dream with some McKinsey colleagues in New York to create an America’s Cup project. They recognised that digital simulation was at the heart of ETNZ’s victory in 2017. While ETNZ’s main rival, Oracle, were still using wind tunnels and water tanks, ETNZ designed their boat entirely through digital simulation. Their simulator is much like a computer game; three sailors jump into a purpose-built space and race the virtual boats on a virtual racecourse. This allows them to generate lap times for each design and therefore assess their relative performance. However, by the time you test across different wind conditions and, given the demands on the sailors’ time, ETNZ were only able to test one design a week. Henry and his team proposed building an AI sailor using reinforcement learning, the same approach used by DeepMind (Google) to learn arcade games and beat the world’s topranked Go player. ETNZ were sceptical but also fascinated by the possibility of an AI sailor. Some of the core challenges with AI and reinforcement learning are around its adaptability. The problem was testing different designs, and the McKinsey team needed to develop an approach that could adapt to those variations. The team developed novel techniques, including a concept called peer learning, to achieve the adaptability and consistency needed to measure the performance of a design to within one second per race. In the end the AI sailor was able to beat the winning America's Cup sailors on the virtual racecourse in almost all conditions. The sailors, inspired by the AI sailor, were able to adapt their light wind tacks to improve their own performance. ETNZ went on to win the America’s Cup for the fourth time, with a boat that was a generation ahead of their rivals and with manoeuvres from the sailors that eclipsed the rest. The project was one of the first industrial applications of reinforcement learning and highlights its huge potential to drive performance in industry.

Feature 23

Portal Bots Chris Hall (B 95) Chris Hall experienced Virtual Reality for the first time in early 2016 and was completely blown away by the experience. Recognising the incredible potential of the technology, Chris and his wife launched The Portal Winnipeg in October 2016, the region’s very first Virtual Reality Studio and only the third of its kind in all of Canada. By offering Virtual Reality in a studio environment, Chris was able to share his passion for VR with everyone, breaking down the price barrier that would normally keep people from being able to try out this new and exciting technology. By 2017, The Portal had become so popular that expansion was necessary. They underwent a succession of moves to accommodate their growing customer base, with plans for the grand opening of their newest location set for 3rd March 2020. But, just at that point, the pandemic shook the world, putting a firm break on all of their operations. Always on the lookout for the next big thing, however, Chris set his sights on remotecontrolled robots. Distraught by the possibility of a never-ending line of ‘Zoom Quizzes’ as the only form of digital entertainment available, Chris set about researching a way to bring Portal Bots to the

24 Feature

world during the pandemic. He discovered a new technology known as ‘telepresence’, which allowed people to log into the studio remotely from anywhere in North America, or even beyond. In April 2021, Portal Bots was launched, the very first telepresence-controlled robot entertainment experience available in North America. Through state-of-the-art technology, Portal Bots allows users to connect with each other from around the US, or even as far as Europe, to battle, race, or strategize in real time. Up to 30 people can join a single game via livestream and take turns controlling the six robots in heated ‘best of’ race competitions or ‘last bot standing’ free-for-all tournaments. Chris commented: “No-one truly knows what the future may hold, but at The Portal Winnipeg we are still laser-focused on bringing the future of entertainment to people. Expansion continues as we work on developing more robots, better courses, and more challenging and immersive gameplay.” And, of course, Chris is still leading the way with passion and excitement, hard work and determination, and a desire to share the newest and most exciting technology with everyone. www.theportalwpg.ca

When a Robot Writes a Play By Tomas Studenik (M 93) 2021 marks the centenary of the word ‘robot’; it appeared for the first time in Karel Čapek’s play R.U.R. which premiered in Prague in 1921. The Czech playwright depicted robots as emotionless biological machines who, in the end, obliterate all humans from the surface of the Earth. One hundred years later robots, in the form of servers and server farms, are looming above us in the clouds, munching on data, helping us and, crucially, not wiping us out. Artificial intelligence (AI) is, however, said to pose a serious threat to mankind. Stephen Hawking famously contended that humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, would be superseded by AI. What did Hawking mean exactly? We often think about patterns, numbers and computational problems, but what about creativity and art? While you may have read about attempts of neural networks to paint, compose music, write poetry or even short stories, there has so far been no attempt for AI to write a script of a full-blown theatre play. Could it be done? Would you enjoy it? Was Hawking right? How about celebrating one hundred years of robots by reversing the roles of the playwright and the character? Let’s have a robot write about humans. And this was exactly what I decided to do almost three years ago. This was one of those situations where all you have is just an idea and a lot of passion. A month later, you have a chief scientist, theatre director and another 10 people on board our ship called THEaiTRE. Six months later, Technology Agency of the Czech Republic awards a grant for a two-year applied social sciences project. And a year later, the Covid pandemic puts an end to your dream of staging the first theatre play written by AI in London’s West End and in New York’s Broadway. We did not give up on our dream. In cooperation with Švanda Theater, the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the Charles University and the Theatre faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, we kept feeding in drama texts. Since May 2020, a computer, under the supervision of a team of scientists from Charles University, has been generating script parts about the life of the main character – a robot facing everyday joy and suffering. It was fascinating to see how the robot struggled with human issues such as birth, dying, the search for love, and the coronavirus crisis. The result was a set of dialogues that tell a story about how a robot sets out on a journey through our human world. In February 2021, we streamed the world premiere online via www. theaitre.com. Over 30,000 people watched; it was both loved and hated. So, will AI take a playwright’s job away? Stay tuned for our world tour in 2022 and find out for yourself.

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In Memoriam We are sorry to announce news of OUs who have passed away. Our condolences to their family and friends. William ‘Bill’ Ebden (LH 36) May 2021

John Ray (H 48) Apr 2021

Andrew Rix (LH 54) 2021

David Lee (M 36) Jan 2021

Christopher Atkinson (F 49) Feb 2021

John Obank (H 55) Dec 2020

Anthony Foreman (WB 39) Aug 2021

Edward Bunting* (B 49) Nov 2020

Jeremy Westwood (LH 56) Dec 2020

Dougal Andrew (WB 40) Mar 2021

Russell Meek (L 49) Mar 2021

Nicolas Whipp (WB 56) Jan 2021

John Aitken (C 42) Jul 2021

Rodney Pepper (WD 49) Sep 2021

Robert Armstrong* (LH 57) Feb 2021

Edward ‘Bill’ Taylor* (WB 42) Dec 2020

Peter Albertini (Fgh 50) Nov 2020

John Knox* (LH 57) Mar 2020

Alastair Manson (LH 43) Nov 2020

Richard Buckingham (LH 50) Aug 2021

Robin Montgomerie* (H 57) Mar 2020

Nicholas Boston (WD 44) Sep 2021

Michael Elliott (Hf 50) Dec 2020

Peter Leader (C 44) Jan 2021

George Pyman (H 50) Feb 2021

Paul Read (LH 44) Feb 2021

Donald Riddoch (F 50) Mar 2021

Thomas Dudley (SH 45) Jan 2020

Ian Thomas (F 50) Jan 2020

Harry Neal (SH 45) Jun 2021

Patrick Taylor (L 51) Mar 2021

Frederick ‘Michael’ Rawson (SH 45) Jan 2021

Neville Bark-Jones* (LH 52) Aug 2020

James Hare (WD 46) Nov 2020

Sir John Kemball* (F 52) Jun 2021

Tom Harmer (Fgh 46) Mar 2021

Peter Ross (LH 52) Aug 2021

Alastair McOran-Campbell (M 46) Jul 2021

Peter Rountree (WD 52) Jul 2021

David Flather (M 47) Jan 2020

James Tomlinson (H 52) Nov 2020

Richard Fordham (H 47) Oct 2021

Alan Whyte (C 52) Jan 2021

Donald McLeod* (C 47) Sep 2020

Guy Edmunds (H 53) Jun 2021

Iain Chalmers (WD 48) Feb 2021

Peter Matson (C 53) Apr 2021

Peter Chandler* (SH 48) Jan 2021

Michael Starbuck (H 53) Jan 2021

Emma Beckett (née Collier-Wright, L 97) Jun 2021

Gordon ‘Clive’ Hamilton (H 48) Jan 2021

Michael Atter (C 54) Jan 2021

Richard Hinds (B 99) Feb 2021

Richard Dallmeyer (Hf 58) Jul 2021 Brian ‘Jonathan’ Parsons* (Fgh 60) Mar 2021 Garry Prior (M 60) Jul 2021 Martin Lloyd* (WD 62) Aug 2020 Martin Cholerton (M 62) Mar 2021 William Warrack* (Fgh 63) Jul 2021 Robert Duncombe-Shafto (L 65) Dec 2020 Terence Pennington (WB 65) Sept 2020 Roy Burek (LH 70) Apr 2019 Trevor Hargreaves (B 71) Nov 2020 Charles Wakeley (C 72) May 2021 Terence Robins* (Fgh 80) Jan 2021 Bertie Snowball (B 95) Dec 2020

* We are pleased to include obituaries supplied by family members or friends of the deceased. If you would like to submit a piece for a future OU magazine, please see the OU website/get-in-touch for details or contact a member of the OU team who will be pleased to help, ou@uppingham.co.uk.

26 In Memoriam

Obituaries Edward ‘Bill’ Taylor (WB 42) By his daughter Kate George

also developed a lifelong love and knowledge of the classics, which secured him a place at Hertford College, Oxford.

Born in Broadstairs, Kent, Bill joined Uppingham in 1942, boarding at West Bank. His lifelong love of choral singing started with the School Choir, to which he belonged for the duration of his time there. His natural and enduring curiosity about how things worked also meant he was permitted to use the School’s laboratory workshops.

After Uppingham he went straight to National Service with the Royal Artillery, ending as a lieutenant via Oswestry and Mons. Although he believed that doing his National Service before going up to Hertford was wise, he did not find it easy to settle back to academic life. However, he achieved a Second in Greats (Literae Humaniores), played tennis for the University, and continued playing the French horn.

After he left Uppingham in 1947, he did his National Service with the Royal Signals, going up to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1949 to read Natural Sciences. On graduation in 1952, he commenced a life of research, the vast majority of which was with the BBC Research Department. He became a Chartered Electrical Engineer, working on a wide range of projects in their Optics and Acoustics sections.

In 1958 he joined ICI and married Patricia Beesly in 1960. They had three children, James (C 75), Fiona and Caroline. His work meant many moves and he finally retired to Cheshire early in 1989 on health grounds.

His other abiding interest was church bellringing, in which he participated for 80 years, only stopping with the Coronavirus lockdown. He was happily married for 62 years and is survived by his three children, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He was a kind and helpful man with a whimsical sense of humour and is greatly missed. Donald McLeod (C 47) By his son James (C 75) Donald was born in Calcutta; his father was a New Zealand Scot and his mother English, and he had a younger brother, Ian. After prep school in Darjeeling, the family returned to the UK, and following schooling in Worcestershire, he then went to Uppingham. He learned the French horn and had happy memories of singing. He

Following retirement, he played tennis, golf and shot and fished, for as long as he could. He also volunteered in many roles in the community. He was a General Commissioner of Income Tax, held several posts in community health, was trustee and Chairman of Trustees at Tabley House Trust, President of the Wilmslow Arts Society, was much involved in the local Conservative Party and long-serving governor, then Chair of Governors, at Chelford CoE Primary School, where his work rescued the school from almost certain closure. His love of music continued, and he sang in choirs in Greenwich (CT), Helensburgh, and Wilmslow, and was a long-standing member and then choirmaster of Chelford Church choir. Donald was also a much-valued member of the Macclesfield Old Boys’ Club, and in particular of its poetry group. To all these roles he brought wisdom, common sense, generosity of spirit, energy and subtle wit. One letter received after his death, echoing the words of many others, observed that ‘he left the world a better place’.

Peter Chandler (SH 48) By his friend Michael Christopherson (LH 49) Peter came to School House in 1948 and shared a study with Paul Millard (SH 48), a friend from Hove, Sussex, where he also lived. He was an all-round sportsman in cricket, tennis, cross country and, most notably, hockey. In 1950 he was struck down with polio which nearly ended his short, promising life. After two years in various hospitals, he fought back to survive but with paralysis of one leg necessitating a calliper and crutches and then sticks. He returned to Uppingham and a very different school life. The only sporting activity in which he could participate was swimming, from which he developed very powerful arms and became known as ‘Arms Chandler’! Leaving Uppingham in 1953, Peter decided to seek his fortune in London. He shared a flat with Sam Rawson (SH 48) and Clive Hamilton (H 48) – a raucous crowd! He started his career as an insurance broker at Lloyd’s and then moved to underwriting. He joined a marine underwriting syndicate where he became a successful underwriter and remained there until he retired in 1995. Lloyd’s was to play a very important role in Peter’s life; he was so highly regarded in the market that, on the day he retired, they rang the Lutine Bell and everyone clapped him off the floor. Peter married Jenn in 1961 and lived in Cuckfield, Sussex, with their three children. He was a man of his word, and of indomitable courage, who would always rise to the challenge and go beyond the limit of his disability. To his many friends, of whatever age, Peter was always cheerful and interested in what they were doing. He had the gift of being able to engage with anyone. Jenn sadly died in 2012 and Peter followed her in February this year.

