BURSAR’S BULLETIN Issue 17
Summer Term 2022
Summer is such a vibrant time and it is wonderful to be starting this term with much to look forward to in terms of our 175 celebrations, a busy term of summer activity, and many exciting and innovative plans in the pipeline. For anyone wanting to know what I actually do as Bursar, then read the ‘Week in the Life of the Bursar’ article. For me, however, the four ‘My Radley’ articles and the Spotlight on the Biology Technicians are such fascinating insights into the work of others at Radley. This Bulletin also has many useful updates and reminders, as well as a ‘Did You Know’ page hopefully helping you to navigate your way through what Radley has to offer. I was struck on reading this edition by the number of staff working at Radley who have come from far away. I wondered if they came here for the weather, or maybe the fact we have such a beautiful city on our doorstep and wonderful countryside. But the real reason is clear—the sense of community and purpose that Radley brings, regardless of job role, and the fact that together we work as a team and within teams, helping Radleians and others achieve remarkable things. I wish everyone a very successful and enjoyable summer term.
Best wishes,
SAVE THE DATES for some celebratory events to mark the College’s 175th anniversary! During Short Break on Friday, 29 April all members of staff are invited to join the boys for a commemorative photo, where together we will mark out the numbers 1, 7 and 5 on Bigside. Thursday, 9 June is the College’s official birthday, marking the day 175 years ago when Singleton was installed as the first Warden. All staff and boys will be invited to join together for birthday cake at Clocktower during Short Break. At 5:00 pm on Sunday, 26 June Dame Mary Berry will be our guest to launch ‘Festival 175’, hosting a Picnic in the Park by College Pond. Please bring a picnic and drinks. Mary will judge the Great Radley College Bake-Off and the evening will continue with the BBC Big Band performing from 7:00pm. Tickets are free but should be reserved at: www.festival175.co.uk More information will be published shortly on how to enter the Bake-Off, so dust down those aprons!
Spotlight on the:
biology technicians The Biology department at Radley is home to a whopping 66 animals, not including the stick insects and cockroaches (who wouldn’t stay still for the head count!). Working behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly are two senior technicians, an assistant technician, their long-suffering cleaner, holiday feeders and the sugar glider team. They are based in the Biology Prep Room in Queen’s Court and in addition to caring for the animals (affectionally known as the Radley Zoo) are responsible for setting up and clearing Biology experiments for seven Biology dons spread across six teaching labs. The students at Radley are extremely fortunate and have the opportunity to carry out a wide number of practicals, ranging from whole rat dissections to DNA separation by electrophoresis. This requires the Biology team to make, order and organise a variety of live and frozen specimens as well as many chemicals and reagents. The technicians liaise with the Biology dons to ensure that experiments are fully integrated with their teaching and provide maximum participation for the students. A typical day in Biology usually involves someone saying “I never thought I’d say that!” From making solutions, loading dishwashers, setting up equipment and the dreaded photocopying of exam papers, to bathing tortoises and soaking skin off gecko toes, every day is different. MEET THE BIOLOGY TECHNICIANS From left to right: Sarah Popplestone, Emma Bowers, Diana Taylor, Sarah Smith. AND THEIR FRIENDS Lucky the bearded dragon (below).
L-R: Hurley the Sugar Glider, Bagheera the Panther Chameleon and Sungai the Asian Forest Scorpion.
Sarah Popplestone, Senior Biology Technician Prior to starting as Senior Biology Technician at Radley in September 2012, Sarah was a PhD student at Oxford University. Sarah’s role has two main focuses: making the solutions and delivering equipment to the labs, and overseeing the animals. One of Sarah’s most memorable moments in Biology was hosting Lee Durrell (wife of the conservationist Gerald Durrell) when she came to deliver a talk in 2012. Sarah is usually seen running up and down the Biology corridor pushing trolleys or cuddling tortoises in towels after their baths. She is also an expert at apprehending the odd escapee! Her shopping list regularly includes oddities such as hearts and kidneys, as well as a selection of frozen rats and mice.
Sarah Smith, Senior Biology Technician Sarah started working at Radley as a Biology Technician in February 2019. Her work involves getting the equipment ready for the practical lessons, and can vary from growing bacteria to extracting DNA. She also helps with dissections—of ‘body parts’ as Lorne Hanks (Reception Porter) likes to call them—although often it is just celery being prepped to go under the knife! She also helps with the care of the department’s animals. Being asked to catch 100 hissing cockroaches on her second day certainly made her realise it was not going to be a normal job! Having worked as a research scientist many years ago, she is enjoying being able to use her science training once again. A highlight was meeting James Mwenda and the team from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy when they visited Radley to talk about saving the Northern White Rhino.
