The Blue Paper 2021

The 2021 Magazine

blue paper

Worth Society Events, News from Worth and the Network, and Worthians Saving the Planet

NATURALLY

inspiring

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Contents Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians continued

04 Chairman’s 2021 Report Jeremy Fletcher G’72

41

Book Reviews Child of a Bygone Era

by Peter Hunt WPS’53 Reviewed by Nick Bodnar-Horvath C’72

A Life above the Line – Just!

by Claude Keith G’69 writing as C.P. Altmann - Reviewed by Jonny Harben G’69

The Complete Shot

by Shane Bisgood StB’71 Reviewed by Patrick Slevin B’08

The Unmarriageable Man Suresh Mudannayake C’75 writing as Ashok Ferrey Reviewed by Richard Breen StB’75

The Certainty of Being Loved

by Fr Martin McGee Reviewed by Austen Ivereigh G’84

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Caught on Camera

52

Announcements

54

News in Brief

05

A Message from Mary Lou Burge Worth Society Committee

06

Worth Society Events Class of 2010 10 Year Reunion

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Worthians Sport

Football - Andy Taylor

Golf - Ken Ross G’65

Netball - Emily Hollings StM’15

Real Tennis - Paul Cattermull StB’73

Tennis – Stephen Nurse R’89

Rugby – Desmond Calnan R’69, James Kemp F’14 & Nick Elvidge C’11 18

Global Action Awards 2021 Overview: Mary Lou Burge

Life and Times of Worthians 20 The Worthians saving the planet

58 Obituaries Paul Thompson StB’72 - Jacquie Thompson

John Ford B’82 - Tom Ford B’87

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Meet Tom Taverner R’06 – The bionic man Mary Lou Burge

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Worthian crowned Sussex Young Musician of the Year Jane Burnell StA’15

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The work of The Douai Foundation Andy Taylor

64

School Staff – Autumn 2020-Summer 2021

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175 marathons and counting!

Mary Lou Burge

66

Development Office Update Anna MacMahon

32

The comeback marathon – London 2021 Tim Starkie G’90

67

Our new Abbot Abbot Mark Barrett

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Bringing Padel Tennis to the UK Charlie Whelpton B’75

68

Fr Kevin celebrates his 90th Birthday

36

Facewatch – My start-up adventure Simon Gordon StB’74

69

Br David Jarmy’s Ordination

70 University Destinations 2021

38

An Irish boy in a foreign land Kevin Dwyer WPS‘58

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Restaurant Review - Due South, Brighton Andy Taylor

The Old Place 60 A year in the life of the School

and Message from the Head Master

Stuart McPherson

Advertisers We would like to extend our grateful thanks to this year’s advertisers:

Gravetye Manor

Alexander House Hotel Front cover image: The Quiet Garden at Worth, drone shot, summer 2021, by Red Forge Studios

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Chairman’s 2021 Report

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his is yet another fantastic issue of our muchloved magazine which I know so many people enjoy reading every year. Thank you to all those who have contributed and who continue to demonstrate what a talented network of people we are.

Over recent years, the Society has worked much more closely with the School; I know how much the Head Master values the way the Society brings the school of today into partnership with the school of yesterday, be it by hosting events or reinforcing links between alumni, staff and pupils. From this year, the Society has benefitted from further support and resource by operating as a department within the School, which has allowed for more creative working together and closer planning for future alumni events. It is clear that we now enjoy a key example of this in the joint investment in our new networking platform www.worthconnecting.org.uk the success of which I am particularly pleased with.

Worth Connecting has replaced the Society’s old website and now has over 1,000 alumni registered who can network with each other directly, update their contact details, find latest news, promote their businesses and jobs vacant, and offer and receive careers mentoring. There are some great reads, with focus on the lives and work of OWs through the regular ‘Alumni in the News’ features. It is a very useful and user-friendly resource, the effectiveness of which was demonstrated by the speed with which Mary Lou was able to gather some 90 pages of alumni signatures and messages for a birthday card for the 90th birthday of Fr Kevin Taggart, the 2nd Head Master of Worth and key supporter of all alumni since the senior school was founded. I encourage anybody who hasn’t yet done so to take a look at this networking platform and register.

2021 did not turn out to be the post-Covid comeback year we had all anticipated and it was unfortunate that many of our live events – which are, after all, the lifeblood of our Society – had to be postponed for yet another year. I do however hope to see many of you at a special ‘Welcome Back’ Dinner at the Cavalry & Guards Club in May, and at many of our other favourite gatherings.

What we were able to achieve this year were some great outside sporting events, including the inaugural 5-a-side Football Tournament which went ahead in June with great success despite the challenges of extended social

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Jerry Fletcher, the newly elected Abbot Mark Barrett, and Mary Lou Burge

distancing restrictions. I’m delighted to see that our sporting clubs are continuing to expand and develop with fixtures now planned against other alumni associations, and OW teams playing in London leagues and in national tournaments.

The Worth Society Committee continues to meet once a term – having moved, like so many others, to a virtual format for some meetings – and is thriving. This year we have welcomed some new young members who are keen to help us organise some different and more varied events as we move out of the pandemic.

We were delighted when our long-term committee member, Fr Mark Barrett, was elected as the 7th Abbot of Worth Abbey in June. Abbot Mark has served and supported the School and its alumni over decades, as teacher, housemaster and governor and is keen to continue to support the life of the Society and to encourage OWs to come back to the Abbey more regularly, either for a Mass or a retreat. We send him our very best wishes for the coming 8 years and are here to support him in any way we can.

And finally, a big thank you to Mary Lou who continues to work her magic in the engine room of the Society, now in the heart of the School.

Jeremy Fletcher G’72

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Register on our very own networking platform www.worthconnecting.org.uk

Message from Mary Lou Burge

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espite being faced with a series of national lockdowns over the last year, we have continued to keep our community connected and busy with lots of news and some online events. Our online quiz nights, a virtual carol service from Worth, and a series of monthly careers webinars were very much enjoyed and appreciated by those who tuned in. But nothing beats being with people in person and so it is wonderful to be able to say that we are planning some great live ‘come-back’ events for the year ahead. We very much hope to see many of you at a Celebration Dinner in May 2022 - look out for further information in the new year.

As ever, in putting together this issue, the range of experience and talents of our alumni never ceases to amaze. With climate change so much in the news, I thought it would be interesting to see who in our network was doing their bit towards the protection of the planet. I hope you enjoy reading about some of the fascinating projects that people are involved with in this field, as well as all the other fantastic achievements and careers of Old Worthians we can read about this year.

James Baybutt StB’99 of Parkside Executive hosted a series of careers webinars

Ellen Brownings StA’18 read a lesson at Worth’s virtual carol service

Our networking platform continues to grow with registrations and interesting sections to view and read. Do register if you haven’t already on www.worthconnecting.org.uk A big thank you to all those who have already offered themselves as careers mentors.

This is such a useful resource for young Worthians who are finding career choices and the current recruitment market particularly challenging.

Our regular ‘Alumni in the News’ feature has become a popular read across the Society and School’s social media, so do keep in touch with all your great stories and we’ll keep promoting them.

It only leaves me to say thank you for making my job so rewarding and so much fun, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the return of our events in the coming months.

Cunard Entertainment Host, Mike Webber C’03, hosted two online quizzes

Mary Lou Burge, Worth Society Manager

Worth Society Committee Abbot Mark Barrett Office: 01342 710340 Email: jmbarrett@worth.org.uk

Kitty Gibson StA’12 Mobile: 07876 256924 Email: kitty.gibson94@gmail.com

Gordon Pearce – Deputy Head External Office: 01342 710258 Email: gpearce@worth.org.uk

Mary Lou Burge – Worth Society Manager Office: 01342 710241 Email: worthsociety@worth.org.uk

Maddy Ilsley StM’10 Mobile: 07952 481636 Email: maddyilsley@hotmail.co.uk

Daniel Pring R’03 Mobile: 07865 064439 Email: danielpring@ymail.com

Mark Collini StB’89 Office: 020 7783 4941 Email: markcollini@yahoo.co.uk

Anna MacMahon – Head of Development Office: 01342 711586 Email: amacmahon@worth.org.uk

Duncan Pring Email: pringduncan@gmail.com

Matthew Doggett F’07 – Squash Co-ordinator Email: mdoggett@worth.org.uk

Stuart McPherson – Head Master Office: 01342 710222 Email: smcpherson@worth.org.uk

Jeremy Fletcher G’72 – Chairman Office: 020 7070 6611 Email: jeremy.fletcher@kewcapital.com

Ben Oakley F’08 Mobile: 07973 899330 Email: bartoakley@outlook.com

Tim Riley G’18 Mobile: 07979 498552 Email: timothyriley2000@gmail.com Andrew Taylor – Football Co-ordinator Mobile: 07749 657073 Email: agtaylor44@gmail.com

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Class of 2010 10 Year Reunion

Events

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uly 2010 was a moment of transition for Worth School (and perhaps relief for some of the staff!) as the first ever mixed cohort of students went their separate ways to embark on further studies and work opportunities ranging from close to home to the other side of the world. Fast forward 11 years, as we emerge from a turbulent 18 months that has left no part of the globe untouched. No better time then for 50 or so of this original mixed cohort to touch base on how the last decade (and a bit) since leaving school has shaped and changed them.

Club, with thanks to Captain Andrew Pring R’10 for kindly hosting us. School reunions seem to mainly conjure up two sentiments: intrigue – at what your peers might be up to now and whether they are still the same as they were at 18 years old; and dread – at the thought of awkward small talk with people you don’t really remember... The latter need not have applied to this reunion. As soon as coats had been hung up and champagne poured, the room was filled with chatter and laughter as attendees dispelled all the social awkwardness from pandemic precautions and revelled in reconnecting with long lost classmates.

On 2nd October 2021 members of the Class of 2010 were joined by both current and past staff members in the historic and elegant setting of the Cavalry & Guards

Ascending the stairs to dinner, and stopping for the compulsory photo opportunity, it was heart-warming to observe former schoolmates massed together in their

Class of 2010 Girls with their former housemistress, Caroline Brown, and former St Mary’s Chaplain, Fr Stephen Ortiger

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Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

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“If the last year or so has taught us anything, it is that our human connections are indispensable… it is reassuring to be reminded that our network, and our connections from it, aren’t going anywhere.”

Following Grace from Fr Stephen Ortiger (whose legendary status as St Mary’s Chaplain and Winnie the Pooh reader precede him), the evening took a turn as the electricity of Piccadilly gave out and we were treated to an atmospheric dinner by candlelight. Dotted around the tables were members of staff who played a pivotal role in those early years of co-education at Worth, not least Caroline Brown and Andy Taylor, whose respective roles as housemistress of St Mary’s and housemaster of Gervase cannot go without recognition. After three courses of delicious food, the catching up continued with drinks and all too soon midnight came, and the cohort were forced once again to part ways, with promises of afterparties and catch-ups being planned on the steps of the Club.

If the last year or so has taught us anything, it is that our human connections are indispensable. Though we may easily get caught up in our busy lives, there really is no substitute for standing face to face with someone and telling them news, or sharing a memory, or simply connecting over one thing you had in common many years ago. We know now that much can change in a year,

Events

black-tie finery, some sporting wedding rings, others with imminent new arrivals, a number who had travelled a fair distance to be there – in particular, an impressive representation from Germany! It didn’t seem to matter how many years had passed; people were simply happy to have been brought back together.

All the guests on the Club’s grand staircase

let alone a decade, but it is reassuring to be reminded that our network, and our connections from it, aren’t going anywhere.

With many thanks to Christian Killoughery R’10, Andrew Pring R’10 and Mary Lou Burge for their support in organising our event.

Maddy Ilsley StM’10

Class of 2010 10 Year Reunion Attendees: Olivia Barclay-Hudson Aidan Baun Sophie Bowe John Buller Jessica Coffin Jack Corr Hugh Dixon Matt Donegan Joseph Gahan Soham Gehani Charlotte Hart Anna Hocker Laura Hurley Charlie Hutchinson Maddy Ilsley William Kan Christian Killoughery Chris Kirkman Otto Lindner Barbara Löfflman Harry Luff Wilf Lytton Felix Milstrey Charlotte Perry

Natasha Plummer Andrew Pring Joseph Rivers Christoph Roggemann Clara Schmitz Matthew Stagnetto James Tighe Seb Triay Will Watkins Will White Basti Witte Harry Woodman Celia Young Honorary Guests: Alda Andreotti Caroline Brown Jonathan Cuff Stuart & Johneen McPherson Alan Mitchell Fr Stephen Ortiger Duncan & Ditas Pring Andy Taylor Julian Williams

Andrew, Ditas & Duncan Pring with Alda Andreotti

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5-a-side Football Tournament 2021 Sport

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he School hosted our first 5-a-Side Tournament on Saturday 26th June 2021. As lockdown started to ease in May this year I received an email from Worth Society Manager, Mary Lou Burge, telling me that an old boy was trying to get in touch to discuss football.

Those of you who remember me will remember that I made a career out of teaching history and talking football quite often in the same class! The old boy in question was Harry Woodman F’10 and his idea was to have a 5-a-side tournament on the School’s Astro pitches.

Sadly, the pandemic had prevented our annual Football Tournament from taking place for the last 2 years, usually held on the last Sunday of the spring term, with an U23 team playing the 1st XI for the Henry Surtees Cup and a staff and alumni match. I still play 5-a-side at Worth on Thursday evenings with some teachers and old boys, and some who are both! The teachers agreed to enter two teams and suggested the best date was as soon as the summer term ended. That way we reduced social distancing issues with students as they would have gone home.

With Worth teacher Robin Moss acting as gaffer, helping muster staff and provide essentials like bibs and balls and acting as nominated first aider, my job was made easy. A big thank you to Robin. Whilst thanking people...

I was especially pleased that my good friends, Alan Mitchell and Conrad Ware agreed to help me with the refereeing. Their impact on football at Worth over the years has been immense. Finally, Mary Lou, who did all the administration for the Tournament with a positivity that makes you feel like you may achieve sainthood for your actions! Invitations, collations, bookings, risk assessments, check in, team teas, team programmes (she even employed Mr Burge to be photographer!!) the only thing she didn’t do was play!

TEAM 1

TEAM 2

TEAM 3

Talking of playing. We had over 50 alumni and teachers playing on the day. The football was of a very high standard, especially as we reached the final knockout stages. The Kemp Team who lost on a penalty shoot-out, were unlucky not to make the Final, to play for the “H” trophy (donated by the late John Surtees) but it did seem apt that The Woodman Team did, after all it was Harry’s idea in the first place. Although they were defeated 2-1 by the Teachers’ Team, there were no losers on a day that ended with a socially distanced beer and a presentation of the trophy by Stuart McPherson, the Head Master.

Andy Taylor TEAM 4

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Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

TEAM 1 Charles Holt StB’04 James Bannister C’04 Jon Newton F’04 JP Matthews B‘06 Fraser Moyle R’08 TEAM 2 Harry Woodman F’10 Joseph Gahan StB’10 Christian Killoughery R’10 Tim Long B’11 Harry Luff C’10 Joseph Rivers F’10

TEAM 4 James Kemp F‘14 Angus Bonner R‘14 Tommy Ferguson C‘15 Fergus Ryan B‘15 James Tomlin F‘15

TEAM 6 Tom Orssten G‘19 Charlie Barakat F‘19 Mathew Brown F’19 Emil Farr G’19 Thomas Lovill G’19 Oli Paisley C’19 Josh Shaghaghi C’19 Monty Sparkes G’19 Nick Watson G’19 STAFF TEAM A Daniel Weaver Lawrence Parker Matthew Doggett F’07 Alick Macleod Dominic Fiest STAFF TEAM B Daniel Harris Robin Moss Ceiran Sheehan Joe Fava Cameron Mackie Robert McCabe Liam Richman

TEAM 6

The Winning Staff Team

Referees Conard Ware, Andy Taylor and Alan Mitchell

The awarding of the ‘H’ trophy by the Head Master

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Sport

TEAM 5

TEAM 3 Raphael Gruber R‘11 Anthony Bellm R’11 Ed Everington B’11 George Fleet ‘11 Mark Newton B’11 Nick Shelbourne R’11 Nick Wallendahl StB’11 Harry Whelpton R‘11

TEAM 5 Will Mersh C’18 Tom Bentley C’18 Fred Greenslade G’18 Ciaran Nye C’18 Matthew Redfern G’18 Ben Ritchie F’18 Tom Roberts F’18 Tim Riley G’18 Andrew Riley G’18

Golf 2020-2021 Season Report Sport

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am pleased to report that following the previous year’s decimated calendar the Society’s activities have returned to a more, but not quite, normal level.

The first event of the year is usually the annual match against the Old Gregorians at Royal Ashdown Forest.

Unfortunately, this year the opposition were unable to raise a team - possibly because they had heard that we were going to be out in force! They have indicated, however, that they are keen for the matches to continue and as such we look forward to meeting them in 2022.