Obituaries 27

Obituaries

Edward Bunting (B 49) By his brothers Gerald (B 41) and Derek (B 45) Edward was one of a line of Buntings who were solicitors in Hartlepool, from their grandfather onwards. They all played golf at Seaton Carew Golf Club on the Durham coast. Edward was Club Champion there in 1960 and 1971 and Captain of the Club in 1975, and again in 2000. He was President from 2002 to 2005. Edward became Captain of the OU Golfing Society in 1993 and played in the Halford Hewitt teams from 1965 until 1987, experiencing a memorable defeat when the team made it to the final in 1969. He played for Durham County from 1975 and was Captain from 1978 to 1980. When Captain he played a match against his nephew Mark Bunting (Hf 72) who was Captain of the Durham University team. Edward was an active member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, attending their Spring and Autumn meetings for many years. He went on tour to both Australia and USA with various teams. Away from the golf course, Edward was a keen local historian and walker. He climbed 214 Munros (Scottish mountains over 3,000 ft) and also walked twice to the foothills of Everest, as well as climbing Kilimanjaro. Neville Bark-Jones (LH 52) By his brother Christopher (WB 59) I am sorry to report that Neville died in August 2020, aged 82. Born in Blundellsands, near Liverpool, Neville won a scholarship to Uppingham, following his father, (Raymond Bark-Jones (WB 1926), who played rugby for both Cambridge and

28 Obituaries

Wales). Neville was in Lorne House under PF Saunders, with whom his father used to play serious bridge when visiting. Neville decided late in his school career to switch from Classics to Sciences to study Medicine. After graduating from Clare College, Cambridge, in 1959, and then qualifying as a doctor at the Royal Liverpool Infirmary, Neville pursued a career in Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery, becoming a consultant at the age of 30. He was a highly respected member of the Liverpool medical community, serving on the Council of the Liverpool Medical Institute and being honoured with Life Membership. Neville married Alison in 1962, and they had a daughter, three sons and numerous grandchildren. His main recreations were sailing and skiing. He spent many happy days at the family home near Abersoch, where he kept his boat. He also had a flat in Switzerland, near Villars, where the family met to ski each winter. In retirement, he moved to North Wales, and quickly learnt enough of the language to gain a Welsh-speaking qualification. With his great charm and sense of humour, he soon settled in to his new surroundings. Always cheerful, despite having lung cancer since 2014, he was much loved and is sadly missed. Sir John Kemball (F 52) Adapted from a tribute by the RAF Association Described as an ‘unflappable fighter pilot and flying instructor, who played a key role in planning the deployment of British forces in the first Gulf War’, Sir John Kemball was a pivotal figure during military operations throughout his highly distinguished career. Sir John first trained as a fighter pilot after being conscripted into the RAF for National Service in 1957. He had been obsessed by aircraft from an early age, so when the offer of a permanent commission came, he gave up his place at Cambridge and committed his future to the RAF. He quickly

impressed and qualified as a flying instructor as soon as he had obtained his wings, serving at RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshire. From 1962 and through the 1970s, he was deployed around the world, flying operational missions in Aden, training pilots with the United States Air Force in Arizona and commanding squadrons in both the UK and Germany – flying a variety of aircraft including Hunters, Jaguars, Buccaneers and Phantoms. In late 1978 he took command of Laarbruch on the Dutch-German border and, after a successful tour commanding two Buccaneer strike/attack squadrons, a Jaguar reconnaissance squadron and an RAF Regiment squadron of Rapier air defence missiles, he was appointed CBE. From 1981, he spent 18 months in the plans directorate at the Ministry of Defence, as the Tornado was about to enter service. Promoted to Air Commodore, he became the Commandant of the Central Flying School, and was made an ADC to the Queen from 1983 to 1985. In 1985, Sir John became Commander British Forces Falkland Islands and in 1987 he was appointed as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Intelligence). He moved on to become Director General of Intelligence (Rest of the World) in 1988 and also acted as deputy to the Chief of Defence Intelligence following the fall of the Berlin Wall. In November 1989 he was appointed to HQ Strike Command. He finally became Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander-in-Chief at the UK Joint Force Headquarters during the First Gulf War and played a crucial part in the vast inter-service operation to prepare 55,000 personnel. Being number two to Air Chief Marshal Sir Patrick Hine, joint commander of the British forces, Sir John was often left to take day-to-day decisions. He chaired the command group daily briefings before and after the first airstrikes in January 1991 beginning Operation Desert Storm. His calmness under pressure, and ability to absorb the many complex

political and military issues, allowed him to focus on the essentials before making sound and carefully considered judgements. He was held in high regard by his Commander-in-Chief and by his naval and Army colleagues. On leaving the RAF in 1993, he was appointed KCB, and retired to his home county of Suffolk, well located for the country pursuits he loved, including riding, hunting and fishing; he was also a fine shot. He took on many ‘retirement’ appointments, including governor of the Corps of Commissionaires from 1993, chief executive of the Racing Welfare charity from 1995, chairman of Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust from 1993 to 1995 and High Sheriff of Suffolk in 2007-2008. A man of great integrity and sense of duty, with a dry sense of humour and a ready smile, Sir John died in June, aged 82, and is survived by his wife, Lady Valerie Kemball, and his two daughters. Robert Armstrong (LH 57) Adapted from an obituary published by Racing Post Former Newmarket trainer Robert Armstrong, a big name in the racing community, died after a short illness in February at the age of 77. Robert came from a famous dynasty, first founded by his grandfather Bob, who started training racehorses in 1885. Bob’s successes were continued by Robert’s father Sam, from whom he took over in 1973. During his 27 years as a licence-holder, Robert was best known for his handling of top sprinters Moorestyle and Never So Bold at his St Gatien Stables in the 1970s and 80s and in later years was famed for training 66-1 chance Maroof, to land the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in 1994. Throughout his career he successfully trained many top-rated champions and received many accolades along the way. Following his retirement from training in 2000, Robert and his wife Jane,

moved to Jersey where they ran a business in later years. As well as his wife, he is survived by his sister, Susan Piggott (who married legendary jockey, Lester Piggott) and his two nieces. John Knox (LH 57) By William Lupton (WD 60) John was born and lived in Yorkshire, although he was of Scottish lineage. His time at Uppingham formed a strong base to his life and his impish sense of humour was enjoyed by his contemporaries. After Uppingham, Grenoble University, and Oxford Management College, he joined the family textile mill, John Knox and Sons, and remained in the business until 1991. At that time he formed his own textile agency, in partnership with his wife, where he was still working at the time of his death in Spring 2020. From 1998 to 1999 he was President of the Bradford Textile Society, Mayor of The Merchants of the Staple of England in 2003 and a long-serving member of the Advisory Council of Bradford College of Arts and Technology. He loved his work! John was an immensely popular man, with many friends both in and out of business. His humour was legendary and time in his company was always well spent. His passions, apart from his wife Liz, were shooting (he was a member of the Studley shoot for over 50 years and an excellent shot), skiing, salmon fishing, tennis, gardening and, as he succinctly put it, raising two children! He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of history and geography. John was always entertaining, he was a good and loyal ally, and will be greatly missed by Liz, his children and by his many friends.

Robin Montgomerie (H 57) By his friend Richard Edmunds (C 57) Despite being housed in Constables, at the other end of the town from Robin who was in The Hall, Roger Guedalla (C 57) and I were great friends with him and remained so throughout our lives. He was particularly well liked by everyone he met at school. With a magnetic personality, Robin’s company was sought out by many. He had a great sense of humour, was a superb mimic with brilliant timing and had a great capacity for invention. Tears of laughter were frequent in Robin’s company but, like many comedians, he had a quiet and reserved presence when not ‘on stage’. At Uppingham he had leading parts in school plays under the direction of Gordon Braddy. After a spell at RADA as Assistant Stage Manager, he then passed out of the College of Estate Management into the world of agriculture; farming in Lincolnshire and then selling seeds and milk products, mainly on the Indian sub-continent and the Far East. Then, after a brief spell in aviation, he and his family moved to West Mersea, near Colchester on the east coast. Life amongst seafarers and yachting folk seemed to suit him and he managed to earn a living making himself useful with high technical ability and exacting standards in boat maintenance. Perhaps the pinnacle of his working career was as a stand-in, as ADC to Major General Sir Douglas Kendrew (H 1924) when governor of Western Australia. Robin was a romantic Scot, with frequent visits to West Loch Tarbert in Argyle; he studied Scottish history with a great interest in Mary Queen of Scots and a fascination with Sir Francis Walsingham, her nemesis. He is survived by his wife Vivienne and two sons.

Obituaries 29

Obituaries

Brian ‘Jonathan’ Parsons (Fgh 60) By his brother Robin (Fgh 62) Jonathan died peacefully at his home in the Scottish Borders on 14th March, he was 73. He had health problems which meant that he did not follow any conventional path through education (he attended Bristol, Nottingham Trent and the Open Universities) or career (at different times he worked in education, tutoring, surveying, estate agency, farming, retail and the law). He found happiness when he moved from Kent to the Scottish Borders where he made many close friends. He also maintained contact with friends from his years at Uppingham. Despite in later years being disabled, his mind remained very active. He had a great knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, history, literature and politics. It is painful to lose a sibling who has been around all one’s life. We all miss him. His great friend Philip Gooderson (SH 60) added: “Jonathan was always eager for political and religious debate, especially as the Labour candidate for the Pantiles ward, Tunbridge Wells, and eventually as a Scottish Tory rebel. As a sincere Christian, he journeyed through the denominations, finally back close to his beginnings, as part of the Scottish Episcopal Church. He loved the ideals of Thring and Uppingham’s place in British history.” Martin Lloyd (WD 62) By his brother Stephen (WD 58) It is with much sadness that I report the death of my youngest brother, Martin, who died on 25th August 2020.

30 Obituaries

After leaving school, Martin spent a year studying in France and became a fluent French speaker. He subsequently took a variety of jobs before joining a fledgling marquee hire company, which he helped establish and grow into a successful business. In his latter years, he would regularly visit his twin brother John (WD 62), who had retired to the Philippines, and they played golf together. Martin enjoyed sport, especially cricket, and he did much to revive the cricket club in the small village of Lilley, Hertfordshire, where he lived. In recent years, he suffered a number of medical conditions, including emphysema, which severely restricted his mobility. It was during his last trip to the Philippines that his condition deteriorated; however, he was determined to get home again to be with family and friends. He was eventually medevaced back to the UK during the height of the Covid restrictions. He will be much missed by his many friends for his sociability, his good humour, and especially his generosity. William Warrack (Fgh 63) By his Business Partner, Malcolm Wilcox William grew up in Sheffield where his father was the City Coroner. He went to Westbourne School in Sheffield before arriving at Uppingham as a member of Farleigh. After Uppingham, he studied Surveying and Estate Management at Sheffield Polytechnic and later joined Chartered Surveyors, Henry Spencer. After graduating, William took a gap year and travelled extensively in Africa, settling finally in Johannesburg. In 1975, whilst William was working for a Johannesburg property developer, he married Melissa at Randburg Town Hall, after she had flown out for a holiday earlier in the year and ended up staying.

In 1978 the couple returned to the UK and William joined Grimley and Son, Chartered Surveyors in Birmingham. He later moved to London to open the firm’s Covent Garden office, but it was in 1986 when William joined Cordwell Property PLC, that his property development career flourished and the partnership he formed with Malcolm Wilcox was the basis of a successful 35-year trading relationship, accomplishing many major UK-wide town centre regeneration schemes. Quite apart from his career, William had a highly developed sense of social responsibility. He was a Governor and Chairman of Westbourne School. He became a Trustee of South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation, which he served for 10 years. He was a committee member of Lindrick Golf Club, successfully ‘engineering’ the construction of the two tunnels under the A57 Trunk Road. Latterly he was President of the Longshaw Sheepdog Trials, one of the oldest such events in the world. He will also be known by many OUs for his role as one of the main organisers of the London OU Dinner over a period of years, for which the School and OU team are incredibly grateful. William was a field sportsman, a passionate fly-fisherman and he enjoyed golf. He participated in many eclectic societies over the years, notably The Whittingham Weekenders, The Pencils and The Properteers, at the core of which was always good food, good wine and good company. William died suddenly at home on 6th July; his passing is a great loss to his family, Melissa, Max, Polly and Freya, and his wide circle of friends and business contacts.

Terence Robins (Fgh 80) By his friends John Emerton (Fgh 80), Marcus Learoyd (C 80), Richard Vernon (Fgh 80) and Adam Walker (LH 80) Terence loved his time at Uppingham and was a proud OU who was much loved by all who knew him. After school he joined the Foreign Office and served his country for 25 years in various postings throughout the world, including Algeria where he met his wife during the civil war there. He became fluent in several languages. Between postings abroad, he always returned to his hometown of Northampton where, having developed a love of rugby at school, he was a keen supporter at Northampton Saints’ matches. In recent years he had multiple sclerosis, an illness which he bore with great fortitude and humour, but which forced his early retirement. He spent much time back in Northampton staying with his mother Val (herself a legend in providing hospitality to Terence’s OU friends) and where he was visited regularly by parties of OUs anxious to take him out for too much to drink, to spend time with him and to reminisce. Terence passed away on 19th January in Toulouse, France, where he had been living with his wife Sissi and son William, but his heart was in Northampton. Nobody ever had a bad word to say about him, and his friends, who are grateful for the many hilarious memories, will miss him forever.

In Issue 47 of OU, published in 2019, we reported the tragic news that Amelia Roberts (L 13) suffered a fatal epileptic seizure in December 2018, aged just 21. She was in her final year at University. Hamish and Debbie Roberts, parents of Lily (L 11), Amelia (L 13) and Kitty (L 16) are honoured and proud to share that they have raised over £240,000 for the Amelia Roberts Trust for Genomic Research at the Epilepsy Society. In honour of the incredible amount raised, the Epilepsy Society have created the Amelia Roberts Fellowship, to fund a research bioinformatician in their programme. Genomic medicine has the potential to transform the way people with epilepsy are cared for and gives doctors a greater chance of controlling seizures with appropriate medication. There are over 40 types of seizure, with around 25 known drugs used to try and control them. Every day in the UK, some 90 people are diagnosed with epilepsy. Approximately one third of all sufferers aren’t able to control their seizures, like Amelia, and are at greater risk of a fatal seizure.

Hamish and Debbie would like to thank all those who have generously contributed or went to huge efforts to raise money for this vital fund. Hamish said: “Lily, Amelia and Kitty loved their time at Uppingham and made some wonderful friends. The School was remarkable at helping support and manage Amelia’s condition and played a huge part in her leading her happy, successful, but tragically short life to the full. We cannot thank the School enough for their love and support. We will continue to raise money for this important cause. If we can help just one other family avoid losing a child, it will be the greatest way of honouring Amelia’s memory.” The OU website provides links to further information on the family’s fundraising and the vital research they are supporting.

Uppingham is grateful to have received bequests from recently departed OUs Derrick Bedwell (LH 34), Thomas Dudley (SH 45) and Martin Cholerton (M 62), as well as the family of Michael Prosser (F 39) and his wife Rosemary. Any OUs who would like to remember the School in their wills are invited to contact our Legacy Manager, Sam Dewhurst, at SGD@uppingham.co.uk for a confidential discussion.

Obituaries

Staff Remembered “An end to a long, supportive and creative Uppingham history.”

Jim Peschek when he was Director of Music, 1970

Peter Colville, member of staff from 1968 and former Housemaster of Fircroft, 1977 to 1988 Tribute by Ralph Allwood MBE, DMus, Director of Music 1978 to 1985 In 1978, when I arrived in Uppingham to take over from Jim, I asked him what he would like to be in charge of, and he replied, without hesitation, “Music Librarian”. I could have hugged him. I couldn’t believe it. That was bottom of my list! From then on we were the best of friends and remained so since. I learnt so much from him and it is my joy and privilege to write of him now.

“A wonderfully warm, engaging, interesting and interested man, who was one of the highlights of my time at the school.” David Crow (SH 57)

Jim Peschek A Life in Music

“Jim’s acute sense of humour, passion for choral music and his musicianship were a delight.” Graham Smallbone (C 47)

32 Staff Remembered

Jim joined the Music Department in 1950, serving as Assistant Director of Music from 1951 to 1960. He then went on to become Director of Music at Monkton Combe School but returned to Uppingham, as Director of Music, from 1969 to 1978. He remained a full-time member of the Department until 1985, before taking on the part-time role of Music Department Librarian and Archivist, a position he held until a few years ago. Jim passed away in June, which we were very sorry to report via the Summer edition of ‘The Colonnade’, after which we received many tributes and recollections from the OU and Uppingham community.