Emma Bowers, Assistant Technician Emma joined the Biology Team in October 2017 and is responsible for day-to-day animal care and clearing the trolleys once they are returned to the Prep Room. She loves the varied daily routine where no two days are the same! Emma enjoys the challenge of keeping so many animals clean, fed and watered, even if it keeps her busy. Her favourite animal is Carmen the blue-tongued skink. Emma’s most memorable moment was meeting George McGavin when he came to give a talk at Radley.
Diana Taylor, Biology Cleaner Diana started at Radley in Housekeeping in October 1998 and after cleaning various areas of the College landed in Biology in September 2015. Despite the usual mess of shed snake skins, blood spatter and live insects (and the fact that she is never quite sure what is in the black bag she is carrying!) Diana keeps Biology in tip top condition. Her favourite bit is the variety; from checking on hatching chicks to clearing up the puddles left by a leaky fish tank, and everything in between.
Beth Ash, Temporary Cover and Holiday Feeding During the 2021 Michaelmas Term, Beth joined Biology as a cover technician and stayed on to help with animal care during the school holidays. However, she can ordinarily be found in the College’s Library where she has worked since 2014. She says “there’s always something unusual going on in Biology! A tortoise needing a bath or a giant cockroach on the loose. I have some firm favourite animals there, especially Slim the world’s most inelegant monitor lizard, and Echo the Gecko, who eats up his mealworms like a little champion!”
RADLEY WOMEN’S HUB, BLUE ROOM, MANSION Introducing the newly launched ‘Radley Women’s Hub’: monthly lunchtime get-togethers in a relaxed and friendly environment where all women at Radley are welcome. Whether you would like to be informed about the topic of the month, catch up with like-minded women or just come for a cuppa and some cake, we really look forward to seeing you all. Created by Jane Morgan (PHM, A Social) and colleagues, the first session in March commenced by outlining the thinking behind setting up this support group. Jane explained that as an RAF wife for 18 years, wherever she went in the world there was always a support group for wives, and this model inspired her to set up this group. The plan is to arrange various activities including speakers covering a range of topics. Details will be circulated in advance with flexible sessions running at lunchtime so you can attend the whole session or just drop-in. If you have any suggestions for a topic to cover, please contact Jane Morgan: jem.morgan@radley.org.uk
SPRING AT THE COUNTRYSIDE CENTRE Spring is definitely here at the Countryside Centre with the arrival of 10 lambs, a litter of beagle pups with more on the way, and broody hens sitting on eggs. This years’ lambs were sired by Wiltshire Horn rams which do not need shearing as they have a fleece that sheds in the spring leaving a short hair coat, before growing back to give winter protection. The ewe lambs that have inherited this trait will be kept for future breeding. Some recent photos can be viewed here or by searching Radley College’s Flickr account.
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS The European Transplant and Dialysis Games is coming to Oxford this summer! Events including swimming, badminton, football and athletics will take place at Radley College, which will also be used as the Athletes’ Village for the week. Volunteers will be needed during the week of 21–28 August to fill the following roles, amongst others: DRIVERS to drive participants in College minibuses to events in Oxford and at Blenheim Palace. MARSHALLS for cycling and running events being held at Blenheim Palace. BAR STAFF for the evening entertainment programme at Radley. TRANSLATORS who could be present when teams first arrive on Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 August, and to be available by phone in case of emergencies. Mainly Hungarian, Polish, French, Russian, German and Spanish. Paul Harden, organiser of the Games, will be at Radley on Thursday 26 May at 1:00pm to talk about the Games and hold a Q&A session for all staff in the SLT. More details to follow, but please save the dates if you would like to know more about volunteering or spectating.