In early May each year the Society fields its best available team to play in the Grafton Morrish Public Schools scratch foursomes qualifying event, which for our region is hosted by Knole Park Golf Club. For the first time that I can recall I bowed out of the team as six lower single figure golfers were available, namely Phil Davey F’04, Will Kelly StB’10, Jeremy Man F’14, Paul Moran G’94, Joseph Rivers F’10 and John Shepherd B’82.

As non-playing captain I had the luxury of following the play around the course. The wind was horrific, making play difficult. Amongst all the golf that I saw two holes were memorable. John and Phil’s par 4 on the 4th in which they manufactured the par from a drive that ended up in an area probably not previously visited on the course, followed by a second shot that finished not too far from the green but in a position from which there was no shot to the pin - or so we thought - as the ball took an unexpected turn and ran on towards it leaving only a short put to complete the job. The other extraordinary hole occurred on the short (actually long) 12th par 3 where Will and Jeremy managed a surprising one Stableford point. The drive hooked violently left and

ended up well to the left of the intended green near to the next tee. An attempt was made to valiantly raise the ball high across some scrub trees to the green but in fact took an alternative trajectory hardly leaving terra firma, nudging the green ‘en passant’ to finish up perhaps a further 50 yards on the other side, well below the putting surface. From there the ball rose like a phoenix from the ashes and with one bounce stopped one inch from the hole securing the exciting 4! I have to report however that despite the team’s valiant efforts we failed to qualify for the knockout tournament in the autumn.

A few weeks later the annual spring meeting took place as usual at Moor Park Golf Club. The following members took part: James Bannister C’04, James Blake B’77, Peter Gottelier R’70, Bobby Horvath B’74, Hugh Maguire R’77, Paul Moran, George Ross G’95, Simon Ross G’98, John Shepherd, Richard Stevens C’98, Matthew Wood B’77 and myself. Nearest the pin prizes were won by Richard Stevens with the Ross family collecting the other three. Richard also picked up the longest drive. James Bannister narrowly beat myself for the first place with 32 points and a better second nine.

James Blake took the third place slot with 30 points. As always, the day was enjoyed by everyone who took part.

In July another team set out onto the fairways at Woking Golf Club to take part in the Russell Bowl Catholic Public Schools Scratch Foursomes Competition. The Society was represented by Peter Gottelier, Dominic Pasqua B’76, George Ross, Simeon Stevens StB’95, Matthew Wood and me. Suffice it to say that a great day was had by all!

The final two events of 2021, to date, were played again at Royal Ashdown Forest. Stephen Bamford StB’68, James Blake, Matthew Wood and I turned out to take part in the ‘Elderly’ against the ‘Less Elderly’ match. It would be invidious to state who represented which team but the matches resulted in an honourable draw.

Finally, I am pleased to report that an inaugural match against a Worth School team took place in September with Hugh Bett B’73, Phil Davey, Joseph Rivers and Matthew Wood playing for the Old Worthians. The School produced some excellent players and it is hoped that this connection will foster new young members of the Society in the future. This first match resulted in a win for the Society but I fear the School will get the better of us next time!

This year has also seen a gratifying increase of our membership and should any Old Worthian reading this wish to inquire about the Society please contact me by email: kandbaway@gmail.com

The inaugural match vs the School at Royal Ashdown in September

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Ken Ross G’65

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Netball 2020-2021 Season Report Sport

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fter a year-long break, in early June the Worthian girls were back on court to play our summer netball league. The matches were played every Tuesday evening in Battersea Park, and we were lucky enough to be joined by some new faces and friends of friends who were kind enough to don a bib and get involved! After a year spent indoors, it was amazing to return to a fun weekly activity, as well as reconnecting with old friends and getting to know new members of the team. Following each game we would drop into the nearby pub or have a picnic in the park to make the most of the late sunshine, talk about the game and catch up properly. Our final game of the season was definitely our closest yet, and we narrowly lost out on 3rd place in our league despite some fantastic netball playing.

Regular players include Bryony Maxwell StM’15, Abi Glover StM’15, Catherine Glover StC’17, Jenny Glover StC’21, Bea Lewers StA’13, Mia Wilcox StA’15, Hannah Wilcox StA’19, Emily Rothman StM’16, Ella Jenkins StM’16, Natalie Riley StM’17, Nina Rousell StA’15 and myself.

It’s so easy to join a league as there are plenty available across London, so we will be taking a break but will be back in Battersea in late winter/early spring. If you would be interested in joining us (and please do, we’d be delighted to have you!) then feel free to email me at emilyhollings9@gmail.com Emily Hollings StM’15

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Real Tennis 2020-2021 Season Report Sport

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his year The Cattermull Cup competition held annually at Middlesex University Real Tennis Club at Hendon was delayed until September from its usual January position. However, having been held last in January 2020, perhaps it will be one of the few competitions not to have had to skip a year because of Covid. In 2020, the last new name to be engraved was Stonyhurst who prevailed in their first year competing, as had King’s Canterbury two years before that. It is evidently quite an open competition in which it is fairly hard to pick a winner. This year it was Winchester’s turn, although they have some heritage in Real Tennis with former world champion Howard Angus among their alumni.

In the preliminary group draw, played on Friday 24th September, Worth drew three stout opponents in the form of Stonyhurst (last year’s winners), Malvern and Taunton. However, Worth managed to top the group winning all three matches in a ‘first to win six games’ format. Worth pair were Hugh Bett B’73 and Paul Cattermull StB’73 on this occasion, having had both Tom Carew Hunt StB’02 and Charles Bellm R’04 play for the School in previous years.

After the Saturday ‘off’, except for Paul who was committed to preparing lunch on the Saturday for the players, we reconvened on Sunday 26th for the quarter finals. The quarter finalist schools alongside Worth were Marlborough, Charterhouse, Epsom, Taunton, Tonbridge, Clifton and Winchester. Worth played Winchester in a ‘first to win eight games’ match, but after winning the first 3 games suffered from a touch of vertigo, finally losing 8-5.

Winchester went on to beat Epsom (who were entering for the first time) in the semis and then Clifton (who have won it on a couple of occasions) in the final 8-7.

Most of the matches were very close which is a credit to the handicap system, even though many of the players had not played for some time. Marlborough have now made the semi-finals for the past five years but are finding it difficult to progress further. Interestingly, both final pairings had one player in their twenties and one in their fifties. What a great, inclusive sport Real Tennis is!

If you would like to give it a try, just look up your closest court on the internet and ring the resident professional.

I guarantee that they will be delighted to hear from you!

If you are interested in playing for Worth do email me at: paul@duckfolly.co.uk Paul Cattermull StB’73

Paul Cattermull & Hugh Bett playing Winchester in the Cattermull Cup

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Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Tennis 2020-2021 Season Report Sport

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Alastair Milne-Home, Alex Walton, Patrick Hopkirk, & Stephen Nurse

he long-awaited Old Worthians tennis game was held at Putney Lawn Tennis Club on 9th October 2021. The ‘Youth’, Alastair Milne-Home C’93 and Alex Walton R’93 took on the ‘Oldies’ Patrick Hopkirk G’89 and Stephen Nurse R’89 and had a long close match of top-quality tennis. We then had a long overdue catch-up chat afterwards over a few sherbets. There were some aching limbs the following day (for the Oldies) and a rematch will be organised soon. Do get in touch with Mary Lou Burge at worthsociety@worth.org.uk if you’d like to get involved.

Stephen Nurse R’89

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Rugby 2020-2021 Season Report

How the WOBS learnt to live without rugby for 18 months

Sport

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he 2019-2020 season fizzled out in mid-March 2020, as Covid reared its ugly head, with two games left un-played – and with that we lost the opportunity to pick up important points in Surrey League 2. Despite this disappointing setback the WOBS nevertheless achieved a respectable mid-table finish, after a storming first half of the season.

be their best (or maybe their last) remaining ‘skill-set’ (as these matters are nowadays described). And many can be found flat on their faces with muddy chino knees as they converge on the unfortunate ball carrier. Guests are also invited to the lunch under the guise of ‘Elite Supporters’ who soon discover that they are indeed candidates to become future VPs to the Club.

Sadder still was the cancellation of our Vice President’s Lunch – an annual feast at our home ground at Fortress Whiteley. This regular event, scheduled traditionally for our last home game, allows us to thank our Vice Presidents for their financial contributions to the Club – effectively these VPs pay for our expensive lease with the Whiteley Homes Trust.

The Covid crisis took a very short time to dig in, and ruin, all rugby activities for a long period, where no contact nor indeed any gatherings were permitted at all. But it was credit to the WOBS and their Committee that contacts within the Club were maintained by novel means such as ‘Strava Cycling Groups’ (large numbers of individuals who were counting their kms very seriously); occasional quizzes; and then, after many months of loneliness, limited social mixing permitted outdoors.

More important for the Vice Presidents, it gives them the chance to see us in action. It’s a fun day out with an excellent lunch which normally finishes with a big win for the WOBS in front of a large crowd in support.

The touchline is littered with VPs and former players (modestly referring to themselves as ‘WOBS Legends’) who feel the need to toss rugby balls around after lunch – simply to test (or to demonstrate?) that they have not lost their former skills. And indeed ‘mauling’ seems to

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The WOBS then returned to the field - principally our summer training area in Battersea Park - with weekly touch rugby sessions under strict distancing rules. We had a number of successful sessions, often with casual passers by joining in spontaneously. The spirits of the players rose considerably at the prospect of a return to rugby - in whatever format was permitted at the time by

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Remember this is your Club for all Worthians, and we always need new players. Everyone is welcome – even if you can’t commit to a full season. If you’re interested in playing please contact one of the following: James Kemp (Captain): 07577 199607 Nick Elvidge (Fixtures): 07784 255775 Desmond Calnan (Chairman): 07535 939582 or 01372 386511 Christian Killoughery (Secretary): 07702 911185 WOBS RFC ‘pavement’ AGM in August 2021

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the RFU. Players often went for refreshments after these sessions - as we all craved social interaction. However, this hope was short-lived as we were placed in lockdown again in November 2020.

It was not until April 2021 that we were able to play any form of rugby again. The WOBS returned in record numbers to our summer spot in Battersea Park. Captains James Kemp F’14 and Christian Killoughery R’10 picked a team each week to ensure we kept that competitive edge.

This was so successful initially that we sometimes had up to 35 players showing up, allowing us the luxury of four competing teams. Participation dropped slightly after the initial rush but remained consistent through the summer.

This provided us with the opportunity to get a look at a number of new players who are now ready to take part in our Surrey 2 campaign.

With limited contact allowed in April 2021, we tried (again when allowed) our hand at our favourite activity of Sevens, but we got a severe jolt in April at the Hendon 7s (a competition where we tend to do well). We really felt the absence of contact rugby that day and took some heavy knocks and former skipper Ed Kemp F’10 suffered a troubling knee injury. In contrast, at the Surrey 7s later

in July 2021 we featured strongly - bolstered by a talented contingent of 2020 Leavers who had been lost to rugby (and to the School) since the start of the Covid crisis.

Socials have taken the biggest hit through the pandemic as large social gatherings were not permitted. However, when given the opportunity, a good number of us enjoyed a barbeque and beers in Wandsworth Common in July 2021 - our first social in 15 months. This was eagerly followed by the ‘End of Season Social’ (some 15 months late); which included our formal AGM which took place at The Roundhouse in Clapham (on the pavement outside the hostelry for ‘social distancing’ reasons). There was an excellent turn out and a fantastic evening was had by all.

By September 2021 the return to rugby was well and truly under way - kicking off with our traditional Youngers vs Olders game at Worth (see separate report). This was a handy warm up for our return to the Surrey Leagues season (Surrey 2) which started again on 18th September, after a full 18 months of no competitive rugby.

The WOBS are back on the road again!

Desmond Calnan R’69 and James Kemp F’14

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Younger vs Older Worthians Rugby Match 2021 Sport

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fter an 18-month hiatus, it is an absolute pleasure to write that the WOBS finally donned the famous blue and gold again to play against their U23 equivalent. After a whole season of no games, but plenty of zoom quizzes and socially distant touch rugby, there was excellent turnout from players and the weather to welcome back our favourite ball game.

A very entertaining game was played out on the pitches of Worth on 4th September 2021 in front of what felt like the crowds of Twickenham. Given that it had been so long, the rugby was high quality with both sides moving the ball well and picking good lines to score some very attractive tries. The first half in particular was back and forth with

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the Youngers starting the stronger of the two teams and capitalising off a missed catch off a high ball. The Olders soon replied with a try of their own after some good strength shown in midfield by George Suckling B’15, his brother, Dom B’14 broke down the left touchline to score in the corner.

The second half saw the younger boys make headway with the midfield of Ted Fuller G’20 and Matt Redferne G’18 making a strong impression. While the speed of the young to the breakdown, with Benny Smith F’20 and Tom Roberts F’18 prominent, helped to disrupt the senior players. The inventive kicking game of the Youngers full back, the fleet-footed athlete Josh Shaghaghi C’19, put

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Head Master, Stuart McPherson, presents the Glenn Robertson trophy to Youngers Captain, Andrew Riley

Unfortunately, it was not to be Christian’s day. The Youngers again, after some lovely skill on halfway, made great ground on the right. The ball went left and found itself in the hands of Killoughery the Younger (Giles R’20) who unleashed a moment of magic with an out of the back door, no look pass sending the less weathered WOBS over. Final score was 36-29 to the Youngers.

Head Master, Stuart McPherson, was on hand to present the trophy to Younger’s Captain, Andrew Riley G’18. Thank you very much to the School for hosting us and putting on a lovely spread for tea, and to Mary Lou for organising.

Sport

daylight between the two sides. Captain Kemp F’14 and his men were having none of it, and after a rallying cry under the posts, the Olders came back out fighting with Christian Killoughery R’10 showing some great skills to help to bring the older boys back level.

As always, it made for a great season opener and gave many their debuts for the Silver Fox’s blue and gold army. We are always looking for new members and players, so if you’re keen, please get in touch with one of the Committee, or come and join in at training on a Wednesday evening in Battersea Park. Up the WOBS! Nick Elvidge C’11

Younger & Older Teams: Back row: Dom Suckling B’14, Max Sandeman R’17, Zac Bartlett R’20, Charlie Barakat F’19, Josh Shaghaghi C’19, Matt Redferne G’18, Max Tew G’16, Giles Killoughery R’20, Ollie Davies R’20, James Griffiths R’16, Fergus Atkinson F’19, Nick Elvidge C’11, Desmond Calnan R’69, Freddie Boag-Jones R’15 Front row: George Suckling B’15, Ted Fuller G’20, Tim Riley G’18, Barney Elwes R’17, Fred Greenslade G’18, Christian Killoughery R’10, James Kemp F’14, Andrew Riley G’18, Hector Berry (g), David Corr B’14, Benny Green F’20, Cameron Sayer (g), Tom Roberts F’18, Chris Wyles R’14

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The Global Action Awards

The Global Action Awards

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he Global Action Awards (GAA) were established in 2000 by Worth Society to offer grants to Worthians proposing to spend an extended period of time in unpaid work for the good of others. To date, a total of £30,980 has been awarded to those who have participated in voluntary work for good causes around the world.

The global pandemic has sadly halted any award applications in 2021. We are very much hoping that as social distancing and travel restrictions ease the scheme will be able to restart for 2022. We therefore would like to remind Worthians that the awards are open to them at any stage in their life should they wish to take an extended sabbatical and undertake a voluntary project with a recognised charity that is both beneficial to themselves personally and to the wider community. The project may involve international travel, but although this is encouraged it is not a prerequisite as there have been several awards made for projects in the UK.

Key factors in making the award are: • Development of the individual and skills that will be of use to the recipient post Worth • Benefit to the chosen community • Financial need • The extent to which the candidate has used their initiative to help part-finance the project Awardees write a report of their project for The Blue Paper upon their return and, as the Society feels that it is very important that awardees be involved in promoting the benefits of their activities to those who might follow in their footsteps, they are also asked to come back to School to make a short presentation to current students about their GAA. If you interested in finding out more contact Mary Lou Burge, Worth Society Manager at worthsociety@worth.org.uk or call 01342 710241.

Award applications are reviewed and awarded by the Worth Society Committee which consists of the Chairman of Worth Society, Worth School's Head Master, alumni and current and former staff who meet each term.