Jim began his musical life as a chorister at All Saints, Margaret Street, now long gone. He must have been the last chorister left who had sung at George VI's coronation. He then went to King’s Canterbury before becoming a tenor choral scholar at King’s, Cambridge, under Boris Ord. He was the first to sing the tenor solo in the wonderful Collegium Regale of Howells’ ‘Nunc Dimittis’, written for King’s. He went to Uppingham to join the Music Staff in 1950, the year I was born. I first heard of him when a friend, Richard Cooke, who also went up as a choral scholar to King’s and had been at Monkton Combe under Jim, spoke warmly of him. Richard remembers that Jim’s great sense of humour was reflected in the long and loud laugh of Harold Jones, his assistant, which could regularly be heard the full length of the Music School. Tidiness and cleanliness were an obsession. He couldn’t bear to see things out of place, dusty or in a state of disrepair. He once vacuumed my room while I was taking an A-level lesson! House pianos, of course, were kept in the house dining room. “The trouble with house pianos is the top C and B don’t work and there is marmalade between the A and the G sharp.”

“I remember him very well. He had a real passion for music and inspired me to take up the piano. I enjoyed my lessons with him very much. What an incredible generation of teachers and students we had at Uppingham in those years!” Dr, the Hon, Sir David KP Li (H 54)

Jim formed a small brigade of boys and girls who, on Social Services afternoons, would join him to carry out little repairs around the School… in association with the Maintenance Department, of course! I have never heard of that in any other school. Jim’s excellent musical influence lives on, his ethos was “Give ‘em good music and they’ll respond with joy”. He produced a list of ‘permitted’ unison songs for the House Singing and I continued to use the list throughout my tenure. Indeed, I subsequently imported his ideas to Eton and still use some of his masterly congregational arrangements. Paul Spicer told me that when the 1st XV went to France, they were asked by their French opponents to sing something – so they all roared out the Libera Me from Faure’s Requiem. Jim was a proud member of The Royal Society of Musicians for a long time, the charity founded by Handel as ‘The fund for decay’d Musicians’ (it's tempting to think that it was the title which initially attracted him). Jim was a member of its ’Court of Assistants’ – he was especially active in bringing to the Society‘s notice

cases of musicians in serious need of financial support through ill health in old age. Uppingham’s Chaplain, Father James Saunders, told me that when he was priest-in-charge of four small villages in the north of Rutland, Jim – already in his 80s – came a couple of times a month to play hymns for a congregation of 15 on an organ that was in serious need of attention. He was always humble: wincing at any mistake his arthritic fingers made and apologising to James afterwards for the errors. But he was the best organist the parish had had in its history and an assiduous attender at any concert in the local area.

Former Directors of Music, Ralph Allwood and Jim Peschek at the OU Musicians’ Drinks event in London, 2016

My chief purpose here is to pay tribute to Jim. Hundreds of people benefited from his warmth, his abundant knowledge, his gifts as a teacher, his inspired belief in the power of good music and his great good humour. Thank you, Jim. For more tributes to Jim Peschek, please visit the OU website.

Jim and Ann Peschek, Staff Fancy Dress Party, July 1957

A Celebration of Singing Friday 18th to Sunday 20th March 2022 at Uppingham School You are warmly invited to attend a ‘Celebration of Singing’, featuring a wonderful array of vocal concerts, an exhibition, a celebrity masterclass, as well as some very special choral collaborations. Friday 18th March

Saturday 19th March

Sunday 20th March

7.00pm Vocal concert ‘Paris in the Spring’ performed by pupils.

12.00pm A special concert in honour of Jim Peschek. Followed by a renaming ceremony for the Old and New Music Schools.

11.00am ‘Singing Masterclass’ with Dame Ann Murray and Iain Burnside.

1.00pm OU Lunch

Please save the dates Further details on ticket pricing and booking instructions will be shared via the OU website and social media.

11.00am to 4.00pm Uppingham Music Exhibition – curated by Jerry Rudman, Archivist. 7.00pm An Evening with Dame Ann Murray. The renowned Irish mezzosoprano discusses her life and career on stage with award-winning broadcaster and acclaimed pianist Iain Burnside.

7.00pm Uppingham’s 200-strong Concert Choir will perform Gabriel Faure’s magnificent Requiem alongside Rutter’s Te Deum. They will be joined by Leicestershire Chorale and a professional orchestra.

Making Waves

34 Entrepreneurs

From Start-up to Success Ember Snacks

in Business We last featured Jack (Fgh 02) and Harry (Hf 04) Mayhew in our first ever Entrepreneurs feature in 2018. The brothers launched Ember Snacks in 2017, best known for its Biltong and British charcuterie products, and they have undergone quite a journey since then. The brand is now stocked by major supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, as well as being widely available online. The team have worked incredibly hard to create their own supply chain, working strictly with environmentally-conscious farmers, on a mission to end factory farming and minimise their impact on the environment. This summer, Jack and Harry launched a crowdfunding campaign, with a target of £800,000. It was hugely successful, exceeding all expectations and raised over £1.4m from 435 investors. So, we caught up with them both to find out how they did it and to gain valuable insights into their campaign for those thinking of a similar strategy… What preparation went into your crowdfunding initiative pre-launch? We did a lot of research on the process and the best crowdfunding platform to use and also took advice from businesses that had achieved a successful raise. It was a fairly intense six weeks of preparation before going live on the platform. What advice can you give to OUs on marketing a campaign such as this? It’s a lot of work, and for most businesses the brunt of the investment comes through your

current network, but it’s a good trigger to start conversations with people who might have followed with interest for some time. What tactics did you use to spread the message as widely as possible? The most effective way to start conversations is speaking to people you already know, with an interest in what you are doing, and ask them for help. We had a number of considerable investors that came through friends' contacts. We also used social media channels, but LinkedIn was the most useful platform during the campaign. What were the key successes throughout the campaign, and stumbling blocks along the way (if any)? We received an amazing response from the pre-registration stage, and were able to raise £750K, so by the time we actually went live we were already 95% funded which was such a great start to the campaign. We gained 435 investors and some notable new ones in the latest round, including Nick Beighton (CEO ASOS), Ben Branson (B 96) founder of Seedlip and Prue Leith (high profile chef). What’s next for Ember’s journey? Growing the business and raising awareness for sustainably sourced meat. Over the next year we will be recruiting to expand the Ember team to help deliver the business plan and we are also putting considerable time and effort into further innovation. www.embersnacks.com

Entrepreneurs 35

Making Waves in Business

Youdo www.youdoplay.org youdo’s founders are George Chaytor-Norris (LH 10) and Luke Gaydon, family friends who believe that people are happier and healthier when they do things they enjoy together. They also believe that the health and wellbeing of people is inextricably linked to that of the planet we live on. youdo is a mobile-first platform that provides a bridge between wellbeing and environmental and social impact. George explains: “The youdo application helps people connect with each other through the activities they enjoy and provides all the tools needed for people to ‘do and play’ together. We incentivise usage of the app by linking activities to a positive environmental impact, for example, reforestation or marine conservation. Every activity completed within youdo generates a token which can be redeemed as a donation to environmental or social impact projects, as chosen by youdo's customers. Our model is to sell the youdo platform to companies as an out-of-the-box wellbeing programme. Companies will have the option to select their own impact projects or to use youdo's 'house projects'. We are currently working with an afforestation project in Madagascar and are actively looking for a marine conservation project to add to our portfolio.” For further details on the platform, please contact George at george@youdoplay.org.

Wesellbloodstock www.wesellbloodstock.com Richard Knight (C 92) set up Wesellbloodstock.com earlier this year to complement his existing company, Richard Knight Bloodstock Agent Ltd. Richard has had a successful career working for world-leading bloodstock organisations Coolmore, Darley and Juddmonte and, in his time, has selected the French champion two-year-old, The Wow Signal, French champion sprinter, Garswood, and dual Group 1 winner, Waikuku, on behalf of clients. As well as purchasing racehorses, other key areas of his business include racehorse and bloodstock management, where Richard engulfs himself in all aspects of an owner’s horses and breeding stock, handling everything from liaising with trainers, advising on race plans through to checking invoices. This is a global service and Richard has experience of managing horses-in-training and broodmares in Europe, the Middle East and Australia. OUs looking to benefit from Richard’s horse-buying expertise may be interested in joining an Uppingham racehorse syndicate. If there are enough OUs looking to take a share in a racehorse, we will ask Richard to acquire an ‘Uppingham horse’ and, with the aid of his brother William Knight (WD 89), himself a highly successful racehorse trainer, we hope that one day we will see our horse competing on the national circuit. For more details, please email Patrick Mulvihill at pdm@uppingham.co.uk.

36 Entrepreneurs

Shirinoku

Visual By Virtual

www.shirinoku.com

www.visualbyvirtual.com

After Uppingham, Elvis Lee (WB 12) pursued a Masters in Engineering at Imperial College and, whilst there, made friends with three fellow entrepreneurs. Through their experience of lockdowns during the pandemic, they looked for a solution to bring nature into their homes and the idea of Shirinoku was developed.

Towards the end of 2020, Georgie Lole (NH 08) launched Visual By Virtual, a filming company that showcases luxury properties and venues in a variety of forms.

City dwellers can spend up to 90% of their time indoors, creating a disconnect between people and the natural world. Shirinoku's mission is to reconnect people with nature and the Noku Canvas is the team’s first product to realise this goal. The Noku Canvas is a self-watering, modular planter for the home or office, which brings your walls to life. Lending itself to the green wall aesthetic, you can decorate your home with living, vertical greenery. The Noku Canvas solves three of the main problems people face with houseplants: overwatering, underwatering, and lack of space. In addition, its modular design and removable wall mounting option allows you to tile up your walls in any configuration, in any place you desire, whilst leaving no marks or damage to your walls. The Noku Canvas is an aspirational piece of living art, which also affords the possibility of being built up over time. It's perfect for the beginner who hasn't taken care of plants before, as well as the plant expert who likes trying new planting options.

With Covid-19 interrupting her previous career as a wedding planner, Georgie saw potential in a sector that could thrive in these circumstances and quickly teamed up with two leading videographers and drone pilots. Steering her creative expertise of marketing, organisation and client service into media production – VBV was born. Visual By Virtual launched a new approach to visual marketing with their unique ‘one-shot fly-through’ filming service. Using in-house custom-built drones, they are able to film a fly-through tour through a building, putting the viewer at the forefront of the action. Flying from outside to inside, through windows, out of balconies and around the building, this unique approach has become a firm favourite for marketers wanting exciting content to share with their audience. In just under a year, VBV have filmed some of the most sought-after properties and venues, operating across the UK and Europe. If you have a property or venue that you would like to showcase, or know anyone who could benefit from such a service, Georgie would be delighted to hear from you on info@visualbyvirtual.com.

For more information feel free to contact Elvis on elvispericlee@gmail.com or look for Shirinoku online.

Entrepreneurs 37

Making Waves in Business

Sanca www.sanca.co.uk Jack Campbell and Charlie Parker (both B 98) set up Sanca Ltd in 2020, offering a turnkey service to assist clients in achieving carbon neutrality. The business was established to bridge the gap between organisations aspiring to be carbon neutral and land custodians requiring funding for carbon offset and climate resilience projects. Varying in size and location, across the UK and internationally, their projects range from woodland creation, peatland restoration, riparian management and restoration to regenerative farming. Jack and Charlie would love to hear from OUs wishing to receive further information, get in touch via their website.

Ginger + Ginger www.gingerandginger.com Annabel Crowhurst (Sa 03) launched a new consultancy this year, Ginger + Ginger, working closely with businesses of all shapes and sizes looking to commit to sustainability and make a positive change. By exploring the foundations of clients’ businesses, she arms them with the tools and expertise needed to promote sustainability, such as reducing their carbon footprint, reviewing supply chains and working towards B Corp Certification. Ultimately, Ginger + Ginger ensures that brands are as ‘good’ as they can possibly be. For more details, contact Annabel directly on annabel@gingerandginger.com.

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The Birth Base Ltd Zipster

www.thebirthbase.com

www.zipsterbaby.com

Kristina Neate (née Mulvihill, J 08) gave birth to her first baby in April 2020, just as the first peak of the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Becoming a new mum during lockdown made her realise how vital excellent antenatal preparation is. Facing the strictest restrictions and some last-minute complications, she navigated Maxton’s birth feeling powerful and strong thanks to hypnobirthing.

After leaving Johnson’s in 2011, Evie Martell (J 09) graduated from King’s College London and went on to work in the e-mobility industry for several years. Transitioning drivers into electric cars was her career focus for a long time. Zipster babygrows began as a side project, in response to her passion for sustainability. Each piece is carefully curated, made from 95% bamboo, no toxic pesticides or water-glugging manufacturing methods, just oxygen-producing practices that won’t impact the planet. Zipsters have two-way zips to make changing really easy – no messing around with fiddly poppers. Customers can even send back any used clothing, which is passed on to charity for a second life. Zipsters are soft, gentle, toxin-free and come in some fabulous designs – what’s not to love?!

Her experience prompted her to create The Birth Base Ltd, providing hypnobirthing classes and an antenatal education, backed up by evidence-based research, to help parents prepare physically and emotionally for the perinatal/postnatal period. In recent years, the science-based practice of hypnobirthing has been made popular by the Duchess of Cambridge, who used the techniques to help her cope with extreme morning sickness and the birth of her children. Kristina commented: “Learning about hypnobirthing with The Birth Base provides an in-depth knowledge of the biology behind birth, birth rights, and a practical toolbox of techniques to enable parents to confidently navigate parenthood feeling calm and informed. I’m incredibly passionate about supporting new parents to achieve a positive birth experience, whatever that might look like for them. Hypnobirthing is for all people and all types of births!” The Birth Base Ltd offers both online and local classes in Northamptonshire, as well as private 1:1 sessions and free tasters. Connect with Kristina on Instagram @thebirthbase or visit her website for more information.