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I’d been in the UK for two years as a live-in carer for the elderly—as I’m from Zimbabwe it was a really good way for me to find my feet in the UK. My daughter was working in London around that time and she decided to move back to Zimbabwe, so it was a crossroads for me. I wanted to remain in the UK and I made a list of the things that were important to me in my next job. I wanted to have space around me, I wanted to work with children again, having worked as a Nursery School teacher for seven years in Zimbabwe, and I wanted to work in, and be part of, a community … and of course, Radley was all of that. I applied through The Lady magazine which carried adverts for Matrons. Richard Greed was B Social Tutor at the time, and when he interviewed me I was very honest with him. He asked me what I thought my days would entail and I said ‘I haven’t the vaguest idea, but I know I can do the job!’ Thankfully Richard decided to give me a chance! Did you have preconceptions about Radley? How did you find the reality? I had some preconceptions, but I had a couple of friends in B Social already—two of the boys were sons of friends I knew from Tanzania; a complete coincidence! That was a great help to me but within two weeks of being here I knew this is what I loved. How would you describe life at Radley? For the most part, life at Radley for me is anchored to the Social, but we support the boys out and about as much as possible—watching matches, plays and concerts. The nature of the Social allows the older boys to help the younger ones and the older boys like to know that the younger boys are happy. At the start of the year, the 6.1s and 6.2s will say ‘how are the Shells, Mrs D?’ They don’t know them yet, but they want to know if they are settling in ok. General courtesies and manners are modelled by the older boys and there is an expectation of how B Social boys should behave, they don’t want anything to reflect badly on the Social.
Is there such a thing as a typical day for a PHM? No two days are the same! In any one day we might do some shopping for Cocoa in the evening, or take a boy for a scan or X-ray. At the moment I have a group of Shells who need to be taken for their second Covid vaccination. The days are long—we start at 7 in the morning and finish at 11 at night but there are peaks and troughs through the day, so there are moments when we can relax or get out for a walk. What are your highlights during the week? I love the Cocoa evenings, because you see a different side of the boys. Cocoas bring the whole Social together and we really missed them during Covid, when the Social was split into year group bubbles. I love watching the boys perform or play sport, again, you see how they have progressed and you’re always really proud of them. We also always invite the B Social cleaners and caretakers to see the boys perform—it gives them a chance to see another side of the boys whose rooms they clean and whose furniture they fix! The boys become close to the extended Social family and love having their support. The thing I’m not good at is saying goodbye! I tell the boys, ‘don’t come and say goodbye, just say you’ll be seeing me’ because it breaks my heart at the end of five years to say goodbye. What has changed during your time at the College? I was here when the College had just eight Socials. At the time, we had 86 boys in B Social, but they weren’t all here because we only had 74 rooms. In 2007 when I joined we had a big intake so that when J and K opened, some boys would move over. The extra boys were housed in Orchard House, part of what became J Social. There were 30 beds in Orchard House and boys who preferred to be in a smaller group were still part of B Social but their rooms were there. What are your plans for your life after Radley? I absolutely love working at Radley, but having done it for this long I need to take some time out to recharge myself, having not seen my family for two and a half years. I will finish at the end of this academic year and I’m going on a Walkabout! I’m going for an extended period down to Southern Africa; South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mauritius and then to Thailand where I’ve got family friends to visit.
Mell Devlin, PHM, B Social
Mell Devlin has been PHM in B Social since 2007, but sadly is due to leave at the end of this term. I sat down with Mell in her cosy flat somewhere in the rabbit warren of B Social, and asked her how she came to Radley.
A week in the life: When asked to contribute to this series of articles I was struck that no one week is representative of my role. Last week, for example, I had a meeting with the Bursar of St Hilda’s College, Oxford to discuss their recent purchase of Radley Large Wood which neighbours College land. I also had a working lunch to discuss food pricing with our excellent catering consultant, a long-term planning meeting with the Warden and Estates Bursar, and, on Friday, I had a trip to London to have a meeting with lawyers about the College’s approach to a complex lease renewal of Akeley Wood School (a tenant of ours in Buckinghamshire). Last week was during the Easter holidays, and so it is a lot easier to have these more strategic meetings in the holiday period as during term time one rightly gets caught up in the here and now. I also attended the Jo Brand and Alan Davies comedy gig raising funds for the European Transplant & Dialysis Games, to which I had invited our bank manager from Handelsbanken. That was a fun evening, and they raised £20,000; I take my hat off to the Commercial Enterprises team for facilitating this event, it was outstanding and showed the College in a fantastic light. It is currently budget season and ensuring the College’s books balance each year is an essential part of the role. As part of this, one gets into the detail of what each department needs to spend each year (and occasionally challenging why), and into the bigger picture aspects of the College’s debt structure, its approach to investment and fee strategy. In my time at Radley, we have restructured the College’s balance sheet with a private placement to raise long term debt to fund expansion,
the Bursar and we have also changed our approach to investment of our funds, through the appointment of Oxford University Endowment Management, who have a successful track record of investing money, growing the capital and paying a return (which we use to fund bursaries). Big changes such as these, and the decisions taken at Council (our governing body) level that initiate them, are the things that determine the direction we take. Other examples would include the decision in 2016 to expand the school and to commit to various building projects, as well as decisions on our approach to Admissions and Fundraising for bursaries. An exciting stream of work underway at present is the work that David Anderson is leading on our Sustainability strategy which is being prepared for Council sign off in June. A large part of my work is as Secretary to Council—that involves managing the agendas of the various meetings we have each term, ensuring appropriate topics, such as the above, are tabled and discussed (so the right decisions are made at the right time), and that decisions made are followed through and updates provided. This is the engine room of change management. Each year, there will be at least three Council meetings, three General Purposes Committee meetings, two Foundation Trustee meetings, two Audit & Risk Committee meetings and two Pension Trustee meetings. All of these take time and planning (and a fair bit of minute taking!). In addition, I call from time to time for meetings of the Bursary Sub-Committee at which we review cases of financial hardship for existing Radley parents.