Will Harries with ICS in Tanzania

Antonia Foldes with TECHO in Colombia

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Naomi Dring with Puericultorio JAVA orphanage in Peru

Edward Bridge with La Choza Chula in Guatemala

GAAs Awarded since 2011 2019-20

Will Harries R’15 – volunteering with ICS in Tanzania £1,700

2018-19 Sophie Enoizi StA’18 – volunteering with Operation Raleigh in Costa Rica £1,000

Frances Oesterlin StM’15 – volunteering with The Hope Agency in Cambodia £500

2016-17 Edward Bridge (StB’11) – Medical Elective at The Western Regional Hospital, Belize and volunteering with ‘La Choza Chula’, Guatemala £1,000

Andrew Morris (R’06) – Medical Elective at Ananthapuri Hospital, Kerala, India £1,500

2015-16

Antonia Foldes (StM’11) – volunteering with TECHO in Colombia £2,100

2014-15

Peter Webb (C’14) – volunteering with the Manquehue Movement in Chile £1,000

Benjamin Booker (B’13) – volunteering with the Puericultorio JAVA Orphanage in Peru £500

Beatrice Lewers (StA’13) – volunteering with the Puericultorio JAVA Orphanage in Peru £500

Stephen Free (C’15) – working with VSO & ICS in Tanzania £500

2013-14

Merrick Winter (F’13) – teaching English with Global Vision International in India and Nepal £500

Charlie Bridge (StB’09) – teaching English with TASK Brasil in Rio de Janeiro £500

Thomas Harrison (StB’92) – founding Fusion Enterprise Music & Drama Group for adults with learning disabilities £150 Sophia Enoizi with Operation Raleigh in Costa Rica

2012-13

Charlotte Bonhoure (StM’13) – working with the Manquehue Movement in Chile £750

Naomi Dring (StA’13) – volunteering for Worth Abbey’s ‘Outreach Peru’ programme in Peru £1,000

James Folger (B’10) – teaching English at schools in San Jose in Costa Rica £400

Ciaran Stordy (StB’12) – working with the Manquehue Movement in Chile £500

2011-12

Niamh Fogarty (StM’11) – volunteering with Tanzanian NGO, TanzEd £500

Xavier Geissmann (B’11) – working with the Manquehue Movement in Chile £700

Francis Dring (C’12) – volunteering with The Peru Mission in the Amazon £1,000

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Worthians helping to save the planet 2021 has been another year where climate change has demonstrated its power on the planet, with devastating floods, fire and famine increasingly on our screens. In August the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) unveiled a report that outlined the most up-to-date insight into understanding the physical aspects of the climate system and the impact it was having on our world – with brutal honesty. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in November brought people together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

We thought it would be interesting to see who in our network were working in this field and in their own way doing their bit to protect our planet, and demonstrating the Benedictine value of Stewardship.

We are stewards, not masters of the earth.

Peter 4:10

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“Listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, who suffer most because of the unbalanced ecology” – Pope Francis

Stephen Bamford StB’68 was one of the founders and Chairman of the SulNOx Group who have come a long way since 2013 when they had the dream of reducing diesel and petrol users’ money, whilst at the same time radically lowering the toxic emissions from their vehicles. SulNox is now a quoted company and will have an integral part on the “Path to zero emissions by 2050”.

Stephen has recently done a 6 month savings assessment on his brand-new BMW 520d X Drive.

Anthony Elletson B’71 started his career as a solicitor, but in the mid-1990s found himself with a forestry concession in north west Russia and has been doing forestry related things ever since. He has been involved with various environmental projects, including the Strath Carnaig Woodland creation scheme (near Dornoch in Sutherland). This was the largest planting scheme for nearly 100 years having secured Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval for over 1,000 ha of new planting, largely within a site of special scientific interest, and a hen harrier special protection area. He currently lives in The Black Mountains in deepest Wales.

Gregory Dix B’88 has been working on large scale renewable energy developments for the last 15 years.

He has provided consultancy services to developers on over 500MW of large ground mounted solar schemes in the UK, alongside large-scale wind development, battery storage schemes and is now working on green hydrogen generation development. He has spoken to hundreds of landowners on farm scale renewable generation and has provided due diligence and viability to funders and community investors. These developments are all helping to decarbonise our economy and towards the challenging target of the UK being carbon neutral by 2050.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

Genesis 2:15

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Worthians helping to save the planet continued

A One Planet home in Wales

He goes on to say “Action is needed on all fronts: the effect of carbon emissions on climate change, the loss of habitats and biodiversity, the depletion of the life of the soil, and so on. If we are to survive long term, they are non-negotiable. Thankfully, there is a growing appetite amongst landowners, politicians and other key decision makers for such radical responses to the escalating environmental crisis, but there is sadly also a corresponding reaction by those unwilling to engage with the realities of the situation, so the fight must go on, while time is fast running out”.

A sustainable glamping pod designed by Mark Waghorn Design

Mark Waghorn StB’90 moved to Wales in 2011, inspired by the country's goal to become a One Planet nation within a generation, ensuring that within this timeframe, its citizens consume no more than their fair share of the world’s resources. Mark believes Wales can be a beacon of hope, inspiring others around the world. It’s a beautiful land, rich in natural resources, with many citizens willing those in positions of power to facilitate positive change.

As a director of Mark Waghorn Design (www.mwd.wales), Mark helps clients build or adapt their buildings to reduce their environmental footprint, delivering high quality environments that use available resources responsibly for the benefit of future generations. The inspiration for his work is rooted in the knowledge that we are an integral part of the natural world. As a Director of the Calon Cymru Network CIC (caloncymru.org) Mark is contributing to radical proposals for sustainable economic regeneration in rural Wales, and also tries to instill the principles of One Planet design in the work of the third year architectural students that he teaches at Trinity St David University in Swansea.

Mark is also an advocate for and specialist in One Planet Development, a planning policy unique to Wales that allows for new homes in the countryside on the condition that their occupants have very low ecological footprints.

Mark says, “It’s based on an honest appraisal of the combined climate breakdown and ecological crises facing us, and allows inspiring, positive responses that allow a space for hope. Understanding the importance of One Planet Development requires the courage to face the reality of the situation, as only then can we appreciate the level of change needed in the way society operates”.

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Justin Pavry StB’91 has been working on climate related projects for the last 20 years, first at a law firm, then at the International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank Group) and now at CDC, the UK’s development finance institution. In the last 12 years his work has been almost exclusively the financing of renewable power projects in the developing world. It’s been an exciting journey, working in South America, Eastern Europe, South Asia and, more and more, in Africa and focused on making renewable power act like ‘baseload’ power to be a replacement for fossil fuel based power.

Francis Binney grading whelks as part of an annual stock assessment

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Francis Binney G’00 is a Marine Scientist for the Government of Jersey and has a broad scope of responsibilities ranging from assessing sustainable fishing limits for key stocks such as lobster, crab and whelk to mapping and managing marine key habitats such as seagrass meadows and fish spawning grounds. Francis, along with colleagues in the Marine Resources Team, works with both local and French fishers as well as NGO partners to find the best path to sustainably exploit the seas in which Jersey sits. Blue carbon is also becoming an increasing part of his portfolio with the opportunities of restoring the seabed to sequester carbon gaining international interest.

Lorenzo Curci B’00 Is Chief Commercial Officer at Earthly, a platform that connects businesses to highquality nature-based solutions (NbS) that remove carbon, restore biodiversity and support local communities.

Earthly connect funding to a broad spectrum of NbS that can contribute to the estimated 11Gt annual drawdown potential these solutions can offer, but also to those projects that can best protect, maintain and regenerate ecosystems. With businesses of all sizes looking to play their part in combatting climate change and reducing and removing their impact, Earthly has become a leading Climate Tech business helping achieve those goals. Their mission is, “to be the leading global marketplace for high-quality nature-based solutions and help businesses remove at least 1 Gigatonne of carbon (1 billion tonnes) by 2030”. www.earthly.org Dry stone wall restoration in the Cotswolds

Ed Bonn G’01 delivers a programme of rural skills training for the Cotswolds National Landscape, an independent body with a remit to conserve and enhance the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (CAONB). At 790 square miles, stretching from Bath on its southern most edge to the far reaches of north Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds is England’s third largest protected landscape, just behind the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales national parks. He offers courses on such skills as; restoring dry stone walls (a significant landscape feature

Lorenzo Curci attending COP26 in Glasgow in November

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Worthians helping to save the planet continued

James Longman reporting from Mont Blanc

of the Cotswolds), coppicing woodlands and producing sustainable charcoal, and laying hedges in the traditional manner. In recent times, these traditional practices have been gaining new momentum, particularly as people re-evaluate their priorities and look for other ways to live.

James Longman B’05 is doing his bit to highlight the dangers of climate change to a mass audience in his role as Foreign Correspondent for ABC News. He reported from Mont Blanc last year on the melting of the Planpincieux Glacier which is moving 10 times quicker than anticipated and slipping 150cms a day in extreme cases. This creates the danger of 66 million gallons of ice falling into the Aosta Valley on the Italian side of the mountain.

Tom Hicks B’13 was inspired during his time with the Born Free Foundation in Zambia in 2016 and has subsequently been attempting to get to the North Pole on an expedition for the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation where he will also be collecting data for the Scientific Exploration Society. Hampered by the pandemic, Tom has spent the time continuing to train and write passionately about wildlife and environmental conservation on his blog. Up until recently Tom was Rugby Development Coach at Worth and is now working as a coach for London Irish.

Tom Hicks training for his trek to the North Pole

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Ellie Chidgey StA'19 has been involved in a fascinating project in Cornwall, photographing the work of a conservation team as part of her university course. Ellie is at Falmouth University studying Marine and Natural History Photography, a specialised course where she’s able to use the scuba diving skills she learnt whilst at Worth to explore the Cornish coastlines with underwater cameras and discover the unseen-wonders of the natural world with microscopy. The course has also raised Ellie’s awareness of global issues, including habitat loss, climate change and plastic pollution. As part of the conservation module, she was set the task to design and create a feature article for a magazine based on a local conservation story, which led her to work with Dynamic Duneescapes, a project restoring sand dune biodiversity across England and Wales for the benefit of people, communities and wildlife. www.duneescapes.co.uk Ellie Chidgey photographing the sand dunes in Cornwall

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Meet the Bionic Man Tom Priestley Taverner R’07

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om, who was known as ‘Priest’ or TP’, arrived at Worth in 2000 and spent seven happy years there. A local lad from Brighton, he was “blessed” with his year, many of whom he is still in regular contact with, a cohort of sporty Worthians including the likes of Team GB Rugby 7s captain, Tom Mitchell F’07. The strong learning support he received whilst at Worth helped Tom overcome a childhood struggle with severe dyslexia and to build a career in the sciences which some at the time might have thought impossible. As he recalls, “despite being interested in the subject, I struggled with science.

Being dyslexic might have been seen as a barrier but in my case it gave me the ability to visualise things in a 3D way which became a real benefit”.

In pursuit of a practical career Tom headed to Sheffield Hallam University to study Physiotherapy. From there he spent four years at the Royal Free Hospital where he practised his skills in neurological physiotherapy. This provided an invaluable insight into the NHS and medical profession for the next stage in Tom's career with Rex Bionics. Rex had developed the first hands-free robotassisted physiotherapy device, RAPPER II, which enabled patients to move from sitting into a robot-supported standing position, and to walk and stretch unaided. Tom managed subsequent clinical trials and training on the use of the device.

With this unique and valuable knowledge under his belt, in 2018 Tom joined the award-winning Spanish company, Marsi Bionics, as Clinical Director. Founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the Centro de Automática y Robótica, a joint

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ATLAS, the world’s first paediatric exoskeleton

centre of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the Spanish National Research Council, Marsi has made a high impact on the development of disruptive technologies for the health sector. It was a perfect point for Tom to get involved whilst the devices were still in development, allowing him to have an input into their design, and to plan and oversee clinical trials. As he explains, his role was, “to see what problem a device could solve and develop a trial to support it”.

Marsi's main activity is focused on the development of lower limb exoskeletons as medical devices, having built the world's first paediatric exoskeleton, ATLAS. The device

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MAK AKTIVE KNEE

mobility and stability necessary to be able to walk. Sensors provide biomechanical analysis of the patient’s gait and work to improve it. There is little doubt that such devices indicate the future for rehabilitation following strokes and for those with MS and muscular atrophies.

Despite the company being based in Madrid, Tom opted to make a home in Ibiza and work from there, which has given him and his partner a wonderful work/life balance, particularly during the pandemic.

has active joints with variable stiffness that mimic natural muscle function and interprets the patient’s intention to move, responding at every step. It can be fitted in 5 minutes and allows the patient to feel they are walking on their own whilst the therapist can interact with them face-to-face, without the need to hold them. This is revolutionary technology for children suffering from diseases such as cerebral palsy, improving their quality of life by allowing them to walk with safety, control and stability on any surface.

Another Marsi product is the first robotic knee orthosis, MAK AKTIVE KNEE, which is fitted to provide the strength,

It is an exciting future for Marsi and for Tom as his role is expanding to develop the use of their products commercially in hospitals and specialised therapy centres in the UK and across Europe. The next stage of product development will be to increase or decrease the modulation of the devices as a patient’s disease progresses or improves.

The potential is huge when you consider there are 40 million patients worldwide affected by a wide range of pathologies that could be helped by this type of technology. We watch with interest how things develop.

Mary Lou Burge, Worth Society Manager

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Worthian crowned Sussex Young Musician of the Year

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his year turned out to be a particularly special one for Jane Burnell StA’15 who was crowned the overall winner of the Coro Nuovo Sussex Young Musician of the Year Competition in July.

The competition gives young musicians the chance to receive cash grants to help support their music studies and also offers them performance opportunities. The competition rounds would normally take place in person however, due to Covid restrictions, had been run online for the second year. Nonetheless the competition attracted over 30 entries which was narrowed down to just 4 finalists.

The finalists were judged by Sakari Oramo, chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms since 2014.

It was Jane’s performances in four songs sung in German of all different styles that won Oramo over and she was awarded the first prize of £1,000 to help her with her music masters studies at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM).

On hearing she had won, Jane said: “I am over the moon and still coming to terms with the result! I hope to use the bursary to go towards more language lessons to help my singing repertoire. I am absolutely delighted to have won such a prestigious prize.”

“I am really looking forward to returning to perform in Sussex a number of times over the coming year for solo recitals and as a soloist with Coro Nuovo.”

Jane is currently studying for an MMus in Vocal and Opera Studies at the RNCM, Manchester, where she also gained a scholarship generously supported by the Richard Newitt Fund. Before this, she completed her undergraduate studies at Leeds Conservatoire. Jane is a regular concert soloist and has sung with many choirs and orchestras all over the UK. She also recently performed for The Great Yorkshire Proms with the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra alongside Sir Willard White, Aled Jones, Sophie Evans and Tenors Unlimited.

Jane says “I am really looking forward to returning to perform in Sussex a number of times over the coming year for solo recitals and as a soloist with Coro Nuovo.”

Jane’s winning performance can be seen on YouTube: youtu.be/nLeSCLdtIoQ You can also keep track of Jane’s upcoming schedule via her website: www.janeburnellsoprano.squarespace.com We offer her our greatest congratulations!

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The work of The Douai Foundation

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he Douai Foundation is a new charitable trust that is looking to support Benedictine education around the world. It was created by the generosity of The Douai Society and generations of old Dowegians who had left money to their School over the years. This money was donated to Douai School for educational purposes, however since the School closed in 1999 the fund has rarely been used. This, combined with the reducing number of old boys, led the Douai Society to create The Douai Foundation, in memory of the School and its alumni.

Many of the Benedictine schools around the world operate in poor areas where the children are desperate for resources. It was decided by the Trustees that these schools were where the money would make the most difference. I was tasked with finding suitable schools in South America whilst other Trustees focused on Asia and Africa.

My first port of call was Fr Alexander da Costa, who has long been associated with Outreach Peru. He told me of three Benedictine schools in Chile, all of which were in the capital Santiago. The one most in need of our help, in the most disadvantaged part of the city was called Colegio San Lorenzo. The Manquehue Movement, a lay Benedictine movement, are very involved in the running of the School and one of their leaders in Santiago is Jonathan Parry. I emailed Jonathan and he replied telling me all about the School and the ways in which we could help.

He put me in touch with the delightfully named Josefina Ringeling, Director of Fundraising, whose enthusiasm for the children and the School was infectious. She quickly

Trustees: Andy Taylor, Richard Sims, Richard Quarterman & Chris Vale

itemised areas that we could help and arranged a zoom meeting with the Headmaster so that we could discuss the specific donations.

I was amazed with the similarities between Worth and San Lorenzo, not financial, but spiritual. The Headmaster, given a donation of money from the Douai Foundation, prioritised pastoral care, the training and funding of courses for teachers and prefects, and the provision of ‘away days’ for his students out of the classroom in order to elevate the importance of compassion, service and community.

I will travel to Chile next year to meet these people and see how the charity has helped the School. Meanwhile, other Trustees of the Douai Foundation have found worthy educational causes in Africa at Inkamana High School and Ndanda School of Nursing, and in India at St Lioba School.

If you would like to know more about the Charity and it’s work, please take a look at the Douai Foundation website: www.douaifoundation.org Andy Taylor, Former Teaching Staff 2000-2017

One of the schools supported by the Douai Foundation in Santiago, Chile

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175 marathons and counting

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Alice gets much pleasure being part of the running community

or most of us the idea of taking part in a marathon would involve months of training, days of sore muscles post-event, and probably a vow to never do it again! Not Alice Robinson StA'15, who took part in her first marathon in June 2019 having entered on the day itself, with no prior training, and ending up finishing as the first senior female. Since then, Alice has gone on to run a staggering 175 marathons and counting.