Wiggledesk WiggleDesk.com After leaving Uppingham, William Wildridge (Fgh 04) studied Geography at Edinburgh where he joined Google as a Summer intern in 2012. Starting off in Sales, helping out their large clients with online advertising, he quickly realised that his passion lay in Data Science, which he successfully transferred to. He has spent the last six years leading strategic data and machine learning projects. Over the last year, William led Google’s ‘Work-From-Home Analytics Platform’, when 100K employees had to leave their famous offices as the prevalence of Covid rocketed around the world. In January, William left Google to launch his own company, WiggleDesk.com, a hotdesk management platform which helps organisations to use their spaces flexibly and safely for staff. WiggleDesk provides an AirBnBstyle solution for booking short term, co-working spaces, to help out the many properties facing underutilization, such as historic buildings, high streets and offices. In his own words: “Many of us have been through a paradigm shift in how we approach work. With a mixture of ‘work-from-home’, ‘in a nearby co-working space’ or ‘the office’ becoming normalised as part of a flexible way of working, it’s an exciting time to be working on some very interesting problems!” Please contact William via hello@wiggledesk.com for more details, he will be pleased to hear from you.

Entrepreneurs 39

Making Waves in Business

Blue Marble Environmental Partnerships Ltd

Coira

www.blue-marble.co.uk

www.coira.co.uk

Henry Waite (WD 93) has been working in renewable energy and environmental development projects for the last 12 years, originally qualifying as a chartered surveyor.

Having worked in fashion for 10 years, Millie Talbot (Fd 05) has seen first-hand the damage the industry is doing both socially and environmentally. Her consultancy service provides step-by-step guidance to help new and existing brands make more responsible and ethical choices, while developing products which are in tune with their commercial goals.

Earlier this year, Henry founded Blue Marble Environmental Partnerships Ltd, offering a partnership for businesses and organisations in their pursuit of Net Zero. Through its digital platform, and support from a team of environmental consultants in the Devon-based HQ, Blue Marble accurately calculates carbon footprints, helps reduce emissions and certifies achievements. As much of the process as possible is now digital, bringing down the cost of the technical exercises and increasing accessibility to companies of all sizes, which in turn holds the key to a greater impact. Henry comments: “I have always had a connection with the natural environment and longed to have a positive impact on it with my day job. During my professional background in renewable energy development, I felt strongly that the knowledge we have inside the sector could have a greater impact through making it accessible to everyday businesses and organisations. This led me to start Blue Marble, which I am very proud to say is doing just that. Our clients are reducing their emissions and removing thousands of tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year, which gives me huge motivation to keep pushing forward.”

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With extensive knowledge of supply chains and the commercial market, Millie advises clients on everything from quality, construction, ethical sourcing and manufacturing, costings and critical path management. Millie also gives talks to businesses wanting to understand more about the sustainable fashion space and is looking to work with schools and universities moving forwards. Edward Bonnar (LH 04), founder of Beaufort and Blake, commented: “Millie has been a fantastic one-stop-shop of insider knowledge on the early-stage-venture sourcing process. Her comprehensive expertise in garment design, spec, fabric, sourcing and margin is an invaluable tool to any entrepreneur, scaling from first orders to an organised and well-managed critical path system.” Henrietta Adams (C 10), founder of Henri, added: “Millie’s years of experience in the global fashion industry gives her a unique understanding of everything from sourcing to costings and the customer. She is able to fine-tune these areas with sustainability at the forefront, which is such an invaluable tool in this time of huge transition for the industry.” Follow Millie’s journey on Instagram at @coira_ltd or get in touch via her website.

Cro-Che www.cro-che.com Frustrated with the amount of waste generated in the fashion industry and how unnecessary excess can be viewed as “extra” and “luxury” by some, Tacita Brown (Sa 05) began researching ways to create garments in the most sustainable way, holding firm to the belief that a fashion brand should begin with how the clothes are made and the people who make them. As its name suggests, Cro-Che produces crochet-style pieces which are uniquely designed (often featuring bright and contrasting colours) by Tacita in London, and handmade by extraordinarily talented female artisans in developing countries across the globe. Cro-Che aims to empower these skilled women by employing them to work from home, so they do not have to leave their homes or families to travel hundreds of miles to find work in city-based factories. For Tacita, crochet is one of the most planetpositive ways of producing garments. Why? Because there is zero to very little waste. You can create something beautiful, only using the material you need. Cro-Che is a forward-thinking women’s label, based in London, and has received great press coverage in major publications including Vogue, Forbes, The Times, Elle, The Telegraph, Grazia and Vanity Fair.

Entrepreneurs

Events It was an absolute joy to see friends and contemporaries getting together when we returned to OU events this September. We hope to catch up with many more of you at events taking place over the next 12 months.

Natash Knight (J 94) and David Heron (C 91)

Casey Lim, Izzy Mulvihill and Vivian Wang (all NH 16)

L to R, front row: Sophie Oliver (Fd 09), Polly Homes (Fd 09). Middle: Tamara Campos (L 12), Imogen Grose (L 12), Anna Symington (L 12), Gilly Thorne (L 12), Natalie McKiernan (L 12). Back: Olivia Berks (Fd 09), Thomas Casterton (WB 09), Sophie Meagre (Fd 09), James Shepherdson (LH 09), Rosie Downer (L 12), Archie Comyns (LH 12), Romane de Tauzia (C 09), Will Rose (LH 09) and Marco Cheng (F 12)

London Drinks

Laura Baker (NH 09) and Isabel Roberts (NH 08)

Held at the Royal Over-Seas League, September 2021. Thank you to everyone who attended and to Philip Berryman for so many lovely photos.

Louise Hood (née Whitlock, Fd 99), James Arbuthnot (C 99) and Charlotte Mantle (J 10)

Branko Kostic (SH 72), Nicholas Lumley (Hf 68) and Mark Sanderson (SH 69)

L to R: Nyambura Kagwanja (NH 16), Casey Lim (NH 16), Clemmie Manning (Sa 16), Rosie Gordon (J 16) and James Holroyd (LH 15)

Myles Bray (C 86), Milly Beddard (J 90), Claire Cherrington (née Weston, J 90), Phil James (C 87), Rob Llewellyn (L 87) and James Dutta (WD 86)

42 Freya Twigden (J 10) and Lucy Hunter Jones (Sa 07)

James Mantle (WB 96), Andrew James (F 97) and James Barber-Lomax (F 97)

Laragh O’Malley (NH 08), Victoria Bateson (NH 09) and Jessica Angela (NH 08)

Olivia Birks (Fd 09) and Polly Holmes (Fd 09)

The Farleigh table. L to R: Robin Parsons (Fgh 62), Adrian Dixon (Fgh 61), Rick Spurway (Fgh 62), David Sneath (Fgh 61) and Alastair Neale (Fgh 61) with Mike Parsons (Fgh 62) at the front

Mike Ogden (WD 59), Sam Lloyd (SH 61), Peter Hickson (M 58) and Nick Taylor (WD 58)

Over 60s Lunch Sir David Madel (LH 52) and Robin Dalton Holmes (Fgh 54)

Held at the Cavalry and Guards Club, September 2021. A long-awaited return to this special event.

Stephen Kemp (LH 65), Christopher Jewitt (LH 65) and Francis Pike (LH 67)

Chris Noon and Richard Morgan (both SH 65)

Neil Henderson (F 67) and David Calvert-Thomson (Hf 67)

Dubai Drinks

Perth Brunch

Held at Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City, July 2021. A small gettogether celebrating the end of Covid lockdowns. Many thanks to Adrian Parkes (WB 78) for sharing the photos.

Held at Shenton Park, Perth, Western Australia, January 2021. A successful picnic organised by John Bird (L 67).

L to R: Roger Winwood (B 55), Neil Baird (LH 70), Helen and Richard Wolskel (M 61), Phyu and John Bennett (WD 58), John Bird (L 67), Guy Moore (F 93) and his son

Bella, Adrian and Hector Parkes, modelling OU masks, which were very kindly supplied by Ian Davenport (Fgh 81) through his company Skinwear Ltd. (A limited stock is still available, please contact the OU team at ou@uppingham.co.uk to obtain a pack.)

2022 Events Calendar We have a full programme of events scheduled for the next 12 months and hope to see as many of you as possible. The occasions offer a great opportunity to meet up with your OU friends, as well as making new connections, at relaxed and informal get togethers. Please see the back cover for details.

Miles Thornhill (F 91), Hector Parkes (WB 11), Adrian Parkes (WB 78), Bella Parkes (Sa 10), Patrick Smith (Fgh 89), Zoe Cairns (née Moore, J 94) and Rick Tatham (WB 77)

Creative Flow Uppingham’s thriving Art and Design department is based in The Leonardo Centre, opened in 1995 and designed by Piers Gough (WB 59). ‘The Leo’, as it is known, incorporates painting, drawing, ceramics, design and technology, sculpture, textiles and photography – and provides a creative hub for students to explore their imaginations. A number of eminent and successful artists have passed through the School’s gates over the years. From watercolourists, oil painters and landscape artists to modernists, there is a rich history of mediums and styles. Notable artists include Christopher R W Nevinson (SH 1903), figure and landscape painter, who was one of the most influential artists of World War I. Nevinson’s 1914 painting ‘A Dawn’, featuring grim-faced French soldiers on their way to the front at Flanders, sold for £1.87m at Sotheby’s in 2017, the highest price paid for a piece by an Uppinghamian. A near contemporary of Nevinson, George Apperley (M 1898), was an aficionado of Andalucian landscapes and portraits. Apperley exhibited all over Spain, including an exhibition for the King of Spain himself. There is a statue of Apperley in Granada and his work still sells for up to £50,000. Other significant post-war artists include John Aldridge (H 1919), an internationally renowned oil painter, and Dr Terence Leigh-Parry (B 1933), former President of the British Pastel Society and highly regarded painter of equestrian subjects. Known in artistic circles as Leigh Parry, he last visited Uppingham in 2015, aged 95, to present a painting to the School. In more recent times Peter Thomas (Fgh 67), one time warden of the Thring Centre at Uppingham, exhibits his beautiful pastel landscape scenes of south-west France worldwide. Rob (LH 82) and Nick Carter (née Whittington, Fd 85) are known globally for their vibrant neon installations, light paintings and innovative robotpainted artwork. Meanwhile Beirut-based Tom Young’s (M 86) paintings depict the fragile beauty of a war-torn city. There are many more artists worthy of a mention here, spanning all generations, including Emily Hartley Booth (J 99), Dan Feit (C 99), Tilly de Verteuil (J 07), Molly Brocklehurst (C 07), Hebe Rose (Fd 13) and Lou Dunipace (J 88). We know there are many more talented OU artists and we’d love to hear from you. A mention should also go to the Directors of the Leonardo who have made it such a creative hub over the last 25 years, including Simon Sharpe, Alan Parker and Stuart Jarvis (exhibiting this year at the London Art Biennale) and the newly appointed, but long-serving, Clive Simmons.

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CRW Nevinson (SH 1903), A Dawn, 1914

Rob (LH 82) and Nick Carter (née Whittington, Fd 85) Queen Elizabeth II Robot Painting, 2020, Private Commission

Lou Dunipace (J 88)

Tom Young (M 86)

Michael Harrison (WD 57)

Finally, our congratulations go to Michael Harrison (WD 57), a landscape artist, who has recently been elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists, one of the most prestigious art societies in the UK. Michael says he is “grateful beyond measure to the late Warwick Metcalfe (Head of Art from 1958 to 1988) who saw a glimmer of artistic ability and encouraged it all those years back”. Michael will be staging an OU art exhibition at The Leonardo in 2022, date to be confirmed, where OUs from the art world will be invited to exhibit and sell their work. We shall look forward to welcoming our vibrant artistic community back to the School in the very near future. If you would like to be involved in the exhibition, please email the OU team at ou@uppingham.co.uk.

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“...I had to relearn how to interact with the audience. We had to build trust. The team are incredible. I feel very lucky to be one of the few actors that managed to work this year and especially in such a fun job.”

Photo Credit: Doctor Who Time Fracture, Hartshorn Hook Productions. Photographer: Helen Maybanks

Max Krupski (WD 99)

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From Uppingham to the West End Uppingham has produced many famous actors over the years, often seen on our television screens or employed in theatre and the dramatic arts. In this article, we shine a spotlight on two lesser-known talents, both of whom are fully immersed in the world of theatre, performing on stage and working behind the scenes…

Max Krupski (WD 99), has been treading the boards at many of London’s theatres through the years, including Shakespeare’s Globe, the National Theatre, as well as an international performance at The Public Theatre in New York. With television and film appearances on London’s Burning, Miss Austen Regrets and radio performances on The Archers, Max’s emerging acting career has taken him in many directions. After being inspired at Uppingham by the magical and calming atmosphere of the Theatre, and by the novels and plays he studied in English lessons, Max left Uppingham bursting with enthusiasm and desire for a career in acting. After accepting a place at the highly acclaimed Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA), Max embarked on three years of training which equipped him with the fundamental skills he needed to underpin a productive, creative life across theatre, television, film and radio.

and they were honoured to have their film screened at the Raindance Film Festival in Leicester Square. More recently, Max has performed in many immersive theatre productions, which are dramatically different to traditional theatre shows. With immersive theatre, rather than sitting back and simply watching a show, the audience is very much a part of it. They can move from one scene to the next and the separation between the actors and the audience is removed. Max commented: “As an actor, the key to working in immersive theatre is improvisation. Some of our audiences haven’t been to the West End before and they really respond to the format and become completely invested in the story. There are set outcomes, and limitations to what the audience are able to influence, but without their direction the show would stop.”

The radio technical training he also received at ALRA soon came into great use as he scooped a role on the longstanding BBC Radio 4 programme The Archers.

Out of the many roles Max has played, his favourite was Jay Gatsby, from the West End’s longest running immersive theatrical production The Great Gatsby. Set in the roaring 1920s – an era of bootleg liquor, red-hot jazz and hedonistic pleasures – Max played Jay Gatsby, a wealthy young man who was infamous for throwing lavish, indulgent parties. Max looks back at this with great memories: “Gatsby was a lot of fun. People would turn up thinking they were coming to a cocktail night and suddenly realise they were in the middle of a theatrical show, with moments of theatrical gravitas, there was also singing and dancing; it was wonderful to see people experience it.”

In 2017, along with two of his close friends from School, Oliver Nias (F 99) and Sam Featherstone (B 99), Max wrote and acted in The Speechwriter,

One of the most challenging roles Max has ever played was the part of the White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures Underground. “The rabbit’s mask looked

During his final year at ALRA, Max found himself teaching Stage Combat to his peers, which led him to his first break into acting. In 2009, Max made his debut screen appearance in a historical drama, as he battled his way through the scenes and stunt-doubled for many highly acclaimed actors in the TV miniseries 1066: The Battle for Middle Earth.

beautiful from the outside, however, it was physically challenging to wear, and it was very restrictive on the senses. I had to rely on muscle memory, knowing my way around the set, and trust.” Max is currently working alongside Daleks, Cybermen, Time Lords and many other strange and mysterious characters in the ground-breaking immersive theatrical adventure of Doctor Who: Time Fracture in the West End. He is playing the parts of a unit scientist and William Shakespeare. In preparation for the role, he diligently watched over 60 hours of Doctor Who, to fully understand his characters. Performing three times a night, fans are plunged into an epic journey, as they travel across space and time to discover new worlds and undertake a mission to save the universe as we know it. “Doctor Who is bonkers, let alone trying to perform it in the middle of a pandemic. In immersive theatre, the actors often shake someone’s hand or tap them on the shoulder, but we couldn’t do that with social distancing restrictions – I had to relearn how to interact with the audience. We had to build trust. The team are incredible. I feel very lucky to be one of the few actors that managed to work this year and especially in such a fun job.” Max reflects on his acting career and offers advice to anyone looking for their first break into acting: “There is no one way of becoming an actor, everyone has a right and a wrong way. It is important to be aware of what you can and can’t control, take responsibility for the things you have agency over. Love it, be passionate about it and throw yourself into it.”