I take my responsibilities around bursaries very seriously and it is one of the most satisfying parts of the role. A full fee bursary is effectively an investment decision on the part of the College for almost £250,000, being the cost of fees and extras over five years. Yes—one must disappoint from time to time, but one also delights. I have a great many parent meetings each year to review and discuss financial circumstances, and we also use a company to conduct home visits and report back to us, to help ensure we have the best possible assessment of a family’s circumstances. At one recent meeting, the father said to me “this is probably the most important meeting of my life!” I think, when you can facilitate a boy coming to Radley, and when you can judge the right amount to offer to ensure scarce funds can benefit as many as possible, you inevitably get a sense of what it is all about, and why it matters. As Bursar, I am effectively responsible in some way for most of the operational, or non-teaching aspects of College life. Of course, that does not mean I do everything —I am blessed with a team of very able Heads of Department. I am their Team Leader, and while I occasionally get involved in the detail of particular areas, which I find helpful to understand the challenges we face day-to-day, I usually leave it to the experts who manage that area. In a prior role, before Radley, a former boss said to me that, as Team Leader, if all goes well you can come in late, have a long lunch, and go home early. None of the above applies to me, and so maybe I am not doing my job too well!
It must be said that communication is at the heart of all that we do, if we are to work together effectively and so, rightly, a large part of my day includes meetings. These may be Senior Management Team meetings, Bursary Leadership Team meetings, Bursary Heads of Department meetings, one-to-one meetings with my direct reports, committee meetings or meetings to look at specific issues we are trying to solve (for example, we had over 100 crisis management, or Cobra, meetings during Covid). Maintaining a sense of balance, and getting off-site, is important too. As such I very much value that I also have some involvement outside of Radley—as a governor at another school, as Honorary Treasurer of the Boarding Schools Association, as Chair of the Radley Lakes Trust and as a member of the Radley Parish Development Steering Group. Each in their own way brings balance. They provide an insight into what is going on elsewhere, what is important to others, and I hope also allows me to be an ambassador for Radley College in other settings. So, although I get in early, have a short lunch (occasionally), and get home later than I would usually wish, I end each week (on a Friday if I can, sometimes on a Saturday) fulfilled by what has been achieved. The College is such a vibrant place—down to its teachers, its wider staff (who between them cover such an immense range of skills and talents) and of course all that the boys do and get up to. So, to play a role in looking after and taking forward this marvellous place is a real privilege and a joy.