I caught up with Alice in October on a rare ‘rest’ day to try and understand what keeps her going. “I just love it” she says, “I sometimes wake up in the morning and think I might not enjoy this one, but I always do”. She does in fact regularly do 4 marathons over one weekend, often finding the afternoon run “much easier” after the morning warm-up!

Her schedule sounds utterly exhausting. In May she completed a 20 in 20, but actually ran 23 marathons in 23 days as she added a couple of races on the end. She then ran the Great Barrow Challenge of 10 marathons in 10 days in June and completed her 99th and 100th (in Harlow & Staines) one Sunday in August. Her first city marathon was Brighton in September and since then she has done such wonderfully-named challenges as the Yorkshire Cakeathon and Cookiethon and the Samphire Hoe Zombie Challenge.

Alice could have achieved several Guinness World Records, including the youngest person to do 20 marathons in 20 days, which she has in fact done twice, although she hasn’t claimed them as the “paperwork would take too long”.

I wondered if she had suffered any injuries during her short running career, but apart from breaking her collar bone falling out of her attic which put back her running by a few weeks, and the odd bit of knee pain, she has hardly pulled a muscle.

One of Alice’s double marathon days

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Just one of Alice’s many marathons, this one in Cornwall

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The reason we race isn’t so much to beat each other, but to be with each other.

Christopher McDougall, Author of Born to Run

After leaving Worth Alice started a Biomedical Science degree at Plymouth University but deferred her final year to concentrate on her running. She hopes to eventually do a Masters in Sports Psychology, possibly via the Open University, and has certainly learnt a lot about the subject during her runs. She says her other main motivation is the marathon community, having met a lot of other regular runners and she has become a well-known figure on the marathon circuit, often spurred on with shouts of “come on Alice” from familiar faces.

When she’s not running Alice fills her time with care work, including live-in respite care, and doing the odd promotional and admin jobs, really just to pay for her marathon entries and travel.

Alice’s latest goal is to reach 200 marathons within 52 weeks, hopefully by May 2022, before heading for the World Ranking List, and perhaps to improve on her already impressive best time of 3 hours, 6 minutes. Some achievement for a Worth girl who “wasn't particularly sporty at school. Only playing netball and popping to the gym a few times”.

Mary Lou Burge, Worth Society Manager

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The comeback marathon – London 2021 The London Marathon is the most over-subscribed marathon in the world, so what is it that makes it so special and one of the ‘crown jewels’ of British sport alongside Wimbledon, The FA Cup, The Boat Race and The Grand National? It’s probably the fact that anyone can apply for a ballot place or secure an entry via a charity and compete on the same course, on the same day as the elite runners (who are running at sub-5 minutes per mile for men & sub-6 minutes for women) while experiencing the same support from the crowds and the special atmosphere that it creates.

To go for a run through streets lined with wildly enthusiastic spectators cheering and supporting your every step is a feeling that is both inspiring and, at times, a highly emotional rollercoaster ride. For many runners, this is one of the greatest days of their life as they are wrapped up in a blanket of support and warmth by strangers wanting them to succeed in their quest to the finish.

Tim Starkie at the finish line

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he London Marathon returned to the streets of London on 3rd October 2021 after a hiatus of 889 days due to the Covid pandemic. A few days before this year’s event, Hugh Brasher (Race Director) said “It will be a moment of joy and true emotion”. His father Chris Brasher (The London Marathon Founder) had written in The Observer back in 1979, having returned from running in the New York Marathon, “I wonder whether London would stage such a festival? We have the course, a magnificent course - but do we have the heart and hospitality to welcome the world?”.

The answer to those two questions is absolutely “yes” and “yes” – what an event! The London Marathon is all about the runners, course volunteers and the support of the crowds. A street party lasting 26.2 miles. 6,747 runners started the first race back in 1981. Since then over one million runners raising over £1 billion for charity have completed the iconic course.

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This was the 9th time I had run the London Marathon (my first was back in 1992), and it was definitely the best.

It wasn’t my best finishing time, but it will be the most memorable for being part of, and witnessing, London coming together in a form of ‘community celebration’ post-pandemic. Since March 2020 we have all seen our daily lives and routines turned upside down and people have been desperate to get outside and experience some normality. Many people have taken up, or re-found their enjoyment of, walking and running during the lockdowns given that this was one of the few activities people were permitted to do.

I have always enjoyed sport and this lifelong love was instilled in me at Worth. It was Mr Philby my French teacher in Junior House, who initially ignited my passion for running, after he thought that my very poor French might be somewhat improved by taking me running in the woods and practising my French along the way. My running has certainly been more consistent and enjoyable than my French ever has been, tant pis.

Normally for a marathon, one is advised to train with a formulated training plan for at least six months to enable the body to be properly conditioned. Unfortunately, I was given about eight weeks’ notice having been fortunate enough to win a coveted place through a competition at work. My regular running consists of running to and from work, a distance of about 1.5 miles each way, and whatever extra running I can fit in during a thirty-minute lunch break a few times a week. This is clearly not marathon conditioning training. However, this wasn’t my first marathon. I work for a running retailer, which

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gives me the opportunity to converse and be inspired by runners on a daily basis, which was certainly a great help.

We all lead busy lives where the triangle of work, rest & play isn’t always equal. Therefore, planning and preparation was the key to controlling the controllable. Fr Christopher, my housemaster in both Junior and Senior House regularly spoke about this, and it was the mantra of many of Worth’s sports teachers - Mr Potter, Mr Robertson, Mr Daly and Mr Denman. The marathon running triangle can be categorised as mental preparation (the “what if” scenarios), nutrition (carbohydrates, glycogen levels & hydration) and the physical training runs. My longest training run was just over 10 miles - I certainly would not advise this as an adequate training plan! On the day itself, I knew that two sides of the triangle were consistent and solid. This meant that if I ran at a comfortable controlled pace, knowing that I might run out of steam at 18 or 19 miles, I still had the confidence to know that I’d be able to complete. Having my name written on my vest enabled the crowds to shout it out which was hugely motivational and something I would highly recommend anyone running a race should do, unless you wish to remain anonymous!

As so many runners do, I ran to do my bit for charity in support of Pancreatic Cancer Action, which my father-inlaw & godmother recently lost their lives to. The stories that I heard as I chatted to other runners along the course were both heart-breaking and inspiring. Running a marathon certainly is a lifechanging experience in many ways.

I saw a lot of tears from runners throughout the race, many were of joy and happiness as they crossed the finish line. They knew they weren’t just running for themselves, but also for those strangers, friends and family members who had shouted, applauded and encouraged them on the day and along their training journey, and running for the charities that they were supporting.

For the record I finished in 4 hours 24 minutes, but it wasn’t about the time, but more a celebration of life getting back to some sort of normality.

I am very grateful to all those who were kind and generous enough to sponsor me.

Tim Starkie G’90

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Bringing Padel Tennis to the UK

I

first played padel tennis on a business trip to Spain when I couldn’t book a tennis court as the courts were all full. Although I had never played the game before I quickly learnt and was soon enjoying long rallies and a variety of lobs and volleying rarely seen in my standard of tennis! I came off the court exhausted and exhilarated in equal measure… and ready for a refreshing cold beer.

Ironically, if it was today, the padel courts would be full and the tennis courts freely available. In Spain more people play padel (4 million active players) than lawn tennis, and there are more padel courts (20,000) than tennis courts. But it’s not just Spain, padel is one of the fastest growing sports not only in Europe but across the world. In Sweden, for example, the number of courts doubled from 360 in 2018 to 717 in 2019, and recent estimates are that there are now nearly 1,500.

Why? Well, you need to try for yourself, but once you do I warn you it’s very addictive. For a taster to get you excited watch the Best 10 Puntazos 2020 World Padel Tour on YouTube.

Padel is played on a court which is roughly half the size of a tennis court, it is enclosed with glass walls at the end and the ball can bounce, hit the wall and remain in play.

The game is a blend of tennis and squash, played with a padel racket made of high-density foam and a ball that is 70% of the compression of a tennis ball. Padel is highly social, played in pairs (doubles) and tends to have long rallies, lots of lobbing and volleying. It’s a simple game to learn, the serve is underarm and scoring as in tennis. With tactics and guile/finesse more important than strength and power, this makes padel a sport which can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities and a great way for families to exercise together.

So how did I get involved? Well, I had been watching how the game was taking off across Europe and I was getting increasingly frustrated at the lack of courts in the UK (circa 100). In late November 2019 I met another padel enthusiast, Christopher Wilkinson, who had recently retired from Numis Securities in the City and had founded a company called Padel4all. We decided to join forces along with two other Directors and launched the business, raising capital from friends, family and acquaintances. We got on a plane to Denmark and Sweden to experience the growth of padel there first-hand and saw the immense enthusiasm and addiction to the game. Courts were being built across both countries and demand was rising rapidly - it was extraordinary and we knew it would catch on in the UK. Winding the clock forward to 2021 and we now have planning permission granted at 3 sites in Southend, Swindon and Bristol. Our Swindon centre opened on the 18th September 2021 with 3 courts, Southend will be a late October or November opening with 4 courts, and Bristol will open early next year, also with 4 courts. We hope to then build 5 more centres each year from 2022 onwards.

We aim to make Padel4all the leading padel operator in the UK and are constantly looking for additional sites, predominantly in the South of England. We have a strong

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Padel4all’s first centre in Basset Down, Swindon

pipeline including Bracknell, Cambridge, Eastbourne, Northampton, Reading and Southampton. We believe padel will become a hugely popular game here in the UK. The Lawn Tennis Association took over the running of padel in 2019 and this year it was recognised by Sport England as an official sport.

No doubt many of the Spanish Worthians will wonder why it has taken us Brits so long to catch on to this game. I would recommend everyone gives it a try and we would welcome any suggestions for venues, recommendations for potential coaches (there is a shortage!) or even potential investors – it’s an EIS Scheme.

Charlie (on the right) playing padel in Sweden whilst researching the market

Charlie Whelpton B’74

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Facewatch – My start-up adventure shared with police and local businesses. Amazingly, after just 9 months, we were working with the Met police who accepted crime reports through our system.

In my naivety I thought this would just take off after that.

However, creating a business in such a legally complex area was not that simple – we had to build in all sorts of processes to satisfy the Police and Crown Prosecution Service, we had to meet the ICO (the UK data protection regulator) regularly and it started to get very expensive. At the same time I was trying to get the system to work using facial recognition, but the technology wasn’t advanced enough. I got sucked in deeper and deeper both in time and money, working 7 days a week and risking everything I’d saved over the previous 40 years, including my house.

Then in 2016 our luck changed. I met Nick Fisher who had been COO looking after 450 mobile phone stores and had extensive retail experience. Nick agreed to become our CEO because he saw the massive potential. His brilliance was to quickly identify the barriers to selling the product and remove every one of them by designing a new version of Facewatch. This all coincided perfectly with GDPR becoming law in 2018 and at the same time facial recognition systems improved 30 fold with the advent of machine learning.

Nick also focused the product on retailers who are “sitting on a burning platform” because of theft. Did you know that the big supermarkets are losing half their profits to store theft (and it is not insurable)?

Simon Gordon

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t was 2009 and I was running Gordon’s wine bar for my mother as my ‘retirement’ job. Everything was running smoothly but one thing really niggled me – we seemed to attract lots of pickpockets and it was upsetting for our customers and our staff. The Police simply didn’t have the resources to follow up on the thefts which made things even more frustrating.

What I had learned from hours reviewing CCTV over the years was that nearly all the thefts were carried out by just a handful of people and if I could stop them the theft would reduce dramatically. So, I decided to do something about it and started Facewatch in March 2010.

With a couple of friends we built a system for uploading crime reports with video clips and images that could be

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So, we closed the old system and launched the new Facewatch system in 2018. Things were looking good and then came the pandemic!

We had to totally change the facial recognition algorithms to identify people even when wearing facemasks. As if that wasn’t enough there was negative press about the police use of facial recognition which, combined with potential fines under GDPR, made businesses initially nervous about using it. We knew we were fully GDPR compliant as data controllers and had to educate the market to give them confidence.

There was also a huge increase in retail crime and violence against staff arising from the pandemic. In the darkest days of the lock-down theft from and violence towards those stores and workers trying to keep local people fed showed an enormous increase and this reflects a trend that has been building for many years.

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Retailers across the UK are now using Facewatch and they absolutely love it. Their customers are happy to see the store better protected and staff feel safer because the crime levels typically drop by at least 25% within the first 90 days of installing Facewatch.

For me personally it is fantastic that the fundamental mission I set out on 11 years ago, to prevent crime in businesses, is at last coming to fruition.

If you would like to find out more or can help us through introductions it would be great. Please visit our website at www.facewatch.co.uk or email me personally at simon@facewatch.co.uk

Facewatch is the only UK business providing a fully GDPR compliant facial recognition crime deterrent solution to the retail sector in the UK. The company uses state of the art world leading algorithms to provide an affordable instore solution using cloud technology to manage and share data of subjects of interest with Facewatch acting as data controller. Our facial recognition technology sends you instant alerts when subjects of interest enter your business premises. Facewatch is proven to stop crime before it happens – we can reduce your crime by 25% in just 90 days.

Simon Gordon StB’74

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An Irish boy in a foreign land

by Dom Brendan Lavery, a rather colourful Irish character who escorted them to school. He would give each boy a bottle of Irish whiskey, which was then collected from them the other side of customs in Holyhead. At the time some essential items were still in short supply in England!

For the five years I was at Worth a contingent of four or five of us from Cork would travel on the overnight ferry to Fishguard, then take the long train journey to Paddington and on to Worth from Victoria. Cork airport opened in 1961, so for me to attend the Worth Jubilee Jamboree in 2012 the flight to London Gatwick took less than an hour how times change.

I am a creative and was never an academic - exams and I did not agree. I know that I had early learning difficulties.

Looking back over my school reports there is criticism of my inability to concentrate and backwardness, I believe that today there would be suggestions to help.

My happiest memories of Worth are summed up in my school report by Jane Matthews for Summer Term 1958, Subject/Activity: Riding. “I was very pleased when he won the jumping class for boys at our show. He jumped a very difficult horse, a horse that needs to be pushed right into his jumps. He jumped three clear rounds and we finally had to do it on time and he jumped the whole course in 37 seconds.

A very good term’s work.”

I remember a monk coming up to me in the Quad and saying to me remember this day. It was 5/5/55. I followed similar dates through to 12/12/12, after that the numbers fell apart! I hope to be around to see 2/2/22.

Top: Kevin (sitting 2nd from left) in the Worth Pueri Cantores who sang in the Royal Albert Hall in 1958 Above: Playing trumpet (2nd from left) at Worth in the Downside Dance Band in 1960

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n September 1953, I flew with my Mum from Dublin to London Northolt airport on my way to Tower House at Worth Prep School; I was a very homesick 8 yearold Irish boy in a foreign land. My elder brother Peter had been there before me as well as first cousins, Robin Clapham, Michael & David Legge. We were all destined to go on to Downside in the footsteps of both my father Declan and our grandfather William Dwyer.

Peter was six years older than me, it is necessary to remember that he would have been travelling to Worth only two or three years after the end of WW2. I gather that the Irish boys would travel to Dublin where they were met

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I really enjoyed the boy scouts run by Dom Michael Smith, the 400+ acres around the School were just perfect for all types of activities. I learnt to play the bugle which was on the path towards subsequently playing the trumpet.

We went on Scout camp to Gorey in Co. Wexford where we camped in the grounds of Mount St Benedict, the home of retired Abbot Siegebert Trafford who had been my father’s Headmaster at Downside. The troop was inspected by his Excellency Sean T O’Kelly, second President of the Republic of Ireland. We travelled to County Cork where we camped in the grounds of my own home and my Mum hosted a barbecue for us all.

In 1957 I can remember the excitement of going out at night and looking up into the sky trying to see Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite.

On 13th July 1958 the Worth Pueri Cantores gave their first performance in the Royal Albert Hall, it is lovely to be able to say that I sang there!

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Having left Worth in 1958 I came back in 1960 as part of The Downside Dance band who were invited to play at the Worth staff Christmas party.

In 1962 my working life started in Sunbeam, the Cork based textile group in which my father Declan employed 4,500 people. My career developed on the marketing and advertising side which was very interesting as we were Ireland’s largest fashion organisation.

I married Fiona, the love of my life, in 1970, and her family hailed from Scotland. Interestingly, her brother-in-law, the late Henry Hawksley, went to Worth Prep School when it was moved to Downside during WW2.

Two of our three children were born by the time Ireland joined the Common Market and I realised that with cheap textile imports from the Far East I would not be retiring from a job in the textile industry. In 1975 and with my marketing background I moved into the investment side of the banking world.