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From Uppingham to the West End

Behind any successful theatre production is a well-organised production team, essential for coordinating and refining the logistics of the show, enabling the magic to come together. Jess Richardson (L 10), Production Manager at The Royal National Theatre, works meticulously from one production to the next, ensuring all the elements run safely and smoothly so that audiences experience spectacular performances time and time again. Jess is used to putting others in the limelight, so we took the opportunity to focus on her and celebrate the incredible achievements through her career so far… When did you first realise that you wanted a career in theatre? It was when Mr Chessell, my Head of Drama at Uppingham in 2010, told me that Stage Management was a professional job. I was in my first term of the Lower Sixth and had recently started volunteering on both

Behind the scenes – a camera rehearsal of Hamlet at the Barbican. By Ludovic des Cognets

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professional and School productions held at Uppingham Theatre. As soon as he told me this could be my fulltime job, my university application processes completely changed! What route did you take after leaving Uppingham and how did it lead you to where you are today? I studied Technical Theatre Arts, with a major in Stage and Production Management, at the internationally acclaimed Guildhall School of Music & Drama. This degree gave me the foundation industry knowledge I needed to start my professional career. It not only provided me with an insight into the commercial scale of theatre and opera, but I also began building relationships and contacts that would come to be invaluable once I started working. You have a crucial role which makes the magic of theatre come together, can you tell us about your role and what it involves? As Production Manager for the Digital Media department at The Royal

National Theatre, I work across a breadth of digital content for the organisation, including our NT Live programme of live broadcasts to cinemas worldwide, captures for our streaming platform NT at Home, and short form content for our social media channels. I am responsible for hiring camera directors, script supervisors, editors and other specialist staff, along with scheduling all the production activity required for each project, managing health and safety procedures and risk assessments, and being in control of project and departmental budgets from start to finish. It is my responsibility to ensure all logistical measures are in place so that the creative vision for the content can be achieved. Are you working on any productions at the moment? Yes, we’ve got a number of broadcasts and captures for productions currently on the go: Rockets & Blue Lights and Manor at the National Theatre, East is East at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Leopolstadt at the Wyndham’s Theatre

in the safety of their homes during such a testing time.

in London, plus quite a few more scheduled for later this year and into Spring 2022 that I am not allowed to talk about just yet!

Is there someone in the theatre world you would particularly like to work with or a special production that would mean the world to you to be a part of?

What has been the pinnacle moment in your career so far? There have been some brilliant stand out moments: stage managing for Opera Australia at Sydney Opera House and being part of the team that brought live theatre to YouTube every week during the UK’s Covid lockdown in 2020. Although very different moments, they really shine for me – in Sydney, the whole experience felt like such an adventure. I was so pleased at that time with the career I’d picked, thinking that it had already brought me here, so who knows where else I might go. Then during lockdown, bringing theatre to those who can’t easily access it, is a huge reason why I was so driven to join the department that delivers the NT Live programme. I felt incredibly proud to be able to watch the work I’d been a part of being brought to more people, and for them to watch for free

I’d really like to work on a show on Broadway; it’s difficult to do that as a UK technician but I’d jump at the chance if offered. I also worked on a number of circus productions during my time at the Roundhouse and I’d love to do that again, something large scale in Las Vegas would be an incredible opportunity. Our huge thanks to Jess for taking time out of her incredibly busy schedule to contribute to the feature, it has provided a real insight into a side of theatre production most of us don’t give a second thought to whilst immersed in a show.

“There have been some brilliant stand out moments: stage managing for Opera Australia at Sydney Opera House and being part of the team that brought live theatre to YouTube every week during the UK’s Covid lockdown in 2020.” Jess Richardson (L 10)

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Fircroft and Farleigh Anniversaries

Fircroft

Both Farleigh and Fircroft celebrate significant anniversaries this year, and we wanted to take the opportunity to share recollections from former Housemasters and some of the many OUs who were housed there whilst at Uppingham. Our thanks to all those who contributed their memories across many decades from the 1940s to our most recent leavers.

Full accounts from contributors can be found on the OU website

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Farleigh

Feature

150 years of Fircroft Founded in 1871 by the aptly named School Chaplain, Reverend George Christian, over the course of 150 years Fircroft, has probably been home to Uppingham’s two most famous faces on screen in Boris Karloff (F 1903) and Stephen Fry (F 70). Its eminent housemaster in the post-war years, AC Cavell, was honoured with a wing of the 1950s’ Science Block named after him and his successors included the late Geoff Frowde, Peter Colville, Nick Leiper, David Kirk and Jim Reddy (Hf 90), all of whom have added their own personal stamp to what has always been a popular house. In celebration of one of Uppingham’s oldest houses, we are pleased to share a selection of recollections and fond memories…

Fircroft, 1878

Peter Colville Fircroft Housemaster 1977 to 1988 Our years in Fircroft were truly memorable ones. For a husband and wife to live in the same house (our home) and work at two totally different jobs but focused on the same end, was genuinely a very happy and rewarding time for us both. It was made by people – the Fircroftians of those years and earlier, their parents, our staff, led by Dorothy (Matron) and Hazel (Cook), and our House Tutors. The one hundred and sixty or so boys, in the main, made the most of their talents and opportunities and were a cross section of the best of teenagers (if you can remember!). Memorable moments and regular celebrations were many and various. Triumphs involving long hours, late nights and commitments in the Theatre, both on stage and backstage; music of great variety, and often of the best quality, evolved in competitions, House Shouts and House Concerts; House Supper skits were often inventive, sometimes brilliant and just occasionally dubious – “because the lady

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loves rhubarb” – and once, an imported, scantily clad model as dancing partner for the Housemaster – are personal highlights! Sporting successes were numerous in Overs and Unders, as the rows of cups on the dining hall mantelpiece and in House photographs of the time demonstrated; scholastic achievements were, sometimes, beyond expectations and even deserved, but a threeyear run of victories in the House Challenge exemplified the academic quality around; House Suppers and parties, whenever, possible for parents, OUs and leavers were always highlights in a year. Just a handful of our memories may unleash a few of yours. An advantage of old age is that the good ones bubble to the surface and the disasters evaporate over time! To all our old boys, we send our warmest greetings and thanks for these memories and for many more happy ones too, of you as individuals.

Denis Pannett (F 53) My first term was summer 1953 and when the Coronation took place, the School closed down for several days holiday, with most boys going home to celebrate it. However, in Fircroft, seven of us were left behind in the house and, joining up with boys from the other houses too, we watched the ceremony on a small black and white television on the stage in the School Hall. Corrie Cavell, our Housemaster, provided beer for the over 16s and Cidrax (a non-alcoholic cider) for the Unders to celebrate. Fircroft was a happy house with no bullying and Mr Cavell had a very enlightened view on punishments. If one was caught breaking the rules, the punishment was usually ‘Public Works’, which involved a number of hours working in the garden or peeling potatoes, etc. for the good of the House. I don’t think we ever felt resentful as it made such good sense. Mrs Cavell was always very friendly and she saw to it that, despite rationing still being in force to start with, the food in Fircroft was excellent and plentiful, a lot coming from the large kitchen garden where we had done our punishment public works!

William Meadows (F 16) My fondest memory of being in Fircroft is undoubtedly the short-lived era of ‘Duncan the Ferret’. Following the surprising approval from the Senior Management Team, Fircroft was granted permission to have a house pet – and Duncan arrived. He soon became a fantastic means of entertainment, and he brought a genuine sense of unity amongst us all (an unexpected outcome from just a ferret!). Regardless of Duncan’s eventual medical misfortune, it was a time in Fircroft I will never forget, and he is forever immortalised in a Fircroft House photo!

Keith Taylor (F 46) It was the start of Summer term 1946 at Uppingham, I was one of four new boys and Mr Crofts was our housemaster — a man of few words and a commanding presence. World War II had ended the previous year and many items were still rationed, but boys were allowed to have their own personal butter/margarine and jam or marmalade kept in his study (in rather suspect standards of hygiene in some cases), and carried in and out of the house dining room for breakfast and tea. If you forgot to take it out after a meal, there was a strong chance that it would be forfeited by a senior boy or house polly and returned at the next meal several inches less in content. Trouser pockets were sewn up for every new boy’s first year to discourage slouching. My parents were astonished at this ‘cruelty’ but it worked. It also differentiated between first year new boys and, it was said, introducing the theory of rank and respect which lasted throughout a boy’s time at school and perhaps even beyond!

Mike Garrs (F 63) I joined Fircroft in September 1963 on my 14th birthday – one of nine new boys in the House. I can remember our names as though it were yesterday: Elvin, Garrs, Unsworth, Dowden, Allen, Davies, Howarth, Massey, Thomson. Our housemaster, Geoff Frowde, with his wife Liz, 18-month-old son, Alistair, and Golden Labrador ‘Jester’, created a homely atmosphere which many of us appreciated. At an Uppingham cricket dinner at Lord’s in 2018, I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard a voice saying, “It’s Mike Garrs, isn’t it?” And there stood Richard Allen (F 63). We had started at Fircroft together on the same September day in 1963, but as we chatted, and although I had not seen him for 50 years, the time just rolled away. It could have been the previous day when we last met: “Comrades once and comrades ever.”

Farleigh’s 125 Anniversary th

Farleigh opened in 1896 as one of the ‘country houses’, before Uppingham town extended beyond, and it still marks the northern boundary of the School.

Kenneth Stern (Fgh 42)

The house was the personal project of Gale Thring (WD 1865), son of Edward Thring, who decided to invest the money he had inherited from his father in building a new boarding house. His original plan was to build it in Fairfield’s garden, but this was vetoed by the Trustees who had plans for an isolation hospital (The Sanitorium) on the same spot. His plans thwarted, Gale instead bought a house called Archdale in 1896, which he renamed Farleigh after a house in the Lake District of which he had fond memories.

There was just enough fuel to allow each boarding house to have either central heating or hot water for showers. Boys voted: 10 houses for hot water, two for modest heating. My “advice” as Farleigh’s House Captain was for hot water, as one could wear overcoats for warmth.

Gale Thring was the first housemaster, followed in time by another OU, TB Belk (WB 1913), who worked at the School for almost 50 years, as well as other popular characters such as Ian Pringle, John Anslow, Philip Ward (currently Director of Education for Thomas's Group Schools) and David Jackson (now Headmaster of Farringtons School in Kent).

Probably the most memorable event of my five years at Farleigh was the great freeze of early 1947, which lasted from January to late March. Everything froze: fields, rivers, roads, railways. Supplies could not be moved, fuel was scarce, just after a devastating war, food was more severely rationed than during that war.

As so often in a crisis, humour helped. One story, possibly apocryphal, was of a master who, on being handed one boy’s prep, glanced at the sheets and said “these are all blank”. “Yes”, replied the boy, “it was so cold walking here that the ink slid off the pages.” This answer so astounded the master that he imposed no penalty.

Farleigh Dining Hall, 1938, Uppingham Archives

Hugo Bray and Felix Forde (both Fgh 16) Looking back on our five years in Farleigh, some of our funniest moments have taken place in the formal house lunches, and especially Friday lunch speech, delivered by the Housemaster, Mr Birch. It covers a review of Farleigh’s week as a house and a chance to award the Housemaster’s Cup for excellent achievement, and occasionally, the D.U.M.B. (Duly Unbecoming Male Behaviour) award, always resulting in a cacophony of laughter and applause. Having been refuelled at tea, usually consuming portions fit for a professional athlete, the whole house heads out for a rather competitive, but well spirited, game of football. These house games happen every day of the week in the build up to the age-old rivalry between Farleigh and Meadhurst, from which we often returned to the house victorious. We are sure that those who have lived in Farleigh in the past 125 years, who walked in the door on their first day, left proud of their house and all the things that make it, not just the best house, but a welcoming, ambitious and tight-knit community.

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John Crawshaw (Fgh 51) Privileges in the 50s were pretty strange, some might say strangely peculiar. Farleigh Seniors, those who had been at Uppingham for three years or more were ‘allowed’ to wear ‘House Shoes’ to walk to The Hall for concerts. Do such things exist today? They do in our house – about the only bit of my education that has stuck!

Adrian Shuker, David Turnbull and Jonathan Drew (all Fgh 72) Farleigh in the early to mid-1970s comprised of 52 boys, mostly from Yorkshire, Cheshire and the Midlands, with a handful of international pupils. In general it was an anarchic house, although it provided three School Captains in five years, overseen by John Anslow, a dapper bachelor, mostly fair and respected, famed for his gaze of icy fury and silent footsteps. Any free time around lessons or sports was often spent in studies, a world of drapes, posters and cushions – chatting, drinking coffee, eating biscuits from tuck boxes and listening to records. Music was a huge part of our lives, a golden age of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Roxy Music and Pink Floyd. Without doubt the biggest change to our lives was the first substantial, and civilising, intake of girls in 1975. Personal grooming evolved from a tube of Clearasil and a bottle of Brut and afternoons would, if invited, be spent having tea and listening to the slow side of Rod Stewart’s Atlantic Crossing in Fairfield.

Farleigh ‘Lavs’, 1938, Uppingham Archives

David Sneath (Fgh 61) In 1963 there was a hierarchy of study occupation. In our first year, we shared with two others and were available for ‘fagging’. In our second, we shared with one other and by November 1963, at age 15, I had moved into the luxury of my own study. After supper, we were confined to our studies for a quiet period ostensibly to work. I had a very small transistor radio with a single earpiece. Shortly after 6.30pm I heard the news that President Kennedy had been shot and then that he had died. I assumed that the Russians were responsible and looked out of the window in case the missiles were on their way. The reality was far more bizarre.