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Di Stone, Nurse
Situated a short walk from the main part of the Campus, the sanctuary of the Medical Centre is where boys are welcomed as the first port of call for the majority of illnesses and injuries. Di Stone joined in 2006. I asked her about her journey to Radley. We emigrated from South Africa to the UK in late 2000. Having been a Nurse back home, I started work at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, but soon moved to Abingdon Community Hospital as it was far more convenient. At that point I had two young children so I chose to do two nights a week which meant I could still be around for them and help at school whenever they needed volunteers. I happened to see an advert to join the school nursing team at Radley College in 2006, and thought that it would be a wonderful, new, and exciting role to pursue. The idea of having school holidays and not doing only night duty also appealed to me. So, I threw caution to the wind and applied to be part of the team, and it was the best move ever. Jane Lambert (Lead Nurse) and Julian Moore (Medical Officer) interviewed everyone, and seven nurses were employed to start in September 2006. What was it like when you arrived? We took over from two nurses, Kenis Barker and Margaret Hutton, who manned the medical centre 24/7 during term time. The only time they ever worked together was a Saturday afternoon in Michaelmas Term, dealing with rugby injuries, so they must have been exhausted! It ran differently back then, but around the time I joined the old-fashioned Infirmary became the Medical Centre and Matrons became known as Pastoral Housemistresses (PHMs). The school was ready to modernise under Angus McPhail who was the Warden at the time. As Jane Lambert was an experienced school nurse, she was fantastic at managing a team who had varied nursing backgrounds and many had never ventured into school nursing before. The likes of Anna Gomersall and all the PHMs were wonderful at giving advice and welcoming us to Radley, especially as the Radley culture and terminology was very new to us all. Looking after the boys was the easy part! How would you describe working as part of the Medical Centre team? The Medical Centre team comprises adult and paediatric nurses, as well as an admin and health care assistant. We cover a wide range of care from minor illness and injuries to monitoring asthma, giving travel advice and vaccinations if
needed and looking after mental and emotional wellbeing. Radley College has been brilliant at facilitating our needs and allowing us to attend specialised courses. Although we are all individuals who specialise in specific types of care, we complement and support each other, which makes the medical centre a lovely department to work in. What else has changed during your time at Radley? The most notable change has been moving from paper records to electronic records. For example, the daily absence list was printed and stuck on the door of Common Room. Nowadays, there is no paper in sight; the daily absence list is posted online so all teachers have access to it. The boys’ medical records also moved from paper to electronic records in 2008. This was linked up with Long Furlong Medical Centre in Abingdon, where all pupils are registered, making our job easier as we can update their NHS records online. Can you pick a highlight from your time at Medical Centre so far? There are hundreds! The biggest highlight is having a window into these students’ lives. Watching them grow up, arriving as timid Shells and leaving as confident 6.2s is very special. It is always a highlight when you hear of ORs who have gone on to achieve so much, be it personally or professionally. One highlight I never expected came from being furloughed in early 2021, and volunteering with the Covid vaccination clinic during Lockdown, along with Xante Cummings, Yvonne Marsh-Wilson and Emma Smith. We thoroughly enjoyed it and were able to meet GPs, pharmacists, nurses, and admin staff that we would never normally meet. Everyone that came in for their jab was very grateful, it was a joy to see so much positivity during a tough time for all. We started in the January and ran through to the April, so even when term had started again here, we offered any time we could. What makes Radley a special place to work? As soon as I started here it just felt like home, I immediately felt comfortable. There are numerous joys that make my job incrediby special: being part of a lovely team, working alongside the PHMs and the wider Radley community, but the greatest privilege has to be looking after the Radley students.
Untold Stories Kenis Barker and Margaret Hutton
Orchard House
The stories behind the Socials and the Medical Centre both feature in the soon-to-be-published book ‘Untold Stories’. The idea that groups of boys of mixed ages should be looked after by individual dons who would invite them to tea and care for them pastorally outside the classroom gave rise to the name ‘Socials’—those who ‘socialise together.’ They were different to the boarding houses at other public schools because all the teaching staff were involved and all the boys shared a single dormitory. Gradually the individual buildings that we now call Socials were built, each assigned to a Tutor and labelled A-L. From 1979 to 2007, Orchard House existed alongside the eight Socials, fulfilling many roles over the years, from mopping-up boys who were otherwise resident in Mansion or the Warden’s house in the early 80s, to a ‘hall of residence’ to provide a bridge between life in a Social and University, allowing the boys to be more independent. As boarding developed, each Social appointed a matron (now PHM), the earliest in the 1880s. The Infirmary developed alongside the Socials. In an age before penicillin or vaccinations there was a constant run of severe infectious diseases. At one point there was a separate sanatorium, and, before the NHS, a small operating theatre. The changing roles of the Medical Centre staff track the increasing professionalism of nursing through the 20th century.
VISITORS POLICY The ‘Access to College Premises’ policy, setting out procedures for welcoming visitors to the campus, will be updated shortly. Please keep an eye out for a communication on this, as it will affect the way in which you pre-register your visitor ahead of their visit, and will provide you with guidance on where to sign them in and out via the re-launched Sign-In App. Pre-registering visitors automatically emails them with helpful welcome information ahead of their visit, and allows the Lodge and Bursary Reception staff visibility of who to expect, in advance.
STAFF QUIZ
‘Untold Stories’ will be available to purchase at a College book launch event later this term. Look out for details. In the meantime you can find out more by visiting the exhibition in the History Department corridor just next to the Coffee Shop or via the online exhibition—both courtesy of College Archivist Clare Sargent. Use the QR code to access this or click here.