Twelve years later, voluntary redundancy gave me the opportunity to turn my hobby of photography into my career; I could now be paid to do what I loved to do. As a commercial and industrial photographer I specialised in aerial photography. For 25 years from 1989-2014, I flew around Ireland in helicopters and small planes. As an aside, I had three aerial photographic books of Ireland

Michael Agius, Kevin & Peter Pavry back at Worth where they first met in 1953

published and have been pleased to donate them to the Worth School library.

When we retired, Fiona and I bought a cottage near the fishing village of Ballycotton on the east coast of County Cork. We are fortunate to have six grandchildren in our lives.

The trumpet that I played at Worth in 1960 is alive and well, I play regularly with the Cork Light Orchestra and also jazz with a group of friends.

Kevin Dwyer WPS 1953-58 Kevin playing his trumpet with his jazz group

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Restaurant Review Due South, Brighton

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he Bunn family have a strong association with Sussex life, as well as Worth. Douglas Bunn opened the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead back in 1960 and it has been a sporting and social fixture in the calendar ever since. His son, Charlie Bunn StB’05, is now looking to develop the family name into high end cuisine in the local area, and with this in mind has reopened Brighton restaurant Due South.

And so it was that I was invited to meet up with Charlie at the restaurant which is perfectly situated on the beach side of Kings Road, facing the sea. After a brief aperitif I was given a tour and introduced to the Chef and coowner, Mark Wadsworth, who started at the two Michelin starred Latymer Restaurant in Surrey. Having spent most of his career in restaurants around Sussex, Mark landed the Head Chef role at Riddle and Finns in Brighton and has now linked up with Charlie to relaunch Due South.

Mark has a passion for honouring wild food, the seasons and ethical farming, capturing nature in all its glory, focusing on every aspect of ingredients, from nose to tail and root to stalk. He also uses an ancient style of cooking over wood which is what has brought the restaurant back to life and having been shown into the kitchen I was amazed at the huge wood ovens preparing such things as Shitaki Mushroom & Truffle Sourdough (£6).

Being a beautiful sunny day, we opted to sit outside to look at the view. Despite the range of flavoured Jersey Oysters on the menu, I started with the Wild Seabass Sashimi with Wasabi Creme Fraiche (£9.50), followed by the catch of the day, which was Lemon Sole (£23), cooked in those wood ovens to perfection. A glass of deliciously chilled Pouilly-Fumé (£10) and lunch was complete for me. I might have been tempted to try the Wood Fired Cheesecake with Macerated Cherries & Hibiscus, or the Chocolate Marquise with Sea Buckthorne, Cocoa Nib & Fennel Pollen (both £7.50) but thought I’d keep those to next time.

We did have a lovely time, talking about family and weddings and chefs we liked in Brighton and football, of course, but all the time I just kept thinking about how perfectly that fish was cooked!

Due South, 139 Kings Road Arches, Brighton BN1 2FN Tel: 01273 041667 info@duesouthrestaurant.co.uk

Andy Taylor

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Child of a Bygone Era

by Peter Hunt WPS’53 Austin Macauley 2021

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Book Review

hild of a Bygone Era is a delightful summary of the early life of Peter Hunt (the author) who grew up partly in Hong Kong and partly in England.

Born in Brighton in 1940, he experienced the German bombardment during the Second World War before leaving for Hong Kong in 1947 where his accountant father had been posted.

The book contains 60 small chapters summarising his early experiences in pithy detail and including some charming photographs of the old Hong Kong. As a resident in Hong Kong for 37 years, I found much of what he wrote of those times quite fascinating. He left Hong Kong in 1967 after an internship as a journalist and newsreader, presumably just before the 1967 riots (as they are not mentioned), and the Hong Kong world he describes is very different even to the reviewer’s experience some 17 years later. The 70’s were clearly a time of significant change.

The grey, rationed and bleak life he experienced in England post-Second World War is in stark contrast to the colonial life he enjoyed some 7,000 miles away with its exclusive private clubs, facilities and servants.

The short sharp chapters maintain the reader’s keen interest throughout as the story moves quickly from event to event.

Many of the clubs’ locations and buildings mentioned in the story still exist today and for the current local Hong Konger it is very much a step back in time.

Peter Hunt spent his early years at Worth junior school before moving on to Downside, where he completed his secondary education. He enjoyed his life in both schools, though it is clear that he missed the pampered Hong Kong life whilst at school, and the rigours of boarding school took considerable adjustment. Used to having servants pick up his clothes where they fell, at his first night at school he was told in no uncertain terms to pick up his clothes from the floor and to fold and store them in his bedside locker! No doubt, he also had to make his bed.

Another issue which stands out from the book are the immense difficulties encountered in travelling by aircraft from England to Hong Kong and back, which in the 40s and 50s would take several days, and at some expense.

Accordingly, for some of his less urgent summer trips Peter travelled by ship and/or remained in England in rented accommodation during short school holidays with his mother on her regular visits. Of course, these days a non-stop 11 hour flight is taken for granted.

I enjoyed the book and I found many of the Hong Kong elements fascinating as a comparison between then and now, and could readily relate to the quality of life then as a bygone era.

Nick Bodnar-Horvath C’72

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A Life Above the Line – Just

by C. P. Altmann (aka Claude Keith G’69) AuthorHouse 2020

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Book Review

his is the third book by Claude Keith and he writes it under a pseudonym: C. P. Altmann. In the final pages Claude describes why he wrote it, saying that after a life in advertising he decided that what he had always wanted to do was to write.

Aspiring writers are often advised that they should write about what they know and Claude has certainly done this.

He wanted, he says, to write “a good light-hearted romp” and he has succeeded. In terms of the subject matter, I am uncertain of the book’s appeal to people completely unfamiliar with the world of advertising – even Claude’s title is a play on a piece of industry terminology.

As for the story, the book’s hero, Christoph Aitkins, has adventures that do not rely too much on a knowledge of advertising. The reader is taken into fearsome boardroom battles and the wider context of international business in the last quarter of the 1900s, including a startling kidnap in west Africa.

This reviewer would have liked Claude to write in his own voice in the style of a straightforward autobiography, not least because his own voice is so vigorous. When you twig early on that the hero is not ‘Christoph Aitkins’ but Claude Keith, you can feel uncomfortable with self-descriptions.

At one point, comparing ‘Christoph’ to another adman, the author says Christoph is “a refined, cultured thespian with a mischievous lack of respect for authority, seeking always to break the rules and always challenging in nature.”

Claude has a writing style that is engaging and pacy. If he embarks on work that is not autobiographical, as I hope he does, then I am sure that his own authentic voice will serve him well.

Johnny Harben G’69

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The Complete Shot

by Shane Bisgood StB’71 Connemara Shooting School 2020

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Book Review

he Complete Shot is the fruit of a lifetime dedicated to mastering the sport of shooting, and the passing on of that knowledge to students.

Shane Bisgood began teaching when he was 16 years old, when a policeman practising shooting with his colleagues on the shooting ground alongside Conker Avenue beyond the farm at Worth Abbey asked his advice. His diagnosis of the man’s faults and his advice to remedy those issues proved to be correct. Many others turned to Shane, including his friends in Ireland. He became a trained professional by the age of 26 and has been a full-time instructor for 44 years.

One of the USA’s most famous Olympian shooters recently wrote a glowing review of the book. Gary Faules wrote, “What an amazing shotgunner’s book. In all honesty, I don’t feel there has ever been one written that can hold a candle to yours. Your methods of teaching far exceed that of any shotgun instruction to be found. You have a unique (and gifted) manner of making everything so ‘understandable’ be they a novice or an accomplished shooter such as myself.”

The book is illustrated throughout with correct elements to employ in this sport. It is also coloured with anecdotes from Shane’s life as an instructor, the characters who have asked him for help - the client who may be a celebrity in normal life turns to fellow human, smiling with achievement - these stories are in themselves worth reading.

There is no subject left uncovered, from the gun and the shooter, to safety, etiquette, teaching techniques, and even to hints of sartorial propriety. However, the greatest contribution to the sport’s literature is Shane’s lucid explanation of his method for achieving consistent accuracy.

This may well become a bible for generations of shooters and an indispensable read for lovers of field sports.

Patrick Slevin B’08

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The Unmarriageable Man

by Suresh Madannayake C’75 writing as Ashok Ferrey Penguin 2021

Book Review

S

uresh Mudannayake from Sri Lanka - or ‘Muda’ as he was known at school - attended Worth at exactly the same time as I did Junior House from 1968, then Senior School 1970-1975, followed by Oxford - where he read Mathematics at Christ Church. The 1980s saw the two of us still running parallel, both converting old properties in Brixton into flats. At the age of thirty Muda cashed in his chips and returned to Sri Lanka.

It was something of a surprise to us all, therefore, when he turned his hand to writing at the tender age of 42, under the assumed pen-name of ‘Ashok Ferrey’. Fast forward twenty odd years and he is now Sri Lanka's best-selling author in the English language, having left the pure mathematics far behind. All of which just goes to show what a first-rate Benedictine education can do for you.

In this, his fourth novel (and sixth book), Ferrey revisits his years in Brixton, during those "glorious blue-rinsed Thatcher eighties when every girl looked like Princess Diana though not every boy looked like Prince Charles."

It is not easy writing a semi-autobiographical novel: creative non-fiction is a difficult art at the best of times.

How do you make real life interesting enough for a perfect stranger to enjoy, yet not stray so far from the truth that the work loses all heft of credibility? As Ferrey says in an interview elsewhere, “In much of my work, it is the truth that has to stand good as fiction, not the other way around.” In The Unmarriageable Man he manages this delicate balancing act with great precision - introducing as counterpoint the protagonist Sanjay de Silva's difficult relationship in Sri Lanka with his eccentric domineering father, and his subsequent inability to deal with his death. Indeed at the heart of the novel is this

question: Do we ever get over our grief at the death of a loved one? Ferrey’s answer is perhaps not the one any of us would like to hear. “All that exists at the end is the sheer animal act of forgetting,” he writes, “and the act of forgiving ourselves for forgetting, It is a physical thing born of years of harrowing repetition and replay: the road so often travelled that the scenery is no longer visible, the paragraph so often read that the sense is no longer apparent.”

But fear not, the novel is not all doom and gloom. Over the years I have been the recipient of each new Ferrey novel whenever the author visits the UK, and I can vouch that a certain lightness of touch is his trademark, even when he is writing on subjects of great import. This could be perceived as cynicism; or perhaps a certain survival mechanism from having lived the last thirty years on a war-torn troubled island. Neither of these do I feel to be the truth. Those of us who knew Muda before - with his execrable puns and his ghastly schoolboy wit! - will agree with me that this is quite simply the way he sees the world.

There can't be many mathematicians who have gone rogue, turning into writers in their middle age. Does the maths affect the writing in any way? “Every one of my novels has at its core a skeleton of mathematics,” Ferrey says. “My job as writer is to flesh out those hard mathematical bones so the reader will not be aware of them.”

Writers are thieves and magpies, borrowing indiscriminately where they will, and one of the dubious delights of reading a book by someone you know is to turn each leaf in dreaded anticipation, hoping and fearing at the same time that you will find yourself on the next page. Although Ferrey tries his best to keep off the grass, sharp-eyed Worth-watchers will spot the names Philip and Domenica Gaisford appearing early on in the novel; and I for one am delighted that the country house I grew up in, in the little village of Zeal Monachorum, performs a star turn towards the end of the book. So is there any likelihood that at some point in the future, Worth itself will make an appearance? “Who knows?” Ferrey says with an enigmatic smile. “Be very careful what you wish for . . . ” Richard Breen StB’75

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The Certainty of Being Loved

by Dom Martin McGee Dominican Publications 2021

It is hard to imagine a life that so clearly testified to that belief as did Claverie’s. A Dominican friar who was installed as Bishop of Oran the year he gave that retreat, he was brutually murdered shortly after the March 1996 kidnapping and beheading of the seven Trappist monks of Tibhirine. The monks and Claverie were beatified by Pope Francis in 2018 together with eleven other religious mostly French, but including two Spaniards and a Belgian slain by Islamists in the Algerian Civil War (1992-2002). The story of the Tibhirine monks and their prior is best known of all, because their story was stunningly dramatised in the film Of Gods and Men. But the question posed by the film’s director, Xavier Beauvois - namely, why the monks chose to stay, tending vegetables and caring for the local poor - is one that can be asked of any of those martyrs: Why did they not leave, knowing from endless warnings what was to come? Why stay to die, when by leaving you can live?

The answer, of course, is love; but it is not a simple or straightforward answer. Martin McGee’s brilliant spiritual biography offers perhaps the best contemporary account of what kind of love this is, and whence it stems. In his prologue, Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP, then master-general of the Dominicans, who visited Claverie after the Tibhirine massacre, knew then that “it was unlikely that Pierre would live for long”; yet rather than fearing the end, it seemed to spur him into a yet more energetic commitment to the Muslims he served. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for those whom one loves,” Claverie quoted Jesus in one of his final homilies: not for humanity in the abstract, nor for a principle, however inspiring, but for the people in particular given us to love.

Pied-Noir, as Algerian-born Europeans were known during French rule. As result of an awakening in France - McGee calls it “the turning point of his spiritual life” - he saw the colonial bubble he and his family lived in, and the way even the Church had screened out the Algerian people.

Returning to Algeria as a Dominican priest, he would dedicate his life to pulling down the separation walls that colonialism and prejudice had built around hearts and minds. His life became a deep dialogue through friendship - “finding a way into their world by any means possible,” as he described this, “and learning to open one’s heart and one’s eyes.”

As Claverie learned to live in this way, so the Church around him was stripped of power. Some of the most compelling parts of The Certainty of Being Loved chart Claverie’s growing understanding of the role of the Church in a context of becoming poorer and simpler, unsupported by culture and power, and facing ever greater hostility from the ideology of Islamism, the one remaining path left open to Algeria after the nationalist rejection of colonialist capitalism and the subsequent failure of socialism. For Claverie, the Church’s mission was increasingly focused on evangelisation, not by proselytism but by becoming a “covenantal and reconciling Church”, serving the needs of all, entering into the lives and hearts of the other, and making known the face of Jesus Christ, revealing God in witness and action, with a “second mission” of welcoming and walking with those who discover Christ. Claverie’s deepening understanding, so clearly laid out here, offers a path for the Church not just in Muslim but also post-Christian cultures, one that is at the heart of the mission of the Francis pontificate.

Could this witness in Algeria signpost our future? Claverie was killed instantly, on the threshold of his house, together with his 21-year-old Muslim driver, Mohamed Bouchikh, who was devoted to him. Why stay to die, if by leaving you can live? Because as McGee’s beautiful account of Blessed Pierre shows us, sometimes to leave is to die and to love is to stay, to dispossess death, and to light the way for those who come after.

Austen Ivereigh G’84

Those Claverie came deeply to love were the mostly Muslims among whom he had grown up among as a

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Book Review

I

n a retreat he gave in 1981, Blessed Pierre Claverie, the Algerian bishop who would be martyred 15 years later, spoke of Jesus’s parable of the grain of wheat that dies as “the central axis of my Christian life”. The passage from death to life “is part of his very being,” Claverie said of Jesus, who “passes constantly through this surrender which dispossesses death and that is why he is completely inhabited by the power of Life – of the Spirit.” This was the “perpetual movement” that begins for every Christian at Baptism, “a continuous passage from death to life through love.”

Caught on Camera

Tom Mitchell F’07 once again captained Team GB Rugby 7s at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics. Tom was sadly injured during play and the team lost 17-12 to Argentina in the Bronze medal play-off

Kevin the Bear is a very welltravelled bear, having been given to Jonathan Wilkin’s C’70 granddaughter on a visit to Worth some years ago and named after Fr Kevin, he visited São Paulo this summer

Lunch for 4 gentlemen of leisure in Petworth, great friends Giles Hamilton B’82, Greg Pickard StB’81, Martin Hunt StB’81 & Dominic Strickland C’81

Patrick Neville R’64 celebrating his 75th birthday with wife Suzy Tim Hobbs G’87 (left) with Michael Spencer B’73, the newly honoured Baron Spencer of Alresford, at Michael’s house Sirai in North Kenya after a very jolly lunch in February

Nick Robinson StB’75 safely back on the ground after his sky dive for charity ‘Sibling Support’ in May for which he raised over £2,500

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Julian Kirk StB’76 playing boules in the Place des Lices in St Tropez in 2020. Not quite cricket at Worth but Julian is sure Keith Owers’s ball skills coaching helped!