Philip Ward Member of Staff from 1984, Farleigh Housemaster 1988 to 2000 In the two decades since I made the move from housemastering at Uppingham to prep school headship, barely a day has passed when Sue and I haven’t talked about our years in Farleigh. They were transformational times for boarding (when weren’t they?) – exciting, challenging, not always easy, but for the most part immensely happy and rewarding for us as houseparents and parents to our own young children at the time. We were blessed with two exceptional matrons, Anne Blandamer and Sue Sandel, a marvellous domestic and catering team, and many inspirational house tutors, including legends like Joe Davison, the late Gary Cooke, Peter Colville, Jerry Rudman, the late Robert Rust, Lesley Sellick, and Ian Worthington. Each went above and beyond to support every boy to be the best he could be.

Above all, we were very proud of the boys who joined us. We often think about them and remain in touch with a number of Farleigh families from our era. We still laugh about Sunday evening house cinema trips – when most of the House invariably ended up watching a film their parents probably wouldn’t have approved of as Sue, Tim, Anna and I lapped up the latest Disney. All this before consuming a fortune at the nearby McDonald’s and the inevitable sing-a-long on the coach as we chugged back to Uppingham. Sue and I extend very best wishes to all Farleighans past and present, and salute Farleigh as it celebrates 125 years. Floreat Farleigh.

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Chalkies’ Corner In a new section for the magazine, we caught up with a few long-serving former teachers (once known as Chalkies), to ask for their memories of Uppingham and update us on where they are now. If you’d like us to find out what became of one of your favourite teachers, do contact the office and we’ll do our best to track them down.

Peter Lloyd Member of Staff 1953 to 1988, Housemaster of Highfield 1962 to 1977 I knew a bit about Uppingham before I came in 1953. The OUs I had come across in my years of National Service and Cambridge were particularly pleasant and affable. The School’s reputation was significant – music, of course (in one year there were five members of the National Youth Orchestra) and academically, Science was strong, producing a number of State and Oxbridge scholars; Maths with Ted Kendall and David Dunbar, Physics with Garth Wheatley and Bob Noakes, Chemistry with Cory Cavell and Bill Pickering. French was not up to these standards, perhaps because Fred Shuffrey (for all his scholarship) never taught on Saturdays because he hunted then! I soon found myself at home. The Common Room seemed to welcome our intake of young chalkies and were tolerant of misdemeanours. Socially we got on pretty well. The School was successful in sports and I fitted into that pattern. I was encouraged to join the CCF (compulsory for boys), in the RAF section, with Ian Pringle (a wartime P.O.W. – although not his fault, but his navigator’s!). To be of any value to Ian, I learnt to glide, so that I could instruct on the primitive A-Frame glider we had; this was propelled by two teams pulling bungee ropes. The whole contingent ended Friday evenings with the March Past on Stockerston Road, led by the band under the musical genius of Tony Baines. Shooting was a big thing, and with Simon Pattinson (WB 52) in the 8, the Ashburton was won in 1957 and huge celebrations followed, with the town invited to join in on the Upper. School and Town got on well, much encouraged by Martin and Kay Lloyd. There was plenty of work to be done. I was House Tutor in Lorne House, and then residentially in School House, and was probably of more value socially than pastorally. The classroom made its demands, of course, but life was rewarding and I loved it. We are pleased to report that Peter Lloyd is well. He still lives in Uppingham and socialises with many other members of the Common Room living locally.

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David Prince Member of Staff 1966 to 1983, Housemaster of Brooklands 1975 to 1983 I arrived in Uppingham in September 1966 as one of, I think, nine new members of staff, appointed by John Royds. Amongst my new colleagues were John Green, Tony Land, Chris Richardson, Miles Sewter and Roy Bean. Jenny and I were housed in part of Woodfield, then the Chaplain, Humphrey Ivor-Jones’ residence and now part of the Theatre. In 1968 we moved again to one of the new Colt bungalows in Lodge Close, demolished to make way for Samworths’.

CCF Band, 1955

I was teaching English throughout the School, asked to run Colts cricket and the REME section of the CCF. This was housed in a very draughty hut in the carpark of the Middle playing fields. Fortunately, I was transferred to run the RN section after a couple of years in a less draughty outbuilding behind Redgate, with the assistance of CPO David Bailey, the excellent School Head Porter. I was also House Tutor to Ian Bridges in Lorne House and remained so when David Gaine took over a couple of years later. Despite the plethora of Common Room notices, new staff were treated with great warmth and Jenny and I went to many dinner parties in our first term. Uppingham was a very social place and the boys a delight to teach. Among those was one Stephen Fry (F 70) who was a bright and rewarding presence in class. Early in my time, Warwick Metcalfe, Head of Art, and something of a visionary, called a CR meeting to debate his concern about the steep rise in School fees. He could foresee a time when they may become £1,000 a year. Wow! David and Jenny Prince retired to a village near Frome, Somerset, where they are close to their children and grandchildren.

Peter Lloyd at Highfield, 1964

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Memories from the Common Room

Michael ‘Mike’ Gavins Member of Staff 1968 to 1994, Housemaster of School House 1972 to 1987

Colts XV winning fixture card, 1974

I moved from Yorkshire to Uppingham in 1968 at the invitation of John Royds, the School’s Headmaster, to introduce the subject of Economics. The Common Room was a little intimidating at the time with only two of us not being graduates from Oxford or Cambridge. However, my great friends and colleagues, Malcolm Bussey and Tim Montagnon, soon allayed my fears and I settled in to life at Uppingham. As well as teaching Economics, and later History too, I enjoyed coaching rugby at all levels through the School. Two of my favourite seasons were coaching the Colts in 1972 and 1974 which were both all-conquering sides. One of my most enjoyable memories is the final game of the 1974 team against Oakham. The master-in-charge of the Oakham team was also the Leicestershire County Coach. Despite my recommendations, none of the Uppingham team had been picked for the county, and the bulk of the

French Rugby Tour poster, 1976

Oakham Colts had. In my team talk I mentioned this, and the lads got so fired up they went on to win 86-0 – amazingly they got quicker and quicker during the match rather than tiring or taking their foot off the pedal. I also remember some fantastic rugby tours to Grenoble, Vienne, BourgoinJallieu in France, Portugal, and a

wonderful trip to Canada. I enjoyed working with Malcolm Bussey, and didn’t mind being his number two, especially in Grenoble where he stayed at the Head Coach’s house, and I was billeted at the Chairman’s Michelinstarred hotel! My career at Uppingham took a step up when I was asked to be the Housemaster of School House in 1972, the first non-Headmaster to hold that position. I moved with my family from 1 Lodge Close (now the site of Samworths’), to School House, and, at the Headmaster’s suggestion, retired from playing rugby for Leicester Tigers. Being a Housemaster was daunting but I was very lucky that my wife Hilary had a qualification in domestic science. I looked after the academic and extra curricula activities and she headed an experienced back of house team, which included the wonderful Peggy and Freda in the kitchens. We had very happy times in School House and were immensely proud of all “our lads”.

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The Lodge House Photo 1979

Malcolm Tozer Member of Staff 1966 to 1989, Housemaster of The Lodge 1979 to 1989 My first lesson in September 1966 was in the classroom behind the Porter’s Lodge: a Fourth Form set, mainly new boys but with two old hands from Shell. The lesson went without incident and at the end the old hands led other boys in a welcoming chat. After the preliminaries it went: I also enjoyed Uppingham’s music with the fantastic Chapel singing, concerts and the House Shout. The Christmas Carol service was always very special.

‘Did you go to Oxford or Cambridge, sir?’

And finally, one of my strongest non-academic, sport or house memories was being persuaded to appear in an end-of-year review in the Theatre, dancing the New York Hustle to the Bee Gees’ Night Fever.

‘No,’ I reply. There is a five-second gap.

I am very grateful for what Uppingham gave me, and my family – and hope that I’ve been able to give something back in turn. Michael moved to Wantage in 2015, nearer to his family than Uppingham, where he is living independently and, in his own words, is “plodding along”. He is well known in the town for always being smartly turned out, “gentlemanly”, and able to sing songs spontaneously on most topics.

‘Neither’, I reply. Martin looks at Robert for inspiration. ‘St Andrew’s?’ Robert asks helpfully. ‘Do you hope to go to university, sir?’ Yes, I was part of John Royds’ new wave: 13 new teachers, new universities and new subjects. I taught Physical Education and Physics. My timetable had several periods supervising the Lower Sixth during their study periods in the Old School Room. The late afternoon illumination was poor. I would tell the group to stop fussing but gradually the illumination got so bad that I received half-hearted complaints. Settle down, I continued to insist. Eventually it was so dim that I could not see to read so, about an hour

early, I told the group to pack up and go back to their studies. The following day a colleague pointed out the dimmer switch – conveniently placed near a pupil’s desk! At the end of my first Autumn term, I received an invitation to House Supper at Brooklands. Myles Sewter, my flatmate, had heard that it would be a black tie event and neither of us had the kit: he was going to Highfield. Before rushing out to hire from Moss Bros, we thought we’d better find out for certain. I drew the short straw and duly rang Brooklands; the phone was answered by a deep voice, and we chatted for a minute or two. I then asked Garth if I might speak to Mrs Wheatley. There was a short pause before the baritone continued – ‘This is Heather speaking.’ Believe it or not, I survived 68 more terms. Malcolm and Elizabeth Tozer now live in Cornwall. Malcolm is a distinguished author on Physical Education and an authority of Thring’s approach to sport. His books include Education in Manliness The Legacy of Thring’s Uppingham; Physical Education and Sport in Independent Schools, both are available online along with his other titles.

If you would like to contact any of the members of staff featured, please email ou@uppingham.co.uk or send a letter, addressed to them, c/o OU team, Uppingham School, Uppingham, LE15 9QE and we will be pleased to forward your message on.

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Record-breaking Ocean Rows In 2016, Bella Collins (C 06), and her crew ‘Row Like a Girl’, smashed the Guinness World Record for the fastest all-female team to row the Atlantic. This year, she has added to this incredible feat by rowing the Pacific in record-breaking time with her team ‘Ocean Sheroes’. In the crossing from San Francisco to Hawaii, they were faced with treacherous waves, strong currents, lack of sleep, strenuous and relentless rowing and isolation from family and friends for 35 gruelling days. We were delighted to catch up with Bella after her inspiring challenge… On the Pacific Row, did you wonder at any point ‘why am I doing this’? Absolutely, especially after having done it before! All the memories and hardships from my Atlantic row came back and there are times you really do question “what is the point?”. However, it’s in these times that you have to dig the deepest and remind yourself why you said yes in the first place. There were several reasons why I took on the Pacific. Firstly, it was about being part of a team and having a drive, outside of work, to challenge myself and focus on. This turned out to be hugely

important throughout the lockdowns to keep up my motivation and energy levels. Secondly, I love the people you meet and the experiences you have when training for a row like this; you cross paths with characters you wouldn’t come across in your day-to-day life who open your eyes, challenge your thoughts and teach you valuable lessons. What were the highest and lowest points during the challenge? The first five days were the most difficult for me. The brutal weather was delivering side-on waves, that landed on the deck and ensured we were constantly wet, which in turn meant we were eternally cold. One of our crewmates was very seasick; not only is it horrible to watch a friend suffer but it meant we had to cover some long night shifts that seemed to last an eternity. There were a few special highlights, including listening to a Coldplay concert when we were all on deck on a ‘bluebird day’, a shift where we had big following waves that we could surf down at speed and, of course, seeing Hawaii for the first time! How do you cope with both the physical and mental strain? Mentally, I’m a positive person, so I can handle the mental strain fairly

The Ocean Sheroes team as they reached the shores of Hawaii.

well. Having said that, and I think this is where misconceptions are often made, I am also an emotional person. I’ve learnt that showing vulnerability and emotion doesn’t make you weaker; it’s OK to be upset and to accept your feelings and then let it go and move forward. This helped me pick myself up and look at the bigger picture. Physically, we spent nearly nine months training with Angus Barton (Fgh 03) who ensured our strength and mobility were at the best for our individual abilities. This took a lot of dedication but was so worth it as no-one had any major injuries on the crossing. What advice would you give to other OUs also considering such a demanding activity? An expedition like this can seem like a huge undertaking; however, just say yes, take one step at a time and it’s amazing how much you can achieve. You’ve raised a phenomenal amount for @seabin_project, what does the charity mean to you? The Seabin Project is an incredible Australian charity which is not only trying to clean up our ports and marinas but also doing critical research into the waste they collect, where it’s coming from and how to prevent further waste ending up in our marine environments. How does it feel to have smashed the Guinness World Records for the fastest all-female team to cross the Atlantic and now the Pacific? To be honest, I feel very lucky. I have had the most amazing support from my colleagues, friends and family. I’ve also been hugely fortunate to have rowed with two incredible female teams without whom I couldn’t have achieved this.

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A jubilant Bella Collins (C 06) at reaching the finish of the Great Pacific Race in record-breaking time.

How do you adjust to everyday life again after such a focused and adrenaline-fuelled experience? I’ve adjusted much quicker post this row than my last. I only moved to Cornwall in August 2020, bought my first home this year and started a new job with an amazing sustainable start-up called Flexi-Hex. The pre-race campaign took up so much of my spare time, I wasn’t able to make the most of my new environment, so I was really excited to get back and relax into Cornish life. What next? Time to relax for a while or are you planning your next adventure? No big expeditions, just some micro-adventures locally: surfing, paddle boarding, sea swimming and lots of walking!

Bella isn’t alone in having taken on an ocean rowing challenge this year. Her brother Angus (WB 03) also completed the Great Pacific Race, in just 30 days, 5 hours and 37 minutes with his team Lat 35 Racing. In doing so, the crew broke the previous world record by nine days and Angus has added to his previous World Record titles for rowing the Atlantic and Indian Oceans – a momentous achievement. Rupert Fenby (LH 15) also successfully fulfilled his ambition to row the Atlantic Ocean. After leaving Uppingham last Summer, he was keen to take on a gap year endurance challenge. He, and 11 teammates, onboard their 40ft long boat Roxy, completed the row in 42 days and, at just 19 years, Rupert became one of the youngest people to complete the race. And there’s no stopping him – Rupert has since completed a round Britain row as well!