Thanks to all who attended the Staff Quiz on Friday, 25 March! The winners were the mighty ‘Brain Fog’, who narrowly beat ‘We’re Only Here for the Pizza’ and ‘Fully Booked’ to win the coveted many-boxes-of-chocolates prize. The quiz raised £220 for the Radley College / DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Thanks to our very own ‘Quizzo’ Chris and especially to Lisa, who kindly compèred the evening, for making it such a success. If you couldn’t make the quiz but would still like to support the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, search the Just Giving website for ‘Radley College’. We hope to hold another staff quiz very soon!
Radley College Partnerships
WE PARTNER BECAUSE ...
@RadleyLinks
It was an immense pleasure to be able to speak about the development of our partnership work during the Operational Staff Meeting before Easter. The success of what has been accomplished so far is built upon the efforts of so many people, whether that be in preparing rooms for our guests, providing meals for visiting school children, marking the pitches for a wide range of sporting matches and events, or leading an activity. Thank you. We should all be proud of what we are developing and the impact that it is having on our communities and ourselves. In many ways partnerships at Radley is nothing new, we have partnered with others in some way or another for the past 175 years. David Anderson spoke about sustainability becoming a way of life at Radley College, and in the same vein we want our partnerships to become part of who we are and what we do: an ambition to work within our communities, to better understand how we can build meaningful relationships of mutual benefit, to measure the impact, and consider ways that our partnerships are sustained and further developed. At the same time, we want our boys to develop a keen sense of their civic virtue, helping them to become citizens of the future. We want every Radleian to have the agency to seek out opportunities to contribute within their local communities, greater awareness of the needs of society, and the skills to help make a difference. As a College community, we can partner together in support of what is taking place. Much of what you already do enables the opportunities for those beyond the College gates. By improving our collective understanding with regards to our work, those we partner alongside, and why we aim to develop our partnership work, you can help communicate the message, become more involved, and be a part of building an identity that ensures we all feel associated with something bigger than ourselves. I am delighted to welcome Sarah Sheldon to the partnerships team. Sarah will move internally from Warden’s PA to become the Partnership Administrator. Sarah and I will be based in a new partnership office on the ground floor of the Bursary—we very much want to hear your ideas, communicate about the events and activities happening, and hear your suggestions of new ways in which we can work with others. You will find a link here to a questionnaire (also available via the Staff Noticeboard) and I would be grateful if you could spare a few moments to share your feedback with me. My aim is that everyone will feel more informed, enabling as many as possible to become involved. Above all, when you are asked the question ‘why does Radley College partner with others?’ I hope that you will feel proud and confident to say, ‘We partner because …’ John Sparks Director of Partnerships
Estates Update As we head into the summer term you will be able to see progress on Shop continue. Currently we are installing a new hybrid heating system with an energy efficient heat pump to provide underfloor heating to the new areas. The new rooflights are in, as are the oak framed windows offering panoramic views of the pitches. Work continues to tile the floors throughout and start cladding an attractive oak acoustic slat ceiling. The former Shop room will be transformed into a multi-functional meeting room and special events dining room. The interior designs for all spaces are developing using lots of natural tones and textures with dramatic dark colours to take each space from day to night (see below). If you missed David Anderson’s presentation on Sustainability at the Operational Staff Meeting in March, click here to view the slides or find them on the Staff Noticeboard.
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My day starts at 6am, but by then a number of deliveries will already have arrived and be waiting for me. I need to count the quantities to check everything is correct, check the temperatures and the quality, especially of meat and fish. I’m given a list from the Duty Chef of everything that has been ordered. For example, there may be 300kg of meat in 30 boxes so I will open every box and check the weight, temperature and quality. I had training with the Chef and I have been doing the job nearly 12 years so the longer I’ve been here the more I’ve found my experience has helped me. The quantities of food you are dealing with must be huge! On an average day we cater for 750 boys at breakfast and supper and 1000 people at lunch. We might order a hundred kilos of potatoes for Sunday roast or 400 chicken legs just for one lunch. We get through 50 loaves of bread, over 500 eggs and about 420 pints of milk each day, which includes milk for each Social, Coffee Shop, Catering and all the different departments. Everything is ordered a couple of days in advance and stored in a big fridge. In addition to the normal meals, on some days we might have an event or function in the evening such as a Council dinner or Radleian Society event. Do you get involved in other aspects of food preparation or supply? During term-time I prepare packed lunches for sports matches and trips. Sometimes that’s particularly busy—this week I have 200 packed lunches to make altogether. I’m lucky because if I am really busy I know I can ask for help. Each Social is able to order food like bread, cheese and eggs for the boys’ kitchens. I fulfil these orders weekly and the boys collect their supplies from me on Thursdays. Sometimes I’m able to help in the kitchen—simple jobs but I always enjoy that.