Peter Gilmour B’77 revisited Worth after 44 years with his wife Christine and daughter in July and was given a tour by Head of Development, Anna MacMahon, and Worth Society Manager, Mary Lou Burge

Bella Blowey StM’17 came back to Worth to talk to Year 13 students about her university experience, here with Amanda Brookfield and Dr Duncan Pring

Lorenzo Curci B’00 & Jack Harrison G’00 catching up over a long lunch in the garden this summer

Claude Keith G’69 having a quick break during his 15 mile walk through London parks to raise funds for The Royal Marsden Hospital in May

In August Andrew Robinson B’73, Tony Tyler C’73 & Michael Spencer B’73 met up for a very congenial lunch at Tony Tyler’s house in Provence

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Caught on Camera continued

James Longman B'05, foreign correspondent for ABC News, was on the roof of Notre Dame in Paris in February to deliver a report on the restoration effort to return the iconic cathedral back to its former glory

Supported by the Arts Council England Lottery Fund, Beau McCarthy StB’12 designed and built The Wiggle Wonderland Pavilion this year in collaboration with Lucy Grainge, and launched at Brainchild Festival in Sussex in August

James Folger B’10 recently left the City to start a plant business called The Stem, and saw rocketing sales during the pandemic

Theatre Director, Katharine Farmer StA’11, popped into Worth over the Christmas holidays with playwright Tania Amsel and two actors to record a play in the PAC about a mother and daughter dealing with an Alzheimers diagnosis

Committee Member Mark Collini StB’89 brought the whole family down to Worth for the Society’s October Meeting

In response to the lack of mitigation policies in universities during the pandemic, Isabella Enoizi StM’17 was interviewed on BBC News having formed ‘Students for Academic Mitigation’ and created a petition that went viral and signed by over 23,000 people

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(far left) Following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, Keron Steele C'76 shared his memories of the Prince whom he was lucky enough to interview as part of a feature on carriage driving (left) In his role as Commander Strategic Command, General Sir Patrick Sanders G'84 was "immensely proud" to be part of the guard of honour (second back on right) walking alongside the coffin at the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh in April

The Gairdner family gathered en masse at the beginning of September to belatedly celebrate Julian’s StB’89 50th birthday, with some 31 immediate family in attendance; Angus StB’96 (middle row left), Julian StB’89 (front row left), Charlie StB’01 (back row 2nd left), Richard StB’98 (back row 3rd left), Edward StB’91 (back row middle)

Ciara Brady’s StA'17 post-grad gap year of travelling and working abroad didn’t quite go to plan thanks to Covid-19, instead she found herself helping out on the front-line of the COVID vaccination roll-out

William Walder C’98 (left) and David Micallef-Eynaud B’90 (right) caught up with the elusive Bertie Hancock F’98 (centre) in a quiet pub on Dartmoor

Edward Hall-Smith R’07 displaying some of his lots at Sotheby’s Jewellery Division in Geneva

Reg Peacock B’ 81, John Bennett R’81 & Richard Nunn B’81 celebrating 40 years since they left Worth

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Caught on Camera continued

Daniel Grace F'05 with his award from South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust for his virtual GP work during the pandemic

Giles Heather F’03 was named ‘Young Surveyor of the Year’ in early 2021 but was unable to receive his award in person due to social distancing restrictions

Tom Hicks B'13, spent six days scaling Africa’s highest peak in August. Along with friends, he took on the challenge to raise money for Sean Swarner’s ‘Mission of Hope’ cancer appeal

Chris Coxall R'02 left Worth with little idea of what he wanted to do but armed with a sense of adventure, resilience and a positive outlook on life landed in Hollywood and is now Head of Public Relations for Lucasfilm, here with his wife Lindsey and Chewbacca at a recent premiere

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In September Michael Bernard C’77 reminded Annie Nightingale about her visit to Worth in 1976 whilst she was a guest on Radio 4’s Saturday Live. She had played the Chapman House version of Crocodile Rock on her radio show and Michael is still playing in cover bands on the strength of being able to claim (more or less truthfully) to have been on Radio 1

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As Philip Barnes StB’72 reopened the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles in September he couldn’t help but recreate this shot of his hero, Keith Moon, from one of the balconies

Vincent Ellis-Brown R’64 still has his inscribed silver napkin ring from his time in the Prep School which was laid out on the refectory table with a white starched linen serviette at meal-times. How times have changed

Lottie Cotterell’s StA'12 career as a commercial pilot was temporarily put on hold this year, but she showed true Worthian spirit by supporting a project providing much-needed wellbeing and mental health support to NHS staff, Project Wingman. This led to her taking part in a ‘wing walk’ raising more than £1,250 to buy a mobile 'First Class Lounge' bus to travel around hospitals across the UK

Tom Hicks B'13 has been declared a Guinness World Record holder…along with everyone else that ran 2020’s virtual London Marathon!

Emily Brookes StC'18 completed the Brighton Marathon in September, raising £1,000 for Cancer Research in the process

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Announcements

Rosie Kenney

Births Charlie Acworth C’83 and Mia, a daughter, Eliza Marie, on 13th August 2020 in Riyadh Alex Kenney B’97 and Jackie, a daughter, Rosamund, on 17th August 2021 Darren Khodaverdi B’00 and Anna, a daughter, Addison Ruth, on 21st April 2021 in Aotearoa New Zealand Tom Carew Hunt StB’02 and Sarah, a daughter, Eliza, on 8th November 2020, a brother for Frederick

The Khodaverdi Family

Giles Turton F'02 and Emma, a daughter, Florence Rose Marina, on 1st September 2021, a sister for Hugo Hugo Boys StB’03 and Clarissa, a son Rollo, on 11th September 2021, a brother for Rafe Toby Clyde-Smith G’03 and Sophie, a daughter, Delilah Blue, on 8th April 2021 Lorenzo Belpassi B’04 and Elizabeth, a daughter, Paloma Mary, on 19th April 2021 in New York Tom Mitchell F’07 and Flora, a son, Leo River, on 12th April 2021 Dominic Bosher R’08 and Lizzie, a daughter Amelie Louise, on 25th June 2021 Max Sohler StB’08 and Marina, a daughter Lea Caroline, on 6th February 2021

The Sohler Family

The Acworth Family

Engagements Ewan Ward-Thomas B’77 to Cordelia Blunt on 17th September 2021 in the Lake District Ben Oakley F’08 to Sabina Dewfield on Hampstead Heath at sunrise on Christmas Eve 2020 Matthew Morley C’09 to Rebekah McLeer in December 2020

Matthew & Catherine Luckhurst

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Ben Oakley & Sabina Dewfield

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Florian & Bettina Heiss

David & Mary Armstrong

Katrina & Nick Bell-Young

Delia & Marc von Croy

Weddings

Distinctions

Nicholas Bell-Young G’05 to Katrina Isola on 28th August 2021 in Sotogrande, Spain

General Sir Patrick Sanders G’84 was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2020 New Year Honours

Florian Heiss StB’08 to Bettina Muckenthaler on the 21st August 2021 in Schönau, Germany David Armstrong F’09 to Mary Peart on 21st August 2021 in rural Norfolk Jessica Coffin StM’10 to Oliver Bubb-Humfryes on 31st July 2021 at St Mary’s Catholic Church, Chislehurst Marc von Croy StB’10 to Délia de Brissac on 22nd May 2021 in Brissac, France Catherine Bailey StM’11 to Matthew Luckhurst on 28th August 2021 at Our Lady of England Catholic Church in Storrington

Giles Heather F’03 was named RICS Young Surveyor of the Year 2020

Deaths

General Sir Patrick Sanders

Charles Read C’67 on 14th January 2021, aged 72 Paul Thompson StB’72 on 10th August 2021, aged 67 James Fraser C’76 on 20th June 2021, aged 63 John Ford B’82 on 17th April 2021, aged 57 Martin Slocock G’89 on 28th May 2021, aged 49

Lizzie Narbeth StM’13 to Eddie Pease on 14th August 2021 at Worth Abbey

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News in Brief News in Brief

Former Staff

1970s

Peter Freeland, Former Science Teacher 1970-1999 is still writing books with a biological connection. His latest volume, Alternative Nursery Rhymes, has illustrations by Steve Goodwin and all proceeds go to maintenance of The Ashdown Forest. If you would like a copy for £10 (+£2 postage) call The Ashdown Forest Centre on 01342 823583.

Jonathan Wilkins C’70 Once upon a time, my father told me to uphold the flag and improve the breed. The Union Jack is still flying high here in Brazil. Family News: My daughter, Jaqueline who visited Worth with me in 2018, is adding a daughter to the family line due in early October.

That brings my grandchildren count to seven. It would seem that I heeded latter piece of advice.

George Daly 1976-1993 & Liam Bauress 1977-1993 In addition to our musical life story of Siddhartha which can be found on www.zenow.net Liam and I have also composed an Eco Song Cycle. This consists of seven songs in different dance rhythms together with some narration about the Environment and limericks. It has been performed in English and in French by two Primary Schools. If anyone is interested, the piano score and lyrics are available.

Worth Prep School Peter Agius WPS’66 is now part-time Administrator for The Lay Community of St Benedict (born of the Worth Abbey Lay Community).

Worth School 1960s Vincent Ellis-Brown R’63 My grandson Lucas Ellis-Brown has just started his first term in Chapman. He’s number 3: myself, Benjamin and now Lucas. Let’s hope some more will come. There are three little ones in the wings.

Alexander Nauta G’64 I am living in the United States (Florida) and am still doing part time simulator instruction for a local airline. My wife Elena is doing well as are my two children. My daughter Silvia is living in Nashville, Tennessee and my son Alex is living in The Netherlands.

I have at the moment 5 grandchildren and all are doing well. Lovely to be in touch with my old school!!

Michael May StB’67 Jane and I moved to our new house in Earnley south of Chichester in March of this year. While we still get to London fairly regularly life here on the coast proving to be a joy of swimming, socialising and then gardening a plenty. Still painting and working on a few projects but feel that after 30 years of trading Rostron and May am now in gentle decline.

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Jim Piddock B’74 Splitting my time these days between Los Angeles and London. In October 2021, I’m filming a supernatural thriller called The Queen Mary, in which I’ll be playing the good ship’s captain in the 1930s. In March 2022, my mostly light-hearted, often irreverent, and shamelessly gossipy memoir GETTING CAUGHT WITH MY PANTS DOWN and Other Tales From a Life in Hollywood will be published in the US and the UK (and, naturally, there’s a chapter on my time at Worth). And in April 2022, Frankel, a film that I wrote and am producing - starring Jeremy Irons and Minnie Driver - will begin filming (and I’ll try and find a role for myself to pop up in!)

Charlie Whelpton B’74 Having retired at 62 I have now started a new business building and operating Padel tennis centres across the UK. Padel is a racket sport, a cross between tennis and squash but much easier to play. It is the fastest growing sport in Europe and we are building centres in Southend, Swindon & Bristol with many more sites in development. Worthians should get in touch to learn how to play this fun and exciting game.

Suresh (Muda) Mudannayake C’75 After a degree in Maths from Christ Church, Oxford, and a career as a builder in ‘80s Brixton, I returned to Sri Lanka and took to writing, under the pen name of Ashok Ferrey. Am the author of 5 books, all nominated for Sri Lanka’s Gratiaen Prize or its State Literary Award and am Sri Lanka’s bestselling author in the English language. My latest The Unmarriageable Man was released in March 2021 (see page 44 for review) and can be ordered from Foyles or Waterstones. My son Rehan B’08 also attended Worth. I live in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and would be delighted to see anyone from Worth passing through!

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Anthony Ringrose-Voase C’77 has been living in Canberra, Australia for the last 36 years working as a research scientist with CSIRO (the Australian Government scientific research agency) studying soil and agriculture.

Much of his work has been research to assist agricultural development in neighbouring countries: Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei and, most recently, Myanmar. Sadly, his work in Myanmar, already interrupted by Covid travel restrictions, has now been terminated by the military coup in February 2021. After a rewarding career – coups (Myanmar), insurgencies (Philippines) and earthquakes (Philippines) notwithstanding – he’s currently intending to retire in 2023. He is married to Ethel and has four adult children and four grandchildren.

1980s Philip Lundberg C’80 Lucy and I moved to a Georgian farmhouse on the North Hampshire Downs during lockdown 2020. I suffered a stroke in Dec 2020 so have reduced my working hours for the time being. We have two dogs, Schnapps, a Jack Russell, and Jäger, a black Labrador. The house has an orchard so we have started cider making this year which is a great adventure. Lucy has started a dog hotel and day care which is a hit with the local owners who are all going back to work. All five children are at various stages of leaving, boomeranging so the house never seems to be empty.

Stephen Rhind-Tutt StB’80 A reminder of the new date for the postponed Class of 1980 40 Year Reunion (including 1979 leavers) – Friday 8th July 2022 at The Century Club, 61-63 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 6LQ. centuryclub.co.uk Giles Hamilton B’82 I’ve retired after an extremely unremarkable career in the City having worked for at least eleven (!!! I’m easily bored!) brokers and banks since 1982. I’ve also left London after the same amount of time and like a homing pigeon returned to the old country (I was born in Crawley) and have moved to Sedgwick, just outside Horsham. My daughter Lexi, 16, is at St Mary’s Ascot and my son Hugo, 20, is at Exeter. I continue to write about the golden age of rock music for various publications (some things never change).

Ewan Ward-Thomas B’77 Appointed to Hall School, Wimbledon as History and Religious Studies teacher from 1st June. Got engaged to Cordelia Brunt in the Lake District in September, to be married in 2022.

Ben Drummond R’83 Some of my old muckers might like to know that my eldest daughter, Eliza Jeanne, got married on 16th July (having been postponed twice) to Tom Bates.

Edward Mannix StB’79 Still in Zermatt teaching skiing and renting out chalets. We were lucky to be the only Alpine country with skiing last winter so we weathered the season well. The big question is over next winter.

Currently recovering from shoulder replacement surgery.

We were joined last December by (Crazy) Daisy, another English Springer spaniel. Still very much a puppy and a complete monster but we love her to bits!

Paddy Morrissey R’84 Jo-Jo and I are still living very happily in Mid Suffolk near Hadleigh (and John Bennett!).

This is my 28th year with Sheffield Haworth having helped set the firm up all those years ago. SH is a leading International Executive Search firm and we are always happy to hear from Worthians who are seeking career advice. We have two boys Will and Freddie; Will is living in London and seeking a new job. Freddie started at York University this September reading International Relations.

Hoping the year group of 1984 are well and looking forward to seeing you at the next Worth ‘do’!

Mark Collini StB’89 Still thriving in Barnes. The girls (5 and nearly 7) are loving school and growing fast!

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News in Brief

Michael Bernard C’77 Still living in Wiltshire and have retired from my first career in IBM. All three sons have now fled the nest, and one is married. I am enjoying my work as a Governor at Downside, as well as work with two charities, an NHS Foundation Trust and Exeter Business School. I recently also joined the board of a social enterprise that provides a mental health app for schools and universities. My book Creating Strategy : A Practical Guide will be published in October. Lastly, got a mention for Worth on Saturday Live on the 11th Sept 2021 when I recounted how Annie Nightingale had been the judge of the school music competition and had played the Chapman House version of Crocodile Rock on Radio 1, albeit briefly.

News in Brief continued

News in Brief

1990s

2000s

Tim Starkie G’90 Was fortunate enough to win a place to run in The Virgin London Marathon on 3rd October 2021 courtesy of New Balance & Sports Direct on behalf of Pancreatic Cancer Action (see page 32 for full story). My Godmother & Father-In-Law both sadly recently passed away from the disease. My lifelong love for sports & running was inspired by Worth, starting in Junior House with the help of staff who gave their time & support across a wide variety of sporting activities; Mr Robertson, Mr Potter, Mr Denman, Mr Daly, Dr Miller, Mr Margret, Mr Fagan, Mr Dowling, Mr McRobert, Fr Luke & Fr Rod - but my love for distance running, especially the Marathon, has to be credited to Mr Norman Philby who realising that I was very poor at French would take me running with him and practise French along the way! My running has certainly been more consistent and enjoyable than my French has ever been. This will be my 10th London Marathon & 12th in total.

Jack Harrison G’00 Had a great summer back in Europe mixing business with pleasure – just relaunched our business (www.arconbrands.com) helping Western brands grow in Asia. Let us know if you have or know any exciting brands that want to expand in China. Looking forward to seeing some WOBS over lunch with no doubt a few drinks before I head back East…

Angus Gairdner StB’96 In July, after 20+ years living in London, we finally took the plunge and moved out-oftown to Crondall in Hampshire having bought something of a project that will keep us very busy over the next few years! Myla and Jago joined the village school in September in Year 2 and Reception respectively and seem to have settled in well, and we are all enjoying our new village life. The Gairdner family gathered en masse at the beginning of September to belatedly celebrate Julian’s StB’89 50th birthday, with some 31 immediate family in attendance (see Caught on Camera). Still working at Sky and getting used to the new commute in the car – thankfully though I am only doing 2 days a week in the office!

Alex Kenney B’97 Continue to live and now work from home down the road from Worth in Haywards Heath. It has been good to be able to meet up with some old school friends in person over the last year.

James Murphy C’98 is a Director at Urban Hawk Ltd. The company's current projects include the 5-G Victori programme in Europe. One-Post are an ongoing client.