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Model of Samworths’ pre-construction

Celebrating Two Decades of

Samworths’

The opening of Samworths’ in 2001 will go down as one of the landmark dates in the School’s history, when Uppingham became fully co-educational for the first time. The House was named in honour of the Samworth family who have been strong supporters of Uppingham over many decades. Sir David Samworth CBE DL (F 49), in his role as Trustee, was involved in the process from the outset and commented: “I remember feeling embarrassed, that the House was to be named Samworths’, but also equally delighted the family was to be commemorated in such a way.” Designed by the esteemed OU architect Piers Gough (WB 59), the House was opened with due ceremony by Sir David and his late brother John (F 46), the Headmaster of the time, Dr Stephen Winkley, and Housemistress, Liz Worthington, sister of Katharine Gaine, who was Housemistress of The Lodge at the time. Liz recalled the time fondly: “It was a privilege to be involved in the planning of the building and to work so closely with the architects in the year prior to the house opening. The

Dr Stephen Winkley with the Architect Piers Gough (WB 59), November 2000

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first 24 hours were memorable. We cleaned right up to the last minute and, when our 52 new girls arrived, we thought we were doing well until we realised no-one had put out any toilet roll and that, whilst we had supper sorted, we had noone to wash up! The tutors rolled up their sleeves and did it all. We lived with builders for the first term; there were floods and over-sensitive smoke alarms, but we celebrated each milestone; corridors got their last carpet tiles; showers began to work; sofas arrived and the television sprang into life. It was challenging, but it forged us rapidly into a tight-knit community, proud to wear the Samworths' tie.” Helen Johnstone was Liz’s successor and she said goodbye to the House this Summer after 15 years as Housemistress. Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the House, we are pleased to share some memories from pupils who called Samworths’ ‘home’ during their time at Uppingham. 

Samworths’ official opening – L to R: Sir David Samworth CBE DL (F 49), Stephen Winkley and John Samworth (F 46)

Lucy Lyell (Sa 01) As part of the Sixth Form intake into Samworths' in September 2001, the building was only just finished and the garden was a pile of rubble. Clearing the garden of stones became a Sunday afternoon chore for any Sixth Former returning late from Saturday evening socials! The best part of the ‘two back-facing bananas’ design were the two common rooms at the heart of the house, where we lazed about on beanbags and sofas, eating vast quantities of Nutella toasties. Firm friendships and great memories were made there.

L to R: Angelina Sirichumchobkul (Sa 15), Helen Johnstone and Finty Willis (Sa 15)

Angelina Sirichumchobkul (Sa 15) Mrs J showed us the importance of house spirit and was a great supporter of her girls at matches, always cheering on the edge of the playing fields or giving the loudest applause after a play or debate. She set high standards on being optimistic and always telling us to try our very best in everything. She was always enthusiastic, caring and humorous.

Theresa Martens (Sa 01) At the age of 16 I left my home in Hamburg to join the Lower Sixth in Samworths’ which, newly built, still smelt of paint. In the beginning I didn’t understand a word anyone said, which made me feel really homesick but one of the new words I picked up was “socialising”! I quickly learnt this also meant successfully stealing the hearts of the Uppingham boys, which ‘Sammies’ girls were particularly adept at. When it was time for everyone to return to their house at night, we would peer out of the windows into the dark to see if any girls were sneaking a kiss, every kiss was met with cheers of excitement.

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Memories from Helen Johnstone, Housemistress of Samworths’ 2006 to 2021

Samworths’, April 2021

It is September 2006 and the first day of the new school year with 60 girls coming in, whooping with excitement to see each other, and they are looking at me as if to say ‘Who are you?!’. I remember very clearly shaking inside, thinking ‘what am I doing looking after all these girls?’ My first year was a baptism of fire in many ways with a few ‘naughties’ to sort out (who are now in their 30s!). There have been so many memorable and moving moments – winning the Celebration of Sport Cup twice and the House Shout a few times; the house spirit on sports days (would we ever beat Constables!); lunchtimes sitting chatting with the girls, never knowing what topics might arise; helping them through the toughest of times and stresses; the day the water ran out in town and the Upper Fifth fetched water from the stream/The Lodge pond to flush the loos; the two occasions a grass snake came into the house; the ‘Samfield’ joint house play (with Highfield) in 2019; Fourth Form new girls’ trips; taking the girls to London to see a ballet or a show; late night chats and the nightly end of duty chats with the tutors; as well as the daily catch ups with matrons and chatting with staff in the House; Upper Sixth dinners and the various fancy dress themes; tennis in the drive; wild croquet on the wobbly front lawn; going down to Chapel on the first day of the year wearing my gown with my new brood; the list is endless! The girls, matrons and staff team are what I will miss most, as well as the Sammies’ spirit and special atmosphere in the House. There was a constant hum of happy sounds, singing and laughter and I never knew what each new day would bring. I have learnt so much in my time there – especially think before you say anything to girls as they remember it FOREVER!

Helen Johnstone has made a lasting impact on the girls who were in Samworths’ during her time there, and we wish her the very best for her new role in The Lodge.

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Emma Peal (Sa 05) I loved being in Samworths’, it moulded my life a great deal. My best friend from school, Becky Englander (née Timothy, Sa 05) encouraged me to do CCF, as her dad was in the Army. So, a few of us, including Nemmy Johnston, Christen Savage and Becky (all Sa 05), decided to give it a go. Mrs Johnstone was one of the instructors and I remember she told me once that she regretted not joining the Army. It was something that stuck with me and, after five years of vet school and an internship in Dubai, I didn’t want to share the same regret. So I am now five years into an Army career and blame Becky and Mrs Johnstone for their hands in my fate! Nemmy Johnston, Christen Savage, Becky Englander (née Timothy) and Emma Peal (all Sa 05) in their CCF kit

Sophie Gray (Sa 16) Samworths’ was our home-from-home. We learned a lot about ourselves and bonded in a way that could never be achieved in a day, making lifelong friendships. We were constantly brought together as a house, making us feel like one giant family. Mrs J was an important part of our journey. She kept us grounded and in control in a period of our lives where we were pushing the boundaries and growing into strong young women.

Clubs and Societies OU Golfing Society By Alan Thomas (H 62) 2021 – back to normal…nearly

Captain’s Meeting and AGM 2021

After a Covid-ravaged 2020, when almost everything in the calendar was cancelled, 2021 has seen a few early season OUGS events cancelled or deferred until later in the year, but most fixtures have been played as planned and enjoyed by OUGS golfers around the country.

Simon Moffatt (H 74), OUGS Captain for 2020 and 2021, held his Captain’s Meeting over the weekend of 18th and 19th September at Royal Cromer Golf Club in Norfolk. Twenty OU golfers attended the weekend, accompanied by 13 spouses/partners.

Despite Covid, the OUGS continues to flourish, with a large number of younger members, including female golfers, joining in the last two years. We welcome all keen handicap golfers, not just the elite and the young, to become active members of the society and to enjoy our extensive program of regional meetings and competitive matches against other schools.

On the Saturday, the Acorn Trophy (best net score) was won by David Hopkins (WD 60) and the Lee Tankard (best gross score) was won by David Pattrick (F 65). Other prizewinners were Damian Pitts (Hf 91), Martin Walker (L 67), George Mitchell (F 65), David Goodale (B 54) and David Sprake (SH 69). On Sunday, the Christopherson Rosebowls were won by David Pattrick (F 65) and Tom Hayes (SH 74). At the AGM, Tom Hayes (SH 74) was confirmed as Captain for 2022, Jeremy Cooke (WB 67) was elected Vice-Captain and Alan Thomas (H 62) was elected President. Martin Walker (L 67), Mike Ingham (M 66) and Stuart Lloyd (WD 74) were confirmed as Secretary, Treasurer and Tournament Secretary respectively. Reflecting the long historical connections between Uppingham and Borth, Tom’s Captain’s Meeting will be held at Borth & Ynyslas Golf Club over the weekend of 16th to 18th September 2022. Originally conceived and laid out by Uppingham masters during the 1875 to 1977 School evacuation, this ‘hidden gem’ of a golf course was extended and redesigned after World War II by the renowned golf architect Harry Colt. It is a traditional links course, sandwiched between the railway line and Cardigan Bay, and is quite a challenge if the wind blows.

George Mitchell, Andrew Renison and Simon Moffatt on the 17th tee, in front of one of the many spectacular views at Royal Cromer GC

David Hopkins receives the Acorn Trophy from Simon Moffatt

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The OU team in front of Royal Cinque Ports clubhouse

Scratch Team News Halford Hewitt

Bernard Darwin

The government’s lockdown measures caused the Hewitt to be deferred by five months to 9th to 12th September. The competition took place at Royal Cinque Ports GC and Princes GC. The OUGS team, comprising team captain Stuart Lloyd (WD 74), Sam Debenham (C 90), Eddie Allingham (H 81), Archie Warman (M 06), Henry Short (Hf 07), Ewen Wilson (M 85), Damian Pitts (Hf 91), Rowan Northcott (B 06), Andy Hancock (WD 08), Chris Gotla (H 68) and James Gunton (SH 97), beat Greshams 4-1 in round 1, Liverpool 4.5-0.5 in round 2 and Forest 3-2 in round 3, but lost to Cheltenham 2-3 in the quarter finals. Final winners were Loretto.

The Bernard Darwin competition for golfers aged over 55 representing 16 public schools, was held at Woking GC over 1st and 2nd July. The OUGS team, comprising Nick Freeman (L 70), Mark Proffitt (H 76), Dennis Watson (M 76), Lloyd Wigglesworth (C 72), Chris Gotla (H 68) and Simon Moffatt (H 74), supported by team captain Stuart Lloyd (WD 74), beat Wellington 3-0 in the first round, and Tonbridge 2-1 in the second, but then lost 1-2 to Winchester in the semi-final. The eventual winners were Harrow.

Outside of playing golf, the team and seven OU supporters, enjoyed an excellent dinner at Royal St. George’s GC on the Wednesday evening, while Stuart (with help from his son, James, and a generous donation of excellent beer from Eddie) provided wonderful hospitality to both team and supporters at his Walmer home.

The Senior Darwin team (over 65), comprising David Pattrick (F 65), Richard Pattrick (F 66), Tim Dickson (SH 67), Chris Gotla (H 68), Jim Girling (WB 65) and Jeremy Cooke (WB 67), beat Westminster 2-1 in the first round and Charterhouse 2.5-0.5 in the second, but was narrowly knocked out in the semi-finals by Clifton. The eventual winners were Tonbridge. The Veteran Darwin (over 75) consists of two competitions. In the Scratch event Andrew Renison (F 54) and David Downes (L 59) came second on countback to Malvern, while the Handicap event was won by Eric Auckland (C 53) and Brian Cooke (Hf 53) with 36 points, also after a countback. Grafton Morrish The OU team, comprising Damian Pitts (Hf 91), Ewen Wilson (M 85), Andy Hancock (WD 08), Patrick Charlton (WD 82), David Pattrick (F 65) and Ollie Worral (Hf 12) did not manage to progress from the qualifying rounds at Gog Magog this year.

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Club and Societies

OUGS Eagles Area Meetings and Matches The Society has an enviable fixture list of 36 inter-school matches and area meetings at wonderful courses around the UK, open to OU golfers of all abilities. After a near wipe-out in 2020, there were just a few early season Covid cancellations or postponements in 2021. Area meeting and match highlights so far this year: • Northern Public Schools meeting was postponed, from its usual March timing and Woodhall Spa venue, to 3rd September at Moortown GC. The Birkdale Bucket this year was won for the first time ever by Stowe. Uppingham’s team, comprising Anthony Flather (M 70), Peter Newbould (F 66) and Roderick Rhodes (Hf 68), came fourth and Anthony Flather won the prize for individual best score with 36 points. • The Midlands Public Schools meeting at Little Aston was won by Repton with 100 points. Uppingham were around the middle of the pack with 84 points. • The OUGS West Midlands meeting at Little Aston was won by Gareth Cook (SH 98) with 39 points. Jeremy Cooke (WB 65) was runner-up.

The Eagles section of OUGS was formed in 2019, to attract and meet the needs of OU golfers under the age of 30. Supported by the OU Association, it has already succeeded in recruiting 35 younger male and female golfers into the society and held several well-attended events. Planned early season tours to Borth and Princes were prevented by the Covid lockdown and a meeting at New Zealand GC was hit by gales. Eagles organiser Stuart Lloyd (WD 74) hopes to reinstate these fixtures in 2022. In July, Royal Wimbledon GC again hosted 11 Eagles and five older OUGS members. A great day of golf, RWGC hospitality and OU camaraderie was enjoyed by all, with Nick Crowder (Hf 03) winning on countback from Hugo Morrisey (M 03) and Archie Warman (M 06), all managing 29 points despite RWGC’s penal rough.

OUGS membership If you are an OU golfer, whatever your handicap, Hon Sec, Martin Walker (L 67), would love to hear from you, either by telephone on 01143 487005 or 07765 441375 or by email to martin.walker53@sky.com. Membership is only £10pa (£nil if you are still under 25) and the club’s extensive fixture list will contain events at great venues to suit you. For further information about joining the OUGS Eagles, please contact Stuart Lloyd (WD 74) on 07841 506683 or stuartnlloyd@mac.com.

• The OUGS Merseyside meeting was cancelled. • The OUGS London Area meeting at Piltdown was won by Alan Thomas (H 62), with Richard Bernhard (B 64) securing second place on countback from Martin Walker (L 67) and Andy Weiss (H 64). • OUGS teams had wins around the country against the old boys of Sedbergh (twice), Giggleswick, Oundle, Dulwich (Old Alleynians), and Ampleforth. • There were losses against Uppingham Rovers, Eastbourne, St. Pauls, Rugby and Oundle. The match against Loretto was halved.

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OU Sailing

OU Fives

By Henry Arnold (F 01)

By Adrian Lewthwaite (M 76)

On 24th April, the OU Sailing Association was represented in the Belvidere Cup by Henry Arnold (F 01), Thea Crawshaw (L 05), Vincent Barrelet (Fgh 07) and Grace Hockenhull (C 07) and supported by David Gavins (LH 73). The Belvidere Cup is a one-day match racing event for independent schools’ alumni teams and this year took place at the Queen Mary, an artificial reservoir near Heathrow. The team made it all the way to the final – beating Stowe, Pangbourne, Winchester, Dulwich, Wellington and Charterhouse – but in the end lost 2-1 to Abingdon. The team have been trying to win the trophy for a few years – the Belvidere Cup is an incredibly ornate, gold trophy belonging to the Royal Thames Yacht Club – and have vowed to try again next year. David Gavins (LH 73) would love to hear from any OU sailors – novice or expert – to add to the crew pool for both the Arrow Trophy and Belvedere sailing regattas. Please contact david.gavins@btinternet.com to get involved. After the cancellation of the Arrow Trophy Competition in 2020, a welcome return to racing took place over the weekend of 2nd and 3rd October. Due to content deadlines for the magazine, we are unable to publish the results here, but a full report is available to read on the OU website.