How did you come to work at Radley? I started working here in 2010. I knew Tomasz Kruszlinski, Radley’s Head Chef from 2008 to 2019. He suggested I apply for this job. I had been living in Slough and worked in a kitchen and before that in an Italian bakery. I had visited Radley once and thought it was a beautiful place, and I’ve stayed here ever since. What do you think has changed since you joined? The number of boys and staff here has increased, so the deliveries increase and I work more hours now—in term time I work six days a week, 6am – 4pm. I work in the holidays but only five days a week, catering for external Lets on site. It’s been very difficult recently during Covid and with supply chain issues and food shortages. The marquees that were erected to give additional space during Covid restrictions meant we had to do everything twice to split the service between the counters and the marquee—that was a hard period for our team. Sometimes there are issues with late deliveries, missing items or damaged produce. Occasionally more serious issues affect the availability of food. In late 2021 there was a period when there were problems with chicken supplies, CO2 supply chain shortages and then the fuel supply crisis. Sometimes the menus have to be changed at the last minute but we hope most of these issues stay behind the scenes! What makes Radley a special place to work? My managers are very helpful and friendly and as a team we work really well together, I can always ask if I have questions or need help. That’s why I’m still here, the team is great. I’ve worked in many different places and I know not everywhere is like Radley! It’s busy but we all help each other.
Would you like to feature in a future My Radley article? Is there someone you would like to hear from? Email Anna: amth.haynes@radley.org.uk
Tom Lubski, Catering Store person
One member of staff whose work many of us experience but whose face we might not know, Tom Lubski is the Catering Department’s Store Person, responsible for taking delivery of the food supplies coming into the College. I managed to catch a few minutes with Tom to find out more about his role and what it entails.
Staff News A warm welcome to staff who have joined since January 2022: Lucy Archer, Domestic Cleaner (All Year)
Sandy Shout, Laundry Assistant
Kirstin Ashton, Apprentice Gardener
Richard Simmons, Senior Chef de Partie Compliance
Tom Burgess, Strength & Conditioning Coach
Chelsea Thomas, Domestic Cleaner (All Year)
Jeremy Croxson, Exam Invigilator
Sophie Torrance, Engagement Officer, Foundation Office
Rory Gearing, Sports Centre Duty Manager
Kiran Venugopal, Sports Centre Leisure Assistant
Carolyn Jarvis, Gardener
Judy Ward, Domestic Cleaner (Term Time)
Alex Leeds, Exam Invigilator
Bart Wieczorkiewicz, Hospitality Sous Chef
Vics McClelland, Admissions Assistant
Harry Woodcock, Sports Centre Duty Manager
Jo Meehan, Domestic Cleaner (All Year)
and to those joining later this term: Gareth Bird, Security Porter
Rebecca Luff, VMT (Harp)
Chloe Godfrey, Domestic Cleaner (Term Time)
Mary Willoughby, Domestic Cleaner (All Year)
Sarah Hitchcox, Warden’s PA
Julie Woods, Senior Administrative Coordinator, Medical Centre
CONGRATULATIONS to the following on their recent promotions: Erin Buckingham and Harry Gillett to Sports Centre Duty Managers; Rob Druce to Deputy Head Gardener, Adam Jones to Senior Groundsman, Paul Hedger to Senior Greenkeeper and David Perdiguero-Blanco to Senior Gardener. Dusty Evans has moved from her role as Medical Centre Administrator to Administration Assistant in the Housekeeping Department. After 10 years as Warden’s PA, Sarah Sheldon will move to the role of Partnerships Administrator in mid-May, working with John Sparks in the new Partnerships Office in the Bursary. Congratulations to Karl Etheridge, Maud Hurley, Adam Jones and Will Swain on their new arrivals.
Our best wishes go to those who have left since January, particularly those who served the College for a number of years, including Victor de Brum, Senior Sous Chef and Domestic Cleaners Eileen Hunt, Jackie Last, Amanda Lewis and Fran Purcell. A long-service celebration high tea is scheduled for 29 April to thank those who have achieved 20 years’ service with the College, for their contribution. We will also be inviting some of our colleagues that left during the last two years, when we didn’t have the opportunity to celebrate their service.