Have also worked with the European Space Agency and Innovate UK. With life now (almost) back to normal, am making the most of non-zoom, actual in person meetings. Starting with Monaco maritime and DSEI conferences this month, with more events to follow.

For more details see: www.urbanhawk.space

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Giles Turton F'02 Still living in Cambridge, but plenty else has changed this past year. After 10 years in surveying, I’ve been undertaking an MBA at Cranfield University over the last 12 months (including half the year online from home!) and will be entering a new business and role in Kent later in the autumn. We also welcomed our daughter, Florence, on 1st September – a sister for our 2 year old son, Hugo - and I’m enjoying some great family time with her now that the studying is over.

Hugo Boys StB’03 We recently welcomed our second son Rollo into the world who joins his little brother Rafe. Both mother and baby doing really well. I continue to run my design and manufacturing business, BOSCO London, but still find time to fish on the chalk streams that surround us here in Wiltshire. I hope it will be something the boys love too and enjoy being taught by their grandfather, Andrew Boys R’65.

Charlie Sunnucks R’04 has published a new book this year, The Company Valuation Playbook, which explains in easy-to-understand steps how to value a company and its shares. Written as a practical guide largely for those seeking a career in finance, it introduces how to interpret financial statements, project a firm’s longterm outlook, calculate for risk, and produce a valuation output. It is applicable to all companies, no matter their size or industry, and also includes chapters on mergers, acquisitions and leveraged buyouts. The book shares the industry-standard tools used by professionals globally, with plenty of examples to make it an engaging read. At its premise is a simple principle - if you overpay for a stock you are likely to get stung, and if you underpay then odds are you will profit. Therefore, to stack the deck in your favour when investing, the ability to objectively assess and value a company is vital.

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Ben Oakley F’08 is now engaged to Sabina Dewfield, his partner of ten years. Popped the question atop Hampstead Heath at sunrise on Christmas Eve 2020 and the wedding will take place in the chapel of King’s College Cambridge in September 2022.

2010s Marc von Croy StB’10 I got married on 22nd May 2021 in Brissac, France, to my now wife, Délia de Brissac. We just moved to Düsseldorf together where I'm working in PE. Lucy Whitehouse StM’10 Launched an exciting new award-winning youth charity, Fumble, which is going from strength to strength. The work is created by young people, for young people, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to successfully manage their sexual and mental health and relationships today. We do this through trusted, co-created digital content, and programmes in schools and universities. Since gaining charitable status in February 2020, we've reached over 350,000 young people online and directly supported 50 young people in person, and our support content series helped young people get through the pandemic. We’re backed by some amazing funders so far: the National Lottery, The Chapman Charitable Trust, The UK Youth Fund, and the Cameron Grant Memorial Trust. Now we want to keep going and growing and are running an urgent appeal to keep our amazing work going in 2022. Any contribution would be very gratefully received. You can donate via our JustGiving charity page: justgiving.com/fumble Here's to happy, healthy young people! Find us at fumble.org.uk Kitty Gibson StA’12 After furlough and then redundancy from my old job in 2020, I was able to secure a position as Event Manager at McCullough Moore Event Management Limited, an event agency in West Sussex. I had previously worked for them in 2015-2017 and so have loved being back with the team! I work remotely in London, with 2 days in the office and have broadened my skill set to include virtual and hybrid events. 2021 and the future is looking positive with many events coming up! I hope all Worthians are safe and well.

Will Siebert F’17 Whilst at Worth, in no small part thanks to the brilliant teaching of Mr Lavis, I developed a fascination with international affairs, and as naff as it sounds the School's ethos helped me develop what I hope is a strong moral compass. Since leaving Exeter University, I’ve been fortunate enough to work in a field that allows me to blend my love of politics and international relations with a desire to do good. I now work for a small strategic communications company and with an Afghan colleague have set up a new charity, Good Morning Afghanistan, to provide immediate and urgently needed advice and support to a known number of journalists and other media staff left behind in Afghanistan, whose lives are at immediate risk from the Taliban. These journalists have played a significant part in keeping the freedoms and opportunities of the Afghan people alive over the last twenty years. GMA was the voice of freedom, pioneering content and programming on Radio Afghanistan, empowering women and young people. This is the spirit the charity is trying to keep alive.

Jacopo Tancredi Bianchi R’19 I’ve been offered a place on the King's Investment Fund (run by students and staff at King's College London), as Co-Head of Operations. The point of the fund is to introduce students to financial trading and investing with a more hands-on approach, and the profits made are re-invested in the fund and used to offer a scholarship to some Economics and Finance students. It was a great honour for me to be asked to join the fund as I am currently studying at Queen Mary University of London instead of KCL, and I intend to give it all the effort and time I can afford to see it grow and help students get the experience they need to flourish in the world of high Finance. I would advise current Worth pupils looking to study Finance later on to look out for opportunities like these, a low-risk but high-reward investment (which they will learn are very rare indeed).

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News in Brief

Edward Hall-Smith R’07 Now living in Geneva, working for the Sotheby’s Jewellery division. Swiss residents do get in touch!

Paul Hungerford Thompson StB’72

26th March 1954 – 10th August 2021 Obituary

Having initially qualified as a planning barrister, Paul became a partner and ‘Roll A’ Parliamentary Agent at Bircham Dyson Bell in 1982 which he merged with Bircham & Co in 1990, now part of BDB Pitmans LLP. He retired in 2015. His practice involved promoting private bills in the UK Parliament as well as advising on parliamentary and legislative matters. Latterly, as private legislation fell away, he spent most of his time on major infrastructure projects, such as transport public enquiries for Manchester Metrolink and others.

Highlights of his career included helping establish a Euro and UK lobbying practice for his firm and leading the way on the Transport Works Order work and Development Consent Order work which eventually replaced Private Bills.

P

aul will be remembered by family, friends and colleagues alike for his sparkling wit, acuity of mind and kindness.

He spent his early years in the Surrey Hills. After Ladycross Preparatory School in Seaford, he continued to Worth in 1967, leaving in 1972. During his time there he experienced a taste of monastic life along with four other Worthians, by stepping into the shoes of Benedictine monks for a week. In his last year he played the part of Messerschman in a production of Jean Anouilh’s play Ring around the Moon.

He was passionate about the Law and the impact his work had on society. A major client on hearing of Paul’s death remarked “he changed my view of what law can be used for… he left me with a much better understanding of what can be achieved by a few good people”.

Having endured and recovered from head and neck cancer a few years ago, he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020, which he bore with great courage. He died peacefully at home surrounded by his family.

He was married to Jacquie for forty-two years, has two sons and three grandchildren.

The Thompson Family

Before starting a Law degree at Liverpool University in 1973, Paul travelled overland in an old army truck with others to Iran, Pakistan, India and Nepal; an experience that always remained with him.

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John Ford B’82

3rd January 1964 – 17th April 2021

J

Obituary

ohn died on Saturday 17th April 2021 aged just 57 after a valiant battle with Motor Neurone Disease.

John was the second child of Mike and Judy Ford,

the elder brother to Tom B’87 and Ben B’91 and brother to Frances (Fran) and Rebecca (Beccy).

John was a big character, kind and generous. As a starryeyed younger brother arriving at Worth in September 1982 (John stayed on for the autumn term to take his Oxbridge entrance exam), I have memories of him at the top of the School (Butler Head of House), smoke billowing from the 6th Form Smoking Room, dances with (or against?)

Woldingham School, 1st XV rugby matches and later that year John travelling to Lourdes with the OMV. Oxbridge didn’t work out and later the next year John started at Bristol University to read English.

On graduating in 1986 John joined Schroders in London; moving to Singapore in 1989; setting up a joint venture for Schroders in Malaysia in 1992, then moved back to Singapore. In 1996 John married Teresa in Singapore with a blessing of the marriage back in the UK in Cornwall in May with Fr Kevin officiating. They now have 3 children. In 2000 John moved to New York and then onto Hong Kong in 2003.

After 19 successful years with Schroders, John spent the next 12 years with Fidelity in the Asia Pacific region before finally moving back to London in 2016. In 2018 John retired from Fidelity and after a sabbatical he had started to take on some non-executive roles before receiving his MND diagnosis in Spring 2020.

Throughout his life John made sound friendships and lived life to the full. He had a wicked sense of humour, a wonderful joie de vivre, enjoyed sharing and drinking his wine collection with friends, sailing and skiing whenever he could. Despite John’s hugely successful career, he always made time for his family and friends. On his return to London in 2016 John enjoyed reconnecting with old friends. He bought a house in Porth Navas on the Helford River in Cornwall, close to his mother and eldest sister Fran.

A heartfelt thank you from his family to the extraordinary care and support in very difficult times from the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Marie Curie and all the kind words and sympathies from all quarters that we have received over the last months. Both my sister Fran and her family and my children have done some fundraising for the MND Association in memory of John – if anyone would like to make a gift in John’s memory you can do so at www.mndassociation.org/get-involved/donations/ Tom Ford B’87

Once he received his diagnosis and Covid lockdowns were in force, John spent his last days enjoying his beloved home with its view over the Helford River and, while he was able to, bracing Cornish walks with his family and visiting friends.

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A year in the life of the School

I

t was wonderful to fully reopen the School at the start of the 2020-21 academic year as tentative steps were made on the road to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

A difficult path still lay ahead with restrictions, bubbles, logistical problems and two further national lockdowns, but Worth dealt with each challenge confidently and with resilience, emerging stronger from what can be considered as the most testing year it has ever faced.

Trying to retain a sense of normality for pupils was a key focus for the Senior Leadership Team and staff in general.

Face masks, hand sanitising stations, bubbles and year group zones were the new normal, but as much was done as possible to retain the old ‘normal’ for the wellbeing of the children in the School.

Hand sanitising stations became part of everyday life

That was achieved in the Autumn Term through some notable events and occasions, the likes of which would increase as the year unfolded, particularly in the Summer Term.

Early in the year the School’s youngest students, in Years 7 and 8, put on a performance of Macbeth – not to an audience, but filmed and released via a link on the school website. There was a ‘Welcome to the Sixth Form’ event for our new Year 12 students, the Debating Society was relaunched, with some notable successes in online national competitions, and a student-led library delivery scheme was started to ensure library resources remained available to all without having to mix in person with different year groups.

Catering events in lockdown included a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

The Perera Prize was presented in honour of former Head of Maths, Gordon Perera

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The Inter-House Debating Competition was revived – and won by Farwell

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Pupils went on a Gold DofE expedition as restrictions eased

A Year 10 Confirmation service took place in the Abbey Church in the Summer Term

Former England cricket captain Sir Alastair Cook took questions from students and passed on tips via video link – and talking of cricket, competitive sport resumed with cricket fixtures in the Autumn Term, which was a change from the past.

As Austin House sat down for their Christmas dinner, the smiles were clearly back and this was reflected throughout the School.

Alice McNeill took over as Deputy Head (Academic)

find a blanket of snow. In their free time they were kept entertained by our fabulous Catering team, who offered themed evenings and cooking masterclasses.

Another note of importance for the first half of the Lent Term was the arrival of a new Deputy Head (Academic) in the shape of Mrs Alice McNeill. She, like everyone else, was delighted that the second half of the term began with a date for pupils to return to in-person teaching. Lessons

All this happened to the backdrop of work continuing on the new £6.25million Sixth Form Centre, which is an extraordinary gift to the School from Lord Spencer of Alresford, Michael Spencer B’73.

With some momentum created, it came to an abrupt halt. The day before the start of the Lent Term, another national lockdown was announced which meant most of our students stayed at home. The School returned to online learning which in truth was an easy step – albeit an unwelcome one – with a strong infrastructure for virtual learning already in place. Academic enrichment on Saturday mornings, Music, Sport, Drama were all part of the online provision alongside academic lessons.

Everything was delivered in a very Worth-like way, with a community feel, a sense of belonging to the greater good.

Some overseas boarders remained on campus in bubbles, having come back to Worth at the start of January to

Sir Alastair Cook took questions from Worth pupils via video link

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A year in the life of the School continued

A Leavers’ tea party was held on the Head Master’s lawn

Music certificates were presented in the Summer Term

A glitzy evening dinner was the highlight of the Year 13 Leavers’ Day

were soon taking place in classrooms again, Sport, Music, Drama all resumed, there was a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award practice on campus and our Chaplaincy Reps took part in a charity sleepout to support a homeless charity.

The Topping Out ceremony for the Sixth Form Centre, the Spencer Building, also took place on the roof of the new building in the presence of Head Master Mr Stuart McPherson and Abbot Luke Jolly.

If the first two terms had been stop/start, the third was very much fast foot forward as restrictions began to lift and more normality returned to everyday life.

Like the Lent Term, the Summer Term quite bizarrely began with snow but the weather soon improved… in the main! The exception being a rainy Sports Day which went ahead this year with all events on campus. The revised and superbly organised programme included rounders, basketball, ultimate frisbee, golf, tennis, girls’ football and cricket alongside the normal athletics.

There were two Confirmation services in the Abbey Church – for Years 10 and 11 – an inter-House Debating competition was held, students went on DofE expeditions, a Year 9 student wrote and directed a fabulous short movie, which was his prize for winning the Young Person’s Scriptwriting Challenge, music certificates were presented

The school’s youngest pupils performed Macbeth to an online audience

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Sports Day included a number of new events

in recognition of exams taken during lockdown and Year 7 performed The Lion King, albeit not to an audience.

On a sporting front there was a record partnership between two of our cricketers, the senior golf team reached a national final and a Year 13 Sports Dinner proved to be a popular evening.

One of the highlights of the term was a Leavers’ Event for all of Year 13 which included speeches and the presentation of leavers’ gifts, a Mass, afternoon tea on the lawn outside the Head Master’s study and a glitzy evening dinner.

Other notable events included a visit from the One-Day Film School when students became actors and filmmakers for the day – this was actually part of our ‘Into the Sixth Form’ programme for Year 11 students who had sat their exams, a programme which also included a Sixth Form fair, off-site trips and a retreat.

There was a merit trip to Thorpe Park and the presentation of the Perera Prize to the most improved Year 11 mathematician in honour of former Head of Maths, Mr Gordon Perera, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in February 2018 and continued to work at Worth until his death in September 2020.

From darkness comes light and the academic year finished with very much an upbeat feel to it, which continued into the summer with outstanding IB, A Level and GCSE results.

The Worth community was also proud to watch and follow former Head Boy Tom Mitchell F’07 captain the Great Britain rugby sevens squad at the Tokyo Olympics.

There is no doubt the year had been challenging but Worth rose to that challenge to deliver the best possible education in the circumstances while also creating some special memories from the ever-growing number of students in the School.

Work progressed nicely on the new Sixth Form Centre

A Message from the Head Master

Y

ou might think there would be no prize for guessing what the overriding theme of the 2020-21 school year was, but you would be wrong! For as much as Covid-19 made a play for the top spot, in the end it was pushed off the podium by some old Worth favourites: the strength of community spirit and good humour, hopefulness about the future, and the resilience of people when faced with a serious challenge.

Prior to the pandemic, it was the prospect of what (for some reason) has come to be known in the UK as 'a snow event' that gave ordinary operations their greatest test, but now - thanks to Covid - we have the virtual school ready to go at the press of a button. Like most organisations, we adapted to what we were required to call 'the new normal' with a speed and flexibility that surprised us, and we will keep some of those innovations, but no one was under any illusion that online school is better than in-person school, or that young people can really thrive through screens. So it was that March 8 loomed large in our planning, and when the School came back together, even though encumbered by all the various Covid nuts and bolts, it was something to celebrate.

This Autumn Term has seen the School gather in the Abbey Church again for the first time since March 2020.

We have had two Masses with the whole monastic community, which has reasserted that fundamental relationship after a long time apart. I am convinced that the School's congregational singing is better than I remember it; perhaps it is just that I missed it so much.

After everything that Covid threw at schools and pupils last year, including teacher assessed grades and the like, I am pleased to report that Worth is in the rudest health of its life, and that the future looks bright.