Despite interruptions to the fixture list, due to the various lockdowns, several OU friendlies have been played by OUs across the generations (a key element of the game). Players have included Josh Law (SH 15), Matthew Chinery (B 99), David Pemberton (Hf 69) and Adrian Lewthwaite (M 76). The Annual OU versus the School match is scheduled to take place in early 2022 along with the Annual Fives Dinner. The Jesters versus the School match, also held annually, is planned for Saturday 4th December 2021. We hope to encourage a strong turnout from Uppingham with Nick Preston (C 74), Adrian Lewthwaite (M 76), Clive Smith (M 68), Matthew Chinery (B 99); parent, John Lloyd Jones; and members of staff, James Holroyd and James Birch, all competing. If you would you like to join a growing network of OU Fives players, sharing details on opportunities to play around the country and social events, please see the OU website at www. olduppinghamian.co.uk/clubs/ou-fives. The Uppingham Fives community has partnered with the professional messaging and networking app, Guild, developed by Ashley Friedlein (C 85), which enables members to share information on fixtures taking place around the country, as well as social events. The app is free to download from App Store and easy to use. Please visit the OU website for details. Finally, a thank you to James Holroyd (Master in Charge of Fives) for his invaluable assistance in arranging the Fives matches and making both OUs and guest players feel most welcome.

L to R: Vincent Barrelet (Fgh 07), Thea Crawshaw (L 05), Grace Hockenhull (C 07) and Henry Arnold (F 01)

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The Uppingham Rovers Cricket Club By Hedley Stroud (L 68) The new Rovers Cricketer Cup Captain, Henry Hughes (M 06), assembled perhaps the youngest ever team to represent the Club for the first round Cricketer Cup match, held on a very hot day at Haileybury College. It was to the relief of his young team that he won the toss and chose to bat first, with Will Rogers (LH 12) and Sam Turberville Smith (B 15) openingup with a 33-run partnership, which was then built on by Harry Funnel (Fgh 13) (32) with Rogers (51). At 106 for 1, the Rovers were well placed but the slower Hermit bowlers began to exert a bit of pressure and wickets began to fall regularly as attempts were made to increase the run rate. Alex Collins (B 01) (24) and Ben Harris (Fgh 07) (23) combined well, but a final all-out score of 189 (in the 49th over) was felt to be competitive but a little under par. The Rovers kept a tight rein on the Hermits’ reply and, after 22 overs, they had only reached 53 but crucially only two wickets had been taken – the Rovers were fielding four spin bowlers and, to a large extent, kept a handle on matters. After 40 overs the score was 128 for 4 – needing another 62 off the final 10, a rate not seen in the match until that point, and the Rovers remained confident. However, the Lane brothers came in for the home side and combined to score 54 runs off only 46 balls to get the Hermits over the line with 11 balls to spare. It was a disappointing end to an evenly matched and competitive game and an opportunity probably missed for a young team to gain experience, win and move forward in the competition. However, with such a talented group we can look forward to watching the team develop over the next few years.

The Rovers held their Annual Dinner in July at the Hydro Hotel, Eastbourne. Current president, David Stewart (Hf 68) is seated on the front row.

OU Shoot The annual OU shoot took place on 16th November at Nevill Holt. Any OUs interested in hearing about future events should contact Julian Tolhurst (C 86) at julian.tolhurst@apatchy.co.uk. Julian is also keen to establish another OU shoot syndicate and provide opportunities for younger OUs to get together. If you would like to help, please get in touch with him.

Calling all OU Cross Country Runners You are warmly invited to attend an OU Cross Country Event and Dinner on Saturday 15th January 2022. A short (albeit hilly) cross country run around The Middle, commencing at 2.30pm, followed, in typical Uppingham fashion, by a celebratory and season-opening dinner in the Kendall Room from 6.30pm. See the OU website for further details and book your place before 5th January.

Clubs and Societies 69

Uppingham Veterans Rifle Club By Jonathan Hull (F 74) The annual match against the School, which traditionally takes place in March, followed by a dinner, sadly had to be cancelled due to the Covid lockdown. The Schools Meeting, in July, also couldn’t go ahead, however, the remainder of the Imperial Meeting did take place as planned. The Veterans Match on the 15th July was well attended and three teams took part. The A team came a close fourth place, dropping only two points, but such is the standard of this match that only a full house of possibles is enough to win these days. The 2nd and 3rd teams came 8th and 9th respectively. The traditional bar-b-que and AGM followed after the match and Ant Ringer (B 79) was duly sworn in as the new President, Jonathan Hull (F 74) having served an extra year in post due to the pandemic. During the Meeting, notable achievements by OUs included Chris Watson (M 92) winning the Prince of Wales, and coming 3rd in the St. George’s Final, and 5th in the Daily Mail. Ant Ringer was 3rd in Queens I and Simon Belither (L 71) came 9th. Reg Curtis (F 76) was 7th in the Duke of Cambridge and 8th in the first stage of the St. George’s. Six OUs made the top 200 of the Grand Aggregate, 23rd Chris Watson, 46th Reg Curtis, 73rd Ant Ringer, 117th Simon Osmond (WB 85), 162nd James Watson (L 88) and 184th John Webster (C 70). In the Queen’s Final, Chris Watson came 30th, Simon Belither 70th and Emma Cannings 73rd. James Watson was Captain of the victorious GB team in the Kolapore, and Chris Watson represented Wales in the winning National team and in the MacKinnon. Hopefully the worst of the pandemic is over now, and the team will be able to return to normal next year, with the smallbore match and dinner at Uppingham in the Spring.

OU Masonic Lodge By Adrian Lewthwaite (M 76) The Lodge had a successful year in terms of new members and there is currently a waiting list to join, membership can however be fast-tracked, see oulodge4227.org for details. This year’s ‘OU Lodge Prize for Community Services Initiatives’, awarded annually on Speech Day, was made to a member of Farleigh, who chose for the donation to go to the School’s designated charity, the Mango Tree. The Annual Meeting and Dinner, usually at the School in September, took place instead with a Champagne reception and lunch at La Ballerina, Covent Garden, on 2nd October with an invitation extended to all OUs and their partners. The Lodge looks forward to returning to Uppingham for their Centenary celebrations, on 10th September 2022, with an open invitation to all OUs. Plans are underway for a welcoming drinks reception on the Masons’ Lawn, with the unveiling of a new plaque on the Masons’ Gate, followed by dinner in the Memorial Hall. As part of the special 100th Anniversary, member Simon Mercer (SH 79), has very kindly donated a large quantity of single cask 13-year-old whisky which will be sold to OU Lodge members, sister Public School Lodges and made available for OUs and Uppingham parents to purchase also. All profits will be donated to the Lodge’s Uppingham School Bursary Fund. A further drinks and dinner event is planned for April 2022 in the Peninsular Room at the Cavalry and Guards Club, Piccadilly. Please contact Adrian Lewthwaite (M 76) for any information on the OU Lodge or forthcoming events, by emailing adrian.lewthwaite@btinternet.com.

James Watson (L 88) captained the victorious Great Britain Rifle team, which included his brother Chris Watson (M 92), winning the international Kolapore match, first shot 150 years ago when the vases were awarded by the Raj of Kolapore.

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The Importance Of That Uppingham Connection The School for Life programme creates opportunities for established OU professionals to offer support and advice to fellow OUs at any stage of their career. As the world changes, technology advances and the employment market becomes ever more competitive, the Uppingham connection can help to equip OUs with the skills and resources to stand out and provide the confidence to grasp opportunities that present themselves.

The School for Life programme offers a bespoke service, carefully matching those asking for support with Advisers who are in a position to give helpful guidance.

Each support request is considered individually and feedback, from both the recipients and Advisers, is used to continually improve and evolve the service offered.

School for Life Advisers represent a wide variety of industries and professions and have volunteered to offer mentoring, networking, advice and internships.

A message from...

David Gavins (LH 73) OU School for Life Ambassador “2021 has seen a lot of activity, conversations and connections made under the umbrella of School for Life. Support has ranged from general overviews of industries to the characteristics of specific firms; from honing CVs to managing social media presence; and from work experience to sourcing industrial placements and internships. The industries and roles covered are incredibly varied, with advice delivered across many sectors, including finance; accountancy; consulting; asset management; property; retail; technology; dentistry; public relations; wines and spirits; menswear design; soft drinks; engineering; public sector and government; education; film-making; and sports and music management. Two things really stand out for me. The first is the diversity and breadth of the OU network, both in the UK and globally. I have been delighted to see how we can tap into the network and identify individuals who have the experience needed to give the right advice. And secondly, the positive and encouraging attitude of all the OUs. Those seeking advice have been professional in their interactions, and those giving guidance have emphasised a desire to “give back”. A huge thanks to everyone I have spoken to or ‘Zoomed’.”

School for Life

Join the OU School for Life Programme For those seeking advice – don’t be afraid to reach out for help.

“I really appreciated being part of the School for Life programme and truly hope that it will help other OUs as much as it helped me. It is great to see how strong the OU network is.”

For potential Advisers – we are always looking to expand the network. Visit the OU website for more details. www.olduppinghamian.co.uk/careers-networking

Alaric Oudin (SH 15)

Internships and work experience

Dedicated team

Online resources

CV and LinkedIn bestpractice

OU LinkedIn group

Worldwide OU community

Careers advice

Jobs abroad

Career next steps

First jobs

Job application and interview advice

Advice for entrepreneurs

Change of career

Returning to work

Networking Mentoring

Specialist advisers

“I had some very good conversations and fantastic opportunities arise for both work and networking. I am so grateful for the help and connections.” Serena Campos (L 14) 72 School for Life

Joining up Uppingham’s Careers Support Following the end of his time as Housemaster of Meadhurst, Sam Dewhurst has taken up the post of Head of Careers, alongside a role in the Foundation Office. Sam will work with pupils from all year groups to help them consider their professional futures. His ambition is to create a supportive network of parents and OUs, in their first few years of work, who will help pupils develop their understanding of the different career paths available to them. Sam will also work alongside the School for Life team, creating a partnership that will ensure career support is available to Uppinghamians of any age. If you are a recent graduate, under 25, and would like to share your experiences with pupils, please contact Sam at sgd@uppingham.co.uk.

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Today’s Uppingham Experience

School News

Uppingham endeavours to curate a holistically enriching experience for pupils, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to become courageous, ambitious, courteous adults, who genuinely want to make the world a better place. While the academic curriculum is undeniably important to the experience pupils receive, the School offers more than just world-class teaching within its exceptional facilities. In this year’s School update, we focus on some of the co-curricular areas that help create the wonderfully, well-rounded version of education offered today. The “Upp and Out” Co-curricular programme Sarah Delaney, Assistant Head CoCurricular, is leading an evolution in the non-academic side of Uppingham life. At its core, the Upp and Out programme helps pupils to understand who they are as people; what drives them, what values they want to live by; the importance of their health and wellbeing and how they can create a positive impact in the world around them through their actions. Upp and Out supports pupils to develop skills that help them tackle real world problems by considering issues they encounter, defining innovative solutions and analysing outcomes from different points of view. It also tests them to challenge their own preconceptions and assumptions that might distract them from the best possible solutions.

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On a practical level, activities are delivered under four banners: • Physical • Spiritual • Creative • MAD (making a difference) – an overarching concept that embodies the other areas of the programme through practical activities. Pupils tackle areas of need, in School and local communities. From volunteering in local care homes and primary schools, working with local countryside conservation groups, walking local residents’ dogs, to supporting Uppingham in Bloom, there are many opportunities for pupils to make a difference. Eventually, Sarah hopes that Upper Sixth pupils will act as leaders of the programme, directly utilising the skills they have developed to guide their younger peers. Sport at Uppingham – transforming lives and changing the world through coaching Recently appointed as Director of Sport, Nick De Luca’s vision is to make a difference to the life of every pupil, by engaging positively with each of them and creating sporting experiences that create a lifetime of achievement, enjoyment and wellbeing. He aims to instil a relationship with sport that helps them manage their health and wellbeing and become the best version of themselves.

Sport at Uppingham has three missions: • To ignite a passion for sport that lasts a lifetime. • To be the world’s leading sports programme for talent development. • To create resilient, adaptable, compassionate leaders. Through expert coaching, pupils are guided to understand that character traits, such as commitment, accountability and effort, will help them in whatever they go on to do, and the ability to focus under pressure, set and reach goals, and plan and evaluate meticulously, will only help them excel in all walks of life. Nick firmly believes:

“Children do not become adaptable, compassionate and resilient by being told to do so, but by being nurtured in an environment which encourages and rewards these values.” Youth STEMM Award STEM, the acronym commonly used to bring together the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), is arguably the most important field of expertise required in the modern economy. The continued growth of tech giants like Amazon, Apple, and Google, as well as the

constant stream of new technology companies entering the market, demonstrates the opportunities available to young people aspiring to work within the STEM specialisms. In this instance, a second M has been added to the typical STEM grouping to represent the field of medicine; another vital profession that young people need to be motivated to enter, especially given the events of the last 18 months, and the challenges still to come. To inspire young people into these areas of study, and to help them be successful, Uppingham has joined with 40 independent and state schools to offer the Youth STEMM Award. Available to pupils aged 13-19, and similar in structure to the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, the award requires them to undertake STEMM activities outside the normal curriculum. Head of Physics, Emma Ellis, who joined the School in 2020, champions the award throughout all year groups. She expects pupils to proactively search for and develop the activities they undertake, helping them to shape their experiences around areas that interest them. To complete the award, they must dedicate 45 hours to STEMM activities outside their scheduled lessons. For those wishing to progress further, they can move on from their bronze award to silver (90 hours) and gold (150 hours) and, while they have to complete activities across each of the STEMM disciplines, they have the opportunity to spend more time in the

specialisms that interest them most. The award mirrors many elements of the co-curricular programme with a structure broken down into four sections: • Inspiring the next generation • Engaging the public • Developing their skills and knowledge • Shaping their future. Activities such as supporting younger pupils, or leading STEMM exhibitions, supports progression through their Upp and Out journey, as well as contributing to the award. Entry into the STEMM scheme is entirely elective, but those that choose to take part will explore a world of interests that will help define their path into continued education and their eventual careers. As a society, we need young people from all backgrounds and demographics to be inspired to pursue these exciting specialisms.

“The technology and healthcare of the future will be defined by the young minds we nurture today, and Uppingham is proud to support an initiative that encourages our pupils to explore what excites them.”

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2022

Events Calendar We hope you will be able to join us at the forthcoming events… Midlands Drinks 3rd February, Ronnie’s Bar, Warwick A fantastic venue owned by Phil ‘Trev’ Baker (Fgh 77)

London OU Dinner 3rd March, Mandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge The most glamorous event in the OU calendar. Bookings now open.

A Celebration of Singing 18th to 20th March, Uppingham

Norfolk Dinner 6th May, The Hoste, Burnham Market

Speech Day & Founder’s Day 28th May, Uppingham

Yorkshire Event 16th June

London Drinks 15th September

Over 60s Lunch 29th September, the Cavalry and Guards Club, Piccadilly Please visit the OU website for more information. www.olduppinghamian.co.uk

OU Magazine Issue 49 2021-2022

Articles inside

School for Life

School News

Chalkies’ Corner

Record-breaking Ocean Rows

Technology and Innovation

From Uppingham to the West End

Creative Flow

Cover Story