David Bridgford 1951—2022 It was with great sadness that we learnt of David’s death on 17 March at the age of only 68. David was the College’s Accountant from 1995 to his retirement in 2015—although his retirement lasted only four days before he started work part-time at The Manor Prep School in Abingdon. David’s funeral was held on 12 April and amongst the many kind words that were said, some of the most common were that David was kind, thoughtful and gentle. David was a true gentle man. If I could use a few words from a poem that was read out at the funeral:
I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on his casket from beginning ... to the end. He noted that first came the date of his birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years. There will be a longer account of David’s life in The Old Radleian later in the year, where we can include more about his dash. Sarah Ballard Head of HR
Andrew Shelton 1963—2022 We also received the sad news in March of Andrew Shelton’s passing. Andrew worked in the Housekeeping team, joining in 2020. Despite his short time with us, he was such a positive influence for all who knew him in E Social, the Laundry and elsewhere.
MY
Hazel Gearing, Reprographics Administrator
radley
I was delighted to sit down and chat to Hazel Gearing in the basement of Mansion, with the photocopiers and printers whirring in the background. She, her husband John (Teacher of Geography and Head Coach, Rowing), and four children emigrated to the UK in 2006. I asked her about her move from South Africa and what she found when she and her family arrived at Radley:
What does Radley mean to you?
We packed our bags into the car wearing shorts and t-shirts, leaving a warm December day of 38 degrees in South Africa. What a shock to step out into a bitterly cold, very foggy British day after our flight! I’d never been so cold in my entire life! We were quickly absorbed into College life once term started, and we have been very happy here since.
Is there a a particularly memorable moment that springs to mind from your time at Radley?
After working in all sorts of other jobs, I applied for the Reprographics role. During my interview I had to admit that I didn’t know how to use the photocopiers or the design programmes, but I was very willing to learn. Thankfully, they took a chance on me and gave me the job. What was the department like when you joined? I started in Repro in 2013, taking over from Del and Jean who retired at the same time. Del printed on a huge Litho printer, developing his negatives in a small dark room next to the printers. Very little design work was done in Repro, but I have really enjoyed teaching myself to use Adobe InDesign, so I am able to create and produce a variety of printed material, such as menus, invitations, place-names, posters, and programmes. I really love this part of my job. What does your day-to-day job entail? I am quite active during my workday: loading paper into the machines, filling boxes with printing and delivering what I can around campus. I am very pleased that I don’t have to sit behind a desk all day. I use two photocopiers—a big black and white Canon, which I call Martha, because she’s a doer! She works hard and gets through a lot of printing with very little fuss. She does all the bigger print runs such as mock exams, revision booklets, and Orders of Service. The colour printer, Mary, handles more refined printing, such as invitations, stationery, and programmes. You really need to know just how to handle her to get her to print! I enjoy making booklets and other documents look good. I feel that a boy is much more likely to work through a large revision document if it looks appealing and easy to read.
The Radley College community was so welcoming and kind to us when we arrived here from South Africa. We are very fortunate to live and work in such a beautiful place with such a supportive community of staff and friends. I only have gratitude for Radley and what it has given us.
Going to Henley Royal Regatta for the first time was a very interesting experience. I have attended the regatta many times over the years to support John and his crew, as well as to cheer for my own sons who all raced at Henley in the 1st VIII during their time at Radley. It is an amazing event to experience, especially when you have someone special to support. Tell me a bit about your interests away from the Repro department. I know yoga plays a big part in your life. I started going to yoga classes in the Round Pavilion when we first arrived in the UK and since then have tried different types of yoga and begun to practice more often. In 2020 I took a 250-hour teacher training course in Vinyasa yoga which is one of the biggest things I’ve done in my life; it took a massive amount of courage to graduate from the course but the training was amazing and gave me enough confidence to be able to put myself out there as a teacher. I feel very encouraged that my Thursday evening class at the Sports Centre gets booked up every week. I taught yoga to the senior rowing squad here at Radley for a few months in 2020 and a little over Zoom during Lockdown too—the boys were happy to try the more adventurous poses and I enjoyed watching their progress. Yoga has been transformative in my life. The physical practice offers obvious rewards, but the philosophy around it has helped me to be a calmer, kinder person, and to cope much better with stress. My other interest is art. I did a fine arts degree after finishing school and my dream is to be a children’s book illustrator—maybe one day I will be! I use collage and mixed media, watercolours, inks, pencil crayons, as well as acrylics to create my art. I also enjoy trying all sorts of crafts, I just love to be creative really. My son is making me a website for my artwork so watch this space!