The Head Master spoke at the Spencer Building’s topping out ceremony

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School Staff –

Autumn 2020-Summer 2021 Head Master: Mr Stuart McPherson, MA Second Master: Mr André Gushurst-Moore, MA Deputy Head (Academic): Mr Simon Fisher (to December 2020) Deputy Head (Academic): Mrs Alice McNeill (from Jan 2021) Deputy Head (External): Mr Gordon Pearce, MA Deputy Head (Pastoral): Ms Louise Chamberlain, BSc Assistant Head (Co-Curricular): Mr Julian Williams, BSc, MA, Dip TESL Director of Mission: Mr Will Desmond, BA School Bursar: Mr Paul Bilton, MA, FCA

Teaching Staff: (*Head of Department/Subject) Mr Paul Ambridge, BA (Physics) Mrs Esme Mustian Atkinson, BA (Librarian) Mrs Frances Baily, MSc (*Physics) Mr Matthew Ball, BSc (Science and Games) Mrs Andrea Beadle, BA, MA (German, Subject Leader) Mrs Sophie Belloul, BA, (French) Mr Jonathan Bindloss, BA (*Christian Theology and Philosophy, Theory of Knowledge) Mr Stuart Blackhurst, HND (Head of Digital Strategy) Mrs Myfanwy Bournon, BA (English, Austin Housemistress)

Mr Lewis Brito-Babapulle, MA (Director of Music) Mr Joe Brock, BSc (Physics) Ms Amanda Brookfield, BA, MA (Director of Careers and Higher Education, English) Mrs Caroline A Brown, BA, MA (Religious Studies) Mrs Caroline Burton, MSc (Biology) Mr David Burton, BEd (Director of Sport) Mrs Lucinda Button, BA (Art & Design) Mrs Katie Camp, BA (Art) Mrs Iria Carnota (Spanish, St Mary's Middle Housemistress) Mr Geoffrey Chapman, BA, Religious Studies Mr Raj Chaudhuri, BCom, ECB Level 4 (Master in charge of Cricket) Mrs Minakshi Chaudhuri, BA (Activities Manager) Mrs Cheryl Cheeseman, RCN, Dip Paeds (Head Nurse, Medical Department) Mr Paul Cheeseman, BA (Design Technology) Miss Sarah Clarke, BA (*History) Mrs Dawn Clubb, BA, MA (*English) Miss Olivia Coleman, BSc (Mathematics) Mr Daniel Collins, LLB (Head of Football) Mr William Crénel, LLCE (French, St Bede’s Housemaster) Mr John Dent, MEng (Mathematics) Mr Matthew Doggett, MA, MSci (*Mathematics, Science) Mr Jeremy Dowling, BEd (Mathematics) Mr John Everest, BA (Photography) Mr Simon Faulkner, BA (Head of Hockey, Games & Physical Education, Acting Assistant Director of Sport) Mrs Sarah Flint, BA (*Modern Foreign Languages, *French) Mr Jonathan Fry, BA (Economics, Farwell Housemaster) Dr Barbara Gehrhus, Diplomchemiker, PhD (Chemistry) Mrs Sarah George, BEd (Learning Support) Dr Bruna Gushurst-Moore, BA, MSt, PhD (English, St Anne’s Housemistress) Mr Edward Hall, BSc (Economics & Politics) Mrs Karolina Hall, BA (English as an Additional Language) Mrs Jo Harvey-Barnes (Games & Physical Education, Biology, St Catherine's Housemistress) Miss Juley Hudson, BA, MA (*Art) Mr Joseph Huntley, BA (Religious Studies) Mrs Siobhan Isaacs, BA (Games & Physical Education, Assistant Director of Sport) Ms Melanie Kendry, MA (English) Mrs Andrea Kirpalani, BSc (*Science, Senior Teacher) Mrs Kerrie-Anne Langendoen, BSc (Learning Support) Miss Naomy Larkin, BA (English) Mrs Catherine Latham, BSc, MSc (Head of Learning Support and SENCO) Mr Andrew Lavis, BA (*Geography)

Background image courtesy of current Worth Year 12 student Charlie Latter

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Mr Alex Leadbeater, BA (Assistant Director of Music) Mrs Rachel Le Mare, BA, MA (Business Studies) Miss Lucy Lockwood, BA (Music Technology) Mrs Natalie Lynch, BA (Head of Drama) Mr Mark Macdonald, BSc (Geography, Chapman Housemaster) Mr Alick Macleod, MSc (Geography, Gervase Housemaster) Mrs Helen Macleod, BA (*History, Extended Essay Coordinator) Mr David Marks, MA, BA (English as an Additional Language) Mrs Sigrid Moiseiwitsch (German) Mrs Maria Molinero, BA (Spanish) Mr Bruce Morrison, Bed (Games & Physical Education, Mathematics, Butler Housemaster) Mr Robin Moss, BSc (Chemistry & Science) Mrs Sheena Nasim, MA (Economics & Business Studies) Mrs Fiona Norden, BA (English) Miss Tola Olawuyi, BEng (Mathematics) Mr Andrew Olle (Games & Physical Education) Mrs Emily Pearcy (Sports Coach) Mr Richard Phillips, BSc (*Economics and Business Studies) Ms Alessandra Pittoni, Laurea in Lingue (Italian) Miss Kate Reynolds, BSc (Biology) Ms Linda Rice, BA, MA (Learning Support) Mr Thomas Richardson (Head of Rugby) Mr Liam Richman, BSc (Mathematics, Rutherford Housemaster) Mr Philip Robinson, MA (Classics) Miss Eleanor Ross, BSc (Chemistry, Acting Extended Essay Coordinator) Miss Charlotte Rule, BSc (Geography, St Mary's Sixth Form Housemistress) Ms Victoria Sadler, MA (Geography) Dr Peter Scott, MA, PhD (*Biology) Mrs Geeyoung Steele, BA (Religious Studies) Mr Hugo Sutton, BA (History) Mrs Charlie Todman, BSc (Mathematics) Mr Philip Towler, MA (*Classics, Able, Gifted and Talented Coordinator) Mr Diego Urrutia Guevara, Med (Biology) Mr Ryan Vaughan (Computer Science) Mr Dan Weaver, BA (*Design Technology, *ICT) Miss Julie White, BA (Learning Support) Miss Imogen Whyte, BA (English) Mr James Williams, BSc (Physics) Ms Naomi Williams, BSc (*Psychology, IB Coordinator) Mr Ben Young, BA (Spanish) Miss Bei Yu (Mandarin)

Mrs Mary Coller, BSc Dr Bridget Dolan, QC Mr Jeremy Fletcher G’72, BA Mrs Henrietta Fudakowski, BA (to 31 August 2021) Mr Peter Green, Cert RE, MA Mr Gavin Hamilton-Deeley R’72, FCA (from 14 December 2020) Revd Dom David Jarmy, Cert Theol, PGCE Mrs Alison Palmer, BSc (from 14 December 2020) Mrs Helen Parry, BSc Prefects Senior Prefects Head Boy Head Girl Deputy Head Girl Deputy Head Boy

Caspar Poeppinghaus Rania Hyde Ciara Halpin Jacob McLaughlin

School Prefects Head of Butler Head of Chapman Head of Farwell Head of Gervase Head of Rutherford Head of St Anne’s Head of St Bede’s Head of St Catherine’s Head of St Mary’s Sixth

Nans Chapet-Pappatico Josh Paisley George Valentine Archie Ryan Mali Bardouille-Lewis Georgia Millar-Smith Toby Chandler Hermione Ashbee Olivia Saman

Prefects with particular areas of responsibility Co-curriculum and Sport Amber Buggins, George Conley Chaplaincy Hareem Ahmed, Thomas Hunt, Christian Roberts, Sophia Rekers Academic Charles Bosshard, Jack Fry, Sophia Rekers, Matt Watson, Konrad Wojtowicz Music Flossie Blowey, Zoe Blake-James Drama Jennifer Glover Pastoral Fred Newington-Bridges, Natalie Hui St Mary’s Middle Pia Middleton, Annie O’Hea Austin House Stephen Boyd, Megan Hay, Ioana Stere

Governors President: The Rt Revd Dom Luke Jolly, BA (to 8 June 2021) Rt Rev Abbot Mark Barrett OSB, MA (Cantab), MA, PhD (from 8 June 2021) Chairman: Mr Tim Pethybridge StB’70, MA Mrs B Alleyne, LLB (from 12 October 2020)

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Bursaries, Legacies, Facilities, Buildings, Annual Fund

Making a Difference

W

Working closely with pupils, teachers, parents, orking Friends ofwith Worth, Society, closely pupils, Worth teachers, parents, Friends of Worth, Worth Society, alumni, alumni, the monastic community and Governors, the Development Office aims the monastic community and Governors, to encourage long-term, sustainable support for both new building projects and the Development Office aims to encourage long term, life-changing bursaries, and other causes which enable Worth to continue sustainable support for both new building projects andto life changing flourish and realise its bursaries, vision. and other causes which enable Worth to continue to flourish and realise its vision.

We have an ambitious programme of development projects planned for the We have an ambitious programme of development coming years and would love to speak with anyone who might consider projects planned for the coming years and would love to supporting speakWorth. with anyone who might consider supporting Worth.

If you would like to learn more about Development at Worth, please get inattouch with Anna MacMahon, Head of about Development Worth, Development.

If you would like to learn more please get in touch with Anna MacMahon, Head of Development. amacmahon@worth.org.uk amacmahon@worth.org.uk 01342 711 586 01342 711 586 www.worthconnecting.org.uk/supportus www.worthconnecting.org.uk/supportus www.worthschool.org.uk/support-us/ www.worthschool.org.uk/support us/

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Our new Abbot

A

bbot Mark Barrett was blessed as the new, and seventh, Abbot of Worth Abbey on Saturday 11th September 2021 in the presence of a joyful congregation, despite being restricted in size by Covid-19.

Bishop Richard Moth, who presided at the service, said in his homily that the monastic community at Worth is a “beacon of prayer and faithful service calling the world to Christ”, and that there was “an effective witness to the Gospel in and from this place”. He exhorted the congregation to “place your hope in God alone” (Ch 4, Rule of St Benedict) in order to fulfil everything that God requires of us. We send Abbot Mark our prayers and best wishes for the 8 years of his office.

A message from Abbot Mark Barrett It’s a pleasure to be writing these few words of greeting for The Blue Paper. As a teacher and a housemaster, in my previous life, I did from time to time have to ask others to produce a few sides of ‘Blue’. But I don’t ever recall, before now, myself writing on or in any Blue Paper.

The Blue Paper (like the Worth Society itself) connects friends with one another, invites new connections and new friendships, and helps keep all of us in touch as we travel the route that life has presented to us. Worthians are noted, rightly, for the quality of the relationships that life on this campus has generated among you, and empowered you to extend across a wide range of contexts. The friendship and the fraternity (and more recently the sorority) that exists among Worthians is centred here in Sussex, but you each carry it with you wherever you find yourself living and working; a gift you can share with all those you later come to know.

Along with the whole monastic community, I look forward to many opportunities in the months and years ahead to welcome you back to Worth, as well as to meet you in other contexts. Please be assured of the continuing affection and the prayers of the monastic community here at Worth for all who have passed through the School over many years; please remember to pray for us, and for all who continue to carry the torch in Worth School among the rising generation.

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Fr Kevin celebrates his 90th Birthday

D

espite being in lockdown, it didn’t stop us sharing a very special day with the monastic community on 12th January 2021 who were celebrating Fr Kevin Taggart’s 90th birthday.

The day began with the arrival of a group ecard in his inbox signed by over 250 Old Worthians with some wonderful messages, this in addition to the many hundreds of cards and gifts that arrived at the Monastery. Fr Kevin’s usual glance of the morning papers also had an element of surprise when he spotted a birthday notice to him in The Times courtesy of the Worth Society. The School had organised a delicious cake for morning coffee time and the monks sat down to a celebratory meal that evening with wines provided by several alumni and a large chocolate and biscuit hamper given by the Society. A huge thank you again to all of those who helped make it such a special day for him.

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Br David Jarmy’s Ordination

B

r David Jarmy was ordained into the priesthood by Bishop Richard Moth on 22nd March 2021, the feast day that commemorates the solemnity of the passing of St Benedict. The congregation in the Abbey Church was sadly limited due to the pandemic, but Br David was supported by key members of the Worth community. He then said his first mass on 25th March, the solemnity of the Annunication of our Lord.

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University Destinations 2021 Pupil

University

Course

Pupil

University

Course

Hareem Ahmed

Queen Mary London

Human Geography

Paul Ivey-Frank

Technical University, Munich Mathematics

Juan Alonso-Jaudenes

IE Business School, Madrid

Business Administration

Bryan Lee*

Buckingham

Medicine

Hermione Ashbee

Leeds

Law

Jemima Lee

Edinburgh

Geography

Leonardo Barbini

ESCP Business School

Management

Yicheng Li

Exeter

History & Politics

Maria Barbini

Westminster

Fashion Business Management

Matilda Little

Loughborough

Geography & Management

Muhammad Belgore

Lancaster

Economics, Politics & International Relations

Nico Lopalco

European School of Osteopathy

Osteopathy

Amina Belhaj

King's College London

Law

Elizabeth Martin-Drew*

King's College London

Biomedical Science

Phillip Bierstorfer

IE Business School, Madrid

Business Administration

Luis Martinez-Rios

Cunef Univeristy, Madrid

Law/Digital Law/Artificial Intelligence Law

Zoe Blake-James

Bristol

English Literature

Jacob McLoughlin

Warwick

Economics

Florence Blowey

Bath

Criminology

Georgia Millar-Smith

De Paul, Chicago

Liberal Arts & Sciences

Lucy Bohles

ESCP Business School

Business Management

Nina Mueller

Vienna

Psychology

Gaia Bortoletto

University of the Arts London Journalism

Fred Newington-Bridges

Exeter

Economics & Politics

Charles Bosshard

Cambridge

Medicine

Annie O'hea

University for Creative Arts, Farnham

Art Foundation

Maxwell Bowler*

Cambridge

Engineering

Jona Ortlieb

IE Business School, Madrid

Management

Oliver Brown

Bath

Integrated Mechanical & Electrical Engineering

Eulalia Oliver

IE Business School, Madrid

Business Administration & Law

Lavinia Budiono

King's College London

Digital Culture

Anish Padalkar

Surrey

Politics and Economics

Carola Camilleri*

IE Business School

Buiness Administration

Joseph Page

Nottingham

Toby Chandler

Bristol

Geography

Physics with Theoretical Astrophysics

Nans Chapet-Pappatico

Queen Mary London

Mathematics with Management

Jessica Piraino

Warwick

Biomedical Science

Matia Predic

Swansea

Business Management

Alexander Charlton

East Anglia

Media Studies

Robert Reeves

Liverpool

Mechanical Engineering

Chen Chen

Leeds

Mathematics & Statistics

Judith Reinsch

York

Law

Pauline Clavel

Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, BSc in International Switzerland Hospitality Management

Sophia Rekers

Imperial College London

Ethan Cunha

Southampton

Computing (Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning)

Christian Roberts

Exeter

Economics

Archie Ryan

East Anglia

International Relations & Politics

Olivia Saman

Colgate University, New York Liberal Arts

Pia Schmitz

IE Business School, Madrid

Business Administration

Joseph Steward

Exeter

Liberal Arts

Philosophy and History

Carla Ruiz de la Portabella* IE Business School

Business Administration, Management & Operations

Maria Dubec

Willem de Koonig Academy, Rotterdam

Animation

Oliver Duckworth

Liverpool

Music Technology

Jedrzej Duszyński

Warwick

PPE

Joshua Ezeh

Lancaster

Economics

Kai Hua (Kris) Tang

Manchester

Biomedical Sciences

Alexander Glascott

Queen Mary London

Material Science with Engineering

Riccardo Tiurrisi Grifeo

Esade, Barcelona

Transformation Business & Social Impact

Jennifer Glover

Leicester

Medical Biosciences (Physiology)

Jack Underwood

Oxford Brookes

Psychology

Noah Hale

EHL Swiss School of Tourism Swiss Professional Degree & Hospitality in Hotel & Restaurant Management

George Valentine

Nottingham

Law with Spanish & Spanish Law

Ciara Halpin

Nottingham

Law

Sebastiaan Van der Ven

Leiden, Netherlands

International Business Law

Megan Hay

Portsmouth

Sociology with Criminology

Konrad Wojtowicz

Maastrict, Netherlands

European Law

Natalie Hui

Lancaster

History & Philosophy

Emily Yamane

Bournemouth

Mechanical Engineering

Thomas Hunt

Warwick

History

Renzo Zegers

Glasgow

Physics

Rania Hyde

Liverpool

Physiotherapy

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*2020 Leaver

Based on information available at time of going to press.

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

3 AA ROSETTE DINING AT AG’S | 2 AA ROSETTE DINING AT REFLECTIONS SKI-INSPIRED DINING IN ‘APRES’ THIS WINTER | AFTERNOON TEA | UTOPIA SPA

“

A l wa ys a s p l e n d i d i d ea . . .

ALEXANDER HOUSE

This edifice may look every bit the Jacobethan manor, but rather than cling to the past it has positively hurtled into the modern era with a cunning formulation of zany interiors, and cutting-edge cuisine. - The TELEGRAPH

Drop in for coffee after the school run, or head in for cocktails in the evening - our (rather grand) doors are always open. ~ Pop in with the kids, or with the pooch everyone is welcome. ~ Glam up for a special supper in AG’s and don’t miss APRES, our ski-inspired winter dining concept!

~ Why ever you visit, Alexander House is always a splendid idea.

ALEXANDER HOUSE, TURNERS HILL, EAST GRINSTEAD RH10 4QD ahsales@alexanderhotels.com | +44 (0) 1342 714 914

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Education with Heart & Soul

PRIVATE VISITS AVAILABLE “This school has everything going for it” The Good Schools Guide

www.worthschool.org.uk